Universal Music Publishing Nashville has signed singer-songwriter John Hollier to an exclusive, global publishing agreement.

Hollier is a Louisiana native whose music combines gruff heartland rock with country soul. He recently signed to Thirty Tigers Records and opened for the Red Clay Strays. Hollier is managed by 7S Management.

“John’s lyrics are full of heart and soul. Combine that with one of the most incredible live shows I’ve seen in a long time, and I’m in! Let’s geaux, John!” says Cyndi Forman, Senior VP, A&R, UMPG Nashville.

“Cyndi and the entire UMPG team have made me feel at home and, more importantly, shown me that they are going to help foster my songs and style as passionately as I do,” says Hollier. “It’s a true honor to join an elite group of songwriters such as the Universal Music Publishing roster.”

Country star Dustin Lynch is bringing his “Pool Situation: Nashville” back to the Margaritaville Hotel’s rooftop pool at 2 p.m. on June 7. This year, the event will be free and open to the public.

Inspired by Lynch’s Pool Party during Luke Bryan’s annual Crash My Playa, the CMA Fest weekend celebration has featured special guest appearances by Little Big Town, Jordan Davis, Hardy, MacKenzie Porter and more as well as mullet haircuts, Lynch’s famous spinning wheel and an abundance of shots.

“Riding that high is inspiring me to explore not just how well my career is going right now but also expanding into developing artists who see how [my career] is rising,” shared Lynch with The Tennessean. “My fanbase and events like the pool situation allow me to age into curating talents and hosting events with [multi-generational] appeal.”

Admittance will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The artist’s “Stay Country Club” members will get exclusive early access. For more information, click here.

Musicians on Call (MOC) will host its “Anthems of Healing” 25th anniversary celebration on May 22 at Marathon Music Works in Nashville.

The evening will be hosted by Amber Anderson and Kelly Sutton from Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly. During the event, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini will be presented with the Music Heals Golden Ukulele, for her decade as a volunteer musician for the organization.

Senior Entertainment and Donor Relations Liaison for the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Rondal Richardson will also be honored. He will receive the Leadership in Music Golden Ukulele for his decade of support towards the organization. He has served on MOC’s Advisory Council and has led fundraising efforts.

Two longtime MOC volunteers will also be honored. Raffaella Braun will receive the Vivek J. Tiwary Volunteer Guide Golden Ukulele, and Sarah Harralson will be presented with the Michael Solomon Volunteer Musician Golden Ukulele.

“An idea that came about during a hospital concert in New York City 25 years ago has evolved into an organization that, while headquartered here in Nashville, has created remarkable moments of joy and healing for hospital patients all over the country. This night is about celebrating the people and songs that have made those moments possible,” shares Musicians On Call President & CEO Pete Griffin. “Kelsea and Rondal have significantly impacted our mission and the patients we serve. Having such legendary artists join us to honor them and our organization is the perfect way to mark this milestone.”

Performances and appearances from Trisha Yearwood, Wynonna Judd, Charles Esten, Tiera Kennedy, Tigirlily Gold and Ballerini are also scheduled.

“Anthems of Healing” Host Committee members include Hal Cato (Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee), Todd Cline, Jay and Christi DeGeare, Mitch Glazier (Recording Industry Association of America), HCA Healthcare, Milton & Denice Johnson, Pam & Rick Leet, Diane Pearson (City National Bank), Dan Rogers (Grand Ole Opry), Todd & Sarah Rubin, Catherine Cate Sullivan, Vanderbilt Health and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Companies interested in purchasing a sponsorship table for the event can reach out to partnerships@musiciansoncall.org.

The 11th annual iHeartCountry Festival, presented by Capital One, took place on Saturday (May 4) at Moody Center in Austin, Texas with a star-studded lineup of Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, Jelly Roll, Old Dominion, Lady A, Riley Green, Ashley McBryde, Brothers Osborne and Walker Hayes.

Hulu served as the event’s official streaming destination and streamed performances live exclusively to all Hulu subscribers at no additional cost. iHeartCountry radio stations also broadcasted the event live in their local markets and on iHeartRadio’s website.

Old Dominion kicked off the festival by performing “Song For Another Time” and “Hotel Key,” among others. The group also brought out Ashley Cooke for “Can’t Break Up Now,” a duet they recorded with Megan Moroney.

McBryde had the crowd singing along to “Blackout Betty,” “One Night Standards,” “Light On In The Kitchen” and “The Devil I Know.” Brothers Osborne took the stage for a career-spanning set including “Stay A Little Longer,” “Ain’t My Fault” and “Break Mine.”

Hayes performed his hits “AA,” “Fancy Like” and more in addition to debuting his new limited time men’s collection with JCPenney. Urban stole the show with smashes such as “Somebody Like You,” “Blue Ain’t Your Color” and “Wasted Time” as he went out into the mass of Moody Center to sing with fans.

Green kept the party going with “Damn Good Day To Leave” and “Hell Of A Way To Go.” The artist sang “Worst Way,” released last month, and brought it back to 2018 with his first country radio No. 1, “There Was This Girl.” Sweet photos of Green and his grandpa flashed on the screen behind him as he concluded with “I Wish Grandpas Never Died.”

Lady A launched their set with hit “Hey Bartender.” The trio also performed fan favorites “American Honey,” “We Owned The Night” and “Need You Now.” Just when fans thought they were finished, the group came back out for an encore performance of “What If I Never Get Over You.” Jelly Roll stepped onstage to sing his first chart-topper “Son Of A Sinner,” “Need A Favor” and more. He ended by thanking his fans and iHeartRadio for changing his life and performing his hit single “Save Me,” which he recorded with Lainey Wilson.

Aldean closed out the event with “My Kind Of Party,” “Trouble With A Heartbreak” as well as “Let Your Boys Be Country,” and took it all the way back to 2005 with “Hicktown.” He even brought out John Morgan for their collaboration “Friends Like That,” before wrapping with “She’s Country.”

Additionally, the Daytime Village at the iHeartCountry Festival featured performances from Green, Hayes, Cooke, Chris Lane, Chase Matthew and Kelsey Hart. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital was the benefiting charity partner of iHeartCountry Festival. At this year’s event, a patient was able to experience the festival backstage with performers.