Alan Jackson at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Katie Kauss
Fans gathered to celebrate one of country music’s giants this weekend. Country Music Hall of Fame member Alan Jackson commanded the Bridgestone stage with charisma and pride during his hit-filled set on Friday night (Oct. 8).
After an entertaining opening set from James Carothers, who often plays at Jackson’s downtown establishment AJ’s Good Time Bar, Jackson came out swinging. He kicked things off with “Gone Country” and “Summertime Blues,” and played many of his the 35 No. 1 hits. He grinned ear to ear as he surveyed the crowd, constantly putting his hand to his heart to show his appreciation for the fans.
During a special portion of the show, Jackson took a seat on a stool and introduced some hits with their corresponding stories—just like he was at the Bluebird Cafe. Ultimately, Jackson expressed a ton of gratitude for his long and fruitful career.
“I’m not trying to brag, I just want to say thanks to people like y’all who have supported my music. It’s been a crazy ride,” he said before playing his first-ever hit “Here In The Real World.”
Jackson took us on a journey through his early days on Music Row before telling the crowd the story of his father’s radio that inspired the first line of “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow.”
The lauded performer was presented with a plaque for garnering 5 billion streams on Pandora during the show. UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan, Cindy Mabe and Annie Ortmeier joined Jackson on stage, along with Pandora’s Alina Thompson and Jen Danielson, to present the Hall of Famer with a commemorative plaque.
“I wish mama could have heard that. She wouldn’t have known what I was talking about,” Jackson humbly said before thrilling fans with “Pop a Top.”
Alan Jackson at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Katie Kauss
Also among Jackson’s setlist were his fun “Good Time” and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” as well as some of his deeper material like “Remember When” and “Drive (For Daddy Gene).”
During “Little Bitty” Jackson noticed his young fans in the crowd, including a kid at his first concert. Bridgestone roared for “Chattahoochee,” holding up t-shirts that said “hotter than a hoochie coochie.” They swayed and cried to “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” holding up their cell-phone lighters.
During another portion of the show, Jackson invited his daughter Ali out to sing “You’ll Always Be My Baby,” a song from his new album Where Have You Gone. Family photos flashed behind the two as they sang the touching song.
Jackson closed the heartwarming show with a double encore of “Mercury Blues” and “Where Have You Gone,” his yearning anthem to traditional country music.
The crowd ate up every word.
Barry Waldrep Honors Tony Rice With Tribute Featuring Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, More
/by Lorie HollabaughBluegrass instrumentalist and producer Barry Waldrep is releasing a special tribute to bluegrass guitarist Tony Rice. The 21-song project, Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice, will be available everywhere on Dec. 24 and features an all-star lineup of bluegrass, Americana, and country royalty.
Among some of the guests on the upcoming project are Rodney Crowell, Jim Lauderdale, Warren Haynes, and Oteil Burbridge, alongside Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Spooner Oldham and Patrick Simmons and country’s Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris.
“Music knows no boundaries and Tony created so many great examples of that. When you cross the line of other genres, that’s when you expand the audience and turn people on to other styles that they would not normally be interested in,” says Waldrep. “The intent of this album and the artists involved is to show what a powerhouse master Tony Rice was at bringing musicians and fans together from different genres. All of these artists knew the music of Tony Rice very well – artists from classic and southern rock royalty to heavy metal, Americana, country and roots gospel. Also included are some of the greatest musicians and harmony singers in the business that were influenced by Tony as well.”
Rice was one of the most influential and beloved musicians in all of bluegrass and Americana music. After he passed away in late 2020, his songs and stylings continue to live on in the musicians he inspired.
Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice Track List:
Why You Been Gone So Long – Featuring Jimmy Hall
Song For The Life – Featuring Rodney Crowell
10 Degrees and Getting Colder – Featuring Darrell Scott
Blue Railroad Train – Featuring Marty Raybon
Walk On Boy – Featuring Mike Farris
Early Morning Rain – Featuring Kim Richey
Wayfaring Stranger – Featuring Warren Haynes
I’ll Stay Around – Featuring Vince Gill
Song For A Winter Night – Featuring Radney Foster
EMD – Featuring Barry Waldrep, Tammy Rogers, John Jorgenson and John Cowan
You Were There For Me – Featuring Teresa Williams and Larry Cambell
Church Street Blues – Featuring Jim Lauderdale
This Old House – Featuring John Berry
9 Pound Hammer – Featuring Pat Simmons
Four Strong Winds – Featuring John Paul White
More Pretty Girls Than One – Featuring Jacob Bunton
Summer Wages – Featuring Barry Waldrep, Tammy Rogers, Spooner Oldham
It’s Cold On The Shoulder – Featuring John Jorgenson
Bury Me Beneath The Willow – Featuring Rory Feek
Where The Soul Never Dies – Featuring Donna Hall and Kelli Johnson
Me And My Guitar – Featuring John Cowan
Alan Jackson Warms Hearts With Hits And Stories At Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena
/by LB CantrellAlan Jackson at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Katie Kauss
Fans gathered to celebrate one of country music’s giants this weekend. Country Music Hall of Fame member Alan Jackson commanded the Bridgestone stage with charisma and pride during his hit-filled set on Friday night (Oct. 8).
