• CHRIS STAPLETON & DUA LIPA RELEASE “THINK I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU (LIVE FROM THE 59TH ACM AWARDS).”

    Two of music’s most beloved and acclaimed artists, Chris Stapleton and Dua Lipa, have collaborated to release “Think I’m In Love With You (with Dua Lipa) (Live from the 59th ACM Awards).”

     

    Recorded live at this year’s ACM Awards in Frisco, Texas, the surprise duet features Stapleton and Dua Lipa alongside Stapleton’s band, The Honchos, as well as a 13-piece string section.

    Chris says that it was actually Dua’s idea to team up together on the awards show. “She reached out to the ACMs and suggested that we do something, and then we got on the phone with her and she was just a wonderful person to talk to and collaborate with and we knew that was going to work pretty much immediately from one phone call,” says Chris. “It was very exciting and a very fun way to get to collaborate with somebody, and she’s a wonderful collaborator and a wonderful creative spirit and talent and feel very lucky.”

    “stunning…That the performance was so damn good only made the subterfuge all the more worth it.” —Rolling Stone

    “the best performance of the night”—Vulture

    “The sultry performance paired his grizzled vocal with her soaring, polished tones, making for what was surely one of the most talked about performances.”—Billboard

    “electric and soulful”—American Songwriter

    About Chris Stapleton:

    Kentucky-born Chris Stapleton is a 10x Grammy, 16x CMA and 19x ACM Award-winner and one of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians. In the midst of yet another triumphant year, Stapleton recently won four awards at 59th ACM Awards as well as two more trophies at the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards.

    These accomplishments celebrate Stapleton’s new album, Higher, which was released this past fall to overwhelming critical acclaim. Produced by Dave Cobb, Morgane Stapleton and Chris Stapleton and recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, the record landed on several “Best of” lists including Billboard, EsquireLos Angeles TimesVulture and Rolling Stone, who praises, “dazzling…the best evidence yet for the way one man’s voice has become synonymous with the very idea of a musical genre.” Additionally, The New Yorker declares, “Stapleton is the rare country star with both traditional bona fides and broad commercial appeal. He has an outlaw soul and a pop star’s capacity for inescapable hooks,” while GQ proclaims, “In an age rife with division, he’s maybe the only thing Americans all agree on.”

    Known for his electric live performances, Stapleton recently returned to NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” as musical guest for the third time and will continue his extensive “All-American Road Show” through this fall. In addition to teaming up with Dua Lipa, Stapleton has new collaborations with Slash (“Oh Well”) and George Strait (“Honky Tonk Hall of Fame”) in addition to recording a version of “I Should Have Known It” for new Tom Petty tribute album.

    Stapleton and his wife, Morgane, are founders of the Outlaw State of Kind charitable fund, which supports a variety of causes that are close to their heart. Stapleton also recently unveiled his new Traveller Whiskey, created in partnership with Buffalo Trace Distillery’s Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley.

    About Dua Lipa:

    3x GRAMMY and 7x BRIT Award-winning global pop powerhouse Dua Lipa continues to be one of pop music’s leading forces with the release of her third album, Radical Optimism. Upon release, the album went straight to No. 1 in 12 countries, including the UK where it became the biggest album debut of 2024 in the UK and garnered the largest UK female No. 1 volume since 2021. In the US, the album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart and No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking Dua’s biggest sales week yet. The New York Times named it a Critic’s Pick and hailed it as “an album of nonstop ear candy,” along with Variety, who declared it “a joyous blast of pop savvy,” The New Yorker, who praised, “the instrumentation is a gleaming and impenetrable expanse, and the main attraction is Lipa,” and Vogue, who raved it’s “a summery, self-assured slice of pop brilliance…[and] catchy as hell.”

    Dua’s certified platinum sophomore album Future Nostalgia solidified her position as both a critical success and top radio performer. The GRAMMY Award-winning album was the longest running top 10 album by a female artist on the Billboard 200 in 2021 and spawned multiple worldwide hit singles, with “Levitating” earning certified diamond status and the title of Billboard’s No. 1 Hot 100 Song of 2021.

    Dua has found superstar status on stage and off, thanks to her many passions outside of music. 2022 saw Dua launch Service95, a global style, culture and society editorial platform that now comprises a weekly newsletter, the Service95 book club and the Dua Lipa: At Your Service podcast, which has been lauded by The Sunday Times and The Guardian, and was named one of the Best Podcasts of 2022 by Spotify. Having graced every major fashion magazine worldwide from Vogue and Elle to W and Dazed, Dua added “designer” to her resume in 2023 when she co-designed Versace’s “La Vacanza” collection alongside Donatella Versace herself, which Vogue deemed “the hottest collaboration of the summer.”

    Dua’s eponymous 2017 debut album is certified platinum, spawned six platinum tracks, and made her the first female artist in BRIT Awards history to pick up five nominations in a single year. Dua has a total of 10 GRAMMY nominations, with three wins for Best Pop Vocal Album, Best New Artist and Best Dance Recording. Additionally, she earned nominations at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards for her hit song “Dance The Night” from the box office sensation Barbie. Across platforms globally, she has amassed over 42 billion streams and holds the record for being the first female artist to have two albums with over 10 billion streams each on Spotify.

    Audio / Backstage at this year's ACM Awards, Chris Stapleton talks about how the collaboration with Dua Lipa came about.

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    Chris Stapleton (Dua Lipa ACM collab) OC: …very lucky. :29
    “As far as I know, it was Dua’s idea (laughs) (MORGANE: “It was. She reached out.”)…and she reached out to the ACMs and suggested that we do something, and then we got on the phone with her and she was just a wonderful person to talk to and collaborate with and we knew that was going to work pretty much immediately from one phone call. It was very exciting and a very fun way to get to collaborate with somebody, and she’s a wonderful collaborator and a wonderful creative spirit and talent and feel very lucky.”

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON WINS ACM ALBUM OF THE YEAR FOR HIGHER.

    Chris Stapleton, along with producers wife Morgane Stapleton and Dave Cobb, picked up the award for Album of the Year for Higher!

    Chris was the most awarded artist of the evening with four wins, including his eighth win for ACM Album of the Year, four as an artist and four as a producer, making him the artist with the most wins in the category (passing George Strait with seven wins). His win for ACM Male Artist of the Year brings his total in the category to four. Stapleton’s win for ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year marks his first win in the category. His four wins bring his ACM Awards count to 20.

    https://twitter.com/ACMawards/status/1791284044472218014

     

    Audio / CHRIS STAPLETON TALKS ABOUT THE TIME IN BETWEEN WRITING THE TITLE TRACK OF HIS NEW ALBUM, HIGHER, AND ACTUALLY PUTTING IT ON AN ALBUM.

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    Chris Stapleton (Higher title track) OC: …to me. :22
    “’Higher’ is a song that’s been around a long, long time. I wrote it in 2001 in the first few onths of being a professional songwriter here in Nashville, and it was on the first demo session that I ever did here in Nashville. So, for it to come around 22 years later and wind up being the title track of an album is a pretty unique thing to me.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON WINS MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR AT THE ACM AWARDS.

    Chris Stapleton picked up the award for Male Artist of the Year at this year’s ACM Awards, and earlier this week was named Artist-Songwriter of the Year.

    https://twitter.com/ACMawards/status/1791274047960965509

     

    https://twitter.com/ACMawards/status/1791276509652557997

     

    Chris later performed his current single, “Think I’m In Love With You,” and blew the crowd away with a surprise duet with Dua Lipa!

     

    https://twitter.com/ACMawards/status/1791288415582912967

     

     

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON NAMED ARTIST-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR AT THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Chris Stapleton was named the winner for Artist-Songwriter of the Year. Chris Stapleton is the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year and also the most-recent recipient of the Academy’s coveted Triple Crown prize, which celebrates artists who have won New Female/Male Artist of the Year, Female/Male Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year.

    He also has four additional nominations going into Thursday night’s ACM Awards, including Album of the Year (artist and producer) for  Higher, Male Artist of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year, and is set to perform live on the show.

    The 59th Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will stream live from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on Thursday (May 16th) at 8pm ET/7pm CT/5pm PDT on Prime Video.  You can also catch offical red carpet coverage on Prime Video, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch and P, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch and Amazon Live, starting at 7 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. CDT/4 p.m. PDT.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON PERFORMS AN ELECTRIC VERSION OF “LOVING YOU ON MY MIND” ON THE JENNIFER HUDSON SHOW.

    Chris Stapleton appeared on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Tuesday (May 14th). He performed “Loving You On My Mind” from his latest album, Higher, and he had some very special guests join him, including ACM-nominated Duo of the Year The War And Treaty, as well as the host herself, Jennifer Hudson.

     

     

    The reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year also sat down to chat about his album, Higher, the major influence his wife Morgane has on his music and opens up about their children’s relationship with his fame. Then the country star reveals how he reacts when he’s mistaken for another celebrity.

    Chris also chatted about going on Saturday Night Live with host Ryan Gosling, revealed whether he would like to explore acting and hosting and also talked about where he keeps his many awards.

     

    Speaking of awards, the Kentucky native, who is making his way up the country charts with “Think I’m In Love With You,” is nominated for five awards at Thursday night’s (May 16th) ACM Awards, including Entertainer of the Year, as well as his ninth consecutive nomination for Male Artist of the Year, an award he’s won three times in the past. Chris is also up for Album of the Year (Higher – Artist & Producer nominations) and Artist-Songwriter of the Year. His wife Morgane Stapleton received her first nomination as a producer on her husband ’s album, Higher. 

    The 59th Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will stream live from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on May 16th at 8pm ET/7pm CT/5pm PT on Prime Video.  You can also catch the official red carpet coverage on Prime Video, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch and P, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch and Amazon Live, starting at 7pm ET/6pm CT/4pm PT.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Reba McEntire, George Strait, Anne Wilson, Josh Turner

    Chris Stapleton‘s recent No. 1 song, “White Horse,” was featured in the hit CBS drama, Fire Country, this past weekend. The song from his recent album, Higher, was played during a scene where the firefighters from Cal Fire were racing to a campaign fire.

    Reba McEntire is set to return for her third season as a coach on NBC’s The Voice this fall. She will be joined by friend and returning coach Gwen Stefani, as well as new coaches Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé.

    Reba McEntire shares some of her pre-awards show rituals and more just two days before this year’s ACM Awards. The 59th Academy of Country Music Awards will stream LIVE on Amazon.com Thursday (May 16th) beginning at 8pm ET/5pm CT.

    https://twitter.com/reba/status/1790424018970915121

    George Strait is releasing the song titles of his upcoming album, Cowboys And Dreamers, one by one. Check cowboysanddreamers.com every day to find the MIA titles.

     

    Anne Wilson has three nominations at this year’s KLove Fan Awards. She’s up for Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for “Strong.” Voting is now live at klovefanawards.com/vote. You can watch them beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT May 31st on TBN.

     

    Josh Turner and Terri Clark are among the artists just announced to open the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium during this year’s CMA Fest, June 6th-9th in downtown Nashville. Craig Morgan, Gretchen Wilson and Old Dominion were also added.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Reba McEntire, Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town

    Luke Bryan appeared on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday night (May 7th), and he talked about Cinco de Mayo, his hit song “One Margarita,” his Mom living in Florida and her new house which he bought, her group of friends who have crazy names, having a severe bass fish allergy, American Idol and falling on stage A LOT.

    Dierks Bentley appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America earlier this week. He talked about going back on the road with his Gravel & Gold Tour, as well as performed “American Girl” from the new Tom Petty tribute album.

     

    Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town with Sugarland have been announced as performers for NBC’s Today Show‘s 2024 Citi Concert Series. Chris is set for September 27th, while Little Big Town and Sugarland will perform August 12th.

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves, Mickey Guyton, Chris Stapleton

    Reba McEntire will perform her new song, “I Can’t,” on NBC’s The Voice on Tuesday (May 7th).

     

     

    Tune in for an intimate Apple Music Live performance of Kacey Musgraves‘s new album, Deeper Well, on Wednesday (May 8th) at 7pm PT/9pm CT/10pm ET on Apple Music.

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/1787509279433556165

     

    Mickey Guyton will perform her new song, “Scary Love,” on ABC’s Good Morning America on Wednesday (May 8th).

     

    Chris Stapleton has been announced as one of the headliners for this year’s Austin City Limits Festival. Taking place October 4th-6th and October 11th – 13th at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas, the festival will also feature performances from Mickey Guyton, Norah Jones, Dua Lipa, Blink-182, Sturgill Simpson, Pretty Lights, Leon Bridges, Teddy Swims, Orville Peck, Dasha, The Red Clay Strays, Vince Staples and many more.

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON WILL PERFORM AT THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    The first round of artists set to perform live at this year’s ACM Awards have been announced. Chris Stapleton, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett and Lainey Wilson are all set to take the stage.

    https://twitter.com/ACMawards/status/1784977694113058903

     

    As previously announced, show host Reba McEntire will also take the stage for a show stopping special performance featuring brand new music. Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

    Reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year Chris Stapleton has five nods, including one for Entertainer of the Year, as well as his ninth consecutive nomination for Male Artist of the Year, an award he’s won three times in the past. Chris is also up for Album of the Year (Higher – Artist & Producer nominations) and Artist-Songwriter of the Year.

    Morgane Stapleton receives her first nomination as a producer on husband Chris Stapleton’s album Higher. 

    Fans can also tune into the official ACM Red Carpet on Prime Video, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch, and Amazon Live, starting at 7 p.m. EDT / 6 p.m. CDT / 4 p.m. PDT.

    The 59th Academy of Country Music Awards will stream live from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on Thursday, May 16th at 8pm ET/7pm CT/5pm PT on Amazon Prime video. A Prime membership will not be required to watch live, everyone is invited to “attend” the Party of the Year.

    Fans can also tune into the official ACM Red Carpet on Prime Video, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch, and Amazon Live, starting at 7 p.m. EDT / 6 p.m. CDT / 4 p.m. PDT.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke Bryan, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Nate Bargatze, Eric Church

    Luke Bryan performed a John Mellencamp classic, “Small Town,” on Sunday night’s (April 21st) ’70s-’80s theme night episode of ABC’s American Idol.

     

    Brothers Osborne will be featured in the new Beyoncé documentary, Call Me Country, which is scheduled to premiere on MAX on Friday (April 26th).


    Chris Stapleton
    ‘s “Weight Of Your World” from his latest album, Higher, was featured at the end of the CBS show, Fire Country.

    Comedian Nate Bargatze will perform a pair of special shows with Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan and Sebastian Maniscalco at the Hollywood Bowl in L.A. on May 1st and May 2nd as part of Netflix is a Joke Fest, which showcases hundreds of comics at different venues for the first half of the month.

    Eric Church will appear on CBS Mornings on Tuesday (April 23rd) in a sitdown with the network’s Jan Crawford. The segment was filmed at his new Nashville venue, Chiefs, to discuss his residency at the Broadway Bar.

    Eric Church will healine the Sugar Bowl Country Kickoff on August 31st at the Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jon Pardi, Thomas Rhett and Ashley McBryde will also perform. Church Choir members will be able to participate in a special presale beginning Monday (April 22nd) at 1pm ET/Noon CT. General on-sale begins Thursday (April 25th) at 11am ET/10am CT.

     

     

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON STOPS BY JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! TO PERFORM, CHAT AND SING A SONG ABOUT JOHN STAMOS.

    Chris Stapleton appeared on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday night (April 17th). He chatted with Jimmy, performed “It Takes A Woman” on the outdoor stage — the first performance on that stage in four years — and he participated in a skit called “Wing It & Sing It,” in which Jimmy and his staff wrote a song and putting the lyrics (which Chris had never seen) on cue cards and having him sing it on the fly. There’s also a special appearance from actor/drummer John Stamos!

     

     

    During the interview portion, Chris talked about playing “It Takes a Woman” live for the first time on the show at Jimmy’s request, the birthday present he got from his wife, having his own whiskey brand now “Traveller Whiskey,” being Valedictorian and getting voted most stylish in high school in Kentucky, and what he’s planning to do with his beard in the future.

     

    Chris is currently making his way up the country charts with his latest single, “Think I’m In Love With You.”

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Brothers Osborne

    Chris Stapleton is set to perform at the first Jimmy Kimmel Live! outdoor stage concert in four years on Wednesday night (April 17th). The stage hasn’t been in use since February 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic. The show airs at 11:35pm ET weeknights on ABC (and streaming next day on Hulu).

    Brothers Osborne just dropped an acoustic version of their song “Back Home” on their Youtube Channel.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, Tyler Hubbard, Darius Rucker, Sam Hunt

    Eric Church led an all-star singalong to the late Jimmy Buffett with “Margaritaville” at a recent tribute to the iconic Parrothead at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Other big names included Paul McCartney (holding and sipping a margarita), Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Don Henley, Jon Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown, Pitbull, Dave Grohl, Jack Johnson, Judd Apatow, Harrison Ford and others.

    Chris Stapleton teamed up with Slash, guitarist for Guns N’ Roses, on “Oh Well,” a Fleetwood Mac cover for the rocker’s upcoming album, Orgy of the Damned. “His singing cadence and that drawl that he has for this particular song, in my mind’s eye, it sounded perfect,” Slash tells Rolling Stone. “I had to get his number and cold call him. And he was really gracious about it and really bent over backwards to help me get it done.”

     

    Tyler Hubbard performed the song “Wish You Would” from his brand new album, Strong, on ABC’s Good Morning America on Monday (April 15th). Watch HERE.

    Darius Rucker, who is a huge golfer, will host the 2024 World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony airing live June 10th at 7pm ET live on the Golf Channel.

     

     

     

    Sam Hunt has been announced as one of the artists taking place in the Folds of Honor Celebrity Softball Game in Nashville on June 3rd during CMA Music Fest Week. Jelly Roll, Brett Young, Mitchell Tenpenny, Riley Green, Chris Lane and Charles Esten will also play in the event, with proceeds going to scholarship funds for America’s fallen and disabled service members and first responder families.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Video /

  • CHRIS STAPLETON PERFORMS ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.

    Chris Stapleton was the musical guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live this past weekend (April 13th). He performed a pair of songs from his latest album, Higher. First up with his most recent chart-topper, “White Horse,” which he co-wrote with Dan Wilson.

    His second performance of the night, he showcased his incredible vocals and songwriting on “Mountains of My Mind.”

    Chris also participated in a sketch song “Get That Boy Back.”

     

    Chris is currently making his way up the country charts with his single, “Think I’m In Love With You.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, Little Big Town

    Don’t forget to catch Chris Stapleton on NBC’s Saturday Night Live this weekend (April 13th). He is the musical performer on SNL with Barbie actor — and apparently a big fan of Stapleton’s — Ryan Gosling as the host.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAoO_xOUeXY

     

    Keith Urban‘s #1’s Volume 1 and Volume 2 will be available on two different vinyl albums beginning April 26th. The collection features Keith’s very first No. 1 song to his latest and includes duets with Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert and Julia Michaels, as well as a special limited-edition poster with each vinyl.

    Keith Urban #1’s Vol. 1- VINYL (Cola Bottle Clear)

    SIDE A

    1)- Somebody Like You

    2)- Days Go By

    3)- The Fighter (featuring Carrie Underwood)

    4)- Grace Of God

    5)- You Look Good In My Shirt

    6)- Blue Ain’t Your Color

    SIDE B

    7)- Wasted Time

    8)- Long Hot Summer

    9)- You’ll Think Of Me

    10)- Sweet Thing

    11)- Better Life

    12)- Raise ‘Em Up (featuring Eric Church)

     

    Keith Urban #1’s Vol. 2- VINYL (Grape)

    SIDE A

    1)- John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16

    2)- Break on Me

    3)- We Were Us (with Miranda Lambert)

    4)- Little Bit of Everything

    5)- Without You

    6)- You Gonna Fly

    SIDE B

    7)- Coming Home (featuring Julia Michaels)

    8)- Kiss A Girl

    9)- Only You Can Love Me This Way

    10)- Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me

    11)- Making Memories of Us

    12)- Once in A Lifetime

     

     

    You can now pre-order Darius Rucker’s new memoir, Life’s Too Short, which comes out May 28th. He says there are some stories in the book that people who know him would be surprised about, and it’s stories he’s always wanted to tell. Pre-order here: dariusrucker.lnk.to/LifesTooShort

     

    Little Big Town recently sat down with CBS Mornings to talk about going on tour with their pals Sugarland. Click here to watch the interview. More with LBT in the coming weeks.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town, Parker McCollum

    Kacey Musgraves performed her new single, “The Architect,” on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote the release of her new album, Deeper Well, last week.

    Kacey also talked about her new album, Deeper Well, as well as winning her seventh GRAMMY for Best Country Duo/Group Performance with Zach Bryan for their smash single, “I Remember Everything.” She also talked about “almost dying” during the video shoot for the title track, getting a speeding ticket in Iceland and her upcoming world tour.

     

     

     

    Kelly Clarkson recently performed a rousing version of Chris Stapleton‘s recent No. 1 smash, “White Horse,” during the Kellyoke segment of her daytime talk show.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyXZRs5RPo0

    The members of Little Big Town are set to perform some of their biggest songs and share the stories behind them when they are featured on CMT Storytellers debuting April 5th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CMT.

     

     

    Parker McCollum, a self-proclaimed sports fanatic, is going to be running a March Madness bracket of his own. He’ll give away a bunch of cool prizes, including a flyaway to his show at Red Rocks in Colorado later this year. You have to fill out the bracket by Thursday (March 21st). Check out his video, which includes instructions in filling out the bracket by clicking the link in his bio.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton, Tyler Hubbard, Carrie Underwood

    Kacey Musgraves will perform her song “The Architect” on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday night (March 14th). The song is from her new album, Deeper Well, which will be released on Friday (March 15th).

    Chris Stapleton will be the musical guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live April 13th. Actor Ryan Gosling (Barbie,  The Gray Man, The Fall Guy, La La Land, Crazy Stupid Love) will host.

