JODY WILLIAMS TO LEAD VINCE GILL’S MANAGEMENT TEAM

Jody Williams, Founder and CEO of independent music publishing company Jody Williams Songs (JWS), has taken on management duties for singer, songwriter and musician, Vince Gill. 
 
After working with Gill for four years as his publisher, Williams will now oversee all aspects of Gill’s career going forward.
 
Larry Fitzgerald, Gill’s legendary manager for over forty years, remains as consultant to Williams. Long-time colleague to Fitzgerald, Jennifer Templeton (jennifer@heybuddyent.com), an invaluable member of Vince Gill’s management team, remains as Gill’s day-to-day manager.
 
Williams will continue as CEO of JWS in addition to managing Gill. VP and General Manager of JWS, Nina Jenkins Fisher (nina@jodywilliamssongs.co), will continue to oversee all day-to-day aspects of the publishing company, a joint venture with Warner Chappell Music.
 
“Taking on this new role with Vince feels like a calling and a natural evolution,” shares Williams. “My motivation is to ensure that Vince’s career aspirations for the near future are realized and his long term legacy includes milestones he has not yet reached. Nobody does Vince Gill like Vince Gill. His unique musical aesthetic has served him well his whole career. I’m honored to work alongside Vince, and very grateful for Larry and Jennifer’s support.”

“Throughout my career I’ve put great care into putting teams together around our artists, yet it was only recently that I used those skills one final time for my buddy Vince,” Fitzgerald reflects. “I’ve always admired Jody’s vision, organizational, and decision-making skills, and he has an ability to engage with talent in meaningful ways. Already a member of Vince’s team as his publisher, we know his passion is unparalleled.”

Photo Credit: Jessica Amerson

Fitzgerald began his career, as did many legendary players in the business, in the mailroom of the William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills beginning in 1962. The next four years were spent working with Andy Griffith as part of Griffith’s management team. His career ascended rapidly over time and in 1967 Fitzgerald was approached by Jim Guercio to create a management company which became the iconic Caribou Management and Caribou Ranch Studio. Right out of the box they found success breaking the band Chicago. Under the Caribou management umbrella, he worked with such notables as The Beach Boys and Billy Joel, and in 1976, while still with Caribou, Fitzgerald co-promoted, alongside Concerts West, Wings Over America, the first U.S. tour for Paul McCartney & Wings. Fitzgerald continued his working relationship with McCartney for the next 12 years and within that time, in 1977, he partnered with Mark Hartley to establish Fitzgerald Hartley Management. Over the course of the next 42 years, he managed the careers of Glenn Frey, Toto, Rufus and Chaka Khan, Patty Loveless, Brad Paisley, The Brothers Johnson, of course Vince Gill, and countless others. In 2019, he dissolved Fitzgerald Hartley and opened Hey Buddy Management, with Gill as its sole client. After six decades in the entertainment business, Fitzgerald has accrued great respect and loyalty among his peers. He looks forward to spending retirement with his family, and as much time as possible on his beloved Bacon Creek Ranch in the mountains of Idaho.

Williams, a long-time publishing figurehead in Nashville, previously held posts as VP, Creative for BMI, President of MCA Music Nashville, and his previous independent publishing company Jody Williams Music. He is former Chairman of the Board of the Country Music Association. Currently, he is Board Chairman of The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, as well as a trustee. 

The new management entity is called Little Guitar Management. Reach Williams at jody@littleguitarmgmt.com. Williams retains jody@jodywilliamssongs.co for publishing business.

Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation Honors Horse Haven of Tennessee With 2025 Idyllwind Award

Country music icon and passionate animal advocate Miranda Lambert announces her MuttNation Foundation’s 2025 Idyllwind Award, honoring Horse Haven of Tennessee in Seymour, Tenn. with a $25,000 donation. The Idyllwind Award, named in honor of Lambert’s first horse, Idyllwind Ellund, annually recognizes an outstanding U.S. equine rescue or sanctuary that rehabilitates and/or rehomes horses that have been neglected, abused or abandoned, while also educating the public about the difficult conditions these horses face. 

“One thing that really stood out about Horse Haven of Tennessee is that they’re available for emergency equine rescue to all 95 counties in the state – that’s huge,” shares Lambert of this year’s recipient. “And, of course, the amazing work they do to help rehabilitate and rehome the animals that come into their care.”

“At Horse Haven of Tennessee, every rescue begins with hope, and the Idyllwind Award helps turn that hope into healing,” notes Ashley Ford, Executive Director. “This support strengthens our ability to rehabilitate neglected and abused horses, giving them the care, safety, and second chances they deserve. We are incredibly grateful for this partnership and the impact it will have on the equines who rely on us.”

Lambert introduced the Idyllwind Award last year at the Boot Barn x Wonderwest 2024 Fashion Show. This year, Boot Barn – which serves as the exclusive retailer of her lifestyle brand, Idyllwind – held a donation-at-checkout campaign in September with 100% of funds raised supporting the Idyllwind Award horse rescues. 

“At Boot Barn, we believe upholding the traditions of the West means caring for everything that makes that life possible—especially the horses that define so much of the Western spirit,” says Stephen Loscko, VP of Marketing and Media at Boot Barn. “Miranda Lambert’s commitment to equine welfare echoes our dedication to supporting all those who live and breathe the Western lifestyle. We’re proud to join her in recognizing organizations like Horse Haven of Tennessee and the life-changing work they do for equine rescue and rehabilitation."

Lambert, one of the most passionate and celebrated animal advocates, has championed shelter pets her entire life. Her deep affinity for horses grew more serious when she began showing in 2014. In 2024, she won a Blue Ribbon at the 2024 Oklahoma State Fair for her Gypsy Vanner horses.
 
“The bond is unlike any other,” she shares of what makes horses so special. “It’s a complete and mutual trust – there’s no other word for it – just love.” She currently owns six horses and two dogs, plus several cats, goats and chickens. 

The Idyllwind Award is administered by the MuttNation Foundation, a donation-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Photo Credit: Madeleine Rosenthal 

About MuttNation Foundation 
Founded by Miranda Lambert and her mom, Bev, in 2009, MuttNation Foundation is a donation-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has raised over $11 million in support of its mission to promote the adoption of shelter pets, advance spay & neuter and educate the public about the benefits of these actions. MuttNation provides support through the MuttNation-Tractor Supply Relief For Rescues Fund to shelters and supporting organizations in times of natural and man-made disaster and supports spay & neuter through the MuttNation “It Takes Balls” program. MuttNation Fueled by Miranda Lambert, a pet line of toys and supplies that benefits the Foundation, is available exclusively at Tractor Supply Company stores throughout the U.S. The Idyllwind Award annually honors a horse rescue that helps rehabilitate and rehome horses that have been abused or abandoned. 
 
About Miranda Lambert
Critically acclaimed groundbreaker/songwriter/superstar Miranda Lambert has defined her multifaceted career as an artist, entertainer, entrepreneur, advocate and businesswoman with an unflinching quest for excellence, honesty and conviction. Current GRAMMY-nominated single “A Song To Sing” with Chris Stapleton arrived as the biggest streaming debut of her career, with Rolling Stone praising its “dreamy disco groove and lovestruck devotion.” Her 10th solo studio album, the GRAMMY-nominated Postcards from Texas, available everywhere now via Republic Records, continued her unbroken streak of 10 consecutive Top 10s on the Top Country Albums chart. The most-awarded artist in Academy of Country Music history, including their top honor for Entertainer of the Year, she has also won three GRAMMYs and 14 Country Music Association Awards. A TIME100 honoree and perennial best-of-the-year list maker at the New York Times, TIME, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Stereogum, People and more, NPR has called her “the most riveting country star of her generation.”
 
A multi-dimensional superstar, she’s earned seven No. 1 solo albums, 10 No. 1 hit radio singles, more than 80 prestigious awards and countless RIAA certifications; conquered Las Vegas with her twice-extended Velvet Rodeo residency; blurred genres with Leon Bridges, the B-52s, Loretta Lynn, Enrique Iglesias, Sheryl Crow and Elle King; and delivered her LGBTQ+ inclusive anthem “Y’All Means All” for Netflix’s “Queer Eye.” Lambert has taken those standards to become a label co-founder, teaming with longtime collaborator Jon Randall to launch their own imprint, Big Loud Texas, in partnership with Big Loud Records. She is also a New York Times bestselling author and the first female restaurateur on Lower Broadway with her Tex-Mex cantina Casa Rosa, while also expanding her creative reach with her Wanda June Home collection as well as Idyllwind, her western clothing, accessories and footwear brand at Boot Barn. Her passion for rescue animals inspired the creation of her MuttNation Foundation, which has raised over $11 million since inception to promote adoption, support shelters across the country, advance spay & neuter and assist with the transport of animals during times of natural disaster.
 
MirandaLambert.com | Facebook | Twitter/X | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube
 
About Boot Barn
Founded in 1978, Boot Barn is the largest and fastest-growing lifestyle retail chain devoted to western and work-related footwear, apparel and accessories in the U.S., with more than 465 stores in 49 states and an e-commerce channel consisting primarily of BootBarn.com, Sheplers.com, Idyllwind.com, and CountryOutfitter.com.

Kenny Chesney's HEART LIFE MUSIC Gets Stern + Springsteen Archived

It was all heart, life, music when Kenny Chesney joined iconic radio host Howard Stern to discuss his No. 1 New York Times best seller on Stern’s SiriusXM morning show. For two hours, the pair engaged in a far-flung conversation that ranged from inspiration to alienation, unthinkable moments and notions, mutual friends, the creative process – and even Stern’s query about whether the East Tennessee songwriter/superstar would like to be in the Rock & Roll Fame.
 
With Heart Life Music spending three weeks and counting on both the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Best Sellers list and Combined Print and E-Book Nonfiction Best Sellers list, Stern had clearly done his reading. Whether exploring the reality of persuasion class and music business rejection, the skill and practice required to even attempt Doc Watson-style picking, hitting the wall and landing on absolute empty, Stern returned to the themes of resilience and hard work behind making dreams a reality. But he also found the joy in discovering purpose, the feeling of being onstage in front of 60,000 (“It’s like an avalanche,” Chesney explained) and the power of how music makes you feel.
 
