Cody Johnson performs at sold-out Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Jay Trevino
There was a fiery country music revival on Friday night (Feb. 2) at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. If you missed it, you missed out.
Cody Johnson gave a career-defining show to sold-out crowd of over 20,000 fans, thrilling the CoJo Nation with his passion, showmanship, stewardship of country music and overall mastery of his craft.
After Dillon Carmichael got the crowd warmed up with his charisma and tunes like “Son Of A” and “Drinkin’ Problems,” Justin Moore brought the heat to the Bridgestone stage.
Moore kept the Nashville crowd singing along with an arsenal of hits, such as “Bait A Hook,” “You Look Like I Need a Drink,” “Til My Last Day,” his recent No. 1 “You, Me, And Whiskey” and his new single “This Is My Dirt.” The every-man anthem-maker beamed out at the crowd as they enthusiastically sang “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home” and “Small Town USA.”
Before Moore closed his set, he thanked Johnson for having him on tour, and his fans and country radio for giving him a career for the past 17 years.
Cody Johnson performs at sold-out Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Jay Trevino
The crowd was buzzing with anticipation by the time it was time for Johnson. The singer was introduced to the Nashville crowd by an announcer, WWE-style, which seemed to be the perfect way to unleash the intensity of the performance to come.
Johnson came out swinging, kicking things off with “Me & My Kind.” “There sure are a lot of cowboy hats in here tonight!” he said with a grin, sporting his quintessential white cowboy hat, baby blue button-down shirt, starched jeans and boots.
He blitzed the crowd with “Dance Her Home” and “With You I Am” before playing the title track of his 2023 album, Leather. A few songs in it was clear, Johnson’s got all the goods of an Entertainer of The Year. The Nashville crowd never took their eyes off of him during his 90-minute set.
It was impossible not to feel the emotion of shattered dreams when Johnson sang “Dear Rodeo,” and all the gals in the audience swooned to his sultry and vocally impressive “Nothin’ On You.” Johnson got rowdy during tunes like “People in the Back” and “Double Down,” and expertly brought the crowd in close for intimate songs like “On My Way To You” and “Human.”
Cody Johnson performs with Brooks & Dunn at sold-out Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Jay Trevino
When he spoke, which was often, Johnson was extremely open-hearted, making sure to continuously thank his fans for their support, as well as his team, calling out long-time manager Howie Edelman, producer Trent Willmon, writers whose songs he’s cut, his band and crew, videographers, country radio and more. He also made it very clear how thankful he was for Warner Music Nashville, sharing that other labels had told him he wouldn’t make it in Nashville because he was “just a Texas artist.”
“[Warner Music Nashville] told me, ‘We don’t want you to take the hat off, we don’t care where you’re from, you can leave the fiddle, you can leave the steel, we don’t want to change your producer. We just want to be a part of this thing that we heard about called the CoJo Nation changing country music,'” Johnson recalled. “They changed my life. Tonight I got a plaque for 17 million streams and sales in country music. That blew my mind.”
Johnson was also very clear in what he intends to do with his career. “God put me on this earth to make country music sound like country music,” he said at one point to a thunderous roar. He may be right—the Platinum-selling artist set the record for the most tickets sold by a male country artist in their Bridgestone debut with the night.
As is the case with most Nashville shows, Johnson had a few surprise guest appearances up his sleeve for the night, but no one was expecting Country Music Hall of Famers Brooks & Dunn to show up. A deafening roar erupted when the two joined Johnson onstage to perform their collaboration “Long Live Country Music” from the Leather album, which says “here’s to that teenage kid learning B&D songs on an old pawn shop six-string with a head full of honky-tonk dreams.” Johnson pointed to himself during that lyric.
Cody Johnson performs with Randy Houser at sold-out Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Jay Trevino
The crowd was still eating out of his hand by the time Johnson approached 11:00 p.m.. Fans swayed and sang along to his touching “Dirt Cheap.” They hollered loud when Johnson started into “The Painter,” and screamed even louder when they heard the opening riff of his now three-times Platinum, Grammy-winning “‘Til You Can’t.”
In a really sweet moment, Johnson’s daughters Clara Mae and Cori joined him to sing a Ricky Nelson song from the John Wayne classic Rio Bravo—a family favorite film. The brave girls sounded beautiful and their daddy was very proud.
After thrilling fans once more with “Diamond In My Pocket,” Johnson brought out one more surprise guest, his “brother from another mother” Randy Houser. The two closed it down with a perfect cover of “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.”
“I’ve been working my tail off for the last 17 years. This is not an overnight success,” Johnson said. “To anyone who is chasing a dream, if you want something, don’t wait for somebody to hand it to you. If you want something, go work for it. Here we are tonight 17 years later sold out in Nashville.”
Johnson’s can’t-miss “Leather Tour” continues with another sold-out show in Wichita, Kansas on Feb. 9. For more dates, click here.
Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson Represent Country Music At 66th Annual Grammy Awards [Recap]
/by LB CantrellTracy Chapman & Luke Combs perform onstage during the 66th Grammy Awards. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
The 66th annual Grammy Awards took place Sunday night (Feb. 4) at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
The night included a lot of memorable moments, such as Taylor Swift breaking the record for most Album of the Year wins, Billy Joel performing for the first time on the Grammy stage after 30 years and Miley Cyrus winning her first Grammy and having a ball doing it.
Ultimately, the show was a great success. Expertly hosted once again by Trevor Noah, the 66th annual Grammy Awards featured excellent performances from Joel, Cyrus, SZA, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa and more.
Lainey Wilson posing with her Grammy at the 66th Grammy Awards. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Though there weren’t a ton of country music moments throughout the telecast, they were very impactful. Just a few minutes into the show, Luke Combs took the stage to perform “Fast Car” alongside the song’s iconic author, Tracy Chapman. Before the performance, a video played of Combs explaining his reasoning for including the cover on his 2023 album Gettin’ Old. He shared that it was one of the first songs he learned to play, and that he included it on the album purely out of admiration.
“Tracy is such an icon and one of the best songwriters any of us will get to be around and see,” Combs shared in the video.
The roar of music industry titans could clearly be heard over the telecast as Chapman began strumming the opening chords of the iconic song. Clearly touched, she smiled out at the crowd and sounded as great as ever.
Combs held up his end of the bargain. He sounded great and seemed as enthralled by Chapman’s rare performance as anyone else was. The two exchanged grins throughout the song as the world watched, creating a perfect example of how music brings us together.
During “Fast Car,” the camera panned around the audience the smiling faces of Combs’ peers—such as Lainey Wilson, Brothers Osborne, Jelly Roll and Swift—who were all singing along and beaming with pride. It was the performance of the night.
Taylor Swift accepting the Album of the Year award onstage during the 66th Grammy Awards. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Another country stalwart, Kacey Musgraves, was on hand to present Best Country Album during the telecast. She was celebrating having won the award herself for Same Trailer Different Park 10 years ago. The 2024 trophy went to first-time winner Wilson for her Bell Bottom Country project.
This marked a trifecta of Album of the Year wins for Wilson. She also took home the prize at the 2023 ACM Awards and CMA Awards, where she was also named Entertainer of the Year.
Wilson was emotional when she accepted the honor.
“I am from a farming community in northeast Louisiana. A little town of 200 people. I’m a fifth generation farmer’s daughter,” she said. “I would consider myself and everyone I surround myself with as farmers too—they’re story farmers.
“It’s about getting up every single day and planting those seeds, watering them and watching them grow,” Wilson said. “When you find the right farming community, you can have a harvest of a lifetime… That’s exactly what this is tonight.”
The other country awards were given out prior to the telecast, with Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance going to Chris Stapleton‘s “White Horse,” and Zach Bryan and Musgraves taking home the trophy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance with “I Remember Everything.”
As for some of the other televised awards, Best New Artist went to Victoria Monét, Single of the Year was given to Cyrus for her titanic his “Flowers” and Song of the Year went to Eilish and Finneas O’Connell‘s Barbie tune “What Was I Made For?”
Swift won both Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year for Midnights. Now, with four wins in the category, Swift holds the record for the winningness artist in the Grammy’s Album of the Year category—surpassing Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon, who all previously won the title three times.
Joni Mitchell & Brandi Carlile peform during the 66th Grammy Awards. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
When Swift was presented with Best Pop Vocal Album earlier in the night, she announced that her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, is coming in April.
A standout moment during the telecast was Joni Mitchell‘s touching performance of “Both Sides Now.” Somehow it was the 80-year-old folk titan’s debut performance on the Grammy stage. Music treasure Brandi Carlile introduced Mitchell and sang along with her–bringing the crowd and those watching at home to tears with the moment.
By the end of the night, the 66th annual Grammy Awards had proved to be a meaningful yet fun evening of music. Legends such as Chapman, Mitchell and Joel were given their flowers, those we lost were honored and music’s biggest stars shined brightly.
Click here for a list of Nashville-related Grammy winners.
Phil Vassar Inks With Action Entertainment Collaborative
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Nick Meinema, Phil Vassar and Travis James
Phil Vassar has signed with Nick Meinema and Travis James of Action Entertainment Collaborative for global agency representation in all areas of live touring.
Vassar’s signature songs include 10 No. 1s such as “Carlene,” “Just Another Day in Paradise,” “Six-Pack Summer,” “When I Love You” and more. His songwriting career flourished in the ’90s when he secured a publishing contract with EMI, penning hits for artists like Collin Raye, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Jo Dee Messina and Blackhawk.
