Pictured (L-R): Drew Tutton (Marshals of the Revolution), Ashley Brooks, Jeff Catton, Jim Catino.

Ashley Brooks has signed a joint venture with Droptine Recordings and Marshals of the Revolution.

“Ashley Brooks is an artist who stops you in your tracks the second you hear her voice,” says Jim Catino of Droptine Recordings. “Her southern storytelling and drive set her apart, and I’m thrilled to welcome her to Droptine.”

Brooks recently garnered 140 million views on TikTok for her single “Leaving Side Of You,” which was written by Rivers Rutherford and Wesley Davis. The north Georgia native has opened for The Oak Ridge Boys, Clay Walker, Mark Chesnutt, Aaron Tippin and Bryce Leatherwood, among others. She will release her next track “Boys in Red Wings” on Aug. 29.

Cody Johnson. Photo: Dale MacMillan

Country Thunder Alberta brought thousands of fans to Calgary for three days of music with Cody Johnson, Bailey Zimmerman and Old Dominion taking over the main stage.

The weekend’s standout moments included Riley Green inviting two fans on stage to join him in performing his Ella Langley collaborations, “You Look Like You Love Me” and “Don’t Mind If I Do,” and Zimmerman welcoming a fan to sing along to his chart-topping hit “Rock and A Hard Place.” Green joined Clint Black on stage to sing “Nothing’s News” while Black returned the favor and joined Green for “Hell Of A Way To Go.”

Riley Green and Clint Black. Photo: Dale MacMillin

Beyond the headliners, fans enjoyed performances from award-winning artists Jake Owen, Green and Black in addition to Canadian favorites Tim Hicks, James Barker Band, Lindsay Ell and Owen Riegling. The weekend also featured the Country 105 Stage presented by Craig Senyk Initiatives, giving fans the chance to discover rising homegrown talent. Among them was Alberta’s own Julia Vos, who made a career milestone with her first-ever Main Stage appearance on Friday, before returning Saturday for an intimate set on the Country 105 Stage.

In addition to music, the festival brought a variety of activities including a mechanical bull, corn hole with Twisted Tea and a themed photo booth. The festival raised $72,155 for The Confluence.

Country Thunder Alberta will return to Calgary from August 21-23, 2026.

Ross Golan. Photo: Marc Blackwell

Ross Golan will be stepping into the role of Co-Chair of the Songwriters and Composers Wing alongside the current Chair Evan Bogart and S&C Wing Senior Managing Director Susan Stewart. In this role, Golan will help shape programming, promote membership and collaborate with industry partners.

“From its inception, I’ve seen how the S&C Wing has provided its diverse and growing membership the support it needs to thrive in this challenging time,” says Golan. “We’re at a critical moment for songwriters and composers, and we creators need this community more than ever. It’s a privilege to step into this role as Co-Chair and I look forward to collaborating with the entire organization to advocate for the thousands of members who call the S&C Wing their home.”

Golan studied music at the University of Southern California and has since penned songs for artists including Ariana Grande, Céline Dion, Michael Bublé, Sabrina Carpenter and more. He was named BMI Songwriter Of The Year in 2o16. His musicals have garnered eight Drama Desk nominations. His podcast And The Writer Is earns over a million views across platforms every week. He was the first songwriter on the board of the National Music Publishers Association and is currently on the board of Songwriters of North America and the co-chair of NMPA’s Gold and Platinum Program.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry in a brand new exhibit, “The Grandest Stage: The Opry at 100,” which opens Sept. 18.

The exhibit will examine notable performers and key moments in the history of the show, the longest-running radio show in the world that has entertained and enthralled millions throughout its history. The Opry has endured despite many challenges, including damage from a catastrophic flood in 2010 and the COVID-19 pandemic. It became the most-watched live music program during the pandemic, continuing its broadcasts from an empty auditorium for seven months.

Historic instruments, clothing, photos, and other artifacts will be featured in the new exhibit, including a wooden steamboat whistle used by the Opry’s founder and longtime announcer, George D. Hay; a 16-inch, metal-based acetate disc containing the first performance of “The Prince Albert Show,” the segment of the Opry broadcast over the NBC radio network in October 1939; Country Music Hall of Fame member Minnie Pearl’s straw hat worn at her Opry debut in 1940; Country Music Hall of Fame member Reba McEntire’s custom-made boots modeled after a pair worn by Patsy Cline which McEntire wore when making her Opry debut in September 1977; and much more.

“The Opry’s status as America’s leading country music radio show, from the 1940s into the 1960s, made possible Nashville’s emergence as the undisputed center of the country music industry,” says Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “This exhibit will survey the enduring history of the program, which has survived a century of evolutions in country music and popular culture, major challenges from new media and sources of entertainment, a catastrophic flood and a crippling pandemic.”

“As country music continues to expand globally, the Opry has stood as its heart for a century,” says Patrick Moore, CEO of Opry Entertainment Group. “It’s the birthplace of traditions and stories that define Nashville’s unique imprint on the genre. We’re honored to be the subject of this exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, showcasing why the Opry is not only a Nashville landmark but also a cherished touchstone for fans worldwide.”

To mark the exhibit opening, the museum will host a panel discussion on Sept. 18 with Vince Gill, Carly Pearce and senior vice president and executive producer of the Grand Ole Opry Dan Rogers. Paul Kingsbury, the museum’s senior director of editorial and interpretation, will moderate the discussion. The program will take place at 2 p.m. in the museum’s Ford Theater, and tickets will be available on the museum’s website on Aug. 22.

The Opry began on Nov. 28, 1925, when Nashville radio station WSM aired a performance by 78-year-old fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson. Inspired by the public’s enthusiastic response, the station’s program director George D. Hay created a weekly barn dance featuring local folk performers, which tapped into America’s deep vein of folk music and set the stage for what would become country music’s most beloved and enduring institution. “The Prince Albert Show,” a segment of the Opry that debuted over the NBC radio network in 1939, expanded the Opry’s reach and created a national audience of millions.

By the 1940s, the Opry became famous for its singing stars and comedians, helping launch the careers of Country Music Hall of Fame members Roy Acuff, Eddy Arnold, Minnie Pearl, Bill Monroe, Ernest Tubb and others. Many artists relocated to Nashville for regular Opry appearances, which led to the city becoming a permanent home for the business of country music. over its long history, the Opry has featured country’s biggest stars among its cast, including Luke Combs, Ashley McBryde, Scotty McCreery, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Lainey Wilson, Country Music Hall of Fame members DeFord Bailey, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Vince Gill, Bill Monroe, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Hank Williams and many others.