Willie Interesting!

Willie Nelson gave his son Micah his moniker, Particle Kid one day after school while he was playing the video game Mario Kart. Micah has been performing as Particle Kid for nearly a decade. 

🙏 PRAYERS FOR AARON WATSON AS WELL AS TEXAS MUSIC ARTIST SUNDANCE HEAD’S WIFE MISTY AFTER THEIR RESPECTIVE SURGERIES‼️

❤️🙏 From @AaronWatsonMusic: “On my birthday, I flew out to Birmingham, AL to meet up with my doctor at UAB (University of Alabama-Birmingham) concerning some issues that I’m having with my vocal chords. They found something that needs to be dealt with immediately. It’s not life threatening. It’s not career ending. I will have minor surgery to fix this once and for all. Im not going to be able to talk for the next 7 days and I’m not going to be able to sing for the next four weeks. I’m so bummed yall! Just want to say sorry and thank you for loving me and my family and always being so supportive. I’ll let yall know how the surgery goes. Doc said I’ll be back better than ever in no time!”

❤️🙏 From @SundanceHead: “I haven’t posted anything about this because I wasn’t sure how my wife felt about it and I didn’t want to overstep. After speaking to her she told me it was ok. She is brave. Misty had been told that she had cancer on her face and needed to be removed before it became and issue. She immediately scheduled the procedure and had the surgery done. She is healing now and we have been told they believe it was all removed. She will be going back for a follow up soon to double check and make sure there is no more anywhere else in her body. She is tough and fearless. I will never understand the true strength of a woman. Even facing an uncertain outcome she continued to provide and nurture our family. I would have folded like a lawn chair. I’ve always said her beauty is her resilience. Such grace and resolve cannot be measured. Lord thank you for keeping her safe on earth. We need her here. Folks if you have something on your body and thinking may need to be checked out DO IT. I tell her that she is more beautiful now than before. My admiration for her is constantly growing. ❤️ Misty Head”

🎶 CHECK OUT our Spotify Playlist “Texas Music Daily-AF” (not the AF you’re thinking of). It’s a Texas Music Daily-Artist Flashback playlist celebrating Our Texas Hero Willie Nelson (link 🔗 above in our profile)‼️

🔥 SUPERSTAR TEXAN KOE WETZEL TAKES HIS “BIG HEART” OVERSEAS BUT FIRST GIFTS $15K TO HIS ALMA MATER IN PITTSBURGH, TX‼️

❤️ Koe Wetzel is giving back to where it all started in Pittsburg, Texas according to @ketknbc in Tyler by donating $15,000 to his alma mater Pittsburg ISD. District Superintendent Terry Waldrep stated $5,000 will be given to the athletics program and $10,000 will go to other students’ needs. According to Waldrep, this donation marks Wetzel’s sixth annual donation to the district. “Koe has a big heart, and cares about the students and community,” Waldrep said. “It is always very much appreciated and very thoughtful of him to want to help the students in the district.”

🎸 Platinum-Selling Texas Singer-Songwriter Koe Wetzel is also set to make his long-awaited debut in the UK and Europe this year with his Damn Near Normal World Tour according to Entertainment Focus. Wetzel will bring his electrifying live shows to major European cities including London, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, Leeds, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Berlin, and Cologne from October 26 through November 7th.

Reflecting on his journey, Wetzel shared, “We started out nearly 10 years ago playing bars in Texas for tips and a case of beer, and have slowly seen that grow to sold-out venues across the U.S. as fans share the music. Bringing our tour to Europe is honestly hard to wrap my head around — we can’t wait to party with you all.”

📸: @koe_wetzel

🎯 If you want more Texas Music content like this, please click HERE our website (in our bio above) to sign up for our daily email ‘Texas Music Daily-Update’!

*TEXAS MUSIC DAILY-NEW MUSIC FRIDAY

🔥 ROGER CREAGER IS THE WILDCARD‼️

🍸 WILL THE INVISIBLE INTOXICANT MAKE AN APPEARANCE IN TEXAS ON LABOR DAY WEEKEND⁉️

🏈 The ESPN College GameDay Crew will be in College Station, Texas for a week 1 college football game on Saturday August 31 between the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and the Texas A&M Aggies.

🚨 According to sources inside the ESPN building, the wildcard choice to be THE celebrity guest picker for the Aggies game is none other than our very own Texas Music HERO Roger Creager!

🤩 Stay locked into Texas Music Daily to find out early next week if @rogercreager gets picked to be the picker!

😜 If he does, the betting is 2 to 1 that Everclear ends up in Kyle Field next weekend‼️

🎯 If you want more Texas Music content like this, please click HERE our website (in our bio above) to sign up for our daily email ‘Texas Music Daily-Update’!

