Carly Pearce and Wynonna Judd perform at Nissan Stadium on Friday, June 10 during CMA Fest 2022 in downtown Nashville.
Night two at Nissan Stadium for CMA Fest was full of stellar country music moments.
After night one’s mostly male lineup, CMA Fest attendees heard from of some of the best female voices country music has to offer on Friday night (June 10).
The evening got started with the radiant Deana Carter. She is celebrating the 25th anniversary of her 5x Platinum debut album Did I Shave My Legs for This?, so she sang five hits from that project, including “How Do I Get There” and “We Danced Anyway.” She saved her enduring country standard “Strawberry Wine” for last. Nissan Stadium danced along with her to the titanic hit, and Carter beamed back at them with gratitude.
Kelsea Ballerini performs at Nissan Stadium on Friday, June 10 during CMA Fest 2022 in downtown Nashville.
Kelsea Ballerini brought her pop country confections to her set, including “Miss Me More,” “Love Me Like You Mean It,” “Dibs,” “Yeah, Boy,” and her newest tune, “Heartfirst.” The singer-songwriter shined when singing her more vulnerable songs, such as “Peter Pan” and “Half of My Hometown.” She had just sang the latter in Nissan Stadium alongside her hometown hero Kenny Chesney at his Nashville stop on his “Here And Now Tour.” The emotion was still palpable, as Ballerini gazed out into the Music City crowd while singing about her East Tennessee home.
In a standout moment of the night, Ballerini got down on the floor with the crowd and sang an acoustic rendition of her “Homecoming Queen?”
“Since I’ve seen you last, a lot has happened in the world,” she said. “Going into it was hard, but coming out of it has been equally as hard, if not harder.”
Before she played it, Ballerini encouraged concert-goers to take off whatever “filter” they have over their problems during the song. Ballerini has clearly found strength in vulnerability, and desperately wants to share it with her fans.
Another standout moment came later in the night when Carly Pearce took the stage for a rather short set. After singing her new single, “What He Didn’t Do,” Pearce brought out newly-minted Country Music Hall of Famer, Wynonna Judd.
“Let’s go back to the ’80s, shall we?” Judd said before the two Kentucky girls sang The Judds‘ hit “Why Not Me?” Nissan Stadium was electric with excitement, love and admiration for The Judds and Pearce.
Thomas Rhett performs at Nissan Stadium on Friday, June 10 during CMA Fest 2022 in downtown Nashville.
The ever-charismatic Thomas Rhett brought a ton of his hits when he took the stage, including “Look What God Gave Her,” “Get Me Some Of That,” “It Goes Like This,” “Vacation,” “Sixteen” and “Slow Down Summer.” The crowd returned the energy, singing back every word.
His best performance, though, came with “Country Again.” Rhett communicates the honesty in that song, that talks about finding his roots again after shoving them away, with conviction—and he sounds great on it, too.
Rhett closed his set with three crowd favorites, “T-Shirt,” “Die A Happy Man,” and the ever-appropriate for CMA Fest, “What’s Your Country Song?”
At other points in the evening, other talented artists took the stage. Gabby Barrett, donned in a cowboy hat with rhinestone fringe, performed her new single “Pick Me Up” as well as her breakout hit “I Hope.” In Cole Swindell‘s two-song set, he brought out Lainey Wilson for their fiery “Never Say Never,” and performed his new “She Had Me At Heads Carolina.” The tune that harkens back to Jo Dee Messina‘s 1996 smash “Heads Carolina, Tails California” is sure to be a big hit for Swindell, as the crowd enthusiastically sang every word to the song he only released in April.
Lily Rose and Maddie & Tae made use of the Platform Stage. Rose sang her breakout hit “Villain,” and Maddie & Tae performed their “Die From A Broken Heart.”
Kane Brown performs at Nissan Stadium on Friday, June 10 during CMA Fest 2022 in downtown Nashville.
Kane Brown closed night two at Nissan Stadium with a fun set and stage presence.
