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The Baker–Spain Stampede has officially released its full 2026 concert lineup. 

A new lawsuit from the estate of Johnny Cash says Coca-Cola crossed the line by using a sound-alike singer

The 2025 CMA Awards delivered one of the sharpest, most creatively confident broadcasts in years

Texas traditionalist Randall King is bringing his hard-country honky-tonk show to Club Rodeo Springfield this winter, with tickets going on sale Friday morning.

Columbia’s influence on Missouri’s country-music identity runs deeper than most listeners realize, especially when viewed from the statewide corridor.

Branson ’s live country entertainment economy is bigger, busier, and more influential than most national outlets acknowledge and its long past time someone said so.

Country fans in New England just watched Zach Bryan turn a sold-out stadium run into a full international tour, with two massive Gillette Stadium dates locked in for 2026.

Country fans notice it every year once winter arrives, the touring calendar goes quiet. Here’s why the road slows down and what really happens behind the scenes.

Most fans saw Morgan Wallen ’s stadiums and streaming numbers and assumed Entertainer of the Year was a lock, but the CMA was looking at a very different scoreboard.

Country music ’s biggest night delivered high emotion, major wins, and a few off-camera conversations that kept fans buzzing long after the broadcast.

Martina McBride became one of country music’s defining vocalists, but one CMA Awards performance in the 1990s marked the moment her career stepped into a different tier entirely.

Stella Parton hinted at a new music project this week, but her honest question about whether anyone still cares sparked a wave of support from fans and family.

Lainey Wilson is heading into the 2025 CMA Awards with the kind of momentum that can define not just a single night, but an entire next chapter of her career.

Springfield’s country scene gets a boost this week as a national touring act prepares to take the local stage. Kolby Cooper headlines Nottingham Productions’ latest Springfield concert on November 14. Originally reported: November 13, 2025 | Updated: November 13, 2025 What Happened Springfield’s live-music calendar adds a notable date this week as Kolby Cooper is set to perform on November 14 at Club Rodeo . The show is part of a renewed concert push from Nottingham Productions , a Springfield-based entertainment company founded in 2010. With more than a decade of experience producing events across the region, the company is sharpening its focus on bringing recognizable country talent directly to the Ozarks . Admission is free for fans who arrive before Cooper takes the stage at 9:00 PM. Key Details Date: November 14 Venue: Club Rodeo, Springfield, Missouri Headline Act: Kolby Cooper Admission: Free before 9:00 PM Presented By: Nottingham Productions W...

Paid parking is coming to Music Row, reigniting long-running tensions between Nashville’s creative class and the city’s rapid development plans. Paid parking is coming to Music Row Nashville, Tennessee — November 12, 2025 What Happened Metro Nashville is moving forward with expanding paid parking zones onto Music Row, ending decades of free street parking in one of the most important creative districts in country music. The change includes new metered spaces, extended enforcement hours, and higher fines — all part of Nashville’s broader effort to manage traffic and generate revenue as the city continues to grow at record speed. For the songwriters, session musicians, producers, assistants, interns, and small publishers who rely on these streets daily, the decision feels like another blow. Many say the added parking costs will hit the people already earning the least, widening the divide between Music Row’s working creators and Metro officials. Key Details • Metro Nashville p...

Jake Owen’s new album Dreams to Dream features the heartfelt track “ Fool Like Me ,” co-written by Waylon Payne and Kendell Marvel, a song rooted deeply in Payne’s personal history and country music legacy. Jake Owen’s “Fool Like Me” Shines a Light on Songwriter Waylon Payne Nashville, Tennessee — November 12, 2025 What Happened Jake Owen is shining a light on the emotional weight behind “Fool Like Me,” one of the standout songs from his new album Dreams to Dream . Co-written by acclaimed songwriter Waylon Payne and country craftsman Kendell Marvel , the song carries themes of vulnerability, heartbreak, and self-reflection that resonate deeply with fans. Owen uses this track not only to spotlight his collaborators but also to highlight Payne’s remarkable story the son of Sammi Smith and Jody Payne , raised around some of country music’s most iconic voices. Payne’s artistry has long been shaped by triumphs, struggles, and redemption, making his contribution to “Fool Like Me”...

Jake Owen is looking back on his early touring days with Alan Jackson and Ronnie Dunn, sharing a funny lesson about respect, road rules, and knowing your place on the tour. ake Owen is looking back on his early touring days with Alan Jackson and Ronnie Dunn Nashville, Tennessee — November 12, 2025 What Happened Jake Owen is opening up about the stories that shaped his earliest years on the road, including a moment involving Ronnie Dunn that he says taught him a major lesson about professionalism and respecting the “ tour code .” In a resurfaced clip that continues to circulate online, Owen recalls touring alongside Alan Jackson and Dunn when he was still brand-new to the business. He admits he was young, excited, and unaware of the unspoken etiquette that can make or break relationships on tour. According to Owen, the turning point came when Ronnie Dunn pulled him aside after noticing he was getting too friendly with one of the background singers. Dunn delivered the message s...

 Bill Ivey, former Country Music Hall of Fame director and a defining voice in cultural preservation, has died at 81.  Bill Ivey, former Country Music Hall of Fame director Nashville, Tennessee — November 12, 2025 What Happened Bill Ivey , the former director of the Country Music Hall of Fame and one of Nashville’s most influential cultural preservation leaders, has died at age 81. His passing was confirmed by multiple outlets, including The Tennessean and Billboard . Ivey served as director of the Country Music Hall of Fame from 1977 to 1998, leading the museum through major expansions, modernization efforts, and the early stages of digital archiving . He later served as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts under President Bill Clinton and played a key role in shaping America’s approach to arts policy and heritage protection . Key Details • Ivey led the Country Music Hall of Fame for more than two decades, overseeing its rise into a world-class musi...

