Morgan can go home again

Morgan, first, will play the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Nevada, followed by a hometown in-store appearance at the Vicksburg Wal-Mart. He will head to New York City for a special Opry in the Park performance on Monday, Oct. 3 at Bryant Park. He'll round out the week with an Opry Classics show at the Ryman in Nashville on Oct. 6.

"I Met A Girl," co-written by Sam Hunt, along with Trevor Rosen (Old Dominion) and Shane McAnally, has been a hit at radio.

Morgan was 11 years old when he got his first guitar and by age 13, he started playing out with guys three or four times his age, learning the old songs and savoring that classic honky-tonk style. His parents drove him to and from late-night gigs, often hours away.

"They always encouraged me," he said, "and a lot of people say it, but I wouldn't be anywhere without them." His dad handled an early MySpace account, networking and looking for opportunities. One came in the form of the Hayride, which Morgan played at least once a month for years starting at 14. That set in motion a chain of events that led to Nashville songwriting appointments and meetings with Music Row executives that eventually landed him both a publishing deal and a major label record deal with Warner Bros. Nashville.

"Vinyl," produced by Scott Hendricks and Jimmy Ritchey, includes 11 songs.