The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will explore the life and ever-growing career of 10-time GRAMMY nominee and CMA Entertainer of the year Eric Church in its newest exhibition, Eric Church: Country Heart, Restless Soul, presented by Gibson. The exhibit will chronicle Church’s unique path to stardom, from his early years playing late-night gigs in bars and writing songs in Nashville to his current prominence as one of country music’s most authentic voices and revered rule-breakers. The exhibit, which opens July 13 and runs through June 2024, is included with museum admission.

Just announced: “@EricChurch: Country Heart, Restless Soul,” presented by @GibsonGuitar, opens July 13. In celebration, be here July 15 for a writers round feat. songs of @EricChurch, performed by co-writers @LukeLaird, @JeremySpillman, and more.

Link: https://t.co/vfv2CFJ5jB pic.twitter.com/LxwY8bx16J

— Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (@countrymusichof) June 6, 2023

Having long eschewed industry norms with a sound and approach uniquely his own, the man praised by The Wall Street Journal as “knowledgeable and respectful of country’s history, but not shackled by it” has held tight to his artistic identity throughout his more than two decades in Nashville, earning a devoted audience and amassing an impressive list of accolades, including 10 Billboard #1 country radio hits and over 50 million units sold across multiple Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum-certified albums. A revered storyteller, Church has also written or co-written almost all of the songs he has recorded and released. He continues to fill sold-out venues with his raucous live show, as well as challenge his own musical approach with every new level of success he achieves.

“Eric Church has done it his way completely,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “His steadfast artistic vision and authenticity resonate deeply with audiences, and he continues to serve as an important collaborator and renegade role model for generations of country music artists.”

The exhibit will include musical instruments, song manuscripts, stage wear, tour memorabilia, awards, photographs and more from Church’s personal collection. Photos of artifacts featured in the exhibit can be found here. More information about the exhibit can be found on the museum’s website.

Examples of items to be displayed include:

• the Harmony H-303 three-quarter-size acoustic guitar that belonged to Church when he was a child.
• Ray-Ban Aviator Mirror sunglasses worn by Church onstage.
• the Von Dutch trucker hat Church bought at a Mississippi truck stop in the late 2000s and began wearing onstage.
• the outfit worn by Church on the album cover of The Outsiders and at the CMA Awards in 2013, which includes a Rogue two-tone leather jacket, John Varvatos shirt and Diesel jeans.
• a sculpture made from vinyl records of various sizes, which replicates the soundwave of Church’s recording of “Record Year” and was used as a prop in the 2016 music video for the song.
• a Gibson Eric Church Hummingbird Dark guitar. Church contributed to the design of the limited-edition guitar and used it on his “Double Down Tour” (2019).
• the Tom Ford purple suede jacket that Church wore when he and Jazmine Sullivan sang the national anthem at Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, in 2021.

In support of the exhibit’s opening, the museum will host a public program, Writers’ Round: The Songs of Eric Church, featuring Luke Laird, Jeremy Spillman and others, on Saturday, July 15, at 2:30 p.m. in the museum’s Ford Theater. The writers will perform and share the stories behind the songs they have crafted with Church. To reserve tickets to the program or learn more about the exhibit, visit the museum’s website.

The exhibit’s announcement comes ahead of Church’s CMA Fest performance at Nissan Stadium this Saturday, June 10 and the kickoff of The Outsiders Revival Tour on June 22. The first fully outdoor tour of his career will feature a rotating lineup of emerging artists across varying dates, Whiskey Myers, Cody Jinks, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde, Koe Wetzel, Lainey Wilson, Midland, Parker McCollum, Travis Tritt, Elle King and Paul Cauthen, plus Jackson Dean, Morgan Wade, Muscadine Bloodline, Shane Smith & The Saints, Hailey Whitters, Ray Wylie Hubbard and The Red Clay Strays.

For more information, visit www.ericchurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.

