Russell Dickerson Plots ‘She Likes It Tour’ For Fall

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Russell Dickerson. Photo: Thomas Heney

Russell Dickerson will kick off his new, 10-city “She Likes It Tour” on Nov. 17 in Indianapolis. Drew Green has been tapped as direct support for the dates.

Dickerson will visit Detroit, Phoenix, San Diego, Denver and more on the trek, with pre-sale tickets going on sale to the public tomorrow (Aug. 16). Public on-sale will begin Aug. 19.

“We’re bringing the RD Party back on the road to more cities with the ‘She Likes It Tour!'” says Dickerson. “We’re gonna be playing tons of that new music too! LET’S GO!”

Earlier this year, Dickerson wrapped his first headlining tour of the year, the “All Yours All Night Tour,” culminating with a sold-out show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Before embarking on his newly-announced U.S. run, Dickerson is set to take the second leg of the “All Yours All Night” tour worldwide with headlining dates in the UK and Northern Ireland this fall.

Dickerson recently celebrated the Gold certification of “She Likes It (Feat. Jake Scott),” which reached No. 1 on the Amazon Daily Country Chart. The track has already racked up 150 million streams to date.

Hunter Kelly Explores Career & Legacy Of The Judds On ‘Neon Songbook Radio’

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Journalist and Apple Music radio presenter Hunter Kelly has launched a new eight-part radio series exploring the career and legacy of The Judds, Neon Songbook Radio.

The episodes follow the early days of the duo’s career in the 1980s all the way to the present day, including their 2022 induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, as well as how their best-loved songs were written and recorded.

Host of Apple Music’s Proud Radio, Kelly is also a lifelong Judds fan and grew close with both Naomi and Wynonna in recent years, developing a trust that allowed them to share their unfiltered stories with him. Accordingly, Neon Songbook Radio offers a nuanced look at how the mother-daughter pair became country music royalty.

“Getting Naomi and Wynonna to the point of being able to talk about these songs and really honor the music in this way means the world to me,” Kelly shares. “Some of these interviews were done a few years ago, and I’m far enough away from them that when I come back, I’m like, ‘Wow, this is really a once-in-a-lifetime chance to tell this story with Wynonna and Naomi.’”

Guests on Neon Songbook Radio include Emmylou Harris and Bonnie Raitt, as well as close Judds collaborators Brent Maher and Don Potter. Most of the series was recorded before Naomi’s passing in the spring of 2022, with Kelly revising the series’ final episode to reflect upon her sudden death.

“I want this to be an ongoing celebration of Naomi’s and Wynonna’s insane talent,” Kelly explains. “I want to celebrate everything that Wynonna will do going forward, but also Naomi’s quirkiness, her drive, her ambition, and her place as a songwriter. I don’t think that she gets enough credit for that. My hope for this project is for the Judds’ music to be elevated to a new level.”

Neon Songbook Radio airs live for free biweekly on Saturdays on Apple Music Country. All eight episodes will be also available on-demand for Apple Music subscribers at apple.co/_NeonSongbook

Daniel Tashian Unveils ‘Night After Night,’ Set For September

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Two-time Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Daniel Tashian will release his upcoming Night After Night record on Sept. 23 via Big Yellow Dog Music. The album’s title track is available everywhere now.

One of the creative minds behind Kacey Musgraves‘ last two albums–Golden Hour (2018) and Star-Crossed (2021)–Tashian grew up in Nashville revering a UK-born country songwriter named Paul Kennerley, whose hit for Emmylou Harris, “Born to Run,” featured Tashian’s father on guitar and background vocals.

Now, three decades later, Tashian and Kennerley have joined forces on Night After Night, co-writing nine songs on the project.

“When I heard ‘Born To Run,’ it spoke to my ten-year old soul,” Tashian recalls. “I felt the hair stand up on the back of my neck. And to think that I knew the people that made it! I wanted to do what Paul did. I wanted to make people feel the same way I did blasting that song in my dad’s ‘68 Volkswagen. Three years into it and many wonderful conversations, a few arguments, and lots of ‘humming and strumming’ later, we had written ‘Night After Night.’”

