Country News snippets November 6 – November 12, 2023

UK News, UK Chart News, Billboard Country Charts, Album & Single Releases, US & Canadian News, Music News, Press Releases, TV, Interviews, Birthdays

BREAKING NEWS

Country News – November 9, 2023 with Shannon McCombs

On this Veterans Day weekend, you’ll hear stories and special messages from Luke Combs, Kane Brown, Nate Smith, and Kameron Marlowe! 

UK NEWS

(8 Nov 2023) Bronwen Lewis showcases new and classic country music from Wales and the world

There is a new country radio show on the BBC!

WHEN: WEDS 19:00 - 22:00 WHERE: BBC RADIO WALES BBC SOUNDS

The Welsh singer/songwriter and social media sensation Bronwen Lewis (proudly bilingual) took to the airwaves from April when she began her very own show on BBC Radio Wales.

Listeners could join Bronwen, from the village of Seven Sisters outside Neath, for a chilled start to Sunday mornings, as each week she brings a warmth and humour to her presentation style. 

Bronwen said: “As a listener and lover of BBC Radio Wales I am absolutely thrilled to join the Radio Wales family. What a fun and brilliant opportunity to play some of my favourite music and to connect with people from all over Wales".

A former contestant on The Voice, Bronwen received international acclaim when she brought Welsh pop sensation Tom Jones to tears during one of her performances in 2013. A year later, she sang the theme song ‘Bread and Roses’ in the BAFTA award-winning film ‘Pride’.

She is also no stranger to social media. During the lockdown, Bronwen gained a huge fan base when she performed over 45 concerts, virtually, from her home studio. Her TikTok videos, which see her cover famous pop songs in the Welsh language, also went viral, clocking up hundreds of thousands of views, and receiving coverage on BBC Radio 1’s Breakfast Show with Greg James.

The Welsh singer-songwriter has a wonderfully warm style that sits between Country, Pop, Folk and Blues.

On Facebook she shared "ARE YOU READY TO HEAR SOME COUNTRY? ‘COS I AM!! My first ever Country show on BBC Radio Wales starts tonight at 7pm! Wherever you may be, whatever you are doing - find a moment for a do-si-do and a banjo solo will you?! I’m wearing my lucky cowboy boots especially" Keep in touch with Bronwen: Website | Instagram | TikTok | X | Facebook

(13 Nov 2023) SHE’S BACK! As The British Country Music Festival heads towards its fifth birthday, “country-pop crossover sensation” Twinnie has been announced as a featured artist on the Saturday night main stage. Twinnie, who currently lives in Nashville, first appeared at TBCMF as a breaking artist in 2019, the festival’s inaugural year, and now she will be taking to the stage on the Saturday night just before the main headliner. (Click here for TBCMF latest ticket offers)

Promoter Martin Blore said: “2024 will be a celebration year for the festival, and it seemed the perfect time to welcome Twinnie back to The British Country Music Festival. She has grown into an international artist and is returning to Blackpool just five years after she first performed at the festival, fresh from her debut performance at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. She is a great contemporary singer-songwriter and a consummate performer. I know she will rock the Empress Ballroom.” 

On the announcement Twinnie said, "I'm so excited to be playing TBCMF again. I played there in 2019 and it was amazing. So much has happened in my career since then and Blackpool holds a lot of happy memories for me. I can't wait to be back performing songs that many people will not have heard live, as i return from Nashville to meet fans in the UK." 

HOTDISC TOP 40 (Sunday 12th November 2023 chart)

The Hotdisc monthly promotional album is digitally distributed to a massive list of DJs, journalists, promoters, agents and other key people in the business. Every act on Hotdisc receives feedback on how their track is performing in the Hotdisc Top 40, which is compiled by the DJs themselves (songs are scored 1 – 10; with or without comment or airplay).

