Inside Music Row

10th Ave North has been hard at work in the studio, polishing up a brand new album.  The 

group has been at the top of the Christian music charts for some time, but they are also 

incredible story tellers… writing and producing all of their music right in Nashville. 

Jennifer Vickery caught up with the guys in the studio. 

Twenty years ago… James House had a top 10 hit with “This is Me Missin’ You”…  The 

song spoke to millions here in the states and resonated with his fans.  Fast forward to 

November of 2013 when that same song hit #1 on the UK Charts!  James found out 

about it an in a very unique way and it prompted him to get back in the studio to produce 

a new album.  Kelly Lynn has more. 

Jarrod Niemann now has two number one songs.  His first number one, “Lover, Lover” 

hit the top of the charts back in 2010.  His latest single to hit number one is a bit different.  

Drink to That All Night is much more of a rockin’ dance song.  So which does he prefer?  

Both!  Kelly Lynn recently caught up with Jarrod at his celebration for “Drink to That All 

Night”.

 Get ready for another episode of “Inside Music Row!”  This week we find out more 

about the writers behind the hot song “Chillin’ It”,  Jarrod Niemann celebrates another 

number one hit.. plus we find out how one Christian group is making a name for 

themselves in the country circles, and Miranda Lambert makes history…when we go 

“Inside Music Row”. 

The Broken Bow artist is set to release his sophomore album “Where It’s At” September 

9th.  He recently told Rolling Stone Country that this is a highly personal 

album…showcasing his life over the past two years.  Of course Dustin has had an 

incredible time opening for superstar Keith Urban on his “Light the Fuse” tour in 2013 

saying he learned a lot from watching Keith’s energy on stage.  Listen for the lead single 

“Where It’s At” currently out on radio. 

It is the end of an era.  The last edition of the Ladies Home Journal was published for 

July/August and guess who was on the cover?  Miranda Lambert!  She talks about how 

she lost weight and got fit, but also admits she is not a good role model.  She says she 

likes to drink and cuss and get tatoos.  But of course that is why so many fans love her 

and clearly Blake doesn’t mind either. 

Grand Junction, Colorado was the place to be for this year’s Country Jam!  Brantley 

Gilbert, Lady A, Eric Church and Jake Owen were a part of the festivities and it was just 

announced that Tim McGraw will be a headliner for Country Jam 2015.  

Speaking of Tim, he released his new single “Meanwhile Back at Mama’s”… a duet with 

his lovely bride Faith Hill.  The song is one that talks about his life on stage versus his 

life on his quiet farm in Franklin, TN.  Tim’s 13 studio album “Sundown Heaven Town” 

will be released September 16th.  He is currently out on the road promoting that upcoming 

album with Kip Moore and Cassadee Pope. 

The Oak Ridge Boys put on one heck of a live show, and it’s amazing that they just released their very first live album earlier this year.  We caught up with the “boys” to talk about their favorite memories on the road, and trust me… they’ve got some funny stories to share.

Rick Monroe has been tied in with Jagermeister for several years, performing on every single country tour the brand has staged.  Now Rick is out on the road with the Eli Young Band as the Jager tour has grown to become the “Ultimate Summer of Music Tour.”  Rick is also celebrating the release of new music, which is a cool blend of traditional country, pop country, and southern rock.  We caught up with Rick during a quick trip home to Nashville in the middle of the new Jager tour to talk about his recent experiences.

In 2008, Frankie Ballard won Kenny Chesney’s “Next Big Star” competition in the state of Michigan, then made the most of his opportunity to open up for Kenny at a few venues near his hometown.  Frankie’s self-titled debut album did pretty well with singles like “Tell Me You Get Lonely” and “A Buncha Girls.”  However…when he released his second project “Sunshine and Whiskey” last year, the lead single “Helluva Life” raced up to the top of the charts.  We caught up with Frankie and writers Rodney Clawson, Josh Kear, and Chris Tompkins at a party to celebrate that song’s success.

Hey there!  I'm Kelly Sutton.  We are so glad you’re here for another Inside Music Row!  We’ve got plenty of entertainment news for you this week, so let’s get started!  Even though Kenny Chesney is taking some time off, he’s still hard at work, now co-producing his 16^th studio album.  He’s working hard collecting great songs and pushing the boundaries without betraying his true self.  You can see part of that in the new single “American Kids,” written by Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird, and Shane McAnally.  Kenny says the song ‘just grabs you and holds on, but even more importantly…it feels really good.”  Look for Kenny to hit the road again in 20-15 with tons of new material.

Randy Houser recently helped open a new Operation Homefront Village in Gaithersburg, Maryland.  He helped cut the ribbon for the facility, which helps wounded military service members and their families.  Randy also performed for the group and visited with them before a special cookout.

