Niall Horan Makes Grand Ole Opry Debut

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Niall Horan makes his Grand Ole Opry debut. Photo: Grand Ole Opry, photos by Chris Hollo

Niall Horan made his Grand Ole Opry debut last night (July 7).

The multi-Platinum artist performed “Tastes So Good” and “This Town,” before bringing out Thomas Rhett for “Old Tricks.”

Signed with Capitol Records, Horan rose to fame as a member of One Direction. He has spent time as a coach on The Voice, and recently released his new album Dinner Party. Rhett and Horan will co-headline two shows, one at GEODIS Park tomorrow (July 9) and at Hershey Park Stadium on July 18.

Thomas Rhett joins Niall Horan for a performance of “Old Tricks” during Horan’s Opry debut. Photo: Grand Ole Opry, photos by Chris Hollo

Big Daddy Weave Plots ‘My Hope Is Jesus Tour’

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Big Daddy Weave

Big Daddy Weave will launch their fall 2026 “My Hope Is Jesus Tour,” named for the inspirational life anthem that has provided hope to millions from the group’s most recent album, Let It Begin, on Oct. 1.

The group will be joined by breakout artists Caleb & John and Carly Ann Taylor on the new tour, which will include stops in South Carolina, Missouri, Indiana and more through Nov, 22.

Tickets are on sale now here.

“We’re excited about launching a tour called ‘My Hope Is Jesus’ at a time when the world seems uncertain about hope,” shares Big Daddy Weave frontman Mike Weaver. “This is a night when we can sing and celebrate together that our hope is greater than the temporary hope that’s found in this world. Our hope is an everlasting hope found in the solid rock of Jesus. We love the energy and life that Caleb & John are going to bring to everyone at these nights. We’re also super excited to introduce our brand-new label mate Carly Ann Taylor to everyone. Even though she’s so young, her songs come from a deep and thoughtful place. It’s going to be a great night of hope.”

Big Daddy Weave has amassed more than one billion career streams and received a Dove Award, ASCAP and BMI Awards, and the prestigious Rich Mullins Artist Impact Award, among others. A mainstay at radio, the band has achieved multiple No. 1s, including “Heaven Changes Everything,” “God Is In This Story” (with Katy Nichole), “I Know,” “Alive,” “Love Come To Life,” “The Only Name (Yours Will Be),” and more. The Platinum-certified “Redeemed” became an anthem of unprecedented impact when it spent 11 weeks at No. 1, and their follow-up hit, “The Lion and The Lamb,” has become one of the genre’s most-streamed songs.

“My Hope Is Jesus Tour” Dates:
10/1 – Aiken, SC
10/2 – Spartanburg, SC
10/3 – Counce, TN
10/4 – Branson, MO
11/5 – Bolivia, NC
11/6 – Littleton, NC
11/7 – New Bern, NC
11/8 – Greeneville, TN
11/19 – Fort Wayne, IN
11/20 – Wadsworth, OH
11/21 – Circleville, OH
11/22 – Northfield, IL

Chase Rice’s Welcome To The Farm Franchise Opening Columbus Location

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Welcome to the Farm Columbus

Chase Rice and Forward Hospitality Group are expanding the Welcome to the Farm entertainment franchise with a Columbus, Ohio location in August.

The renovated space located in the heart of the Short North Arts District will be found along the ground floor of Forward’s popular disco concept Good Night John Boy, and will frequently host a rotating lineup of country DJs and live music. The space can seat approximately 100 guests and will offer both indoor seating and a patio. Guests can expect The Farm’s bar menu to include an assortment of Farm Favorites Cocktails as well as a massive bourbon and whiskey list.

“The response to Welcome to the Farm has been amazing, and getting to keep growing it with the Forward team has been a lot of fun,” says Rice. “My dad grew up just outside Columbus in Grove City, so this has always been one of those places I’ve loved coming back to. Bringing The Farm to Short North just feels right, and I can’t wait for everybody to come hang with us this summer.”

The Columbus location joins both the brand’s St. Petersburg location and original flagship, which opened in Cleveland in 2021 and was also joined by Rice and Forward Hospitality Group’s “I Hate Cowboys” cocktail & bourbon lounge next door. 

BREAKING: CMA Taps Brittany Schaffer As Next CEO

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Brittany Schaffer. Photo: Matt Andrews

The Country Music Association has tapped Brittany Schaffer as the next Chief Executive Officer. Schaffer will join the organization on Sept. 8 as part of a strategic transition plan ensuring continuity for CMA’s staff, Board and members, and will officially succeed current CEO Sarah Trahern on Jan. 1, 2027.