    Tyler Hubbard, who is climbing towards the country charts with his latest hit “Back Then Right Now,” has a new song coming out on Friday (March 15th). “Vegas” is from his upcoming album, Strong, available April 12th.

    Carrie Underwood is pretty “dicey” lately. Check out this portrait of the superstar made from 6,400 dice. It was inspired by her REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency at Resorts World Las Vegas.

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Mickey Guyton, Chris Stapleton, The War And Treaty

    Darius Rucker was performing in Las Vegas after the Madden Bowl — and prior to the Super Bowl — for several NFL executives and members when Miami Dolphins’ Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa jumped on stage with guitar on hand to perform the multi-platinum “Wagon Wheel.”

     

    Keith Urban will perform during this summer’s NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend, taking place July 6th-7th. The Black Keys and The Chainsmokers will also perform.

     

    Mickey Guyton performed at the Super Bowl Soulful Celebration on Saturday night (February 10th). The concert special, which aired on CBS and Paramount+, brought together musical artists and NFL players to celebrate the Big Game. Robin Thicke, Kirk Franklin, Earth, Wind & Fire, T-Pain and many others also performed.

    Chris Stapleton and The War And Treaty join an all-star lineup for a special concert event honoring the iconic Mavis Staples. Mavis Staples 85th: All-Star Birthday Concert, which takes place April 18th at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, will also feature performances by Black Pumas, Grace Potter, Hozier, Jackson Browne, Jeff Tweedy, Keb’ Mo’, Michael McDonald, Nathaniel Rateliff, Norah Jones, Robert Randolph, Taj Mahal, plus many more to be announced. Tickets for the general public go on sale Friday (February 16th) at 10am PT at http://ticketmaster.com.

     

     

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON WINS TWO EARLY GRAMMY AWARDS.

    Chris Stapleton won two GRAMMY Awards — Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance — for his recent No. 1 song, “White Horse” during the GRAMMYs pre-telecast ceremony.

    https://twitter.com/UMGNashville/status/1754258776931143862

    Chris’ co-writer, Dan Wilson, accepted both awards as Chris was not in attendance.

    “Chris isn’t here, so I’m taking two of them home,” says Dan. “My biggest thanks is to Chris for writing songs with me. This is great.”

    Chris co-wrote the song with Dan Wilson nearly 12 years ago when they were tasked to write a song for potential placement in the 2013 Lone Ranger movie (which starred Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer), and while it didn’t make the movie soundtrack, it is featured prominently on Chris’ latest album, Higher.

  • GRAMMY AWARDS 2024: Chris Stapleton, Brothers Osborne, Dierks Bentley, The War And Treaty, Kacey Musgraves, Vince Gill and more

    The 66th annual GRAMMY Awards are taking place this Sunday (February 4th), and several country artists will be taking home some coveted trophies.

    Chris Stapleton has three nominations, including Best Country Song (“White Horse”), Best Country Solo Performance (“White Horse”) and Best Country Duo/Group Performance as a featured performer on Carly Pearce’s “We Don’t Fight Anymore.”

    Brothers Osborne nabbed a pair of noms, including Best Country Album for their self-titled fourth record and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Nobody’s Nobody.”

    Kacey Musgraves picked up two nominations for her featured performance on Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything” for Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance.

    The War And Treaty are nominated for two GRAMMY Awards, including the overall Best New Artist and for Best American Roots Song for “Blank Page.” The husband-wife duo have several events leading up to Sunday night’s GRAMMY Awards Show, including Spotify’s Best New Artist party, and Michael and Tanya (pr. Tonya) will perform at the MusiCares Person of the Year Gala honoring Jon Bon Jovi on Friday (February 2nd).

    Dierks Bentley is nominated in Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “High Note,” featuring Billy Strings. When the nominations were announced, Dierks posted a heartfelt message of gratitude on his Instagram, writing, “Thank you Billy for lending your talents. Been fun to watch your career explode dude since we recorded this. It must have been the collab!! Haha. The song actually started off pretty grassy with Billy, @sambushband @bryansuttond28 @jerrydouglas on it (and my band). And then we went back in a year later and gave it a little more of a country vibe. Thanks to my friends @jimbeavers and my pal @charlieworsham for writing it and letting me make it my own. This song is why Charlie has been in our band the last two years. After he recorded the acoustic lick at the top, I remember asking him how in the hell are we gonna play this live on the road. @bhelson is on electric and there’s no way I can play it. He said, ‘Well I could come out and do it.’ And he did!! And he still is haha.”

    Vince Gill and Paul Franklin are nominated in Best Country Duo/Group for “Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)” from their latest collaboration, Sweet Memories.

    George Strait‘s Blue Clear Sky album was nominated for Best Immersive Album. The collection must be commercially released for physical sale or on an eligible streaming or download service and must provide a new immersive mix of four or more channels. Award to the immersive mix engineer, immersive producer (if any) and immersive mastering engineer (if any).

    The 2024 Grammy Awards will air live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday (February 4th) at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CBS and streaming live on Paramount+.

    Best Country Album
    Kelsea Ballerini, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat
    Brothers Osborne, Brothers Osborne
    Zach Bryan, Zach Bryan
    Tyler Childers, Rustin’ In The Rain
    Lainey Wilson, Bell Bottom Country

    Best Country Song
    Brandy Clark, “Buried” (Brandy Clark & Jessie Jo Dillon)
    Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything” (Zach Bryan & Kacey Musgraves)
    Tyler Childers, “In Your Love” (Tyler Childers & Geno Seale)
    Morgan Wallen, “Last Night” (John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin & Ryan Vojtesak)
    Chris Stapleton, “White Horse” (Chris Stapleton & Dan Wilson)

    Best Country Solo Performance
    Tyler Childers, “In Your Love”
    Brandy Clark, “Buried”
    Luke Combs, “Fast Car”
    Dolly Parton, “The Last Thing On My Mind”
    Chris Stapleton, “White Horse”

    Best Country Duo/Group Performance
    Dierks Bentley featuring Billy Strings, “High Note”
    Brothers Osborne, “Nobody’s Nobody”
    Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything”
    Vince Gill & Paul Franklin, “Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)”
    Jelly Roll With Lainey Wilson, “Save Me”
    Carly Pearce featuring Chris Stapleton, “We Don’t Fight Anymore”

    Best New Artist
    Gracie Abrams
    Fred again..
    Ice Spice
    Jelly Roll
    Coco Jones
    Noah Kahan
    Victoria Monét
    The War and Treaty

    Best American Roots Song
    “Blank Page” — Michael Trotter Jr. & Tanya Trotter, songwriters (The War And Treaty) 
    “California Sober” – Aaron Allen, William Apostol & Jon Weisberger, songwriters (Billy Strings Featuring Willie Nelson)
    “Cast Iron Skillet” – Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit)
    “Dear Insecurity” – Brandy Clark & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile)
    “The Returner” – Drew Lindsay, JT Nero & Allison Russell, songwriters (Allison Russell)

    Best Immersive Audio Album
    Blue Clear Sky — Chuck Ainlay, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Chuck Ainlay, immersive producer (George Strait)
    Act 3 (Immersive Edition) – Ryan Ulyate, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Ryan Ulyate, immersive producer (Ryan Ulyate)
    The Diary Of Alicia Keys – George Massenburg & Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineers; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Alicia Keys & Ann Mincieli, immersive producers (Alicia Keys)
    God Of War Ragnarök (Original Soundtrack) – Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Kellogg Boynton, Peter Scaturro & Herbert Waltl, immersive producers (Bear McCreary)
    Silence Between Songs – Aaron Short, immersive mastering engineer (Madison Beer)

    Audio / Dierks Bentley jokes around about his GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance with Billy Strings.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (Grammy 2024) OC: …a fun ride. :50
    “I think this is my 16th nomination. At 17, they give you one out of pity, so I just have to get one more next year to get the courtesy win. No, but this is my 16th nomination, hey, I’ll take the nominations all day long. This is a tough thing to be nominated for, and I’m proud of the nomination. Actually, when I heard the news – I didn’t even know the song was submitted for a GRAMMY, so when I heard the news, I’m like, ‘Wow! Billy Strings! This might be the one. I’ve got the hottest guy in all music.’ And then I look down the list, and I was like, ‘Oh, we got Lainey Wilson and Jelly Roll. Oooof, that’s tough. We’ve got Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves, they’re GRAMMY darlings, so I don’t know.’ But the nomination is good enough. I’m proud of it, and I’m grateful for Billy for his time and doing it and it was a fun ride.”

    Audio / BROTHERS OSBORNE'S TJ OSBORNE EXPLAINS WHY THEY SELF-TITLED THEIR FOURTH STUDIO ALBUM.

    Download

    Brothers Osborne (self-titling album) OC: …Brothers Osborne. :58
    TJ: “John and I have really shared so much of our personal lives since the release of Skeletons, and I guess we didn’t realize when we created that there was some sort of barriers there that maybe we didn’t realize and certainly didn’t want there. And this time around, while we didn’t necessarily pointedly or specifically talk about those topics, it was the first time we were able to create without any barriers, and it just made the process a lot more fun. We got to explore a lot more musically in the studio, and we felt like for the first time completely 100% us. And I think, I hope, but I feel that the record reflects that. We thought, usually people do that on their first record, but we thought this is a new beginning for us, so between the change of the producer and a lot of the musicians and stuff, so we just thought this was kind of a fresh thought. So we kind of thought we’re gonna lean in more than we have previously and this us—Brothers Osborne.”

    Audio / BROTHERS OSBORNE'S TJ OSBORNE TALKS ABOUT THE DUO'S SONG, "NOBODY'S NOBODY."

    Download

    Brothers Osborne (about Nobody’s Nobody) OC: …by that. :21
    “So, ‘Nobody’s Nobody’ was really inspired just by us thinking, ‘You know what? I don’t care who you are or what you do, we all have our differences and we sometimes get on each other’s nerves, but you still are somebody. Everyone is someone in this world and it takes literally every one of us to make it go around.’ So, ‘Nobody’s Nobody’ was inspired by that.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about the GRAMMYS.

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    Chris Stapleton (GRAMMYS) OC: …very cool. :22
    “It’s such a convergence of different aspects of music. It’s just like a big melting pot of stuff that is just so fantastic to watch people interact that you don’t get that any where else, really. The GRAMMYs are great to see that and you always see some cool collaboration or something that’s going on at the GRAMMYS that it’s not going on anywhere else. I think it’s a real honor to be nominated for GRAMMYS, and I think it’s very cool.”

    Audio / The War And Treaty's Michael Trotter Jr. talks about their Grammy-nominated song, "Blank Page."

    Download

    The War And Treaty (Blank Page) OC: …someone new. :16
    “Picture this – you meet someone, both of you decide to fall in love and all of a sudden, you decide to bring in past failed relationships into the equation. No. ‘Blank Page’ is simply about starting from a clean slate and building your own history with someone new.”

    Audio / The War And Treaty's Michael Trotter Jr. talks about the Best New Artist nominations at this year's GRAMMY Awards.

    Download

    The War And Treaty (Best New Artist nod) OC: …for that. :33
    “It was very shocking, one. I just couldn’t believe that it was happening, but I felt really humbled and really blessed to be in that category with so many amazing artists, trailblazing artists, artists who set a standard. And just to call their names out – Gracie Adams, Fred Again, Victoria Monét, Coco Jones, Ice Spice, Noah Kahan and the man, the myth and the legend, Jelly Roll. It feels so good, and we have a role to play. We have a place right there amongst them, so we’re just grateful for that.”

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON RELEASES NEW SINGLE, “THINK I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU.”

    Hot on the heels of his new No. 1 song, “White Horse,” Chris Stapleton has released his follow-up single, “Think I’m In Love With You,” both from his 2023 album Higher. He wrote the song by himself and co-produced it with longtime producer Dave Cobb and his wife Morgane Stapleton. The song goes for ADDs February 12th.

    He says in the studio, the recording process for “Think I’m In Love With You” was kept pretty simple, which really brings the lyrics and vocals to the forefront. “When we were recording ‘Think I’m In Love With You,’ we were making sure that we were all playing as quietly as possible, and I think that really informs the song.”

    Chris earned three nominations at this year’s GRAMMY Awards, including Best Country Song (“White Horse”), Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Duo/Group Performance as a featured performer on Carly Pearce’s “We Don’t Fight Anymore.”

    The 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place live from the Crypto.com in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 4th beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

     

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about recording “Think I’m In Love With You.”

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Think I’m In Love With You) OC: …the song. :08
    “When we were recording ‘Think I’m In Love With You,’ we were making sure that we were all playing as quietly as possible, and I think that really informs the song.”

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Think I'm In Love With You) 1

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    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Think I'm In Love With You) 2

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    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Think I'm In Love With You) 3

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    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Think I'm In Love With You) 4

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    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Think I'm In Love With You) 5

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON SCORES A NO. 1 WITH “WHITE HORSE.”

    Chris Stapleton‘s “White Horse” climbed to the top of the country charts, marking his fourth time at No. 1 as an artist. He co-wrote the song with Dan Wilson nearly 12 years ago when they were tasked to write a song for potential placement in the 2013 Lone Ranger movie (which starred Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer), and while it didn’t make the movie soundtrack, it is featured prominently on Chris’ latest album, Higher.

    “’White Horse’ was a song that I wrote with my friend, Dan Wilson,” says the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year. “We were out in Los Angeles, it was about I think probably late 2012, early 2013, and there was a movie called the Lone Ranger that was coming out, and I walked in the room to write with Dan at his house, and he said, ‘Hey they’re looking for songs for this Lone Ranger movie.’ I said, ‘Cool. Let’s write something. What do you know about it?’ He goes, ‘Well, we don’t really know anything.’ I was like, ‘Well, let’s just make a song that might sound like that.’ And so, that’s kind of where that came from, and we got to talking about how it would be cool to have a kind of rock-driven-western-themed song, and that’s kind of where the song came from and we kind of built it around a guitar riff, really.”

    Chris earned three nominations at this year’s GRAMMY Awards, including Best Country Song (“White Horse”), Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Duo/Group Performance as a featured performer on Carly Pearce’s “We Don’t Fight Anymore.”

    The 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place live from the Crypto.com in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 4th beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

    Audio / CHRIS STAPLETON REVEALS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND HIS SONG, "WHITE HORSE."

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (White Horse) OC: …guitar riff, really. :37
    “’White Horse’ was a song that I wrote with my friend, Dan Wilson. We were out in Los Angeles, it was about I think probably late 2012, early 2013, and there was a movie called the Lone Ranger that was coming out, and I walked in the room to write with Dan at his house, and he said, ‘Hey they’re looking for songs for this Lone Ranger movie.’ I said, ‘Cool. Let’s write something. What do you know about it?’ He goes, ‘Well, we don’t really know anything.’ I was like, ‘Well, let’s just make a song that might sound like that.’ And so, that’s kind of where that came from, and we got to talking about how it would be cool to have a kind of rock-driven-western-themed song, and that’s kind of where the song came from and we kind of built it around a guitar riff, really.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, Keith Urban

    Chris Stapleton has announced a brand new date on his All-American Road Show Tour for June 13th at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri. Tickets go on sale February 2nd.

    Eric Church will be featured on the new tribute album, GLEN CAMPBELL DUETS – Ghost on the Canvas Sessions. He says, “It’s an honor to be a part of this project, celebrating his legacy.” The collection, which also features posthumous duets with Dolly Parton, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Linda Perry and others, will be released April 19th. Eric’s duet of “Hold On Hope” is available now.

    Keith Urban joined forces with singer and The Voice Australia coach Rita Ora on the song, “Shape of Me.” He says, “Rita and I were coaches together for a couple of seasons on The Voice and clicked immediately. She asked if I’d like to be a part of “Shape of Me” and to no one’s surprise I asked if I could play guitar too  I love how it turned out and am so glad we finally found the right song to collaborate on!”

    https://twitter.com/KeithUrban/status/1750983883812704481

     

     

     

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S “WHITE HORSE” WAS BORN FROM A “MISSION” OF SORTS.

    Chris Stapleton is poised to take over the top spot on the country charts with his latest single, “White Horse.” He co-wrote the song with Dan Wilson nearly 12 years ago when they were tasked to write a song for potential placement in the 2013 Lone Ranger movie (which starred Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer), and while it didn’t make the movie soundtrack, it is featured prominently on Chris’ latest album, Higher.

    “It’s really a song born out of almost writing on a mission for something else that never really happened for that. I really like the song, so I like to play it. It’s fun,” says Chris. “It has kind of scene changes in it musically, and my favorite lyric is ‘my mind is like a cloud of dust.’ I think that it’s probably the thing in the song that feels most personally to me, just because that’s a constant battle with me just raising thoughts of a mind that wanders a little bit.”

    The reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year has three GRAMMY Award nominations, including Best Country Song (“White Horse”), Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Duo/Group Performance as a featured performer on Carly Pearce’s “We Don’t Fight Anymore.” The 2024 Grammy Awards will air live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 4th on CBS and streaming live on Paramount+.

    You can catch Chris on the road when he launches his 2024 All-American Road Show Tour  March 2nd in San Diego, California. The trek will feature rotating special guests Sheryl Crow, The War And Treaty, Elle King, Lainey Wilson, Willie Nelson and Family, Grace Potter, Marty Stuart, Turnpike Troubadours, Nikki Lane and Marcus King.

     

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about "White Horse."

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (White Horse musically) OC: …a little bit. :26
    “It’s really a song born out of almost writing on a mission for something else that never really happened for that. I really like the song, so I like to play it. It’s fun. It has kind of scene changes in it musically, and my favorite lyric is ‘my mind is like a cloud of dust.’ I think that it’s probably the thing in the song that feels most personally to me, just because that’s a constant battle with me just raising thoughts of a mind that wanders a little bit.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Priscilla Block, Brothers Osborne, Dierks Bentley, Kacey Musgraves, The War And Treaty

    Chris Stapleton is among the headliners for this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest. Additional headliners include the Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Neil Young and Crazy Horse and Vampire Weekend. The event, which takes place April 25th through May 5th, will also feature performances by Bonnie Raitt, Queen Latifah, Earth, Wind & Fire, Widespread Panic, the Beach Boys, Heart, Jon Batiste and Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, who will perform in celebration of the late singer-songwriter. Tickets are on sale now at nojazzfest.com.

     

    Priscilla Block is among the performers at the 2024 Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin July 25th through 28th. The three-day festival will also include performances from Jelly Roll, Hueston, Red Hot Chili Peppers, HARDY, Cypres Hill, Warren Zeiders, the Offspring and more. Tickets are now on sale here.

    Brothers Osborne are featured on the cover of the new issue of the Nashville Scene and inside in the featured article titled “Country Music Almanac 2024: This is Livin’.” Check it out here. The two talk about how they’ve been reinvigorated with their new self-titled debut album and much more.

    https://twitter.com/brothersosborne/status/1748014637356843443

    Talk about “this is livin’,” Dierks Bentley certainly knows how to do that with family and friends. During Nashville’s snowstorm that dropped up to eight inches in places and with temperatures dipping below -5 (or more), the “Living” singer had his son Knox and the neighborhood kids playing pond hockey and taking a nature walk in the woods in the snow (see Instagram posts below).

    The War And Treaty, Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift, as well as Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Kelsea Ballerini and others are part of the new American Currents: State of the Music exhibit at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, opening February 28th. The exhibit is expected to run through February 2025.

     

  • PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS 2024: Nominees include Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves and Shania Twain.

    Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, Shania Twain and many others have been nominated for a People’s Choice Award.

    Carrie and Shania are up for The Female Country Artist of the Year, while Chris is nominated for The Male Country Artist of the Year. Kacey has a nod with Zach Bryan in The Collaboration Song of the Year for “I Remember Everything.”

    In other news, Taylor Swift is nominated for a pair of awards, including The Female Artist of the Year and The Concert Tour of the Year for her record-breaking ERAS Tour.

    The 2024 People’s Choice Awards will air live from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on NBC, Peacock and E! on Sunday, February 18th at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT.

     

    MUSIC:

    THE FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
    Beyoncé
    Doja Cat
    Karol G
    Lainey Wilson
    Miley Cyrus
    Nicki Minaj
    Olivia Rodrigo
    Taylor Swift

    THE MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
    Bad Bunny
    Drake
    Jack Harlow
    Jung Kook
    Luke Combs
    Morgan Wallen
    Post Malone
    The Weeknd

    THE FEMALE COUNTRY ARTIST OF THE YEAR
    Ashley McBryde
    Carly Pearce
    Carrie Underwood
    Gabby Barrett
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Lainey Wilson
    Megan Moroney
    Shania Twain

    THE MALE COUNTRY ARTIST OF THE YEAR
    Chris Stapleton
    Cody Johnson
    HARDY
    Jelly Roll
    Kane Brown
    Luke Combs
    Morgan Wallen
    Zach Bryan

    THE NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
    Coi Leray
    Ice Spice
    Jelly Roll
    Jung Kook
    Noah Kahan
    Peso Pluma
    PinkPantheress
    Stephen Sanchez

    THE GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR
    Dan + Shay
    Fuerza Regida
    Grupo Frontera
    Jonas Brothers
    Old Dominion
    Paramore
    Stray Kids
    TOMORROW X TOGETHER

    THE SONG OF THE YEAR
    “Dance The Night,” Dua Lipa
    “Fast Car,” Luke Combs
    “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus
    “Fukumean,” Gunna
    “greedy,” Tate McRae
    “Last Night,” Morgan Wallen
    “Paint The Town Red,” Doja Cat
    “Vampire,” Olivia Rodrigo

    THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
    Endless Summer Vacation, Miley Cyrus
    For All The Dogs, Drake
    Gettin’ Old, Luke Combs
    Guts, Olivia Rodrigo
    Mañana Será Bonito, Karol G
    Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va A Pasar Mañana, Bad Bunny
    One Thing At A Time, Morgan Wallen
    Pink Friday 2, Nicki Minaj

    THE COLLABORATION SONG OF THE YEAR
    “All My Life,” Lil Durk Feat. J. Cole
    “Barbie World,” Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice With Aqua
    “Ella Baila Sola,” Eslabon Armado X Peso Pluma
    “First Person Shooter,” Drake Feat. J. Cole
    “I Remember Everything,” Zach Bryan Feat. Kasey Musgraves
    “Seven,” Jung Kook Feat. Latto
    “TQG,” Karol G, Shakira
    “Un x100to,” Grupo Frontera X Bad Bunny

    THE CONCERT TOUR OF THE YEAR
    +–=÷x Tour, Ed Sheeran
    COLDPLAY MUSIC of the SPHERES WORLD TOUR
    Love On Tour, Harry Styles
    Luke Combs World Tour
    Morgan Wallen One Night At A Time World Tour
    P!nk Summer Carnival Tour
    Renaissance World Tour, Beyoncé
    TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S “WHITE HORSE” IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS.

