Rhett Akins gets the surprise of his life | Music City Minute

Rhett Akins gets the surprise of his life | Music City Minute

Rhett Akins had no idea Jon Pardi was waiting backstage. Then came the words every country artist dreams of hearing. Sunday night at the Grand Ole Opry House, during a special Opry Celebrates '90s Country show, Rhett Akins finished his set and thought the night was done. It wasn't. Jon Pardi walked out from backstage, and the room changed. Pardi praised Akins as a mentor and friend before saying quote, "You've always been family to me, but I'm here to invite you to be part of a different family. Rhett Akins, I am here to invite you to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry." Akins was nearly speechless. The man who has written 36 No. 1 hits for other artists, including Pardi's "Dirt on My Boots" and Luke Bryan's "Huntin', Fishin' and Lovin' Every Day," could barely find any words of his own. "All I do every day is write words and I can't think of any right now except thank you, Lord Jesus," he said. He went on to say he'd been listening to the Opry since he was a little kid with his grandparents, and that anytime they asked him to play, even if he was in Alaska, he'd fly home immediately. Before he was known as Thomas Rhett's dad, Akins was topping charts himself with hits like "That Ain't My Truck." His son was in the crowd to witness it all, later posting quote, "My dad has had a dream to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry since he was a boy. He is a country music encyclopedia. Dad, I'm so proud of you."   I'm Brailey, and that's your Music City Minute.

Jordan Davis narrowly escapes arrest in Canada | Music City Minute

Jordan Davis just played a show in Canada. Getting back into the U.S. was the hard part. Jordan Davis has a new touring story, and it's a good one. After headlining a show at Caesars Windsor in Ontario last Friday, the "Buy Dirt" singer's tour bus was stopped at the Canadian border by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Officers pulled Davis off the bus, brought him inside and got serious fast. "I need you to be real serious with me, man," one officer told him. "Are you in some trouble in Indiana?" Davis told them he'd never even been arrested. Turns out, there's another Jordan Davis in Indiana wanted on criminal charges, and the name flagged him in the system. "Somebody in Indiana named Jordan Davis is in some trouble," he joked in an Instagram video. Things got tense for a minute. Officers told him they weren't going to put him in handcuffs as long as he walked with them. "And that's when I was like, whoa," Davis said. "I just kind of got quiet because they were pretty serious." Eventually, one of the agents recognized him and asked, "Are you that country singer?" The officer then got worried Davis would go back on stage and bash Border Patrol on social media. Davis laughed it off and said, "Nah dude, just let me get out of here." The best part? His crew on the bus had no idea what happened. They thought Border Patrol just wanted a photo. Davis walked back on and told them, "I almost got locked up, cuz." He captioned the video quote, "Keeping the borders safe, one Jordan Davis at a time. Much love Canada."   I'm Brailey, and that's your Music City Minute.

US soccer runs on country music | Music City Minute

The U.S. Men's National Team doesn't just play country music after games. They play it before them too. We've talked about how John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" has become the unofficial anthem of the 2026 World Cup. But it turns out country music's role with Team USA goes way deeper than a postgame singalong. The U.S. head coach revealed this week that the night before every match, his coaching staff gets together and plays country music. The manager said he's become a genuine fan of the genre and even name-dropped three artists the staff has been spinning: Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson and Ella Langley. "We need them to come to games. They are very, very welcome here.” Meanwhile, "Country Roads" continues to be the soundtrack of the tournament. The song was included on the official USMNT playlist submitted to FIFA, and it's been blasted through sold-out stadiums after every match, win or lose. After the 2-0 win over Australia in Seattle, midfielder Weston McKennie was caught on camera singing along from the pitch, strumming air guitar while 67,000 fans belted out the chorus above him. The U.S. won Group D and faces Bosnia in the round of 32 on Wednesday. And if country music has anything to do with it, they're not done yet.   I'm Brailey, and that's your Music City Minute.

Alan Jackson takes the show one last time | Music City Minute

Alan Jackson took the stage one last time Saturday night, and Nashville gave him a send off worthy of a legend. Saturday night at Nissan Stadium, 55,000 fans gathered to watch Alan Jackson close the book on a 35-year touring career. The show was called Last Call: One More for the Road, The Finale, and it lived up to every word. The evening started with a little drama nobody planned for – lightning rolled through Nashville forcing a full stadium evacuation right before showtime. But the weather cleared, and when Jackson finally walked out at 9:25, he did what he's always done. He kept it real. "We're not going to dwell on all this sad 'last show' stuff," he told the crowd. "I'm not dead." He joked that it had started to feel a bit like a funeral, watching all these stars sing his songs from heaven. "Two-step up and down the aisle, have a good time, have a drink," he said. "We'll try to play something you like." Before Jackson took the stage, the first two hours belonged to the artists he inspired. Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Riley Green, Jon Pardi, Lee Ann Womack and more all covered Jackson's catalog. His great niece Carlisle Wright, whom Jackson personally invited to make her Opry debut just weeks earlier, opened the show. Then came the man himself with a 24-song set that covered decades of hits. George Strait walked out to join him for "Designated Drinker" and "Murder on Music Row." He closed the main set with "Chattahoochee" one final time before an encore of "Mercury Blues" and "Where I Come From." The whole thing is being filmed for an NBC special later this year. But for the people who were there, Saturday night in Nashville was something no TV broadcast will ever fully capture.   I'm Brailey, and that's your Music City Minute.

Grand Ole Opry might get new owner | Music City Minute

Country music's most sacred stage might have a new owner. This is a big one. According to a report from Bloomberg, Ryman Hospitality Properties is exploring the sale of its 70 percent stake in Opry Entertainment Group, the company that owns the Grand Ole Opry House and the Ryman Auditorium. They've hired Morgan Stanley to find a buyer, and this comes during the Opry's 100th anniversary year. The sale wouldn't just include those two iconic venues. Opry Entertainment Group also owns WSM Radio, the station that launched the Opry back in 1925, as well as Blake Shelton's Ole Red locations, Luke Combs' Category 10 bar in Nashville and ACL Live in Austin. The remaining 30 percent of OEG is already held by NBCUniversal and a private equity firm. Ryman Hospitality confirmed they're "evaluating potential opportunities," but stressed no agreements have been reached and there's no guarantee a deal will happen. Executive Chairman Colin Reed pointed to the rise in global popularity of country music as a reason for the timing. No matter what happens, this has Nashville paying very close attention. The Opry isn't just a venue. It's the heart of country music. And whoever ends up owning it will be holding something that can't be measured in dollars.   I'm Brailey, and that's your Music City Minute.