‘Inside Track’ mid-month music roundup

Sneak peek at April’s Inside Track on Music Row

By Preshias Harris

Lots of news about Country artists and songwriters, record labels, upcoming albums, singles and tracks, and all of it will be in the April 2022 edition of my column, Inside Track on Music Row, the longest-running country music column in the USA, published by Nashville Music Guide.  Scroll down for a sneak peek at some of the news items already scheduled for the April column – and check out the March 2022 column, posted here at Nashville Music Guide, with my thanks to Amanda and her crew at NMG for always making the column look SO good!

Opry to celebrate life of Merle Haggard April 6

Merle Haggard in 21971. Photo: Wikipedia

The Grand Ole Opry will celebrate one of country music’s most influential artists, Merle Haggard, on the anniversary of both his birth and his death, Wednesday, April 6. Haggard was born on April 6, 1937 and passed away April 6, 2016.

The special Wednesday Night Opry will feature performances by just a few of the countless artists who have been influenced by the legend including Suzy Bogguss, his son Marty Haggard, Cody Johnson, Joe Nichols, Eli Paperboy Reed, and ACM New Female Artist winner Lainey Wilson, among others. Artists will perform Haggard classics as well as their own hits influenced by the Country Music Hall of Famer.  Tickets for the “Opry Salutes Merle Haggard” Wednesday Night Opry are on sale at (615) 871-OPRY and https://www.opry.com.  The special Wednesday night show is part of a special three-week run of Wednesday Night Opry shows during the spring break period. Wednesday shows are scheduled to return for an extended run this summer. The special Wednesday Night Opry can be heard on opry.com and https://wsmradio.com,  SiriusXM Willie’s Roadhouse, and the show’s flagship radio home, WSM Radio.  

Miranda Lambert, Mutt Nation, donate $250K to animal shelters

Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation and Tractor Supply Company, the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States, teamed up to donate more than $250,000 to animal shelters across the United States. Through MuttNation’s Mutts Across America program, the organizations issued a surprise $5,000 donation to one shelter or foster-based rescue in each state plus Washington DC, as well as a “Wildcard” pick.

“With over 14,000 shelters and rescue groups in the US, and so many deserving of support, selecting just one in each state is always the biggest challenge,” said Bev Lambert, Miranda’s mother and co-founder of MuttNation, who conceived Mutts Across America eight years ago.

“Mutts Across America was MuttNation’s very first signature program. It lets us recognize the great work done by so many dedicated people helping shelter pets across the country,” added Miranda, the multiple GRAMMY, CMA, ACM artist and reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year.  Since the initiative’s inception, MuttNation’s Mutts Across America has supported more than 400 shelters with over $1.5 million in grants. Tractor Supply first partnered with MuttNation for the initiative in 2021. More about Mutt Nation here.

Kacey Musgraves named A Woman of the Year by Time

Kacey Musgraves has been named to Time magazine’s Women of the Year list that honors twelve leaders that help to create a more equal world. Time hosted an invitation-only gala on International Women’s Day, March 8, in Los Angeles. In 2021 Musgraves released her album Star-Crossed that included songs about her personal journey since her divorce and her 2028 hit album Golden Hour

 In an interview with Time,Musgraves said, “I have been told ‘no’ a lot in terms of something that I would want to take a creative risk on. “I decided I’d rather go down in flames for something I really believe in than present a watered-down version of myself that may make me more money. You have to fight that until you can get to a place where you can have total creative freedom, and I’m getting there.”

Musgraves’ song “Camera Roll” received nominations in both Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance categories for this year’s Grammy Awards, scheduled for April 3. More at Kacey’s website and @KaceyMusgraves #Kacey Musgraves

Plus… an extra news item for March

Country music hit-maker T. Graham Brown is back this month to share incredible stories and live cuts from his close friends and industry heroes with new episodes of Live Wire on Sirius XM’S Prime Country Channel 58. March’s episodes are filled with unique memories and unforgettable moments, some recorded live at SiriusXM’s Music City Theater in Nashville.

“This episode of the Live Wire show has a winning lineup from Delbert to Hank Jr.,” shares Brown. “Classic country Joe Diffie to chanteuse Lorrie Morgan. Also, two great bands, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Sawyer Brown. I’ll be talking to longtime brother, Mark Miller, S.B.’s fearless leader. Call up a friend and tell ‘em T. Graham is on the air!”

Live Wire is also available on-demand worldwide with the SiriusXM app and Pandora with a standard SiriusXM subscription.

T. Graham Brown is a CMA award winner and has recorded 15 studio albums and charted more than 20 singles on the Billboard charts. He has had multiple number one hits in country, gospel, and blues.  See T. Graham Brown’s tour updates and more at https://tgrahambrown.com

See the March edition of Inside Track on Music Row at Nashville Music Guide here, and read the full April edition when it is posted at NMG!

Preshias Harris  is a music journalist and music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at   www.collegeofsongology.com   Follow her blog at  www.nashvillemusicline.com