Feature

The Ghosts of Music City

Nashville has spent more than a century writing songs about heartbreak, loss and the ones who never came home. Some of those stories, people say, never left.

By Hollis Wren

Every old building on Broadway has a story, and the people who work late in them will tell you a few they can't explain. A shadow on a balcony during rehearsal. A cold spot in a room with no air conditioning. A crying baby on a floor with no babies.

This month we walked the city's most famous haunts, from the Mother Church of Country Music to a hotel room that overlooks the train tracks. We stuck to the stories as they've been told for decades. Whether you believe them is up to you.

"The space became unexplainably frigid despite the heat."

On the pages ahead: the Ryman's restless founder, a heartbroken woman named Abigail, the Mayor of Printers Alley and his poodle, a lady in white, an empty prison, and the most famous ghost in Tennessee.

At the end, we tell you where to take a tour this season, if you dare.

These are legends and local lore, retold as they've been passed down.

HAUNT NO. 1

The Ryman Auditorium

116 REP. JOHN LEWIS WAY N. · DOWNTOWN

Riverboat captain Thomas Ryman built the Union Gospel Tabernacle in 1892 as a house of worship. It became the home of the Grand Ole Opry and the Mother Church of Country Music.

Legend says Ryman never made peace with that. Staff and performers describe a shadowy man on the balcony, seen mostly during rehearsals. Many believe it's the captain himself, still keeping watch over his church.

He isn't alone. Hank Williams Sr. has reportedly been spotted backstage, and some say his songs play from the stage during off-hours when no one is there.

A shadow on the balcony, mostly during rehearsals.

Some even talk of a Ryman curse, pointing to beloved performers who played the stage and died too soon, including Patsy Cline, Stringbean Akeman and Texas Ruby.

HAUNT NO. 2

Union Station Hotel, Room 711

1001 BROADWAY · DOWNTOWN

The building opened in 1900 as a depot on the L&N Railroad. During World War II, as the story goes, a young woman named Abigail came here to see her sweetheart off to war in France.

He never came home. When word reached her that he had been killed in battle, she returned to the station, heartbroken, and died on the tracks.

Today the depot is a hotel, and Abigail is said to linger in Room 711, a top-floor room that overlooks the rails. Guests report flickering lights, sudden drops in temperature, figures in mirror photos, and the sound of furniture dragging overhead, even though there's no floor above.

Some have seen a soldier standing on the tracks.

The hotel describes Abigail as gentle, a "persistent, unaggressive presence." In 2021, USA Today's 10Best readers named it the best haunted hotel in America.

HAUNT NO. 3

Printers Alley: Ice & Skull

BETWEEN THIRD & FOURTH AVENUES · DOWNTOWN

Long before it was lined with bars, Printers Alley was the heart of Nashville's old "Men's Quarter." Its finest saloon was the Southern Turf, managed by a man named Ice Johnson, who lived on the third floor.

When Prohibition closed the Turf in 1914, Johnson took his own life rather than leave. Passersby still describe a shadow moving between the third-floor windows faster than any person could.

In 1948, David "Skull" Schulman opened Skull's Rainbow Room in the basement. Known as the Mayor of Printers Alley, he wore flamboyant suits and walked dyed poodles on rhinestone leashes. Elvis, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan were regulars.

Skull said Ice moved the chairs and tables when he closed up at night. He kept the club running for 50 years anyway.

His ghost is said to walk his poodle down the alley.

Skull died in 1998 after a robbery at the club. During renovations years later, workers felt sudden cold spots in a sweltering room with no air conditioning. They blamed Skull.

HAUNTS NO. 4 & 5

The Lady in White & the Lady in Black

THE HERMITAGE HOTEL

231 SIXTH AVE. N.

Nashville's grand hotel has a sad story attached to Room 912. Legend says a baby was dropped from its window, though no newspaper of the time ever reported it. Guests still say they hear an infant crying in the early morning hours.

The hotel has a second resident too. A "Lady in White" gets the blame for doors that open on their own, elevators that misbehave and drinks that slide off the bar.

An infant crying in the early morning hours.

GAYLORD OPRYLAND

2800 OPRYLAND DR.

Out by the river, guests and staff describe a young woman in a black antebellum-style dress and veil. Lore says she's a Mrs. McGavock, a former owner of the land, killed by a falling chandelier.

When she's near, people say, the chandeliers sway and flicker.

HAUNT NO. 6 & A LEGEND

The Prison & the Witch

TENNESSEE STATE PRISON

WEST NASHVILLE

The castle-like prison on the city's west side has stood empty for decades, and it's often called one of the most haunted places in Tennessee. Those who have been near it describe screams, cold spots, phantom footsteps and slamming doors. It is closed to the public, so admire it from a distance.