This project marks the first time Kennerley, whose songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, The Judds, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper and others, has co-written an entire album with another artist. Tashian recorded all six acoustic guitars on the album with help from musicians Buddy Miller on baritone guitar and octave mandolin, Russ Pahl on pedal steel, and Sarah Buxton on background vocals.

Daniel Tashian and industry friends gather at Sound Emporium Studios on July 27, 2022. Photo: Courtesy of Shore Fire Media

Last month, Tashian played and performed songs from the album at Sound Emporium Studios. The party was attended by industry professionals and fellow musicians, including Musgraves, Harris, Buxton, producers Ian Fitchuk and Tony Brown, and others.

Night After Night Track List:
1. “Night After Night”
2. “Thinking Of You Too Much
3. “She’s Sad”
4. “One Tear Fell”
5. “Somebody’s Thinking About You”
6. “Tumble and Fall”
7. “I’ll Come Running”
8. “Every Single Beat”
9. “Pretty Thing”
Produced by Daniel Tashian
All songs co-written by Daniel Tashian and Paul Kennerley

Industry Celebrates First No. 1 For Multi-Genre Nashville Native Jelly Roll

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Pictured (L-R): Brandon Perdue (Riser House), Lydia Schultz (SESAC), Shannon Sanders (BMI). Clay Bradley (BMI), Tom Luteran (Sony ATV), Michael Whitworth (Songwriter), David Ray Stevens (Songwriter), Jelly Roll/Jason DeFord (Artist and Songwriter), Andrew Baylis (Songwriter and Producer), Jon Loba (BBR). Photo: Steve Lowry for BMI

Earlier this week, BMI welcomed industry members, family and friends to celebrate “Dead Man Walking,” the first No. 1 for Nashville-based, multi-genre artist Jelly Roll.

The party, hosted by BMI and SESAC, celebrated Jelly Roll and co-writers Michael Whitworth, Andrew Baylis, and David Ray Stevens. “Dead Man Walking,” which spent two weeks atop the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, was the first No. 1 song for all writers.

BMI’s Shannon Sanders served as emcee for the occasion. “We have a lot of No. 1 celebrations, but because this one is home grown, it hits different,” he said to an excited crowd.

“I’m excited for our four songwriters today,” Sanders said. “I’m so proud of these guys. You talk about a real Nashville come-up story… These guys have been doing this for a long time.”

Pictured (L-R): Michael Whitworth, David Ray Stevens, Jelly Roll/Jason DeFord, and Andrew Baylis. Photo: Steve Lowry for BMI

The celebration was jovial, and included many tequila shots from the stage.

SESAC’s Lydia Cahill was on hand to speak about co-writer Whitworth, who was one of her very first signings. “Your humility, drive and passion is going to keep us celebrating these songs for many years to come,” she said.

Sanders let the crowd know that three of the four writers owned their own publishing, so they wouldn’t have publishers speaking about them. Whitworth, however, is signed to Riser House, so the company’s Brandon Perdue was there to support him.

Jelly Roll’s label head, BBR’s Jon Loba, said a few words about his multi-genre artist.

“I can talk about Jelly Roll—Jason DeFord—for days, weeks and months,” he said. “From the minute that Adrian Michaels introduced us, I fell in man-love with Jelly Roll. First, by listening to his art, then by getting to know his heart. He’s got both in spades.

“No. 1 records are rare, as you know. We plan to have more, but savor this. Soak it in,” Loba added. “It’s even more special that you get to do it in your hometown and help further establish Nashville as not just country music, but the epicenter of North American music.”

When the songwriters spoke, they talked about writing rock music in a town known for country music, and how being in Jelly Roll’s circle had changed their careers.

