Weekly Register: Gabby Barrett Takes No. 1 Country Song Spot For Third Consecutive Week

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Gabby Barrett. Photo: Robby Klein

This week, Warner Music Nashville’s Gabby Barrett cements her No. 1 position on the country song chart for the third week straight with “The Good Ones” at 7.8 million streams and a whopping 201 million RTD, according to Nielsen.

Luke Combs stays strong in second with “Forever After All” at 7.7 million, as well as Eric Church who keeps his No. 3 spot with “Hell Of A View” at 6.7 million. Rounding out the top five are Thomas Rhett‘s “What’s Your Country Song” and Sam Hunt‘s “Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90’s,” both racking up 5.8 million.

Meanwhile, Morgan Wallen‘s Dangerous: The Double Album also maintains his spot at the top of the country album charts for the third consecutive week with 52K streams, according to Nielsen. Combs bumps up to No. 2 and No. 4 with What You See Is What You Get at 27K and This One’s For You at 18K, respectively. Taylor Swift creeps her way back up to the third spot with Fearless (Taylor’s Version) receiving 20K streams, while Rhett’s Country Again (Side A) falls to fifth with 14K.

Blake Shelton To Hit The Road In August On New Friends And Heroes Tour

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Blake Shelton has announced he’s heading back out on the road this August on the Friends and Heroes 2021 tour. The trek will feature special guest Lindsay Ell, along with appearances by Martina McBride, Tracy Byrd and Trace Adkins.

“A little over a year ago when the world shut down and we had to postpone the tour, I was already in Omaha getting ready for the show that night,” Shelton says. “I told you we would be back, and I’m thrilled to say we are kicking off the Friends and Heroes 2021 Tour in Omaha. I’m giving everybody in every city plenty of notice – you might as well tell your boss you’re gonna be late to work the next day and pay that babysitter overtime, because we are going to play some country music for y’all until they turn on the lights. And that might not stop us! I’m excited to welcome Martina McBride, Tracy Byrd, Trace Adkins and my very special guest Lindsay Ell to the Friends and Heroes 2021 Tour… see you there!”

Shelton will visit 16 cities on the new tour, including a stop at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and a two-night residency in Washington D.C. as well as shows in Denver, Tulsa, Philadelphia, St. Louis and more through Oct. 2. Rescheduled dates from the 2020 run will honor previously purchased tickets, and additional tickets are currently on sale. All new dates will go on sale Thursday, June 10 at 10 a.m. local time.

The tour announcement comes as Shelton prepares to release his latest album, Body Language, on May 21. The 12-track studio album includes his 28th career No.1 smash “Happy Anywhere” featuring Gwen Stefani and current Top 15 and climbing single “Minimum Wage.”

 

Blake Shelton’s Friends And Heroes 2021 Dates:

August 18: Omaha, NE / CHI Health Center*
August 20: Denver, CO / Ball Arena*
September 2: Philadelphia, PA / Wells Fargo Center
September 3-4: Washington, D.C. / The Anthem
September 9: Nashville, TN / Bridgestone Arena
September 10: Evansville, IN / Ford Center
September 11: Rosemont, IL / Allstate Arena*
September 16: North Charleston, SC / North Charleston Coliseum
September 17: Greenville, SC / Bon Secours Wellness Arena
September 18: Duluth, GA / Infinite Energy Center
September 23: St. Louis, MO / Enterprise Center
September 24: Tulsa, OK / BOK Center
September 25: Fort Worth, TX /Dickies Arena
September 30: Grand Rapids, MI / Van Andel Arena
October 1: Detroit, MI / Little Caesars Arena*
October 2: Milwaukee, WI / Fiserv Forum*
*Rescheduled date. If you previously purchased tickets for one of these shows and are no longer able to attend, you may request a refund within 30 days.

Jim Lauderdale To Release 34th Album ‘Hope’ In July

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Two-time Grammy Award-winning icon Jim Lauderdale will release Hope via Yep Roc Records on July 30. “The Opportunity To Help Somebody Through It,” the first single from the acclaimed singer-songwriter’s 34th album, is out now.

The 13-track album features songs about hope, courage, and perseverance with arrangements reminiscent of ’70s California folk-rock. From the encouraging and optimistic opening track “The Opportunity To Help Somebody Through It” to the frontline workers tribute of “Brave One” to “Breathe Real Slow,” a song inspired by Lauderdale’s devotion to tai chi and qigong, the album speaks to these times everyone experienced in the last 15 months.

“I wanted to get a musical message out there during this time of what we’ve all been going through, about the hope for better days ahead,” Lauderdale says. “If we can find any glimmers of hope, that really helps get you through another day.”

