In an effort to grow and diversify its membership body, the Recording Academy recently invited 2,710 music creators and professionals to be members.

According to the press release, the invitations were extended to members of “wide-ranging backgrounds, genres and disciplines.” The 2021 class of invitees is 48 percent female, 32 percent Black or African American+, 13 percent Hispanic or Latino/a/x+, and four percent Asian or Pacific Islander+.

The Academy’s existing membership represents 26 percent female and 27 percent from traditionally underrepresented groups. Since setting the goal of adding 2,500 women voting members by 2025, 831 women have joined the Academy’s voting membership, putting the organization 33 percent closer to reaching that milestone.

“Membership is the Academy’s change agent — our members drive everything we do,” says Ruby Marchand, Chief Industry Officer at the Recording Academy. “I’m inspired by the potential for each invited music creator and business professional to lend their creativity and passion to our organization. We are immensely proud of our accomplishments and the strides we’ve made toward equitable representation. We look forward to welcoming our new invitees as they help us shape the future of the Academy and the music industry.”

Luke Combs. Photo: Zack Massey

River House/Columbia Nashville’s Luke Combs keeps the top spot this week on the top country song streaming chart with “Forever After All,” garnering 9.6 million streams this week and 282 million RTD, according to Nielsen. On the all-genre chart the song is at No. 25.

Following Combs in the second position on the country streaming songs chart is “Lil Bit'” from Nelly & Florida Georgia Line with 7.4 million streams this week, and “Famous Friends” by Chris Young & Kane Brown is in third with 6.5 million streams. Gabby Barrett sits at No. 4 with her hit “The Good Ones” at 5.5 million, while Chris Stapleton re-enters the top 5 with his 2015 smash single, “Tennessee Whiskey,” at 5.3 million streams.

On the top country albums chart, Morgan Wallen continues to dominate the chart with Dangerous: The Double Album on Big Loud Records. This week the album, which ranks No. 5 overall, racked up 48,000 streams contributing to an overall 58 million RTD, according to Nielsen. Wallen also maintains his fourth spot on the chart with If I Know Me gaining 15,000 streams. What You See Is What You Get and This One’s For You by Combs stay in the second and third spots this week with 28,000 and 18,000 streams, respectively. Meanwhile, making her return to the top five, Taylor Swift gains 14,000 streams on Fearless (Taylor’s Version) putting her squarely at No. 5.

Brooke Eden Surprises Opry Crowd With Special Trisha Yearwood Duet

Brooke Eden & Trisha Yearwood at the Grand Ole Opry on June 25, 2021. Photo: Ford Fairchild

Country singer-songwriter Brooke Eden surprised a packed Opry House last Friday, June 25, with a guest appearance from Trisha Yearwood during her set.

After a performance of her latest songs, “No Shade” and “Sunroof,” Eden began her performance of her country classic pick, “She’s In Love With The Boy.” After the first chorus, Yearwood appeared and suggested they do a gender flip of the song to highlight Pride month and Brooke’s recent engagement to Hilary Hoover, a radio representative for Yearwood and Garth Brooks. Eden and Yearwood continued their duet as “She’s In Love With The Girl.”

“Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d ever share the stage with one of my heroes, Trisha Yearwood,” said Eden. “Her idea of changing the words of ‘She’s In Love With The Boy’ to include Hilary and my love story is such a beautiful way of putting action behind the quote, ‘Love Is Love.’ Thank you to Trisha and the Opry for helping to create a community of love and acceptance. This is country music.”

Eden made her triumphant return to country music earlier this year. Marking the end of her four-year hiatus, she shared three new songs—“No Shade,” “Sunroof,” and now “Got No Choice.” Collaborating with director Ford Fairchild, Eden was able to incorporate her fiancée, her hometown, and even the bar she grew up singing at, into the music videos that give the viewer a glimpse into Eden’s world.

Dailey & Vincent To Be Recognized At 50th Annual Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree

Dailey & Vincent

Multi-Grammy nominated duo Dailey & Vincent will be recognized at the 50th Annual Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Crafts Festival for their contributions as one of the most popular bands in contemporary American music, embracing bluegrass, country, and gospel. The festival is set to take place on Saturday, July 3 in Downtown Smithville, Tennessee.

Darrin Vincent will be celebrated by the State of Tennessee with an unveiling of his “Tennessee Music Pathways” marker on the square in his hometown during the event. Launched by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development in 2018, Tennessee Music Pathways is an online planning guide that connects visitors to the state’s rich musical heritage. Tennessee Music Pathways stretches across all 95 counties and features hundreds of landmarks from the seven genres of music that call Tennessee home.

Jamie Dailey will also be honored at the event as the recipient of the Fiddlers’ Jamboree’s 2021 Blue Blaze Award. The Blue Blaze Award is designed to honor an individual or group that keeps the embers of bluegrass music burning for future generations. The Blue Blaze Panel Committee voted unanimously for Dailey’s nomination citing his long-running contributions to bluegrass music. Following the presentations, Dailey & Vincent will perform a mini-concert on the main stage.

Although the pair only began performing regularly as a duo in 2008, they’d both had extensive careers in bluegrass and had sung together informally since 2001. Their first show together was at the Grand Ole Opry, staged at the Ryman Auditorium, on Dec. 29, 2007. Their debut self-titled album was released in January 2008 and won Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year, Emerging Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year award at the 2008 IBMA Awards. In March 2017, Dailey and Vincent were inducted as the 213th members of the Grand Ole Opry. As of 2021, they have received five Grammy Awards individually, three Grammy nominations collectively, six Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association, and 35 IBMA Awards altogether.