Eric Church 2023 Tour Dates
* denotes festival dates

June 10*             Nashville, Tenn. / Nissan Stadium                                                                          CMA Fest
June 16*             Central Point, Ore. / Jackson County Expo                                                            Rogue Music Festival
June 17*             Santa Rosa, Calif. / Sonoma County Fairgrounds                                                  Country Summer Music Festival
June 22              Milwaukee, Wisc. / American Family Insurance  Amphitheater                              Elle King
June 23              Detroit, Mich. / Pine Knob Music Theatre                                                               Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 24              Cleveland, Ohio / Blossom Music Center                                                                Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 29              Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium                                                                     Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 30              Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium                                                                     Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 1                Virginia Beach, Va. / Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater                           Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 6                Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage                                                                          Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 7                Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage                                                                          Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 8                Pittsburgh, Pa. / The Pavilion at Star Lake                                                               Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 14              Cincinnati, Ohio / Riverbend Music Center                                                             Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 15              St. Louis, Mo. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre                                                   Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 21*             Cheyenne, Wyo. / Cheyenne Frontier Days Arena                                                  Cheyenne Frontier Days
July 23*             Minot, N.D. / North Dakota State Fairgrounds                                                        North Dakota State Fair
July 27              Rogers, Ark. / Walmart AMP                                                                                    Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 28              Dallas, Texas / Dos Equis Pavilion                                                                           Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 29              Austin, Texas / Germania Insurance Amphitheater                                                  Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
Aug. 4               Raleigh, N.C. / Coastal Credit Union Music Park                                                   Cody Jinks
Aug. 5               Bristow, Va. / Jiffy Lube Live                                                                                  Cody Jinks
Aug. 11             Indianapolis, Ind. / Ruoff Music Center                                                                  Cody Jinks
Aug. 12             Chicago, Ill. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre                                                     Cody Jinks
Aug. 13*            Des Moines, Iowa / Iowa State Fairgrounds                                                           Iowa State Fair
Aug. 17             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                                       Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 18             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                                       Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 19             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                                       Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 24             Saratoga Springs, N.Y. / Saratoga Performing Arts Center                                     Lainey Wilson, The Red Clay Strays
Aug. 25             Holmdel, N.J. / PNC Bank Arts Center                                                                   Whiskey Myers
Aug. 26             Philadelphia, Pa. / Freedom Mortgage Pavilion                                                      Whiskey Myers
Sept. 8               Portland, Ore. / RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater                                               Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 9               George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre                                                                      Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 10             George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre                                                                     Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 15             Albuquerque, N.M. / Isleta Amphitheater                                                               Paul Cauthen, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 16             Phoenix, Ariz. / Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre                                               Jelly Roll, Paul Cauthen
Sept. 21             Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre                                                              Whiskey Myers
Sept. 22             Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre                                                              Whiskey Myers
Sept. 23             Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion                                                                    Whiskey Myers
Sept. 24             Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion                                                                    Whiskey Myers
Sept. 29             West Palm Beach, Fla. / iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre                                     Whiskey Myers
Sept. 30             Tampa, Fla. / MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre                                     Whiskey Myers
Oct. 7*              Bristol, Tenn. / Bristol Motor Speedway                                                                 Country Thunder Bristol
Oct. 15*             Sacramento, Calif. / Discovery Park                                                                       GoldenSky Festival

Keith Urban returned to ABC’s American Idol for Sunday night’s (May 21st) season finale. He mentored the Top 3 contestants, and he also performed his hit, “Wild Heart,” for all the dreamers on the show. Iam Tongi was crowned the winner of this season.

Keith Urban will release Volume 2 of a special No. 1’s exclusive vinyl at Walmart on August 11th.  It includes 12 No. 1 Hits from his entire catalog of albums.  The vinyl will be on exclusive purple/grape vinyl and will include a limited-edition poster inside. The track list includes such chart-toppers as “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16,” “Break On Me,” “We Were Us” (with Miranda Lambert), “You Gonna Fly,” “Once in A Lifetime,” “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me” and “Making Memories of Us,” as well as many more. Volume 1 is also still available and features “Somebody Like You,” “The Fighter” (with Carrie Underwood), “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” “Days Go By,” “You’ll Think of Me” and “Long Hot Summer,” among others.

Eric Church is set to release the THIRD pressing of his 2015 album, Mr. Misunderstood, on blue vinyl on June 9^th. The collection features the title track, “Chattanooga Lucy,” “’Round Here Buzz,” “Holdin’ My Own” and “Record Year,” among others.