Hope was co-produced by Lauderdale and his longtime collaborator Jay Weaver and recorded at the fabled Blackbird Studios in Nashville with many of the tracks engineered by Blackbird Academy students. “That was a learning experience for me, too,” says Lauderdale. “I love the energy of working with such talented people just at the start of their careers. These kids are the future of our business.”

Hope Track List:
1, The Opportunity to Help Somebody Through It
2. Sister Horizon
3. The Brighter Side of Lonely
4. Mushrooms Are Growing After the Rain
5. Memory
6. Breathe Real Slow
7. Brave One
8. Don’t You Dream Anymore?
9. We Fade in We Fade Out
10. It’s Almost More Than All the Joy
11. Here’s to Hoping
12. When Searching for Answers
13. Joyful Noise

Asleep At The Wheel Celebrates 50th Anniversary With New ‘Better Times’ EP

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Asleep at the Wheel is releasing new music to kick off the celebration of their 50th anniversary this year. On May 28, the band will release a three-song EP, Better Times, produced by band leader Ray Benson via Bismeaux Records.

Benson sings lead vocals on the title track, a hopeful original penned while riding out the pandemic. Asleep at the Wheel vocalist and fiddler Katie Shore offers vocals on “All I’m Asking,” a rousing request to get back together, written by Band of Heathens’ Ed Jurdi and Gordi Quist, while Benson and Shore harmonize together on “Columbus Stockade Blues,” a traditional tune arranged in the spirit of Willie Nelson and Shirley Collie’s 1960s version.

Following the new EP’s release, Asleep at the Wheel will be hitting the road to celebrate with a run of shows that will take them from Texas’ legendary Gruene Hall on May 29, through Texas and Missouri, back down to College Station on June 20.

Asleep at the Wheel Tour Dates:
May 29 – Gruene Hall – Gruene, Texas
June 3 – Birdsong Amphitheater – Stephenville, Texas
June 5 – Starlight Ranch Event Center – Amarillo, Texas
June 6 – Cactus Theater – Lubbock, Texas
June 10 – Rose Music Hall – Columbia, Missouri
June 11 – The Sheldon – St. Louis, Missouri
June 19 – Buck’s Backyard – Buda, Texas
June 20 – Rudder Auditorium – College Station, Texas

Maverick City Music, for King & Country, TobyMac, Zach Williams Lead K-LOVE Fan Awards Noms

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Nominees have been announced for the upcoming 2021 K-LOVE Fan Awards on May 30.

Newcomers Maverick City Music lead the pack with four nods, including Group of the Year, Artist of the Year, Breakout Single of the Year and Worship Song of the Year. for KING & COUNTRY, TobyMac and Zach Williams follow close behind with three nominations each.

Vying for Artist of the Year honors will be Elevation Worship, for KING & COUNTRY, Lauren Daigle, Maverick City Music, TobyMac, and Zach Williams. Female Artist Of The Year nominees include Lauren Daigle, Kari Jobe, Leanna Crawford, Mandisa, Natalie Grant, and Riley Clemmons, while Male Artist Of The Year nominees are Crowder, Danny Gokey, Matthew West, Tauren Wells, TobyMac, and Zach Williams.

Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House will once again welcome the fan awards show, with Matthew West hosting, and airing on TBN at 7 p.m. CST on June 4. The awards caps off a weekend of celebration including a kick-off concert, the first in Nashville since March 2020, followed by a songwriter’s showcase, worship service and more.

Voting for this year’s K-LOVE Fan Awards is open now at klovefanawards.com/vote.

Full List of 2021 K-LOVE Fan Awards Nominees:
Male Artist of the Year      
Crowder
Danny Gokey
Matthew West
Tauren Wells
TobyMac
Zach Williams
Female Artist of the Year
Kari Jobe
Lauren Daigle
Leanna Crawford
Mandisa
Natalie Grant
Riley Clemmons
Group of the Year
Casting Crowns
Elevation Worship
for KING & COUNTRY
Maverick City Music
MercyMe
We The Kingdom
Breakout Single
Andrew Ripp “Jericho”
CAIN “Rise Up”
Evvie McKinney “Look No Further”
Maverick City Music “Man Of Your Word”
We The Kingdom “Child of Love” (feat. Bear Rinehart of NEEDTOBREATHE)
Worship Song of the Year
Chris Tomlin feat. Lady A “Who You Are To Me”
Cory Asbury “The Father’s House”
Maverick City Music “Man of Your Word”
Michael W. Smith “Waymaker”
Phil Wickham “Battle Belongs”
Tauren Wells feat. Jenn Johnson “Famous For (I Believe)”
Song of the Year
Crowder “Good God Almighty”
Elevation Worship & Brandon Lake “Graves Into Gardens”
for KING & COUNTRY, Tori Kelly & Kirk Franklin “Together”
Kari Jobe “The Blessing” (feat. Cody Carnes)
TobyMac “Help Is On The Way (Maybe Midnight)”
Zach Williams & Dolly Parton “There Was Jesus”
Artist of the Year
Elevation Worship
for KING & COUNTRY
Lauren Daigle
Maverick City Music
TobyMac
Zach Williams
Film & Television Impact
A Week Away
Church People
The Chosen
I Am Patrick
I Still BelieveBook Impact
Annie F.Downs “That Sounds Fun”
Bob Goff “Dream Big”
John L. Cooper “Awake & Alive To Truth”
Lecrae “I Am Restored”

