Country Update BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 | PAGE 1 OF 20 INSIDE BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE
[email protected] Blanco, Highwomen Is The Party Over? Country Gets Score Wins >page 4 Serious With A New Wave Of Singles Conley, Americana And Music Cycles The first time Craig Morgan sang “The Father, My Son and the a child in a dangerous world; and two songs that face mortality, >page 10 Holy Ghost” was also supposed to be the last time. Chris Young’s “Drowning” and Luke Combs’ “Even Though The song details Morgan’s difficult emotional journey I’m Leaving.” following the death of son Jerry Greer, 19, in a 2016 drowning They’re not the only examples. Justin Moore topped the accident, and it left much of the Grand Ole Opry audience in Country Airplay chart on Sept. 7 with “The Ones That Didn’t Church, Aldean tears in March 2019. Backstage, Morgan told Ricky Skaggs he Make It Back Home,” a song about soldiers who died in battle, Go To College doubted he was strong enough to perform it again. accompanied by a video that incorporates first responders >page 11 Skaggs “put his hands on and school shootings. Riley my shoulder with big tears in Green’s new “I Wish Grandpas his eyes,” recalls Morgan. “He Never Died” laments the deaths said, ‘You have to sing that of people and pets, as well as the Garth, Trisha Play song. The world needs to hear decline of the family farm. Tenille Musicians Hall Event this kind of music.’ ” Townes’ “Jersey on the Wall (I’m >page 11 Morgan relented.