• CHRIS STAPLETON PICKS UP FOUR CMA AWARDS, INCLUDING ALBUM, SINGLE AND SONG OF THE YEAR FOR “STARTING OVER.”

    Early in the evening, Chris Stapleton picked up both Single and Song of the Year for “Starting Over” at this year’s CMA Awards. Chris co-wrote the song with his frequent collaborator, Mike Henderson. The country superstar, who had two of the biggest and coolest performances of the night for “Cold” and then his collaboration with Jennifer Hudson, then picked  up Album of the Year for Starting Over and Male Vocalist of the Year.

    Chris says it feels great to be appreciated as a songwriter and for having a radio hit, but he’s truly excited about winning Song of the Year with Mike Henderson. “It feels incredible for a number of reasons. First of all, to be recognized as a songwriter and to be recognized in a, I guess, in a commercial sense from the Single of the Year standpoint. Those are two things that are pretty hard to get because there’s a lot of great songs and there’s a lot of great singles out there,” he says. “But the other part of that that is most special to me is that I wanted to with my dear friend and co-writer and hero, Mike Henderson, and I’ve been in bands with Mike, you know he’s taught me a lot of things on the guitar and a lot about songwriting. So, to win that award with Mike, who I’ve probably written more songs with than anybody I’ve ever written with, that probably means the most is to win with Mike.”

    He also enjoyed picking up Album and Male Vocalist of the Year. “It’s special every time you win something, and I do like, I feel like when you win that (Male Voclaist) award, people are appreciating your talent as a singer. And I do partially pride myself on being a pretty good one, so it’s nice to be recognized for that.”

    Chris is currently making his way up the country charts with “You Should Probably Leave.”

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  • CMA AWARDS SET THE STAGE FOR THE 55TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS TOMORROW NIGHT!

    The 55th Annual CMA Awards take place on Wednesday (November 10th), and UMG Nashville will be represented in many of the night’s categories, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist, Album, Group, Duo, Single, Song, Musical Event and New Artist.

    With 30 CMA Awards nominations already under his belt, reigning Entertainer of the Year Eric Church scores five additional nominations this year, bringing his total to 35 nominations and four previous wins. In addition to a nod in the Entertainer of the Year category again this year, he claims his eighth nomination in the Male Vocalist of the Year category and fifth nomination in the Album (Heart), Single (“Hell Of A View”) and Song of the Year (“Hell Of A View”) categories. Heart was produced by Joyce and mixed by Hall and Joyce. “Hell Of A View” was written by Casey Beathard, Church and Monty Criswell, and was also produced by Joyce and mixed by Hall and Joyce.

    Bringing his total nominations to 26, Chris Stapleton adds five CMA Awards nominations to his previous 21 in five categories – Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year(Starting Over), Single of the Year (“Starting Over”) and Song of the Year (“Starting Over”), including producer credits in both the Album and Single categories. This brings his total nominations in the Entertainer category to five and tallies his seventh nomination in the Male Vocalist category, which he’s won four times. Starting Over was produced by Dave Cobb and Stapleton and mixed by Vance Powell. “Starting Over” was written by Mike Henderson and Stapleton, produced by Cobb and Stapleton and mixed by Powell. Stapleton is a 10-time CMA Awards winner.

    Brothers Osborne scores three CMA nominations. The pair return to this year’s ballot in the Vocal Duo of the Year category for the seventh consecutive year – a trophy they’ve claimed three times. This marks the brothers’ first nomination in the Album of the Year category, a nod they receive for Skeletons, while they collect their third nomination in the Music Video of the Year category for “Younger Me.” The “Younger Me” video was directed by Reid LongSkeletons was produced by Joyce and mixed by Hall and Joyce.

    Dierks Bentley has a pair of nods as Male Vocalist of the Year and Music Video of the Year for “Gone.”

    Carrie Underwood returns to the Entertainer of the Year category, while Little Big Town is nominated for Group of the Year. Maddie and Tae are nominated in the Duo of the Year category.

    Jordan Davis scores his very first CMA nomination in the Musical Event category for “Buy Dirt” featuring Luke Bryan.

    Mickey Guyton also scores her first CMA nod in the New Artist of the Year category.

    CMA PERFORMERS INCLUDE: The night will see show host Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley feat. BRELAND and HARDY, as well as Keith Urban, Gabby Barrett, Thomas Rhett, Zac Brown Band and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson perform on the CMA stage as well as Jason Aldean and Carrie UnderwoodJimmie AllenBrothers OsborneEric ChurchLuke CombsDan + ShayMickey Guyton feat. Brittney Spencer and Madeline EdwardsMiranda LambertOld DominionCarly Pearce and Ashley McBrydeBlake SheltonChris Stapleton, and Chris Young and Kane Brown for this year’s show.

