Tom T. Hall. Photo: Courtesy Robert K. Oermann
Country Music Hall of Fame member Tom T. Hall has died at age 85.
Known as “The Storyteller,” the singer-songwriter and Grand Ole Opry star passed away on Friday, according to his son Dean Hall. He had been in failing health for several years.
Tom T. Hall created such indelible songs as “Harper Valley P.T.A.” for Jeannie C. Riley, “Little Bitty” for Alan Jackson and “How I Got to Memphis” for Bobby Bare. As a recording artist, he placed more than 50 singles on the country popularity charts in 1967-87, 21 of which became top-10 hits.
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee was born near Olive Hill, KY in 1936. His family was poor, but the boy’s upbringing was relatively carefree. He picked up the guitar at age four and wrote his first song when he was nine.
His childhood ended at age 13 when his mother died, as did his boyhood musical hero, the latter immortalized in his 1971 hit “The Year That Clayton Delaney Died.” When he was 15, his father was shot and wounded in a hunting accident, Hall dropped out of school and went to work in a garment factory, a “sweat shop.”
He joined a local bluegrass band and began appearing on WMOR radio in Morehead, Kentucky. When his fellow musicians were drafted for the Korean War, Hall remained at the station as a disc jockey.
In 1957, he enlisted in the Army for a three-year hitch. While stationed in Germany, he earned his high-school diploma and performed in a servicemen’s country band. He impressed the G.I.’s with his original songs. His 1970 hit “Salute to a Switchblade” was inspired during this time.
Back in civilian life, he resumed work as a D.J. and attended college in Virginia on the G.I. Bill. An acquaintance sent his songs to Nashville, where Newkeys Music signed him to a songwriting contract. The company’s co-founder Jimmy C. Newman turned Hall’s “D.J. For a Day” into a top-10 country hit in 1963. On Jan. 1, 1964, Tom T. Hall moved to Music City with $46 and a guitar.
Within months of his arrival, Dave Dudley scored with Hall’s songs “Mad” (1964) and “What We’re Fighting For” (1965). Dudley subsequently issued singles of eight additional Hall songs, including the No. 1 hit “The Pool Shark” (1970). Newman reprised his support with the top-10 hits “Artificial Rose” (1965) and “Back Pocket Money” (1966). Meanwhile, Johnny Wright hit No.1 in 1965 with Hall’s “Hello Vietnam.”
Mercury Records signed Tom T. Hall as a recording artist, and he debuted on the country charts with the top-40 hit “I Washed My Face in the Morning Dew” in 1967. During that same year, fellow Mercury artist Margie Singleton asked him to write her a song. She was out of town when he finished it, so newcomer Jeannie C. Riley was pitched the tune. Her version of “Harper Valley P.T.A.” was recorded on a Friday night in 1968. By Saturday afternoon, radio stations were playing it. By the close of the following week, factories were shipping the singles to stores as fast as they could press them.
“Harper Valley P.T.A.” topped the pop and country charts, sold six million copies, won a Grammy and a CMA award, inspired a movie and a TV series and became a national sensation. Tom T. Hall never recorded it.
Instead, he released his debut top-10 hit in 1968, “Ballad of Forty Dollars.” The following year, he repeated the feat with “Homecoming.” In 1970, he had his first No. 1 hit as an artist, “A Week in a Country Jail.”
With songs like these, Tom T. Hall vaulted to the front ranks of Nashville songwriters. Along with Kris Kristofferson, Mickey Newbury, Dolly Parton and a handful of others, he transformed country songwriting, taking the artform to new levels of insight and sensitivity.
Bobby Bare scored with Hall’s “(Margie’s At) The Lincoln Park Inn,” “The Town That Broke My Heart” and “How I Got to Memphis” in 1968-70. The last-named became a perennial favorite, thanks to recordings by Buddy Miller, Rosanne Cash, Solomon Burke, Eric Church, Ronnie Dunn, The Avett Brothers, Kelly Willis, Lee Hazelwood and Deryl Dodd, among others.
As a recording artist, Hall’s next No. 1 hits were 1971’s “The Year That Clayton Delaney Died” plus 1973’s “(Old Dogs, Children and) Watermelon Wine” and “I Love.” They opened the floodgates for a string of top-10 smashes, including “Ravishing Ruby,” “County Is,” “I Like Beer,” “Faster Horses,” “Fox on the Run” and “Your Man Loves You Honey.” All were produced by legendary session guitarist Jerry Kennedy.
