Michael Ray will launch his new headlining “Drink With Our Friends Tour” this summer, named after his new single celebrating the spirit of community and the joy of a well-deserved break after a hard day’s work.

The coast-to-coast tour kicks off June 14 in Oklahoma and includes shows in Denver, Albuquerque, Grand Junction and more, with a Nashville show on July 23.

Ray and producer Michael Knox brewed up “Drink With Friends,” the high-energy anthem that encapsulates the spirit of small-town America and is a testament to those who work hard but always find a way to save a little something for the weekend.

“‘Drink with Our Friends’ is for all y’all hard-working people who put in the overtime all week so you can cut loose with your friends on the weekend,” says Ray. “I can’t wait to take it on the road and feel the energy of the crowds singing it back to us.”

Garnering over 1.5 billion global streams, more than 650,000 album equivalents and upwards of 150 million YouTube views, Ray has also performed at the Grand Ole Opry 73 times and achieved four No. 1 hits.

Bailey Zimmerman. Photo: AJ Astle

Bailey Zimmerman has notched a second consecutive week at No. 1 on country radio with “Where It Ends.”

The song sits at the top of the US and Canadian Country Airplay chart and is the singer’s fourth No. 1 hit. This feat also gives Zimmerman a Country Airplay record for the most consecutive No. 1’s.

“‘Where It Ends’ was one of the first songs I wrote when I moved to Nashville,” says Zimmerman. “Some days it feels like I still have no idea what I’m doing, but, man, the dreams just keep coming true. Four No. 1s … Let’s keep it going. Chase your dreams!”

The track appears on his debut album Religiously, which has been certified Platinum. After release, it became the biggest all-genre streaming debut since 2021, as well as debuted at No. 3 on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums Chart and No. 7 on the Billboard 200 Chart. The project also features No. 1 hits “Religiously,” “Fall In Love” and “Rock And A Hard Place.”

Zimmerman is currently on the road headlining “Religiously. The Tour” and serving as support on Morgan Wallen’s “One Night At A Time” tour. He will also appear at numerous festivals this summer including CMA Fest, Barefoot Country Music Fest, Country Thunder Wisconsin and more.

The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) is hosting the Fourth Annual Black Music Month event, “Celebrating the Sound Makers of All Time,” the entire month of June with a lineup of camps, workshops, music acts, community activities and more.

Event partners Bridgestone and Fifth & Broadway will help anchor the marquee event, the fourth annual “Bridge to Broadway” Juneteenth Block Party happening on Broadway between Fifth and Sixth Avenues on Sunday, June 16, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hip-hop icons Nappy Roots will headline the annual Juneteenth celebration along with an all-star lineup of local talents like Daisha McBride, Penthouse Records artist RVSHVD, TikTok country-soul viral sensation Shae Nycole and more.

“For the 4th year in a row, we are excited to celebrate Black Music Month with all genres of music. And help strengthen the roots of all music and our vision of celebrating music 365 in 615 in 2025. Doing it the NMAAM way,” says Dion Brown, Executive Director of NMAAM.

Black Music Month Events:

June 3-7 “Interludes” Summer Camp – Weeklong camp focused on music, literacy and performance standards for secondary students.
June 6 – Juke! A Black Country Celebration – A concert to honor Juke-joints impact on present day Honky Tonks and the songwriting talents of Mr. Anthony Smith.
June 5 –  Nissan Free Wednesday with “Sounds of Cinema” “Purple Rain” AND Mixology Class – Extended museum hours with a monthly movie showing. This June experience will celebrate Prince and offer tickets for a mixology class that includes custom Black Music Month collector’s glasses and a DJ paying tribute to Prince.
June 7 – “Measures and Melodies” Celebrating 45 years and beyond – Panel discussion in celebration of the founding of Black Music Month and honoring those who had part in the establishment. This will feature the exhibit opening of Ron St. Clair photos.
June 11 –  Black Music Month Mixology  – A mixology class that includes custom Black Music Month collector’s glasses and a DJ spinning classics.
June 19 –  Juneteenth Community Day – Programming to acknowledge and celebrate the Twelve Freedoms Gained. Admission and programming is free and open to the public. A third ticketed mixology class will be offered as a NMAAM day party.
June 20 –  Hip-Hop Karaoke: Pride Edition – Monthly Hip-Hop Karaoke event
June 21 – The Message: The Revolutionary Power of Ballroom – In partnership with The Legendary King Ebony and Vanderbilt University Screening and panel discussion of “Paris is Burning” during the day to bring awareness to ballroom culture and what the community has given to Black music and culture. The evening will consist of musical and ballroom performances from the LGBTQ+ community.
June 26 – Tik Tok Launch Party– NMAAM will host a Tik Tok launch party with performances and posts to celebrate NMAAM joining the Tik Tok community. The last ticketed mixology class will be offered on this day.

Keith Urban will serve as the Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament (MRLGT) Presenting Sponsor for the eighth consecutive year.

As previously announced, the 37th annual tournament will take place on Monday, Aug. 12 at Old Natchez Country Club in Nashville, and will continue to benefit United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Middle Tennessee. One of the Nashville music community’s original charity events, the MRLGT has raised $2.5 million for UCP since its inception.

Additionally, Nashville-based boutique investment and development firm E3 Construction Services will return as Tournament Host. The Title Sponsors will once again include ASCAP, Tim McGraw and Warner Music Nashville.

General registration is open now, with limited team space. For information about registration or becoming a sponsor, click here.

“The Bradley Barn Sessions” exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has opened a new exhibit, “The Bradley Barn Sessions,” which features photographs taken by Fritz Hoffmann during the making of George Jones’ album, The Bradley Barn Sessions. The exhibit is free and open to the public through 2024 in the museum’s first-floor gallery.

In 1994, MCA Records plotted Jones’ return to the country charts after four years had passed since his last top 10 hit—his longest dry spell since 1955. He began recording new music at Bradley’s Barn, the historic studio established by producer and Country Music Hall of Fame member Owen Bradley in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. The resulting collection, The Bradley Barn Sessions, included duets with country and rock artists such as Mark Chesnutt, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, Keith Richards, Leon Russell, Travis Tritt and Trisha Yearwood as well as Country Music Hall of Fame members Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart and Tammy Wynette.

To document the landmark sessions, the label hired Hoffmann, who was present throughout all 11 days of the process. The following year, he became the first western photographer to be granted longterm residency in Shanghai since the communist revolution in 1949. Hoffmann lived in Shanghai from 1995–2008, becoming a contributing photographer for National Geographic and taking assignments across Asia and Europe.