Country Update BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS JULY 15, 2019 | PAGE 1 OF 20 INSIDE BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE
[email protected] Combs, Shelton Own Charts Luke Combs On Fire As He >page 4 Joins The Grand Ole Opry Country’s Good Works On Display When Luke Combs made his 16th Grand Ole Opry appearance moment, like seeing what each day that I wake up to holds,” >page 10 on June 11, John Conlee interrupted his set — along with Craig he says. “But in the last couple of weeks, I’ve really started to Morgan and Chris Janson — to touch Combs on the shoulder. put a lot back in the tank as far as, what’s the next steps of the “We just want a little bit of your heat,” said Conlee. process? How do we expand on what we’re doing?” The heat boiled up into tears The Opry thing might be helping CMA Fest Duets within seconds after Combs was that process. Membership brings a With ABC asked to join the cast of the WSM-AM certain stability — Brooks has been >page 11 Nashville show, a membership that with the Opry for more than 25 will become official with his July 16 years, Ricky Skaggs has been on induction. the roster nearly 40 years, and Bill It comes, as Conlee noted, with Anderson will celebrate 60 years Live News: Brown, Combs in the midst of an enviable on the team in 2021. It’s natural Urban, Bryan hot streak. His debut album, This for Combs to assess how his future >page 11 One’s for You, is spending its 41st might play out in that context.