“The cool thing about Jelly Roll is he’s changing lives with his songs. He changed my life,” said co-writer and producer Baylis. “I grew up in a small town. Having dreams like this is crazy, but I hope that when people look at someone like me, instead of being put down all the time, I hope they feel like they can do it.”

Stevens talked about his long-time friendship with Jelly Roll and the full-circle moment of celebrating a No. 1 in Nashville. “I’ve known you for 20 years,” he said. “To be born and raised here, it’s surreal to be up here. I was just mesmerized by the Music Row banners growing up. I always thought we would be here—it’s just something about your character.”

Whitworth told the story of the night “Dead Man Walking” was written at Sound Emporium at 3 a.m.

“A rock No. 1 on Music Row!” Whitworth said. “Thank you BMI and SESAC for celebrating something outside of country. I love country, it has my soul, but damn, music is music. This is awesome.”

When it came time for Jelly Roll to speak, he made sure to thank everyone in the room. He made sure to give a shout out to Michaels, who he refers to as “Meatball,” for recognizing his talent and helping him assemble a team around him.

“Meatball is also responsible for introducing me to a man that completely changed my life, narrative and direction of everything I thought I was going to do. His name is Jon Loba,” Jelly Roll said. “He showed me something I didn’t think was possible. He showed me how I could continue to be myself but we could take this to a mainstream platform and figure out how to spread this message across America without compromising the integrity of the nuances of art and the freedom or artistic expression.”

The crowd said amen.

Jelly Roll closed with a word of thanks to his co-writers. “The coolest part of this story is that four dudes who never had a No. 1 wrote a song, blackout drunk and on nefarious drugs, at 3 a.m. and the record went on to be a No. 1 at radio.”

Greylan James Puts On His Artist Hat With Debut EP

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Greylan James

Nashville songwriter and rising solo artist Greylan James has rounded up a special collection of songs for his debut EP, I Hope She Hears These, available now.

The five-song EP includes two brand new tracks, as well as three previously released singles, and serves as a cohesive love letter to someone special as suggested by the project’s title. From the debut single, “Anything Cold,” to his latest release, “Walls,” James’ self-produced the entire project and can be heard playing every instrument on the EP.

“After writing songs for other country artists’ projects, I’m so excited to finally be putting out my own EP. These songs took a lot of living, heartbreak, alcohol, love, & time to create,” James notes. “I think everyone can find themselves in one of these songs, and I’m glad they’re finally out of the vault and into the world.”

Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, James made his way to Nashville at 18 where he quickly signed with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG). Since then, he’s been featured on NBC’s The Voice, named one of the best guitarists in the world under 21 by Guitar Center Magazine’s Brotherhood of the Guitar Top 100 and earned his first No. 1 single with Kenny Chesney’s “Happy Does.” James has racked up over 400,000 streams on Spotify alone thus far with only a handful of releases.

To celebrate the release of his debut EP, James will open up for Scotty McCreery in Colorado tonight (Aug. 12).

I Hope She Hears These Track List:
Anything Cold (Greylan James, Abram Dean, Jason Massey, Josh Dorr)
Walls (Greylan James, Jacob Davis, Joshua Miller)
Where You Got It From (Greylan James, Ben Hayslip, Chase McGill)
Make The Best Memories (Greylan James, Brock Berryhill, Rodney Dale Clawson)
Damaged (Greylan James, Jacob J Davis, Joshua O Miller)

Amy Grant Postpones September, October Tour Dates

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Amy Grant

Amy Grant will be postponing her previously scheduled tour dates for September and October as she recovers from injuries sustained in a biking accident last month, her management has announced.

Grant sustained a concussion and was hospitalized after an accident while riding bikes with friends on July 27. All concerts will be rescheduled throughout February, March, and April 2023. Tickets will be honored at the new dates.

She will resume touring in November on her Christmas Tour with Michael W. Smith and annual Ryman Residency with her husband Vince Gill.