THE BELL WITCH

ADAMS, TENN. · 45 MINUTES NORTH

No list of Tennessee ghosts is complete without the Bell Witch. Beginning around 1817, the John Bell family's farm in Robertson County was tormented by an unseen spirit that knocked on walls, pulled bedcovers and spoke aloud. The family called it Kate.

Two centuries later, it's still the most famous ghost story in Tennessee.

The spirit was said to torment John Bell most of all, and he died in 1820. As the legend goes, even Andrew Jackson came to see it for himself. Visitors still tour the Bell Witch Cave in Adams each fall.

Go Ghost Hunting This Season

Sources Ghost City Tours (ghostcitytours.com), The Pamphleteer (pamphleteer.co), Historic Hotels of America (historichotels.org), Union Station Hotel (unionstationhotelnashville.com), Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (tnecd.com), Nash Today (nashtoday.6amcity.com) and The Hermitage (thehermitage.com).

Artists Who Give

Craig Morgan Salutes Soldiers

His new album My Country arrives Nov. 6, and his Veterans Day 5K benefits four charities.

By Hollis Wren

Craig Morgan served his country long before he sang about it. He spent 17 years in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve before his country career took off, and in 2023 he enlisted in the Reserve again.

His 11-song album My Country lands Nov. 6 on BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville, just ahead of Veterans Day. It features duets with Jelly Roll on "Almost Home" and Lainey Wilson on "International Harvester," plus a cover of his late friend Toby Keith's "American Soldier."

"I'm privileged to have the blessing of my friend Toby Keith's family."

On Saturday, Nov. 7, Morgan hosts his Veterans Day 5K, supported by Humana, at the Grand Ole Opry House. That night, he headlines the Ryman.

Track by Track

• 1 · "I'm Country Music" · Phil O'Donnell, Teddy Robb, Josh London
• 2 · "American Soldier" · Toby Keith, Chuck Cannon
• 3 · "The Will" · Jessi Alexander, Josh Phillips
• 4 · "Long May You Wave" · Craig Morgan, Scotty Hasting, Phil O'Donnell, Houston Phillips
• 5 · "That Ain't Gonna Be Me" · Craig Morgan, Wade Kirby, Trent Willmon, Phil O'Donnell
• 6 · "Blue Collar Prayer" · Craig Morgan, Phil O'Donnell, Matt Willis
• 7 · "Soldier" · Gavin DeGraw
• 8 · "That's What I Love About Sunday" · Adam Dorsey, Mark Narmore
• 9 · "Almost Home" with Jelly Roll · Craig Morgan, Kerry Kurt Phillips
• 10 · "International Harvester" with Lainey Wilson · Danny Myrick, Jeffrey Steele, Shane Minor
• 11 · "God, Family, and Country" · Craig Morgan, Craig Morris, Lance McDaniel

Artists Who Give

Naughty or Nice, for a Good Cause

Koe Wetzel and Parker McCollum reunite for five Texas holiday shows, and fans who donate could win a trip to the finale.

By Hollis Wren

For the first time in seven years, Koe Wetzel and Parker McCollum are teaming up for the holidays. The acoustic Naughty or Nice Tour opens Dec. 2 at Floore's Country Store in Helotes and wraps Dec. 10 at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth.

Jackson Wendell and Logan Jahnke open every show. Tickets are on sale now, and the shows are expected to go fast.

Meet the Causes

KOE'S KIDS

Koe Wetzel's charity helps young people build the skills and confidence to express themselves through art. It offers creative education, mentorship and artistic experiences, so that all children, regardless of background, can explore their creative potential.

THE RUGER FUND

Parker McCollum started The Ruger Fund in 2023 to support charities close to his heart. Recipients have included ACM Lifting Lives, Folds of Honor, the Center for Child Protection, Sky High for Kids and the Boulder Crest Foundation.

Holiday Music

A Kentucky Thunder Christmas

Ricky Skaggs plays the Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Tuesday, Dec. 8.

By Hollis Wren

The 15-time GRAMMY winner and his band Kentucky Thunder are taking Christmas on the road for 12 concerts. "Bring out the family, your friends, and maybe someone who might not be able to afford a ticket this year," he says.

Expect "Christmas Time's A Comin'," "Mary, Did You Know?" and sing-alongs of "Joy to the World" and "Silver Bells."

Ricky Skaggs by the Numbers

A Country Music Hall of Fame member and Grand Ole Opry member, Skaggs started Skaggs Family Records in 1997 and has released 12 straight GRAMMY-nominated albums. He received the National Medal of Arts in 2020.

