Beyoncé Notches Highest Grossing Country Tour In Boxscore History

/by

Beyoncé during the Cowboy Carter Tour in London. Photo: Julian Dakdoul and Andrew White/Parkwood Entertainment

Beyoncé wrapped her “Cowboy Carter Tour” on Saturday night (July 26) in Las Vegas. After 32 shows, the tour grossed $407.6 million with 1.6 million tickets sold, marking the trek the highest-grossing country tour in Boxscore history, according to Billboard. Throughout the entire tour, she broke more than 40 Boxscore records.

The global superstar is no stranger to breaking box office records, as her 2023 “Renaissance World Tour” broke the same record for R&B tours, grossing $579.8 million. With these two feats, Beyoncé is the first woman, and first American artist, to gross over $400 million on two tours. She joins Coldplay, The Rolling Stones and Ed Sheeran in this achievement.

Beyoncé during the Cowboy Carter Tour in London. Photo: Julian Dakdoul and Andrew White/Parkwood Entertainment

The “Cowboy Carter Tour” saw a different touring structure from the singer’s usual routing, with the 32 shows being played across just nine cities (Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, Atlanta, London, Paris, Houston, D.C. and Las Vegas). In Atlanta, Beyoncé spent four nights at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with five nights spent at Los Angeles’ Sofi Stadium and five at MetLife Stadium in New York City. The longest residency on the tour took place in London, with six shows taking place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

In New York, Beyoncé sold a total of 250,000 tickets, grossing $70.3 million. This marks MetLife’s biggest event in history, and also becomes the highest-grossing reported stadium run on a single tour. In London, she brought in $61.6 million with 275,000 tickets sold. Overall on the tour, the average night was $12.7 million, with 49,900 tickets per night at an average of $255.36 per ticket.

Boxscore data is reported to Billboard from a variety of industry sources. Reporting is voluntary, and some artists, venues, and promoters opt to withhold data from representation on the charts.

Jamey Johnson To Headline Inaugural Red, White & Bourbon Bash In September

/by

Jamey Johnson. Photo: David McClister

Jamey Johnson will headline the first-ever Red, White & Bourbon Bash on Sept. 18 at The Grove Club in College Grove, Tennessee.

The Bash will feature world-class bourbon, live music, and a heartfelt mission to honor America’s fallen heroes, and performers at the inaugural event will also include Craig Campbell, Randy Montana, Craig Wayne Boyd, Grayson Russell, Barrett Baber and Brooks Herring. Throughout the night, attendees will savor premium bourbon tastings from select distilleries, enjoy curated light bites, and participate in a silent auction featuring exclusive items and experiences.

Proceeds from the special evening will benefit Memories of Honor, a Nashville-based nonprofit that supports Gold Star families and ensures America’s fallen servicemen and women are never forgotten. Tickets and tables are available now at RedWhiteBourbonBash.com.

“This first Red, White & Bourbon Bash is about music, camaraderie, and giving back,” says Amy Cotta, founder and executive director of Memories of Honor. “We couldn’t imagine a better artist than Jamey Johnson to help us launch it.”

Walker Hayes Readies New Album For August 22

/by

Walker Hayes will release his next project, 17 Problems, on Aug. 22 via RCA Records. His newest single, “17 Year Old Problems,” was released alongside the announcement.

The acoustic number, written by Hayes and produced by Billy Dawson, has Hayes reminiscing about his biggest problems at 17 such as fake IDs and missing curfew.

The 17-track record explores themes of childhood missteps, coming-of-age lessons, a the weight of raising kids, grieving a parent, holding tight to faith and more. Hayes co-wrote every track alongside Shane McAnally, Nicolle Galyon and Lori McKenna, among others.

An Alabama native, Hayes first broke through with “Fancy Like,” which topped every country music sales and streaming chart. Since then, he has released singles including “AA,” “ Y’all Life,” “U Gurl,” and “Good With Me,” and records including Country Stuff The Album, New Money and his 2024 Ep, Sober Thoughts.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Walker Hayes (@walkerhayes)

Atlantic Music Group Launches Country & Americana Imprint

/by

Atlantic Music Group has launched a new imprint for country and Americana music. Called Atlantic Outpost, the venture will be led by Jeff Levin and Ian Cripps, with both retaining their respective roles as Co-Head of pop and rock A&R and as Exec. VP of A&R at Atlantic.

