Brandon Flowers is stepping back into the scene as a solo artist with the announcement of his forthcoming album Thrasher.

This is The Killers frontman’s first solo project in more than a decade. On Tuesday (June 23), Flowers revealed that the 10-track project will arrive Aug. 21 via Island Records. This marks his first solo full-length release since 2015’s The Desired Effect. Alongside the announcement, Flowers confirmed that the album’s lead single, “Plans,” will be released Friday.

According to a press release, the album explores family relationships, loss, memory and life in a small town through a collection of songs. Several tracks are inspired directly by Flowers’ personal experiences, including reflections on loved ones, childhood memories, and the picturesque landscapes that formed him long before he achieved international success.

Thrasher traces its roots to earlier moments in Flowers’ life, when he lived in Nephi, Utah, during his childhood before eventually fronting one of rock’s most iconic bands. In the press release, Flowers reveals that he drew inspiration from the music he grew up hearing with his father, including classic country storytellers such as Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found my way back to my father’s music — ‘Country-Western’ (as he called it) — and discovered that the stories I carry really feel most at home in the skin of this beautiful American tradition,” Flowers said in a statement.

In the official album trailer, Flowers is seen taking a scenic drive in his car and revisiting places that connect him to his roots in Utah. In the video, he explains the reason for releasing Thrasher, making it clear that he’s not shying away from the genre that made him famous, but rather experimenting with others.

“This is not me running away from rock and roll. I don’t want to replace my old songs. I simply found room for more,” he says in the video.

Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, Thrasher reveals Flowers’ affinity for country and Americana influences, which have been modestly threaded through his songwriting for years. Produced by Shawn Everett and Jonathan Rado, who are longtime collaborators, the album also features contributions from guitarist David Rawlings, pedal steel player Bruce Bouton and harmonica player Charlie McCoy.

Thrasher track list:

Watch the trailer for Thrasher:

Bailey Zimmerman is apologizing to fans following an incident at Sandia Resort & Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico that left the singer facing felony and misdemeanor criminal charges after allegedly causing over $16,000 in damages at a hotel.

In a statement obtained by Billboard, Zimmerman apologized. Zimmerman wrote, “To the Pueblo of Sandia and my fans: I want to address the events surrounding my canceled show in New Mexico in May and the reports that have followed. First things first, I want to apologize to the Pueblo of Sandia and to everyone at Sandia Resort & Casino. I never meant for any of this to come across as disrespectful. I am deeply sorry for my actions that transpired. I respect your community and the hospitality and appreciate the opportunity that was given to me to perform on Native Land. I take full accountability for everything that happened and I am sorry to anyone who feels hurt or disrespected.

“To my fans who bought tickets and showed up expecting a performance, I am so sorry, you deserved better from me. I understand that being a musician comes with big responsibilities, both on and off stage, and I know that I fell short that day. I am reflecting on the disappointment and concern that I caused. 

“I am taking this legal matter seriously. I am committed to doing the work necessary to learn and grow. Thank you to my fans for holding me accountable and for understanding that I am human. I do not take your support for granted. — Bailey Zimmerman.”

According to a court filing on June 18, prosecutors filed an arrest warrant against the country singer, stemming from an incident on May 27. Zimmerman was hit with a felony charge for criminal damage to property (over $1,000) as well as a misdemeanor charge of falsely obtaining services in New Mexico.

According to TMZ, the charges stemmed from a May 27 incident where Zimmerman was seemingly intoxicated during a soundcheck. Zimmerman went on to cancel the show. TMZ reported that the hotel alleged Zimmerman’s room had sustained damages of approximately $16,000. The hotel also alleged that the singer charged more than $400 in alcohol to his room, but the tab was not settled. When the hotel could not contact Zimmerman and his staff, a warrant was issued for Zimmerman’s arrest.

Zimmerman’s next scheduled concert is June 25 at the Country Drive Music Festival in Ashland, Nebraska.

Ella Langley is opening up about the role faith has played in her life.

During a stop on her Dandelion Tour on Thursday (June 18), the 27-year-old country singer paused her concert at Zoo Amphitheatre in Oklahoma City to deliver a heartfelt message to fans about overcoming struggles and finding purpose through God.

In fan-captured footage from the show, Langley began by telling the crowd that she reads the Bible “almost every single day” and explained that she now turns to her faith rather than other destructive coping mechanisms.

