Hardy, Ernest and Morgan Wallen are a trio on the rise in Nashville right now.
It’s really no secret to anyone who’s paying attention.
On a recent podcast episode of Bussin’ With The Boys, even Jelly Roll said that Ernest and Hardy would dominate in a Nashville version of Verzuz, a virtual DJ battle where two hip hop or R&B artists go toe to toe with their biggest hits. The web series was created by Timbaland and Swizz Beatz during the Covid lockdown.
And while the boys shot the shit, they basically envisioned a full spin-off of Verzuz Nashville style, featuring artists and songwriters who would battle it out for best of the best. Jelly Roll shared his opinion that Hardy and Ernest would duke it out for the championship based on their last few years of work.
Their collective songwriting works, excluding the songs they recorded themselves include some of the biggest recent hits: “More Than My Hometown,” “Single Saturday Night,” “Sand In My Boots,” “God’s Country,” “Somebody’s Problem,” “You Proof,” and “Wasted On You,” not to mention a whole score of other titles from the Morgan Wallen portfolio that haven’t even been mentioned.
But what’s more interesting than the collaborative success of the three, is that they have all remained very close friends on their journey to fame.
Morgan Wallen even paid his respects to his two buddies for their successful writing on behalf of his career by bringing them along on tour, and then bringing them back on tour again, a move you don’t see every day in the music industry.
And Jelly Roll commented on all of that:
“I’ve said since day 1, Ernest, Hardy and Morgan have created a sense of actual genuine friendship in the music business that hasn’t been seen since how Waylon and Willie were with each other.”
Podcast host, Taylor Lewan, clarified with Jelly:
“So hold on, you’re saying the best combination right now is Morgan, Hardy and Ernest?!”
And Jelly was quick to respond:
“Well yeah, but it’s like because of their chemistry and real friendship. Listen I could bore y’all nerding out about this. The way Morgan took Hardy on the tour last year, and then doubled back and brings ‘em both back next year.
That’s a man who took his friends with him when he got the chance to call his own shots. Cause let me tell you how Nashville works, every booking agent in town was pitching everybody BUT Hardy and Ernest at one point.”
Jelly went on to add that this is something he and his friends are even trying to emulate themselves now that they’ve seen it.
I guess what southern mamas say is correct, you catch more flies (and hits) with honey in this instance, because their friendship is an attractive feature to fans. And a Morgan concert also means two for the price of one, which isn’t a bad bargain.
Being compared to the companionship of Waylon and Willie is no small feat, and the boys agreed (Ernest included) that it was a big compliment Jelly Roll gave.
But the similarities are there in some ways. The three are all exclusively popular with their own styles, while also being heavily involved in each other’s accomplishments.
It’s just a dynamic that you don’t see very often anymore (granted, they are all on the same label over at Big Loud).
And that’s not to say that there aren’t others operating in the same vein… Cody Jinks and Ward Davis come to mind, Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen, Zach Bryan and Charles Wesley Godwin are in the early stages of a similar relationship… I’m sure there are others.
In an interview on Rock Feed, Hardy was asked about the truth behind the guys’ friendship, and if he agreed with what Jelly Roll said in the initial interview:
“Yeah, we talk every day. I talk to Ern every day and I talk to Morgan every day, if not every day, five times a week.”
He went on to say that it’s no competition, it’s just rooting for your boys to win:
“If Ern wins, I win. And if I win, Morgan wins.
We all had nothing at the same time and then had something at the same time, and there’s something cool about like coming up together…
There’s no jealous nothing like that, bro. We just kinda all can’t believe it’s happening to us.”
@rockfeed @hardy on how he and @morganwallen and @ernest615 support each other. @officialjellyroll#hardy #morganwallen #jellyroll #ernest ♬ original sound – Rock Feed
Morgan Wallen Announces 17-Stadium 2023 ‘One Night At A Time World Tour’
Morgan Wallenis hittin’ the road.
On the heels of his extensive and very successful Dangerous tour, named in honor of his record-smashing 2021 double album, he’s taking things worldwide.
He announced a 17-stadium 2023 One Night At A Time world tour, which includes two continents, four different countries, and plenty of other amphitheater and festival dates, as well.
And he’s bringing along some of his best friends to open different shows on rotating dates in HARDY and Ernest, as well as Texas boy Parker McCollum and up-and-comer Bailey Zimmerman.
The tour will kick off overseas on March 15th, with shows in New Zealand and Australia, and they’ll be hitting stadiums like Milwaukee’s American Family Field, MetLife Stadium, Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Boston’s Fenway Park at stops along the way, before wrapping up on October 7th at Tacoma Dome in Washington.
The tour consists of 39 dates in total, and Morgan says he can’t wait to get back out there and play for fans live so soon after he just wrapped up the aforementioned Dangerous tour, and he’s feeling as inspired as ever in terms of new music:
“Man, what a year 2022 has been with the Dangerous Tour. I had the time of my life, and I cannot begin to express how grateful I am that my fans connected with the Dangerous album the way they did.
