Tuesday 1/18/22 12pm ET: Feature Artist: Mark Collie

George Mark Collie (born January 18, 1956) is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, actor, record producer, and fundraiser for Type 1 diabetes study. He has won awards and acclaim for his music, his acting, and his philanthropy. His singing career has included five major-label albums: four for MCA Nashville and one for Giant Records. Sixteen of his singles have charted on Hot Country Songs, including the top ten hits “Even the Man in the Moon Is Cryin'” and “Born to Love You”.

Collie has also written songs for Aaron Tippin, Alabama, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, and JT Hodges. His acting career includes roles in Fire Down Below, The Punisher, and Kill Switch.

Monday 1/17/22 12pm ET: Feature Artist: Kid Rock

Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known professionally as Kid Rock (also known as Bobby Shazam), is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. His style alternates between rock, hip hop, country, and heavy metal. A self-taught musician, he plays every instrument in his backing band and has overseen production on all but two of his albums.

Kid Rock started his music career as a rapper and DJ, releasing his debut album Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast (1990) on Jive Records. His subsequent independent releases The Polyfuze Method (1993) and Early Mornin’ Stoned Pimp (1996) saw him developing a more distinctive style, which was fully realized on his breakthrough album Devil Without a Cause (1998), which sold 14 million copies. This album and its follow-up, Cocky (2001), were noted for blending elements of hip hop, country, rock and heavy metal. His most successful single from that period, “Cowboy” (1999), is considered a pioneering song in the country rap genre.[3] His best-selling singles overall are “Picture” (2002) and “All Summer Long” (2008). Starting with his 2007 album Rock n Roll Jesus, his musical output has tended to be in the country and rock styles.

Monday 1/17/22 10am ET: Artist Countdown: Ronnie Milsap Top 30 Hits

Ronnie Lee Milsap (born Ronald Lee Millsaps; January 16, 1943) is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country music’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s. He became one of the most successful and versatile country “crossover” singers of his time, appealing to both country and pop music markets with hit songs that incorporated pop, R&B, and rock and roll elements. His biggest crossover hits include “It Was Almost Like a Song”, “Smoky Mountain Rain”, “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me”, “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It for the World”, “Any Day Now”, and “Stranger in My House”. He is credited with six Grammy Awards and 35 number-one country hits, third to George Strait and Conway Twitty. He was selected for induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2014.

In October 2018, Billboard announced that Milsap would release a duets album, titled Ronnie Milsap: The Duets in January 2019. The album was released on January 18, 2019.

Milsap’s son, Ronald Todd Milsap, was found dead on February 23, 2019, on his houseboat. Ronald Todd’s son, who had not heard from his father for the past two days, found the body. Ronald Todd was 49.

Joyce Reeves Milsap, wife, died on Sept. 6, 2021 She was 81.

In Memoriam: Dallas Frazier (1939 – 2022)

Dallas Frazier (October 27, 1939 – January 14, 2022) was an American country musician and songwriter who had success in the 1950s and 1960s.

Frazier was born in Spiro, Oklahoma, United States, but was raised in Bakersfield, California. As a teenager, he played with Ferlin Husky and on the program Hometown Jamboree; and released his first single, “Space Command”, at age 14 in 1954. As he told writer Edd Hurt in a 2008 profile for the music website Perfect Sound Forever, “We were part of The Grapes of Wrath. We were the Okies who went out to California with mattresses tied on the tops of their Model A Fords. My folks were poor. At twelve I moved away from home, with my folks’ permission. Ferlin [Husky] offered me a job, and I started working with him when I was twelve. Then I recorded a side for Capitol Records when I was fourteen, and I did some country. I cut in the big circular building that’s still out there on Hollywood and Vine.”

Frazier’s 1957 song “Alley Oop”, later taken to No. 1 in the US by The Hollywood Argyles, was his first hit. After Hometown Jamboree went off the air, Frazier moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and found work as a songwriter. Among his early successes was “Timber I’m Falling”, a hit for Husky in 1964, and “There Goes My Everything”, a big hit for Jack Greene in 1966, that earned him a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Country Song.

In 1966, he released his solo debut album Elvira, containing his song “Elvira”. His follow-up, Tell It Like It Is (1967), was also a success.

