Kingfish Partners With Exceleration Music To Launch Red Zero Records

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Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. Photo: Anthony Abu-Hanna

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram has partnered with Exceleration Music to launch his new label, Red Zero Records. Ingram will serve as the label’s CEO, and his longtime manager Ric Whitney will take on the role of President. Together, the co-founders will be actively involved in the signing and development of new artists.

The label’s first release, slated for 2025, will be Ingram’s third studio album. The collection follows his 2023 Live in London, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Exceleration Music and Redeye Distribution will provide label services and global distribution for Red Zero, leveraging support from other Exceleration imprints like Alligator Records.

“The name Red Zero Records is a nod to my early days in both Clarksdale, Mississippi and in music,” explains Ingram. “As a kid, I played my first few live performance gigs in my hometown at Red’s Lounge and Ground Zero Blues Club. These places and the people there were instrumental in my development as a musician, so we wanted to pay homage in a unique way.”

He continues, “Red Zero Records will be focused on creating avenues for blues musicians to make great music and get it out widely to the world. Blues is the cornerstone of American music, so our goal is to take a genre we love, and with time, expand our musical breadth into soul, rock & roll, R&B and roots music as these genres are the fruit of the blues.”

Whitney adds, “Launching a label was an idea Kingfish and I formulated during COVID. The ability to release music under a label we own is a special moment and a testament to years of doing the hard work. Further, the opportunity to partner with Exceleration and to work with musicians we truly respect and whose music we enjoy is what also makes this business endeavor exciting.”

“Christone is a remarkable artist who’s already accomplished a great deal early in his career,” says John Burk, Exceleration Music Partner. “This launch of his Red Zero Records marks an exciting new chapter for him as an artist and as an ambassador for American roots music. All of us at Exceleration Music look forward to continuing to work with Christone and Ric in supporting their vision of taking the music forward while also creating more opportunities for deserving artists.”

Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum’s Patty Loveless Exhibit Nearing Its Close

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Visitors to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will be able to see the “Patty Loveless: No Trouble with the Truth” exhibit until Sunday, Nov. 10 before its closing.

The exhibit, which opened last June, traces Loveless’ story from a musical prodigy to a Grammy-winning country star who carries forward the sounds of her Appalachian roots. Loveless achieved 31 top 20 hits by 2003, including five No. 1 hits. Her foray into bluegrass on her acclaimed 2001 album, Mountain Soul, featured the enduring song “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive.”

In recent years, Loveless took a hiatus but occasionally recorded with other artists, including Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Carly Pearce, John Prine, Bob Seger and Chris Young. In 2022, Chris Stapleton, a fellow East Kentuckian, recruited Loveless for a benefit concert for Kentucky flood victims. Their performance of “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” led to the duo performing the song at the 2022 CMA Awards.

Loveless has won five CMA awards, two Academy of Country Music awards and two Grammys. She became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1988, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October 2023.

Grammys Finds New Home At Disney Under 10-Year Deal With Recording Academy

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The Recording Academy and Disney have entered into a new 10-year global deal for the Grammy Awards to be exclusively simulcast on ABC, Hulu and Disney+ beginning in 2027, making The Walt Disney Company the first new home for the ceremony in 50 years.

As part of the deal, The Recording Academy will also produce multiple Grammy-branded music specials and additional new programming for audiences around the world across Disney’s platforms.

The Grammys adds to The Walt Disney Company’s slate of live event programming across entertainment and sports from the Oscars, CMA Awards and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest to ESPN. In the first year of the agreement in 2027, ABC will present the Grammys, the Oscars and Super Bowl LXI.

“As The Walt Disney Company combines forces with the Recording Academy to open this exciting new chapter in the history of the Grammys, we do so with pride and gratitude,” says Dana Walden, Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman. “Live events have never been more important to our culture and industry, and we just acquired one of the crown jewels, adding to our portfolio of world-class programming across all genres.”

“We are completely thrilled to be bringing the Grammys and other new music programming to the Disney ecosystem,” says Harvey Mason Jr., Recording Academy CEO. “We are grateful to our long-standing partners at CBS and now honored to be joining with Disney, an iconic company where creators have always been at the forefront. This partnership represents another important milestone in the Academy’s transformation and growth, and strengthens our ability to fulfill our mission of uplifting and serving music people around the world.”