    Luke Bryan – “Up”
    Dierks Bentley – “Beers On Me”
    Keith Urban – “Wild Hearts”
    Carrie Underwood with Jason Aldean – “If I Didn’t Love You”
    Mickey Guyton, feat. Brittney Spencer and Madeline Edwards – “Love My Hair”
    Eric Church – “Heart On Fire”
    Brothers Osborne – “Younger Me”
    Chris Stapleton — “Cold”

    CMA PRESENTERS INCLUDE Alan Jackson, Darius Rucker, Deana Carter, Trace AdkinsIngrid Andress, Kelsea Ballerini, Lauren Daigle, Russell Dickerson, Faith Fennidy, Florida Georgia LineFreddie Freeman, Amy GrantDulé Hill,  Elle King, Lady A, Zachary Levi, Scotty McCreery, Hayley Orrantia, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie,  Susan SarandonSaycon Sengbloh, Kurt WarnerLainey Wilson, and Trisha Yearwood.

    The 55th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan, will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday, November 10th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.

    CMA AWARDS NOMINATIONS:

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

    • Eric Church  
    • Luke Combs
    • Miranda Lambert
    • Chris Stapleton  
    • Carrie Underwood

    ALBUM OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Artist and Producer(s) 

    • 29 – Carly Pearce
      Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Jimmy Robbins
      Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore
    • Dangerous: The Double Album – Morgan Wallen
      Producers: Dave Cohen, Matt Dragstrem, Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome and Joey Moi
      Mix Engineer: Joey Moi
    • Heart – Eric Church
      Producer: Jay Joyce
      Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce 
    • Skeletons – Brothers Osborne
      Producer: Jay Joyce
      Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce 
    • Starting Over – Chris Stapleton
      Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
      Mix Engineer: Vance Powell 

     

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

    • Gabby Barrett
    • Miranda Lambert
    • Ashley McBryde
    • Maren Morris
    • Carly Pearce

     

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR  

    • Dierks Bentley 
    • Eric Church    
    • Luke Combs
    • Thomas Rhett
    • Chris Stapleton

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

    • Lady A
    • Little Big Town
    • Midland
    • Old Dominion
    • Zac Brown Band

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

    • Brooks & Dunn
    • Brothers Osborne  
    • Dan + Shay
    • Florida Georgia Line
    • Maddie & Tae

    SINGLE OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer

    • “Famous Friends” – Chris Young with Kane Brown
      Producers: Corey Crowder, Chris Young
      Mix Engineer: Sean Moffitt
    • “The Good Ones” – Gabby Barrett
      Producers: Ross Copperman, Zach Kale
      Mix Engineers: Chris Galland, Manny Marroquin
    • “Hell Of A View” – Eric Church
      Producer: Jay Joyce 

      Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
    • “One Night Standards” – Ashley McBryde
      Producer: Jay Joyce
      Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
    • “Starting Over” – Chris Stapleton
      Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
      Mix Engineer: Vance Powell 

     

    SONG OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Songwriters 

    • “Forever After All”
      Songwriters: Luke Combs, Drew Parker, Robert Williford
    • “The Good Ones”
      Songwriters: Gabby Barrett, Zach Kale, Emily Landis, Jim McCormick
    • “Hell Of A View”
      Songwriters: Casey Beathard, Eric Church, Monty Criswell  
    • “One Night Standards”
      Songwriters: Nicolette Hayford, Shane McAnally, Ashley McBryde
    • “Starting Over”
      Songwriters: Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton  

     

    MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Artists and Producer(s) 

    • “Buy Dirt” – Jordan Davis and Luke Bryan
      Producer: Paul DiGiovanni  
    • “Chasing After You” – Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris
      Producers: Aaron Eshuis, Teddy Reimer
    • “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” – Elle King & Miranda Lambert
      Producer: Martin Johnson
    • “Famous Friends” – Chris Young with Kane Brown
      Producers: Corey Crowder, Chris Young
    • “half of my hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini (featuring Kenny Chesney)
      Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Ross Copperman, Jimmy Robbins

    MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Artist(s) and Director 

    • “Chasing After You” – Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris
      Director: TK McKamy
    • “Famous Friends” – Chris Young with Kane Brown
      Director: Peter Zavadil
    • “Gone” – Dierks Bentley
      Directors: Wes Edwards, Travis Nicholson, Ed Pryor, Running Bear, Sam Siske
    • “half of my hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini (featuring Kenny Chesney)
      Director: Patrick Tracy
    • “Younger Me” – Brothers Osborne
      Director: Reid Long  


    NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR 

    • Jimmie Allen
    • Ingrid Andress
    • Gabby Barrett
    • Mickey Guyton 
    • HARDY

    MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

    • Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle
    • Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar
    • Aaron Sterling, Drums
    • Ilya Toshinskiy, Banjo
    • Derek Wells, Guitar

     

     

    Audio / Luke Bryan, who is nominated for Musical Event of the Year for “Buy Dirt” with Jordan Davis, talks about hosting this year’s CMA Awards.