Schaffer joins CMA from Belmont University where she serves as Dean of the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business. Prior to her time at Belmont, she spent over a decade in the industry as an entertainment attorney at Loeb & Loeb LLP and later as Head of Artist & Label Partnerships, Nashville at Spotify, where she shaped strategy for the Country, Christian/Gospel and Americana genres and cultivated key industry partnerships.

“Country Music meets people where they are, and it changes lives every day. That starts with songwriters and artists and everyone who carries this music to fans around the world,” shares Schaffer. “Serving them is the honor of a lifetime. Sarah Trahern will leave CMA and this community stronger than she found it. I’m grateful for her mentorship and friendship, and for a transition marked by the same professionalism and intentionality that defined her tenure. Together with CMA’s talented staff and members, we’ll build on that foundation. We’ll reinforce the connectivity within this community, bring renewed energy to our signature events, and find new ways to connect Country Music with fans around the world. And if we get that right, somewhere a song will find somebody who needs to hear it. That’s the heart of this work, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Trahern announced her retirement earlier this year following 13 years leading the organization.

“Leading this organization for 13 years has been the honor of my life, and I have this community to thank for that,” says Trahern. “I’m grateful to our search committee for the time, care and integrity they brought to this process, and I trust the thoughtfulness they poured into it. I wish Brittany every success as she steps into this role, and I look forward to cheering this entire industry on for many years to come.”

“Our search committee set out to find a leader who understands the responsibility of representing this industry, not just the opportunity of it,” says Jay Williams, CMA Board Chairman and WME Nashville Partner and Co-Head. “We met with an exceptional group of candidates, and we believe Brittany is exactly the leader to carry this organization into its next era, and to make sure Country Music’s influence continues to expand well beyond Nashville.”

CMHOFM To Honor Trey Fanjoy At 18th Annual Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum

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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will honor Trey Fanjoy at its 18th annual Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum on Aug. 19, at 6:30 p.m. in the museum’s Ford Theater.

Fanjoy will discuss her more than 30 years as an award-winning music video and film director, producer and creative director in a conversation with Museum Writer-Editor Allison Moorer.

Born in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Fanjoy made her first 8 mm film for a 10th grade social studies project. She attended the University of South Carolina, where she studied journalism. After working in commercial film production in New York City and Los Angeles, Fanjoy moved to Nashville in the mid-1990s and began her career as a music video producer, which soon led her to directing.

Fanjoy made CMA history in 2009 as the first woman to receive the Video of the Year award for her direction of the video for Taylor Swift’s hit “Love Story.” Fanjoy also received CMA Video of the Year awards for her work with Miranda Lambert in 2010 for “The House That Built Me” and in 2020 for “Bluebird,” and has been nominated for the award 18 times. She has worked with artists such as Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Enrique Iglesias, Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson, Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton and George Strait, among many others.

Fanjoy formed her own production company, Big Feather Films, in 2006. In addition to her three CMA awards, she has received 23 CMT awards, four Billboard Music awards and one ACM award. Fanjoy also holds leadership roles in the music industry, serving as president of the Nashville Chapter board of the Recording Academy and as a trustee on its national board. With more than 200 music videos to her credit, she made her feature film directorial debut for Sony Pictures in 2021 with “Honey Girls.”

The annual forum, which began in 2007, recognizes music industry leaders who continue the legacy of Scruggs, a formidable businesswoman who set new professional standards in artist management. Past honorees include Alison Brown, Kay Clary, Lorianne Crook, Bebe Evans, Bonnie Garner, Dixie Hall, Cindy Mabe, Mary Martin, Bev Paul, Nancy Shapiro, Denise Stiff, Liz Thiels, Traci Thomas, Sarah Trahern, Marcie Allen Van Mol, Jo Walker-Meador, Kay West and Sally Williams.

The program is free and open to the public and tickets can be reserved here.

Randy Travis Readies First Album Of Original Music In Nearly Two Decades

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Photo: Courtesy of Randy Travis

Randy Travis will release his first album of original music in over 18 years. Travis shared the news during a recent visit to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

Kyle Lehning, Travis’ longtime producer, assembled, remixed and remastered tracks from throughout his career. The first single from the record, “Fish On,” will be available on Friday (July 10).

“Sharing the love of music for decades with listeners of all ages has been an honor of mine. I feel extremely blessed. Earlier this week, as we announced my new album and played some of the songs for the children and families at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, I was reminded of my reason for doing it. Gratitude and appreciation welled up as emotions I didn’t expect when stories were shared about a particular song’s impact on their lives. I hope these dusted-off songs from the vault touch folks the same old way,” shares Travis with help from his wife, Mary.

