• THE 63RD GRAMMY AWARDS HAVE SET THE STAGE FOR SUNDAY NIGHT’S SHOW.

    This year’s Grammy Awards have set the stage for this Sunday (March 14th), and several UMG Nashville artists are in the running. Little Big Town picked up two nods for Best Country Album for Nightfall, as well as one for Best Country Duo/Group for “Sugar Coat,” along with Brothers Osborne for “All Night,” their sixth career Grammy nomination.

    Eric Church’s “Stick That in Your Country Song,” Vince Gill’s “When My Amy Prays” and Mickey Guyton’s “Black Like Me” are nominated for Best Country Solo Performance.

    Mickey, the first Black solo female artist to be nominated in a Grammy country category, will perform her nominated song “Black Like Me” on Sunday’s show, and she says it will be very emotional for her, as is her first Grammy nomination.

    “Getting my first Grammy nomination for ‘Black Like Me’ means the absolute world to me,” she says. “I’ve been pursuing music for a very, very, very long time, and there are many times that I thought I was going to quit. And my music journey didn’t change until I stopped running away from who I really am, embracing who I really am, and opening the door for other people, other people that are marginalized.”

    Of significant note, Taylor Swift earned six nominations. folklorea follow-up to her Lover album, was nominated for best pop vocal album. The album’s lead pop single, “cardigan,” was also recognized in the overall Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance categories. Her collaboration with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, “exile,” received a nod in Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. If that wasn’t all, the “betty” artist earned a nomination for best song written for visual media for her collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber on Cats’ “Beautiful Ghosts.”

    The 63rd annual Grammy Awards, hosted by Trevor Noah, will broadcast live on Sunday, March 14th beginning at 8pm ET/5pm PT on CBS. The show will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

    Best Country Album

    Lady Like, Ingrid Andress
    Your Life Is a Record, Brandy Clark
    Wildcard, Miranda Lambert
    Nightfall, Little Big Town
    Never Will, Ashley McBryde

    Best Country Solo Performance

    “Stick That in Your Country Song,” Eric Church
    “Who You Thought I Was,” Brandy Clark
    “When My Amy Prays,” Vince Gill
    “Black Like Me,” Mickey Guyton

    “Bluebird,” Miranda Lambert

    Best Country Duo / Group Performance

    “All Night,” Brothers Osborne
    “10,000 Hours,” Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber
    “Ocean,” Lady A
    “Sugar Coat,” Little Big Town
    “Some People Do,” Old Dominion

    Audio / BROTHERS OSBORNE'S JOHN OSBORNE SAYS THEY HAD THEIR FANS AND LIVE SHOWS IN MIND WHEN WRITING AND RECORDING THEIR LATEST SINGLE, "ALL NIGHT."

    Download

    Brothers Osborne (All Night) 2 OC: …what we did. :15
    “‘All Night’ is a song we wrote with our friend, Andrew DeRoberts. We wanted to write a song that just felt good. We didn’t want to think too hard about it. We wanted to write a song that no matter what happened we knew that our fans at our shows were gonna love to sing along to (it), and that’s what we did.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton, who will perform “Black Like Me” on this year’s Grammy Awards, said her performance will be emotional because it’s not just about her.

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    Mickey Guyton (Grammy performance) OC: …right now. :33
    “My performance at the Grammys is going to be so special and emotional, like it’s not just about me, there’s it’s the song Black Like Me. It is so many people’s stories. And that was my goal in this performance. There’s representation as well, which is really important to me in this performance. But I just wanted people to feel like they’re coming together. This is a huge moment for black people in country music, and I just feel so honored to stand in these shoes right now.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton talks about her first Grammy nomination and what it means to her.

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    Mickey Guyton (Grammy nomination) OC: …are marginalized. :29
    “Getting my first Grammy nomination for ‘Black Like Me’ means the absolute world to me. I’ve been pursuing music for a very, very, very long time, and there are many times that I thought I was going to quit. And my music journey didn’t change until I stopped running away from who I really am, embracing who I really am, and opening the door for other people, other people that are marginalized.”

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet talks about the band’s ninth studio album, Nightfall.

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    LBT (Nightfall) OC: …proud of it. :23
    Nightfall is our ninth studio album, and we poured our hearts into this project and we’re so proud of it. We feel like it makes a beautiful statement about where we are right now as a band and how much we love making music together and also that the album takes you on a journey. It will transport you hopefully into a beautiful place, because we love it and we’re very proud of it.”