Steve Dorff Elected To Songwriters Hall Of Fame Board Of Directors

Steve Dorff

Demolition Music Publishing’s Steve Dorff has been elected to the board of directors for the prestigious Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. Dorff, an inductee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame himself, will serve a three year term on the board.

Dorff will serve alongside other elected board members Desmond Child, Paul Williams, Hal David Starlight Award Recipient Ne-Yo, Martin Bandier, Caroline Bienstock, Donna Caseine, Samantha Cox, Charlie Feldman, Fletcher Foster, Pete Ganbarg, Randy Grimmett, John Josephson, Jody Klein, Evan Lamberg, Carianne Marshall, Nancy Munoz, Jon Platt, Irwin Z. Robinson, Patrice Rushen and John Titta.

The Bobby Bones Show’s Eddie Garcia Completed 100-Mile Walk For Charity

Eddie Garcia on the 100-mile walk for National Angels

Eddie Garcia of iHeartRadio’s The Bobby Bones Show completed a nearly 100 mile walk from Bluefield, West Virginia to Bristol, Tennessee on Wednesday, June 23. The four day journey was part of a fundraiser for National Angels, a national non-profit organization dedicated to supporting children, youth, and families in the foster care community. To date, listeners of The Bobby Bones Show have donated more than $275K in support of National Angels.

“I did it! I walked all the way from West Virginia down to Tennessee,” shares Garcia. “We raised so much money for National Angels and met a ton of great humans out here. Thank you for all the support and encouragement along the way. I didn’t do this alone!”

Garcia, who is a foster parent to two young children and is on the National Advisory Council for the non-profit organization, was inspired by the George Strait song, “Carrying Your Love With Me,” in which he sings: “‘Cause I’m carryin’ your love with me, West Virginia down to Tennessee…”

“Eddie did it! The Bobby Bones Show did it. The more than 8,800 contributors did it. Together, people from all over our country collectively came together and said, ‘We can make a difference and we can be a part of the change!’ The response and support have been nothing short of a miracle!” says Susan Ramirez, founder and CEO at National Angels.

Charlie Worsham. Photo: Jason Myers

Charlie Worsham is gearing up for the release of his brand new EP, Sugarcane, on July 16 via Warner Music Nashville. The first three releases from the new project, “Fist Through This Town,” “Believe In Love,” and the most recent track,“Half Drunk,” are available now.

Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town), Sugarcane is an emotional homecoming for Worsham. The origins of the new EP stem from his personal reflections from a daily writing exercise that grew into something much more universal. The six new songs celebrate the love, perseverance, struggle, and joy experienced through life and the people who are there with you through it all.

“‘Half Drunk’ tells the story of the first time I told my wife I loved her,” recalls Worsham. “I’d just been fired by my publisher and my manager had quit management that week, but I was singing that day in one of my favorite rooms in all the world, the Station Inn. Powered by Yazoo Pale Ale, applause, and a sense that this girl I was crazy about might just be more special and more permanent than the whole music industry thing, I turned to Kristen, said those three magic words, and she said ‘I love you too.’ I hope this song inspires a lot of drunken making out and maybe a few last-time-saying-I-love-you-for-the-first-time moments.”

Fiona Whelan Prine

President Joe Biden recently announced his intent to nominate 17 individuals to serve in key roles within his administration. Included in this nomination list is Fiona Whelan Prine as a member of the National Council on the Arts.

Prine brings an expansive viewpoint to the American roots music community as President of Oh Boy Records, the country’s second-oldest independent record label still in operation. In that role, she oversees the multiple Grammy Award-winning recordings and publishing copyrights of her late husband, American music icon John Prine. She also serves as Founder and President of the newly established Hello in There Foundation. As one of Nashville’s most prominent and dedicated philanthropists, Whelan Prine has volunteered countless hours on behalf of Thistle Farms, a global nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to helping women survivors recover and heal from poverty, prostitution, trafficking, and addiction. Her many fundraising initiatives have helped raise over $3 million for the organization. In the last year alone, her community involvement has raised more than $1 million for important social causes, including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Born and raised in Ireland, Whelan Prine is the eldest of six daughters born to Donal and Mary Whelan. She served as Business Manager for Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, considered Ireland’s premiere recording studio. Whelan Prine met John while working there with artists like U2, Van Morrison, and many others, later marrying in Nashville where they raised their three sons. Whelan Prine received her U.S. citizenship in 2004.

Additional nominations that President Biden intends to make are Michael Carpenter as a U.S. Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE); Claire Cronin as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ireland; Jack Markell as a Representative of the United States of America to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; Cindy Hensley McCain as a U.S. Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture; Homer Wilkes as Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment, Department of Agriculture; Raymond Limon for Vice Chair of the Merit Systems Protection Board of Directors; Max Vekich as a member of the Federal Maritime Commission; Stacey Brandenburg and Robert Garcia as Trustees of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation; and Kamilah Forbes, Christopher Morgan, Ismael Ahmed, Kinan Azmeh, Huascar Medina, Jake Shimabukuro, and Constance Williams as members of the National Council on the Arts.