Houston Gaither Joins UMG Nashville As Director Of Radio Marketing

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Houston Gaither

Houston Gaither has joined UMG Nashville as Director of Radio Marketing. In his new position, Gaither will oversee all audio and video content for the label’s Promotions department.

The Coweta, Oklahoma native began his radio career as an on-air personality for Cox Media Group’s KWEN in Tulsa while attending Rogers State University. He went on to serve as Music Director and Assistant Program Director for iHeart Media’s KTGX in Tulsa and KTST in Oklahoma City after graduation. Gaither relocated to Nashville in 2021, and joined Sony Music Nashville as Manager of Content, Promotion, & Artist Development.  

“We are very excited to have Houston join the UMG Nashville family,” says Mike Harris, EVP & COO, UMG Nashville. “His vast radio experience and overall knowledge of the country genre are a perfect fit for the Universal Nashville promotion team.”

Gaither can be reached at houston.gaither@umusic.com.

Country Stars To Unite For ‘Toby Keith: American Icon’ Live Concert Event

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Country music stars will unite at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for “Toby Keith: American Icon,” a live concert event celebrating the life and legacy of the renowned songsmith, on Monday, July 29. Additionally, NBC will air the special tribute on Wednesday, Aug. 28 from 9–11 p.m. ET/PT.

Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, Jelly Roll, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, Lainey Wilson, The War And Treaty and more are set to take the stage during the once-in-a-lifetime show.

One of the impactful voices in modern era of country music, Keith amassed 42 top 10 hits and 33 No. 1s in addition to selling 44 million albums, with 100 million BMI performances and over 10 billion streams largely on the strength of his own songwriting and producing. With songs like “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American),” “I Love This Bar” and so many more, his influence has spanned generations. He was welcomed into the Country Music Hall of Fame shortly after his passing in February. Keith was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015 as well as the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF) in 2021, the same year he received the National Medal of Arts. He was then presented with the BMI Icon Award in 2022.

Tickets will go on sale this Friday (June 28) at 10 a.m. CT. A portion of the ticket sales will benefit The Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral, a cost-free home for families of children dealing with critical illnesses, and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, one of the nation’s leading children’s hospitals and the top-rated in the Southeast. For more information, click here.

Toby Keith: American Icon will be produced by UMG Nashville’s Sing Me Back Home Productions and ITV America’s Thinkfactory Media, in association with Alex Coletti Productions. Cindy Mabe, Dawn Gates and Harper Grae will serve as Executive Producers for Sing Me Back Home Productions in partnership with Mercury Studios Executive Producers Alice Webb and Barak Moffitt. Other Executive Producers include Adam Reed and Jordana Hochman for Thinkfactory Media, Coletti for Alex Coletti Productions as well as TK Kimbrell and R.A. Clark. The show and special have been packaged by UTA, Keith’s longtime agency partner.

Dasha Partners With TikTok For Benefit Concert

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Pictured (L–R): Eric Rasmussen (American Legion), Dasha, Dave Hickman (American Legion), Shannon Rasmussen (American Legion) and Will Amundson (American Legion). Photo: Tibrina Hodson

Dasha partnered with TikTok for a special concert benefiting The American Legion and Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors (TAPS) at The American Legion Post 82 in Nashville last week.

Pictured (L–R): Kimberly Hughes (TAPS), Vicky Egli (TAPS), Dasha, Katie Maness (TAPS), Avery King (King Publicity) and Alex Lunt (Type A Management). Photo: Tibrina Hodson

Following the performance, Dasha presented a $10,000 donation to The American Legion and an additional $10,000 donation to TAPS. The show was a full circle moment for Dasha, as it took  place where the original visualizer for her smash hit “Austin” was filmed in November 2023. The rising artist performed for special VIP guests and fans during the event, with DJ Brandi Cyrus hyped up the packed venue before she took the stage.