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman talks about the band's Grammy-nominated song “Sugarcoat,” a tune that appears on their new album, Nightfall.

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    LBT (Sugarcoat) OC: …what’s going on. :20
    “I love ‘Sugarcoat.’ It’s a story about a woman who is putting up all these fronts to live a perfect life, and actually what is happening behind closed doors is the opposite of perfect. It’s really devastation, but she’s covering it up at every time but then she realizes that she needs to let her man know she knows what’s going on.”

    Audio / Eric Church talks about his song, "Stick That In Your Country Song."

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    Eric Church (STIYCS) OC: …found itself. :56
    “I’ve never had a song in my career that was a harbinger of things to come. When we recorded ‘Stick That in Your Country Song,’ we had a booming economy and a pretty great world going on. And I remember thinking when I did it, ‘Wow, I’m not sure this, I’m not sure how relevant this is for right now. I love the song. I love the sentiment, but I’m just not sure.’ And within about 30 days, the world changed, and it changed for a while, and this song just became more and more real and more and more relevant. And truth be told – 100% honesty – I had a different single picked out as the first single, and then the world kept changing and it kept bringing itself almost like a magnet back to this song and back to this moment. So, this song found itself. It wasn’t me finding it, it found itself.”

    Audio / Vince Gill talks about his song, "When My Amy Prays."

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    Vince Gill (When My Amy Prays) OC: …give myself. :15
    “To me the real beauty of that song is the light that I paint her in, obviously. But the, golly, how is the right way to say this? Maybe the emotion comes from the vulnerability that I give myself.”

  • COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME® AND MUSEUM TAKES FANS INSIDE AMERICAN CURRENTS: STATE OF THE MUSIC EXHIBITION WITH VIDEO SPECIAL PREMIERING MARCH 19TH.

    The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum announced the premiere of the video special “American Currents: Celebrating the State of the Music” at 7pm CT, Friday, March 19th, 2021, on the museum’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. “American Currents: Celebrating the State of the Music” takes music fans inside the museum’s upcoming exhibition “American Currents: State of the Music,” which not only recognizes artists’ industry accomplishments, but also delves into the extraordinary events that shaped country music amid a global health crisis and a renewed push for social justice.

    Country Music Hall of Fame Member and Museum Board President Vince Gill will introduce the exhibition and the program. Additionally, CEO Kyle Young will share remarks highlighting the artists, musicians, songwriters and stories featured in the most recent installment of the American Currents: State of the Music exhibition, which is located in the museum’s ACM Gallery.
    The video special “American Currents: Celebrating the State of the Music,” underwritten in part by City National Bank, kicks off a year-long series of programming and online content in support of “American Currents: State of the Music.” The video will remain available to view on the museum’s YouTube channel after the premiere.

    During the video program, Luke Combs and Rissi Palmer will discuss the past year – how it changed their perspectives and how they managed to stay creative and positive during troubling times. Combs, Palmer and Billy Strings, who are each featured in this year’s exhibition, will also perform.

    Presented annually, “American Currents: State of the Music” is based upon the ongoing research and analysis of curators and museum staff to document and interpret significant developments in country music over the previous year. Those recognized in this year’s exhibition, in addition to Combs, Palmer and Strings, are: Gabby Barrett, Casey Beathard, The Chicks, Eric Church, Dan + Shay, Mickey Guyton, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris, Country Music Hall of Fame member Dolly Parton, John Prine, Sister Sadie and Eddie Stubbs.

    The exhibition’s Unbroken Circle section illustrates the connection between country music’s past and present by pairing artists with those who have influenced them or share musical perspectives. Those included are Jimmie Allen and Darius Rucker; Ingrid Andress and Faith Hill; Charley Crockett and Freddy Fender; and Dierks Bentley’s Hot Country Knights and the Statler Brothers’ Lester “Roadhog” Moran & the Cadillac Cowboys.

    For more information about American Currents: State of the Music, visit www.CountryMusicHallofFame.org.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba, Darius, Kimberly, Vince, Luke and more

    Reba McEntire returns to reprise her role as “June” on the television show, Young Sheldon on Thursday (February 25th). Catch her in action beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CBS.

