CRS Unveils Y’all Means All Breakfast & Programming Happy Hour Lineups

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Country Radio Seminar has unveiled the lineups for two key sessions at CRS 2026, taking place March 18–20 at the Omni Nashville Hotel.

The Y’all Means All Breakfast will be moderated by Amber Anderson, and will feature Al Farb, Ty Herndon, James Marsh and MŌRIAH. The event is set for the morning of March 18, and aims to offer actionable strategies for expanding the reach of country radio, creating welcoming spaces for new listeners and supporting diverse voices across the format.

The Programming Happy Hour will take place March 18, from 4:30-5:30 p.m., offering attendees the opportunity to engage in one-on-one conversations with experienced program directors. Participating mentors include Drew Bland (Audacy), Christi Brooks (Cox Media Group), Kevin Callahan (Pamal Broadcasting), Ashley Morrison Layfield (iHeartMedia), Brent Michaels (Buck Owens Productions), Dylan Salisbury (Connoisseur Media), Dawn Santolucito (Beasley Broadcast Group) and Jill Strada (iHeartMedia).

Today (Feb. 18) is the final day to register online for CRS 2026. Information on registration and additional programing is available here.

Blake Whiten Makes Grand Ole Opry Debut

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Blake Whiten. Photo: Turner Rosen

Blake Whiten celebrated a sweet Valentine’s Day this year, stepping into the coveted circle to make his Grand Ole Opry debut on Saturday night (Feb. 14.)

The Enchntmnt/Warner Records artist performed several originals on the Opry stage, including the unreleased “Bet On That,” the brand-new “Break Me” and his breakout hit “Rollin’ Stone,” earning applause from the sold-out Opry crowd.

“This is making all my dreams come true, and I never would’ve guessed I’d be here one day,” Whiten shared from the circle during his Grand Ole Opry debut.

The career milestone moment follows the release of Whiten’s latest single, “Break Me,” a slow-burning track that embraces the messy truth of trying to “put an old flame out with gasoline.” Adding to an already banner week, Whiten was also named SiriusXM’s latest “Highway Find,” joining a short list of artists The Highway has spotlighted early on in their careers.

Next, the 21-year-old South Carolina native will head out on the road as part of Bailey Zimmerman’s “Different Night Same Rodeo Tour,” kicking off this Friday (Feb. 19) in Estero, Florida. After hitting fairs and festivals this summer, he’ll embark on Morgan Wallen’s “Still The Problem” stadium tour.

Clay Street Unit Releases Debut Album ‘Sin & Squalor’

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Clay Street Unit. Photo: Tobin Voggesser

Colorado-based roots band Clay Street Unit has released their debut album, Sin & Squalor, via their new label home in Leo33.

Produced by Chris Pandolfi of the innovative Grammy-winning group The Infamous Stringdusters, the album seeks to capture the spirit of the west, the folk and country traditions of the south and the spirit of modern Americana.

Clay Street Unit celebrated the release of Sin & Squalor with a sold-out show on Valentine’s Day at the Basement East. They will make their Grand Ole Opry debut tonight (Feb. 17).

Formed in Denver in 2021, the group includes Sam Walker (lead vocals/guitar), Scottie Bolin (mandolin/vocals), Jack Cline (banjo), Brad Larrison (pedal steel), Brendan Lamb (drums), Jack Kotarba (bass), as well as new touring member Dan Andree (fiddle). Their 2022 debut EP, A Mighty Fine Evening, introduced their genre-blending sound as Clay Street Unit.

Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum Unveils Latest ‘American Currents’ Installment

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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has unveiled its latest American Currents: State of the Music exhibit, which is set to open on March 18.

The exhibit, which is included with museum admission, runs through January 2027 in the museum’s ACM Gallery.

“It’s central to our mission at the museum to report on country music — not just its storied past but also what’s happening right now,” says Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “We present stories of collaboration, perseverance and innovation from emerging artists and established luminaries — and the instruments, stage wear and personal items that bring those stories to life. American Currents is a testament to the constant vitality of the music.”

The exhibit will honor musical developments, artist achievements and notable events of the past year, with artifacts and video footage from Tyler Childers, Charley Crockett, Sierra Ferrell, Vince Gill, Ashley Gorley, Charlie Handsome, Sierra Hull, I’m With Her, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Ella Langley, MJ Lenderman, Megan Moroney, Ringo Starr, Billy Strings, Zach Top, Morgan Wallen, Waxahatchee, Wednesday, Jesse Welles, Lainey Wilson, Stephen Wilson Jr, Kaitlin Butts, Luke Combs, Farm Aid, the Grand Ole Opry, Riley Green and Cody Johnson, among others.

A section of the exhibit titled “Unbroken Circle” highlights musical connections between new artists and their influences. Featured artifact pairings include Ken Pomeroy and John Denver, Carter Faith and Tammy Wynette, and Muscadine Bloodline and Turnpike Troubadours.

Additionally, the exhibit will recap the year’s chart-topping country albums and singles and highest-grossing tours, as well as include touchscreen interactives highlighting key awards show moments.

