McKinley Morganfield, known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicago blues". His style of playing has been described as "raining down Delta beatitude".
The Country Music Association (CMA) is an American trade association with the stated aim of promoting and developing country music throughout the world. Founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee, it originally consisted of 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre. The CMA is best known for its annual CMA Fest and Country Music Association Awards broadcast live on network television each fall.
Patrick James Carney is an American musician and producer best known as the drummer of the Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio.
Miranda Leigh Lambert is an American country singer, songwriter and guitarist. Born in Longview, Texas, she started out in early 2001 when she released her self-titled debut album independently. In 2003, she finished in third place on the television program Nashville Star, a singing competition which aired on the USA Network. Outside her solo career, she is a member of the Pistol Annies, a group she formed in 2011 alongside Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley. Lambert has been honored by the Grammy Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association Awards. Lambert has been honored with more Academy of Country Music Awards than any artist in history and was named by the Chicago Tribune as the "greatest country music artist of all time" in 2019.
Kenneth Eric Church is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has released nine studio albums through Capitol Nashville since 2005. His debut album, 2006's Sinners Like Me, produced three singles on the Billboard country charts including the top 20 hits "How 'Bout You", "Two Pink Lines", and "Guys Like Me".
Zac Brown Band is an American country music band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown, Jimmy De Martini, John Driskell Hopkins, Coy Bowles, Chris Fryar (drums), Clay Cook, Matt Mangano, Daniel de los Reyes (percussion), and Caroline Jones.
Shawn Randolph Houser is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Universal South Records in 2008, he charted the single "Anything Goes". It was a top 20 hit on the Billboard country singles chart and the title track to his debut album of the same name, which also produced his first top 5 hit, "Boots On". In 2012, he moved to Broken Bow Records imprint Stoney Creek. He reached number one with "How Country Feels", the title track to his third album, and with "Runnin' Outta Moonlight" in 2013. The follow-up singles from the same album were "Goodnight Kiss", which reached number one on the Mediabase Country Chart and number two on the Country Airplay chart, and "Like a Cowboy", which reached number 3 on the Country Airplay chart in March 2015 and received a 2015 Country Music Association Awards Song of the Year nomination.
The Black Ryder is songwriting duo Aimee Nash and Scott Von Ryper, who originate from Sydney, Australia.
Christopher Alvin Stapleton is an American country singer-songwriter, guitarist, and the husband of Morgane Stapleton. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and grew up in Staffordsville, Kentucky. In 1996, Stapleton moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to get an engineering degree from Vanderbilt University, but dropped out to pursue his career in music. Subsequently, he signed a contract with Sea Gayle Music to write and publish his music.
"Tennessee Whiskey" is a country song written by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove. It was originally recorded by country artist David Allan Coe for his album of the same name, peaking at number 77 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1981. George Jones' 1983 version of the song was included on his album Shine On, and reached number two on the Hot Country Singles chart.
Margaret Rose Durante is an American soul and country music singer. In 2009, Durante signed to Universal Republic and released a cover of Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody". A year later, she left Universal Republic and signed to independent Emrose Records, an imprint that used the services of James Stroud's Stroudavarious Records. She charted two singles for Emrose and released her digital EP, Maybe Tonight. Maggie also recorded two songs that were featured in episodes of the Disney Channel's Shake It Up and Good Luck Charlie television series, and were included on the Shake It Up: Break It Down soundtrack album that was released on July 12, 2011. Durante changed her recording name to Maggie Rose in 2012 after signing with Scott Siman's RPM Management. When Siman expanded RPM to include a mainstream country label, he launched the album with her as the flagship artist with the first single being "I Ain't Your Mama". In 2017, Rose signed to Startruck Records, where she released her 2018 album Change the Whole Thing.
Kacey Lee Musgraves is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She began her career in the early 2000s, when she self-released three solo albums and recorded another album as a member of the duo Texas Two Bits. In 2007, Musgraves appeared on the fifth season of the USA Network singing competition Nashville Star, where she finished in seventh place. In 2012, she signed with Mercury Nashville and released the hit single "Merry Go 'Round". Her major-label debut studio album, Same Trailer Different Park (2013), won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.
Old Dominion is a modern American country music band formed in Nashville. The band consists of Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Whit Sellers (drums), Geoff Sprung, and Brad Tursi. Their music is contemporary country with rock instrumentation, and has pop overtones.
Jesse Vernon Frasure, also known as DJ Telemitry, is an American music publisher, record producer, songwriter, and DJ. He has written 22 number one songs and has cuts with various artists including Chris Stapleton, Marshmello, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Thomas Rhett, Leon Bridges, Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Blake Shelton, Cole Swindell, Meghan Trainor, Florida Georgia Line and more.
The Jekyll and Hyde Tour was the fifth headlining concert tour by American country music group the Zac Brown Band, in support of their fourth studio album Jekyll + Hyde (2015). The tour began on May 1, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee and finished on December 11 that year in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This was the sixteenth ranked tour of 2015 and grossed $45.2 million in revenue.
Caitlyn Elizabeth Smith is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She was raised in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. Smith's debut album Starfire was released on Monument Records on January 19, 2018. Her second studio album, Supernova, was released on March 13, 2020. Her third album High & Low was released on April 14, 2023.
Christian Lopez is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Martinsburg, West Virginia. He was also the front man and guitarist of the Christian Lopez Band. Beyond Lopez, band members as of 2023 include Dan Gallagher on bass, and Joey Antico on drums.
Cale Dodds is an American country music artist and songwriter who is currently signed to Spirit Music Group.
Jessy Wilson is an American singer from Brooklyn and former member of the rock duo Muddy Magnolias.
Robert Deaton is an American film and television producer and director. Since 2007, he has been the executive producer of the Country Music Association Awards on ABC and was the executive producer of the Billboard Music Awards on NBC from 2018 to 2022. He first came to prominence producing and directing predominately country music videos as creator and founder of the production company, Deaton-Flanigen Productions (DFP). The firm's clientele included acts like Martina McBride, Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire, and numerous others. Through DFP, Deaton also worked on the opening title sequence for Monday Night Football and has directed or produced various commercials and television specials. In recent years, Deaton has worked as a producer on several albums for acts like Michael W. Smith, King Calaway, and Stone Cold Country, A 60th Anniversary Tribute to the Rolling Stones.