This week the late Raymond Froggatt’s Teach Me, Pa (Live) rose 3-1 to top both the Hotdisc Top 40 & Brtish & Irish charts

TW LW WOC Title Artist

1 3 2 Teach Me, Pa (Live) Raymond Froggatt (UK)  ** No.1 (1 week) **

2 9 2 Puttin' Up Hay Alex Miller

3 11 2 Matamoros Frank Jennings (UK) ** Gainer **

4 5 6 House Where Love Grows Parker & Dallaire

11 13 2 I'm Sorry Nicola Harris (UK)

UK CHART NEWS

Taylor Swift fought off heavy competition from Oasis and Jung Kook for a second consecutive week at Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart with 1989 (Taylor’s Version).

Official UK Top 100 Albums Chart (Week Ending 16 November 2023)

10 November 2023 - 16 November 2023

TW LW WOC Artist Title ( Peak )

1 1 2 Taylor Swift ~ 1989 (Taylor's Version)

41 21 18 Taylor Swift ~ Speak Now (Taylor's Version)

63 39 2 Daniel O'Donnell ~ How Lucky I Must Be

91 87 29 Taylor Swift ~ Fearless (Taylor's Version)

Beatlemania returned!: After debuting last week at No.42 on 10 hours of digital sales and streaming, Now And Then jumps decisively to No.1 for The Beatles this week on consumption of 78,168 units. That’s the highest weekly sale achieved by any track for 22 weeks, and comprised 18,738 CDs, 19,358 7-inch vinyl singles, 8,523 digital downloads and 31,549 sales-equivalent streams. That’s the highest sale achieved by a 7-inch single in a week since Kantar (Miilward Brown) took over chart compilation duties in February 1994.

Official UK Top 100 Singles Chart (Week Ending 16 November 2023)

10 November 2023 - 16 November 2023

TW LW WOC Artist Title ( Peak )

1 42 2 The Beatles ~ Now and Then

2 3 13 Cassö, Raye and D-Block Europe ~ Prada

3 1 2 Taylor Swift ~ Is It Over Now?

4 6 8 Tate McRae ~ Greedy

5 7 9 Tyla ~ Water

19 23 11 Zach Bryan ft Kacey Musgraves ~ I Remember Everything (Peak: 19, 11 weeks - 07/09/2023 to 16/11/2023)

Official UK Country Album Top 20 Chart (Week Ending 16 November 2023)

10 November 2023 - 16 November 2023

Taylor Swift with FEARLESS (Taylor’s Version) moved 2-1 (135 weeks; #1 peak)

Cadillac Three with THE YEARS GO FAST fell 1-2 (2 weeks; #1 peak)

Lisa McHugh with WATCH ME rose 5-3 (2 weeks; #3 peak)

Luke Combs with GETTING’ OLD slipped 3-4 (33 weeks; #1 peak)

Jason Aldean with HIGHWAY DESPERADO made a bow at No.5

Old Crow Medicine Show with JUBILEE pushed 14-10 (2 weeks; #10 peak)

COUNTRY ALBUM RELEASES (Major)

(10 Nov 2023) Chris Stapleton - Higher (Mercury Nashville)

BILLBOARD/ MEDIABASE Charts

Billboard Country Charts (Chart issue week of November 18, 2023)

Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) logged a second week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Nov. 18), following its blockbuster debut. In the week ending Nov. 9, the set earned 245,000 equivalent album units (down 85%) in the U.S., according to Luminate. The re-recorded effort charged in at No. 1 with 1.653 million units a week ago — marking the largest week for any album in nearly a decade.

Of 1989 (Taylor’s Version)’s 245,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Nov. 9, album sales comprise 122,000, SEA units comprise 121,500 (equaling 159.54 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 36 songs) and TEA units comprise 1,500. On the final day of the tracking week, Swift introduced a new deluxe digital download edition of the album, exclusively available in her official webstore for one day only. The new version includes one bonus track, “Slut! (Acoustic Version) (Taylor’s Version).”