KENTUCKY THUNDER CHRISTMAS TOUR

• DEC. 2 · Boone, N.C.
• DEC. 3 · Knoxville, Tenn.
• DEC. 4 · Louisburg, N.C.
• DEC. 5 · Charlotte, N.C.
• DEC. 6 · Hopewell, Va.
• DEC. 8 · Nashville, Schermerhorn
• DEC. 13 · Johnson City, Tenn.
• DEC. 14 · Lynchburg, Va.
• DEC. 15 · Greenville, S.C.
• DEC. 16 · Cincinnati
• DEC. 17 · St. Charles, Ill.
• DEC. 18 · St. Louis

Cover Story

The Musical Genius of Ray Stevens

Sixty-plus years, 40 million albums and one streaker later, Nashville throws a party for the Music Row original. He plans to be in the front row.

By Krys Midgett

From Clarkdale to Music Row

Before there was Ray Stevens, there was Harold Ray Ragsdale, born Jan. 24, 1939, in Clarkdale, Georgia. In high school he started an R&B group called The Barons, then studied music at Georgia State College.

In 1957, at 18, he signed with Capitol's Prep Records. Label boss Ken Nelson thought "Ray Ragsdale" didn't pop, so Ray Stevens was born.

His first hit came on Mercury in 1961 with one of the longest titles in pop history: "Jeremiah Peabody's Polyunsaturated Quick-Dissolving Fast-Acting Pleasant-Tasting Green and Purple Pills." A year later, "Ahab the Arab" went to No. 5.

"When I look at all the names on the Walk of Fame, it's truly humbling to see mine included there."

Stevens moved to Nashville in 1962 and became one of the original pioneers of Music Row. He formed a lifelong friendship with Chet Atkins, sang with the Jordanaires, and played trumpet on an Elvis Presley session.

Behind the scenes he was just as busy. He wrote songs for Brook Benton, Skeeter Davis and Dolly Parton, produced Dolly, and recorded with Waylon Jennings.

Everything Is Beautiful

Stevens could make you laugh one minute and make you think the next. In 1970, the gentle anthem "Everything Is Beautiful" hit No. 1 on the pop chart and won him a GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Male Vocalist.

Then came "The Streak" in 1974, a No. 1 hit in both the U.S. and the U.K. A year later, his jazzy take on "Misty" earned a second GRAMMY, for his arrangement.

THE HITS

• 1962 · "Ahab the Arab" · No. 5 pop
• 1970 · "Everything Is Beautiful" · No. 1 pop, GRAMMY winner
• 1974 · "The Streak" · No. 1 in the U.S. and U.K.
• 1975 · "Misty" · No. 3 country, GRAMMY winner
• 1984 · "Mississippi Squirrel Revival" · Country Top 20

Still Making Music

In 2018, Stevens opened the CabaRay Showroom on River Road in West Nashville, a 713-seat venue with a piano bar, a recording studio and a stage for his weekly TV show.

The last year and a half has tested him. He had a heart attack in July 2025, then broke his neck in a fall in March 2026. Through it all, he kept working in the studio. "I'm trying to get strong enough to continue performing," he said last December.

His album Favorites Old & New arrived April 10 on Curb Records, mixing standards like "It Had to Be You" with new songs like "Time Machine." "I just hope Ray Stevens fans enjoy it as much as Ray Stevens!" he says.

"I'm truly honored that they would want to do this tribute."

On Nov. 9, the fans and friends return the favor. Ricky Skaggs, Ronnie Milsap, Jamey Johnson, Ashley McBryde, Gretchen Wilson, The Gatlin Brothers and more take the Opry House stage, with Randy Travis making a special appearance and Cledus T. Judd as host.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT AXS.COM

Courtesy of Absolute Publicity

Chart Toppers

Kenny Chesney Carries On

By Hollis Wren

"Carry On" is Kenny Chesney's 37th No. 1, his 100th charting single and his 62nd Top 10 on Billboard Country Airplay, the most country Top 10s ever.

The song comes from Silver Sands Marina, his 21st album, out now on his own HEY NOW Records.

After two years at Sphere Las Vegas, Chesney returns to stadiums in 2027 with the Original Vibe Room Tour. Eric Church plays the full run, with Sheryl Crow and Greylan James. The 19-stadium run stops at Nashville's Nissan Stadium July 3.

Legacy

Toby Keith's Gift Keeps Giving

Toby Keith built his career on his own songs, starting with his solo-penned first single, "Should've Been a Cowboy."

By Krys Midgett

Thanks to a philanthropic gift from his family, the Toby Keith Family Performance Center will rise beside OU's Kimrey Family Stadium. Construction starts in the coming months, with completion expected in 2028.