“It was such an honor to team up with TikTok to be able to present this donation to two incredible organizations,” says Dasha. “I’m proud to use my platform in this way to uplift and help, especially to a cause that means so much to me.”

Additionally, she plans to release her new song “Didn’t I” on July 12 via Warner Records, before kicking off her debut headlining tour later this summer.

Lainey Wilson Announces New Track, Reveals Track List For Upcoming Album

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Photo: Eric Ryan Anderson

Reigning CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson has unveiled more details regarding her forthcoming new album, Whirlwind, set to release on Aug. 23 via BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville.

Her new track, “4x4xU,” will be released on July 4, marking the third song to be revealed from the forthcoming album including the top-20-and-rising single “Hang Tight Honey” and the anthemic “Country’s Cool Again.”

Co-written by Wilson, Jon Decious and Aaron Raitiere, “4x4xU” was produced by frequent collaborator Jay Joyce. The superstar gave fans a taste of the romantic track at the opening night of her “Country’s Cool Again Tour.”

In addition to news of the track, Wilson has also revealed the full track list for Whirlwind.

Whirlwind Track List:
1. “Keep Up With Jones” (Lainey Wilson, Josh Kear, Wyatt McCubbin)
2. “Country’s Cool Again” (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Aslan Freeman)
3. “Good Horses (feat. Miranda Lambert)” (Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick)
4. “Broken Hearts Still Beat” (Lainey Wilson, Dallas Wilson, Josh Thompson, Blake Pendergrass)
5. “Whirlwind” (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson)
6. “Call A Cowboy” (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson)
7. “Hang Tight Honey” (Lainey Wilson, Driver Williams, Jason Nix, Paul Sikes)
8. “Bar In Baton Rouge” (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Kasey Tyndall, Jason Nix)
9. “Counting Chickens” (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Josh Kear, Dallas Wilson, Jon Decious)
10. “4x4xU” (Lainey Wilson, Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere)
11. “Ring Finger” (Lainey Wilson, Aaron Raitiere, Marti Dodson, Jon Decious)
12. “Middle Of It” (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson)
13. “Devil Don’t Go There” (Lainey Wilson, Abram Dean, Lance Miller, Joe Fox)
14. “Whiskey Colored Crayon” (Lainey Wilson, Josh Kear, Wyatt McCubbin)

Josh Turner Slates Upcoming LP ‘This Country Music Thing’ For August

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Josh Turner. Photo: David McClister

Josh Turner will cap off the summer with the release of his brand new album This Country Music Thing on Aug. 16 via MCA Nashville. Turner just released a taste of the forthcoming album with the new track, “Down In Georgia.”

This Country Music Thing, Turner’s 10th album, was produced by his longtime producer Kenny Greenberg. Turner released another track from the project, “Heatin’ Things Up,” in April. He wrote or co-wrote three of the songs on This Country Music Thing, and other writers contributing included Luke Laird, Rhett Akins, Jon Randall, Chase McGill and more.

YouTube video

“I think they’ve been reading my mail, because I married a girl from Georgia and we actually moved to Georgia last year,” says the South Carolina native about the album’s inspiration and leadoff track.

The vinyl version of This Country Music Thing will be available Sept. 13. Turner is currently on his “Greatest Hits Tour” throughout 2024, with tour dates spanning coast to coast.

This Country Music Thing Track List:
1. “Down in Georgia” (Tyler Booth, Anthony Olympia, Brent Rupard)
2. “If You Ain’t With Me” (Marv Green, Lance Miller, Jimmy Yeary)
3. “I Just Wanna Kiss You” (Jeff Hyde, Jon Nite)
4. “Heatin’ Things Up” (Marv Green, Luke Laird, Brice Long)
5. “This Country Music Thing” (Josh Turner)
6. “My Side” (Barton Davies, William Reames, Jeremy Spillman, Ryan Tyndell)
7. “Two Steppin’ On The Moon” (Matt Dragstrem, Chase McGill, John Pierce)
8. “Somewhere With Her” (Rhett Akins, Will Bundy, Josh Miller)
9. “Whirlwind” (Josh Turner, Mark Narmore)
10. “Pretty Please” (Wyatt McCubbin, Jon Randall, Gordie Sampson)
11. “Unsung Hero” (Josh Turner)