“Instead of trying to go to other things like I have before — either men or drugs or other feelings — to try and make myself feel a certain way, I go to him first,” the singer-songwriter said, pointing toward the sky.

Langley then reflected on a difficult period in her life.

“Last year I didn’t think I wanted to be here anymore,” she said. “And when I’m standing here right now, I’m so grateful for the day that I was given today. The only thing that has changed my mind on that situation is our God.”

The “Choosin’ Texas” hitmaker did not elaborate on the challenges she faced last year, but in August 2025 she canceled multiple opening dates on tours with Morgan Wallen and Riley Green to focus on her health.

Billboard has reached out to Langley’s representatives for additional comment.

“The thing I thought I was cut out to do my whole entire life, I didn’t know if I could do it,” she told the crowd, adding that it can be difficult to face criticism on social media when others do not know what someone is experiencing behind the scenes.

“But I’ll tell you right now, the thing that changed my mind is I realized that I have a purpose in this life,” the singer continued. “And my purpose is to stand up here, share my testimony, to be honest with my crowd, to be honest with my fans, to write the best songs that I can write, to put on the best show that I can put on, and that’s all I can do.”

Langley closed her remarks with an encouraging message to the audience.

“I just want you to remember that there’s one North Star and we all know who that is,” she said. “So if you just wake up and focus on that every day, you give 1% better than you gave the day before, you’re going to get through it. And you’re going to be back to living life, I promise you.”

Langley has made historic strides on the Billboard charts, recently becoming the first woman to earn three simultaneous top 10 hits on the Country Airplay chart with “Be Her,” “Choosin’ Texas” and her Wallen collaboration, “I Can’t Love You Anymore.”

Langley’s sophomore album, Dandelion, also spent two weeks atop the Billboard 200 in April. Her tour in support of the project continues through August.

Just hours after his soon-to-be ex wife Bunnie Xo posted a new episode of her Dumb Blonde podcast addressing their pending divorce, Jelly Roll put up his response on his socials.

Speaking from stage in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Thursday night (June 18) on his Little ASS Shed Tour, Jelly Roll took a break from the music after performing his hit, “Liar,” and told the audience, “I wasn’t going to talk about this tonight, but while we’re talking about liars, the Internet is a liar too.”

TMZ broke the news Monday (June 15) that Jelly Roll had filed for divorce from Bunnie Xo on May 18 after 10 years together.

Reiterating that this would be the only time he addresses the divorce, he said, “Me and my wife are best friends. We will always be best friends. We just got off the phone earlier today. Nobody cheated on nobody.”

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Jelly Roll then brought up Bunnie’s podcast, saying that every word of it was true. “That will be my best friend forever… Bunnie, I love you, baby. Thank you for those 10 years.”

Earlier Thursday, Bunnie Xo declared her ongoing love for Jelly Roll. She also addressed false rumors that she had cheated on Jelly Roll with Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger or that Jelly Roll was dating pop/country singer Jessie Murph, whom he duetted with on “Wild Ones.”

As to what did precipitate the divorce, Bunnie Xo said the pair had a fight on Mother’s Day and she told him to “file the f—ing divorce papers.” And, to her surprise, he did. “Was this divorce mutual? No, it was not mutual, even though I told him to file the divorce papers, I was speaking out of anger and just frustration,” she said on the podcast. “But was it necessary for us to have a wakeup call? … Absolutely. … My husband and I are ending this marriage on the best possible terms that you could ever have a divorce.” She added that over the past 18 months, they had “stopped communicating together.”

The pair had been very open about their struggles to have a child and their IVF journey and Bunnie said the divorce is not ending that quest. “We’re still having a baby together. We’re going to co-parent together. He’s my best friend. … J has been so f—in’ great about us having a baby together. We’re going to raise our little nugget as one big happy family.”

Jelly Roll’s Little ASS Shed Tour continues Saturday night, June 20 at Maine Savings Amphitheater in Bangor, Maine.

Bunnie Xo has spoken out about the recent news that she and Jelly Roll are going through a divorce.

On Thursday (June 18), Bunnie Xo dropped a new episode of her Dumb Blonde podcast titled “The Divorce,” and over the course of nearly an hour, she addressed Jelly Roll’s recent divorce filing and cleared up rumors that have been swirling recently in the wake of the news.

