Belmont University has collaborated with Dolly Parton and CTK Enterprises on the latest semester of Dolly U, a slate of immersive coursework and community initiatives inspired by Parton’s life, artistry and entrepreneurial spirit.

The partnership launched in 2025, and this semester will expand opportunities for students to engage in hands-on projects that bridge entertainment, business, communication and community outreach. Dolly U courses span three colleges, Entertainment & Music Business, Business and Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, and students across entertainment, marketing, communications and business disciplines will collaborate on real-world projects.

Community Programs include the Billy the Kid Makes It Big Touring Production, in which Belmont’s Department of Theatre and Dance Repertory Company will bring Dolly Parton’s children’s book to life with a stage performance. Following its creation in fall 2025, the production will tour elementary schools across Davidson and Williamson Counties in spring 2026.

“Dolly’s career is a masterclass in character, creativity and innovation, and our spring Dolly U courses give students the opportunity to apply those same principles,” says Sarah Cates, Belmont’s vice president for imagination, strategic initiatives & partnerships. “From marketing the Broadway soundtrack to designing guest experiences for the SongTeller Hotel, they’re learning how Dolly’s artistry and entrepreneurial vision continue to shape culture and community. This dynamic curriculum doesn’t just teach about excellence but invites students to be part of creating it.”

Following the sold-out run of Dolly: A True Original Musical at Belmont’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, University President Greg Jones presented Dolly with a commemorative gift celebrating both the production’s remarkable achievement and Dolly U’s inaugural year on campus. The custom ceramic bowl, featuring a butterfly motif and sculpted by Audry Deal-McEver, symbolizes transformation and the creative spirit central to Dolly’s partnership with Belmont.

“Watching 49 consecutive sold-out audiences experience Dolly: A True Original Musical at the Fisher Center was nothing short of magical for Belmont, for Nashville and for the entire entertainment community,” says Jones. “Dolly’s partnership has brought unprecedented creative energy to our campus, and this commemorative gift symbolizes our deep gratitude for the transformative experiences she’s creating for our students.”

Spring 2026 Academic Coursework:

• Entertainment Marketing and Promotion | Dr. Stephen Rush – Students will design marketing strategies for the “Dolly: A True Original Musical” soundtrack, applying real-world promotional techniques to a landmark Broadway launch.
• Partnership Marketing in Music | John Zarling & Jackie Campbell, chief marketing officer and chief operations officer, Results Global, Dolly Parton’s marketing agency. Students will explore sponsorships, strategic alignments and nonprofit collaborations, with projects centered on Dolly’s Life Of Many Colors Museum.
• Emerging Dolly Initiative | Dr. Anna Grace Usery – Students will develop integrated communication strategies for Dolly U programming focused on educational outreach or community engagement.
• Dollyology: Branding, Leadership & Strategic Communication in the Dollyverse | Dr. Kevin Trowbridge – Students will examine Dolly Parton’s career as a blueprint for building purpose-driven brands, emphasizing authenticity, creativity and cultural intelligence
• Customer Relationship Management and Experience Strategy | Dr. Angela Sebby – Students will design customer experience strategies tied to Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum, part of the forthcoming Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel opening in 2026

Rock Nashville, the live entertainment rehearsal and production campus, has officially opened its doors on its 610,000-square-foot property on Whites Creek Pike.

Located less than 10 miles from downtown, the 55 acre, state-of-the-art live production facility was developed through a partnership between Rock Lititz and Merus, with Soundcheck serving as an anchor tenant. Rock Nashville is now actively welcoming artists, production teams and industry vendors to the campus. The facility is already supporting rehearsals, technical production and tour preparation across multiple stages and studios.

Key features of Rock Nashville include large-scale rehearsal facilities, including two arena and amphitheater-sized rehearsal spaces designed to support full-scale tour production; 13 state-of-the-art band and production studios of varying sizes serving both emerging and established artists; industry vendor hub with space for more than 30 companies specializing in audio, lighting, transportation, special effects and crew support, along with lifestyle services including a café, barbershop, spa, medical concierge and more; and shared resources including backline rental, artist relations offices and collaborative workspaces designed to foster creativity and connection across the live entertainment ecosystem.

