Keith Urban
In the four years since the release of Keith Urban‘s last studio album, The Speed of Now Part 1, the four-time Grammy winner has had quite a journey chasing down the muse for his 13th studio project.
The muse proved elusive this time around, with Urban even scrapping the makings of an album in 2022. But today (Sept. 20), the hitmaker has proudly released a 12-song opus of wildly-creative and full-hearted music. He titled the project High because of the euphoria he felt in the creative process that resulted in the 40-minute collection, but another meaning could be assigned to the caliber of what he’s created.
The record kicks off with the 12-second sound of an alarm clock on a track called “Blue Sky.” Urban is heard waking up, saying, “just give me some blue sky… please.” Track two, “Straight Line” (Urban, Chase McGill, Greg Wells, Jerry Flowers), immediately starts up next with it’s jovial banjo-picking, lively production and message about escaping the monotony of life.
“I really wanted to open the album with ‘Straight Line.’ There’s an intentional musical familiarity about that song when it comes to me and my sound,” Urban tells MusicRow. “It felt very comfortable to me, so it wasn’t surprising that lyrics leapt out about being in the moment and not missing out on life despite responsibility, commitments and obligations draining some of the color out of it.
“When we got into mixing, we experimented with different ways to open the song. I remember thinking maybe we should set up what the song’s meant to do,” he adds. “I asked myself, ‘What’s the kind of song that you hope would come on your alarm clark radio in the morning? It might be the first thing that makes you feel motivated and good.'”
Thus, Urban invites listeners into a place where they can be fully present with the rest of the album. He cuts deep right away with outside song “Messed Up As Me” (Jessie Jo Dillon, Shane McAnally, Michael Lotten, Rodney Clawson), which is the album’s current single.
The stirring track shares the all-too-familiar feeling of yearning for an ex whose no good for you. Urban was hooked by it on first listen.
“When I heard ‘when I get blue, I get dark blue,‘ I was in. With the next line, ‘when I have one, I always have a few’—I know that life extremely well,” he shares. “I can still feel that way metaphorically about things in my life.”
Notably, “Messed Up As Me” has some intriguing cover art, featuring of a birds-eye-view of a couple, naked, gripping each other for dear life in the bed of a pickup truck. According to Urban, the single rollout images for the album were a fun point of creativity.
“I wanted to find photographs that didn’t say anything using words, just an image that conjures up your own interpretation,” he says. “For ‘Messed Up As Me,’ my Creative Director, Patrick Tracy, found this image from a 1970s Japanese Playboy Magazine cover. It was these naked people in a pickup truck on a freeway. I just loved it.”
Another piece of media, the 2003 film School of Rock, loosely inspired a fun track on the album “Wildside” (Urban, David Garcia, Ashley Gorley, Ernest).
“Prior to my wife, I dated a lot of people and lots of them were these very southern, very Christian, well-raised girls that had this other side to them,” Urban says with a laugh. “That’s always stayed with me—this other side of these girls that is unleashed on a Friday or Saturday night. Monday, they’re right back to being professional, focused, responsible and diligent, and you never know. That, blended with Joan Cusack‘s character on School of Rock, manifested that song.”
On the album’s only collaboration, “Go Home W U,” Urban brings in fellow country superstar Lainey Wilson to duet about a wild night with a flickering flame. The song wasn’t originally meant to be a duet, though.
“I wrote that with Breland, Sam Sumser and Sean Small in 2020 when we had nowhere to go and nothing to do. On the demo, I sang both verses,” he says. “I had Lainey in my mind for a long time trying to find something to do with her. A friend of mine, Dan McCarroll, said, ‘What about that ‘Go Home W U’ song? Could you make that a duet?’ I sent her the song, she loved it and it was done.”
A stand-out on High is Urban’s ’80s-inspired jam “Chuck Taylors” (Urban, McGill, Flowers, Wells).