Atlantic Outpost will be based out of Los Angeles and Nashville and more news regarding hirings is expected soon.

Cripps played a major role in the Grammy-nominated Twisters soundtrack, which became the first country soundtrack to debut in the top 10 on the all-genre Billboard chart since 2011 with tracks by Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney and more.

Both Cripps and Levin helped coordinate Warner Music Nashville and Atlantic Records artist Bailey Zimmerman’s feature on BigXthaPlug’s “All the Way,” which topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. They also work with country-leaning artists Sam Barber, Willow Avalon and Cameron Whitcomb.

Chris Stapleton Visits ‘Sesame Street’

/by

Photo: Zach Hyman/Sesame Street

Chris Stapleton recently stopped by the Sesame Street set. He performed “You’ve Got a Friend in Music” alongside Elmo, Abby, Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster and Grover. The full video is available here.

Stapleton is currently on his “All-American Road Show” tour through October. Additionally, he will headline the Healing Appalachia festival this fall in Kentucky. He recently wrapped a run of stadium shows with George Strait and released a duet with Miranda Lambert titled “A Song To Sing.” The song became Lambert’s biggest streaming debut to date, racking up more than 3.3 million U.S. streams and over 4.3 million streams globally. The track topped 27,000 in U.S. track consumption. Co-written by the pair along with Jesse Frasure and Jenee Fleenor, the song also arrived at No. 1 on the Country Digital Song Sales chart.

YouTube video

Photo: Zach Hyman/Sesame Street

Photo: Zach Hyman/Sesame Street

‘Old No. 1 at 50’ Songwriter Series To Celebrate The Spirit Of Guy Clark

/by

Guy Clark

The Guy Clark Family Foundation is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Clark’s debut album Old No. 1 with a series of concerts to bring awareness to the organization and to boost songwriters who work in the spirit of Clark.

Songwriters will perform songs from Old No. 1, followed by a set of their own original material, and proceeds will benefit The Guy Clark Family Foundation. Old No. 1 was praised by the press upon its release by RCA Records on Nov. 7, 1975, (the day after Clark’s 34th birthday,) and tracks “L.A. Freeway,” “Desperados Waiting for a Train,” “Rita Ballou” “Texas 1947” “Let Him Roll” and “That Old Time Feeling” soon became instant classics.

A Nashville benefit show is set for Dec. 9 at The Bluebird Café featuring Verlon Thompson and Shawn Camp, and other cities hosting benefit shows include Saratoga, NY, Cambridge, MA, Alexandria, VA, Austin, TX, and more. Writers appearing at various shows throughout the series include Buddy Mondlock, Rees Shad, Lance Cowan, Rodney Crowell, Radney Foster, Meghan Cary and more. Tickets to the shows go on sale today (July 25).

The Guy Clark Family Foundation was established in 2024 by Guy’s only grandchildren Dylan and Ellie. The Foundation’s mission is to honor Guy’s memory and continue his love and support for songwriters.

Participating venues:

FR, Sept 12 – Cadenza, Freeport, ME – Meghan Cary, Adam Monaco, Buddy Mondlock, Rees Shad, Carole Wise, TICKETS

SA. Sept 13 – Caffe Lena, Saratoga, NY – Michael Eck, Meghan Cary, Adam Monaco, Buddy Mondlock, Jack Murray, Rees Shad, Carole Wise, TICKETS

WE, Sept 17 – Small Batch Cellars, North Haven, CT – Meghan Cary, Adam Monaco, Buddy Mondlock, Rees Shad, Carole Wise, TICKETS

TH, Sept 18 – Passim, Cambridge, MA – Meghan Cary, Lance Cowan, Kemp Harris, Adam Monaco, Buddy Mondlock, Rees Shad, Carole Wise, TICKETS

FR, Sept 19 – Historic Icehouse (Godfrey Daniels), Bethlehem, PA, Artists TBA – Michael Braunfeld, Meghan Cary, Lance Cowan, Adam Monaco, Buddy Mondlock, Jack Murray, Rees Shad, TICKETS

SA, Sept 20 – The Guthrie Center, Great Barrington, MA – Michael Eck, Meghan Cary, Adam Monaco, Buddy Mondlock, Jack Murray, Rees Shad, Carole Wise, TICKETS

