Hillbilly Live!

Our boy is about to headline his first ever tour y’all!

He’s been out opening shows for Morgan Wallen and studying on how to do his own tour. Zach John King officially announced his 2026 “Get To Drinkin’ Tour”. It kicks off October 1st in Indianapolis, IN and is set to wrap up November 6th in Lexington, KY. And this is only the start of this tour too.

According to Zach’s socials this is “leg 1” of the tour. Pre-sale starts Thursday (5/14/26) at 10am local with code DRINKIN. If you leave a comment on his socials post about this tour…ZJK will send you the link to get tickets.

So, leave a comment on the man’s socials, get the link and get your tickets to Zach’s 2026 “Get To Drinkin’ Tour”.

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We have a new “American Idol” y’all and she’s country y’all.

Hannah Harper is the first female country singer to win “American Idol” since Carrie Underwood. She says she’s going to rest a few weeks, then get back to writing and recording new music.

She’s going to announce a “String Cheese” tour that will make stops at theaters and small towns.

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The 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards go down this coming Sunday night (5/17/26) at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on Prime Video. Here are five records that could be broken: 

1. Chris Stapleton could surpass King George Strait to become the most-decorated male artist in ACM history.  George has 24 wins. Chris has 21. He’s up for five awards this year.

2. Luke Combs could accomplish the “Triple Crown”. It’s when an artist has earned all three at some point in their career: New Male/Female Artist, Male/Female Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year. He just needs Entertainer of the Year.

3. Chris Stapleton could tie Merle Haggard for most Male Artist of the Year wins. Merle has six. Chris has five.

4. Miranda Lambert could extend her Song of the Year record. She’s won seven. She’s up for two this year, including as a songwriter for “Choosin’ Texas”.

5. Lainey Wilson could become the first female to win Entertainer of the Year three years in a row.

For a refresher, here are the nominees.

This woman is becoming a household name y’all.

That “Dandelion” album of hers is doing this girl’s career some good. Ella Langley is now the first female country artist to have the top two spots on the Billboard Hot 100. “Choosin’ Texas” is #1 for a ninth week, and “Be Her” is at #2.

The only other country artist to do this was Morgan Wallen last May. Of course he actually had the top three spots on the same chart. It’s Morgan Wallen though.

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Even though Jimmy Buffett passed away over two years ago on Labor Day weekend, you can still keep his spirit alive by “Jimmy Buffett-maxxing“. 

Gen Z has been attaching the word “maxxing” to anything to describe going all in on something and optimizing it to an obsessive degree. It’s just slang for “maximize.”

So, the phrase “Jimmy Buffett-maxxing” is trending and it just means to live your life like Jimmy. You know, laid back and by the beach with a margarita. 

A fan described it in a video saying, “Jimmy lived every day to the absolute fullest. He built an empire off the things he loved, like music. He enjoyed the little things, like sunshine, the ocean, margaritas and friends. 

He didn’t let the little things worry him. Most importantly, he built a life that felt like a 24/7 vacation.”

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Mitchell Tenpenny’s wife Meghan Patrick canceled her summer tour dates due to pregnancy complications. She and Mitchell are expecting a baby girl this fall and she do what’s best so they can meet their baby girl.

She said, “I was determined not to slow down. I thought I had to prove that pregnancy wouldn’t change anything and that I could push through no matter what.

Between complications, hospital visits, exhaustion, and the anxiety that comes with experiencing a previous miscarriage, I’ve had to take a hard look at what’s truly important right now.”

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We’ve all seen him climb a fence pretty damn quick. So, this really shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Zach Bryan took his encore to new heights at his show in Ohio last weekend. He decided climb up one of the stage truss with his guitar strapped onto him to perform “Revival”.

I don’t think he was drunk like he was when scaled that fence in Oklahoma trying to fight Gavin Adcock. And as far as I can tell…he had some sort of safety harness on once he got to the top of his climb on the stage truss.

We finally have some real new music from Brad Paisley y’all!

Brad recently wiped his Instagram clean, but then a couple day’s ago he a picture of a young Brad holding a fish. Then he posted cryptic post with the caption that read “building something”.

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Some 2026 touring news also got posted to his socials.

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And the last real full album from Brad was “Love And War” in 2017. So, it’s been awhile since we’ve gotten some real music from him. As of Monday May 11, 2026…we do in fact have a new song from Mr. Paisley called “Fallin’”

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Luke Combs had a big week.

He may have left Appalachian State just shy of finishing his degree, but now he’s received an honorary degree of music from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. He attended the university from 2008 to 2012.

He left before completing his Criminal Justice degree to pursue his career in country music. And luckily his music career has been very successful for him.

Appalachian State Chancellor Heather Norris said during the ceremony…

“In every sense, Luke Combs represents the character and heart of a Mountaineer. His story inspires our students to dream big, work hard, and always remember where they came from. He represents the very best of our university community: a life lived with purpose, driven by a commitment to excellence and a genuine care for others.”

Luke also played in Norman, Oklahoma at the Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Saturday May 9, 2026. He knew exactly what to do. He walked out to stage paying tribute to the Big Dog Toby Keith himself.

Luke was wearing a hat that said “TOBY” in an all caps with “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” playing on the speakers.

The walkout Indianapolis was special on night two.

During the second night of his “Still the Problem Tour” at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday May 9, 2026, Morgan Wallen was joined by Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark for his signature concert walkout. This also marked the first time Morgan has featured a female guest for the entrance during this tour.

The appearance came just hours after Caitlin’s 2026 WNBA season opener against the Dallas Wings, where she scored 20 points too. The two walked out from the stadium’s locker room tunnel together as the crowd went crazy.