The Country Radio Broadcasters are now taking applications for the Rusty Walker Scholarship Program.

Three recipients will be selected, and will receive complimentary registration, hotel and airfare for CRS 2024, Feb. 28 – March 1, 2024, in Nashville. Scholars chosen through this program will also be recognized during CRS 2024.

Eligibility for the Rusty Walker Scholarship is limited to full-time radio station employees who will be attending CRS for the first time. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants are required to fill out an online application through the Rusty Walker Scholarship page on CountryRadioSeminar.com and provide a 500-word or less essay explaining why they should be considered for the scholarship. The application deadline is Nov. 3, 2023.

The Rusty Walker Scholarship Program is a tribute to the late Rusty Walker, a distinguished former CRS board member. Walker was an inductee into the Country Radio Hall of Fame and an influential programmer, consultant and mentor in the music industry. His untimely passing in 2012 left a void that this scholarship program was created to fill, by continuing his legacy of supporting talented young individuals in the industry.

Blessing Offor is tapping into that childlike wonder of the holiday season with a brand-new collection of Christmas songs, Like A Child, out this Friday (Oct 20).

Like A Child features three Christmas tunes including the striking all-original title track, a song filled with soulful callbacks to a younger perspective on the holidays. Remembering tall Christmas trees, mountainous piles of snow and fleeting moments of bliss, “Like A Child” carries a message of innocence and hope for the Christmas season.

The year has been a notable one for Offor, as his full length debut My Tribe is officially the largest streaming debut from a solo male artist at Capitol Christian Music Group. The album debuted in the top 20 position on three Billboard charts: Christian /Gospel Albums, Top 200 Christian/Gospel Albums and Current Digital Albums charts. His single “Brighter Days” also found mainstream success, hitting top 25 on Mainstream AC radio.

He also garnered three 2023 GMA Dove Award nominations: Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of The Year (“Brighter Days”), Pop/Contemporary Album of The Year (My Tribe) and Short Form Music Video of The Year (Performance) (“The Goodness” with TobyMac).

Riley Green at his album release show. Photo: Sam Crabtree

Riley Green recently celebrated the release of his new album Ain’t My Last Rodeo, with a downtown Nashville show that raised more than $50,000 for his newly-created Buford Bonds Charitable Fund, which will support various veteran organizations.

Thousands gathered at Nashville’s Walk of Fame Park, joining Riley for the special over-capacity album release celebration. The concert also included more than 300 veterans in attendance, including members from CreatiVets, who spent time with the country singer backstage for a private meet-and-greet before the show.

Providing a taste of what fans can expect on his upcoming 2024 “Ain’t My Last Rodeo Tour,” Riley’s upcoming tour-mate Ella Langley opened the show. Long-time songwriting collaborators Erik Dylan and Wyatt McCubbin also surprised the crowd with appearances.

The title track of the new album bares its name from a song on the album, “My Last Rodeo,” which Green penned following one of the final conversations he had with his late Grandaddy Buford Green near the end of his life. Buford was the brains behind converting Riley’s great-grandparents’ home into the Golden Saw Music Hall, and is credited for Riley’s musical appreciation, education and inspiration, while his Granddaddy Lyndon can be attributed for Riley’s love of the outdoors.

“We’ve been playing some of these new songs out on the road this summer and I’m excited to share them with the world,” Riley shares. “My grandaddies were huge inspirations on me, my songwriting and what is most important to me. Thursday night was a blast, but it also means a lot to mark the occasion by honoring them and raising money for some great charities that they would have been proud to support.”

Riley will continue the celebration this week with a performance on ABC’s Good Morning America this Friday, Oct. 20.

A tribute show honoring the late singer-songwriter and producer Keith Gattis will take place Nov. 28 at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville. The lineup will feature George Strait, Sheryl Crow, Wade Bowen, Randy Houser, Jon Pardi, Dean Dillon, Kendell Marvel, Jack Ingram, Waylon Payne, Braun Brothers, Big Hat, Austin Hanks, Jamie Rubin, Clint Daniels, Andy Tubman, Travis Howard and Jabe Beyer.

Throughout his career, Gattis earned authentic credibility as a country music artist added immeasurable value to the genre. Gattis’ music is described as roots country rock & roll. His melancholy voice along with his trademark tele-slinging guitar are reminiscent of the Eagles, Tom Petty and Dwight Yoakam.

Gattis’ song “El Cerrito Place” from his critically acclaimed album Big City Blues became a national hit when Kenny Chesney released it. Gattis was a troubadour of many talents and toured as Johnny Paycheck’s guitar player and Yoakam’s band leader and producer. His songs were released by Strait, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Gary Allan and more. On April 23, Gattis was tragically killed in a tractor accident at his home.

The tribute show will feature Gattis’ musical family singing his songs accompanied by his favorite all-star band lead by Audley Freed. Proceeds will benefit his family. VIP bowling lanes and general admission tickets will go on sale tomorrow (Oct. 19). For more information, click here.

Pictured (L-R): Russ Farrar (Attorney), Ben Vaughn (WCM), Jenee Fleenor and Spencer Nohe (WCM). Photo: Gina Di Maio

Warner Chappell Music has signed a global publishing deal with record-breaking multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Jenee Fleenor.

As the first-ever woman to be nominated and win Musician of the Year at the 2019 CMA Awards, Fleenor currently reigns as the category’s four-time consecutive winner and nabbed her fifth nomination this year. As an in-demand fiddler who has played on countless country hits, she has been honored with two ACM Specialty Instruments Player of the Year awards (2020 and 2023), three MusicRow Top 10 Album All-Star Musician Awards (2019, 2022 and 2023) and the CMA Touring Musician of the Year (2015).

Fleenor began her musical journey as a toddler growing up in Arkansas, taking Suzuki classical violin lessons and learning to sing. Throughout her youth, her dream of being a session fiddle player grew. After graduating high school in 2001, she moved to Nashville.

In addition to her work in Music City, Fleenor also performed in the house band for NBC’s The Voice for eight years. As a songwriter, she has collaborated with the likes of Reba McEntire and Gretchen Wilson, and written tunes such as Blake Shelton‘s “Just Getting Started” and The Grascals and Dolly Parton‘s “I Am Strong,” among others.

Fleenor made her debut as an artist in 2019 at the Grand Ole Opry following the release of her single “Fiddle & Steel.” She recently formed a new acoustic supergroup, Wood Box Heroes, who made their Opry debut a couple of months ago and will be releasing their all-original debut album early next year.

“Whether it be for her musicianship, artistry, or songwriting, Jenee Fleenor is highly respected within the Nashville community and beyond. We could not be prouder to walk alongside her and support her songs,” shares Ben Vaughn, President & CEO of Warner Chappell Music Nashville, of the deal.

“I am so excited to partner with Warner Chappell! Most people have probably only known me as a session fiddle player and don’t realize that I’ve been a songwriter for a long time as well,” shares Fleenor. “It feels so great to have such an amazing team of people supporting my songs, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. Big thanks to Ben Vaughn and Spencer Nohe!”