[Cover photo credit to Anna Schaeffer]
Singer/songwriter Charles Wesley Godwin has released emotion-driven new track “Hey There Son,” featuring Wyatt Flores and co-written with Lori McKenna. The song is a big part of Godwin’s upcoming album, Christian Name, out July 24th, 2026, via Big Loud Records.
Godwin explains:
I started writing ‘Hey There Son’ in 2019, around the time my first son was born. I’m a huge fan of Lori McKenna, and always felt like she’d be the perfect person to help me finish it. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to bring it to her in 2024, and we knocked it out in an afternoon. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room by the time we finished.
Godwin continues:
When Al and I started recording it, I knew I wanted that perspective shift in the final verse, and Wyatt was the obvious choice. He’s incredible, and his performance took the song to the next level. I’m really proud of this one.
The title and the album art for Christian Name draw direct inspiration from Godwin’s late grandfather, Charles Godwin, a Methodist preacher. The album itself came about through the involvement of his creative community of friends and musical collaborators.
Christian Name includes a pair of collaborations, “Better That Way” with Luke Combs, and “Hey There Son” featuring Flores, But the album is also built on partnering with other songwriters.
These include: Stephen Wilson Jr. (“Brand New”), Liz Rose (“I Caught The Sunrise”), Lori McKenna (“Hey There Son”), Aaron Ratiere (“God’s Been Good To Me”), Travis Meadows (“Try Again,” “Every Once In Awhile”), Scooter Carusoe (“Better That Way,” “Hallelujah High,” “Place I Know”), and Tom Douglas (“Street Advice”).
The album was Produced by Allegheny High guitarist and Godwin’s longtime producer Al Torrence.
Godwin comments:
I had a lot of help with this album — I sought out people and they brought a lot of the hope and the light and the lighter moments of the album. That was a lot of their influence. The album needed that.
Godwin will tour extensively in support of Christian Name. “The Christian Name Tour” kicks off July 14th in Sioux Falls, SD and runs through mid-November, with a return to Red Rocks on October 15th.
In addition to his own headline shows, Godwin will be doing a co-headline run with Dylan Gossett this Summer, and he’ll open for Kacey Musgraves on her “Middle of Nowhere” tour this Fall.
Charles Wesley Godwin 2026 Tour Dates
Jul 2 – Calgary, AB – Cowboys Music Festival
Jul 10 – Saint Paul, MN – Minnesota Country Club Festival
Jul 14 – Sioux Falls, SD – The District
Jul 17 – Emigrant, MT – The Old Saloon
Jul 18 – Kalispell, MT – Majestic Valley Arena
Jul 19 – Whitefish, MT – Under the Big Sky Festival
Jul 22 – Jackson, WY – Teton County Fair
Aug 4 – San Francisco, CA- Regency
Aug 6 – Sacramento, CA – Channel 24
Aug 7 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
Aug 8 – San Diego, CA – SOMA
Aug 13 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto
Aug 14 – Phoenix, AZ – Van Buren
Aug 21 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
Aug 22 – Toronto, ON – History
Aug 27 – Oklahoma City, OK – Criterion
Aug 28 – Lubbock, TX – Cook’s Garage*
Aug 29 – New Braunfels, TX – Whitewater Amphitheater*
Sept 11 – Baltimore, MD – Pier Six
Sept 12 – Boston, MA – Roadrunner
Sept 17 – Landmark Theatre – Syracuse, NY
Sept 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Fillmore
Sept 23 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center#
Sept 26 – Nashville, TN – The Pinnacle*
Sept 29 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17*
Sept 30 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena#
Oct 1 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater*
Oct 9 – North Charleston, SC – Riverfront Revival
Oct 15 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Oct 17 – Garden City, ID – Revolution Concert House
Oct 18 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
Oct 21 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
Oct 22 – Seattle, WA – SoDo
Oct 24 – Vancouver, BC – Orpheum Theater
Nov 5 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
Nov 6 – Charleston, WV – Charleston Coliseum
Nov 7 – Cincinnati, OH – MegaCorp Pavilion
Nov 12 – Chicago, IL – Salt Shed
Nov 13 – Milwaukee, WI – Riverside
Nov 14 – St. Louis, MO – Factory
* co-headline with Dylan Gossett
# supporting Kacey Musgraves