“Chuck Taylors” was the song that revitalized Urban as he transitioned from his scrapped album, and its energy shows it. He set up a write with Wells, with whom he crafted his 2016 hit “Wasted Time,” and close collaborator Flowers, who suggested they bring in McGill, an at-the-time new hit songwriter on Music Row.
“I was driving to the studio in Berry Hill and was thinking, ‘God, I don’t have any ideas. I don’t know who this Chase McGill guy is, and I get nervous writing with people I don’t know,'” Urban recalls. “In my head, I heard this simple chord progression and sort of punk, flailing bass. I got the whole chorus down but with zero lyrics—I had no idea what the song was about, but I was very adamant that the melody was right.
“I showed up with that and Chase says, ‘I’ve got this idea for a song called ‘Chuck Taylors.’ I’ll just read you what I’ve got,'” Urban says. “As he read it, I’m hearing this melody in my head. I picked up the bass, sang my melody and as I was looking at the words, they just fit. It was insane. Those words were just waiting for that melody.”
On another stand-out, “Daytona,” Urban taps into that old familiar ache for summer love. Written by Nathan Barlowe and Steven Lee Olsen, the tune has had a long road to the track list.
“Steven Lee and Nathan wrote that song back in 2016 I believe. Nathan sent it to me in January of 2017 and I loved it immediately,” Urban says. “I recorded it and tried to put it on the Graffiti U record,. I just didn’t feel like it fit with everything and I had to give them the sad news that I was leaving it off. In 2020, when I was making The Speed of Now, it didn’t quite fit on that record either. Four years later, it finally found its way onto an album.”
Urban brings to the surface a universal truth with the song “Love Is Hard.” Written by Shane McAnally, Justin Tranter and Eren Cannata, the track has tender, somewhat melancholy verses with an emotional, rocking chorus, featuring an angsty vocal from Urban that compliments the song well.
“There’s an emo, middle-finger rawness to the chorus because that’s exactly what it’s like. The verses have a quiet, sensitive intimacy,” he says. “Shane texted me that song when were almost done with the album. I was driving and barely got through the first chorus before I called him back.”
High closes with an extremely-profound song about generational trauma. Written with Marc Scibilia, “Break The Chain” finds Urban at his most vulnerable, examining what he’s inherited and what he wants to take forward.
Notably, the song was the result of Urban and Scibilia’s first meeting, arranged by Troy Tomlinson.
“I walked in to his studio and as I’m saying hi to him, I looked down and saw this guitar that I’ve never seen before. It was a really old acoustic, but it had a rubber bridge and flat round strings. I picked it up and start playing this riff. He grabbed a mic and hit record. We had literally said nothing except hi to each other.
“The lyrics just started coming. I grabbed a legal pad and sat on his couch. I had no idea what I was writing about, things were just coming out that seemed to be about working through coming from an alcoholic family,” Urban recalls, sharing that his father passed in 2016 from alcoholism and he himself has been sober for 18 years.
“I just burst out crying, sitting on this guy’s couch. Marc looks over at me and all he said was ‘Hmm. Must be true.’ Then he went right back to work again. His reaction was perfect because it was supportive but it let me stay where I was. It was so beautiful.”
Between the depth of feelings of generational trauma, fragmented love and toxic codependency, and the jubulent feelings of escapism, burning intimacy and good times with friends, Urban’s High is an exceptional collection.
To sum, Urban shares, “This one feels like a bigger excavation and capturing of my life. I hope it’s loved.”
Keith Urban Releases Creatively Euphoric New Album [Interview]
/by LB CantrellKeith Urban
In the four years since the release of Keith Urban‘s last studio album, The Speed of Now Part 1, the four-time Grammy winner has had quite a journey chasing down the muse for his 13th studio project.
The muse proved elusive this time around, with Urban even scrapping the makings of an album in 2022. But today (Sept. 20), the hitmaker has proudly released a 12-song opus of wildly-creative and full-hearted music. He titled the project High because of the euphoria he felt in the creative process that resulted in the 40-minute collection, but another meaning could be assigned to the caliber of what he’s created.