While his singing success was limited, Frazier became an oft-covered songwriter. His tunes were recorded by O.C. Smith, George Jones (who recorded an entire album of Frazier’s songs in 1968), Diana Ross, Engelbert Humperdinck, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jack Greene, Connie Smith (who also recorded an entire album of Frazier’s songs in 1972), Willie Nelson, Brenda Lee, Carola, Charley Pride, Merle Haggard, Gene Watson, Elvis Presley, Moe Bandy, Roy Head, Charlie Louvin, Rodney Crowell, Dan McCafferty, Poco, and Ronnie Hawkins. In 1970, Frazier earned his second Grammy nomination for Best Country Song, which is awarded to the songwriter rather than the performer, for “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me), which became a No. 1 hit for Charley Pride. Many of the songs became hits into the 1980s; examples include the Oak Ridge Boys cover of “Elvira” and Emmylou Harris’s version of “Beneath Still Waters”. The cover of “Elvira” by the Oak Ridge Boys was a crossover hit, peaking at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart and No. 5 on the all genre Billboard Hot 100; and earned Frazier his third Grammy nomination for Best Country song. Anne Murray with Glen Campbell, George Strait, Randy Travis, and Patty Loveless have all also recorded Frazier tunes. Frazier himself charted eight times on the U.S. country chart.

He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1976.

In 1988, Frazier left the music industry and became a minister.

Frazier died on January 14, 2022, from complications of a stroke suffered late 2021.

In Memoriam: Ralph Emery (1933 – 2022)

Walter Ralph Emery (March 10, 1933 – January 15, 2022) was an American country music disc jockey and television host from Nashville, Tennessee. He gained national fame hosting the syndicated television music series, Pop! Goes the Country, from 1974 to 1980 and the nightly Nashville Network television program, Nashville Now, from 1983 to 1993. From 2007 to 2015, Emery hosted the weekly program, Ralph Emery Live, on RFD-TV, a satellite and cable television channel devoted to rural American culture.

A statement from the Emery family says Ralph died peacefully Saturday morning at TriStar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, surrounded by family. Emery leaves behind his wife Joy, three sons, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Thursday 1/13/22 1pm ET: Feature Artist – Oak Ridge Boys

The Oak Ridge Boys are an American country and gospel vocal quartet. The group was founded in the 1940s as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in southern gospel during the 1950s. Their name was changed to the Oak Ridge Boys in the early 1960s, and they remained a gospel group until the mid-1970s, when they changed their image and concentrated on country music.

The lineup which produced their most well-known country and crossover hits (such as “Elvira” (1981), “Bobbie Sue” (1982), and “American Made” (1983) consists of Duane Allen (lead), Joe Bonsall (tenor), William Lee Golden (baritone), and Richard Sterban (bass). Golden and Allen joined the group in the mid-1960s, and Sterban and Bonsall joined in the early 1970s. Aside from an eight-year gap (1987–95) when Golden left the group and was replaced, this lineup has been together since 1973 and continues to tour and record.

Thursday 1/13/22 12pm ET: Feature Artist – Trace Adkins

Tracy Darrell Adkins (born January 13, 1962) is an American country singer and actor. Adkins made his debut in 1996 with the album Dreamin’ Out Loud, released on Capitol Records Nashville. Since then, Adkins has released ten more studio albums and two Greatest Hits compilations. In addition, he has charted more than 20 singles on the Billboard country music charts, including the Number One hits “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing”, “Ladies Love Country Boys”, and “You’re Gonna Miss This”, which peaked in 1997, 2007, and 2008, respectively.

“I Left Something Turned on at Home” went to No. 1 on Canada’s country chart. All but one of his studio albums have received gold or platinum certification in the United States; his highest-selling to date is 2005’s Songs About Me, which has been certified 2× Multi-Platinum for shipping two million copies. Adkins is widely known for his distinctive bass-baritone singing voice.

He has also made several appearances on television, including as a panelist on the game shows Hollywood Squares and Pyramid, as a 2008 finalist and as the 2013 winner on The All Star Celebrity Apprentice, as the voice for recurring character Elvin on King of the Hill, and in television commercial voice-overs for KFC and Firestone.

Also, Adkins has written an autobiography entitled A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Free-Thinking Roughneck, which was released in late 2007. He has appeared in numerous films, including The Lincoln Lawyer, Moms’ Night Out, and I Can Only Imagine.

Friday 1/7/22 12pm ET: Feature Artist: Big & Rich

Big & Rich is an American country music duo composed of Big Kenny and John Rich, both of whom are songwriters, vocalists, and guitarists. Before the duo’s foundation, Rich was bass guitarist in the country band Lonestar, while Kenny was a solo artist for Hollywood Records.