    Chris Stapleton released his latest album, Higher, this past November, and the majority of songs are about relationships, including his Top 3 smash, “White Horse.”

    “It’s a relationship song, but it’s about hesitance and stubbornness (laughs), but also real stuff,” says Chris.

    The reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year co-wrote the song with Dan Wilson nearly 12 years ago when they were tasked to write a song for potential placement in the 2013 Lone Ranger movie (which starred Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer).

    Chris, who just unveiled Traveller Whiskey – his new collaboration with Buffalo Trace Distillery’s Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. recently announced new dates for his 2024 All-American Road Show Tour, which includes rotating opening acts such as Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert, Marty Stuart, The War And Treaty, Lainey Wilson, Sheryl Crow and many more. Go to Chrisstapleton.com/tour for more information on his dates.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about his latest Top 3 single, "White Horse."

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (about White Horse) OC: …real stuff. :09
    “It’s about, it’s a relationship song, but it’s about hesitance and stubbornness (laughs), but also real stuff.”

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks Bentley, Kacey Musgraves, Priscilla Block, Chris Stapleton

    Dierks Bentley will headline the ROMP Festival, which is a big fundraising event for the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum. The four-day event will take place at Yellow Creek Park in Owensboro, Kentucky June 26th-29th and will also feature performances by Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Jim Lauderdale, Jerry Douglas, The Travelin’ McCourys and many others.

    Kacey Musgraves is among the notable figures featured in the new Paramount + documentary, “JUNE,” focused on June Carter Cash, the iconic singer-songwriter-actress-author and five-time Grammy Award winner. The documentary, which premieres on the streaming platform January 16th in the U.S. and Canada, features never-before-seen archival footage and commentary from actress-producer Reese Witherspoon (who portrayed June in the acclaimed film “Walk The Line”), Dolly Parton, actor Robert Duvall, Willie Nelson, Larry Gatlin, Ronnie Dunn and more. Check out the trailer below.


    Priscilla Block
    is one of the headliners for the first-ever Bull Bash & Country Music Festival, taking place January 26th and 27th at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds at the Tampa Bay Rodeo.


    Chris Stapleton
    ‘s current Top 5 single, “White Horse,” is so popular that Hollywood royalty has covered it. Actress-producer Kate Hudson performed her own version of the tune on TikTok. Check it out here.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan

    Darius Rucker will perform during CNN’s New Year’s Eve special with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. The celebration begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

    ABC will air a shorter version of the 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on New Year’s Day (January 1st, 2024). Carrie Underwood and Chris Stapleton were among the artists helping to honor the inductees — George Michael, Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine, and The Spinners, along with other award nominees DJ Kool Herc, Link Wray, Chaka Khan, Al Kooper, Bernie Taupin and Don Cornelius for their contributions to music. The three-hour ceremony, which originally aired in November 2023, will air on ABC beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on New Year’s Day.

     

     

    Kacey Musgraves and Keith Urban made former President Barack Obama’s favorite songs of 2023. Kacey’s duet with Zach Bryan “I Remember Everything” and Keith’s collaboration with Rita Wilson “Crazy Love” made the list, along with songs by Megan Thee Stallion, Beyoncé, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Lenny Kravitz and Jon Batiste, among others.

    American Idol has released a new promo for the new season of the competition series, premiering February 18th. The promo features all three judges — Luke Bryan as the Scarecrow, Katy Perry as Dorothy, Lionel Richie as the Lion — as well as host Ryan Seacrest as the Tin Man. They are show traveling the “Golden Ticket Road” in search of new talent, visiting towns of former Idol contestants, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Adam Lambert and Iam Tongi along the way.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_s0-ZP4DNg&t=3s

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Jon Pardi, Keith Urban, Vince Gill, Mickey Guyton, Chris Stapleton, Priscilla Block

    Reba McEntire performed her new song, “Seven Minutes In Heaven,” on NBC’s The Voice on Tuesday night (December 5th).

    Jon Pardi just released the official music video for his holiday tune, “Beer For Santa,” from his new Merry Christmas From Jon Pardi album. The clip features Santa, Jon and his beer-slugging faithful dog, Cowboy, in animated form.

     

     

    NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – DECEMBER 05: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (Front Row) Ernest, Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter of The War And Treaty, Brenda Lee, Patty Loveless, Mickey Guyton, HARDY (Back Row) CEO of Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum, Kyle Young, Matthew Ramsey, Geoff Sprung, Trevor Rosen and Brad Tursi of Old Dominion, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Riley Green and Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum Board Chair, Mary Ann McCready attend All for the Hall, a concert benefiting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum at Bridgestone Arena on December 05, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum)

    Keith Urban and Vince Gill returned as co-hosts and bandmembers for this year’s benefit show, All for the Hall, with all proceeds going to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The show raised over $900,000 for the Hall of Fame.  The theme of the night was “The Song Remembers When,” and artists performed one of their own songs and a song that influenced them. Trisha Yearwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Brenda Lee, Brooks & Dunn, Mickey Guyton, The War And Treaty, Riley Green, Patty Loveless, Old Dominion, HARDY and Ernest also performed.

    Mickey Guyton‘s song “Heaven Down Here” inspired a Hallmark Christmas movie of the same name, which will premiere December 14th. The movie, which stars Phylicia Rashad, Tina Lifford and Richard Harmon, takes place in a diner in which four people are trapped inside on Christmas Eve.

     

    Chris Stapleton has announced new dates for his All-American Roadshow Tour.

    Priscilla Block covered Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe” during CMT’s Campfire Sessions: Christmas Version earlier this week. Backing her up was Tenille Townes, Brittney Spencer and Caitlyn Smith.

     

     

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON, LITTLE BIG TOWN, SAM HUNT AND KACEY MUSGRAVES EARN SOME HEAVY METAL.

    Chris Stapleton earned three new heavy metal certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (R.I.A.A.). His latest single “White Horse” and “The Devil Always Made Me Think Twice” from his Starting Over was certified Gold, while “I Was Wrong” on his 2017 From A Room: Volume 2 has been certified Platinum.

    Little Big Town‘s “Boondocks” is now three-times Platinum. The foursome co-wrote the song with Wayne Kirkpatrick and released it in 2005 as the first single from their second album, The Road To Here, and it became their first Top 10 hit.

    Sam Hunt‘s current single, “Outskirts,” is certified Gold. The Georgia native co-wrote the song with Zach Crowell, Josh Osborne and Jerry Flowers.

    Kacey Musgraves‘ “Rainbow,” “High Horse” and “Butterflies” have all been certified Platinum.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about writing “White Horse.”

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (White Horse) OC: …guitar riff, really. :37
    “’White Horse’ was a song that I wrote with my friend, Dan Wilson. We were out in Los Angeles, it was about I think probably late 2012, early 2013, and there was a movie called the Lone Ranger that was coming out, and I walked in the room to write with Dan at his house, and he said, ‘Hey they’re looking for songs for this Lone Ranger movie.’ I said, ‘Cool. Let’s write something. What do you know about it?’ He goes, ‘Well, we don’t really know anything.’ I was like, ‘Well, let’s just make a song that might sound like that.’ And so, that’s kind of where that came from, and we got to talking about how it would be cool to have a kind of rock-driven-western-themed song, and that’s kind of where the song came from and we kind of built it around a guitar riff, really.”

    Audio / SAM HUNT TALKS ABOUT HIS SONG "OUTSKIRTS."

    Download

    Sam Hunt (Outskirts) OC: …gist of it. :55
    “It’s going to sort of be in line with this character who has come to a crossroads in his life between sort of choosing the world and his dreams and maybe a family and future kids and his roots. And as he gets off down the road, out into the world, he’s kind of looking back like, uh, did I do the right thing here? That’s kind of the theme that runs through most of these songs that’ll be coming out here. But it’sthe idea is, uh, that, you know, he’s living in town and fills his schedule and always busy just trying to find his way in the world. And it’s easy to do in town, but as soon as he gets out, out on the outskirts of town, he’s reminded of the choice, the road he didn’t take, and he’s second guessing whether or not he’s on the right path or not. So that’s essentially the gist of it.”

    Video /

    View

    Video /

    View
  • NEWS AND NOTES: Mickey Guyton, Maddie & Tae, Kacey Musgraves, The War And Treaty, Alan Jackson, Chris Stapleton, Jordan Davis, Brothers Osborne

    Mickey Guyton and Maddie & Tae performed during Thursday night’s (November 30th) National Christmas Tree Lighting on the Ellipse, on the grounds of the White House in Washington, D.C. Mickey, who hosted the ceremony, also helped President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden flip the switch to light the tree. The ceremony dates back to President Calvin Coolidge in 1923 to kick off Holiday celebrations in the Nation’s Capital.

    Kacey Musgraves performed an achingly beautiful rendition of “Can’t Help Falling In Love” during the NBC special, Christmas at Graceland, in the first-ever live concert from Elvis Presley’s iconic home earlier this week. Other performers included Post Malone, Lainey Wilson, Kane Brown, John Legend and Lana del Ray, and also featured never-before-seen home movies and photos. Elvis’ granddaughter, Riley Keough, hosted the event.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiypVETI_50

    The War And Treaty (Michael and Tanya Trotter) performed a powerfully stunning version of “If I Can Dream” during the special. Elvis performed the song at the end of his famous ’68 Special to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was killed in Memphis just a few months prior.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpboikuKQu4

    Alan Jackson, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Jordan Davis and others have donated items to The ASCAP Foundation’s annual online auction. The charitable organization is dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their development through music education and talent development programs. Carly Pearce, Old Dominion, Kelsea Ballerini, Olivia Rodrigo, Selena Gomez, Travis Barker, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Chicago also donated items to the auction which runs through December 14th. Click HERE to make a bid.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Tyler Hubbard, Mickey Guyton, The War And Treaty, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, Eric Church

    Tyler Hubbard released the official music video for his latest single, “Back Then Right Now,” on Wednesday (November 15th).

     

    Mickey Guyton performed “Simply The Best” in honor of Tina Turner during CMT’s Smashing Glass inaugural special, honoring such female musical icons, Tanya Tucker, Patti LaBelle and Tina Turner, among others.

    https://twitter.com/CMT/status/1724984493490974929

    The 90-minute show, planned as an annual event, is the network’s salute to iconic female artists who have contributed to shattering the glass ceiling for current and future musical artists. The War And Treaty performed Patti LaBelle’s “On My Own.”

    Clint Black, Chris Janson, Ledisi, Luci Silvas and more also performed.

    Chris Stapleton received new RIAA certifications this month. “Tennessee Whiskey,” from his Traveller album, has been certified 15-times Platinum, while “Starting Over” was certified 4-times Platinum.

    Kacey Musgraves and The War And Treaty will perform during the Christmas At Graceland television special, along with Post Malone, John Legend, Alainis Morissette, Lana Del Ray, Lainey Wilson and Kane Brown. Elvis’ granddaughter and Daisy Jones And The Six star Riley Keough, who is among the executive producers of the special, will also appear. Christmas At Graceland, the first televised concert from the estate featuring never-before-broadcast footage of Elvis, will air November 29th at 10pm ET/9pm CT on NBC.

    Eric Church, along with Lainey Wilson, Nickelback and Koe Wetzel, will headline Country Thunder Wisconsin July 18th-21st in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin. Kip Moore, Josh Ross, Randy Houser, Bailey Zimmerman and Ernest, among others, will also perform.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON HIGHER ALBUM AUDIO TOOLKIT.

    We have compiled an array of content — liners and soundbites – from CHRIS STAPLETON to equip you with some tools that we hope will come in handy and help you roll out tracks leading up to – and following – the release of his new album, HIGHER. Download the toolkit HERE.

    Chris Stapleton is set to release his fifth studio album, Higher, on Friday (November 10th). Produced by Dave Cobb, Morgane Stapleton, and Stapleton, Higher was recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio A. Across its 14 songs, Stapleton showcases his supernatural voice and musical versatility with songs that span genres and defy easy categorization. Alongside Stapleton (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide electric guitar), the album features Cobb (acoustic guitar, eclectic guitar), J.T. Cure (bass), Paul Franklin (pedal steel), Derek Mixon (drums), Morgane (background vocals, synthesizer, tambourine), and Lee Pardini (organ, piano).

    One of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians, in the past year Stapleton was named Entertainer of the Year at the 58th ACM Awards—resulting in a prestigious ACM Triple Crown Award. Additionally, in February, he performed the National Anthem at Super Bowl LVII and has collaborated in recent years with Adele, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Justin Timberlake, P!nk, Sheryl Crow, Santana and many more.

    The new album follows 2020’s acclaimed Starting Over, which went on to win three awards at the 67th Annual GRAMMYs: Best Country Album, Best Country Solo Performance (“You Should Probably Leave”) and Best Country Song (“Cold”) in addition to earning Album of the Year honors at both the CMA and ACM Awards. Called a “a sure-footed masterpiece” by the Associated Press, the album landed on “Best of 2020” lists at NPR MusicRolling StoneBillboardEsquireVultureThe Tennessean, and The New York Times, who declared, “Chris Stapleton’s roar isn’t designed to scare you off. It’s regal, an announcement of an alpha figure asserting his primacy…on this, his fourth album, the thrill is back.” Prior to Starting Over, Stapleton released a pair of Platinum-certified releases in 2017—From A Room: Volume 1 and From A Room: Volume 2—as well as his x5 Platinum breakthrough solo debut album in 2015, Traveller.

    HIGHER Track List:

    1. What Am I Gonna Do (Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert)
    2. South Dakota (Chris Stapleton, Dave Cobb, Derek Mixon, J.T. Cure)
    3. Trust (Chris Stapleton, Steve McEwan)
    4. It Takes A Woman (Ronnie Bowman, Jerry Salley)
    5. The Fire (Chris Stapleton, Dave Cobb, Morgane Stapleton, Derek Mixon, J.T. Cure)
    6. Think I’m In Love With You (Chris Stapleton)
    7. Loving You On My Mind (Chris Stapleton, Kendell Marvel, Tim James)
    8. White Horse (Chris Stapleton, Dan Wilson)
    9. Higher (Chris Stapleton)
    10. The Bottom (Chris Stapleton, Lee Miller)
    11. The Day I Die (Chris Stapleton, Carolyn Dawn Johnson)
    12. Crosswind (Chris Stapleton, Dave Cobb, Derek Mixon, J.T. Cure)
    13. Weight Of Your World (Chris Stapleton, Tim Larsson, Tobias Lundgren, Johan Fransson)
    14. Mountains Of My Mind (Chris Stapleton)
  • CHRIS STAPLETON, BROTHERS OSBORNE, DIERKS BENTLEY, KACEY MUSGRAVES, THE WAR AND TREATY AND VINCE GILL & PAUL FRANKLIN ARE NOMINATED FOR GRAMMYS.

    The nominations for the 66th annual GRAMMY Awards were announced, and Chris Stapleton earned three nominations, including Best Country Song (“White Horse”), Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Duo/Group Performance as a featured performer on Carly Pearce’s “We Don’t Fight Anymore.”

    Brothers Osborne nabbed a pair of noms, including Best Country Album for their self-titled fourth record and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their current single, “Nobody’s Nobody.”

    Kacey Musgraves picked up two nominations for her featured performance on Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything” for Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance.

    The War And Treaty are nominated for two GRAMMY Awards, including the overall Best New Artist and for Best American Roots Song for “Blank Page.”

    Dierks Bentley is nominated in Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “High Note,” featuring Billy Strings. Dierks posted a heartfelt message of gratitude on his Instagram, writing, “Thank you Billy for lending your talents. Been fun to watch your career explode dude since we recorded this. It must have been the collab!! Haha. The song actually started off pretty grassy with Billy, @sambushband @bryansuttond28 @jerrydouglas on it (and my band). And then we went back in a year later and gave it a little more of a country vibe. Thanks to my friends @jimbeavers and my pal @charlieworsham for writing it and letting me make it my own. This song is why Charlie has been in our band the last two years. After he recorded the acoustic lick at the top, I remember asking him how in the hell are we gonna play this live on the road. @bhelson is on electric and there’s no way I can play it. He said, ‘Well I could come out and do it.’ And he did!! And he still is haha.”

    Vince Gill and Paul Franklin are nominated in Best Country Duo/Group for “Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold).”

     

    The 2024 Grammy Awards will air live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 4th on CBS and streaming live on Paramount+.

    Best Country Album
    Kelsea Ballerini, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat
    Brothers Osborne, Brothers Osborne
    Zach Bryan, Zach Bryan
    Tyler Childers, Rustin’ In The Rain
    Lainey Wilson, Bell Bottom Country

    Best Country Song
    Brandy Clark, “Buried” (Brandy Clark & Jessie Jo Dillon)
    Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything” (Zach Bryan & Kacey Musgraves)
    Tyler Childers, “In Your Love” (Tyler Childers & Geno Seale)
    Morgan Wallen, “Last Night” (John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin & Ryan Vojtesak)
    Chris Stapleton, “White Horse” (Chris Stapleton & Dan Wilson)

    Best Country Solo Performance
    Tyler Childers, “In Your Love”
    Brandy Clark, “Buried”
    Luke Combs, “Fast Car”
    Dolly Parton, “The Last Thing On My Mind”
    Chris Stapleton, “White Horse”

    Best Country Duo/Group Performance
    Dierks Bentley featuring Billy Strings, “High Note”
    Brothers Osborne, “Nobody’s Nobody”
    Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything”
    Vince Gill & Paul Franklin, “Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)”
    Jelly Roll With Lainey Wilson, “Save Me”
    Carly Pearce featuring Chris Stapleton, “We Don’t Fight Anymore”

    Best New Artist
    Gracie Abrams
    Fred again..
    Ice Spice
    Jelly Roll
    Coco Jones
    Noah Kahan
    Victoria Monét
    The War and Treaty

    Best American Roots Song
    “Blank Page” — Michael Trotter Jr. & Tanya Trotter, songwriters (The War And Treaty) 
    “California Sober” – Aaron Allen, William Apostol & Jon Weisberger, songwriters (Billy Strings Featuring Willie Nelson)
    “Cast Iron Skillet” – Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit)
    “Dear Insecurity” – Brandy Clark & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile)
    “The Returner” – Drew Lindsay, JT Nero & Allison Russell, songwriters (Allison Russell)

    Best Immersive Audio Album
    Blue Clear Sky — Chuck Ainlay, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Chuck Ainlay, immersive producer (George Strait)
    Act 3 (Immersive Edition) – Ryan Ulyate, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Ryan Ulyate, immersive producer (Ryan Ulyate)
    The Diary Of Alicia Keys – George Massenburg & Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineers; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Alicia Keys & Ann Mincieli, immersive producers (Alicia Keys)
    God Of War Ragnarök (Original Soundtrack) – Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Kellogg Boynton, Peter Scaturro & Herbert Waltl, immersive producers (Bear McCreary)
    Silence Between Songs – Aaron Short, immersive mastering engineer (Madison Beer)

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S NEW ALBUM, HIGHER, IS AVAILABLE NOW.

    Chris Stapleton’s highly anticipated new album Higher is available now via Mercury Nashville. Stream/purchase HERE.

    Additionally, Stapleton was nominated for three awards for the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards: Best Country Solo Performance (“White Horse”), Best Country Song (“White Horse”) and Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“We Don’t Fight Anymore” with Carly Pearce). The awards ceremony will broadcast live on CBS from Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena Sunday, February 4th at 8pm ET.

    Produced by Dave Cobb, Morgane Stapleton and Chris Stapleton, Higher was recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio A and is already receiving widespread critical acclaim:

    “dazzling…the best evidence yet for the way one man’s voice has become synonymous with the very idea of a musical genre”— Rolling Stone

    “his leaps, quavers and evasions of the beat can be traced to Al Green. But Stapleton brings his own drama and grit to the style”—The New York Times

    “Stapleton’s enigmatic voice – known for its raw versatility, so anchored in his chosen musical genre with an unusual ability to transcend it – is as present as ever…No one is immune when Stapleton’s textured, bellowing ballads play”—Associated Press

    “finds Stapleton pairing an outlaw swagger with some heaven-scraping vocals”—Billboard

    “certainly suggests that Stapleton is leaning into his strengths as a cross-genre act”—Consequence

    “If you want to set the bar, start—as always—with Chris Stapleton”—Hits Daily Double

    “One of country’s modern vocal masters extends a streak of next-level artistry…his growling grace and understated charm remain in fine form over 14 tracks, as a future Hall of Famer climbs on”—Nashville Lifestyles

    “The consistency Chris Stapleton has with all of his releases is mind-blowing…This man does not miss”—Whiskey Riff

    In celebration of the release, Stapleton was featured on NBC’s “Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist” and recently spoke with GQ, who praises, “In an age rife with division, he’s maybe the only thing Americans all agree on…one of the most reliable hit makers in music.” Read the full GQ Hype cover story HERE.

    The release adds to yet another landmark year for Stapleton, who was named Male Vocalist of the Year for the seventh time at the 57th Annual CMA Awards earlier this week, breaking his own record for most wins ever in the category. Stapleton also performed twice during the live awards broadcast: his current single, “White Horse,” and “We Don’t Fight Anymore” with Carly Pearce.

