Following his induction into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame last week, Scotty McCreery released his new seasonal track, “Feel Like The Holidays.”

Written by Frank Rogers, Monty Criswell, Derek George, Bobby Hamrick and Jeremy Bussey and produced by Rogers along with Derek Wells and Aaron Eshuis, the new holiday music comes after the release of McCreery’s latest single, “Cab In A Solo” which garnered him the most first-week adds at country radio of his career and is currently climbing the charts.

Scotty McCreery at the 2023 North Carolina Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Photo: Courtesy North Carolina Music Hall of Fame

McCreery was one of six 2023 inductees enshrined in the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame during the annual induction ceremony. The induction ceremony took place at the Mooresville Performing Arts Center in Mooresville, North Carolina, where McCreery gave an acoustic performance of his hits “Five More Minutes,” “This Is It,” “Damn Strait” and current song “Cab In A Solo.”

Other artists honored this year included Loudon Wainwright III, George Beverly Shea, Betty Davis, Bill “Fatback” Curtis and Fetchin Bones. McCreery joins past honorees including Eric Church, John Coltrane, Fantasia, Andy Griffith, Ronnie Milsap, Thelonious Monk, Earl Scruggs, Nina Simone, James Taylor, Randy Travis and more.

“If you know me, you know how much I love my home state of North Carolina,” said McCreery. “There are so many great musical talents from all genres that have come from our state, and I am honored to be inducted alongside them in the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. I have so many musical heroes already in this Hall. This is very special to me and an honor I will always treasure.”

He plans to kick off 2024 by hitting the road on his headlining “Cab In A Solo Tour.”

Gunnar Latham. Photo: Jake White

Texas artist Gunnar Latham has signed with CAA.

A former professional rodeo cowboy turned country artist, Latham signed his first publishing deal in May 2022. Born and raised in the Texas hill country, his influences range from George Strait to Mac Miller.

Latham has self-released seven songs over the last few years and has racked up nearly a million streams across all platforms. His next project, a three-song western saga The Western Trilogy, is set for release this fall.

He is managed by Mike Doyle and Jensen Sessums at Bob Doyle and Associates, has a publishing deal with Major Bob Music and is represented by attorney Scott Safford of Safford, Motley PLC.

Darius Rucker receives the 2023 CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award during a visit to The Kelly Clarkson Show. Photo: Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal

During an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Darius Rucker was presented with the CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award, which goes to an individual who has served as a humanitarian through community leadership, financial support, personal volunteerism and advocacy. The individual honored has evidenced commitment to worthwhile causes that are important to the Country Music Association and the country music community.

While on the show, Rucker spoke about his late mother Carolyn Rucker and explained how the namesake of his new album, Carolyn’s Boy, directly inspired his passion for giving back.

“When I was a kid, she instilled in us that you help people—not people that are less fortunate; you help people that need help,” Rucker shared with Clarkson. “We grew up in a really poor neighborhood with not much and, you know, there was no reason for me to believe that I was gonna be here and make it. But she always instilled in me ‘believe in yourself, you can do whatever you want.'”

Among his many philanthropic efforts, Rucker pledged his support to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital after an inspiring firsthand visit 15 years ago and, as a result, created the “Darius & Friends” charity auction, golf tournament and concert in 2010. Taking place each year in the days leading into CMA Fest, the event has now surpassed the $3.6 million mark, raising funds to benefit the research hospital leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Rucker also co-chaired the capital campaign that generated $150 million to help build the new MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina—an effort directly inspired by his mom’s career as a MUSC nurse—and has advocated for over 200 charitable causes supporting public education and junior golf programs in South Carolina through the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation while also serving as a National Chair for the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville. Rucker is a four-time CMA Awards nominee, taking home the CMA New Artist of the Year honor in 2009.

Music Health Alliance is holding a “Lyrics for a Cause” benefit auction in collaboration with Julien’s Auctions 20th anniversary week-long celebration in Music City.

For the fourth consecutive year, Julien’s Auctions has partnered with Music Health Alliance to offer a rare collection of handwritten lyrics from some of the most legendary singers and songwriters from the 20th and 21st centuries. Artists from country, pop, rock, gospel/CCM, Americana, hip-hop/rap and alternative rock have handwritten and signed the lyrics of some of their greatest hits and music’s most enduring classics to aid and support underserved members of the music community in times of need.

