It’s been a long time coming for Michael Ray, who’s always let his music do the talking. With four #1s – including his Platinum certified “Whiskey and Rain” and Platinum “Think A Little Less” – before the pandemic shut the world down, the smoky-voiced purveyor of country songs had plenty of time to think about what he wanted his music to stand for.
It’s a busy CMA Music Fest Week for Elle King, who will be co-hosting the nightly concerts at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium, alongside her friends Dierks Bentley and Lainey Wilson. She’s also on tap to perform on several surprise moments. On Saturday afternoon, the multi-award winning Come Get Your Wife singer, who is ordained to officiate weddings, will preside over the love ceremony for three lucky couples at Acme Feed & Seed.
Fellow GRAMMY Award winners and Texas natives Miranda Lambert and Leon Bridges have joined forces to deliver a longing ballad of unrequited love, with “If You Were Mine” available across all major digital platforms today, June 6. Listen HERE.
The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will explore the life and ever-growing career of 10-time GRAMMY nominee and CMA Entertainer of the year Eric Church in its newest exhibition, Eric Church: Country Heart, Restless Soul, presented by Gibson. The exhibit will chronicle Church's unique path to stardom, from his early years playing late-night gigs in bars and writing songs in Nashville to his current prominence as one of country music's most authentic voices and revered rule-breakers. The exhibit, which opens July 13 and runs through June 2024, is included with museum admission.
The King of Country continues his reign as “the genre’s most consistent A-list act,” as declared by the Los Angeles Times, setting back-to-back venue attendance records with his two most recent shows. George Strait brought a record-setting 46,641 attendees to Milwaukee’s American Family Field on Saturday evening (besting Paul McCartney’s 2013 record by over 2,000 people). The standout show came on the heels of last weekend’s record-setting 63,891 attendees at Columbus’s Ohio Stadium for Buckeye Country Superfest.
GRAMMY Award winner Ashley McBryde has made a name for herself with her standout, critically acclaimed albums, all of which found the Arkansas native straddling lines between traditional country, rock-tinged roots and point-blank biker-bar riffs, leading American Songwriter to boast her “music balances gutsy rocking with classic country, folk and even slight bluegrass influences.” With The Devil I Know, set for release Sept. 8 via Warner Music Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry member and her band Deadhorse honed in and sharpened what it is they do best.
One of Country music’s few Diamond-certified songwriters, Chase Rice now has even more accolades to his name with his recent music video for “Way Down Yonder” earning recognition from both the Telly Awards and American Advertising Awards, while several of his fan-favorite songs have achieved new RIAA Platinum and multi-Platinum certifications.
Even before Kenny Chesney hit The Wharf’s stage, it was fixing to be one of those kinds of tour-enders as the East Tennessee songwriter/superstar dropped by the legendary Flora-Bama® Lounge, Package & Oyster Bar to surprise the Blue Chair Bay® Rum pop up event being broadcast on No Shoes Radio. Then he called a final meeting of everyone on the road, from riggers and sound guys to truck drivers and caterers to offer thank yous and praise for the very special, great energy tour they were wrapping up.
