Dolly Parton Reveals Title, Release Date & Track List For First-Ever Rock Album

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Photo: Vijat Mohindra

Country Music and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dolly Parton has revealed details regarding her first-ever rock album.

Parton’s album will be called Rockstar and will release Nov. 17 via Butterfly Records with distribution by Big Machine Label Group. The 30-song collection includes 9 original tracks and 21 iconic rock anthems. Rockstar will be available as a 4 LP set and a 2 CD set, as well as via digital download and on all streaming services. It is available for pre-order now.

Parton will be joined by a slew of musical guests across genres on Rockstar, including Stevie Nicks, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Peter Frampton, Sting, John Fogerty, Steven Tyler, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Chris Stapleton, Miley Cyrus, Elton John, Lizzo, Linda Perry and many more.

“World On Fire” single artwork. Photo: Vijat Mohindra

Parton shares, “I’m so excited to finally present my first Rock and Roll album Rockstar! I am very honored and privileged to have worked with some of the greatest iconic singers and musicians of all time and to be able to sing all the iconic songs throughout the album was a joy beyond measure. I hope everybody enjoys the album as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together!”

On Thursday (May 11), Parton will join Garth Brooks to host the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards. She will also close out the night by delivering the world premiere of the debut single from Rockstar, “World on Fire.” The track will be available on Thursday to coincide with the world premiere performance.

Of “World On Fire,” Parton shares, “This is a song I felt very inspired to write. I think it speaks about everything and to everyone this day and time. I hope it is something that will touch you and maybe touch enough people to want to make a change for the better.”

Rockstar Track List:
1. “Rockstar (with special guest Richie Sambora)”
2. “World on Fire”
3. “Every Breath You Take (feat. Sting)”
4. “Open Arms (feat. Steve Perry)”
5. “Magic Man (feat. Ann Wilson with special guest Howard Lee)”
6. “Long As I Can See The Light (feat. John Fogerty)”
7. “Either Or (feat. Kid Rock)”
8. “I Want You Back (feat. Steven Tyler & special guest Warren Haynes)”
9. “What Has Rock And Roll Ever Done For You (feat. Stevie Nicks & special guest Waddy Wachtel)”
10. “Purple Rain”
11. “Baby, I Love Your Way (feat. Peter Frampton)”
12. “I Hate Myself For Loving You (feat. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts)”
13. “Night Moves (feat. Chris Stapleton)”
14. “Wrecking Ball (feat. Miley Cyrus)”
15. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (feat. P!nk & Brandi Carlile)”
16. “Keep On Loving You (feat. Kevin Cronin)”
17. “Heart Of Glass (feat. Debbie Harry)”
18. “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me (feat. Elton John)”
19. “Tried To Rock And Roll Me (feat. Melissa Etheridge)”
20. “Stairway To Heaven (feat. Lizzo & Sasha Flute)”
21. “We Are The Champions”
22. “Bygones (feat. Rob Halford with special guests Nikki Sixx & John 5)”
23. “My Blue Tears (feat. Simon Le Bon)”
24. “What’s Up? (feat. Linda Perry)”
25. “You’re No Good (feat. Emmylou Harris & Sheryl Crow)”
26. “Heartbreaker (feat. Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo)”
27. “Bittersweet (feat. Michael McDonald)”
28. “I Dreamed About Elvis (feat. Ronnie McDowell with special guest The Jordanaires)”
29. “Let It Be (feat. Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr with special guests Peter Frampton & Mick Fleetwood)”
30. “Free Bird (feat. Ronnie Van Zant with special guests Gary Rossington, Artimus Pyle and The Artimus Pyle Band)”

Dolly Parton Launches Partyware Line With Creative Converting

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Photo: Courtesy of Creative Converting

Dolly Parton has teamed with paper and party goods supplier Creative Converting on a new line of eco-friendly disposable party supplies.