Hall’s peers voted him into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1978, but he was far from finished. Success continued on RCA Records with “I Wish I Loved Somebody Else” (1978), “What Have You Got to Lose” (1978), “The Old Side of Town” (1980) and more.
Despite the hit records, he insisted he wasn’t a “star.” Nevertheless, he was the TV host of the nationally syndicated Pop Goes the Country (1980-83), the longtime commercial spokesman for Tyson Chicken and Chevy Trucks, a guest on the top variety and talk shows and an inductee into the Opry cast.
And despite being something of a “loner” in Nashville, he discovered Johnny Rodriguez and brought him to town. He championed songwriter Billy Joe Shaver by recording “Old Five and Dimers Like Me” and “Willy the Wandering Gypsy and Me.” He teamed with Earl Scruggs on a 1982 LP that introduced the future Alabama No. 1 hit “Song of the South.” He sang with Johnny Cash on his 1988 composition “The Last of the Drifters.”
Hall returned to Mercury Records in the mid-1980s and recorded a series of albums in rural Florida in the following decade. One song from these sessions was “Little Bitty,” which became a No. 1 hit for Alan Jackson in 1996.
Storyteller, Poet, Philosopher was issued as the Tom T. Hall boxed set in 1995. The title reflects the literary bent that underlies his music. He published six books, including the novel The Laughing Man of Woodmont Cove, a short-story collection titled The Acts of Life and the autobiographical The Storyteller’s Nashville.
The depth of Tom T. Hall’s songwriting catalog is revealed on such albums as I Witness Life (1970), 100 Children (1971), In Search of a Song (1971), We All Got Together And (1972), The Storyteller (1972), The Rhymer and Other Five and Dimers (1973) and his much- loved children’s album Songs of Fox Hollow (1974). The last-named was saluted with a tribute album in 2011.
He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008. He was presented with a BMI Icon award three years later.
In 1968, Tom T. Hall married song lyricist and former Music City News journalist Dixie Dean (1934-2015). Born in England as Iris Violet May Lawrence, she blossomed as his song collaborator in the 1990s. Separately and together, they enjoyed more than 500 bluegrass recordings of their songs.
Hall had grown up playing bluegrass and dedicated his 1976 LP The Magnificent Music Machine to the genre. He often opened his Toy Box Studio to bluegrass bands. Dixie formed a bluegrass song-publishing company and record label. Tom T. and Dixie Hall were inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2018.
Literary scholars have taught Tom T. Hall’s songs as poetry in university courses. More than anyone, Hall illustrated the elevation of country songwriting from a simple folk art to an expression that can plumb the depths of the soul, comment on politics, paint a vivid personality portrait, observe an emotional tumult or take a snapshot of the social world. Even decades after their creation, the best of them remain extraordinary listening experiences.
Tom T. Hall died at his home, Fox Hollow, according to his son Dean Hall, a blues-rock performer. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Tom T. Hall speaks at the 2008 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. Photo: John Russell
“Tom T. Hall’s masterworks vary in plot, tone and tempo, but they are bound by his ceaseless and unyielding empathy for the triumphs and losses of others,” says Kyle Young, CEO, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “He wrote without judgment or anger, offering a rhyming journalism of the heart that sets his compositions apart from any other writer. His songs meant the world to Bobby Bare, Johnny Cash, George Jones and other greats, and those songs will continue to speak to generations. He was a storyteller, a philosopher, a whiskey maker, a novelist, a poet, a painter, a benefactor, a letter writer, a gift giver, a gentleman farmer and many more things. My bet is that we won’t see the likes of him again, but if we do I’ll be first in line for tickets to the show.”
“Few could tell a story like Tom T. Hall. As a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, he was one of those triple threat artists who continued to make an impact on the next generation. I’ll always remember growing up listening to Tom T.’s music with my father, who was a huge bluegrass and country fan,” says Sarah Trahern, Country Music Association, CEO
“The Storyteller“ Tom T. Hall Passes [Updated]
/by Robert K OermannTom T. Hall. Photo: Courtesy Robert K. Oermann
Country Music Hall of Fame member Tom T. Hall has died at age 85.
Known as “The Storyteller,” the singer-songwriter and Grand Ole Opry star passed away on Friday, according to his son Dean Hall. He had been in failing health for several years.
Tom T. Hall created such indelible songs as “Harper Valley P.T.A.” for Jeannie C. Riley, “Little Bitty” for Alan Jackson and “How I Got to Memphis” for Bobby Bare. As a recording artist, he placed more than 50 singles on the country popularity charts in 1967-87, 21 of which became top-10 hits.