The record kicks off with the 12-second sound of an alarm clock on a track called “Blue Sky.” Urban is heard waking up, saying, “just give me some blue sky… please.” Track two, “Straight Line” (Urban, Chase McGill, Greg Wells, Jerry Flowers), immediately starts up next with it’s jovial banjo-picking, lively production and message about escaping the monotony of life.
“I really wanted to open the album with ‘Straight Line.’ There’s an intentional musical familiarity about that song when it comes to me and my sound,” Urban tells MusicRow. “It felt very comfortable to me, so it wasn’t surprising that lyrics leapt out about being in the moment and not missing out on life despite responsibility, commitments and obligations draining some of the color out of it.
“When we got into mixing, we experimented with different ways to open the song. I remember thinking maybe we should set up what the song’s meant to do,” he adds. “I asked myself, ‘What’s the kind of song that you hope would come on your alarm clark radio in the morning? It might be the first thing that makes you feel motivated and good.'”
Thus, Urban invites listeners into a place where they can be fully present with the rest of the album. He cuts deep right away with outside song “Messed Up As Me” (Jessie Jo Dillon, Shane McAnally, Michael Lotten, Rodney Clawson), which is the album’s current single.
The stirring track shares the all-too-familiar feeling of yearning for an ex whose no good for you. Urban was hooked by it on first listen.
“When I heard ‘when I get blue, I get dark blue,‘ I was in. With the next line, ‘when I have one, I always have a few’—I know that life extremely well,” he shares. “I can still feel that way metaphorically about things in my life.”
Notably, “Messed Up As Me” has some intriguing cover art, featuring of a birds-eye-view of a couple, naked, gripping each other for dear life in the bed of a pickup truck. According to Urban, the single rollout images for the album were a fun point of creativity.
“I wanted to find photographs that didn’t say anything using words, just an image that conjures up your own interpretation,” he says. “For ‘Messed Up As Me,’ my Creative Director, Patrick Tracy, found this image from a 1970s Japanese Playboy Magazine cover. It was these naked people in a pickup truck on a freeway. I just loved it.”
Another piece of media, the 2003 film School of Rock, loosely inspired a fun track on the album “Wildside” (Urban, David Garcia, Ashley Gorley, Ernest).
“Prior to my wife, I dated a lot of people and lots of them were these very southern, very Christian, well-raised girls that had this other side to them,” Urban says with a laugh. “That’s always stayed with me—this other side of these girls that is unleashed on a Friday or Saturday night. Monday, they’re right back to being professional, focused, responsible and diligent, and you never know. That, blended with Joan Cusack‘s character on School of Rock, manifested that song.”
On the album’s only collaboration, “Go Home W U,” Urban brings in fellow country superstar Lainey Wilson to duet about a wild night with a flickering flame. The song wasn’t originally meant to be a duet, though.
“I wrote that with Breland, Sam Sumser and Sean Small in 2020 when we had nowhere to go and nothing to do. On the demo, I sang both verses,” he says. “I had Lainey in my mind for a long time trying to find something to do with her. A friend of mine, Dan McCarroll, said, ‘What about that ‘Go Home W U’ song? Could you make that a duet?’ I sent her the song, she loved it and it was done.”
A stand-out on High is Urban’s ’80s-inspired jam “Chuck Taylors” (Urban, McGill, Flowers, Wells).
“Chuck Taylors” was the song that revitalized Urban as he transitioned from his scrapped album, and its energy shows it. He set up a write with Wells, with whom he crafted his 2016 hit “Wasted Time,” and close collaborator Flowers, who suggested they bring in McGill, an at-the-time new hit songwriter on Music Row.
“I was driving to the studio in Berry Hill and was thinking, ‘God, I don’t have any ideas. I don’t know who this Chase McGill guy is, and I get nervous writing with people I don’t know,'” Urban recalls. “In my head, I heard this simple chord progression and sort of punk, flailing bass. I got the whole chorus down but with zero lyrics—I had no idea what the song was about, but I was very adamant that the melody was right.