After an entertaining opening set from James Carothers, who often plays at Jackson’s downtown establishment AJ’s Good Time Bar, Jackson came out swinging. He kicked things off with “Gone Country” and “Summertime Blues,” and played many of his the 35 No. 1 hits. He grinned ear to ear as he surveyed the crowd, constantly putting his hand to his heart to show his appreciation for the fans.
During a special portion of the show, Jackson took a seat on a stool and introduced some hits with their corresponding stories—just like he was at the Bluebird Cafe. Ultimately, Jackson expressed a ton of gratitude for his long and fruitful career.
“I’m not trying to brag, I just want to say thanks to people like y’all who have supported my music. It’s been a crazy ride,” he said before playing his first-ever hit “Here In The Real World.”
Jackson took us on a journey through his early days on Music Row before telling the crowd the story of his father’s radio that inspired the first line of “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow.”
The lauded performer was presented with a plaque for garnering 5 billion streams on Pandora during the show. UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan, Cindy Mabe and Annie Ortmeier joined Jackson on stage, along with Pandora’s Alina Thompson and Jen Danielson, to present the Hall of Famer with a commemorative plaque.
“I wish mama could have heard that. She wouldn’t have known what I was talking about,” Jackson humbly said before thrilling fans with “Pop a Top.”
Alan Jackson at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Katie Kauss
Also among Jackson’s setlist were his fun “Good Time” and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” as well as some of his deeper material like “Remember When” and “Drive (For Daddy Gene).”
During “Little Bitty” Jackson noticed his young fans in the crowd, including a kid at his first concert. Bridgestone roared for “Chattahoochee,” holding up t-shirts that said “hotter than a hoochie coochie.” They swayed and cried to “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” holding up their cell-phone lighters.
During another portion of the show, Jackson invited his daughter Ali out to sing “You’ll Always Be My Baby,” a song from his new album Where Have You Gone. Family photos flashed behind the two as they sang the touching song.
Jackson closed the heartwarming show with a double encore of “Mercury Blues” and “Where Have You Gone,” his yearning anthem to traditional country music.
The crowd ate up every word.
Patrick Droney’s “State Of The Heart Tour” Set For February
/by Lorie HollabaughWarner Records’ singer-songwriter Patrick Droney has some big plans for the new year as he will embark on his extensive 26-city “State Of The Heart Tour” beginning in February.
The cross-country trek kicks off on Feb. 11 in Dallas and runs through April 1 in Vancouver, with Droney hitting every corner of the U.S. and Canada. Along the way, he will make headlining stops at famed venues like New York City’s Irving Plaza and Los Angeles’s The Fonda Theatre. Artist pre-sale begins on Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 10 a.m. local time, followed by the general on sale on Friday, Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. local.
Droney is also set to perform to a sold out crowd at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl on Wednesday, Oct. 20 in support of his recently released State of the Heart: Deluxe Edition. The extended version of his debut full-length release features five new recordings and is available now.
Reba To Launch Multi-City Tour Kicking Off In November
/by Lorie HollabaughReba McEntire will return to the road on Nov. 26 on the “Reba: Live In Concert” tour. Brandy Clark, Hannah Dasher, Caylee Hammack, Reyna Roberts, Cailtyn Smith, Brittney Spencer and Tenille Townes will join the multi-Grammy winning entertainer on various dates throughout the run.
Traveling around the country through March 19, McEntire will make stops in Knoxville, Pittsburgh, Birmingham, Green Bay, Atlantic City, and many more.
Tickets for the shows go on sale Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. local time at reba.com and livenation.com. Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase pre-sale tickets from Oct. 12-14 through Citi Entertainment.
The country music icon recently released her new three-part box set, Revived, Remixed, Revisited, and will host a special Amazon Music livestream event tomorrow (Oct. 12). Additionally, on Thursday (Oct. 14), she will perform two songs and share more behind the release on TODAY, beginning at 8 a.m. local time on NBC.
