Nashville, TN – Award-winning country music producer Michael Knox today announced the fourth anniversary of his popular nationally syndicated radio show KNOX COUNTRY 360. The show offers listeners closer access to Nashville’s exclusive inner-circle of the hottest hitmakers and songwriters including Ashley Gorley, David Lee Murphy, Luke Laird, Rhett Atkins, Nicolle Galyon, Rodney Clawson, Liz Rose, Jessi Alexander, Josh Thompson, Dallas Davidson, Jennifer Hanson and many others. The show also features Nashville industry insiders like Ben Vaughn (Warner Chappell) and Rusty Gaston (SONY), amongst others. KNOX COUNTRY 360 has a bi-weekly podcast extension, available on most major podcast services and a free mobile APP aimed at delivering personalized VIP experiences for fans available on iPhone and Andriod platforms. To celebrate its fourth anniversary, Michael Knox and co-host Shalacy Griffin will be hosting a special July 4th anniversary show featuring their favorite moments from the past four years.
Based in Nashville, the show is produced by Michael Knox and Donny Walker (former executive at Westwood One, Cumulus Media, BDS, Billboard Magazine), and is hosted by Knox and Shalacy Griffin, currently the Senior Vice President of Operations for Music Knox, LLC. Bill Bruce is also a key behind the scenes member the team calls “The Voice.”
This year, KNOX COUNTRY 360 was selected by the Academy of Country Music as a first-time nominee for “National Weekly On-Air Personality of the Year” with Knox and Griffin, an unprecedented nod for a show that is only in its fourth year. Knox and the team behind Knox COUNTRY 360 consider themselves a group of radio “outsiders” — they initially saw that something was missing in radio and wanted to fill that space with content that told the story of Country music’s hottest songs through the lens of the Nashville heavy-hitters behind them, coupled with an old-school style of radio hosting, inspired by Alan Freed, Rick Dees and Wolfman Jack. Through KNOX COUNTRY 360’s journey of launch, getting syndicated, focusing content on Nashville insiders, the personality driven show become somewhat of a “Cinderella” story that has program directors taking notice. The team refers to itself often as radio’s “Most Unlikely Team and even “the Jamaican bobsled team of country radio” but it’s this humor coupled with content that keeps listeners dialed in.
“I’m very proud of the four-year journey we have had together so far. From the excitement of our very first show back in 2018, to walking the red carpet at the 2022 ACM awards with my co-host Shalacy for our nomination for National Weekly On Air Personality, this has been such an incredible ride,” said Michael Knox. “Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying, because I know we’re famous because of me.”
“I have been a fan of radio my entire life so to be able to contribute to this industry has been a blessing,” said Shalacy Griffin. “I also agree with my co-host that he may be the ‘famous’ one, but everyone knows that we got our ACM nomination because of me. I think we would also agree that the show would not be possible without Donny Walker and Bill Bruce—those guys are rockstars!”
“It’s amazing how fast four years goes by when you’re working with a super talented and creative team that loves country radio,” said Donny Walker. “Michael Knox and Shalacy Griffin deliver a warm, funny and intimate listener experience that only comes from natural born talent. To say I’m proud of the house we have built is an understatement!”
“Hard to believe it’s already been four years of yelling Knox COUNTRY 360 into a microphone while my cats scurry away. The fact that my voice and guitar starts every show and sets the tempo tells you what geniuses the decision makers Donny, Michael, and Shalacy are!” said Bill Bruce. “Seriously, love being part of a small dedicated team that’s built itself into a huge ACM nomination this year.”
The show’s co-host Michael Knox is well established as one of the most prolific music producers in Nashville with enviable output—28 #1 singles (including the recent Jason Aldean #1 single “Trouble with a Heartbreak”); a #1 Billboard ranked Country Producer; and has accounted for over 50 million singles and 25 million albums sold during his career. In addition to his long-running role as Jason Aldean’s primary producer, Knox’s production credits include Thomas Rhett, Kelly Clarkson, Ludacris, Trace Adkins, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Laine Hardy and Michael Tyler, as well as Knox’s father, Buddy Knox (“Party Doll” fame 1957), amongst others. Knox is also a record label executive and music publisher—his record label Music Knox Records/BBR Music Group is working on material with Tim Montana and as a music publisher and Senior Vice President for peermusic Nashville, Knox has distinctively guided one of Nashville’s leading indie publishing corporations song by song, hit by hit. With his various entrepreneurial activities, Knox is proving that if you’re very good at what you do, you don’t have to fit just one mold in Nashville.
Knox has won a CMA Award for his work as producer of the CMA Album of the Year My Kinda Party (Jason Aldean) as well as four ACM Awards including the 2022 ACM Single of the Year “If I Didn’t Love You” (Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood). Knox has served on the ACM Board of Directors, the CMA Board of Directors, CreatiVets advisor and has held leadership positions at Hit Pluggers and Warner Chappell.