After the tour of St. Jude Children’s, Travis and Alexandra Kay met with patients and families to preview the recordings for the first time. Kay performed Travis’ No. 1 hits “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “I Told You So” and “Deeper Than The Holler.”

This fall, Travis will wrap his More Life Tour with dates in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New York, Colorado, New England, Texas and more.

Jordan Merrigan Signs With Ern’s Cadillac Music Via Big Loud Publishing

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Pictured (L-R): Jude Warren, Kimberly Gleason, Jordan Marcus, Jordan Merrigan, ERNEST, Dane Schmidt and Mike Giangreco.

Jordan Merrigan has signed a publishing deal with ERN’s Cadillac Music via Big Loud Publishing.

Born and raised in South Dakota, Merrigan learned to play guitar and pen his first songs as a teenager. Influenced by Brand New, Taking Back Sunday and The Spill Canvas, Merrigan joined a pop rock band with his childhood friends in high school before relocating to Nashville. Before landing his deal, Merrigan was on the road as a guitarist and tour manager for the likes of Dylan Schneider and Mason Ramsey and is currently still on the road with ERNEST.

Merrigan’s songwriting credits include ERNEST’s “Blessed,” “Take Me To Montgomery,” “Why Dallas (feat. Lukas Nelson)” and “Ain’t Too Late.”

“I’ve been in the Cadillac Music/Big Loud universe as a touring musician for years, and it’s always been apparent that they embraced artists and writers in a special way,” shares Merrigan. “I’ve been especially fortunate to experience that working with ERNEST. His belief in me as a songwriter is something I’m beyond grateful for. I couldn’t be more excited to join the family as a songwriter.”

“Jordan’s journey has been incredible,” ERN’s Cadillac Music Founder and CEO ERNEST adds. “From having a band in Minneapolis that recorded with Dane and Jordan Schmidt before moving to Nashville over 12 years ago, to tour managing for Mason Ramsey who I opened for…and then tour managing for me, until I finally just said, ‘Hey grab your guitar. You’re in my band.’ He has been with me ever since. All along he has been writing cool songs, songs that live on the fringe. He brings singer-songwriter / indie rock to the table, as well as production / musicianship … which is a healthy recipe in today’s scene. The timing of it is perfect. I love that he not only is in my band / my longest lasting band member but has the hunger for so much more and he will be a valuable tool for our crew and Music Row.”

Bryan Sutton Shares ‘Musical Conversations’ On New Album ‘From Roots to Branches, Vol. 1’

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Bryan Sutton is releasing From Roots to Branches, Vol. 1, a collection of duets from Mountain Home Music Company, on Aug. 28.

The collection’s focus track is a previously unreleased, early 2000s duet with Tony Rice on the venerable Carter Family song, “Storms Are on the Ocean,” which Sutton says honors the memory of Mountain Home Founder Mickey Gamble, who passed away earlier this year.

“When I was leaving high school,” Sutton recalls, “I was hanging out at the Hear Here recording studio in Asheville, where Mickey Gamble would hire Tony to come in and produce records – and Tony did his great Crossings gospel record there with David Johnson and Tim Surrett. So it was a really neat place to be; I was trying to find my feet right out of high school, trying to make a career, and here’s Tony Rice hanging out. I would have coffee with him at the studio, or go to lunch and sit in his car and listen to Earl Klugh. So I see, in this new Tony Rice song, a connection both with Not Too Far From the Tree and with Mickey, who helped us meet each other so many years ago, and it feels like a cool way of bringing it all together.”

The project also includes previously unreleased duets from since-departed legends (Doc Watson, Tony Rice); exchanges with colleagues from beyond the bluegrass realm (Joe Bonamassa, Tommy Emmanuel); and a sizeable assortment of bluegrass colleagues ranging from Kenny Smith to next generation players Trey Hensley, Sierra Hull, Jake Stargel, Chris Eldridge, Cody Kilby and Billy Strings, whose collaboration on “The Devil Went Down to Deep Gap” features a full band backing Sutton’s and Strings’ flatpicking and heavy metal exchanges that are as much duels as duets.

“I feel fortunate to be able to share what I’ve called these sort of ‘musical conversations’ with friends of mine,” Sutton says. “I am as much of a fan of any of these people as any other guitarist out there, or any music fan. And so to take the opportunity to sit more intimately, with just two guitars…what we have here in this project is kind of unique. So I’m excited to share that with people and to see people enjoy it.”

A2IM Reveals 2026-2027 Board Of Directors

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A2IM (The American Association of Independent Music, Inc.), the nonprofit trade organization representing over 600 independent labels, has unveiled its 2026-2027 Board of Directors, as well as its new Executive Committee and Advisory Board Members.