“Amy is getting stronger every day. Just as she did after her heart surgery, we are amazed at how fast she heals,” Grant’s manager, Jennifer Cooke shares. “However, although she is doing much better, we have made the difficult decision to postpone her fall tour so she can concentrate on her recovery and rebuild her stamina. She wants to be able to give 100% when she tours and, unfortunately, we do not think that will be the case by the time rehearsals would start for the fall dates.

“She will resume touring with her Christmas tour with Michael W. Smith and her annual ‘Christmas At The Ryman’ residency with her husband Vince Gill,” Cooke continues. “Amy would like to extend her gratitude for all the many good wishes and prayers offered since the accident. She feels the impact of the collective good will extended her way. Thank you.”

For further updates, visit amygrant.com.

Clayton Anderson Slates ‘Made In The USA’ Album For September

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Clayton Anderson is set to release his first full-length album since signing to Visionary Media Group in 2021, Made In The USA, on Sept. 16. Anderson tributes his roots and his hometown state on his new single “Indiana,” out now as an instant grat track.

Featuring 12 tracks, eight of which were co-written by Anderson, Made In The USA shares some of Clayton’s deepest dreams, fears, and hard-working pride, while delivering the raucous tunes that have earned him placements with brands like Ford, Major League Fishing, the Indianapolis Colts, and ESPN.

“Every song on this album has a special meaning to me,” Anderson shares. “It’s my most vulnerable body of work and I’m thrilled to have worked alongside Dave [Audé], Brandon [Hood], Anastasia [Brown] and the entire team at Visionary Media Group. Performing my songs live on the ‘Lake Tour’ has been a blast. People know every word to ‘Show Me Your Fish,’ thanks to our friends at Hook & Barrel, and our most recent track ‘Made In The USA’ has people raising their hands and singing along. There’s no better feeling than to know that you can bring thousands of people together through music. I’m truly blessed.”

Made In The USA Track List:
1. “All For Nothing” (Written by Clayton Anderson, Jeremy Buck; produced by Brandon Hood)
2. “Show Me Your Fish” (Written by Anderson, Dave Audé, Christian Stalnecker; produced by Audé)
3. “Let Me Go” (Written by Anderson, Jimmy Ritchey, Robert Counts, Brian Pruitt; produced by Hood)
4. “Indiana” (written by Anderson, Audé, Stalnecker; produced by Audé)
5. “This Round’s On Me” (written by Stalnecker; produced by Audé)
6. “Made In The USA” (written by Aaron Parker, Parker Welling, Brandon Hood; produced by Hood)
7. “Get After It” (written by Anderson, Shane Stevens, Nash Overstreet; produced by Overstreet)
8. “As You Are” (written by Thomas Rhett, Barry Dean, Jimmy Robbins; produced by Hood)
9. “No Habla” (written by Anderson, Taylor Goyette; produced by Hood)
10. “Only Us” (written by Andrew Jannakos, Alex Pennington Smith, Malachi Mills; produced by Audé)
11. “Is It Too Late” (written by Anderson, Audé, Stalnecker; produced by Audé)
12. “Records On The Wall” (written by Anderson, Audé, Stalnecker; produced by Audé)

Chart Action: Dierks Bentley Most-Added At Country Radio

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After his debut on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart last week, Dierks Bentley‘s “Gold” continues to be the most added on the MusicRow chart and earns additional adds on the Mediabase chart.

Bentley wrote “Gold” with Ross Copperman, Luke Dick, and Ashley Gorley. The newest track from the country superstar sets the tone for his tenth LP, arriving early next year, and speaks to how time has flown in Bentley’s career.

He landed his first publishing deal in 2001 and released his debut album in 2003, producing an instant No. 1 single. The years since have included eight top selling albums, twenty-one No. 1 songs, 6.4 billion streams, three CMA Awards, fourteen Grammy nominations and membership into the Grand Ole Opry.

For more chart data, click here to view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly.

