TV/radio personality Cody Alan has partnered with Harper Horizon to release a memoir of his music industry adventures and life lessons he’s learned along the way. The project will release Oct. 19, 2021.

Alan, host of CMT’s flagship music series, CMT Hot 20 Countdown, and the award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show, CMT After MidNite, distributed by iHeartMedia’s Premiere Networks, will offer his guidance on developing compassion and perseverance, as well as the art of listening.

“It might seem strange for a guy who talks for a living to write a book about shutting up and listening,” says Alan. “But I’ve discovered that in a world of noise, with so many voices talking, we could learn a lot by stopping to listen. Not just listening to others, but also to ourselves. I thought it would be fun to share stories from my personal journey, country music adventures and experienced insights on what I’ve learned about life, career and love from listening.”

“When I first met Cody, I was struck by the similarities between his story and the Harper Horizon mission to make the world a better place,” said Andrea Fleck-Nisbet, Harper Horizon publisher. “Not only is our hometown of Nashville the backdrop of Cody’s story, but its themes of inclusivity, community, and self- healing are very much part of the Horizon narrative too. We are thrilled that Cody has joined our team, and we fully expect his book to become a beacon of encouragement to readers everywhere.”

Cody Alan is heard on air nightly on 225 Country radio stations and over 1,000 global military bases and ships on his two radio shows, CMT After MidNite and CMT Radio Live, and seen every weekend traveling the world interviewing the biggest country stars backstage and on the red carpet with CMT Hot 20 Countdown. He has hosted top radio shows in Dallas, Orlando and Salt Lake City, and contributes frequently to LGBTQ+ outreach programs. He is the father of two and currently lives in Nashville with his fiancée, healthcare worker Trea Smith, and golden retriever, Teddy.

50 Shades of Hay Perform at Ryman Auditorium’s 5th Annual Community Day | Photo Credit: Steve Lowry

The Ryman Auditorium hosted its 5^th annual Community Day on Sunday, Oct. 25, where Tennessee residents experienced the venue’s daytime tour experience free of charge.

Presented by PNC Bank and supporting partners Hiller and Farm Bureau Health Plans, guests enjoyed self-guided tours and family-friendly activities and live music on the PNC Plaza at the Ryman, featuring performances from 50 Shades of Hay, Jason Eskridge, The Carmonas and Bentley Caldwell.

The self-guided tours included admission to the new Turn It Up! Ryman’s Rock Legacy exhibit, which focuses on the history of rock music at the Ryman. The new exhibition will run for three years and showcases the Ryman’s rich and rockin’ cross-genre past featuring artifacts from Elvis, Peter Frampton, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, John Mellencamp, Wilco, Neil Young, Steve Miller Band, Grace Potter, Drive-by Truckers, Bruce Springsteen and more.

Artist Heidi Schwartz of “Paint Your Event” at Ryman Auditorium’s 5th Annual Community Day | Photo Credit: Steve Lowry

Tours also included a stop in the state-of-the-art Soul of Nashville experience and four additional exhibitions: Workin’ on a Building, Roots Run Deep, Showplace of the South and Ryman Renaissance, as well as newly added artifacts from Country Music Hall of Fame member Alan Jackson from his 2006 taping of Precious Memories at the Ryman. Fans were also able to jump on stage and have their picture taken where so many legends have stood before them.

This weekend, the Ryman will get into the Halloween spirit with The Haunted History Tour, a unique experience exploring the untold history behind unexplained sightings and occurrences reported at the Ryman throughout its 128-year history. On Oct. 30-31 from 7–11 p.m., tours will run every 15 minutes with groups limited to 10 people. Tickets are priced at $40 and are available for purchase today at ryman.com.

Jason Eskridge Performs at Ryman Auditorium’s 5th Annual Community Day | Photo Credit: Steve Lowry

Australian native Brad Cox has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Cox will be collaborating with the company’s creative teams in both Nashville and Australia.