“I showed up with that and Chase says, ‘I’ve got this idea for a song called ‘Chuck Taylors.’ I’ll just read you what I’ve got,'” Urban says. “As he read it, I’m hearing this melody in my head. I picked up the bass, sang my melody and as I was looking at the words, they just fit. It was insane. Those words were just waiting for that melody.”
On another stand-out, “Daytona,” Urban taps into that old familiar ache for summer love. Written by Nathan Barlowe and Steven Lee Olsen, the tune has had a long road to the track list.
“Steven Lee and Nathan wrote that song back in 2016 I believe. Nathan sent it to me in January of 2017 and I loved it immediately,” Urban says. “I recorded it and tried to put it on the Graffiti U record,. I just didn’t feel like it fit with everything and I had to give them the sad news that I was leaving it off. In 2020, when I was making The Speed of Now, it didn’t quite fit on that record either. Four years later, it finally found its way onto an album.”
Urban brings to the surface a universal truth with the song “Love Is Hard.” Written by Shane McAnally, Justin Tranter and Eren Cannata, the track has tender, somewhat melancholy verses with an emotional, rocking chorus, featuring an angsty vocal from Urban that compliments the song well.
“There’s an emo, middle-finger rawness to the chorus because that’s exactly what it’s like. The verses have a quiet, sensitive intimacy,” he says. “Shane texted me that song when were almost done with the album. I was driving and barely got through the first chorus before I called him back.”
High closes with an extremely-profound song about generational trauma. Written with Marc Scibilia, “Break The Chain” finds Urban at his most vulnerable, examining what he’s inherited and what he wants to take forward.
Notably, the song was the result of Urban and Scibilia’s first meeting, arranged by Troy Tomlinson.
“I walked in to his studio and as I’m saying hi to him, I looked down and saw this guitar that I’ve never seen before. It was a really old acoustic, but it had a rubber bridge and flat round strings. I picked it up and start playing this riff. He grabbed a mic and hit record. We had literally said nothing except hi to each other.
“The lyrics just started coming. I grabbed a legal pad and sat on his couch. I had no idea what I was writing about, things were just coming out that seemed to be about working through coming from an alcoholic family,” Urban recalls, sharing that his father passed in 2016 from alcoholism and he himself has been sober for 18 years.
“I just burst out crying, sitting on this guy’s couch. Marc looks over at me and all he said was ‘Hmm. Must be true.’ Then he went right back to work again. His reaction was perfect because it was supportive but it let me stay where I was. It was so beautiful.”
Between the depth of feelings of generational trauma, fragmented love and toxic codependency, and the jubulent feelings of escapism, burning intimacy and good times with friends, Urban’s High is an exceptional collection.
To sum, Urban shares, “This one feels like a bigger excavation and capturing of my life. I hope it’s loved.”
Industry Ink: Morgan Wallen Foundation, Get A Worm Entertainment, More
/by Lorie HollabaughMorgan Wallen Donates $140K To Gibbs Youth Sports In Hometown
Pictured (L-R): MWF Program Director and Wallen’s mother, Lesli Wallen; MWF Executive Director, Kathleen Flaherty; Gibbs Youth Sports Baseball Commissioner William Lynam and Gibbs Youth Sports President Nate Stachey. Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images for Morgan Wallen Foundation
Ahead of Morgan Wallen’s return to his hometown and shows at University of Tennessee Knoxville’s Neyland Stadium this evening (Sept. 20) and Sunday (Sept. 22), The Morgan Wallen Foundation donated $140,000 to Gibbs Youth Sports. During a press briefing held at Neyland Stadium, MWF Executive Director, Kathleen Flaherty and MWF Program Director and Wallen’s mother, Lesli Wallen, presented a check to Gibbs Youth Sports (GYS) President Nate Stachey and Baseball Commissioner William Lynam to renovate Ruritan Park.