    Known for his electric live performances, the 8x Grammy, 16x CMA and 15x ACM Award-winner will continue his “All-American Road Show” through next year including stops at San Diego’s Petco Park, Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium, Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl (two nights), Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena (two nights), Cleveland’s Blossom Music Center and Philadelphia’s Freedom Mortgage Pavilion among several others. See below for complete itinerary.

    Alongside Stapleton (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide electric guitar), the new album features Cobb (acoustic guitar, eclectic guitar), J.T. Cure (bass), Paul Franklin (pedal steel), Derek Mixon (drums), Morgane (background vocals, synthesizer, tambourine) and Lee Pardini (organ, piano).

    One of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians, in the past year Stapleton was named Entertainer of the Year at the 58th ACM Awards—resulting in a prestigious ACM Triple Crown Award. Additionally, in February, he performed the National Anthem at Super Bowl LVII and has collaborated in recent years with Adele, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Justin Timberlake, P!nk, Sheryl Crow, Santana and many more.

    The new album follows 2020’s acclaimed Starting Over, which went on to win three awards at the 67th Annual GRAMMYs: Best Country Album, Best Country Solo Performance (“You Should Probably Leave”) and Best Country Song (“Cold”) in addition to earning Album of the Year honors at both the CMA and ACM Awards. Called a “a sure-footed masterpiece” by the Associated Press, the album landed on “Best of 2020” lists at NPR MusicRolling StoneBillboardEsquire, VultureThe Tennessean, and The New York Times, who declared, “Chris Stapleton’s roar isn’t designed to scare you off. It’s regal, an announcement of an alpha figure asserting his primacy…on this, his fourth album, the thrill is back.” Prior to Starting Over, Stapleton released a pair of Platinum-certified releases in 2017—From A Room: Volume 1 and From A Room: Volume 2—as well as his x5 Platinum breakthrough solo debut album in 2015, Traveller.

    In addition to their work as musicians, the Stapletons are founders of the Outlaw State of Kind charitable fund, which supports a variety of causes that are close to their heart.

    HIGHER TRACK LIST:

    1. What Am I Gonna Do
    2. South Dakota
    3. Trust
    4. It Takes A Woman
    5. The Fire
    6. Think I’m In Love With You
    7. Loving You On My Mind
    8. White Horse
    9. Higher
    10. The Bottom
    11. The Day I Die
    12. Crosswind
    13. Weight Of Your World
    14. Mountains Of My Mind

     

    CHRIS STAPLETON CONFIRMED TOUR DATES:

    November 11—Tampa, FL—Walmart Presents: Heroes & Headliners – MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre

    November 16—Lafayette, LA—Cajundome†

    November 17—Houston, TX—Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion†

    November 18—Corpus Christi, TX—American Bank Center Arena†

    March 1, 2024—Tempe, AZ—Extra Innings Festival

    March 2, 2024—San Diego, CA—Petco Park‡

    April 3, 2024—Winnipeg, MB—Canada Life Centre+

    April 4, 2024—Grand Forks, ND—Alerus Center+

    April 6, 2024—Minneapolis, MN—U.S. Bank Stadium^

    May 4, 2024—Indianapolis, IN—Lucas Oil Stadium#

    May 9, 2024—West Palm Beach, FL—iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre~

    May 11, 2024—Jacksonville, FL—Everbank Stadium#

    May 22, 2024—Rapid City, SD—The Monument** (SOLD OUT)

    May 24, 2024—Sioux Falls, SD—Denny Sanford PREMIER Center**

    May 25, 2024—Ames, IA—Jack Trice Stadium#

    May 31, 2024—Cleveland, OH—Blossom Music Center**

    June 1, 2024—Charlotte, NC—Bank of America Stadium#

    June 6, 2024—Philadelphia, PA—Freedom Mortgage Pavilion††

    June 7, 2024—Bristow, VA—Jiffy Lube Live††

    June 8, 2024—East Rutherford, NJ—MetLife Stadium#

    June 12, 2024—Kansas City, MO—T-Mobile Center‡‡

    June 26, 2024—Los Angeles, CA—Hollywood Bowl++ (SOLD OUT)

    June 27, 2024—Los Angeles, CA—Hollywood Bowl++

    June 29, 2024—Salt Lake City, UT—Rice-Eccles Stadium#

    July 11, 2024—Buffalo, NY—Darien Lake Amphitheater††

    July 12, 2024—Pittsburgh, PA—The Pavilion at Star Lake††

    July 13, 2024—Detroit, MI—Ford Field#

    July 18, 2024—Toledo, OH—Huntington Center††

    July 19, 2024—Columbus, OH—Schottenstein Center††

    July 20, 2024—Chicago, IL—Soldier Field#

    July 25, 2024—Nampa, ID—Ford Idaho Center Arena^^ (SOLD OUT)

    July 26, 2024—Portland, OR—RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater^^

    July 27, 2024—Seattle, WA—T-Mobile Park##

    August 1, 2024—Gilford, NH—BankNH Pavilion++

    August 2, 2024—Gilford, NH—BankNH Pavilion++ (SOLD OUT)

    August 3, 2024—Gilford, NH—BankNH Pavilion++

    August 9, 2024—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena~~

    August 10, 2024—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena~~

    August 21, 2024—Birmingham, AL—The Legacy Arena at the BJCC++

    August 22, 2024—Little Rock, AR—Simmons Bank Arena++

    October 16, 2024—Manchester, England—AO Arena++ (SOLD OUT)

    October 17, 2024—Glasgow, Scotland—OVO Hydro Arena++ (SOLD OUT)

    October 20, 2024—Dublin, Ireland—3Arena++ (SOLD OUT)

    October 22, 2024—Birmingham, England—Utilita Arena++ (SOLD OUT)

    October 23, 2024—London, England—The O2++ (SOLD OUT)

    December 7, 2024—Las Vegas, NV—Allegiant Stadium#

    †with special guest Nikki Lane

    ‡with special guests Turnpike Troubadours and Elle King

    +with special guests The War and Treaty and Allen Stone

    ^with special guests Lainey Wilson and Marcus King

    #George Strait and special guest Little Big Town

    ~with special guests Grace Potter and Nikki Lane

    **with special guests Marcus King and The War and Treaty

    ††with special guests Marcus King and Nikki Lane

    ‡‡with special guests Marcus King and Allen Stone

    ++with special guests Grace Potter and Allen Stone

    ^^with special guests Nikki Lane and Allen Stone

    ##with special guests Willie Nelson and Family and Sheryl Crow

    ~~with special guests Marty Stuart and Nikki Lane

     

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says his new album Higher has something for everyone.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Higher album) OC: …on this record. :56
    “One thing that’s probably notable about the record to me is it’s the first one that we’ve put out that doesn’t contain a cover, so there’s no covers on this record. So, in that way, I guess you could say it should be more intrinsically whatever we do. So, there’s definitely some exploration of the edges of what that is, and certainly some moments of stretching out vocally and trying to see what that is. There’s some different stuff on this record, I think, and I think it’s really great. I think it’s something that people will enjoy. I think there’s something on it for everybody, which is kind of always my goal. If you’re a kind of a hardcore traditional country person, there’s a song on there for that somewhere. If you leaned into more of the R&B side of what we do, there’s stuff on there for that. If you like the rock side of things that we do, there’s stuff on there for that. And there’s some really great songs on here. I’m excited about the songs on this record.”

     

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Higher available now)

    Download

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON IS SET TO RELEASE HIS BRAND NEW ALBUM, HIGHER, ON FRIDAY.

    CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Chris Stapleton is set to release his new album, Higher, on Friday (November 10th). Produced by Dave Cobb, Morgane Stapleton, and Stapleton, Higher was recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio A. Across its 14 songs, Stapleton showcases his supernatural voice and musical versatility with songs that span genres and defy easy categorization. Alongside Stapleton (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide electric guitar), the album features Cobb (acoustic guitar, eclectic guitar), J.T. Cure (bass), Paul Franklin (pedal steel), Derek Mixon (drums), Morgane (background vocals, synthesizer, tambourine), and Lee Pardini (organ, piano).

    When releasing new music, Chris and his team feel a combination of anticipation and apprehension about how fans will react. “Whenever we’re releasing new music, we don’t have a specific ritual really, but I think there’s a little bit of apprehension, a little bit of excitement mixed together wondering how fans will react, really,” he says. “I think that’s the main thing going on in our heads when we put something out is we hope whatever we’ve done will be something that people will gravitate to and enjoy.”

    The new album follows 2020’s acclaimed Starting Over, which went on to win three awards at the 67th Annual GRAMMYs: Best Country Album, Best Country Solo Performance (“You Should Probably Leave”) and Best Country Song (“Cold”) in addition to earning Album of the Year honors at both the CMA and ACM Awards. Called a “a sure-footed masterpiece” by the Associated Press, the album landed on “Best of 2020” lists at NPR MusicRolling StoneBillboardEsquireVultureThe Tennessean, and The New York Times, who declared, “Chris Stapleton’s roar isn’t designed to scare you off. It’s regal, an announcement of an alpha figure asserting his primacy…on this, his fourth album, the thrill is back.” Prior to Starting Over, Stapleton released a pair of Platinum-certified releases in 2017 — From A Room: Volume 1 and From A Room: Volume 2 — as well as his 5x Platinum breakthrough solo debut album in 2015, Traveller.

     

    HIGHER Track List:

    1. What Am I Gonna Do
    2. South Dakota
    3. Trust
    4. It Takes A Woman
    5. The Fire
    6. Think I’m In Love With You
    7. Loving You On My Mind
    8. White Horse
    9. Higher
    10. The Bottom
    11. The Day I Die
    12. Crosswind
    13. Weight Of Your World
    14. Mountains Of My Mind

     

     

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says there's always a little apprehension and a little excitement mixed together when releasing new music.

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    Chris Stapleton (releasing new music) OC: …and enjoy. :22
    “Whenever we’re releasing new music, we don’t have a specific ritual really, but I think there’s a little bit of apprehension, a little bit of excitement mixed together wondering how fans will react, really. I think that’s the main thing going on in our heads when we put something out is we hope whatever we’ve done will be something that people will gravitate to and enjoy.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about the time in between writing the title track of his new album, Higher, and actually putting it on an album.

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    Chris Stapleton (Higher title track) OC: …to me. :22
    “’Higher’ is a song that’s been around a long, long time. I wrote it in 2001 in the first few onths of being a professional songwriter here in Nashville, and it was on the first demo session that I ever did here in Nashville. So, for it to come around 22 years later and wind up being the title track of an album is a pretty unique thing to me.”

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Higher out November 10th)

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    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Higher available this week)

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON WINS CMA MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR.

    Chris Stapleton picked up the award for Male Vocalist of the Year–his 7th in that category. He won in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

     

    He says he’s always surprised to hear his name called when it comes to awards. “These things are always fantastic to win, but when you get nominated or invited to these parties, in my estimation, you’ve already won and you’ve already gotten to be far beyond anything, you know, anybody who’s a musician could ever dream of getting to do, and we get to do that every day, we get to live it every day,” says the humble Kentucky native. “As far as thinking about going into anything, I’m always genuinely surprised to win anything, and I’m always grateful for it.”

    Chris had the crowd on their feet when he turned in a soaring performance of his latest Top 15 single, “White Horse.” The song is from his new album, Higher, which drops on Friday (November 10th).

    Chris will be one of the headliners for the inaugural Walmart “Heroes & Headliners” concert, which will pay tribute to veterans and their families. The concert, which will also feature Imagine Dragons and H.E.R., will be held at Tampa’s MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater on Veteran’s Day (Saturday, November 11th). Fans will be able to stream the show beginning at 6:15pm ET/5:15pm CT on Walmart.com/Live, Facebook, Youtube and X/Twitter.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says he’s always surprised when he wins awards.

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    Chris Stapleton (awards) OC: …grateful for it. :30
    “These things are always fantastic to win, but when you get nominated or invited to these parties, in my estimation, you’ve already won and you’ve already gotten to be far beyond anything, you know, anybody who’s a musician could ever dream of getting to do, and we get to do that every day, we get to live it every day. As far as thinking about going into anything, I’m always genuinely surprised to win anything, and I’m always grateful for it.”

     

    Video /

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan, Luke Grimes, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Parker McCollum

    Backstage at her Grand Ole Opry appearance, Reba McEntire was presented with a plaque for her song “Fancy.” It has been certified double-platinum and has more than 400 Million Streams.

    Luke Bryan was hosts the new special, DOLLY PARTON – FROM RHINESTONES TO ROCK & ROLL, on Tuesday (November 7th) at 10:01pm ET/9:01pm CT. The one-hour special , which features an in-depth interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts, features appearances by Sting, Pat Benatar and husband Neil Giraldo, Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, Jordan Davis, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Carly Pearce, Luke Combs and Cody Johnson, among others.

     

    Luke Grimes is scheduled to perform on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live (check local listings) on Wednesday (November 8th).

    Carrie Underwood is offering fans a special limited edition green vinyl of her Christmas album, My Gift. The new special edition version will include all 11 tracks from the 2020 version of the album, as well as three additional songs including “Favorite Time of Year,” “All Is Well” and “Let There Be Peace/Something In The Water” that she performed on her HBO MAX special, My Gift: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood. Click here for more information.

    https://twitter.com/carrieunderwood/status/1720467097833062830

     

    If you are looking to purchase a vinyl copy of Chris Stapleton‘s new album, Higher, you’ll be able to choose from SIX different color variants: translucent milky clear, cola bottle clear, opaque baby pink, opaque bone, opaque brown and standard black. Higher, featuring the superstar’s latest single “White Horse,” is available on Friday (November 10th).

     

    Parker McCollum showed CMT his tour bus, complete with recliners, bunks, drinks, Halloween candy and a humidifier, which has been a game changer for him. Check it out below.

     

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, George Strait, Kassi Ashton, Nate Bargatze, Chrissy Metz

    Chris Stapleton and George Strait are among the artists taking part in the 90th Birthday Celebration of Willie Nelson. The star-studded special, filmed live earlier this year across two nights before a sold-out crowd at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, celebrates Nelson’s milestone 90th birthday and the 12-time GRAMMY® Award-winner’s contributions to popular culture and music. This historic concert event features unforgettable collaborations and once-in-a-lifetime performances by Chris, Strait, Willie, Beck, Gary Clark Jr., Sheryl Crow, Snoop Dogg, Norah Jones, Miranda Lambert, Dave Matthews, Nelson’s sons Lukas Nelson and Micah Nelson and Keith Richards. The two-hour special, hosted by stars Jennifer Garner, Chelsea Handler, Woody Harrelson, Ethan Hawke, Helen Mirren and Owen Wilson, will air December 17th beginning at 8:30pm ET/PT on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand).

    Fans of Chris Stapleton can listen to his new album, Higher, before it’s available on November 10th. Indie record stores across the country will be holding a special listening party on Tuesday (November 7th).

     

    Kassi Ashton has released her own version of Christina Aguilera’s “Genie In A Bottle.” The song was recorded with her band and produced by Oscar Charles.

    https://twitter.com/KassiAshton/status/1720088949836988426

    Maddie and Tae will be in Kansas City on December 1st to perform at the 19th Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. The event is an annual holiday fundraiser started by a group of volunteers to support Operation Breakthrough — with a goal to raise funds and awareness for kids/families living in poverty in Kansas City’s urban core. The ladies just released the extended version of their holiday collection, We Need Christmas.

    On the heels of his much-lauded debut as host of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, comedian Nate Bargatze will be ESPN’s College GameDay Celebrity Guest Picker on Saturday (November 4th) in Alabama.

    Chrissy Metz is heading out on select dates on Jim Brickman’s A Joyful Christmas tour, hitting such cities as Nashville, Pensacola and Cleveland, among others. Go to chrissymetz.com for more information on tour dates.

    https://twitter.com/JimBrickman/status/1720214202093130214

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Jordan Davis, Chris Stapleton, Anne Wilson, The War And Treaty, Eric Church

    In addition to performing on next week’s CMA Awards, Jordan Davis is scheduled to perform his latest smash “Tucson Too Late” on ABC’s Live With Kelly & Mark on Monday (November 6th), as well as his multi-week No. 1 “Next Thing You Know” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

    Chris Stapleton is featured in a cover story for GQ Hype, and the article is also featured inside GQ. He talks about his upcoming album, Higher, which comes out next Friday (November 10th), as well as myriad of other things, including songwriting, his meteoric rise to normally unattainable heights, his office/rehearsal space, collecting instruments and more. He also filmed the GQ Essentials 10 video, which are 10 Things Chris Stapleton Can’t Live Without. A few of those things are a kitchen table chair he took from his parents’ house when he left for Nashville years ago, the 1979 Jeep Cherokee his wife Morgane bought him in Phoenix (and the same Jeep he wrote “Traveller” in on the way home), his late father’s knife collection, his vintage Charlie 1 Horse straw hat and much more.

     

    Anne Wilson is featured in the new K-Love Live from Red Rocks concert event, which can only be seen in movie theaters nationwide on November 6th and 7th. Filmed at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado, the special concert film features live performances, behind-the-scenes content, plus exclusive interviews with Anne, as well as some of today’s top-charting Christian artists, including MercyMe, Zach Williams, Jeremy Camp, We the Kingdom, CAIN, Blessing Offor and Hope Darst. Anne is currently making her way up the country charts with “Rain In The Rearview.”

    https://twitter.com/Annewilsonmusic/status/1719491954814099829

     

    The War And Treaty will sing the national anthem prior to the Detroit Lions 84th annual Thanksgiving Day Classic matchup against the Green Bay Packers on November 23rd. The traditional Thanksgiving Day game and festivities will air on FOX at 12:30pm ET.

    Eric Church is set to headline the Pepsi Rock the South music festival in Cullman, Alabama next year. Jelly Roll and Hardy will also headline different nights. The three-day event, which will take place July 18th-20th, 2024, will also feature performances by Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Nelly, Oliver Anthony and more.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: George Strait, Mickey Guyton, Darius Rucker, Shania Twain, Chris Stapleton

    George Strait is nominated for Top Country Touring Artist at this year’s Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs), along with Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen. You can watch the BBMAs November 19th on Billboard social channels, as well as via BBMAs.watch.

    https://twitter.com/BBMAs/status/1717565246527721907

     

    Mickey Guyton will perform the National Anthem at Game Four of the World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks the Texas Rangers on Tuesday (October 31st). FOX’s coverage of the 2023 World Series presented by Capital One begins at 7pm ET for all games and will include National Anthem performances at approximately 7:45pm ET.

    Darius Rucker teamed up with rapper/singer Dax for a remix of the breakout star’s remix of “To Be A Man.” The pair filmed the official music video in Nashville.

    Shania Twain‘s Come On Over album has been R.I.A.A. certified TWO TIMES Diamond, which is the highest-certified album for a female artist in the country genre.

    https://twitter.com/RIAA/status/1719036528138322347

     

    Chris Stapleton chatted with Willie Geist on NBC’s Sunday Sitdown to chat about his rehearsal space, guitars, his new album “Higher” and his Super Bowl performance that brought grown men to tears. Check out the interview below. Stapleton’s new album will be available November 10th.

     

    Video /

  • CHRIS STAPLETON ADDS DATES TO HIS ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW TOUR FOR 2024.

    Chris Stapleton just announced new dates for his All-American Road Show Tour for next year. The new leg of the trek, which will kick off March 2nd in San Diego, California, will feature rotating special guests Sheryl Crow, The War And Treaty, Elle King, Lainey Wilson, Willie Nelson and Family, Grace Potter, Marty Stuart, Turnpike Troubadours, Nikki Lane and Marcus King.

     

    Tickets for next year’s shows will go on sale November 3rd at 10am local time at chrisstapleton.com.

    The superstar is nominated for three CMA Awards this year including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year (“We Don’t Fight Anymore” with Carly Pearce). The 57th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and NFL great Peyton Manning, will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 8th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC and the next day on HULU.

    Chris is poised to enter the Top 10 on the country charts with his latest song, “White Horse,” from his upcoming album, Higher, which will be available November 10th.

  • LUKE BRYAN, CHRIS STAPLETON AND LITTLE BIG TOWN ARE AMONG THE INITIAL LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town are among the initial list of performers for this year’s CMA Awards. Jelly Roll, Old Dominion, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney, Carly Pearce, Tanya Tucker and K. Michelle will also perform.

    CMA Awards co-host Luke will deliver a medley of his hits including “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day,” “One Margarita,” “That’s My Kind Of Night,” “Play It Again” and “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” coming on the heels of celebrating his 30th No. 1 song.

    Chris, who is nominated for three CMA Awards including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year (with Carly Pearce) will take the stage to perform his latest single “White Horse.”

    Additional collaborations include Jelly Roll taking the stage a second time with first-time CMA Awards performer K. Michelle for a moving rendition of “Love Can Build a Bridge,” and one of the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Tucker, will be joined by Vocal Group of the Year nominee Little Big Town, for a special performance of Tucker’s iconic “Delta Dawn.” Vocal Group and Music Video of the Year nominee this year, Old Dominion, and New Artist and Song of the Year nominee as well as first-time CMA Awards performer, Moroney, will perform their new song “Can’t Break Up Now.” Pearce, nominated for Female Vocalist and Musical Event, will take the stage to perform her lauded new single “We Don’t Fight Anymore” with Stapleton, in addition to his solo performance.

    Additional performers and presenters for “The 57th Annual CMA Awards” will be announced in the weeks ahead.

    The 57th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and NFL great Peyton Manning, will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 8th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC and the next day on HULU.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Nate Bargatze

    Brothers Osborne performed “Goodbyes Kickin’ In” on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday (October 23rd).  The song is from their new self-titled album.

     

    Chris Stapleton has been announced as one of the headliners for the inaugural “Heroes & Headliners” concert, which will pay tribute to veterans and their families. The concert, which will also feature Imagine Dragons and H.E.R., will be held at Tampa’s MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater on Veteran’s Day (November 11th). Fans will be able to stream the show beginning at 6:15pm ET/5:15pm CT on Walmart.com/Live, Facebook, Youtube and X/Twitter.

