• KIP MOORE ANNOUNCES NEW ‘AFTER THE SUNBURN TOUR’ WITH JORDAN DAVIS AND OTHERS.

    Kip Moore revealed he will hit the road this fall for a string of headlining dates across the country as part of his AFTER THE SUNBURN TOUR. The impressive trek will kick off in Silver Springs, MD on 9/20 and will make stops in major cities including Los Angeles, Nashville, New York City and more, as Moore’s fervent live fanbase continues to grow as “its the way he expresses what’s on his mind that draws sold-out audiences around the world” (CMT.) Moore has invited a combination of special guests including Jordan Davis, Jillian Jacqueline, The Wild Feathers and Caroline Jones to join him across the dates, assembling one of the most stacked lineups this fall. Live Nation is the official tour promoter of AFTER THE SUNBURN Tour. Tickets for the tour will go on sale beginning Friday July, 20 at kipmoore.net.

    “Anyone who knows me, knows that the live show means everything to us,” said Moore. “It’s where we get to thank our die-hard fans that show up to every show year after year, and it’s also where we get to lay all of our cards out on the table and win over new fans. I’m excited to get out to some cities we haven’t played a full show at in a while and with all the awesome acts we have joining us, it’s going to be a hell of a fall!”

    AFTER THE SUNBURN TOUR DATES:

    9/20/2018               Silver Springs, MD               The Fillmore Silver Spring**
    9/21/2018               New York, NY                       Hammerstein Ballroom**
    9/22/2018               Huntington, NY                     The Paramount****
    9/28/2018               Birmingham, AL                    Avondale Brewing Co.***
    10/4/2018               Fargo, ND                             Scheels Arena*
    10/5/2018               Sioux Falls, SD                     The District*
    10/6/2018               Madison, WI                          The Sylvee*
    10/18/2018             Raleigh, NC                           The Ritz*
    10/20/2018             Chattanooga, TN                   The Signal*
    10/25/2018             Denver, CO                            The Fillmore Auditorium*
    10/26/2018             Salt Lake City, UT                  The Complex*
    10/27/2018             Reno, NV                               Grand Theatre @ The Grand Sierra Resort*
    10/30/2018             Paso Robles, CA                   Vina Robles Amphitheater*
    11/1/2018               Anaheim, CA                          House of Blues*
    11/2/2018               Los Angeles, CA                    The Wiltern*
    11/3/2018               San Diego, CA                       House of Blues*
    11/5/2018               San Francisco, CA                 The Regency*
    11/8/2018               Spokane, WA                         Fox Theater*
    11/9/2018               Eugene, OR                           Hult Center for Performing Arts*
    11/10/2018             Seattle, WA                            Paramount Theatre*
    11/17/2018             Nashville, TN                         War Memorial Auditorium*

    *Dates with Jordan Davis, Jillian Jacqueline // **Dates with The Wild Feathers, Caroline Jones
    ***Dates with The Wild Feathers, Jillian Jacqueline // ****Dates with The Wild Feathers

    Kip Moore’s current single “Last Shot” is the second taken from his revered third studio album SLOWHEART and follows his fourth No. One hit “More Girls Like You.”

  • LABOR DAY 2018: AJ, BILLY, BRANDON, CARRIE, CLARE, DARIUS, DIERKS, ERIC, JON, JORDAN, KEITH, KIP, LADY A, LUKE, MADDIE & TAE, TRAVIS

    For many decades, Labor Day was seen as a day for workers to voice their complaints and discuss better working conditions and pay.

    U.S. Congress declared Labor Day a national holiday in 1894, and on Monday, September 3rd, we will once again celebrate the people in every occupation whose work and dedication make this nation great. Labor Day in the United States is a holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It is a celebration of the American labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of workers.

    Labor Day weekend also signals the unofficial end to summer, and many of the hottest country stars are taking a look back at some of the toughest jobs they had prior to making their mark in music or talking about their dream job now.

    For Labor Day Liners, click here.

    Audio / Alan Jackson says that working man values have always been a part of his music.