In support of the exhibition’s opening, the museum will host a Songwriter Session with Carter Faith on March 21 and a Musician Spotlight with Sierra Hull on March. 22.

Hank Williams Jr. Adds Dates To 2026 Tour

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Hank Williams Jr. has added seven new dates to his 2026 tour. He’ll be joined on the shows by special guests Joe Nichols, Sammy Kershaw and The Marshall Tucker Band. 

The newly added dates kick off on June 5 in Tampa and will include stops in West Palm Beach, Birmingham, Grand Rapids and more before wrapping up in Bangor, Maine on Aug. 1. General ticket sales begin Friday (Feb. 20). Additional dates will be announced soon.

Throughout his decades-long career Williams has sold 70 million albums worldwide, achieved six Platinum albums and 20 Gold albums, with 14 topping the charts, and racked up 10 No. 1 singles. His latest album, Rich White Honky Blues, a collaboration between Williams and producer and Grammy-winner Dan Auerbach, debuted at No. 1 on the Current Country, Americana/Folk and Blues Albums charts.

Hank Williams Jr. 2026 Tour Dates:
Fri Jun 5 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater
Sat Jun 6 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheater
Fri Jun 19 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Fri Jun 26 – Birmingham, AL – Coca-Cola Amphitheater
Fri Jul 17 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Sat Jul 18 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater
Sat Aug 1 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater

Billy Strings’ First-Ever ‘Ionia Freak Fair’ In Michigan Set For August

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Billy Strings. Photo: Alysse Gafkjen

Billy Strings has announced the first-ever “Ionia Freak Fair” in Michigan this summer on Aug. 28-29.

Hosted by Mark Lavengood, the two-day event will feature performances from Strings, Greensky Bluegrass, Sierra Hull, Leftover Salmon, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Lindsay Lou and Full Cord, in addition to a Pyramid Scheme Pinball & Metal Tent. Tickets for the “Ionia Freak Fair” are on sale now, with limited RV parking passes available as an add-on when purchased with the event ticket on Ticketmaster at ioniafreakfair.com.

Strings is currently in the midst of an extensive headline tour which includes upcoming stops in Nashville for two sold-out nights at Bridgestone Arena, a Ryman Auditorium show, and a show at the Opry House on Feb. 28. His most recent full-length album, Highway Prayers, won Best Bluegrass Album at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards earlier this month, which was his second consecutive win in the category.

Luke Combs & Opry Entertainment Group Plan Third Category 10 Location In Orlando

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Conceptual Rendering, Courtesy of Opry Entertainment Group

Luke Combs and Opry Entertainment Group are teaming up to open a Category 10 location at CityWalk at the Universal Orlando Resort.

OEG is set to break ground on the new Category 10 in Orlando this summer with a target opening in late 2027. The Category 10 brand pays tribute to Combs’ eight-times Platinum debut No. 1 “Hurricane,” and the approximately 33,000 square-foot, three-story Orlando location will include areas influenced by both Combs’ music and his passions. The Orlando venue is the third location for the Category 10 brand, joining the flagship venue in Nashville which opened in 2024, and a recently announced Las Vegas location which will debut this fall.

“I have a line in my song ‘1, 2 Many,’ ‘there’s no stopping me once I get goin’. Well, I guess you can say the same about Cat 10 now,” says Combs. “I know Orlando is a worldwide destination spot, so I’m super pumped and humbled that we’re getting to open a location there. My wife is from Florida, so we’re both super excited about this. I am glad to be bringing our brand of first-class service and awesome tunes to the Sunshine State.”

“Country music is reaching more people nationally and internationally than ever before, driven in large part by superstars like Luke Combs,” says Colin Reed, Executive Chairman of OEG parent company Ryman Hospitality Properties. “With Orlando welcoming millions of visitors from around the globe each year, expanding the Category 10 footprint into this world-class entertainment destination allows us to introduce visitors to an authentic country music experience inspired by Luke’s Carolina roots.”

Combs is also gearing up for the release of his new album, The Way I Am on March 20, and will kick off his massive “My Kinda Saturday Night Tour” this spring.

Sony Music Publishing & Kane Brown’s Verse 2 Music Sign Jonny Capeci

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Pictured (back row): Rusty Gaston, (CEO Sony Music Publishing Nashville); (middle row, L-R): Kent Earls (Partner Verse 2 Music), Nikki Boon (Manager, Neon Coast); (front row, L-R): Kane Brown and Jonny Capeci. Photo: Riley Mays

Sony Music Publishing Nashville, in partnership with Kane Brown and industry veteran Kent Earls’ Verse 2 Music, have signed singer-songwriter Jonny Capeci to a global publishing agreement.

Lead singer of the Nashville-based alternative-pop band Nightly, Capeci’s vocals and introspective, experience-driven lyrics have defined Nightly’s unique sound, with the band amassing over 400 million streams worldwide and performing with artists like Brown, NF, The Midnight, Andy Grammer and Imagine Dragons.