     

    Comedian Nate Bargatze has just announced dates for his 2024 tour. Presale for all new shows begin Wednesday (October 25th) at 10am local time, using the code FUNNY.

    https://twitter.com/natebargatze/status/1716839493230092737

     

     

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town, Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, The War And Treaty, Alan Jackson

    Chris Stapleton has been announced as one of the performers for the 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, along with Elton John, Dave Matthews, Brandi Carlile and H.E.R. This year’s class includes Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott and Sheryl Crow. The event will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on November 3rd and will be livestreamed and broadcast on Disney+ and ABC.

    Little Big Town spent time with TODAY’s Dylan Dryer on a tour of Nashville, for a cowboy boot fitting, a taste of hot chicken and live music ahead of the very first People’s Choice Country Awards tonight on NBC and Peacock. Check it out below.

    Brad Paisley appeared on ABC’s Nightline on Wednesday (September 27th) as he returned home to West Virginia where he’s giving back to the community. He shared his love and heartbreak for his home state and the inspiration behind the songs “Son of the Mountains,” “The Medicine Will” and “Same Here.”

     

    Luke Bryan and The War And Treaty will be featured on CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown this weekend. The show will air Saturday (September 30th) and Sunday (October 1st) at 9am ET/8am CT.

    Alan Jackson will release a special green vinyl edition of his 1993 holiday release, Honky Tonk Christmas on October 6th. You can pre-order it now at https://alanjackson.lnk.to/HTC.

    https://twitter.com/OfficialJackson/status/1707409868758429864

     

     

    Video /

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Kylie Morgan, Tyler Hubbard

    Chris Stapleton has announced he’s taking his “All-American Road Show” across the pond to the U.K. next year with special guest, Marty Stuart. The trek will launch October 16th in Manchester with stops in Glasgow, Dublin and Birmingham before wrapping October 23rd in London. Tickets for the U.K. leg go on sale Friday (September 29th).

     

    As you know, Chris Stapleton is now the voice of the opening song for Monday Night Football, but he was also featured during the broadcast Monday (September 25th) in a preview of Dolly Parton‘s forthcoming album, Rockstar. Dolly’s version of “Night Moves” from the album features Chris. In the coming weeks, more of Dolly’s tracks will be featured during MNF.

    Kylie Morgan performed the National Anthem prior to the Monday Night Football matchup (September 25th) between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams. The Bengals won 19-16. She returns to the road on Old Dominion’s No Bad Vibes Tour on Thursday (September 28th) in Charleston, South Carolina.

     

    Tyler Hubbard rushed from his tour stop in Las Vegas to a venue across town to perform the No. 1 hit, “Meant To Be,” with his friend and co-writer Bebe Rexha.

    https://twitter.com/tylerhubbard/status/1705647654728847607?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

    https://twitter.com/tylerhubbard/status/1706397260068667646?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Brothers Osborne, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Josh Ross

    Chris Stapleton is ready for some football — Monday Night Football, to be exact. He reimagines Phil Collins’ iconic song, “In The Air Tonight,” along with rapper/entertainment mogul Snoop Dogg and world-renowned drummer Cindy Blackman Santana, as the new opening song and music video for ESPN’s Monday Night Football. The new song and video will premiere tonight (September 18th) prior to Monday Night Football’s “Two Games, One Night” special presentation for both games (Saints at Panthers, 7:15pm ET on ESPN) and (Browns at Steelers, 8:15pm on ABC) and will continue to lead into all Monday Night Football games, ESPN’s Week 18 Saturday Doubleheader, Super Wild Card and its first Divisional playoff game.

     

     

    Brothers Osborne have released the official music video for their latest Top 25 single, “Nobody’s Nobody.” The song, which they co-wrote with producer Mike Elizondo and Kendell Marvel, is on their new self-titled album.

     

    We are just one week away from the premiere of Season 24 of NBC’s The Voice with Reba McEntire taking over the coach’s red chair from Blake Shelton. A new promo was just released for the new season, featuring all four coaches — Reba, Gwen Stefani, John Legend and Niall Horan. Season 24 has a two-night premiere on Monday (September 25th) and Tuesday (September 26th) at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

    Monday, September 25 at 8/7c and Tuesday September 26 at 8/7c

    https://twitter.com/NBCTheVoice/status/1703816154773623088

    Carrie Underwood‘s Carrie’s Country on SiriusXM (Channel 60) is showcasing a special episode of Carrie’s Countdown to celebrate the release of Denim & Rhinestones Deluxe Edition, which comes out Friday. The episode premiere’s Monday (September 18th) at 3pm ET and will repeat every day this week through Saturday (September 23rd) and include Monday, September 25th).

    https://twitter.com/Carries_Country/status/1703839198212460752

    After picking up the CCMA Award for Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year, Josh Ross has announced his first headlining tour, The Trouble Tour, kicking off early next year. He’s still on the road with Nickelback through October 5th.

    https://twitter.com/musicjoshross/status/1703832798866313268

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, George Strait, Luke Bryan, Josh Ross

    The Music Industry paid tribute to several artists including Chris Stapleton at the ACM Honors, which were filmed at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium on August 23rd. Performers include Keith Urban, Jordan Davis, Priscilla Block, The War And Treaty, Anne Wilson, Trisha Yearwood, Nelly, Lady A, Bailey Zimmerman, Lee Brice, Hailey Whitters and many more.

    Honorees include Chris Stapleton for the ACM Triple Crown Award, Tim McGraw for the ACM Icon Award, Kane Brown for the ACM International Award, and HARDY for the ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year Award. Other honorees include Clint Black, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Charlie Daniels, K.T. Oslin, BRELAND, Ashley Gorley, Mike Dungan, Bill Mayne, Charlie Cook and Troy Vollhoffer. The ACM Honors will air Monday (September 18th) at 8pm ET/7pm CT on FOX.

    https://twitter.com/ACMawards/status/1701651197076058437

    George Strait worked with artist Tim Wakefield and Soundwaves Art for a new round of limited-edition art pieces made from his music. Proceeds from the sale of the artworks will go to Sweet Relief, which assists those struggling in the music industry.

     

     

    Luke Bryan‘s Boldly Grown Peanuts sold out so fast, so the superstar and Fendt created a limited-time fourth flavor — Backroads Bourbon, on sale now at boldlygrowngoods.com.

     

    Josh Ross, who is making his way up the U.S. Country Charts with “Trouble,” won Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year Award at the Canadian Country Music Awards on Saturday (September 16th).

     

     

     

  • GEORGE STRAIT AND CHRIS STAPLETON EXTEND RUN OF STADIUM SHOWS, NEW DATES ADDED FOR 2024.

    Setting venue attendance records across seven stadium shows this summer, country music icon George Strait and eight-time GRAMMY winner Chris Stapleton continue the excitement into 2024 with nine new dates. Also returning alongside the King of Country and Stapleton for the extended run of one-off stadium dates are special guests and GRAMMY Award-winning band Little Big Town.

    In addition to summer shows in Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Ames, Charlotte, East Rutherford, Salt Lake City, Detroit and Chicago, Strait will also supersize his longstanding Strait to Vegas show with a December date at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium to mark the 37th installment of the engagement.

     

    Tickets to most shows go on sale next Friday, September 22nd at 10am local time via GeorgeStrait.com, with tickets to the Jacksonville show on sale Friday, October 20th at 10am local time. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Friday, September 15th at 10am local time through Thursday, September 21st at 10pm local time.

    Of the few opportunities to see Strait perform live, Pollstar opines, “Strait remains the most worthy inheritor of Merle Haggard or Willie Nelson’s mantle of country icon through the meaningful fluidity with which he moves through country’s various sub-strains with the same ease and enjoyment that marked both men’s Country Music Hall of Fame careers.”

    “I’ve always said we have the best fans in the world, and to see so many of them show up for these shows just makes us want to keep bringing them more,” shares Strait. “I’ve also missed performing in Las Vegas during NFR, so I’m happy to see that show come together in 2024. See you soon!”

    George Strait w/ Chris Stapleton & special guests Little Big Town 2024 Stadium Shows:
    May 4, 2024                Indianapolis, Ind.  ||  Lucas Oil Stadium
    May 11, 2024              Jacksonville, Fla.  ||  EverBank Stadium
    May 25, 2024              Ames, Iowa  ||  Jack Trice Stadium
    June 1, 2024                Charlotte, N.C.  ||  Bank of America Stadium
    June 8, 2024                East Rutherford, N.J.  ||  MetLife Stadium
    June 29, 2024              Salt Lake City, Utah  ||  Rice Eccles Stadium
    July 13, 2024              Detroit, Mich.  ||  Ford Field
    July 20, 2024              Chicago, Ill.  ||  Soldier Field
    Dec. 7, 2024                Las Vegas, Nev.  ||  Allegiant Stadium

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S NEW SONG “THINK I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU” DEBUTS TODAY.

    Chris Stapleton’s new song, “Think I’m In Love With You,” is debuting today. Listen/share HERE. Written by Stapleton, the song is the second unveiled from his highly anticipated new album, Higher, which will be released November 10th on Mercury Nashville (pre-order/pre-save).

     

    The new music adds to yet another landmark year for the 15x CMA Award-winner, who is nominated for three more awards at this year’s 57th Annual CMA Awards: Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year (“We Don’t Fight Anymore” with Carly Pearce). The awards ceremony will be broadcast live from Nashville on ABC Wednesday, November 8 at 8:00pm ET/7:00pm CT.

    Produced by Dave Cobb, Morgane Stapleton and Chris Stapleton, Higher was recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio A and showcases his supernatural voice and musical versatility across 14 songs that defy genre. Already receiving critical attention, Stapleton recently unveiled lead single, “White Horse,” of which Billboard praises “a hell-raising anthem, meant to be blared with windows down and enjoyed with ears ringing. ‘White Horse’ finds Stapleton pairing an outlaw swagger with some heaven-scraping vocals, going for the gusto throughout the chorus to try and match the guitar snarl.” Additionally, Consequence declares, “‘White Horse’ certainly suggests that Stapleton is leaning into his strengths as a cross-genre act” and Brooklyn Vegan proclaims, “one of the most jaw-dropping singles yet from an artist who rarely if ever misses.”

    Alongside Stapleton (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide electric guitar), the new album features Cobb (acoustic guitar, eclectic guitar), J.T. Cure (bass), Paul Franklin (pedal steel), Derek Mixon (drums), Morgane (background vocals, synthesizer, tambourine) and Lee Pardini (organ, piano).

    Known for his electric live performances, the 8x Grammy, 15x CMA and 15x ACM Award-winner will continue to tour through this fall with his extensive “All-American Road Show” tour. See below for complete itinerary.

    One of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians, in the past year Stapleton was named Entertainer of the Year at the 58th ACM Awards—resulting in a prestigious ACM Triple Crown Award—and Male Vocalist of the Year at the 2022 CMA Awards—his sixth time earning the award, setting the record for most wins ever in the category. Additionally, in February, he performed the National Anthem at Super Bowl LVII and has collaborated in recent years with Adele, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Justin Timberlake, P!nk, Sheryl Crow, Santana and many more.

    The new album follows 2020’s acclaimed Starting Over, which went on to win three awards at the 67th Annual GRAMMYs: Best Country Album, Best Country Solo Performance (“You Should Probably Leave”) and Best Country Song (“Cold”) in addition to earning Album of the Year honors at both the CMA and ACM Awards. Called a “a sure-footed masterpiece” by the Associated Press, the album landed on “Best of 2020” lists at NPR MusicRolling StoneBillboardEsquire, VultureThe Tennessean, and The New York Times, who declared, “Chris Stapleton’s roar isn’t designed to scare you off. It’s regal, an announcement of an alpha figure asserting his primacy…on this, his fourth album, the thrill is back.” Prior to Starting Over, Stapleton released a pair of Platinum-certified releases in 2017—From A Room: Volume 1 and From A Room: Volume 2—as well as his x5 Platinum breakthrough solo debut album in 2015, Traveller.

    In addition to their work as musicians, the Stapletons are founders of the Outlaw State of Kind charitable fund, which supports a variety of causes that are close to their heart.

    HIGHER TRACK LIST:

    1. What Am I Gonna Do
    2. South Dakota
    3. Trust
    4. It Takes A Woman
    5. The Fire
    6. Think I’m In Love With You
    7. Loving You On My Mind
    8. White Horse
    9. Higher
    10. The Bottom
    11. The Day I Die
    12. Crosswind
    13. Weight Of Your World
    14. Mountains Of My Mind

    CHRIS STAPLETON TOUR DATES:

    October 5—Charlottesville, VA—John Paul Jones Arena* (SOLD OUT)

    October 6—State College, PA—Bryce Jordan Center* (SOLD OUT)

    October 7—Long Island, NY—UBS Arena* (SOLD OUT)

    October 12—Corpus Christi, TX—American Bank Center Arena+

    October 13—Houston, TX—Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion+ (SOLD OUT)

    October 14—Lafayette, LA—Cajundome+

    October 19—San Antonio, TX—AT&T Center+ (SOLD OUT)

    October 20—Austin, TX—Moody Center+ (SOLD OUT)

    October 21—Austin, TX—Moody Center+ (SOLD OUT)

    October 26—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center+ (SOLD OUT)

    October 27—Dallas, TX—Dos Equis Pavilion+ (SOLD OUT)

    October 28—Dallas, TX—Dos Equis Pavilion+ (SOLD OUT)

    *with special guests Margo Price and Nikki Lane
    +with special guests Charley Crockett and Nikki Lane

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Mickey Guyton, Sam Williams

    Chris Stapleton is taking part in Peloton‘s All For One Fitness Festival, the fitness brand’s annual celebration of movement, music and community, this weekend, September 7th – 9th. The virtual festival will include live Artist Series classes featuring music from KatyPerr, Skrillex, Hozier and Chaka Khan, as well as on-demand classes including Stapleton, The Black Keys, Dave Matthews Band, Eagles, Ellie Goulding, Gorillaz, LL COOL J, Machine Gun Kelly, Maren Morris, Miguel, Pusha T, Salt N Pepa, ZZ Top and Thirty Seconds to Mars. Check out classes with Chris Here: Logan Aldridge – 20 min Chris Stapleton Arms & Shoulders Strength;   Hannah Corbin – 30 min Chris Stapleton Ride.

    Mickey Guyton has released the official music video for her single, “Nothing Compares To You,” featuring Kane Brown. The tune was written by Tyler Hubbard, Bebe Rexha and Jordan Schmidt.

     

    Sam Williams will take part in a special concert event celebrating the 100th birthday of his grandfather, the late Hank Williams at The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. “Hank’s 100th: A Concert in Celebration of Hank Williams” will be presented by Spotify on September 21st at 3:30pm in the museum’s CMA Theater in Nashville. Artists also performing during the concert include Suzy Bogguss, Rodney Crowell,  Delbert McClinton, Chuck Mead, Wendy Moten, Country Music Hall of Fame members Charlie McCoy and Connie Smith and two more of Hank Williams’ grandchildren, Hilary Williams and Holly Williams, among others.

     

     

  • CMA NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN REVEALED; CHRIS STAPLETON AND JORDAN DAVIS GARNER 3 NODS EACH.

    The nominees for “The 57th Annual CMA Awards” have been announced. Lainey Wilson leads the list with nine nominations. Chris Stapleton and Jordan Davis have three apiece.

    Chris, the reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year,  returns to both Entertainer and Male Vocalist categories, marking his seventh Entertainer nod and ninth Male Vocalist nomination. He is also up for Musical Event with Carly Pearce on the song “We Don’t Fight Anymore.” Chris has 34 career nominations.

    Jordan is nominated for Single, Song and Music Video of the Year for his multi-week No. 1 smash, “Next Thing You Know.” The song, produced by Paul DiGiovanni, was written by Jordan, Greylan James, Chase McGill and Josh Osborne.

     

     

    Carrie Underwood is once again nominated for Entertainer of the Year, while Parker McCollum is up for New Artist of the Year.

    Brothers Osborne and Maddie & Tae return to the Duo of the Year category, while The War And Treaty earn their first CMA nod in the category. Brothers’ John Osborne is also nominated as producer AND Mix Engineer of Ashley McBryde’s album, Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville. 

     

    Little Big Town earns their 18th nomination in the Vocal Group Of The Year category, which they’ve taken home six times. This is their 32nd CMA nomination overall.

     

    Entertainer of The Year:

    • Luke Combs
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Carrie Underwood
    • Morgan Wallen
    • Lainey Wilson

    Female Vocalist of the Year:

    • Kelsea Ballerini
    • Miranda Lambert
    • Ashley McBryde
    • Carly Pearce
    • Lainey Wilson

    Male Vocalist of the Year:

    • Luke Combs
    • Jelly Roll
    • Cody Johnson
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Morgan Wallen

    Vocal Group of the Year:

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

    Vocal Duo Of The Year:

    • Brooks & Dunn
    • Brothers Osborne  
    • Dan + Shay
    • Maddie & Tae
    • The War And Treaty

    Single of the Year:

    • “Fast Car”; Luke Combs; Producer: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathon Singleton; Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews
    • “Heart Like A Truck”; Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
    • “Need A Favor”; Jelly Roll; Producer: Austin Nivarel; Mix Engineer: Jeff Braun
    • “Next Thing You Know”; Jordan Davis; Producer: Paul DiGiovanni; Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
    • “Wait In The Truck”; Hardy f/Lainey Wilson; Producers: Hardy, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells; Mix Engineer: Joey Moi

    Album of the Year:

    • Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville; Producers: John Osborne, John Peets; Mix Engineers: Gena Johnson, John Osborne
    • Bell Bottom Country; Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
    • Gettin’ Old; Luke Combs; Producers Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Mix Engineers: Michael H. Brauer, Jim Cooley, Chip Matthews
    • One Thing At A Time; Morgan Wallen Producers: Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi, Cameron Montgomery Mix Engineers: Josh Ditty, Joey Moi, Eivind Nordland
    • Rolling Up the Welcome Mat; Kelsea Ballerini Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa Vanderheym; Mix Engineers: Dan Grech-Marguerat, Alysa Vanderheym

    Song of the Year:

    • “Fast Car”; Songwriter: Tracy Chapman
    • “Heart Like A Truck”; Songwriters: Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Lainey Wilson
    • “Next Thing You Know”; Songwriters: Jordan Davis, Greylan James, Chase McGill, Josh Osborne
    • “Tennessee Orange”; Songwriters: David Fanning, Paul Jenkins, Megan Moroney, Ben Williams
    • “Wait In The Truck”; Songwriters: Renee Blair, Michael Hardy, Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt

    Musical Event Of The Year:

    • “Save Me”; Jelly Roll w/Lainey Wilson; Producers: Zach Crowell, David Ray Stevens
    • “She Had Me At Heads Carolina (Remix)” Cole Swindell & Jo Dee Messina; Producer: Zach Crowell
    • “Thank God”; Kane Brown w/Katelyn Brown; Producer: Dann Huff
    • “Wait In The Truck”; Hardy f/Lainey Wilson; Producers: Hardy, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells
    • “We Don’t Fight Anymore”; Carly Pearce f/Chris Stapleton; Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce

    New Artist of the Year:

    • Zach Bryan
    • Jelly Roll
    • Parker McCollum
    • Megan Moroney
    • Hailey Whitters

    Musician of the Year:

    • Jenee Fleenor
    • Paul Franklin
    • Rob McNelley
    • Derek Wells
    • Charlie Worsham

    Music Video of the Year

    • “Light On In The Kitchen”; Ashley McBryde; Director: Reid Long
    • “Memory Lane”; Old Dominion; Directors: Mason Allen, Nicki Fletcher
    • “Need A Favor”; Jelly Roll; Director: Patrick Tohill
    • “Next Thing You Know”; Jordan Davis; Director: Running Bear
    • “Wait In The Truck”; Hardy f/Lainey Wilson; Director: Justin Clough

     

    The 57th CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 8th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.

     

    Audio / JORDAN DAVIS TALKS ABOUT WRITING HIS TWO-WEEK NO. 1 SMASH, "NEXT THING YOU KNOW."

    Download

    Jordan Davis (writing Next Thing You Know) OC: …song is today. :59
    “There’s a saying that says ‘raising kids – the days are long, the years are short,’ and that’s what this song is to me. I kind of came in wanting to write something like that, you know kind of a slow down time song, and Greylan had this idea. The idea initially was about going to a bar or going somewhere and meeting somebody and then just the progression of a relationship. I kind of hijacked the title and said, ‘Hey man. I love that title, but we’re going to write it in the sense of having kids, watching ‘em grow up and hopefully becoming a grandparent, you know? Chase McGill and Josh Osborne both have kiddos, and I think they kind of grabbed on it. Greylan, hats off to him. He’s the single kid of the group, so he was like, ‘Man, I’ll go there. I don’t know how much input I can be able to say in this, but I’ll go there with you.’ I mean, he’s a great writer, and it was fun to kind of see the title that he threw out evolve into what the song is today.”

    Audio / CHRIS STAPLETON SAYS HE’S ALWAYS GRATEFUL FOR THE MOMENT OF RECOGNITION.

    Download

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

    Audio / Michael and Tanya Trotter of The War And Treaty react to their first CMA nomination.

    Download

    The War And Treaty (CMA 2023 reaction) OC: (MICHAEL) …This is crazy. :24 NOTE: quick cutoff at the end

    TANYA: “I can’t believe you got up and you gave me the phone (Michael laughs). The first thing you did, you passed me the phone and I started crying.” MICHAEL: “Text messages from everyone. Like to think, Oh My God, this is our first CMA nomination.” TANYA: “That’s insane.” MICHAEL: “WE.ARE.NOMINATED.FOR.A.CMA.” TANYA LAUGHS: “That’s crazy.” MICHAEL: “Are you serious?” TANYA: “I mean, all I can say is thank you to the fans and everybody. Thank you so much.” MICHAEL: “This is crazy.”