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee was born near Olive Hill, KY in 1936. His family was poor, but the boy’s upbringing was relatively carefree. He picked up the guitar at age four and wrote his first song when he was nine.
His childhood ended at age 13 when his mother died, as did his boyhood musical hero, the latter immortalized in his 1971 hit “The Year That Clayton Delaney Died.” When he was 15, his father was shot and wounded in a hunting accident, Hall dropped out of school and went to work in a garment factory, a “sweat shop.”
He joined a local bluegrass band and began appearing on WMOR radio in Morehead, Kentucky. When his fellow musicians were drafted for the Korean War, Hall remained at the station as a disc jockey.
In 1957, he enlisted in the Army for a three-year hitch. While stationed in Germany, he earned his high-school diploma and performed in a servicemen’s country band. He impressed the G.I.’s with his original songs. His 1970 hit “Salute to a Switchblade” was inspired during this time.
Back in civilian life, he resumed work as a D.J. and attended college in Virginia on the G.I. Bill. An acquaintance sent his songs to Nashville, where Newkeys Music signed him to a songwriting contract. The company’s co-founder Jimmy C. Newman turned Hall’s “D.J. For a Day” into a top-10 country hit in 1963. On Jan. 1, 1964, Tom T. Hall moved to Music City with $46 and a guitar.
Within months of his arrival, Dave Dudley scored with Hall’s songs “Mad” (1964) and “What We’re Fighting For” (1965). Dudley subsequently issued singles of eight additional Hall songs, including the No. 1 hit “The Pool Shark” (1970). Newman reprised his support with the top-10 hits “Artificial Rose” (1965) and “Back Pocket Money” (1966). Meanwhile, Johnny Wright hit No.1 in 1965 with Hall’s “Hello Vietnam.”
Mercury Records signed Tom T. Hall as a recording artist, and he debuted on the country charts with the top-40 hit “I Washed My Face in the Morning Dew” in 1967. During that same year, fellow Mercury artist Margie Singleton asked him to write her a song. She was out of town when he finished it, so newcomer Jeannie C. Riley was pitched the tune. Her version of “Harper Valley P.T.A.” was recorded on a Friday night in 1968. By Saturday afternoon, radio stations were playing it. By the close of the following week, factories were shipping the singles to stores as fast as they could press them.
“Harper Valley P.T.A.” topped the pop and country charts, sold six million copies, won a Grammy and a CMA award, inspired a movie and a TV series and became a national sensation. Tom T. Hall never recorded it.
Instead, he released his debut top-10 hit in 1968, “Ballad of Forty Dollars.” The following year, he repeated the feat with “Homecoming.” In 1970, he had his first No. 1 hit as an artist, “A Week in a Country Jail.”
With songs like these, Tom T. Hall vaulted to the front ranks of Nashville songwriters. Along with Kris Kristofferson, Mickey Newbury, Dolly Parton and a handful of others, he transformed country songwriting, taking the artform to new levels of insight and sensitivity.
Bobby Bare scored with Hall’s “(Margie’s At) The Lincoln Park Inn,” “The Town That Broke My Heart” and “How I Got to Memphis” in 1968-70. The last-named became a perennial favorite, thanks to recordings by Buddy Miller, Rosanne Cash, Solomon Burke, Eric Church, Ronnie Dunn, The Avett Brothers, Kelly Willis, Lee Hazelwood and Deryl Dodd, among others.
As a recording artist, Hall’s next No. 1 hits were 1971’s “The Year That Clayton Delaney Died” plus 1973’s “(Old Dogs, Children and) Watermelon Wine” and “I Love.” They opened the floodgates for a string of top-10 smashes, including “Ravishing Ruby,” “County Is,” “I Like Beer,” “Faster Horses,” “Fox on the Run” and “Your Man Loves You Honey.” All were produced by legendary session guitarist Jerry Kennedy.
Hall’s peers voted him into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1978, but he was far from finished. Success continued on RCA Records with “I Wish I Loved Somebody Else” (1978), “What Have You Got to Lose” (1978), “The Old Side of Town” (1980) and more.
Despite the hit records, he insisted he wasn’t a “star.” Nevertheless, he was the TV host of the nationally syndicated Pop Goes the Country (1980-83), the longtime commercial spokesman for Tyson Chicken and Chevy Trucks, a guest on the top variety and talk shows and an inductee into the Opry cast.