The Rock Nashville campus employs approximately 50 local staff members, with an additional 500 on-site employees from partner vendors, including Clair Global, Gallagher and The RockIt Company. The facility will also support between 200 and 400 temporary local workers daily, such as labor crews, runners and seamstresses, as well as an estimated 200 to 400 touring crew members.

Jenna Paulette will release the deluxe edition of her sophomore album, Horseback, on Jan. 30 via Leo33.

Consisting of 20 tracks, Horseback (Deluxe) contains all 13 tracks off the original album along with seven new tracks, including new versions of “The Dirt,” “Chasin’ Whiskey” and “The Prophet (Grandaddy’s Song)” featuring John Morgan, Jake Worthington and Ashley McBryde, respectively. The album features cuts from Lori McKenna, Liz Rose, Hillary Lindsey, Rodney Clawson, Will Bundy, Dallas Davidson and more.

Paulette is currently amidst her 26-date “Back In The Saddle Tour,” with dates in Texas, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, South Carolina and more. Tickets are available now.

“This tour is appropriately named. At the end of 2025, I finally felt like I was finding my footing again after becoming a mom and getting through the first year of parenthood,” Paulette reflects. “A lot of last year was spent figuring out how to get back in the saddle in every area of my life. I can’t wait to be on the road again and a lot more in 2026. It’s gonna be a ride.”

Horseback (Deluxe) Tracklist:
1. “Wild Is Her Favorite Color” (Lori McKenna, Liz Rose, Hillary Lindsey)
2. “3 Kings” (Jenna Paulette, Parker Welling, Casey Brown)
3. “The Devil’s an Angel” (Jenna Paulette, Parker Welling, Casey Brown)
4. “Run The Damn Ball” (Rodney Clawson, Casey Michael Beathard, Hunter Phelps)
5. “The Dirt” (Jenna Paulette, Will Bundy, Hillary Lindsey)
6. “Chasin’ Whiskey” (Joe Fox, Tony Lane)
7. “The Prophet (Grandaddy’s Song)” (Ashley McBryde, Matraca Berg, Lori McKenna)
8. “Outside” (Kelley Lovelace, Ashley Gorley, Dallas Davidson)
9. “Prairie Primrose” (Jenna Paulette, Will Bundy, Lydia Vaughan)
10. “Darlin’” (Jenna Paulette, Jess Cayne, Matthew Morrisey)
11. “Horseback” (Jenna Paulette, Will Bundy, Lydia Vaughan)
12. “Hang Your Hat” (Jenna Paulette, Smith Ahnquist, Jim Beavers, Rhett Akins)
13. “A Hill To Die On” (Jenna Paulette, Smith Ahnquist, Lynn Hutton)
14. “The Dirt (ft. John Morgan)” (Jenna Paulette, Will Bundy, Hillary Lindsey, John Morgan)
15. “Chasin’ Whiskey (ft. Jake Worthington)” (Joe Fox, Tony Lane)
16. “The Prophet (Grandaddy’s Song) ft. Ashley McBryde” (Ashley McBryde, Matraca Berg, Lori McKenna)
17. “How To Make A Cowboy Cry” (Jenna Paulette, Parker Welling, Casey Brown)
18. “Steady” (Jenna Paulette, Will Bundy, Rhett Akins)
19. “Cowboy In Me (Live)” (Jeffrey Steele, AI Anderson, Craig Wiseman)
20. “Texas (When I Die) [Live]” (Bobby Borchers, Ed Bruce, Patsy Bruce)

“Back In The Saddle Tour” Dates:
Jan 24 // New Braunfels, Texas // Gruene Hall *co-headlining with Jesse Raub Jr.
Jan 31 // Tulsa, Okla. // Mercury Lounge
Feb 1 // Kansas City, Mo. // Knuckleheads
Feb 3 // Venice, Neb. // Buck’s Bar and Grill
Feb 4 // Davenport, Iowa // Raccoon Motel
Feb 5 // Yorkville, Ill. // Law Office Pub & Music Hall
Feb 6 // Milwaukee, Wis. // Shank Hall
Feb 7 // Clinton, Wis. // BOXCARS Pub & Grub
Feb 14 // Dunn, N.C. // Bird’s Nest Listening Room
Feb 15 // Greenville, S.C. // Doc’s Tavern
Feb 19-21 // Alpine, Texas // Lonestar Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Feb 26 // Fort Worth, Texas // Rhinestone Saloon
March 7 // Conroe, Texas // Table at Madeley
April 1 // Decatur, Ga. // Eddie’s Attic
April 2 // Nashville, Tenn. // Chief’s on Broadway *co-headline with Sammy Arriaga
April 11-16 // Galveston, Texas // Rock the Coast
April 23 // Corpus Christi, Texas // Brewster Street Icehouse
July 11 // Woodland Park, Colo. // America’s Mountain Festival

The Last Duet, a new album project honoring the late Dan Seals, is set for release on Aug. 28 via Melody Place Records and the Dan Seals Estate.