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    Luke Bryan (hosting the CMA Awards) OC: …chance to do. :31
    “To be a representative of the music that I love, to be someone to carry on a tradition and to be the host and conduct this show with elegance, class, humor, reverence, to really make the show an example of country music and to represent the show to the best of my ability to the people watching at home is a big task and it’s something I’m so honored to have the chance to do.”

    Audio / Host Luke Bryan talks about what to expect from this year’s CMA Awards.

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    Luke Bryan (what to expect at CMA Awards) OC: …through their music. :26
    “If you’ve never seen the CMA Awards, first of all, pray for the guy hosting and sit back and enjoy an example and microcosm of many, many flavors of music, the realness and relatability and the stories of the songs that you’re hearing and the uniqueness of the artists and how the artists gives you where they’re from, who they are through their music.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton, who is up for five at Wednesday night’s CMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist, Album, Single and Song of the Year, says he’s always grateful for the moment of recognition.

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    Chris Stapleton (grateful for awards) OC: …grateful for the moment. :30
    “Well I’ll take ’em home with me I guess once they send ’em Yeah I guess you have to at some point, but it still is a very… I’m thankful for it and it’s very nice and there’s a lot of great people doing a lot of great things making a lot of great music and working really hard and so when you get this kind of a thing going, I don’t think anybody deserves it. It’s a lot of luck and a lot of stars lining up so, I’m grateful for the moment.”

    Audio / CHRIS STAPLETON RESPONDS TO A QUESTION ABOUT A THEME IN HIS NEW ALBUM, STARTING OVER."

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    Chris Stapleton (theme of Starting Over album) OC: …as humans. :54
    “I’ve never really looked at records necessarily as having a theme.  I’ve never made a record in that kind of a constraint necessarily. And there are a lot of great records that have this theme and this overlying thread that kind of runs through them.  Maybe the thread for me is just I’m singing. I wrote a bulk of the songs. It’s the same guys playing all the songs. If there’s a theme – if there’s a theme it’s hopefully there’s a theme of truth somewhere in it. And what I mean by that is hopefully we’re conveying in the songs some experiences that feel real and hopefully people can find themselves in those songs and in the album. And for me if I’m looking for a theme it’s that kind of, I don’t know, that thing that binds us all together as humans.”

    Audio / Following his CMA win for Entertainer of the Year last year, Eric Church says he didn’t know just how much that award would mean to him and how subsequent Entertainer nods would mean more now.

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    Eric Church (Entertainer of the Year) OC: …live up to. :51
    “Coming off the CMA Entertainer of the Year – I’ve said this in interviews and I really believe this – I did not know what that award would mean to me because we’d never won that award (laughs) and never thought we would, and I felt a responsibility. I know what that award means to the format; I know what that means historically, and I tried to live up to that. I think with the vaccinations, I think with the touring, I think with the things we’ve tried to do during this, I’ve done more in that regard than I ever would’ve, because I understand the people that came before me, and I understand the people that will come after me. So, that nomination means more to me now than it probably ever has, because we’ve won. I think representing the format that I adore is something that I’m trying to live up to.”

    Audio / ERIC CHURCH TALKS ABOUT WRITING HIS CMA-NOMINATED HELL OF A VIEW.

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    Eric Church (writing HOAV) OC: …biggest ones. 1:11
    “Writing ‘Hell of a View,’ we were in North Carolina. We were in the mountains, and actually that song, I’d went out for a jog one day. We had a pretty good weather day and Casey Beatherd, one of the writers on the song, had been with Monty Criswell earlier. They had kind of worked on some of the song and hadn’t played it for me yet. I went out to jog and I came back in, and Casey was kind of standing up looking out the window and I can tell he’s playing. And when I opened the door, he looked up at me and he said, ‘Don’t say anything. You’ve got to hear this. This is really good.’ He immediately started playing the first part of the song. [One] verse or so, I was hooked. I was in. I loved the way he had the line, ‘caught your wings on fire/when I smoked my Bronco tires out of town,’ and I just thought that was such a great line, and I was smitten with it at that point of time. So, we finished it that night, later that day/night and then recorded it, and it came out great. I knew it was pretty special when it went down. It was always a song that I knew was a big hit, but at the same time it has that timeless quality to it and it’s gonna be one of our biggest ones.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about Entertainer of the Year nomination.

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    Carrie Underwood (Entertainer) OC: …fantastic company. :18
    “I personally feel like entertainer. It’s everything, right? So, I feel like people kind of narrow it down to tours, but I feel like there’s so many more components to it. And, you know, I’m blessed and lucky to be nominated, obviously, and fantastic company.”

