He just might “‘Die a Happy Man” now that he’s not only the latest country music artist — but among some of the youngest musicians whose name now graces a part of a downtown block in the heart of Nashville.
At just age 36, American country superstar Thomas Rhett received his own star on the Music City Walk of Fame on July 8.
The public landmark, which honors achievements in the country music industry, sits next to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and consists of terrazzo stars embedded in pavement nestled in the city’s bustling entertainment district.
“I’m overwhelmed, this is very cool, thank you all so much,” Rhett said after fellow American country star Jordan Davis, featured on Rhett’s latest track “Ain’t a Bad Life,’ introduced Rhett to a crowd of several hundred in attendance. Onlookers crowded the sidewalks behind gates on the hot afternoon a block off of Lower Broadway.
“To the fans who bring the families to the shows, that means more than anything to me in the world that you trust me enough to bring your family,” said Rhett, as his wife, Lauren Akins, plus their four daughters and youngest son, looked on in the audience. “Thank you for singing songs louder than I ever could. Thank you for letting my music become a small part of your life. This star may have my name on it, but it belongs to a heck of a lot of people.”
Inducted as the 113th honoree, Rhett now joins the likes of country musicians Miranda Lambert and Luke Combs among the youngest country singers to receive a star on the Walk of Fame. Musicians from other genres, including members of the band Kings of Leon, also received stars at a young age.
“When Thomas gets brought up in a lot of places, the first thing you hear or think about is the music,” Davis said. “You’ll think about songs, hits, sold out shows in Fenway Park, sold out arenas all over the world, song of the years, entertainer of the years, which he reminded me he tied Carrie Underwood with.”
When asked by USA TODAY how it felt to be among the youngest stars to receive one on the Walk of Fame honors, his response was humble.
“Knowing all the names I get to sit with on this walk… Alan Jackson, Bobby Bare, Jimmy Buffett, Jimi Hendrix, Luke Combs, Dierks Bentley… just all over the place,” he said. “I don’t know, I think undeserving is sort of a word that comes to my mind, because in some ways it does feel like I have been doing this for 15 years, in other ways it feels like I started doing it yesterday. I know a lot of people get to vote on this… I feel super honored.”
He took time with to stop and talk with fans after the ceremony ended, signing autographs and taking selfies with country music lovers. One fan told him she flew in from Arizona just to watch him honored with the new star.
The honor came one day before Rhett kicks off a hometown stadium show with former One Direction singer turned solo artist Niall Horan. The stadium show is part of a summer kickoff tied to the FIFA World Cup.
“This whole day, this whole week is overwhelming starting with today,” Rhett told USA TODAY on Wednesday, “I’m playing the biggest show of my life on Thursday.”
Rhett recently hit 25th No. 1 song
Born in Valdosta, Georgia, Rhett grew up in Hendersonville, Tennessee. He is the son of American singer-songwriter Rhett Akins, slated to be inducted as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry this year.
Rhett’s latest track, “Ain’t a Bad Life” marks Rhett’s 25th No. 1 song on the charts.
The song joins “Beautiful As You” and “After All the Bars Are Closed” as the third No. 1 from his latest project, “About a Woman (Deluxe),” and adds to a run that includes hits like “What’s Your Country Song,” “Craving You” and “Die a Happy Man.”
“You can’t fake authenticity. It has to be earned, and Thomas has earned that in every step of the way,” Davis said Wednesday. “Today this star is a well-deserved recognition of an extraordinary career that represents years of talent, dedication, countless hours of hard work. But for those who know Thomas, it also represents something deeper. It’s a reminder that you can achieve incredible success without losing your humility, your kindness and your values.”
“This star now becomes a permanent part of this city that you’ve helped represent so well,” Davis continued.
How are artists nominated to the Walk of Fame?
Nominations to the Walk of Fame are open to the public and are accepted in the categories of Artist, Musician, Songwriter and Producer/Music Industry Executive. Application forms are reviewed by an anonymous selection committee.
The Music City Walk of Fame is a project of Music City Inc., the charitable foundation of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp., produced with the support of founding sponsor Gibson. Additional sponsors include the City of Nashville, Metro Nashville International Airport, Nashville Downtown Partnership and Hilton Nashville Downtown.
For more information visit visitmusiccity.com/walkoffame.
Contributing: Bryan West
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.tennessean.com ’
