Sturgill Simpson's return to music includes tour stop at Rupp Arena

Sturgill Simpson is back. Well, to be precise, Johnny Blue Skies has arrived, and he’s coming to Rupp Arena.

This morning, the Jackson, Kentucky native announced a new album and a new tour, which includes a stop at Rupp Arena. Simpson stepped out of the musical spotlight in 2021 following the release of The Ballad of Dood & Juanita, which fulfilled his five-album career pledge. He’s also been recovering from a ruptured hemorrhagic vocal cord. During his pseudo-retirement, he tried out his acting chops, appearing in “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “The Righteous Gemstones.”

Now, Simpson is returning to music under a new name, Johnny Blue Skies. Passage Du Desire, the new album, will be released on July 12, and the “Why Not?” tour will come to Rupp Arena on Friday, September 27. The album includes eight songs produced by Johnny Blue Skies and David Ferguson and recorded at Clement House Recording Studio in Nashville and Abbey Road Studios in London.

Kentucky Football plays at Ole Miss on September 28, so if you’re going to Oxford and can’t see Sturgill in Rupp, you can catch him at one of his other tour stops, which include Nashville, Chicago, St. Louis, and Asheville. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, June 14 at sturgillsimpsonlive.com and ticketmaster.com, but a presale begins on Monday, June 10. You can register for the presale on sturgillsimpsonlive.com.

This may be Johnny Blue Skies’ first full-length album, but we got a taste of his sound on a song with Diplo and Dove Cameron, “Use Me (Brutal Hearts),” last year.

Passage Du Desire tracklist

1. Swamp of Sadness
2. If The Sun Never Rises Again
3. Scooter Blues
4. Jupiter’s Faerie
5. Who I Am
6. Right Kind of Dream
7. Mint Tea
8. One for the Road

Sturgill Simpson’s “Why Not?” Tour

• 08-11: San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands
• 09-14: Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre
• 09-15: Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl
• 09-17: West Valley City, UT – Maverik Center
• 09-19: Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
• 09-20: Quincy, WA – Gorge Amphitheatre *
• 09-22: Bonner, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater
• 09-24: Moorhead, MN – Bluestem Center for the Arts
• 09-25: Minneapolis, MN – Roy Wilkins Auditorium
• 09-27: Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena
• 09-28: Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
• 10-01: Chicago, IL – Salt Shed
• 10-02: Chicago, IL – Salt Shed
• 10-04: Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater
• 10-06: Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Music Festival
• 10-08: Oklahoma City, OK – Criterion
• 10-09: Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
• 10-13: Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Music Festival
• 10-15: St. Louis, MO – Fabulous Fox Theatre
• 10-18: Pittsburgh, PA – Petersen Events Center
• 10-19: Asheville, NC – Harrah’s Cherokee Center
• 10-21: Cary, NC – Koka Booth Amphitheatre
• 10-24: Duluth, GA – Gas South Arena
• 10-25: Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
• 11-12: Philadelphia, PA – The Met
• 11-15: Hampton, VA – Hampton Coliseum
• 11-18: Washington, D.C. – The Anthem
• 11-20: Toronto, Ontario – Massey Hall
• 11-21: Toronto, Ontario – Massey Hall
• 11-23: Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway

* with Lord Huron