The Dolly inaugural collection includes a series of floral and musically-inspired paper plates and single-use wooden cutlery, What Would Dolly Do?  plates and Be A Diamond in A Rhinestone World napkins, cake toppers, disposable tablecloths, special message banners, beverage kits featuring drink stirrers and coaster kits, wine bag options, treat bags and more.

With an initial rollout on Amazon, the Dolly-inspired collection will also hit retail locations across the U.S. and Canada over the coming weeks.

“I love to celebrate all the seasons of the year with my family and friends. Whether it’s birthdays or holidays, making memories with those you love is what matters most in life. I am excited to bring my new collection of party supplies to your homes and events, and even though I may not be there in person, I’ll be celebrating with you in spirit. Let’s party!” says Parton.

“Creative Converting is excited to partner with Dolly Parton on the launch of her first partyware collection,” says Andy Romjue, President of Hoffmaster.  “From celebratory disposable plate and napkin ensembles to reusable party decorations, consumers can now bring the spirit of Dolly Parton to at-home celebrations.”

Ed Sheeran, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, More To Perform At ACM Awards

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Ed Sheeran. Photo: Annie Leibovitz

Performers for the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards have been revealed prior to Thursday’s (May 11) event.

Global pop superstar Ed Sheeran will make his debut on the ACM Awards stage in a highly anticipated performance. The star-studded lineup also includes country stars Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Jelly Roll, Keith Urban, Morgan Wallen, The War And Treaty, Lainey Wilson, Bailey Zimmerman and co-host Dolly Parton, who will close out the night of massive performances by delivering the world premiere of the debut single from her new rock album.

Hosted by Parton and Garth Brooks, the ACM Awards will be free to stream live for a global audience across over 240 countries and territories exclusively on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on Thursday, May 11 at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT/4 p.m. PT from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. A full rebroadcast of the two-hour show will be available to watch on Prime Video the next day (Friday, May 12), starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on the Amazon Music App and for free on Amazon Freevee.

A limited number of tickets are still available for purchase on SeatGeek.

Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen Brew Up ‘Hold My Beer Vol. 3’

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Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen are teaming up once again for Hold My Beer Vol. 3, which arrives on July 7. The latest entry to their Hold My Beer collection, Vol. 3 features six songs exploring love, life on the road, nostalgia, and of course, hoisting a cold one.

Rogers and Bowen first decided to join forces in 2015 when they released Hold My Beer, Vol. 1. Their newest project, much like the first EP and 2020’s Vol. 2, is a collection made for drinking, dancing and reminiscing, with the artists trading off as they sing about heading to the bar after a broken heart in “I Moved Into A Bar,” or looking back on their youth in “Dumb Kids.” Rhett Akins joins Rogers and Bowen on the track “We Ain’t The Only Ones,” where the trio shout out fellow Texas artists like Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson and Cody Johnson in their ode to putting in miles on the road.

“Hold my Beer Vol. 3 is finally here,” Rogers shares. “I absolutely love making these records with Wade and am so proud of these songs — we wrote every single one. Listen responsibly. Cheers!”

“If you don’t have fun listening to these songs, I feel sorry for ya,” Bowen adds. “No reason we should have this much fun ‘working!’ I hope you love these songs as much as we love making them. Grab some friends and drink a few for us! Cheers!”

Following the release, the two friends will hit the road on the “Hold My Beer Tour” beginning in July. The trek will run through Texas, kicking off in College Station on July 19 and stopping in Lubbock, Dallas and Corpus Christi as well as Billy Bob’s Texas for two shows in Fort Worth before wrapping in Helotes on Aug. 19.