As a songwriter, Capeci has worked alongside artists including Kane Brown, 24kGoldn, G Herbo, Carin León, Jake Miller, Ayokay and Valley. His recent songwriting credits include “Body Talk” by Kane and Katelyn Brown, which broke into Mediabase’s US Hot AC Radio charts, and Carin León’s “The One (Pero No Como Yo),” which was featured on the Grammy award-winning album Boca Chueca, Vol. 1.

His work has also landed prominent sync placements including Brown’s “Country Classic” from the Grammy-nominated Twisters soundtrack, as well as “My City” by 24kGoldn and Brown featuring G Herbo, which appeared on the Fast X soundtrack.

“I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of the Verse 2, Sony family. Kane, Kent, Rusty and the rest of the team are the best of the best and I’m grateful for their support in my music,” Capeci says.

“At Verse 2 we’ve built an incredible company of songwriters who consistently push musical boundaries while achieving remarkable commercial success,” shares Earls, Partner, Verse 2 Music. “Jonny has such a broad talent and can seamlessly move between genres and musical styles. We are so honored to add him to the Verse 2 roster and look forward to the success that we will build together.”

Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston says, “Songwriters like Jonny are what make Nashville the special and thriving creative community it is. He’s an electric artist himself, while at the same time he’s a compelling and trusted songwriter for other artists. Jonny is built for a supportive and encouraging environment like Verse 2 and we couldn’t be prouder to be both of their partners.”

Kevin Griffin Launches AI Music Platform SoundBreak

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Kevin Griffin. Photo: Robby Klein

Better Than Ezra frontman and Grammy Award-nominated songwriter Kevin Griffin has launched SoundBreak, an AI music creation platform.

Developed in partnership with Soundverse, the platform allows users to co-write songs using officially licensed AI songwriting models of their favorite artists while providing the artist with rights and compensation. Artists also earn additional compensation through subscription revenue based on fan engagement with their AI model. All royalties are transparently split among artists, users, and SoundBreak.

At launch, SoundBreak features official AI songwriting models created in collaboration with Jaren Johnston of the Cadillac Three, Michael Fitzpatrick of Fitz and the Tantrums, Griffin, David Ryan Harris, Sam Hollander and Max Frost, among others. Each artist worked directly with SoundBreak’s engineering team to develop a custom AI model that reflects their songwriting style, not a sound-alike AI voice.

“SoundBreak is the AI in ARTIST,” shares Griffin. “In an exploding industry where songwriters and artists are being left out of the AI conversation, we’re setting a new standard – one where technology amplifies creativity and artists get paid for their unique intellectual property. This is AI made by artists, for artists.”

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Rodney Atkins Slates First New Project In Seven Years, ‘True South,’ For May

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Rodney Atkins is heading into spring with his first new album in seven years, True South, slated for release May 29.

Atkins offers fans an advance taste of some of the homespun wisdom on True South with the release of “The Years Are Short,” a sentimental reflection on fatherhood, out now. With “The Years Are Short” the multi-Platinum artist details the often long days of raising young kids only to look up and find 18 years have passed in the blink of an eye. In the tune he advises listeners to savor moments with their children, especially while they’re little, and speaks from experience as he watches his own three boys grow up far too fast.

The East Tennessee native leans into love, family and memory on True South, his long-awaited follow-up to 2019’s Caught Up In The Country. Cementing his status as a devoted family man, Atkins serves up relatable odes to marriage and parenting as he details small town life with wife Rose Falcon and his three sons. Previous songs released from the project include “True South,” “Marry Me Again (MMA),” “Watching You 2.0 (with Elijah Atkins)” and “Helluvit.”

Throughout his career Atkins has racked up six No. 1s and has over 5 billion global streams under his belt, and his Platinum No. 1 “Watching You” earned a BMI Million-Air  award and the top spot on Country Aircheck’s top-played songs of the decade list.

True South Track List:
1. “True South” (Rodney Atkins, Rose Falcon, Blake Redferrin, Jake Saghi)
2. “Helluvit” (Rodney Atkins, Rose Falcon, Daniel Ethridge, Seth Mosley)
3. “Hole In One” (Jordan Schmidt, Devin Dawson, Zach Kale)
4. “Toys In The Dirt” (Thomas Archer, Lalo Guzman, Michael Tyler)
5. “Watching You 2.0 (with Elijah Atkins)” (Rodney Atkins, Steven Dean, Brain White)
6. “The Years Are Short” (Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell)
7. “All Y’all” (Rodney Atkins, Rose Falcon, Seth Mosley, Smith Ahnquist)
8. “Small Town After All” (Richard Sherman, Robert Sherman, Ben Hayslip, Chase McGill, Ben Burgess)
9. “Silver Bullets” (Jake Owen, Bobby Pinson, Josh Thompson, Jimmy Robbins)
10. “The Real Thing” (Rodney Atkins, Nicole Witt)
11. “Believe Me (with Rose Falcon)” (Rose Falcon, Gabe Dixon, Michael Whitworth)
12. “Marry Me Again (MMA)” (Rodney Atkins, Russell Sutton, Jaxson Free, Jim McCormick, Adam Craig)