Morgan Wallen’s ONE THING AT A TIME rose 5-4 (65,000; up 2%) and the late Jimmy Buffett debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 with the final studio album he completed during his lifetime, EQUAL STRAIN ON ALL PARTS. The set started with a little over 53,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 51,000, SEA units comprise a little over 2,000 and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. Buffett died on Sept. 1 at the age of 76 of skin cancer.

The new 14-song album, which marked Buffett’s 14th top 10-charting set on the Billboard 200, featured contributions from Emmylou Harris, Angelique Kidjo, Lennie Gallant, Will Kimbrough, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Paul McCartney.

Billboard Country Charts (Chart issue week of November 18, 2023)

Country Album Chart ** No.1 (29 non-consecutive weeks) ** ONE THING AT A TIME Morgan Wallen

Hot Country Songs ** No.1 (7 weeks) ** “I Remember Everything” Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves

Country Airplay ** No.1 (4 weeks) ** “Thinkin' Bout Me” Morgan Wallen

Country Digital Songs ** No.1 (1week) ** “White Horse” Chris Stapleton

Country Airplay

*** No.1 (4 weeks) ** “Thinkin' Bout Me” Morgan Wallen 34.665 million audience (-0.316 million loss) / 8,000 radio plays (-313)

** Hot Shot Debut/ Most Increased Audience ** No.26 “Rodeo Man” Garth Brooks & Ronnie Dunn (+6.587 million gain)

Debut No.54 “Pickup Man” Joe Diffie featuring Post Malone

Debut No.60 “Gonna Love You” Parmalee )​

Hot County Songs

** No.1 (7 weeks) ** “I Remember Everything” Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves

** Sales Gainer ** No.7 “White Horse” Chris Stapleton

** Streaming Gainer ** No.11 “World On Fire” Nate Smith

** Airplay Gainer” No.21 “Burn It Down” Parker McCollum

** Hot Shot Debut ** No.33 “Dirt Cheap” Cody Johnson

Debut No.44 “Leather” Cody Johnson

Debut No.47 “Whiskey Bent” Cody Johnson Featuring Jelly Roll

Country Aircheck MEDIABASE Chart

Monday 13 November 2023 (for the chart week November 7 – November 13, 2023) according to Mediabase/ Country Aircheck.

Congratulations to Dustin Lynch, Carson James, Lee Adams, Shelley Hargis, Scotty O’Brien and the Broken Bow promotion team on taking “Stars Like Confetti” to No. 1. This is Lynch’s ninth chart topper and the 45th for the Broken Bow imprint.

“Stars Like Confetti” (Broken Bow) moved 3-1 logging 8,799 radio spins (+1457), 37.893 million audience impressions (+5.397 million) with 31968 Total Points from 157 tracking stations (157 ADDS) for the published chart dated November 13, 2023. Songwriters are Josh Thompson, Thomas Rhett and Zach Crowell.

Kenny Chesney Is Most Added With ‘Take Her Home’

Kudos to the Warner/WEA promotion crew on scoring 128 adds for Kenny Chesney’s “Take Her Home.” His 46th release to top the Add Board is also his third-largest ever, eclipsed only by 138 adds for “Noise” (28 March 2016) and 130 for “Get Along” (9 April 2018).

NEWS

(6 Nov 2023) Multiple members of Shania Twain's crew on her Queen of Me Tour were taken to hospital after a rollover highway accident that took place on Wednesday (Nov. 8) in Canada. According to Regina, Saskatchewan, news channel CTV News, the tour caravan was traveling from Winnipeg to Saskatoon when the accident occurred. Twain played a show in Winnipeg on Nov. 7, and she was scheduled to perform the next stop on her tour on Nov. 9.

(10 Nov 2023) Stop! Hammack Time: Capitol's Caylee Hammack appeared on SiriusXM’s Highway Mornings with Cody Alan and Macie Banks Thursday (11/9) to announce her new show, Prime Country With Caylee Hammack. Airing on Prime Country (channel 58) Fridays from 3-6pm ET with replays Saturdays at 5pm ET and Tuesdays at noon ET, the three-hour show will feature Hammack's favorite songs from the '80s and '90s. "To have a platform to share the stories behind the music that made me fall in love with this genre and to dive into those stories with friends in the future episodes … well, it’s an exciting journey to start down memory lane," she said. 

