June 22, 2026 News@CountryAircheck.com

Riser House's Cruise Departs: Riser House Sr. Regional Dir. Nathan Cruise has exited after four years. Cruise joined Riser House as Dir./Central Region Promotion in 2022 after more than three years at In2une, and was promoted to his most recent position in 2024 (CAT 2/20/24). His prior stops include Pearl, Curb, Show Dog, WAR, Stroudavarious, Universal South and Arista. Reach him here. No word on plans for the position.

While We're Young: Brandon "Shotgun Jackson" Young has joined East Texas Broadcasting KSCH/Sulphur Springs, TX as PD/morning host. His most recent roles include Dir./Operations & Programming at Country KCYN & News-Talk KCPX/Moab, UT; and Stone Canyon/Flagstaff, AZ MM and Country KSED OM/afternoons. Prior stops include Stephens/Tri-Cities, WA; KYKX/Tyler, TX; and Redrock/St. George, UT.

Smells Like Team Spirit: CAA Business Affairs exec. Elizabeth Lombardi and BMLG Mgr./Digital Marketing Taylor Perez have joined Spirit Music as VP/Business & Legal Affairs and Sr. Dir./Digital Marketing, respectively. Both are based at the company’s Nashville headquarters. "They are both talented, knowledgeable and passionate about supporting and championing all of our songwriters and artists," says CEO Frank Rogers.

Show Support: Ella Langley has extended The Dandelion Tour, adding 21 dates kicking off Aug. 20 in Green Bay, WI and continuing through Oct. 31 in Saint Paul, MN. Tickets here Friday (6/25).

Tim McGraw returns to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for a five-night limited engagement this fall. The shows will take place Oct. 23 and 24 and Nov. 4, 6 and 7. His prior run there was in December (CAT 10/3/25). Tickets (6/26) here.

Texas Hold 'Em: The Texas Heritage Songwriters Association will induct Jim Beavers, Shane McAnally, Kimmie Rhodes and Jimmie & Stevie Ray Vaughan into its Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame Feb. 20, 2027 at ACL Live in Austin. Producer/musician and songwriter Lloyd Maines will receive the Darrell K. Royal Texas Music Legend Award for his outstanding contributions to Texas music. Tickets will be available soon at ACL Live.

AJ On Broadway: Alan Jackson's final concert at Nashville's Nissan Stadium will be livestreamed free June 27 on screens set up on nearby lower Broadway. Gates open to the public at 4pm and the livestream begins at 6pm. Jackson's show will include appearances from Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Jake Owen, Jon Pardi, Thomas Rhett, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Lainey Wilson and Lee Ann Womack.

Signage: Producer/songwriter Andrew Baylis has signed with Prescription Songs. His cuts include Jelly Roll's “Dead Man Walking," Koe Wetzel's “Creeps” and Brantley Gilbert's “Son of the Dirty South."

Signage: Singer/songwriter Lilly Moss signs with Music City Power Company. Her debut single, “Death Of Me," comes out Friday (6/19); listen here.

Bits & Pieces: Audacy KSON/San Diego afternoon host Kimo Jensen celebrated his last day on the air June 18 before his retirement (CAT 1/14) with a "Kimo Jensen Day" proclamation from the city's mayor. Known as "the Smilin' Hawaiian," Jensen had been with the station for 36 years, and plans to relocate to Puglia, Italy with his wife.

Cumulus KSCS/Dallas collected more than 35,400 diapers for babies and patient families at Cook Children's Hospital during its recent "Diaper Drive."

TC Projects' Tim Clarke has joined the Broadcasters Foundation of America's Board of Directors. BFOA is a charitable organization that provides financial assistance to broadcasters in acute need,

ICYMI: Hey Now's Kenny Chesney is interviewed by Holly Gleason in the Los Angeles Times about his memoir, The Sphere and why touring is a "team sport that's confused with music."

Jelly Roll will return as a guest host for Jimmy Kimmel Live! this summer while Kimmel is on vacation. Dates are TBA. See the announcement here.

Chronicle: Sony Music Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Clive Davis passed today (6/22) in Manhattan. He was 94. Beyond guiding the careers of artists including Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Barry Manilow, Davis' accomplishments include the founding of Arista/Nashville in 1989 with Tim DuBois. That label that spawned the careers of Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood among others, as well as many future industry executives and leaders. Arista/Nashville was folded into Sony during a 2011 restructuring, and the imprint was shuttered in 2023. Davis was named CCO for Sony in 2008 and held the title until his passing.

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for the week ending June 20, according to Mediabase.

ELLA LANGLEY/Be Her (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers)
JOSH ROSS/Hate How You Look (Core/Mercury)
JASON ALDEAN/Don't Tell On Me (Macon Music/Broken Bow)
MORGAN WALLEN/Don't We (Big Loud)
ELLA LANGLEY & MORGAN WALLEN/I Can't Love You Anymore (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers/Big Loud)

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for June 21, compared with the same day last week, according to Mediabase.

COLE SWINDELL/Girl Dad (Warner/WAR) +710 points
JOSH ROSS/Hate How You Look (Core/Mercury) +544 points
BAILEY ZIMMERMAN/Chevy Silverado (Warner/WRN) +281 points
TAYLOR SWIFT/I Knew It, I Knew You (Disney/Republic/MCA) +274 points
RILEY GREEN/Think As You Drunk (Nash. Harbor) +216 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (6/23): Katie Armiger, Pake McEntire, Jay Wallis Brown, Michelle Laws, Houston Gaither, Danielle Godwin Scaife, Bob Turbel, Jerry Padden, the late June Carter Cash, the late Roy Wunsch.

Diamond Night, Same Rodeo: Atlantic/Warner/WRN's Bailey Zimmerman is surprised with a diamond plaque for "Rock And A Hard Place" in Toronto. Pictured (l-r) are Warner Music Canada's Lisa Grossi and Madelaine Napoleone, The Core's Tracy Martin and Simon Tikhman, Zimmerman, The Core's Chief Zaruk and WMC's Dave Stelling and Ken Boyer.

KSON Of Dad: Big Loud's Stephen Wilson Jr. (c) is presented the proclamation from the mayor of San Diego making June 20 as "Gary Day" by KSON's John Flint and Tammy Lee.

Am I Ok-eh? Columbia's Megan Moroney celebrates multiple certifications with her Sony Music Canada team in Toronto. Pictured (l-r) are Miranda Snyder, Warren Copnick, Samantha Taus, Carey Riley, Nikki Ryan, Moroney, Julie Calabrese, Emily Thich, Derek Rambeau, Sylvain Morency and Anthony Farrauto.