Hold My Beer Vol. 3 Track Listing:
1. “Shooting Hand” (Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, Drew Kennedy)
2. “We Ain’t The Only Ones” (Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, Rhett Akins)
3. “Things That Never Change” (Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, Brad Clawson)
4. “It’s A Beautiful Day” (Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, Aaron Raitiere)
5. “I Moved Into A Bar” (Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, Taylor Phillips)
6. “Dumb Kids” (Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, Allen Shamblin)

Creative Nation Signs Oscar Charles

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Pictured (L-R): Luke Laird, Abby Holcomb, Alex Tamashunas, Emily Furman, Oscar Charles, Beth Laird, T.D. Ruth (Serling Rooks Hunter McKoy Worob & Averill LLP), Kelsey Granda. Photo: Spencer Combs

Creative Nation has signed songwriter/producer Oscar Charles to its publishing roster.

Charles has written and produced songs for Chase Rice, Elvie Shane, Boy Named Banjo, Madeline Edwards, Hannah Dasher, Carly Pearce, Charlie Worsham, Jacob Powell and more. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Charles grew up playing drums and played in various bands. He moved to Nashville in 2010 to attend Belmont University’s Audio Engineering program, and signed his first publishing deal in 2014.

“There’s a unique element to Oscar’s writing that makes his songs memorable and timeless. He is also producing some of the most interesting music coming out of Nashville. He’s a true songwriter and a true producer; we’re inspired by the creative impact he’s making on this community and are thrilled to be on board,” says Emily Furman, Creative Nation’s VP of Creative.

“I’m incredibly grateful to be working with Creative Nation. Finding new champions in both the staff and writers here has been humbling—from the songs that have had such a large impact to the giving back in our local community, this is a music business family I’m proud to call home,” Charles says.

Freeman Wizer Named Senior Creative Director At Sheltered Music

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Freeman Wizer

Freeman Wizer has joined Sheltered Music Publishing as Senior Creative Director. The music publishing veteran of more than 20 years brings a significant background of experience and success to the company.

“Freeman is joining us with a wealth of proven leadership working with songwriters and artists, and his extensive knowledge of working with catalog is remarkable,” shares Darrell Franklin, Senior Vice President of Sheltered Music Publishing. “He is passionate, driven and has the creative vision to help us support our growing roster of songwriters and artists.”

Holding both a BBA and MBA from Belmont University, Wizer’s experience includes 12 years at Universal Music Publishing, as well as high level creative roles at Sea Gayle, Spirit and Porchlight. Throughout his career in publishing, Wizer has worked closely with artists and songwriters such as Luke Laird, Brandy Clark, Ingrid Andress, Nathan Chapman, Clint Daniels, Ryan Hurd, Radney Foster, and many more.

“I’m honored to work with accomplished professionals Lance and Darrell,” says Wizer. “Darrell’s ability to recognize great music and passion for songs and songwriters is something I have always respected, while Lance Freed is widely regarded as one of the most respected music publishers. It’s no surprise they have assembled incredible talent at Sheltered and I’m excited to contribute to its continued success.”

Ashley Gorley Reclaims The Top Spot On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Ashley Gorley

Ashley Gorley moves to the No. 1 position on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week.

The award-winning songwriter is a co-writer on 12 charting songs, including “All I Need Is You” by Chris Janson, “Girl In Mine” by Parmalee, “God Gave Me A Girl” by Russell Dickerson and “Gold” by Dierks Bentley, as well as eight Morgan Wallen tunes, including “Cowgirls,” “Everything I Love,” “Last Night,” “Me + All Your Reasons,” “One Thing At A Time,” “Thinkin’ Bout Me,” “Whiskey Friends” and “You Proof.”

Morgan Wallen shifts down one spot to No. 2 with 11 charting songs. Ryan Vojtesak (No. 3), Zach Bryan (No. 4) and John Byron (No. 5) complete the top five.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Dierks Bentley & Miranda Lambert Create Four Songs For CBS’ ‘Fire Country’

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Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert have penned four new songs exclusively for the final two episodes of CBS’s popular new TV show Fire Country.

The new songs, which were inspired by the themes of the show, can be heard in the episodes on Friday May 12 and May 19 on CBS and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*.

