Blake Shelton Archives - Nashville Music Line

Christmas albums, singles, live shows!

‘Tis the season for the sounds of Christmas!

By Preshias Harris

It’s getting to feel a lot like Christmas… and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet! I just couldn’t wait to start setting the Holiday mood, so – ahead of my December column – here is the news you can use to start jingling the bells! Scroll down for Christmas albums from Gabby Barrett, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldridge, Megan Moroney and Dolly Parton… seasonal singles from George Birge, Mackenzie Carpenter, Randall King, Tori Martin, Hillary Scott, Sophia Scott, Blake Shelton and Bailey Taylor. Plus news about star-studded live Christmas shows at Gaylord Opryland, the Ryman Auditorium, the Grand Ole Opry and more! Keep scrolling!

HOLIDAY ALBUM ROUNDUP

GABBY BARRETT: Warner Music Nashville’s Gabby Barrett gives a warm welcome to the holidays with the release of her first-ever Christmas album, Carols and Candlelight. Available now, the 11-song collection includes a lovingly curated selection of cherished Christmas carols, time-honored Advent hymns, and joyous songs of celebration — all spotlighting the multi-Platinum star’s unforgettably beautiful talent. Listen hereand check out the adjoining videos.

Carols and Candlelight opens with Barrett’s poignant rendition of “Mary, Did You Know?” (written by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene, and produced by Ross Copperman). Listen here and watch the visualizer. With its poetic contemplation of the relationship between Mary and her son, “Mary, Did You Know?” brings her distinct sensibilities to the modern Christmas classic, blending her bright and soulful vocals with a gorgeously subtle arrangement of pedal steel, piano, strings, and more. Along with showcasing the phenomenal range and nuance of her voice, the slow-burning and richly detailed track makes for a prime introduction to the full-length project’s stellar musicianship.

With its era-spanning mix of Christmastime favorites, Carols and Candlelight also includes standouts like “Go Tell It On The Mountain” (for KING & COUNTRY feat. Gabby Barrett) – an exultant Gospel number nominated for Christmas Recorded Song of the Year at the 55th Annual GMA Dove Awards. More at Gabby’s website and updates on social media. #GabbyBarrett

DAN + SHAY: It’s another ‘first’ from Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney (aka Dan + Shay). They have released their first-ever Christmas project, titled It’s Officially Christmas: The Double Album (listen/stream/download here) and is available as a CD and a two LP package pressed in opaque red and green vinyl. The vinyl version comes with printed inner sleeves in a two-pocket gatefold jacket. Signed copies of both versions at Dan + Shay’s official website.

Mikayla Lane: amazing country talent on the rise

New project “Ambush” highlights her passion for western lifestyle

By Preshias Harris

Only a small handful of female Country artists – think Tanya Tucker and Taylor Swift – began their successful careers in their early teens and are still wowing audiences today. It’s time to add another name to that short but prestigious list: Mikayla Lane.

While still a ‘tween,’ Oklahoma native Mikayla recorded and released her debut EP, Rooftop Nights, and by the age of 13 she earned a spot on the talent roster of Ole Red (Blake Shelton), initially at the venue in Blake’s hometown of Tishomingo. She has now become a regular performer at all the Ole Red venues, including Nashville and Gatlinburg in Tennessee and Orlando, Florida. Quickly establishing a reputation as a must-see performer, Mikayla was soon playing notable venues including Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, OK, where she opened for Jon Wolfe and is that venue’s youngest opener to date.

This is one of a series of interviews conducted during the 2022 Country Radio Seminar (CRS) in Nashville.

Now – and still only sixteen years old – Mikayla has compiled an impressive catalog of original tunes that she has written and co-produced. She has released seven studio recordings including “Superman” that has racked up 80,000+ streams and counting. The music video for “Superman,” filmed in Tulsa, OK, premiered on CMT.com in October 2020.

Mikayla co-wrote and co-produced “Drive” in 2021, rapidly premiering in the Top 10 on the New Music Nashville Spotify playlist.

Country music tours are back!

