• NEWS AND NOTES: Alan, Mickey, Vince, Chris, Luke, Jordan, Maddie & Tae, Taylor

    Alan Jackson, Mickey Guyton and Vince Gill will perform during the National Memorial Day Concert airing May 30th on PBS at 8pm ET. The 90-minute special, hosted by actors Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds) and Gary Sinise (Forrest Gump, Truman, CSI: NY), will feature all-star performance and tributes from Washington, D.C. and around the nation honoring our American heroes. Others set to perform or appear include Gladys Knight, Sara Bareilles The Four Tops, Army Veteran Colin L. Powell, actors Steve Buscemi, Kathy Baker and Mary McCormack, among others.


    Chris Stapleton
    and Luke Bryan are among the headliners performing at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The three-weekend event, taking place September 2-4, 9-11 and 16-18, will also include performances by Jordan Davis, Maddie & Tae, Sheryl Crow, Zac Brown Band, Dylan Scott Scotty McCreey, Brett Eldredge, Jake Owen, Jimmie Allen, as well as Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, Ludacris, Nelly, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Diplo, and many others.

    Taylor Swift has made history once again. She will receive the Global Icon Award at the 2021 Brit Awards making her the first female recipient of the honor. The Global Icon award is “the highest accolade given and is reserved for truly exceptional artists” and Swift will be the fourth recipient after Elton John (2014), David Bowie (2016) and Robbie Williams (2017). She is being honored for “her immense impact on music across the world and incredible repertoire and achievements to date” and is also up for the International Female Solo Artist Award at the ceremony, which is taking place Tuesday (May 11th).

     

  • CARRIE, CHRIS, MADDIE & TAE AND SAM NOMINATED FOR BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS.

    The nominations for this year’s Billboard Music Awards have been announced, and Carrie Underwood has four nominations including Top Country Female Artist, Top Country Album for My Gift, Top Christian Album for My Gift and Top Christian Artist.

    Chris Stapleton is up for three BMAs including Top Country Artist, Top Country Male Artist, Top Country Album for Starting Over.

    Sam Hunt is nominated for Top Country Album for Southside, while Maddie &Tae are up for Top Country Duo/Group.

    The show will air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles May 23rd at 8pm ET on NBC.

     

    Top Country Artist

    Gabby Barrett

    Kane brown

    Luke combs

    Chris Stapleton

    Morgan Wallen

     

    Top Country Album

    Gabby Barrett – Goldmine

    Sam Hunt – Southside

    Chris Stapleton – Starting Over

    Carrie Underwood – My Gift

    Morgan Wallen – Dangerous: The Double Album

     

    Top Country Male

    Luke Combs

    Chris Stapleton

    Morgan Wallen

     

    Top Country Female

    Gabby Barrett

    Maren Morris

    Carrie Underwood

     

    Top Country Duo/Group

    Dan + Shay

    Florida Georgia Line

    Maddie & Tae

     

    Top Christian Artist

    Casting Crowns

    Elevation Worship

    For King & Country

    Carrie Underwood

    Zach Williams

     

    Top Christian Album

    Bethel Music – Peace

    Elevation Worship – Grave Into Gardens

    Carrie Underwood – My Gift

    We The Kingdom – Holy Water

    Zach Williams – Rescue Storm

     

     

    Audio / CARRIE UNDERWOOD EXPLAINS WHY SHE WANTED TO RECORD A CHRISTMAS ALBUM.

    Download

    Carrie Underwood (why she wanted to record a Christmas album) OC: …we did it. :17
    “I love these songs. I love singing about Jesus. I love Christmas as a whole, as a time of year. So, I have always wanted to make an album like this, so I did. (laughs) I always wanted to, so we did it.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt reacts to his Billboard Music Award nomination for Top Country Album for Southside.

    Download

    Sam Hunt (Billboard Music Award nom) OC: …that recognition. :47
    “It’s awesome to be acknowledged and recognized especially at a time when there’s so much good music out there and especially without like the new factor. I still feel like I’m just now getting into this, but I’ve been around now for a few years and this is my second record, technically, and it took me a little longer than I planned or hoped to get new music out after that first record, but I’d always heard your sophomore record is really hard to get finished and a lot of times you’re judged by that record more than your first record because it’s like was the first one just a fluke kind of thing. But yeah, I’m just happy to be acknowledged. It’s really cool to get that recognition.”

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON ANNOUNCES NEW DATES FOR HIS 2021 ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW.

