Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

Keith Urban is featured on the soundtrack for the new Garfield Movie on the lead single, “Let It Roll,” which features Snoop Dogg. The track will be released on April 12th with the original motion picture soundtrack, which includes contributions from Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso), Jon Batiste and more, following on May 17th. The Garfield Movie will open nationwide May 24th.

Kelly Clarkson covered Keith Urban‘s 2002 six-week No. 1 smash, “Somebody Like You,” for the Kellyoke segment of her daytime talk show. Keith re-posted the video and wrote, “Kelly!!!!!! loooooove you singing this. hell, I love you singing anything….do you take requests?”

Kelly !!!!!! loooooove you singing this. hell, I love you singing anything…. do you take requests ?! @kellyclarkson https://t.co/QagdsWjCPI

— Keith Urban (@KeithUrban) April 4, 2024

Little Big Town will be featured on a new episode of CMT Storytellers on Friday (August 5th). The show airs at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CMT.

Maddie & Tae and Priscilla Block will perform at Ascend Amphitheater during CMA Music Fest week for Tracy Lawrence and Friends concert, featuring Tracy, as well as Chris Young, Riley Green, Charles Esten and more.

The late Toby Keith will be honored at Sunday night’s (April 7th) CMT Music Awards. Lainey Wilson, Brooks & Dunn and rocker Sammy Hagar will perform a tribute to the acclaimed singer-songwriter. The tribute will also include appearances by Lukas Nelson and former professional baseball pitcher Roger Clemons. CMT will also air a television special, CMT Music Awards Celebrates Toby Keith, on April 11th at 10pm ET. The 2024 CMT Music Awards will air live from Austin, Texas, on Sunday (April 7th) at 8pm ET on CBS and streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+.

https://twitter.com/CMT/status/1775901247607890389

Mickey Guyton is among the artists who have been announced as presenters at Sunday night’s (April 7th) CMT Music Awards. She’ll be joined by Amber Riley (Glee), Billy Bob Thornton (Slingblade, 1883, Goliath), Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Emma Roberts, Gayle King (CBS Mornings), Jane Seymour, Jelly Roll, Max Theriot (Fire Country), Megan Moroney, Minnie Driver, Parmalee and others. The 2024 CMT Music Awards airs live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on Sunday (April 7^th) on CBS and streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+.

From the makers of award-winning Legacy Batch 001, Eric Church and Outsiders Spirits have announced the release of its all-new Whiskey JYPSI Explorer Series. The Explorer Series continues the brand’s focus on sourcing the highest quality whiskeys and ingredients while finishing these spirits with combinations of distinctive and exceptional woods from around the globe. The series features well-aged, mature whiskeys never younger than six years old and ranging between 100-107 proof.

We're excited to announce the all-new Explorer Series from @WhiskeyJYPSI, available starting today. Explorer's first release combines six-year aged whiskeys and unique finishing woods from the Appalachian Mountains and the French forest of Tronçais, taking you on a creative… pic.twitter.com/PceMGukQm5

— Eric Church (@ericchurch) April 2, 2024

“When we started the company, we had a long-term goal of creating the highest quality whiskeys in the world while having a diversity of products to satisfy the palate of a variety of whiskey drinkers,” said Outsiders co-founder Raj Alva. “Our first launch was an ultra-premium product. This next one is going to be more accessible. It’s unique because it’s going to be finished using woods from across the globe. That’s why we called it Explorer.”

Explorer’s inaugural release is a blend of two six-year-old bourbons – a low rye distilled in Kentucky and selected for its sweetness, and an Indiana high rye chosen for its spice. The combined mash bill of 66% corn, 30% rye and 4% malted barley is then slowly reduced to 103 proof and finished using two oak varietals – French Oak (Quercus robur) from France’s famed Forest of Tronçais and American Oak (Quercus alba) from the Appalachian Mountains. Each of these woods was specifically chosen to work in concert with the sweetness and spice of the blend – and both are steeped in rich backstories that connect their origins to the roots of country music.