AMERICANA NEWS

MUSIC NEWS

(6 Nov 2023) Taylor Swift won big at cancelled MTV EMAs: She won three prizes at this year's MTV Europe Music Awards, even though the ceremony did not go ahead. The 2023 MTV EMAs were due to take place in Paris, France on Sunday 5 November, however, MTV organisers cancelled the awards show last month due to the "volatility of world events" amid the conflict in the Middle East.

Instead, executives at the network released the list of winners on Sunday night to honour the fans who had voted for the prizes.

The Shake It Off singer won the most prizes with three - Best Artist, Best Live for The Eras Tour and Best Video for Anti-Hero.

(7 Nov 2023) Spotify Will Cease Paying Royalties for an Estimated Two-Thirds of Its Catalog Under Reported Q1 2024 Changes

As reported by Digital Music News last month, these policies include penalizing labels and distributors for fraudulent streams and setting a higher minimum play time before any white noise track (as well as similar uploads) will register a stream.

On the former front, certain labels and distributors will reportedly be slapped with a penalty of some sort when they make available content flagged for artificial streams. Of course, it’ll be interesting to see the precise rules and enforcement details at hand; major-label tracks will presumably be spared from ample scrutiny (or at least ample penalties) in this department.

The most noteworthy of the three “policies,” however, involves the annual stream-count threshold that tracks must surpass in order to generate Spotify royalties.

Though last month’s coverage acknowledged the change itself, Graziani attached a specific figure, 1,000 plays during the prior 12 months, to the requirement. Running with the number and data made publicly available by Spotify, around two-thirds of the platform’s tracks haven’t hit the minimum to date, let alone in the necessary timeframe.

(Spotify disclosed 82 million on-platform tracks at 2021’s end before the total spiked to north of 100 million in 2022. Per Spotify’s Loud & Clear report for 2022, 37.51 million tracks had achieved at least 1,000 all-time streams by yearend.)

Even so, Billboard, citing an anonymous source, has claimed that the new payout approach would shift only “about 0.5% of Spotify’s royalty pool to more popular tracks.” Meanwhile, the aforementioned piece from Stem’s president expanded the point, maintaining that the income attributable to 1,000 annual streams, approximately $3.00, “is well below the threshold at which” most distributors allow artists to transfer funds to their bank accounts.

(7 Nov 2023) Live Nation has already sold 140m tickets to its shows this year – 19m more than in the whole of 2022

Live Nation Entertainment President and CEO Michael Rapino told investors on Thursday (November 2) that there is “unprecedented global desire for concerts”.  Speaking on the concert giant’s Q3 earnings call, Rapino explained that the promoter is seeing this “unprecedented” demand for live music “happening at all levels with both casual and diehard fans and from small clubs to massive stadium events”.  That demand for live entertainment is plain to see on Live Nation’s third-quarter balance sheet, with the concert giant posting Q3 revenues of $8.2 billion across all of its divisions, including concerts, ticketing and advertising & sponsorship. That Q3 revenue figure, which was up 32% YoY, marked the company’s biggest-ever quarterly revenue haul and sets Live Nation up for what it forecasts to be a record year.

(13 Nov 2023) Taylor Swift urged concertgoers not to throw items on the stage during her show in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Sunday night (Nov 12). The Blank Space singer was sitting at her piano during the Evermore set of her Eras Tour show when an object was thrown onto the stage and landed close to her seat.

The 33-year-old responded by calmly issuing a warning to her fans as she softly played on the moss-covered piano. "Just because communication means having gentle, healthy boundaries, it really freaks me out when stuff gets thrown on the stage. Because if it's on the stage then a dancer can trip on it," she stated. "I love that you brought presents and that is so nice, but just, can you please not throw them on the stage. I love you so much," she added, before launching into her next song.