    Audio / BROTHERS OSBORNE’S JOHN OSBORNE EXPLAINS WHY THE DUO MADE THE ALBUM, SKELETONS.

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    Brothers Osborne (how Skeletons was made) OC: …came about. 1:02
    “Skeletons is a record that was essentially brought on because we wanted to play more new songs live. So going into this record T.J. and I decided let’s make a record that no matter what song we just cherry pick out of the record we can do it during our show. And that is how we decided the songs that we ended up on the record. And we started with just like every other artist, 30, 40 plus songs. We started whittling them down, ‘well we might be able to play that. I don’t know if we would be able to play that.’ And that’s how we ended up with Skeletons. And it was really birthed from just playing live shows. One of the cool things about this record is that this is the first record where our entire band is playing on it. Previous records our drummer Adam and our bass player Pete they were playing, but this one has our other guitar player Jason and our keys player Billy Justin now. And it made a huge difference because for the first time we all got in the studio after playing hundreds of shows together, we put the headphones on and started playing and it was like oh it’s just the guys. We’re jamming with the dudes. And that’s how the record came about.”

    Audio / JORDAN DAVIS EXPLAINS HOW LUKE BRYAN ENDED UP ON HIS SONG, “BUY DIRT.”

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    Jordan Davis (Luke Bryan on Buy Dirt) OC: …my songs now. 1:13
    “I met Luke three or four years ago at an awards show after party, and got to hang with him, but I really kind of got to sit and talk with him after a round of golf one day, and we just really talked about everything under the sun aside from music. Luke kind of embodies what that song is. You know a lot of people get to see Luke on American Idol or on stage, but Luke Bryan really is a great guy. I sent him a message one day, a text message actually attached with the song, and I was like, ‘Hey Luke, I wrote this. It means a lot to me. You came to mind whenever I was thinking about it, through the writing process, and this song just kind of says what you’re about, and if you want to sing on it, great, no pressure. Don’t even feel the need to text me back or whatever. Just listen to it and let me know.’ And he got right back with me. He’s like, ‘Man I love the song. Let me live with it for a couple of days.’ And he called me back four or five days later and was like, ‘When do you want me singing on this thing?’ That was a pretty cool moment. I’m such a big fan of Luke, and he’s been a huge influence on me since I moved to Nashville, and pretty cool to have him on one of my songs now.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton is still in shock over her CMA nomination for New Artist of the Year.

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    Mickey Guyton (CMA nomination) OC: …appreciate it. :33
    “I didn’t even really pay attention to the CMA nominations, ‘cause I was like there’s no way that they would ever nominate me for anything, and I’m getting all these phone calls like, ‘Congratulations on your CMA nomination.’ I think my manager sent me an email or sent me text, and I’m just like, ‘WHAT?!’ Like this is crazy ‘cause I’m not new at all. I’m actually quite ancient in this industry. It’s still quite shocking, but I am very grateful and I’m grateful that they gave me this opportunity and wanted to give me flowers. I take that, and I appreciate it.” Mickey Guyton (CMA nomination) OC: …appreciate it. :33
    “I didn’t even really pay attention to the CMA nominations, ‘cause I was like there’s no way that they would ever nominate me for anything, and I’m getting all these phone calls like, ‘Congratulations on your CMA nomination.’ I think my manager sent me an email or sent me text, and I’m just like, ‘WHAT?!’ Like this is crazy ‘cause I’m not new at all. I’m actually quite ancient in this industry. It’s still quite shocking, but I am very grateful and I’m grateful that they gave me this opportunity and wanted to give me flowers. I take that, and I appreciate it.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Lauren Alaina, Jordan Davis, Chris Stapleton, Taylor Swift, Mickey Guyton

    Darius Rucker is performing his current single, “My Masterpiece,” on Good Morning America on Friday (November 5th), airing on ABC.

    Luke Bryan, Keith Urban and Lauren Alaina, along with several other artists, will be featured on ABC News’ Backstage Pass: Countdown to the CMA Awards on Monday (November 8th).

    Jordan Davis will perform his latest smash, “Buy Dirt,” on Live With Kelly and Ryan on Monday (November 8th).

    Taylor Swift will be the musical guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live on November 13th. Actor Jonathan Majors will host.

    Chris Stapleton is featured on a new version of Adele’s “Easy On Me.” The duet is a bonus track on the Target deluxe edition of her new album, 30, which is available November 19th.

    Mickey Guyton performed “Different” from her new album, Remember Her Name, on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday (November 4th). Check out the performance below.

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood

    Reba McEntire teams up with her Reba co-star and friend, Melissa Peterman, on Tuesday (October 5th) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the iconic show on Facebook Live at 6pm ET/5pm CT.