Recognized as ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year in 1999 and 2001, Vassar’s success extended beyond his solo recording career, marked by nine albums, two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year awards and other accolades, all while playing sold-out shows nationwide. He will embark on his “Hits & Heroes Tour” this month, which will feature performances of his own hits and covers of songs by his musical influences, and plans release new music in 2024.
“I have known Phil for many years personally, and of course admired his work for years. I was very happy to get the call to work together,” says Meinema.
“We’re having a blast on the road with all the fans. 2024 is shaping up to be a great year as we bring on Nick and the Action Entertainment Collaborative team as our booking agency,” Vassar shares.
Lainey Wilson Among 2024 Grammy Award Winners
/by LB CantrellLainey Wilson poses with her Grammy. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
A new group of winners were honored at the 66th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night (Feb. 4) at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Lainey Wilson took home her first-ever Grammy during the only country award given out during the prime time telecast, winning the trophy for Best Country Album with Bell Bottom Country.
Prior to the telecast, Nashville creators such as Chris Stapleton, Brandy Clark, Jason Isbell and more were awarded with Grammys at the premiere ceremony.
Below are a selection of winners from the 66th annual Grammy Awards:
Record Of The Year
“Worship” — Jon Batiste
“Not Strong Enough” — Boygenius
“Flowers” — Miley Cyrus – WINNER
“What Was I Made For?” [From The Motion Picture Barbie] — Billie Eilish
“On My Mama” — Victoria Monét
“Vampire” — Olivia Rodrigo
“Anti-Hero” — Taylor Swift
“Kill Bill” — SZA
Album Of The Year
World Music Radio — Jon Batiste
The Record — Boygenius
Endless Summer Vacation — Miley Cyrus
Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd — Lana Del Rey
The Age of Pleasure — Janelle Monáe
Guts — Olivia Rodrigo
Midnights — Taylor Swift – WINNER
SOS — SZA
Song Of The Year
“A&W” — Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey & Sam Dew, songwriters (Lana Del Rey)
“Anti-Hero” — Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
“Butterfly” — Jon Batiste & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Jon Batiste)
“Dance The Night” (From Barbie The Album) — Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
“Flowers” — Miley Cyrus, Gregory Aldae Hein & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Miley Cyrus)
“Kill Bill” — Rob Bisel, Carter Lang & Solána Rowe, songwriters (SZA)
“Vampire” — Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters (Oliva Rodrigo)
“What Was I Made For?” [From The Motion Picture Barbie] — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish) – WINNER
Best New Artist
Gracie Abrams
Fred Again
Ice Spice
Jelly Roll
Coco Jones
Noah Kahan
Victoria Monét – WINNER
The War And Treaty
Best Country Album
Rolling Up The Welcome Mat — Kelsea Ballerini
Brothers Osborne — Brothers Osborne
Zach Bryan — Zach Bryan
Rustin’ In The Rain — Tyler Childers
Bell Bottom Country — Lainey Wilson – WINNER
Best Country Song
“Buried” – Brandy Clark & Jessie Jo Dillon, songwriters (Brandy Clark)
“I Remember Everything” – Zach Bryan & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves)
“In Your Love” – Tyler Childers & Geno Seale, songwriters (Tyler Childers)
“Last Night” – John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin & Ryan Vojtesak, songwriters (Morgan Wallen)
“White Horse” – Chris Stapleton & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Chris Stapleton) – WINNER
Best Country Solo Performance
“In Your Love” – Tyler Childers
“Buried” – Brandy Clark
“Fast Car” – Luke Combs
“The Last Thing On My Mind” – Dolly Parton
“White Horse” – Chris Stapleton – WINNER
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“High Note” – Dierks Bentley Featuring Billy Strings
“Nobody’s Nobody” – Brothers Osborne
“I Remember Everything” – Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves – WINNER
“Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)” – Vince Gill & Paul Franklin
“Save Me” – Jelly Roll With Lainey Wilson
“We Don’t Fight Anymore” – Carly Pearce Featuring Chris Stapleton
Best Americana Album