    Chris Stapleton has announced new dates for his 2021 All-American Road Show.

     

    Ticket sales for new shows begin Friday (April 30th). Sign up for presale tickets at StapletonFanClub.com and visit chrisstapleton.com/tour for more information.

     

  • THE ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC ANNOUNCES SPECIAL PERFORMANCES, COLLABORATIONS AND WORLD PREMIERES FOR SUNDAY NIGHT’S ACM AWARDS.

    The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards are setting the stage for a night of incredible music on Sunday (April 18th). The ACMs announced this week special performances, collaborations and more for the awards show, which will be hosted by Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton.

    The show, which will feature some of the biggest names and emerging talent in Country Music, will take place from three iconic venues: the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe with special performances at legendary locations across the city including the Station Inn, Bridge Building and on Broadway.

    This year’s ACM Awards will feature Elle King and Miranda Lambert opening the show with “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home),” Dierks Bentley performing U2‘s classic “Pride (In The Name Of Love)” with husband/wife duo The War and TreatyBrothers Osborne will turn in their new single, “I’m Not For Everyone,” Eric Church (“Bunch of Nothing”), Carrie Underwood will perform a medley from her new album of gospel hymns (My Savior) which will also feature a duet with CeCe Winans, Mickey Guyton (“Hold On”), Alan Jackson “You’ll Always Be My Baby” and a special mashup for “Drive (For Daddy Gene),” Chris Stapleton on the tear-inducing “Maggie’s Song,” as well as Kenny Chesney, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, Jimmie Allen, Gabby Barrett, Lady A, Dan + Shay, Maren Morris and Ryan HurdThomas RhettBlake Shelton celebrating the 20th Anniversary of his first hit single, “Austin,” as well as his latest “Minimum Wage,” Chris Young and Kane Brown, Carly Pearce and Lee Brice (“I Hope You’re Happy Now”).

    Previously announce performers include Keith Urban, Little Big Town and Ashley McBryde.

    The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton, will air Sunday, April 18th beginning at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON TAKES “STARTING OVER” TO NO. 1.

    Chris Stapleton‘s “Starting Over” vaulted to the top of the Country Aircheck/Mediabase Country Chart. The title track from his acclaimed new album, “Starting Over” was written by Stapleton and Mike Henderson and is only his second chart-topping single as an artist following 2018’s “Broken Halos (also written by Stapleton and Henderson).

    This latest achievement comes ahead of this Sunday’s 56th ACM Awards (April 18th) where Stapleton leads nominees with six nominations in four categories: Entertainer of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (Starting Over as both artist and producer) and Song of the Year (“Starting Over” as both artist and songwriter). Stapleton will also perform on the awards ceremony, which will broadcast from various venues in Nashville on CBS this Sunday, April 18th at 8:00pm ET/7:00pm CT.

    The nominations celebrate yet another monumental year for Stapleton following the release Starting Over, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart this past November.  Out now 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 continues to receive overwhelming critical praise 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

    “He has nothing left to prove, but somehow, he just gets incrementally better…This is as good as any of his albums and maybe just a tad better.”—Glide

    “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

    “What makes Starting Over unique is its emotional center…Stapleton cuts through the tangled jungle of pre-COVID life like a machete, clearing a new path forward.”—Nashville Lifestyles

    “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

    With Starting Over, Stapleton’s distinguished voice and artist’s soul shine.”
    Sounds Like Nashville

    “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

     

    CHRIS STAPLETON’S “ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW”

    June 5—San Bernardino, CA—Glen Helen Amphitheater§

    June 10—Boise, ID—Ford Idaho Center Arena#

    June 11—Portland, OR—Sunlight Supply Amphitheater#

    June 12—George, WA—The Gorge Amphitheatre#

    June 17—Bakersfield, CA—Mechanics Bank Arena#

    June 18—Sacramento, CA—Toyota Amphitheatre#

    June 19—Mountain View, CA—Shoreline Amphitheatre#

    June 24—Salt Lake City, UT—USANA Amphitheatre^

    June 25—Denver, CO—Pepsi Center^

    June 26—Denver, CO—Pepsi Center^

    July 8—Milwaukee, WI—Summerfest at American Family Insurance Amphitheater+

    July 10—Camden, NJ—BB&T Pavilion°

    July 17—Chicago, IL—Wrigley Field%

    July 23—Holmdel, NJ—PNC Bank Arts Center**

    July 24—Syracuse, NY—St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview**