“It was absolutely my most favorite two hours of radio I’ve ever done,” Chesney enthused. “It was so fast and so engaged with what we’d written, it made me rethink in a wonderful way so much of what went into the book. To hear someone love your life and journey like that, it makes you realize how much we all inspire each other – and I can’t think of a better gift after the last month of incredible media, book events and the love I’ve received on social media than spending two hours with Howard Stern talking about music, songs and life.”
 
With Barnes & Noble naming Heart Life Music to their Best Biographies & Memoirs of 2025 list, Wall Street Journal has called it “an emphatic success,” while Garden & Gun proffered “at the heart, the book is a meditation on the power of music and creativity” and Publishers Weekly proclaimed it “one for the road.” In addition, American Songwriter cited its “sense of immense respect, admiration and awe,” Newsweek declared it “grounded, grateful and faithful, in pursuit of the simple joys in life, living largely by the mantra of his memoir, Heart Life Music” and Salvation South raved, “it comes from the joy of living Kenny Chesney embodies, his bone-deep conviction that it ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive.”
 
“I’ve always said unthinkable things can happen to pretty normal people if you work hard, make friends, love people and try to find the lessons or the fun in everything,” Chesney says. “With Howard Stern, who is so smart it’s scary, hearing him talk about all of it reminds me how blessed we’ve been – and it brought out things, stories we didn’t get in the book. But it felt good to sing a little ‘One Step Up’ when we talked about Bruce, to just open up like that and play a bit with someone who understands how it feels.”
 
After a book event this evening at Kaufman Music Center in partnership with the Strand on Manhattan’s Upper West Side (with very limited tickets remaining HERE), Chesney will head to New Jersey to tape a very special episode of “Conversations with Our Curator” at the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music. Initiated by the Center’s post about Heart Life Music’s No. 1 New York Times debut and the presence of Springsteen throughout Chesney’s book, this once in a lifetime conversation seemed inevitable in the rearview, but unthinkable even 10 days ago.

“I love that Bruce is using his archives to create a space to honor American music, open up conversations about how it’s all interconnected,” Chesney says. “When I recorded ‘One Step Up,’ I didn’t think about genre, just heart and how human the experience in the song was. To me, it had a country soul and the heart of a person in conflict over, well, temptation. As it says in the book, when Bruce responded to my version of it, I realized all that passion, all that church revival energy Bruce brings onstage is the same thing as me singing what was a rock song: good music really is all tangled up together, but united by its honesty and willingness to get real.”
 
Having gone from East Tennessee State to Boston, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York City, Chicago, Nashville, Los Angeles, Key West and Tampa, the recent Country Music Hall of Fame inductee has taken Heart Life Music to the people – and seen lines starting hours before the doors opened to his book events. With the holidays coming on strong, Chesney’s wrapping up his book tour on high note: singing “You & Tequila” solo acoustic on Stern as part of two hours of conversation and exploring the soon-to-open Springsteen Archives in Long Branch, New Jersey for a deep dive into the meaning of what creatives genuinely give to others, as well as offer up of themselves.

About The Authors
One of contemporary American music’s biggest names, Kenny Chesney was voted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this year and was named Billboard’s No.1 Country Artist of the 21st Century. Selling out America’s major stadiums for two decades and playing to over a million fans every summer since 2002, Variety pronounced him “country music’s only true long-term stadium act.” The East Tennessee songwriter/superstar has over 105 Platinum certifications, won the prestigious Entertainer of the Year eight times, as well as holding Billboard’s record for the most Country Airplay No. 1s with 36 chart-topping songs that define coming of age in the flyover in the 21st Century. This year, the game-changing superstar became the first country artist to perform at the groundbreaking Sphere, taking No Shoes Nation into a whole new dimension, creating a space to work hard, play hard, love hard and come together in the spirit of celebrating all the moment offers. Heart Life Music is his first book.
 
Holly Gleason’s work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, the Library of Congress’ National Registry of Sound Recordings, among other outlets. She was the LA Press Club’s Entertainment Journalist of the Year and the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Association’s Independent Journalist of the Year. A former Rock & Roll Hall of Fame/Case Western Reserve Fellow, she’s the creator of Belmont Book Award-winning Woman Walk The Line, and co-authored Miranda Lambert’s New York Times best-seller Y’All Eat Yet as well as Prine on Prine: Interviews & Encounters.

Morgan Wallen to Release Limited-Edition ‘I’m The Problem’ CD Zine

After teasing a book containing a letter from his dad during an interview with Apple Music’s Kelleigh Bannen earlier this year, Morgan Wallen announced the limited-edition I’m The Problem CD zine in reference will be available to fans beginning December 19. Pre-order now HERE. 
 
The limited edition, 100-page, glossy-cover zine includes interviews with Wallen – as well as producer Joey Moi, producer/songwriter Charlie Handsome, songwriter Blake Pendergrass and the heartfelt opening letter from Tommy Wallen – along with never-before-seen photos, lyrics from all 37 tracks and I’m The Problem on 2-Disc CD. Together, the perspectives offer an inside look at the making of Wallen’s 12-week Billboard No. 1 album, I’m The Problem, directly from those who created it.
 
As Wallen reflected on working with his collaborators in the book, he shared, “I don't really write songs unless Charlie [Handsome] is involved at this point in my career. Blake Pendergrass is another guy who's been added into the fold over the last couple years, and I think he's one the best songwriters in Nashville. I feel fortunate to have those types of guys helping me with the process. Once you figure out what you're shooting for, you get in a rhythm of writing with those guys, and it really is fun.” 
 
I’m The Problem arrived May 16, 2025 via Big Loud/Mercury Records and spent 12 non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200 albums chart and 13 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart. It became Wallen’s third consecutive album to spend at least 10 weeks atop the Billboard 200 – making Wallen the first artist in history to achieve that feat.
 
Internationally, the album debuted at No. 1 in seven countries upon release and became Wallen’s first album to debut at No. 1 on the UK Official Charts, making him one of only five artists to debut at summit with a country album. In Australia, I’m The Problem became the longest-running No. 1 album by a country artist in 10 years, with three consecutive weeks atop the ARIA albums chart, while “What I Want (feat. Tate McRae)” spent five weeks at No. 1 on Australia’s Country Airplay chart.

About Morgan Wallen:
Morgan Wallen sets the pace in, and beyond, country music – with Billboard calling him “one of the biggest stars in the music world right now” and The New Yorker adding “[he’s] popular on a scale that seems to circumvent genre entirely.” With 20 No. 1 singles at Country radio, 19 Billboard Music Awards to-date, 198 weeks spent atop Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart (the most in country music history), the highest selling country tour under his belt and more, Wallen has propelled country music to a global level in less than five years.
 
Wallen’s fourth studio album, I’m The Problem, available now via Big Loud / Mercury, debuted at No. 1 globally across seven countries; while his preceding albums – Dangerous: The Double Album and One Thing At A Time – have remained in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart for more than 100 weeks each, making him the first artist ever to achieve that feat. I’m The Problem – which Hits Daily Double observes is “a 37-song cycle of self-reckoning” – has already yielded five No. 1’s at Country radio, including the title track, which remained at No. 1 for eight weeks. Wallen also broke his own record for the most simultaneous entries in Billboard Hot 100 History, with 37 songs charting on release week.
 
After recently concluding his 20-stadium-show 2025 I’m the Problem Tour in September, Wallen is readying his 23-stadium show Still The Problem Tour for 2026. Kicking off April 10 with two consecutive nights at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, the run will include stops at four major college football stadiums: Clemson’s Memorial Stadium, Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Michigan’s Michigan Stadium and one night only at Alabama’s Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
 
Wallen donates a portion of every ticket sold to his Morgan Wallen Foundation — which supports programs for youth in the areas of sports and music. More at MorganWallenFoundation.org.
 
MorganWallen.com | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter/X | YouTube

Chase Rice Partners With Boot Barn to Showcase Cody James Black 1978® Collection

11x Platinum-certified singer-songwriter Chase Rice has teamed up with Boot Barn and Cody James for an exclusive collaboration to showcase the new curated collection from Cody James Black 1978®, an elevated line of men’s western wear within the Cody James brand. 
 
Cody James is an industry-leading label in men’s western, country, and work wear, and its Cody James Black 1978® collection features an upscale assortment of handmade boots, handcrafted hats, and high-quality western pieces that blend the grit of the West with sleek Nashville style. 

Chase Rice stars in the brand’s new winter campaign, shot in early November on Rice’s 153-acre farm and bison ranch in Franklin, Tennessee, known as Twin Eagles Creek Farm. In the campaign, Rice models a range of Cody James Black 1978® pieces, including classic cowboy boots, hats, denim, and outerwear.
 
“Cody James Black 1978® is an elevated collection of western-inspired country pieces that embody the spirit of the American West,” says Isha Nicole, SVP of Marketing and Creative at Boot Barn. “Chase Rice is the perfect partner for our collaboration, because he embodies that spirit of country pride. As well as being an incredibly talented country music artist, Chase Rice is an avid farmer, huntsman, and outdoorsman. He doesn’t just write and sing about a lifestyle rooted in the heartland—he truly lives it.”
 
Florida-born Chase Rice was raised on a farm in Asheville, North Carolina, where his love for hunting and deep-rooted country values first took shape. Rice has forged a lifelong admiration for the American West that defines who he is and the rugged storytelling in his music. Now fifteen years into a celebrated country music career, Rice’s enduring affinity for the West shines proudly through on his latest album, ELDORA, released in September. When he’s not on stage, Rice can be found working his land and raising bison on his Tennessee ranch, a passion he’s pursued since 2021.
 
“Partnering with Boot Barn and Cody James was a natural fit,” says Rice. “They want to share a piece of the American spirit with everyone, whether that’s through a pair of cowboy boots or supporting country music, so our values are a good match. Having the team shoot everything here on my farm was a great experience. This is the place where I draw so much inspiration for my music—it’s part of who I am— so getting to share that side of my life and that pride in country living was something special.”
 