“This is why I wanted to get into the whiskey business,” said Church, a ten-time GRAMMY nominee. “It’s a creative process, an adventure, and a story – like music. And you never know where you’re going ‘til you get the song written or the whiskey is made.”

Whiskey JYPSI’s Explorer is priced at $69.99 and will be available beginning today, April 2nd, in select liquor stores across Tennessee with more markets to follow and online at www.whiskeyjypsi.com.

Outsiders Spirits chose oak staves from France’s Forest of Tronçais for the first release of Explorer because of its accentuated notes of spice and leather. The oak trees from this forest have been used to make barrels for centuries and have housed some of the finest Bordeaux wines ever made. The Forest of Tronçais was originally overseen by the Duke of Bourbon (foreshadowing its use in Explorer) and was later planted with oak trees by Louis XIV to supply timber for the French navy. The Tronçais region was also home to early European troubadours whose musical traditions of merging melodies and poetry ultimately migrated to the Appalachian Mountains – which became the heart of America’s singer-songwriter tradition.

The American Oak staves used in the first Explorer release come from those same Appalachian Mountains, where cooler conditions lead to slower growth and a tighter grain. This results in a specific mix of sweetness, richness, depth, and viscosity the Outsiders team wanted to pair with the spice of the French Oak as a key finishing component in their new release. Explorer’s Appalachian Oak was also harvested near where Outsiders Spirits co-founder Eric Church grew up in North Carolina.

“We only want to make incredible whiskey, and do it our way,” said Outsiders Spirits whiskey maker Ari Sussman. “Part of that is making sure it’s not just a whiskey – it’s a story highlighting the places, cultures and agricultures that are part of our explorations.”

Sam Hunt has announced his North American summer headlining Locked Up Tour. The tour, named for Hunt’s Locked Up EP dropping this Friday, April 5th, kicks off June 28th with an opening weekend in Bend, Ore.; Auburn, Wash.; and Nampa, Idaho. The 20-city tour continues through September with dates across the U.S. and Canada, and features support artists Russell Dickerson, George Birge (U.S.), and Dalton Dover (Canada).

Tickets are available now via pre-sale for select dates.  The general on sale begins this Friday, April 5 at 10 a.m. local time in most markets. Further details can be found below. Fans can also purchase VIP Packages, which may include premium tickets, VIP Lounge access, exclusive VIP gift item, specially designed tour poster & more. VIP package contents vary based on offer selected. For more information, visit vipnation.com.

Fans can tune in Sunday, April 7 to the 2024 CMT Music Awards for Hunt’s performance debut of the four-song EP’s title track, “Locked Up,” airing live on CBS from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

Listen to “Locked Up” HERE | Watch the Official Video HERE

Locked Up Track Listing:

1. “Locked Up” (Sam Hunt, Zach Crowell, Jerry Flowers, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
2. “Country House” (Sam Hunt, Ross Copperman, Michael Lotten, Josh Osborne)
3. “Last Hurrah” (Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
4. “Outskirts” (Sam Hunt, Zach Crowell, Jerry Flowers, Josh Osborne)

Pre-save Locked Up EP HERE

Luke Bryan, Reba McEntire, Jon Pardi, Darius Rucker, Toby Keith and many others are featured on Hardy’s latest HIXTAPE: Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE in tribute to the late Joe Diffie. Using Joe’s archived recordings for the album, several country artists joined forces to bring Joe’s recordings back to life.

Luke is  joined by Randy Houser on “Honky Tonk Attitude,” which Joe originally released in 1993.

Honored to be a part of this tribute to Joe Diffie. Y’all check out “Honky Tonk Attitude” with @JoeDiffieOnline and @RandyHouser on HIXTAPE: Vol 3: DIFFTAPE: https://t.co/4n8hGXfdv9 @hixtape @HardyMusic pic.twitter.com/hkjUlPrgcE

— Luke Bryan (@lukebryan) March 29, 2024

Reba, along with Jake Worthington, recorded “Is It Cold In Here?,” while Jon Pardi and Old Dominion collaborated on “Bigger Than The Beatles.” Darius and Hailey Whitters are featured on the song “Home.”