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    AJ (working people songs) OC: … appreciate that. :28
    “I’ve always written songs and recorded songs, other people’s songs, about workin’ people, and workin’, the workin’ life ’cause I mean, that’s where I’m from. I mean, I worked…I’d already had jobs and worked as a grown person before I ever even thought about bein’ in the music business, so I come from that background, and…although I hadn’t had a job in a long time (laughs), I still remember a lot about it, you know, and I remember what the lifestyle is, and I still appreciate that.”

    Audio / Billy Currington recalls some of the jobs he had before landing his record deal in 2003.

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    Billy Currington (Labor Day) OC: …record deal. :40
    “I started working like at [age] 12, landscaping. This was summer, every summers, and roofing. I started when I was about 16 roofing houses, and that was probably one of my toughest jobs because down there in south Georgia, it gets hot, so doing that every day all summer long. The pawn shop when I moved to Nashville was one of my favorites, even though it was one of my least favorites. The concrete job was my least favorite of all – six years of that, and I couldn’t take it no more. After that job, that was my turning point. Either I’m going to do something else for a living [laughs] or quit and try to really focus on music and get this record deal.”

     

    Audio / Brandon Lay says he’s always enjoyed the Labor Day Weekend.

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    Brandon Lay (Labor Day) OC: …a good one. :13
    “You know, I can’t complain too much about Labor Day, ‘cause usually doing landscaping and it had slowed down a little, but the water’s still warm enough to hit the river. I’ve gotten to spend some time out on the lake for Labor Day, so Labor Day’s a good one.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about the jobs she had growing up and her best job -- performing for her fans.

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    Carrie Underwood (Labor Day) OC: …born to do. :59
    “I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad job. I’ve had hard jobs. I’ve had jobs that worked random hours. My first job was at a gas station, and that was a lot of fun actually. While I was working at the gas station, I took another job at a hotel down the street. There was nobody else working there. I had one day of training and then the next day I came in, and the lady that had worked there the longest and was training me just didn’t show. So, the second day at work I was now in charge ‘cause I was now the senior member that was working at the hotel. So, I feel like that one was really challenging to figure my way through it, but I did. My best job is definitely what I do now. I really like being on stage. I really like performing for people and just having fun and singing, because that’s what I feel like I was born to do.”

     

    Audio / Clare Dunn gets emotional when talking about driving a silage truck in Texas to make enough money to move to Tennessee to follow her dream.

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    Clare Dunn (Labor Day) OC: …had to do. 1:05
    “I was coming for school. I remember I was two weeks late for school [at Belmont], because I had stayed in Texas longer to drive a silage truck for harvest. Harvest was still going on and I needed the money, so I stayed down there. I called all my professors. I explained what I was doing. I said, ‘I’m not going to be there for the first two weeks.’ They all were very, I told them why, and they were all very accepting of that. So, I got home. I was worn out from driving this truck in Texas, and I remember getting home in like the morning or the night before and I left the next day. I literally just chucked as much stuff in a U-haul as I could, and my family was helping me get it all ready while I was on the truck. I remember, everybody cried. I’m probably gonna cry just talking about it, because it was so many unknowns, and I just drove myself out to Tennessee. It was very emotional for me, obviously, just seeing that Tennessee state line sign and being scared to death, but knowing that’s what I had to do.”

     

    Audio / Darius Rucker recalls one of his worst jobs before turning to music.

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    Darius Rucker (Labor Day) OC: …pizza. :15
    “I was fifteen, and I worked at a pizza place, and the guy decided that at fifteen, that I could not only clean the floors and wash the dishes, but I also had to make pizza. So, for two months, he taught me how to make pizza.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley makes a living performing for his fans, and he can’t say enough about them.

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    Dierks Bentley (Labor Day) OC: …generosity. :26
    “Personally, the fans give me amazement. That’s the only word to really sum it up. I look out in the crowd, you know, usually see a lot of faces and fans are cheering. I know each one of these like from the road-the signs are from California…Michelle and Kayla live up in the Ohio area. They’re all, I just see them, and I’m like, ‘Wow!,’ they’re all from different regions. You know when you’re in a different region of the country and you just see certain fans. These people are way more hard core than I am, and I’m just amazed by their generosity.”

    Audio / Eric Church talks about one of his worst job.