Terri Clark warns fans about online imposters after a surge in fake accounts posing as her across social media.

Anne Murray is being honoured in Nashville with an all-star Grand Ole Opry tribute and two newly remastered “ANNEversary” editions of her most beloved albums.

  Morgan Wade says she’s stepping back from heavy touring in 2026 after hundreds of shows, choosing time to “experience some life” away from the road.

Morgan Wallen’s newly announced 2026 Still The Problem Tour is already drawing criticism as fans react to high ticket prices from Friday’s general sale .

An AI-generated country act called Breaking Rust just hit No. 1 on a Billboard chart, forcing country music to confront what “artist” really means in the age of algorithms.

Long before modern country-comedy hit television, a Springfield, Missouri musician named Tiny Stokes .

Vince Gill is set to receive one of country music’s highest honors, the CMA’s Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award , at this year’s CMA Awards in Nashville .

Rising country newcomer Alison Nichols is honoring her late cousin Joe Diffie with a fresh take on his 90s staple “John Deere Green,” turning a family legacy into her debut single moment. Alison Nichols’ debut single “John Deere Green” pays tribute to her cousin, the late Joe Diffie. Single art courtesy of BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville . Originally reported: November 9, 2025 | Updated: November 9, 2025 NASHVILLE, Tennessee — One of BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville’s newest signings, Alison Nichols , is stepping into the spotlight with a very personal choice of debut single. Her new version of “John Deere Green” is both a career launch and a family tribute to her cousin, the late country star Joe Diffie , who first made the song a hit in 1993. What Happened BBR Music Group announced that Nichols has released a heartfelt cover of Diffie’...

Trisha Yearwood is pulling back the curtain on how she and Garth Brooks have kept their nearly 20-year marriage steady in the middle of two powerhouse country careers.

Dolly Parton is opening up about the sacrifices behind her legendary career, including the fact that she never had children. Dolly Parton speaks with Entertainment Tonight in Nashville about her new book and the personal sacrifices behind her career. Originally reported: November 9, 2025 | Updated: November 9, 2025 Dateline: Nashville, Tennessee What Happened In a new exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight , country music icon Dolly Parton reflected on the personal cost of a life on stage. Sitting down in Nashville to promote her upcoming book Star of the Show: My Life on Stage , Parton was asked about the sacrifices that came with chasing her dream. Parton replied that there is not one single example, but acknowledged that she never had children and called that “a sacrifice you make,” noting that health issues were part of th...

This year’s Grammy shake-up did more than add a new trophy to the shelf – it quietly rewired how country music shows up on the biggest stage in music. Country’s biggest names and rising newcomers share the spotlight in the revamped Grammy country field for 2026. Originally reported: November 7, 2025 | Updated: November 7, 2025 NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Recording Academy did more than announce nominees for the 2026 Grammy Awards. It also rolled out a new country landscape, splitting the long-running country album prize into separate lanes and setting the stage for a history-making moment for Willie Nelson and his son Lukas Nelson . What Happened For the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, the Academy retired the one-size-fits-all Best Country Album title and renamed it Best Contemporary Country Album . In its place, a brand-new category was introduced: Best Traditional Country...

Texas country singer Jon Wolfe is leaning hard into classic honky-tonk on “ Barstool Therapy (Session One)” while juggling life as a tequila brand founder.

This year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree comes from East Greenbush, New York , and it will shine under the guidance of a country legend: Reba McEntire.

Kip Moore laid out a blunt diagnosis of modern country radio and the music grind, saying flatly: “This isn’t working.” Kip Moore Originally reported: November 6, 2025 | Updated: November 6, 2025 What Happened Appearing on The Stephan Hooken Podcast , Kip Moore described why he believes mainstream country radio has lost its way and how he rebuilt his career around health, integrity, and global touring. He criticized corporate playlists that sound identical across markets, praised radio’s magic when DJs can champion discovery, and shared how he turned down lucrative opportunities that didn’t align with who he is. Key Details • Radio homogenization : Moore said PDs who “love music” are often constrained by corporate owners, resulting in the “same exact playlist in Dallas as in Paducah .” • Burnout & boundaries: He detailed a mid-2010s stretch of insomnia and nonstop travel that pushed him to call his manager and draw a hard line on winter downt...

Jelly Roll ’s Broadway venue, Goodnight Nashville , is being marketed near $100 million raising sharper questions about who owns the deed.

Zac Brown is joining the country-star bar boom, but his newest venue won’t be on Broadway , it will be aboard a cruise ship . Zac Brown Originally reported: November 6, 2025 What Happened Zac Brown announced a new partnership with Margaritaville at Sea to launch Same Boat , an artist-designed live-music venue debuting on the line’s new ship Beachcomber . The concept nods to Brown’s 2021 hit “Same Boat” and pays homage to the late Jimmy Buffett and the Margaritaville legacy. Beachcomber is slated to begin sailing from Miami in January 2027 , with the venue curated by Brown across artwork, design, and programming. Key Details • Artist & Venue: Zac Brown; “Same Boat” live-music venue at sea • Cruise Line: Margaritaville at Sea • Ship: Beachcomber — former Costa Fortuna , newly acquired and reimagined • Fleet Status: Beachcomber becomes the line’s flagship and largest ship, joining Paradise and Islander • Homeport & Launch: ...