Tour buses are heading out of Nashville again

by Preshias Harris

Country artists can’t wait to get back on the road – and their fans can’t wait to see ‘em! New announcements about upcoming tours are being released almost every day, but for now, here are the ones we have confirmed for Michael Ray, Brandy Clark, Scotty McCreery, Old Dominion, Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line, The Cadillac Three, Brett Young and Blake Shelton:

Michael Ray is off to the beach – Myrtle Beach, SC – on June 13 for Carolina Country Music Fest, the first of twenty-plus dates on his 2021 Just The Way I Am Tour. The Carolina Fest runs June 10 – 13 with 30+ country acts including Luke Combs, Eric Church, Ashley McBryde, Darius Rucker and more. Ray then heads on to major stops throughout the summer and fall in cities such as Roanoke, VA, Birmingham, AL, Baltimore, MD, St. Louis, MO and Fargo, ND, before wrapping up November 14 at the Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale FL.

“I can’t wait to be back out on the road and be with all of you again,” said Ray. “There’s nothing better than being with one another and singing the songs that have brought us together over the years, and I’m so excited to share some new songs with you that have come to mean so much to me. Let’s make some memories!” Tickets and a full list of tour dates here.

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Brandy Clark will return to the stage this fall with her Who You Thought I Was headline tour, including stops at Seattle’s Neumos, San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall, Los Angeles’ Lodge Room, Denver’s Lost Lake, New York’s Bowery Ballroom, Philadelphia’s World Café Live and Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsley among many others. Tickets for the shows are on-sale now, full details can be found here.

The newly confirmed dates celebrate a landmark year for Clark, whose new deluxe album, Your Life is a Record (Deluxe), is out now on Warner Records (stream/purchase here). The special extended edition features all eleven tracks from her GRAMMY-nominated album plus six new songs including “Remember Me Beautiful,” which Clark wrote late last year with Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna and Liz Rose for NPR’s Morning Edition Song Project. Produced by Jay Joyce, Your Life is a Record was nominated for Best Country Album at the 63rd GRAMMY Awards and landed on several “Best of 2020” lists including NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Variety, Paste and Slate.

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Scotty McCreery will headline his You Time Tour kicking off in Fresno, CA, on June 18. On some dates, McCreery will be supporting Chris Young or Old Dominion. “This last year I was glad to get more ‘you time’ with my wife Gabi than ever before, as well as a lot of ‘you time’ with some of my favorite songwriters via zoom as we created new songs for the upcoming album,” said McCreery. “And now that we’re able to tour again, I cannot wait to get back on the road and have some ‘you time’ with fans this summer.”

The tour’s title refers to “You Time,” released in September 2020, a single from his next album set for release later this year. McCreery co-wrote the song with Frank Rogers and Aaron Eshuis. Additional dates for the You Time Tour will be announced soon. Tickets and info here.

Country stars come out to honor Earl Thomas Conley

Today’s top artists remember ‘the shy genius’

By Preshias Harris

It was an afternoon of memories. Earl Thomas Conley was adamant about one thing: he did not want a funeral. But Nashville’s music community could not let Conley’s death prevent a celebration of his life.

The result: The Earl Thomas Conley Memorial on September 10 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s CMA Theater.

Performers, ETC band members and family gather onstage

Some of Country music’s biggest stars were there to share memories of “ETC” and how his music had affected their own careers. My own memories of Earl Thomas Conley are connected to a different Hall of Fame. The first time I met him was in the 1980s when we both attended an induction ceremony at the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. The last time I ever saw him was when my friend Walt Aldridge was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in October 2017. That night, Earl sang his mega-hit “Holding Her and Loving You” that had been written by Aldridge with Tom Brasfield.

“I mean if you played honky tonks and didn’t do an Earl Thomas Conley slow song you were a fool.” – Luke Bryan

More than thirty years of memories

Continue reading “Country stars come out to honor Earl Thomas Conley”

Blake Shelton, songwriters bless ‘God’s Country’

No. 1 party celebrates ‘fastest rising’ chart topper

By Preshias Harris

Blake Shelton was in God’s Country on Wednesday, thanks to songwriters Devin Dawson, Michael Hardy and Jordan Schmidt. More precisely, he was at a Number One party that was held at Ole Red in Nashville, which of course is in God’s Country!

At the media meeting before the awards presentation ceremony, Shelton said he was on a tractor, working on his farm in Oklahoma when he received the demo of the song, “God’s Country,” on his phone. He recalled, “I was trying to drive and look at my phone at the same time and I figured out a way to play the song inside this machine through the Bluetooth that it had. And that’s when I heard “God’s Country” for the first time.”