“Reba: Live in Concert” Tour Dates:
11/26 Choctaw Casino & Resort, Durant, OK – The Grand Theater
11/27 Choctaw Casino & Resort, Durant, OK – The Grand Theater
1/13 Evansville, IN – Ford Center *with Caylee Hammack
1/14 Huntsville, AL – Von Braun Center Arena *with Caylee Hammack
1/15 Duluth, GA – Gas South Arena *with Caylee Hammack
1/20 Toledo, OH – Huntington Center *with Hannah Dasher
1/21 Green Bay, WI – Resch Center *with Hannah Dasher
1/22 Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center *with Hannah Dasher
1/27 Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena *with Caitlyn Smith
1/28 Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena *with Caitlyn Smith
1/29 Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena *with Caitlyn Smith
2/3 Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center Omaha *with Brandy Clark
2/4 Springfield, MO – JQH Arena *with Brandy Clark
2/5 North Little Rock, AR – Simmons Bank Arena *with Brandy Clark
2/17 Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena *with Brittney Spencer
2/18 Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata Event Center *with Brittney Spencer
2/19 Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event Center *with Brittney Spencer
2/24 Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at the BJCC *with Tenille Townes
2/25 Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum *with Tenille Townes
2/26 Bossier City, LA – Brookshire Grocery Arena *with Tenille Townes
3/4 Mashantucket, CT – Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino
3/5 Mashantucket, CT – Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino
3/17 Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena *with Reyna Roberts
3/18 Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center *with Reyna Roberts
3/19 Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena *with Reyna Roberts
SOURCE Holds Virtual Hall Of Fame Awards Honoring 20 Female Trailblazers [Exclusive]
/by LB CantrellSOURCE Awards Co-Hosts Jeannie Seely and Shannon McCombs. Photo: Bev Moser
SOURCE Nashville recently held its 18th Annual Hall of Fame Awards virtually from the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. Co-hosted by Grand Ole Opry member Jeannie Seely and Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame Awards inductee, Shannon McCombs, this year’s event posthumously inducted 20 female trailblazers in the country music industry.
Presented by Springer Mountain Farms, the event was produced by Erica Rosa and Sheree Spoltore. A video of the ceremony is available on SOURCE Nashville’s YouTube channel.
SOURCE Hall of Fame inductees are nominated and inducted based on peer recommendations, biographies, accomplishments, reputation, the number of years each individual has worked within the entertainment industry, and level of community involvement. Next year’s induction ceremony will be in person on Aug. 23, 2022.
The 2021 inductees included:
Opry Entertainment Group Updates Artist & Label Strategy And WSM Radio Teams
/by Lydia FarthingJenn Tressler, Anna Lemme, Kelly Sutton
Opry Entertainment Group (OEG) has announced updates to its Artist & Label Strategy and WSM Radio teams.
Jenn Tressler has been promoted to Artist & Label Strategy Senior Manager. Since joining the team last year, she has a strong understanding of the opportunities for the Opry’s artists and label partners across the OEG portfolio of brands.
OEG has also added Anna Lemme as an Artist & Label Strategy Manager, reporting to Jordan Pettit, Director of Artist Relations & Programming Strategy. She has been with the company for several years, working on marketing partnerships and artist support for the Ole Red brand.
As previously announced, the WSM Radio Team has added Kelly Sutton to co-host and serve as entertainment reporter for Coffee, Country & Cody. She will report to J.P. Tinnell who was recently promoted to General Manager and Content Director.
“We are thrilled to announce these additions and promotions within our teams,” says Scott Bailey, President of Opry Entertainment Group. “These investments will allow us to further set our assets apart and offer artists more opportunities to partner with our family of brands.”
The team is also recruiting a Talent Buyer for the Ole Red brand. For more information and to apply, click here.
TN Dept. of Tourist Development Launches Digital Passports To Ken Burns’ ‘Country Music’
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Tennessee Department of Tourist Development has unveiled a new digital passport that encourages music lovers to visit nearly two dozen sites in Tennessee that appear in Ken Burns’ acclaimed PBS documentary Country Music, to promote Tennessee Music Pathways.
Using a web-based app created by Bandwango, travelers can document their visits and redeem their “stamped” passports for prizes ranging from a limited-edition Hatch Show Print, a copy of Ken Burns Country Music: An Illustrated History, or a Tennessee Music Pathways branded guitar.
Tennessee Tourism launched a physical passport for the Ken Burns Country Music Pathway in 2019 and will add the digital passport to make the traveling experience and “stamp collecting” even easier. Passports are available online through Oct. 18, 2022.