On Monday, news broke that the couple were divorcing after 10 years together. According to court documents filed in Tennessee, Jelly Roll filed for divorce on May 18 in Williamson County. Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo met in 2015 and married in 2016.

On the podcast, Bunnie Xo started out by sharing that she still has love for Jelly Roll. “He is my best friend. He’s always been my best friend,” she said. “I love that man more than life itself. … Even today, behind the scenes, your girl is still riding for that man.”

After noting that she sometimes calls Jelly Roll her “husband” as she’s still getting used to them not being together, Bunnie Xo quickly addressed several rumors directly, including one report that she’s with Nickelback lead singer Chad Kroeger.

“No, I did not cheat on my husband and leave him for Chad, or none of that. … I am so sorry to Chad and Nickelback for this happening. … I love them and it’s so f—ed up that the Internet can just run with a narrative and people just run with it, so there’s no Chad and Bunnie Xo,” she said, adding, “Your girl is not ever going to be in another relationship. I’m about to be a playa.” She also put to rest a false rumor about Jelly Roll dating fellow country singer Jessie Murph, with whom he had the hit collab “Wild Ones.”

Later in the podcast, she responded to those who claimed the entire 10-year relationship between Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo was fake. “I don’t care what anybody says: It was real. The proof is in the pudding. Look what the f— we built, ladies and gentlemen. It’s crazy when you look at all we accomplished together, and the only way that could happen is two people who love each other.”

She says the divorce filing stemmed from an argument she and Jelly Roll got into on Mother’s Day.

“J and I have never been really good at having disagreements, so we were the type of couple who never argued. … He would be holding things in and I would be holding things in, and it was a recipe for disaster. … On Mother’s Day, we had a little bit of an argument, which I don’t think the details are necessary, and in that argument, I was so fed up and so tired that I just looked at him and said, ‘Well, then file the f—ing divorce papers.’ And in our relationship, that is the one cardinal thing you don’t say, even though my husband has said it numerous times, ’cause he’s the runner. But when I say it, it really holds weight, because I’m not the type of person who says what they don’t mean. And I ended up leaving. I packed a bag and I left. … And I didn’t talk to my husband for weeks after that. And during that … we were so emotional, he ended up doing exactly what I told him to do and filing the divorce papers. Was I blindsided? Was this divorce mutual? No, it was not mutual, even though I told him to file the divorce papers, I was speaking out of anger and just frustration. But was it necessary for us to have a wakeup call? … Absolutely. … My husband and I are ending this marriage on the best possible terms that you could ever have a divorce.”

Bunnie Xo also said that she and Jelly Roll each reacted to fame and Jelly Roll’s hectic schedule differently.

“I love my husband, but he literally is go-go-go. He literally will not sit down, he’s a kid in a candy store. The world is his oyster, and you know what? Go, baby, go. And that’s exactly what I told him in the beginning, ‘Just go, do whatever you got to do.’ I’m a little bit more reserved. I like to lay back, have my energy and then go pop out when I want to be seen. I don’t like the fame sh–. I’ve never liked this fame sh–. I don’t care who you are, I don’t care what your status is, I don’t care how much I can gain from you — not saying this about my husband, I’m just saying this in general. I don’t like fame. I don’t have a good relationship with it. … I’ve been doing a lot of therapy. My husband is the complete opposite. He’s a politician. He loves to shake hands and kiss babies and that’s his personality.”

Bunnie said that over the past nearly two years, they had stopped communicating together.

“We stopped communicating together in the past year and a half, and I think it’s safe for me to say that I always loved my husband a little bit more than he loved me. I was very, like, always protecting him and always making sure he was OK and always chasing him, and I literally was the glue that held us together. And that’s not taking a shot, that’s me being 100% honest. I was always the chaser. In a twin flame relationship, there’s a runner and a chaser. … In this past year and a half, because I felt like he wasn’t pouring into me and I wasn’t pouring into him and we weren’t communicating and we just weren’t on the same page, I stopped chasing him. And when I say I stopped chasing him, I stopped everything. I just kind of went into myself and was dealing with a lot of depression and dealing with these losses by myself. Technically, if we want to get into it, I’ve been surrounded by death since 2022,” she said, referring to weathering several losses, including a tough journey of trying to have children, and the ending of her marriage to Jelly Roll.