The Cody James Black 1978® curated collection featuring Chase Rice is available online at codyjames.com and bootbarn.com, as well as in over 500 Boot Barn retail stores across the country.

About Chase Rice
Few artists have had the enduring impact on country music Chase Rice can claim—and fewer still possess the courage to leave it in the past and blaze a new trail. A true singer- songwriter with success in both disciplines, Rice’s 15-year career has taken the Florida-born North Carolina native to chart peaks and global stages, but with his eighth studio album, ELDORA, his only destination is the American West. A 10x Platinum artist who burst onto the country scene as a Diamond certified songwriter (“Cruise”), while hits like “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” and “Eyes On You” helped Rice post two No. 1’s at Country Radio, igniting a movement through chest-thumping euphoria and bold romantic passion. He sold out international tours and shared stadium billing with Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney, before leaving the major label system for good. Now, with full independence and over 3 billion streams to his credit, ELDORA signals Rice’s dedication to the storytelling craft. Written in Colorado and inspired by a hidden mountainside town, the 12-song set is easily the most raw, unguarded expression of Rice’s talent to date – born in the afterglow of an epic show at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Working hand-in-hand with co-writer/producer Oscar Charles, Rice adopts the unfiltered, rough-hewn approach of an off-the-grid maverick, both embodying the Western mystique, and boldly going where few of his stature would dare.
 
About Cody James and Cody James Black 1978®
Cody James is a leading label in men’s western, country, and work wear. Cody James was created in 2010, and what started as a men’s denim line quickly grew to include western wear, everyday staples, work wear, and their upscale country-western line, Cody James Black 1978®. The Cody James Black 1978® collection features pieces of exceptional craftsmanship, including handcrafted hats, handmade boots, and more high-quality western pieces. For more information, visit codyjames.com.
 
About Boot Barn
Boot Barn is the largest western and work wear retailer in the nation. Founded in 1978, Boot Barn operates 500 stores across 49 states, in addition to several e-commerce sites, including bootbarn.com.
 
Boot Barn says that their customers feed America, build America, and protect America. With an uncompromising desire to support the local communities they serve, Boot Barn proudly offers the broadest selection of cowboy boots, work boots, western wear, workwear, western-inspired fashion pieces, and outdoor gear to support the varying lifestyles of the people who make our country so great. For more information, visit bootbarn.com.

Randall King Releases Bombastic “Big Deal”

Hailing from a small town in West Texas, Randall King understands that living in a place where everyone knows each other means small-town-fame can find itself in unlikely ways. In his bombastic new song, “Big Deal,” King toggles with this concept with his signature sense of wit and humor. Listen Below.
 
Written by Erik Dylan, Wyatt McCubbin and Nick Walsh, and co-produced by King and Jared Conrad, “Big Deal” plays on how people can be known for an assortment of things in small towns – from their ability to close down a bar, to their karaoke skills, even the people they date. “Big Deal” is the latest taste of King’s upcoming 2026 project as he returns to the studio. 
 
“Big big deal incoming! And it ain’t no Black Friday sale!” King quips. “If you’re a small towner with a big ole attitude like me, then you know how it is round here. This one’s for you!”
 
King most recently released Billboard-dubbed “career standout” and “mournful ballad,” “I Keep Your Memory Around.” 
 
King’s sophomore album, Into The Neon, was released Jan. 26, 2024 to critical acclaim, leaving Texas Monthlyobserving “his Texas bona fides are unimpeachable.” Into The Neon was also named among the top country albums of 2024 by Entertainment Focus and Whiskey Riff. The album yielded King’s first Country radio single, “I Could Be That Rain.” 
 
For more information and to follow along with updates, visit RandallKingMusic.com.

ABOUT RANDALL KING:
A West Texas native and self-described “old soul," Warner Music Nashville's Randall King has never wavered in his honky-tonk allegiance – in fact, he’s worn it like a badge of honor, growing with pride into a leading voice for today’s traditional country. Amassing nearly 500 Million streams with singles like “You In A Honky Tonk,” “Hey Cowgirl” and “Mirror, Mirror,” he’s kept the twang alive in country’s mainstream while also earning acclaim through deeply personal EPs like 2020’s Leanna, and his 2022 major label album debut, Shot Glass – which landed on both Whiskey Riff’s Top 40 Country Albums of 2022 and Billboard’s All Genre 50 Best Albums of 2022 (So Far). Schooled on icons like Keith Whitley, George Strait, Alan Jackson and John Anderson, but inspired by modern masters like Dierks Bentley and Gary Allan, King first built an independent, grass-roots following on the strength of his electrifying live shows – each one a harrowing mix of rowdy roughnecking, romantic tenderness and breathtaking emotion – never asking for permission to explore his creative vision. He has since gone on to headline all across the U.S., the U.K. and Europe, where he continues to play nearly 150 shows a year and hone his craft where it matters most. Named a Country Artist to Watch by everyone from Pandora and Country Now to Music Mayhem Magazine, his sophomore major label album Into the Neon, available now, takes that craft to the next level, as King’s neo-traditional roots meet the blood-pumping rhythms and sharp, arena-sized grooves of Y2K-era country and beyond. Co-produced by King and Jared Conrad, and featuring 18 tracks, punchy sounds exist side-by-side with timeless swagger, further blurring the line between yesteryear and today–even as King renews his forever-country vows. Into The Neon was named among the best country albums of the year by Whiskey Riff, Country Now & Entertainment Focus, and yielded King’s debut single, “I Could Be That Rain.”

Randy Houser Releases Regret-Proof "Back In The Bottle"

Multi-Platinum hitmaker and powerhouse vocalist Randy Houser releases “Back In The Bottle,” tapping into the reckless, unforgettable nights that linger long after last call. Listen to the new track, available now via Magnolia Music Group, Below.
 
Leading up to the song’s release, Houser shared the inspiration for the song on socials: “When I had the idea for ‘Back In The Bottle,’ not to name drop, but I was hanging out with Post Malone, and we went to the studio. Didn’t even leave to get started ‘til probably midnight. We did two nights like that, and we were having a great time, writing and drinking.
 
“So that gave me the idea: ‘If I could put last night back in the bottle, I’d pull last night back down and drink it again,’” he shared with a laugh. “And we’ve all had those nights. How many times have we hair-of-the-dogged it? Sometimes you just gotta keep rocking and keep having fun.”
 
Written solely by Houser and co-produced by Blake Chancey, “Back In The Bottle” opens with the familiar wreckage of a rowdy night out, leading to a chorus that embraces the kind of night you’d gladly repeat, consequences be damned:

The release ignites a new chapter for Houser, and fans can expect a steady stream of new music throughout 2026. “Back In The Bottle” follows Note To Self (Deluxe), which saw the Mississippi native trading powerhouse moments with Cody Johnson, Justin Moore, Miranda Lambert and Riley Green.

Beyond the studio and stage, Houser has been building his presence in film, with roles in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and starring alongside Dennis Quaid in “The Hill,” demonstrating the range and depth of his artistry.
 
For tour dates and more information, visit RandyHouser.com or follow along on Instagram @RandyHouser, Facebook.com/RandyHouser and Twitter/X @RandyHouser.

Kenny Chesney Celebrates HEART LIFE MUSIC's #1 NY TIMES Bow w NYC Book Event 12/2

When Kenny Chesney’s Heart Life Music debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction and Combined Print and E-Book Nonfiction lists, the East Tennessee songwriter/superstar who became the 2025 Country Music Hall of Fame Contemporary inductee and first country artist to take his music into another dimension at Las Vegas’ Sphere knew there was only one way to celebrate: a book event in New York City. After closing the opening weekend of the prestigious Miami Book Fair with a sold-out conversation with co-author and friend Holly Gleason, the pair will do one more book event in partnership with the Strand at Kaufman Music Center on the Upper West Side.
 
“It’s amazing how much people love listening to us talk about the process, the stories, why I finally did it,” marvels the man called “the People’s Superstar” by the Los Angeles Times. “After three completely sold-out events in Florida, it felt like we weren’t truly done. After all, you don’t get a New York Times Number One every day, and it seemed like we needed to do one of these talks in New York.”
 
With a 7 p.m. start time – and doors opening at 5:30 – Chesney’s next book talk is perhaps the most intimate. Less than 450 tickets are available, but with such quick notice, it seemed like the right place and time to do one more conversation about Heart Life Music, which has not only topped both the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction and Combined Print and E-Book Nonfiction lists, but has struck a chord with taste-making critics.
 
“Kenny Chesney Pulls Back the Curtain with Heart Life Music,” Garden & Gun titled a multiple page story, while Tennessean offered, “this book digs deeper than surface-level conversations…. (it) offers answers and honesty regarding career-long inspirations and passion” and Publishers Weekly raved “One for the Road.” In addition, People wrote the book “gives fans an inside and in-depth look at his life and career, and ultimately drives home one overarching theme: Chesney's truest love is creating music,” Wall Street Journal opined, “an emphatic success” and Travel + Leisure wrote “Heart Life Music emerges as perhaps more than a memoir. For Chesney, it’s a genuine meditation on connection and purpose.”

At a time when so much in the world is polarizing, Chesney’s postcards from a life that saw a college kid go to Moscow, spend time playing a dissolute Lower Broadway only to be signed by a label originally from Macon, Georgia through touring and learning from icons Alabama and George Jones, a whirlwind of friendships with heroes including Jimmy Buffett, Eddie Van Halen, Bruce Springsteen, Sammy Hagar, the Wailers, as well as collaborating with Dave Matthews, Uncle Kracker, Willie Nelson and Grace Potter, put people in the moment and offer a map to create unthinkable things through consistent, if small steps. Offering plenty of wisdom shared, frustrations and failures along the way, Heart Life Music exults the triumphs and the fun that emerged over time.
 
Known for commanding the largest stages nationwide, Kenny Chesney’s first book takes the reader – or audio book listener – to places long gone, creates unexpected music in Jamaica, the Kremlin, New England and Cabo San Lucas, drifts across the waters of the Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Beyond meeting and collaborating with heroes, forging transcendent friendships in the islands and beyond, Chesney’s introspective look at the songs and sound that defined No Shoes Nation offers the intimacy of sharing a slow afternoon on the water.
 