AWARDS

(7 Nov 2023) Son Of A Winner: The Tennessean's Marcus K. Dowling was surprised with the 2023 CMA Media Achievement Award last Monday night (Nov 6) by Jelly Roll and K. Michelle during rehearsals for the 57th Annual CMA Awards. The award, voted on by publicist members of CMA, recognizes the "outstanding achievements of print and internet journalists, columnists, authors, editors, television writers, producers and bookers and syndicated radio reporters in the media as they relate to country music."

(7 Nov 2023) Proof Positive: Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen shared Songwriter of the Year honors at Tuesday night's (Nov 7) BMI Country Awards at the performing rights organization's Nashville headquarters, with each co-writing four of the year's most-performed country songs. Wallen's "You Proof," which he co-wrote with Charlie Handsome and Ernest K. Smith, was named Song of the Year. Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., which published half of the year's 50 most-performed songs, won Publisher of the Year. Matraca Berg received the BMI Icon Award. Complete list of honorees here.

(9 Nov 2023) Watermelon Moon Shines: "I've been in this town for 12-and-a-half years, but I didn't start working on this 12-and-a-half years ago," Lainey Wilson told the press room after winning EOTY at Weds night's (Nov 8) 57th Annual CMA Awards. "I started working on this when I was nine years old." Wilson joins Garth Brooks as the only artists to be named EOTY the year after winning New Artist/Horizon awards. The 57th Annual CMA Awards Winners & Performances - Full Report

(10 Nov 2023) Grammy Grab: Zach Bryan and Chris Stapleton each earned three nominations when finalists for The 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards announced Friday (11/10), while Brothers Osborne, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Kacey Musgraves, The War and Treaty and songwriters Shane McAnally and Jessie Jo Dillon each received two. Among the top overall vote getters were Brandy Clark with six and Tyler Childers with five. Jelly Roll and The War and Treaty were the only country acts included in the all-genre Best New Artist category.

TOUR / LIVE EVENTS

(6 Nov 2023) Festive All: Eric Church, Whiskey Myers and Koe Wetzel will headline the inaugural Cattle Country Music Festival in Gonzales, TX April 12-14. Additional country performers include Randy Rogers Band, Tanya Tucker, Tracy Lawrence, Chase Rice, Hailey Whitters, Breland and The War And Treaty. Tickets here.

(6 Nov 2023) Tour Support: Blue Chair/Warner/WEA's Kenny Chesney launched the 18-stadium Sun Goes Down Tour April 20 in Tampa and wrapping Aug. 23 in Foxborough, MA. The run stops at Nashville's Nissan Stadium Aug. 3. Supporting are Zac Brown Band, Megan Moroney and Uncle Kracker.

(6 Nov 2023) Deep In The Heart: Miranda Lambert and Jon Randall partnered with Big Loud to launch imprint Big Loud Texas. Both artists will be involved in signing and developing talent, with Randall serving as Pres./A&R and producer for the imprint. Lambert, who left Sony Music Nashville in March, will not record for Big Loud Texas.

Longtime friends and creative allies, Lambert and Randall notably collaborated on 2021’s GRAMMY-nominated The Marfa Tapes, a raw and intimate recording together with Jack Ingram, with Randall also serving as a producer alongside Lambert and Luke Dick on her critically acclaimed 2022 album, Palomino.

(9 Nov 2023) Festive All: Eric Church, Nickelback, Lainey Wilson and Koe Wetzel will headline Country Thunder Wisconsin July 18-21 in Twin Lakes, WI. Rounding out the lineup are Bailey Zimmerman, Randy Houser, Kip Moore, Ernest, Stephen Wilson Jr., Randall King, Josh Ross, Meghan Patrick and more. Tickets here.

 

Headlining Big Valley Jamboree Aug. 1-4 in Camrose, Alberta Canada are Wilson, Cody Johnson and Keith Urban. Additional performers include Riley Green, Moore, Terri Clark and Russell Dickerson. Tickets here.