“I want to be the most different artist y’all see while you’re here,” Brown said. And there’s a good chance he was. Throughout his set, he brought his down-the-middle country radio hits, such as “Good As You,” “One Mississippi,” “Homesick” and “What Ifs,” as well as his pop-influenced “Be Like That” and “One Thing Right.”
Brown brought the country heat, too, including fan-favorite “Short Skirt Weather” and his “fastest moving song at country radio,” the new single “Like I Love Country Music.”
Saturday night’s (June 11) Nissan show at CMA Fest will feature Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Randy Houser, and Carrie Underwood.
Country Music Hall Of Famers Charlie McCoy & Don Schlitz Invited To Join Opry Family
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Charlie McCoy, Vince Gill and Don Schlitz. Photo: Chris Hollo
Musician Charlie McCoy and songwriter Don Schlitz were both invited to become members of the Grand Ole Opry over the weekend.
The invitations came from fellow Hall of Famer and 27-year Opry member Vince Gill, and marked the first time the Opry has invited two entertainers to each become Opry members in a single evening.
Both artists are members of the Country Music Hall of Fame, and each will be officially inducted into the Opry later this summer.
Vince Gill & Charlie McCoy. Photo: Chris Hollo
Among the legions of monumental recordings on which McCoy has played are “The Boxer,” “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” “Orange Blossom Special,” and “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool.” Schlitz, meanwhile, has written or co-written some of country’s biggest hits of the last half-century, including “The Gambler,” “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “When You Say Nothing At All,” and “On The Other Hand.”
“I’ve had so many amazing things happen,” McCoy responded after receiving the special honor from Gill, “but I want to tell you what–this is the icing on the cake. I cannot thank everyone enough for this honor. I am blown away. Thank you.”
Later in the evening Gill sat in on Schlitz’ set, accompanying him on acoustic guitar on “The Gambler” and “When You Say Nothing At All” before noting the Opry was also asking Schlitz to become a member.
Don Schlitz & Vince Gill. Photo: Chris Hollo
Overcome, Schlitz exclaimed, “I’m gonna be a member of the Grand Ole Opry! Can I bring my songs with me? Like Charlie said, ‘This is the icing.’”
“It is not an exaggeration at all to say Charlie McCoy has played on the soundtrack to almost every country music fan’s life and that Don Schlitz has written at least a portion of each of those soundtracks,” Opry Executive Producer Dan Rogers added. “Every time Charlie or Don plays the Opry, each showcase something incredibly special about the Opry and our hometown of Nashville.”
Toby Keith Reveals Stomach Cancer Diagnosis
/by Lydia FarthingToby Keith. Photo: Richard McLaren
Country music artist Toby Keith shared on social media that he has been diagnosed with stomach cancer.
Over the past six months the award-winning entertainer has been receiving chemotherapy, radiation, and undergoing surgery.
“So far, so good,” the Oklahoma native wrote. “I need time to breathe, recover and relax. I am looking forward to spending this time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait.”
Since coming onto the country music scene in 1993 with his breakout hit “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” Keith has sold over 40 million albums, amassed more than 10 billion career streams, and seen 32 singles hit the top of the charts. He is also a three-time BMI Country Songwriter of the Year, was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2021, and was the recipient of the ACM Merle Haggard Spirit Award last year.
Keith released his most recent record, Peso In My Pocket, in October of 2021 which featured the lead single “Old School.”
Lainey Wilson Joins Cast Of ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5
/by LB CantrellLainey Wilson. Photo: Nick Rau
ACM New Female of the Year 2022 winner, Lainey Wilson, will be a cast member on season five of Yellowstone, the hit western show featuring Kevin Costner.
Wilson will play a musician named Abby, a character crafted specifically for her by Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan.
“I’m such a fan of Yellowstone and Taylor—this is an absolute dream, a dream I didn’t even know was on the menu. Taylor, Andrea [von Foerster] and the entire team over there have been so good to me over the years and for Taylor to create a character aligned with who I am as an artist is just wild,” shares Wilson. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to not only step outside my comfort zone and explore acting but to share more of my music on such an incredible platform, especially one that fans eagerly look to for music discovery.”