    Audio / From backstage at last year's CMA Awards, Brothers Osborne are giddy after winning the Duo of the Year Award.

    Download

    Brothers Osborne (CMA Award) OC: …awesome family. :49
    JOHN: “The Duo category can go any which way. I mean, you look at us, comparatively speaking, we’re kind of maybe somewhere in the middle in terms of the numbers. I don’t know what it is (laughs), I don’t know why we’re holding these up here, but it’s super rad and I’m definitely going to put this on my mantel. You know, I think one of the most amazing pieces of advice I was ever given was to work hard and be nice to people, and I think that’s why we have these. We work really hard and we try to be respectful to everyone around us. And one of the things I love about the country music genre is it’s family and we’re all really, really close. We’re all a bunch of misfits thrown together. We’re all a little different, but we love one another and respect one another, and I’m just honored for the both of us to be part of this awesome family.”

    Audio / CARRIE UNDERWOOD TALKS ABOUT HER CMA ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINATION.

    Download

    Carrie Underwood (CMA Entertainer nod) OC: …that category. :47
    “It is, I mean, obviously such an honor to be nominated in Entertainer of the Year. Obviously, that’s such a tough category to be in, ‘cause there’s just so, I don’t even want to call it competition, there’s just so many hard working artists out there that are just you know pouring themselves and their time and their energy and their love and their artistry into what they do. You know, obviously just to even be in the final category is just absolutely amazing and hopefully, above all, we can all just remember that it’s a celebration of a great year in country music and in our careers as artists, so we’ll just see what happens, but definitely excited to be in that category.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks Bentley, Chris Stapleton, Sam Hunt, Darius Rucker

    Dierks Bentley‘s Whiskey Row will be the new home for Nashville’s musical discovery series, Whiskey Jam, which has hosted over 875 live events in its 13 years serving the artist and songwriting community. Starting September 18th, Whiskey Jam’s regular Monday and Thursday events will take place at the new location. “When we started construction on Whiskey Row seven years ago, my first call was to Ward because I knew he would be able to help us establish a music program that’s representative of the most authentic parts of Nashville, which was really important to me,” said Dierks. “This feels like a natural evolution in our relationship. I’m proud to know that my bar will be home base for artists and fans who want to hear original music of all kinds.”

    Chris Stapleton has partnered with Alaska outfitters brand Filson. The new luggage set is titled the Travellers Collection, and it will include five bags and a custom T-shirt. The complete collection will be available October 5th, but you can purchase the T-shirt with all proceeds from the sale of the Tee going to Chris and Morgane Stapleton’s Outlaw State of Kind charity.

     

    Sam Hunt appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America on Friday (September 1st). He performed several songs, including his latest single, “Outskirts,” as well as his multi-platinum, multi-week No. 1 “Body Like A Backroad,” “House Party” and “23.” He also talked about life on the road with his wife and daughter, expecting baby no. 2 and how he’s working on new music.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FirA0GsvyQE

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op2JhuRb9QI

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYpnq3X_sKQ

    Darius Rucker appeared on NBC’s TODAY Show on Friday (September 1st). Between performances on the Citi Concert stage, Darius talked about his upcoming album, “Carolyn’s Boy” — his first album in six years. He also opened up about being an empty nester now that his children are all out of the house with his youngest, son Jack, heading off to college. Darius performed his new song, “Have A Good Time,” “Fires Don’t Start Themselves,” his fan-favorite smash “Wagon Wheel” and his recent No. 1 “Beers And Sunshine.”

     

     

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  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD AND CHRIS STAPLETON LEAD THE UMGN LIST OF NOMINEES FOR THE INAUGURAL PEOPLE’S CHOICE COUNTRY AWARDS.

    Carrie Underwood and Chris Stapleton lead Universal Music Group Nashville’s list of nominees for the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards.

    Carrie has three nods for the fan-voted show, including Female Artist of 2023, Social Country Star of 2023 and Concert Tour of 2023  for her Denim & Rhinestones Tour.

    Chris is also nominated in three categories, including Collaboration Song of 2023 for “We Don’t Fight Anymore” w/ Carly Pearce, Crossover Song of 2023 with “Just Say I’m Sorry” with P!NK and  Concert Tour of 2023 for his All American Road Show.

    Priscilla Block picks up two nominations for New Artist of 2023 and Collaboration Song of 2023 with the No. 1 song “You, Me, And Whiskey” w/ Justin Moore.

    Brothers Osborne, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae and The War And Treaty are all nominated for Group/Duo of 2023.

    To vote for your favorites and to see the rest of the nominees, go to pcca.votenow.nbc.com.

    One vote per category per day.

    Hosted by Little Big Town, the People’s Choice Country Awards will air live from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House September 28th beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on NBC and Peacock.

     

     

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S HIGHER OUT NOVEMBER 10TH; FIRST SINGLE “WHITE HORSE” AT RADIO NOW!

    Chris Stapleton’s highly anticipated new album, Higher, will be released November 10th on Mercury Nashville (pre-order/pre-save). In advance of the release, the album’s first single, “White Horse,” written by Stapleton and Dan Wilson, is out today — listen HERE.

    Produced by Dave Cobb, Morgane Stapleton, and Stapleton, Higher was recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio A. Across its 14 songs, Stapleton showcases his supernatural voice and musical versatility with songs that span genres and defy easy categorization. Alongside Stapleton (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide electric guitar), the album features Cobb (acoustic guitar, eclectic guitar), J.T. Cure (bass), Paul Franklin (pedal steel), Derek Mixon (drums), Morgane (background vocals, synthesizer, tambourine), and Lee Pardini (organ, piano).

    Known for his electric live performances, the 8x Grammy, 15x CMA and 15x ACM Award-winner is currently in the midst of his extensive “All-American Road Show” tour and joins George Strait for select stadium shows this summer including two shows next Friday and Saturday at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium.

    One of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians, in the past year Stapleton was named Entertainer of the Year at the 58th ACM Awards — resulting in a prestigious ACM Triple Crown Award — and Male Vocalist of the Year at the 2022 CMA Awards — his sixth time earning the award, setting the record for most wins ever in the category. Additionally, in February, he performed the National Anthem at Super Bowl LVII and has collaborated in recent years with Adele, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Justin Timberlake, P!nk, Sheryl Crow, Santana, and many more.

    The new album follows 2020’s acclaimed Starting Over, which went on to win three awards at the 67th Annual GRAMMYs: Best Country Album, Best Country Solo Performance (“You Should Probably Leave”) and Best Country Song (“Cold”) in addition to earning Album of the Year honors at both the CMA and ACM Awards. Called a “a sure-footed masterpiece” by the Associated Press, the album landed on “Best of 2020” lists at NPR MusicRolling StoneBillboardEsquire, VultureThe Tennessean, and The New York Times, who declared, “Chris Stapleton’s roar isn’t designed to scare you off. It’s regal, an announcement of an alpha figure asserting his primacy…on this, his fourth album, the thrill is back.” Prior to Starting Over, Stapleton released a pair of Platinum-certified releases in 2017 — From A Room: Volume 1 and From A Room: Volume 2 — as well as his 5x Platinum breakthrough solo debut album in 2015, Traveller.

    In addition to their work as musicians, the Stapletons are founders of the Outlaw State of Kind charitable fund, which supports a variety of causes that are close to their heart.

    HIGHER Track List:

    1. What Am I Gonna Do
    2. South Dakota
    3. Trust
    4. It Takes A Woman
    5. The Fire
    6. Think I’m In Love With You
    7. Loving You On My Mind
    8. White Horse
    9. Higher
    10. The Bottom
    11. The Day I Die
    12. Crosswind
    13. Weight Of Your World
    14. Mountains Of My Mind

     

    CHRIS STAPLETON TOUR DATES:

    July 22—Cullman, AL—Rock the South

    July 28—Nashville, TN—Nissan Stadium*

    July 29—Nashville, TN—Nissan Stadium*

    August 5—Tampa, FL—Raymond James Stadium*

    August 10—Gilford, NH—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion‡ (SOLD OUT)

    August 11—Gilford, NH—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion‡ (SOLD OUT)

    August 12—Gilford, NH—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion‡ (SOLD OUT)

    August 17—Toronto, ON—Budweiser Stage† (SOLD OUT)

    August 18—Toronto, ON—Budweiser Stage† (SOLD OUT)

    August 19—Montreal, QC—Lasso Festival at Parc Jean-Drapeau

    August 24—Memphis, TX—FedEx Forum#

    August 25—Alpharetta, GA—Ameris Bank Amphitheatre# (SOLD OUT)

    August 26—Alpharetta, GA—Ameris Bank Amphitheatre# (SOLD OUT)

    October 5—Charlottesville, VA—John Paul Jones Arena^ (SOLD OUT)

    October 6—State College, PA—Bryce Jordan Center^ (SOLD OUT)

    October 7—Long Island, NY—UBS Arena^ (SOLD OUT)

    October 12—Corpus Christi, TX—American Bank Center Arena§

    October 13—Houston, TX—Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion§ (SOLD OUT)

    October 19—San Antonio, TX—AT&T Center§ (SOLD OUT)

    October 20—Austin, TX—Moody Center§ (SOLD OUT)

    October 21—Austin, TX—Moody Center§ (SOLD OUT)

    October 26—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center§ (SOLD OUT)

    October 27—Dallas, TX—Dos Equis Pavilion§ (SOLD OUT)

    October 28—Dallas, TX—Dos Equis Pavilion§ (SOLD OUT)

    *with George Strait and special guests Little Big Town
    ‡with special guests Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives and The War And Treaty

    †with special guests Marcus King and The War And Treaty
    #with special guests Marcus King and Allen Stone

    ^with special guests Margo Price and Nikki Lane
    §with special guests Charley Crockett and Nikki Lane

     

    Audio / Chris Stapleton reveals he wrote the title track "Higher" right after he moved to Nashville to become a professional songwriter.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Higher song) OC: …to me. :22
    “’Higher’ is a song that’s been around a long, long time. I wrote it in 2001 within the first few months of being a professional songwriter here in Nashville, and it was on the first demo session I ever did in Nashville. So, for it to come around 22 years later and wind up being a title track of an album is a pretty unique thing to me.”

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON RELEASES NEW SINGLE “WHITE HORSE;” ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM, HIGHER, OUT IN NOVEMBER.

    Chris Stapleton has released his new single, “White Horse,” which he co-wrote with Dan Wilson. The song was written over a decade ago when Dan and Chris were asked to write a song for a movie, however, it didn’t make the final cut of the film.

    “’White Horse’ was a song that I wrote with my friend, Dan Wilson,” says Chris. “We were out in Los Angeles, it was about I think probably late 2012, early 2013, and there was a movie called the Lone Ranger that was coming out, and I walked in the room to write with Dan at his house, and he said, ‘Hey they’re looking for songs for this Lone Ranger movie.’ I said, ‘Cool. Let’s write something. What do you know about it?’ He goes, ‘Well, we don’t really know anything.’ I was like, ‘Well, let’s just make a song that might sound like that.’ And so, that’s kind of where that came from, and we got to talking about how it would be cool to have a kind of rock-driven-western-themed song, and that’s kind of where the song came from and we kind of built it around a guitar riff, really.”

    Chris co-produced “White Horse” with Dave Cobb and his wife Morgane Stapleton.

    TO ACCESS THE “WHITE HORSE” TOOLKIT, CLICK HERE.

     

    WHITE HORSE LYRICS:

    This love is getting kinda dangerous
    Feels like it’s a loaded gun
    My mind, it’s turning like a cloud of dust
    My heart always wants to run

    Oh Oh Oh
    If you want a cowboy on a white horse
    Riding off into the sunset
    If that’s the kinda love you wanna wait for
    Hold on tight girl I ain’t there yet
    No I ain’t there yet
    No I ain’t there yet

    White Horse

    Someday maybe you could have your way
    Right now’s just not the time
    Some things a man’s just got to do
    I wish you could change my mind

    Oh Oh Oh
    If you want a cowboy on a white horse
    Riding off into the sunset
    If that’s the kinda love you wanna wait for
    Hold on tight girl I ain’t there yet
    No I ain’t there yet
    No I ain’t there yet

    White Horse

    If you want a cowboy on a white horse
    Riding off into the sunset
    If that’s the kinda love you wanna wait for
    Hold on tight girl I ain’t there
    If you want a cowboy on a white horse
    Riding off into the sunset
    If that’s the kinda love you wanna wait for
    Hold on tight girl I ain’t there yet
    No I ain’t there yet
    No I ain’t there yet
    White Horse

    Chris is set to play the Rock The South music festival in Cullman, Alabama on Saturday (July 22nd), followed by a two-night stand at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium with George Strait and Little Big Town July 28th and July 29th.

     

    Audio / Chris Stapleton reveals the inspiration behind his new song, "White Horse."

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (White Horse) OC: …guitar riff, really. :37
    “’White Horse’ was a song that I wrote with my friend, Dan Wilson. We were out in Los Angeles, it was about I think probably late 2012, early 2013, and there was a movie called the Lone Ranger that was coming out, and I walked in the room to write with Dan at his house, and he said, ‘Hey they’re looking for songs for this Lone Ranger movie.’ I said, ‘Cool. Let’s write something. What do you know about it?’ He goes, ‘Well, we don’t really know anything.’ I was like, ‘Well, let’s just make a song that might sound like that.’ And so, that’s kind of where that came from, and we got to talking about how it would be cool to have a kind of rock-driven-western-themed song, and that’s kind of where the song came from and we kind of built it around a guitar riff, really.”

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (White Horse) 1

    Download

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (White Horse) 2

    Download

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (White Horse) 3

    Download

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (White Horse) 4

    Download

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (White Horse) 5

    Download
  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Little Big Town

    Chris Stapleton has released his incredible version of “The Star Spangled Banner” that he performed at this year’s Super Bowl.

     

    Luke Bryan will appear on CMT Hot 20 Countdown this weekend.  He talks about his new Country On Tour and much more. Catch all the action Saturday and Sunday at 9am ET/8am CT.

    Little Big Town will open for pop superstar Ed Sheeran on Saturday (July 1st) at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachussetts.

     

    Little Big Town will host and perform at the first-ever People’s Choice Country Awards. The two-hour ceremony will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House September 28th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on NBC and will be available to stream on Peacock.

     

    https://twitter.com/peopleschoice/status/1674758706196774914

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Jordan Davis, Maddie & Tae, Anne Wilson, Darius Rucker

    Chris Stapleton and Lucchese released a behind-the-scenes of their new boot collection. “Everything can be refined to an art and that’s what I love about Lucchese boots — they’ve taken boot making and refined it to an art.” — Chris Stapleton  “A lucchese boot is what a cowboy boot should be.”

    Celebrating artistry through superior craftsmanship and vintage designs. Years in the making, Chris and Lucchese built a collection that reflects their mutual respect of tradition, quality, and timeless style. With every purchase, a portion of the proceeds supports Chris & Morgane Stapleton’s charitable fund Outlaw State of Kind.

     

    Jordan Davis will take part in CMT’s new series, Summer Sessions, which will air Friday nights beginning July 7th. Ashley McBryde, Breland, Chris Janson, Lee Brice and Tanya Tucker will also be featured.

    Maddie & Tae and Anne Wilson will perform as part of “A Covenant Knight at the Opry House” on August 7th, along with Jason Aldean, Morgan Wallen, Old Dominion, Lee Brice and many more. The event will benefit The Covenant School Community Fund to continue mental health support for healing, ease the transition back into the building and equip the school for a safe, successful new year together, following the tragedy that took place at the Nashville-area school earlier this year. Following the August 7th show, “A Covenant Knight at the Grand Ole Opry House” will air for six consecutive nights on Circle Network, starting August 19th.

     

     

    Darius Rucker will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as part of the Class of 2024. He’ll be joined by Gwen Stefani, Def Leppard, Sammy Hagar, Toni Braxton and Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, among others in the Recording category. Other famous faces who will be inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame include Chadwick Boseman (posthumously), Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kerry Washington, Eugene Levy, Ken Jeong, Christina Ricci and more.

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Brothers Osborne, Kip Moore, Maddie & Tae, Reba McEntire

    Chris Stapleton teamed up with famed bootmaker Lucchese to launch its new collection, Lucchese x Chris Stapleton, which is available now and includes three different types of boots. “Everything can be refined to an art and that’s what I love about Lucchese boots – they’ve taken boot making and refined it to an art,” says Chris. With every purchase, a portion of the proceeds supports Chris & Morgane Stapleton’s charitable fund Outlaw State of Kind.

     

    Brothers Osborne will perform a FREE show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Plaza on Monday (June 26th) prior to the NHL Awards, which will be hosted by Dierks Bentley.

     

    Kip Moore and Maddie & Tae will perform a free show as the NHL’s Nashville Predators launch the 25th Anniversary with a Broadway Block Party on Tuesday following the NHL Awards (hosted by Dierks Bentley) on Monday (June 26th). A full week of events will also include the 25th Anniversary Concert (on Tuesday, June 27th), NHL Draft, red carpet walks, games, giveaways, food trucks and more.

    Reba McEntire will extend her run as a coach on NBC’s The Voice into 2024. It was announced on Thursday (June 22nd) she will return, in addition to Dan + Shay joining as coaches in the Double Chair for the first time. For the 25th season, they will be joined by John Legend and Chance The Rapper. The new season, which will feature Reba, Gwen Stefani, Niall Horan and John Legend, kicks off this fall.

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S AWARDS ARE FOR THE FANS.

    Chris Stapleton just won the ACM Award for Entertainer of the Year, and fans may be able to see the trophy on the road. The phenomenal singer-songwriter takes some of the many 60+ awards he has received go on the road or are on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

    “Some of ‘em, we put ‘em out on the road in the VIP section for people to see, for the fans to see. That’s who they belong to,” says the Kentucky native. “I don’t feel like they really belong to me. I don’t have ‘em in my house or anything like that. So, I don’t sit around in a shrine of myself or anything. We try to make sure the fans get to see ‘em and enjoy ‘em as much as possible in the moments that can make that happen. Some of ‘em are in the Country Music Hall of Fame and places where they can be enjoyed by the people that got me to where I earn them.”

     

    In what could be the most iconic photo of the night (along with Lainey Wilson’s inspiring quote), Chris was captured by photographer John Shearer helping “to clean up” after the show.

    https://twitter.com/ChrisStapleton/status/1657078920900927491/photo/1

     

    You can see Chris next in Columbus, Ohio at the Buckeye Country Superfest show with George Strait and Little Big Town May 27th.

     

    Audio / Backstage at this year’s ACM Awards, Chris Stapleton says he puts his awards in places so the fans can enjoy them, such as taking them on the road and putting them in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (takes awards on the road) OC: …I earn them. :31
    “Some of ‘em, we pujt ‘em out on the road in the VIP section for people to see, for the fans to see. That’s who they belong to. I don’t feel like they really belong to me. I don’t have ‘em in my house or anything like that. So, I don’t sit around in a shrine of myself or anything. We try to make sure the fans get to see ‘em and enjoy ‘em as much as possible in the moments that can make that happen. Some of ‘em are in the Country Music Hall of Fame and places where they can be enjoyed by the people that got me to where I earn them.”

  • ACM 2023: Chris Stapleton Named Entertainer of the Year

    Chris Stapleton picked up his first ACM Entertainer of the Year award at Thursday night’s (May 11th) ACM Awards.

    After kissing his wife Morgane, Chris stepped up to accept his award from presenter Trisha Yearwood and he looked visibly shaken. “Well, I’m shocked — truly. By any imaginable metric I don’t deserve this, but thank you,” he said during his acceptance speech. “There’s so many other great people in this category. I stand up, and I play music. That’s what I try to do every night. I write songs, and I make records. I never thought of myself as somebody who’d win this award. I’m so grateful for each and every person who works so hard to make us able to do what we do — my wife Morgane, thank you.”

    After thanking his management company, record label, his band and crew, he dedicated the award to his five children. “I’m really at a loss of what to say, but I want to say, my kids sitting at home, they give up a lot of my time, a lot of my wife’s time so we can do this. This is for them.”

    Backstage, Chris said he was grateful for the amazing support he’s received. “I’m humbled by it and feel very thankful to the people that voted for me for it and think I’m deserving of that, but I’ll take it. I’ll take it.”

    Chris also said he’ll celebrate the win by heading home and sleeping in his own bed.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says he's humbled by the people who voted him ACM Entertainer Of The Year.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (ACM 2023 win) OC: …take it. :13
    “I’m humbled by it and feel very thankful to the people that voted for me for it and think I’m deserving of that, but I’ll take it. I’ll take it.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: George Strait, Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley

    George Strait joins Chris Stapleton, Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, Miranda Lambert, Shooter Jennings, Snoop Dogg, The chicks, Dwight Yoakam, Emmylou Harris, Billy Strings, Dave Matthews and many others to celebrate Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday at the Hollywood Bowl Saturday (April 29th) and Sunday (April 30th). Chelsea Handler, Ethan Hawke, Gabriel Iglesias, Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner, Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson have been added as presenters at “Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90, A Star-Studded Concert” Celebrating Willie’s 90th Birthday celebration.

     

    The recent tribute concert to the late George Jones, “Still Playin’ Possum: Music & Memories of George Jones,” will be made into a PBS Television special, according to Billboard. On Tuesday (April 25th), artists such as Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, Wynonna, Jelly Roll and Tanya Tucker performed at the Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama to honor the “Possum” with renditions of his biggest songs, including “Tennessee Whiskey,” “White Lightnin'” and “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” among others. A date for the PBS special should be forthcoming soon.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town, Jordan Davis, Parker McCollum, Jon Pardi

    Keith Urban just announced new dates for his Las Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. He will keep the party going November 1st – 18th with his fan club presale beginning on Wednesday (March 15th) at 10am PT, with tickets on sale to the public on Saturday (March 18th).