Their first studio album, Horse of a Different Color, was released in 2004. This album produced four straight Top 40 country hits, including the number 11 “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)”, plus collaborations with Cowboy Troy, Gretchen Wilson, and Martina McBride. Comin’ to Your City was released in November 2005, followed by another Top 20 single the Vietnam War-inspired “8th of November” and two more Top 40 hits. Joining the duo on this album were Cowboy Troy, Wilson, and Kris Kristofferson. Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace, released in 2007, produced their only No. 1 single, “Lost in This Moment”. Both before and during the duo’s hiatus, Rich has worked as a producer and songwriter for several other artists.

William Kenneth Alphin (born November 1, 1963), best known by his stage name Big Kenny, is an American country music singer. He and John Rich comprise the duo Big & Rich, who recorded four studio albums and charted fifteen singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Before Big & Rich, Big Kenny recorded a solo album Live a Little for Hollywood Records in 1999 (although it was not released until 2005) and fronted a band called luvjOi. He has also written or co-written several of Big & Rich’s songs with Rich, as well as singles for Gretchen Wilson, Jason Aldean, McBride & the Ride, and Tim McGraw. His first solo single, “Long After I’m Gone,” was released to country radio on August 3, 2009, from the album The Quiet Times of a Rock and Roll Farm Boy. In 2010, his third solo album, Big Kenny’s Love Everybody Traveling Musical Medicine Show Mix Tape, Vol. 1, was released but did not produce any singles.

John Rich (born January 7, 1974) is an American country music singer-songwriter. From 1992 to 1998, he was a member of the country music band Lonestar, in which he played bass guitar and alternated with Richie McDonald as lead vocalist. After departing from the band in 1998, he embarked on a solo career on BNA Records in the late 1990s, releasing two singles for the label and recording Underneath the Same Moon, which was not released until 2006. In 2001, he self-released Rescue Me, an album he was inspired to record by a cancer patient named Katie Darnell. By 2003, he joined Big Kenny to form the duo Big & Rich, who released three albums on Warner Bros. Records as well as ten singles, including the Number One “Lost in This Moment”. After Big & Rich went on hiatus in 2007, Rich began work on a third solo album, Son of a Preacher Man, which has produced two more chart singles. In 2011, Rich released two extended plays, Rich Rocks and For the Kids, before re-establishing Big & Rich in 2012.

Wednesday 1/5/2022 12pm ET: Feature Artist: Deana Carter

Deana Kay Carter (born January 4, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter who broke through in 1996 with the release of her debut album Did I Shave My Legs for This?, which was certified 5× Multi-Platinum in the United States for sales of over 5 million. It was followed by 1998’s Everything’s Gonna Be Alright, 2003’s I’m Just a Girl, 2005’s The Story of My Life, and 2007’s The Chain. Overall, Carter’s albums have accounted for 14 singles, including three which reached Number One on the Billboard country charts: “Strawberry Wine”, “We Danced Anyway”, and “How Do I Get There”.

Carter was born in Nashville, Tennessee, the daughter of singer Fred Carter, Jr. Despite her famous father, she did not have a smooth path to a recording deal. After an initial lack of success at age 17, she entered the University of Tennessee, majoring in rehabilitation therapy and becoming a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, and a Sigma Alpha Epsilon Little Sister, also known as a “Little Sister of Minerva.” During college, she sang at various campus locations, performing for the enjoyment of singing, rather than with the intent of pursuing a musical career. She was also a local bartender at the Back Door Tavern (BDT) on Kingston Pike. After she graduated, she worked with recovering stroke and head injury patients. Although she found the work rewarding and worthwhile, she eventually realized that her first love was music, and decided to pursue the music career she had left.

Tuesday 1/4/22 12pm ET: Artist Countdown: Patty Loveless Top 30 Hits

Patty Loveless (born Patricia Lee Ramey; January 4, 1957), is an American country music singer. Since emerging on the country music scene in late 1986 with her first (self-titled) album, Loveless has been one of the most popular female singers of neotraditional country. She also recorded albums in the country pop and bluegrass genres. Loveless was born in Pikeville, Kentucky, and raised in Elkhorn City, Kentucky, and Louisville, Kentucky. She rose to stardom thanks to her blend of honky tonk and country-rock and a plaintive, emotional ballad style. Loveless has sold 15 million albums worldwide.