Tickets for the December 2 event at Kaufman Music Center are available HERE. Seating is limited; each ticket holder will receive an autographed copy of Heart Life Music as well.

About The Authors
One of contemporary American music’s biggest names, Kenny Chesney was voted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this year and was named Billboard’s No.1 Country Artist of the 21st Century. Selling out America’s major stadiums for two decades and playing to over a million fans every summer since 2002, Variety pronounced him “country music’s only true long-term stadium act.” The East Tennessee songwriter/superstar has over 105 Platinum certifications, won the prestigious Entertainer of the Year eight times, as well as holding Billboard’s record for the most Country Airplay No. 1s with 36 chart-topping songs that define coming of age in the flyover in the 21st Century. This year, the game-changing superstar became the first country artist to perform at the groundbreaking Sphere, taking No Shoes Nation into a whole new dimension, creating a space to work hard, play hard, love hard and come together in the spirit of celebrating all the moment offers. Heart Life Music is his first book.
 
Holly Gleason’s work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, the Library of Congress’ National Registry of Sound Recordings, among other outlets. She was the LA Press Club’s Entertainment Journalist of the Year and the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Association’s Independent Journalist of the Year. A former Rock & Roll Hall of Fame/Case Western Reserve Fellow, she’s the creator of Belmont Book Award-winning Woman Walk The Line, and co-authored Miranda Lambert’s New York Times best-seller Y’All Eat Yet as well as Prine on Prine: Interviews & Encounters.

Eric Church Performed "Bleed On Paper" on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Ahead of Friday's Live Track Release

Eric Church closed out the 2025 leg of his critically acclaimed Free The Machine Tour this past weekend in Los Angeles, delivering the kind of boundary-pushing live spectacle fans have come to expect from the 11-time GRAMMY nominee – including a nod this year for Best Contemporary Country Album with his latest, Evangeline vs. The Machine. The finale, packed with deep cuts, fan favorites, and the tour’s signature immersive production, brought an exclamation point to a year of sold-out arena stops that drew raves from critics and fans alike.
 
The Inglewood show capped a run that saw Church redefine what a modern arena tour can be – from unpredictable audibles, like bringing longtime vocal partner Joanna Cotten out for a surprise “Drowning Man” setlist addition late in the show or adding a trombone solo from Roy Agee before “Knives of New Orleans,” to the cinematic production that tells the visual story of Evangeline vs. The Machine from start to finish as Church brings the songs to life. Whether backed by 24 orchestral musicians, the original Eric Church Band, or standing alone with just his guitar, Free The Machine spotlights Church at his most daring. And with 24 newly added-dates on sale now via EricChurch.com, fans won’t have to wait long for more: Free The Machine resumes in January.
 
The new year also brings a unique offering from the man Rolling Stone celebrates for creating “a record that is both dazzling and challenging, and creates a listening experience that upends the idea of what country music is,” as Evangeline vs. The Machine: Comes Alive releases exclusively in IMAX theaters across the U.S. and Canada for limited showings on Wednesday, Feb. 11 & Saturday, Feb. 14. A full list of locations is available via IMAX.com/EricChurch along with tickets to the limited engagement on sale now.
 
Filmed across two nights at The Pinnacle in Nashville, Tenn., the concert film is also complimented by a 19-track live album, Evangeline vs. The Machine: Comes Alive (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) arriving Friday, Feb. 13 and available for pre-order / pre-save HERE. In addition to preview tracks “Desperate Man (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)” available HERE and “Knives Of New Orleans (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)” available HERE, “Bleed On Paper (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)” arrives this Friday, Nov. 21. Pre-order / pre-save HERE.
 
Church joined ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last night (Nov. 17) to preview the track, joined onstage by all 24 musicians from both the Free The Machine Tour and the live recording. Watch Below.
 
For more information on all to come, visit EricChurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and on Instagram @ericchurchmusic.

2026 Free the Machine Tour Markets, Venues and Special Guests:
Jan. 22  ||  Washington, D.C.  ||  The Anthem  ||  Caylee Hammack
Jan. 23  ||  Washington, D.C.  ||  The Anthem  ||  Caylee Hammack
Feb. 5  ||  Omaha, Neb.  ||  CHI Health Center  ||  Ella Langley
Feb. 6  ||  Sioux Falls, S.D.  ||  Denny Sanford PREMIER Center  ||  Ella Langley
Feb. 7  ||  St. Paul, Minn.  ||  Grand Casino Arena  ||  Ella Langley
Feb. 12  ||  Toronto, Ont.  ||  Scotiabank Arena  ||  Ella Langley
Feb. 13  ||  Buffalo, N.Y.  ||  KeyBank Center  ||  Ella Langley
Feb. 14  ||  Albany, N.Y.  ||  MVP Arena  ||  Ella Langley
Feb. 19  ||  North Little Rock, Ark.  ||  Simmons Bank Arena  ||  49 Winchester
Feb. 20  ||  Kansas City, Mo.  ||  T-Mobile Center  ||  49 Winchester
Feb. 21  ||  St. Louis, Mo.  ||  Enterprise Center  ||  49 Winchester
Feb. 26  ||  Tulsa, Okla.  ||  BOK Center  ||  Stephen Wilson Jr.
Feb. 27  ||  Fort Worth, Texas  ||  Dickies Arena  ||  Stephen Wilson Jr.
Feb. 28  ||  Austin, Texas  ||  Moody Center  ||  Stephen Wilson Jr.
Mar. 5  ||  Knoxville, Tenn.  ||  Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center  ||  49 Winchester
Mar. 6  ||  Greensboro, N.C.  ||  First Horizon Coliseum  ||  49 Winchester
Mar. 7  ||  North Charleston, S.C.  ||  North Charleston Coliseum  ||  49 Winchester
Mar. 19  ||  Birmingham, Ala.  ||  Legacy Arena at the BJCC  ||  49 Winchester
Mar. 20  ||  Atlanta, Ga.  ||  State Farm Arena  ||  49 Winchester
Mar. 27  ||  Hollywood, Fla.  ||  Hard Rock Live  ||  Kashus Culpepper
Apr. 3  ||  Greenville, S.C.  ||  Bon Secours Wellness Arena  ||  Ashley McBryde
Apr. 4  ||  Charlotte, N.C.  ||  Spectrum Center  ||  Ashley McBryde
Apr. 10  ||  Jacksonville, Fla.  ||  VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena  ||  Ashley McBryde
Apr. 11  ||  Tampa, Fla.  ||  Benchmark International Arena  ||  Ashley McBryde

About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including 2020’s Entertainer of the Year, TIME100 Philanthropy 2025 honoree and 11-time GRAMMY nominee – including four nods for Best Country Album, Eric Church has built a passionate fan base through his critically acclaimed catalog of music. Church’s October 2024 release, “Darkest Hour,” saw the superstar signing over all of his publishing royalties to the people of North Carolina to provide immediate relief following the devastation of Hurricane Helene while also providing ongoing funds to support a more resilient future for his home state. The song is featured alongside current single “Hands Of Time” on his latest album, Evangeline vs. The Machine, marking his first new music since 2021’s Heart & Soul triple album (“Stick That In Your Country Song,” “Hell Of A View”). That project followed prior releases including RIAA Gold-certified Desperate Man (“Some Of It,” “Desperate Man”), Platinum-certified Sinners Like Me (“How ’Bout You,” “Guys Like Me”), Carolina (“Smoke a Little Smoke,” “Love Your Love the Most”) and Mr. Misunderstood (“Record Year,” “Round Here Buzz”), Double-Platinum certified The Outsiders (“Like a Wrecking Ball,” “Talladega”) and 4x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 32 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, and has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and his six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway, Chief’s. For more information, visit EricChurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and on Instagram @ericchurchmusic.

Maddox Batson Shares the Spirit of the Season with 'Home For The Holidays' Bundle

On the heels of announcing his worldwide tour for early 2026, Maddox Batson releases his Home For The Holidays bundle with two renditions of Christmas staples: “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “Last Christmas.” Listen to the tracks via Prosper Entertainment / Warner Records here.
 
Batson is also set to take the stage at the Opry Country Christmas show on Sunday, Nov. 30; the 15-year-old singer/songwriter made his Grand Ole Opry debut on March 26, 2025. Tickets are available for purchase for the Opry Country Christmas show here. 
 
“Christmas is HUGE at my house. We’re the family that puts the tree up early, watches Elf and Home Alone on repeat and blasts Christmas music like it’s our job! It’s always been my favorite holiday – the one that takes me back to going over to my Nana and Papa’s house and spending quality time with my family,” says Batson. “This year, I wanted to put my own spin on two of my all-time favorites – ‘I’ll Be Home For Christmas’ and ‘Last Christmas.’ Hope y’all love ’em as much as I loved making ’em. Happy Holidays and see you out there on the road in 2026!”
 
In the midst of offering fans new tracks for the holiday season, Batson also announced his 2026 worldwide tour. The tour kicks off in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Feb. 17, 2026 and includes coast-to-coast U.S. shows along with Canadian and European dates. Baylee Lynn, Jenna Davis, Just Jayne and Timmy McKeever support Batson for various dates. Public on-sale occurs on Nov. 14 at 12 p.m. local time via MaddoxBatson.com.
 
Batson is hailed as  “A young star, new on the country charts already striking a chord and hitting all the right notes” by NBC Nightly News, while Forbes praises Batson’s stage presence, sharing “It’s not only his lyrics and relatable subject matter that’s captured the hearts of young fans, it’s his engaging, high-energy personality that shines through every live performance, music video, and interaction with everyone he meets.” 
 
With so much momentum and a 2026 40+ headlining tour announcement, expect more music soon to follow upbeat, sentimental track “Coincidence” via Prosper Entertainment / Warner Records and “No More,” a powerful track that taps into heartbreak and healing with a combination of grit, vulnerability and raw emotional delivery. 
 