“Being a baseball mom, this is very special to me that my son is able to give back to the community that blessed us so much and that he played sports in,” says Lesli. “Nate sent in an application to our foundation asking for any help—that’s all he asked for. I walk up there sometimes at the Gibbs Youth Sports Ruritan Park and I see how in disrepair the park is. So, we started conversations asking what we can do to make this park a better park – and a special place – for our kids to be proud to go to.”
Greg Eisenberg Launches Get A Worm Entertainment
Greg Eisenberg
Music industry veteran Greg Eisenberg has launched Get A Worm Entertainment with initial clients Jay Webb and Eddie And The Getaway. The artist management firm based in Nashville will focus on career strategy, tour coordination, promotion and record release strategy.
Eisenberg’s experience includes working with Sony Music, Warner Music and Universal Music Group. Upon signing Eddie And The Getaway he helped him grow to over 400,000 monthly Spotify listeners, sign a global joint venture publishing deal with Sony ATV/Electric Feel and sign with WME for booking. Webb caught the attention of Eisenberg after collaborating with Eddie on a song called “Cobain.” Webb currently generates over 12 million monthly streams, signed with CAA and is heading out on tour with Chase Matthew.
Willie “Prophet” Stiggers Receives SESAC’s Visionary Award
Pictured (L-R): SESAC’s Sam Kling, Willie “Prophet” Stiggers and SESAC’s Mario Prins. Photo: mèShell studio
Black Music Action Coalition co-founder, president and CEO, Willie “Prophet” Stiggers was presented with SESAC’s Visionary Award at The Highlight Room in Hollywood Sept. 17 in recognition of the organization’s ongoing work championing artists and creating equity within the music industry. The event was attended by several top music industry execs, artists, songwriters and publishers including Bryan Michael Cox, Prophet, Alex Isley, Knox and Kenyon Dixon, among others. “
Prophet’s dedication to equality and racial justice has inspired us all to do more and build a stronger, more equitable creative community. I’m proud to call him a friend,” says Mario Prins, VP, Creative Services.
Nashville Briefing Hosts Second Annual Artists To Watch Showcase
Just Jayne performs. Photo: Samuel Harris
The Nashville Briefing held its second annual Artists To Watch showcase Sept 17, which coincided with the release of its 25 Artists To Watch list, and Nashville Briefing’s third print issue, which features Shaboozey on the cover. The showcase highlighted Dawson Anderson, Karley Scott Collins, Christian Hayes and Just Jayne, who were all featured in this year’s list.
Miranda Lambert Recognized With SoundExchange Hall Of Fame Award
/by Liza AndersonMichael Huppe & Miranda Lambert. Photo: JJ Tanaka
Miranda Lambert was recently recognized with the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award as one of the most-streamed creators in the music tech organization’s over-20-year history of administering digital performance royalties.
Lambert has been a SoundExchange member since 2005 and entrusts SoundExchange to collect worldwide neighboring rights royalties on her behalf through more than 65 agreements the organization has with counterpart companies, covering 88% of the global neighboring rights market.
“I am grateful to SoundExchange for this honor and to know that the music I’ve poured my heart into for the past two decades has connected with people all over the world,” the songstress shared. “I’ve been a member since the beginning of my recording career and I appreciate all that SoundExchange does in advocating for the fair treatment of all creators.”
“Miranda Lambert is a dynamic and fearless storyteller who has captured the hearts and imaginations of generations of fans,” stated Michael Huppe, SoundExchange President & CEO. “Miranda explores music well beyond country and embraces life through melody, empathy and wit. She is one of the most significant country artists of this century and we are proud to present Miranda Lambert with the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award.”
Lambert released her latest project, Postcards from Texas, last Friday (Sept. 13) and will be honored as this year’s Country Icon at the People’s Choice Country Awards this Thursday (Sept. 26).
Bill Anderson’s New EP ‘Forevermore’ Out Today
/by Lorie HollabaughBill Anderson has released a brand-new EP, Forevermore, available everywhere today (Sept. 20) via MCA Nashville/UMe.
Steve Dorff co-wrote five of the project’s six tracks with Anderson, with Bobby Tomberlin also contributing to “Yesterday, Today, And Forevermore” from the project as well.
