A Sunday slot at Stagecoach is the next rung for someone who spent 2026 on other people's stages. Blake Whiten opened Bailey Zimmerman's Different Night Same Rodeo Tour, played stadium dates on Morgan Wallen's Still the Problem Tour, made his Grand Ole Opry debut early in the year, and released his debut album, Something to Say, on July 3.
The Wallen connection runs deeper than a tour. Whiten, from Six Mile, South Carolina, learned guitar at seven and was writing songs by 15, and it was a cover of Wallen's "I'm the Problem," with 9 million views, that got him serious about music. "Rollin' Stone," a 2024 single he wrote alone, has topped 120 million streams, and the Six Mile EP followed in April 2025 on Enchntmnt/Warner Records.
He also co-wrote Zimmerman's "Holding On," which broke the top 40 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs. "Bet On That" put his own name on the Hot 100 in 2026.