STAY TUNED WITH MADDOX BATSON
TikTok | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | Website

About Maddox Batson:
With his Stagecoach Music Festival debut in April and the arrival of his deluxe EP First Dance (The After Party) in May, Maddox Batson was ready to show the world you’re never too young to be the face of music. Batson most recently wrapped his 29-city I Need A Truck Tour and released his new track “Coincidence.” The 15-year-old, hailed as “A young star, new on the country charts already striking a chord and hitting all the right notes” by NBC Nightly News, is set to hit the road in 2026 for the Maddox Batson Live Worldwide Tour with North American and European dates.
 
Life is moving fast for the multi-instrumentalist (piano, guitar & mandolin), and he’s trying his best to remain a kid while becoming next up in country-pop music. “It can be overwhelming, this life, but I’ve got a lot of good people surrounding me,” he explains. “I’m still just a kid, though, and I’m happy about that.”

Eric Church Unveils Official Trailer for 'Evangeline vs. The Machine: Comes Alive' IMAX® Exclusive Release; Tickets On Sale Now

With the official trailer release unveiled exclusively on “TODAY,” 11-time GRAMMY nominee Eric Church offers a preview of the cinematic experience awaiting fans this February, when his celebrated 2025 album Evangeline vs. The Machine – alongside several of his most renowned hits – releases exclusively in IMAX theaters across the U.S. and Canada. A full list of locations is available via IMAX.com/EricChurch along with tickets to the limited engagement on sale now.
 
In a first-ever collaboration among IMAX, MCA, Mercury Studios and Q Prime South, the limited theatrical release is a must-see for fans. The film offers a unique perspective for viewers that can only be achieved in IMAX. The concert includes Church performing his GRAMMY-nominated eighth studio album front-to-back before transitioning into his catalog hits including “Desperate Man,” “Give Me Back My Hometown,” “Sinners Like Me,” “Mistress Named Music” and “Springsteen,” all reimagined with a six-piece band, four-piece horns, four-piece strings, eight-piece choir and vocalist Joanna Cotten. Filmed across two nights at The Pinnacle in Nashville, Tenn., the performance comes to life with IMAX’s groundbreaking 12-channel sound and unparalleled image quality and scale.
 
“This project was never about fitting into a box – it’s about breaking the damn thing wide open,” shares Church. “Seeing it in IMAX takes that to another level. The scale and sound experience is like nothing else.”
 
Coinciding with the theatrical release, Church will also unveil a 19-track live album, Evangeline vs. The Machine: Comes Alive (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). Pre-order / pre-save via MCA HERE, with preview tracks “Desperate Man (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)” available HERE and “Knives Of New Orleans (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)” available HERE.
 
Meanwhile, Church’s acclaimed Free The Machine Tour continues across the country, with 24 newly announced 2026 dates on sale now via EricChurch.com. 
 
For more information on all to come, visit EricChurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and on Instagram @ericchurchmusic.

Evangeline vs. The Machine: Comes Alive is Directed by Reid Long and Executive Produced by Barak Moffitt, Andrea Dunn, Mike Harris, Rob Femia and John Peets. Church is represented by WME, Q Prime South and MCA Nashville. 

Remaining 2025 Free the Machine Tour Markets, Venues and Special Guests:
Nov. 14  ||  Fresno, Calif.  ||  SaveMart Center  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 15  ||  Inglewood, Calif.  ||  Intuit Dome  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
 
2026 Free the Machine Tour Markets, Venues and Special Guests:
Jan. 22  ||  Washington, D.C.  ||  The Anthem  ||  Caylee Hammack
Jan. 23  ||  Washington, D.C.  ||  The Anthem  ||  Caylee Hammack
Feb. 5  ||  Omaha, Neb.  ||  CHI Health Center  ||  Ella Langley
Feb. 6  ||  Sioux Falls, S.D.  ||  Denny Sanford PREMIER Center  ||  Ella Langley
Feb. 7  ||  St. Paul, Minn.  ||  Grand Casino Arena  ||  Ella Langley
Feb. 12  ||  Toronto, Ont.  ||  Scotiabank Arena  ||  Ella Langley
Feb. 13  ||  Buffalo, N.Y.  ||  KeyBank Center  ||  Ella Langley
Feb. 14  ||  Albany, N.Y.  ||  MVP Arena  ||  Ella Langley
Feb. 19  ||  North Little Rock, Ark.  ||  Simmons Bank Arena  ||  49 Winchester
Feb. 20  ||  Kansas City, Mo.  ||  T-Mobile Center  ||  49 Winchester
Feb. 21  ||  St. Louis, Mo.  ||  Enterprise Center  ||  49 Winchester
Feb. 26  ||  Tulsa, Okla.  ||  BOK Center  ||  Stephen Wilson Jr.
Feb. 27  ||  Fort Worth, Texas  ||  Dickies Arena  ||  Stephen Wilson Jr.
Feb. 28  ||  Austin, Texas  ||  Moody Center  ||  Stephen Wilson Jr.
Mar. 5  ||  Knoxville, Tenn.  ||  Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center  ||  49 Winchester
Mar. 6  ||  Greensboro, N.C.  ||  First Horizon Coliseum  ||  49 Winchester
Mar. 7  ||  North Charleston, S.C.  ||  North Charleston Coliseum  ||  49 Winchester
Mar. 19  ||  Birmingham, Ala.  ||  Legacy Arena at the BJCC  ||  49 Winchester
Mar. 20  ||  Atlanta, Ga.  ||  State Farm Arena  ||  49 Winchester
Mar. 27  ||  Hollywood, Fla.  ||  Hard Rock Live  ||  Kashus Culpepper
Apr. 3  ||  Greenville, S.C.  ||  Bon Secours Wellness Arena  ||  Ashley McBryde
Apr. 4  ||  Charlotte, N.C.  ||  Spectrum Center  ||  Ashley McBryde
Apr. 10  ||  Jacksonville, Fla.  ||  VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena  ||  Ashley McBryde
Apr. 11  ||  Tampa, Fla.  ||  Benchmark International Arena  ||  Ashley McBryde

Singer-Songwriter Kaitlin Butts Releases New 'Yeehaw Sessions' EP

Acclaimed Nashville-based singer, songwriter and performer Kaitlin Butts continues a banner year with the release of her highly anticipated new EP, Yeehaw Sessions, available today via Republic Records. The project marks Butts’ first release since signing with the major label, and it captures the Oklahoma native at her most playful, soulful, and self-assured yet. Listen to Yeehaw Sessions HERE. 

Butts gave fans an early taste of the collection late last month with her reflective and emotionally charged rendition of the Jimmy Eat World classic “The Middle,” which has already earned widespread acclaim. Garden & Gun hailed it as “the cover you didn’t know you needed” while Billboard praised it as “Must Hear” and noted, “Butts’ version comes across as tender, wise, and thoughtful” while Saving Country Music added, “Leave it to Kaitlin Butts to take a Jimmy Eat World song and make it into a sentimental and touching country tune.”

“A couple years ago I put out an EP called Sad Yeehaw Sessions, a collection of sad covers that I have always loved and wish I had written myself,” Butts explains. “After releasing Roadrunner! which featured much happier songs, I wanted folks to know that there were brighter days ahead. So we created the antithesis — something upbeat, rowdy, and fun: all cover songs that I’ve been performing live the last couple years.”

Following in the spirit of her beloved 2022 Sad Yeehaw Sessions EP, Yeehaw Sessions flips the script — this time channeling joy, rowdiness and the electric energy of her live show. After road-testing these crowd favorites, Butts recorded them with the energy and spirit fans have come to love. The EP features her takes on “Red Wine Supernova” (Chappell Roan), “Sin Wagon” (The Chicks), “Tulsa Time” (Don Williams) and her viral smash “You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me)” — alongside her memorable take on “The Middle.”

To celebrate the release, Butts returns to the legendary Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth at 10 pm to headline a special Yeehaw Night. Limited tickets remain HERE. And watch the new video for “Red Wine Supernova” below. 

Throughout 2025, Butts has captivated audiences across the country on tour with Sierra Ferrell, Lainey Wilson, Molly Tuttle, Wyatt Flores, The Lone Bellow and Flatland Cavalry. She’s also joined Ella Langley and Brothers Osborne on stage and electrified festivals including Lollapalooza, Two Step Inn, C2C and Breakaway Festival. She was also named to Opry NextStage’s “Class of 2025” and CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2025.

For the latest news and tour dates, visit kaitlinbutts.com and follow @kaitlinbutts on Instagram and Facebook and @kaitlinbuttsmusic on TikTok.

ABOUT KAITLIN BUTTS:
Kaitlin Butts' fearless approach to country music is helping her reach new heights. In 2024, Butts released her acclaimed album Roadrunner!. She leaned into her lifelong love of musical theater and dreamed up a modern-day reimagining of the soundtrack to her all-time favorite musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, which ended up on numerous best-of year-end lists. Butts also hit the road hard in 2024, making her Lollapalooza debut as well as opening for Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne and Flatland Cavalry, and trekked across the U.S. on her first-ever coast-to-coast headlining tour.

2025 has been another banner year for the Tulsa-born, Nashville-based artist. In addition to her viral anthem, “You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me),” amassing over 157 million TikTok views and 67 million global streams, she joined Lainey Wilson on her Whirlwind Tour and was featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s latest American Currents exhibition. Butts also joined the 2025 Opry Next Stage Class as well as the CMT Next Women of Country Class of 2025. Showing no signs of slowing down, she just landed a deal with Republic Records launching her next chapter with the Yeehaw Sessions EP available now. 

Annie Bosko and Amy Grant Join Forces on "God Winks"

On the heels of the release of her debut album California Cowgirl, rising singer-songwriter Annie Bosko is joined by six-time GRAMMY and 26-time Dove Award winner Amy Grant for a powerful rendition of “God Winks,” available now via QHMG/Stone Country Records. Listen to their collaboration Below.
 
“God Winks” was born out of a season of reflection for Bosko. After returning home to recover from vocal cord surgery just as the pandemic began, she found herself questioning her next steps. She decided she would return to Nashville only when she booked a gig, which led to a chance encounter with Amy Grant and Vince Gill.
 