Scotty McCreery Announces Headlining You Time Tour For This Summer

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Scotty McCreery. Photo: John Shearer

Delivering more than 130 online performances for fans, country radio, charitable events, and media outlets, Scotty McCreery has announced his headlining You Time Tour which will begin on June 18.

“This last year I was glad to get more ‘you time’ with my wife Gabi than ever before, as well as a lot of ‘you time’ with some of my favorite songwriters via zoom as we created new songs for the upcoming album,” reflects McCreery. “And now that we’re able to tour again, I cannot wait to get back on the road and have some ‘you time’ with fans this summer. This song’s message and timing really hit home for me and I hope we keep a few things like the intention of the time we spent with others this last year as we look ahead. I, for one, will never take going to a show or playing music live for fans for granted after this last year without it.”

The North Carolina native released “You Time” last September as the first single from his upcoming album which he plans to put out later this fall. Written by McCreery, Frank Rogers and Aaron Eshuis, the song is rising steadily, currently sitting at No. 23 on the Mediabase/Country Aircheck Country Singles Chart.

McCreery will also join Old Dominion as direct support on select Live At The Ballpark Tour dates this summer and early fall. “I’m excited to reunite with Old Dominion for their Live At The Ballpark Tour,” says McCreery, who last toured with the band in 2019. “These guys are not only amazing performers but great people, and this tour will be a blast. Plus, having been a pitcher on my high school baseball team, performing in these ball parks will be like coming home.”

More 2021 dates will be announced soon.

Old Dominion Unveils Dates For Ballpark Tour Kicking Off In July

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Old Dominion. Photo: Mason Allen

Grammy-nominated band Old Dominion will return to the road in 2021 for a Ballpark Tour across North America. Teaming up with Indigo Road Entertainment, the group’s first full-scale headline run since 2019 will kick off July 17 at The Ballpark at Jackson in Jackson, Tennessee.

The group will also share the stage with Scotty McCreery, Randy Houser, Matt Stell, Blanco Brown, Caitlyn Smith, and Walker County as supporting acts. Tickets for most show dates go on sale Friday, May 21 at 10 a.m. local time.

“This is literally the moment we’ve all been waiting for! We’ve all gone through it the last year. Now, it’s time to get back together, forget everything for a few hours, and have a great time,” the band shares.

In addition to the tour announcement, Old Dominion will release a new single, “I Was On A Boat That Day,” this Friday (May 21). Each band member—Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Brad Tursi, Whit Sellers, and Geoff Sprung—notably participated in the songwriting alongside Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.

Recently, the guys took home the Vocal Group of the Year award at the 2021 Academy of Country Music Awards for the fourth consecutive time since 2018, and garnered their first Grammy nomination.

We Are Old Dominion: Live At The Ballpark Tour Dates:
July 17 – The Ballpark at Jackson Jackson, TN (with SM, MS, & WC)
August 22 – Chukchansi Park Fresno, CA (with BB, & WC)
September 17 – Turtle Creek Stadium Traverse City, MI (with RH, MS, & CS)
September 18 – Peoples Natural Gas Field Altoona, PA (with RH, MS, & CS)
September 24 – Melaleuca Field Idaho Falls, ID (with SM, MS, & CS)
October 1 – Riverfront Stadium Wichita, KS (with SM, BB, & WC)
October 2 – Werner Park Omaha, NE (with SM, MS, & WC)

SM – Scotty McCreery | RH – Randy Houser | MS – Matt Stell
BB – Blanco Brown | CS – Caitlyn Smith | WC – Walker County

Ty Herndon, Cody Alan To Host 6th Annual Concert For Love & Acceptance

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Country music artist and philanthropist Ty Herndon, in partnership with CMT, has announced that the 2021 Concert for Love and Acceptance will take place on Wednesday, June 30 at 7 p.m. CST and will be live-streamed exclusively on CMT’s Facebook and YouTube channels, and on the Foundation’s website.

Produced by Herndon’s charitable foundation, The Foundation for Love & Acceptance, the event will return as a star-studded online event, co-hosted by Herndon and CMT’s Cody Alan for the fifth consecutive year. GLAAD, MusiCares, and Nashville’s Oasis Center will also be the beneficiaries of the event proceeds.

