Caylee Hammack, originally from Ellaville, Georgia, is a Nashville-based Country artist who is opening for Eric Church on his 2026 spring tour. Her Capitol Records sophomore album, Bed of Roses, was released on March 7th. In addition to her performing career, she hosts The Caylee Hammack Show each Friday at 2 p.m. on SiriusXM radio channel 58.

Kurt Ozan, a talented multi-instrumentalist, plays in Luke Combs’ band, The Wild Cards. A 2009 graduate of Berklee College of Music, Kurt is a highly sought-after studio musician and co-host of the Raised Rowdy podcast.

I met Kurt in the fall of 2024 when Luke Combs hosted a Topeka Live festival in Miramar Beach, Florida. Working backstage, I found myself driving Kurt and his bandmates back and forth from their condo to the venue. Since the band and crew had plenty of downtime during their four-day stay, most invited spouses and significant others. That’s when I met Caylee. However, at the time, I had no idea she was a singer-songwriter.

Fast forward a year, and the Combs entourage returned to headline the weekend festival in Miramar Beach. It’s great to see the same crew and band members again and hear about their tours and road trips. I was also excited to see Caylee, who recognized me from the prior year. Interestingly, I still had no idea that Caylee had just finished her sophomore album, Bed of Roses.

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While chatting in the van between the venue and their condo, Caylee mentioned her recording career and her SiriusXM show. “Wow, that’s so cool, Caylee,” I replied. “Honestly, I’m embarrassed that I haven’t listened to your music.” With her Georgia charm, Caylee simply smiled and told me it was okay, but that I should check out her music on the streaming sites. I made a mental note to find her material. Even without hearing a note, Caylee had a new fan. I wasn’t disappointed by “Mean Something” (feat. Ashley McBryde & Tenille Townes).

Horizontal headshot of Caylee Hammack.

SiriusXM host and Country Music artist, Caylee Hammack.

A couple of hours later, I found myself in the runner van when I suddenly realized it was 2:30 p.m. and Caylee’s weekly show was on SiriusXM channel 58. Sure enough, my new friend was hosting her own show.

Luke Combs’ Talented Multi-Instrumentalist, Kurt Ozan

Musicians who tour with A-list artists are extremely talented. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be on stage since there are at least a hundred other musicians striving to take their spot. Then, there’s Kurt Ozan. Classically trained at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Kurt can play practically any instrument. A high-demand Nashville studio session player, Kurt’s primary instrument is guitar. However, if you attend a Luke Combs concert, you’ll see and hear Kurt playing pedal steel, dobro, and fiddle.
Kurt Ozan playing dobro on stage with Luke Combs.

Kurt Ozan playing dobro on stage with “The Wild Cards,” Luke Combs band.

My favorite story Kurt tells in this episode is when Luke asks Kurt if he could learn to play the fiddle for a couple of tunes. Luke explained to Kurt that he couldn’t afford to hire an extra band member, so fiddle duties fell to the one dude who could pull it off. Kurt called a fiddle player friend and asked if he could borrow an instrument and possibly snag a few lessons. “You want to learn fiddle…as an adult?” his friend curiously asked. Listen to Kurt play and you’ll understand.

In addition to his studio work and tour schedule, Kurt and some fellow band members also co-host Tales from the Front Row: The Raised Rowdy Podcast. Check it out. You won’t be disappointed.