• LITTLE BIG TOWN ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM, NEW RYMAN RESIDENCY, RELEASES ‘BETTER MAN’ MUSIC VIDEO AND SO MUCH MORE!

    From the stage of Nashville’s iconic Ryman Auditorium, Little Big Town, along with Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and Ryman Auditorium General Manager Sally Williams, announced this morning their upcoming Little Big Town at the Mother Church residency.  The first ever Ryman residency, slated for six nights in 2017, will kick-off on February 24 during Country Radio Seminar week.  The date will coincide with the release of the Grammy-winning band’s seventh studio album entitled, The Breaker.  Additional dates scheduled for the residency are February 25, May 19 & 20 and September 15 & 16.  Tickets and special two-day packages for all shows will go on sale Friday, November 4 at 10:00 a.m. via ticketmaster.com and ryman.com and will be available online only. Tickets for the concerts will be $90.50, $60.50 and $50.50. Each ticket purchased to see Little Big Town at the Ryman includes one (1) physical album of Little Big Town’s new album, The Breaker, scheduled to be released on February 24, 2017. Also on Friday, CID Entertainment will offer additional VIP experiences. For full details, visit bit.ly/2e5PIws.

    Little Big Town at the Mother Church will see the Grand Ole Opry members return to the historic Ryman, where they first graced the storied stage in 2005.  Each of the six shows will feature different support acts and surprise special guests.  Known for their progressive partnerships, expect the unexpected from these upcoming shows. With no other headlining tour currently scheduled, Little Big Town at the Mother Church will account for a large portion of the foursomes touring plans in North America in 2017. These limited live dates are not to be missed.

    “As musicians, there is no better feeling in the world than playing on the stage at the Ryman,” said Little Big Town’s Jimi Westbrook.  “To be given the opportunity to headline their first residency means so much to us as a band and we promise to make each night as memorable for the fans as possible.”

    In addition to the residency, Little Big Town announced the release of their seventh studio album, The Breaker, available in stores February 24.  The album, produced by Jay Joyce, features lead single, “Better Man” which is currently climbing the charts at country radio. The video for “Better Man,” directed by Reid Long and Becky Fluke, premieres worldwide today.  To view video click here: http://vevo.ly/2JlWhh.

    The Breaker is about letting go of things that break you, it’s about the new ground you try and break as a human being and as a musician.  Sometimes you’re the one that’s broken and sometimes you’re the breaker,” said Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild. “It’s a sentimental record because we’re feeling super grateful for our friends and family and the chance to share the next chapter.”

    Audio / Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild talks about their Ryman residency.

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    LBT (Ryman residency) 1 OC: …our career. :45
    “We’ve been planning this for probably a year I guess with Sally and with our management team, all dreams of what these nights could be, reminiscing about our first play here in 2005 and what it felt like standing on the stage. And moving ahead and wanted to share some of that inspiration with the world knowing that we get to focus and be home and really reflect on the great songs that have been sung on this stage, paying homage to that, asking our friends to collaborate with us, there will be lots of special guests, lots of from all genres collaborations because we’ve been really blessed to do that throughout the years in our career.”

    Audio / Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild and Phillip Sweet reveal Taylor Swift wrote their new single, "Better Man."

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    LBT (Better Man-Taylor) OC: …of  ours. :45
    (Karen) “We’ve been telling you guys that there was a young girl in Nashville who wrote it by herself and its Taylor Swift. And she sent us this song and it was one that was really special to her and she thought of us because of the harmonies and she’d never pitched a song to anyone before and the moment that we heard it we were like, ‘Man, that is a song that we are going to cut and so, yeah.'” (Phillip) “Immediately we were all like had the same reaction. Through our whole career, anytime we’ve had that reaction to a song we knew it felt right. So this one just felt special and we’ve known Taylor since she was in high school, so she’s a dear friend of ours.”

  • GEORGE STRAIT REVEALS THE TRACK LIST FOR HIS UPCOMING STRAIT OUT OF THE BOX: PART 2.

    George Strait recently announced the Nov. 18 release of Strait Out of the Box: Part 2 exclusively with Walmart. This impressive three-disc, 56-track collection features 36 hit singles including 26 No. 1s plus two brand new songs co-written by Strait along with 18 choice album cuts, all personally selected by the King of Country Music. Strait Out of the Box: Part 2 spans 20 years of Strait’s career from 1996 to 2016 and follows the highly successful, 8x Platinum-selling 1995 release, Strait Out of the Box.