Bunnie Xo has previously been open on her podcast about their journey through IVF treatments in the process of trying to have a baby together. Bunnie also updated fans on that front, saying, “We’re still having a baby together. We’re going to co-parent together. He’s my best friend. … J has been so f—in’ great about us having a baby together. We’re going to raise our little nugget as one big happy family.”

She also updated fans on the splitting of assets, noting that Bunnie Xo will be getting a property that has multiple houses on it, and many of the couple’s animals will live on the property. She also noted that she and Jelly Roll are still on good terms and said that he encouraged her to record the podcast.

“J and I literally talked for two hours today before we did this podcast. … He wants me to do this podcast,” she said. “He’s like, ‘Please clear up some sh– for me.’ I will always protect him.”

Bunnie Xo also said that Jelly Roll is starting to date again, and his soon-to-be ex-wife championed that. “Daddy Roll is probably in his finest season. … He looks so good and he’s healthier than he’s ever been. He’s started dating, which is great. I love that,” she said.

Elsewhere, she added, “Nobody cheated on the other person. It’s literally just we served our purpose for each other.” She also said, “What we built together as a team … it’s built on love and it’s ending with love. And we are continuing because we are having our little nugget together.”

During a concert Thursday night in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Jelly Roll also spoke out onstage, telling the crowd that every word of her podcast episode was true, and saying, “That will be my best friend forever… Bunnie, I love you, baby. Thank you for those 10 years.”

Watch Bunnie Xo’s full Dumb Blonde podcast below:

In the middle of her first-ever appearance at the Country Music Association’s CMA Fest, Melissa Etheridge mused that the experience was “like speed dating.”

Her 30-minute June 5 set, she added a few days later, was just enough to give the audience a taste: “Do you like me? You want to see me again? Okay. Bye.”

Pop and rock artists have played the country-centered festival for years. Acts who’ve graced its stages include Joan Jett, Lenny Kravitz, Don McLean, The Beach Boys, Steven Tyler, Richie Sambora, Jason Mraz, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Backstreet Boys and Pharell Williams, and most of them found their way to the big stage at Nissan Stadium.

During the latest edition, June 4-7, yacht-rock prince Michael McDonald and rapper Fetty Wap landed on the main stage. Etheridge and rap’s Waka Flocka Flame played the Dr. Amp Stage on successive days, and they made additional stops on the CMA Closeup Stage. Etheridge had a public conversation with Gretchen Wilson, while Waka Flocka joined The Nappy Roots for “Country & Rap: The Black Southern Roots of American Music.” Additionally, Bon Jovi’s Nashville bar, JBJs, presented more than two dozen rock and alternative acts, topped by Cage the Elephant, in the heart of the festival’s footprint.

Etheridge was there to work, using the occasion to promote her new album — Rise, featuring a Chris Stapleton duet and production by Shooter Jennings (Tanya Tucker, Charley Crockett) — and the 27-date Raised on Radio Tour, featuring co-headliner Wynonna Judd.

“When you’re a legacy artist, it’s not so easy to release a new album,” she told Wilson on the Closeup Stage.

The 2026 country audience, Etheridge reasoned, includes some of her fan base, and her music is compatible enough with the genre that she would likely attract some new followers. She already has her own history with country — her first two bands, as a teenager in Kansas, were country groups; she teamed with Dolly Parton in a 2003 episode of CMT Crossroads; she penned a Trisha Yearwood single, “You Can Sleep While I Drive”; and she became friends with Tammy Wynette back in the day.

“My lifestyle and stuff was always sort of outside of the country music realm, but in the last decade or so, it’s opened up,” Etheridge says. “The country music world is a place now where people are still buying albums, they want to go on the whole journey, they want to go see the artist live. That excitement for music is still there, and the kind of rock ‘n’ roll that I play, it’s country now.”

Country is extraordinarily wide in its current stylistic range,  as demonstrated at CMA Fest. It still boasts artists with strong traditional roots — Riley Green’s “Worst Way” and “Change My Mind” brought old-school vibes to the stadium, while newcomer Braxton Keith injected agile and authentic western swing into his June 5 appearance at Billboard Country Live.