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    Eric Church (Labor Day-odd jobs) OC: …bought at 2am. 1:27
    “I had an awful job. I’ve had a lot of awful jobs…my worst one was when I first came to Nashville. I got a job at the Shop at Home Network. I worked midnight, graveyard, midnight to eight. That was bad enough but then I would work all night, go home, shower and then I had writing appointments all day because I was trying to get a career started. I’d go write songs and get meetings just trying to get signed. And end up getting done at 3 of 4 with all of that, I’d go home, take a shower or sleep for a little bit and then I had to be at work again at midnight. So the schedule was bad enough, however, what I had to do at the job…I sold knives from midnight to 7 or 8am. And, anytime somebody calls you at 3 or 4am and needs 200 knives for $19.95, it’s automatically an alarming situation. And I just, I was young and I’d been in a lot of these people’s shoes, I had done this…I knew they were drunk. I knew what they had done. They’d just come home from the bar, flipped on Shop at Home and said, ‘You know what? I need that.’ So the reason the job didn’t last long for me is that I was maybe the worst salesmen in history because I ended up talking a lot of these people out of it, I’d say, ‘I’ll tell you what man, go to bed, call me, I’ll be here in the morning. If you get up in the morning and want these knives you call me back.’ Because I knew what was going to happen, you know. They bought 200 knives for $19.95…first of all some of these people you didn’t know whether you should call the cops. What do you need 200 knives for? Even though I’m selling them…what do you need them for? So, it was awful doing that job. And then they got rid of me because, they were like, ‘You’re the worst. I can’t believe you’re talking people out of it.’ I was like, ‘Man I know…I’ve been there.’ [laughs] I’d want some to talk me out of buying some of the stuff I’ve bought at 2am.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi talks about his worst job, which was at a grocery store.

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    Jon Pardi (Labor Day) OC: …so bored! :17
    “The worst job I ever had was at Hometown Grocery Store. I didn’t want to work. I was 15, and I did not want to work at the grocery store. Bagging was fun, but they sent me down the aisles to pull up cans and turn ‘em around and face ‘em, and I would just get so bored!”

    Audio / Jordan Davis, whose debut single is making its way up the country charts, talks about his worst job.

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    Jordan Davis (Labor Day) OC: …worst job. :41
    “[My] worst job was probably whenever I got out of school I started working for an environmental group in Baton Rouge, and I was doing actual environmental work at first. I went to my boss probably about four months in and told him that I was going to move to Nashville and write songs. Luckily enough, he let me stay on, but I became the weedeater guy for the landscaping side of the business. I seriously weedeated eight hours a day. The only break I would get would be in-between yard to yard. So, like we would be in the car and I would try to doze off for like 10 minutes. I was covered in grass in the middle of the summer in Baton Rouge. It was awful. That was definitely the worst job.”

    Audio / Keith Urban talks about performing for fans.

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    Keith Urban (Labor Day) OC: …amazing. :22
    “Seeing people connect to the music is absolutely, hands-down the biggest reward for me, especially when you go to a place you’ve never been to before and it’s all these people, I mean lots of people out there. You’ve never met a single one of ‘em and they’re singing every word, and you realize that it’s not just a pretty melody and everything, but they get the songs. It’s amazing.”

    Audio / Kip Moore recalls his worst job...ever.

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    Kip Moore (Labor Day-worst job) OC: …than that. :21
    “I’d have to say my worst job ever was laying sod in the south Georgia heat. There’s nothing than that, especially when somebody would think that you’re waiting for the next sod patch to be thrown to you and you got your back turned, and all of a sudden, that big ole piece of sod hits you right on the back. You got nowhere to clean up, and you’re just stuck with dirt on your back for the rest of the day. It doesn’t get any worse than that.”

    Audio / Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum tells us what he used to do to make a buck before finding success as a musician.

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    Lady A (Labor Day) OC: …I had a lot of crummy jobs. :31
    CK “I used to…” HS: “… knock out asbestos walls.” CK: “I did that for a long time. But even before that, I used to do lawn care every summer. Oh, man, I do not miss that. Just glad those days are over. I get out here and play music for a living. It’s a lot more fun. But yeah, I used to do that, and I used to work as a bag boy at a golf course once. I did that for a couple of summers. I had a lot of crummy jobs.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about the different jobs he worked in and around Leesburg, Georgia, before heading to Nashville to pursue a career in music.