SA, Oct 4 – The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA – Eric Brace & Thomm Jutz, The Smith Sisters, Randy Thompson Band, Greg Hardin, Bill Starks, Brennen Edwards and more. TICKETS

SU, Oct 5 – Space, Evanston, IL – Robbie Fulks, Janet Bean, Steve Dawson, Josh Caterer, Naomi Ashley, TICKETS

FR, Oct 24 – The 04 Center, Austin, TX – Artists TBA

TH, Nov 6 – Rockport Songwriter Festival, Rockport, TX – Rodney Crowell, TICKETS

FR-SA, Nov 14-15 – The Bugle Boy, LaGrange, TX – Radney Foster, TICKETS TBA

TU. Dec 9 – The Bluebird Café, Nashville, TN – Verlon Thompson and Shawn Camp, TICKETS TBA

Koe Wetzel & Friends To Aid Texas Flood Victims With ‘Stronger Together’ Benefit

/by

Koe Wetzel and Friends are hosting the “Stronger Together” benefit for the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund on Aug. 4 at The Pavilion at the Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas.

Artists on tap to perform during the evening include Wetzel, Kolby Cooper, Casey Donahew, Ray Wylie and Lucas Hubbard, Pecos Hurley of Pecos & The Rooftops, Mike Ryan, Shane Smith of Shane Smith & The Saints and Dylan Wheeler.

Tickets go on sale today (July 25) via KoeWetzelMusic.com, and all net proceeds from ticket sales plus funds raised will benefit the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund via Wetzel’s foundation, Koe’s Kids. Fans who cannot attend the concert but would still like to help the cause can find donation information at KoeWetzelMusic.com.

“Texas is home – these floods hit our neighbors hard and they need our help,” says Wetzel. “Music has a way of bringing people together, and I’m grateful to my friends who immediately raised their hands to help when we called. This benefit concert is our way of standing with the people of Texas and doing whatever we can to make a difference as our great state rebuilds.”

MusicRow Weekly (News, Charts, More…)

/by

This week’s edition of The MusicRow Weekly reflects both the vibrant evolution and heartfelt traditions of Nashville’s music industry. Click here to see the full edition.

EMPIRE has made a major leadership move, appointing Jennifer Way as Executive Vice President – Nashville. The company continues to expand its presence across genres and markets. Way brings a wealth of experience to the role and is expected to strengthen EMPIRE’s growing Nashville footprint.

The industry also paused this week to honor the life and legacy of Frank Bumstead, Co-Founder of FBMM, who passed away on Sunday, July 20 at the age of 83. A visionary business leader, Bumstead helped shape the financial and strategic side of the music business. Prior to FBMM, he led JMR Investments and the Bumstead Company, and was instrumental in major deals such as the sale of the CMT network to Opryland in 1991 and the merger of MusicRow Magazine with SouthComm in 2008. Under his leadership, FBMM became the first business management firm to integrate seasoned economic expertise into its artist services.

Monday evening (July 21) brought a celebratory moment with the 2025 Country Radio Hall of Fame dinner and ceremony at the Virgin Hotel in Nashville. Hosted by the Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc., the 50th anniversary event paid tribute to decades of contributions in country radio. This year’s inductees included on-air personalities Big D & Bubba, Mary McCoy and Rowdy Yates, along with radio executives Ginny “Rogers” Brophey, Clay Hunnicutt and Gregg Swedberg. Jon Loba, President of Frontline Recordings for BMG Americas, received the 2025 CRB President’s Award for his outstanding contributions to the country format.

Sony Music Publishing Nashville has signed emerging country artist Adrien Nunez to a global publishing administration deal, while Sony Music Nashville has added pop singer-songwriter Ian Harrison to its roster.

RESULTS GLOBAL is growing, with the addition of four new hires: Molly Fisher (Special Projects), Jessica Vitou (Digital & Social Content Specialist), Samantha Parrish (Digital Marketing Coordinator) and Cami Cradock (Marketing Assistant). Meanwhile, Christian Conant has been promoted to Senior Director, A&R at Prescription Songs.

Netflix is turning its lens on the creative engine of the music industry with its new docu-series Hitmakers. The six-episode series explores the intense and collaborative songwriting camps where hits for artists like John Legend, Shaboozey and Lisa of Blackpink are born. Featuring a star-studded lineup of songwriters including Ben Johnson, Jenna Andrews, Tommy Brown, Trey Campbell and Nova Wav, the show travels from Nashville to the Bahamas and Cabo, offering a rare inside look at the creative process behind today’s biggest chart-toppers.