     

    https://twitter.com/YoungSheldon/status/1364331280771538946

     

    Darius Rucker will perform his No. 1 hit, “Beers and Sunshine” on NBC’s “TODAY” Show on Friday (February 26th).

    Speaking of Darius Rucker and his Hootie & the Blowfish bandmates, Post Malone has released a cover of their 1995 hit song “Only Wanna Be With You” ahead of his performance at the Pokémon Day 25th-anniversary virtual concert on Saturday (February 27th).

     

    Little Big Town‘s Kimberly Schlapman appears on The Doctors on Thursday (February 25th). She will talk about the ACM Awards and their initiative ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Response Fund and the support it offers for those in the Country Music community financially impacted by the pandemic.  

     

    Vince Gill reunites with his longtime friend Lyle Lovett on Friday (February 26th) to share music, memories and more beginning at 9pm ET/8pm CT. Get your tickets here.

     

     

     

    Luke Bryan takes fans behind-the-scenes of the making of his video for “Down to One.” Check it out below.

     

     

     

     

    Video /

  • LITTLE BIG TOWN, ERIC CHURCH, VINCE GILL, BROTHERS OSBORNE AND MICKEY GUYTON EARN GRAMMY NODS.

    The nominees for the 63rd annual Grammy Awards were announced this week, and several UMG Nashville artists are in the running. Little Big Town picked up two nods for Best Country Album for Nightfall, as well as one for Best Country Duo/Group for “Sugar Coat,” along with Brothers Osborne for “All Night.”

    John and TJ Osborne earn their six Grammy nod and they say they’re still surprised.

    Eric Church’s “Stick That in Your Country Song,” Vince Gill’s “When My Amy Prays” and Mickey Guyton’s “Black Like Me” are nominated for Best Country Solo Performance.

     

    Of significant note, Taylor Swift earned six nominations. Folklore, a follow-up to her Lover album, was nominated for best pop vocal album. The album’s lead pop single, “Cardigan,” was also recognized in the overall Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance categories. Her collaboration with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, “Exile,” received a nod in Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. If that wasn’t all, the “betty” artist earned a nomination for best song written for visual media for her collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber on Cats’ “Beautiful Ghosts.”

    The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards will air live January 31st beginning at 8pm ET. The pre-telecast ceremony will take place earlier in the day via streaming starting at 3pm ET.

    Best Country Album

    Lady Like, Ingrid Andress
    Your Life Is a Record, Brandy Clark
    Wildcard, Miranda Lambert
    Nightfall, Little Big Town
    Never Will, Ashley McBryde

    Best Country Solo Performance

    “Stick That in Your Country Song,” Eric Church
    “Who You Thought I Was,” Brandy Clark
    “When My Amy Prays,” Vince Gill
    “Black Like Me,” Mickey Guyton

    “Bluebird,” Miranda Lambert

    Best Country Duo / Group Performance

    “All Night,” Brothers Osborne
    “10,000 Hours,” Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber
    “Ocean,” Lady A
    “Sugar Coat,” Little Big Town
    “Some People Do,” Old Dominion

  • DIERKS BENTLEY AND VINCE GILL ARE AMONG THE ARTISTS TO PERFORM AT THE OPRY IN FRONT OF A LIMITED LIVE AUDIENCE.

    The Grand Ole Opry will welcome back a limited in-venue audience beginning Saturday, October 3, a kick-off of the Opry’s 95th anniversary celebration. Opry members Dierks Bentley, Vince Gill, Terri Clark and Lorrie Morgan are scheduled to perform. Bentley, also celebrating his 15th Opry anniversary, was inducted into the Opry family on October 1, 2005.

    The in-venue audience will be capped at 500 guests for the October 3rd 95th anniversary celebration. The limited audience will be made up of fans who had previously held tickets for each night’s show.

    “With gratitude to the artists who have visited the Opry since March, staff members and partners who have ensured the Opry went on every Saturday, and a worldwide audience for tuning in over the past six months, we are so excited as we plan to welcome fans back to the Opry House,” said Dan Rogers, Opry vice president and executive producer. “So many loyal fans make plans early to be a part of our birthday weekend every year, and I am especially excited that many of those devoted familiar faces will be in the first in-house audience since late last winter. Of course we will only be truly happy when we can return to capacity audiences and full Opry shows that are known around the world.”

    Click HERE for a sizzle reel of highlights of just some of the Opry members and special guests who have stepped in to the circle to help the keep the music playing at the Grand Ole Opry since the in-house audience shows were paused on March 14.