Since its 2018 debut, Yellowstone has not only become a hit television show but also a trend-setting platform for country music. The Emmy-nominated show has featured music from Wilson, Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, Zach Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Whiskey Myers, Jon Pardi, and many more, solidifying it as a sought-after music discovery opportunity. Wilson’s music has been featured three times over the course of the series and she was selected to do an exclusive performance in partnership with the show and Fritos during the commercial breaks during the season four finale.
Wilson earned her first No. 1 with the Platinum-certified ACM Song of the Year “Things A Man Oughta Know.” In 2021, she was named to a variety of Artist to Watch lists and won MusicRow Magazine’s Discovery Artist of the Year award. The Louisiana native also recently returned to the top of the country radio charts with her two-week No. 1 hit “Never Say Never” with Cole Swindell.
Season five of Yellowstone will premiere on Nov. 13 on Paramount Network.
Zac Brown Band Announce Plans To Release ‘The Comeback Deluxe Album’
/by Lorie HollabaughZac Brown Band. Photo: Danny Clinch
Zac Brown Band is set to release a deluxe version of their latest album, The Comeback, this fall, featuring a new rendition of their current single “Out In The Middle” with Blake Shelton.
News of The Comeback Deluxe Album was first shared with fans attending the Warner Music Nashville Nightscape party last Thursday (June 9). Guests were also treated to a first listen of Brown’s collaboration with Shelton on “Out in the Middle,” which will be available everywhere June 22. The band rounded out the day with a live performance at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium as part of CMA Fest.
“The Comeback is the best album we’ve ever made, and to re-record a few tracks with some musical legends was such an honor,” Brown shares. “Blake Shelton is a country music powerhouse and sharing ‘Out in the Middle’ with him, a song that represents our southern roots and country pride, is absolutely unreal. We’re so grateful to do what we do and we can’t wait to share the full album with our fans.”
“I’ve always been such a big fan of Zac as an artist and especially as a songwriter,” adds Shelton. “This song in particular really resonated with me. It reminds me of how I was raised and where I come from–out in the middle!”
The Comeback is ZBB’s most recent full-length album. Upon its release, the project claimed the No. 1 spot on the Current Country Albums Sales chart and was the Top New Country Album Release. Lead singer Zac Brown co-wrote every song on the project, and also co-produced the entire record alongside frequent collaborator Ben Simonetti.
The band is currently on their “Out in the Middle Tour,” and will soon visit Boston’s Fenway Park, where they hold the record for most consecutive sold-out shows. Other upcoming stops include Truist Park in Atlanta, Wrigley Field in Chicago, Citi Field in New York, and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
CMA Fest Night 2 Features Tender Moments From Kelsea Ballerini, A Surprise From Wynonna
/by LB CantrellCarly Pearce and Wynonna Judd perform at Nissan Stadium on Friday, June 10 during CMA Fest 2022 in downtown Nashville.
Night two at Nissan Stadium for CMA Fest was full of stellar country music moments.
After night one’s mostly male lineup, CMA Fest attendees heard from of some of the best female voices country music has to offer on Friday night (June 10).
The evening got started with the radiant Deana Carter. She is celebrating the 25th anniversary of her 5x Platinum debut album Did I Shave My Legs for This?, so she sang five hits from that project, including “How Do I Get There” and “We Danced Anyway.” She saved her enduring country standard “Strawberry Wine” for last. Nissan Stadium danced along with her to the titanic hit, and Carter beamed back at them with gratitude.
Kelsea Ballerini performs at Nissan Stadium on Friday, June 10 during CMA Fest 2022 in downtown Nashville.
Kelsea Ballerini brought her pop country confections to her set, including “Miss Me More,” “Love Me Like You Mean It,” “Dibs,” “Yeah, Boy,” and her newest tune, “Heartfirst.” The singer-songwriter shined when singing her more vulnerable songs, such as “Peter Pan” and “Half of My Hometown.” She had just sang the latter in Nissan Stadium alongside her hometown hero Kenny Chesney at his Nashville stop on his “Here And Now Tour.” The emotion was still palpable, as Ballerini gazed out into the Music City crowd while singing about her East Tennessee home.
