Dustin Lynch Launches ‘Killed The Cowboy Tour’ With Sold-Out Ryman Show

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Dustin Lynch during his headline debut at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Photo: Jack Owens

Dustin Lynch launched his 18-date “Killed The Cowboy Tour” by selling out his headlining debut at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Tuesday night (April 2) alongside opener Skeez.

Dustin Lynch during his headline debut at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Photo: Jack Owens

The Tullahoma native added the biggest production he’s ever brought on the road to the historic stage with a setlist curated from Killed The Cowboy, including his current single and collaboration with Jelly Roll, “Chevrolet,” as well as selections from his batch of nine No. 1s like “Stars Like Confetti,” “Small Town Boy” and “Good Girl,” during which he gave a special shoutout to his mom who was in the audience, as it’s her favorite song.

“We’ve been saying this for weeks. Literally, a bunch of times every day we’ve looked at each other on the bus and we’re like, ‘We’re headlining the Ryman!’ Not only that, you guys SOLD OUT the Ryman for us! That’s awesome,” shared Lynch from the stage. “Thank you for spending your hard-earned money to be here with us tonight. That does not go unnoticed. A lot of our families are here tonight, and we get to support our families because you support our songs, our music and our concerts–and we love you for it. Thank you very much for that.”

Keeping the celebration going post-show, Lynch hosted an official after-party at PBR Nashville, where he tried his hand at guest bartending, popped up behind the DJ booth and even had a line dance dedicated by the bar staff to album track “Honky Tonk Heartbreaker.”

The trek will make stops in Charlotte, Minneapolis, Boston, St. Louis and more before it wraps next month.

Additionally, Lynch is up for Performance of the Year for the CMT Campfire Sessions‘ performance of “Thinking ‘Bout You (feat. MacKenzie Porter)” at the 2024 CMT Music Awards, taking place this Sunday (April 7) in Austin, Texas.

Kenny Chesney’s ‘Take Her Home’ Reaches No. 1 On MusicRow Radio Chart

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Kenny Chesney‘s smooth ballad “Take Her Home” has reached the No. 1 spot on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart this week, climbing from No. 2 to No. 1.

The track appears on Chesney’s Born album and was written by Hunter Phelps, Michael Hardy and Zach Abend.

Chesney is gearing up to hit the road on his upcoming “Sun Goes Down 2024 Tour.” Joined by Zac Brown Band, Megan Moroney and Uncle Kracker, the tour will kick off at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on April 20.

“Take Her Home” currently sits at No. 12 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and No. 12 on the Mediabase chart.

Click here to view the latest edition of the MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.

Tin Pan South Night Two Features Ashley Gorley, Casey Beathard, Ingrid Andress, More

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Pictured (L-R): Billy Montana, Randy Montana, Tucker Beathard, Casey Beathard. Photo: Luke Lander

Tin Pan South continued Wednesday night (April 3) at bars and listening rooms across Nashville.

Ashley Cooke, Blake Pendergrass, Lily Rose and a special guest took on the early show at Anzie Blue, while Trannie Anderson, Jon Nite, Cole Swindell and Cole Taylor played at 3rd & Lindsley. Tony Arata, Brennley Brown, Lance Carpenter and Larry Gatlin played Station Inn. Casey Beathard, Tucker Beathard, Billy Montana and Randy Montana took on the Analog at Hutton Hotel.

Pictured (L-R): Tony Arata, Lance Carpenter, Brennley Brown, Larry Gatlin. Photo: Courtesy of NSAI.

Siedah Garrett, Josh Kear, Phil Vassar and Matthew West played the 6 p.m. show at The Listening Room before Ingrid Andress, Benjy Davis, Scotty McCreery and Chase McGill took over at 9 p.m.

Pictured (L-R): Benjy Davis, Scotty McCreery, Chase McGill, Ingrid Andress. Photo: Courtesy of NSAI.

LoCash, Willie Morrison, CJ Solar and Matt Willis took the stage at Hard Rock Cafe for the late show; while Ashley Gorley, Hardy and Josh Osborne played at 3rd & Lindsley.

Pictured (L-R): Locash, Matt Willis, CJ Solar. Photo: Luke Lander

Ethan Hulse, Morgan Myles, Jason Sever and Brian White closed out The Lounge at City Winery with some music; as did Micah Carpenter, Billy Dawson, Jacob Hackworth, Zach John King and Daniel Ross at Anzie Blue.

Pictured (L-R): Jason Sever, Morgan Myles, Brian White. Photo: Courtesy of NSAI.

Among the songwriters who will be featured at tonight’s rounds (April 4) are Tiera Kennedy, Karley Scott Collins, Adam Hambrick, Stephony Smith, Jerry Flowers, Terri Jo Box, Jim Collins, Brett James, Megan Conner, Casey Brown and many more. See the full schedule here.