And despite being something of a “loner” in Nashville, he discovered Johnny Rodriguez and brought him to town. He championed songwriter Billy Joe Shaver by recording “Old Five and Dimers Like Me” and “Willy the Wandering Gypsy and Me.” He teamed with Earl Scruggs on a 1982 LP that introduced the future Alabama No. 1 hit “Song of the South.” He sang with Johnny Cash on his 1988 composition “The Last of the Drifters.”
Hall returned to Mercury Records in the mid-1980s and recorded a series of albums in rural Florida in the following decade. One song from these sessions was “Little Bitty,” which became a No. 1 hit for Alan Jackson in 1996.
Storyteller, Poet, Philosopher was issued as the Tom T. Hall boxed set in 1995. The title reflects the literary bent that underlies his music. He published six books, including the novel The Laughing Man of Woodmont Cove, a short-story collection titled The Acts of Life and the autobiographical The Storyteller’s Nashville.
The depth of Tom T. Hall’s songwriting catalog is revealed on such albums as I Witness Life (1970), 100 Children (1971), In Search of a Song (1971), We All Got Together And (1972), The Storyteller (1972), The Rhymer and Other Five and Dimers (1973) and his much- loved children’s album Songs of Fox Hollow (1974). The last-named was saluted with a tribute album in 2011.
He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008. He was presented with a BMI Icon award three years later.
In 1968, Tom T. Hall married song lyricist and former Music City News journalist Dixie Dean (1934-2015). Born in England as Iris Violet May Lawrence, she blossomed as his song collaborator in the 1990s. Separately and together, they enjoyed more than 500 bluegrass recordings of their songs.
Hall had grown up playing bluegrass and dedicated his 1976 LP The Magnificent Music Machine to the genre. He often opened his Toy Box Studio to bluegrass bands. Dixie formed a bluegrass song-publishing company and record label. Tom T. and Dixie Hall were inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2018.
Literary scholars have taught Tom T. Hall’s songs as poetry in university courses. More than anyone, Hall illustrated the elevation of country songwriting from a simple folk art to an expression that can plumb the depths of the soul, comment on politics, paint a vivid personality portrait, observe an emotional tumult or take a snapshot of the social world. Even decades after their creation, the best of them remain extraordinary listening experiences.
Tom T. Hall died at his home, Fox Hollow, according to his son Dean Hall, a blues-rock performer. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Tom T. Hall speaks at the 2008 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. Photo: John Russell
“Tom T. Hall’s masterworks vary in plot, tone and tempo, but they are bound by his ceaseless and unyielding empathy for the triumphs and losses of others,” says Kyle Young, CEO, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “He wrote without judgment or anger, offering a rhyming journalism of the heart that sets his compositions apart from any other writer. His songs meant the world to Bobby Bare, Johnny Cash, George Jones and other greats, and those songs will continue to speak to generations. He was a storyteller, a philosopher, a whiskey maker, a novelist, a poet, a painter, a benefactor, a letter writer, a gift giver, a gentleman farmer and many more things. My bet is that we won’t see the likes of him again, but if we do I’ll be first in line for tickets to the show.”
“Few could tell a story like Tom T. Hall. As a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, he was one of those triple threat artists who continued to make an impact on the next generation. I’ll always remember growing up listening to Tom T.’s music with my father, who was a huge bluegrass and country fan,” says Sarah Trahern, Country Music Association, CEO
Sam Williams Connects Rich Country Roots With Modern Perspective On ‘Glasshouse Children’ [Interview]
/by LB CantrellSam Willams. Photo: Alexa King
Eclectic singer-songwriter Sam Williams released his debut album Glasshouse Children today (Aug. 20), via Mercury Nashville.
The project is strikingly vulnerable, with songs about healing, growth, loss and redemption that show off Williams’ connection to country music’s roots and forward thinking approach to artistry.
Williams was brought up in a country music dynasty, as he is the son of Hank Williams Jr. and the grandson of country pioneer Hank Williams. Some descendants of musical heroes put distance between themselves and their family; while others embrace their roots and the nepotism that can sometimes come with it. Williams finds himself in a healthy place somewhere in the middle.
“When it comes to being children of greats, Lukas Nelson has done an amazing job of not being Willie Nelson. He’s done a great job of just being himself and standing out in his own ways, and then having some likeness that’s undeniable,” Williams says. “I feel like I’m the same way.
“I don’t think people really realize that my grandfather’s music career was only from 1946 to 1952. That’s it,” Williams continues. “But his influence is going to live forever. People are going to be inspired by him and try to imitate him, and there’s no real point for me to do that. It’s beautiful to carry [his legacy] on and the only admirable way to do that is to do it my own way. And I think my dad’s career kind of speaks to that, as well.”