Hailing from Jindabyne, Australia, Cox has quickly made a name for himself in the country scene with his singles “Rusty Strings” and “Give Me Tonight,” which amassed over four million global streams. He rose to prominence in 2018 with his self-titled debut album, which featured singles “Red Light,” “Too Drunk to Drive,” and “Lake House,” and the crowd favorite “Water On The Ground.” He’s earned opening spots for Brett Eldredge, Jon Pardi, Randy Houser, and more on the road, and his debut album was nominated for two Golden Guitars for Contemporary Album of the Year and New Talent of the Year, as well as the 39th Toyota Star Maker award in 2018. In 2020, Cox secured two more Golden Guitar noms with his single “Rusty Strings” for APRA AMCOS Song Of The Year and Apple Music Single Of The Year.

“I first met Brad last year and immediately became fast friends with him,” said Sony/ATV Nashville Vice President, Creative Tom Luteran. “He’s not only a talented artist, but a really genuine, great guy. I am looking forward to watching him become a country music star in the US.”

Cox’s recent single “Drinking Season,” co-written by Cox and Dan Isbell, has already garnered over one million global streams. He also released a new song in Australia on Oct. 16, “Short Lived Love,” and released an official video for the track on Oct. 23.

Sony/ATV Australia Head of A&R/Creative Craig Hawker said, “We are absolutely delighted to be working in conjunction with our Nashville office on such an exciting new Australian country voice in Brad Cox, who is a superstar in the making.”

“Songwriting is such a huge part of me and my career,” said Cox. “I’m super stoked to be working with Sony/ATV both in Australia and in Nashville. I love them all and this is going to be an awesome partnership.”

Jameson Rodgers has achieved his first No. 1 single as an artist out of the gate, as his debut single “Some Girls” tops the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase/Country Aircheck charts.

“Some Girls” is the first solo male debut single to top the charts in a year. With its 49-week run, “Some Girls” has set a new record for the longest climb to No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart for a debut single. The track was  recently certified Gold, and he performed the hit on NBC’s TODAY with Hoda & Jenna. Rodgers topped the all-genre Billboard Emerging Artist chart last week, only the fifth country artist to do so this year, and “Some Girls” entered Top 40 territory on the Hot 100 chart as well. The track has earned more than 115 million on-demand streams.

“When I moved to Nashville in 2010, I had a dream. I’m living my dream right now thanks to country radio, amazing fans and the best team any artist could ask for,” said Rodgers. “I just feel so blessed for the opportunity and look forward to hopefully many more.”

Pictured, Top row: Paul Brown, Quartz Hill Records VP of Promotion & Marketing April Rider. Bottom row: Jason Sellers, Nate Barnes, Benny Brown

Quartz Hill Records, a newly-launched label from Benny Brown, Paul Brown and Jason Sellers, in a joint partnership with The Orchard, has signed its flagship artist, Nate Barnes.

Barnes’s debut single, “You Ain’t Pretty,” which he co-wrote with Sellers and Jimmy Yeary, will release Friday, Oct. 30.

Michigan native Barnes is a former power plant worker who spent years playing small clubs, festivals, bars and more around his hometown. One day, he met songwriter Sellers while passing through Nashville. That encounter led to a meeting with Brown (known for founding BBR Music Group) and a deal with Quartz Hill.

“I knew there was something special about Nate the moment I met him,” says Brown. “His voice, his songwriting, his personality and his whole presence. Nate’s a hard worker and has spent his whole life doing manual labor. His music is honest and about real, hardworking people. He hasn’t been through the music industry machine – he IS who he sings about and for. Quartz Hill is ‘all in’ for Nate Barnes.”

“I can’t express how excited I am to be working with Benny, Jason, Paul, April and the entire team at Quartz Hill,” says Nate. “I’ve always gone after what’s in my heart, working hard and never giving up on it, no matter what. To finally see this lifelong dream come true. . .I’m just humbled and I can’t wait to get going!”