""Humphrey - that's my guy," Batson says of the black-and-brown dachshund, whom he introduced to his audience onstage in 2024. His mom, Salina, recalls the scene: "It was his first headline show, in Tuscaloosa, and he'd just gotten Humphrey as a surprise from his sister. Maddox held him up like the beginning of 'The Lion King.'" The dog has since become a fan favorite, Batson notes, adding that his team is designing a plush Humphrey toy to offer at the merch booth. "We're gonna sell so many.""
""Country music has long made room for precocious teen stars, beginning with Tanya Tucker (who scored a hit with 1972's "Delta Dawn" when she was just 13) and moving through LeAnn Rimes in the 1990s and Taylor Swift in the early 2000s. In 2018, 11-year-old Mason Ramsey found instant internet fame (and later a major-label record deal) thanks to a viral video that showed him yodeling Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues" in the aisles of a Walmart.""
Maddox Batson is a sixteen-year-old country singer who records in Los Angeles and Nashville with writers and producers. He prefers Los Angeles for its dry climate, which he says helps his voice, and for a more pop-leaning sound. Batson tours with his family and a dachshund, Humphrey, who became a fan favorite after being introduced onstage; his team plans a plush Humphrey toy for merch. Country music has a history of precocious teen stars from Tanya Tucker to Taylor Swift, while viral performers like Mason Ramsey later secured major-label deals. Contemporary country charts remain led by established artists such as Zach Bryan.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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