 

(9 Nov 2023) Your favourite leading lady on the Opry stage? Some of the most iconic women of country to ever grace the Opry Stage.
Stepping Back Into the Circle:  Wynonna & Trisha Yearwood on Nov. 14  Kelsea Ballerini on Nov. 28  Lauren Alaina on Nov. 29 Patty Loveless on Dec. 2  Ashley McBryde on Dec. 5.

 

(10 Nov 2023) Tour Support: Jason Aldean and Kid Rock are taking the Rock the Country tour to seven "small towns," beginning April 5-6 in Gonzales, LA. Joining on select dates are Miranda Lambert, Hank Williams Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, Nelly, Warren Zeiders and more.

 

(10 Nov 2023) Oliver Anthony's Out of the Woods world tour kicks off Feb. 1 in Stockholm, Sweden, then visits the UK & Ireland Weds 7 Feb - Tues 15 Feb 2024 playing Glasgow, Manchester, London, Belfast & Dublin, before returning stateside beginning Feb. 21-22 in Nashville; ticket info here. 

 

(11 Nov 2023) Tour Support: Mercury's Priscilla Block will headline the Hey, Jack Tour early next year. The run, supported by Ryan Larkins, kicks off Feb. 7 in San Diego and wraps May 4 in Raleigh (schedule here).

Kameron Marlowe's I Can Lie Tour has been expanded with 13 additional dates. Kicking off Jan. 18 in Columbia, MO and wrapping March 1 in Tallahassee, FL, the new dates will be supported by Logan Crosby and Laci Kaye Booth.

(13 Nov 2023) Multi-Platinum band Whiskey Myers announced new tour dates for 2024, kicking off March 8 in Bossier City, La. Following sold-out dates across the U.S. this year, the genre-bending band will be joined by The Red Clay Strays, Lukas Nelson + POTR and Reid Haughton on select dates. Tickets at WhiskeyMyers.com. Last week, the band announced the lineup for their sixth annual Wiggy Thump Festival in Palestine, Texas, featuring Jason Boland & The Stragglers, Brent Cobb and Joey Greer on April 20, 2024.

(13 Nov 2023) Grand Ole Opry member Ashley McBryde announced additional dates to The Devil I Know Tour Presented by Ariat, kicking off the second leg Feb. 22 in Charleston, S.C. with 30 more dates scheduled across the U.S. through June 2024. Last week, the Arkansas native earned a standing ovation for her performance of lead single and Music Video of the Year nominee “Light On In The Kitchen” at the 57th Annual CMA Awards, with Rolling Stone calling it “one of the most heartfelt moments of the evening,” that “cut through like a vital hymn full of homespun wisdom,” while Washington Post observed, “Ashley McBryde’s rendition of ‘Light On In the Kitchen’ was captivating as she was surrounded by glowing chandeliers.” ICYMI: Watch her performance HERE.

 McBryde is currently on the first leg of The Devil I Know Tour  with nine more dates in 2023 before a triumphant soon-to-be sold-out return to the U.K. and Ireland at the top of the year (Jan 17-25).

(13 Nov 2023) Kentucky Music Hall of Fame members Exile are joyously commemorating their 60th year by releasing their festive Christmas single “Big Rig Santa” to radio on the Clearwater Records label. Crafted with a nod to the nostalgic past, when holiday songs were not just melodies but invitations to collective merriment, the band is thrilled to share their latest creation. The song is designed to recapture the essence of yesteryear's Christmas tunes, infusing fun and featuring sing-along choruses that evoke the warmth and joy of the season. Exile earnestly hopes that the song captures that delightful feeling for listeners and brings smiles to everyone who hears it. Stream and download “Big Rig Santa” by Exile HERE.

(13 Nov 2023) Continuing to make his presence felt in country music, Bad Realm Records/Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville artist BRELAND puts his own spin on a Christmastime favourite, sharing a vocally stunning rendition of ‘The Christmas Song’.