Nearly 50 million people in the U.S. and millions more worldwide have watched Ken Burns’ Country Music, making it one of the most-watched documentary series in history. More than four million streamed the 16-part series online, and thousands more continue to watch on Amazon Prime each month, nearly two years after its premiere.
Locations that inspired the music on Ken Burns Country Music Pathway include:
Chart Action: Shelton Dominates Chart, Bryan Debuts
/by Alex ParryBlake Shelton commandeers the most added and highest debut titles on the country charts this week with his latest single ““Come Back As A Country Boy.” He earned 197 adds across the Billboard, Mediabase, and MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio charts landing at No. 28, No. 35, and No. 46, respectively.
This is the first of four new tracks from the deluxe version of his album Body Language, due out Dec. 3. “Come Back As A Country Boy” was written by Michael Hardy, Josh Thompson, and Jordan Schmidt.
Luke Bryan‘s newest single, “Up,” impacted country radio on Oct. 4 and gained 15 adds on the MusicRow Chart in its first week. He debuted on the chart at No. 73 with 216 spins. “Up” was written by Jeremy Bussey, Taylor Phillips, and Bobby Pinson; and produced by Jeff Stevens and Jody Stevens.
For more chart data, view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly.
Rod + Rose Preview New Track From Upcoming EP
/by Lorie HollabaughRod + Rose are sharing a new commitment-filled ballad, “Put Me Back Together,” available now as a preview of their upcoming self-titled EP, due out Jan. 28.
One half of Rod + Rose, Rodney Atkins, produced the track alongside Seth Mosley, which follows Rod + Rose’s debut offering, “Being Here, Being There.” Originally written by Caitlyn Smith, Trevor Dahl, Brenton Duvall, Johnny Price and Kiara Saulters and originally performed by electronic music trio Cheat Codes, the tracks lyrics sum up Rose Falcon and Atkins’ real life love story.
“To me, it’s a song about falling together instead of falling apart during difficult times,” explains Falcon. “2020 was a challenging year for us and most everyone we know, but we got through it. When life gets messy, we lean on, and into, each other. We aren’t perfect, and it’s not always butterflies and roses; but we stick together, and at the end of the day, we can laugh at all the crazy times we have been through.”
Married since 2013, Falcon was a rock ’n’ roll artist who was offered a record deal at 15 and has since written songs recorded by Faith Hill, Lady A and Eric Paslay. Meanwhile, Atkins is an established country singer-songwriter who’s had six No. 1s.
The duo co-wrote several tracks for Atkins’ latest album, Caught Up In The Country, whose Gold-certified title-cut had set the record for the longest-running single in Billboard Country Airplay history at 57 weeks.
Josh Turner Returns To Alma Mater To Host ‘Christmas At Belmont’
/by Lorie HollabaughJosh Turner
Multi-Platinum recording artist Josh Turner will host and be the featured guest artist for the 2021 Christmas at Belmont performance at Belmont University, his alma mater, which will be filmed for national broadcast.
Produced by Nashville Public Television, Christmas at Belmont will be taped live for the first time in the newly opened Fisher Center for the Performing Arts on the University’s campus. The invitation-only concert performance will premiere on Monday, Dec. 20, at 8 p.m. on NPT and PBS stations across the country, with encore broadcasts on NPT Christmas night at 9:30 p.m.
This year’s concert will feature an array of traditional carols and seasonal favorites in addition to selections from Turner’s new Christmas album.
Belmont President Dr. Greg Jones says, “We are delighted to welcome Josh Turner and his wife Jennifer, both Belmont alumni, back to our campus for this extraordinary concert event. The hope of Christmas is perfectly reflected in so many songs of the season, and I look forward with great anticipation to showcasing the talents of Josh and our students in front of a national television audience. We are honored to continue our nearly two decade partnership with Nashville Public Television to produce this timeless holiday broadcast.”
This year’s performance will include an array of traditional carols, classical masterworks, and seasonal favorites in addition to selections from Turner’s new Christmas album, King Size Manger. The record, produced by Kenny Greenberg, includes Christmas classics as well as four originals, three of which were written by Turner.
“We have a couple of Belmont grads in our household. I met my wife and wrote ‘Long Black Train’ while attending Belmont,” Turner adds. “We are looking forward to being back on campus and performing for the first time in the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. This is my second time hosting ‘Christmas at Belmont,’ and I was honored when they asked me back. I’m excited to share a few songs from my new Christmas album and see all the talented students playing this year.”
Turner has sold more than six million records, reached 3.2 billion global streams, and earned five No. 1s at country radio. He has also received six Inspirational Country Music Awards, and has been nominated for two Grammy awards, five CMA awards, two ACM awards, one CMT award, and seven ACA awards.