Thomas Rhett Celebrates Career Milestone With Emotional Music City Walk Of Fame Induction

Thomas Rhett has officially earned his place among many of Nashville’s musical legends on the Music City Walk of Fame.

On Wednesday, July 8, the country star made his way downtown Nashville with his family by his side to celebrate earning the 113th star on the coveted path located just outside of the Country Music Hall of Fame. The ceremony was open to the public and welcomed a slew of fans who stepped out to support Rhett in the milestone moment.

Fellow hitmaker Jordan Davis was on hand to speak on Rhett’s behalf during the ceremony. Davis expressed that he was “honored” to represent Rhett, as he highlighted not only his success as an artist, but the impact he has had on those around him. Davis praised Rhett for remaining grounded throughout his career and emphasized that his legacy extends far beyond his accomplishments in music.

Davis opened his speech by going back to the first time they met in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the Bayou Country Superfest in 2016, and revealing the impact that Rhett made on him that day.

“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. And it is, it’s a privilege to get to say some words about somebody who has meant so much to me and so many people here today, not just as an artist, but as a husband, as a father, as a friend and just a person of character.”

He went on to say that Rhett has never changed in all the years that he’s known him. He will never forget the time Rhett walked off stage after a sold-out show and made his way into the green room to sit with Davis, an opening act at the time, and answer questions for two hours straight, a testament to Rhett’s ability to give so much to others.

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“He didn’t have to do that. He could have easily played that show, walked on his bus, took off for the next city, but that’s not who Thomas Rhett is. Instead, he sat in that green room with me, talked to me for two hours and I left that room with a lot more than advice on being the music business. I left that room with a blueprint of who I wanted to be as an artist and as a person…I’ve told him many times that he’ll probably never know the impact of the words and the conversations we had that night, what they meant to me. But ever since that night, I have approached music differently and it’s all because of Thomas,” Davis explained.

The Louisiana native added that the thing he admires most about Rhett is the fact that his success is measured not in the amount of fame he has, but rather what life looks like for him at home, surrounded by his family.

After stepping away from the mic, Jordan Davis welcomed his fellow singer/songwriter to the podium to say a few words himself. Before sharing his gratitude for the recognition from the country music community, Rhett made sure to thank God and give individual shoutout to all his loved ones who were present, including his parents, his wife, Lauren, each of their five children, his longtime manager and the rest of his team.

The already emotional moment was heightened in the remainder of Thomas Rhett’s speech when he shared what he would say to his 19-year-old self if he could be watching this moment unfold today.

“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,” he shared.

Rhett went on to share what a few lessons he wishes he had learned earlier in this career, “Number one, nobody actually 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 just don’t. One day you’re going to realize something that’s incredibly freeing that nobody has it all figured out.”

He then thought back to a reminder Miranda Lambert once shared with him: “There is no such thing as a country music emergency.” The decade that followed would teach Rhett that Lambert was 100% right when she said those words to him.

The next pieces of advice he would offer his younger self would be to have more than one definition of success, to not miss out on life while he’s building a career, and finally, to simply enjoy the journey.

The hitmaker concluded his message by sending a heartfelt thank you to all the fans who have supported him along the way.

“Thank you for singing these songs louder than I ever could. Thank you for letting my music become a small part of your life. This star may have my name on it, but it belongs to a heck of a lot of people. Thank y’all so much,” he added.

Thomas Rhett, his wife Lauren and all five of their children, including their baby boy, Brave Elijah, made their way over to the star and posed with their dad, as his very own star was unveiled.

Throughout the past decade of his career, Rhett has racked up 25 No. 1 songs, 16 billion streams, and numerous awards, including eight ACM Awards (with 2020 Entertainer of the Year), two CMA Awards, and five Grammy nominations. He has also won honors from the CMT Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards and iHeartRadio Music Awards. It’s safe to say that between all his accolades and incredible contributions to the country music scene, Thomas Rhett has earned this recognition.

The induction ceremony took place just one day before the “Die a Happy Man” singer kickstarts his The Soundtrack of Life Tour at Nashville’s GEODIS Park on July 9 with Niall Horan. This show will also mark his first of two stadium concerts alongside Horan, with the second taking place at Hersheypark Stadium on July 18. Horan was also present at today’s ceremony, following their performance at the Grand Ole Opry on July 7 during the former member of One Direction’s debut in the historic circle.

Rhett is then set to return to the U.K. in a few weeks to deliver three back-to-back nights at Wembley Stadium with Luke Combs.