Niko Moon To Release New EP In November

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Niko Moon will release his new EP, These Are The Nights, on Nov. 22.

Moon co-wrote all four tracks alongside Danny Majic and David J. The tunes seek to capture the magic of slowing life down and enjoying simple pleasures. The EP was written within a two week period while Moon was out on his “These Are The Days Tour.”

On the project, listeners will find previously-released “Money Can’t Buy,” a story about sharing priceless moments with loved ones that money can’t provide. Additionally, “Summer Don’t Go” shows Moon wishing for endless sunny days, while “Head Above Water” serves as a reminder to not let life’s minor stresses get in the way of what’s important. Fans are then encouraged to live in the moment with “Night’s Still Young.”

“These songs are all about capturing those moments that remind you of what really matters in life,” says Moon. “Whether it’s being by the water or sharing time with the people you love, it’s about appreciating the simple things. Writing while on tour gave these songs a different energy—they reflect that sense of freedom and fun that comes from being out on the road. This project was such a unique experience, and I’m excited for everyone to hear how it all came together.”

He plans to embark on “These Are The Nights: The Tour” in early 2025.

These Are The Nights Track Listing:
1. “Money Can’t Buy” (Niko Moon, Danny Majic, David J)
2. “Summer Don’t Go” (Niko Moon, Danny Majic, David J)
3. “Head Above Water” (Niko Moon, Danny Majic, David J)
4. “Night’s Still Young” (Niko Moon, Danny Majic, David J)

Artists Unite To Aid Hurricane Relief On Upcoming United Way Benefit Show

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Brittney Spencer, Chris Janson, Clay Aiken, Jonathan McReynolds and Tyler Hubbard are set to perform on the United Way Benefit For Hurricane Relief airing Nov. 2 on CBS and CMT.

The one-hour special brings together some of the biggest names across music, TV and entertainment to mobilize communities and raise critical funds for relief and recovery following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which caused an estimated $50 billion in damage. Proceeds from the special, taped Oct. 27 and 28 in Nashville, will support the hurricane relief and long-term recovery efforts and benefit individuals and families across the Southeastern U.S.

The show will also include appearances by Backstreet Boys, Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Burke, Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Cedric The Entertainer, Cody Alan, Jackson Dean, JB SMOOVE, Kelsea Ballerini, Max Thieriot, Nate Burleson, Stephen Colbert, Taye Diggs and Zac Brown Band, alongside real life heroes Mark Starling, Tank Spencer and more.

“In times of crisis, United Way mobilizes the caring power of communities to help people in need,” says Angela F. Williams, President and CEO of UWW. “United Way Benefit for Hurricane Relief is an opportunity to unite people to help the individuals and families impacted by the devastating hurricanes. Because united is the way to create long-term and lasting resiliency for individuals, families and communities.”

“Paramount Global and its brands are proud to collaborate with United Way Worldwide on the United Way Benefit For Hurricane Relief in reaching audiences across the U.S. to help those impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton,” says Melissa C. Potter, Executive Director, Content for Change, Paramount Global and United Way Worldwide board of trustee. “I have seen firsthand how United Way rallies local leaders, cross-sector partners, and the community to aid people during times of crisis, and the resources raised by this benefit event will help those in need to recover and rebuild.”

Industry Ink: Morgan Wallen, Chris Janson, Rosie Flores, IBMA

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Morgan Wallen Foundation & Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation Donate Instruments To Schools In Touring Cities

Donelson Middle School Band, led by teacher Laura Shepherd, receives multiple new instruments from Morgan Wallen Foundation and Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation. Photo: Courtesy of Morgan Wallen Foundation

The Morgan Wallen Foundation supports programs for youth in both music and sports, and the foundation further expanded its local impact during Wallen’s U.S. tour’s 2024 leg with their “One Instrument At A Time” initiative, in partnership with the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation.