"I know he would have loved being a part of it." — Tricia Covel

"Toby changed so many lives," said OU baseball coach Skip Johnson. At football games, fans sing "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" between the third and fourth quarters, and Oklahoma named a new 28-mile turnpike connector the Toby Keith Expressway.

Keith earned 33 No. 1 hits and was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2024, after his death that February.

The Songwriter

Keith launched his own label, Show Dog Nashville, on Sept. 1, 2005, and released 14 albums during that final stretch of his career, cementing his place as one of country's most self-directed creative forces.

THE HONORS HE TREASURED MOST

The Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015, the National Medal of Arts in 2021, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2021 and the BMI Icon award in 2022. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2024, after his passing that February.

For more Toby, see the 15th anniversary of Clancy's Tavern in our holiday music pages.

Songwriter Stories

Jerry Foster

At 90, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer behind a shelf of country classics is still showing up for Music City, and on Nov. 15 he's showing up for kids at Christmas.

By Krys Midgett

• FROM THE FOSTER & RICE SONGBOOK
• "Would You Take Another Chance on Me" · JERRY LEE LEWIS · "Thirty-Nine and Holding" · JERRY LEE LEWIS · "The Day the World Stood Still" · CHARLEY PRIDE · "The Easy Part's Over" · CHARLEY PRIDE · "The Back Side of Dallas" · JEANNIE C. RILEY

Jerry Foster grew up in rural Missouri and moved to Nashville in 1966. With his writing partner, Bill Rice, he built one of the most prolific teams Music Row has ever seen. Over roughly 18 years, Foster & Rice turned out about 2,000 songs, enough to earn them the nickname "the Song Factory."

The awards piled up too. The duo won 10 ASCAP awards in 1972 and 11 in 1974. Their songs were recorded by Charley Pride, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, Mel Tillis, Mickey Gilley, Bobby Bare, Eddy Arnold, Jerry Reed, Tanya Tucker and Hank Williams Jr.

On his own, he wrote "I'll Think of Something" and "Here Comes That Hurt Again." He's a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Last November, while the CMA Awards were buzzing across town, friends packed the Commodore Grille for Foster's 90th birthday. Deborah Allen, Jeff Batson, Don Cromwell, Donna Frost, Norm McDonald and nearly 30 more musicians came to honor him, and Foster sang his Jerry Lee Lewis hit "Would You Take Another Chance on Me." Cast members from Blue Collar Holler, an upcoming TV series about his life, came too.

Next month, he's back at the Commodore for a cause close to Give A Little's heart.

Hometown Hip-Hop

BACK TO '84

More than 40 years after he first picked up a mic, Mt. Juliet's Mighty Rock is back with a roller-rink throwback, out Oct. 23.

By Hollis Wren

"I wanted to start off the album with a positive, fun vibe, like the early days of hip-hop."

James Glenn Auman started breakdancing and rapping in 1984. Fans of old-school hip-hop knew him as Mighty Rock, first with MJ Posse in 1988 and later with Freedom of Knowledge. Around 2000, he stepped away from music.

On Jan. 30, 2024, JG learned that his friend Sputnik had died. He sat down and wrote a whole song in one sitting, his first new rhyme in decades. "It was like a faucet had opened that had been closed for years," he says.

A chain of friends and family did the rest: a friend's son who makes beats, relatives who run a recording studio, and a barber who introduced him to a label owner. Now Mighty Rock is back, with his debut album Full Circle due March 19, 2027, on SunGrass Records.

The first single, "Back to '84" featuring MelloD, opens the album with a dance-floor groove and roller-rink energy. It was produced by Evan Blocker and Jay Markert. JG's advice to anyone who has set a passion aside: "Don't ever let it die."

• OCT. 23 · "Back to '84" feat. MelloD
• NOV. 20 · "BeUp"
• JAN. 22 · "Sputnik"
• FEB. 19 · "Dixie Lullaby"
• MAR. 19 · Full Circle, the full album

Give A Little Nashville's publisher, Krys Midgett, also runs GALpr, which represents Mighty Rock.

Artists Who Give

Miranda Lambert Is Cooking

By Hollis Wren

Miranda Lambert's new album, Crisco, is out now on MCA. She co-produced it with Jesse Frasure, backed by a nine-piece string section. "We weren't trying to make a retro record," she says. "We were channeling a feeling."

The opener, "Snakeskin Boots," features Ella Langley. "A Song To Sing" with Chris Stapleton is GRAMMY-nominated.

Lambert also earned seven CMA nominations this year, as an artist, producer and songwriter. Her 19th Female Vocalist nomination is a record, and she now has 70 career CMA nominations, the most of any female artist. She is also up for Album of the Year as co-producer of Langley's Dandelion.