     

    Chris Stapleton is set to perform his latest song, “You Should Probably Leave,” on NBC’s Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday (October 5th). Check local listings for time.

     

    Carrie Underwood will return to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry on October 23rd.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Sam Hunt, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Maddie & Tae, Brothers Osborne

    Sam Hunt is set to perform live at the ACM Awards Party For A Cause, benefiting ACM Lifting Lives, on Tuesday, August 24th at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater.

     

    In this past week’s Sunday Sitdown for NBC’s Today Show, Willie Geist traveled to a recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee, for a conversation with Luke Bryan. The “Waves” singer opens up about the moments in his life highlighted in his new IMDb TV docuseries “My Dirt Road Diary.” Luke also shares an early listen to a personal, new single called “Songs You Never Heard,” written to his late brother, Chris. Check out the full interview below.

    Chris Stapleton will be a special guest on Taylor Swift‘s upcoming Red (Taylor’s Version), which will be available beginning November 19th. He’s featured on the song, “I Bet You Think About Me” (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault). She revealed the upcoming guests and track list on her socials after fans guessed her word scramble clues as she “unlocked the vault.”

    https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/1423645698868891648/photo/1

     

    Maddie and Tae kicked off season two of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s “Words & Music at Home” series, developed to help aspiring songwriters of all ages learn the art and craft of writing songs, any time, anywhere. The duo’s Madison Font and Taylor Kerr write many of their own songs, including hits “Die from a Broken Heart” and “Girl in a Country Song.” During their “Words & Music at Home” episode, the two shared insights into their personally inspired songwriting approach with the Museum’s Adam Ollendorff.

     

    Brothers Osborne will release the music video for their current single “I’m Not For Everyone” tomorrow (Thursday, August 12th). The clip stars actor-comedian-Instagram star, Leslie Jordan. Check out his Instagram sneak peek of the video below.

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks, Brothers Osborne, Eric, Luke, Mickey, Carrie, Keith, Chris, Josh

    Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Mickey Guyton, Darius Rucker and Carrie Underwood are among the artists performing during the upcoming CMA Summer Jam TV special. Filmed at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater, the CMA Summer Jam is a three-hour television event airing Thursday, September 2nd at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC. Luke Combs, Jimmie Allen, Gabby Barrett, BRELAND, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Cole Swindell, Thomas Rhett, Lainey Wilson and Dwight Yoakam will also perform.

    Keith Urban is set to perform “Wild Hearts,” among others during the Today Show Summer Concert Series on September 3rd on NBC.

     

    Chris Stapleton performed “Worry Be Gone” on Late Night With Seth Meyers on Wednesday (August 25th). The song is from his latest No. 1 album, Starting Over.

     

    Josh Turner was surprised by his wife Jennifer and their four sons – Hampton, Colby, Marion and Hawke – after learning that the video for his 2005 chart-topping hit “Your Man,” surpassed 100 million views on Youtube. The video was the first he and his wife filmed together. He took to his socials to share a photo of the celebration, and said, “The ‘Your Man’ video surpassed 100 MILLION views yesterday. It was the first video Jennifer and I shot together, which makes it all that more special. Thanks to y’all for all the watchin’ and support these past 15 years.”

    https://twitter.com/joshturnermusic/status/1430324741894774785

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Alan Jackson, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Mickey Guyton

    Tune in tonight (August 23rd) at 7pm ET/6pm CT for an exclusive look at Reba McEntire‘s new box set REVIVED REMIXED REVISTED in a special TalkShopLive conversation with TV host Nancy O’Dell. You’ll be able to pre-order the collection on vinyl with an autographed poster or on CD with an autographed booklet, as well.

    Brothers Osborne appeared on CBS This Morning to talk music and how life has changed for them.

     

    Chris Stapleton is scheduled to perform on NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers on Wednesday (August 23rd).

    Tune in Wednesday (August 25th) for CMT GIANTS: Charley Pride at 9pm ET/8pm CT on CMT. The 90-minute special will feature performances by Alan Jackson, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Mickey Guyton, Reba McEntire, son Dion Pride, Gladys Knight, Jimmie Allen, Lee Ann Womack, Luke Combs featuring Robert Randolph + Reyna Roberts, Garth Brooks and Wynonna celebrating the extraordinary life and legacy of the iconic Charley Pride.

    Alan Jackson has been added the lineup of performers for the 14th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors taking place on Wednesday (August 25th) at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.  The event, which will also feature performances and appearances by Trace Adkins, Lauren AlainaDevin DawsonJessie Jo Dillon, Ronnie Dunn, Sara EvansNicolle Galyon, HARDY,  Chris Janson, Lady AAshley McBrydeCarly Pearce, RaeLynnJordan Reynolds, Brittney Spencer, Keith Urban, Laura Veltz, Sam Williams and Lee Ann Womack, will be livestreamed on Circle Network’s social channels – Circle All Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Circle Network will also air a television special around the 14th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors on Tuesday, November 23rd.

