Sammy Sadler has signed with Bob Frank Distribution (BFD)/Audium Nashville and is gearing up to release his cover of “Church On The Cumberland Road” featuring Shenandoah’s Marty Raybon on March 5. Sadler has tapped other artist friends for an album of songs that were hits in 1989, the year he survived being shot on Music Row.

“I’m so excited to return to BFD/Audium Nashville with Bob Frank and Chuck Rhodes to release my new album for the world to hear,” said Sadler. “This is the music I grew up on and what I believe is some of the greatest music that was produced and made. To be able to record with some of the original artists of that era is an honor and very humbling. They are true legends.”

The singer was wounded during a shooting that left one other person dead. Since then he has continued to release music with albums including 2004’s Hard On A Heart on the Tri Label, 2009’s Heart Shaped Like Texas on Audium Records, followed by projects on Koch Records and E1.

In addition to BFD/Audium Nashville, Sadler has brought on 117 Publicity, and Platinum Circle Media for digital.

Dolly Parton has declined a bill proposed by the Tennessee legislature to erect a statue of the country music icon on the Capitol grounds.

The bill was filed by Rep. John Windle, D-Livingston on Jan. 13 and would have required the State Capitol Commission to erect the statue facing the Ryman Auditorium.

In a statement provided to MusicRow by Parton’s publicist, the Country Music Hall of Fame member thanked Tennessee legislature for the consideration but declined because she doesn’t want to be put on a pedestal right now “given all that is going on in the world.”

Read Parton’s full statement below:

I want to thank the Tennessee legislature for their consideration of a bill to erect a statue of me on the Capitol grounds. I am honored and humbled by their intention but I have asked the leaders of the state legislature to remove the bill from any and all consideration.

Given all that is going on in the world, I don’t think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time. I hope, though, that somewhere down the road several years from now or perhaps after I’m gone if you still feel I deserve it, then I’m certain I will stand proud in our great State Capitol as a grateful Tennessean.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to try to do good work to make this great state proud.

In an incredibly powerful conversation led by NPR Music’s Ann Powers, Luke Combs and Maren Morris acknowledged racism in the country music industry and spoke about their roles in helping to mend the genre’s complicated past and current issues. The CRS panel that featured the reigning CMA Male and Female Vocalists of the Year was sponsored by All Access.

Country Radio Broadcasters Exec. Dir., RJ Curtis, introduced the panel, saying that Combs and Morris raised their hands to participate in the discussion. “CRS believes this is a timely and important discussion,” he said.

The panel is very timely, following the events of Feb. 3, when a video surfaced of Morgan Wallen using the N-word outside his Nashville home opened up a national conversation about racism and racial inequity in the country music format.

Powers first acknowledged that the conversation, while important, is incomplete, as the participants were three white people.

Morris, who has historically been one of the most outspoken artists in the country genre, released a song in October, “Better Than We Found It,” that address racial inequity and racism.

“I really didn’t set out to be this activist, and obviously none of us are the authority on racism because we are white and existing as white people in a space that is historically rooted in a lot of racism,” Morris said. “It’s really hard for me as a white person to deconstruct all of that. The initial white fragility moment is, ‘I’m not racist, I haven’t done anything racist. I have friends that are Black,’ but I think that once I took that layer away, it’s liberating to not bow up anytime someone questions a motive or an action of yours. I’m still shedding that insecurity, that edge that white people—especially in country music—get when we don’t want to face the history of this genre that I would say we all love dearly.”

Combs, who has shied away from politically charged conversation, recently released a collaboration with Billy Strings that addresses division and conflict, called “The Great Divide.”

Combs commended Morris for speaking out, and admitted the risks associated with such. “Maren has obviously done a fantastic job of sharing her opinions and the things that she believes in, and I admire her a lot for that because that’s a big risk in the climate of our genre. It’s a hard thing to get on here and talk, to have these tough conversations because you’re nervous as an artist.”

Combs points out that the music industry has to acknowledge the problem of lack diversity and racism in country music. “Just saying there are things that need to change, taking a moment to be aware of that and knowing that there are problems that exist is the biggest first step that I have taken. The biggest first step that anybody out there in the industry that may be watching can take is just saying, ‘Hey, these things do happen. Let’s not sit here and say that they don’t, because they do.'”

At a very successful point in his career, Combs doesn’t want to miss his chance to take a stance on the issue. “I couldn’t just sit back and not do anything. I couldn’t not say that I want people to know that we as a genre care about this issue.”

Powers gave Combs the opportunity to talk about some images and videos of him where confederate flags were present.

“There is no excuse for those images. I’m not trying to say ‘This is why they were there and it’s okay that they were there,’ because it’s not okay,” Combs said. “As a younger man, that was an image that I associated to mean something else. As I’ve grown in my time as an artist and as the world has changed drastically in the last five to seven years, I’m now aware of how painful that image can be to someone else. I would never want to be associated with something that brings so much hurt to someone else. It’s not about history or this or that. This is something that hurts someone else.

“I want people to feel accepted, I want people to feel welcomed by country music and by our community. At the time that those images existed, I wasn’t aware what that was portraying to the world and to African American artists in Nashville who were saying, ‘Man, I really want to get a deal, but how can I be around with these images promoted?’ I do apologize for that, I apologize for being associated with that.”

Combs recognized that he is a highly visible member of the country music community, and that he wants to use his influence for good.

Morris and Combs both contributed to the conversation about the distinction between using hateful imagery like the confederate flag, and preserving southern heritage and legacy.

Morris said, “I think that’s what we’re drawn to when we fall in love with country music for the first time, is the nostalgia, the heartbreaking songwriting, the art of a lyric just cutting to your core. It’s about remembering.