Forevermore follows Anderson’s previous collaboration, “The Country I Grew Up With,” which features four fellow Hall of Famers: Bobby Bare, Jimmy Fortune, Vince Gill and Willie Nelson. Last month, Anderson also received the Lifetime Achievement Award during the Hero’s Salute to Lee Greenwood Grand Ole Opry event, as well as the Industry Impact Award for his contributions to radio, film and television from the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Forevermore Track List:
1. “I Love Us” Writers: Bill Anderson, Steve Dorff
2. “All Of Me Loves All Of You” Writer: Bill Anderson
3. “The Last One I’ll Forget” Writers: Bill Anderson, Steve Dorff
4. “Brand New Every Day” Writers: Bill Anderson, Steve Dorff
5. “Yesterday, Today, And Forevermore” Writers: Bill Anderson, Steve Dorff, Bobby Tomberlin
6. “Stay Gone” Writers: Bill Anderson, Steve Dorff
Shane McAnally & Jessie Jo Dillon Named As Mentors For 25th Annual NSAI Song Contest
/by John Nix ArledgeShane McAnally (Photo: Robby Klein) & Jessie Jo Dillon (Photo: Noah Needleman)
The 25th annual Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) Song Contest is set to kick off on Oct. 1 with over $30,000 worth of prizes and a chance to win mentor sessions with triple-Grammy winner Shane McAnally and 2024 ACM Songwriter of the Year Jessie Jo Dillon.
The judging process is composed of four parts. First, each entry will be evaluated by an industry professional using a 10-point questionnaire. Next, based on those scores, up to 22 entries will place in the next three rounds of judging which will conclude with a live-taped final judging where the Lyric Category Grand Prize winner will be announced and the Song Category top 10 finalists will be judged before revealing the Song Category Grand Prize Winner. Judging will take place no later than February 2025.
The Song Category Grand Prize Winner will receive $5,000, a one-on-one mentor session with McAnally and a one-year single-song publishing contract with Dream 3 Publishing. Additional prizes include a Taylor Guitars 50th Anniversary guitar, $1,500 towards Guitar Center (courtesy of the Guitar Center Music Foundation), a meeting with a CMT Music & Talent representative, tickets to the 2025 CMT Music Awards, and a performance opportunity at The Bluebird Cafe and 2025 Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival. They will also get industry meetings, sheet music transcription from Musicnotes with a $100 gift card, a 12-month SoundCloud Next Pro subscription, a custom engraved capo from G7th, a Southwest Airlines roundtrip flight, a 2-night stay in Nashville, a $250 gift card and more.
The Lyric Category Grand Prize Winner will take home $2,500, a mentor session with Dillon and a Taylor Guitars 50th Anniversary guitar. They will also receive a meeting with Dream 3 Publishing, tickets to the 2025 CMT Music Awards, a roundtrip Southwest Airlines flight, a two-night Nashville stay, a year-long SoundCloud Next Pro subscription, a custom engraved capo from G7th, a $250 gift card, two tickets to a show at The Bluebird Cafe, $1,500 to spend at Guitar Center, a $100 Musicnotes gift card with a plaque of the winning lyrics and more.
In celebration of the 25th anniversary, all entries will only be $25. Following the end of the promotion, entries will be $35 for NSAI members and $45 for the general public. The contest encourages songwriters from all genres to submit their songs and or lyrics online at www.nsaisongcontest.com or by mail (NSAI–ATTN: Song Contest, 1710 Roy Acuff Place, Nashville, TN 37203) from Oct. 1 at 12 p.m. to Nov. 1 at 5 p.m CT. All entries mailed in must include the submission form, entry fee (no cash accepted), printed lyric sheet and one audio CD (unless a Lyric Category entry). There is no limit to the number of songs or lyrics that songwriters can submit.
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Concludes 23rd Annual Event
/by Liza AndersonAshley McBryde headlining the 23rd annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion. Photo: Heidi Holloway/Birthplace of Country Music
The Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, presented by Ballad Health and produced by Birthplace of Country Music, concluded its 23rd annual event last weekend.
