It has been 23 years since David Lee Murphy last hit No. 1 on the country charts as an artist with his 1995 classic “Dust On The Bottle.” With “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” featuring collaborator and co-producer Kenny Chesney, Murphy returns to No. 1 this week on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart and the Mediabase Country chart.

The track is the first from Murphy’s album No Zip Code, as part of a joint venture between Reviver Records and Chesney’s Blue Chair Records.

“When Kenny asked me about making a record, I thought that sounded like a whole lot of fun,” Murphy says. “I love to make music, just as much as I love writing songs. So, we went in without expectations, and I wouldn’t have imagined this. But it sure feels good. To know my music is hitting this kind of place in people’s hearts…That’s the reason I write these songs: to make people feel something about their life. So, the response when I play it live, now with the No. 1, is everything I could hope for, and I am so grateful to the Reviver Records team for believing, and to country radio for letting this music be heard. That’s how the dots get connected.”

“David Lee is the kind of artist who’s timeless,” Chesney says. “He writes real country songs for right now, and he understands people. I wanted that voice out there, and I’m so glad country radio agreed! I’ve joked, ‘I’m just glad David Lee let me sing on this one,’ but it’s kind of true. I remember when he was having hits, thinking just how good he was – and it’s great to be part of something he’s part of, let alone his first No. 1 record since ‘Dust on the Bottle.’”

“There is something musically explosive and inexplicable about the Murphy Chesney combo,” said Reviver founder and president/CEO David Ross. “Their relationship, and Reviver’s partnership with Blue Chair Records, has not only given life to the incredible songs on David Lee’s new album No Zip Code, it’s brought two companies together with a common purpose – to give one of the genre’s best-known and most loved songwriters his own stage.”

“Everyone at this label was floored by this album when they first heard it,” said Reviver’s Executive VP/GM Gator Michaels. “To see the way that the music has connected with people and to see the incredible support that David Lee has received at radio, from his fans and especially from Kenny and everyone at Blue Chair Records is not only overwhelming, it’s truly well deserved.”

As a songwriter, Murphy has had several hits recorded by Chesney (“Pirate Flag,” “Living in Fast Forward”), Jason Aldean (“The Only Way I Know,” “Big Green Tractor”), Blake Shelton (“The More I Drink”), Thompson Square (“Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not”), Gary Allan (“A Feelin’ Like That”), Jake Owen (“Anywhere With You”) and Reba (“Red Roses (Won’t Work Now)”).

The track, penned by Murphy with Jimmy Yeary and Chris Stevens, also marks another No. 1 country hit for THiS Music Publishing and Capitol CMG Publishing.

 

The War and Treaty‘s anticipated full-length debut, Healing Tide, is set for release August 10 on Strong World/Thirty Tigers. The duo, comprised of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Blount-Trotter, recently released the album’s title track.

Healing Tide was produced by Buddy Miller and recorded at Miller’s home studio in March. The project includes 11 songs penned solely by Michael and features special guest vocalist Emmylou Harris on “Here Is Where the Loving Is At.”

The duo has a unique musical story that began when Michael was a soldier who was sent to Iraq. Stationed in one of Saddam Hussein’s rubbled palaces, he had access to a piano that had emerged miraculously unscathed. When a captain heard him play and sing, he encouraged Michael to pursue music. When that same captain was killed, Michael sat down to really write for the first time. Officers noticed the tribute, pulled Michael from the front lines, and gave him a new charge: write and perform songs for the fallen. Whenever a brother or sister in arms died, Michael spoke to buddies, uncovered the story, and penned a song for the memorial.

Upon returning from Iraq, he was booked on a festival with Tanya Blount, and the two eventually began writings songs together and became a duo in life as well. When they stepped up to fill in for an ill Buddy Miller at the 2017 Americana Music Festival & Conference at the Cannery Ballroom in Nashville, their talent became the talk of the festival, and soon they were working on their debut.

The album is full of autobiographical gems, including “Little New Bern,” a song close to Tanya’s heart, painting vivid pictures of her grandparents’ farm. “That’s where happiness started for me, at my grandparents’ every summer, barefoot in the dirt, down at the pond, playing with the frogs,” she says. “I think everybody has a Little New Bern.” Michael’s favorite on the album is “Jeep Cherokee Laredo,” a scorcher that tells The War and Treaty story. “It starts off with me telling my truth––I said I’d never love again, never get married again. There were so many ‘I would never do agains,’” Michael says. “Then here comes this girl, and I put my foot in my mouth. And I got to live up to it.”

The project is packed with songs full of hope and inspiration. “I hope people see our hearts on this record,” Michael says. “I want them to experience freedom. To feel again.”

The duo is managed by Nashville-based Wingman Management and booked by WME.

On Wednesday (June 13), Kane Brown celebrated a multitude of successes with friends and industry members during a rooftop party held at the Sony Nashville offices.

Brown’s self-titled debut album was celebrated for being certified Platinum by the RIAA. He also recently earned his second No. 1 country song as an artist, for “Heaven”—the track has also gone double-Platinum.

The rooftop party featured six plaques, each commemorating a newly-reached milestone since his debut album released in 2017.

In addition to album milestone and “Heaven” certification, Brown’s collaboration with Lauren Alaina, “What Ifs,” has reached triple Platinum status. Two non-radio singles, “There Goes My Everything” and “Found You,” have reached Gold status.

“Have you seen a better backdrop for a No. 1 party?” said BMI’s Bradley Collins.

Sony Music Nashville’s Chairman & CEO Randy Goodman set the tone for the momentous occasion, calling the “cumulative stats are stunning, if not staggering.”

BMI songwriter Shy Carter, SESAC songwriter Matt McGinn and BMI/APRA songwriter Lindsay Rimes were also recognized for writing the No. 1 hit “Heaven.” The event was hosted by BMI, SESAC, and APRA.

Producer Dann Huff reflected on his time in the studio with Brown.

“I get very involved in the details,” Huff offered. “I remember when I first started working with Kane, really all the feedback I would get is ‘sick.’ At first I didn’t know if that was good or bad,” he quipped.

Rimes, who moved to Nashville from his native Australia three years ago, was celebrating his very first No. 1 song.

“Thank you for writing with me. Kane, you changed my life with this song. This is perfect,” he quipped, referring to a line in “Heaven.”

“Heaven” marks the second country No. 1 for writer Shy Carter, who also penned the pop smash “One Call Away” for Charlie Puth.

Carter also offered a shout-out to BMG’s Chris Oglesby. “That’s my dawg. Everybody sign with Chris Oglesby.”

“I’m very blessed. We sat by the lake and wrote this…now we got plaques and stuff.”

He also complimented producer Dann Huff. “I was in New York when I heard the final [version]. I know when it goes to Dann Huff, it’s money,” before literally dropping the mic.

Brown, in his typical humble fashion, gave credit to his tight-knit group of co-writers. “I have core writers and thank you for writing with me and for being in my circle.”

Brown remains the first and only artist to top all 5 of the Billboard country charts simultaneously, and, at over 240 million streams, “What Ifs” is the fifth most-streamed country song of all time according to Nielsen data.

“This is a historic moment,” said SMACK’s Robin Palmer.