TV

(9 Nov 2023) Glass Act: Amber Riley, Billie Jean King, Chris Janson, Clint Black, Fancy Hagood, Ledisi, Lucie Silvas, Mickey Guyton, Sheryl Crow and The War & Treaty will appear during CMT Smashing Glass Nov. 15 at 8pm CT. The inaugural event will honor Patti LaBelle and Tanya Tucker, and the late Aretha Franklin, Sinead O’Connor and Tina Turner.

(9 Nov 2023) Luke Grimes and Blake Shelton appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The former talked about his journey from actor to musician, while the latter promoted Barmageddon. And check out Jelly Roll's holiday gift guide.

(9 Nov 2023) Walkaway Ho Ho Ho: Amy Grant and Trisha Yearwood will host CMA Country Christmas Dec. 14 at 8pm ET on ABC and next day on Hulu and Disney+. It will be available on BBC Sounds (audio) & BBC iPlayer (video) from Dec 14. The hour-long special will feature performances by Jordan Davis, Grant, Lady A, Ashley McBryde, Jon Pardi, Lindsey Stirling, The War And Treaty, Zach Williams, Lainey Wilson and Yearwood; sneak peek here. 

PRESS RELEASES

(6 Nov 2023) Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning country artist Ty Herndon announced the release date of the Deluxe Edition of his highly acclaimed album, JACOB. This expanded edition introduces two brand-new tracks, "Love Me Anyway" and "How You Get to Heaven," alongside reimagined versions of four tracks from the original release. Pre-save JACOB (Deluxe Edition) here. Throughout 2022 and 2023, the original album spawned two charting radio singles, the infectious “Till You Get There” and “Dents On A Chevy,” a high-octane duet with five-time CCMA Female Vocalist of the Year Terri Clark that spent 7 weeks at number one atop the CDX TRACtion chart which tracks independently released singles at country radio. In all, Herndon spent 54 weeks on the country radio charts in 2022 and 2023, a first for the star in more than two decades. 

(6 Nov 2023) NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Known for his high-energy songs and live performances, Red Van Records singer-songwriter Levi Hummon announced his headlining Another Shot Tour. The 15-city tour will kick off in Nashville, TN on Dec 13 at the legendary Exit/In, which has hosted some of the biggest names in rock, country and alternative music for more than 50 years.

 “I can’t wait to get back on the road. I have built a really special team over the last year and lots of new fans across socials,” said Hummon. “I’m so excited to play some of the new music we’ve been working on and the brand new version of 'Paying For It.'”

 When the tour wraps in Knoxville, TN on Feb 3, Hummon and his Another Shot Tour will have played some of the most storied and intimate music rooms across the country, like the Hi-Fi in Indianapolis, IN; Manchester Music Hall, in Lexington, KY; and Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta to name a few. https://www.levihummon.com

(6 Nov 2023) Jo Dee Messina made an exciting announcement, revealing that she will be embarking on the eagerly awaited second leg of her Heads Carolina, Tails California Tour in early 2024. The tour will kick off on February 3 in Key West, Florida and will feature various tastemaker festival appearances and headline performances at renowned venues, such as Joe’s Live in Chicago and the iconic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The Massachusetts native will return home to New England on May 31 for a 6-date, region-wide homecoming celebration!

(6 Nov 2023) 11x Platinum Country recording artist Blanco Brown steered John Denver’s classic hit 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' through his signature “TrailerTrap” lane on his latest Wheelhouse Records release.  This track marks a momentous tribute to the late, great John Denver that was a personal request from his estate and showcases Blanco's profound appreciation for the timeless song that has resonated with generations of music enthusiasts.