    Going back through all the songs for this box set does bring back a lot of old memories,” says Strait. “A lot of them we considered for radio singles and for whatever reason, we just picked something else. It was not that hard to pick them after I looked through them because there are just so many that are my favorites.”

    The two new songs, “Kicked Outta Country” (George Strait/Jamey Johnson) and “You Gotta Go Through Hell” (George Strait/Bubba Strait/Dean Dillon) are the first new recordings released from Strait since last year’s surprise Cold Beer Conversation album.

    Strait fans have the opportunity to pre-order Strait Out of the Box: Part 2 along with select merchandise, including a silver-plated belt buckle identical to the one featured on the collection’s cover. The limited edition buckle arrives in an autographed craft wooden box suitable for display. All fan packages and pre-order information available HERE.

    Strait, the most-nominated and most-award-winning CMA artist with 23 wins and 89 nominations, takes the stage at The 50th Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday to perform during “country music’s biggest night.” The broadcast airs on ABC Nov. 2 at 8/7c live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

    Strait Out of the Box: Part 2 Track Listing:

    Disc 1 (1996-2000)

    1. Blue Clear Sky
    2. Carried Away
    3. Rockin’ In The Arms Of Your Memory
    4. I Can Still Make Cheyenne
    5. Round About Way
    6. Carrying Your Love With Me
    7. One Night At A Time
    8. Today My World Slipped Away
    9. The Nerve
    10. I Just Want To Dance With You
    11. True
    12. Maria
    13. We Really Shouldn’t Be Doing This
    14. Meanwhile
    15. Write This Down
    16. The Best Day
    17. Looking Out My Window Through The Pain
    18. Go On

     

    Disc 2 (2001-2008)

    1. She’ll Leave You With A Smile
    2. Run
    3. Living and Living Well
    4. My Life’s Been Grand
    5. Cowboys Like Us
    6. Desperately
    7. Four Down and Twelve Across
    8. I Hate Everything
    9. Seashores of Old Mexico
    10. She Let Herself Go
    11. Give It Away
    12. Wrapped
    13. It Just Comes Natural
    14. Texas Cookin’
    15. How ’Bout Them Cowgirls
    16. Come On Joe
    17. Troubadour
    18. River Of Love
    19. I Saw God Today

     

    Disc 3 (2009-2016)

    1. Living For The Night
    2. Out Of Sight Out Of Mind
    3. Arkansas Dave
    4. Love’s Gonna Make It Alright
    5. Drinkin’ Man
    6. Shame On Me
    7. Here For A Good Time
    8. House Across The Bay
    9. Blue Marlin Blues
    10. I’ll Always Remember You
    11. Give It All We Got Tonight
    12. I Just Can’t Go On Dying Like This
    13. That’s What Breaking Hearts Do
    14. The Night Is Young
    15. I Believe
    16. Goin’ Goin’ Gone
    17. Everything I See
    18. Kicked Outta Country*
    19. You Gotta Go Through Hell*

     

    Strait is one of the most celebrated country music stars in history and Billboard recently named him No. 1 on the Greatest of All Time: Country Artists list. With 60 No. 1 singles and more than 70 million records sold, Strait has more No. 1 songs than any other artist and is third only to Elvis Presley and The Beatles with the most Gold and Platinum albums in history. He is the most-nominated artist in CMA Awards history and was the first country music artist honored with Billboard’s Legend Of Live Award.

    Strait Out of the Box: Part 2 is now available for pre-order HERE

    *Denotes newly recorded material

    Audio / George Strait talks about picking songs for his second box set.

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    George Strait (Box Set) OC: …old stuff. :47
    “When going back through all of the songs for the box set, I tell you, it does bring back a lot of old memories and you do tend to forget about those songs over the years. So when you see ‘em, It’s not like I forget the songs, I just forget about ‘em, and when you see ‘em, you remember ‘em and you kind of remember the situation behind ‘em. I know that a lot of ‘em too, we considered them for singles and for just some reason, we picked something else. It was not that hard to pick ‘em really after I looked through ‘em because, I don’t know, there are just so many that are my favorites, and I’ll probably have to reconsider my shows now and go back and incorporate [other songs]. I’ve been trying to do that lately, though, try to go back and get old stuff.”