    July 28—Gilford, NH—Bank NH Pavilion††

    July 29—Gilford, NH—Bank NH Pavilion††

    July 31—Minneapolis, MN—U.S. Bank Stadium‡‡

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

    August 7—South Bend, IN—Notre Dame Stadium§§

    August 12—Charlotte, NC—PNC Music Pavilion°

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

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

    August 20—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center##

    August 21—Arlington, TX—Globe Life Field%%

    September 18—Biloxi, MS—Mississippi Coast Coliseum++

    September 23—Knoxville, TN—Thompson-Boling Arena++

    October 1—Atlantic City, NJ—Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall++

    October 2—Mansfield, MA—Xfinity Center++

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

    October 14—Columbia, MO—Mizzou Arena++

    October 15—Lincoln, NE—Pinnacle Bank Arena++

    October 16—Sioux Falls, SD—Denny Sanford PREMIER 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 11—Estero, FL—Hertz Arena**

    November 12—Orlando, FL—Amway Center**

    April 20—Toledo, OH—Huntington Center†

    April 21—Columbus, OH—Schottenstein Center†

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

    “ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW” SPECIAL GUESTS

    †with special guests Margo Price and Yola

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

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

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

    ^with special guests Sheryl Crow and The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell

    +with special guest Sheryl Crow

    °with special guests Elle King and Kendell Marvel

    %with special guests The Highwomen, Mavis Staples and Mike Campbell

    **with special guests Sheryl Crow and Kendell Marvel

    ††with special guests Elle King and Nikki Lane

    ‡‡with George Strait and Little Big Town

    • §with George Strait and Brothers Osborne

    ^^with special guest Nikki Lane

    ##with special guests Willie Nelson & Family and Yola

    %%with special guests Willie Nelson & Family, Jamey Johnson and Yola

    ++with special guests The Marcus King Band and Yola

    °°with special guests Jamey Johnson and Yola

     

    Audio / CHRIS STAPLETON TALKS ABOUT WRITING HIS NO. 1 SONG, "STARTING OVER," WITH MIKE HENDERSON.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (writing Starting Over) OC: …in that context. 1:08

    Video /

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON MISSES THE ROAD BUT HAS LOVED SPENDING TIME WITH HIS FAMILY OVER THE PAST YEAR.

    After more than a year of being in the midst of a global pandemic, we, as a people, have missed out on a lot of things, but there have also been some silver linings for some of us. While country artists haven’t been truly able to tour this past year and many of their bands and crews unable to work, it’s been tough. Many artists are looking forward to hitting the road, however many will miss the closeness and togetherness they’ve had with their families. Chris Stapleton says he misses touring, but he’s been able to be there for his wife and five children, and he’ll miss that when he’s able to tour safely again.

    “I miss touring deeply and I’m so ready to reach the light at the end of the tunnel and maybe get back out there and get to play for some folks, and I hope we get to do that very, very soon, whenever that’s safe in a public health kind of way, you know,” says Chris. “The silver lining and the mixed blessing during the pandemic for me is I’ve gotten to spend more time being a dad and being with my children than I’ve ever gotten to do certainly as a touring musician. I have three children under the age of three and I have two older ones that are 12 and 10. When I go in to get the boys in the morning, and I open the door, they say ‘Daddy’ before I even open the door, and I’ve never really had that before. So, that’s kind of a neat thing for me to get to have that, so I’m thankful for that and I’m grateful for that. As much as I look forward to getting back out on the road, I’ll miss a little bit of that.”

    Chris is currently poised to top the country charts with his single, “Starting Over.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says as much as he misses being on the road playing for fans, he has enjoyed being at home with his children this past year.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (this past year with family) OC: …bit of that. :51
    “I miss touring deeply and I’m so ready to reach the light at the end of the tunnel and maybe get back out there and get to play for some folks, and I hope we get to do that very, very soon, whenever that’s safe in a public health kind of way, you know? The silver lining and the mixed blessing during the pandemic for me is I’ve gotten to spend more time being a dad and being with my children than I’ve ever gotten to do certainly as a touring musician. I have three children under the age of three and I have two older ones that are 12 and 10. When I go in to get the boys in the morning, and I open the door, they say ‘Daddy’ before I even open the door, and I’ve never really had that before. So, that’s kind of a neat thing for me to get to have that, so I’m thankful for that and I’m grateful for that. As much as I look forward to getting back out on the road, I’ll miss a little bit of that.”

    Video /

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON WINS ALBUM OF THE YEAR FOR STARTING OVER.