(6 Nov 2023) COLUMBIA, S.C. – Iconic pop-rock band Hootie & the Blowfish return to the road in 2024, as the foursome sets out on the Summer Camp with Trucks Tour produced by Live Nation featuring special guests Collective Soul and Edwin McCain. The group comprised of Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, Darius Rucker and Jim “Soni” Sonefeld, who formed the band during their time as students together at the University of South Carolina, will visit 43 cities across the U.S. and Canada. This marks the first full tour since 2019 for the band whose chart-topping, GRAMMY-award winning career has featured more than 25 million albums sold, including their 2x Diamond-certified debut album Cracked Rear View – which remains among the top 10 best-selling albums in all of music history – plus 17 Billboard-charting songs to date. Promo Vid HERE

(Nashville, TN -  Nov 8, 2023) - BBR Music Group/BMG celebrated their roster, team, partners and fans at the 2023 Pre-CMA Awards party at Brooklyn Bowl.  Throughout the event, BMG's CEO Thomas Coesfeld, EVP & CFO, North America Joe Gillen, President Jon Loba, Executive Vice President JoJamie Hahr, General Manager Peter Strickland & Senior Vice President of Promotion Carson James took the stage to honor benchmarks in their artists' careers including plaque presentations for Jason Aldean (#1 Billboard Top 100 Chart - "Try That In a Small Town"), Jelly Roll ("Need a Favor" certified Platinum), Dustin Lynch ("Thinking 'Bout You" featuring Mackenzie Porter certified 2X Platinum), Parmalee (Career milestones - 1 Billion On-Demand Streams, 4 #1 Singles ("Carolina", "Just The Way", "Take My Name" & "Girl In Mine") & Billboard's 2022 Most Played Song of the Year - "Take My Name") & Lainey Wilson ("Heart Like a Truck" certified 2X Platinum).

(9 Nov 2023) NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Kenny Chesney defined his place in American music by distilling the best part of being young, alive and seeking what the world has to offer. It’s that ability to recognize great songs that’s made him the country artist with the most No. 1s on the Mediabase Country Singles chart – and that reflection of how real people actually live has always been important to him.  

In that spirit, the eight-time Entertainer of the Year releases “Take Her Home,” a loping rumination on the butterflies that flutter when you see “the one” through all the phases of

falling in love, getting serious and building a life that makes you so much more. It is the essence of everything that is so easy to miss, but creates the biggest blessings and greatest happiness people can experience. Listen HERE

(11 Nov 2023) Co-founder and former Steep Canyon Rangers front man—as well as a musical collaborator with comedian/banjoist Steve Martin—Woody Platt is an artist who has helped to define the trajectory of bluegrass music in the 21st century. The first single from Platt’s upcoming solo project for Compass Records is a collaboration with legend Del McCoury on the Blind Willie McTell classic, "Broke Down Engine" which premiered at Bluegrass Today. The track features McCoury and Platt sharing lead vocals, accompanied by a top-flight band including Bryan Sutton (guitar), Barry Bales (bass), Daren Shumaker (mandolin), and Bennett Sullivan (banjo). 

(13 Nov 2023) Dolly Parton kicks off her album release week with a big announcement: she’s coming home to Rocky Top! On Saturday, November 18, Parton will make a special appearance during the UT Volunteers vs. Georgia Bulldogs game beginning at 3:30pm ET on CBS. The global superstar will make her first appearance at Neyland Stadium in front of 101,000 fans.

In addition, Parton will make her debut appearance on The Howard Stern Show (airing LIVE on SiriusXM Weds Nov 15, at 9am ET). A rundown of highlights from Parton’s release week coverage includes November 13-19: BBC Radio 2 Album of the Week Spotlight (UK)

INTERVIEWS

(9 Nov 2023) Dolly Parton: 'I broke boundaries just by being myself': The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 featured an interview with Dolly Parton - Read More

BIRTHDAYS

November 13: the late Raymond Froggatt (1941)

November 14: Gretchen Peters (1957)

November 15: Hank Wangford (1940)

November 17: Gordon Lightfoot (1938), Reid Perry (The Band Perry, 1988)

November 18: Jessi Alexander (1972) 

November 19: Billy Currington (1973), Cam (1984)