So glad I could be part of @HardyMusic's HIXTAPE VOLUME 3: DIFFTAPE, honoring the great @JoeDiffieOnline. Check out #IsItColdInHere with @jakeworthington!

Listen here: https://t.co/MNQJIznriC pic.twitter.com/F3zv2L5oiT

— Reba McEntire (@reba) March 29, 2024

It was an honor to record one of my favorites by the legendary @JoeDiffieOnline with my buddies @OldDominion. Listen to “Bigger Than The Beatles” now on @hixtape Volume 3: DIFFTAPE! https://t.co/TmxIcJ5Azf pic.twitter.com/zNKcqLb6TR

— Jon Pardi (@JonPardi) March 29, 2024

For his final recording, Toby, along with Luke Combs, joined forces with Joe on “Ships That Don’t Come In.”

Mickey Guyton received a special delivery from Beyoncé on the day her Cowboy Carter album was released. Mickey posted photos of a huge bouquet of flowers and a card that read, “Thank you for opening doors for me, queen. Love and respect, Beyoncé.”

With opportunity comes possibility. The possibilities are endless with you @Beyonce. God gave me an assignment and I followed. May the doors continue to stay wide open. pic.twitter.com/iJfeoWO1nL

— Mickey Guyton (@MickeyGuyton) March 30, 2024

Jordan Davis has some famous fans, including Peyton Manning, NFL great Jason Kelce and new Philadelphia Eagle Jordan Davis. Another famous fan — actor Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar, Designated Survivor, House) was on the Kelly Clarkson Show recently, and said he was really into Jordan’s music. Take a look at the video clip below.

As he gears up to kick off his headlining Never Giving Up On That Tour next week, Dalton Dover delivers his new single via UMG Nashville/Mercury Records with the rollicking “Bury Me In This Bar.”

“This is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever been a part of writing,” Dover shares. “We really wanted to capture the fun and energy of those ‘90s country bar anthems that you just can’t skip or resist singing along with when you hear it. I believe it’s one that would make my heroes proud, and we can’t wait to hear people sing it with us on the road.”

Written by Dalton Dover, Dan Isbell, Jamie Davis and Benjy Davis, and produced by longtime collaborator Matt McVaney (McV), “Bury Me In This Bar” is laced with steel guitar and punctuated with hard rock hits amid the Georgia native’s dynamic vocals:

            Yeah, there’s one thing you can count on

            Ain’t no one getting out of

            This wake up, working, wild world alive

            Some folks prefer a casket

            Some get turned to ashes

            But I got other plans for when I die

            Oh, bury me in this bar

            Where the women and the whiskey ain’t too far

            Yeah, my soul is meant to belong

            Underneath that neon

            Smiling to the sound of a steel guitar

            I’ll rest in peace where all my people are

            Bury me in this bar

Today’s release follows Take Me Home: Covers which showcases Dover’s roots and influences growing up in Georgia, with Billboard calling it a “well-curated, fresh take on a collection of classics,” as MusicRow lauds him as “one of our finest young country voices.”

After wrapping up a string of shows supporting Larry Fleet, along with joining BRELAND & Friends at Ryman Auditorium earlier this week, Dover will embark on his headlining Never Giving Up On That Tour next Friday, April 5 in Houston, Texas. Tickets are on sale now at DaltonDoverOfficial.com.

Following his Nissan Stadium Platform Stage debut last summer, Dover is set to perform at the Dr. Pepper Amp Stage at CMA Fest on June 9. For more information, visit CMAFest.com.