YouTube video

The four songs include “Saved,” written by Jon Randall and Luke Dick; “Still Burning” written by Lambert, Randall and Dick; “Something in the Water” written by Lambert, Bentley,  Randall and Dick; and “Barbed Wire Heart” written by Bentley and Randall.

“I’m a huge country music fan! Dierks and Miranda have written and performed some of my all-time favorite songs, so to get the chance to work with them on Fire Country was a dream come true,” says series creator and star, Max Thieriot. “Their songs provide the perfect backdrop for our dramatic conclusion to the season.”

“Dierks and I got together with our buddies Luke Dick and Jon Randall, and we started writing for Fire Country,” says Lambert. “It’s a different process to write to another storyline that’s already been written and sort of go along with the script. It’s been a cool project!”

“From the moment I saw the very first scenes of the pilot for Fire Country, I knew I wanted to try to write songs for it,” adds Bentley. “Writing for TV stretches different muscles than writing for my own albums. And getting to collaborate with my friends Miranda, Luke Dick and Jon Randall made the whole process explorative and, of course, a lot of fun.”

Bentley and Lambert aren’t the first country artists to join the world of Fire Country. Kane Brown guest-starred on an episode earlier this year.

Cody Hibbard Inks With Sony Music Publishing & Droptine Music

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Pictured (L-R): Rusty Gaston, Jenna Heideman, Cody Hibbard, Jim Catino, Molly Shehan and Cass Scripps. Photo: Courtesy of Droptine Records

Cody Hibbard has signed a co-venture publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing Nashville and Droptine Music.

The deal comes on the heels of Hibbard’s first release with Droptine, “Looking Back Now.” The Oklahoma native and former pipeline worker will unveil a follow-up single, “We Speak Country,” this Friday, May 12.

“Cody Hibbard’s future is so bright and I’m excited to be part of his creative team,” shares Jim Catino, Droptine Music Founder. “His music and touring are growing exponentially and that is a direct result of his songwriting abilities. I’m so happy to be part of his artist career and now [represent] him as a songwriter as well. I also want to thank Rusty Gaston and Sony Publishing for their continued support of Droptine. It has been an amazing partnership.”

“Cody’s voice is full of grit and heart, and his songs were built for blue collar America. Jim Catino is one of Music Row’s best A&R executives and he’s keeping that streak alive with Cody Hibbard,” says Gaston, Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Droptine and Sony Music Publishing family, and for the opportunity to work alongside Jim, Rusty and the rest of the crew,” shares Hibbard. “It’s an honor to join such a tremendous team, and I can’t wait for what’s ahead!”

Weekly Register: Zach Bryan Climbs The Country Songs Chart

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Zach Bryan‘s “Something In The Orange” has jumped to No. 3 on the country streaming songs chart this week with 12 million new streams, adding to 632 million RTD, according to Luminate data.

Morgan Wallen‘s “Last Night” remains at No. 1 with 26 million streams, adding to 386 million RTD, while Luke Combs‘ “Fast Car” cover stays at No. 2 with 14 million streams, adding to its 74 million RTD. Wallen’s “Thinkin’ Bout Me” moves to No. 4 with 12 million new streams, adding to 129 million RTD, and “You Proof” lands at No. 5 with 12 million streams, adding to its 569 million RTD.

Once again, the top five country albums remain the same this week.

Wallen’s One Thing At A Time rests at No. 1 with 138K in total consumption (5.4K album only/166 million song streams), and Dangerous: The Double Album stays at No. 2 with 47K (1.3K album only/59 million song streams). Combs’ Gettin’ Old holds No. 3 with 37K (3K album only/42 million song streams). Bryan’s American Heartbreak continues at No. 4 with 28K (1.5K album only/34 million song streams), and Taylor Swift‘s Red (Taylor’s Version) persists at No. 5 with 22K (3.8K album only/24 million song streams).