Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors' 'Tennessee' Named an Official State Song

Official Announcement | Published: Apr 09, 2026 10:01 AM EDT

(The Syndicate) "Tennessee," the song by Nashville-based, Memphis born Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, has been designated as an official Tennessee State Song following unanimous passage through both the Tennessee House and Senate and signed into law by Governor Bill Lee. Drew Holcomb performed the song live on the House Floor at the Tennessee State Capitol on Monday, April 6.

Few artists embody the full breadth of Tennessee quite like Holcomb. Born and raised in Memphis, he studied in Knoxville before planting roots in Nashville - and brought his beloved Moon River Music Festival from Memphis to Chattanooga, where it continued to draw fans from across the country. Holcomb and his wife Ellie have also been featured in a Tennessee tourism campaign, making today's designation a natural extension of a story already deeply woven into the state's identity.

The ceremony featured remarks from Rep. Barrett, who sponsored the Resolution and spoke to the song's significance; Commissioner Ezell of the Tennessee Department of Tourism; and Chairman Faison. The legislation was also championed in the Senate by Sen. Kyle. Holcomb then spoke and performed "Tennessee" before a group photo with the Speaker of the House.

"I am beyond humbled that the state of Tennessee has chosen my song as an official state song. It is an honor I could not have imagined as a young kid learning to play the guitar in Memphis, or as a college student in Knoxville playing my first concerts, or even now, years into my career in Nashville as a traveling singer/songwriter. This song was written when we were still a young band touring the country in a conversion van, playing shows all over the country, often homesick, thinking of getting back to this place we love. Everywhere we go, people ask for this song, regardless of where they are from. At the end of the day, it's a song about home, and my beloved home is here in Tennessee." - Drew Holcomb