Kendell Marvel. Photo: Laura E. Partain

Kendell Marvel has announced his “Don’t Tell Me How To Drink” headlining tour this fall beginning Oct. 7.

Newly-confirmed shows include Joe’s on Weed St. in Chicago, Nashville’s Exit/In, Memphis’ Growlers, The Basement in Columbus, St. Louis’ The Golden Record, Chattanooga’s Songbirds, and Pittsburgh’s Spirit Hall, among others. Tickets for the tour go on-sale this Friday (Sept. 2) , and details can be found at kendellmarvel.com.

The upcoming performances celebrate Marvel’s new album, Come On Sunshine, due out Sept. 23 via CmdShft. Ahead of the release, Marvel has unveiled three tracks: “Put It In The Plate,” “Hell Bent On Hard Times,” and “Don’t Tell Me How To Drink” featuring Marvel’s longtime friend and collaborator, Chris Stapleton.

Produced by Beau Bedford, Come On Sunshine features tracks penned by Stapleton, Dean Alexander, Al Anderson, Dan Auerbach, Kolby Cooper, Devon Gilfillian, Waylon Payne and more.

“I’m 51 years old, which means I’m long past the point of catering to anybody,” Marvel explains. “I’m just telling the stories I want to tell. I like to work with people who are different than me. Working with Beau Bedford in Dallas meant that I was playing with guys I’d never met before. Guys who had different ideas, different tones, and different ways of playing than my friends back home. We recorded the album live, finishing the whole thing in four days. That’s how you capture magic.”

Kendell Marvel Confirmed Tour Dates:
September 2—Dove Valley, CO—Seven Peaks Festival 2022
September 16—Pyror, OK—Born & Raised 2022
September 23—Nashville, TN—Grand Ole Opry
October 7—Chicago, IL—Joe’s on Weed St.
October 8—Columbus, OH—The Basement
October 9—Grand Rapids, MI—The Stache
October 18—Nashville, TN—Exit/In
November 3—Chattanooga, TN—Songbirds
November 4—Greenville, SC—The Radio Room
November 5—Maryville, TN—The Shed
November 10—Memphis, TN—Growlers*
November 11—Fort Smith, AR—The Majestic*
November 13—St. Louis, MO—The Golden Record
November 17—Vienna, VA—Jammin Java
November 18—Cleveland, OH—The Winchester Tavern & Music Hall
November 19—Pittsburgh, PA—Spirit Hall
*with 49 Winchester

Jon Pardi has reached the top of the country airplay charts this week with his latest hit, “Last Night Lonely.” Penned by Jimi Bell, Joe Fox and Dylan Marlowe, “Last Night Lonely” marks each of the writers first No. 1s, as well as Pardi’s fifth career chart-topper to date.

The track is the leadoff single from Pardi’s fourth studio project, Mr. Saturday Night, set for release this Friday (Sept. 2). Mr. Saturday Night reunites producers Bart Butler, Ryan Gore and Pardi, the same team behind the boards of his third studio album, Heartache Medication, which nabbed Album of the Year nominations by both the CMA and ACM.

Pardi is currently headlining arenas across the country with his “Ain’t Always The Cowboy Tour,” which extends through his Oct. 1 headlining date at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has announced its 44th Annual ASCAP Christian Music Awards will take place Wednesday, Sept. 21 across all ASCAP social media platforms. The awards recognize and celebrate the writers and publishers of some of the most performed Christian songs of the past year.

Programming will include performances and other surprises from some of Christian music’s top stars and songwriters. Friends, fans, and peers can join the one-day celebration via @ASCAP on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, using the hashtag #ASCAPAwards.

A complete list of winners will be available on the ASCAP website the morning of Sept. 21.

Last year’s winners include Matthew West, marking his fourth time as ASCAP Christian Songwriter of the Year, and Cory Asbury, who was recognized as ASCAP Christian Songwriter-Artist of the Year. ASCAP’s Christian Song of the Year went to the Tauren Wells and Jenn Johnson hit, “Famous For (I Believe),”c o-written by ASCAP member Alexis Slifer.

Greg Frey

Cumulus Media has tapped VP of Programming Operations Greg Frey to lead its new Music Partnerships division.

Frey, a 12- year Cumulus veteran, will serve as VP, Music Partnerships where he will be the company’s creative liaison with artists, labels, booking agencies, and promoters. He will report to Chief Content Officer Brian Philips, and will be supported by a coalition that includes local and national advertising sales; music format VPs; digital leaders; and programming, promotion, and marketing executives.

In his new position, Frey will front the team which will develop music marketing partnerships for Cumulus’s over 300 music stations, Westwood One network franchises, and related social/digital platforms. The team’s focus will be on enhancing partnerships, creating value for the music industry, as well as new content and revenue opportunities for Cumulus.

“Greg will advance Cumulus’s music industry collaboration with his trademark credibility and tastemaker’s integrity,” Philips notes. “Greg enjoys the longstanding respect of the industry and from all at Cumulus, and I’m confident we will see success with his leadership right out of the gate.”

Frey adds, “We’ve spent the recent months laying the groundwork for this critical function so that we can best support collaboration between Cumulus and our esteemed music partners. I’m eager to get out there and show the music world what more we can do together.”

Tyler Hubbard. Photo: John Russo

UTA has signed country music star Tyler Hubbard for representation in all areas.

As half of country powerhouse duo Florida Georgia Line, he has recently launched his own career as a solo artist. The agency will help him find new opportunities in live touring, brand partnerships, film, television and more.

His debut project, Dancin’ in the Country, was released earlier this month via EMI Records Nashville. The six-song project debuted with over 10,000 sales plus streaming, making it the second best-selling country EP debut of the year. The project also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart and No. 6 on the Current Country Albums Chart. Hubbard’s hit debut single, “5 Foot 9,” which has over 110 million global streams and reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, is also featured on the debut EP.

As a member of FGL, Hubbard amassed a decade of hits, including the blockbuster single “Cruise,” which became the first-ever country song to receive Diamond certification from the RIAA. It also spent 24 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country chart. The duo later collaborated with Bebe Rexha on another Diamond-certified track, “Meant To Be,” which earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.

Hubbard will join Keith Urban on “The Speed of Now World Tour” starting in September. He will also be touring throughout 2023 in support of his debut full-length album, which is expected for release on Jan. 27.

Hubbard is managed by Borman Entertainment.