Brandy Clark — Brandy Clark
The Chicago Sessions — Rodney Crowell
You’re the One — Rhiannon Giddens
Weathervanes — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – WINNER
The Returner — Allison Russell
Best Americana Performance
“Friendship” – The Blind Boys Of Alabama
“Help Me Make It Through The Night” – Tyler Childers
“Dear Insecurity” – Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile – WINNER
“King Of Oklahoma” – Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit
“The Returner” – Allison Russell
Best American Roots Song
“Blank Page” – Michael Trotter Jr. & Tanya Trotter, songwriters (The War And Treaty)
“California Sober” – Aaron Allen, William Apostol & Jon Weisberger, songwriters (Billy Strings Featuring Willie Nelson)
“Cast Iron Skillet” – Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit) – WINNER
“Dear Insecurity” – Brandy Clark & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile)
“The Returner” – Drew Lindsay, JT Nero & Allison Russell, songwriters (Allison Russell)
Best American Roots Performance
“Butterfly” – Jon Batiste
“Heaven Help Us All” – The Blind Boys Of Alabama
“Inventing The Wheel” – Madison Cunningham
“You Louisiana Man” – Rhiannon Giddens
“Eve Was Black” – Allison Russell – WINNER
Best Bluegrass Album
Radio John: Songs of John Hartford – Sam Bush
Lovin’ Of The Game – Michael Cleveland
Mighty Poplar – Mighty Poplar
Bluegrass – Willie Nelson
Me/And/Dad – Billy Strings
City Of Gold – Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway – WINNER
Best Traditional Blues Album
Ridin’ – Eric Bibb
The Soul Side Of Sipp – Mr. Sipp
Life Don’t Miss Nobody – Tracy Nelson
Teardrops For Magic Slim Live At Rosa’s Lounge – John Primer
All My Love For You – Bobby Rush – WINNER
Best Contemporary Blues Album
Death Wish Blues – Samantha Fish And Jesse Dayton
Healing Time – Ruthie Foster
Live in London – Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Blood Harmony – Larkin Poe – WINNER
LaVette! – Bettye LaVette
Best Gospel Album
I Love You – Erica Campbell
Hymns (Live) – Tasha Cobbs Leonard
The Maverick Way – Maverick City Music
My Truth – Jonathan McReynolds
All Things New: Live In Orlando – Tye Tribbett – WINNER
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
My Tribe – Blessing Offor
Emanuel – Da’ T.R.U.T.H.
Lauren Daigle – Lauren Daigle
Church Clothes 4 – Lecrae – WINNER
I Believe – Phil Wickham
Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical
Edgar Barrera
Jessie Jo Dillon
Shane McAnally
Theron Thomas – WINNER
Justin Tranter
Click here for a full list of winners.
Chris Stapleton, Brandy Clark, Jason Isbell Take Home Early Grammy Wins
/by LB CantrellBrandy Clark performs onstage during the 66th Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony. Photo: Leon Bennett/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Many Nashville creators have been honored with Grammy Awards at the 66th annual Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony, taking place Sunday afternoon (Feb. 4) before the televised Grammy Awards ceremony on CBS.
Grammy winner Carly Pearce presented a group the trophies. Best Country Solo Performance went to Chris Stapleton for “White Horse,” who wasn’t in attendance to accept. The tune was also the Best Country Song winner, which went to writers Stapleton and Dan Wilson.
“Thanks to Chris for writing songs with me,” Wilson said, adding in a word of gratitude for his family.
Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves took home Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “I Remember Everything.”
Best American Roots performance went to Allison Russell for “Eve Was Black.” Brandy Clark and Brandi Carlile took home Best Americana Performance for “Dear Insecurity,” which Clark performed earlier in the livestream alongside SistaStrings.
Jason Isbell won Best American Roots Song with “Cast Iron Skillet.” He also won Best Americana Album for his Weathervanes project.
He thanked Thirty Tigers, his team, his brand and more, and shared a word to creators in the crowd. “I want to encourage all you songwriters to tell the truth as best you can,” Isbell said.
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway won Best Bluegrass Album for City Of Gold. Larkin Poe took home the Best Contemporary Blues Album for Blood Harmony.
A selection of winners from the premiere ceremony are in red below.
