The Sunset Stage Series: Kenny Whitmire, Country’s Rising Neo-Traditional Voice

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Last updated: May 27, 2026 · Sunset Country Fest Editorial Team · Contact Us

Kenny Whitmire is Billboard’s Up-and-Coming Country Artist of the Month for May 2026, a Woodstock, Georgia-born neo-traditionalist who signed to MCA Nashville earlier this year and is preparing to release his debut EP, Fool in a King Size Bed, on June 12, 2026. His breakthrough single “I Gave Her The Moon” caught fire on social media when GRAMMY-nominated producer Charlie Puth covered it and shared it with his 22.6 million followers, putting a spotlight on a vocalist whose warm, burnished tone is one of the most distinctive sounds in country music right now. Whitmire is exactly the kind of artist who belongs on a festival stage, and we’re watching closely.

The Sound That Stopped Charlie Puth Mid-Scroll

Kenny Whitmire wrote “I Gave Her The Moon” with Lynn Hutton and Cam Newby, and the track carries the kind of emotional weight that makes listeners stop whatever they’re doing. When Charlie Puth discovered it, he didn’t just hit share; he recorded his own version and posted it, calling it out by name to his massive following. For a neo-traditional country artist building from the grassroots up, that moment was a turning point. The song blends classic storytelling with a contemporary production sensibility, and it landed Whitmire at the top of Billboard’s monthly Up-and-Coming Country Artist spotlight. He sits comfortably alongside fellow neo-traditionalists Zach Top, Jake Worthington, and Randall King, artists who are collectively bringing classic country textures back to the forefront of the format.

Debut EP: Fool in a King Size Bed Drops June 12

Whitmire’s debut EP, Fool in a King Size Bed, arrives June 12, 2026, via MCA Nashville, home to Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, and Carrie Underwood. The title track was written with Kat Higgins and Rhett Akins, two of Nashville’s most respected collaborators. For an artist who counts Vince Gill, Keith Whitley, and Merle Haggard as his primary influences, landing at MCA is more than a business deal : it’s a homecoming. The EP is expected to showcase the full range of Whitmire’s voice: warm and burnished on quiet ballads, authoritative and grounded on uptempo tracks. Fans who found him through “I Gave Her The Moon” are about to hear a lot more.

Growing Up Between the Gospel and the Locker Room

Whitmire’s musical identity was shaped by two very different worlds. His father, a pastor and musician, raised him on rock and country. His football locker room introduced him to rap. The combination produced a vocalist who brings both reverence and grit to traditional country songwriting, and who isn’t afraid to let the emotion sit unfiltered in the vocal. That authenticity, the sense that every line costs something, is what separates Whitmire from a genre full of technically accomplished singers. He grew up hearing real feeling in voices like Keith Whitley’s, and he’s worked hard to bring that same honesty to his own material.

What to Listen to Right Now

• “I Gave Her The Moon”: Breakthrough single, written with Lynn Hutton and Cam Newby. The track that put Whitmire on the national map.
• “Fool in a King Size Bed”: EP title track, co-written with Kat Higgins and Rhett Akins. Releases June 12, 2026.
• Live performances: Whitmire’s live show is where the vocal really opens up. Search his recent club and festival dates to see him before the EP release.

Frequently Asked: When does Kenny Whitmire’s debut EP come out?

Kenny Whitmire’s debut EP, Fool in a King Size Bed, is set for release on June 12, 2026, via MCA Nashville. The project includes the title track, co-written with Kat Higgins and Rhett Akins, and builds on the momentum of his breakthrough single “I Gave Her The Moon.” Whitmire was named Billboard’s Up-and-Coming Country Artist of the Month for May 2026.

Kenny Whitmire is exactly the kind of act that belongs on a festival stage. His vocal depth, his songwriting instinct, and his connection to the real roots of country music make him one of the most compelling names to watch in 2026 and beyond. Watch this name for 2027. Keep following Sunset Country Fest as we track the Sunset Stage Series through the year, and check out our complete guide to Sunset Country Fest 2027 for everything coming to Apopka, Florida in March 2027.

Sources & References

• Billboard: Kenny Whitmire Is Billboard’s Up-and-Coming Country Artist of the Month for May 2026
• MCA Nashville: Kenny Whitmire Signs to MCA
• Entertainment Focus: Kenny Whitmire Signs With MCA, Shares New Single and Sets Release Date for Debut EP
• Country Now: Kenny Whitmire Revives Timeless Country Storytelling With ‘I Gave Her The Moon’