     

    You can win a limited-edition Chris Stapleton guitar. The folks at Epiphone just announced the release of the Chris Stapleton Frontier. Only 300 guitars will be produced. Check out the details below and how to get the limited run axe.

    Little Big Town will perform as part of the new CBS television special, “A GRAMMY Salute To The Beach Boys,” a two-hour tribute  featuring a star-studded  lineup, which will also include performances by John Legend, Brandi Carlile, Beck, Mumford & Sons, Weezer and many others. The special, which will also feature appearances by . The special also features appearances by Drew Carey, Tom Hanks, Jimmy Jam, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, and John Stamos, airs April 9th beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CBS and Paramount+.

    https://twitter.com/CBS/status/1635675662248988673

     

    Jordan Davis and Parker McCollum are featured in the new Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit: American Currents: State of the Music. American Currents takes a view of the country genre over the past year, exploring musical development and artist achievement. The exhibit, which also features HARDY, Molly Tuttle, Scotty McCreery, Shania Twain and more, runs until February 2024.

     

    https://twitter.com/CBSSunday/status/1635695098187984896

    Jon Pardi headlined the Houston Rodeo for the second time, and it looks like he had a little bit of fun. He posted a short video on his socials, showing a little behind-the-scenes action, as well as his well-executed exit from the arena on horseback.

    https://twitter.com/JonPardi/status/1636157657697353730

     

    Keith Urban will perform at this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards, taking place March 27th at 8pm ET/7pm CT/tape-delayed PT on FOX. P!nk, Kelly Clarkson, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Cody Johnson and Coldplay, among others. Taylor Swift will receive the 2023 iHeartRadio Innovator Award.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Jon Pardi, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton

    Jon Pardi and his wife Summer welcomed their first child, daughter Presley Fawn, on Saturday (February 18th). She weighed in at 7 pounds 12 ounces and was 20.21 inches long.

     

    Luke Bryan is one of the headliners for the  inaugural BEACH IT! Music Festival, which will also feature fellow headliners Miranda Lambert and Thomas Rhett. They’re set to take over the Virginia Beach Oceanfront on Friday, June 23rd through Sunday, June 25th. The three-day, two-stage festival’s main stage will also host performances by Riley Green, Jo Dee Messina, Kip Moore, Megan Moroney, Brothers Osborne, Jameson Rodgers, Nate Smith, Alana Springsteen, Cole Swindell, Lily Rose and Hailey Whitters.

    [embedhttps://twitter.com/lukebryan/status/1625883502792114176[/embed]

     

    Chris Stapleton joins P!nk on the song “Just Say I’m Sorry,” which is from her brand new album, Trustfall. They also had a duet on 2019’s “Love Me Anyway.”

     

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON MAY HAVE MANIFESTED THE PERFORMANCE OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AT THE SUPER BOWL.

    Chris Stapleton will be singing the National Anthem at Sunday’s (February 12th) Super Bowl. The multi-platinum artist and 8-time Grammy winner been quoted in the past he would perform the anthem unless it was at the Super Bowl. During an Apple Music press conference this week, he said he may have manifested the invitation.

    “It’s one of those calls you think you’re not gonna get. And then you get the call and you’re like, ‘Okay, let’s do this!,'” says Chris. “I think I said it ‘cause I thought I wouldn’t get asked. The national anthem’s not an easy song for singers, and it’s one that can go horribly wrong as we’ve seen many times in the past. Hopefully it won’t happen for me, knock on wood. But yeah, no, if you’re gonna do it, this is the place to do it.”

    Oscar winner Troy Kotsur will sign the national anthem alongside Stapleton. Kotsur won an Academy Award in 2022 for Best Supporting Actor for his work in “CODA,” becoming the second Deaf person ever to win an acting Oscar after Marlee Matlin.

    https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1617886437676027910

     

    Also performing this year are Emmy-winning actor Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbot Elementary) with “Lift Every Voice and Sing” during the pre-show. Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds will also perform with a rendition of “America the Beautiful.”

    If you want to see the entire press interview with Chris, as well as Sheryl Lee Ralph and Babyface, click here.

    A cool note — Oscar winner Troy Kotsur will sign the national anthem alongside Stapleton. Kotsur won an Academy Award in 2022 for Best Supporting Actor for his work in “CODA,” becoming the second Deaf person ever to win an acting Oscar after Marlee Matlin.

    The Big Game kicks off at 6:30pm ET/5:30pm CT Sunday (February 12th) and will be broadcast live from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on FOX. However, make sure to tune in early to catch all of the pre-game performances.

     

    Audio / During a press interview earlier this week, Chris Stapleton talked about performing the National Anthem at this year's Super Bowl.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (on singing the National Anthem at Super Bowl 2023) OC: …to do it. :23
    “It’s one of those calls you think you’re not gonna get. And then you get the call and you’re like, ‘Okay, let’s do this!’ I think I said it ‘cause I thought I wouldn’t get asked. The national anthem’s not an easy song for singers, and it’s one that can go horribly wrong as we’ve seen many times in the past. Hopefully it won’t happen for me, knock on wood. But yeah, no, if you’re gonna do it, this is the place to do it.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Chris Stapleton, Chrissy Metz

    Keith Urban will premiere the official music video for his latest single, “Brown Eyes Baby,” on Wednesday (February 8th) at 11am CT on Facebook.

    Don’t forget to tune into TalkShopLive with Dierks Bentley on Tuesday night (February 7th) beginning at 6:30pm ET. He’ll talk about his upcoming album, Gravel & Gold, which drops February 24th.

    Chris Stapleton teams up with P!nk once again for a duet on her new album, Trust Fall, which will be available next Friday (February 17th). The song is “Just Say I’m Sorry,” and it’s the closing track on her new album. The first time they paired up was in 2019 for “Love Me Anyway.”

    https://twitter.com/Pink/status/1620957652519100418

     

    Chrissy Metz co-wrote a children’s book with her boyfriend Bradley Collins and illustrator Lisa Fields. “When I Talk To God, I Talk About You.” The picture book, which is about faith, prayer and the loving bond between parent and child, will be released February 14th.

    https://twitter.com/ChrissyMetz/status/1623020299644960768

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON ANNOUNCES NEW TOUR DATES.

    Chris Stapleton announced new dates for the 2023 leg of his All American Road Show Tour. The trek kicks off April 26th in El Paso, Texas and will make stops in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Moline, Illinois, Grand Rapids, Michigan and currently runs through August 25th in Alpharetta, Georgia.

    Rotating opening acts include The War and Treaty, Marty Stuart, Margo Price, Allen Stone, Charley Crockett, Marcus King and Nikki Lane. Tickets go on sale February 10th.

     

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON HAS BEEN TAPPED TO PERFORM THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AT THIS YEAR’S SUPER BOWL.

    Chris Stapleton will perform the National Anthem at this year’s Super Bowl (or “Big Game”). Super Bowl LVII takes place Sunday, February 12th at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The Big Game will air on FOX with the kickoff scheduled at 6:30pm ET/5:30pm CT.

    Babyface will perform “America The Beautiful,” and Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph will sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The U.S. Navy will conduct a flyover during the National Anthem to celebrate 50 years of women being admitted in the military branch. As previously announced, Rihanna will be the half-time performer this year.

     

     

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON AND KACEY MUSGRAVES ARE SLATED FOR LONG STORY SHORT: WILLIE NELSON 90, A STAR-STUDDED CONCERT CELEBRATING WILLIE’S 90TH BIRTHDAY.

    Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves are set to perform during a two-day concert honoring a generational icon – Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90, A Star-Studded Concert Celebrating Willie’s 90th Birthday. The shows will take place on Saturday and Sunday, April 29th and 30th, 2023, at the legendary Hollywood Bowl and is being billed as one of the biggest music events of the year. Each night will be a unique experience, featuring once-in-a-lifetime performances and unforgettable collaborations to be revealed at the show.

    “I can’t think of a better way to spend my 90th birthday than being surrounded by family, friends and of course the fans who made this all possible,” says Willie Nelson. “It’s an honor to perform with such an incredible group of artists at such an iconic venue.”

    Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90, A Star-Studded Concert Celebrating Willie’s 90th Birthday includes performances by Willie Nelson, Chris and Kacey, along with Allison Russell, Beck, Billy Strings, Bobby Weir, Charley Crockett, Edie Brickell, Leon Bridges, Lukas Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Margo Price, Miranda Lambert, Nathaniel Rateliff, Neil Young, Norah Jones, Orville Peck, Particle Kid, Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Snoop Dogg, Sturgill Simpson, The Avett Brothers, The Chicks, The Lumineers, Tom Jones, Tyler Childers, Warren Haynes and Ziggy Marley. Additional artists will be announced in the coming weeks.

    Two-day packages for the general public go on sale Saturday, Jan. 28, at 10 AM PT at http://ticketmaster.com. All eligible Capital One Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cardholders will have access to exclusive presale tickets before the general public beginning Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 10 AM PT. For complete show details, including information on travel packages, go to willienelson90.com.

  • PARKER McCOLLUM, CHRIS STAPLETON, LUKE BRYAN AND JON PARDI ARE AMONG THE HEADLINERS AT THIS YEAR’S RODEOHOUSTON.

    The lineup for this year’s RodeoHouston has been announced. The 20-day event kicks off with Parker McCollum February 28th, following his sold-out debut last year. RodeoHouston will also include headliners such as Jon Pardi (March 8th), Chris Stapleton (March 16th) with Luke Bryan closing it out March 19th. Other performers include Ashley McBryde, Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, Jason Aldean, The Chainsmokers, New Kids on the Block, Machine Gun Kelly and Cody Johnson, among others.

    Individual RODEOHOUSTON tickets will go on sale to the public Thursday, January 12th. For the first time, they will be sold in two waves, 10am and 2pm, at rodeohouston.com.

  • GEORGE STRAIT TO HEADLINE BUCKEYE COUNTRY SUPERFEST WITH CHRIS STAPLETON AND SPECIAL GUESTS LITTLE BIG TOWN.

    Buckeye Country Superfest has announced a top-tier lineup for 2023, with George Strait headlining the annual event at Ohio Stadium on May 27th, 2023. Appearing alongside the King of Country is one of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians, Chris Stapleton, plus special guests, Grammy Award-winning band Little Big Town and rising star Warren Zeiders. 2023 will mark the sixth year for Buckeye Country Superfest at Ohio Stadium, following a record-setting attendance of over 63,000 fans in 2022.

    Tickets go on sale this Saturday, Nov. 19, at 10 a.m. ET at BuckeyeCountrySuperfest.com. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 10 a.m. ET through Friday, Nov. 18 at 10 p.m. ET.

    The festival announcement follows the recent news that Strait and Stapleton will team up for one-off stadium shows in only six markets next summer, with Little Big Town also joining them for those dates. Tickets to the 2023 concerts in Phoenix, Milwaukee, Seattle, Denver, Nashville (two nights) and Tampa are on sale now via GeorgeStrait.com.

    “When I walk through those curtains and see those smiling faces, my feet don’t touch the ground again ‘til I walk back out and get on that bus that got me there. That’s from a song I wrote called ‘I’ll Always Remember You.’ It’s a true statement,” Strait shared exclusively with Billboard of the recent announcement.

    “I love doing these shows with George about as much as I like doing anything. There’s nothing to compare it to,” added Stapleton. “So many of his songs are in the ethos of what country music is. Playing these shows together is a great experience all the way around.”

     

     

  • GEORGE STRAIT AND CHRIS STAPLETON TEAM UP TO PLAY ONLY SIX MARKETS, SUMMER 2023; FEATURING LITTLE BIG TOWN.

    Fans of George Strait will have six major opportunities to see the King of Country live in 2023, alongside one of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians, Chris Stapleton, for one-off stadium dates in Phoenix, Seattle, Denver, Milwaukee, Nashville and Tampa. Joining 89x Platinum music icon Strait and eight-time GRAMMY-winner Stapleton for all dates are special guests, Little Big Town.

    Tickets to all shows go on sale next Friday, November 4th at 10am local time at GeorgeStrait.com. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Wednesday, October 26th at 10am local time through Thursday, November 3rd at 10pm local time.

    “When I walk through those curtains and see those smiling faces, my feet don’t touch the ground again ‘til I walk back out and get on that bus that got me there. That’s from a song I wrote called ‘I’ll Always Remember You.’ It’s a true statement,” Strait shared exclusively with Billboard of the announcement. “When we talked about doing these six shows next year with Chris, it was a no brainer for me. I was all in.”

    “I love doing these shows with George about as much as I like doing anything. There’s nothing to compare it to,” adds Stapleton. “So many of his songs are in the ethos of what country music is. Playing these shows together is a great experience all the way around.”

    George Strait w/ Chris Stapleton & special guests Little Big Town 2023 Stadium Shows:
    May 6              Glendale, Ariz.  ||  State Farm Stadium
    June 3              Milwaukee, Wisc.  ||  American Family Field
    June 17            Seattle, Wash.  ||  Lumen Field
    June 24            Denver, Colo.  ||  Empower Field at Mile High Stadium
    July 29            Nashville, Tenn.  ||  Nissan Stadium
    Aug. 5             Tampa, Fla.  ||  Raymond James Stadium

    Since his record-breaking Cowboy Rides Away Tour wrapped in 2014, Strait has performed for limited engagements, including appearances in 2021 headlining both weekends of the Austin City Limits Music Festival as well as Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium. He also extended his Strait to Vegas series at T-Mobile Arena earlier this year along with headlining shows at Little Rock’s Simmons Bank Arena and Kansas City’s GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in addition to returning to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for his 31st performance at the event and headlining back-to-back nights in Austin for the Moody Center’s grand opening celebration.

    As previously announced, Strait will also perform in his home state of Texas this fall for a two-night stand at Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena on Friday, November 18th and Saturday, November 19th, 2022. The two shows sold out within just hours of going on sale to the public this spring. In addition, he will return to Las Vegas for his Strait to Vegas series once again, gracing the stage at his T-Mobile Arena home away from home for the 35th and 36th times on Friday, December 2nd and Saturday, December 3rd.

     

    Audio / Little Big Town lists their favorite George Strait songs.

    Download

    LBT (Strait songs) OC: …Mmmm hmmmm. :39
    “We have so many George Strait songs we love that we literally cannot pick. ‘The Chair.’ Yes! ‘Sweet Adalina,’ ‘Give It Away,’ ‘Nobody in Her Right Mind Would’ve Left Her,’ ‘I Saw God Today,’ ‘Ocean Front Property,’ ‘All My Exes Live In Texas,’ ‘Love Without End, Amen,’ ‘Blue Clear Sky,’ ‘So Good in Love.’ ‘You Look So Good in Love’ (Jimi sings it). That’s a rolling in the haystack song. That was definitely on the ‘Rolling In The Haystack’ Mixtape.” KAREN: hmm mmmmm.

  • AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS 2022 NOMINEES: CARRIE UNDERWOOD, CHRIS STAPLETON, JORDAN DAVIS, LUKE BRYAN

    The nominations for this year’s AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS have been announced.

    Carrie Underwood is up for two awards including Favorite Country Album (Denim & Rhinestones) and Favorite Female Country Artist.

    Chris Stapleton is also nominated for two awards including Favorite Country Song (“You Should Probably Leave”) and Favorite Male Country Artist.

    Jordan Davis is nominated for Favorite Country Song for his two-week No. 1 song “Buy Dirt” featuring Luke Bryan.

    The 2022 American Music Awards will air live from the Microsoft Theater at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles on November 20th at 8pm ET/5p PT on ABC.

    Fans can vote on Twitter and online. More info at https://www.theamas.com/how-to-vote/

    Vote Limits: 22 votes per user, per category, per day, per method.
    Vote Open: Thursday, October 13 at 6:00am PT.
    Vote Close: Monday, November 14 at 11:59pm PT.

    Favorite Country Song

    • Chris Stapleton, “You Should Probably Leave”
    • Cody Johnson, “‘Til You Can’t”
    • Dustin Lynch ft. MacKenzie Porter, “Thinking ‘Bout You”
    • Jordan Davis ft. Luke Bryan, “Buy Dirt”
    • Morgan Wallen, “Wasted On You”

     

    Favorite Country Album

    • Carrie Underwood, “Denim & Rhinestones”
    • Luke Combs, “Growin’ Up”
    • Cody Johnson, “Human: The Double Album”
    • Taylor Swift, “Red (Taylor’s Version)”
    • Walker Hayes, “Country Stuff: The Album”

     

    Favorite Country Duo or Group

    • Dan + Shay
    • Lady A
    • Old Dominion
    • Parmalee
    • Zac Brown Band

     

    Favorite Male Country Artist

    • Chris Stapleton
    • Cody Johnson
    • Luke Combs
    • Morgan Wallen
    • Walker Hayes

     

    Favorite Female Country Artist

    • Carrie Underwood
    • Lainey Wilson
    • Maren Morris
    • Miranda Lambert
    • Taylor Swift

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about what fans can expect when they listen to her new album, Denim & Rhinestones.

    Download

    Carrie Underwood (hopes for fans) OC: …time with it. 1:00
    “I hope when fans listen to the album, Denim & Rhinestones, that they just feel happy. When we set out to make this entire project, I walked in the writing room with my co-producer David (Garcia), and he’s like, ‘Well, what are we doing? What do you want to do?’ And I said, I just want to have fun. I feel like over the past couple of years, everybody’s been a little cooped up and just need some fun in their lives. You know, thinking about taking all of these songs on the road, I just wanted to think about as we were writing and as I was choosing songs, which ones would be great live. I love this album so much. It makes me happy. I hope they learn a little bit more about my musical influences and things that I like, because I feel like a lot of those just worked their way into this album. But, most of all, I just want them to feel happy, I want them to dance, I want them to sing and just have a good time with it.”

    Audio / JORDAN DAVIS TALKS ABOUT HOW HE AND HIS THREE CO-WRITERS CAME UP WITH THE SONG, "BUY DIRT."

    Download

    Jordan Davis (Buy Dirt origin) OC: …that day. :55
    “We took a writer’s retreat a little south of Nashville, me and three of my favorite writers in the world – Matt Jenkins, Josh Jenkins and my brother Jacob. We started every day – we were down there three days – and we started every day with coffee on the back porch, and Josh would lead us in some type of devotional. He would find some scripture and then we would just kind of chew on it for a little bit. That day he had read, and I need to remember the exact scripture, but it was something about being planted, being planted in the dirt and having a strong root system so you can weather storms and rain. That is really the start of ‘Buy Dirt.’ And I don’t know if that song comes if we don’t wake up early and get out there and kind of start talking about real life. That was where it all started, and I’m grateful, grateful that I (laughs) didn’t sleep in that day.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Parker McCollum, Kylie Morgan, Kip Moore, Jordan Davis

    Chris Stapleton has been added as a presenter at this year’s CMT Artists of the Year celebration from Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Friday (October 14th) at 9pm ET/8pm CT. Alan Jackson, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Kane Brown, Lainey Wilson, Walker Hayes and Riley Green are all slated to perform during the special.

    Chris Stapleton, along with Dwight Yoakam and Tyler Childers, performed during Tuesday night’s (October 11th) KENTUCKY RISING benefit. They helped raise more than $2.5 million for flood relief in Eastern Kentucky.

    Parker McCollum is giving away free tickets to his show. Check his socials for more information.

    Kylie Morgan and her fiance Jay Allen are spearheading a sold-out show, the Fort Myers Beach Relief Concert, on Monday (October 17th). The benefit, taking place at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row in Nashville, will also feature performances from Walker Hayes, Ashley Cooke, Tigirlily and many others. After the duo’s wedding was postponed after Hurricane Ian devastated Fort Myers and other cities in Florida, Kylie and Jay decided to put on a benefit show to assist those affected by the massive storm.

    https://twitter.com/kyliemorgan/status/1579844033450762240

     

    Kip Moore and Jordan Davis will perform at next year’s CMC Rocks QLD Festival, which will take place at Willowbank Raceway in Ipswich, Australia March 17th – 19th.

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Mickey Guyton, Jon Pardi, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Reba McEntire

    Mickey Guyton will perform on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Tuesday (September 13th) during the show’s premiere week. Check local listings for time and channel.

    Jon Pardi will perform on The Talk on Tuesday (September 13th) on CBS.

    Little Big Town will perform on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday (September 14th) followed by a performance on NBC’s Today Show’s Citi Concert Series on Friday (September 16th).

    Luke Bryan and Chris Stapleton are set to headline next year’s Stagecoach Festival April 28th – 30th in India, California, along with Kane Brown. The three-day festival will also feature performances by Jon Pardi, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Brooks and Dunn, Elle King, Breland, Nelly, Old Dominion, Gabby Barrett, Lainey Wilson and many more. Tickets and passes go on sale this Friday (September 16th) at 1pm ET.

    Reba McEntire is set to appear on ABC’s Live With Kelly & Ryan on September 22nd.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON AND SHANIA TWAIN ARE FETED AT THIS YEAR’S ACM HONORS.

    Chris Stapleton and Shania Twain were among the recipients of the Special Awards for the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards.

    Chris received the ACM Spirit Award, which is presented to a singer-songwriter who’s continuing the legacy of Country Music legend Merle Haggard by following his/her own path, crafting great songs and epitomizing The Hag’s spirit through compelling performances and great storytelling.

    Shania, along with tunesmith Sonny Throckmorton, received the ACM Poet’s Award, which is given to a Country Music songwriter for outstanding and longstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their career, with special consideration given to a song or songs’ impact on the culture of Country Music.

    Little Big Town honored Miranda Lambert with the ACM Triple Crown Award. Other honorees include HARDY (ACM Songwriter of the Year), Connie Bradley (ACM Icon Award), Paul Barnabee and Dwight Wiles (ACM Lifting Lives Award), Morgan Wallen (ACM Milestone Award), Duane Clark (ACM Service Award) and the TV show Yellowstone (ACM Film Award).

    Performers and presenters include Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, The Warren Brothers, Brooks & Dunn, Dan + Shay, Jordan Davis, ERNEST, Jesse Frasure, Vince Gill, Ashley Gorley, Mickey Guyton, HARDY, Wynonna Judd, Avril Lavigne, Little Big Town, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson and more.