“If you’ve ever been in the presence of Amy Grant, it truly feels like you’re experiencing an angel in human form,” shares Bosko of her collaborator. “I respect her art just as much as I respect her as a human being.
 
“Amy and Vince were both ‘God Winks’ in my life, as divine reminders to keep going at a time when I felt lost. In an industry that can be cold and ruthless, they embody faith and integrity. Amy’s voice carries such warmth — it feels like a ‘God Wink,’ reminding you that no matter what you’re going through, God’s got your back.”
 
“There’s an old phrase that says ‘expect the unexpected,’” adds Grant. “In the daily rhythm of life, we all experience moments that weren’t planned for or anticipated; and the same holds true when grace and mercy show up in unexpected places. Any situation can be turned around with even a small act of kindness and love.”

Written by Bosko with Rachel Thibodeau, Jet Harvey and Michael Wilkes, and produced by Trent Willmon, the track serves as a tender reminder that even during our darkest or most uncertain moments, we’re never truly alone:

Featuring 19 songs and over half penned by Bosko, California Cowgirl “interlocks toughness, confidence, heartbreak and ambition, while interweaving moments from her own story of a West Coast farmer’s daughter who chased her dreams to Nashville,” boasts Billboard, while praising of the Golden State native, “Bosko’s creative vision is matched by her work ethic.”
 
“Annie has been honing her craft and building her career with authenticity and style,” lauds Celeb Secrets, as Entertainment Focus opines the project “is a big, bold statement of intent from an artist who refuses to be pigeonholed.”
 
On Monday, November 24, Bosko will perform the National Anthem at Levi’s Stadium for the San Francisco 49ers vs. Carolina Panthers game, following her performance at Chief’s on Broadway in Nashville for the Quartz Hill Music Group Takeover on November 17. For additional information, visit AnnieBosko.com.

Annie Bosko Upcoming Performances
 
Nov. 17           Chief’s on Broadway || Nashville, TN
Nov. 24           National Anthem at the San Francisco 49ers Game | Santa Clara, CA
Jan. 31             REHAB Telethon & Auction || Abilene, TX
Feb. 20            Los Fresnos Rodeo || Los Fresnos, TX       
Sept. 23           The Colosseum at Caesars Palace || Las Vegas, NV
 
About Annie Bosko
Raised in California’s Central Valley as a farmer’s daughter, Annie Bosko blends the grit of her roots with the firepower of her influences—including The Judds, Shania Twain, Deana Carter, and George Strait—on her debut album California Cowgirl, available now via QHMG/Stone Country Records. The 19-song collection, featuring collaborations with Darius Rucker, Dwight Yoakam and Joe Nichols, brings traditional country instrumentation into sharp focus while celebrating female strength, vulnerability and joy. Bosko first broke out with the SiriusXM/CMT favorite “Crooked Halo” and was named a Rolling Stone Country Artist to Watch, later making her late-night debut on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” with “Neon Baby,” which marked her first charting single at Country radio. She has written songs recorded by Willie Nelson and Jessica Simpson, toured with Tim McGraw, Dierks Bentley and Blake Shelton, and sold out Los Angeles’ famed Troubadour. She will join Dolly Parton for Dolly: Live in Las Vegas at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on September 23, 2026.
 

AnnieBosko.com | Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | X

George Strait Adds a Second Night in Lubbock, Texas for 2026

Due to overwhelming demand, country music icon George Strait has added a second in-the-round stadium show in Lubbock, Texas at Jones AT&T Stadium on Friday, April 24, 2026, in addition to his previously announced performance on Saturday, April 25, 2026.

The newly added Friday night show will feature special guests GRAMMY and CMA Award nominee Zach Top and multi-platinum singer, songwriter and producer Dylan Gossett, while Saturday’s previously announced show will feature fellow Texas natives, 3-time GRAMMY winner Miranda Lambert and newcomer Hudson Westbrook. 

Fans can expect an unforgettable pair of evenings celebrating Strait’s unmatched catalog of hits alongside new favorites from Cowboys and Dreamers including “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame,” featuring Chris Stapleton. In fact the pair just scored a nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for the track at next year’s 2026 GRAMMY Awards bringing Strait’s total career-nominations to 17. Tickets for both nights go on sale via georgestrait.com at 10 a.m. CT on Friday, November 21, 2025.

With fewer shows each year, Strait’s limited live performances continue to be some of the most sought-after tickets in music. His 2024 concert at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field drew 110,905 fans, marking one of the largest single-ticketed concerts in U.S. history. In 2025, he performed only five shows nationwide — in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Foxborough and Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium — each to sold-out crowds.

Of his SoFi Stadium performance, Variety noted, “fans would maintain that the privilege of still having him kicking around is all theirs,” adding that Strait “picks great songs, sings even better and exudes a quiet, uncocky confidence that would make anyone feel patriotic about country as a genre.”

The Boston Globe said of his Foxborough stop, “Strait skipped the pyrotechnics and let his voice do the heavy lifting,” while Pollstar has praised him as “the most worthy inheritor of Merle Haggard or Willie Nelson’s mantle of country icon.”

In addition to his upcoming live performances in Clemson, South Carolina and Lubbock, Texas, Strait will be honored this December at the 47th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, recognizing his lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts. Early next year, he will also be inducted into the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy as both a performer and songwriter whose influence continues to shape generations of country music.

It’s been 15 years since The New York Times praised Strait as “a country superstar in complete command of his gift,” and that statement remains as true as ever with the release of his 31st studio album, Cowboys And Dreamers. The collection — which Cowboys & Indians Magazine calls “a cornucopia of trad-country-arrangement beauty” — includes instant classics like “Three Drinks Behind,” “MIA Down in MIA,” “The Little Things,” GRAMMY-nominated “Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame” (featuring Stapleton) and his rendition of Waylon Jennings’ “Waymore’s Blues,” all of which have become fan favorites in his live set.

About George Strait:
George Strait is the unambiguous "King of Country Music," with over 100 million RIAA certifications while earning more than 60 major entertainment industry awards as well as countless nominations and becoming the only act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades. The Texas troubadour released his 31st career studio album Cowboys And Dreamers last year, following 2019’s best-selling Country album, Honky Tonk Time Machine, on MCA. The latter produced by Strait and Chuck Ainlay, the album quickly became Strait’s record-extending 27th No. 1 Billboard Country album. The Country Music Hall of Fame member earned his 100th entry on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with his single “The Weight of the Badge” from the project. Having already set an indoor ticketed attendance record in 2014 at AT&T Stadium on his Cowboy Rides Away Tour, in June 2024 with 104,793 fans in attendance, he bested his own attendance record with over 110,905 fans in attendance at his “King at Kyle Field” show in College Station. And Strait has proven himself as deft with a pen as he is commanding a stadium of thousands, co-writing some of his biggest hits such as fan favorites, “Here for a Good Time” and “Living for the Night,” as well as the powerful, heartfelt ballad “I Believe.” As generous as he is talented, Strait’s Vaqueros del Mar golf tournament and benefit concert has raised over $17 million for the Feherty’s Troops First Foundation and most recently his Strait To The Heart benefit raised over $7 million for those affected by the flooding in Texas. He and wife Norma also established the Jenifer Strait Foundation to preserve the memory of their daughter and have raised millions for children’s organizations. In addition, every time Strait takes the stage he is joined by Retired Lt. General Leroy Sisco to present a new home to a wounded hero, delivering his 127th home presentation this summer in Los Angeles via Military Warriors Support Foundation’s Homes 4 Wounded Heroes Program.

More at GeorgeStrait.com and online @georgestrait.

Whiskey Myers Rock Inaugural 'Moon Crush: Whiskey Moon' Music Vacation on the Heels of New Album WHOMP WHACK THUNDER

Six-time Platinum-certified powerhouse Whiskey Myers lit up Florida’s Emerald Coast this past weekend with their inaugural Moon Crush: Whiskey Moon destination event in partnership with Topeka, creators of the boutique music vacation. The three-day celebration curated by the band marked a new chapter for the group, melding the energy of their arena-ready rock shows with the laid-back spirit of a beachside retreat.
 
Across multiple nights of headline performances, Whiskey Myers delivered a career-spanning set of their own hits alongside an electrifying full set of covers that showcased their roots and range. Fans were treated to classics like “Gimme Shelter” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” by The Rolling Stones, “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac, “That Smell” and “Gimme Back My Bullets” by Lynyrd Skynyrd plus “With A Little Help From My Friends” in a rousing Joe Cocker-inspired rendition that had their fiercely loyal fanbase singing along under the Florida night sky.
 
The band also tore through their own hard-hitting catalog, including fan favorites “Gasoline,” “Broken Window Serenade,” “The Wolf,” “Bury My Bones,” “John Wayne,” “Glitter Ain’t Gold” and “Stone,” along with “Time Bomb” from their latest album, Whomp Whack Thunder, released earlier this year. The record – dubbed by Rolling Stone as “their most supercharged album yet” that “sounds on the whole like an invigorated, freewheeling rock band in its prime,” with Forbes opining, “Whiskey Myers has a track record of turning out cutting edge albums, with each one consistently better than the last”– has fueled one of the group’s biggest years yet.
 
In addition to Whiskey Myers’ commanding sets, Whiskey Moon featured an all-star lineup of performances from Charley Crockett, Shane Smith & The Saints, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Josh Meloy, Stephen Wilson Jr., The Record Company, Kashus Culpepper, The Droptines, Noeline Hoffmann and Angel White, each adding their own flavor to the weekend’s Southern-soaked soundtrack.
 
Whiskey Myers now turn their attention to closing out 2025 with a more intimate run – their recently announced Whiskey Myers & Friends acoustic tour, spanning the Northeast for seven shows this December. The stripped-down series will give fans a rare chance to experience the raw storytelling and musicianship that have made Whiskey Myers one of the most compelling bands in modern American music.
 
For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming shows, visit WhiskeyMyers.com and follow @WhiskeyMyers on social media.