Williams lights his own way all throughout Glasshouse Children. The title track, which kicks off the record, features Williams singing about a “house atop the hill” with a “black gate at the bottom of a long driveway” and how it “looks pretty as picture but Lord knows it ain’t.” Williams co-wrote the song with Ronnie Bowman and Dan Auerbach, and says it’s the centerpiece of the record.
“It’s a story of reflection. When I finished writing it, I knew that I wanted people to hear that song and I wanted it to be the title track because I feel like it most accurately represents the story and the record. It’s about reflection and how difficult it can be to let go of your past. Sometimes people can be so defined by their tribulations and by their trauma that it becomes so much a part of their identity that it’s hard to separate from. Everyone has their own ways of trying to get around that and move on, and for me that way is to write and sing.”
On another vulnerable track, “Happy All The Time,” Williams invites country music royalty Dolly Parton to duet with him. He says he manifested the once-in-a-lifetime collaboration.
“I was making my son breakfast one day in 2019 and my manager called and said, ‘We have to get Dolly on ‘Happy All The Time.” I was like, ‘You just ruined my day. That doesn’t sound attainable, but I love the energy,'” Williams jokes. “But I started focusing on that as hard as I could. We tried every professional avenue we could and there was really no way to get through. I was trying to manifest it all the time. If I saw a Dolly Parton sticker in a store, I bought it.
“Somehow there was a mutual friend between one of my songwriter friends and somebody close to her, and I was able to write her a letter. I wrote her a two page letter and just spoke about me, my life, what ‘Happy All The Time’ meant to me, my songwriting, and how much it would mean for her specifically to sing with me. There’s not many people in country music that I look up to like how I look up to Dolly. I don’t even know how you put it into words. She’s everything.”
Parton isn’t the only guest vocalist on Glasshouse Children. Williams tapped label-mate Keith Urban to duet with him on the breezy, teenage dream-esque outing, “Kids.”
“He gave it such a cool energy,” Williams says of Urban’s performance. “I’ve always been such a big fan of his.”
Williams personifies his unique sound–that can keep up with a traditional country weeper with Parton and a cool, pop-country vibe with Urban–as “new Nashville.”
“I don’t think that New Nashville is just possessive to me, though,” Williams says. “A lot of people embody that and it’s moment by moment. I’m a huge Tyler Childers fan and when he first became embraced in Nashville, people heard that and thought ‘this doesn’t sound like anything I’ve heard.’
“I had a resentment for country music for a little while when I was younger because the unique [nature of] my life and the pressure of it that felt really strong. I’m inspired by hard storytelling and honest lyrics of like that of my grandfather and I’m a huge fan of my sister Holly’s album, The Highway, that was really formative for me. I’m also a big rap and hip-hop fan. I love Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole. There’s a theatrical element to hip-hop music as well.”
Sam Willams. Photo: Alexa King
Speaking of theatrical artistry, Williams is also setting himself apart in the country music space with his fashion. The 24-year old channels the Nudie suits of country’s past in a tasteful, modern way.
“People forget how extravagant country music was 65 years ago. I started looking up some of people’s old outfits, like Jimmy Dickens, obviously Dolly Parton, and my grandfather had some really iconic ones with the music notes suit and everything—that is really inspiring. It just makes the artist more exciting to me.
“I think that males in country music, specifically, have just been watered down to jeans and boots. Sometimes I just want to wear that too, but I think that it’s worth catching the eye of listener and delivering a whole package. It’s just something that I want to do and it’s important to me. Just like I want to stick out with my music and it be honest and transparent, I want [my fashion choices] to come across the same way when you see me.”
Williams’ fresh, unique sound–and his captivating persona–are on full display on his Mercury Nashville debut Glasshouse Children, out everywhere today (Aug. 20).
Chart Action: Dan + Shay Most Added At Country Radio
/by Alex ParryDan + Shay are most added on the Billboard and Mediabase Country Airplay charts with 132 combined total first week ads for their new single “Steal My Love.” The duo earned this distinction one week after their song “Glad You Exist” was crowned No.1 on the charts and their new album, Good Things, became the first country album in the streaming era to achieve RIAA Gold certification at its release.
Band member, Dan Smyers, co-wrote “Steal My Love” with Andy Albert, Ashley Gorley, and Jordan Reynolds.