Loveless has charted more than 40 songs on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including five number ones: “Timber, I’m Falling in Love”, “Chains”, “Blame It on Your Heart”, “You Can Feel Bad”, and “Lonely Too Long”. She has also released 16 studio albums; in the United States, four of these albums have been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and two have been certified gold. She has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1988. Loveless was married to Terry Lovelace, from whom she derived her professional name, from 1976 to 1986. She has been married to record producer Emory Gordy Jr. since 1989.

Monday 1/3/22 1pm ET: Feature Artist: Emerson Drive

Emerson Drive is a Canadian country music band consisting of Brad Mates (lead vocals), Danick Dupelle (guitars and backing vocals), Mike Melancon (drums), and Dale Wallace (keyboards and backing vocals).

Emerson Drive was formed under the name of 12 Gauge in February 1995 when Brad Mates entered a talent contest at his local high school in Grande Prairie, Alberta. Through the contest, Mates met fiddler Pat Allingham, bass player Steven Swager and keyboardist Chris Hartman. Mates, Hartman, Swager and Allingham decided to form a band with guitarists Dan Binns and David Switzer, bass guitarist Jeff Loberg, and drummer Remi Barre. The band started practicing in Mates’ basement and entering contests. In 1996, the group entered a local Battle of the Bands contest and won the opportunity to write and record their EP Open Season.

In 1999, the band moved to country music mecca Nashville, Tennessee in search of a record deal. In the process, they discovered that ’12 Gauge’ was also the name of an American rapper and had to choose a new name; Emerson Drive is named for the Emerson Trail that crosses Western Alberta and joins the Alaska Highway.

The group caught the attention of executives at DreamWorks Records subsidiary DreamWorks Nashville, who signed the group to a record deal in 2000. Emerson Drive’s debut album, Emerson Drive, was scheduled to be released in January 2002, but was delayed when DreamWorks executives found two new songs and brought in singer-songwriter Richard Marx to produce. The album was released in May 2002; it ranked No. 67 on the Billboard Top Country Album charts for 2003.

Emerson Drive’s debut American single, “I Should Be Sleeping”, was released in November 2001. The song became a hit for the group on the Billboard Hot Country Single & Tracks chart in 2002, peaking at No. 4 and finishing the year at No. 22. The album’s second single, “Fall into Me”, one of the two new songs Marx produced, was issued in late 2002. It peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 2003, settling at No. 36 at year end. In Canada, it charted at No. 35 in 2002 and No. 32 in 2003, while “I Should Be Sleeping” charted at No. 40.

Thursday 12/30/21 4am ET: Feature LP: Lainey Wilson – Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ (2021)

Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ is a studio album by American country singer–songwriter Lainey Wilson. It was released on February 19, 2021 via the BBR Music Group and contained 12 tracks. The album was the third studio collection released in Wilson’s music career and the first issued on a major record label. The disc has since spawned two singles: “Dirty Looks” (2019) and “Things a Man Oughta Know” (2020). The latter release became Wilson’s breakout single, reaching chart positions on the country music surveys in North America. Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin has since been met with favorable reviews from critics and writers.

1. “Neon Diamonds” 3:06
2. “Sunday Best” 3:13
3. “Things a Man Oughta Know” 3:23
4. “Small Town, Girl” 3:02
5. “LA” 2:49
6. “Dirty Looks” 3:14
7. “Pipe” 2:49
8. “Keeping Bars in Business” 3:45
9. “Straight Up Sideways” 2:56
10. “WWDD” 2:20
11. “Rolling Stone” 3:59
12. “Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin'” 3:21

Brent Anderson – background vocals
Tom Bukovac – electric guitar, Fender Rhodes, handclaps
Fred Eltringham – djembe, drums, bongo, percussion, shaker, tambourine, vibraslap, gang vocals, handclaps
Aslan Freeman – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, gang vocals, handclaps
Jason Hall – gang vocals, handclaps
Jedd Hughes – mandolin
Joel King – bass guitar, gang vocals, handclaps
Joanna Janét – background vocals
Jay Joyce – acoustic guitar, B-3 organ, clavinet, drum machine, electric guitar, Farfisa organ, Fender Rhodes, keyboards, Oberheim, piano, programming, gang vocals, handclaps
Billy Justineau – B-3 organ, CP-70, piano
Jimmy Mansfield – gang vocals, handclaps
Rob McNelley – dobro, electric guitar, gang vocals
Mickey Raphael – harmonica, Jew’s harp
Matt Rogers – background vocals
Jonathan Singleton – harmony vocals, background vocals
Lainey Wilson – lead vocals, background vocals, gang vocals, handclaps

Thursday 12/30/21 1am ET: Feature LP: Thomas Rhett – Country Again: Side A (2021)

Country Again: Side A is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Thomas Rhett, and the first release of the Country Again double album project. It includes the singles “What’s Your Country Song” and the project’s title track. The album was released on April 30, 2021 through the Valory Music Co., and Country Again: Side B is slated for release in 2022.