For the past two years, Wallen has donated three dollars from every U.S. ticket sold on his 87-show “One Night At A Time World Tour” to the nonprofit. The foundation committed to donating musical instruments to schools in need across 14 stadium touring cities Wallen visited this year on his tour, including Charlotte, Denver, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Nashville, Philadelphia, Tampa, Virginia Beach and more. In total, the value of the instrument donations is $500,000.

 

Chris Janson Performs On Fox & Friends

Chris Janson

Chris Janson performed his patriotic anthem, “All American Guy,” on Fox & Friends recently (which is currently racing up the iTunes charts since the performance,) and also included a stirring portion of the anthemic “God Bless the USA.”

“Flags were flying and the energy in the studio was awesome,” says Janson about the appearance. “I had a blast singing my song ‘All-American Guy’ on the show today. This one has become a favorite of mine to perform and the live audience today showed up to celebrate our incredible country.”

 

CMHOFM Hosts Concert, Conversation With Rosie Flores

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Associate Director of Editorial Michael McCall and Rosie Flores. Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum hosted a concert and conversation with Rosie Flores last weekend.

The program was led by the museum’s Associate Director of Editorial Michael McCall. Flores is a 2024 National Heritage Fellow, an honor recognizing her six decades of devotion to exploring and performing American roots-rock music and how it intersects with her Latina heritage. A key member of the L.A. cowpunk scene in the 1980s, Flores led the bands Penelope’s Children and Rosie & the Screamers, joined the flamboyant Screamin’ Sirens, then signed with Reprise Records as a solo artist in 1987.

The program was offered in support of the Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock exhibit, presented by City National Bank and made possible in part by the Academy of Country Music.

 

IBMA 2025 Leadership Bluegrass Program Accepting Applications

The 2025 application for the IBMA Leadership Bluegrass program is now open. IBMA Leadership Bluegrass is a three-day intensive professional development program designed for music industry professionals. Each year, 25 applicants are selected to gather for a series of panels, presentations and collaborative activities to better understand the current industry landscape and cultivate leadership in the bluegrass community.

Selected participants will gain necessary knowledge and connections to realize their business goals and become leaders in the bluegrass music industry, and the application deadline is Nov. 18 at 5 P.M. CT.

Dolly Parton Teams Up With Tennessee Tourism For ‘Playcation’ Kid’s Guide

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Dolly Parton. Photo: Curtis Hilbun/Dollywood

Dolly Parton has teamed up with Tennessee Tourism to invite kids and kids-at-heart to plan adventures with the new Tennessee “Playcation” Kid’s Guide.

Launched in 2023, the “Playcation” campaign has become a year-long initiative to engage families and inspire kids to play an active role in planning vacations.

The free resource features kid-friendly activities and over 45 family-friendly Tennessee destinations, such as Dollywood, the Memphis Zoo, Tennessee Aquarium, Grand Ole Opry and more. Hidden randomly within the over-90-page guides are 10 Butterfly Tickets. The ticket recipients will win a VIP celebration at the opening of Dollywood’s 40th season, including a two-night stay for four people at one of the park’s resorts, season passes, a signed Parton-inspired guitar and an activity pass to explore other Pigeon Forge attractions.

“I love making dreams come true, and this is a chance for families to dream big and plan their perfect Tennessee vacation at one of my favorite places—Dollywood,” says Parton. “I’m tickled to be part of this adventure, and help create some memories that will last a lifetime. There’s nothing quite like spending time with family, and I’m just thrilled to give folks a little something special with these Butterfly Tickets!”

Kids can also submit their own artwork for a chance to be featured on a Tennessee-sponsored billboard.

The Tennessee “Playcation” Kid’s Guide is available for preorder now. For more information, click here.

Spotlight Stage To Return For 2025 C2C Festival

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Country To Country (C2C) Festival’s Spotlight Stage will return, in partnership with the Country Music Association, for the 2025 event, taking place March 14–16 in London and Glasgow.

Bayker Blankenship, Drew Baldridge, Harper O’Neill, Kashus Culpepper, Kassi Ashton, Kezia Gill, Max McNown, Reyna Roberts and Willow Avalon will all take the Spotlight Stage at The O2 in London. Blakenship, Baldridge, O’Neill, Ashton, Gill and Avalon will also perform in Glasgow.

