Brian Magerkurth

Brian Magerkurth has been appointed Chairman of the Board of SongwritingWith:Soldiers nonprofit.

Magerkurth has served on the SW:S board for four years, and succeeds Gary Leopold in the role. Leopold has served as Chairman of the Board since 2018 and will remain on the board as a Director.

A 28-year U.S. Army Veteran and graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Magerkurth also serves as Senior Vice President of Global Distribution for Avantor, a Fortune 500 company. His deep ties to the veteran community and extensive leadership experience make him uniquely positioned to guide SW:S into its next chapter.

“Brian’s experience as a veteran and the heart he brings to everything he does has been invaluable over the past four years,” says Kristin Starling, President of SW:S. “We couldn’t be more grateful to have him take on the role of board chair. His dedication to his fellow veterans, their families and belief in music’s ability to connect us all make him an excellent choice to sustain and guide SongwritingWith:Soldiers’ mission.”

“Gary Leopold has been an incredible leader as Chairman of the Board of SW:S for the past seven years,” says Magerkurth. “His vision, dedication, and countless contributions have left a lasting impact, and I am deeply honored to follow in his footsteps as the next Chairman in 2025. I, along with the rest of the board and senior staff, would like to thank Gary for his unwavering leadership as the Chairman. As the incoming Chairman, I greatly look forward to working with our talented staff, fantastic board and creative songwriters to continue to honor and support our veteran heroes through our many programs and collaborative songwriting.”

Tucker Wetmore. Photo: Jarrod Anthonee

Tucker Wetmore has scored his first No. 1 at country radio with Platinum single “Wind Up Missin’ You.”

Following his debut in February 2024 with back-to-back Billboard Hot 100 chart hits “Wine Into Whiskey” and “Wind Up Missin’ You,” the UMG Nashville/Back Blocks Music artist amassed 700 million total global streams. “Wind Up Missin’ You” hit the country airwaves in June and topped the charts in just 30 weeks.

“I cannot say thank you enough to country radio for making ‘Wind Up Missin’ You’ my first No. 1,” shares Wetmore. “The last year has changed my life, and it wouldn’t look the same without y’all!!! This is a dream come true and an incredible way to start 2025. I am beyond grateful to everyone who made this happen, and I’m excited to work even harder for you this year. God is so good!!”

Additionally, he was named as one of MusicRow‘s 2025 Next Big Thing Artists, and will perform during Luke Bryan’s 10th annual Crash My Playa concert vacation later this month. Wetmore has also added 17 dates to his sold-out “Waves On A Sunset Tour,” and plans to support Thomas Rhett’s “Better In Boots Tour” this summer.

The latest of Neil Young’s “lost” albums, Oceanside Countryside, is slated to be released on Feb. 14 as part of his Analog Original Series.

Recorded from May through December 1977, the album preceded the release of Young’s Comes A Time in 1978. The two albums contain the same country/folk sound, and three songs (“Goin’ Back,” “Human Highway”and “Field of Opportunity”) appear on both albums.

The vinyl release of Oceanside Countryside includes some tracks that are on the CD of the same name in Young’s Archives Vol. III. This track list is how Oceanside Countryside was originally planned to be released and finally will be made available in analog on vinyl for the first time ever. The songs are the original mixes done at the time of recording and were recorded on tape. On Countryside, Young is joined by a band of friends including Ben Keith (steel guitar), Rufus Thibodeaux (fiddle), Karl T. Himmel (drums) and Joe Osborne (bass). On “The Old Homestead” Tim Drummond plays bass and Levon Helm plays drums.

“This analog original album was recorded in 1977 and unreleased,” says Young. “These songs are the original mixes done at the time of the recordings in the order I planned for the album. I sang the vocals and played the instruments on Oceanside in Florida at Triad studios and Malibu at Indigo studio. I sang the vocals and recorded with my great band of friends, Ben Keith, Joe Osborn, Karl T. Himmel, and Rufus Thibodeaux at Crazy Mama’s in Nashville on Countryside. I hope you enjoy this treasure of an Analog Original recording, recorded by Tim Mulligan, as much as I do. Listening to it now, I think I should have put it out back then.”

Oceanside Countryside Track List:
Side One: Oceanside
1. “Sail Away”
2. “Lost In Space”
3. “Captain Kennedy”
4. “Goin’ Back”
5. “Human Highway”

Side Two: Countryside
1. “Field Of Opportunity”
2. “Dance Dance Dance”
3. “The Old Homestead”
4. “It Might Have Been”
5. “Pocahontas”

Bill Anderson performs newly-written lyrics to “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” with all Opry performers. Photo: Chris Hollo for Grand Ole Opry

The Grand Ole Opry kicked off its 100th year with two sold-out shows at the Ryman Auditorium on Jan. 3–4.

On Friday night (Jan. 3), Bill Anderson, the Opry’s longest-tenured member, started off the “Opry 100” celebrations by singing “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” featuring newly-written lyrics. Anderson was joined by the evening’s other performers for the new tune.

Saturday (Jan. 4)’s show was dedicated to the late President Jimmy Carter, who had visited the Opry before, during and after his presidency. Charlie McCoy performed “Georgia On My Mind”, the official song of Carter’s home state in his honor.

Throughout the year, the Opry will honor the artists, fans and songs that have established the Opry as a historical home of country music since its debut on WSM Radio in 1925. In celebration of the milestone anniversary, the Ryman has unveiled a new “Opry 100” exhibition that traces the Opry’s journey over the past century.

Additional “Opry at the Ryman” shows are scheduled for Jan. 10, 11 and 17, and will feature performances from Kelsea Ballerini, Ashley McBryde, Old Crow Medicine Show, Steve Wariner, Lainey Wilson and more. The Opry will return to the Grand Ole Opry House on Jan. 18 for “Opry Goes Dolly” with performances from Ashley Cooke, Chapel Hart, Don Schlitz, Shaboozey, Rhonda Vincent and more. Tickets to all shows can be purchased here.