1. “Want It Again” 2:52
2. “Growing Up” 3:01
3. “What’s Your Country Song” 2:51
4. “Where We Grew Up” 2:45
5. “Heaven Right Now” 3:48
6. “To the Guys That Date My Girls” 3:01
7. “More Time Fishin'” 3:05
8. “Country Again” 3:41
9. “Put It on Ice” (featuring Hardy) 3:04
10. “Blame It on a Backroad” 2:47
11. “Ya Heard” 3:03

Tyler Chiarelli – dobro (track 3)
Matt Dragstrem – acoustic guitar (track 11), programming (tracks 9, 11), synth bass (track 9), background vocals (track 9)
Patrick Droney – electric guitar (track 9), electric guitar solo (track 9)
Stuart Duncan – fiddle (tracks 7, 8, 10), mandolin (track 7)
Paul Franklin – steel guitar (tracks 1–3, 6–10)
Jesse Frasure – acoustic guitar (track 3), programming (all tracks except 4 and 9), synth bass (track 3)
Hardy – duet vocals (track 9), background vocals (track 9)
Dann Huff – acoustic guitar (track 10), electric guitar (tracks 2–4, 6–8, 10), electric guitar solo (tracks 2, 3), ganjo (track 3), programming (tracks 7, 8), slide guitar solo (track 6), synth bass (tracks 6, 7)
David Huff – programming (all tracks)
Kirk “Jelly Roll” Johnson – harmonica (track 11)
Charlie Judge – B-3 organ (tracks 2, 6–8, 10), cello (track 5), keyboards (tracks 1, 3–5, 9–11), piano (track 3)
Chris Kimmerer – drums (all tracks), percussion (tracks 2, 9–11), programming (track 6)
Luke Laird – programming (track 4)
Josh Miller – programming (track 4)
Justin Niebank – programming (all tracks)
Josh Reedy – background vocals (all tracks)
Thomas Rhett – lead vocals (all tracks), background vocals (tracks 1-4, 9), whistle (track 7)
Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass guitar (all tracks)
Ilya Toshinsky – 12-string acoustic guitar (track 7), acoustic guitar (all tracks), banjo (tracks 8–10), electric guitar (track 9), dobro (track 9), gut string guitar (track 6), mandolin (tracks 2, 4, 9), resonator guitar (track 9)
Derek Wells – electric guitar (all tracks)

Thursday 12/30/21 12am ET: Feature LP: Dan + Shay – Good Things (2021)

Good Things is the fourth studio album by American country pop duo Dan + Shay. It was released on August 13, 2021, through Warner Bros. Records Nashville. The production is primarily handled by duo member Dan Smyers, who produced every track, with additional production from Jason Evigan, Scott Hendricks, and Jordan Reynolds. The album includes the singles “10,000 Hours” (a duet with Canadian singer Justin Bieber), “I Should Probably Go to Bed”, “Glad You Exist”, and “Steal My Love”.

1. “Good Things” 2:28
2. “Steal My Love” 2:42
3. “You” 3:16
4. “Body Language” 2:24
5. “Give in to You” 2:23
6. “Irresponsible” 2:43
7. “Lying” 2:26
8. “One Direction” 3:17
9. “Let Me Get Over Her” 3:02
10. “Glad You Exist” 2:24
11. “10,000 Hours” (with Justin Bieber) 2:47
12. “I Should Probably Go to Bed” 2:50

