The United Kingdom’s Bauer media is set to launch the first nationwide country music radio station in the UK, Country Hits Radio, with The Ty Bentli Show as the only American radio show included. Ty Bentli and his co-hosts Chuck Wicks and Tricia “TJ” Jenkins will entertain fans during the afternoon drive time in the UK.

Country Hits Radio launches on April 5, 2019 via DAB in top markets London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, South Yorkshire, Lancashire, Humberside, Tyne & Wear, Teesside, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Tayside, Inverness and Ayr. The Ty Bentli Show joins a lineup of presenters that includes Jennie Longdon, Baylen Lenoard, and Una Healy (of The Saturdays).

Bentli said, “Every trip I’ve taken to Europe, I’ve sat for hours with a notepad and an AM/FM headset listening to radio at a table or park and taking notes with a fantasy in my head that maybe someday I’d have the chance to be a presenter in the UK. Not only will I now be living that dream, I get to do it in a way that’s never been done! Bauer is spreading COUNTRY across the UK and I can’t wait to take our UK listeners behind-the-scenes to understand what makes their favorite artists tick, while also sharing hilarious moments, real-life insecurities and triumphs of our daily experiences as they intertwine with the Music City, and the stars that make the country music we play!”

James Brownlow, Content Director for Country Hits Radio, said “Since we have the responsibility of launching the UK’s first-ever national country music radio brand, it was vitally important to everyone at Country Hits Radio that we pull together a team that could represent the current country music scene as well as authentically engage UK and world audiences with original, entertaining, and market-leading content. This vision led us directly to The Ty Bentli Show. After speaking to Ty and the team at Westwood One and Cumulus Media, we knew this was the right fit. Great Britain is going to have one brilliant country music party each weekday on their way home!”

“We’re delighted that Bauer Media recognized that by giving The Ty Bentli Show a featured role on Country Hits Radio channel, they are giving their UK audience a front-row seat to Nashville’s country music scene,” added Suzanne Grimes, EVP, Marketing for Cumulus Media and President, Westwood One “Ty’s unique interview style attracts the who’s who of country music, and we are excited to share the program with an entirely new audience of country music fans.”

Luke Combs will extend his sold-out Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour through this fall. The newly confirmed dates commence Sept. 26 at Rogers, Arkansas’ Walmart AMP, and span through the end of the year, culminating at Nashville, Tennessee’s Bridgestone Arena on Dec. 13. Special guests throughout the tour include Morgan Wallen, The Cadillac Three and Jameson Rodgers.

Presale will be available starting Tuesday, April 2 at 10 a.m. local time with general on-sale following on Friday, April 5 at 10 a.m. local time.

Earlier this week, Combs made history as the first artist to simultaneously top all five Billboard country charts for multiple weeks: Top Country Albums, Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, Country Streaming Songs and Country Digital Song Sales (dated March 9 and March 30).

The success comes on the heels of Combs’ 2x Platinum single, “Beautiful Crazy,” which remains No. 1 on the Mediabase/Country Aircheck chart for the third-straight week and holds strong at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart for the fifth-straight week.

Already the 2019 ACM Award-winner for New Male Artist of the Year, Combs is also nominated for Male Artist of the Year at this year’s awards and will perform during the ceremony.

