Ashley Gorley Reclaims The Top Spot On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Ashley Gorley

Ashley Gorley moves to the No. 1 position on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week.

The award-winning songwriter is a co-writer on 12 charting songs, including “All I Need Is You” by Chris Janson, “Girl In Mine” by Parmalee, “God Gave Me A Girl” by Russell Dickerson and “Gold” by Dierks Bentley, as well as eight Morgan Wallen tunes, including “Cowgirls,” “Everything I Love,” “Last Night,” “Me + All Your Reasons,” “One Thing At A Time,” “Thinkin’ Bout Me,” “Whiskey Friends” and “You Proof.”

Morgan Wallen shifts down one spot to No. 2 with 11 charting songs. Ryan Vojtesak (No. 3), Zach Bryan (No. 4) and John Byron (No. 5) complete the top five.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Dierks Bentley & Miranda Lambert Create Four Songs For CBS’ ‘Fire Country’

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Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert have penned four new songs exclusively for the final two episodes of CBS’s popular new TV show Fire Country.

The new songs, which were inspired by the themes of the show, can be heard in the episodes on Friday May 12 and May 19 on CBS and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*.

YouTube video

The four songs include “Saved,” written by Jon Randall and Luke Dick; “Still Burning” written by Lambert, Randall and Dick; “Something in the Water” written by Lambert, Bentley,  Randall and Dick; and “Barbed Wire Heart” written by Bentley and Randall.

“I’m a huge country music fan! Dierks and Miranda have written and performed some of my all-time favorite songs, so to get the chance to work with them on Fire Country was a dream come true,” says series creator and star, Max Thieriot. “Their songs provide the perfect backdrop for our dramatic conclusion to the season.”

“Dierks and I got together with our buddies Luke Dick and Jon Randall, and we started writing for Fire Country,” says Lambert. “It’s a different process to write to another storyline that’s already been written and sort of go along with the script. It’s been a cool project!”

“From the moment I saw the very first scenes of the pilot for Fire Country, I knew I wanted to try to write songs for it,” adds Bentley. “Writing for TV stretches different muscles than writing for my own albums. And getting to collaborate with my friends Miranda, Luke Dick and Jon Randall made the whole process explorative and, of course, a lot of fun.”

Bentley and Lambert aren’t the first country artists to join the world of Fire Country. Kane Brown guest-starred on an episode earlier this year.

Cody Hibbard Inks With Sony Music Publishing & Droptine Music

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Pictured (L-R): Rusty Gaston, Jenna Heideman, Cody Hibbard, Jim Catino, Molly Shehan and Cass Scripps. Photo: Courtesy of Droptine Records

Cody Hibbard has signed a co-venture publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing Nashville and Droptine Music.

The deal comes on the heels of Hibbard’s first release with Droptine, “Looking Back Now.” The Oklahoma native and former pipeline worker will unveil a follow-up single, “We Speak Country,” this Friday, May 12.

“Cody Hibbard’s future is so bright and I’m excited to be part of his creative team,” shares Jim Catino, Droptine Music Founder. “His music and touring are growing exponentially and that is a direct result of his songwriting abilities. I’m so happy to be part of his artist career and now [represent] him as a songwriter as well. I also want to thank Rusty Gaston and Sony Publishing for their continued support of Droptine. It has been an amazing partnership.”

“Cody’s voice is full of grit and heart, and his songs were built for blue collar America. Jim Catino is one of Music Row’s best A&R executives and he’s keeping that streak alive with Cody Hibbard,” says Gaston, Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Droptine and Sony Music Publishing family, and for the opportunity to work alongside Jim, Rusty and the rest of the crew,” shares Hibbard. “It’s an honor to join such a tremendous team, and I can’t wait for what’s ahead!”

Weekly Register: Zach Bryan Climbs The Country Songs Chart

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Zach Bryan‘s “Something In The Orange” has jumped to No. 3 on the country streaming songs chart this week with 12 million new streams, adding to 632 million RTD, according to Luminate data.