(L – R): Devin Dawson, Michael Hardy, Jordan Schmidt, Blake Shelton. (Photo: Preshias Harris)

Turning to the three songwriters, he added, “I was literally working in the spot where, in the video, where we burned the tractor.” He said that he immediately called producer Scott Hendricks who had sent him the demo and said, “I don’t know where the song came from, but that makes me want to make another record.”

A very fast ‘farm-to-table’ song

“God’s Country” (Warner Bros. Nashville) had one of the fastest journeys ever to the top of the Country singles chart. The speed with which Shelton recorded the song so soon after hearing it and its rapid success took the song’s writers by surprise. “It was a very fast ‘farm-to-table’,” noted Hardy. The song was written on a Thursday, Blake heard it that weekend and by Monday he had recorded it. It was also the fasted song to achieve Platinum status from the RIAA in more than a year. So far in 2019, it holds the distinction of being the ‘most streamed country song.’ Continue reading “Blake Shelton, songwriters bless ‘God’s Country’”

July ‘Inside Track on Music Row’

Column posted and ready to read now

My monthly column, ‘Inside Track on Music Row’ is now posted at Nashville Music Guide’s website. It is the longest continually-running monthly country music column in the USA.

As always, my thanks to Amanda and the NMG staff for making ‘Inside Track’ the best looking (and most read) country music feature on the Web!

Among this month’s 30+ music news items in the column…

Exile to celebrate new double album with fans & industry, July 13
Brett Young’s Acoustic Sessions EP set for September release
Blake Shelton joins Garth Brooks in ‘Fun’ Dive Bar duet
NAMM Music Industry Day set for July 20
Scroll down for brief summaries and links

ALBUM NEWS

A little over forty years have passed and over 8 million records have been sold, including three Gold records and eleven number one hit songs since Exile began making music in a small garage in Lexington, Kentucky making demos of their songs. Exile will now share their most current CD project, Exile – The Garage Tapes. The 30 song, two CD compilation is set for release in the upcoming weeks. Industry and fans are invited to celebrate at a VIP CD release event to take place in the cave at The Caverns in Pelham, TN on July 13. … Read the full story here. Continue reading “July ‘Inside Track on Music Row’”

Blake Shelton’s ‘mystery kiss’ photo

Can you I.D. the air personalities from 2003 CRS?

When Blake Shelton likes you, he shows his love with a kiss.

L to R: Unidentified, Blake Shelton, Eddie Haskell, Unidentified. Can you help I.D. these guys? Photo: Preshias Harris

Dierks presents award to Blake. Photo: Catrina Engleby / Nashville Music Guide

During the Warner Music Nashville “Warner Wednesday” luncheon, part of this year’s Country Radio Seminar (CRS), Blake was presented with the CRS Artist Humanitarian Award. He received the award from last year’s recipient, Dierks Bentley.

“I scratched my name off,” said Dierks as he handed over the Award. “It’s all yours.”

Accepting the award, Blake pulled Dierks in close and planted a big kiss on his forehead.

Who ARE those radio guys?

But this wasn’t the first time Blake has surprised someone at CRS with a kiss. Back in 2003, I caught up with Blake at that year’s CRS. It was then held at Nashville’s Renaissance Hotel and the ‘old’ Convention Center. As we talked, three country radio air personalities joined us. The guys all moved in close for the photo, and that’s when Blake planted one on the guy next to him!

So I know that Blake is the kisser. But who is the kissee? Take a look at the photo above. I have lost my notes from that day and I need your help!

I know that the curly-haired gent to Blake’s left is Eddie Haskell, now Senior VP / Programming for iHeartMedia, Ft Collins, CO. Eddie was previously Program Director at KYGO-FM 98.5 Denver, CO.

But who are the other two fellers, both the ‘kissee’ far left, and the fourth man, far right?

C’mon, air personalities and radio biz people; help me out here and I’ll send you a little ‘thank you’ gift and post the correct photo I.D. (and your name) in a post at www.nashvillemusicline.com

Send your I.D. of the guys in the ‘Mystery Kiss’ photo to me here or preshias@nashvillemusicline.com

Here’s another photo from that same day, back at CRS 2003. I hope this jogs your memory.

Unidentified, Blake, Eddie, Unidentified. Photo: Harris

Preshias Harris is a music journalist and music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com

Ashley Gorley named Songwriter of the Year

Blake, Kelsea, FGL also win top awards

(L-R): MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson, Ashley Gorley and MusicRow Chart Director Alex Kobrick. Photo: Preshias Harris

Ashley Gorley has received yet another honor. At the MusicRow Magazine’s 16th annual Country Breakout Awards, Gorley received the Songwriter of the Year Award. The award goes annually to the songwriter with “the most songs that commanded country radio in … secondary markets,” according to MusicRow Publisher and Owner, Sherod Robertson. It was Gorley’s second consecutive win.