“It’s a privilege to return as co-host of the annual Concert For Love & Acceptance, whose mission is as important today as when it launched six years ago. With dangerous and discriminatory legislation pending in our home state of Tennessee, the vocal support of the country music community is immeasurable in changing hearts and minds. I’m eager to again partner with Ty Herndon, CMT, GLAAD, and our new beneficiaries at MusiCares and Nashville’s Oasis Center to highlight the critical work to move LGBTQ+ rights forward,” says Alan.

The event will include appearances and performances by Brothers Osborne, Kristin Chenoweth, Terri Clark, Brooke Eden, Harper Grae, Chris Housman, LOCASH, Kathy Mattea, Rissi Palmer, Gretchen Peters, Tenille Townes, Walker County, and Chase Wright. Additional talent will be announced in the coming weeks.

GLAAD and Herndon created the first Concert for Love and Acceptance in 2015 shortly after Herndon became the first major male country artist to come out as gay. Herndon serves as executive producer of the 2021 Concert for Love & Acceptance, alongside returning executive producer Zeke Stokes, who has been in that role since the Concert began in 2015. Stokes is President of ZS STRATEGIES and a former Vice President of GLAAD.

“I’m thrilled to be partnering with the dynamic team at CMT once again to bring the Concert for Love & Acceptance to a broad audience as musicians, actors, comedians, and more demonstrate their support for LGBTQ youth and artists in the country music community and beyond,” shares Herndon. “This event comes from my heart, and I hope it continues to resonate with people all around the world as we spread a message of acceptance for all people and work toward a world where only love remains.”

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Shannon Shryne at sks@qcauseconsulting.com. For more information and ongoing updates, as well as to RSVP for the live online event, visit the Foundation for Love and Acceptance at www.F4LA.org.

SmithField Kicks Off New Chapter With Upcoming EP ‘New Town’

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Smithfield. Photo: Jason Myers

SmithField is set to release their upcoming new EP, New Town, on June 16.

The six-track EP is symbolic as a new chapter for SmithField’s Jennifer Fielder and Trey Smith, with each song making Nashville feel like a fresh new town for the duo as they fall more in love with the city. The project features three unreleased tracks in addition to their three previously-released tracks, “We’ll Figure It Out,” “Sunday Best” and “Something Sexy.”

“We have been a duo for a decade and truly feel this new music, the stories we tell, the harmony, the heart, and uniqueness of our vocal blend we bring to the table with it will be a game changer for us,” says SmithField. “We have never put out music that has felt more genuine to who SmithField is and what we are all about than this. You can’t listen to one song on here and not know it’s a SmithField song. We are ready to break the glass ceiling that has been absent in our genre for quite some time and we are so excited to finally have it out in the world. This is just the beginning.”

The EP news comes fresh on the heels of their “Something Sexy” CMT video premiere and the announcement of their headlining show at Nashville’s 3rd and Lindsley on June 17. The duo also made its radio debut with “Something Sexy” over the weekend after being selected for the iHeart Women of Country playlist.

Jacob Durrett Inks Co-Pub Deal With Big Loud And Warner Chappell

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Pictured (L-R): Austen Adams (Big Loud), Kimberly Gleason (Big Loud), Spencer Nohe (Warner Chappell), Seth England (Big Loud), Jacob Durrett, T.d.ruth (Serling Rooks Hunter Mckoy Worob & Averill Llp), Ben Vaughn (Warner Chappell), Michael Giangreco (Big Loud), Joey Moi (Big Loud). Photo: Chris Hornbuckle

Jacob Durrett has signed a co-venture publishing deal with Big Loud Publishing and Warner Chappell Music.

Durrett has racked up a long list of cuts from a wide range of notable artists including Zayn, Diplo, Bren Joy, Nelly, Tyler Rich, ERNEST, Mackenzie Porter and Devin Dawson and has been making his mark on Music City since inking his first publishing deal in 2015 as a student at Belmont University. The Orangevale, California native co-wrote Chris Lane’s No. 1 hit “Big, Big Plans,” and he also co-wrote and co-produced several tracks on Morgan Wallen’s record-breaking album, Dangerous: The Double Album.

“Jacob is a real talent,” said Big Loud Publishing’s Mike Giangreco. “He has proven his ability to write and produce big records across multiple genres, and we are beyond excited to have his metal energy in the building!”

“It’s been thrilling to see Jacob’s growth as a writer and producer,” said Warner Chappell’s Ben Vaughn. “Everyone is excited for Jacob’s present and future, as he is absolutely one of the biggest up-and-coming talents in Nashville.”

“Warner Chappell have been my champions for five years now, and I couldn’t think of a better addition to my camp than the amazing people at Big Loud,” Durrett said. “These two together are truly a dream team.”