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    Luke Bryan (Labor Day-jobs) OC: …Nashville… 1:07
    “At age 12 thru 13, I worked at Rubos IGA Supermarket in Leesburg, GA. I worked during the summers on Monday and Tuesday. I stocked and cleaned up the produce.  They paid me under the table…I peeled off all of the brown lettuce. Let’s see, when I was 15, I was a cashier at K-Mart for two months. I worked at K-Mart for two months, and then I reverted back to Rubos because it didn’t really make sense for me to drive all the way into Albany and work for K-Mart. The benefits were great though-you’d get an hour-long on the blue light special. So I started back at Rubos, and then I quit Rubos and worked for my Dad-just awful just driving tractors through cotton all day, and spraying pesticides that eventually would turn your hair green. And then at some point, I started playing guitar. And well, after college I went back and worked for my dad and continued to spray and haul fertilizer around. And then I moved to Nashville…”

    Audio / Travis Denning has never had another job other than playing music.

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    Travis Denning (Labor Day) OC: …right for it. :13
    “I’ve always played music. I mean, my first gig was when I was 16-years-old. That was what I did. And as soon as I found out I could make money doing it, I thought I’d much rather make money doing this than anything else, so I went right for it.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS, KIP MOORE A PRESENTER AT THIS YEAR’S ACM HONORS.

    Chris Stapleton joins the lineup of performers for this year’s ACM Honors, hosted by Jon Pardi and Lauren Alaina, taking place at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium August 22nd. Kip Moore has been added as a presenter, along with Ricky Skaggs and radio personality Bobby Bones.

    Chris joins previously announced performers including Lauren, Kassi Ashton, Cam, Deana Carter, Morgan Evans, Dustin Lynch, Ashley McBryde, Old Crow Medicine Show, Pardi and songwriters Dallas Davidson & Ben Hayslip. Jordan Davis, Lindsay Ell, Lori McKenna and Storme Warren are presenters.

    As previously announced, Special Award recipients to be celebrated at the 12th Annual ACM Honors include Dierks Bentley (ACM Merle Haggard Spirit Award), Matraca Berg (ACM Poet’s Award), Sam Hunt (ACM Gene Weed Milestone Award), Alan Jackson (ACM Cliffie Stone Icon Award), Darius Rucker (ACM Gary Haber Lifting Lives Award),Mickey & Chris Christensen and Eddie Miller (ACM Mae Boren Axton Service Award, all awarded posthumously), Rob Potts (ACM Jim Reeves International Award, awarded posthumously), and Norro Wilson (ACM Poet’s Award, awarded posthumously). The evening will also honor winners of the Industry and Studio Recording Awards, along with Songwriter of the Year Award winner, Rhett Akins.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Brandon, Kip, Darius, Luke

    Brandon Lay, who is making his way up the country charts with “Yada Yada Yada,” will make his Grand Ole Opry debut on September 29th!

    Kip Moore, Darius Rucker and Jewel have been added to the list of performers at the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) annual Nashville Songwriter Awards. The event, which will also feature previously announced performers Brothers Osborne, Thomas Rhett, Old Dominion, Brantley Gilbert, Blake Shelton, Scott McCreery and others, will take place September 19th at the Ryman Auditorium.

    Luke Bryan appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America for the second time this week. On Tuesday, he helped announce the CMA nominees from his bar, Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink, along with Dan + Shay and Sugarland. On Wednesday (August 29th), he took GMA anchor Paula Faris for a tour around the bar, where they talked about his upbringing, peanuts, family and his multi-week No. 1 smash “Most People Are Good.” Check out the interview here.

  • KIP MOORE INCURS FINE TO PLAY PAST STAGE CURFEW FOR UNRELENTING FANS.

    Kip Moore thrilled an un-abating crowd at Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI on Saturday night (7/7.) Headlining the US Cellular Stage as part of an all-genre event, Moore’s set had fans singing every word to every song, including deep cuts from throughout his career and as the momentum grew from the crowd, Moore continued to play past his stage curfew and incurred a fine to meet the palpable demand.