Best Country Song
“Buried” – Brandy Clark & Jessie Jo Dillon, songwriters (Brandy Clark)
“I Remember Everything” – Zach Bryan & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves)
“In Your Love” – Tyler Childers & Geno Seale, songwriters (Tyler Childers)
“Last Night” – John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin & Ryan Vojtesak, songwriters (Morgan Wallen)
“White Horse” – Chris Stapleton & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Chris Stapleton) – WINNER
Best Country Solo Performance
“In Your Love” – Tyler Childers
“Buried” – Brandy Clark
“Fast Car” – Luke Combs
“The Last Thing On My Mind” – Dolly Parton
“White Horse” – Chris Stapleton – WINNER
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“High Note” – Dierks Bentley Featuring Billy Strings
“Nobody’s Nobody” – Brothers Osborne
“I Remember Everything” – Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves – WINNER
“Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)” – Vince Gill & Paul Franklin
“Save Me” – Jelly Roll With Lainey Wilson
“We Don’t Fight Anymore” – Carly Pearce Featuring Chris Stapleton
Best Americana Album
Brandy Clark — Brandy Clark
The Chicago Sessions — Rodney Crowell
You’re the One — Rhiannon Giddens
Weathervanes — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – WINNER
The Returner — Allison Russell
Best Americana Performance
“Friendship” – The Blind Boys Of Alabama
“Help Me Make It Through The Night” – Tyler Childers
“Dear Insecurity” – Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile – WINNER
“King Of Oklahoma” – Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit
“The Returner” – Allison Russell
Best American Roots Song
“Blank Page” – Michael Trotter Jr. & Tanya Trotter, songwriters (The War And Treaty)
“California Sober” – Aaron Allen, William Apostol & Jon Weisberger, songwriters (Billy Strings Featuring Willie Nelson)
“Cast Iron Skillet” – Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit) – WINNER
“Dear Insecurity” – Brandy Clark & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile)
“The Returner” – Drew Lindsay, JT Nero & Allison Russell, songwriters (Allison Russell)
Best American Roots Performance
“Butterfly” – Jon Batiste
“Heaven Help Us All” – The Blind Boys Of Alabama
“Inventing The Wheel” – Madison Cunningham
“You Louisiana Man” – Rhiannon Giddens
“Eve Was Black” – Allison Russell – WINNER
Best Bluegrass Album
Radio John: Songs of John Hartford – Sam Bush
Lovin’ Of The Game – Michael Cleveland
Mighty Poplar – Mighty Poplar
Bluegrass – Willie Nelson
Me/And/Dad – Billy Strings
City Of Gold – Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway – WINNER
Best Traditional Blues Album
Ridin’ – Eric Bibb
The Soul Side Of Sipp – Mr. Sipp
Life Don’t Miss Nobody – Tracy Nelson
Teardrops For Magic Slim Live At Rosa’s Lounge – John Primer
All My Love For You – Bobby Rush – WINNER
Best Contemporary Blues Album
Death Wish Blues – Samantha Fish And Jesse Dayton
Healing Time – Ruthie Foster
Live in London – Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Blood Harmony – Larkin Poe – WINNER
LaVette! – Bettye LaVette
Best Gospel Album
I Love You – Erica Campbell
Hymns (Live) – Tasha Cobbs Leonard
The Maverick Way – Maverick City Music
My Truth – Jonathan McReynolds
All Things New: Live In Orlando – Tye Tribbett – WINNER
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
My Tribe – Blessing Offor
Emanuel – Da’ T.R.U.T.H.
Lauren Daigle – Lauren Daigle
Church Clothes 4 – Lecrae – WINNER
I Believe – Phil Wickham
Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical
Edgar Barrera
Jessie Jo Dillon
Shane McAnally
Theron Thomas – WINNER
Justin Tranter
Cody Johnson Gives Career-Defining Performance For Sold-Out Bridgestone Debut
/by LB CantrellCody Johnson performs at sold-out Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Jay Trevino
There was a fiery country music revival on Friday night (Feb. 2) at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. If you missed it, you missed out.
Cody Johnson gave a career-defining show to sold-out crowd of over 20,000 fans, thrilling the CoJo Nation with his passion, showmanship, stewardship of country music and overall mastery of his craft.
After Dillon Carmichael got the crowd warmed up with his charisma and tunes like “Son Of A” and “Drinkin’ Problems,” Justin Moore brought the heat to the Bridgestone stage.
Moore kept the Nashville crowd singing along with an arsenal of hits, such as “Bait A Hook,” “You Look Like I Need a Drink,” “Til My Last Day,” his recent No. 1 “You, Me, And Whiskey” and his new single “This Is My Dirt.” The every-man anthem-maker beamed out at the crowd as they enthusiastically sang “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home” and “Small Town USA.”
Before Moore closed his set, he thanked Johnson for having him on tour, and his fans and country radio for giving him a career for the past 17 years.
Cody Johnson performs at sold-out Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Jay Trevino
The crowd was buzzing with anticipation by the time it was time for Johnson. The singer was introduced to the Nashville crowd by an announcer, WWE-style, which seemed to be the perfect way to unleash the intensity of the performance to come.
Johnson came out swinging, kicking things off with “Me & My Kind.” “There sure are a lot of cowboy hats in here tonight!” he said with a grin, sporting his quintessential white cowboy hat, baby blue button-down shirt, starched jeans and boots.
He blitzed the crowd with “Dance Her Home” and “With You I Am” before playing the title track of his 2023 album, Leather. A few songs in it was clear, Johnson’s got all the goods of an Entertainer of The Year. The Nashville crowd never took their eyes off of him during his 90-minute set.
It was impossible not to feel the emotion of shattered dreams when Johnson sang “Dear Rodeo,” and all the gals in the audience swooned to his sultry and vocally impressive “Nothin’ On You.” Johnson got rowdy during tunes like “People in the Back” and “Double Down,” and expertly brought the crowd in close for intimate songs like “On My Way To You” and “Human.”
Cody Johnson performs with Brooks & Dunn at sold-out Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Jay Trevino
When he spoke, which was often, Johnson was extremely open-hearted, making sure to continuously thank his fans for their support, as well as his team, calling out long-time manager Howie Edelman, producer Trent Willmon, writers whose songs he’s cut, his band and crew, videographers, country radio and more. He also made it very clear how thankful he was for Warner Music Nashville, sharing that other labels had told him he wouldn’t make it in Nashville because he was “just a Texas artist.”
