ACM Award-Winning Brian Walton’s ‘Merica Tour 2026 is a series of personal appearances and live performances supporting the ‘Merica Initiative. All proceeds from the events, including streaming revenue from Brian’s ‘Merica album, are being donated in commemoration of our nation’s 250th birthday.
The ‘Merica Initiative was an idea sparked while Brian Walton was producing his highly praised album ‘Merica in 2022. For over 25 years, Brian, a veteran himself, has supported veterans through charity events and appearances. As the music industry constantly evolves, he and other artists found it increasingly difficult to pledge support in a meaningful way. So, in collaboration with veteran organizations, Brian devised a plan to make it easier for artists to pledge some or all of their proceeds for any event without the burden of organizing or joining a specialized benefit.
Brian reached out to his network and found many artists willing to participate. In its first year, the ‘Merica Initiative brought in roughly $10K in donations. The ‘Merica Initiative pledge model also worked well for streaming and physical media sales, but artists themselves received only a fraction of those sales. So Brian used his industry connections to encourage record companies to pledge on artists’ behalf, and donations skyrocketed. By the end of Brian’s 2025 ‘Merica tour in support of the US Army’s 250th Anniversary, donations for participating members and associated charities exceeded $65K.
Each participating member of the ‘Merica Initiative has appointed a volunteer to serve as liaison for the initiative, and together they decide how to route donations. No money changes hands, and all donations go directly to the charities involved, making the project highly efficient and free from impropriety. Brian has no role in the initiative and merely volunteers his time and resources when needed. In 2026, participating membership was expanded to include the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, and Habitat for Humanity, broadening support to not only veterans but all Americans in need.
While still in its infancy and not much more than a few volunteers donating their time, artist pledges continue to grow rapidly, prompting the participating members of the ‘Merica Initiative to begin planning to incorporate and take the project public in 2027. Something to watch out for. In the meantime, if you would like to generously contribute to one of the participating members or associated charities they sponsor directly, please refer to the links below.
Brian Walton’s highly praised album “America” (also known as ‘Merica) was released in 2022 to widespread acclaim. It includes hit singles such as “Cowgirl Thang” and “Fly Higher,” which, along with other hits, boosted the album’s chart performance and helped propel the new tracks. The album features songs sung by guest artists, including JoAnne Leaton on “Strange Sensation” and Christal Whitlock on “Can Love You More.” It also introduces fans to Brian’s light-hearted side with songs like the trendy “The Karen (Can’t Understand Normal Thinking) Song” and “In My Little Town,” a humorous tribute to his beloved Challis, Idaho.
Produced at Musty Dungeon Studios in Challis, Idaho, and Capitol Studios in Hollywood, the album showcases Brian’s ability to play multiple instruments. In addition to drums, bass, and guitars, Brian wows with his knack for picking up any instrument and instantly mastering it, as in his lightning-fast fiddle solo on “In My Little Town” and his performances on traditional instruments like the banjo, accordion, and mandolin on “Fly Higher“. Brian played every instrument on every song on the album.
Long before Brian embarked on his career as a solo artist, he was a celebrated composer and writer in Hollywood, lending his talents to films such as “Arthur,” “Schindler’s List,” and “The Ninth Gate.” So, it is no wonder, then, that he wrote every song on the album. Many have since received numerous awards from the Songwriters Guild of America and the Society of Composers and Lyricists, with soundtrack versions of “Fly Higher” and “Cowgirl Thang” even working their way up the food chain into the laps of the Grammy committee.