Ashley McBryde Honored in Hometown of Waldron, Arkansas with ‘Ashley McBryde Day’ and Roadside Sign

Ashley McBryde’s hometown of Waldron, Arkansas recently honored the GRAMMY, CMA, and ACM Award-winning star with a heartfelt dedication. Mayor David Millard officially proclaimed November 24, 2024, as “Ashley McBryde Day” in the City of Waldron and unveiled a roadside sign along Highway 71 in honor of her Scott County, Arkansas roots and wildly successful career.

McBryde, fresh off her show-stopping performance at the CMA Awards, was onhand to accept the Key to the City and witness the unveiling of the sign, cementing her legacy in the Arkansas community that shaped her.

“We never thought in a million years we would be able to have her here…I said wouldn’t it be cool if we got some signs and Ashley showed up? And look at her, she’s here…We are so excited,” Lorlla Wallace, Waldron Chamber of Commerce President, shared, according to Resident News Network. 

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The outlet reports that the Grand Ole Opry member took time to pose for photos with family, friends, and members of the community following the ceremony. 

She shared photos from the milestone moment on social media, writing,  “What an incredibly special day. I’ve always dreamed of making my Home State proud. They did me one better ! Waldron, thank you for honoring me in such a special way. You’ll always be where I’m from.” 

According to the outlet, McBryde was born in Waldron and was raised by her father, Dr. William McBryde, who practiced medicine and preached part time at a local Church of Christ, and her mother, Marty Wilkins, who McBryde says is one of her biggest supporters. 

During an interview with People in 2018, McBryde shared, “My mom is my biggest champion. When people compliment my voice, I always tell them ‘I sound a lot like my momma.’” 

McBryde has five siblings and says they are all quite musical. 

Following her trip home to Arkansas, McBryde will release the highly anticipated, “Ain’t Enough Cowboy Songs,” on Friday, December 6.

The track was co-written by McBryde with Chris Harris and Patrick Savage, and is said to have “emerged from a shared feeling of loss and a desire to reconnect with timeless principles, longing for meaning and clarity in a changing world.” 

“In the last several years, we’ve all been feeling like something is missing. I noticed it in myself and then noticed it in most people I came in contact with. And we don’t always know how to articulate it,” McBryde shared. “For us, this song helped us do that. We are all starving to reconnect with the things that made us who we are. Sometimes that comes as our sense of justice and duty, maybe for some of us it’s work ethic, for some of us it’s a sense of community.

“When we got together to write, the three of us realized the cowboys we looked up to growing up made us want to be the way that we are – the music associated with them and the lives they lead,” she explained. “Those things fully embodied what I am starving for. There’s no substitute for hard work, resilience, kindness, standing up for and with folks in their weaker moments. There’s no substitute for knowing when to take it on the chin and when to give it. And no matter what else we may try to fill that hole with…there ain’t enough of it to ever resemble the real thing.”

The song is available for pre-save/pre-add now.