The Awards ceremony was part of MusicRow’s annual ‘Country Radio Meet & Greet’ held at the Listening Room Café in Nashville. As before, it was held during the first day of the Country Radio Seminar (CRS). Although it is not part of the official CRS program, the event always attracts large numbers of radio air personalities and program directors, as well as members of Nashville’s music community.

Seven Number Ones in 2017

Gorley was honored for the remarkable achievement of co-writing seven Number Ones on the 2017 MusicRow charts. Among those songs: Blake Shelton’s “A Guy With a Girl” that was Gorley’s 30^th Number One as a writer.

Gorley’s other MusicRow Number Ones for 2017: Thomas Rhett’s “Unforgettable,” Jon Pardi’s “Dirt On My Boots,” Dierks Bentley’s “Black,” Chris Janson’s “Fix A Drink,” Brad Paisley’s “Today” and Billy Currington’s “Do I Make You Wanna.” Gorley is also the only songwriter to have received the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Award five times, a record that he set in 2017.

A native of Danville, Kentucky, in 2011 Gorley partnered with Combustion Music and Warner/Chappell Music to start up Tape Room Music, his own music publishing company.

Blake, Kelsea Artists of the Year

At the Country Breakout Awards, Blake Shelton earned the Male Artist of the Year Award for more spins than any other male artist on the MusicRow Country Breakout Chart, achieving 83,208 spins reported by stations on MusicRow’s panel. His spin total included three No. 1 hits on the Country Breakout chart: “I’ll Name The Dogs,” “A Guy With A Girl” and “Every Time I Hear That Song.”

Kelsea Ballerini. Photo: Sara Barlow/MusicRow

Kelsea Ballerini was recognized as Female Artist of the Year with 80,928 reported spins. Kelsea had two No. 1s on the MusicRow Country Breakout chart with “Legends” and “Yeah Boy.” This was Kelsea’s second consecutive win in this category.

FGL nab 4th win; Combs, Owens honored

The Group/Duo of the Year Award went to Florida Georgia Line for the fourth consecutive year with 76,938 spins in 2017. FGL’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard topped MusicRow’s chart with “Smooth” and also with “God, Your Mama and Me,” a collaboration with Backstreet Boys.

Luke Combs received the Breakout Artist of the Year Award. Combs’ songs, including the Platinum-certified hit “Hurricane,” racked up 78,978 spins on reporting stations. His debut album, ‘This One’s For You,’ has already been certified Gold by RIAA.

Shane Owens took home the Independent Artist of the Year Award, gaining more spins than any other indie artist in 2017 with a total of 33,428 spins. Owens’ songs, including “19” helped him lead the pack of independent artists.

Capitol Records Nashville locked in an unassailable 14^th win as MusicRow’s Label of the Year. The UMG imprint scored 457,962 spins in 2017 with airplay from artists such as Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood.

The annual MusicRow Country Breakout Awards go to artists, songwriters and labels that have achieved the most spins as reported by secondary market radio stations that report to the MusicRow Country Breakout chart.

Full details and more can be found in the February/March issue of MusicRow magazine and online at musicrow.com.

Cole Swindell, Blake Shelton celebrate Number Ones

6th Number One for Cole Swindell

Cole Swindell cebrates with co-writers and execs from ASCAP, BMI, label and song publishers. Photo credit: Preshias

Warner Bros Nashville threw a Number One party for one of their ‘Golden Boys.’ Cole Swindell is basking in the glow of his 6th Number One single, “Middle Of A Memory,” written by Swindell, Ashley Gorley and Zach Crowell. Cole thanked the standing room only crowd for all they have done to get him to this stage in his career and making his dreams come true.

…and Blake Shelton’s 23rd

Blake celebrates another Number One. Photo credit: Lindsey Sipes

Another Warner Bros Nashville “Golden Boy,” Blake Shelton, celebrates another Number One “With A Guy With A Girl.” The song was written by Bryan Simpson and Ashley Gorley. This makes Blake’s 23rd Number One, if I counted right. Trivia Note: Blake had 17 consecutive number one records, which went down in the music history books.