Let’s start with our weekly Morgan Wallen record: In the current Country Airplay Charts he has reached number one following only eleven weeks with “Last Night”. The last time a song rose to the top that quickly was eight years ago, it was Luke Bryan with “Strip It Down”. “Last Night” has also been at #1 on Hot Country Songs for eleven weeks and has also topped Billboard’s Hot 100 for four weeks, beating all music genre competitors. Four songwriters were involved in the super hit and can look forward to fat royalties: John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin and Ryan Vojtesak.

Speaking of Luke Bryan, following his latest single “Country On” reached #3, he introduced the follow-up song. Once once more it’s regarding the comforting effect of alcohol: “But I Got a Beer in My Hand” he sings and thinks that such a thing will help him get over the painful separation. It should probably also be a sing-along summer hit.

Chris Janson is bursting with pride: he released the song “21 Forever” on May 5th, for which he won over superstars Dolly Parton and Slash, the guitarist of Guns N’ Roses. The song comes in anticipation of his new album The Outlaw Side Of Me, which is due out June 16th.

Is Kimberly Perry making a comeback on the country music scene? As the lead singer of the band Perry, she had a really great hit with “If I Die Young” in 2010. After the three Perrys made an unsuccessful foray into pop since 2017, Kimberly has now recorded an EP of country songs, which includes a new version of the hit at the time, with additional lyrics. Kimberly, who turns 40 on July 12, is hoping her “old” country fans will take her back.

A historically significant farmhouse is available for sale in Madison, near Nashville. Built in 1925, the property was purchased by Carl Smith in 1952 just prior to his marriage to June Carter. After the divorce, June lived in the house with daughter Carlene and the legendary Mother Maybelle Carter lived here until her death in 1979. After June married Johnny Cash, stars like Patsy Cline, Elvis and Marty Stuart were frequent guests. “Ring Of Fire” is said to have been written here by June. The future owner can use it privately or make a kind of memorial out of it.

A fun group that Dierks Bentley founded three years ago were the Hot Country Knights, whose CD “The K Is Silent” was really great entertainment, also because Terri Clark and Travis Tritt were there. While it initially seemed like it was going to stay that way, the Knights clearly have a new work in the works, which will also include the much sought-following newcomer Lainey Wilson. Bentley didn’t want to reveal anything else and the Knights just announced: “We’re back”! They are also part of the Bentley “Gold & Gravel Tour” as a backing group.

On April 28, Claude Gray died in Longview, Texas at the age of 91. Gray had a total of 27 country hits. His first was a Top 10 hit with Willie Nelson’s “Family Bible” in 1960 and his last was the 1986 cover of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” at No. 77. He was also known as “The Tall Texan” because of his height.

We look back 40 years, because on May 7, 1983, a good-looking young woman celebrated a hit that involved an alcoholic drink, the “José Cuervo”. Shelley West sang the song written by Cindy Jordan. The maker of this tequila, a certain Heublein (!) posted a 27% increase in sales over the next eight months. Author Cindy Jordan recorded the song herself in 1980, but did not achieve a hit with it. It took three years for the song to get to West’s manager Steve Dorff and Shelly. She is the daughter of Bill and Dottie West and her first and biggest hit was the unforgettable duet with David Frizzell You’re The Reason God Made Oklahoma. Shelly is now 64 and a look at her Facebook profile shows that she is still very active.