     

     

  • WATCH CHRIS STAPLETON PERFORM ON THE 2021 CMT MUSIC AWARDS: “HOLD ON” WITH H.E.R. AND “ARKANSAS;” EXTENSIVE “ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW” TOUR CONFIRMED.

    Chris Stapleton joined forces with fellow Grammy Award-winner H.E.R. for a special performance of her single, “Hold On,” during last night’s 2021 CMT Music Awards. Watch the performance, which Billboard hails as “showstopping,” HERE.

     

    Earlier in the night, Stapleton also performed his own song, “Arkansas,” from The Bonnaroo Farm.

     

    The performances add to yet another monumental year for Stapleton, who will return to the road next month with his extensive “All-American Road Show.” Kicking off July 28 with three nights at Gilford, NH’s Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, the tour includes stops at Arlington, TX’s Globe Life Field, Atlanta’s Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood, New York’s Madison Square Garden, two nights at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and Washington State’s Gorge Amphitheatre among many others. Stapleton will be joined by several special guests throughout the run including (in alphabetical order) Sheryl Crow, The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell, Caylee Hammack, Jamey Johnson, Elle King, Nikki Lane, The Marcus King Band, Kendell Marvel, Wille Nelson and Family, Margo Price, Dwight Yoakam and Yola.

    The tour also includes “A Concert for Kentucky”—a special performance to be held at University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field on April 23, 2022. The concert is the first ever held at UK’s Kroger Field and will feature very special guests Willie Nelson and Family, Sheryl Crow and Yola. 100% of the concert’s net proceeds will benefit Stapleton’s newly created Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund. Established in partnership with the Blue Grass Community Foundation, the fund will specifically support local and national organizations directly impacting Kentucky, with initial grant distributions focusing on music and arts education.

    The newly confirmed dates celebrate Stapleton’s critically acclaimed new album, Starting Over, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart this past November. Moreover, the album’s title track recently reached #1 at country radio’s Mediabase Chart, only Stapleton’s second chart-topping single as an artist following 2018’s “Broken Halos.” Released this past fall on Mercury Records Nashville (stream/purchase here), Starting Over is an album of startling prescience, featuring fourteen tracks that examine life’s simplest joys and most serious struggles. Once again produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb, the record won Album of the Year at the 56th ACM Awards and landed on several “Best of 2020” lists including NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Esquire, Vulture, The Tennessean and The New York Times, who declares, “Chris Stapleton’s roar isn’t designed to scare you off. It’s regal, an announcement of an alpha figure asserting his primacy…on this, his fourth album, the thrill is back.”

    Recent critical acclaim for Starting Over:

    “Chris Stapleton may have the album of the year with Starting Over”—American Songwriter

    “a sure-footed masterpiece…one of the year’s finest albums”—Associated Press

    “Simply put, there are few recording artists in country operating at Stapleton’s level, and Starting Over keeps the bar very high.” —Billboard

    “a dynamite and dynamic new album from the mighty-voiced Kentucky native…the singer-songwriter is hitting new heights, nailing the crossroads of country, rock, gospel, and pop across 14 tracks.”—Entertainment Weekly

    “14 rich, intricately-wound odes to tiny admissions and big emotions”—Esquire

    “mixes beautifully stark songwriting with blues, country, and rock melodies, allowing Stapleton’s sturdy, propulsive vocals to carry the show”—GQ

    vividly exemplifies the complex emotional character of Stapleton’s best music. He’s burly but soft. Tough yet vulnerable. A protector of his loved ones and a man in perpetual search of shelter.”—Los Angeles Times

    “Chris is at the top of his game with this record. It sounds like a record from a great.”
    NPR Music

    Starting Over may be Stapleton’s best album yet…every song on the album comes as a perfectly wrapped gift to the listener”—No Depression

    “Regardless of where he’s going lyrically, Stapleton brings to each successive tune a rugged assuredness and a steely resolve: There’s never any doubt that he means what he says”—Relix

    “The chill Nashville trailblazer feels at home in songs that echo his pop songwriting and his
    country roots.”—Rolling Stone

    “if Starting Over offers a statement of principles, it’s that Stapleton is going to make Stapleton music, equal parts country, Southern rock, raw sentimentality, and self-reflective singer-songwriter-ism.”—Slate

    “It is easily one of the best records I’ve heard this year. It’s easily one of the best country records I’ve heard in a long time. And I have no doubt it’s going to be one of the best country records I’ve heard this decade once everything is said and done.”—The Needle Drop