LUKE COMBS’ BEER NEVER BROKE MY HEART FALL TOUR:
September 26—Rogers, AR—Walmart AMP§
September 27—Bloomington, IL—Grossinger Motors Arena§
September 28—St. Paul, MN—Xcel Energy Center§
October 3—Cape Girardeau, MO—Show Me Center**
October 4—Kansas City, MO—Sprint Center**
October 5—Des Moines, IA—Wells Fargo Arena**
October 8—Winnipeg, MB—Bell MTS Place**
October 10—Saskatoon, SK—SaskTel Center**
October 11—Edmonton, AB—Rogers Place**
October 12—Calgary, AB—The Scotiabank Saddledome**
October 15—Missoula, MT—Adams Center**
October 16—Bozeman, MT—Brick Breeden Fieldhouse**
October 18—Portland, OR—Moda Center**
October 19—Vancouver, BC—Rogers Arena**
October 25—Fresno, CA—Save Mart Center**
October 26—Sacramento, CA—Golden 1 Center**
October 31—Nampa, ID—Ford Idaho Center**
November 1—Spokane, WA—Spokane Arena**
November 2—Tacoma, WA—Tacoma Dome**
November 6—San Jose, CA—SAP Center at San Jose**
November 8—Phoenix, AZ—Talking Stick Resort Arena**
November 15—Indianapolis, IN—Bankers Life Fieldhouse**
November 16—Cleveland, OH—Quicken Loans Arena**
November 21—Philadelphia, PA—Wells Fargo Center**
November 22—Uncasville, CT—Mohegan Sun Arena**
November 23—Pittsburgh, PA—PPG Paints Arena**
December 5—Bossier City, LA—CenturyLink Center**
December 6—Lubbock, TX—United Supermarkets Arena**
December 13—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena**

§with The Cadillac Three and Jameson Rodgers
**with Morgan Wallen and Jameson Rodgers

Dan + Shay will join Shawn Mendes‘ Australian tour dates in Perth, Adelaide, Melborne and Sydney later this year. The duo, riding high on singles including their Grammy-winning “Tequila,” as well as “Speechless” and “All To Myself,” will join the pop star on a run of six tour dates beginning in October.

Australian artist Ruel is also on the bill for shows in both Australia and New Zealand in November.

The tour is in support of Mendes’ self-titled 2018 album. “In My Blood,” a recent single from the project, has been certified Platinum.

Australia dates with Dan + Shay:

Oct. 23 – Perth, AU @ RAC Arena
Oct. 26 – Adelaide, AU @ Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Oct. 29 – Melbourne, AU @ Rod Laver Arena
Oct. 30 – Melbourne, AU @ Rod Laver Arena
Nov. 2 – Sydney, AU @ Qudos Bank Arena
Nov. 3 – Sydney, AU @ Qudos Bank Arena

Lexington, Kentucky’s Railbird Festival, set for Aug. 10-11, has revealed the performer lineup, including headlining shows from The Raconteurs, Brandi Carlile, Hozier and Tyler Childers.

Others on the lineup include Old Crow Medicine Show, Lucinda Williams, I’m With Her, Ruston Kelly, Lucie Silvas and more.

Presented by AC Entertainment, the event will offer premium experiences, including horse racing and food from James Beard nominee Ouita Michael (Holly Hill Inn & more), Top Chef season 16 runner up Sara Bradley (freight house), Master Chef alumnus Dan Wu (Atomic Ramen), Cole Arimes (Cole 735 Main), Toa Green (Crank and Boom) and others.

Public on-sale begins Thursday (March 28) at 10 a.m. ET at railbirdfest.com.

The Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival kicked off its 27th year Tuesday night (March 26) in bars and listening rooms across Nashville. With three new venues to hold rounds during the week—Analog at Hutton Hotel, the Lounge at City Winery and TRUE Music Room & Bar—this year’s Tin Pan South includes nearly 400 songwriters in a variety of genres performing in over 90 rounds.

During the 6 p.m. show slot, 3rd & Lindsley was the hot ticket with award-winning Creative Nation songwriters Lori McKenna, Barry Dean and Luke Laird sharing their hits and inviting special guests up to perform, benefitting the W.O. Smith Music School.

McKenna played her Grammy-winning Best Country Song titles, “Girl Crush” (Little Big Town) and “Humble and Kind” (Tim McGraw), as well as her poignant stunner “People Get Old” from her 2018 album The Tree. Laird played his recent Grammy-winner, “Space Cowboy” (Kacey Musgraves) as well as “Down To The Honky Tonk” (Jake Owen)–with a bit of help from the charming Kassi Ashton in the audience who yelled “when I’m gone!” when Laird prompted her. Ashton later joined the stage to share her moving new single, “Pretty Shiny Things.”