    Chris Stapleton picked up the ACM Award for Album of the Year for Starting Over. The collection features his recent chart-topping hit of the same title, as well as “Maggie’s Song,” which he performed with special guest Miranda Lambert during the show. Miranda filled in for Chris’ wife Morgane, who was on “baby watch” as Chris’ sister-in-law was in labor.

    “It’s always very special, and I missed (Morgane) very much tonight, but I was so happy that Miranda agreed to fill in kind of last minute. I think my sister-in-law is in labor right now. She might be on the way to the hospital, I’m not sure. My wife is kind of on baby watch, and for once, not her own baby. It’s been an interesting night tonight, so lots to celebrate and the awards are just part of it.”

     

    When he released the album, he said, “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.”

    After performing “Maggie’s Song,” Chris posted on his socials a photo of his dog, Maggie, who he and wife Morgane rescued as a puppy.

    https://twitter.com/mirandalambert/status/1383941271971000326

     

    Audio / Backstage during the virtual ACM pressroom after winning Album of the Year, Chris Stapleton said there are a lot of reasons to celebrate.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (reasons to celebrate) OC: …part of it. :19
    “Well, it’s always very special, and I missed (Morgane) very much tonight, but I was so happy that Miranda agreed to fill in kind of last minute. I think my sister-in-law is in labor right now. She might be on the way to the hospital, I’m not sure. My wife is kind of on baby watch, and for once, not her own baby. It’s been an interesting night tonight, so lots to celebrate and the awards are just part of it.”

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

    Download

    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.”

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK AND CHRIS STAPLETON COLLABORATE ON “SMALL TOWN HYPOCRITE” – OUT NOW.

    Capitol Records Nashville singer/songwriter Caylee Hammack is releasing a new version of her deeply personal song “Small Town Hypocrite” with a guest vocal by Chris Stapleton, available here.  Since Hammack released the autobiographical song, critics, fans and peers alike have had an overwhelming affinity for the track and the picture it paints of the songwriter’s journey of heartbreak and reflection. Hammack also hand illustrated the single art for the special release of the track, depicting the trailer featured in the vulnerable lyrics.

    “My one whim for this song was to hear Chris Stapleton accompany me on it,” shared Hammack. “Two years after I spoke this wish out loud in the studio, Chris agreed to sing the part I had written in hopes of hearing his voice on it. Life is a beautiful full circle sometimes. I am so grateful to Chris for singing on this song.”

    Co-written and co-produced by Hammack, NPR and Esquire singled out  “Small Town Hypocrite” as one of their “Best Songs of 2020” and the acclaim continues to stack up.

    “A song of the year.” – Stereogum 

    “A devastating ballad about the guy who broke her heart that felt so intimately specific, with weary anger so finely honed, that it was hard to imagine what heights Hammack could reach on her second album.” – Rolling Stone 

    “So well-written and communicated… Never fitting in, sacrificing a scholarship for love, being cheated on and realizing mistakes, it’s all here in elegantly scored music — sighing steel guitars and murmuring keys — that sports hooks, urgency and a chorus that comfortably sticks in your ear.” – NPR

    “The track is a perfect wonder… The lyric is extraordinary… The vocal performance is quite moving, radiating vulnerability, heartache, bitterness and honesty. All in all, a fabulous little record.” – Music Row

    “Hammack bares her soul on the deeply personal “Small Town Hypocrite,” a heartbreaking story song about trusting the wrong person.” – Billboard

    A devastating ballad from a new singer.” – Washington Post 

    “Powerful.”– Paste 

    “The story of the heartbreak that got her here.” – CMT

    Capitol Nashville “songwriter/producer/full-throttle vocalist” (HITS) Caylee Hammack just released her debut record IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU. Critics have continued to highly praise the 13-track set that sees Hammack with writer and producer credits on every track on the album. “Hammack has arrived with this 13-track adrenaline blast…every song on here plays out like an entry in Hammack’s diary—and is just as compelling…Hammack deserves to be a star” declared Billboard. Recently winning a nod for ACM “Music Event Of The Year,” with Miranda Lambert, Caylee Hammack has been noted as an “Artist To Watch” by outlets including The Bobby Bones Show, Rolling Stone and HITS Magazine for her “voice to move mountains” (Rolling Stone). With her breakout Top 30 single “Family Tree” marking the most-added single at Country radio by a female artist in over three years, Hammack, the Capitol Nashville recording artist has previously brought her unforgettable live set to opening slots for Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Trisha Yearwood, Brothers Osborne and some of country music’s biggest festivals. For more information visit www.cayleehammack.com.