The online auction is open now and will be held live for the first time on Nov. 14, at 6 p.m. CT at Hard Rock Cafe Nashville and online at Julien’s Live Auctions. Proceeds will benefit Music Health Alliance, the nonprofit that provides free healthcare advocacy and support, and access to critical life-saving health and financial resources for the music industry.

In celebration of its 20th anniversary as the industry leading music memorabilia auction house, Julien’s will present the auction live for the first time in Nashville and display the lyrics—written on mediums from paper to guitars—at Hard Rock Cafe Nashville from Nov. 6-14. Exclusive highlights include lyrics inscribed and signed by artists on guitars donated by Gibson’s charitable arm Gibson Gives, whose mission is to support nonprofit organizations that advance musicians, youth-focused education, music and wellness initiatives.

Among the highlighted handwritten song lyrics signed are:

• Brenda Lee, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” on Brenda Lee’s two silver-tone California Magdesians short wedge shoes featuring the award-winning vocalist’s handwritten scribe that reads, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” and on the right shoe “Love, Brenda Lee”
• David Foster handwritten bars and lyrics, signed, “The Prayer” (recorded by Celine Dion/Andrea Bocelli)
• Chris Stapleton signed, “Tennessee Whiskey” handwritten by Dean Dillon
• Cole Swindell, “She Had Me at Head’s Carolina” (co-written with Thomas Rhett) and handwritten lyrics on a Lone Star cowboy hat signed by Cole Swindell and Ashley Gorley and branded with initials AG received at the ACM’s After Party after winning Song Of The Year
• Toby Mac/Mark Heimermann, “Jesus Freak” (recorded by DC Talk, handwritten and signed by Toby Mac)
• Eric Church handwritten and signed, “Springsteen”
• Garth Brooks, “If Tomorrow Never Comes”, handwritten by co-writer Kent Blazy. Other song lyrics offered by Brooks include “The Dance” handwritten and signed by co-writer Tony Arata, and “Unanswered Prayers”, handwritten by co-writer Pat Alger accompanied by an original black-and-white photo of Brooks and his fellow creators commemorating the song at ASCAP’s No. 1 party, dated February 1991. All three sets of lyrics will be personally signed by Brooks to the winning bidders
• Dickey Lee, “She Thinks I Still Care” (recorded by George Jones)
• George Strait, “Troubadour” (co-written and signed by Monty Holmes and Leslie Satcher)
• Hardy/Lainey Wilson, “Wait in the Truck”, (handwritten on a Gibson G-45 acoustic guitar in natural finish, signed by Hardy, Wilson, and co-writer Hunter Phelps)
• Hozier, “Take Me to Church”, (signed on a signature Hozier branded canvas tote bag)
• Jason Aldean signed “She’s Country” (co-written with Danny Myrick/Bridgette Tatum and signed by Danny Myrick)
• John Michael Montgomery, “I Can Love You Like That”, (handwritten by Jennifer Kimball/band and signed by co-writers Maribeth Derry/Steve Diamond/Jennifer Kimball)
• Keith Urban, “Blue Ain’t Your Color” (on a Gibson Les Paul Custom electric guitar, housed in an original Gibson hard-shell case
• Kelsea Ballerini, “Half of my Hometown” (recorded with Kenny Chesney and co-written with Ross Copperman/Nicolle Galyon/Shane McAnally/Jimmy Robbins; lyrics handwritten by Kelsea Ballerini and signed by Kenny Chesney on an Epiphone Hummingbird Studio acoustic guitar )
• Melissa Etheridge, “I’m the Only One” (handwritten and signed on an Epiphone Hummingbird Guitar in a faded Cherry Gloss finish)
• Otis Redding, “Sittin’ on The Dock of the Bay” (handwritten by co-writer Steve Cropper and accompanied with Cropper’s hand-painted watercolor illustration of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge as visual elements highlighting the Bay Area)
• Rick Springfield, “Jessie’s Girl” (on a Fender Squier SA-105 acoustic guitar)
• Roger Cook, “l’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” (co-written with Roger Greenaway/Bill Backer)
• Two of The Eagles’ great original recorded hits written by legends JD Souther, Glenn Frey, and Don Henley, “Best of My Love”(handwritten/signed by JD Souther) and No. 1 hit, “New Kid in Town” (handwritten/signed by JD Souther)
• Tim McGraw, “Humble and Kind” (handwritten/signed by co-writer Lori McKenna)