    Kip Moore’s current “smoldering” (Rolling Stone) single “Last Shot” is the second taken from his revered third studio album SLOWHEART and follows his fourth No. One hit “More Girls Like You.” “SLOWHEART,” is continuing to garner praise by critics across the country as Moore’s “most complete, cohesive declaration of his artistic sensibilities yet” (NPR,) as well as wrapping 2017 on multiple “Best Of” lists including Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, UpRoxx, Bobby Bones Show, Taste Of Country, Sounds Like Nashville, The Boot, PopMatters and Whiskey Riff. SLOWHEART follows the acclaim that surrounded Moore’s sophomore album WILD ONES heralded as “an impressively singular release from Music Row” by The Guardian and his PLATINUM debut album UP ALL NIGHT that spawned three No. One hit singles. For more information, visit kipmoore.net.
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    Photo Credit: PJ Brown

  • ARTISTS BAND TOGETHER IN FIGHT AGAINST IMPOSTERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

    There’s a big issue with fake accounts on social media asking fans for money and personal information. Artists like  Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Jon Pardi, Travis Denning, Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Jake Own, Cole Swindell, Maren Morris and many more talk about how to know if an account is real or not. To learn more about fake accounts and how to report them, head to Socialmediasafetynashville.com.

    Alan Jackson tweeted against the predators, as well.

     

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  • KIP MOORE FELT PEACE WHEN MAKING HIS RECENT ALBUM, SLOWHEART.

    When Kip Moore was making his album Slowheart last year, he felt more peace with himself and with his music than he had ever felt before and he said it’s all due to his fans.

    “It was simply a more peace making this record because I finally learned through the ups and downs of Wild Ones that I had a fan base that was true,” says Kip. “They were truly fans and I felt they were latching on to the honesty, so I felt more open about showing whatever vulnerabilities I had, whatever directions I wanted to go. I could take them on whatever journey I wanted, and as long as I felt I stayed true to myself, I had a sense of peace that they were gonna come along for the ride. So I felt like that shined through in the project and I felt like I was a little more at peace making this project, so the melodies came out a little different.”

    His latest hit, “Last Shot,” is from Slowheart and is the follow-up to his fourth No. 1 song, “More Girls Like You.”

    For more information and tour dates, go to kipmoore.net.

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  • KIP MOORE AND LADY ANTEBELLUM’S HILLARY SCOTT GIVE ‘ONE VOICE’ TO ACM LIFTING LIVES.

    Kip Moore, Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott and Brandon Lay were among the country stars taking part in the 2018 ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp this past week. The artists work with the campers who have Williams Syndrome, a developmental disability, to create music and enjoy a wide variety of musical activities.

    Kip, along with songwriters Ross Copperman and Jon Nite, led the songwriting workshop in which they penned a song called “One Voice” with the campers.

    On Monday, the campers recorded the song at Oceanway Studio with producer and co-writer Ross Copperman, along with Hillary Scott. “It was such an unbelievable thing to witness,” she says. “My heart is full.”

    Hillary adds, “I’m a huge proponent for music in everybody’s life in some way and just the power of it and just how healing it can be and what an outlet it can be, so when I got asked to be a part of this – and I actually think I may have invited myself to the party, I was just so excited just to see the impact that music makes. But it’s not just the music, it’s their hearts and what they’re bringing to it. And to see that they wrote this song with Ross and Kip Moore and Jon Nite and just getting in that creative space with them had to be just life-changing. It’s the power of music.”

    Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley and Kelsea Ballerini are among the artists who have previously participated in the ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp.

  • FATHER’S DAY 2018

    Father’s Day is Sunday (June 17th), and we have many of your favorite country stars talking about their own Father’s Day memories and wishes below!

    Audio / Clare Dunn recalls one her father’s favorite gifts he received for Father’s Day.

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    Clare Dunn (Father’s Day gift) OC: …one year. :35
    “[My Dad] loves the weather, so we gave him a weather machine one year, and that was…well, he’s a farmer so he has to watch the weather all the time. And we gave him this weather gadget-gizmo that sits on top of the horse barn and gives him his own read-out of the weather. ‘What’s the temp? What’s the pressure? What’s the humidity?’ Well, there is no humidity in Colorado, or Southeast, but I think that was probably the biggest gift. My mom, I think, she gets all the credit for that, but I think we all collectively did that for Father’s Day one year.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker says his kids would say he was a fun dad, unless they did something wrong.