Awards Season

The 60th CMA Awards

LAINEY WILSON, HOST

The reigning Entertainer of the Year returns to host for the third time. Last year she became the first solo female host since Reba McEntire in 1991. She is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist and Single of the Year for "Somewhere Over Laredo."

Her new song, "Kinda Love It," is out now with a video. She wrote it with John Mayer, Kid Harpoon and Jon Decious, and "Phone, Keys, Wallet," with Mayer on guitar, is climbing the radio charts.

ZACH TOP, CONTENDER

Last year's New Artist of the Year is up for Album of the Year with Ain't In It For My Health and Male Vocalist of the Year. His label surprised him at Goodtimes in downtown Nashville with new plaques: "I Never Lie" is 4x Platinum, and Cold Beer & Country Music is Platinum.

"At some point, they stop being just your songs," Top says. "They become part of somebody else's story, too." He headlines Stagecoach 2027.

New Music

Hello, Honky Tonk

Kaitlin Butts invites everyone into her imaginary bar, and she asked real ones to help.

Kaitlin Butts' fourth album, Hello, Honky Tonk, arrives Oct. 30 on Republic Records. To reveal its 14 songs, she asked honky tonks around the world to announce one each, from the Opry to Jolene's in Sydney.

Tofer Brown produced it in Nashville. The concept came from the musical Chicago and Disney World's Country Bear Jamboree. Her new video for "What More Could You Want" recreates the album cover.

HELLO, HONKY TONK LIVE AND IN PERSON

• OCT. 29 · Nashville, Skinny Dennis (sold out)
• DEC. 10 · College Station, Harry's Northgate
• DEC. 11 · Helotes, Floore's Country Store
• DEC. 12 · Corpus Christi, Brewster Street
• DEC. 17 · Oklahoma City, Tower Theatre
• DEC. 18 · Fort Worth, Billy Bob's Texas

Album art courtesy of Republic Records. Tickets at kaitlinbutts.com.

New Music

The Swon Brothers Get Their Honky Tonk On

By Hollis Wren

The Swon Brothers have signed with Adrian James Records, and their label debut is a line-dance jam. "Honky Tonk On" is packed with '90s flair and smoking fiddle. It's the first single from Boot Cut, a 14-song album due in 2027.

"I grew up on '90s country, and this song tips the hat to all my favorites," Zach Swon says. Colton Swon adds, "I strongly suggest anyone and everyone get their 'Honky Tonk On' at least once in their lifetime."

The Muskogee, Okla., natives were finalists on NBC's The Voice and co-wrote Blake Shelton's "Body Language." The single is streaming now.

Artists Who Give

How Did We Get Here

Americana duo Wooten Hill releases its first full-length album on Oct. 23, after a road that took the duo through loss and back.

By Hollis Wren

Kim Hill is a GRAMMY-nominated, Dove Award-winning singer. Paulette Wooten is a songwriter and film composer. In 2016, at The Blueroom Studios in Nashville, producer Brent Maher told them to sing together "like the Everly Brothers or The Judds." They went back to that same studio to make How Did We Get Here.

The road between wasn't easy. They played their first show the night before the COVID shutdown and lost their retreat property. To get by, they sold Wooten's pecan bacon rub.

"This album has been the work of a lifetime — a work I didn't know I was creating." — Paulette Wooten

GRAMMY winner Charles Yingling co-produced the 12 tracks with the duo. The album arrives on Parker & Yon Records with a companion podcast, The Road to Wooten Hill. Vinyl follows later this year.

Artists Who Give

Tracy Lawrence Feeds a City

Mission: Possible's Turkey Fry aims to serve more than 32,000 people this Thanksgiving, and it runs on volunteers.

By Hollis Wren

Tracy Lawrence, our June 2014 cover star, spends the week of Thanksgiving with his sleeves rolled up. His Mission: Possible Turkey Fry returns to the Nashville Fairgrounds, where hundreds of volunteers clean and fry turkeys for families across the region.

The goal this year is to feed more than 32,000 people. The event also supports organizations that care for people experiencing homelessness all year, including the Nashville Rescue Mission.

Give A Little Christmas will be there. Our sister charity's volunteers have signed up for the morning frying shift and the afternoon clean-up.

• NOV. 23 · Turkey cleaning, 5–8 p.m.
• NOV. 24 · Frying, 7:30–10:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; clean-up, 1–4 p.m.

On Stage

Frank Myers: Songs and Strings

By Krys Midgett

Fans of "I Swear" know every word, even if they don't know the name behind it. On Friday, Oct. 16, they heard it from the man who wrote it. GRAMMY winner Frank Myers played The Franklin Theatre, backed by the Nashville String Quartet.

