Craig Morgan will launch his headlining Operation Finally Home Welcomes “God, Family, Country Tour 2022” this fall. Kicking off Oct. 19 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, special guest Ray Fulcher will open the tour’s dates.

The 11-date run in October and November will visit Iowa, Florida, South Carolina, Ohio, and more. The trek will also include a special Veterans Day Show on Nov. 11 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, which will mark Morgan’s first headlining date at the famed venue.

Tickets are on sale beginning Friday, May 13 at CraigMorgan.com.

“I feel like this tour has been a lifetime in the making,” shares Craig. “Musically and personally, God, family and country are the most important things to me and I’m excited to share this in my upcoming memoir and in my tour as me and the band play some fan favorite songs, some album cuts and some new songs you’ve not even heard yet.”

Morgan’s “God, Family, Country Tour 2022” will follow on the heels of his personal memoir of the same name, releasing Sept. 27 in partnership with Blackstone Publishing.

Capitol CMG recording artist Anne Wilson has landed her first career RIAA Gold certification for her hit single, “My Jesus.”

The track, which also earned a 2022 Billboard Music Award nomination for Top Christian Song, was the longest running No. 1 song on the Billboard Christian Airplay Chart of 2021 at seven weeks. It made her the first female artist to top the Christian chart with a debut single.

“The moment that Hudson [Plachy] and Brad [O’Donnell] surprised me with the news that ‘My Jesus’ had officially been certified Gold is a moment I’ll never forget for the rest of my life!” says Wilson. “I’m so unbelievably thankful that Jesus is using this song to touch so many lives. All Glory to God!”

“It’s so exciting to be able to be present when an artist receives their first Gold record,” notes Jackie Jones, RIAA VP of Artist and Industry Relations. “Welcoming Anne into the Gold & Platinum program was a true honor and I know we will celebrate many more in the future.”

Wilson’s debut album, My Jesus, made history upon its release in April for having the biggest debut week in over 15 years by a Capitol Christian Music Group-signed new artist. Since then, the album has toppe the Billboard Top Christian & Gospel Albums, Billboard‘s Top 200 Christian & Gospel, and Top 10 on Billboard’s Album Sales Chart.

Warner Music Nashville artist Chris Janson recently released his fourth studio album, All In, a project he co-produced.

All In features the poignant “Bye Mom,” collaborations with Eric Church and Travis Tritt, and Janson’s newly announced radio single, “Keys to the Country.” In typical Janson style, the album’s 16 tunes are unpretentious, wholesome, sometimes rowdy, and very country.

Prior to All In’s release, Janson spoke with MusicRow about the new music, working with Church and Tritt, and investing early in young talent.

MusicRow: How long have you been working on this project?

About a year and a half, through the pandemic. It felt like forever but hindsight is 2020—it was one of the greatest times of my life in terms of being creative and writing a new album. I had a thoroughly great time doing it. Without the time I had to make this album, the cool things that I’ve gotten to do and put together with it maybe wouldn’t have happened. I’ve got a duet with Eric Church on this album, which is something I’m super excited about. I also have an incredible collaboration and duet with Travis Tritt, who is a good friend. The rest of the album is awesome too, those are just some standouts that have been really fun.

Your duet with Eric Church, “You, Me & The River,” is the first outside song you’ve ever cut. How did it find you?

I got a text message when I landed from [a trip in] White Fish, Montana. I was playing in Montana and also did some fishing there, ironically. I landed in the wee hours of the morning back in Nashville and I got a ping on my phone. It was the work tape of “You, Me & The River.” Not even a demo, just a guitar vocal of Church singing it. It was really eerie sounding and dark and ominous. He texted me and said, “This is a little dark, but see what you think about it.” It was like 3:30 in the morning and I listened to it and I’m like, “Dang, this is kind of scary, in a good way.”

I texted him back—I didn’t think he would be up that time—and said, “I love this.” I just threw [the idea of doing a duet] out there. If you don’t dream big, how are you going to win big? What’s the worst that could happen? So I hit him back and I was like, “I love this. Why don’t we do a duet?” He hit me right back and said, ‘”I’m in.”

It was a really incredible moment. I’ll never forget it. Eric came into the studio. We co-produced it together and we recorded it live together with the band. It was really an organic process and really cool. He could not be a greater friend and even mentor in a lot of ways.

You also have Travis Tritt on this project. What was working with him like?

Travis is a legendary, iconic figure in the fabric of country music. He always will be, always has been. He has totally kick-ass music that I have always loved. The greatest thing I took away from [working with him] is we have a mutual respect for one another. That is just something that is so validating to me.

Someone asked me a few days ago when I felt like I made it. I said when I got inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. I’ve kind of rekindled that feeling again working with Eric and Travis. We’re not doing this for business, we’re doing this because there’s a mutual love and respect for each other and for the music. It is just the right thing and fun thing to do.

I love the references that are pointed out in the bio for this project. You’ve got Ronnie Milsap, Alabama, George Strait, and Vern Gosdin. You seem to have a lot of respect for the greats of the format. Do you feel pressure to keep your music more traditional out of respect for the greats?

I’m a traditionalist at heart, but I also love to rock and roll. I don’t mind pop music either. I’m all about the song, the best song wins no matter what it sounds like. “Bye Mom” is a very traditional country song. It’s a steel guitar driven, very country song. Other songs of mine are not, but they all have a traditional flavor. That’s just part of who I am and I’m proud of that. It keeps me in a good space.