  • JOSH TURNER AND COST PLUS WORLD MARKET COLLECT OVER 1,000 POUNDS OF FOOD FOR SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

    JT world Market

    Multi-Platinum-selling country star Josh Turner and Cost Plus World Market helped raise over 1,000 pounds of non-perishable food items for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. At a food drive on Oct. 30, Turner met and took photos with fans that brought canned goods to the World Market Nashville West location. A strong turnout resulted in over a half ton of food going to families in the middle Tennessee area in time for the upcoming holidays.

    “Little things can make a big difference,” shares Turner. “People coming by may not think much of a canned good, but that item really will bring a smile to someone’s face and I’m happy to do whatever I can to support that.”

    “We’re thrilled to partner with Josh to help our local communities,” says Glenn Hambrick, World Market General Manager. “We appreciate everyone’s donation to the food drive; it will make a difference for families in need.”

    Turner’s hits include “Time Is Love,” “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” “Firecracker,” “Would You Go With Me,” “Your Man” and his latest hit single, “Hometown Girl.”

     

    Photo Credit: Rick Diamond

  • CMA AWARDS 50: Keith Urban

    Keith Urban is going into this year’s CMA Awards with four nominations, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist, Album of the Year (Ripcord) and Musical Event of the Year for “The Fighter” with Carrie Underwood. He could also receive an additional trophy as producer.

    Keith has several CMA trophies sitting on his mantel, beginning with his 2001 Horizon Award (now New Artist of the Year). He went on to win Male Vocalist in 2004, 2005 and 2006, as well as the trophy for Entertainer of the Year in 2005. The father of two is also really good at collaborating with four wins in the Musical Event of the Year category beginning in 2009 with Brad Paisley on “Start a Band.” He also went on to win the award again in 2013, 2014 and 2015. He’s nominated this year with Carrie Underwood for “The Fighter.”

    Keith, who is making his way up the country charts with “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” is set to perform on the CMA Awards and is also part of the 50th anniversary song “Forever Country.”

    The 50th Annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday (November 2nd) at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Audio / Winning the CMA Horizon Award in 2001 was a surreal experience for Keith Urban.

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    Keith Urban (CMA Awards-surreal) OC: …It’s amazing. :41
    “It was surreal because it’s the CMAs. I’d won many country awards in Australia, but everything, the CMAs are like the top of the mountain. To be on that stage was an amazing feeling, let alone to end up in a category. So, when you hear your name read out amongst the nominees, it’s quite surreal, and then when they open up the envelope and actually say your name, it’s like one of those moments when everything like is  [sound efx], everything slows for a moment and it’s crazy. You could walk through raindrops at that moment. It’s amazing.”

    Audio / Keith Urban talks about winning his first CMA – the Horizon Award – in 2001.

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    Keith Urban (winning Horizon Award) OC: …a moment. :28
    “I was so excited to be nominated for my first CMA [Award], I went out and had Manuel make me a suit for the occasion, and it was just as well, because I ended up winning, which was just an indescribable feeling. When I heard my name called amongst the nominees, it felt surreal, and then when they actually read my name out as the winner, it was literally like time slowed down for a moment.”

    Audio / Keith Urban picked up his first CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Award in 2004, and he says it was a humbling experience for him. He went on to win that award in 2005 and 2006.

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    Keith Urban (winning 1st Male Vocalist award) OC: …my life. :27
    “In 2004, I won Male Vocalist of the Year, and again it was that same feeling I had when I’d won the Horizon Award, but it was like the next level.  It just felt so humbling really. Really to be in that category and then to win was again just one of those sort of moments that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

    Audio / Keith Urban recalls winning his only Entertainer of the Year Award in 2005 when the CMA Awards went to the Big Apple.

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    Keith Urban (winning EOY in 2005) OC: …magical night. :43
    “What I remember about the Entertainer of the Year category in 2005 was that first feeling when people say it’s just an honor to be nominated, and I thought, ‘I know what that means! I know what that feels like,’ because for me it was a huge honor to be nominated so soon into my recording career. To be in that category, it just felt unbelievably quick for me. And then when they read my name out as the winner, I think I actually said, ‘I thought I was just rounding out the category,’ because [laughs] I thought you’ve got to have four or five people in the category. I truly did not expect that to happen. It was just such a magical night.”