    The Grand Ole Opry will strictly comply with operating plans developed in partnership with the Nashville Public Health Department and Vanderbilt Health that include socially distanced seating, mandatory masks for all guests and staff, as well as enhanced cleaning practices.

    Operating plans include:
    • Exclusive to 500 ticketed guests
    • Physically distanced seating, allowing those in the same group to sit together but distanced from others
    • Mandatory masks for all guests, Opry House operations and production staff
    • Designated restrooms, entry and exit points
    • No food or beverage service
    • Temperature checks for all staff
    • Enhanced cleaning practices

    As the Opry continues its month-long 95th anniversary celebration with a maximum of 500 fans allowed to be live in the Opry House, the show will continue its one-hour livestream on Circle All Access YouTube,  Twitter and Facebook channels as well as Circle TV , SiriusXM, and the Opry’s flagship home 650 WSM AM and wsmonline.com, allowing fans from around the world to enjoy the high-quality performances from home.

    Information regarding ticket availability for October shows will be updated at opry.com.  More details on other Opry 95th Anniversary Celebration shows and digital events happening throughout the month of October will be announced soon.

    Those tuning into the Livestream on Circle All Access YouTube, Twitter and Facebook channels Saturday, October 3 can watch a  Circle Sessions: Lauren Alaina at 7:30 PM ET/ 6:30 PM CT immediately prior to the Opry. Alaina talks to host Nan Kelley about her new EP, Getting Over Him, her love of the Grand Ole Opry and the connection she has with her Dad and the Opry. The No. 1 Platinum-selling star also talks about her role as host of the upcoming Circle TV series Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith, launching October 4.

    As the Grand Ole Opry approaches its 95th anniversary in the midst of a global pandemic, Opry members and special guest artists kept the music playing from the unbroken circle, and the Opry began reaching some of its largest audiences to date. The Opry has logged viewers from over 100 countries worldwide since shows with a live Opry House audience were paused in mid-March. The Opry livestream has consistently been in the top of the Pollstar Livestream Chart with an average of over 1 million+ viewers each week, and Circle TV’s distribution has grown steadily over the course of the past 29 weeks as well.

    In an effort to maintain health and safety amid current COVID-19 concerns, the Opry, the world’s longest-running radio show, was forced to pause performances that included a live audience beginning on March 14. The show will have played on without a live ticketed audience for 29 consecutive Saturday night broadcasts before finally welcoming them back. The Opry’s paused shows without an audience have included Opry members Trace Adkins, Bill Anderson, Kelsea Ballerini, Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Terri Clark, Luke Combs, Dailey & Vincent, the Gatlin Brothers, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Dustin Lynch, Chris Janson, Reba McEntire, Craig Morgan, the Oak Ridge Boys, Old Crow Medicine Show, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Jeannie Seely, Blake Shelton, Ricky Skaggs, Connie Smith, Marty Stuart, Pam Tillis, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Steve Wariner, Mark Wills, Trisha Yearwood and Chris Young along with special guests Lady A, Lauren Alaina, Jimmie Allen, Mandy Barnett, Lee Brice, T. Graham Brown, Luke Bryan, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, Jason Crabb, Rodney Crowell, Sara Evans, Amy Grant and daughters Jenny Gill and Corrina Grant Gill, Riley Green, Tracy Lawrence, Ashley McBryde, Chrissy Metz, Keb’ Mo’, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Margo Price, Kellie Pickler, Michael Ray, Runaway June, Billy Strings, The Scott Family, Gwen Stefani, Tenille Townes, Molly Tuttle, Sam Williams, CeCe Winans, Charlie Worsham, and Brett Young.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chrissy, Shania, Vince, Stapleton and more

    Chrissy Metz will make her Grand Ole Opry debut this weekend. The This is Us star will share the stage with gospel singer CeCe Winans on Saturday (July 25th) beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT. You can tune in to Circle TV on Facebook, YouTube and cable.

    Some of Shania Twain’s most iconic songs, including “Man! I Feel Like a Woman,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “Any Man of Mine,” “No One Needs To Know,” “You’re Still The One” and many others are being turned into lullabies. The 12-track collection, Lullaby Renditions of Shania Twain, will be released August 14th.

    Vince Gill will reunite with longtime friends and collaborators Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry August 1st.