In a standout moment of the night, Ballerini got down on the floor with the crowd and sang an acoustic rendition of her “Homecoming Queen?”
“Since I’ve seen you last, a lot has happened in the world,” she said. “Going into it was hard, but coming out of it has been equally as hard, if not harder.”
Before she played it, Ballerini encouraged concert-goers to take off whatever “filter” they have over their problems during the song. Ballerini has clearly found strength in vulnerability, and desperately wants to share it with her fans.
Another standout moment came later in the night when Carly Pearce took the stage for a rather short set. After singing her new single, “What He Didn’t Do,” Pearce brought out newly-minted Country Music Hall of Famer, Wynonna Judd.
“Let’s go back to the ’80s, shall we?” Judd said before the two Kentucky girls sang The Judds‘ hit “Why Not Me?” Nissan Stadium was electric with excitement, love and admiration for The Judds and Pearce.
Thomas Rhett performs at Nissan Stadium on Friday, June 10 during CMA Fest 2022 in downtown Nashville.
The ever-charismatic Thomas Rhett brought a ton of his hits when he took the stage, including “Look What God Gave Her,” “Get Me Some Of That,” “It Goes Like This,” “Vacation,” “Sixteen” and “Slow Down Summer.” The crowd returned the energy, singing back every word.
His best performance, though, came with “Country Again.” Rhett communicates the honesty in that song, that talks about finding his roots again after shoving them away, with conviction—and he sounds great on it, too.
Rhett closed his set with three crowd favorites, “T-Shirt,” “Die A Happy Man,” and the ever-appropriate for CMA Fest, “What’s Your Country Song?”
At other points in the evening, other talented artists took the stage. Gabby Barrett, donned in a cowboy hat with rhinestone fringe, performed her new single “Pick Me Up” as well as her breakout hit “I Hope.” In Cole Swindell‘s two-song set, he brought out Lainey Wilson for their fiery “Never Say Never,” and performed his new “She Had Me At Heads Carolina.” The tune that harkens back to Jo Dee Messina‘s 1996 smash “Heads Carolina, Tails California” is sure to be a big hit for Swindell, as the crowd enthusiastically sang every word to the song he only released in April.
Lily Rose and Maddie & Tae made use of the Platform Stage. Rose sang her breakout hit “Villain,” and Maddie & Tae performed their “Die From A Broken Heart.”
Kane Brown performs at Nissan Stadium on Friday, June 10 during CMA Fest 2022 in downtown Nashville.
Kane Brown closed night two at Nissan Stadium with a fun set and stage presence.
“I want to be the most different artist y’all see while you’re here,” Brown said. And there’s a good chance he was. Throughout his set, he brought his down-the-middle country radio hits, such as “Good As You,” “One Mississippi,” “Homesick” and “What Ifs,” as well as his pop-influenced “Be Like That” and “One Thing Right.”
Brown brought the country heat, too, including fan-favorite “Short Skirt Weather” and his “fastest moving song at country radio,” the new single “Like I Love Country Music.”
Saturday night’s (June 11) Nissan show at CMA Fest will feature Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Randy Houser, and Carrie Underwood.
In Pictures: CMA Fest 2022 Begins
/by Lydia FarthingDustin Lynch performs at Spotify House during CMA Fest at Ole Red. Photo: Ed Rode/Getty Images for Spotify
CMA Fest 2022 kicked off in full swing on Thursday (June 9) with a packed day of performances and experiences taking place all over Music City.
Among some of the first day highlights were sets from Jimmie Allen, Lindsay Ell, Hardy and Lainey Wilson at the Chevy Riverfront Stage, as well as a CMA Close Up Stage featuring Russell Dickerson. Elsewhere in the city, fans caught sets from David Nail, Thompson Square, Caylee Hammack, and moer at the Dr Pepper Amp Stage, on top of a loaded slate of artist performances at Fan Fair X, including Lily Rose, Jameson Rodgers, Elvie Shane, Priscilla Block, Breland, Tenille Arts, and more.