🙏 PRAYERS FOR AARON WATSON‼️🙏

From @aaronwatsonmusic: “I’m so bummed yall! Just want to say sorry and thank you for loving me and my family and always being so supportive. I’ll let yall know how the surgery goes tomorrow. Doc said I’ll be back better than ever in no time!”

Also here’s the link for Jason’s Go Fund Me https://gofund.me/742cc807

#AaronWatson #TexasMusic #TexasCountry #RedDirt

Hudson Westbrook Ignites Country Music Scene: From College Student to Headlining Tour Star

Hudson Westbrook burst onto the scene like a wildfire in May 2024. His social media and streaming numbers skyrocketed overnight, transforming him from a Texas Tech college student into a touring artist who frequently travels to Nashville to collaborate with top songwriters. He’s shared stages with major Texas Music stars and has upcoming shows with Midland.

His debut radio single, “Two Way Drive,” is climbing the Texas charts, currently in the top 30.

Hudson's first concert, a pop-up show at Cook’s Garage in Lubbock, sold out quickly, and his upcoming performance at The Tap in College Station, TX, this Saturday is already sold out.

Tonight, he kicks off his headlining tour in his hometown of Stephenville, TX, at Twisted J Live.

With over 7.6 million global streams, more than 350,000 monthly listeners, and 2.3 million TikTok likes, Hudson is just getting started. He’s released four songs since May. Don’t miss him on tour.

Get to know Hudson Westbrook on Beneath The Surface and Outside The Round with Matt Burrill.

Photo credit: James Westfall.

Photo Credit: Jonas Jonnerby 

RANDALL KING TAKES HIS TALENT GLOBAL WITH SOLD-OUT ABROAD!

Copenhagen, Denmark — As fans arrived to Randall King’s first three Into the Neon Tour dates in Europe — Norway, Sweden and Denmark — they were greeted with venue signage noting all shows had sold out in advance. A feat the West Texas native never imagined. 

“This was the first time we’ve ever played any of these cities,” King marveled after the first run. “We never imagined we’d play in places as beautiful as Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen, but this crazy dream is bringing us all together everywhere.” 

With no tickets available by the time King took the stage, King's 90-minute set included 17 songs spanning his catalog, encompassing current country radio single "I Could Be That Rain" off his sophomore album Into The Neon, released in January; reflective "Mirror, Mirror" off his self-titled 2018 project; and two-stepping, viral fan-favorite "You In A Honky Tonk" off his major-label debut Shot Glass.

Off Road: Aaron Watson will be off the road for about a month to address his vocal cord issues and underwent “minor surgery” this morning. He told his fans on social media that he was sorry for having to cancel and reschedule shows and then said that there were people who are going through worse struggles than him like his bass player’s brother who has cancer.  He encouraged fans to give money to the Go Fund Me for him. Aaron experienced vocal cord issues back in 2022 and was off the road for several months while recovering.

“I can’t talk or sing, but the doc didn’t say I couldn’t dance so I’m going to figure out a way to promote my music without talking,” he said.   

Post It Note: It’s definitely an interesting shift in the music landscape when artists like Beyoncé, Shaboozey, and Post Malone are influencing or contributing to the country genre. Traditionally, the crossover between pop and country has been more about country artists breaking into the pop market, but now it seems like the trend is reversing.

Shaboozey's success with “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and Post Malone's recent album, F-1 Trillion, reflect how artists from diverse backgrounds are contributing to and reshaping what we think of as country music.

It’s fascinating to see how Post Malone, known for his rap and pop hits, has managed to create an album that resonates with traditional Texas Music stations. Songs like “Back to Texas” showcasing a country style that blends seamlessly with Texas Music playlists is a testament to the genre’s evolving nature.

For a deeper dive into how F-1 Trillion fits into this new landscape, check out the New Yorker which features an article that is a great read. 

Tickets Please: Muscadine Bloodline’s current single “Tickets to Turnpike,” from their recently released album The Coastal Plain, is a tribute to the Turnpike Troubadours, who booked them as their opening act the last two years. “Going on the road with Turnpike, after growing up being inspired by those cats and their records, we just wanted to have an ode to those guys,” Muncaster says. Turnpike’s Kyle Nix even plays fiddle on the song. “We could have just gotten anybody in town to do it, but it wouldn’t have been Kyle playing,” Muncaster says. (Rolling Stone). Source EnidLive.com.

Namesake: The Randy Rogers Band recently toured the upper East Coast playing in places like New Hampshire, New York and New Jersey opening for Dierks Bentley. Dierks is no stranger to Texas Music. He gave Wade Bowen a very expensive guitar many years ago, Cody Canada’s son Dierks is named after him, and he even gave Ragweed a shoutout on his song “Free and Easy (Down The Road I Go).” The two Dierks, both who play a mean guitar, have even played together on stage particularly in San Antonio a few years back. They played Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me,” and made proud Papa Cody very happy.  Courtesy of JB Cloud/Red Dirt Proud.