The Executive Committee includes Chair Glen Barros, Managing Partner, Exceleration Music; Treasurer Louis Posen, Founder & President, Hopeless Records; and Secretary David Barnes, COO, Rhymesayers Entertainment. Oscar Guitian, CEO, Serving Sounds returns as Advisory Board Member, and industry professionals Sue Lucarelli, President, Epitaph Records and Benson Curb, SVP of Revenue & Marketing, Curb now join the Advisory Board as well.

This year’s newly elected board members are Katie Garcia, Owner & Founder, Bayonet Records, Tony Kiewel, President, Sub Pop, Steve Kline, President & COO, Better Noise Music, and Elliott Peters, Chief Legal Officer, EMPIRE. Returning to the board for this upcoming year are Jason Peterson, Chairman & CEO, GoDigital Media Group, Victor Zaraya, Chief Operating Officer, Concord, Steven Hill, Head of North America & Global Marketing Warp Records and Terry McBride, CEO, Nettwerk Music Group.

“We are honored to welcome an incredibly talented, diverse, and dedicated group of individuals to serve on the 2026-27 Board of Directors for A2IM,” says Ian Harrison, CEO, A2IM. “Their expertise and passion for independent music will be instrumental in shaping the future of our organization and the industry at this critical time. With these new Executive Committee and Advisory Board Members, we are confident in our ability to advocate effectively for the needs and interests of independent artists and record labels.”

Industry Ink: Darius Rucker, The Store, Combustion Music, LOCASH, More

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Darius Rucker Headlines Sold-Out July 4th Celebration

Darius Rucker. Photo: Rick Kern, Getty Images for Omni Hotels & Resorts

Darius Rucker headlined the sold-out Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa’s Fireworks on The Fairway July 4th celebration.

Rucker welcomed more than 7,000 guests for a set that included “Wagon Wheel,” “Homegrown Honey” and “Alright,” along with Hootie & the Blowfish classics, such as “Only Wanna Be With You,” “Let Her Cry” and “Hold My Hand.”

 

The Store Seeks Community Participation For Third Annual School Store


The Store will host the Third Annual School Store in late July at the Coleman Park Community Center in Nashville. The initiative will collect new high-quality backpacks and stainless-steel water bottles throughout the month of July. Donations may be purchased from a wish list and shipped automatically to the store. This year, The Store expects to serve more than 800 children.

“We are thankful for the Nashville community that helps us provide much-needed support of our families facing food insecurity. Our customers also lack resources for important things like school supplies,” shares Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, co-founders of The Store. “Thanks to our generous donors, we love being able to offer this opportunity to gear up for a great school year ahead.”

 

Combustion Music Celebrates ‘Hate How You Look’

Pictured (Front Row, L-R): Combustion’s Keithan Melton, Jessica Farren, Christian Yancey, Chris McKenna and Chris Sainato. (Back Row, L-R): Combustion’s Chris Farren, Kelly Lyons and Chris “Falcon” Van Belkom. Photo: Courtesy of Combustion Music

Combustion Music celebrated the writers of Josh Ross’ “Hate How You Look,” Combustion’s Nicholas Sainato and Jessica Farren, former Combustion writer Chris McKenna, and Christian Yancey for the recent chart-topper. The track is the first country No. 1 for all four writers.

 

LOCASH Serves As Grand Marshals For NASCAR Cup Series eero 400

LOCASH. Photo: BIGRED

LOCASH recently served as Grand Marshals for the NASCAR Cup Series eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. This year’s race weekend marked NASCAR’s return to Chicagoland Speedway for the first time in several years.

The duo recently teamed up with Parmalee to release “Let The Country Music Play.” LOCASH will take the stage at Country Jam USA in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on July 16, followed by Freedom Fest in Little Falls, Minnesota on July 17.

 

ELEVATION RHYTHM Celebrates No. 1 Single ‘WASHED’

ELEVATION RHYTHM

ELEVATION RHYTHM recently earned its first chart-topper on both the Billboard and Mediabase charts with “WASHED.” The achievement comes just ahead of the release of their live album on July 17.

 

Chancey Williams Performs At Mount Rushmore

Chancey Williams. Photo: Kenzie Holmberg

Chancey Williams performed at Mount Rushmore on July 3, ahead of America’s 250th birthday celebration.

“I’ve been fortunate to get to do a lot of really neat things in my life, but this was hands down the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” Williams shared following the performance. “To be playing at Mount Rushmore, surrounded by that kind of history and patriotism and then see Air Force One fly right over us – it’s something I’ll never forget.”