“I’m from Texas. This is just sheer ignorance and privilege, but I did not know that the rebel flag meant what it meant until I was 15 or 16 years old,” Morris continued. “That ‘southern pride’ thing, and ‘the south will rise again,’ those were all just terms thrown around. There was no explanation behind it. I think a large majority of people who listen to country music don’t know that either, the deeper meaning of what that flag symbolizes. But maybe that’s just wishful thinking.”

Morris continued to say that she sees confederate flags in the parking lots of festivals that she’s played, and said that she doesn’t want to play those festivals anymore.

“If you were a Black person, would you ever feel safe going to a show with those flying in the parking lot? No. I feel like the most powerful thing as artists in our position right now, is to make those demands of large organizations, festivals, and promoters.”

Combs agrees with Morris that some country listeners may not fully realize the impact and full history behind confederate flag imagery. He equates it to, “Not having to grow up being afraid of that image, and not seeing that image as something that says ‘You’re not welcome here.’

“I never considered that up until 7 or 8 years ago,” Combs continued. “It’s not something that’s talked about a lot in the south. Maren is right, I’d like to think that most people are still unfamiliar with that. I’m not making excuses for anyone, because we can all grow and get better, which is what we’re trying to do here.”

Combs says that there are a multitude of other ways southerners can celebrate their hertiage.

“There are so many things beyond the rebel flag that we can do to be proud of being from the South. You can go plant a vegetable garden in your yard of heirloom plants that your family used to grow 200 years ago,” Combs said. “You can cook a meal that your grandparents made… You don’t need the flag to be proud to be from the South.”

Morris highlighted the often unsung Black pioneers of country music. “If we want to pride ourselves on being ‘three chords and the truth,’ then we need to be truthful with ourselves and know who started this genre, it wasn’t just white people. And going forward, making room [for Black creators]. It’s not to say or diminish my hard work or Luke’s hard work, but we have absolutely had more doors open to us from being white.”

She encourages people to learn the true history of the genre, and points out Ken Burns’ Country Music documentary for having helped her.

“Doing a deep-dive of history and knowing how this genre came to be is a really huge part of it,” Morris said. “I love country music so much. I have my version of it. Going forward, I want to pay respect to the people who actually built it for me.”

When the question was posed about how to help promote diversity and equity in the industry, Combs acknowledged the privilege that worked in tandem with his hard work and talent, and challenged the industry to make sure they’re giving aspiring artists and industry members of color a fair chance.

“I’m not diminishing anyone’s accomplishments. I worked my ass off to get where I am, and so did Maren. But, like she said, it’s impossible to not say we’ve had it easier than our Black counterparts, or I had it easier than Maren, my female counterpart. It’s undeniable. For me to sit here and tell you that– that’s not true, would be a lie.

“If you’re a publisher and a Black writer comes in, are you giving them the same look that you’re giving me if I come in? I’m not accusing anyone of anything, that’s not what I’m saying, I’m just saying take a minute of your day and think.”

Powers brought up another observation regarding the conversation surrounding Morgan Wallen. Powers pointed out that country artists often get accused of causing a rift in the ‘country music family’ when speaking out against hate.

Morris says we strengthen the country music family by holding each other accountable. “This isn’t about going after people or a fan base for sport,” she said. “What is going after someone, saying ‘The N-word is bad’? That’s the least we can do.

“I appreciate Morgan for saying ‘quit defending me’ to his fans, because it’s indefensible. He knows that, we know that,” she continued. “This whole ‘We’re a family, we’re protecting our own,’ is protecting white people. It’s not Black people.”

Morris summed, “If you love something, you should absolutely call out the parts that are complicit and wrong, so we can move forward in a healthy way.”

“We want to be stewards of our genre, because we’re proud of it,” Luke summed. “You do hear ‘country music is a family,’ and I do believe that more than anything, but I want it to be a family that everyone feels like they can be a part of.”

Nick Norman is dropping his 11-track, self-titled debut album on Friday, March 5. Norman is the flagship artist signed to Lee Brice’s Pump House Records.

Produced by Brice, songwriter Rob Hatch, and producer/engineer/songwriter Elisha Hoffman, the project features special guests Jamey Johnson (“The Cock Crows”), Josh Abbott (“Rolling in the Grave”), Rebecca Lynn Howard (“Going Through the Motions”), and Brice adding background vocals and guitars throughout.

Norman grew up listening to a soundtrack of home state heroes from his native South Carolina, including Edwin McCain and Hootie & the Blowfish, and icons like Stevie Wonder and The Band. He soaked it all up, mixing the rootsy sounds of the FM dial with the power of the gospel singers he’d hear every Sunday morning at the local church.

A longtime friend and collaborator of Brice, he began recording songs as a teen, working inside a makeshift studio that he constructed with Brice in the pump house of a local church camp. He later moved to Key West and established himself as one of the area’s strongest draws. His newest album brought him back to Nashville to work with his friend.

“From start to finish this has been a labor of love,” said Brice. “I grew up with Nick and it makes sense we’d do this together. I’m proud to make his album the Pump House debut and support his musical introduction on a national level.”

Norman’s debut single is “The Cock Crows,” a French Quarter-esque rouser featuring Jamey Johnson.

Nick Norman Track List:
1. Gypsies, Thieves, Jokers And Me
2. Porch Man
3. Love Don’t Fool Me Again
4. Just For the Record
5. All In
6. The Cock Crows (feat. Jamey Johnson)
7. Adeline
8. Going Through the Motions (feat. Rebecca Lynn Howard)
9. Good Whiskey
10. Life is Good
11. Rolling in the Grave (feat. Josh Abbott)