Several lucky industry members and invited guests attended Thomas Rhett‘s sneak-peek of the music video for “Craving You” ft. Maren Morris, Rhett’s lead single and title track from his third studio album. The video is slated to be released in the near future.

The viewing was held at BMI’s theater on Tuesday, April 25. Introduced by Big Machine Label Group CEO Scott Borchetta, both Thomas Rhett and Morris discussed their experience filming the video for the attendees.

Grammy-winner Morris joined Thomas Rhett to perform the new single, written by Dave Barnes and Julian Bunetta, at tour stops at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater on Thursday, April 20 and Friday, April 21.

Kenny Chesney Leads Into Video Premiere With Mystery Teasers

Click to see the video.

Kenny Chesney debuted the video for “Rich and Miserable,” an album track from Cosmic Hallelujah, this morning (April 28) on SiriusXM, marking the first world premiere on the satellite radio platform’s website. Chesney teased the premiere in an unconventional way, without mention of the song or the artist, via clips which popped up on SiriusXM’s site, with only the tag “World Video Premiere,” a date (Friday, 4/28/17) and time (10 a.m. EST).

“I think there’s so much more to what goes on a record than radio can play,” Chesney says of the decision, “and some songs need to be heard. For ‘Rich and Miserable,’ it felt like it was addressing so many of the things we’re sold and told—about what makes us happy, or we’re supposed to want, or are expected to do. I didn’t want that message getting lost, so we decided to skip a video on some of the singles and do this instead. What was even better is that the people we work with at SiriusXM understood doing this was about the message. They allowed us to break out what the song was about without relying on an artist’s name or the usual tags. They saw the importance of what we’re trying to say.”

Jim Lauderdale recorded his latest project, London Southern, in a whirlwind of inspiration during a tour of England and Scotland, and he enlisted the help of Nick Lowe’s touring band (Robert Trehern on drums; Matt Radford on bass; Steve Donnelly on guitar; Geraint Watkins on keyboards) to help capture the magic of the moment. 

Produced by Neil Brockbank and Robert Trehern in two sessions at London’s Gold Top Studios, and due out June 30, London Southern is Lauderdale’s 29th album. Yesterday (4/27) American Songwriter premiered the first song from London Southern, “You Came to Get Me” a track that is available for instant download with every album pre-order.

“I wanted a different sound, kind of a throwback to the early ’60s. All the players had the same sort of experience I did, only from where they were. So it was that thing of how much British musicians loved American music, and how they interpreted our roots, then we interpreted them. They love a lot of the same things I do, only from a very different perspective…it was very American to British to America to Britain to America to, well, here. And sonically, I really put myself in Neil’s hands. He got things that were very unique, and fresh, and captured that feeling I was after.”

Little Big Town (center) join CMA and CMA Foundation Board members at CMA Music Teachers of Excellence Wednesday at Nissan Stadium. Back (l-r): Victoria Shaw; Kix Brooks; Ron Samuels; Blair Garner; Sally Williams, CMA Board Chairman; Frank Bumstead; John Marks; Everett Lybolt; Bob DiPiero; Rob Potts; Biff Watson; John Huie; Jim Beavers; Mike Dungan; and Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. Front (l-r): Tiffany Kerns, CMA Director of Community Outreach; Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook, and Karen Fairchild; Jennie Smythe; and Joe Galante, CMA Foundation Chairman. Photo: Dusty Draper / CMA

Little Big Town and the CMA honored local Metro Nashville educators as the CMA Music Teachers of Excellence Wednesday night (4/26) at a special ceremony at Nissan Stadium. More than a dozen artists were on hand to celebrate with the teachers, as well as CMA Board members, community leaders, and CMA Foundation beneficiary programs.

Twenty-five Metro Nashville Public School teachers were recognized during the ceremony, along with six recipients from other cities, who were acknowledged by the Give a Note Foundation’s “Music In Our Schools Tour” presented by Radio Disney. Each honoree receives a stipend from the CMA Foundation in recognition of their commitment and teaching excellence.

“These educators are building and inspiring a generation, equipping students with tools they will continue to use throughout their lives,” said Joe Galante, CMA Foundation Chairman.

In a special pre-event gathering, Little Big Town were surprised with an emotional reunion with their childhood music teachers Sarah Glover and Jim Walker of Alabama (Jimi Westbrook), Billy Jack Green of Georgia (Karen Fairchild), and Julia Lansford of Arkansas (Phillip Sweet). Earlene Rentz of Kentucky and Robert Ivey of Georgia, who taught Kimberly Schlapman, shared heartfelt video and written messages in their absence. Fairchild serves on the CMA Foundation Board of Directors.

Entertainers also shared videos of well-wishes throughout the evening, with Cam, Brad Paisley, Cassadee Pope, Darius Rucker, Zac Brown Band, and ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” announcer Dicky Barrett and musical director Cleto Escobedo III all sending messages of support.

The City of Nashville also showed its support for the special event by lighting up downtown landmarks Ascend Amphitheater, Bridgestone Arena, Korean Veterans Boulevard Bridge, Omni Hotel, and the Westin Hotel in CMA blue lights.

“Music City is Music City because of the Country Music Association,” said Dr. Shawn Joseph, MNPS Director of Schools. “[The CMA Foundation] has set the bar high and established new standards for public/private partnerships between Metro Schools and business partners in Nashville and Davidson County.”

Now in its second year, the CMA Music Teachers of Excellence program honors music educators and their indelible impact on students and school communities. The program was created in partnership with Metro Schools’ “Music Makes Us” initiative, which was formed as a result of a 2015 study that highlighted the challenges of local music teachers.