Ben Burgess has spent the last dozen years crafting beloved songs in country music and beyond, including the 7x Platinum, 2020 BMI Country Song of the Year “Whiskey Glasses” recorded by Morgan Wallen.

A Texas native, he was raised in a musical household before setting out for Los Angeles. During his four year stint in LA, he penned songs for the Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, Martin Garrix & Troye Sivan, and more.

“I got to sit down with a bunch of professional producers and songwriters that made their living crafting songs. It was really the first time I had gotten to sit down with a bunch of strangers that were professional songwriters and get to learn from them and find my voice,” Burgess shares with MusicRow. “I wouldn’t trade my time in LA for anything, even though it kicked my ass,” he adds with a laugh.

However, that time in California surrounded by the pop music world eventually drove him back to his roots and to the importance of the song, pushing him to make the move to Music City around 2014.

“I feel like a lot of pop music and pop languages are just conversational words, they’re not as poetic and story forward. That’s really what I think drove me back,” he offers. “Sometimes you have to get away from home to realize where home is.”

And that he has.

Since landing in Nashville, Burgess has put his name on songs such as “Flower Shops” (Ernest feat. Morgan Wallen), “The Difference” (Tyler Rich), “Signed, Sober You” (Hardy) and “My Religion” (Dierks Bentley), while also nabbing cuts with Billy Currington, The Cadillac Three, Chris Lane, Florida Georgia Line and more.

Now, after years of grinding it out and writing for as many people as he could, Burgess has finally decided to take a step into the spotlight with the release of his debut album, Tears the Size of Texas, out this Friday (Sept. 30) via Big Loud Records.

The ten-track project includes a collection of songs from the last several years that were never cut—because they sounded “too dangerous” or because they were too personal for someone else to record—as well as a handful of new ones.

“Half of them were basically greatest hits that nobody ever picked up, and then the others were songs we wrote once I knew that I was going to be able to actually use my own voice to tell my story,” Burgess explains. ”If I’m being honest, I’ve always wanted [to be an artist]. It was just a matter of time.

“As soon as Joey [Moi] asked if I wanted to do a record deal, I was like, ‘I’ve been wanting to, bro!’” he adds cheekily. “By the time he asked, I said yes before he even finished.”

Tears the Size of Texas finds Burgess, who is unsurprisingly credited on each of its tracks, teaming up with some of Nashville’s many talented wordsmiths, including Ashley Gorley, Jessie Jo Dillon, Jesse Frasure, Hunter Phelps, Brandy Clark, Randy Montana, Chris LaCorte, Kevin Kadish and more, with all but one track produced by Moi.

The project’s singular outlier, produced by Burgess, can be heard in “Ain’t Got No Phone.” A special track that the singer-songwriter penned on his own, the tune speaks to the all too familiar experience of losing someone dear. “Everybody I know has lost somebody, and it helps me in my healing process to hear. I’m hoping that it’ll help other people in their healing process, too,” he notes.

Paying homage to his late grandfather whom he never got to meet, the album maintains an unapologetic, neo-traditional country sound many years in the making. With an earthy grit that can be heard in “When We Die,” the comforting “Heartbreak,” the swaying title track and the love-scorned “Started A Band,” Tears the Size of Texas features plenty of guitar plucking and neon, Texas-tinged influences.

A songwriter at his core, Burgess is the first to express his thanks to the Nashville community for this debut project’s long and winding journey.

“The songwriters and producers are the backbone to this project—everybody that I’ve written with on songs that made the album, and then everybody on the songs that didn’t make it. The Nashville songwriting community are the people that have kept me afloat in this town.” He puts simply, “There’s no other community like it. It’s so special and, to me, it’s all about the songwriters.”

As he looks ahead to the project’s release, Burgess dedicates Tears the Size of Texas to everybody with a dream who came to Nashville to chase it. Hoping to lead by example, his wish is that its ten tracks add some extra kindling to people’s fires and some more diesel to their tanks.

“I hope this album conveys that through perseverance, honesty, self-reflection, sheer will and badass-ness, all your dreams can come true,” Burgess shares. “On all these songs, there’s a bunch of honesty and creativity, and I’m hoping that it can inspire the next generation of songwriters and artists.”

He sums, “Ever since I moved here, I’ve wanted to make an impact on Music Row. I feel like I have as a songwriter. Now I have the opportunity to do it as an artist and I’m feeling really lucky.”

Burgess’ debut album, Tears the Size of Texas, is available everywhere tomorrow.

Alan Jackson will be honored with the Artist of a Lifetime award at CMT’s 2022 Artists of the Year celebration.

The superstar will be celebrated by his peers for a remarkable career spanning more than three decades during the show, and joins the ranks of previous recipients Randy Travis, Reba McEntire, Loretta Lynn, Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers and Merle Haggard.