There are plenty of other sonics, too. HARDY packed thundering hard-rock chords into “God’s Country” and Nirvana guitar tones into “Truck Bed” at Nissan; Stephen Wilson Jr. used a buzzing guitar texture and from-the-gut intensity on “Gary” the same night; Atlus evinced 1980s and ‘90s power pop in his June 5 performance at the Good Molecules Reverb Stage; Kameron Marlowe utilized a meaty, soulful vocal resonance that’s mindful of Paul Carrack or Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers; and Graham Barham infused hip-hop influence into several songs in his June 4 set at the Chevy Vibes Stage.

While it might fold in those other influences, country has a reputation for a more tangible bond between artist and fan, and that’s evident from some of the other activities at CMA Fest. Carly Pearce brought her annual Carly’s Closet auction to the festival to raise money for the CMA Foundation; Ty Myers, Tyler Braden, Randy Travis and Walker Hayes were among the acts who signed autographs and posed for fan photos; and numerous performers met their most ardent followers at fan club events.

Hunter Hayes, as an example, hosted four intimate performances at the Vinyl Vault, inside Mel’s Diner, for about 50-70 people per show. He took requests, answered off-the-cuff questions and even had one fan — experiencing her 385th Hayes performance in 15 years — duet with him.

“CMA Fest is phenomenal,” he told one group of fans on June 6. “You could see anything and everything at any time, and I wanted a moment where I could just kind of be human with you.”

That kind of personal interaction, even if it is somewhat orchestrated, unites artists and fans, and while country has plenty of egos, it’s an experience that reminds the industry as a whole how much it depends on the interest of millions of ordinary people to keep it humming.

“It’s not normal to be famous,” Clint Black told the audience on June 5 in a Country Closeup Q&A with Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase. “You guys are watching as Ella [Langley] or Riley Green are skyrocketing, and they’re there in a storm swirling around them, and they’re learning, and I think they’re handling it really well. But if you watch people rise to stardom and all of that stuff, pray for them, pray for them to be able to handle the weirdness.”

Changes are afoot for the festival, which is scheduled to take place again June 10-13, 2027. The nightly shows will likely be moving into a new stadium, and CMA will have a new CEO, as current leader Sarah Trahern preps for retirement. Luke Bryan closed out the final Nissan night, wrapping with his party number “Country Girl (Shake It for Me)” and sending a shoutout to Trahern from the stage.

The festival will be back, Trahern has indicated she will still attend as a fan, and Etheridge demonstrated why pop, rock and R&B acts would want to keep dipping their toes in the festival water.

She was impressed by the professionalism she witnessed as CMA handled the on-and-off logistics of staging hundreds of acts, and felt like she was playing to an audience that suits her music.

Etheridge was enthusiastic about returning “if,” she said, “they’ll have me. I think it’s a great experience.”

10 Years Ago

When Dierks Bentley’s ‘Black’ Eyed The Summit On Top Country Albums

The project took its title from a song conceived after his 10th wedding anniversary

In the wake of Dierks Bentley’s diamond anniversary in 2015, he wrote a song inspired by his wife, Cassidy, branding it “Black” in recognition of her maiden name.

That song emerged as the title track of his eighth Capitol Nashville album, and on June 18, 2016, Black topped Billboard’s Top Country Albums in its first chart week, becoming the sixth of Bentley’s seven trips to the list’s summit.

Produced by Ross Copperman (Darius Rucker, Gabby Barrett), the project was shaped around the topics of love and sex, exploring some of the dark feelings and inner fears that are, at times, tested by relationships. The first single, “Somewhere on a Beach,” burned its way to No. 1 on Hot Country Songs for three weeks beginning on the April 30, 2016, list, ahead of the album’s May 27 release. “Different for Girls,” a collaboration with Elle King, rose to No. 3, while “Black” painted the list at No. 4.

King wasn’t alone among the album’s familiar contributors. Also on the Black list were Maren Morris, who showed up on “I’ll be the Moon”; and New Orleans’ Trombone Shorty, who appeared on “Mardi Gras.” Black earned a Gold album from the RIAA on Feb. 22, 2017, and was elevated to Platinum status on Oct. 28, 2022.

Bentley’s inaugural run to No. 1 on Top Country Albums came with Modern Day Drifter, which led the chart dated May 28, 2005. His most recent return to the summit came with The Mountain, which peaked on the list dated June 23, 2018.

                         

At the Braves Country Fest in Atlanta over the weekend, country music audiences got a treat when two of the genre’s biggest stars teamed up for a surprise collab.