“[Warner Music Nashville] told me, ‘We don’t want you to take the hat off, we don’t care where you’re from, you can leave the fiddle, you can leave the steel, we don’t want to change your producer. We just want to be a part of this thing that we heard about called the CoJo Nation changing country music,'” Johnson recalled. “They changed my life. Tonight I got a plaque for 17 million streams and sales in country music. That blew my mind.”
Johnson was also very clear in what he intends to do with his career. “God put me on this earth to make country music sound like country music,” he said at one point to a thunderous roar. He may be right—the Platinum-selling artist set the record for the most tickets sold by a male country artist in their Bridgestone debut with the night.
As is the case with most Nashville shows, Johnson had a few surprise guest appearances up his sleeve for the night, but no one was expecting Country Music Hall of Famers Brooks & Dunn to show up. A deafening roar erupted when the two joined Johnson onstage to perform their collaboration “Long Live Country Music” from the Leather album, which says “here’s to that teenage kid learning B&D songs on an old pawn shop six-string with a head full of honky-tonk dreams.” Johnson pointed to himself during that lyric.
Cody Johnson performs with Randy Houser at sold-out Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Jay Trevino
The crowd was still eating out of his hand by the time Johnson approached 11:00 p.m.. Fans swayed and sang along to his touching “Dirt Cheap.” They hollered loud when Johnson started into “The Painter,” and screamed even louder when they heard the opening riff of his now three-times Platinum, Grammy-winning “‘Til You Can’t.”
In a really sweet moment, Johnson’s daughters Clara Mae and Cori joined him to sing a Ricky Nelson song from the John Wayne classic Rio Bravo—a family favorite film. The brave girls sounded beautiful and their daddy was very proud.
After thrilling fans once more with “Diamond In My Pocket,” Johnson brought out one more surprise guest, his “brother from another mother” Randy Houser. The two closed it down with a perfect cover of “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.”
“I’ve been working my tail off for the last 17 years. This is not an overnight success,” Johnson said. “To anyone who is chasing a dream, if you want something, don’t wait for somebody to hand it to you. If you want something, go work for it. Here we are tonight 17 years later sold out in Nashville.”
Johnson’s can’t-miss “Leather Tour” continues with another sold-out show in Wichita, Kansas on Feb. 9. For more dates, click here.
Emily Preston & Anne-Claire Patterson Launch Girl Thursday Creative
/by Liza AndersonEmily Preston & Anne-Claire Patterson. Photo: Mary Craven Dawkins
Emily Preston and Anne-Claire Patterson have launched their Nashville-based creative management firm, Girl Thursday Creative.
The co-founders collectively bring over a decade of music, lifestyle and creative business management experience to their new company. The name ‘Girl Thursday’ is a nod to the term “Girl Friday” used in the 1950s to describe a female assistant who can handle any task with grace and efficiency—a spirit of versatility Preston, Patterson and their team strive to embody.
Specializing in branding, content creation, digital marketing, event management and more, Girl Thursday Creative offers an array of solutions and plans to utilize the latest trends, technology and best practices, so that each project is both visually stunning and strategically aligned with the client’s objectives. With the mantra “We give you your Friday back,” the firm hopes to foster long-term partnerships built on trust, respect and mutual success.
“At Girl Thursday Creative, we believe that creativity knows no bounds,” says Preston. “No detail is too small.”
For more information, click here.
Grammy Pics: ‘A Celebration Of Craft,’ Belmont, The Core Entertainment
/by Lorie HollabaughRecording Academy Hosts ‘A Celebration Of Craft’ At Grammy Museum
Pictured (L-R): Producers & Engineers Co-Chair Ebonie Smith; President of the Recording Academy Panos A. Panay; Chair, Songwriters & Composers Wing of the Recording Academy E. Kidd Bogart; Edgar Barrera; Vice President of the Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing Maureen Droney; Justin Tranter; Brandy Clark; Shane McAnally; CEO of the Recording Academy Harvey Mason jr.; Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Recording Academy Tammy Hurt; Theron Thomas; Tanya Trotter and Michael Trotter Jr. of The War and Treaty; Sr. Managing Director, Songwriters & Composers Wing of the Recording Academy Susan Stewart; Producers & Engineers Co-Chair Chuck Ainlay. Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
The Recording Academy kicked off Grammy Week at the Grammy Museum with the first-ever “A Celebration of Craft,” presented by the Academy’s Producers & Engineers and Songwriters & Composers Wings.