Thursday also saw the opening of Spotify House at Ole Red, featuring a lineup of Darius Rucker, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Chase Wright, Brantley Gilbert, Ashley McBryde, Dustin Lynch, Dalton Dover, Ashley Cooke, Nate Smith, Kameron Marlowe, Meghan Patrick, and Nikki Lane.
The night ended at Nissan Stadium, where fans heard from Rucker, Shenandoah, Zac Brown Band, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, and more.
Jimmie Allen poses with students from Mt. View Elementary at Fan Fair X on Thursday, June 9 during CMA Fest 2022 in downtown Nashville. Photo: Courtesy of CMA
HARDY performs at the Riverfront Stage on Thursday, June 9 during CMA Fest 2022 in downtown Nashville. Photo: Courtesy of CMA
Russell Dickerson is Artist of the Day on the Close Up stage at Fan Fair X on Thursday, June 9 during CMA Fest 2022 in downtown Nashville. Photo: Courtesy of CMA
Industry Ink: Luke Combs, Jameson Rodgers, Chris Young, Crowder
/by Lorie HollabaughLuke Combs & Co-Writers Receive The First-Ever Deer No. 1 Gift
Pictured (L-R): Ryan Beuschel (WCM), Ben Vaughn (WCM), Luke Combs, Randy Montana, and Jonathan Singleton. Photo: David Bergman
At the recent BMI Party for Luke Combs, Ben Vaughn and the WCM team presented Combs and his fellow songwriters with a first-of-its-kind gift to celebrate their Platinum record “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” which rose to No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart back in 2019.
Combs and his fellow songwriters Randy Montana and Jonathan Singleton are all bow hunters, so the team honored the trio by creating custom deer targets to commemorate the record breaking single.
Jameson Rodgers Celebrates Second Platinum Chart-Topper
Pictured (L-R): Sony Music Nashville’s Taylor Lindsey, Jess Wong and Alaina Vehec; Columbia Nashville’s Lauren Thomas; SMN’s Rachel Clogston, Jen Way, Randy Goodman and Ken Robold; River House Artists’ Lynn Oliver-Cline and Zebb Luster; Jameson Rodgers; Red Light Management’s JP Durant; SMN’s Jess Keifer, Meg Kehoe and Nicole Marinake; Combustion Music’s Chris Farren.
Jameson Rodgers celebrated the Platinum certification of his chart-topping single “Cold Beer Calling My Name” featuring Luke Combs at Acme Feed & Seed before his performance at the Chevy Riverfront Stage at CMA Fest on June 9.
“Cold Beer Calling My Name,” which has earned more than 190 million on-demand streams, is Rodgers’ second consecutive Platinum-certified No. 1 single following “Some Girls.”
Chris Young Celebrates Five Billion Streams With Team
Pictured (L-R, front row): Sony Music Nashville executive Taylor Lindsey, Chris Young and Sony Music Nashville executives Ken Robold and Alaina Vehec; (L-R, back row): Sony Music Nashville executives Jennifer Way and Allen Brown, Chris Young band member Ryan Haas, and Sony Music Nashville executives Meg Kehoe, Randy Goodman and Jessica Wong. Photo: Moncell Allen
Chris Young was presented with a special plaque commemorating his surpassing 5 billion streams across his catalog worldwide, which includes twelve No. 1 singles to date. Additionally, Young’s Famous Friends and Losing Sleep albums have been certified Gold by the RIAA, earning an impressive 24 total career certifications of Gold, Platinum, and multi-Platinum certified projects.
He received the special plaque commemorating these achievements from his RCA Records Nashville team during his 21st annual Fan Club party at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday (June 9).
The recognition comes on the heels of last week’s release of his Famous Friends (Deluxe Edition).
Crowder Celebrates Some Golden Milestones
Photo: Courtesy sixstepsrecords/Capitol Christian Music Group
Crowder and his team gathered to celebrate a handful of recent major achievements, including a No. 1 for his latest chart-topping singles “Good God Almighty” and “In the House.”
The team also commemorated RIAA Gold certifications for Crowder’s album Neon Steeple and single “All My Hope.”
Crowder is set to kick off his headline “My People Tour” tonight (June 10) in Orange Beach, Alabama.