Cody Johnson and Ella Langley surprised fans Saturday with a duet version of Reba McEntire’s “Whoever’s in New England” during Johnson’s set. Johnson has a history with the McEntire classic: He previously recorded an acoustic version of the song in 2020, while McEntire herself joined Johnson to sing the song during his set at CMA Fest in 2023.

“Whoever’s in New England” is the title track from McEntire’s 1986 album and reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart. The song also earned McEntire a Grammy for female country vocal performance. “Whoever’s in New England” also earned CMA nominations for single of the year and music video of the year (Jon Small directed the clip).

Both Johnson and Langley are at the top of their games. Johnson was named entertainer of the year at the recent Academy of Country Music Awards (in addition to winning male artist of the year). His song “The Fall” recently rose to No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, marking his third No. 1 on that chart. Johnson also previously collaborated with McEntire on the song “Dear Rodeo.”

Meanwhile, Langley’s hit “Choosin’ Texas” just keeps breaking chart records. The song logged 10 weeks atop the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and set a new Hot Country Songs chart record for longest-leading hit by a woman with no other credited recording artists since the survey became the genre’s main songs chart in 1958. At this year’s ACM Awards, Langley earned honors for female artist of the year, artist-songwriter of the year, song of the year and single of the year (both for “Choosin’ Texas”), as well as music event of the year (“Don’t Mind If I Do” with Riley Green).

In addition to Langley and Johnson, Braves Country Fest also featured sets from Ernest, Mackenzie Carpenter, Scoot Teasley, Zach John King and Colton Bowlin. The fest benefited the Atlanta Braves Foundation.

Watch their onstage collaboration below:

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Wearing a Spurs jersey, Texas native Mickey Guyton sang the U.S. national anthem at game five of the 2026 NBA Finals Saturday night (June 13). The game had the San Antonio Spurs in their hometown, playing the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center.

The country singer — a four-time Grammy nominee who’s no stranger to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” having notably performed it at the Super Bowl a few years ago — put her natural twang into a powerful vocal delivery that had her hitting a triumphant high note on “free” in the last line of the national anthem.

Born in Arlington, Texas, Guyton’s personal connection to the national anthem runs deep — it was a mesmerizing performance by a very young LeAnn Rimes at a Texas Rangers game, when both Guyton and Rimes were just kids, that inspired her to pursue a music career. “Our church had drove from Waco to Arlington to see a Texas Rangers game,” she recalled to Billboard in an interview back in 2015. “I’ll never forget it. We were all the way in the nosebleed section, and I wasn’t more than 8 or 9 years old. The announcer came on the PA and said, ‘Here is 10-year-old LeAnn Rimes performing the national anthem.’ I thought, ’10? She’s 10?’ Then, she starts singing, and she sounds like a grown woman. It was so bittersweet because I wanted to do that. I was so envious of her.”

Guyton’s latest album release is her sophomore full-length studio set, 2024’s House on Fire, which was led by the single “Nothing Compares to You” featuring Kane Brown.

She recently performed at the 51st annual Gracies Awards Gala, presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF). The May event, held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., honored actress Andie MacDowell and was hosted by Yvette Nicole Brown.

Watch Guyton’s performance of the national anthem at Saturday’s Spurs vs. Knicks game below.

Bill Cody, the beloved presenter whose decades-long presence on WSM-AM Nashville, and as a regular host of the Grand Ole Opry, made him, for several generations, the voice of country music radio, died Tuesday (June 9) following a health battle. He was 67.

Cody joined the team at WSM on April 25, 1994, fronting the flagship morning show, Coffee, Country & Cody, the format for which he developed into a series on the Circle Network. Charlie Daniels was the first of Cody’s incalculable in-studio guests, many of whom became close friends. Later in the decade, Cody hosted mornings on WSM-FM before returning to the AM dial at the turn of the millennium.

Over time, Cody racked up an impressive stash of hosting credits, including the long-running Opry Country Classics, the Master Series for Great American Country, Tennessee’s Wild Side on public television, and the syndicated radio shows Classic Country Weekend With Bill Cody and Pure American Country.

His awards cabinet was formidable, too. He was inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 2008, received a star on the Music City Walk of Fame in 2024, and will be posthumously inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame later this year. 