    Audio / Keith Urban has won several awards in the CMA Musical Event of the Year category, and he loves collaborating with other artists.

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    Keith Urban (collaborations) OC: …want to do. :36
    “I love collaborating. I really do. I always have, and I’ve gotten to do so many of them and the fact  that  several of them over  the years have been nominated for awards and we’ve ended up winning is all the sweeter. Getting to record with Brad Paisley and Miranda and of course Eric Church, everybody brings something different. I think that’s what I love about collaborating. It brings out something different in me. It probably stems from being a guitar player, you know? When you’re a guitar player, you collaborate. You play in a band, you play with others, so it’s such a natural thing for me to want to do.”

    Video / CMA 50/50 Keith Urban

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  • LUKE BRYAN WRAPPED HIS KILL THE LIGHTS TOUR WITH BACK-TO-BACK SOLD-OUT STADIUMS.

    Two-Time CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan wrapped his “Kill The Lights Tour” with two back to back sold-out stadium dates, October 22nd in Dallas’s AT&T Stadium and October 29th at Detroit’s Ford Field. Luke has performed for a total of 1.6 million fans in concert in 2016, including more than 100,000 fans during his eighth annual “Farm Tour.” The tour is named after Luke’s Platinum-selling Kill The Lights album which just launched its fifth consecutive No. 1 single with “Move.” This is Luke’s 17th career No.1 single.

    During the “Kill the Lights Tour,” Luke sold-out all six of his stadium shows this summer including a double play in Boston’s Gillette Stadium due to high ticket demand.  The tour also performed back-to-back concerts in five additional cities. 
     
    Known for his enthusiastic performances, Luke captured the attention not only of his fans but music critics alike during the tour’s 58-city run.
     
    “Bryan’s appeal is his unflappable energy.”- Houston Chronicle
     
    “It was also easy to see why Bryan has connected with such a large audience since his career began in 2007. Like so many other stars in genres like rap, pop and electronic dance music, Bryan’s take on country offers pure escapism. Having a good time was the theme.” – Baltimore Sun 
     
    “The Georgia native had a masterful stage setup which catered perfectly to his playful, energetic personality.” Toledo Blade
     
    ”It was the kind of night that underscored why Bryan is the Country Music Association’s reigning Entertainer of The Year.  He’s a first rate showman who worked hard at connecting with his audience…He’s likeable, charismatic and comes across as quite genuine.”- San Jose Mercury News
     
    “Bryan is a solid performer, with great charisma and stage presence, and an ability to create intimacy with an audience of tens of thousands of people.” – Sacramento Bee
     
    “The country music superstar who has scored CMA’s coveted entertainer of the year award two years in a row, definitely proved worthy of that honor.”- Orange County Register
    On Wednesday, Nov. 2, Luke will perform on the 50th Annual CMA Awards where he is the reigning 2014 & 2015 Entertainer of the Year and is nominated again for the night’s top prestige award as well as in the Vocal Collaboration category with Karen Fairchild for “Home Alone Tonight.” 
  • DIERKS BENTLEY RELEASES HIS NEW SINGLE, ‘BLACK.’

    Dierks Bentley released the title track from his CMA-nominated album BLACK (Capitol Records Nashville) today (October 31st). Written by Dierks, Ross Copperman and Ashley Gorley, “Black” has been called one of “the sexiest songs of his career.”

    “It’s no secret that this record is named after my wife, and she was both brave and generous to let me write about our relationship as the foundation of a lot of these songs,” said Bentley. “I’ve talked about how it explores some of the darker corners and edges of the heart, what happens in the black of night, and this song was really central to forming the rest of the project. It’s probably not what Cass expected when I told her I’d written a love song and named it after her, it’s more of an in-the-moment love song.”

    The four-time CMA nominee will make the television premiere of the steamy new single “Black” live from Nashville on Wednesday during Good Morning America (ABC at 8:30a local time on 11/2). Tonight (10/31), Bentley will also perform on ABC’s prime time special, All Access Nashville: Celebrating the CMA Awards with Robin Roberts (ABC at 9:00P CST on 10/31) in front of a live audience at Nashville’s Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge.

    Dierks just wrapped the last leg off his headlining 2016 SOMEWHERE ON A BEACH TOUR selling out amphitheaters and venues throughout the country. He also recently announced his 2017 WHAT THE HELL WORLD TOUR launching January 19th in Dayton, Ohio, with Cole Swindell and Jon Pardi. For more information and a full list of tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.