    Chris Stapleton’s headline debut at Chicago’s Wrigley Field has been rescheduled from August 29th to July 17th, 2021. Joining him are The Highwomen, Mavis Staples and The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell. All tickets will be honored for the new date, and those unable to attend have a little less than 30 days to obtain a refund from point of purchase.

  • OPRY MEMBERS VINCE GILL AND REBA McENTIRE PERFORM ON GRAND OLE OPRY’S 4,933rd CONSECUTIVE SATURDAY NIGHT BROADCAST.

    Members of both the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame, Vince Gill and Reba McEntire performed together Saturday during the Opry’s 4,933rd consecutive Saturday night broadcast. Gill was inducted in the Grand Ole Opry on August 10, 1991 and McEntire became a member of the Opry on January 17, 1987.

    “Every time I see you, I feel like I’m home. You’re like family,” shared Gill to his longtime friend McEntire. During their Opry performance the pair exchanged personal experiences of working together over the years and their special bond as fellow Okies. Both artists performed several of their biggest hits including Gill’s “What The Cowgirls Do” and “Whenever You Come Around” as well as “The Price of Regret” in honor of Civil Rights Leader and Congressman Senator John Lewis. Gill also sang “Little Brother,” a song he’d written about his friend of 50 years, Benny Garcia, who passed away in May. McEntire opened with “How Blue,” before adding “Back To God,” and “Is There Life Out There”, closing the night with “Fancy.” Together the Opry members sang their #1 duet “The Heart Won’t Lie,” a song that also made Country music history with its accompanying cinematic military-themed music video.

     

    The two Oklahoma natives met in Nashville in 1988 when Gill sang background vocals on McEntire’s self-titled studio album, Reba. In 1990, the pair recorded their first of many duets, “Oklahoma Swing,” the second single from Gill’s breakthrough album, When I Call Your Name.

    Next Saturday, July 25 EMI Records Nashville’s recording artist and star of NBC’s hit “This Is Us,” Chrissy Metz and multi-Grammy and Dove award winner, Gospel Music Hall of Fame member CeCe Winans as well as one of the most recognizable voices in country music, Tracy Lawrence, will step in the circle for the Grand Ole Opry’s 4,934th consecutive Saturday night broadcast. Metz’s appearance will mark her Grand Ole Opry debut.

    About the Grand Ole Opry
    To plan an Opry visit, call (800) SEE-OPRY or visit opry.com. The Opry presents the best in country music live every week from Nashville, Tenn.  The Opry can be heard at opry.com and wsmonline.com, Opry and WSM mobile apps, SiriusXM, and its flagship home, 650 AM-WSM. The Grand Ole Opry is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE: RHP).  For more information, visit opry.com.

    PHOTO CREDIT: Photos courtesy Grand Ole Opry LLC. Chris Hollo, photographer

  • OPRY MEMBERS VINCE GILL AND REBA McENTIRE TO PERFORM ON GRAND OLE OPRY JULY 18TH.

     Both Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame members Vince Gill and Reba McEntire will step into the circle together for the Grand Ole Opry’s 4,933rd consecutive Saturday night broadcast Saturday, July 18 on Circle TVwsmonline.com, and SiriusXMGill was inducted in the Grand Ole Opry on August 10, 1991. McEntire became a member of the Grand Ole Opry on January 17, 1987.

    The two Oklahoma natives met in Nashville in 1988 when Gill sang background vocals on McEntire’s self-titled studio album, Reba. In 1990, the pair recorded their first of many duets, “Oklahoma Swing,” the second single from Gill’s breakthrough album, When I Call Your Name. In 1993, the duo reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart with their hit duet, “The Heart Won’t Lie” and made Country music history with the accompanying cinematic military-themed music video. Gill has said of his friend, “She is arguably one of the greatest singers that will ever draw a breath.”

    “The Grand Ole Opry has always been very special to me and my family,” said McEntire. “It’s part of my history, my heritage and my future, and I’m so excited to get to share the stage with Vince again. Just like Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Brother Oswald, Porter Wagoner and Loretta Lynn, Vince is an Opry legend. I’m proud to be an Opry member and I’ll always be proud to stand on the stage with Vince. Things may be a little different right now, but one thing stays the same – the Opry continues to bring great Country music into the homes of the American people.”

