The Pulse of Entertainment - May 12, 2026

(May 12, 2026) - "It's one of the songs off our ‘Spirit of America' album," said Bluegrass, "Entertainer of the Year" Kody Norris about the single release by his band, The Kody Norris Show, titled "Declaration of Independence: An Instrumental" (Rebel Records). "We never recorded an instrumental before. My wife Mary Rachel plays the fiddle (in the band), she wrote this instrumental and the crowd went wild. They asked us what's its name? I said I don't know. They said it's like a declaration of independence and the name stayed."

My interview with Kody was about The Kody Norris Show's instrumental but at the same time they were releasing a new single titled "Good Ol' USA." With the Bluegrass vocals, grassroots instruments and their vibe (how they dress) The Kody Norris Show offers in the purest form what "good old America" is all about - freedom, pride in country and grassroots music played with grassroots instruments. The new album, "Spirit of America," is to be released this summer, and these singles lead the way. They also provide the tone of what we can expect from The Kody Norris Show's new project. The "Spirit of America" album celebrates America's 250-year anniversary of its independence and that is what you will get.

‘The ‘Spirit of America' is our first concept album in celebration of America's 250. To honor our great country that we live in," he explained. "There are story songs...'Davy Crockett' is on there. Anything patriotic is a big deal in my hometown. Patriot songs like ‘Bible on the Table' and brand-new songs like ‘Good Ol' USA'."

The members of The Kody Norris Show, aside from Kody on guitar and Mary Rachel on fiddle, are Michael Cleveland also on fiddle, and Ron Stewart on banjo. The band is on their "Spirit of America" tour which started April 17th with their first single release from the new album and continues until the end of July stretching from Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Missouri, Kentucky, Indianapolis, West Virginia and Colorado.

Aside from the Society for Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America's (SPBGMA) "Entertainer of the Year" honor, Kody has garnered the "Make Vocalist of the Year," the "Band of the Year" and the "Song of the Year" for the single "The Auctioneer". The music video for "The Auctioneer" released just a year ago has over 125,000 views on YouTube, where they have over 4,000 subscribers to their channel.

The Mountain City, Tennessee native said its "wonderful" working with his wife, even though "being together all the time is challenging, but we work it out," Kody told me when I asked about the dynamics of working with your spouse. Mary Rachel was honored with the "Fiddler of the Year" Award from SPBGMA. The Kody Norris Show reached Billboard's Top 10 in 2021 and 2023

"I started at the age of 9 or 10," Kody said when I asked about when he started performing Bluegrass professionally. "I was interested my whole and as a teen...I wanted to go into the Airforce, but I had the opportunity to work with the Punch Brothers. I had just turned 18...I didn't want to miss the opportunity...I knew the Airforce will be there...and I never looked back." www.TheKodyNorrisShow.com

SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Dr. Eunice Moseley has an estimated weekly readership of over one million for her column The Pulse of Entertainment. She is the publisher of the digital magazine www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com, which has an estimated 160,000 visitors a month. An entrepreneur, Dr. Moseley’s company, Freelance Associates, is a business management/public relations strategic planning and consulting firm that is celebrating 32 years in 2025. Dr. Eunice also serves as professor for the School of Business at Stanton University in Anaheim, California and serves as promotions director (at-large)/journalist and business consultant for The Baltimore Times. Dr. Moseley founded the Uplifting Minds II Foundation (www.UpliftingMinds.com) in 2023, a 501 C3 with a mission to empower the underserved through three major programs – One Stop Business Shop, the ULMII Professional Conference and the ULMII Academy (business management and public relations). EVENTS: "Uplifting Minds II" Entertainment Conference (ULMII), was launched by Dr. Eunice in 1999, to educate aspiring artists/musicians about the business of entertainment – www.UpliftingMinds2.com. Next ULMII Entertainment Conferences for Baltimore on Saturday April 18, 2026, presented by Security Square Mall and The Baltimore Times, and for Los Angeles on Saturday, November 7, 2026, presented by The Pulse of Entertainment and the ULMII Foundation. The ULMII conferences are free with virtual access via Zoom. ULMII entertainment conference offers a Professional Panel Q&A Session, a Professional Talent Showcase and International Talent Competition where the top three scored acts receive the ULMII Best Act Award and over $20,000 valued in prizes/product/services and cash!