    Audio / Dierks Bentley says the song “Black” kicked off the entire theme of his new album.

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    Dierks Bentley (Black) OC: …it all out. :28
    “I wrote the song ‘Black.’ I loved the song and it had this kind of relationship, sexy thing going on. My wife’s maiden name is Black, and so it has these layers to it. Our 10th anniversary has come and gone, so it kind of sparked an idea of a relationship-type record. I think she heard the song and she really liked it, and then as the album started growing, it became less of just about her and more just about this journey in general – this guy going through these ebbs and flows in different relationships and trying to figure it all out.”

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Black)

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  • CMA AWARDS 50: Alan Jackson

    He’s been making music for just over 25 years…but in that time span, Alan Jackson has become one of the most-nominated and most-awarded artists in the 50-year history of the CMA Awards – while also providing country music fans with some of the annual event’s most memorable moments.

    Alan is a 16-time CMA Award winner…he’s been nominated 81 times, a record second only to his friend George Strait…and he’s one of only five artists to be named CMA Entertainer of the Year three or more times (the others are Strait, AlabamaGarth Brooks and Kenny Chesney). He earned his first CMA nominations – for Album, Single, Song of the Year and the Horizon Award – in 1990. Four years later, in 1995, he was crowned Entertainer of the Year for the first time. And, in 2002, he broke a record previously held by Merle Haggard (since 1970) when he made history by scoring 10 nominations – he would go on to win five, including his second Entertainer of the Year honor…and repeated in that category for a third time a year later.

    Along the way, Alan’s become a perennial favorite performer for fans, creating two of what are arguably the most memorable moments in the show’s history. In 1999, when friend and mentor George Jones was invited to perform but told he could only do an abbreviated version of his nominated hit, “Choices,” the legend refused to appear. Alan picked up the protest single-handedly, gesturing to his band moments into his own scheduled performance of “Pop-a-Top” and shifting directly into Jones’ hit song. A couple years later, as the nation was still reeling from the fresh wounds left by the terrorist attacks of 9-11 just two months earlier, Alan unveiled a never-before-heard song that had come to him in the middle of the night just days earlier. A healing nation found solace in the simple question, “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning”…turning it into a defining moment in country and American music history.

    Alan will perform again as part of this year’s 50th Annual CMA Awards, and he’s one of the artists featured in the all-star “Forever Country” single created specifically to celebrate the CMAs 50th anniversary.

    The 50th Annual CMA Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday (November 2nd) at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Audio / Alan Jackson recalls the first time he was named CMA Entertainer of the Year (in 1995).

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    AJ CMA-50 01 OC: …for me. :32
    “Obviously, I was very proud and excited about it. But, at the same time, I almost felt like I wasn’t hardly qualified yet or something. I remember watching that show when I was still in Georgia, before I even hardly thought about being a singer, I guess. But, I don’t know – I just never thought about the Entertainer award up to that point that much. But I was in some good company and…I guess the first time was kind of a surprise for me.”

    Audio / Alan Jackson says it was an honor to be named CMA Entertainer of the Year…and it impacted his life and career.

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    AJ CMMA-50 02 OC: …to wear.  :28
    “Within the industry and people that book concerts and, you know, the TV shows and all the thigs that go with the rest of your career, I think it does make a difference to have that title for a while. And it really – that’s…that’s pretty good to be in that small of company, and I definitely feel like it’s a…you know, it’s a badge that not a lot of people have had the opportunity to wear.”

    Audio / Alan Jackson recalls his decision to perform “Choices” for George Jones at the 1999 CMA Awards.

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    AJ CMA-50  03 OC: …out there. :26
    “I hadn’t told anybody. Not even my manager…the band…anybody. When we walked out there, before we walked out to do – I was doing an old song ‘Pop-a-Top’ I had out – I told the band, ‘If I stop the song – if I raise my hand and stop the song in the middle of that song, y’all stop.’ I said, ‘I may do something different.’ That’s all I told ‘em. ‘Cause I didn’t want them to know. What I was worried about was if word got out, the CMA’d probably shut me down [and] wouldn’t let me go out there. And so, I had to sneak out there.”

    Audio / Alan Jackson still finds it hard to comprehend the impact his song, “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” has 15 years after he unveiled it on the 2001 CMA Awards.