The new collection features heartfelt collaborations with esteemed peers and a myriad of artists raised on Seals’ music, and includes tracks by Alabama, Tanya Tucker, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Marie Osmond, John Berry, John Ford Coley, Katherine McPhee, Lynda Carter, The Castellows, Jackie Evancho, Ned LeDoux, Wendy Moten, Jasmine Amy Rogers and Jamey Johnson.

The project pairs each artist with songs that reflect an aspect of Seals’ music they connected with on a personal level. Luke Bryan’s “Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold),” Jamey Johnson’s “Three Time Loser” and Jasmine Amy Rogers’s “My Baby’s Got Good Timing” teased the project last year, and the full album will include those previously-released singles and additional new songs. Produced by Seals’ long-time collaborator/friend Kyle Lehning, The Last Duet uses Seals’ vocals and recordings extracted with digital technology from throughout his career with today’s artists to add a new shine to the well-loved legend. Sara Evans lends her vocals to England Dan and John Ford Coley’s classic, “Nights Are Forever Without You,” out now.

“Dan was always true: as a singer, as an artist and as a man,” says Lehning. “Seeing the way all of these artists responded when they had Dan’s voice in their ears shows how that warm truth in his voice still touches people in the best way. The song ‘Still Reelin’’ was Dan reflecting on the effect that Elvis and the early rock n’ rollers had on him as a child, it’s nice to see that people are ‘still reelin’’ from his music today.”

Seals was posthumously inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2025, and racked up 11 Billboard Country No. 1s throughout his career. The CMA Award winner’s career began as half of the beloved classic pop duo, England Dan & John Ford Coley, and The Last Duet features songs from both eras of Seals’ catalog.

The Last Duet Track List:
1. “Big Wheels In The Moonlight” – Blake Shelton
2. “God Must Be A Cowboy” – Ned LeDoux
3. “Nights Are Forever Without You” – Sara Evans
4. “Bop” – Tanya Tucker
5. “You Still Move Me” – Marie Osmond
6. “Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold)” – Luke Bryan
7. “The Healing Kind” – Katharine McPhee
8. “Wood” – John Berry
9. “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight (50th Anniversary Edition)” – John Ford Coley
10. “Love Is The Answer” – Jackie Evancho
11. “Addicted” – The Castellows
12. “Love On Arrival” – Wendy Moten
13. “One Friend” – Lynda Carter
14. “Three Time Loser” – Jamey Johnson
15. “My Baby’s Got Good Timing” – Jasmine Amy Rogers
16. “Steel Reelin’ (From Those Rock & Roll Days)” – Alabama

Blake Shelton Launches Las Vegas Residency

Blake Shelton kicked off his “Blake Shelton: Live in Las Vegas Residency” at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on yesterday (Jan. 15), delivering a nearly two-hour performance that included many of his 31 No. 1 singles and current chart-topper “Stay Country Or Die Tryin’.”

 

CMHOFM Hosts Writers Round With Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson & Dallas Wilson

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum hosted a songwriter round with The Heart Wranglers, the writing trio consisting of Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson and Dallas Wilson, earlier this week.

The trio has been nominated by the Recording Academy, Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music for their multi-Platinum co-writes including the singles “Heart Like a Truck,” “Somewhere Over Laredo,” “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” and “Whirlwind.”

The program was offered in support of the museum’s exhibition “Lainey Wilson: Tough as Nails,” which runs through June.

 

Bourgeois Guitars Unveils Luke Bryan Signature Series

Bourgeois Guitars has unveiled two guitars created in collaboration with Luke Bryan.

The Luke Bryan Signature Limited Edition guitar is crafted with black walnut from Bryan’s Tennessee farm, with only 30 of these guitars available. The collection also includes the companion model, The Luke Bryan Touchstone Edition, which features a similar look without Flint Rock Farms Black Walnut.