This year’s event honored Grammy winner Leslie Ann Jones and shined a light on the people working behind the scenes to create the year’s best musical works. The night included performances by current Grammy nominees Brandy Clark and The War and Treaty, and highlighted the current Songwriter Of The Year nominees, with Edgar Barrera, Shane McAnally, Theron Thomas and Justin Tranter making appearances. Also at the event were artists like Taylor Hanson, Jimmy Jam, Lisa Loeb and MAJOR., and Recording Academy leaders such as Harvey Mason jr. (CEO), Panos A. Panay (President) and Tammy Hurt (Chair of the Board of Trustees).
Gibson Gives Honors Belmont Alumni Grammy Nominees By Gifting Guitars
Nashville, TN – Jan 21, 2024: Students recieve Gibson guitars in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business. (Photo by: Garrett Ohrenberg/Belmont Univeristy)
In celebration of Belmont’s six alumni 2024 Grammy nominees and the University’s significant contributions to the music industry, Gibson Gives, the charitable arm of Gibson Guitars, gifted six guitars to students to mark the occasion. The guitars were awarded to selected students who have demonstrated remarkable dedication and talent within the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business and the College of Music and Performing Arts.
The Core Kicks Off Grammy Week At The Peppermint Club
Pictured (L-R): Chief Zaruk, Tracy Martin, Nate Smith, Taylor Manns, Simon Tikhman, Dan Dymtrow. Phot: Alanna McCardle
The Core Entertainment hosted their inaugural Grammy Week kickoff party Jan. 29 at The Peppermint Club in L.A. The night featured performances by Nate Smith, Josh Ross, Dillon James, Clever and Anna Graves. In addition, The Core officially introduced their newly signed trio Just Jayne, which includes Rachel Wiggins, Taylor Edwards and Jillian Steele.
Attendees included Avril Lavigne, Joel Madden, Raine Maida, Erin Foster, Sara Foster, Rich Paul, Todd Hensley (Hits Daily Double), Tom Scherer (BMG), Jon Loba (BBR), Boyd Muir (UMG) and more.
Luke Bryan To Kick Off ‘Mind Of A Country Boy Tour’ In April
/by Lorie HollabaughLuke Bryan. Photo: Jim Wright
Luke Bryan is set to kick off his 2024 “Mind Of A Country Boy Tour” in Canada at Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome on April 17, with supporting acts Chayce Beckham and Tenille Arts.
More special guests will join Bryan on tour including George Birge, King Calaway, Dillon Carmichael, Larry Fleet, HunterGirl, Ella Langley, Tracy Lawrence, Kameron Marlowe, Chase Matthew, Meghan Patrick, Lily Rose, Josh Ross, Alana Springsteen, Zach Top, DJ Rock and Bailey Zimmerman.
Named after a song from the country star’s upcoming album, the trek will visit Detroit, Cincinnati, Omaha, San Diego, Kansas City, Jacksonville and more through mid-September. It also boasts two stadium dates, Truist Field in Atlanta on Aug. 17 with Zimmerman, Marlowe and Beckham as well as Wrigley Field in Chicago on Aug. 25 with Zimmerman, Lawrence and Beckham.
The ticket presale for Bryan’s fan club members will take place Feb. 6-8, with general sales starting Feb. 9. For more information, click here. Citi is the official card of the “Mind Of A Country Boy Tour,” and Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets Feb. 7-8 through the Citi Entertainment program.
Alysa Vanderheym Recounts ‘Rolling Up The Welcome Mat’ Ahead Of Grammy Awards [Interview]
/by Liza AndersonAlysa Vanderheym. Photo: Jess Williams
Esteemed songwriter and producer Alysa Vanderheym has made waves across genres with her work. Vanderheym’s ability to deeply connect with her collaborators and fellow music lovers, combined with the safe spaces she creates during sessions, have shaped songs and projects that bond people together on closer level. One of those projects is Kelsea Ballerini‘s EP Rolling Up The Welcome Mat. Co-written and co-produced by Vanderheym and Ballerini, the acclaimed collection is currently nominated for Best Country Album at the 66th Grammy Awards.
Ahead of the special event on Sunday (Feb. 4) in Los Angeles, the empowering creator sat down with MusicRow to share her musical story thus far as well as detail the process of making Rolling Up The Welcome Mat alongside Ballerini.
Hailing from California’s Bay Area, Vanderheym moved to Music City in 2012 to study songwriting at Belmont University after spending some time at a school in Seattle, Washington. She began watching fellow writers such as Jimmy Robbins produce the tracks they had penned, and picked up production to help get her foot in the door of the publishing world.
Vanderheym signed her first publishing deal with Jesse Frasure and Major Bob Music in 2015. Frasure then moved on to start Rhythm House, a joint venture with Roc Nation and Warner Chappell Music, and signed her again in 2019. Vanderheym earned her first No. 1 with Jameson Rodgers and Luke Combs‘ “Cold Beer Calling My Name,” and has had cuts with Blake Shelton, Jelly Roll, Kygo and One Republic, Florida Georgia Line, The Band Camino and more. She co-produced Cheat Codes and Russell Dickerson‘s “I Remember,” among other successful tracks. Her writing credits also include eight cuts on Ballerini’s 2023 album Subject To Change.
