Diamond-certified superstar Thomas Rhett, whose career has produced 25 Number One hits over the past decade, was inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee.
As the son of famed songwriter, Rhett Akins, Thomas Rhett is known equally for his songwriting and stellar shows He was first recognized by the masses in 2015 when he released “Die A Happy Man” a massive crossover hit that spent six weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, charted on the Billboard Hot 100, and won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2017. Other mega hits include “Crash and Burn,” “T-Shirt,” “Make Me Wanna,” “It Goes Like This,” “Marry Me,” “Look What God Gave Her,” and “Unforgettable,” to name a few. Many of his songs are inspired by his faith, family, and wife, Lauren, with his latest album, About a Woman (Deluxe), written specifically for her.
Thomas Rhett has only been full-time in the music business for about 11 years. In his career so far, he has produced 25 number one songs, 16 billion streams, and armfuls of awards, eight ACM Awards including 2020 Entertainer of the Year, two CMA Awards, five GRAMMY® Award nominations, plus trophies from the CMT Music Awards, Billboard Awards and iHeartRadio Awards, in addition to being recognized with five CMA Triple Play awards for penning three number one songs within 12 months.
Kelly Sutton has graciously replaced the beloved Bill Cody, who recently passed away, as host of the Walk of Fame event. “Thomas makes everything look easy, but we know that this level of success only comes after a tremendous amount of work and support from a full team at work and at home. Life hasn’t slowed down for him or his family, and he’s about to start his latest tour, the Soundtrack to Life tour tomorrow night right here in Nashville. Co-headline with his friend Niall Horan.”
Longtime friend and collaborator, Jordan Davis, introduced Rhett before he received his star. He met Rhett in 2016 when they both played the Bayou Country Superfest in Louisiana. He recalled, “I left that day knowing that Thomas was going to be doing this for a very, very long time. And it’s not surprising at all that we’re here celebrating a star on what has already been an amazing career for Thomas.”
Because of that first encounter, Davis’ life/career has been positively impacted forever. He shared, “But ever since that night, I have approached music differently, and it’s all because of Thomas. He’s the same guy who makes people feel seen and heard on stage and off stage, who genuinely cares about others, and has been given a gift from the good Lord to make everyone he meets feel like family.”
Davis continued, “In a world where fame can easily become somebody’s identity, Thomas has never let that define him. Instead, he stayed grounded in the things that mattered most to him: his faith, his family, his friendships, and his deep love for country music. Now, you’ll be hard-pressed to find another artist out there who works as hard or pursues excellence in everything that he does more than Thomas Rhett. How he measures success is totally different from most people. His pride is found at home with his five beautiful kids and his lovely wife, Lauren. And I believe that pride and that love for them is what makes his music so impactful. Thomas is living proof that you can achieve incredible success without losing your humility, your kindness, and your values.”
When Rhett accepted his award, he was reminded that at age 19, he told his mom he wanted to drop out of college and become a songwriter. She wanted him to do almost anything else, but she gave him the confidence to chase his dream and has remained one of his biggest champions.
He also thanked his dad for sharing his passion for country music, which was “one of the greatest gifts you’ve ever given me.”
Rhett said to his wife, “Lauren, I could give a 90-minute speech on just you. But thank you for being my greatest encourager and my greatest grounding force. You celebrated every high with me, and you carried me through every low and reminded me repeatedly that who I am is far more important than what I do. So, thank you for that. To my five beautiful kids sitting here on the front row, thank y’all so much for reminding me what really matters in life.”
He thanked his long-time Manager, Virginia Bunetta, and the army of people who support him, including the staff at the Valory Music Company.
Looking back on his career, he explained, “If 19-year-old TR was sitting on this stage today, the first thing I’d say to him is relax. You’re about to spend the next 17 years worrying about things that you were never in control of in the first place. You’re going to worry about whether people like you, whether they’re going to like the songs, whether the radio is going to play them, whether you’re going to sell any tickets, whether you’re going to make the right decisions. Most of those things were never yours to control anyway.”
In conclusion, he stated, “There are five things I hope you learn a bit sooner than I did.”
(Summarized quotes)
Number One: Nobody knows what they’re doing. Right now, you’re walking around Music Row convinced that everybody has a little secret. You think the artists know, you think the songwriters know. You think the producers know. You think the label knows. They don’t. One day you’re going to realize something that’s incredibly freeing: that nobody has it all figured out. Have a little grace for yourself and everybody else because we’re all figuring it out together.
Number Two: There is no such thing as a country music emergency. I will never forget the day that Miranda Lambert said that to me. I had to laugh. You’re going to spend the next decade realizing just how right Miranda Lambert was. The song can wait till tomorrow. The meeting can usually wait till tomorrow. The panic rarely needs to happen today. Go home, eat dinner, put your phone down.
Number Three: Don’t settle for a single definition of success. Right now, you think success is as simple as having a number one song, a sold-out tour, maybe, one day, a star on the Walk of Fame. Those are incredible gifts. Celebrate them, but don’t let them become your only scorecard. Have multiple bottom lines. Some days success will be writing a great song, making somebody laugh, or encouraging a friend.
Number Four: Don’t miss your life while you’re building your career. You’re going to chase some incredible dreams, and I hope you do. You’re going to stand on stages you can’t even imagine today. You’re going to write songs you’re going to be proud of, and somehow one day you’re going to stand right here. But don’t get so busy building a career that you forget to build a life. Some of your favorite moments won’t happen under stage lights. Don’t miss your life while you’re building a career.
Number Five: Enjoy life. You’re going to spend so much time chasing the next thing, the next single, the next tour, the next award. But if you’re not careful, you’re going to sprint right past some of the best days of your life. Slow down now and then, look around, take a picture, celebrate with somebody, tell people thank you. Because one day you’re going to wake up and stand on a stage like this and wonder how 17 years went by so fast.
Rhett then thanked the songwriters, musicians, every member of his band and crew who’s spent countless nights away from their families, every business manager, attorney, publisher, booking agent, promoter, record label, radio station, and every person who’s worked behind the scenes to help carry his dream. And then he thanked the fans, many of whom had stood in rain waiting to see him get his star.
Rhett proclaimed, “This star may have my name on it, but it belongs to a heck of a lot of people.”
This event was sponsored by the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp and Visit Music City, where they maximize the economic contribution of the convention and tourism industry to the community by developing and marketing Nashville as a premier destination. Visit the NCVC’s website at www.visitmusiccity.comand follow us on social media @VisitMusicCity.
Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and TikTok.
