Independent country artist Waylon Hanel released “Blame It On The Rain” on Sept. 18, the lead single from his upcoming EP “Price of Smokes,” due Nov. 27 on CDX Records. The song was written by Hanel and Billy Gunther and produced by Ken Royster, whose credits include Luke Combs and Cowboy Troy, at Direct Image Studio in Nashville.

A studio video for the track premiered through The Country Note and is set to air on American Country Network starting Oct. 5. The six-song EP includes contributions from songwriters Bernie Nelson and Steve Stapler, along with a cover of Wayne Carson Thompson’s “The Letter,” and features a Nashville session lineup including drummer Tommy Harden, bassist Dave Francis and steel guitarist Scotty Sanders.

The release follows Hanel’s 2025 album “When Waylon Came To Nashville.” According to the announcement, he is nominated for multiple Josie Music Awards, including Artist of the Year and Vocalist of the Year. Hanel has several tour dates scheduled in Michigan through October.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Jason W. Ashcraft / JWA Media, jwamedia.com.

The Charlie Daniels Patriot Awards Dinner returned to City Winery Nashville on Sept. 10, raising more than $500,000 for The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project, according to the organization. The annual fundraiser, which benefits efforts to help U.S. military veterans reintegrate into civilian life, this year paid tribute to the Horse Soldiers and the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), coinciding with the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11.

The evening included remarks from Lt. Gen. John F. Mulholland (Ret.) and Joel Pruitt, along with honors presented to Robert Koons, James Doyle, Tim and Kate Cooper of the Cooper Alan Foundation, and Scott Hunt of Hunt Brothers Pizza. David Corlew, co-founder of TCDJHP and longtime manager of the late Charlie Daniels, hosted the program, which also included a tribute to Bernard Kerik.

Funds were raised through sponsorships, donations and live and silent auctions featuring items such as handwritten lyrics to “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” a signed anniversary guitar, and military memorabilia tied to Special Forces units. TCDJHP says its past support has included funding that helped enable the first CAR-T cancer treatment performed at a VA hospital in partnership with Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Christy Walker-Watkins, 3on.e2ma.net.

Hilary Duff wrapped the UK leg of her “lucky me tour” with a second sold-out show at London’s The O2 Arena, according to Live Nation, which promoted the run. The encore featured confetti reading “2027 More Dates Loading” alongside a countdown clock that appeared on screens and Duff’s website, signaling upcoming tour dates.

The tour supports Duff’s sixth studio album, “luck… or something,” which the announcement says debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 1 in Canada and Australia. It marks her first full-scale global headline tour in nearly two decades, following her 2015 album “Breathe In. Breathe Out.”

The tour continues next month in New Zealand and Australia before returning to Canada and heading to Mexico in January and February 2027. Duff previously played sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden and the Kia Forum on the run, according to the announcement.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Avery Robinson, LiveNation.com.

Foreigner has announced that original lead singer Lou Gramm and founding keyboardist Al Greenwood will rejoin the band for a series of performances as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations. Gramm will appear with Foreigner aboard the Rock Legends Cruise departing Miami on February 21, 2027, and for six shows at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas that March.

Greenwood, the first musician recruited by founder Mick Jones in 1976, will join the band for five shows in Georgia and California this September and October, followed by additional dates in spring 2027, including a run of New York-area shows in April and May marking the city where Foreigner formed.

Gramm sang lead on many of the band’s best-known songs, including “Cold As Ice,” “Hot Blooded” and “I Want to Know What Love Is,” while Greenwood’s keyboard work featured on Foreigner’s first three albums. Mick Jones said the New York shows would celebrate the fans who have supported the band since its earliest days.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Vanessa Menkes, vanessamenkes.com.

Yes Boone is moving forward on his debut album after signing with a major label, according to Billboard. The artist describes the project as blending French house influences with the energy of British post-punk, aiming for what he calls a timeless sound.

Details on release timing and specific label credits were not disclosed.

Read the full story at Billboard.