“I’ve rarely just been a producer on tracks. But when I have been, I’ve just tried to serve the song and get out of the way,” she says. “When it comes to writing from scratch for projects, it’s the same concept in that the song comes first. Whatever serves the song is what the track will be, and sometimes that changes after living with it and thinking of new ideas later down the line. Usually, the conception of the song is the heart of it, so I try to honor that no matter what.”
When it comes to specifically penning and producing country music, lyrics are the core and Vanderheym continues to do her best to honor the story they’re telling. She also sees more opportunity to push the limits in the genre, especially when writing for country radio.
“Country radio is a box. Usually, if you go too far outside of that box, people are scared to make a single. There’s a lot of fear involved, so you have to find that line between cool, fresh and interesting, and commercial and palatable to country radio listeners,” she notes.
“It also depends on the artist. I trust the artist more than anyone else, because they know their brand better than anyone else and you have to cater to that,” Vanderheym adds. “But if an artist is excited to do something different, I’m happy to do that.”
She took her signature supportive approach to Rolling Up The Welcome Mat and helped bring Ballerini’s incredibly personal vision to life. Vanderheym held space for the artist’s wildest ideas and assisted her in pushing the envelope, resulting in something raw and real that resonated with so many.
The track “Mountain With A View” was her favorite to produce because she and Ballerini were able to build it together piece by piece. They intentionally moved slowly with production so as not to overshadow the song. “Mountain With A View” strategically opens the EP by setting the scene at 7 a.m. so that the project progresses somewhat chronologically. Vanderheym describes the positive, familial energy present when working with frequent collaborators and friends such as Ballerini and Grammy nominee Jessie Jo Dillon, among others, and believes that the open and judgment-free environment they form is what leads them to success.
“If a line is not right, we all just know we need to think about it a little more,” she says. “I think our individual perspectives and tastes allow us to challenge one another. There’s so much trust there, which makes it a really positive experience.”
The success of Rolling Up The Welcome Mat has made Vanderheym want to double down on the details of production and take more risks. She explains that although production isn’t always examined as closely as lyrics in country music, it’s still important and making something different can pay off. Vanderheym advises any aspiring songwriters and/or producers to trust their gut, especially when it comes to who they work with, as well as what appeals to them musically.
“You’re the tastemaker, you’re setting the bar of what’s cool and what people will want to listen to when they’re driving home after a hard day at work. Trusting yourself is your biggest job,” she expresses. “Maintain relationships as well. Having a good energy really matters and is one of the most important things.”
Eclipse Music Group Purchases Jamie Moore’s JMZL Songs Catalog
/by Lorie HollabaughLiesl Eschbach (Milom Crow Kelley Beckett Shehan, Associate Attorney) , Matthew Beckett (Milom Crow Kelley Beckett Shehan, Partner) Megan Peaker (Loeb & Loeb, Attorney), Jamie Moore, Penny Gattis (Eclipse Music, Partner), Anna Thiel (Eclipse Music, Creative Coordinator)
Eclipse Music Group has acquired three-time Grammy nominee Jamie Moore’s JMZL song catalog.
Producer and songwriter Moore has had cuts by Carrie Underwood, Meghan Trainor, Chase Rice, Carly Pearce, Andy Grammer, Morgan Wallen, Idina Menzel and Florida Georgia Line.
The JMZL catalog contains Wallen’s double-Platinum No. 1 “Chasin’ You,” which was named the fourth most-streamed country song of the year in 2020, as well as Florida Georgia Line’s double-Platinum hit “May We All.” The catalog will continue to be administered by BMG.
“We are thrilled to have Jamie’s special body of work join the Eclipse Music Group catalog,” says Eclipse Partner, Penny Gattis. “These titles complement the growing catalog we are continuing to build with our active roster of talent. We have selectively done acquisitions for a couple years and couldn’t be happier to have these special songs under our roof.”
The deal follows the recent Eclipse Music acquisition of Cory Batten’s catalog interest in songs including “Getting You Home” and “She Wouldn’t Be Gone.” Founded in 2017, Eclipse’s current roster includes Ronnie Bowman, Nick Connors, Sarah Darling, Jeff Garrison, Rob Hatch, Early James, Jordan James, Jim McCormick, Jackson Nance, Payton Smith and Brit Taylor.
Derek Crownover and Megan Pekar of Loeb & Loeb handled the transaction on behalf of Moore. Matthew Beckett of Milom Horsnell Crow Kelley Beckett Shehan PLC handled the transaction on behalf of Eclipse Music Group LLC.