Alan Jackson was the subject of a recent episode of the game show Jeopardy with the answer being “What is ‘Chattahoochie?'”

Did you guess the correct answer on @Jeopardy last night? #Chattahoochee30 pic.twitter.com/qLZLaBduWx

— Alan Jackson (@OfficialJackson) May 18, 2023

Sam Hunt posted a handful of photos of him with his daughter, Lucy, and wife Hannah, to his socials. Sam just released the song, “Women In My Life.”

She is worth far more than rubies pic.twitter.com/TygWOCshUf

— Sam Hunt (@SamHuntMusic) May 22, 2023

Tyler Hubbard surprised fans with a pop-up show at Nashville’s popular Broadway hotspot, The Stage, on Saturday night (May 20th) to celebrate the one-year release of his No. 1 debut solo single, “5 Foot 9.” He also celebrated his second No. 1 for “Dancin’ In The Country.”

Outsiders Spirits unveiled its premiere release today—a bold, new best-in-class spirit that friends and company co-founders Eric Church and entrepreneur Raj Alva have named Whiskey JYPSI – a contemporary interpretation of the “JYPSI Spirit” in all of us that seeks adventure and deeper meaning.

Lives are made for chances. 05.02.23 pic.twitter.com/S9aQmv0ewM

— Eric Church (@ericchurch) May 1, 2023

The first release, Whiskey JYPSI’s Legacy Batch 001, recently winning the Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, is based on a traditional bourbon mash bill. However, instead of blending the grains before fermentation, or sourcing from the usual geographies, Whiskey JYPSI lived up to its name – sourcing individual aged whiskey components from various origins, then scientifically blending them to recreate the mash bill.

The Outsiders partners took a hands-on approach to every aspect of their new whiskey, creating and curating everything from inception to release – from taste, packaging and marketing to point of view. With Whiskey JYPSI, the brand has set out to not only create the finest whiskey, but also to inspire.

“Whiskey JYPSI celebrates doing things the unconventional way. It’s the commitment to the creative spirit, the process and the journey that excite me the most,” says Church. “It’s meant to inspire others to take chances like we have – follow a different path and enjoy and experience life at its fullest.”

Whiskey JYPSI has partnered with ReserveBar to make Legacy Batch 001 available in 38 states and with an SRP of $199.99. Due to state legalities, alcohol cannot be shipped to the following states: TN, AL, AK, GA, HI, KS, MA, MI, MS, OR, UT, VT. Retailers in TN will carry product while supplies last. For more information visit www.whiskeyjypsi.com.

As serious whiskey enthusiasts but not yet experts in making it, Outsiders sought the help of experienced masters in the art and science of the spirit who could reimagine the traditional whiskey industry conventions – and bring a series of rich, complex blends of whiskey and bourbon to life in a variety of releases over time. After meetings with various master distillers and blenders, they chose Ari Sussman for their first release.

“I was excited to work with these guys because it all centered on quality and creativity,” Sussman notes. “There were no rules or parameters. It just had to be the finest whiskey possible. Period.”

Sussman is the former head of Spirits Development at the Artisan Distilling Program at Michigan State University, and an award-winning whiskey maker. He also has a bit of the JYPSI Spirit in him. Before he entered the whiskey world, Ari worked in the vineyards of Bordeaux, raised ostriches and grew almonds with Bedouin tribes, and lived in an Israeli kibbutz.

Recognizing that extraordinary whiskeys are created every day all over the world, Sussman took Church’s lead in departing from industry conventions, with groundbreaking new processes destined to disrupt the category and lead to extraordinary whiskey experiences.

“Eric’s music led the way to JYPSI’s unique mix,” says Sussman. “I immersed myself in Eric’s music, thinking it just might influence my process,” adds Sussman. “What I discovered was a rich, diverse blend of music and an artist who doesn’t conform to the usual norms. That inspired me, so I took that road in creating the premiere batch of Whiskey JYPSI.”

The rest of the Whiskey JYPSI team followed suit. From the patented bottle design inspired by traditional copper pot stills, to the untraditionally produced liquid itself – everything had to be best-of-breed. Whiskey JYPSI’s Legacy 001 release promises to be just the first of many expressions at various price points.