    As the Grand Ole Opry approaches its 95th year in the midst of a global pandemic, Opry members and special guest artists have kept the music playing from the unbroken circle and is reaching some of its largest audiences to date. The Opry has been reaching millions of fans and making new ones each week as it has logged viewers from over 100 countries worldwide who have been tuning in just since the live audience shows were paused in mid-March.

    Though Opry shows with a live Opry House audience are paused, the show will be broadcast live on Circle and Gray TV stations, DISH Studio Channel 102, Sling TV and other TV affiliates. Opry Live 
    on Circle will be hosted by Bobby Bones. The livestream on Circle All Access and YouTube channel will be guest hosted by Natalie Stovall, a member of the country trio Runaway June and host of Circle’s Southern Weekend. Opry announcer Mike Terry will be heard on 650 AM WSM and SiriusXM.

  • FATHER’S DAY 2020

    Father’s Day is Sunday (June 21st), and we have audio with many of your favorite country stars! Download the soundbites below.

    If you missed the new 2020 liners, click here.

     

    Audio / Adam Hambrick talks about what he most admires about his father.

    Download

    Adam Hambrick (Father’s Day-Dad)  OC: …about my dad. :45
    “When I was a kid, my dad always included me on what he was doing. I feel like I learned a lot from watching go about life and watching him treat people well and with kindness. My dad is a pastor and I watched, my whole growing up, I just watched him serve other people, like put other people’s needs in front of himself and show up in the hospital when Sister Jeanette had surgery or whatever that thing was like any given day, it could be anything. I watched him tile floors in a new Sunday School building. I watched him do literally everything for a ton of different people in a really selfless way. That’s one of the things I admire most about my dad.”

    Audio / ALAN JACKSON ALLOWED HIS THREE DAUGHTERS TO LIVE AND LEARN.

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    AJ (parenting style) OC: …what they did.  :19
    “We try to be just not pushy hands-on parents. We let them live and be their own way. I’m not stern with them. You know, I’m funny and light, and try to give them guidance and let them live and learn their own ways. And that’s something, I think, my parents did. It was accidental, but that’s what they did.”

    Audio / Brandon Lay celebrated his first Father’s Day last year with his then nine-month-old son, Ryder. His wife Nicole gave birth to their second child, daughter Lara June, nearly two weeks ago. Brandon explains some of his favorite moments as a dad.

    Download

    Brandon Lay (Father’s Day 2020) OC: …to experience. :21
    “Honestly, the best thing about fatherhood is just someone that looks up to you. My favorite moments are when (Ryder) is scared and I’m there or he wants to figure out something and I’m there, or he needs lifting up and I’m there. I think that’s a God-given gratification that’s really cool to experience.”

    Audio / Brandon Lay is now a father of two since his wife gave birth to their second child, Lara June, last week.

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    Brandon Lay (father of two) OC: …embrace. :26
    “Oh man! Now that I’m a father of two, it’s really it goes from more than just keeping one little guy alive and still having more me and Nicole time to wow, I’m actually a father. We’ve got a party of four now, not that I wasn’t before a father, but you know what I mean. I’m reaching real dad status. It’s a weird feeling, but it’s one I embrace.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne grew up in a musical family – both their parents wrote and performed music. Their father listened to a bunch of different artists which gave them their own foundation.

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    Brothers Osborne (Dad’s music) OC: (John) …anything else. :34
    “Our dad listened to everything from Hank Williams to Willie Nelson to even pop music like Mariah Carey and Tom Petty to Bob Seger. You name it and he listened to it, so we really didn’t think about specific genres. We really just kind of soaked it all in, so we listened to it all at one time. It was just music to us. Th ere wasn’t a day in our house without the radio on or there wasn’t a weekend at our house that there wasn’t a party and people had their guitars out, so music to us is like eating and breathing. It’s just as essential as anything else.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack says her father is a good man.