Thomas Rhett teamed up with his father Rhett Akins to support a charity in their hometown.  Their performance together raised over 40-thousand dollars for Great Strides Valdosta in honor of their cousin Sophie, who has been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. 

Sammy Kershaw is honoring his late friend and mentor George Jones with the release of a new album dedicated entirely to the “Possum.”  The project includes a total of fourteen tracks, including renditions of some of George’s biggest hits like “White Lightning” and “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”  Also included are two new tracks that were inspired by the legend, plus a special “Near You” duet with Georgette Jones.  Look for “Do You Know Me? – A Tribute to George Jones” to hit stores July 22^nd. 

Now it's time to go “Inside The Song.”  John Oates met his songwriting match when he was teamed up with hit writer Craig Wiseman.  John recently shared a fun story about how they wrote “Lose It In Louisiana” together, which is on his latest “Good Road To Follow” project.

In the summer of 2009, Mickey Gilley was helping a friend move some furniture when he fell and crushed four vertebrae, paralyzing him from the neck down.  Fortunately, through intense therapy and a will to perform again, Mickey is now healthy enough to pursue his musical passions.  Kelly Lynn caught up with Mickey to hear about his accident and how the original ‘urban cowboy’ is taking the stage once again.

The storied history of Lonestar includes the incredible crossover hits “Amazed” and “Smile” from the late 19-90s and early 2000s.  Since lead singer Richie McDonald returned to the group in 20-11, they’ve certainly had a lot to smile about.  The foursome released “Life As We Know It” about a year ago, and they’ve just done a music video for the single “Just The Rain” off that album.  We were able to go behind-the-scenes with the group to check out the concept for this new release.

Randy Houser has come a long way since writing the hit “Honkeytonk Badonkadonk,” which was featured on Trace Adkins’ 2005 album “Songs About Me.”  Since moving over to Stoney Creek Records about two and a half years ago, Randy’s career has taken off.  He first hit number one with “How Country Feels” and then followed that up with “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” last year.  Now he’s celebrating again with “Goodnight Kiss,” a track he wrote with Jason Sellers and Rob Hatch.  We caught up with them at a party at Nashville’s label home of Broken Bow Records to celebrate.

We are so glad you’ve joined us for another Inside Music Row!  We’ve got plenty of news for you this week, so let’s get started!  When Miranda Lambert released her “Platinum” album just before CMA Music Fest, she felt like she put her best music forward and kept the creative process fresh.  That hard work in the studio has paid off, as “Platinum” took the top spot on the all-genre Billboard 200.  She also became the very first country artist in the history of Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart to have each of her first five albums debut at number one.  Each of her first four have now been certified platinum, so it shouldn’t be too long before “Platinum” is certified platinum, as well.

Kellie Pickler is riding the resurgence of vinyl’s popularity with a re-release of her latest album “The Woman I Am.”  The new limited-edition vinyl version of the project features exclusive cover art, which is different from the C-D version.  Orders placed from Kellie Pickler dot com just started shipping, so make sure to get yours before they’re gone!

Kimberly Perry has had a whirlwind of a month!  Between fan club parties and CMA Music Fest, she still found time to tie the knot.  She and her new husband pro baseball player J-P Arencibia were wed in Greenville, Tennessee right after CMA Music Fest between gigs and games. 

The second annual “Taste of Country” music festival proves there is a huge market for country music in the state of New York.  More than 40-thousand fans crowded the Hunter Mountain Resort to hear the likes of Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Brantley Gilbert, and more.  Next year could be even bigger, as Tim McGraw was just announced as the headliner for 20-15.  For ticket info…check out Taste of Country Festival dot com.

Craig Morgan is treating many of America’s troops stationed overseas to a little bit of Tennessee.  Craig has teamed up with MoonPie to send over special packages of the Chocolate Double-Decker Moonpies with his likeness all over it.  He took a few with him to Afghanistan on his eleventh overseas tour for the troops, but fans can get in on the action helping to send up to 50-thousand marshmallow sandwich treats to our service members by visiting Moonpie dot com slash Craig Morgan.

Now it's time to go “Inside The Song.”  Rachele Lynae’s new self-titled debut album is full of great tracks like the lead single “Touch The Stars.”  We caught up with her to hear all about the Alaskan inspiration for that song.

With this week’s Independence Day holiday, we have plenty to celebrate here in America.  There are tons of artists out on the road, putting on incredible shows all over the world.  Let’s take a quick look at who’s going where and when.

It’s time for us to take a quick little break, but there is still a lot more music up ahead.  We do have a special album up for grabs this week from Mickey Gilley.  You’ll hear more from the original Urban Cowboy up ahead, but you may want to go ahead and enter this week’s drawing right now.  Head on over to Inside Music Row dot com to get signed up.  Don’t forget to check out Zuus dot com for all the best music videos.  Celebrate the holiday with some great music, plus you can download the free app to take us with you on the go.  Now for that break, but make sure to come on back right after this.  We’ll celebrate a new number one hit, when we return.

The highlight of C-M-A Music Fest is usually the set of shows each night at L-P Field.  Almost every single major artist in country music performs, plus a few special guests.  We headed backstage during the nightly shows to see why the artists enjoy C-M-A Music Fest so much.  Check it out.

The City of Hope puts on the annual C-M-A Fest softball game, which matches up celebrity artists and guests on the Opry team against their counterparts on the i-Heart radio side.  This game is always a blast, even when the competitive juices really get flowing.  We headed out to Nashville’s Greer Stadium for the annual classic.  Here’s Kelly with more.

After the floods that devastated downtown Nashville in May 20-10, Rodney Atkins knew he had to do something to help his community recover.  In 20-11, he launched his first “Music City Gives Back” show to continue the healing process.  Now celebrating four years, the show has grown to include other top notch talent, this year donating funds to the W-O Smith School of Music, which gives lessons to children that might not otherwise have access to music.  We had a chance to hook up with Rodney to talk about this year’s special show.  Here’s Jennifer with more.

We are so glad you’re here for another Inside Music Row!  We have an amazing show in store for you today.  This is our annual C-M-A Music Fest episode!  We covered lots of cool acts in and around town during one of the craziest weeks in country music, and we’ve got it all right here just for you.  We’ll kick things off with Darius Rucker.  He hosted his fifth annual “Darius and Friends” show at the Wildhorse Saloon.  This is an extremely popular event that raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  We headed backstage at the Wildhorse to check in with Darius and a few of his friends.

In 2008, at home in New Jersey, Sherry Lynn was invited to open a show for one of her musical heroes.  Since that time, she's been hard at work pursuing a career in country music, which is now paying off.  Last year, she debuted at the Grand Ole Opry singing her duet "A Beautiful Life" with Crystal Gayle, and now she's celebrating the success of her most recent track "Girls Will Be Girls" off her latest album.  Kelly caught up with Sherry Lynn during a visit to Nashville to learn all about her new music.

Cole Swindell has come a long way since he started out selling t-shirts and other merch for Luke Bryan on tour.  With a musical style that fits in with Luke’s audience, and Luke’s unwavering support, Cole has managed not just a label deal and album, but his very first number one hit.  We headed over to BMI to celebrate that chart-topping hit with Cole and his co-writer Shane Minor.  Here’s Kelly with more.

This time of year, tens of thousands of country music fans descend on Nashville for the annual C-M-A Music Festival.  Along with those fans come hundreds of media outlets.  So when it’s time for an artist to make a big splash in the music industry…this is a perfect time.  We headed out to the Ford Theatre at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for the latest news from Alan Jackson.

Hey everybody!  I'm Kelly Sutton!  We are so glad you’ve joined us for another Inside Music Row!  We’ve got plenty of entertainment news for you this week, so let’s get started!  In looking back at Billboard’s list of Top Live Acts of the past 25 years, it seems there is only one country artist in the Top Ten.  Up there with acts like the Rolling Stones, U-2 and Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Chesney ranked number nine, in spite of taking two of the last five years off the road.  Since becoming a full-fledged headliner in 2002, Kenny has sold close to 13 million tickets.  Even though he’s not touring this year, he just can’t wait to hit the road again.

Country rocker Aaron Lewis is gearing up for his fourth annual “It Takes A Community Foundation” benefit concert next week.  Aaron and his wife founded the organization to work with local leaders to strengthen, engage and enrich their communities.  Look for a rare acoustic performance from Staind to complete the night in Florence, Massachusetts June 27^th.  For more info, check out the foundation’s website.  (Graphic ITACF.org)

Kenny Rogers has been instrumental in changing the lives of kids across America through the Kenny Rogers Children’s Center in Sikeston, Missouri.  Kenny doesn’t just lend his name to the organization, but fights for funding for the center and lends a hand with benefit shows to raise money.  He’s been supporting the center now for almost forty years, and for him…the chance to help over 450 special needs children each month is something that will never get old.

Bad Company has more to celebrate this summer than just another tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd.  They are reissuing their first two classic albums on vinyl beginning July first.  Both “Bad Company” and “Straight Shooter” will contain all the original packaging.  Many of the tracks from these two albums have become staples of classic rock radio stations around the world.  Check out the tour through the month of July, but keep up with them online at Bad Company dot com.

Zac Brown Band’s “Southern Ground Music and Food Festival” will return to Charleston, South Carolina this fall for their fourth annual celebration.  Look for Ashley Monroe, Blues Traveler and more to join in the fun October 11^th and 12^th. 

Now it's time to go “Inside The Song.”  Songwriters are always keeping an ear open for potential hits, no matter the time nor the place.  John Oates was on a working vacation when he came across the inspiration for “Six Men,” which is featured on his latest “Good Road To Follow” project.