Speaking of Ronnie Milsap and Alabama, “Love Don’t Sleep” is such a ’80s country vibe.

That’s exactly what we were going for. I love that song, it just sounds like Urban Cowboy to me. I wanted it to be Urban Cowboy meets late seventies-early eighties, disco country. And boy, that’s exactly what we did. It’s something that you could just close your eyes and picture a disco ball spinning, high waisted Levis, buttoned down Pearl snaps and cowboy hats.

Burgeoning songwriter Shane Profitt is a co-writer on one of these songs. You recently partnered with Anthem Entertainment to sign him and The Davisson Brothers. Why is it important for you to start these artist development deals this early in your career?

I never really had aspirations of doing [a venture with Anthem], but these moments came along and it was the right thing to do. I opened the publishing company with Anthem. I signed Shane. Shane wrote “The Reel Bass Pro” with me and “American World” with me and Kelly [Janson] for this album. He is just an amazing songwriter, an amazing artist, an amazing friend and a really good human. He deserves it. He works harder than anybody that I know. I wanted to be a part of that. I was able to structure that deal with Anthem, I was grateful that they signed him with me, and we have some really big things in the works for Shane Profitt.

Most people [get into the business side of things] in their retiree years where they want to dabble here and there. I’m so active and current in today’s country music, which I’m grateful for, so I want do these things now. I want to do them while I’m active and right in the midst of the business myself, because this is the best way that I can help Shane.

Were there any artists who mentored you early on that you’re channeling when you help guide Shane?

I’ve had a lot of people that have lent helping hands in my career from so many different areas of the business. But the only thing I’ve ever told Shane was the same thing my wife told me, “Just be you. Just be Shane. Don’t change a thing about you.”

Janson’s new album, All In, is available everywhere now.

Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Aaron Raitiere has released his debut album, Single Wide Dreamer, via Dinner Time Records/Thirty Tigers.

Produced by Miranda Lambert and Anderson East, the record initially started four years ago when Raitiere gave Lambert and East a collection of songs and complete creative control. The resulting 12-song project, which features friends and collaborators Bob Weir, Dave Cobb, Natalie Hemby, Ashley Monroe, Robert Randolph, Foy Vance and Waylon Payne, exemplifies Raitiere’s observational writing that is always inspired by his own experiences.

“I think the record kind of made itself, and that was the vibe I was going with. It was just a bunch of friends getting together trying to help me create something, because they thought I needed a record,” Raitiere shares. “I don’t think there was an intended theme, but it came out to be representative of this time in my life where I was falling in and out of love and learning how to deal with it.”

“I had so much fun working on this project with Aaron. He is truly one of the most amazing artists and humans I’ve ever known. He is legendary and I’m honored to be a part of this record and to call him a friend,” Lambert notes. “I can’t wait to see what happens with this music.”

“It’s a rare thing that a human be able to find and express themselves through songwriting. I’ve been fortunate enough to see it a few times but in the case of Aaron Raitiere, he’s solely himself. Funny, thoughtful, realistic and honest (even when he’s a full of shit),” East adds. “I’m proud to have had the ability to watch his gifts develop into what they’ve become and even more excited to see where they go and who it touches along the way.”

In celebration of the release, Raitiere will make his Grand Ole Opry debut tonight (May 6).

Single Wide Dreamer Track List:
1. Single Wide Dreamer
2. Everybody Else
3. For The Birds
4. Cold Soup
5. At Least We Don’t Have Any Kids
6. Dear Darlin’
7. Your Daddy Hates Me
8. Worst I Ever Had
9. Can’t Rain All The Time
10. Tell Me Something True
11. You’re Crazy
12. Time Will Fly

Bowen Young, the duo comprised of Clare Bowen and Brandon Robert Young, is set to headline the 4th Annual Songwriter’s Night at Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee on June 12 at Fat Bottom Brewing in West Nashville.

The duo will be joined by Jonathan Jackson, Sean McConnell and Blessing Offor.. Tickets to the 4th Annual Songwriter’s Night are available at gildasclubmiddletn.org/events/songwriters-night/.

Before landing the iconic role of Scarlett O’Connor on the TV series Nashville and launching her career as a singer-songwriter, Bowen grew up in rural Australia. In 2018, Bowen, along with Young, nabbed a spot on Sugarland’s “Still The Same Tour,” later setting out on a headlining tour in support of the international release of her eponymous album across the UK, Germany and Australia.

Young was born and raised in Enfield, Connecticut, moving to Nashville in 2000 with a two-hundred dollar guitar he didn’t know how to play. Since then, Young has spent over a decade collaborating with and alongside artists such as John Hiatt, Emmylou Harris, John Carter Cash, Buddy Miller and Bowen. His music has also been featured in shows such as Nashville, Showtime’s Shameless, ABC’s A Million Little Things, and more.

Bowen Young’s debut album as a duo is slated for release later this year along with an extensive touring schedule.

Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee is dedicated to providing support, education and hope to those impacted by cancer, including family members and friends of those diagnosed. Free of charge to everyone, Gilda’s Club provides a gathering place where people with cancer, as well as their families and friends, can find social and emotional support as a supplement to regular medical care.