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    Darius Rucker (Father’s Day) OC: …loving dad. :41
    “I think if you asked my kids what kind of Dad I was they would probably say…Dani would say that I was a fun Dad. My little daughter would say that I was a fun dad; she thinks I’m a lot of fun. I think if you caught them at the right moment they would say I was mean [laughs] because when I’m home I’m not afraid to discipline them. I’m all fun until it’s not fun anymore and then daddy’s not the fun guy. I think that they’d say that I was a fun Dad, I’m a loving Dad and I think they would say that. I’m gone so much that when I’m home, I just shower love upon my kids. I say ‘I love you’ probably fifty times a day. We hug, we kiss all the time. I’m always wanting them to know how much I love them. So I’d hope they’d say that I was a loving dad.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker says his mother made him a good father to his three children.

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    Darius Rucker (mother’s qualities makes him a great father) OC: …my mom. :45
    “She had a lot great qualities, but she was always, family was first for her. She was always a rock and making sure she took care of us and making sure we had things we needed to have to survive – food and clothes and a home – and seeing that and seeing how hard she worked and all the things she did just really made me the father that I am today. I mean, I’m so crazy and hands-on with my kids. I think it all comes from watching my mom have to struggle so much to support us. And so now, I don’t want me or my wife to ever have to struggle, and I don’t want my kids to ever want or wonder where I am or where their mom is. I want them to always know where we are and always be taken care of, and that all comes from my mom.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley enjoys being both dad – to daughters Evie and Jordan and son Knox – and country music performer.

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    Dierks Bentley (dad & performer) OC: …to do both. :28
    “When I get home, it’s a totally different reality that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. Just hanging with my girls and doing the things we do and seeing life through their eyes, it’s incredible. It takes a man to do it. It’s not a boys’ game. It takes a man to do it. I love the juxtaposition to be able to be that man and to also go on the road and act like I’m 13 years old and play video games all afternoon waiting for the fans to show up. So, it’s really a blessing to be able to do both.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley, the father of three, is very grateful to his own dad for turning him on to country music as a kid.

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    Dierks (Father’s Day) OC: …that’s for sure. :10
    “My dad was my biggest influence in country music because my dad loved country radio. So, we always drove around listening to country radio and George Strait, Hank Williams and Randy Travis and all these guys, so. Without him, I wouldn’t be doing this, that’s for sure.”

    Audio / Eric Church describes his father and the qualities he admires in him.

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    Eric Church (Father’s Day) OC: …always admired. :29
    “My dad is a, I’m trying to find the right words to describe him. My dad is a great guy, honest guy, very call it like he sees it, which is where I get a lot of that. No BS. I’m gonna tell you how I feel whether you like it or not. I’m that guy, I’m me…My dad’s that way, so I get a lot of that from him. There’s also an honesty and an integrity that my dad carries himself with that I’ve always admired.”

    Audio / Eric Paslay says his father taught him how to work hard and to do a lot of things himself, such as electrical work and other handyman tasks.

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    Eric Paslay (Father’s Day) OC: …ceiling fan. :23
    “He just taught me that working hard and sticking it out, even when you know things aren’t right, that if you stick it out, it’s worth it in the end. And he just taught me to work hard, and there’s a lot of things that you don’t have to pay someone else to do, and it feels more rewarding when you’re able to put in new light fixtures or paint your own walls or put in a new ceiling fan.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about his favorite qualities of his dad.

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    Jordan Davis (Father’s Day) OC: …my music. :45
    “The thing I love most about my Dad is just his overall love of life. He’s a guy that’s worked hard and is now at a point where he can enjoy it, and he’s living every day to the fullest. That’s something that I’m very thankful that I’ve seen my Dad do and something to learn from. So, that’s probably my favorite quality about the old man, and just the hard work too. My dad ran a furniture business in Shreveport for a long time with his Dad. It was great to grow up and see a guy work hard and helped his Dad build a business from the ground up to a very successful business, and that’s something that I even try to carry over into my music.”

    Audio / Keith Urban – father to daughters Sunday and Faith -- says there are a number of things that are at the top of the list of being a dad.