The event aims to honor the influence of the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings with various rock, country, bluegrass, Americana performances and more.
Friday (Sept. 13) featured performances from headliner Ashley McBryde as well as The Red Clay Strays, Wilderado, Dave Eggar, Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, Le’Asha Julius and Weedie Braimah. Other opening day sets included Bella White and Jaime Wyatt, both making their Bristol debut, Holy Roller, Laid Back Country Picker and Florencia & The Feeling.
On Saturday (Sept. 14), Jim Lauderdale united with Wyatt Ellis and Silverada, Logan Ledger and Brittney Spencer performed in addition to Dale Watson & His Lone Stars, Hannah Dasher, 49 Winchester and more. The Wallflowers played their hits, driving home an encore of Tom Petty classics. The evening then closed on Cumberland with Molly Tuttle & the Golden Highway, who had earlier joined AJ Lee & Blue Summit‘s late afternoon set on the same stage.
Post Bop Revival set the pace for Sunday (Sept. 15) with a two-hour set under the tent at Machiavelli’s, along with Stephen Day on State Street, among others. Grace Bowers & the Hodge Lodge and The SteelDrivers then closed out the final day.
Tickets for next year’s event, taking place Sept. 19–21, are available now. For more information, click here.
CMA Foundation Celebrates 2024 Music Teachers Of Excellence
/by Liza AndersonThe 2024 Music Teachers of Excellence class. Photo: John Russell/CMA
The CMA Foundation hosted its eighth Music Teachers of Excellence ceremony, presented by One Country, on Tuesday (Sept. 17) at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.
The event honored 30 educators—10 from Metro Nashville Public Schools, 10 from districts across the state of Tennessee and 10 from across the United States—who were selected for their commitment to bringing a high-quality music program to their students and the musical impact they’ve had on their schools.
Themed around the way music brings color into of our lives, the ceremony was first accented with black and white decor and incorporated more and more color into the room as the evening progressed, creating a vibrant atmosphere at the after party.
The celebration included dinner with over 30 artists from the country music community and multiple performances. Videos illustrating the significance of music education were also shown throughout the night, including a message from Berklee College of Music student Lourde Childs on his journey through music
Tullman Family Office President and Let Music Fill My World Founder Cayley Tullman spoke on behalf of her organization about the importance of ensuring every child in America has access to music education in their school. Walker Hayes took to the stage alongside students from Metro Nashville Public Schools for a performance of “If Father Time Had a Daughter.” One Country CEO Chase Locke and Tenille Townes spoke to the power of music in a person’s life and the impact that goes beyond the classroom. Childs then joined Kassi Ashton for a rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” earning a standing ovation, before Charlie Worsham gave a testimony on how his music career began and recognized the 10 Metro Nashville Public Schools recipients. Next, Priscilla Block sang “Peaked In High School” and Tigirlily Gold expressed their thanks to the sponsors and organizers of the event for celebrating the honorees with a beautiful ceremony and highlighted the 10 educators from across the state of Tennessee. Riley Green followed with a performance of “Jesus Saves,” and Tiera Kennedy and Angie K spoke about their own personal experiences with music education, sharing the support and guidance their music teachers provided in their early years, before focusing on the 10 recipients from across the country. Jordan Davis closed the night with a performance of “Next Thing You Know,” before Alana Springsteen gave a final thank you message and kicked off the after-party.
Additionally, the CMA Foundation gave $5,000 to each honoree—half to help enhance their music program and half for personal use. The CMA philanthropic arm was also able to secure sponsorship for all 30 of its 2024 Music Teachers of Excellence class members through the “Sponsor A Teacher” campaign. To date, it has invested over $1.3 million in its Music Teachers of Excellence honorees to ensure they have the support and funding needed to create thriving programs within their schools and communities.
Applications for the 2025 Music Teachers of Excellence class are open now through Thursday, Feb. 20. For more information, click here.