Dalton Dover Tour Dates 

April 5 // House of Blues – Bronze Peacock // Houston, TX

April 6 // The Lot // Mansfield, TX

April 13 // The Open Chord // Knoxville, TN

April 19 // Kings Hall // Everett, WA

April 20 // Coast City Country // Vancouver, Canada

April 26 // Terminal South // Tifton, GA

April 27 // Capitol Theatre // Macon, GA

May 4 // Burr Park // Dalton, GA

June 9 // CMA Fest // Nashville, TN

June 20-22 // Country Jam // Mack, CO

June 28 // Country Fest 2024 // Cadott, WI

July 4 // I-105 Country Freedom Fest // Quarryville, PA

Aug. 10 // Hollywood Outdoors* // Grantville, PA

Aug. 15 // CMAC* // Canandaigua, NY

Aug. 16 // Fallsview Casino Resort* // Niagara Falls, ON

Aug. 17 // Lasso Festival // Montreal, QC

*Supporting Sam Hunt

 “Bury Me In This Bar” lyrics and credits available for download HERE.

About Dalton Dover:
Lauded by MusicRow as a “master country talent,” Dalton Dover’s new single “Bury Me In This Bar” is available now via UMG Nashville/Mercury Records. Released earlier this year, Take Me Home: Covers showcases his roots and influences growing up in Georgia. His debut radio single “Giving Up On That” was the most-added track at Country Radio upon its debut with 60 first week adds and can be found on his EP Never Giving Up On That, featuring eight tracks including “Night To Go,” “Baby I Am,” “Hear About A Girl” and more. Named a 2024 Tidal Artist to Watch, Pandora 2023 Artist to Watch, an Amazon Music 2023 Breakthrough Artist to Watch: Country Class and a member of CMT’s LISTEN UP 2023 Class, he will embark on his headlining Never Giving Up On That Tour in April 2024. Dover made his Grand Ole Opry debut in December 2022, followed by his international debut in 2023 at C2C: Country to Country Festival’s CMA Songwriters Series and performances across four stages at CMA Fest, including the Nissan Stadium Platform stage. In addition to playing Luke Combs’ Whiskey Jam Bootleggers Tailgate Party, he’s supported Sam Hunt, Chase Rice, Parker McCollum, Larry Fleet and Priscilla Block. By the age of 16, Dover had picked up a guitar and started teaching himself to play, yet it was his grandfather who turned him on to country music and artists such as Keith Whitley, Rhett Akins, Joe Diffie and Steve Wariner. Performances at local bars soon followed along with sharing covers of some of his favorite songs on TikTok. It was there he caught the ear of producer Matt McV and A&R veteran and founder of Droptine, Jim Catino, who quickly signed Dover. His debut track “You Got a Small Town,” produced by McV, quickly garnered critical acclaim from Billboard, MusicRow, Country Now and Wide Open Country. With his debut and his follow-up “Baby I Am” earning notable playlisting, Dover was named a Spotify Hot Country 2022 Artist to Watch along with a spotlight as Billboard’s February Country Rookie of the Month and a nod for MusicRow’s 2022 Discovery Artist of the Year. For more information, visit DaltonDoverOfficial.com or follow along on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook.

Breakout singer-songwriter Josh Ross releases his highly anticipated EP, Complicated, today. The eight-song project includes his emotional power ballad “Trouble” and current chart-riser “Single Again.” Deeply invested in each note, Ross co-wrote seven of the EP’s eight tracks, produced by frequent collaborator Matt Geroux.

Ross shares, “I’ve been waiting to share this body of work with all of you. I’m a complicated person, and these songs reflect the last few years of my life. I’ve been inspired by a lot of different types of music, but country has such a traditional style of storytelling and the meaning behind a lyric stands true. My goal was to allow people to see all the different sides of me. I hope everyone finds a story in these songs they can relate to.”

Showcasing a next generation talent who pairs heart-on-his-sleeve storytelling with a modern country-rock edge, Ross’ rich vocal rasp explores a season of life that wasn’t always pretty. Like puzzle pieces, each track showcases the nuanced artist and performer Ross is, and where he is headed.

Last night, Ross celebrated the release of Complicated at downtown Nashville’s Ole Red. Following a live performance of the full EP for fans, friends and industry, he was surprised on stage by UMG Nashville Chair & CEO Cindy Mabe and Universal Music Canada SVP, Marketing JP Boucher with a plaque commemorating “Trouble” earning RIAA Gold certification in the US. The track has also been certified Double-Platinum in Canada.

