Chris Young will headline Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th presented by Dr Pepper, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp announced today. The downtown event will present one of the country’s largest July 4th fireworks shows – which for the first time will include drone light elements – synchronized to live music from the GRAMMY-winning Nashville Symphony. Let Freedom Sing! will feature charitable partner PENCIL, and the free Amazon Family Fun Zone will return and include inflatables and live music. The concert and fireworks show are free and open to the public. Middle Tennessee nat ..read more

The Americana Music Association has announced its first round of artists slated to showcase at its annual AMERICANAFEST in Nashville, running from September 17-21, 2024. AMERICANAFEST will showcase more than 200 artists and bands throughout notable venues in Nashville. The destination event also features a first-rate industry conference, bringing together the top tier of the music business to discuss current industry topics and issues through insightful panels and workshops. The week of festivities kicks off with the Americana Honors & Awards, which celebrates Americana luminaries and welc ..read more

Legendary Southern rock guitarist, Dickey Betts passed away at his home in Osprey, FL., surrounded by his family today. Betts assumed sole lead guitar duties with the Allman Brothers Band following Duane Allman’s death in 1971. He was also the writer and singer on the Allmans’ hit single “Ramblin’ Man”. Betts gained renown for composing instrumentals, with one appearing on most of the groups albums, including “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” and “Jessica.” He was inducted with the Allman Brothers into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and also won a best rock performance Grammy Award with th ..read more

BMI’s “Rooftop On The Row” series kicked off their sixth season with a bang on Tuesday (April 16) with Grammy winner Colbie Caillat and rising star, Red Street Records artist, Ryan Larkins. BMI really brought it up a notch this year and the rooftop was packed. George Dickel took care of everyone who was thirsty and Texas Road House made sure nobody was hungry. Many Nashville power players were on the roof including AB Entertainments Anthony Smith, Showbiz Ro Music’s Liz Moran and many others DJ Smoke was mixing some classic country with some sick beats to get the crowd warmed up. Larkins start ..read more

The popular series Opry Country Classics will celebrate the music of the legendary renegade singer/songwriter/musician Johnny Paycheck on Thursday, May 9. Among those to perform in Paycheck’s honor are Opry members Chris Janson, Jamey Johnson, and The Gatlin Brothers as well as special guest William Michael Morgan. Also featured on the show will be three second-generation performers: John Paycheck (son of Johnny Paycheck), Georgette Jones (daughter of George Jones and Tammy Wynette), and Jesse Keith Whitley (son of Keith Whitley and Lorrie Morgan). Opry Country Classics, hosted by Opry member ..read more

Today, folk-pop’s rising singer-songwriter Max McNown released the new music video for “Strong As Iron,” off his recently released debut album, Wandering, a convergence of folk and country sharing stories of intense heartache and perseverance. (watch above) This release is the first to follow last week’s drop, when he also released the music video for “Worry ‘Bout My Wandering”. Following his tour with Americana folk-rock band Briscoe, McNown recently joined Australian artist Blake Rose’s North American tour which includes a stop in Nashville at The End (4/29). “Worry ‘Bout My Wandering” is t ..read more

Nashville based folk duo Hamilton is set to release their EP this Friday. The duo’s will be at Nashville’s City Winery this Sunday (4/21) for their EP release show. It will be a landmark event for Janie and Austin as they transition from performing under their individual names to uniting under the band name “Hamilton.” This change coincides with their personal life, as they are set to get married this June and continue their musical journey as a married duo. Their diverse backgrounds—Janie’s classical training and Austin’s rock and jazz influences — converge to form a unique sound that defies ..read more

A new live version of Tyler Childers’ never-before-released song, “Going Home,” is out now. (listen above) Recorded in 2015 for West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s “Mountain Stage,” the track is from a forthcoming compilation album, Live On Mountain Stage: Outlaws & Outliers, which will be released April 19 via Oh Boy Records and features performances from throughout the beloved program’s history, curated by show’s co-founder and longtime host, Larry Groce. The release adds to yet another landmark year for Childers, who recently kicked off his “Mule Pull ’24 Tour” which will make a two ni ..read more

The Bellamy Brothers and Gene Watson have joined together for a cover of the duo’s “Forever Ain’t Long Enough.” Originally released in 1990 on the Bellamy Brothers’ 14th studio album, Reality Check, this beloved song is now being reintroduced to fans as a powerful duet, given a fresh new twist with the addition of Gene Watson’s vocals. For David Bellamy, the song holds a special significance as he explains, “I wrote the song in the style of real classic country. I wanted it to sound like something that came from the Countrypolitan era, and of course, everlasting love is a favorite subject of ..read more

Country newcomer Timothy Wayne has signed a major label record deal with Universal Music Group Nashville with new music expected next month. The Franklin, Tennessee native is currently a sophomore at LSU who spends his free time in the recording studio working on his first project and playing live around the southeast. Upcoming dates include a show in Baton Rouge, performances at Nashville’s famed CMA Fest, and several tour dates as support on Tim McGraw’s Standing Room Only Tour. (L-R): UMG Nashville’s Mike Harris, Cindy Mabe, and Lori Christian; Timothy Wayne; UMGN’s Chelsea Blythe; Sandy Ho ..read more