September 12, 2025 News@CountryAircheck.com

Connoisseur Du Jour: Connoisseur Media Dir./Sales-Connecticut Stu Gorlick has been promoted to VP/Sales for Connecticut and Long Island, the latter including WWWF. He has been with the company since 2014. Additionally, Long Island Dir./Regional Sales Todd Moskowitz expands his responsibilities to include Connecticut, and Connecticut Mgr./Revenue Development Andy Alcosser extends his duties to encompass Long Island. Mgr./Digital Sales Shannon Begley has been promoted to GSM for Connecticut. Darren DiPrima continues as Dir./Sales for Long Island.

Smith To RHoF: Among the Radio Hall of Fame's 2025 Legends inductees with Country ties are the late Steve Smith and Dale "The Truckin’ Bozo" Sommers. Smith served as VP/Programming for Cox from 2011-2021, and launched Smith Richards Collective in 2022 before passing at age 62 later that year (Chronicle 7/10/22). Sommers' overnight truckers show aired on WLW-AM/Cincinnati from 1984-2004 before moving to SiriusXM Radio’s Road Dog for afternoons. He passed in 2012 (Chronicle 8/24/12). Inductees, including Mike McVay and Julie Talbott (CAT 6/20), will be honored during an Oct. 30 ceremony at the Swissotel in Chicago.

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Tour Support: Jason Aldean has extended his Full Throttle Tour, adding nine markets with support from Nate Smith, Lanie Gardner and Dee Jay Silver. Tickets here Sept. 19.

Old Dominion's How Good Is That - World Tour will continue with a third leg in Spring 2026 across Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Dasha and Alexandra Kay will join for select March dates in Australia and New Zealand, while Phil Vassar and Sacha will join the Canadian run in April and May. Ticket info here.

Bits & Pieces: Canadian syndicator Orbyt Media has launched Nothin’ but the 90s with Jason McCoy, a two-hour weekend show celebrating the hits and stories from the Country format in the ’90s, hosted by Canadian country artist McCoy (The Road Hammers). Email Heather Edwards for more info and market availability here.

The Grand Ole Opry will receive the Century Award from the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce during a Sept. 23 ceremony from 7:30-9:30am at Music City Center. Register here by Sept. 17 to attend.

Stories Of The Week: Search for news and people in the archives at countryaircheck.com.

Songs peaking in the 2020s now account for more than 40% of Country Aircheck’s semi-annual Power Gold Top 100; details here.
Shaboozey launched record label American Dogwood in partnership with Empire. (9/10)
Rob Kelley was named Connoisseur Country Format Coord. (9/9)
The CMA nominees were announced. (9/8)
Robby Bridges was named PD/midday personality for WWWF/Nassau-Suffolk. (9/8)

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for Sept. 11, according to Mediabase 24/7.

RUSSELL DICKERSON/Happen To Me (Triple Tigers) 4661 points
JELLY ROLL/Heart Of Stone (BMG/Republic/Stoney Creek) 3840 points
SCOTTY MCCREERY f/HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH/Bottle Rockets (Triple Tigers) 3566 points
SHABOOZEY/Good News (Empire/Magnolia) 3334 points
JORDAN DAVIS/Bar None (MCA) 3147 points

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for Sept. 7-11, compared with the same days last week, according to Mediabase 24/7.

RUSSELL DICKERSON/Happen To Me (Triple Tigers) +4104 points
JELLY ROLL/Heart Of Stone (BMG/Republic/Stoney Creek) +1700 points
MORGAN WALLEN/I Got Better (Big Loud) +1567 points
CHASE MATTHEW/Darlin' (Warner/WAR) +1055 points
JORDAN DAVIS/Bar None (MCA) +1051 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (9/13): Joe Don Rooney (Rascal Flatts), Hardy, Bobbie Cryner, Aaron Benward, Don Was, Jessica "Carsen" Humphreville, Harry Lyons, Brian Gary, Daniel Miller, Stance Bingham, Matt Maher, the late Bill Monroe.

Sunday's Birthdays (9/14): John Berry, Danielle Peck, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Mike Hammond, Anna Cage, Laurel Kittleson-Cobb, Jon Grimson, Beth Robinson, Blake Wise, the late Mae Boren Axton, the late Don Walser.

Monday's Birthdays (9/15): Andy Gibson, Kenny Jay, Tim Richards, Hoss Michaels, Jim Zumwalt, the late Roy Acuff.

Tube Check Sunday (9/14): Reba McEntire, Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman will perform the Golden Girls theme song, and Lainey Wilson and Vince Gill sing "Go Rest High On That Mountain" during the In Memoriam segment at the 77th Emmy Awards on CBS.

Rest Home: MCA's Vince Gill (c) celebrates the 30th anniversary and RIAA platinum certification (2x) of "Go Rest High On That Mountain" with the label's Mike Harris, Hey Buddy's Larry Fitzgerald, the label's Katie McCartney and Rob Femia, RIAA's Jackie Jones and the label's Stephanie Wright.

Long Live Detroit Country: Valory's RaeLynn (c) in Detroit with (top, l-r) WYCD's Tim Roberts, Sarah Thomas, Josh Holleman, Steve Grunwald and Rachael Hunter and (bottom, l-r) the label's Adam Burnes and WYCD's Holly Hutton.

Turn Signal: Thirty Tigers/Akando's Turnpike Troubadours in Chicago. Pictured (l-r) are the band's Kyle Nix, Evan Felker and RC Edwards, KTOM/Monterey & KHGE/Fresno's Sam Diggedy, TT's Hank Early, the label's Christina Kosters and TT's Gabe Pearson and Ryan Engleman.