Morgan Wallen‘s “Last Night” remains at No. 1 with 26 million streams, adding to 386 million RTD, while Luke Combs‘ “Fast Car” cover stays at No. 2 with 14 million streams, adding to its 74 million RTD. Wallen’s “Thinkin’ Bout Me” moves to No. 4 with 12 million new streams, adding to 129 million RTD, and “You Proof” lands at No. 5 with 12 million streams, adding to its 569 million RTD.

Once again, the top five country albums remain the same this week.

Wallen’s One Thing At A Time rests at No. 1 with 138K in total consumption (5.4K album only/166 million song streams), and Dangerous: The Double Album stays at No. 2 with 47K (1.3K album only/59 million song streams). Combs’ Gettin’ Old holds No. 3 with 37K (3K album only/42 million song streams). Bryan’s American Heartbreak continues at No. 4 with 28K (1.5K album only/34 million song streams), and Taylor Swift‘s Red (Taylor’s Version) persists at No. 5 with 22K (3.8K album only/24 million song streams).

UTA Signs Graham Barham

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Pictured (L-R): UTA’s Jack Arnett, Haley Fairman, Kyle Levinsohn, Fngrprnt’s Dillon Goldberg, Graham Barham, UTA’s Lauren Holland, Lolo McClusky and Curt Motley. Photo: Navid Sharbatdar for UTA

Singer-songwriter Graham Barham has signed with UTA for worldwide representation in all areas. Barham also recently inked a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music and Cornman Music.

Born and raised in the rural Louisiana village of Oak Ridge, Barham grew up on his family’s farm and started singing in church at a young age. He taught himself to play guitar and was writing songs by the age of 10, mining inspiration from artists like George Strait as well as heavy hitters in the pop world.

Barham moved to Nashville at 18 to pursue a songwriting career. His debut project, produced primarily by Will Bundy, includes his breakout single, “Preachers Need People” and “Beer By My Bed,” a slow-burning, gritty portrait of post-blackout regret.

The rising 24-year-old artist will make his first CMA Fest appearance June 9 on the Hard Rock Stage.

Turnpike Troubadours To Return With New Album ‘A Cat In The Rain’

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Turnpike Troubadours. Photo: David McClister

Turnpike Troubadours will release their new album, A Cat in the Rain, on Aug. 25 via Bossier City Records/Thirty Tigers.

On the tracks, “Mean Old Sun,” is available now, along with its music video directed by Sterlin Harjo and filmed at Tulsa’s Cain’s Ballroom.

Produced by Shooter Jennings, A Cat in the Rain marks a long-awaited return for the band following their self-imposed hiatus in 2019. With these ten new songs, the band renews with a fresh perspective on their authentic songwriting and signature foot-stomping sound fans have come to know and love.

Pioneers of the Red Dirt music scene, Turnpike Troubadours has amassed more than 1.5 billion global streams and over 1.28 million equivalent units sold to-date. Originally from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, members of group include Evan Felker (vocals, guitar), Kyle Nix (fiddle), Ryan Engleman (electric guitar), RC Edwards (bass), Gabe Pearson (drums) and Hank Early (accordion).

The band is slated to headline shows at New York’s Beacon Theater, Washington D.C.’s The Anthem, Los Angeles’ Greek Theater and more, including two nights Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and three nights at Fort Worth’s Billy Bob’s this fall. They will also perform at the Newport Folk Festival, Born & Raised Music Festival, Memphis Mempho Music Festival and Darius Rucker’s Riverfront Revival Music Festival.

A Cat In The Rain Track Listing:
1. “Mean Old Sun”
2. “Brought Me”
3. “Lucille”
4. “Chipping Mill”
5. “The Rut”
6. “A Cat in the Rain”
7. “Black Sky”
8. “Easy Side Love Song (Bottoms Up)”
9. “Three More Days”
10. “Won’t You Give Me One More Chance”

Industry Ink: Carrie Underwood, Kane Brown, ‘Hope & Healing for Heroes,’ Mitchell Tenpenny

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Carrie Underwood, Ludacris Celebrate Double Platinum Like Champs

Pictured (L-R): Carrie Underwood, Ludacris. Photo Courtesy of Carrie Underwood.

