Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett Celebrate At Double No. 1 Party

Pictured (Back row, L-R): Big Red Toe Music’s Craig Wiseman, ASCAP’s Ryan Beuschel, Big Red Mountain’s Seth England, producer Joey Moi, Big Machine Label Group’s Scott Borchetta, and BMI’s Jody Williams; (Middle row, L-R): co-writers Rodney Clawson and Chris Tompkins, Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard, and co-writer Thomas Rhett; (Front row, L-R): CMA’s Brandi Simms, Republic Nashville’s Matthew Hargis, EMI Blackwood Music Publishing’s Tom Luteran, and Republic Nashville’s Jimmy Harnen. Photo credit: Rick Diamond

Thomas Rhett celebrated his first No. 1 song as a songwriter (as one of the writers behind Florida Georgia Line‘s “‘Round Here”) and his first No. 1 single as an artist (“It Goes Like This”) during an event Monday afternoon (Dec. 2) at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works. BMI’s Jody Williams and ASCAP’s Ryan Beuschel were on hand to honor the songwriters behind the two chart-topping songs.

It was quite the accomplishment for Big Machine Label Group, which is the recording home to both Florida Georgia Line (Republic Nashville) and Rhett (The Valory Music Co). “The first cut is the deepest, and this is a deep cut,” Big Machine Label Group president and CEO Scott Borchetta told songwriter-singer Thomas Rhett.

It was a special moment for Thomas Rhett’s father, Rhett Akins, who co-wrote “It Goes Like This.” Akins recalled the day he and Thomas Rhett were preparing to meet with a Nashville record label president to discuss signing Thomas Rhett, when he got an enthusiastic call from Big Machine’s Borchetta. “He said, ‘I need to talk to you really badly–in a good way,'” recalled Akins. “We knew we had something.”

According to Borchetta, it was a signing that wasn’t supposed to happen. Two years ago, Borchetta had decided to take a short break from signing artists, and told Allison Jones, VP of A&R. Jones insisted on taking one more meeting, with Thomas Rhett. Borchetta agreed, having known Thomas Rhett’s father for years. Borchetta knew they had made the right decision when he heard Thomas Rhett perform. “This must be what it was like to sign Roger Miller,” Borchetta recalled. He immediately decided to recant on his decision not to sign any new artists at that time. “I said, ‘When you make the rules, you can break the rules. Let’s sign this guy,'” Borchetta told the crowd.

Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip and Jimmy Robbins were honored for penning “It Goes Like This” for Thomas Rhett. Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins and Thomas Rhett were feted for crafting “‘Round Here,” the third chart-topper for FGL.”It’s a big music swirl,” said Craig Wiseman, of Big Red Toe Music. “You got to buy a lot of beers and have a lot of parties, but that’s a good problem to have. I’ve been out there on the road and you can’t even hear the PA when [Florida Georgia Line performs] this song live.”

“I’ve been to a few of these No. 1 parties,” said Thomas Rhett. “I wondered what it would be like to be the person talking. I remember being in Kansas when I got a call from Seth [England] that Brian [Kelley] and Tyler [Hubbard] were cutting this. They are such great guys. We’re all just changing lanes and it all comes together.”

Pictured (Back row, L-R): The Valory Music Company’s George Briner, BMI’s Jody Williams, G Major Management’s Virginia Davis, producer Michael Knox, This Music’s Rusty Gaston, Big Machine Label Group’s Allison Jones and Sandi Spika Borchetta, and ASCAP’s Ryan Beuschel; (Middle row, L-R): co-writer Rhett Akins, Thomas Rhett, and co-writers Ben Hayslip and Jimmy Robbins; (Front row, L-R): Universal Music Publishing’s Kent Earls, Big Machine Label Group’s Scott Borchetta, EMI Blackwood Music Publishing’s Tom Luteran, and Warner-Chappell Music Publishing’s Ben Vaughn. Photo credit: Rick Diamond.