The night set his best-known songs in new string arrangements, with the stories behind them, including "You and I," "I'm Already There" and "Front Porch Looking In." "I Swear," recorded by both John Michael Montgomery and All-4-One, won him a GRAMMY and has been a wedding staple for three decades. Myers is in the Ohio Country Music Hall of Fame.

Storme Warren emceed the night. Opener Lauren Mascitti, an American Idol alum, has played the Grand Ole Opry and toured with Lonestar and Pam Tillis. Her album God Made a Woman earned praise from The New York Times, and her latest is Out of the Blue. Off stage, she works as a registered nurse.

Photos by Krys Midgett.

In Memoriam · 1954–2026

John Anderson

The neotraditional pioneer behind "Swingin'" and "Seminole Wind" died peacefully in his sleep Oct. 21. He was 71.

By Krys Midgett

John Anderson played in garage rock bands in Apopka, Florida, until he heard Merle Haggard and George Jones. That converted him. After high school he moved to Nashville, played the clubs, and with the help of publisher Al Gallico signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1976.

His heroes noticed. Haggard, Jones and Willie Nelson invited him to open their tours. In 1981 "I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal" became his first Top 5 hit, and by the early 1980s he was helping lead country back to its roots.

A Voice All His Own

"Swingin'" sold a million copies and won the CMA Single of the Year in 1983, the same year Anderson took home the Horizon Award. In the 1990s came a second wave with "Straight Tequila Night," "Seminole Wind" and "Money in the Bank." The Seminole Wind album sold more than two million copies.

Younger artists sought him out. John Rich produced 2007's Easy Money. Dan Auerbach worked on 2020's Years, which included a duet with Blake Shelton, and later assembled a tribute album with Luke Combs, Ashley McBryde and Eric Church.

"I could never have done it if it weren't for you."

In 2024 he entered the Country Music Hall of Fame alongside Toby Keith and James Burton. "I'm proud to have a spot in a place that preserves such greatness," he said, and he thanked the fans "who have supported the music and the shows for the last 50 years."

"To the world, he was a gifted country music singer whose voice and songs touched countless lives," his family said. "To us, he was so much more."

Artists Who Give

A Song With a Mission

Aaron Tippin and Sam Grow remake "My Blue Angel," and its new video takes on the fentanyl crisis.

By Hollis Wren

"My Blue Angel" reached No. 7 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart in 1993. Now Aaron Tippin has brought it back, re-recorded with Sam Grow and out Oct. 23 on 8 Track Entertainment.

The new version comes with a purpose. Its music video carries a message about the toll the fentanyl epidemic is taking on American families. "Together we have to do all we can to make a change and to save lives," Tippin says.

Tippin wrote the song with Kim Williams and Philip Douglas. GRAMMY-winning engineer Noah Gordon and Biff Watson co-produced the remake. "He brought a whole new life to it," Tippin says of Grow.

Grow broke out with 2019's Love & Whiskey and "Song About You," which has more than 50 million streams. He calls Manchester, Tenn., home. Tippin, meanwhile, is a licensed pilot and aircraft mechanic who joined the Living Legends of Aviation this year.

From Music Row

Music News

Kenny Loggins produces Hunter Hawkins

"Awake," out Oct. 16 on Red Van Records, is the title track of Hawkins' 2027 debut album. Loggins added SistaStrings, the sister duo from Brandi Carlile's band, and the video comes from Awake: Pinky's Journey, a 40-minute companion film Hawkins wrote, directed and stars in.

Shantell Ogden rides for cowgirls

She released "Cowgirlin'" on the National Day of the Cowgirl and is now the official spokesperson for 40 Something Cowgirls, which has 52 chapters and nearly 2,000 members. A scholarship program is coming.

Blake Pendergrass wins big

NSAI named him Songwriter of the Year.

Jade Eagleson & Midland

"Coming Soon To A Honky Tonk Near You" is Eagleson's first release on BBR Music Group. The 2025 CCMA Male Artist of the Year was once told he was "too country" for Nashville. "He's our little brother and a helluva artist," says Midland's Mark Wystrach.

Orion Nyles & Brandon Chase

The country-rap newcomer and The Voice alum team up again on "Small Town (Comes Back Around)," out Oct. 30. Adam Curry produced.

Tape Room Music rules the radio

The independent Nashville publisher had 12 singles in the country airplay Top 40 at once.

Out Now

Aaron Tippin & Sam Grow, "My Blue Angel"

A new take on Tippin's 1993 hit, out Oct. 23. Its video shines a light on the fentanyl crisis.

