Lainey Wilson brought members of the music industry out to Mt. Juliet last week to celebrate her seventh and eighth chart-toppers, “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” and “4x4xU,” with a special event at the historic Bradley’s Barn.

Originally established in the mid-1960s by Country Music Hall of Fame member Owen Bradley, the studio was converted from a horse barn into a cutting-edge recording facility. It quickly became a creative haven for legends like Merle Haggard, George Jones, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, J.J. Cale and more—helping shape the Nashville sound. After a fire destroyed the original barn in 1980, it was rebuilt in 1984 and continued to serve as a creative space for the Bradley family. Today, Owen’s great-grandchildren, John and Lillian Grace Bradley, have updated the space to host events and live music, preserving its legacy for a new generation.

Hosted by BMI and ASCAP, the event welcomed guests to explore country music artifacts. The parking lot was filled with 4×4 trucks in a nod to Wilson’s hit “4x4xU.”

After a special welcome from BMI’s Clay Bradley, the company’s MaryAnn Keen led the program, beginning with a celebration of “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.” Wilson was joined onstage by co-writers Trannie Anderson and Paul Sikes, with tributes from ASCAP’s Duane Hobson, Sony Music Publishing’s Rusty Gaston, Endurance Music Group’s Lauren Funk and BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville’s Shelley Hargis.

Sikes shared a personal moment, saying his father had come to town for the celebration. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for his support,” he said. “Lainey is a generational talent. I’m honored to be a small part of that.”

Anderson reflected on her journey during her speech. “I moved to Nashville 10 years ago in June. My dream was to figure out some way to write songs full time,” she said. “Having a couple No. 1s under my belt, with one of my best friends in the entire world, is bigger than I ever dreamed.”

The celebration continued with “4x4xU,” which had earned ACM nominations that very morning for Song of the Year and Visual Media of the Year. Wilson took the stage with co-writer Jon Decious, who gave a shoutout to fellow co-writer Aaron Raitiere. In Raitiere’s absence, Decious presented Wilson and Red Light Management’s Mandelyn Monchick with matching jerseys—designed by Raitiere after they wrote the song—as a symbol of their belief in its success from the beginning.

Joining the celebration were Sony Music Publishing’s Gaston, Reservoir’s John Ozier, One Riot’s Amy Patton and Broken Bow Records’ Lee Adams.

Sponsored by Studio Bank, the event also featured a special donation presentation from Kari Barnhart on behalf of Wilson and her co-writers to support Wilson’s Heart Like A Truck charitable fund, which champions causes that aim to change lives and celebrate resilience.

Decious was also honored with a custom Taylor 210e DLX guitar to mark his first No. 1 as a BMI songwriter. When he spoke, he thanked his family, team and village, and joked, “I don’t know what goes into making a No. 1 record, but I’m glad y’all know,” drawing laughter from the crowd. “To get to celebrate this song with everyone who is family to me is like a movie. Thank you.”

To close the celebration, Wilson offered heartfelt thanks to her collaborators and supporters.

“I could not have hand picked a better team of people to be in my life,” said the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year. “Y’all are more than just team members. Y’all are family. A lot of people say don’t mix business and pleasure, but that just ain’t how we roll. We just can’t help it, because we fight for each other when it’s family involved.”

Laci Kaye Booth made her Grand Ole Opry debut on Saturday night (March 29) something she’s aspired to do since she was just a little girl.

Stepping into the famed circle for the first time dressed in vintage Bob Mackie, the Geffen Records artist shared her new single, “Daddy’s Mugshot,” and gave a nod to Patsy Cline with the classic “Crazy.” “Daddy’s Mugshot” is Booth’s first new song since the release of her 2024 debut album, The Loneliest Girl In The World and the Acoustic Sessions.

“Tonight I felt the full weight of a little girl’s dream comin’ true,” says Booth. “It lit a fire in me all over again — the same one that carried me to Nashville in the first place. I’ll never forget the love in that room, and I’m so thankful for every soul who showed up to share it with me.”

Booth will be touring this summer, supporting Megan Moroney on several dates, playing some festivals and rejoining Parker McCollum for select shows on his summer tour.

NSAI’s Tin Pan South wrapped its 2025 event last week, marking the 33rd edition of the festival.

Thursday (March 27) featured performances from Eric Paslay, Seth Ennis, Jonathan Sherwood, JT Harding, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins, Ben Williams, Chrissy Metz, Trent Willmon, Scotty Hasting, Laci Kaye Booth, Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson, Hunter Phelps, Taylor Phillips, Rob Ragosta, Benjy Davis, Kelly Archer, Lee Thomas Miller, Kayley Green, Brett James, Lydia Vaughn and many more.

Troy Cartwright, Trent Tomlinson, Austin Nivarel, Charles Esten, Haven Madison, Andy Albert, Emily Falvey, KK Johnson, Ernest, Chandler Walters, Emily Shackelton, Christian Hayes, Tenille Townes and more all took the stages on Friday (March 28).

To close out the festival on Saturday (March 29), attendees were treated to performances from Struggle Jennings, Deanna Bryant, Alison Nichols, Adam Wright, Michael Farren, Bryce Leatherwood, Adam Craig, Jordan Walker, Melissa Etheridge, Shelly Fairchild, Ashley McBryde, Kat Higgins, HunterGirl, Patrick Murphy, Trisha Yearwood and Grace Tyler, among others.

Rising country teen Maddox Batson made his Grand Ole Opry debut last Wednesday (March 26), checking off a box on his career wish list.

Batson performed two songs from his recently released EP First Dance during the appearance, “I Don’t Like You Anymore” and “It Was You.”

“Performing here at the Opry tonight means more to me than anything. I want to give a shout out to all my family here tonight,” shared Batson. “I can’t stop smiling. You’re making dreams come true for me! Walking out on this stage, the circle, is something I’ve wanted to do my entire life. I know I haven’t lived a long time, but…,” he shared smiling, drawing laughter from the audience. “Growing up in the country music space, growing up knowing the prestige of the Grand Ole Opry and actually coming out here to play it means the world to me. It’s the coolest thing ever.”

The EP followed the success of breakout single “I Don’t Like You Anymore,” which has amassed over one million streams on Spotify and 3.2 million views on YouTube. It also builds on the popularity of the track “X’s,” which has accumulated over six million Spotify streams and 11 million YouTube views.

“I’ve never been more proud of a body of music,” said Batson about First Dance from the Opry stage. “A year ago, I released my first song ‘Tears in the River.’ And then a year and six days later, I got to release my debut EP. I’m so proud of it and glad the fans are liking it so far.”

Multiple Grammy winner Billie Eilish along with her brother and longtime collaborator Finneas, have joined the management roster at Jason Owen’s Sandbox Entertainment. They join a star-studded lineup that includes Kacey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini and more.

Eilish and Finneas were previously represented by Danny Rukasin and Brandon Goodman of Best Friends Music Management for the past decade. Since her breakout with “Ocean Eyes,” Eilish has charted 44 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including the No. 1 hit “Bad Guy.” She has earned 32 Grammy nominations and nine wins. Finneas has received 21 Grammy nominations and taken home 10 wins.

Owen launched Sandbox Entertainment in 2010 following a stint at Universal Music Nashville. His work extends beyond music into film, theater and television, including the 2023 documentary June, about June Carter Cash; the Broadway musical Shucked; and the primetime drama Monarch.