Kenny Whitmire Is Billboard’s Up-and-Coming Country Artist of the Month for May 2026

One of country music’s most compelling, neo-traditional new vocalists grew up 45 minutes north of hip-hop hotbed Atlanta.

Woodstock, Georgia-born Kenny Whitmire grew up hearing the rock and country sounds his pastor and musician father would play around the house, while also soaking in the rap music flowing through his school’s football locker room. By high school, Whitmire was lured by the sounds of some of country music’s most revered artists.

“I was just so blown away by the vocal,” Whitmire says. “What draws me in first is someone’s voice. In my opinion, you can’t beat Vince Gill, Keith Whitley and Merle Haggard singing. I was pretty much caught from the get-go on that stuff.”

Whitmire is signed to label MCA, home to artists including Gill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, and Carrie Underwood.

Like his influences, Whitmire brings his own warm, burnished voice to his breakthrough hit “I Gave Her The Moon,” which he wrote with Lynn Hutton and Cam Newby. The tender song about giving a lover all he had only to find it was not enough has impacted fans and artists including pop singer-songwriter Charlie Puth, who covered the song on social media. Whitmire has followed with “Thought Twice About Loving You,” “Me Being Me” and “You’re Getting Colder.”

As a songwriter, Whitmire has also penned cuts for artists including Austin Snell (“Some Things Just Stick”) and Colin Stough (“White Trash”). This year, he’s spending time on the road, opening for artists including Tracy Lawrence, Billy Currington and Ian Munsick.

On June 12, fans will hear a deeper well of his musical offerings with the EP Fool in a King Size Bed, including the title track he wrote with Kat Higgins and Rhett Akins.

“Rhett is a huge inspiration for me, and it’s been cool to continue working with him,” Whitmire says. “I actually just left the room from writing with him again today. I’m excited about that song and I’m hopeful that it will touch a lot of people. But I’ve also got some up-tempo stuff finally coming out. I’ve been putting out a bunch of ballads, so I’m excited to show off another side to my artistry.”

Billboard spoke with Whitmire about his growing career, his songwriting dream collabs and more.

You played the Ryman Auditorium for the first time earlier this year when you performed as part of the MCA luncheon during Country Radio Seminar. What was the vibe like backstage?

It was cool. It was crowded back there. I did get to meet Vince Gill briefly, and that was a dream in and of itself. He’s one of my biggest heroes in the world, so that was cool to meet him and watch him play.

Who are your dream songwriting collaborators?

Vince is obviously a dream. A lot of my songwriting heroes have unfortunately passed. Don Schlitz, who just passed away, was another hero of mine. Wyatt McCubbin would be a dream writer, but I’ve been fortunate to get in the room with so many people. My publishing team at River House [Whitmire is signed for publishing with Sony Music Publishing/River House Publishing] has really killed it with getting me in writing rooms with the coolest people. I’ve been super fortunate.

When did you get into making music?

I picked up guitar in seventh grade. I sang a lot in the church my father pastored. When I started gigging around doing the country stuff, he played bass for me a lot back home, which was a blast, and it helped me because he would never let me pay him. I did one semester of college right out of high school and it wasn’t for me. I begged my parents to let me take a semester off to focus on music solely. They let me do it…I promised I would go back and then I moved to Nashville instead.

When you moved to town, one of your first gigs was playing guitar for Austin Snell. How did that happen?

He started taking off with “Excuse The Mess” and everything he was doing, and he wanted me to tag along with him and be a guitar player and sing harmonies. I just kind of got thrown into the deep end and had to learn along the way.

You and several artists have been leaning toward music that feel inspired by country music of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. Why do you feel fans are gravitating toward those sounds at this moment?

It’s really just that country music has kind of been, I guess, starved is the best word I can think of, of that sound. There’s music for everybody these days, and it’s brought so many new fans into the country community, but it’s been a while since the real traditional country stuff has been around. There was a reason it was so big in the ‘80s and ‘90s, because it’s cool and it’s fun and people love it. So, I think it’s just about that time for that sound to come back around for a little bit, however long it is. I hope it stays around for a while.

What is the first album you remember falling in love with?

I think the first CD I ever bought was Jason Aldean’s My Kinda Party. Aldean was all over the radio when I was growing up, for sure.

When you are not doing music, what are your hobbies?

I guess the typical hunting and fishing. Music is 99% of my life these days, but either wetting a line or being out in the woods or hanging out with my dogs and my wife at the house.

What kind of dogs do you have?

I’ve got an almost 11-year-old silver lab. I’ve got a seven-year-old white Husky and I’ve got a one-year-old bloodhound.

When is the last time you went hunting or fishing?

I’ve had a few hours off here and there. There’s a place called Montgomery Bell State Park, it’s got a few little ponds out there that I get to spend an hour or two every now and then, but I’m usually a little too busy for anything else.

What’s your favorite podcast right now?

Love Theo Von. Anything that comedians are doing, like 2 Bears, 1 Cave.

What music venues are on your bucket list to play?

The Ryman [Auditorium] was probably No. 2 on my list. Obviously, the Grand Ole Opry is a total dream. I’ve been blessed to play that stage a few times with Austin [Snell], but I haven’t stepped into the circle at all. I’m hopeful I’ll get to do that one day. Red Rocks would be an awesome venue to play, but I got to play a lot of cool places with Austin, a lot of arenas and amphitheaters. It would be cool to go play a lot of those places again for myself.