“We’re honored to recognize the incomparable Alan Jackson as this year’s CMT Artist of a Lifetime. For more than 30 years, his traditional sound, iconic voice and beloved catalog of music has captivated audiences across the globe and his talent as a recording artist and songwriter are simply unmatched,” CMT producers share.

Jackson has a long history with CMT, including releasing nearly 60 iconic videos, two of which were honored as the CMA Video of the Year (“Chattahoochee” and “Midnight in Montgomery”), another as the ACM Video of the Year (“Drive (For Daddy Gene)”). He was also honored as a CMT Giant in 2008, and received the inaugural Impact Award at the 2014 CMT Music Awards. Jackson has also ranked at the top of both CMT’s 40 Greatest Songs of the Decade and the fan-voted 20 Greatest Men in Country Music lists.

The 2022 CMT Artists of the Year special will also showcase previously announced honorees Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Kane Brown, Luke Combs and Walker Hayes. The program will air as a 90-minute special on the network, premiering Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. CT.

The third annual online charity auction of Handwritten Song Lyrics Benefitting Music Health Alliance by Julien’s Auctions is set to start Oct. 1.

Among the highlights available for bid are lyrics to Kelsea Ballerini’s “Peter Pan” written on an Epiphone Acoustic Guitar; Pat Monahan of Train‘s “Drops of Jupiter” written on a stage-played Remo Emperor drumhead signed by all band members; ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man;” Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood’s “If I Didn’t Love You;” Kenny Rogers’ “Twenty Years Ago;” Peter Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like I Do;” Martina McBride’s “Concrete Angel;” Blake Shelton’s “God’s Country;” and Walker Hayes’ “Fancy Like.”

Michael Martin Murphey, Reba McEntire, Florida Georgia Line, Little Big Town, George Strait, Vince Gill, Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley, Amy Grant, and more have also offered up handwritten lyrics of their biggest hits to support the music community through the auction event.

The auction will take place exclusively at juliensauctions.com for advance bidding and will start closing in lot order for live bidding at 1 p.m. CT on Oct. 24. Registration is required to bid in the online auction and can be done before the sale at JuliensLive.com to bid live.

Award-winning and multi-Platinum selling singer-songwriter and musician Dan Tyminski has signed a deal with 8 Track Entertainment. His first single for the label, “Hey Brother,” originally recorded with Swedish DJ Avicii, will be released this fall.

He will also co-host the 33rd IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards with Ronnie Bowman tonight (Sept. 29) in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Throughout his 30-plus year career, Tyminski’s voice has been heard all over, including accompanying George Clooney‘s performance of the Stanley Brother’s Classic song, “I’m A Man of Constant Sorrow,” in the film Oh Brother, Where Art Thou, as well as his Avicii collaboration, which has been streamed over 1 billion times to date.

He has also contributed guitar and/or harmony to projects by Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Kenny Chesney, LeAnn Rimes, Colt Ford, Aaron Lewis and Rob Thomas, to name a few. Additionally, Tyminski has played guitar and mandolin for Alison Krauss and Union Station since 1994.

“Dan’s musicianship and unrivaled artistry speaks for itself,” notes 8 Track’s President, Noah Gordon. “He is carrying on the tradition of those legendary bluegrass and Americana acts that have paved the way and he continues to bridge the gap for the next generation.”

“Noah Gordon’s roots in bluegrass, and his passion for music, have me excited to be working with him and his team,” comments Tyminski.

Tyminski hit the road this year with The Dan Tyminski Band in support of his recently released EP celebrating Tony Rice’s legacy, One More Time Before You Go: A Tribute To Tony Rice. He has also been in the studio recording a new album scheduled for release in early 2023.

Tracy Lawrence is launching his first ever podcast, TL’s Road House. The pilot episode features genre-bending artist Jelly Roll and is available everywhere now.

TL’s Road House will also feature Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson, Michael Ray, Dustin Lynch, Tracy Byrd, Alexandra Kay and Dee Jay Silver this season, with more to be announced. Taking place on the country star’s tour bus, the series aims to leave no question off the table as Lawrence sits down with some of the biggest names in the genre.

“I’m really excited to launch TL’s Road House,” shares Lawrence. “There are so many artists and people in the industry that I’ve wanted to sit down with—ultimately, I just wanted the chance to get to know my peers.”

In Jelly Roll’s episode, the singer/rapper/songwriter discusses everything from his first stop after prison to his take on the evolution of country music.

“It’s definitely a learning curve putting this podcast together,” adds Lawrence. “Cameras have fallen for sure, but we’ve made some good adjustments after getting a few in the can.”

The podcast will premiere every Wednesday morning via Anchor and is available on Lawrence’s YouTube Channel.

TL’s Road House is the latest addition to Lawrence’s industry portfolio following upon the success of Honky Tonkin’ With Tracy Lawrence, his award-nominated and nationally syndicated radio show.