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    Caylee Hammack (Dad) OC: …forget that. 1:19
    “My dad has this really unnerving ability to be able to build anything at all just by thinking of it. He can look at something and build it in his mind and build it by hand, and it always works. I’ve always respected him for that. He’s a very hard worker.  He’s worked every day of his life. He’s also kind, even when he doesn’t have to be. He’s the type of guy who always gives money at the light to whoever it is on the street. One of my favorite moments with my dad was when we were driving to Macon, Georgia. I was playing a show that night, and we were driving up and we saw this dog and I could tell she was a mama dog. I could tell she had babies somewhere that she was trying to nurse, and she was so skinny. And I’m a bleeding heart. I get it from my Mama, and I just start crying, and I’m like, ‘That poor dog. She’s starving trying to feed her babies.’ I thought, ‘Poor dog.” And my dad doesn’t say anything, goes up two more blocks and pulls into the McDonalds. And he goes through and he asks me if I wanted anything, and I say no. I just think he’s hungry. He goes and he buys three or four burgers, and then he goes back to that block and he drives around until we find that dog to feed it to ‘em. I just remember looking at him, being like this is what a man is; this is what a good man does, and I’ll never forget that.”

    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 there 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, a 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 / Dierks Bentley explains how being a father (to three children) has changed him.

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    Dierks Bentley (how fatherhood has changed him) OC: …different. :07
    “There’s a whole kind of different universe that has opened up that I never knew existed, and I’m not the center of it, which is really cool. It just makes you look at things totally different.”

    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. I think the both of them combined, and they’ve been married for I think 40 years, to be together that long in this day and time is a feat in itself.”

    Audio / Jon Langston looks up to his father and hopes to become just like him.

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    Jon Langston (Father’s Day) OC: …just fine. :16
    “My Dad has been my hero all my life. He’s the man I want to be one day when I grow up. I’m thankful for all he’s done for me and the sacrifices he’s made for our family. If I’m half the man he is one day, I’ll be just fine.”

    Audio / Jon Langston considers his dad his hero.

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    Jon Langston (Father’s Day) 2 OC: …a great guy. :46
    “My dad’s always been my biggest mentor and hero. He’s just been everything to me since I was a little kid. From taking me to every single football practice to being a coach in baseball and stuff to even when I couldn’t play sports anymore and I started doing music and traveling the country and he helped me by renting this family RV. Me and the boys would hop in. He drove us everywhere. He would like take us all over the country. He was taking off work every single week just so I could have a chance, a shot at tis dream. He’s the most selfless, humble human being ever, and if I’m half the man he is one day, then that’d be fine with me. He’s a great guy.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis says he loves getting his daughter up in the mornings.

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    Jordan Davis (fatherhood 2020) OC: …here myself. :46
    “Fatherhood is something, it really is tough to put into words, but one of my favorite things to do is to go in and get Eloise up in the mornings, and I just see this little bundle of joy. She is just so happy. She’s got a smile just like Kristen, and so it really is just crazy to go in in the morning. She could be crying, screaming and then you walk in, and the second she sees you, it’s all smiles and laughs. I don’t know. I think the coolest thing with a kid like her age is just the innocence. You see just how happy she is to be here, and I’m very happy she’s here myself.”

    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 / Jordan Davis talks about how life has changed for him since becoming a father to his daughter Eloise.

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    Jordan Davis (how life changed when he became a dad) OC: …my daughter. :43
    “I asked so many questions to Dads about what to expect and how my life was gonna change. I never really got a straight answer. It was just kinda like, ‘Dude, just do it and it’s gonna change for the better.’ It really is the most unbelievable, just the amount of love you have for this thing that just got into the world, it is indescribable. I can’t put that into words the first time you get a chance to hold your kid. And man, I’m very, very grateful for the blessing that is my daughter.”

    Audio / PROUD DAD OF FOUR (HAMPTON, COLBY, MARION, HAWKE), JOSH TURNER TALKS ABOUT HOW HIS THREE OLDEST SONS ARE LEARNING THE FAMILY TRADE.

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    Josh Turner (Father’s Day) OC: …one of ‘em.  1:05
    “As far as talent and potential, my oldest three, especially, they could do anything they wanted to do if they put their mind to it and their heart was there. My oldest [Hampton] is incredible at playing mandolin. Colby, we kind of noticed him turn the corner lately with the fiddle, and Marion is actually playing a ukulele that’s tuned like the top four strings on a guitar, so in essence, he’s learning how to play guitar. They’ve just kind of started incorporating some singing into some playing, so they’re starting the whole singing and playing at the same time kind of thing, and not only that, they’re even learning to play songs together on their individual instruments. So, it’s amazing to see how much they can learn in such a short amount of time. It makes me realize how much I missed out on when I was that age, ‘cause I did take some music lessons growing up and everything, but I think they feed off of each other honestly. I think that’s why they’re getting so good is because they’re all doing it, not just one of ‘em.”