    Video /

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S MAIN GOAL IN MAKING MUSIC IS TO EXPERIENCE IT AND CONNECT WITH THE AUDIENCE THROUGH THE MUSIC.

    Chris Stapleton may have felt a little bit of pressure making his latest album, Starting Over, but the goal for him every time he releases new music is the connection between him and the audience over the music.

    “I had someone ask me about do the expectations by either yourself or what you think the audience (s) expectations are, do those things affect you? And the answer is yes,” he says. “You get to make a first record in relative anonymity and kind of this vacuum you’ve had 15 years to write songs for it and you get to cherry-pick (songs) and do all these things, you now. Now, that being said, I think it’s perfectly human that you become aware of expectations as you go along, but I very much try to ignore them – either my own or someone else’s – of what something should be musically, because I’m not sure that’s a healthy space to be making music in, not in a good way anyway. I want the experience of the music and I want to bring an experience to people listening to music in a way that we can have a connection, and in a way that they can have a connection with other human beings. That’s the ultimate goal for me.”

    The album, Starting Over, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart, as well as the Americana/Folk Albums chart.

    Chris is currently making his way to the top of the country charts with the title track, “Starting Over.”

     

    Audio / Chris Stapleton focuses on the experience and connection of the music he makes rather than the expectations he and others put on him.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (experience of the music) OC: …goal for me. :56
    “I had someone ask me about do the expectations by either yourself or what you think the audience (s) expectations are, do those things affect you? And the answer is yes. You get to make a first record in relative anonymity and kind of this vacuum you’ve had 15 years to write songs for it and you get to cherry-pick (songs) and do all these things, you now. Now, that being said, I think it’s perfectly human that you become aware of expectations as you go along, but I very much try to ignore them – either my own or someone else’s – of what something should be musically, because I’m not sure that’s a healthy space to be making music in, not in a good way anyway. I want the experience of the music and I want to bring an experience to people listening to music in a way that we can have a connection, and in a way that they can have a connection with other human beings. That’s the ultimate goal for me.”

    Video /

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  • THE ACM AWARDS 2021 ARE THIS SUNDAY, AND MANY OF YOUR FAVORITE COUNTRY STARS ARE READY TO HIT THE STAGE.

    With six each, Chris Stapleton and Maren Morris lead the list of nominations going into Sunday night’s (April 18th) ACM Awards.

    Chris earned nods in the categories for Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Song (for “Starting Over”) and Album of the Year (Starting Over) as artist, songwriter and producer.

    Eric Church earned three category nominations for Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Music Event of the Year for Luke Combs’ “Do to Me.”

    Luke Bryan picks up a pair of nominations for Entertainer of the Year and Album of the Year for Born Here Live Here Die Here, while Dierks Bentley also is nominated for two including Male Vocalist of the Year and Music Video of the Year for “Gone” (the award went to Kane Brown for “Worldwide Beautiful”).

    Brothers Osborne are nominated for both Duo of the Year (an award they’ve won twice before) and Album of the Year for Skeletons. Keith Urban also picks up two nods…in the same category – Music Event of the Year for both “Be a Light” with Thomas Rhett, Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin, as well as his latest single, “One Too Many” with P!nk.

    Carrie Underwood earned a nod in Music Event of the Year with John Legend for “Hallelujah,” while Lauren Alaina is also nominated in Music Event of the Year for Hardy’s “One Beer,” along with Devin Dawson.

    Little Big Town picks up a nomination for Group of the Year, while Maddie & Tae scored a nomination for Duo of the Year.

    The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton, will air live from Nashville April 18th beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CBS. The show will also be available to stream live and on demand on the Paramount+.

     

    Audio / Luke Bryan is up for ACM Entertainer of the Year, as well as Album of the Year for Born Here Live Here Die Here. He says being recognized for Entertainer is always a “dream come true.”

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    Luke Bryan (Nominated for ACM Entertainer) OC: …dream come true. :36
    “Being nominated for ACM Entertainer of the Year is just, it’s just amazing. I mean, I look back over my career and I’ve won a couple of Entertainer awards and every time you see your name a part of that group of people, you’re just honored by it. I’ll tell you what, I go on stage every night trying to be the best entertainer I can be and try to get everybody in the crowd, in the room sing and love one another and have fun So, any time the ACMs recognizes me for that, it’s a dream come true.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about what fans can expect on his new album, BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE.