Warner Chappell Music Unveils ‘Straight To The Heart’ Project

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Pictured (L-R): Warner Chappell’s Ben Vaughn, Jeff Stevens, Marv Green, Steve Bogard, Warner Chappell’s Alexa Morris and Kayce Russell. Photo: Courtesy of Warner Chappell Music.

Warner Chappell Music has unveiled its Straight To The Heart project, which aims to establish a new framework that makes it easier to release more demos from publishers’ catalogs.

The first five-track EP features demos behind hits recorded by George Strait and Kenny Chesney, including Strait’s “Carrying Your Love With Me,” written by Jeff Stevens and Steve Bogard, and “It Just Comes Natural,” penned by Marv Green and Jim Collins.

This project hopes to enhance distribution and revenue opportunities for songwriters in addition to how demos are released. Songwriters, publishers, distributors, artists and the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) have collaborated on the release of each demo.

“Straight To The Heart celebrates the creative journey behind each song but also opens up new opportunities for songwriters, publishers and fans to enjoy the original demo versions of their favorite songs,” shares Ben Vaughn, President & CEO, Warner Chappell Music Nashville. “We’ve collaborated with songwriters and partners to make these original versions available for the world to enjoy.”

Eclipse Music Group Acquires Dean Dillon’s Stake In ‘Tennessee Whiskey’

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Pictured (L-R): Anna Thiel, Kurt Locher, Dean Dillon and Penny Gattis

Eclipse Music Group has acquired hit songwriter Dean Dillon’s stake in the classic tune “Tennessee Whiskey.”

First recorded by David Allan Coe in 1971, “Tennessee Whiskey” landed at No. 2 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Singles chart when George Jones released his rendition in 1983. Over three decades later, Chris Stapleton‘s version took the song to greater heights when it appeared on his debut album, Traveller, and became a Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Diamond-certified single.

“Dean is an icon, and the journey of ‘Tennessee Whiskey’ to the top is remarkable,” says Penny Gattis, Partner, Eclipse Music Group. “This acquisition underscores the enduring value of great songwriting and exceptional songs. Thank you, Dean, for entrusting us with a share of this special song. We are thrilled to add ‘Tennessee Whiskey’ to the Eclipse Music Group catalog.”

Matt Cottingham of Lewis Brisbois handled the transaction on behalf of Eclipse Music Group, and Matthew Beckett of Milom Crow Kelley Beckett Shehan PLC handled the transaction on behalf of Dillon.

The acquisition follows Eclipse Music Group’s recent deals including Jamie Moore’s JMZL song catalog and Cory Batten’s catalog interest.

Koe Wetzel To Kick Off ‘Damn Near Normal World Tour 2024’ This Summer

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Koe Wetzel. Photo: Gabe Muniz

Koe Wetzel will kick off his headlining “Damn Near Normal World Tour 2024,” which is set to hit arenas and amphitheaters across the globe, this summer.

Treaty Oak Revival, Kolby Cooper, Pecos & The Rooftops, Tanner Usrey, Dylan Wheeler, Kat Hasty and Kolton Moore will join as special guests on select dates.

Selling over 275,000 tickets in 2023, Wetzel made Pollstar’s Top Worldwide Tours list for the third time, and aims to keep growing this year.

Starting July 27 in his home state of Texas, the tour will visit Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Boston, Nashville and more before concluding its stateside run at Morrison’s famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Oct. 13. Wetzel will then head overseas for 12 stops in the U.K., Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark on Oct. 26.

Tickets for all dates go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. local time tomorrow (April 5). American Express Card Members have early access to tickets now until 10 p.m. local time tonight (April 4). For more information, click here.

“It’s been a fun winter in the studio working on new music, but we can’t wait to be back on the road getting rowdy with the fans,” shares Wetzel. “And who knows, we might even have some more new music to sing for y’all at these shows soon…”

Additionally, the artist is slated to perform at various festivals this year, including Rock the Country, Tortuga Music Festival, Cattle Country Music Festival, Country Thunder Bristol Festival, Country Jam Colorado, Watershed and more. He also plans to headline several dates across California this month, and join Morgan Wallen for a “One Night At A Time 2024 Tour” stop in his hometown of Arlington this July.

Dasha Signs With WME

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Pictured (L-R, back row): Sloane Cavitt Logue, Nate Towne and Michael Coughlin; (L-R, front row): Shannon Saunders, Alex Luebbert, Dasha, Carrie Murphy and Allie Gaylon. Photo: Courtesy of WME

Emerging singer-songwriter Dasha has signed with WME for global representation in all areas.