    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 / Little Big Town’s Jimi Westbrook says fatherhood is absolutely beautiful. He and wife Karen Fairchild became parents to Elijah Dylan on March 5, 2010.

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    Little Big Town (Jimi-Father’s Day) OC: …beautiful. :32
    “It’s still such a new experience for us, and man, I’m telling you, people can tell you all day long how great it’s going to be, but it still never touches it. That little man looking back at me, it’s the most unbelievable feeling. And every day, for me who hates mornings [laughs], waking up to a slap in the face; he’s like pounding on me, then he’s like kissing on me and stuff. It’s unbelievable. It’s absolutely beautiful.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about the life lessons he learned from his father.

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    Luke Bryan (Father’s Day-life lessons) OC: …live by that. :46
    “Well, my dad was, I always just go back to the life lessons that always started either in a fishing boat or hunting somewhere, and that’s why I’ve always kind of been a champion of those types of behaviors certainly with your boys and your children because you get to spend time and hand down values. My dad was always big on just hard work and being good to people and a handshake is the contract. A handshake is your bond, your word. His famous saying always was, ‘Do something right the first time and you won’t have to go back and do it over again.’ I won’t say I batted a thousand perfectly on that, but I’ve kind of tried to live by that.”

    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 / 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.”

    Audio / Vince Gill talks about what he hopes he passes to his kids and his grandkids.

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    Vince Gill (Father’s Day) OC: …feels like. :40
    “Kind, hopefully make them kind. It’s all we got. We’ve got five kids, a couple of grandkids. These grandkids are the complete light of my life. They show up and the rest of the world can kiss my youknowwhat (laughs). I say we’re just gonna go swing in the backyard, we’re gonna wrestle on the bed, we’re gonna eat those Goldfish, you know? And nothing else kinda seems to matter. And then I think what I love seeing more than anything is for my kid to finally understand what it means to love. Man, it’s awesome to see my kid finally get it what that unconditional love really looks like and feels like.”

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks, Little Big Town, Kacey, Church, Vince

    Dierks Bentley performs live on Instagram on Tuesday (June 9th) for The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Songwriter Sessions beginning at 9pm ET.

    You can now be protected and protect others with UMG Nashville’s Covered By Country artist-branded face masks, as well as support the music community. 100 % of net proceeds will go to MusiCares® and the organization’s COVID-19 Relief Fund. Music Cares is a charitable foundation initiated by the Recording Academy. Some of your favorite country artists are represented, including Adam Hambrick, Alan Jackson, Billy Currington, Brandon Lay, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Caylee Hammack, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Gay Allan, George Strait,  Hot Country Knights, Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Kylie Morgan, Lauren Alaina, Luke Bryan, Maddie & Tae, Parker McCollum, Travis Denning, Vince Gill and more. To purchase, click here.

    Little Big Town and Tim McGraw will perform during the CBS TV special, United We Sing: A Grammy Salute to the Unsung Heroes, later this month. The show, hosted by Harry Connick Jr., will feature Harry and his filmmaker daughter, Georgia Connick, as they take a road trip across the nation in an RV to thank and celebrate frontline workers. The special will also include performances and appearances from Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey, Sandra Bullock, Queen Latifah, John FogertyJamie FoxxHerbie HancockCyndi Lauper, Branford MarsalisWynton MarsalisDave Matthews, Irma Thomas, Jon Batiste, Andra Day, Rockin Dopsie, Trombone Shorty, Renée Zellweger and more. United We Sing: A Grammy Salute to the Unsung Heroes will air June 21st, at 8pm ET/PT on CBS.

    Kacey Musgraves, Eric Church, Vince Gill and many others are taking part in an all-star online special on Thursday. Picture Show: A Tribute Celebrating John Prine will launch the stream beginning at 7:30pm ET on Prine’s Youtube Channel, Facebook page and Twitch. Prine recently passed away due to complications from COVID-19. Jason Isbell, Bill Murray, Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Rita Wilson, Brené Brown, producer Dave Cobb, Stephen Colbert, Iris DeMent, Margo Price, Bonnie Raitt, Amanda Shires, Sturgill Simpson, Todd Snider, Billy Bob Thornton and many more will also appear during the tribute, which will benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Alive Hospice, and the immigrant advocacy charity Make the Road New York.

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/1270169482682675200