Marty Stuart Signs With Snakefarm, Marking His First Major Record Deal In Nearly A Decade

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Marty Stuart. Photo: Alysse Gafkjen

Country Music Hall of Famer Marty Stuart has signed with Snakefarm, a label housed under the Spinefarm Music Group and owned by UMG. The deal marks his first major record deal in almost a decade.

Stuart will head out on a headlining European tour in August and September, where he and his Fabulous Superlatives—Kenny Vaughan, Harry Stinson and Chris Scruggs—will visit the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. This will mark the five-time Grammy winner’s first European outing in over a decade. He will be supported by Nashville-based rising star Sam Williams, who released his debut album Glasshouse Children last year via Snakefarm in the UK on behalf of Mercury Nashville.

Following his European tour, Stuart will perform at Pilgrimage Music Festival in Tennessee and hit the road for a fall US trek.

Of the announcement, Stuart says, “I like the idea of joining forces with Snakefarm. I am intrigued by the global mindset and the aura of musical integrity that surrounds the brand. I look forward to a long line of thrilling musical escapades in the days ahead.”

“As long-time supporters of the great man and his music, it’s with much pride that we welcome Marty Stuart to Snakefarm,” shares Dante Bonutto, Snakefarm’s A&R. “The intention with the label has always been to shine a spotlight on the very best in roots music, its sacred traditions and values, and when it comes to an artist who lives, breathes, loves and protects these values, Marty Stuart is in a class of his own. We look forward to a long and exciting journey ahead, and we’re aware that we’ll have to spectacularly up our game on the fashion front!”

Jonas Nachsin, General Manager, Worldwide of Spinefarm Music Group, adds, “We are thrilled to welcome Marty Stuart to our growing Snakefarm roster. It is a distinct honor to have him join the label as we expand its scope around the world.”

Stuart has new music on the way, with more details to be announced shortly.

Jeff Garrison Re-Emerges As Solo Artist With New Music On The Way

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Jeff Garrison

Jeff Garrison is releasing his self-titled six-song EP this fall on Penumbra Records, an imprint of Eclipse Music Group.

The project will feature his autobiographical single “Had To Be There,” which is available everywhere now. The track is an intimate missive to the artist’s mother, whose long history of addiction has marked Garrison’s life.

“I had the idea and the guitar lick for this deeply personal song for quite a while and was just waiting for the right moment when it could come together,” offers Garrison. “Though it’s always nerve-wracking to offer something so raw and vulnerable, when I found myself with two of my favorite co-writers, Faren Rachels and Greg Bates, I went out on that limb.”

He continues, “Faren shared that this was her story too and we realized that others might relate to it–and be helped by it–as well. This is the reason that I love songwriting. My hope with this song is to give it away and let it reach the people that it is meant for and, in some way, help with the healing process we all need.”

A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Garrison moved to Nashville in 2011 to perform and write music. His career jumpstarted when his duo, Cassio Monroe, signed with Island Records where he achieved a No. 2 Billboard Dance hit and embarked on a full U.S. tour.

Throughout his career, Garrison has also collaborated with other artists and has garnered cuts with Morgan Wallen, Kylie Morgan, Dylan Rockoff, RaeLynn, Livy Jeanne and more. His songs have been placed in numerous film and TV spots including Taco Bell, a Super Bowl promo, Riverdale, Modern Family, American Idol, Blackish and more.

Garrison will preview some songs from the new project at a show at The Basement in Nashville on Saturday, Aug. 20.

Garrison Track List:
1. Happy Together (Alan Gordon, Gary Bonner)
2. Had To Be There (Jeff Garrison, Faren Rachels, Greg Bates)
3. Morphine Lips (Jeff Garrison, Julia Cole)
4. Shouldn’t Be Happy (Jeff Garrison, Payton Porter, Faren Rachels)
5. Good People (Jeff Garrison, John Robert Hall, Dave Kuncio)
6. Cross that Bridge (Jeff Garrison, Rocky Block)
Produced by Jeff Garrison