On The Row: Ben Gallaher Talks Nashville’s Ten-Year-Town, Prison Tours & More
/by Lydia FarthingBen Galllaher. Photo: Courtesy of MusicRow
Rising country rocker Ben Gallaher has made his way around Music City and beyond over the last ten years.
A self-taught musician who has played guitar since he was 6, the impressive picker has opened for the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams Jr., Blake Shelton, 3 Doors Down, and Lee Brice.
“I’ve never really had legit lessons other than a handful when I was young, but I just feel like I was born to do this—play and sing country music,” Gallaher shared in a recent visit with MusicRow. “It’s been a lifelong journey for me. There was never really a backup plan or anything, I was just going to get to Nashville.”
Growing up in small town Pennsylvania on 90s country greats, namely Brooks & Dunn, Tim McGraw, BlackHawk, Tracy Lawrence and more, Gallaher notes that the sonic elements of country music from the 2000s really shaped his artistry. While watching icons like Keith Urban blast on to the Nashville scene with his guitar prowess, Gallaher began writing songs in high school. Though he admits that none of them were any good, he rolled into Nashville at 19 to pursue his musical dreams while also attending Belmont University.
Ben Gallaher & MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson. Photo: Courtesy of MusicRow
“I feel like most artist-writers when they move to town, one of the first steps is breaking into the songwriting circles. You start co-writing and meeting people,” he explained. “For me, I love songwriting but I’m such a live guy that I would stay up at night trying to figure out how to get out on the road, form a band, and rent a van until I could buy one. I wanted to learn how to work a crowd, so that stuff is what drove me.”
Now, Gallaher is hard at work in the studio ironing out the last batch of songs for his first full-length record. Combing through a few hundred of the songs he’s penned throughout the last few years, he tapped Mickey Jack Cones and Derek George as co-producers for his debut project. However, not all of the songs that make up its track list were written by Gallaher.
“I love writing, but the best song wins. We’re cutting songs that I didn’t write because some of the best, world class writers are in this town. I think it would be stupid to not dig in to some of those catalogs and find the best stuff,” he noted.
Of the songs expected to be included on his upcoming record are a sentimental love song about his wife called “Roots Grow Down,” which was released late last year, and an ode to one’s love for their small hometown in “Til It’s Yours.”
“We were touring in Kansas a couple of years ago and we passed this small town right on the side of the highway. I was in the passenger seat of the van and I was just thinking, ‘How many people pass this small town and they don’t think anything of it?’ But if you’re from that small town, that’s everything to you,” he shared. “Things mean more to you when they’re yours, but to somebody else they may not mean anything. My songwriting mind was like, ‘Man, that’s a country song in the making right there,'” he said with a laugh.
Pictured (L-R): MusicRow‘s Steven Boero and Lydia Farthing, Ben Gallaher, and MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson and Alex Parry; (on screen) MusicRow‘s LB Cantrell. Photo: Courtesy of MusicRow
As he’s been traveling on the road over the last ten years, Gallaher has also created his own headlining “Prison Tour.” Visiting the state prisons of Pennsylvania each December, he brings his soulful, rock flare to the inmates through a solo, acoustic set of both originals and well-known covers.
“A friend of mine back in 2011 worked at one of the state prisons in Pennsylvania and asked me, ‘Have you ever thought about coming and playing for the inmates?’ At first I was like, ‘Hell no!’ But it reminded me of Johnny Cash, and I felt like no one was doing that,” he remarked. “There were like 250-300 inmates in the bleachers [the first time I played at a prison] and it was unreal. You could hear a pin drop in there. The raw reaction from these guys was so moving that the following year it naturally spread to the other state prisons.”
Over the last decade, Gallaher has expanded his reach to about a dozen prisons and has quite the stories to tell from his experiences. “This one guy came up to me [at a prison show] and said, ‘I’ve been in here for 20 years and I hate country music, but those songs just changed my whole outlook on life. It gave me a sense of hope and positivity that when I get out of here I can chase my own dreams and be somebody good…’ That’s the power of music right there.”