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    Keith Urban (Father’s Day) OC: …experience that. :36
    “The first thing is probably just having someone call you dad. I’m like, ‘Omigosh! I’m her dad! That’s amazing.’ That’s probably the first thing to me. I don’t know, I mean, the different personalities that our two daughters have, that’s amazing. It’s such a long list I think. I always say…I think for the people that haven’t had kids – which I hadn’t for a long, long time. I didn’t have kids ‘til later on, and being around it is not the same as having them, you know? I realize that it’s not something that can be explained until you actually sort of have it, so I’m glad I got to experience that.”

    Audio / Kip Moore talks about his late father’s influence on his music career, and how he’d play classics on their fishing trips.

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    Kip Moore (Father’s Day-dad’s influence) OC: …of us singin’ ‘em. :29
    “He would just play all those classic records – Little River Band, Jackson Brown, Springsteen, Seeger, Willie Nelson, the Red-Headed Stranger, Kristofferson, Sam Cook – like classic music. He’d be singing the songs and telling us why it was such good music. And I looked up to him so much, that’s the music I gravitated towards and that’s what I continue to listen to. Whenever I think about those old fishing trips, that’s what I think about is on the way down there, him singing those songs and all of us singin’ ‘em.”

    Audio / Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley says since becoming a father to Ward, it’s really put his life and outlook into perspective.

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    Charles Kelley (being a father) OC: …wife Cassie. :38
    “Gosh! I mean, being a father, it really puts a lot of things into perspective about making sure you do shut off that side of your brain, that work side of your brain and focus on what matters most. I think n the past, I think I’ve always had it in the back of the mind – work, and once you have a kid, you see something that you love more than yourself. I don’t know. It just really is making me realize how fast time moves and to really and try to enjoy these little moments with my little son and my wife, Cassie.”

    Audio / Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood says his father was a big influence both personally and musically, and he wants to pass along those qualities to his own children.

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    Lady A (Father’s Day-Dave) OC: …like that. :39
    “My dad was a really hard worker growing up and was always great, however hard he worked, he’d always make important time for family, important time to be home for dinner and be there for a lot of special moments for us growing up. For all the money he would make, he would always give a portion of it back to charity or to the church, and so that was always important for me to watch. We had a great relationship growing up. My dad plays guitar; he’s very musical. I learned how to play acoustic guitar with him playing ‘Day Tripper’ by the Beatles and all these old songs we’d play together when he’d show me how to play these James Taylor songs and things like that. So, definitely want to pass along music, of course, to my children, as well, like that.”

    Audio / Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott says her father is a great communicator.

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    Lady A (Father’s Day-Hillary) OC: …my children. :33
    “I definitely got my Type-A personality from my dad. He’s the same way, but one thing I’m so appreciative of – especially from a father-daughter relationship – my dad always, always talked to me, even when I didn’t want to talk to him. He would force me to communicate and talk through things, and not always the easy stuff, which is such a rare quality in a man, truthfully. And so, I am very, very thankful for that. I think it helped me find the right husband for me, and I also know that it will help me be that much of a better communicator to my children.”

    Audio / Lauren Alaina’s father has been sober for nearly five years, and she says their relationship has gotten a lot stronger since he quit drinking.

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    Lauren Alaina (Father’s Day) OC: …always has been. :50
    “Oh my gosh. My dad’s the best. I’m really proud of my daddy. “October 6th will be his five-year anniversary of being sober. So that’s a big one for us. And it’s been really amazing the last few years with his recovery. Our relationship was a little rocky before he went into rehab and now we talk every single day. And he is my daddy and I’m so proud of him. He’s the hardest worker I know, and that’s why I work so hard because I grew up watching him do it. I’m proud of him and he moved to Alabama for work and he loves it, and he’s like 30 minutes from the beach. So, I’m trying to hit that beach up every minute I can. But I’m really proud of him, and he’s a great dad and he always has been.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about last year’s Father’s Day and what he WON’T be doing this year.