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    AJ CMA-50 04 OC: …like they did. :24
    “Even after it was a big hit and everybody was talking about it, I thought, ‘Well, I’ll perform this onstage for a few years in my show, and it’ll probably just go away after, you know, the memory of 9-11 gets less and less [fresh], and I think people won’t want to hear that.’ And I was completely wrong. ‘Cause it just seems like now I couldn’t do a show without  putting it in there. And people, they respond just like they did.”

    Audio / Alan Jackson reflects on 50 years of CMA Awards and country music.

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    AJ CMA-50 05 OC: …in the world. :26
    “The interesting thing about country music to me is – just like this 50 year span we’re talking about – you’ve got artists that have been around forever and new artists. And even though the music’s changed…and gone back and forth and up and down over the years, there’s still a similar thread that runs through all of it about what they’re trying to write about and sing about. And the sounds have changed, but, you know, we’ve always had a devotion to our fans just the same as they have to us, you know. The best fans in the world.”

    Video / Alan Jackson CMA 50/50

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  • CMA AWARDS 50: George Strait

    George Strait has been on the country music scene since the mid-80s, and he’s still making great music. The Country Music Hall of Famer, who has been nominated at the CMA Awards a record 83 times, picked up his first – and second – CMA Award in 1985. He won Male Vocalist of the Year, as well as Album of the Year for Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind. He also took home his first Entertainer of the Year award in 1989. In 2013, he won his third Entertainer of the Year Award, tying Alabama and Alan Jackson with three. With that victory, he’s the only artist to win Entertainer in three different decades.

    The CMA Awards are pretty special to the Texas native. “I’ve been a part of the CMA for almost 50 years. [laughs] So, I mean I feel a real attachment there because I have been – it’s been a huge part of my career. They’ve been so good to me and over the years I’ve won more awards there than I deserve I’m sure, but I’ll take them,” says George. “But it’s just it’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years. It really is. It’s tough for me to believe it’s been 50 years because time has gone by so fast. But you watch those shows back in the day when you’re just sitting around trying to – and you’re just dreaming of being on that stage. You’re dreaming of getting one of those nominations. You’re just all these things, if I could just get there just once. I just want to go. And then you finally get nominated, and it’s just the most incredible feeling in the world.”

    With the CMA Awards celebrating 50 years, George, among many other CMA winners, will perform during the show, and he’s one of the artists featured in the all-star “Forever Country” single created specifically to celebrate the CMAs 50th anniversary.

    The 50th Annual CMA Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday (November 2nd) at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Audio / George Strait recalls his first CMA Entertainer win in 1989.

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    George Strait (1st CMA Entertainer) OC: …even better. :38
    “Yeah, when I first won the Entertainer of the Year, I guess it was ’89 I was ecstatic and shocked and just all of the emotions you can imagine were just like I was so happy I could hardly stand it. I think I had been nominated a few times but I just never had gotten it and was thinking maybe I won’t get it. Maybe it’s not meant to be. And I’m pretty sure it was Barbara Mandrell that gave me the award that night and I was a huge fan of hers too. She’s such a sweet lady. And anyway, so that made it even better.”

    Audio / George Strait talks about winning the CMA Male Vocalist Award for the first time in 1985. He also picked up a trophy for Album of the Year for Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind.

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    George Strait (CMA Male Vocalist 1985) OC: …was fun. :34
    “It’s always a surprise to win. I don’t care what you’re up for, me, anyway, I don’t think I’m ever going to win. Male Vocalist, it was a surprise, especially back then. That’s a pretty special award to win.”

    Audio / George Strait talks about realizing his dream of winning CMA Awards.

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    George Strait (CMA Awards) OC: …in the world. 1:03
    “I’ve been a part of the CMA for almost 50 years. [laughs] So, I mean I feel a real attachment there because I have been – it’s been a huge part of my career. They’ve been so good to me and over the years I’ve won more awards there than I deserve I’m sure but I’ll take them. But it’s just it’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years. It really is. It’s tough for me to believe it’s been 50 years because time has gone by so fast. But you watch those shows back in the day when you’re just sitting around trying to – and you’re just dreaming of being on that stage. You’re dreaming of getting one of those nominations. You’re just all these things if I could just get there just once. I just want to go. And then you finally get nominated, and it’s just the most incredible feeling in the world.”

    Audio / George Strait says his most special CMA Award is his Entertainer of the Year win in 2013.