‘Thomas Rhett: Live In Las Vegas’ Set For December

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Thomas Rhett has slated a four-night run at the BleauLive Theater inside Fontainebleau Las Vegas for Dec. 6–7 and 13–14 during the National Finals Rodeo (NFR).

Presented in collaboration with Fontainebleau Las Vegas and Live Nation, “Thomas Rhett: Live In Las Vegas” aims to bring fans closer to the music in the 3,800-capacity theater.

“For me, having the chance to set up in Vegas for a string of shows is something I’ve been trying to find the right time to do for awhile now,” shares the artist. “It gives us the chance to be back in smaller rooms—for almost a mini-residency—and really be right there to play off the fans and be sure every single one of them is on their feet each night. I’m already looking forward to making these shows unlike any we’ve ever done before. It’s going to be a blast.”

Fan will have access to tickets through a presale beginning tomorrow (June 26) at 8 a.m. CT. More presales will run throughout the week ahead of general sales, which start this Friday (June 28) at 8 a.m. CT. For more information, click here. Additionally, VIP concert & hotel packages will be available tomorrow (June 26) at 12 p.m. CT exclusively through Vibee.

The country star also recently shared that his seventh studio album, About A Woman, is set for release on Aug. 23. The 14-track project’s lead single, “Beautiful As You,” is already among the top 30 at country radio.

Apple Music Releases ‘Apple Music Nashville Sessions: Beyoncé Covered’

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Pictured (L-R): Tanner Adell, Breland, Brittney Spencer, Joy Oladokun, Madeline Edwards and Tiera Kennedy. Photo: Courtesy of Apple Music.

Apple Music has released a new collection of songs, the Apple Music Nashville Sessions: Beyoncé Covered. The collection includes six live recordings of original Beyoncé songs covered by Black rising country artists Breland, Brittney Spencer, Joy Oladokun, Madeline Edwards, Tanner Adell and Tiera Kennedy.

The collection celebrates Beyoncé’s global impact on music.

The session includes Breland singing “Sandcastles” off of Beyoncé’s Lemonade album, Spencer covering “Irreplacable” off B’Day, Oladokun taking on “II Most Wanted” off Cowboy Carter, Edwards singing the iconic “Halo” off I Am… Sasha Fierce, Adell taking on “Drunk In Love” off the self-title album and Kennedy rounding out the collection with “1 + 1” off of 4.

“I get to add to the tapestry of beautiful American stories that make up the South,” says Edwards of her inclusion on the project.

“Audiences of country music are bigger than we thought,” Oladokun adds, “and they don’t look like we thought.”

Apple Music Nashville Sessions: Beyoncé Covered is available in Spatial Audio on Apple Music.

Weekly Register: Luke Combs ‘Fathers’ Top Country Album Debut

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Luke Combs‘ Fathers & Sons takes the top debut on the country albums chart this week, ranking No. 2 with 60K in total consumption (14K album only/57 million song streams) according to Luminate data.

Morgan Wallen‘s One Thing At A Time resides at No. 1 with 73K (1.4K album only/93 million song streams), as his Dangerous: The Double Album descends to No. 3 with 44K (443 album only/57 million song streams). Shaboozey‘s Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going shifts down to No. 4 with 40K (856 album only/47 million song streams), while Zach Bryan‘s self-titled collection falls to No. 5 with 36K (3.4K album only/43 million song streams).

