The lineup for this year’s Christmas 4 Kids (C4K) benefit, taking place Nov. 20 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, has been revealed, and includes host and headliner Shenandoah as well as Phil Vassar, Chapel Hart, HunterGirl and Mikayla Lane.

All proceeds go to the Christmas 4 Kids organization, which provides hundreds of underprivileged children in Middle Tennessee with their very own Christmas shopping spree. The funds generated by the Ryman concert and Tour Bus Show/Artist Meet & Greet event are used to give over 400 children from different schools a day-long shopping excursion. The special day consists of a chauffeured trip aboard an entertainer’s tour bus, dinner and a party hosted by Santa. To wrap up the day, the tour buses journey to Walmart where the children receive a brand new winter coat and $175 to spend however they choose.

“Christmas 4 Kids is celebrating our 41st year of making Christmas special for kids in Middle Tennessee,” says Linda O’Connell, C4K President. “We’ve got adult volunteers who shopped with us as children. They remember how special it was for them as children and want to pass it forward! This year we plan to shop with 480 kids, ages six to 13, and we couldn’t do it without these wonderfully talented musicians who come together to help us continue year after year.”

“Christmas is such an exciting time for children,” says Marty Raybon of Shenandoah. “Whether it’s in need of essentials or the wants of a toy or two. Having the opportunity to host Christmas 4 Kids this year is truly a wonderful feeling knowing we have a small part to play in the most wonderful time of the year.”

Tickets are available for purchase now. For more information, click here.

Amazon Toasts ‘Neon Stars’ At Bash

Amazon Music hosted a star-studded party on Tuesday (Oct. 24) to celebrate the launch of their newest country playlist, “Neon Stars.” The party was attended by country artists Redferrin, Dalton Dover, Dylan Schneider and Alana Springsteen, and featured a performance from Restless Road, who are currently featured on the playlist.

Amazon Music kicked off Country Music Month with the introduction of the new “Neon Stars” playlist and a variety of exclusive programming earlier this month. “Neon Stars” highlights artists whose careers launched on social media and showcases the future voices of the genre. The playlist presents a collection of songs primed for discovery that is updated weekly and curated by some of the genre’s most trusted tastemakers.

 

Craig Morgan Celebrates 15th Anniversary As An Opry Member

Craig Morgan celebrated his 15th anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member on Oct. 25, which included special performances from his recently released EP, Enlisted.

Morgan performed “Redneck Yacht Club” and “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” and was joined onstage for two special appearances when surprise guest Jelly Roll took the stage for “Almost Home” and fellow Grand Ole Opry member Trace Adkins joined him on “That Ain’t Gonna Be Me,” two of six collaborations from the new project.

 

 

Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Awards TN Grants

Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation has awarded 48 Tennessee organizations with more than $175,000 in grants through the It Takes Balls campaign, launched earlier this year to raise awareness for the importance of spay and neuter with a focus on rural areas. In addition to spay and neuter clinics and shelters that perform low cost surgeries, MuttNation is also supporting Spay Tennessee, which helps mobilize spay and neuter programs across the state.

“We’ve been so excited by the great response we received to our new spay and neuter program and know that the organizations we’re supporting with ‘It Takes Balls’ grants will make a meaningful difference in helping curb pet homelessness across Tennessee,” said Lambert.

 

Sound Talent Group Promotes Four

Sound Talent Group founders Dave Shapiro, Tim Borror and Matt Andersen have promoted agents Beth Keith, John Pantle, Eric Powell and Jake Zimmerman to partners at the agency. All four partners joined STG at the infancy of the company in 2018, and the four will continue to lead STG from their respective markets: Keith in Nashville, Pantle in Los Angeles and Powell and Zimmerman in New York.

“From day one, these four agents have been pivotal to our agency’s success. Their promotion to partners not only celebrates their invaluable contributions but also reinforces our commitment to cultivating talent from within,” said Anderson of the promotions.

Texas country maverick Aaron Watson released a unique passion project today (Oct. 27) with a selection of cover songs by female artists and songwriters who have inspired him. Honoring artists such Taylor Swift, Sheryl Crow, Rosanne Cash and more, Watson is also collaborating with female artists that he believes to be the next generation of country music’s superstars.

Reimagining iconic songs that span several different genres, Watson worked with rising female artists to create fresh new takes on each track. For Dolly Parton‘s “9 To 5,” Watson features Kylie Frey, while Jenna Paulette lends her voice to Cash’s “Seven Year Ache.”

“This record was about teaching my daughter about all the wonderful, truly talented musicians in the world. I wanted to show her that her dreams are achievable,” shares Watson. “As we were sitting there talking about music and how so many of these artists we were covering got their start, it showed her that those dreams that she is chasing, they’re not so far off.”

A special moment on Cover Girl happens on the last track of the album, when Watson’s daughter Jolee Kate, a huge Swift fan, sings with her dad on “Never Grow Up.”

“If you don’t write it, it has to be something that you believe in and for me, I write 99% of my songs but after 25 years, I am making an album of songs I didn’t write. It’s different but at the same time I really enjoyed it. I can sing these songs and I truly feel it. After countless hours of listening to Taylor Swift with Jolee, I told her ‘Your old man can’t pull off singing ‘Reputation’ but when we listened to ‘Never Grow Up’ I told her that was exactly how I felt as a dad watching my daughter growing up far too fast.”