Dan + Shay will return to the road on their Dan + Shay The (Arena) Tour in September after it was abruptly canceled last March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Darius Rucker Hosts 12th Annual “Darius & Friends” Benefit Concert
/by Lorie HollabaughDarius Rucker and his band play at the Ryman Auditorium for 12th annual “Darius & Friends” Concert. Photo: Austin Friedline
Darius Rucker’s 12th annual “Darius & Friends” benefit concert on Tuesday night (Aug. 17) brought together a sold-out audience at the Ryman Auditorium along with at-home fans watching via live stream for a good cause. Preceded by his corresponding golf tournament and silent auction on Monday morning, this year’s event alone raised more than $410,000, enabling the charity event to surpass the $2.5 million mark for funds raised over the last decade to aid children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
In returning home to the iconic Ryman Auditorium this year, the show featured a surprise lineup including Jason Aldean, Brothers Osborne, John Daly, Keb’ Mo’, Runaway June and Elvie Shane.
Darius Rucker and his band play at the Ryman Auditorium for 12th annual “Darius & Friends” Concert. Photo: Austin Friedline
This year’s milestone fundraising event adds yet another successful page to the decade-plus history of “Darius & Friends.” Prior guests have included Lauren Alaina, Brooks & Dunn, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Sheryl Crow, Ashley McBryde, A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys, Brad Paisley, Kenny Rogers and Paul Stanley of KISS, among many others.
Laine Hardy Unveils Track List For Upcoming Debut Album
/by Lorie HollabaughLaine Hardy. Photo: Robby Klein
Laine Hardy has revealed the details for his Buena Vista Records/Industrial Media’s 19 Recordings debut album, Here’s To Anyone, due out Sept. 17.
Produced by Michael Knox, the 11-track project features songs from some of Nashville’s biggest hitmakers including David Lee Murphy, Jessi Alexander, Josh Thompson, Wendell Mobley, and more. Fan favorite “Memorize You” was featured in multiple episodes of ABC’s The Bachelorette this season with the music video and track racking up 8.6 million streams and counting. His southern rock tinged “Authentic,” is also featured on the project, along with his single “Tiny Town,” penned by Michael Tyler.
“I’m a down-home guy, from Southeast Louisiana,” Hardy explains. “ I just want to show all my fans that I’m not going to stray away from who I am, and where I come from. I feel like we really did that with the album and I’m very proud of it.”
After winning American Idol in 2019, Hardy focused on songwriting and touring, and his 2020 “Ground I Grew Up On” virtual tour made 20-plus online stops with views at 2 million and counting. The 21-year old will be making his Grand Ole Opry debut on Saturday, Aug. 28 and just kicked off his Monster Energy Outbreak headlining tour with dates running through the end of the year.
Here’s To Anyone Track List:
1. Authentic – Jessi Alexander, Matt Jenkins, David Lee Murphy
2. For a Girl – Wendell Mobley, Neil Thrasher, Tony Martin, Johnny Dailey
3. Here’s to Anyone – Jacob Rice, John King, Derrick Southerland
4. Memorize You – Michael Tyler, Eric Arjes, Steven Dale Jones
5. One of Those – Laine Hardy, Jordan Reynolds, Laura Veltz
6. Comin’ Down – Justin Weaver, Josh Miller, Josh Mirenda
7. Ground I Grew Up On – Josh Thompson, Brett Beavers, Brandon Kinney
8. California Won’t – Mike Busbee, Andrew Dorff, Jon Nite
9. Tiny Town – Michael Tyler
10. The Other LA – Laine Hardy, Erik Dylan, Andy Sheridan, Dan Isbell
11. Let There Be Country – Jason Afable, Steve Moakler, Tim Nicholas
Florida Georgia Line Cancels ‘I Love My Country 2021 Tour’ Due To COVID-19
/by Lydia FarthingFlorida Georgia Line. Photo: John Shearer
Out of an abundance of caution, Florida Georgia Line announced today (Aug. 20) the cancellation of their “I Love My Country Tour 2021” due to COVID-19.
“There is nothing better than seeing all of your faces from the stage, feeling your good energy, and making memories together,” shares FGL’s Tyler Hubbard. “We were hopeful we could get back on the road this fall, and are so bummed to have to cancel this tour, but we know in our hearts that we still have to make sure we’re keeping our fans and crew safe. It’s unfortunate that we have to cancel but we hope y’all understand. We love our fans and can’t wait to be back out when the time is right.”
“Although we’ve been able to see some of y’all at shows recently, everyone’s continued safety has been weighing heavy on us,” adds FGL’s Brian Kelley. “To our fans, band, crew, and all of the venues around the country, thank you for your love and support! We couldn’t do what we do without you, and we hope we can all do our part to bring live music back soon.”
