Country Year In Review - May & June 2024

May:

• The reason why Morgan Wallen’s Stagecoach set was the only performance not live-streamed is explained.
• Morgan Wallen doesn’t show, lets his lawyer handle his May 3 court date.
• It’s revealed exactly how Randy Travis’ new song “Where That Came From” was recorded – with AI.
• Luke Bryan announces the dates and locations for his 2024 “Farm Tour.”
• Morgan Wallen announces the opening date for his “This Bar,” though the announcement would prove to be optimistic, when the opening is delayed.
• The “FGL House” – the Nashville bar bearing the name of Florida Georgia Line – closes its doors, but not for long.
• Keith Urban announces his return to Las Vegas with the “High In Vegas” mini-residency.
• Lainey Wilson announces that her new bar, “Bell Bottoms Up,” would be opening in the same location as the recently shut-down “FGL House.”
• Jelly Roll completes his first-ever 5K run.
• The long-awaited first official country song by Post Malone, the Morgan Wallen collab “I Had Some Help,” is released. The song would immediately shoot to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
• Lainey Wilson announces her upcoming third album, “Whirlwind.”
• In the wake of the release and smash success of “I Had Some Help,” Post Malone finally confirms that he has a full-length country album on the way.
• Blake Shelton buys his way into a role in an upcoming Mark Wahlberg movie.
• Garth Brooks performs at the Vatican, and has an audience with the Pope.
• Jelly Roll makes a triumphant return to the high school that nearly banned him forever.
• Zach Bryan and girlfriend Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia are involved in serious car crash.
• On the heels of his first new music in years, Randy Travis announces he’d be appearing at the Ryman Auditorium.
• George Strait releases a new song, and reveals the track list for his upcoming new album.
• The divorce between Zac Brown and estranged wife Kelly Yadzi takes an ugly turn, with Zac filing a lawsuit against her over Instagram posts he claimed violated an agreement between the two.
• Elle King finally breaks her silence about her drunken appearance at the Ryman Auditorium’s Dolly Parton birthday bash.
• Kid Rock and Jelly Roll team up for what may be the most redneck moment in history.
• Reba McEntire surprises Lainey Wilson with an invitation to the Grand Ole Opry during the finale of “The Voice.”
• Nashville City Council denies Morgan Wallen signage for his “This Bar,” with some members stating Morgan’s behavior is to blame for their vote.
• Details on Dolly Parton’s next album suggest it may be a project with her entire family involved. This was confirmed days later, as was a four-part documentary to coincide with the album, titled "Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA – Family, Faith & Fables,” with a release for both announced as November 15.
• Morgan Wallen's "This Bar" Grand Opening was pushed back. No explanation was given in a statement, through reports circulated online suggesting that the city of Nashville denied the bar a catering license. The bar would eventually open the next weekend.
• “Rolling Stone” magazine put out a list of the “Top 200 Country Songs Of All Time.” There’s much to argue about on the list, but the Top 5 is fairly indisputable: George Jones "He Stopped Loving Her Today," Hank Williams "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," Patsy Cline's "Crazy," Johnny Cash's "I Walk The Line" and Dolly Parton topping the list with her classic "Jolene."
• Carly Pearce informs fans that she has a heart condition that will force her to alter how she goes about her career.

June:

• Tyler Childers gets the supreme honor of not only opening for the Rolling Stones at their Orlando show, but he joins them on-stage for a performance of their classic “Dead Flowers.”
• Sturgill Simpson announces he’ll be using the name “Johnny Blue Skies” on all his recorded work moving forward.
• Dolly Parton announces she’s got a Broadway production based on her life coming in 2026. “Hello, I’m Dolly” will feature new and classic music by the country legend.
• After several months of leaking “dad songs,” Luke Combs announces he’s releasing an album full of them. “Fathers & Sons” would be released on June 12 – just in time for Father’s Day.
• 2013 “The Voice” winner Danielle Bradbery announces her first album of new music in almost seven years. “Danielle” would be coming out September 6, with the first single, “Broken Boy,” coming alongside the announcement.
• Lainey Wilson is inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. It was a big night for Lainey; not only did she perform with Wynonna and Terri Clark, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood did the official induction, and there was a pre-recorded video of Dolly Parton gushing about Lainey as well.
• Billy Ray Cyrus files for divorce from Australian musician Firerose, claiming irreconcilable differences and inappropriate marital conduct as the reason, while also seeking an annulment on the grounds of fraud. In the next several days, it’s revealed Billy Ray alleged Firerose ran up a nearly 100K AmEx bill, causing the country star to file for a TRO to keep her from spending more. The couple had only been married seven months.
• Mark Chesnutt undergoes emergency heart surgery. Just a month later, he would announce he intends to return to performing in October
• Willie Nelson breaks his own record when his “The Border” album debuts at #50 on the Billboard Top 100 Country Album chart. It’s the 114^th time a Willie Nelson album debuted on that chart over his storied career.
• In one of the odder stories of the year, Carly Pearce is accused of being a devil worshipper because she posed for a picture at CMA Fest in a parking spot with the number “666” (or “668,” it’s hard to tell, but why spoil a good conspiracy theory?). Carly jumped on her socials to shut down that Satan talk, explaining it was a coincidence and she’s a devout Christian.
• Cole Swindell married long-time girlfriend Courtney Little. The two met briefly years before, but when Cole cast her in his “Some Habits” video, things went to the next level.
• Lainey Wilson joined the “I’ve Been Asked To Sign Weird Things” club when a fan waved his prosthetic leg at her from the crowd at Country Fest Ohio – and Lainey enthusiastically signed it in the middle of her performance.