Radio Hall Of Fame Inducts 2024 Class In Nashville
/by Lorie HollabaughThe 2024 Class of Radio Hall of Fame Inductees with their awards at the Radio Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. (L-R): Kraig Kitchin, Phil Hendrie, Lorianne Crook, Matt Siegel, Mary McCoy, Barry Mayo, Charlie Chase, Lee Harris and Jaime Jarrín. Photo: Kris Rae Orlowski
The Radio Hall of Fame inducted its 2024 class of honorees last night (Sept. 19) at a ceremony and dinner at the Omni Nashville Hotel.
Lon Helton, a 2022 Radio Hall of Fame Inductee, was Master of Ceremonies for the event, with Radio Hall of Fame Co-Chairmen Kraig Kitchin and Dennis Green welcoming the attendees with opening remarks.
Among the eight broadcasters who were inducted during the ceremony were Lorianne Crook & Charlie Chase (Crook & Chase), who received their honor from Reba McEntire and John Zarling. Other honorees included Lee Harris (inducted by Scott Herman); Mary McCoy (inducted by Larry Galla); Phil Hendrie (inducted by Patrick Reynold); Matt Siegel (inducted by Tom McConnell); Jaime Jarrin (inducted by Orel Hershiser); Barry Mayo (inducted by Tony Gray) and Kraig T. Kitchin (inducted by Jim Rome).
Six inductees for the class were determined by a voting participant panel comprised of more than 900 industry professionals, and two inductees were voted on by the Radio Hall of Fame Nominating Committee.
Post Malone & Blake Shelton Hold Spot At No. 1 On The MusicRow Radio Chart
/by John Nix ArledgeBlake Shelton and Post Malone perform onstage at Spotify House during CMA Fest 2024. Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for Spotify
Post Malone holds the top position on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart this week with his hit “Pour Me A Drink” featuring Blake Shelton. This marks the single’s third week at the top.
The track comes off of his recent F-1 Trillion album and was written by Post, John Byron, Louis Bell, Rocky Block, Charlie Handsome and Jordan Dozzi.
Post is currently on the road headlining his “F-1 Trillion Tour” with support from Muscadine Bloodline. The star closed out his show at Boston’s Fenway Park on Wednesday night (Sept. 18) with guest appearances from Ernest and Hardy. The tour will come to a close near the end of October with another big stop at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium.
“Pour Me A Drink” currently sits at No. 6 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and No. 3 on the Mediabase chart.
Click here to view the latest edition of the MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.
Randy Travis Adds 2025 Dates To ‘More Life Tour’
/by Lorie HollabaughRandy Travis. Photo: Marisa Taylor
Randy Travis will embark on his “More Life Tour” in 2025, beginning in January.
Travis, his original touring band and special guest vocalist James Dupré will provide a journey through Travis’ chart-topping hits, enhanced by video highlights from his celebrated career in music, film and TV. Tickets are available now (Sept. 20.)
Although Travis won’t perform vocally due to the stroke he suffered in 2013, he will appear on stage with wife, Mary, engaging with fans and interacting with the band. Dupré and the band will perform all of Travis’ iconic No. 1s, including “On the Other Hand,” “Forever and Ever, Amen” and “Three Wooden Crosses.”
“’The More Life Tour’ celebrates something so much more than a musical moment in time—it’s a gift to me to spend time with my fans, and my band, as James Dupre perfectly presents the songs that best define my career. We look forward to seeing you all somewhere along the way,” Travis shares.
“I’m thrilled and honored to hit the road again with my hero and friend, Randy Travis. I’m looking forward to meeting and singing along with all the Randy Travis fans in 2025,” says Dupré.
The 2024 “More Life Tour” kicked off at the Ryman Auditorium in June, following the release of Travis’ single, “Where That Came From.” With the assistance of AI, the track marked Travis’ first recording in over a decade, reuniting with producer Kyle Lehning and a team of talented musicians. Additionally, the Travises recently testified before Congress in Washington in support of the American Music Fairness Act.