The Warner Records artist will be represented by departments across the agency, including touring, brand partnerships, television, film and digital.

With over three billion views on TikTok, Dasha’s viral tune “Austin” has millions of people engaging in its accompanying line dance. Serving as the focus track of her debut country album, What Happens Now?, “Austin” has also landed on Billboard‘s Hot 100 and Hot Country Song charts.

“Dasha possesses the rare ability to combine raw and vulnerable lyrics with ear catching melodies,” says Carrie Murphy, WME Agent. “She has all the makings of a global superstar, and we are honored to be on her team.”

“From the start, the WME team came in with so much passion and immediately got to work to help push our success even further,” shares Dasha. “I’m honored to have them on my team.”

She is set to make her debut at multiple festivals this year, such as Stagecoach, Hangout Fest, CMA Fest, Bonnaroo, Lollapooza, Calgary Stampede and Country Calling.

The MLC Reaches $2 Billion Royalty Distribution Milestone

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The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) has announced that its total royalty distribution has now exceeded two billion dollars.

The MLC reached the milestone in just over three years since beginning full operations, and has now scompleted 36 monthly royalty distributions to date, evach one of which has been on time or early.

It has filed its initial submission to the United States Copyright Office in connection with the first periodic review of the designation of The MLC and Digital Licensee Coordinator (DLC) by the Register of Copyrights. The Music Modernization Act (MMA) of 2018 requires the Register to review the designations of The MLC and DLC once every five years.

“We welcome this periodic review of The MLC’s designation as required by the MMA and view this as yet another valuable opportunity to surface feedback from the members we serve,” says Kris Ahrend, The MLC CEO. “We are proud of the many milestones we have achieved since launching The MLC’s full operations, particularly the milestone of exceeding $2 billion in total royalties distributed. Our team has worked incredibly hard to realize the revolutionary vision Congress set out in the Music Modernization Act. We are committed to continuing to improve upon the successes we have achieved to date, in order to serve our members even better over the next five years.”

In addition to the accomplishments highlighted above, The MLC has matched over 90 percent of the mechanical royalties it has received to musical works in its public database, and The MLC has illuminated the “black box” for digital audio mechanicals by giving members the ability to search all of its data for the remaining unmatched royalties and propose matches of those unmatched royalties to the works they have registered using The MLC’s Matching Tool. The MLC’s public database search tool allows anyone to search the ownership data The MLC has compiled for the more than 35 million works, completely free of charge.

Ray Vaughn Joins Magnolia Music Group As National Director Of Radio & Streaming

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Ray Vaughn. Photo: Magnolia Music Group

Ray Vaughn has joined Magnolia Music Group as National Director of Radio & Streaming.

With over three decades’ experience, the promotion veteran has worked with talent across all genres including George Strait, Tom Petty, Kiss, Taylor Swift, Alicia Keys, Foo Fighters and more. He previously served as part of Warner Music Nashville’s staff, working with acts such as Dan + Shay, Gabby Barrett and Ashley McBryde, and most recently worked at Quartz Hill Records.

“Ray’s dedication and passion for his stations, artists and teammates truly sets him apart and makes him the legend he is,” shares Heather Propper, VP of Promotion, Magnolia Music Group. “We are thrilled to have him join our expanding team and bring Magnolia to the next level.”

CMT Music Awards Announces All-Star Tribute To Country Legend Toby Keith

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Toby Keith

The CMT Music Awards will honor Toby Keith‘s legacy with an all-star tribute to the country legend during the show on April 7 at Austin’s Moody Center.

The tribute will feature a stacked lineup of one-of-a-kind performances from Brooks & Dunn, Lainey Wilson and Sammy Hagar, all backed by Keith’s longtime band, with special appearances by Lukas Nelson and Roger Clemens.

Keith had a longstanding history with the CMT Awards, including celebrating 30 nominations with seven wins and 13 performances, including performances for 10 consecutive years. He had many memorable moments on the awards stage over the last two decades, including two co-hosting gigs, in 2012 with Kristen Bell and in 2003 with Pamela Anderson for the then-named CMT Flameworthy Video Awards, the year he was the most-awarded artist of the night, taking home three belt buckles including Video of the Year for his video “Courtesy of The Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).”

The 2024 CMT Music Awards, hosted by Kelsea Ballerini, will air live April 7 on CBS and are available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. A brand-new one-hour tribute special CMT Music Awards Celebrates Toby Keith will premiere April 11 on CMT, celebrating his most memorable show moments.

With more than 44 million albums sold worldwide, Keith was most recently revealed as an upcoming inductee into the 2024 Country Music Hall of Fame. His chart-topping hits include 32 No. 1 hit songs, with an additional 42 songs reaching top 10. In 2021, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts. Keith passed away in February after a long battle with cancer.