The rising star has tallied more than 370 million career streams and been named an Artist to Watch by Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, MusicRow, and more. Last month he was named a member of the Grand Ole Opry’s coveted Opry NextStage Class of 2024, spotlighting country music’s rising talent. Recently wrapping his Canadian headlining ‘The Trouble Tour’ and selling out each show, he is currently supporting Bailey Zimmerman’s ‘Religiously. The Tour.’ Ross will take the stage this spring at Stagecoach and Country Thunder, and was tapped to join select dates of Luke Bryan’s ‘Mind Of A Country Boy Tour.” For tickets and a full list of tour dates, please visit

Josh Ross’ Complicated Track List:
1. “Single Again” (Josh Ross, Joe Fox, Brad Rempel)
2. “Tell Me A Lie” (Cameron Bedell, Lauren McLamb, Johnny Clawson)
3.  “Truck Girl” (Josh Ross, Johnny Gates, Mason Thornley, Jared Griffin)
4.  “Complicated” (Josh Ross, Heath Warren, Mason Thornley, Matt Geroux)
5.  “She Don’t Smoke” (Josh Ross, Joe Fox, Brad Rempel, Mason Thornley)
6.  “Trouble” (Josh Ross, Mason Thornley)
7.  “Burn Back” (Josh Ross, Mason Thornley, Sam Martinez, Benjamin Stoll)
8.  “Matching Tattoos” (Josh Ross, Joe Fox, Brad Rempel, Mason Thornley)

Produced by Matt Geroux

Fans of music icon Brenda Lee are now, for the first time, able to listen to Lee’s special international recordings of her hits digitally with the release of The International Brenda Lee (Brenda Lee Sings in German, French and Italian), out today via UMG Nashville/UMe. Originally released on CD on Bear Family Records in 1992, the 16-song digital compilation features Lee singing in foreign languages including 12 German, two French and two Italian tracks.

Listen to The International Brenda Lee (Brenda Lee Sings in German, French and Italian) | HERE

The album contains songs recorded between 1962 and 1964 in Nashville and Hamburg, Germany, with the late, famous Bert Kaempfert among the cast of producers. Lee’s No. 1 song “Anybody But Me” as well as “Fool #1” were recorded in all three languages. With the exception of “Kansas City,” all the remaining titles were German originals, including the chart hits “Wiedersehn Ist WunderschÖn” and “Ich Will Immer Auf Dich Warten.”

“I was so lucky to not only travel many times overseas, but also to record and perform in the native languages of my international fans. It was a challenge, but something so fun and different. It’s amazing to me that six decades later, these very special songs can be heard in a new way.” – Brenda Lee

Track List:

1. Wiedersehn Ist Wunderschön
2. Kansas City
3. Ohne Dich (Even Tho’)
4. Drei Rote Rosen Blüh’n
5. Ich Will Immer Auf Dich Warten
6. No My Boy
7. Geh Am Glück Nicht Vorbei (“Fool #1” / German)
8. Am Strand Von Hawaii
9. Darling Bye Bye (“Anybody But Me” / German)
10. In Meinen Träumen
11. Wo Und Wann Fängt Die Liebe An
12. Darling Was Ist Los Mit Dir
13. La Premiere Fool (Fool #1 / French)
14. Pourquoi Jamais Moi (“Anybody But Me” / French)
15. Sono Sciocca (“Fool #1 / Italian)
16. Nulla Di Me (“Anybody But Me” / Italian)

