Country music hitmaker, author and patriot Craig Morgan celebrated his 15th anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member last night, including special performances from his recently released EP, Enlisted (Broken Bow Records). Morgan performed hits “Redneck Yacht Club,” “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” and was joined onstage for two special appearances when surprise guest, multi-genre hitmaker Jelly Roll took the Opry House stage for “Almost Home” and fellow Grand Ole Opry member and multi-platinum entertainer Trace Adkins dueted on “That Ain’t Gonna Be Me,” two of six collaborations from the new project. Listen now at craigmorgan.lnk.to/Enlisted.
Enlisted (Broken Bow Records) offers new takes on four of Morgan’s biggest hits along with two new tracks and includes appearances by an all-star group of performers including Trace Adkins, Luke Combs, Gary LeVox, Jelly Roll, Blake Shelton, and Lainey Wilson.
The newly released project is already receiving rave reviews:
“Craig Morgan’s new EP is much more than a duets album. The singer chose four hits and two new songs for ‘Enlisted’ and recorded each one his way … Blake Shelton, Jelly Roll, Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson, Gary LeVox and Trace Adkins are his chosen collaborators. It’s a lineup that’s stolen headlines. The real story is in what this group of professionals created … a rare career retrospective that’s required listening.” – Taste of Country
“From top to bottom, the new project celebrates timeless country traditions while adding in a healthy dose of modern charm … ‘Enlisted’ is a true testament to the power of camaraderie in country music. Time and time again Craig Morgan proves that his voice in country music is timeless, valuable and much needed. Banding together with some of today's most influential voices, ‘Enlisted’is one of the best projects of the year.” – All Country News
Morgan previously served seventeen years in the Army and Army Reserve with the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions as an E-6 Staff Sergeant and Fire Support Specialist and including Airborne, Air Assault Jumpmaster and Rappel Master among his certifications. He is now returning to serve his country in a new way – as a soldier in the Army Reserve. The newly sworn in Staff Sergeant and Warrant Officer candidate will continue touring and releasing new music in his civilian career while simultaneously serving our country in the Army Reserve.
Craig Morgan, Jelly Roll, Trace Adkins
Photo credit: (c) Grand Ole Opry, Photos by Chris Hollo
ABOUT CRAIG MORGAN:
A multi-faceted entertainer, Craig Morgan has made a name for himself as a country music icon, TV personality, author, celebrated outdoorsman and patriotic Army veteran. One of country music's best-loved artists, Morgan has amassed over 1.5 billion career streams and charted over 25 songs on Billboard, thrilling massive crowds with signature hits including “Bonfire,” “Almost Home,” “Redneck Yacht Club,” “International Harvester,” “This Ole Boy,” “Soldier,” “That's What I Love About Sunday” and his faith-filled tribute to his son Jerry, “The Father, My Son and The Holy Ghost.” Craig just released his newest project, Enlisted, a six-song collection of reimagined hits and brand-new songs featuring collaborations with Trace Adkins, Luke Combs, Gary LeVox, Jelly Roll, Blake Shelton, and Lainey Wilson.
Craig received one of country music's highest honors when he was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Prior to becoming a country music star and TV sensation, Morgan served seventeen years serving our country in the Army and Army Reserve and in 2023 enlisted in the Army Reserve, continuing his military career. Morgan remains an avid supporter of America's military personnel and has made more than sixteen overseas trips to perform for our troops. He is a member of the U.S. Field Artillery Hall of Fame and recipient of the USO Merit Award. In 2018, he was awarded the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, one of the highest awards the Department of the Army can bestow upon a civilian, in recognition of his significant dedication to our military men and women around the world. He remains committed to supporting active duty and veteran members of our military through work with Operation Finally Home, the USO and more.