    “lands precisely where country meets Southern soul: with grit, details, clarity and ache.”
    The New York Times

    “the results are stunning…his most personal work yet.”—The Ringer

    “expands a sonic identity and storytelling fervor that Stapleton established on his paramount debut, Traveller, and its two-part follow-up, From A Room Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.”—The Tennessean

    He has [Willie] Nelson’s tender touch, but his bluesy side is much louder; his is a part-acoustic, part-stinging approach in which Nelson’s Trigger meets B.B. King’s Lucille.”—Variety

    “It’s every bit the tour de force his breakthrough album was…Elegant writing and delicate musicianship combine in an album ranking among the year’s best.”—Vulture

    Kentucky-born Stapleton is a 5x Grammy, 10x CMA and 9x ACM Award-winner and one of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians. Following 2015’s quadruple platinum breakthrough solo debut album Traveller, Stapleton released two #1 albums in 2017. Both From A Room: Volume 1 (certified platinum) and From A Room: Volume 2 (certified gold) take their name from legendary RCA Studio A, where they were recorded with Cobb. Released to overwhelming critical acclaim, The Tennessean praises, “Both are rich with the textures of Stapleton’s vocals that make him one of country music’s most beloved artists, classic country sounds and thoughtful articulate lyrics about love, life and pain.” He was also recently announced as the first-ever “Artist-Songwriter of the Decade” recipient by the Academy of Country Music.

    STARTING OVER TRACKLIST

    1. Starting Over
    2. Devil Always Made Me Think Twice
    3. Cold
    4. When I’m With You
    5. Arkansas
    6. Joy Of My Life
    7. Hillbilly Blood
    8. Maggie’s Song
    9. Whiskey Sunrise
    10. Worry B Gone
    11. Old Friends
    12. Watch You Burn
    13. You Should Probably Leave
    14. Nashville, TN

     

    CHRIS STAPLETON’S “ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW”

    BOLD on-sale Friday, June 11

    July 28—Gilford, NH—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion†

    July 29—Gilford, NH—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion†

    July 30—Gilford, NH—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion†

    August 5—Cuyahoga Falls, OH—Blossom Music Center‡

    August 6—Clarkston, MI—DTE Energy Music Theatre‡

    August 7—Clarkston, MI—DTE Energy Music Theatre*

    August 12—Charlotte, NC—PNC Music Pavilion‡

    August 13—Raleigh, NC—Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek‡

    August 14—Bristow, VA—Jiffy Lube Live‡

    August 19—Des Moines, IA—Iowa State Fair++

    August 21—Arlington, TX—Globe Life Field#

    August 26—Tampa, FL—MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre^

    August 27—Alpharetta, GA—Ameris Bank Amphitheatre^

    August 28—Atlanta, GA— Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood^

    September 16—St. Louis, MO—Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre+

    September 17—Birmingham, AL—Oak Mountain Amphitheatre+

    September 18—Orange Beach, AL—The Wharf Amphitheatre+

    September 23—Bethel, NY—Bethel Woods Center for the Arts°

    September 24—Burgettstown, PA—Pavilion at Star Lake°

    September 25—Noblesville, IN—Ruoff Music Center§

    September 30—Virginia Beach, VA—Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater%

    October 1—Camden, NJ—BB&T Pavilion%

    October 2—Mansfield, MA—Xfinity Center%

    October 7—Syracuse, NY—St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview^

    October 8—New York, NY—Madison Square Garden+

    October 9—Holmdel, NJ—PNC Bank Arts Center^

    October 14—Columbia, MO—Mizzou Arena+

    October 15—Lincoln, NE—Pinnacle Bank Arena+

    October 16—Sioux Falls, SD—Denny Sanford PREMIER Center+

    October 21—Cincinnati, OH—Riverbend Music Center+

    October 22—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena+

    October 23—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena+

    October 28—Lubbock, TX—United Supermarket Arena**

    October 29—Albuquerque, NM—Isleta Amphitheater**

    October 30—Phoenix, AZ—Ak-Chin Pavilion**

    November 4—Austin, TX—Frank Erwin Center**

    November 5—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center**

    November 6—The Woodlands, TX—Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion**

    November 18—Orlando, FL—Amway Center^

    November 19—Estero, FL—Hertz Arena^

    November 20—West Palm Beach, FL—iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre^

