Parker McCollum: ‘Grateful’ To Open For Morgan Wallen

Parker McCollum begins touring as the opener for Morgan Wallen starting in May, with dates in New Jersey and Georgia, before he gets back to playing shows on his own headlining tour.

Parker told us yesterday (4/6) that he knows what Wallen is doing. He said, "The Morgan shows are such an opportunity. He knows what he's doing putting me on that show; he's throwing me a massive bone by letting me get up and play in front of his crowd like that." McCollum added, "It's something that I'm extremely grateful for. I can't wait to play 'em."

Parker will also be playing some shows as the opener for Eric Church starting in June, and he is thrilled with the opportunity. He told us, "The Church shows. I think so highly of him, and I was such a fan to get to go play in front of his crowd, too; wow. I got a lot of respect for him, and I know he picks his openers pretty carefully, so I'm glad to be one of 'em."

McCollum's latest single, "Handle On You," is in the top five this week on the country radio charts. Parker told us not long ago that the song was written during a tough time with his then-girlfriend, Hallie Ray.

McCollum said," 'Handle On You' is a song I wrote with my buddy Monty Criswell before Hallie and I were back together, and I was really going through it, and I was drinking quite a bit and staying up all night trying to write sad country songs. I wasn't really writing anything at the time and woke up real late one day, and Monty came over, and he had this title called 'Handle On You,' and I said, 'Man, I've kind of been trying to get a handle on her,' and I was really kind of living that at the time."

He added, "It's a super honest song, and it really means a lot to me when I listen to it and think back on that time on what I was going through. You know, I was drinking to try to get out of a bad spot which will never work, but I don't regret it because we wrote 'Handle On You' from literally living exactly what that song's about."

Parker McCollum released a new song today (3/10) from his forthcoming studio album, Never Enough. The new song is called "Speed."

Parker said of the song in a statement, "My song 'Speed' is about my obsession with living fast. Life is always going a hundred miles an hour, and it's important to try and be aware of that and slow things down every now and then."

He adds, "As you get a little further along in life, you start to enjoy the slow and easy life. It takes a little reflection and a little step back from everything to realize how important it is."

Never Enough will be released everywhere on May 12, 2023, and will also feature the lead single "Handle On You," as well as recent releases "Stoned" and "I Ain't Going Nowhere." Fans can pre-order Never Enough on CD and vinyl, with a special signed white vinyl and signed CD exclusively available at ParkerMcCollum.com.

Earlier this week, McCollum participated in the Country Music Hall of Fame's American Currents: State of Music exhibition. The exhibit highlighted the country music landscape over the past year. The exhibit explores musical developments, artist achievements, and notable events determined by the Museum's curators and editorial staff.

Featured artists of the exhibit include McCollum, Wynonna Judd, Elvis Presley, Luke Combs, HARDY, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, Jordan Davis, and more. It is open to the public now through February 2024.

As his country music career continues to rise, we look at his last few years in country music.