Global superstars Carrie Underwood and Ludacris reunited Thursday night (May 4) at Bridgestone Arena to celebrate their hit collaboration “The Champion” earning its RIAA Double Platinum certification. Underwood penned the track with Brett James, Chris DeStefano, and Christopher Bridges (aka Ludacris). Produced by Jim Jonsin, the song was used for NBC’s Super Bowl LII and their 2018 Olympic Winter Games coverage. The event anthem quickly hit No. 1 in 10 countries including the U.S.

Underwood and Ludacris also released a poignant and powerful montage music video for “The Champion. Directed by Jimmy Lynch, it featured a behind-the-scenes look at the pair recording the song. The video also showed historic moments highlight professional athletes and everyday champions. Fans launched a trend sharing their own champion-inspired photos and videos on social media using #TheChampion.

 

Kane Brown Team Celebrates Stagecoach Victory

Pictured (L-R): Taylor Sowers, Nicole Marinake, Parker Stacey, Jeff Rizzo, Meg Kehoe, Martha Earls (Neon Coast), Kane Brown, Dennis Reese, Olivia Laster, Larry Santiago, Nikki Boon (Neon Coast) and Meghan Reich at Stagecoach 2023. Photo: Marcus McDonald.

Kane Brown headlined Stagecoach Festival for the event’s 15th Anniversary with an explosive performance on Saturday, April 29. His pyro-packed set lit up the desert sky and had a special appearance from his wife and fellow artist Katelyn Brown.

Kane is nominated for five ACMs at the upcoming Awards on Thursday (May 11), including Entertainer Of The Year and Male Artist Of The Year, as well as Single Of The Year, Visual Media Of The Year and Music Event Of The Year for “Thank God,” alongside his wife Katelyn.

Nashville Educators Gather For ‘Hope & Healing for Heroes’

Lauren Daigle performs with students. Photo: Dean Berner

Last Monday (May 1), over 1,000 teachers, educators, staff and administrators in Nashville gathered at Belmont’s Fisher Center for the “Hope and Healing For Heroes” event. The evening was hosted to provide an opportunity to connect in community and gain tools for navigating the trauma of the recent Covenant School mass shooting.

Miles Adcox, Chairman at The Onsite Foundation, emceed the event which featured inspirational music from Lauren Daigle, Tyler Hubbard, Trisha Yearwood and CeCe Winans. Messages of hope were shared from teachers and student survivors from Parkland, Columbine and Paducah. Adcox moderated a panel of experts in trauma-informed education and counseling services.

 

Mitchell Tenpenny, Meghan Patrick & Crown Royal Kick Off Military Appreciation Month

Pictured (L-R): Mitchell Tenpenny, Meghan Patrick. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images.

In celebration of Military Appreciation Month, Crown Royal, Mitchell Tenpenny and Meghan Patrick partnered with Nashville-based nonprofit, CreatiVets, at their Third Annual Charity Golf Tournament. Proceeds go towards supporting CreatiVets’ mission of helping veterans heal through music therapy and the arts.

To continue the celebration and to further support our military, Crown Royal and CreatiVets hosted Tenpenny, Patrick, Jameson Rodgers, and numerous other country music stars at Old Hickory Country Club. The country music family also participated in the brand’s decade-long program, The Purple Bag Project, which turns donated Crown Royal bags into care packages for the military overseas.

“As the son of an Air Force vet, supporting our military and recognizing the sacrifices our men and women make to keep us safe is personal. I’m proud I can join Crown Royal which has long supported our military communities during Military Appreciation Month,” says Tenpenny. “Today and everyday, I appreciate the steadfast support of these selfless individuals, and I’m proud that I could join Crown Royal and my peers in extending gratitude to CreatiVets for all they do to support our military and veteran communities.”