Back Row L to R: Topeka’s Anthony Diaz & Andy Levine, CAA’s Chris Burrus, WHY&HOW’s Eric Radford, CAA’s John Huie, Whiskey Myers’ Cody Tate, Jamey Gleaves, John Jeffers & Jeff Hogg; Front Row L to R: Topeka’s Violet Thompson, WHY&HOW’s Eddie Kloesel, CAA’s Kylen Sharpe, Whiskey Myers’ Cody Cannon & Tony Kent; CAA’s Meredith Jones

Jenna Paulette Slates NFR Late Night RoundUp + Launches Team CowboyGirl

Rising Leo33 country artist and working cowgirl Jenna Paulette is preparing for the 2025 National Finals Rodeo by wrangling together some of her close friends, fellow singer/songwriters Tyler Booth, Ellis Bullard, Dalton Davis, Noeline Hofmann, Hayden Redwine, Brennan Scott Greene and Chancey Williams, for her inaugural NFR Late Night Round Up on December 6 at 24 Oxford in Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The event, which will take place from 10:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., is free to attend and will be hosted by Dillon Weldon, featuring two sets of writer’s rounds, capped with a performance by Paulette.
 
Additionally, Paulette, in partnership with Ely Cattleman, will sponsor a select group of rising female rodeo athletes beginning with this year’s NFR through 2026 as part of the inaugural Team CowboyGirl. The group of talented women with promising futures in the arena will be outfitted in apparel from her signature women’s rangewear line, CowboyGirl. Four-time female bull riding world champion Jorden Halvorsen has already joined the team, and inquiries from additional athletes are actively being considered.
 
Expanding on the plans for Team CowboyGirl, Paulette shares, “We plan to expand to Breakaway Ropers, Barrel Racers and Broncs and eventually dip into the Ranch Rodeo side. The goal here is to support girls that are headed for greatness.”
 
On being the first signee on the team, Halvorsen adds, “One of my favorite mantras to live by is ‘Be who you want to be, not who you’re told to be.’ I’m so excited to be a part of Team CowboyGirl and represent a brand that embodies this authenticity so well. I love everything that CowboyGirl stands for as a woman in the western industry. It is a symbol of the grit and grace, tough and feminine, that all cowgirls represent. I’m so thankful to Jenna Paulette and the Ely Cattleman team for allowing me to be a part of this!”
 
“We are proud to have Jorden be the first signee for Team CowboyGirl,” Paulette beams. “Jorden is successful at whatever she chooses to put her hand in, and she’s been a friend of mine for a while now. We filmed my music video for ‘Slow Drawl’ together and she was in the launch campaign for CowboyGirl. She is cowboy in every sense of the word and we are honored to support her on the rodeo trail through Team CowboyGirl.”
 
In addition to her NFR Round Up, fans can catch Paulette as an official Wrangler NFR opening act, Dec. 8 on Tough Enough to Wear Pink Night live from the dirt at Thomas & Mack Center. 
 
As Paulette prepares to release new music in 2026, she recently paired up with longtime friend and fellow Texan, Jake Worthington, for a duet of “Chasin’ Whiskey” off her sophomore album.

About Jenna Paulette:
A CMT Next Women of Country honoree and an Apple Music’s Country Riser, singer-songwriter Jenna Paulette – a cowgirl who came of age amid the gritty realities of ranch life – is part of Nashville’s growing wave of female artists who are rewriting the rules and charting their own paths. Paulette settled in Nashville in 2015, where she struck up a mentorship with Ashley Gorley – a veteran songwriter with 80+ No. 1 tunes under his belt – which ultimately led to her publishing deal with Sea Gayle Music in June 2021. Since collaborating with songwriters Will Bundy, Rhett Akins, and Jessie Jo Dillion, as well as opening for Mason Ramsey, Parmalee, John Michael Montgomery, Clay Walker, and most recently Aaron Watson, Paulette has landed brand partnerships with Justin Boots, Boot Barn, Ely Cattleman, and Ranch Water.
 
With the arrival of her debut album The Girl I Was in 2023, Grammy.com remarked the project as “transformative,” noting it “fuses the sounds of [Shania] Twain and Miranda Lambert, tackling mental health with the somber ‘You Ain’t No Cowboy’ and waxing philosophical on ‘Country In The Girl.’” She continued to spotlight her authentic Western lifestyle last year, performing the national anthem at the National Finals Rodeo, making her Grand Ole Opry debut and performing at multiple festivals, including CMA Fest. Paulette recently signed with independent label Leo33. Paulette’s sophomore album, Horseback, is available everywhere now. For more information, visit www.jennapaulette.com.

MIRANDA LAMBERT & PARKER McCOLLUM’S “BAND TOGETHER TEXAS” BEGINS DISTRIBUTION OF $8.5 MILLION+ IN CENTRAL TEXAS FLOOD RELIEF

With more than $8.5 million raised through an incredible display of generosity and community spirit following the devastating Central Texas floods earlier this year, “Band Together Texas” is moving into the next phase of its relief efforts, distributing the funds raised to support impacted communities.
 
The Central Texas Community Foundation will receive $8 million, including a $1 million allocation to the Concho County Community Foundation, while the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country will receive more than $650,000, with resources designated to Habitat for Humanity’s “Home for the Holidays” initiative.
 
“These funds are more than numbers – they’re lifelines for families still recovering from this year’s floods,” shared Miranda Lambert, who spearheaded the “Band Together Texas” benefit concert together with fellow Lone Star State native Parker McCollum. “We worked closely with state officials and local partners to identify where the need is greatest and ensure that every dollar supports meaningful recovery.”
 
“It has been amazing to see Texans, and even folks outside of Texas, come together in such a huge way,” added McCollum. “The money raised will go a long way in helping our home recover.”
 
The distribution plan prioritizes counties hardest hit by flooding, including Travis, Williamson, Burnet, Kerr, Concho and Tom Green, funding programs that address housing, infrastructure and community revitalization.
 
Launched in response to the devastating floods that hit Central Texas on the 4th of July, “Band Together Texas” brought together businesses, artists and everyday Texans for the spirit-lifting night. In addition to performances by an all-star roster of Lone Star talent – including Lambert and McCollum, Ryan Bingham, Wade Bowen, Ronnie Dunn, Dylan Gossett, Jack Ingram, Cody Johnson, Lyle Lovett, Lukas Nelson, Jon Randall and Randy Rogers, plus honorary Texan for the night Jason Aldean – the event also featured appearances by actors Matthew McConaughey and Dennis Quaid; former UT Longhorns coach Mack Brown and players Emmanuel Acho, Colt McCoy and Vince Young; MLB star and Houston native Roger Clemens; television host and Dallas native Chris Harrison; and Austin-based fashion designer Kendra Scott.
 
“Band Together Texas” was made possible with the generous support of partners including WoodNext Foundation, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, John Paul & Eloise DeJoria Family Foundation, Woodforest National Bank, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Four Seasons Hotel Austin, H-E-B, Kendra Scott, Moody Center, Poncho, Tecovas, Uber and Whataburger.

The full lineup of Texas talent joins together on-stage at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on Aug. 17, 2025, for a triumphant final sing along of “On The Road Again.” | Photo Credit: Jeff Johnson

About Parker McCollum
Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Parker McCollum has reached the ranks of a bona fide Country music superstar by connecting with fans and critics alike through his relatable and authentic sound. McCollum has been named an ‘Artist to Watch’ by Rolling Stone, Billboard, SiriusXM, CMT, RIAA and more with American Songwriter noting, “The Texas native teeters on the edge of next-level superstardom.” Music Row listed McCollum as their 2021 Breakout Artist of the Year and Apple also included him as one of their all-genre “Up Next Artists” Class of 2021. A dedicated road warrior, McCollum made his debut at the famed Grand Ole Opry in 2021 and has sold out major concert venues around the U.S. In March 2022, McCollum made his debut at RODEOHOUSTON to a sold-out crowd with over 73,000 tickets sold. In 2025, McCollum played his third consecutive sold out show at Houston's signature event. In 2022, McCollum earned his first ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year, took home “Breakthrough Video of the Year” (a fully fan-voted honor) at the 2022 CMT Music Awards and scored two back-to-back CMA Awards nominations (2022 & 2023) for New Artist of the Year. He was nominated for a CMA Award for "Song of the Year” (2024) for his explosive Platinum hit “Burn It Down” – marking his third straight nomination. McCollum scored his second ACM Award for “Visual Media of the Year” for his music video for “Burn It Down.” The hit single marks his fourth consecutive No. 1 – following his other chart toppers “Pretty Heart,” “To Be Loved By You” and “Handle On You.” McCollum has just released his self-titled fifth studio album, PARKER MCOLLUM,which is an artistic achievement for this legacy making Country superstar that shows him at his best. PARKER MCCOLLUM is available now. 

Tape Room Music Signs Connor Hicks

Tape Room Music has signed Kentucky-born country artist Connor Hicks in an exclusive worldwide publishing deal.
 
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue growing into the artist I’ve always wanted to be,” shares Hicks. “My goal has always been to create music that feels real, and I’m thrilled to do that alongside a team like Tape Room that is truly the best of the best. All glory to the man upstairs.”
 
“From our first meeting with Connor, we knew we wanted to be a part of his journey as an artist,” shares Tape Room Music President Blain Rhodes. “We are so excited to welcome him to the Tape Room family and help him bring his music to the world.”
 
With a growing catalog of original music, including his latest release “Lonely Season,” and a steadily expanding fan base, Hicks is a rising voice in modern country. Capturing the spirit of small-town life, enduring love and the defining moments that leave a lasting mark with his songwriting, his voice carries the warmth and authenticity of his roots, shaped by the bluegrass heart of Kentucky and a lifelong passion for country music. Drawing inspiration from artists like Brett Eldredge and the Zac Brown Band, his sound is grounded in tradition, yet unmistakably his own.

