Churchill Downs Racetrack announced that Wynonna Judd will perform the national anthem at this year’s Kentucky Derby, taking place on Saturday, May 4, 2024. The Kentucky native will help kick off the historic 150th Run for the Roses® at Churchill Downs with her National Anthem performance set to take place just after 5:00 p.m. EDT, and broadcast live as part of NBC’s Kentucky Derby coverage. Martha Stewart will serve as the Riders Up announcer. The 59-year-old Judd, who was born in Ashland, Kentucky, said in a statement: “I am so proud to represent my home state, taking part in one of the ..read more

ABC News Studios and Hulu has announced the documentary “Lainey Wilson: Bell Bottom Country” will debut May 29th on Hulu. Wilson will reveal a glimpse of her life on the road in the documentary special, which is the latest in a partnership between ABC News Studios and ‘Good Morning America’ co-host, Robin Roberts. A post on social media read: “From dreamer to Grammy winner, @laineywilson’s story is one of resilience and passion. Join us as we explore her incredible journey together through ‘Lainey Wilson: Bell Bottom Country’ streaming on @Hulu beginning Wednesday, May 29.” Wilson shared that ..read more

Toby Keith will posthumously receive an honorary degree from the University of Oklahoma, located in the late country legend’s home state. Keith passed away on Feb. 5 following a years-long battle with stomach cancer at the age of  62; he will be honored at the University of Oklahoma commencement ceremony next month. The University of Oklahoma announced the “four outstanding individuals” who will receive honorary degrees this year. Others include educator, economist and activist Barbara Ann Posey Jones, founder of Love’s Travel Stops and university supporter Tom E. Love, and Presidential M ..read more

The Rolling Stones have announced the list of supporting artists on their 2024 ‘Hackney Diamonds’ North American Tour. Among the artists who will take turns opening on the legendary band’s 10-week excursion in support of their latest album, Hackney Diamonds are country stars Lainey Wilson and Tyler Childers, blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa, Bettye Lavette, The War and Treaty, The Pretty Reckless, Widespread Panic, The Linda Lindas, Ghost Hounds, and KALEO. The Stones’ 2024 North American tour features a total of 19 concerts, and includes an appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heri ..read more

The Grand Ole Opry will partner with Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) for their ‘Salute the Troops’ event, a special night to support active-duty military and veterans. The Grand Ole Opry will invite active duty and veteran service members, their spouses, and their children to join a red carpet parade into the Opry House. This year’s Salute the Troops event will take place on May 21, with Opry member Craig Morgan, who serves as an Army Reserve Warrant Officer, performing alongsidethe 313th U.S. Army Band in addition to Opry member Lauren Alaina, Lee Brice, HunterGirl, Austin Snell and more. &nbs ..read more

Miranda Lambert is on the road with a slew of new spring and summer tour dates, sharing on her socials: “Vegas is done and now I’m goin back on the road!” Said Miranda: “I’ve been touring since I was 19 years old, so it was nice to step away from the road for a bit and settle into Vegas. That gave us time to miss touring though, so I cannot wait to get back out there on Elvira, my home away from home, and visit the fans across the country that we haven’t seen in a while.” The 17-date trek, which kicked-off April 19 in Ashland, Kentucky at Rock The Country Festival, will hit California, Te ..read more

Sam Hunt has earned his 10th #1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart with his single, “Outskirts”.  Written by Hunt with Zach Crowell, Jerry Flowers, and Josh Osborne, “Outskirts” is featured on Hunt’s EP, Locked Up, which was released April 5th. (per Billboard) Hunt recently wrapped his arena-headlining Outskirts Tour with country music’s Brett Young and Lily Rose. Hunt also just announced his headlining summer amphitheater Locked Up Tour kicking off June 28th in Bend, Ore. The 20-city trek runs through September with dates across the US and Canada, and features support artists Russ ..read more

(Photo credit: Reuters) Stagecoach went down this weekend and there were some really great moments, and a bit of controversy as well. Here are the highlights: 1.  The biggest storyline of the weekend was Eric Church’s performance.  He did a stripped-down acoustic set of gospel covers with a full choir.  Problem was, he was headlining, so his set started at 10:00 P.M. on Friday night. A lot of people were pretty angry and wondering why he ruined the party vibe.  One guy even called it, “career suicide.”  As for Eric, he said, “This was the most difficult ..read more

Nate Smith will embark on his headlining “Through The Smoke” tour this fall. Smith posted on his socials: “Let’s go!!!! Hitting the road on my Through The Smoke Tour with @johnmorgan95 and @karleyscottcollins! .. Where will I see you??” The 14-city trek will kick off on September 19th in Portland, Oregon, and ends on November 23rd in Des Moines, Iowa. Joining Smith on the road will be special guests John Morgan and Karley Scott Collins on select dates. Smith is currently on the road with Morgan Wallen’s One Night at a Time 2024 Tour, which will see Smith opening on stadium dates across the cou ..read more

John Morgan has enlisted Jason Aldean for a new version of his fan-favorite track, “Friends Like That.” The song racked up over 28 million on-demand streams, and was originally featured on his recently released debut EP, Remember Us? Morgan said of his friend and mentor, Aldean:  “To have Jason Aldean as a mentor over the past few years, he went from being someone I was a fan of to someone I call a friend, so it’s extra special to have him on one of my songs. Having a song on the radio is what you always dream about when you pursue this career. I grew up on country radio and to know that ..read more