Ryan and Rory, The Whole 9 Yards

Their debut album arrives Feb. 19. The ballad "Rock In The River" is out now.

Chayce Beckham, Old Fashioned

A new five-song EP.

Mary Kutter, "Damn I Love You"

A hard-charging rock-country confession, out now on BBR.

Dustin Lynch & Ashley Cooke

"How You Been" previews his seventh album, Clean Slate.

Shenandoah & Alexandra Kay, "Scares Me More"

Out Oct. 23 with a video. Shenandoah celebrates its 40th anniversary Oct. 28 with its first Ryman headline show.

Kinsley, Learn To Live

The rising singer-songwriter's six-song debut EP is out now on MCA.

Colin Stough & Kenny Wayne Shepherd

"Bone Dry (Revisited)" adds blues-rock voltage to Stough's ballad.

Darius Rucker, "I Believe"

A new song out now on MCA.

John Morgan, "Cry Baby"

New music and fall tour dates, while "Kid Myself" climbs the charts.

Ian Munsick opens a cowboy bar

His Cowboy Bar & Western Grill is now open in Deadwood, S.D.

Koe, Parker & Ricky

Holiday tour details in our Artists Who Give and Holiday Music pages.

More Music News

Eric Church hits the road

His new song "On The Road" reflects on the miles that made him.

Corey Kent's 2027 tour

The Heartland Rock and Roll Tour runs more than 20 dates, starting Jan. 22.

Lanie Gardner closes a chapter

Faded Polaroids (Deluxe) has 21 tracks, including three new songs.

Parmalee, "Meet My Maker"

A new track from the six-time No. 1 hitmakers while "God Knew Better" climbs the charts.

LATROIT & Ron Carter

The GRAMMY winner released the video for "Finally," featuring the legendary jazz bassist.

The Tortured Souls

Justin Davies and the band explore life, love and loss on "Gold-Lined Melancholy."

Zach Top at the drive-in

Live From Red Rocks: The Concert Film premieres Nov. 1 at Watertown's Stardust Drive-In, with an acoustic set streamed on YouTube. Tickets are $100 a car.

K. Michelle goes country

Her album Jesus & Whiskey is out now.

Fright Flick

Hellbilly Hollow

A Southern slasher shot at a real Alabama haunted attraction is now in select theaters.

For years, horror fans have made the trip to Vincent, Alabama, to brave the haunted barn, backwoods hayride and scare zones at Hellbilly Hollow. Now the attraction has a movie of its own, the first film ever shot on its grounds.

A crew of paranormal YouTubers shows up the night before Halloween and finds the scares are real. Killer siblings Tickles and Bull are waiting, and they don't play by haunt rules.

Rocker Kurt Deimer stars in and produced the film, with music by Deimer and an original score by metal drummer Roy Mayorga. Director Kevin Wayne got the idea while shooting a commercial at the haunt and pictured a figure stalking victims through the backwoods.

It's playing in select cities, including Birmingham and Orlando.

Books

HARD TIMES IN HOLMANTOWN

Robert B.W. Midgett's new sci-fi noir is out Nov. 1.

By Hollis Wren

The year is 2542, and humanity hasn't changed much. On the Terran colony of Scythia, Andrei Ayanda is a technical security officer, divorced and bitter, who spends his days repairing the Automated Peacekeepers that patrol the streets of New Kyiv.

Then an order comes in to retrieve a broken bot in the slums of Zone 14, known to locals as "Holmantown." Andrei and his partner, Helene, get tangled in a worsening thread of lies, with a growing stack of bodies to match.

Hard Times in Holmantown is Midgett's third novel, set in the same universe as his first two. His storytelling draws on Ray Bradbury and Robert E. Howard.

It is also the first release from Marty & Madden Publishing, a new partnership between Midgett and his longtime mentor, author Doug McKim.

Give A Little Nashville's publisher, Krys Midgett, also runs GALpr, which represents Marty & Madden Publishing.

Holiday Music

The Season Starts Now

Christmas music arrived early this year, and a Toby Keith favorite turns 15.

TOBY KEITH'S CLANCY'S TAVERN TURNS 15

Toby Keith's career started at Clancy's Tavern, the supper club his grandmother owned. His 2011 album named for it gets its first vinyl release on Black Friday, Nov. 27, as a gold Amazon exclusive. Pre-orders are open now.

The album gave us "Made In America" and "Red Solo Cup," arguably country music's first viral video hit. "Every line in the song is true," Keith said of the title track. "This isn't fiction."