Presented by Old Camp and sponsored by T-Mobile, the anticipated 29-stop trek featuring Russell Dickerson as direct support, plus openers Lauren Alaina and Redferrin, was due to launch at Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sept. 24, and run through Nov. 20 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.
For all current ticket holders, no action is required. All refunds will be issued to the original method of payment used at time of purchase.
Rodney Atkins And Rose Falcon Combine A Life Of Love And Music As New Duo: Rod + Rose
/by Lorie HollabaughPlatinum country recording artist Rodney Atkins and singer-songwriter Rose Falcon are already partners in life, and now they are partners in music as well, as they team up to form a new duo, Rod + Rose. Their first joint effort single, “Being Here, Being There,” drops today (Aug. 20) via Curb Records.
Married since 2013, the two have a sound steeped in country and roots with harmonies that intertwine his signature grit with her feminine charm. Their new single is an ode to the devotion of that friend who has your back through life’s highs and lows.
“This song is about being, and having, that friend who celebrates with you during the highs and isn’t afraid to get in the trenches with you during the lows,” says Falcon. “We recently went through a year of feeling like there were way more lows than highs, and when you go through one difficult scenario after another, you begin to question everything. It can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you have that person you can count on to walk through life with you, it’s a game changer. When one is down, the other picks up the slack, and vice-versa. We know how lucky we are to have each other, now more than ever.”
“Being Here, Being There” isn’t the couple’s first collaborative effort. Rod + Rose have been singing side by side for years and share two sons: Ryder and Scout. Most recently, they co-wrote several tracks for Atkins’ latest album, Caught Up In The Country, whose Gold-certified title cut, featuring The Fisk Jubilee Singers, set the record (at the time) for the longest-running single in Billboard Country Airplay history at 57 weeks. The two plan to share more new music in the months to come.
Old Dominion Return With New Album, ‘Time, Tequila & Therapy’
/by Lydia FarthingOld Dominion. Photo: Mason Allen
Grammy-nominated band Old Dominion has announced their fourth full-length album, Time, Tequila & Therapy, will be released on Oct. 8 via Sony Music Nashville. To herald the record’s arrival, the group have shared a track from the project, “All I Know About Girls.”
Through Time, Tequila & Therapy’s 13 tracks, the group surveys the ups, downs, trials, and tribulations of life, love, and friendships. The opener “Why Are You Still Here” ponders what an ex is up to while the upbeat “Hawaii” whisks Jimmy Buffet-style island bliss down south. Gladys Knight joins lead singer Matthew Ramsey on the Motown-by-way-of-Music-Row soul stunner “Lonely Side of Town,” but the action all culminates with “Ain’t Nothing Wrong With Love” as one final chant soars off to the heavens. Each band member—Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Brad Tursi, Whit Sellers, and Geoff Sprung—participated in the songwriting alongside Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.
The album’s lead single, “I Was On A Boat That Day,” recently achieved the band’s biggest radio impact date of their career, receiving 248 first-week station adds. The track currently sits as the second most added song of 2021 and has already gathered over 20 million streams in addition to 2.2 million YouTube views.
The “We Are Old Dominion” tour will visit major markets and historic venues coast-to-coast, kicking off tomorrow (Aug. 21) at Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend, Ore.. Tickets for the band’s first full-scale headline run since 2019 are on sale now.
Time, Tequila & Therapy Track List:
1. Why Are You Still Here
2. Hawaii
3. Walk On Whiskey
4. All I Know About Girls
5. Blue Jeans
6. No Hard Feelings
7. Lonely Side of Town (feat. Gladys Knight)
8. I Was On A Boat That Day
9. Drinking My Feelings
10. Somethings The Same About You
11. I Want To Live In A House With You
12. Don’t Forget Me
13. Ain’t Nothing Wrong With Love
Carter Faith’s Debut EP, ‘Let Love Be Love,’ Available Now
/by Lorie HollabaughCarter Faith. Photo: Alexa Kinigopoulos
Up-and-coming country singer-songwriter Carter Faith has released her debut EP, Let Love Be Love, available now on all digital and streaming platforms. Signed to Altenda and Pound It Out Loud, she recently performed the lead track, “Joyride,” during her Ryman Auditorium debut, closing out the sold-out Whiskey Jam 10-year anniversary show.
Originally from Davidson, North Carolina, Faith taught herself guitar and piano, and soon after began writing songs. She has received over eleven million streams with her recent releases and has shared the stage with artists like Cole Swindell, Old Dominion, and Chris Young.