The Spotlight Stage seeks to further show C2C’s dedication to developing rising country stars, and further demonstrate CMA’s support of C2C through this new partnership. Since the festival’s inception, the Nashville-based organization has supported C2C’s mission of growing country music in the United Kingdom.

As previously announced, C2C 2025 will be headlined by Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley and Cody Johnson. Additional performers include Dylan Gossett, Tyler Hubbard, Chayce Beckham, Shaboozey, Tucker Wetmore, Niko Moon, Nate Smith, 49 Winchester, Avery Anna, Wyatt Flores, Tanner Adell and The Castellows.

The Lumineers & Kacey Musgraves To Headline Extra Innings Festival

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The Lumineers and Kacey Musgraves are set to headline the second annual Extra Innings Festival, taking place Feb. 28–March 1 at Tempe Beach & Arts Park in Tempe, Arizona.

The 2025 event will feature 20 acts across two festival stages, including Kings of Leon, Megan Moroney, The Red Clay Strays, Maren Morris, Grace Potter, O.A.R., Wyatt Flores, Sam Barber, Trampled By Turtles and more.

Additionally, the festival will include interactive baseball activities and numerous appearances by established MLB players Andre Dawson, Javy Lopez, Brady Anderson, Jake Peavy, Derrek Lee and Mike Hargrove, among others, as well as the return of “Off the Mound” with Ryan Dempster, which will feature live interviews and special performances from surprise guests, including those among the artist lineup and past and present MLB players.

Fans can sign up now to receive an access code for the ticket presale tomorrow (Oct. 31). A general sale featuring any remaining tickets is set to follow. For more information, click here.

 

Kelsea Ballerini Continues ‘Patterns’ Release Celebrations With Sold-Out MSG Show

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Kelsea Ballerini during her sold-out Patterns release show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Photo: Kevin Mazur for Getty

Country superstar Kelsea Ballerini continued to celebrate the release of her newest album Patterns with a sold-out release show at the famed Madison Square Garden in New York City last night (Oct. 29).

After Tigirlily Gold and Aly & AJ warmed up the crowd, Ballerini started the show off by being lifted onto the stage. Feeding off the energy from the fans, she began with a three-track run of “Patterns,” “This Time Last Year” and “Baggage,” all of which were sung back by the audience.

Taking fans through the journey of the album, Ballerini ran through the 15 songs before ending with “I Would, Would You.” During the performance, she gave a nod to her fellow Patterns collaborators, an all-female team consisting of Alysa Vanderheym, Hillary Lindsey, Jessie Jo Dillon and Karen Fairchild.

Kelsea Ballerini during her sold-out Patterns release show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Photo: Kevin Mazur for Getty

With the significance of the show front of mind for Ballerini, she took fans down memory lane through her 10-year career for the second half of the set, performing an array of her hits including “Love Me Like You Mean It,” “Miss Me More,” “Hole In The Bottle,” “If You Go Down (I’m Going Down To),” “Penthouse” and more.

As the finale of confetti and fire was shooting off, Ballerini grabbed her guitar to end with an acoustic performance of the unreleased “To The Men That Love Women After Heartbreak,” as a way to pay homage to how her career started.

“I promised myself when I started, no matter what venue I was playing, no matter how big or how small, I would sing a song just me and my guitar. I want to close the show tonight how it all started, with just me,” Ballerini said to her crowd.

Kelsea Ballerini during her sold-out Patterns release show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Photo: Kevin Mazur for Getty

Additionally, Ballerini has added six more dates to her 2025 “Kelsea Ballerini Live On Tour” trek. The added dates will take her to Kansas City, Omaha, St. Louis, Tulsa and Greenville, before wrapping up the tour in Charleston on April 9. Tickets for the new shows will go on sale this Friday (Nov. 1) at 10 a.m. local time.

Rounding out her Patterns release celebrations, Ballerini will appear on The Tonight Show Staring Jimmy Fallon tonight (Oct. 3o) and The Kelly Clarkson Show on Nov. 4.

“Kelsea Ballerini Live On Tour” Added Dates:
04/01 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
04/03 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
04/04 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
04/05 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
04/08 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena
04/09 – Charleston, NC – North Charleston Coliseum