Based on audio streams, Wallen and Post Malone‘s “I Had Some Help” continues at No. 1 on the country streaming songs chart with 34 million new streams, adding to 291 million ATD. Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” sits at No. 2 with with 33 million streams, adding to 328 million ATD, followed by Bryan’s “Pink Skies” at No. 3 with 23 million new streams, adding to 108 million ATD. Bryan and Kacey Musgaves‘ “I Remember Everything” remains at No. 4 with 15 million new streams, adding to 817 million ATD, while Wallen and Moneybagg Yo‘s “Whiskey Whiskey” debuts at No. 5 with 14 million streams.

Post Malone Announces New Tour & One-Night-Only Nashville Event

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Post Malone. Photo: Adam DeGross

Global superstar Post Malone has announced his “F-1 Trillion Tour,” in addition to teaming up with Bud Light for an exclusive, one-night-only event in Nashville.

Kicking off Sept. 8 in Salt Lake City, the 21-show journey will see him visit multiple stadiums, festivals and amphitheaters across the nation before wrapping at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on Oct. 19. This news follows the release of his latest tune, “Pour Me A Drink,” with Blake Shelton as well as the announcement that his debut country album, F-1 Trillion, will be out on Aug. 16.

“I love y’all so very much and I’m so excited to get out and play new music for you,” shares Post Malone.

Citi is the official card of the “F-1 Trillion Tour”. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning tomorrow (June 26) at 10 a.m. local time until Sunday (June 30) at 11:59 p.m. local time through the Citi Entertainment program. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general sales, which start on Monday (July 1) at 10 a.m. local time. A variety of different VIP packages and experiences will also be available. Packages include premium tickets, pre-show VIP Lounge, exclusive VIP gift item and more. Contents vary based on the offer selected. For more information, click here.

Before he hits the road, Post Malone will host “A Night in Nashville” with Bud Light on July 16. The exclusive evening of live music will feature tracks from his forthcoming album as well as his classics. Fans ages 21 and over can direct message Bud Light’s Instagram or Facebook “A Night In Nashville” for information on how to enter for a chance to win tickets to the special event.

“Bud Light has rocked with me for a while now, and I really can’t thank them enough for all the love and support they’ve shown through the years,” notes the artist. “July 16 is going to be a kick-ass night, and I can’t wait to share what I’ve been working on with everybody.”

Ashley Cooke Takes ‘Your Place’ To No. 1

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Ashley Cooke. Photo: Robby Klein

Ashley Cooke has achieved her first-ever No. 1 with her breakup anthem “Your Place.”

Penned by Cooke, Jordan Minton and Mark Trussell, the song is the first single from a breakout Big Loud female artist to claim the top spot and only the second to reach No.1 from a female artist at country radio in 2024. Cooke is also currently the highest-charted solo female on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in 2024, reaching No. 2 this week.

“It is truly an honor to join the legacy of country radio No. 1s,” she shares. “Reaching the top of the chart has been a goal of mine since the first time I picked up a microphone, and getting to ring the bell with the greatest team at Big Loud and the radio champions I now call friends is all the more rewarding.”

After first impacting radio on Dec. 11, the trajectory of “Your Place” took a short 26 weeks from debut to peak, tying as the second-fastest growing solo female debut single on Country Aircheck/MediaBase chart in the last 10 years. The song also earned Cooke a four-week No. 1 on the U.K. Country Radio Airplay chart, making her the first artist to do so since the chart launched earlier this year. Additionally, “Your Place” has already secured the top spot on SiriusXM’s The Highway Hot 30 Countdown and has amassed over 62 million global on-demand streams.

This career milestone comes just days after Cooke’s feature on Brantley Gilbert‘s “Over When We’re Sober” hit the country radio airwaves. The duet impacted yesterday (June 24) at No. 31 and No. 41 on the Billboard Country Airplay and Country Aircheck/MediaBase charts, respectively, making it the most-added single of the week. She plans to continue sharing her music on the U.S. leg of Jordan Davis‘ “Damn Good Time Tour” throughout the summer, with a headlining tour to be announced soon.