“I got the inspiration for the EP title Let Love Be Love from a really beautiful poem by Morgan Harper Nichols called Let July be July,” shares Faith. “This poem struck me because life is so fast and I for one am always worrying about the future and wanting it to speed up, but I have found that makes us miss out on most of life itself.”
The songwriter recently delivered leading track “Joyride” that has already amassed over two million streams and counting. Faith gave listeners a sneak peek of what’s to come with acoustic project The Dusk Sessions. The recordings included original tracks “Leaving Tennessee” and “Easy Pill,” as well as a reimagined version of Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time.”
“As I put these individual songs together into a group and tried to put my finger on how they all somehow connected, I discovered that they each were completely unapologetic,” she adds. “The songs hold so much emotion but they don’t analyze these emotions, they just ‘let them be.’ When it comes to life and all the beauties that it holds, I don’t want to waste time analyzing it but instead just basking in the craziness of it all. Let Love Be Love is about truly experiencing life and love, and everything in between.”
Let Love Be Love Track List:
1. Joyride (Carter Faith, Margaret Valentine, Jen Stegall) – Produced by Ben West
2. Buzzkilla (Faith, Jonny Price) – Produced by Ben West
3. Cowboys and Dreamers (Faith, Steve Moakler) – Produced by Ben West
4. Lasso (Faith, Stegall) – Produced by Ben West, Jen Stegall, & Sean McConnell
5. I Just Wanna Dance – (Faith, Valentine, Ben West) – Produced by Ben West
6. Pipe Dream – (Faith, Sean McConnell, Ashley Ray) – Produced by Ben West & Sean McConnell
Lady A Demonstrates ‘What A Song Can Do’ On Upcoming Album
/by Lorie HollabaughLady A has shared some details behind their upcoming new album, What A Song Can Do, out through BMLG Records on Oct. 22. As a preview, the trio has unveiled “Where Would I Be,” which is available on streaming platforms now.
The 14-track project serves as a love letter of sort to Lady A’s fans, and reinvigorates the band’s signature sound with help from producer Dan Huff. The project contains their Top-15-and-rising lead single “Like a Lady” as well as plenty of unheard tracks, such as “You Keep Thinking That” which puts Scott’s sassiness on blast, and “Friends Don’t Let Friends,” a collaboration featuring Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker and Carly Pearce.
Additionally, Dave Haywood, one third of the group, steps to the mic for his first-ever lead vocal on the devoted “Working On This Love” as it finds him delivering a tender acoustic poem written solo for his wife, Kelli. The album ends with “Swore I Was Leaving” which was the first song the trio wrote for What A Song Can Do. Writers contributing to the project include Laura Veltz, Jesse Frasure, Thomas Rhett, Corey Crowder, Ryan Hurd, and more.
“We’ve rediscovered our purpose, and it’s to entertain and spread a positive message – I really truly believe that,” Charles Kelley says. “I want our legacy to be songs that make people feel good. But, I also think there’s more to our story that hasn’t been written yet.”
With 11 No. 1s, 18 million albums sold, 34 million tracks, and five billion digital streams, the group recently launched their 34-city “Lady A: What A Song Can Do Tour” with special guests Pearce, Niko Moon, and Tenille Arts. Lady A will also make a special stop to the brand new First Bank Amphitheater on Aug. 27 as part of the Franklin venues inaugural lineup.
What A Song Can Do Track List:
1. Talk Of This Town | Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds
2. What A Song Can Do | Charles Kelley, Sam Ellis, Ryan Hurd, Laura Veltz
3. Like A Lady | Hillary Scott, Dave Barnes, Michelle Buzz, Martin Johnson, Brandon Paddock
4. Things He Handed Down | Charles Kelley, Julian Bunetta, Jesse Frasure, Thomas Rhett
5. Fire | Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, Justin Ebach
6. Chance Of Rain | Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Topher Brown, Justin Ebach
7. Worship What I Hate | Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott, Natalie Hemby, Amy Wadge
8. Where Would I Be | David Garcia, Natalie Hemby, Jordan Terry Minton
9. Friends Don’t Let Friends (featuring Carly Pearce, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker) | Charles Kelley, Julian Bunetta, Ashley Gorley, Thomas Rhett
10. In Waves | Charles Kelley, Joey Hendricks, Alysa Vanderheym, Michael Whitworth
11. You Keep Thinking That | Charles Kelley, Dave Cohen, Chris Gelbuda, Steven Lee Olsen
12. Be That For You | Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Corey Crowder
13. Workin’ On This Love | Dave Haywood
14. Swore I Was Leaving | Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, Jordan Reynolds, Parker Welling