"That's the stupidest song in the world and I can't get it out of my head." — Toby Keith on "Red Solo Cup"

CHAYCE BECKHAM, "WHITE CHRISTMAS"

The American Idol winner's first holiday release swaps symphonic strings for pedal steel, piano and a melancholy fiddle. "Christmas and the holiday season is my favorite time of year," he says. His new EP, Old Fashioned, is out now.

ALSO ON THE CALENDAR

Ricky Skaggs brings his Kentucky Thunder Christmas to the Schermerhorn on Dec. 8. See page 16.

Fall Fun Guide

Fall Festivals

• Now–Oct. 31Lucky Ladd Farms Fall Harvest Festival, Eagleville. Wed–Sun, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. From $18.
• Now–Oct. 31Shuckle's Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch, Fiddle Dee Farms, Greenbrier.
• Now–Nov. 1Cheekwood Harvest, Nashville. Tue–Sun, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Adults $21–$29, kids 2 and under free.
• Now–Nov. 1Boo at the Zoo, Nashville Zoo. Nightly 5–9 p.m., with 10 trick-or-treat stations. Tickets required.
• Now–Nov. 1Fall Festival at The Farm, Honeysuckle Hill Farm, Springfield.
• Oct. 16–18Nashville Fall Festival, 8687 Old Harding Pike.
• Oct. 16Friday Night Fall Market, Circle P Ranch, Mt. Juliet. 4–8 p.m.
• Oct. 17Harvest Fest, LC Mount Juliet, Westwood Blvd. 3 p.m. Free.
• Oct. 17Old Hickory Village Harvest Festival, 1700 Golf Club Rd. 4 p.m. Free.
• Oct. 17Paws & Pumpkins, Sumner County Animal Services, Gallatin. 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
• Oct. 24–25PumpkinFest, Main Street, Franklin. Sat 10–6, Sun 11–5. The 41st year and the first with two days, with 140+ vendors, three music stages and costume contests.
• Oct. 25First Mt. Juliet Fall Fest, 3 p.m. Free.

Dates and times can change. Check with organizers before you go.

Trunk or Treat in Wilson County

• Oct. 24Trunk or Treat, Breeden's Orchard, Mt. Juliet.
• Oct. 24Halloween in the Park, Charlie Daniels Park, Mt. Juliet. 11 a.m. Free.
• Oct. 25Halloween on the Square, downtown Lebanon.
• Oct. 25The Glade Church Trunk or Treat, 3 p.m. Early access for special needs families at 2:30.
• Oct. 31Halloween in the Grove, Fiddlers Grove, Lebanon. 2:30–4 p.m. Free.
• Oct. 31Halloween Chills & Thrills, Cedars of Lebanon State Park campground. 4 p.m. $2–$4.
• Oct. 31Halloween on the Square, Watertown. 6 p.m.

Hosting a trunk or treat we missed? Tell us at givealittlenashville.com.

Trick or Treat Around Middle Tennessee

• Oct. 17Trick or Treat at The Avenue, Murfreesboro. Noon–2 p.m.
• Oct. 18Newton Nissan Trunk or Treat, Gallatin. 3–5 p.m.
• Oct. 23Classic Cars & Candy Bars, Columbia. 5–8 p.m.
• Oct. 24Goblins & Goodies, Veterans Memorial Park, La Vergne. Noon–2 p.m. Free.
• Oct. 24Bowie Nature Park Trunk or Treat, Fairview. 4–6 p.m. Free.
• Oct. 25Trick or Treat at Belle Meade, Nashville. 1–4 p.m. Free.
• Oct. 25United Methodist Church, Murfreesboro. 4–6 p.m. Free.
• Oct. 30Trick or Treat at Drakes Creek Park, Hendersonville. 6–8 p.m.
• Oct. 30Trick or Treat on the Square, Springfield. 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Dates and times can change. Check with organizers before you go.

Give A Little Christmas

Fifteen Christmases

How a Christmas party idea became a Middle Tennessee charity that has served more than 8,000 kids.

By Krys Midgett

In 2012, Glenn Douglas Tubb and his wife, Dottie, were already playing Santa and Mrs. Claus when Glenn had an idea for a Christmas party. Krys Midgett and Olivia West Hedges turned that idea into Give A Little Christmas. That first year, they helped 50 kids.

This December is the charity's 15th Christmas. It now serves more than 700 kids a year across Middle Tennessee, helping families going through an emergency or a hard season: a fire, a job loss, an illness.

Families apply or are referred by school counselors, the VA and foster organizations. Each child receives four to five gifts, including one wish from their letter to Santa.

The biggest needs are always babies 2 and under, and teenagers.

In December, volunteer elves gather at Santa's Workshop in Mt. Juliet to sort donations and fill gift bags.