Parker McCollum Scores Third Consecutive No. 1 With ‘Handle On You’

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Parker McCollum has earned his third consecutive No. 1 with his latest hit “Handle On You.”

The song tops the Mediabase/Country Aircheck chart, following McCollum’s prior No. 1 hits, his multi-Platinum debut “Pretty Heart” and Platinum “To Be Loved By You.” “Handle On You” is the lead single from his upcoming new album, Never Enough, due out this Friday, May 12.

“Thank y’all for making ‘Handle On You’ my third No. 1,” shares McCollum. “Releasing a new album with a No. 1 already on it is really special and I’m glad country radio digs it. Thank you to my fans and thank you country radio!”

McCollum is gearing up for a busy summer and is set to perform at the iHeart Country Festival in Austin, Texas on May 13. Along with headlining his own tour, he will also play stadiums with Morgan Wallen on his “One Night At A Time World Tour.”

Whitaker Elledge Rises At Dualtone Music Group

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Whitaker Elledge has been promoted to General Manager/SVP Artist Development at Dualtone Music Group.

Formerly the VP of Artist Development, Elledge joined the company in 2018. In this expanded position, Elledge will oversee all Dualtone staff and daily operations and continue to lead all album roll outs, marketing campaigns, teams and spends against budget performance. He will be the point person for all artists and their teams through album cycles, as well as third party team members.

“Whitaker has played an invaluable role for Dualtone over the past five years,” says Dualtone President Paul Roper. “Our online businesses have exploded under his watch while our operations have become more efficient and focused. He has a drive for excellence, integrity and compassion which serves our artists, their teams and our entire staff well. This recognition is well deserved.”

“Coming to work for my favorite record label was a dream job and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to continue growing with a company where artistic integrity comes first,” says Elledge. “It’s a rare and wonderful privilege to collaborate every day with the great minds of Paul Roper and our dynamic team in service of music that matters.”

Elledge is based in Nashville and will continue to report to Roper.

Peter One Returns To Spotlight With New Fusion Project ‘Come Back To Me’

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Peter One. Photo: Angelina Castillo

Peter One, a 67 year old country-folk musician originally from the Cote d’Ivoire now living in Nashville, is releasing his major label solo debut Come Back To Me today (May 5).

The album marks his return to music nearly 30 years after he was a star in his home country. At the age of retirement, Peter One is boldly embarking on his second act and returning to his first passion—music—after years of working as a nurse.

Come Back To Me is a multi-lingual blend of afropop, 70s-influenced country and folk, featuring a blend of sounds from an artist who has been on a most unique life journey. The heartfelt collection of folk songs sung in English, French and Guro shares tales of painful divorce, love and loss, as well as reflection on concepts of the healing power of music, diaspora, immigration and home.

Originally from the Cote d’Ivoire, Peter One was once a star in West Africa, as one half of a duo—alongside his writing partner Jess Sah Bi—who created a seminal folk album Our Garden Needs Its Flowers in 1985. The album gained momentum across the region, and found Peter performing his music for presidents, first ladies, adoring sold-out crowds, and even soundtracking the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990 as shown on the BBC.

He moved to the U.S. in the ’90s due to political unrest in his home country and suffering political persecution for creating the Ivory Coast’s first musicians union, as well as an attempt to pursue his music career stateside. However, due to cost of living, he was forced to switch jobs and has been working in relative obscurity as a nurse first in Delaware, then Tennessee, for the better part of 20 years, until now.

Back in full form, Peter One will perform Saturday night (May 6) at Nashville’s The Blue Room at Third Man Records, and at the Royal Albert Hall in London on May 16 opening for Gipsy Kings. The legendary Newport Folk Festival also recently announced Peter One as part of its lineup this summer.

Come Back To Me Track List:
Cherie Vico
Kavudu
Ejie
Staring Into The Blues
Sweet Rainbow
On My Own
La Petite
Joue-Moi Le Piano
Bonne Annee ft. Jess Sah Bi
Birds Go Die Out of Sight ft. Allison Russell