Wierok Entertainment has named Holly Salazar as Head of Publishing and Rights Management. Salazar will oversee the company’s catalog across its various imprints, leading the centralized administration of music rights as the company brings those operations fully in-house.

Spencer Hatcher of Quartz Hill Music Group/Stone Country Records has signed with WME for global representation. The Choir Room, a musical group known for their uplifting sound, has joined the roster at Centricity Music. Additionally, songwriter Aaron Armstrong has inked a publishing deal with Riser House, The Song Factory, and acclaimed producer Jake Mitchell.

This week’s edition also features an interview with fast rising country artist Hudson Westbrook.

In addition, the latest MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart is included. Scotty McCreery and Hootie & The Blowfish take the No. 1 spot with “Bottle Rockets.” Explore more chart data here.

The MusicRow Weekly is delivered every Friday, featuring Nashville’s top music industry news, exclusive interviews, song reviews, radio and songwriter charts and more. Sign up for free here.

Bailey Zimmerman To Host Exclusive Listening Party At Boots & Hearts Music Festival

/by

Bailey Zimmerman. Photo: Masonn1k

Bailey Zimmerman will premiere his sophomore album, Different Night, Same Rodeo, at an exclusive late-night listening event at the Boots and Hearts Music Festival on the SiriusXM Front Porch Stage on Aug. 7.

Hosted by Buzz Brainard of SiriusXM’s The Highway, the event will feature an intimate conversation and an album playback, giving festival goers a first listen before its official midnight release. As Friday night’s headliner, Zimmerman will bring his unmistakable energy to the main stage.

Single-day tickets for Thursday are $69.99 plus taxes and fees. Friday – Sunday tickets are available for $139.99 plus taxes and fees for general admission and $239.99 plus taxes and fees for VIP admission. Full weekend passes, parking passes, tent and RV camping passes are available here.

Hudson Westbrook Celebrates New Album At Sold-Out Nashville Show

/by

Hudson Westbrook. Photo: Ian Noh

Hudson Westbrook celebrated his new record, Texas Forever, with a sold-out release week show on Wednesday (June 23) at Marathon Music Works in Nashville. With the crowd singing every word, it is clear fans are already connecting with the record, released today (July 25).

Mackenzie Carpenter kicked off the night with an hour-long set that had the crowd locked in from start to finish. Drawing heavily from her debut album Hey Country Queen, she delivered standout tracks like “A Dozen Red Flags” and “Gone Fishin’” with infectious energy. Her rendition of “I’m Not Pretty,” co-written with and recorded by Megan Moroney, ignited the room as fans sang along at full volume. Sprinkling in a few well-chosen covers, Carpenter kept the momentum high with spirited singalongs of “Gunpowder and Lead,” “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” and “Check Yes or No,” setting a lively tone for the night ahead.

Photo: Ian Noh

Before long, Westbrook hit the stage with “Weatherman” kicking things off at full speed before rolling into “Dopamine” and “Two Way Drive.” The crowd lit up for his debut single, “Take It Slow,” a clear early highlight.

“This is me and my mom’s favorite song and it’s called ‘Johnny Walker,’” Westbrook shared before launching into a cover of the tune. He eased into a quieter stretch with “Pray Your Name,” followed by a cover of Miranda Lambert’s reflective “The House That Built Me.”

From there, he brought the energy back with the live debut of “First Time” and the title track of his new record, “Texas Forever.” Calling Carpenter back to the stage, the duo took on another live debut, their unreleased duet, “Lie To Me.”

Westbrook launched into a run of crowd favorites, rolling through “Take Your Time,” “Damn Good Taste in Whiskey” and “Dressed Down” without missing a beat. Before “Funny Seeing You Here,” he jumped off stage to take a few quick photos with fans.

Photo: Ian Noh

With the crowd fully locked in, Westbrook kept things playful with a cover of Neon Trees’ “Everybody Talks,” followed by a full-throttle take on Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” that had the entire room singing along.

He kicked off the final stretch with “Mine Tomorrow” and “House Again,” with fans lighting up the room with flashlights as they sang along word for word.

He followed with “Sober” and closed with “5 to 9,” one final singalong that sent the night out on a high.

Westbrook continues his tour tonight (July 25) in Charlotte, North Carolina.