He's reprised his popular headlining run — “God, Family, Country Tour 2023,” in partnership with Operation Finally Home — playing thirteen theater and auditorium dates through the end of this month. God, Family, Country, Craig’s gripping new memoir, released last fall in partnership with Blackstone Publishing. He details all aspects from his inspiring life, revealing never-before-heard stories including how he worked alongside the CIA as a soldier in Panama, fought sex traffickers as an undercover agent in Thailand, forged his own path to country music stardom, and lives his life by the deepest values: God, family, country.
ABOUT JELLY ROLL:
Nashville native singer/songwriter Jelly Roll (Jason DeFord) recently debuted Top 3 on the Billboard 200 All Genre Chart and #2 on the Top Country Album charts with his debut Country Album, Whitsitt Chapel (released June 2nd, 2023) - earning the biggest Country debut album in Billboard Consumption Chart history. Following his sweep at the 2023 CMT (Country Music Television) Music Awards where he earned 3 awards to become the most awarded artist of the night, the Billboard Country Power List Cover star and “country’s ‘most authentic’ new artist” (The New Yorker) recently received Billboard’s 2023 Breakthrough Award. “One of Nashville’s fastest rising stars” (The New York Times), Jelly was an 8X nominee and 4X winner at the People’s Choice Country Awards and is the most nominated male at the 2023 CMA Awards, with 5 total nominations. His current hit single “Save Me” — a confessional, vulnerable expression of self-doubt— set the stage for his new season of life and took him to new heights, has more than 155 million views on YouTube and Platinum certification from the RIAA. Jelly debuted the song along with Lainey Wilson at the 2023 ACM Awards on the heels of his 28-week reign at No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. “Save Me” is the follow-up single to his multi-week #1 hits on Country and Rock radio, “Need A Favor” and “Son of A Sinner.”
Having just wrapped his sold-out 44-city 2023 Backroad Baptism Arena Tour and celebrated multi-format success with "Need a Favor" inside the Top 10 on Hot AC and Top 25 on Top 40, Jelly Roll continues to resonate with fans on a global scale and earn numerous industry milestones - from playing his sold-out hometown show for 18,000 fans at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to sold-out dates at the Ryman Auditorium and the release of his critically acclaimed Hulu documentary produced by ABC News, “Save Me.” Featured by Nightline, GMA, GMA3, The New York Times, The Tennessean, Billboard, Variety, American Songwriter, CMT and more, his self-built, unconventional industry rise and unique fan connection has garnered praise from numerous outlets, with Variety noting, “for everyone who’s facing the same struggles, Jelly Roll is their Springsteen,” and American Songwriter echoing, “with a string of accolades and an extremely dedicated following, Jelly Roll has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.”
ABOUT TRACE ADKINS:
In his storied career in Country music, Trace Adkins has sold over 11 MILLION albums, charted 40 singles on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart, earned numerous awards, multiple GRAMMY nominations, and garnered over 2 BILLION streams. A Grand Ole Opry member for two decades, the Louisiana native is known for his dynamic baritone, fiery live performance, and notable roles as an actor in film and TV. Since his 1996 breakout debut DREAMIN’ OUT LOUD delivered smashes “Every Light In The House,” which hit Top 5 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and #1 “This Ain’t (No Thinkin’ Thing),” Adkins has pioneered a mix of classic Country minded traditionalism and adventurous, good-natured showmanship, breaking open new avenues in modern Country through fun-filled hits like “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” and “Hillbilly Bone” with Blake Shelton. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his debut with 2021’s release THE WAY I WANNA GO (Verge Records), the 25-song album has been applauded by Billboard as “a creative tour de force that serves up the lyrical and stylistic diversity that would make his hero [Ronnie] Milsap proud,” with Rolling Stone calling it “lighthearted club-ready fun…,” and PEOPLE praising it as “packed to the hilt with hits.” From profound traditional balladry to clever-Country party anthems, the Mickey Jack Cones and Derek George produced project features special guests Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Melissa Etheridge, Pitbull, Snoop Dogg, Stevie Wonder on harmonica and more. Adkins is currently out on his headline SOMEWHERE IN AMERICA 2023 TOUR, with shows spanning coast to coast throughout the year.
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