I’ve had so many people ask me if I wanted to take some time off; but the truth is – I have been writing and making so much music in my off-time because I feel as inspired as I ever have. It feels like new songs are pouring out of me, and I love that feeling.
We are going to run it back next year with the One Night At A Time World Tour. Bigger venues. New countries. Bigger memories. See y’all there.”
You had to know him playing stadiums was coming sooner rather than later, but for Morgan to make the jump so quickly is pretty damn impressive, and I have a feeling tickets won’t last long at all for any of the show dates.
Morgan Wallen 2023 U.S. Tour Dates:
Fri, April 14 Milwaukee, WI American Family Field*#
Sat, April 15 Milwaukee, WI American Family Field*#
Thurs, April 20 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center
Sat, April 22 Oxford, MS Vaught-Hemingway Stadium*#
Sun, April 23 Oxford, MS Vaught-Hemingway Stadium*+
Thurs, April 27 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
Fri, April 28 Moline, IL Vibrant Arena
Sat, April 29 Lincoln, NE Pinnacle Bank Arena
Thurs, May 4 Jacksonville, FL VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
Fri, May 5 West Palm Beach, FL iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Sat, May 6 Tampa, FL MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Thurs, May 18 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium*
Fri, May 19 East Rutherford, NJ MetLife Stadium*$
Sat, May 20 East Rutherford, NJ MetLife Stadium*$
Wed, May 24 Austin, TX Moody Center
Fri, May 26 Houston, TX Minute Maid Park*#
Thurs, June 1 Atlanta, GA Truist Park*$
Fri, June 2 Atlanta, GA Truist Park*$
Sat, June 3 Panama City Beach, FL Gulf Coast Jam^
Thurs, June 8 Virginia Beach, VA Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Fri, June 9 Virginia Beach, VA Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Sat, June 10 Myrtle Beach, SC Carolina Country Music Fest^
Wed, June 14 Pittsburgh, PA PNC Park*&
Thurs, June 15 Pittsburgh, PA PNC Park*#
Sat, June 17 Philadelphia, PA Citizens Bank Park*#
Thurs, June 22 Chicago, IL Wrigley Field*#
Fri, June 23 Chicago, IL Wrigley Field*$
Thurs, June 29 Detroit, MI Ford Field*#
Fri, June 30 Detroit, MI Ford Field*#
Thurs, July 6 St. Louis, MO Busch Stadium*$
Fri, July 7 St. Louis, MO Busch Stadium*$
Fri, July 14 San Diego, CA Petco Park*#
Sat, July 15 San Diego, CA Petco Park*#
Wed, July 19 Phoenix, AZ Chase Field*#
Thurs, July 20 Phoenix, AZ Chase Field*#
Sat, July 22 Los Angeles, CA SoFi Stadium*#
Thurs, Aug 3 Detroit Lakes, MN WE Fest^
Fri, Aug 11 Columbus, OH Ohio Stadium*%
Sat, Aug 12 Columbus, OH Ohio Stadium*#
Wed, Aug 16 Boston, MA Fenway Park*#
Thurs, Aug 17 Boston, MA Fenway Park*#
Fri, Aug 18 Boston, MA Fenway Park*$
Sat, Sept 2 Washington, DC FedEx Field*$
Sat, Oct 7 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome
Morgan Wallen 2023 International Tour Dates:
Wed, March 15 Auckland, NZ Spark Arena #
Sun, March 19 Ipswich, QLD CMC Rocks ^
Tues, March 21 Sydney, NSW Qudos Bank Arena #
Wed, March 22 Sydney, NSW Qudos Bank Arena #
Fri, March 24 Melbourne, VIC Rod Laver Arena #
Sat, March 25 Melbourne, VIC Rod Laver Arena #
Sat, Aug 5 Camrose, AB Big Valley Jamboree^
Thurs, Sept 14 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage
Fri, Sept 15 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage
Sat, Sept 16 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage
Mon, Sept 18 London, ON Budweiser Gardens
Thurs, Sept 21 Ottawa, ON Canadian Tire Centre
Fri, Sept 22 Quebec City, QC Videotron Centre
Sat, Sept 23 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Thurs, Sept 28 Winnipeg, MB Canada Life Centre
Fri, Sept 29 Saskatoon, SK SaskTel Centre
Sat, Sept 30 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome
Tues, Oct 3 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
Wed, Oct 4 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
* Stadium Dates
^ Festival Dates
# HARDY, ERNEST, Bailey Zimmerman
$ Parker McCollum, ERNEST, Bailey Zimmerman
& HARDY, Bailey Zimmerman
% Riley Green, ERNEST
+ HARDY, ERNEST
As on his Dangerous Tour, $3 of every ticket sold for U.S. dates benefits the Morgan Wallen Foundation which has supported organizations such as Children Are People, the Salvation Army and National Museum of African American Music.