Dan Smyers – vocals (all tracks), production (all tracks), programming (all tracks), songwriting (1–5, 7–11), vocal recording (3), acoustic guitar (5, 11, 12), piano (6, 10, 12), strings (6, 12), recording (6, 10, 11), synthesizing (6, 8, 10–12), transcribing (6), bass (10, 12), drums (10, 12), electric guitar (11), engineering (12)
Shay Mooney – vocals (all tracks), songwriting (4, 6–12)
Ashley Gorley – songwriting (1, 2)
Ross Copperman – songwriting (1)
Abby Smyers – background vocals (1, 10, 11, 12)
Bryan Sutton – acoustic guitar (1, 3, 4, 6–8, 10, 11), mandolin (1, 4, 6, 7, 11), dobro (1, 7), resonator guitar (11)
Derek Wells – electric guitar (1–4, 6–9)
Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass (1–4, 6–9)
Gordon Mote – piano (1–4, 6–9), Hammond B3 organ (2, 3, 7)
Nir Z – drums (1–4, 6–9), percussion (1–4, 6–9)
Brian David Willis – digital editing (1–9)
Jordan Reynolds – songwriting (2–8, 10, 11), programming (4, 7, 11), co-production (5), bass (5, 11), electric guitar (5, 11), piano (5, 11), synthesizing (5, 11), recording (5), acoustic guitar (11)
Ilya Toshinsky – acoustic guitar (2, 9), ukulele (2)
Dave Barnes – songwriting (3)
Scott Hendricks – production (3, 4, 6, 9), recording (6)
Joel McKenney – mixing assistant (3)
Wendy Moten – background vocals (3)
Jason Eskridge – background vocals (3)
Kyla Jade – background vocals (3)
Robert Bailey – background vocals (3)
Samson White – background vocals (3)
Vicki Hampton – background vocals (3)
Lauren Adams – recording assistant (3, 6, 8, 9)
Tate Sablatura – recording assistant (3, 6), engineering assistant (4)
Shawn Mendes – songwriting (4)
Scott Harris – songwriting (4)
Julia Michaels – songwriting (5, 6), background vocals (5)
Mike Rinne – bass (5, 8)
Nick Gold – cello (5, 8, 9)
Una O’Riordan – cello (5, 8)
Charlie Judge – string arrangement (5, 8, 9)
Allison Gooding Hoffman – violin (5, 8, 9)
Christina McGann – violin (5, 8)
Johna Smith – violin (5, 8, 9)
Louise Morrison – violin (5, 8)
Charles Dixon – viola (5, 8, 9), contracting (5, 8, 9), copying (5, 8, 9)
Betsy Lamb – viola (5, 8, 9)
Michael Walter – recording assistant (5, 8, 9)
Aubrey Haynie – fiddle (6)
Bill Withers – songwriting (7)
Jordan Schmidt – songwriting (9)
Kyle Fishman – songwriting (9)
Brandon Tursi – songwriting (9)
Craig Nelson – bass (9)
Kevin Bate – cello (9)
Jung-Min Shin – violin (9)
Mary Kathryn Von Osdale – violin (9)
Alan Umstead – contracting (9)
Nick Spezia – recording (9)
Tayla Parx – songwriting (10)
Ryan Lewis – songwriting (10)
Josh Ditty – additional engineering (10, 11)
Justin Bieber – vocals (11), songwriting (11)
Poo Bear – songwriting (11)
Jessie Jo Dillon – songwriting (11)

Tuesday 12/28/21 1pm ET: Feature Artist: Joe Diffie

Joe Logan Diffie (December 28, 1958 – March 29, 2020) was an American country music singer and songwriter. After working as a demo singer in the mid 1980s, he signed with Epic Records’ Nashville division in 1990. Between then and 2004, Diffie charted 35 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, five of which peaked at number one: his debut release “Home”, “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets)”, “Third Rock from the Sun”, “Pickup Man” (his longest-lasting number-one song, at four weeks) and “Bigger Than the Beatles”. In addition to these singles, he had 12 others reach the top 10 and ten more reach the top 40 on the same chart. He also co-wrote singles for Holly Dunn, Tim McGraw, and Jo Dee Messina, and recorded with Mary Chapin Carpenter, George Jones, and Marty Stuart.

Diffie released seven studio albums, a Christmas album, and a greatest-hits package under the Epic label. He also released one studio album each through Monument Records, Broken Bow Records, and Rounder Records. Among his albums, 1993’s Honky Tonk Attitude and 1994’s Third Rock from the Sun are certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, while 1992’s Regular Joe and 1995’s Life’s So Funny are both certified gold. His album, Homecoming: The Bluegrass Album, was released in late 2010 through Rounder. His style is defined by a neotraditionalist country influence with a mix of novelty songs and ballads.

Diffie died due to complications related to COVID-19 during the pandemic on March 29, 2020, at the age of 61.