“The Luke Bryan Limited Edition celebrates our shared love of homegrown products, homegrown music, and guitars that feel deeply personal,” says Dana Bourgeois. “These instruments began as trees on Luke’s farm. Now, after a managed harvest, Luke’s walnut will live on in the hands of players around the world.”

 

FlyteVu & Belmont University Unveil Inaugural F.L.O.C.K Internship Class

FlyteVu and Belmont University have unveiled the inaugural F.L.O.C.K internship class, which consists of Kaleb Cruz (Creative Design Intern), Grace Fields (Creative Copywriter Intern), Presley Kane (Accounts Intern), Simon Rice (Public Relations Intern) and Megan Satterthwaite (Talent & Partnerships Intern).

“F.L.O.C.K. is about more than internships — it’s about nurturing a community of bold thinkers, innovators, and culture shapers,” says Laura Hutfless, Co-Founder and CEO at FlyteVu. “Partnering with Belmont University allows us to connect with driven students across various disciplines who are ready to push boundaries and make an impact in the world.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with FlyteVu on F.L.O.C.K.,” adds Brittany Schaffer, Dean of the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business at Belmont. “Having worked with FlyteVu firsthand as a client, I know the level of creativity, strategy and excellence they bring to every campaign. That makes this collaboration especially meaningful—our students are learning from the best of the best as they collaborate across disciplines on a live client campaign and pitch directly to brand executives. When our students are trusted to create at that level from day one, they develop the confidence and capabilities that set them apart as creative professionals.”

 

My Furry Valentine! Benefit Show Slated For Feb. 12

Porter Howell, Sonny LeMaire, Mae Estes and Shawn Camp are set to take the stage at “My Furry Valentine Love Songs Saving Lives,” benefitting Pet Community Center.

The show is set for Feb. 12 at the Troubadour. General admission seating is first come, first serve and tickets are available now.

“My Furry Valentine brings together the heart of Nashville’s songwriting community and our shared love for animals,” says Brandon Dyce, CEO of Pet Community Center. “With four incredible songwriters on one stage, this night isn’t just about great music—it’s about giving dogs and cats the chance to live healthier, happier lives through access to veterinary care. So many families love their pets deeply but struggle to afford the care they need, and every ticket sold helps close that gap for pets who need us most.”

 

Jimmy Bowen Launches Season 11 Of Jimmy Bowen & Friends

Jimmy Bowen has launched season 11 of Jimmy Bowen & Friends.

Filmed live at The Troubadour Nashville, this season’s guest artists include Billy Dean, Derryl Perry, Hilljack, James Dupré, Jamie O’Neal, John Conlee, Larry Cordle, Maddye Trew, Rockland Road, Ruby Leigh, T.G. Sheppard and Troy Castellano.

“Hosting Jimmy Bowen & Friends has truly been one of the greatest joys of my career,” Bowen shares. “Every season feels like a new adventure, and I’m grateful for the incredible team that’s stood with me since the beginning. As we step into Season 11, I’m energized by how far the show has come and even more excited for where it’s headed. Our band, our amazing guest artists, and the fans who tune in each week are what make this journey so special. We’re bringing more music, more heart, and more unforgettable moments than ever. I can’t wait for everyone to experience what we’ve created this season.”

 

Brandon Monson Joins Aligned Talent Agency

Brandon Monson, founder and lead member of Presence Music, has joined Aligned Talent Agency as a Booking Agent. The agency represents artists including Ryan Stevenson, Dan Bremnes, 7eventh Time Down and Love & the Outcome, among others.

“Aligned Talent Agency has built something special by putting relationships, integrity, and ministry first. I’m honored to step into this role and come alongside artists, churches, and events in a way that serves everyone well,” says Monson. “Having lived on the road, served in the local church, and worked in the business world, I’m passionate about helping artists find opportunities that truly align with their calling not just their calendar.”

“We’re incredibly excited to be working with Brandon. He and Presence Music have been a fantastic addition to Aligned Talent Agency, and Brandon brings a contagious passion and dedication to everything he does,” adds Tim Robinson, founder of Aligned Talent Agency. “His unique perspective as an artist, pastor, and business professional allows him to serve with both excellence and empathy, and we believe he will be a tremendous advocate for the artists and ministries we represent.”