Dean’s always enjoyable voice shared his tunes “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools” (Tim McGraw) and “Somebody’s Daughter” (Tenille Townes); he was joined by co-writers McKenna and Laird for their new George Strait cut, “God And Country Music.”

Creative Nation’s Casey Brown (“Blue Tacoma,” “Yours”), Steve Moakler (“Suitcase,” “Riser”) and newcomer Alec Bailey all appeared as guests at the show.

SMACKSongs hosted a round at Douglas Corner featuring rising talents Ryan Beaver, Aaron Eshuis, Matt McGinn and Teddy Robb. Beaver played his witty HARDY tune “4X4,” as well as some moody songs like “I Wish You Were Here” and “Rhinestoned.” Eshuis played his first No. 1, Scotty McCreery’s “This Is It,” as well as “Michigan For The Winter” (Ryan Hurd) and a hilarious tune about missing his significant other’s birthday.

McGinn played one of his many Kane Brown cuts, “Heaven,” as well as “I’m Gonna Miss You” (Michael Ray) and “Wasn’t That Drunk” (Josh Abbott Band). Robb played his debut single “Lead Me On,” and his impressively tender “Tell Me How.”

The 9 p.m. show slot had a variety of great options, like Brett James, Lee Thomas Miller, Wendell Mobley at 3rd & Lindsley, or Nicolle Galyon, Emily Weisband, Parker Welling and guests at the Listening Room Café.

Sony/ATV’s round at the TRUE Music Room & Bar at the Cambria Hotel lent to a hilarious night with Jon Nite, Jaren Johnston, Ross Copperman and new Sony/ATV writer, Josh Osborne. Dubbed the “You ‘SONY’d’ To See This!” round, the show featured entertaining performances of great songs, and even more entertaining banter between country rocker Johnston and hit-maker Osborne.

Seemingly wary of the new kid at Sony/ATV, Johnston tested him with teasing comments about Osborne’s commercial success. MusicRow‘s Top Songwriter of 2018 retaliated with jokes about Johnston’s band, The Cadillac Three. All in good fun, the two were keeping the crowd laughing.

Nite kicked the round off with his Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert duet “We Were Us,” and talked about the unfortunate placement of the tattoo he was forced into after he and his co-writers promised they would get one if the song went to No. 1. He also played his touching “Boy” (Lee Brice) and “Break Up In The End” (Cole Swindell), and his fun “Beachin'” (Jake Owen). After hearing from Osborne that his wife liked Nite’s singing voice, Nite hilariously played his Luke Bryan hit “Strip It Down.”

Johnston, with his father Jerry Ray Johnston supplying the percussion, played his cuts “Sunshine & Whiskey” (Frankie Ballard), “Raise ‘Em Up” (Keith Urban with Eric Church), “Meanwhile Back At Mama’s” (Tim McGraw) and Billy Currington’s “Don’t It”—or as his co-writer Copperman would say, “Donut.” He ended with the anthemic love song penned for his wife, ASCAP exec Evyn Mustoe, that The Cadillac Three recorded, “White Lightning.”

Copperman—who sat between the beefing Johnston and Osborne—kept up with Kenny Chesney hits “Get Along” and “Setting the World on Fire,” Keith Urban smashes “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” and “Break On Me” and a Dierks Bentley No. 1 “Woman, Amen.”

Osborne, when he wasn’t telling jokes, played a wide sampling of hits, including “All the Pretty Girls” (Kenny Chesney), “Drinkin’ Problem” (Midland), “One That Got Away” (Michael Ray), “Hotel Key” (Old Dominion), and “Body Like A Back Road” (Sam Hunt).

The foursome talked about how important Tin Pan South is to songwriters. In the next breath they encouraged all the songwriters in the room to go talk to the Sony/ATV execs who were at the round (like Josh Van Valkenburg and Duff Berschback) and added that all the songwriters should ask them for deals.

“We may all be looking for a place to write tomorrow,” Osborne joked as they closed the show.