About Brenda Lee

Brenda Lee signed with the legendary Decca Records label before her 12th birthday and went on to record such landmark hits as “Sweet Nothin’s,” “All Alone Am I,” “Break it to Me Gently” and “I’m Sorry.” Though she had success in multiple genres including rockabilly, pop and rock, Lee found her home in country music. Lee’s best-loved hit, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” celebrated its 65^th anniversary last year and continues to top the charts year after year. Not only has Lee sold more than 100 million albums globally, throughout her career she shared stages and earned the respect of the world’s most revered performers. The Beatles opened for her and the lads from Liverpool became good friends with the Southern belle from Atlanta, and Elvis Presley and Lee made their Grand Ole Opry debut on the same night. Lee had nine consecutive top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits from 1960 to 1962 and set a record for a female solo artist that was unequaled until over two decades later. Lee churned out country hits such as “Sunday Sunrise” and “Big Four Poster Bed” and continued to have country hits into the 80s, including “I Love Her So,” a duet with George Jones. Lee was the first woman inducted into both the Rock and Roll and Country Music Hall of Fames and she is a recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement award. Her hit song “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” was certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA and reached 1 billion streams on Spotify. In November 2023, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time ever, 65 years after the song’s debut, and was at the top spot for three weeks. By hitting the No.1 spot, Lee broke several records, many of which were held by Mariah Carey and “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” whom Lee beat out for the top. Lee claims just the third holiday No.1 ever on the Hot 100. “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” is also Lee’s third No. 1. She now holds the record for the longest gap between an artist’s first and most recent week at No.1 on the Hot 100, as her first No.1 was her single “I’m Sorry” in 1960. Lee and “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” now also hold the record for the longest climb to the top of the Hot 100, as the Johnny Marks-written hit was released 65 years ago, when Lee was just 13 years old. Now, at 79-years-old, Lee is also the oldest woman to top the Hot 100, surpassing previous record-holders Cher (“Believe,” age 52) and Carey (“All I Want for Christmas is You,” age 53).

Little Big Town and Sugarland will collaborate on an electrifying world premiere performance at the 2024 CMT MUSIC AWARDS. This special performance corresponds with Little Big Town celebrating 25 years together.

The two country music stalwarts last shared the stage at the CMT Music Awards 15 years ago when they were joined by Jake Owen for “Life In A Northern Town.”

They join previously announced performers Keith Urban, Sam Hunt, Jordan Davis + NEEDTOBREATHE, Parker McCollum with Brittney Spencer, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Old Dominion, Bailey Zimmerman, Megan Moroney, Trisha Yearwood and host Kelsea Ballerini.

Voting is open through April 1st at vote.cmt.com.

The 2024 CMT Music Awards will air live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on April7th beginning at 8pm ET/PT on CBS and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

Catch Little Big Town on Friday, April 5th for CMT STORYTELLERS: LITTLE BIG TOWN beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

Easter is this Sunday (March 31st), and we’ve got liners from some of your favorite country “peeps.”

Parker McCollum will perform his latest hit, “Burn It Down,” on next month’s CMT Music Awards with special guest, Brittney Spencer. He tells us it’s going to be a super special performance.

“Brittney Spencer is going to be singing that song with me,” says Parker. “We’re gonna feature her in the performance, and I mean, that’s super special. No question she’ll kill it!”

Previously announced performers include Keith Urban, Sam Hunt, Jordan Davis, Trisha Yearwood, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Bailey Zimmerman, NEEDTOBREATHE and the show’s host, Kelsea Ballerini. Performers also announced today include Parker and Brittney, as well as Cody Johnson, Old Dominion and Megan Moroney.

Parker says he’s excited to showcase his latest single on national television, since it’s been a huge part of his growth over the past year. “That song’s been so big for us. ‘Burn It Down’ has been a huge hit for us, and so to get the opportunity to perform it on the CMT Awards live on television in Austin, Texas is pretty special,” says Parker. “What that song’s done for us in the past year is what you dream of with every song you send to radio, every song you release. It’s been a big reason that we’ve been able to level up and kind of been fortunate enough to keep growing in this business. So, to get to kind of shine a spotlight on that song on national TV is, that’s gonna be rowdy.”

https://twitter.com/CMT/status/1772626286155878577

The CMT Music Awards will air live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on April 7th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CBS. The show will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

Parker is currently on his Burn It Down Tour, which makes its next stop in Abilene, Texas on April 4th.