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    George Strait (most special CMA Award) OC: …special. :45
    “Well, they’re all really special for sure, but I think the one that I s most special now that sticks out in my mind is when I won Entertainer of the Year last time, which I think was in 2013. I’d been nominated for a lot of years there you know, and I’d won it a couple of times, but I figured those days were over. I actually told the record company, those days, it’s not gonna come around for me again, so when it happened it was really, really special. A lot of people did a lot of hard work and promoting…me rather and so I’ve got a lot of people to thank for that, but it’s really special.”

    Video / George Strait on winning his first CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Award

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  • DIERKS BENTLEY WILL BE MR. POTATO HEAD FOR HALLOWEEN.

    Dierks Bentley will be forgoing Monday night’s (October 31st) ASCAP Awards to dress up as Mr. Potato Head for Halloween. This year, his whole family – Dierks, wife Cassidy, daughters Evie and Jordan, as well as son Knox) will be going as some of the beloved characters from Toy Story.

    “The costumes are always picked out by our kids, and this year they wanted to do Toy Story. So, I thought maybe I’d get Woody. No. I thought maybe I’d get Buzz Lightyear. No. I got Mr. Potato Head. Yeah, I’m very cool. I’m gonna make him cool. I’m bringing sexy back to Mr. Potato Head. They’ve got a Mrs. Potato Head too, so Cass is Mrs. Potato Head. So, we’re going as the, yeah, Toy Story,” says Dierks. “Let’s see, so we’re Potato Heads, Evie is Little Bo Peep, Jordan is the cowgirl. I can’t think of her name. Jessie! Jordan is Jessie, and then Knox is Buzz Lightyear. We got a little Buzz Lightyear costume for him, which is pretty strong.”

    Some previous costumes for the Bentleys included The Wizard of Oz and Willy Wonka, where Cass was Violet and dressed as a big blueberry, while the girls went as Oompa Loompas.

    Dierks is set to perform on Good Morning America on Wednesday morning from Nashville, as well as on the 50th Annual CMA Awards, where he has four nominations, including Male, Album (Black), Video (“Somewhere on a Beach”) and Musical Event of the Year with Elle King for “Different for Girls.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about what he and his family (wife Cassidy, daughters Evie and Jordan and son Knox) will be going as for Halloween this year.

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    Dierks Bentley (Halloween 2016) OC: …pretty strong. :57
    “The costumes are always picked out by our kids, and this year they wanted to do Toy Story. So, I thought maybe I’d get Woody. No. I thought maybe I’d get Buzz Lightyear. No. I got Mr. Potato Head. Yeah, I’m very cool. I’m gonna make him cool. I’m bringing sexy back to Mr. Potato Head. they’ve got a Mrs. Potato Head too, so Cass is Mrs. Potato Head. So, we’re going as the, yeah, Toy Story. But we’ve gone as The Wizard of Oz before. We did Willy Wonka one year, which was unfortunate for Cass ‘cause she had to dress up as Violet as a big blueberry. So, our outfits are terrible, but it’s fun because the kids pick ‘em out. Let’s see, so we’re Potato Heads, Evie is Little Bo Peep, Jordan is the cowgirl. I can’t think of her name. Jessie! Jordan is Jessie, and then Knox is Buzz Lightyear. We got a little Buzz Lightyear costume for him, which is pretty strong.”

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris, Keith, Jon, Eric

    Chris Stapleton is among the latest list of performers set for Wednesday night’s (November 2nd) CMA Awards. Chris has five nominations, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Music Video (for “Fire Away”), Single (for “Nobody to Blame”) and Musical Event of the Year with wife Morgane Stapleton for “You Are My Sunshine.” The 50th Annual CMA Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 2nd at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Keith Urban will perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live Tuesday night (November 1st). The show airs at 11:35p ET on ABC.

    Keith Urban’s “The Fighter,” featuring Carrie Underrwood, is nominated for Song of the Year at this year’s ARIA Awards. The trophies will be handed out November 23rd in Sydney, Australia.

    Jon Pardi and his band and crew dressed up as the cast of characters from Toy Story. Guess who Jon dressed up as? Yup-Woody!

    Eric Paslay performed his song “Angels in This Town” on NBC’s Today show earlier this week.

     

    Video / Jon Pardi Halloween

    Video / Eric Paslay Angels in This Town on Today.