Apple of His Eye: Mark Powell’s current single “Undomesticated Me” hit number one on the Texas Regional Radio Report today, and it turns out that his oldest daughter Ella recently celebrated the release of her own debut EP titled ELLA. Ella joined her dad in the studio with Trent Willmon producing both projects, hers and Mark’s. Look up Ella Powell Music to hear this debut project. Courtesy of JB Cloud/Red Dirt Proud.

Rambling Gypsy: The Rambling Gypsy Podcast sat down with Bart Crow at Casey Donahew’s Boots on the Beach 2024 in Cabo San Lucas. The host does a deep dive into Bart’s incredible journey from Maypearl, TX, his army career, farming, music and how he balances life, love, family, music and everything in between. Bart will have a new radio single in September from his forthcoming EP. Tour dates: Bend, TX, Garden City, KS, Montgomery, TX, Bryan, TX, Plano, TX. Courtesy of JB Cloud/Red Dirt Proud.

Broke Down: Sunny Sweeney has been getting sweenered (her slogan years ago) by her van for a few years now. The old van has broken down many times while on the road. Recently, she had to cancel her show in Grandy, CO because she “had more issues with her stupid van.” It sounds like the van just couldn’t be repaired and she had to buy a new van in between shows. The new wheels were delivered to her in Colorado Springs. We wonder if she will keep the plastic on the seats? Catch Sunny on the road in Texas the remainder of August and in Fort Worth on September 1 before she heads up north.  Courtesy of JB Cloud/Red Dirt Proud.

Upcoming Album Releases

8/23/24

Randy Rogers Band

20th Anniversary Edition Rollercoaster

Billie Jo Jones

Some Girls Don't Cry

Ryder Grimes

Echos of the Dial, the EP

8/30/24

Sunny Sweeney

Still Provoked

9/6/24

George Strait

Cowboys and Dreamers

Kate Watson

Red Blooded American

9/12/24

Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors

Strangers No More, Vol. 2

9/13/24

Miranda Lambert

Postcards from Texas

Reckless Kelly

The Last Frontier

9/20/24

Chase Rice

Go Down Singin'

Midland

Barely Blue

September Moon

Carry On

🎙️INDUSTRY JOBS AVAILABLE 🎙️

*KFWR/Fort Worth, TX* (LKCM) is recruiting for a future opening for a full-time on-air host. Candidates must have a desire to be involved in the local community, understand Texas country, Red Dirt and Americana, and the ability to connect with fans on-air and in person. Email cover letter, résumé and aircheck to PD Shayne Hollinger at jobs@theranchradio.com

*KKAJ/Ardmore, OK* (Stephens Media) is seeking a morning host. The company says, "This is a tremendous opportunity with a strong cluster that dominates the market in sales, promotions and on-air. KKAJ is a heritage country station with a little red-dirt heritage for flavor." Send resume, aircheck and references to SVP/Programming Bob Thornton at bob.thornton@smgnational.com

*KICM/Ardmore, OK* (Keystone) is seeking an Operations Manager (OM) who will work directly with the owners and the sales team, and oversee all aspects of the station’s programming. Please contact keystonebroadcastingok@gmail.com

*JAM BROADCASTING/Kerrville, TX is looking for a Rockstar Account Executive. TAB's Radio Station of the Year is on the hunt for a charismatic, go-getter Account Executive. Send your resume and cover letter to Toby at Jam Broadcasting Toby.JAMBroadcasting@gmail.com

*KMYY/Monroe, LA* (Stephens Media) is seeking a radio host and programmer to oversee its four-station cluster in the market, and likely co-host an AC morning show. Send résumé, aircheck and references to SVP/Programming Bob Thornton at bob.thornton@smgnational.com

*Artist, Hayden Haddock is ISO BASS PLAYERS. Artist Hayden Haddock is in search of a bass player to start on the road with the band in September. Professional experience is required. If interested please email Hayden@haydenhaddock.com

Throwback Thursday Texas Radio Photos

Neely Yates (Middays) 107.7 The Red Dirt Rebel KRBL/Lubbock with two of her faves then and now. Top photo: (L) Josh Abbott, (C) Neely Yates, (R) William Clark Green and second photo (L) William Clark Green (C) Neely Yates (R) Josh Abbott

Flashback: (L) Matt Martindale of Cooder Graw, (C) Jason Boland and (R) JB Cloud of Red Dirt Proud

Red Dirt Legend - (L) The Late Brandon Jenkins, (C) JB Cloud of Red Dirt Proud and (R) Jarrod Birmingham

Birthdays This Week:

8/23: Randy Rogers, Kelly Turner of Cooder Graw

8/24: Sandee June