    December 3—Memphis, TN—FedEx Forum+

    December 4—Biloxi, MS—Mississippi Coast Coliseum+

    December 5—Knoxville, TN—Thompson-Boling Arena+

    April 20, 2022—Toledo, OH—Huntington Center^^

    April 21, 2022—Columbus, OH—Schottenstein Center^^

    April 23, 2022—Lexington, KY—A Concert for Kentucky – Kroger Field##

    June 2, 2022—Nampa, ID—Ford Idaho Center Arena††

    June 3, 2022—Ridgefield, WA—Sunlight Supple Amphitheater††

    June 4, 2022—George, WA—Gorge Amphitheater††

    June 11, 2022—San Bernardino, CA—Glen Helen Amphitheater‡‡

    June 16, 2022—Bakersfield, CA—Mechanics Bank Arena††

    June 17, 2022—Wheatland, CA—Toyota Amphitheatre††

    June 18, 2022—Mountain View, CA—Shoreline Amphitheatre††

    June 23, 2022—West Valley City, UT—Usana Amphitheater§§

    June 24, 2022—Denver, CO—Ball Arena§§

    June 25, 2022—Denver, CO—Ball Arena§§

    “ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW” SPECIAL GUESTS

    †with special guests Elle King and Nikki Lane

    ‡with special guests Elle King and Kendell Marvel

    *with special guests Yola and Kendell Marvel

    ++with special guest Nikki Lane

    #with special guests Wille Nelson, Jamey Johnson and Yola

    ^with special guests Sheryl Crow and Kendell Marvel

    +with special guests The Marcus King Band and Yola

    °with special guests Margo Price and Kendell Marvel

    • with special guests TBD

    %with special guests The Marcus King Band and Caylee Hammack

    **with special guests Jamey Johnson and Yola

    ^^with special guests Margo Price and Yola

    ##with special guests Willie Nelson & Family, Sheryl Crow and Yola

    ††with special guests Margo Price and The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell

    ‡‡with special guests Dwight Yoakam and The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell

    • §with special guests Sheryl Crow and The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell
  • CHRIS STAPLETON ADDS COLLABORATION WITH H.E.R. ; LITTLE BIG TOWN & MICKEY GUYTON WILL PRESENT FOR THE CMT MUSIC AWARDS AIRING WEDNESDAY.

    CMT today revealed the final star-studded lineup of final performers and presenters for the 2021 “CMT Music Awards.” Adding to its already-stacked roster of world premiere collaborations, the show will feature H.E.R., making her first country awards show appearance, performing with Chris Stapleton; and a CMT main stage debut from Ingrid Andress, featuring a world premiere collaboration with JP Saxe. Hosted by superstars Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown, the 2021 “CMT Music Awards” airs Wednesday, June 9th at 8p/7c on CMT, MTV, MTV2, Logo, Paramount Network, TV Land and CMT Australia.

    Show presenters include Hollywood heavyweights and some of today’s biggest stars spanning music, television, sports and entertainment including Anthony Mackie, Brett Young, Busy Philipps, Carly Pearce, Dylan Scott, Gladys Knight, Iliza Shlesinger, Little Big Town, Michael Strahan, Mickey Guyton, Restless Road, Tennessee Titans’ Taylor Lewan, Trace Adkins and CMT Hot 20 Countdown hosts Cody Alan, Katie Cook and Ashley ShahAhmadi.

    As previously announced, the two-and-a-half hour event will feature can’t-miss performances including BRELAND + Mickey Guyton, Brothers Osborne + Dierks Bentley, Carrie Underwood + NEEDTOBREATHE, Chris Young + Kane Brown, Chris Stapleton, Kelsea Ballerini + Paul Klein from LANY, Lady A + Carly Pearce + Lindsay Ell, Lauren Alaina + Jon Pardi, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Mickey Guyton + Gladys Knight, Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram + Jon Randall and Thomas Rhett. Blanco Brown, Dylan Scott, Hailey Whitters, Lainey Wilson, Niko Moon and Tenille Arts will perform live from the Ram Trucks Side Stage.

    Country music’s only entirely fan-voted award show returns to celebrate music’s hottest stars, delivering two-and-a-half hours of nonstop performances and one-of-a-kind collaborations in and around Music City. Each winner is selected by the fans, with voting for the six “Video of the Year” finalists open now at vote.cmt.com. A full list of nominations can be found here.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON, DIERKS BENTLEY, BROTHERS OSBORNE AND MICKEY GUYTON ARE AMONG THE FIRST ROUND OF PERFORMERS FOR THIS YEAR’S CMT MUSIC AWARDS.

    CMT revealed the first round of performers to take the stage at this year’s CMT Music Awards. In addition to performances by Chris Stapleton and Luke Combs, collaborations between artists are reigning at the top of the list including Dierks Bentley and Brothers Osborne; Mickey Guyton with the iconic Gladys Knight, as well as Maren Morris with JP Saxe; and Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram and Jon Randall, who recently released the collaborative The Marfa Tapes.

    The 2021 CMT Music Awards will air Wednesday, June 9th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CMT, MTV, MTV2, Logo, Paramount Network and TV Land.

    Fan voting is now open at vote.cmt.com and continues until Tuesday, June 1st at 3PM ET/2PM CT.