Tracklist For Cover Girl:
1. “Seven Year Ache” feat. Jenna Paulette – (Rosanne Cash)
2. “Million Reasons” feat. Morgan Myles (Stefani Germanotta, Hillary Lindsey, Mark Ronson)
3. “Back On the Chain Gang” feat. Twinnie (Christine Hynde)
4. “Love at the Five and Dime” feat. Jamie Lin Wilson (Nanci Griffith)
5. “Can’t Cry Anymore” feat. Bri Bagwell (Bill Bottrell, Sheryl Crow)
6. “All Through The Night” feat. Leigh Nash (Jules Shear)
7. “9 To 5” feat. Kylie Frey (Dolly Parton)
8. “You’re The Reason God Made Oklahoma” feat. Kimberly Kelly (Boudleaux Bryant, Felice Bryant, Larry Collin, Sandy Pinkard)
9. “Grandpa Tell Me About The Good Ole Days” feat. Courtney Patton (Jamie O’Hara)
10. “Two More Bottles of Wine” feat. Alyssa Micaela (Delbert Ross McClinton)
11. “Never Grow Up” feat. Jolee Kate Watson (Taylor Swift)

The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) hosted its annual Gold & Platinum Gala at the Country Music Hall of Fame Wednesday night (Oct. 25). With throngs of songwriters and publishers fellowshipping together, the night was abuzz with reunions and celebrations.

The NMPA Gold & Platinum Program honors the songwriters of RIAA-certified singles. In an exciting carousel of honors, NMPA gave out plaques to 85 multi-Platinum songwriters Wednesday night, including hitmakers such as Luke Laird, Natalie Hemby, Chris DeStefano, Dallas Davidson and many more. As each songwriter joined the stage to receive their plaque, their peers and colleagues hooped and hollered as the hit song they wrote played over the speaker.

Flanking the plaque presentations were some awesome performances, with Ian Munsick kicking off the show with his Gold-certified single “Long Live Cowgirls,” which got a big reaction. Newly-inducted Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame member, Keith Urban, gave a rousing performance of his “Blue Ain’t Your Color”—and was subsequently presented with a plaque for his 18 Gold and Platinum certifications.

The event culminated with the honoring of the top male and top female songwriters of the past year. Over the eligibility period, Ashley Gorley achieved an astounding 26 certifications, making him the Top Male Songwriter of the Year.

When speaking about Gorley, NMPA President & CEO David Israelite compared his success to that of star footballer Tom Brady, sharing that as a Kansas City Chiefs fan, he used to feel that he hated Brady because of his success, but eventually realized he admired his excellence. Rightly so, he encouraged those in the room to acknowledge the privilege of working with Gorley.

“Appreciate this moment. If you got to see Tom Brady play, or if you have gotten to see Ashley Gorley write, you are witnessing something that is greatness,” Israelite said.

Gorley was honored with a performance of “Rumor” from Lee Brice.

Top Female Songwriter of the Year went to Hillary Lindsey, who scored 10 certifications overall. Israelite spoke about Lindsey’s impact as one of the most succesful country songwriters of her generation.

“She has been such an inspiration to all songwriters, [especially] to all women songwriters. What she’s done with Liz [Rose] and others, I don’t think we’re going to see much in our lifetimes.”

Lindsey was honored with a hair-raising rendition of “Girl Crush,” performed by Brittney Spencer.

During the event, Israelite officially launched the Gold & Platinum (G&P) Club. The Club encompasses all songwriters who have achieved Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum certifications. Israelite also announced that the Club’s Co-Chairs are Rose and Ryan Tedder.

Israelite said, “The NMPA Gold & Platinum Program is the most definitive measurement of a song’s success. We are thrilled with the growth of the Gala and the opportunity to recognize the most elite songwriters in Nashville. The unprecedented number of honorees at this year’s event demonstrates the expansion and dominance of country music. We congratulate the brilliant minds behind these songs and are excited about the launch of the Gold & Platinum Club which will foster community among them.”

Country artist Dylan Marlowe has announced his 2024 headlining “Dirt Road When I Die Tour.”

The trek will kick off in Mobile, Alabama on Feb. 1. Marlowe has only declared dates for the first two weekends of the tour so far, with plans to surprise fans with the additional stops later on. The tour is named after his debut EP, Dirt Road When I Die, which released over the summer. The collection features “You Were Right (Nat’s Song),” a song he released as a surprise for his now-wife on their wedding day in May, as well as his single “Record High.”

Marlowe is currently on the road serving as support for Hardy‘s “The Mockingbird & The Crow Tour” alongside Lainey Wilson. He will open for the country rocker tonight at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium as part of their three-night run in Music City, which began yesterday (Oct. 26). Marlowe also recently toured with Jordan Davis and Scotty McCreery, and will open a show for Morgan Wallen this fall.

Additionally, he just released his new single “Boys Back Home,” featuring his friend and former tour-mate Dylan Scott.

“I wrote ‘Boys Back Home’ with Joe Fox and Seth Ennis because I got homesick when I moved to Nashville and missed all of my friends back home,” says Marlowe. “Dylan Scott took me on my first tour and I ended up showing him the song on the road. He loved it and I ended up asking him to sing on it with me. A year and a half in the making and I’m excited for the fans to finally have it!”