L to R: Caroline Hodson (Tape Room Music), Nick Tressler (Raised Rowdy Management), Ashley Gorley (Tape Room Music), Connor Hicks, Blain Rhodes (Tape Room Music), Katherine Godwin (Tape Room Music) | Photo Credit: Ike Everard

About Tape Room Music
Tape Room Music is an independent music publishing company founded by hit songwriter Ashley Gorley, where writers have celebrated over 50 No. 1 songs. In 2024, Tape Room dominated Country Aircheck/Mediabase and Billboard’s Most-Heard Country Songs of 2024, with 19 songs on each chart and five of those tracks reaching the Top 10, including the No. 1 entry on both charts, Nate Smith’s 10-week smash “World On Fire.” Recent No. 1 hits include Jordan Davis’ “Bar None,” Jelly Roll’s “Heart of Stone” and BigXThaPlug and Bailey Zimmerman’s “All The Way,” which topped both Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs and Hot Country Songs. Tape Room Music writers continue to stretch the bounds of their abilities, spreading their talents across writing, producing and performing. More at TapeRoom.com or follow along on Instagram @TapeRoomMusic.

Kenny Chesney Takes HEART LIFE MUSIC on SRO Sunshine State Run

Heading into the final leg of Heart Life Music: the book event tour, Kenny Chesney is marveling at the places he’s been, the people who’ve shown up and the way a book can come to life talking about it with co-author and National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards Independent Journalist of the Year Holly Gleason. As he enthuses, “Coming to see us at the stadiums, I totally understand. But you have to really love someone to come listen to them talk! All the laughter, the cheers and those moments of recognizing each other in the stories? It’s been a wild ride and incredible launch.”
 
Closing out the last leg with a walk-on opening interview on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” re-airing all week, Chesney heads south for a trio of book events in Florida. Starting with a sold-out-in-minutes appearance at Key West’s iconic Tennessee Williams Theater today, Nov. 10, then going to another sold-out-in-minutes event in Tampa, where he has kicked off so many tours at Raymond James Stadium, on Tuesday, Nov. 11, the East Tennessee songwriter/superstar and recent Country Music Hall of Fame inductee wraps his tour up near the ocean, the sand and places where Heart Life Music was created.
 
“Beyond all the inspiration and the memories places like Key West, Tampa, West Palm Beach and South Florida hold,” Chesney explains, “an awful lot of interviews, editing and Holly’s actual writing was done in the area, so this seemed the perfect way to conclude bringing Heart Life Music into the world.
 
“When we were asked to be the final event of the Miami Book Fair’s opening weekend, which is such a big deal, it made me feel like this book really was something that struck a chord with people who know books. In a lot of ways, I feel like I’m going back to the Super Bowl, which anyone who’s read the book, will understand. But it’s David Wegman, Jimmy Buffett’s Keys, my own first headlining tour that kicked off in West Palm and where I signed that contract with my soul, plus all those years rocking the pirate ship at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium… Like starting the book tour at ETSU, this is a whole other homecoming.”
 
Having already been named to Barnes & Noble’s “Best Biographies and Memoirs of 2025” list, Chesney’s love letter to the magic carpet ride from a little boy dreaming to dream to Moscow, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, the Caribbean, Cabo Wabo and Jamaica alongside friends and heroes including George Jones, Eddie Van Halen, Alabama, Steve Miller, Sammy Hagar, Grace Potter, Bruce Springsteen, Joe Walsh, the Wailers, Uncle Kracker and Willie Nelson is registering with readers across the country. Whether for beach reading, a snowy afternoon or a commute, Heart Life Music offers an escape through music, sports, boats and points beyond where most of us journey.
 
Establishing a voice that captured coming of age and living life as fully as possible in the 21st century, Chesney wants each talk to reflect his unique relationship with No Shoes Nation, the music and anyone seeking inspiration to create their own place in the world. 
 
Heart Life Music is available for purchase HERE, along with limited remaining tickets to the Miami Book Fair event. For more information, visit KennyChesney.com.

About The Authors
One of contemporary American music’s biggest names, Kenny Chesney was voted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this year and was named Billboard’s No.1 Country Artist of the 21st Century. Selling out America’s major stadiums for two decades and playing to over a million fans every summer since 2002, Variety pronounced him “country music’s only true long-term stadium act.” The East Tennessee songwriter/superstar has over 105 Platinum certifications, won the prestigious Entertainer of the Year eight times, as well as holding Billboard’s record for the most Country Airplay No. 1s with 36 chart-topping songs that define coming of age in the flyover in the 21st Century. This year, the game-changing superstar became the first country artist to perform at the groundbreaking Sphere, taking No Shoes Nation into a whole new dimension, creating a space to work hard, play hard, love hard and come together in the spirit of celebrating all the moment offers. Heart Life Music is his first book.
 
Holly Gleason’s work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, the Library of Congress’ National Registry of Sound Recordings, among other outlets. She was the LA Press Club’s Entertainment Journalist of the Year and the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Association’s Independent Journalist of the Year. A former Rock & Roll Hall of Fame/Case Western Reserve Fellow, she’s the creator of Belmont Book Award-winning Woman Walk The Line, and co-authored Miranda Lambert’s New York Times best-seller Y’All Eat Yet as well as  Prine on Prine: Interviews & Encounters.

Maddox Batson Announces Live Worldwide Tour Set for Early 2026

Billboard’s youngest male artist to appear on 21 Under 21, Maddox Batson, announces his 46-show world tour. The Maddox Batson Live Worldwide Tour 2026 kicks off in the United States before heading to Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway and Sweden. 

Maddox Batson’s pre-sale begins Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 12 p.m. local time via MaddoxBatson.com. Spotify pre-sale kicks off Thursday, Nov. 13 at 12 p.m. local time, and public on-sale occurs on Nov. 14 at 12 p.m. local time.

“A lot of people might not remember I got my start on TikTok Live, so this tour name is a nod to those early days,” Batson shares. “We love bringing our live shows to fans – it’s crazy to me that it now means we’re playing around the world. What a blessing to share this journey and new music with y’all!”

Batson’s 2026 tour will donate $1.00 from every North American ticket sold to Music Will, the largest music education nonprofit program for schools in the United States. Through its innovative modern band curriculum, Music Will expands student participation in school music programs and helps drive long-term academic, social and emotional growth.

Citi is the official card of the Live Worldwide Tour in the United States. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday, November 11 at 12 p.m. local time until Thursday, November 13 at 10 p.m. local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.

Baylee Lynn, Jenna Davis, Just Jayne and Timmy McKeever will support Batson’s 2026 tour on various dates.

Batson recently wrapped his 29-city I Need A Truck Tour along with supporting Lainey Wilson’s Whirlwind Tour on select dates.
 
Hailed as  “A young star, new on the country charts already striking a chord and hitting all the right notes” by NBC Nightly News, Batson recently released the upbeat, sentimental track “Coincidence” in September via Prosper Entertainment / Warner Records. 
 
The 15-year-old also released “No More,” a powerful track that taps into heartbreak and healing with a combination of grit, vulnerability and raw emotional delivery. Fueled by a hook-heavy chorus and defiant lyrics, “No More” highlights Batson’s continued evolution as both a songwriter and performer.
 
Forbes praises Batson’s stage presence, stating “It’s not only his lyrics and relatable subject matter that’s captured the hearts of young fans, it’s his engaging, high-energy personality that shines through every live performance, music video, and interaction with everyone he meets.” 
 
Following a breakout year that included his Grand Ole Opry debut and a high-profile appearance at Stagecoach, Maddox Batson continues to raise the bar for his young professional career.

Maddox Batson Live Worldwide Tour 2026 Routing:
Feb. 17  |  Ft. Lauderdale, FL  |  Revolution Live
Feb. 18  |  St. Petersburg, FL  |  Jannus Live
Feb. 20  |  Atlanta, GA  |  Coca-Cola Roxy
Feb. 21  |  Augusta, GA  |  Bell Auditorium
Feb. 22  |  Macon, GA  |  Macon City Auditorium
Feb. 28  |  Allentown, PA  |  Archer Music Hall
March 1  |  Montclair, NJ  |  The Wellmont Theater
March 4  |  Stamford, CT  |  The Palace Theatre
March 6  |  Syracuse, NY  |  Landmark Theater
March 7  |  Schenectady, NY  |  Proctors Theatre
March 8  | Providence, RI  |  The Strand Ballroom & Theatre
March 11  |  Montreal, QC  |  Beanfield Theatre
March 12  |  Toronto, ON  |  The Danforth Music Hall
March 14  |  Buffalo, NY  |  Buffalo Riverworks
March 15  |  Cleveland, OH  |  The Agora
March 18  |  Detroit, MI  |  Royal Oak Music Theatre
March 20  |  Chicago, IL  |  The Salt Shed
March 21  |  Madison, WI  |  The Sylvee
March 22  |  Minneapolis, MN  |  The Fillmore Minneapolis
March 26  | Calgary, AB  |  Grey Eagle Event Centre
March 28  |  Vancouver, BC  |  Vogue Theatre
March 31  |  Portland, OR  |  Crystal Ballroom
April 1  |  Seattle, WA  |  The Showbox
April 3  |  Sacramento, CA  |  Channel 24
April 4  |  San Francisco, CA  |  The Fillmore
April 8  |  Los Angeles, CA  |  The Wiltern
April 11  | San Diego, CA  |  The Observatory North Park
April 16  |  Salt Lake City, UT  |  The Complex
April 18  |  Phoenix, AZ  |  The Van Buren
April 19  |  Albuquerque, NM  |  Revel Entertainment Center 
April 22  |  Austin, TX  |  ACL Live at The Moody Theater 
April 24  |  Houston, TX  |  Bayou Music Center
April 26  |  Tulsa, OK  |  Cain’s Ballroom 
April 29  |  St. Louis, MO  |  The Factory at The District 
May 3  |  Nashville, TN  |  The Pinnacle 
May 12  |  Dublin, IE  |  3Olympia Theatre
May 13  |  Glasgow, UK  |  SWG3 Galvanizers
May 15  |  Manchester, UK  |  Manchester Academy 2
May 16  |  London, UK  |  O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
May 19  |  Cologne, DE  |  Die Kantine
May 20  |  Amsterdam, NL  |  Paradiso Amsterdam
May 21  |  Hamburg, DE  |  Gruenspan
May 23  |  Oslo, NO  |  Vulkan Arena
May 24  |  Stockholm, SE  |  Fryshuset Klubben
 
STAY TUNED WITH MADDOX BATSON
TikTok | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | Website