Thomas Rhett called into The Bobby Bones Show to talk about his new song with Morgan Wallen, that scary situation that happened at his Nashville show and more!
Thomas Rhett released a vinyl collection celebrating his 20 No.1 hits in 10 years, titled 20 Number Ones on September 29. As a bonus track, it includes his latest – and 21st – number one song, “Angels (Don’t Always Have Wings)” and his new single “Mamaw’s House” that features Morgan Wallen.
They wrote the song alongside Chase McGill and Matt Dragstrem and were writing a different song when Wallen got a call from his grandmother. In the opening of the song, you can hear the exact moment when Wallen says, “Sorry y’all, my Mamaw called me. I’ll be right back.” When he came back, he told Rhett that his Mamaw lived in Knoxville and Rhett said he also has a grandmother he calls Mamaw that lives in Knoxville. That’s when it clicked, and they wrote the song based off the universal experience of spending time during your childhood at your grandmother’s house.
They wrote it years ago but never knew when or how to release it. Rhett said it didn’t fit his previous albums and it made the best sense to put it out now. They both forgot about the song, until Wallen played it at a hunting camp for some people and Rhett started receiving texts asking why he never released it. So, when they were looking at his past songs for the 20 No.1’s vinyl, he knew the tune would fit perfectly as a bonus track on it.
At Rhett’s September 29th show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, a scary situation happened in the crowd towards the end of the concert. He stopped the show when a fan named Terry, who was close to the stage suffered a medical emergency and was carried out by medical personnel. Rhett asked the crowd if there were any medical personnel in attendance who could help and couldn’t believe how many EMT’s, nurses and doctors came rushing towards the situation willing to help. Recognizing the seriousness of the moment and how distraught Terry’s family and friends were, Rhett’s wife, Lauren, suggested he led the arena in a prayer. He spoke to Terry the next day on the phone and is happy he is okay. There were only two songs left to perform in the show and he said it was a weird moment where he wasn’t sure if he should reignite the show or go home. He ended up playing just one final song, “What’s Your Country Song,” and dedicated it to Terry.
Rhett plans to slow down on touring next year. This past year he had been on the road from February to October. He admits it was a struggle working nonstop while also trying to be present for his family. After talking with his wife, in 2024 he plans on having what he calls a “light year,” which will be strange for him because he’s never done it before and has been touring consistently since he was 21. Next year, he will be playing some shows, but is looking forward to being home with his family, being with his kids and getting to take them to school!