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    Luke Bryan (Father’s Day 2018) OC: …air conditioning.
    “Last year, my Father’s Day was Caroline was perfect in asking me what I wanted for Father’s Day, and I said I want to go camping with the boys on a little trout stream thing. So, I went and borrowed, I knew a buddy who had like a pull-behind trailer, you know, camper; get the camper hooked up, get to the campsite, it’s 98 degrees. I had loaded a lawn mower in the back of my truck. By the time I got done mowing an acre of four-foot tall grass for the campsite, mosquitos, couldn’t get the camper – you know, the camper never works like you want it to. It may just be a day around the pool at the Bryan house. I hadn’t really put my mind together for what I want for Father’s Day, but I won’t be mowing an acre of grass for the RV moment. But I will tell you I made a last-minute call and got my tour bus driver. I said, ‘Please just bring the tour bus so we can sleep in some air conditioning.’”

    Audio / Maddie Marlow talks about her father’s favorite gift she’s ever given him for Father’s Day.

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    Maddie & Tae (Father’s Day) OC: …for Father’s Day. :26
    “So, for Father’s Day, I made my Dad – I think it was right before I moved to Nashville – I made my Dad this little photo book where it had like his quotes that have stuck with me my whole life and then some pictures, and it was really funky. It looks horrible. It’s not put together, but that’s one of his favorite gifts that he’s ever gotten, and I cherish that ugly photo book thing that I made for him for Father’s Day.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt says his father taught him a lot about being a man and knowing how to do the right thing.

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    Sam Hunt (Father’s Day) OC: …he’s great. :27
    “I’m obviously biased about my parents, but I’ve been around a lot of great men of integrity, but he is by far the best man that I know. He’s just taught me so much about being a man, doing the right thing, knowing the difference between right and wrong. And even though I don’t always follow his lead, I definitely know better because of him, and that means a whole lot to me. I was just really fortunate to have him as a dad, and he’s great.”

    Audio / Travis Denning says his father is his best friend.

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    Travis Denning (Father’s Day) OC: …for sure. :43
    “My dad – I call him ‘Diamond Dave’ and a lot of other people do too. Honestly, I don’t know if I drink more with anybody else more than my Dad. I think a super cool thing now is getting older and knowing that I’m starting to get more and more sustained as a human that it’s like my parents get to be friends now with me and my sister, which is such a cool thing. And so, yeah, me and my Dad – we love music and we love heavy metal and we love all that. We get to go to concerts and football games and drink beer and just enjoy that cool part of a father and a son and a mother and a son where now we get to be friends and it’s really cool. My Dad is my best friend, for sure.”

  • KIP MOORE’S ‘LAST SHOT’ IS A GOOD ‘OLD SCHOOL COUNTRY LOVE SONG.’

    Kip Moore’s “Last Shot,” which is making its way up the country charts, turned into a good “old school country love song” in the writing room. He co-wrote “Last Shot” — the follow-up to his No. 1 hit “More Girls Like You” — with the legendary David Lee Murphy and pal Dan Couch, and they hit gold once they figured out how to write the tune based on an idea Dan brought to them.

    “Dan actually came in with that idea and we just kind of danced around that song for probably three hours before we ever could tackle how to get it, where we wanted to go and you get a little bit of that old school Aerosmith vibe from the lyrics to the melodic sense even to the production of it,” says Kip. “I mean the minute David Lee said…When I started singing that melody, I was just humming and different stuff, and he said, ‘If you were my last breath/I’d just want to hold you,’ and I thought that was just such a brilliant line. So then it was just about, ‘Alright, this is a love song, this is an old school country love song right here,’ so that’s what we went with.”

    The Georgia native just wrapped a string of sold-out international shows and makes a summer run through fairs and festivals, among other tour dates. For information on Kip, check out kipmoore.net.

    Audio / Kip Moore explains how “Last Shot” turned out to be an “old school country love song.”

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    Kip Moore (Last Shot) OC: . . . we went with. :47
    “’Last Shot’ was written with David Lee Murphy and Dan Couch. David Lee, the king of quirky phrasing . . . Dan actually came in with that idea and we just kind of danced around that song for probably three hours before we ever could tackle how to get it, where we wanted to go and you get a little bit of that old school Aerosmith vibe from the lyrics to the melodic sense even to the production of it. And, yeah, I mean the minute David Lee said…When I started singing that melody, I was just humming and different stuff, and he said, ‘If you were my last breath/I’d just want to hold you,’ and I thought that was just such a brilliant line. So then it was just about, ‘Alright, this is a love song, this is an old school country love song right here,’ so that’s what we went with.”