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    Luke Bryan (fan expectations for BHLHDH) OC: …something for everybody. :37
    “I think fans can expect a little something of everything. They can expect a love song, a dancing song; obviously, ‘One Margarita’ being a big ole fun summer drinking song. And I think we have songs that will make you cry, touch your emotions, and I think, like I said there are songs that you can fall in love to out there. And there are songs that talk about the true meaning of life when you think about a song like ‘For a Boat,’ and you got a father teaching his son about the important things in life. So, I’m just proud of the way the album come together, and I feel like there’s something for everybody.”

    Audio / Eric Church, going into Sunday's ACM Awards as the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, says this nomination means more to him than ever before.

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    Eric Church (ACM Entertainer Nod) 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 his ACM Male Artist nomination.

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    Eric Church (ACM Male Artist 2021) OC: …category. :12
    “I’ve not been in that category in a while. I think it’s a great honor. I mean, I’ve said this a thousand times – I’ve always thought of myself as more of a stylist than a vocalist, but it’s an honor to be with the guys that are in the category.”

    Audio / Eric Church talks about being nominated for ACM Music Event of the Year with Luke Combs on “Does To Me.”

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    Eric Church (ACM Music Event of the Year 2021) OC: …hopefully it wins. :34
    “Luke Combs is somebody that we went to the same college, we’re from North Carolina both of us, I’ve got to know him, not only as an artist, but on a personal level. We’ve hung out together in North Carolina, here in Tennessee. I’m so proud of him and what he’s done. I’m proud that I was able to influence him and that he was able to do his own thing. And this song was, it was great to record it with him. I love the song. I love the writing of the song. I had nothing to do with that. They wrote it to the wall, and it was an honor to join him, and hopefully it wins.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton, who is nominated for Entertainer, Male Artist, Album and Song of the Year at this year’s ACM Awards, talks about the theme of his latest 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 / Chris Stapleton will perform “Maggie’s Song” on the ACM Awards on Sunday Night (April 18th). He felt like Maggie, a dog he and Morgan rescued and had for 14 years, deserved a song of her own – that song appears on his ACM-nominated album, Starting Over.

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    Chris Stapleton (Maggie’s Song) OC: …of our family. :33
    “She deserved a tribute of a song. Now, whether or not I did her justice in the song, I don’t know, but she was a dog that deserved a song so I wrote a song about her the day after she died. That song happened to carry through to me being allowed to play it live, and we wound up in the studio and we recorded it. And now it lives in the world to make people more sad than they deserve to be (laughs) in a year that we don’t need much of that. But I loved that dog very much, and she was a great member of our family.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne, who are nominated for two ACM Awards including Duo of the Year and Album of the Year, talk about why they made their ACM-nominated album, Skeletons.

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    Brothers Osborne (how Skeletons came about) 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 / Keith Urban has two ACM nominations in the same category of Music Event of the Year. Here he talks about the ACM-nominated duet with superstar P!nk on “One Too Many.”

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    Keith Urban (P!NK duet) OC: …it together. :29
    “This song was written as a duet, and I sent the song to her and luckily she loved it. I loved the song and I was really hoping she would love it, because she’s truly one of the great singers of our generation. So, to hear her voice on this song was phenomenal. We had such a great time getting to do that. I wish we could’ve done it in the same space, but you know with the situation we’re in, of course, we couldn’t do that. So, she recorded her vocal at her house and I did mine at my house, and we put it together.”

    Audio / Little Big Town talks about being nominated for ACM Group of the Year.

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    LBT (Group nomination) OC: …yeah. :12
    “That’s the coolest thing. Yeah. We’re all friends and we all root for each other and cheer each other on, and we love the music they’re making. And we just celebrate, man. We’re, we’re fans. Yeah.”

    Audio / Maddie & Tae feel like awards nominations show them they're making music people are enjoying.

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    Maddie & Tae (Duo nomination) OC: …super fun. :24
    “Having that nomination was like, oh wow, our peers do still feel like we’re doing something special and do still believe in us and that was a really nice spirit-lifter where we were like, ‘Oh my gosh. We are doing something right and we’re making music that people are enjoying,’ and that was just a huge, huge compliment. And we’re nominated with some of favorite people in the industry, so super fun.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (ACM promo)

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    Audio / LINER Mickey Guyton (ACM Promo)

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    Audio / LINER Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton (ACM Promo)

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