The son of a Southern Baptist preacher in Lebanon, Kentucky, Cody cut his teeth in radio as a teenager, landing a gig at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, for a disc jockey spot at Lexington station WVLK. At the suggestion of his boss at the time, the 17-year-old dropped his given name, Trent Clutts, and adopted the name Bill Cody, a tip of the hat to one of his childhood heroes, “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Along the way, he’d work at WHAS and WCII in Louisville, Kentucky, WHOO in Orlando, Florida, and KKYX in San Antonio, Texas. 

As news of Cody’s passing spread, the country music community paid tribute.

“Country music has lost one of its pillars,” remarks Dierks Bentley. “Bill was just as important to the fabric of our music and city as any artist, songwriter or musician. No one loved country music, its history and its characters more than Bill Cody. Prayers to his family and Charlie and Kelly and everyone that knew and loved him at WSM and the Opry.”

Adds Garth Brooks: “There might be someone somewhere in the world who loved country music as much, but nobody loved country music more than Bill Cody.”

Carly Pearce salutes Cody for devoting his life “to telling the story of country music. With a legacy spanning decades, he will be marked as one of the greatest of all time. For me, he was so much more than that. He was my friend. He will be so very missed on this side of heaven, but I rejoice knowing he is with our Heavenly Father.”

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A statement from the Grand Ole Opry remembers Cody “for his kindness, humility, and genuine gift for connection. He was a trusted voice, a generous friend, and a constant companion to generations of listeners.”

The late announcer grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry with his father. This Saturday night, the Grand Ole Opry will dedicate the show to Cody.

“Everyone at the Grand Ole Opry, in country music, in Nashville – and across the country – will remember Bill for his profound gravitas, his incredible voice, and his positive and infectious enthusiasm for country music,” writes Patrick Moore, CEO, Opry Entertainment Group. “For those of us who were lucky enough to work with Bill as a colleague, he brightened every single day and changed our lives for the better. Bill will be sorely missed. Rest in Peace, Trent from Gravel Switch.”

Cody had recently been hospitalized for heart and kidney failure. Earlier, his daughter, Hannah Davis, shared on Facebook: “We will never be able to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and the sincere prayers over the last few weeks. We know God heard them and we feel a deep peace that one day we will understand why God chose to still take him.”

Wynonna will release her first solo album in a decade this fall, when her album The Hard Truth releases Oct. 2 via ANTI- Records.

This album will mark her first time co-writing a project and will welcome fellow artists and storytellers Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers), The War and Treaty, and Iron & Wine.

“I’ve spent a lifetime singing about heartbreak, healing, faith, and survival, but I’ve never made a record like this one,” Wynonna said in a statement about the album. “These songs tell the truth about where I’ve been, what I’ve lost, what I’ve overcome, and who I’ve become. This album asked me to be brave enough to tell the truth—even when my voice shook. It challenged me to let go of perfectionism and embrace the beauty of honest emotion. My hope is that when you hear these songs, you feel what I was feeling while writing and recording them. If they help someone feel seen, understood, or a little less alone, then every hard truth was worth telling.”

Wynonna worked with her husband, producer/musician Cactus Moser, to create the project’s songs.

“Being a part of this record, and helping bring these songs to life as its producer, has been the most important work I’ve known,” Moser said in a statement. “We started with nothing but a feeling and emotion and ended up with an entire album that captures Wynonna’s story with a level of honesty she’s never experienced in her career. It’s the kind of record that makes a difference and reminds you why music exists in the first place.” 

The album’s lead single, “Kentucky Queen,” finds Wynonna singing of forging triumph from dark times, while also reclaiming her home state. Wynonna wrote the song with Moser, Sarah Siskind and Justin Weaver.

This summer, Wynonna will be on a co-headlining tour with Melissa Etheridge and will also lead a mini-tour of Kentucky shows, including a concert in Wynonna’s hometown of Ashland.

See the track list for Wynonna’s album The Hard Truth below:

1. “Prelude (All Downhill From Ashland)”
2. “All Downhill From Ashland”
3. “Everything” (feat. Patterson Hood)
4. “Am I Missing Out”
5. “Broken And Blessed”
6. “Hear Me Now” (feat. Iron & Wine)
7. “The Hopeful Lie” (feat. The War And Treaty)
8. “Kentucky Queen”
9. “Girl Who Could Sing”
10. “Drive”
11. “Love Ain’t Got The Best Of Me”