Now signed to Stone Country Records, Gallaher has released his very first single to country radio: the gravel-infused rocker “Country, Boy.”
“I’ve been on a radio tour for about six or eight months now, running around all over the country. This is the first time going to radio and the first time having a real, full team.” he summed, “It’s all about the team. You can’t do it alone. I know that better than anybody else after being here for this long.”
Music Row A&R Veteran Al Cooley Passes
/by Robert K OermannLongtime Nashville music executive Al Cooley died on Thursday (June 9) at age 76.
He is perhaps best known for his tenure at Combine Music, the publishing home of such Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame members as Dennis Linde, Kris Kristofferson, John Scott Sherrill, Bob DiPiero, Larry Gatlin and Bob Morrison, among others.
Cooley was also an authority on the career of Elvis Presley and had an encyclopedic knowledge of popular-music history, particularly Nashville’s. He was one of Music Row’s great characters and an intense music enthusiast. These qualities made him successful.
“He was the classic picture of a song plugger,” recalls former Combine writer Woody Bomar. “When he believed in a song he was relentless until he got it from the writer’s room to the radio.”
Born Al Bianculli, he was raised in the Bronx and retained a strong New York accent throughout his Music Row career. He first came to Nashville as a music journalist. Cooley was the editor of Zoo World: The Music Megapaper. Published in 1972-75, the bi-weekly periodical was designed as a competitor to Rolling Stone. He profiled the “Nashville underground” in a 1973 edition of Zoo World. In 1975, he wrote liner notes for Billy Swan’s album Rock ’N’ Roll Moon.
His outgoing personality appealed to the industry leaders on Music Row. He was hired by Combine in 1976, and became its widely liked song plugger. He advanced at the publishing company throughout his decade there. The staff songwriters included Bomar, Swan, Thomas Cain, Tony Joe White, Pat McManus, Debbie Hupp, Patti Ryan, Mark Germino and Tim Krekel, as well as the Hall of Famers listed above. Cain became a BMI executive. Bomar now runs Green Hills Music.
Among Al Cooley’s many accomplishments was giving future star Kathy Mattea her first recording sessions by hiring her as a Combine demo singer. In 1981, he helped David Ross launch MusicRow magazine as the periodical’s first columnist. He remained at Combine until 1986, when it was sold to SBK Entertainment (the catalog now resides at EMI).
Cooley also had stints at the MTM Music Group and at MCA Music Publishing. In 1991, he became the A&R Director at Atlantic Nashville Records. The company succeeded with Tracy Lawrence, Neal McCoy, Confederate Railroad, Robin Lee and John Michael Montgomery. He became vice president at the label in 1994.
In 2004, Cooley was named Manager of Koch Nashville’s publishing division. Koch/Audium was associated with such artists as Robert Earl Keen, Dean Miller, Gene Watson, The Tractors, Daryle Singletary, Dwight Yoakam, David Lee Murphy and John Anderson.
Cooley retired, but continued to be involved in the music business as a repertoire consultant for Tracy Lawrence and other acts.
In recent years, Al Cooley had been battling cancer. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Chart Action: Thomas Rhett’s New Single Hits Radio
/by Alex ParryComing off the heels of his 19th career No. 1 with “Slow Down Summer,” Thomas Rhett‘s newest single, “Half Of Me” with Riley Green impacts country radio this week. It debuted at No. 42 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart, earning the most spins and adds out of any other single this week. He earned an addition 53 new station adds on the Mediabase chart.
Rhett co-wrote “Half Of Me” with his father, Rhett Akins, William Bundy and Josh Thompson. It is the second single off his sixth studio album, Where We Started.
Rhett shares, “I’m pretty blown away to be celebrating my 19th No. 1 with ‘Slow Down Summer’ and the release of my new single ‘Half Of Me.’ I wrote both of these songs with my dad, which is special to me, and several other truly incredible songwriters. I hope fans have as much fun singing along to ‘Half Of Me‘ as we did writing it.”
Rhett will embark on his headlining “Bring The Bar To You Tour” this summer with Parker McCollum and Conner Smith.
For more chart data, view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly.