Music Row Artists

NASHVILLE— The longest-running Country Music festival in the world is back! Today, the Country Music Association announced the initial lineup for the 51^st CMA Fest in downtown Nashville Thursday through Sunday, June 6-9. After a record year for Country Music, CMA Fest is set to be an event like no other for music fans. From free outdoor performances throughout downtown Nashville to can’t-miss lineups at Nissan Stadium and Ascend Amphitheater, attendees can catch hundreds of artists across 10 stages throughout the four-day festival, take part in special meet-and-greet moments with artists at Fan Fair X inside Music City Center, and experience the many unique activations along Nashville’s iconic Broadway.

The nightly shows at Nissan Stadium will see some of the biggest stars in Country Music, including Kelsea Ballerini, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Jordan Davis, HARDY, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, The War And Treaty, Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman. Additional collaborations and performances will be announced in the coming weeks.

The full 51^st CMA Fest lineup of venues and artists can be found HERE.

All artist lineups are subject to change. Additional stage lineups, Fan Fair X activities inside Music City Center and more will be announced in the coming weeks.

While a limited number of Four-Night Stadium Passes are currently on sale, fans can access a variety of ticket options starting today at 10:00 AM/CT at CMAfest.com/tickets.

Single night tickets for the superstar-packed nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium will be available, starting at just $84 per night.

Parking availability is extremely limited. While ADA ticket purchasers will have the option to purchase accessible parking, festival organizers kindly encourage general ticket purchasers to utilize rideshare, public parking or the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. All ticket purchasers who wish to receive further communication regarding parking (including ADA accessible parking) at Nissan Stadium can sign up for email updates here.

CMA Fest is uniquely programmed with artists donating their time so a portion of ticket proceeds can be invested in high-quality music education programs across the U.S. through the CMA Foundation.

Don’t miss a beat by staying connected with CMA on CMAfest.com, the Official CMA Connect App, Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and sign up for CMA Country Connection emails to receive the latest news as soon as it’s announced.

Media and publicist credential applications for CMA Fest are open at CMApress.com. The media credential application will close Friday, April 12 at 5:00 PM/CT. The publicist credential application will close Friday, May 17 at 5:00 PM/CT.

Pre-order brand-new official CMA Fest merch at Shop.CMAfest.com and through the Official CMA Connect App. Many more items will be added. Fans will also be able to purchase merchandise at multiple locations across the CMA Fest footprint in June.

CMA Fest will once again be filmed for a national television special to air on ABC this summer. The “CMA Fest” television special will be executive produced and written by Robert Deaton and directed by Alan Carter.

Houston, TX - March 20, 2022 - Texas Star, the up-and-coming country music sensation, made their debut performance at the Houston Rodeo this past weekend. They partnered with the fellowship of Christian Cowboys, and were a part of the Sunday chapel services. “We are always excited to be apart of the great work the fellowship does at rodeos across the nation,” stated Matt Felts. 

Texas Star joined a star-studded lineup of top country music artists who performed over numerous stages for the 21 days of the rodeo, including Brad Paisley, Lainey Wilson, King & Country, and Blake Shelton. This year’s rodeo set a new record for attendance, with over 2.5 million people flocking to the event to enjoy the music, food, and entertainment.

“We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to perform at the chapel service at the Houston Rodeo for the first time,” said Jeremie Hudson. “It was an incredible experience to share our music and calling to such a passionate audience. 

Texas Star’s performance at the Houston Rodeo marks a significant milestone in their career, as they continue to gain recognition and build a loyal fan base across the country music scene. With their unique sound and captivating live performances, Texas Star is quickly becoming a rising star in the industry.

For more information about Texas Star and upcoming tour dates, visit their official website at www.thetexasstar.com.
 

Beyonce’s new country single “Texas Hold Em” reached number 1 on the Billboard country airplay chart this week. The song has created controversy nationwide as many country stations have refused to play it. A station in Oklahoma was the first to report they would not add the pop star’s release to their rotation but after receiving backlash, they eventually added Beyonce’s single. 

Many country artists have weighed in with an opinion, including Texas Star. The Texas based vocal group has been gaining attention as one of the top new artists in country music. “We love to see artists from other genres show their love for country music, so we welcome Beyonce with open arms. Our problem with the song is the lyrics and the steady decline of country music as a genre for the whole family. “Texas Hold Em” is full of language that I wouldn’t want on the radio with my kids in the car. If that song comes on, I will turn the dial to another station and most likely won’t turn it back,” stated JD Meeker of Texas Star. “So, while we welcome everyone to bring their talent to country music, we challenge them to raise the bar, not lower it,” Meeker added.

Texas Star has been on a self-proclaimed mission to give country music fans an artist they can enjoy, while also feeling safe playing with their kids around. Fans have taken notice.  “Texas Star is proving that an artist can make great music that people love without it being offensive or crude. We heard them in concert and our kids loved their music as much as we did. That’s a first in our house,” said Lauren Williams, country music fan.

Texas Star is preparing to embark on their 2^nd national tour later this spring. Last year’s tour saw them preform at the National Finals Rodeo, Cowtown Coliseum in Ft. Worth, and many other top venues across the country. Fans can find them on Spotify, Apple Music, and all other digital platforms. They can also follow them all social media outlets and learn more at the group’s official website, TheTexasStar.com

Ray Stevens has announced his final full run of live shows for 2024, but the country music icon is not stepping entirely out of the public eye. Rather, the 84-year-old entertainer is slowing his live performance schedule way down to focus on recording.

Stevens' six-decade-plus career has yielded him a string of hits that includes "Everything Is Beautiful" and "Misty," as well as signature comedy hits including "The Streak," "Gitarzan," "Mississippi Squirrel Revival" and more.

He opened a popular Nashville nightclub called Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom in 2018, and he has performed there regularly in the years since. But now, Stevens says, he plans to slow his live schedule considerably after he finishes his 2024 concert dates.

“I plan to stop performing regularly at my CabaRay Showroom here in Nashville at the end of 2024,” Stevens says in a statement. “I’ll be going to work every day in my recording studio and maybe I’ll do a few, a very few, shows in some old familiar places."

Stevens emphasizes this does not mark the end of his long career.

“I’m definitely slowing down, but I haven’t come to a complete stop," he says. "Not yet, anyway.”

Stevens is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Musicians Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Christian Music Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

Stevens will perform a special Valentine's Day show in 2024, while his final run of regularly scheduled shows will begin on March 16 and run through December. Tickets are available via the CabaRay Showroom website.
Stevens will perform a special Valentine's Day show in 2024, while his final run of regularly scheduled shows will begin on March 16 and run through December. Tickets are available via the CabaRay Showroom website.
 

Darryl Worley and his family have suffered a devastating barn fire on their property. The singer turned to Instagram on Tuesday (Jan. 16) to share video of the incident, which he and his wife Kimberly recorded from inside a parked car not far away from the blaze.

"Well, me and Kimberly are sitting here watching the barn go up in flames," Worley says from behind the camera. "I guess it's true, that's what happens in the cold a lot of times."

"It's just sad. We had a lot of stuff in there. A lot of memories, and ... it's all falling in now."

Along with his realtime comments as he watched the barn go up in flames, Worley's management team shared a statement on his social media.

"We are asking that you be in prayer for Darryl, [Kimberly] and [the singer's daughter] Savannah today as their barn caught on fire this morning," the statement reads. “They are dealing with the loss of property and more importantly the loss of life-long memories!”

Thankfully, at least based on what the family knows so far, none of the animals in the barn lost their lives.

"We believe all the animals escaped and are okay!" the statement adds.

Known best for his country music heyday in the mid-2000s — including songs like "I Miss My Friend" and the patriotic, post-9/11 smash hit, "Have You Forgotten?" — Worley has remained one of the genre's traditional-leaning stalwarts in the decades since.

In 2023, he released "Have We Forgotten?," a "Have You Forgotten?" remake that urged unity and healing in the face of bitter, modern-day political divides.