    The 15th Annual ACM Honors will air Tuesday (September 13th) at 8pm ET/PT on FOX.

     

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about receiving the ACM Honors Spirit Award, especially at the legendary Ryman Auditorium.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (ACM Honors) OC: …big enough word. :30
    “Well, you’re in the Mother Church, you know, first of all. This is a special building. This is kind of ground zero for the foundations of what we know to be country music, a lot of it. Great people have come through this building and stood on that stage. Anytime you walk in here, it’s a special place, but to stand on that stage and accept an award that draws some comparisons between you and someone who’s obviously as important to country music as Merle Haggard, that’s very, honored is probably not even a big enough word.”

    Audio / Shania Twain talks about her ACM Poet's Award at this year's ACM Honors.

    Download

    Shania Twain (ACM Honors) OC: …through music. :17
    “It’s sort of a fancy word for someone who plays with words, a poet. (laughs) But I am very honored, and I do believe that poetry really is just putting words together that communicate or resonate with whoever reads them or listens to them through music.”

    Audio / Phillip Sweet of Little Big Town talks about honoring Miranda Lambert at this year’s ACM Awards.

    Download

    LBT (ACM Honors) OC: …not cry. (laughs) :13
    “It’s so beautiful to see her and to honor her in this way. She deserves every bit of it, and a powerful woman that we all admire and so thankful that this is happening tonight, ‘cause it’s gonna be emotional. I’m gonna try to not cry.” (laughs)

  • THE 2022 CMA NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED; CHRIS STAPLETON AMONG THE MOST NOMINATED.

    The nominations for the 56th Annual CMA Awards have been announced. Lainey Wilson leads the list of nominees with six nods.

    Chris Stapleton has five nominations including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Music Video of the Year (“I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”), Single and Song of the Year for “You Should Probably Leave.”

    With this year’s five nods, Stapleton has amassed 39 career nominations. He is a six-time nominee for Entertainer of the Year and an eight-time nominee for Male Vocalist, a category he has won five times. “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” collects Stapleton his third nomination for Music Video, a category he won in 2016. The video is directed by Lively and is performed with 27-time nominee Taylor Swift. “You Should Probably Leave” marks Stapleton’s fifth nomination for Single of the Year and third nomination for Song. He is a two-time winner in both categories, claiming both trophies in 2018 and 2021. Stapleton co-produced the single with Dave Cobb and it was mixed by Vance Powell. He co-wrote the song with Chris DuBois and Ashley Gorley.

    Carrie Underwood earned three nominations including Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year for “If I Didn’t Love You” with Jason Aldean.

    With this year’s nominations, Underwood has garnered 40 career nods since 2006. This year marks her 16th nomination for Female Vocalist, a trophy she’s claimed five times. She is a four-time nominee for Musical Event, earning a nod this year for “If I Didn’t Love You,” a duet with Jason Aldean produced by Michael Knox. She collects her fifth nomination for the night’s most coveted trophy, Entertainer of the Year.

    Jordan Davis picked up two CMA nominations for Single of the Year for the multi-week No. 1 single “Buy Dirt” featuring Luke Bryan (who is also nominated); and for Song of the Year for “Buy Dirt,” which he wrote with his brother Jacob Davis (who earned his first CMA nomination), along with Matt and Josh Jenkins.

    Jon Pardi also picked up a pair of nominations for his collaboration with Midland on “Longneck Way To Go” for Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year. The song also appears on Jon’s brand new album, Mr. Saturday Night.

    2020’s Entertainer of the Year Eric Church earned a nod for Male Vocalist of the Year, while Little Big Town earned a nomination for Vocal Group of the Year, a category which they’ve won SIX times!

    Reigning CMA Vocal Duo of the Year Brothers Osborne and Maddie & Tae pick up nods for Vocal Duo of the Year.

    Dierks Bentley is nominated along with BRELAND and HARDY for Musical Event of the Year for the trio’s chart-topping tune, “Beers On Me.”

    Parker McCollum earns his first CMA nomination for New Artist of the Year

    The 56th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, will broadcast LIVE from Nashville November 9th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

    • Luke Combs
    • Miranda Lambert
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Carrie Underwood
    • Morgan Wallen

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

    • “Buy Dirt” – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan
      Producer: Paul DiGiovanni
      Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
    • “half of my hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini (feat. Kenny Chesney)
      Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Ross Copperman, Jimmy Robbins
      Mix Engineer: Dan Grech-Marguerat
    • “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
      Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
      Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore
    • “’Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson
      Producer: Trent Willmon
      Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke
    • “You Should Probably Leave” – Chris Stapleton
      Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
      Mix Engineer: Vance Powell

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

    • Growin’ Up – Luke Combs
      Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton
      Mix Engineers: Jim Cooley, Chip Matthews
    • Humble Quest – Maren Morris
      Producer: Greg Kurstin
      Mix Engineer: Serban Ghenea
    • Palomino – Miranda Lambert
      Producers: Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, Mikey Reaves
      Mix Engineer: Jason Lehning
    • Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ – Lainey Wilson
      Producer: Jay Joyce
      Mix Engineer: F. Reid Shippen
    • Time, Tequila & Therapy – Old Dominion
      Producers: Shane McAnally, Old Dominion
      Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank

    SONG OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Songwriter(s) 

    • “Buy Dirt”
      Songwriters: Jacob Davis, Jordan Davis, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins
    • “Never Wanted To Be That Girl”
      Songwriters: Shane McAnally, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce
    • “Sand In My Boots”
      Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Josh Osborne
    • “Things A Man Oughta Know”
      Songwriters: Jason Nix, Jonathan Singleton, Lainey Wilson
    • “You Should Probably Leave”
      Songwriters: Chris DuBois, Ashley Gorley, Chris Stapleton

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

    • Miranda Lambert
    • Ashley McBryde
    • Carly Pearce
    • Carrie Underwood
    • Lainey Wilson

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

    • Eric Church
    • Luke Combs
    • Cody Johnson
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Morgan Wallen

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

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

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

    • Brooks & Dunn
    • Brothers Osborne
    • Dan + Shay
    • LOCASH
    • Maddie & Tae

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

    • “Beers On Me” – Dierks Bentley with BRELAND & HARDY
      Producers: Dierks Bentley, Ross Copperman
    • “If I Didn’t Love You” – Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood
      Producer: Michael Knox
    • “Longneck Way To Go” – Midland (featuring Jon Pardi)
      Producers: Dann Huff, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
    • “Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell (with Lainey Wilson)
      Producer: Zach Crowell
    • “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
      Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

    MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

    • Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle
    • Paul Franklin, Steel guitar
    • Brent Mason, Guitar
    • Ilya Toshinskiy, Banjo
    • Derek Wells, Guitar

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

    • “I Bet You Think About Me” (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) – Taylor Swift (featuring Chris Stapleton)
      Director: Blake Lively
    • “Longneck Way To Go” – Midland (featuring Jon Pardi)
      Director: Harper Smith
    • “Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell (with Lainey Wilson)
      Director: Michael Monaco
    • “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
      Director: Alexa Campbell
    • “’Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson
      Director: Dustin Haney

    NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    • HARDY
    • Walker Hayes
    • Cody Johnson
    • Parker McCollum
    • Lainey Wilson

    https://twitter.com/carrieunderwood/status/1567550562119417856

     

    https://twitter.com/JordanCWDavis/status/1567543539105468419

     

     

     

     

    https://twitter.com/MaddieandTae/status/1567515340321472513

     

     

    Audio / JORDAN DAVIS SAYS THE SUCCESS "BUY DIRT" IS HAVING IS VERY SPECIAL.

    Download

    Jordan Davis (Buy Dirt success is special) OC: …more special. :13
    “It just means a lot more. I wrote it with my brother (Jacob) and two my best friends (Josh and Matt Jenkins) in town and just the content of it. It comes from a really, really honest place. So, when you have songs that mean that much and you get to see them have success like ‘Buy Dirt’ is having, it’s a little bit more special.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves, Shania Twain, Chris Stapleton, Alan Jackson, Darius Rucker

    Taylor Swift received five nominations for MTV’s Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year, Best Longform Video, Best Cinematography, Best Direction and Best Editing.

     

    Kacey Musgraves received a pair of nominations for MTV’s Video Music Awards for Best Longform Video and Best Art Direction. The 2022 VMAs will air live from New Jersey’s Prudential Center on Sunday, August 28th at 8pm ET/PT.

    https://twitter.com/MTV/status/1551914848728088576

    Shania Twain‘s new documentary, Not Just A Girl, is now available for streaming on Netflix.

    In addition, Shania has also released a companion album, Not Just A Girl (The Highlights).

     

    Chris Stapleton has been added to the list of performers at this year’s Farm Aid. The festival, featuring performances by co-founders Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp, as well as Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow, Margo Price and Brittney Spencer, will take place at Coastal Credit Union Music Park in Raleigh, North Carolina on September 24th. Tickets go on sale July 30th.

    Alan Jackson made a wonderful announcement on his socials this week. There’s a new addition to the Jackson clan — Alan’s daughter, Ali, is pregnant with the country superstar’s first grandchild, a boy, who is due in December.

    If you’re watching Netflix and come across the “Nature Boy” Ric Flair’s three-part docuseries, you might hear a familiar voice. Wrestling fan (and Ric Flair’s biggest fan) Darius Rucker is narrating the documentary, Ric Flair: The Last Match, about the wrestling legend’s life and career, which is all leading up to his last match, scheduled to take place in Nashville on July 31st.

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton

    Carrie Underwood will help honor the legendary Country Music Hall of Famer, Barbara Mandrell, on her 50th Anniversary as a member of the Opry family with two shows at the Grand Ole Opry July 30th. Carrie, who has lauded Mandrell as one of her musical and professional inspirations, is scheduled to perform and help honor the music legend who will be in attendance at both shows. More artists will be announced soon.

     

    Keith Urban is set to perform on NBC’s TODAY Show for its Citi Concert Series June 30th.

     

    https://twitter.com/NBCNewsPR/status/1537421434061987842

     

    A new exhibit titled Chris Stapleton: Since 1978 is set to open July 1st, 2022 and will run through May 14th, 2023. The exhibit will follow the superstar’s career, starting with his birth in 1978 -hence the title of the exhibit- in eastern Kentucky and will highlight his journey to Nashville, life as a songwriter and his meteoric rise as an artist.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Vince Gill, Luke Bryan

    Carrie Underwood will perform on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday (June 14th).

    Chris Stapleton had a very special guest come up to sing with him and his wife Morgane during his L.A. show on Friday (June 10th). His pal and superstar Justin Timberlake got up to sing what has been reported as a nearly 12-minute version of Tennessee Whiskey at the legendary Forum in Inglewood. He started with singing his bandmember intros and

    Vince Gill had the honor of inviting two legends to become members of the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night (June 11th). He extended the invitation to musician Charlie McCoy and hit tunesmith Don Schlitz, both already in the Country Music Hall of Fame, to be the next members of the Grand Ole Opry. The invitation marks the first time the Opry has invited two entertainers to become Opry members in the same night since it became a tradition to make the surprise invitations in public.

    Luke Bryan will appear on Live With Kelly and Ryan on June 22nd, along with his fellow American Idol judges, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON AND SHANIA TWAIN AMONG ACM HONORS RECIPIENTS.

    Chris Stapleton and Shania Twain are among the recipients of the Special Awards for the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards. The honorees will be celebrated during the 15th Annual ACM Honors, taking place August 24th at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium.

    Chris is set to receive the ACM Spirit Award, which is presented to a singer-songwriter who’s continuing the legacy of Country Music legend Merle Haggard by following his/her own path, crafting great songs and epitomizing The Hag’s spirit through compelling performances and great storytelling.

    Shania, along with tunesmith Sonny Throckmorton, will receive the ACM Poet’s Award, which is given to a Country Music songwriter for outstanding and longstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their career, with special consideration given to a song or songs’ impact on the culture of Country Music.

    Other honorees include Miranda Lambert (ACM Triple Crown Award), HARDY (ACM Songwriter of the Year), Connie Bradley (ACM Icon Award), Paul Barnabee and Dwight Wiles (ACM Lifting Lives Award), Morgan Wallen (ACM Milestone Award), Duane Clark (ACM Service Award) and the TV show Yellowstone (ACM Film Award).

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Taylor Swift, Sam Hunt

    Reba McEntire has joined the cast of ABC’s Big Sky as a series regular for Season 3. She’ll star as Sunny Brick, the matriarch of the Brick family, described as a “successful backcountry outfitter with a secret history of missing customers.”


    Little Big Town
    are among the artists joining Wynonna as she embarks on The Judds final tour solo this fall after the unexpected and tragic death of her mother Naomi. Martina McBride (originally on the bill), along with Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood, Ashley McBryde and Brandi Carlile will also hit the road with Wy.

    Luke Bryan  and Chris Stapleton honored the legendary Lionel Richie during the star-studded PBS special, Lionel Richie: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Luke, seated at a piano, performed “Lady,” which was written by Lionel for the late Kenny Rogers. Chris performed “Say You, Say Me.”

    Taylor Swift gave the commencement speech to the class of 2022 at New York University this week, and she was awarded a doctorate degree, as well.

    Sam Hunt will join acclaimed hit songwriter and founder of Big Loud Records and Big Loud Shirt, Craig Wiseman, for the 2022 Second Harvest benefit concert presented by American Airlines. Stars for Second Harvest will be held at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium on Tuesday, June 7th at 7:30pm. Country singer-songwriters ERNEST and Ben Burgess will also perform.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON HEADS HOME TO KENTUCKY TO PLAY A SOLD-OUT STADIUM SHOW.

    Chris Stapleton proves you can go home again, and he did so in a huge way this past weekend. After a two-year delay, he was finally able to headline his benefit show, A Concert For Kentucky, which was held at Kroger Field at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. The first-ever music concert at the field, featuring over 55,000 in attendance, also showcased performances by Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow and newcomer Madeline Edwards.

    Proceeds from A Concert For Kentucky went to Chris and Morgane’s Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund, established to support local and national organizations. The fund has helped thousands of organizations including, but not limited to, Red Cross, Farm Aid, City of Hope, Blue Grass Community Foundation, Music Health Alliance, MusiCares, Mr. Holland’s Opus, March of Dimes, Feeding America and Habitat for Humanity.

    Chris also surprised the senior class of his alma mater, Johnson Central High School in Paintsville, Kentucky, by giving tickets to the entire class of 2022 to attend the show, even providing transportation to and from the concert.

    The Kentucky native, who is making his way up the charts with his latest song “Joy of My Life,” is taking his All-American Roadshow north of the border this weekend with shows on Thursday (April 28th) in London, Ontario, Friday (April 29th) in Ottawa, Ontario and Saturday (April 30th) in Montreal, Quebec.

    Audio / After winning several trophies at this year’s ACM Awards, Chris Stapleton talked about what it was like getting back on the road after the pandemic shut everything down for two years.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (getting back on the road after COVID) OC: …it again. :28
    “Well, you certainly gain an appreciation for what we had lost, which was getting to interact with people every night and hear people sing songs back to you and see smiles on their faces and people having a good time and the communion that that brings. It’s a wonderful thing. And we certainly missed it. It was 504 days, I think, we didn’t play a show. So, we were certainly counting the days and the hours until we got to do it again.”

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Jordan Davis, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, Brothers Osborne, Kassi Ashton

    Jordan Davis will perform his recent two-week No. 1 song, “Buy Dirt,” on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on Friday (April 22nd).

    Chris Stapleton has been announced as one of the headliners at this year’s Pilgrimage Festival in Franklin, Tennessee. The Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival will return for its eighth year on September 24th and 25th at The Park at Harlinsdale Farm. Artists, including Brandi Carlile, The Avett Brothers, Jon Batiste, Elle King, Marty Stuart, Brittney Spencer and more, are scheduled to perform across five stages during the two-day festival.

    Keith Urban joined wife Nicole Kidman at the L.A. premiere of The Northman at the TCL Chinese Theatre earlier this week. Nicole, who appears in the film, will also appear on ABC’s Good Morning America on Friday (April 22nd).

    Brothers Osborne‘s TJ Osborne will serve as a Grand Marshal of this year’s Nashville Pride Parade. The parade kicks of June 25th at 10am on Broadway and 8th Ave. Other Grand Marshals include Leslie Jordan, Greg Cason and Alberta Hardison.

    https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=1517208705208573959


    Brothers Osborne
    were among those recognized at the seventh annual AIMP (Association of Independent Music Publishers) Awards in Nashville earlier this week. Also honored were HARDY, Lee Brice, Tenille Arts and Morgan Wallen. Jordan Davis, Kassi Ashton, Jimmie Allen, Callista Clark, Lee Brice, Matt Stell and HARDY performed during the event.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker

    Kacey Musgraves is among the many artists who joined together on Friday (April 8th) to Stand Up For Ukraine, a social media movement powered by Global Citizen. The Weeknd, Jon Batiste, Jonas Brothers, Katy Perry, Billy Porter, Ellie Goulding, Jon Bon Jovi, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and many others also joined the movement. The online event took place just a day before a “pledging summit” to aid displaced Ukrainians.

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/1512569821208141826

     

    Chris Stapleton picked up four nominations for this year’s Billboard Music Awards, including Top Country Artist, Top Country Male Artist, Top Country Tour and Top Country Song (“You Should Probably Leave”). Carrie Underwood also has four nominations, including Top Country Female Artist, Top Christian Artist, Top Christian Album (My Savior) and Top Country Song (“If I Didn’t Love You”). Luke Bryan has two with Top Country Tour and Top Country Song for “Buy Dirt,” which is also a nomination for Jordan Davis. Eric Church picked up a nomination for Top Country Tour. The BBMAs will broadcast live coast-to-coast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 15th at 8pm ET/5 pm PT on NBC and will stream live on Peacock.

     

    Priscilla Block, who is performing at tonight’s (April 11th) CMT Music Awards, is set to open the 2022 Downtown @ Sundown Concert Series in Clarksville, Tennessee on May 6th. The Concert Series is free to the public and will take place on the first and third Fridays of the month May through October.

    University of South Carolina alum Darius Rucker will perform a free concert for students to celebrate the women’s basketball team’s national championship. Darius suggested the concert in a tweet April 1st after South Carolina beat Louisville for a spot in the championship game. The Gamecocks went on to defeat UConn 64-49 to take their second national title in five years. Students can sign up for a lottery here to win a ticket to the concert, which will be held April 24th at Colonial Life Arena.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks Bentley, Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton

    Dierks Bentley was inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame on Tuesday (April 5th). He, along with musicians Keb’Mo, Bobby Bare and Connie Smith, were recognized for their contributions to preserving the musical heritage of Nashville with their own star on the Walk of Fame.

    https://twitter.com/UMGNashville/status/1511463677228105733

     

    Reba McEntire scored her 28th Top 10 album on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart as My Chains Are Gone debuts at No. 9.

    Luke Bryan and his wife Caroline, along with NASCAR legend Darryl Waltrip, helped break ground on Williamson Medical Center’s $200 million expansion earlier this week. The project will be the largest renovation to date for the hospital, which has been at its current home on Carothers Parkway since 1986. Luke and Caroline will help raise $50 million dollars via a capital campaign for the reno. Caroline Bryan, who serves as co-chair of the campaign, said her family settled on moving to Franklin when they realized how close their potential new home would be to Williamson Medical Center. “This is where our children were born. This is where their doctors are. This is where my doctors are,” Caroline Bryan tells The Tennessean. “Anything from a routine visit to the ER visits, everybody is just fantastic, and watching this getting ready to expand is so needed. It’s time. It’s exciting.” Luke added, “We get to have a voice to make sure this is the best health care you could ever dream of,” Luke Bryan said.


    Chris Stapleton is one of the headliners for Kentucky’s Bourbon & Beyond Festival taking place September 15th-18th. Also headlining are Kings of Leon, Pearl Jam and Jack White. Additional performers include Elle King, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Yola, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real and many more. Tickets are now on sale at bourbon.frontgatetickets.com.

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON, BROTHERS OSBORNE AND CARRIE UNDERWOOD ARE GRAMMY WINNERS.

    Chris Stapleton won three GRAMMY Awards including Best Country Album for Starting Over, Best Country Song for “Cold” and Best Country Solo Performance for “You Should Probably Leave” — both songs from Starting Over. During his acceptance speech for Best Country Album, Chris spoke about the sacrifices everyone in the room had made chasing their musical career. In fact, his twins’ fourth birthday was on Sunday (April 3rd).  “Hopefully we’re all doing it so it would make the world a better place and the people that live in it will love each other and have a good time together and come together.”

    https://twitter.com/UMGNashville/status/1510769926881038341

     

     

    Brothers Osborne took home a GRAMMY Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Younger Me.”

    https://twitter.com/UMGNashville/status/1510769163777810440

     

    Carrie Underwood won a GRAMMY for Best Roots Gospel Album for My Savior.

    https://twitter.com/UMGNashville/status/1510769536437473286

    Backstage talking to the media, an emotional Carrie says this is probably one of the most important award wins she’s had in her entire career. “I feel like it’s more important because I feel like this is one of the most important bodies of work I’ve ever been a part of, been able to do. This is what one thing that I’ve wanted to do literally my whole career. I’ve wanted to make this album and I got to, and this just means the world to me.”

     

    Audio / Backstage at last night's Grammy Awards, Chris Stapleton talks about winning awards, particularly at The Grammys.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Grammys 2022) OC: …those guys. :36
    “You know, anytime that you are even nominated for a award or someone thinks enough of you to invite you to these kinds of shows, particularly the Grammys, it’s, you know, it’s a very surreal moment and we had a very surreal moment all day today. And so it was it was a very and to get to play a song, you know that I wrote with the guys in the band on the show, won a Grammy for it earlier in the year and in the evening, and it was a special night for it. For me. For me, it’s special and it’s special. Get it to do with those guys.

    Audio / CHRIS STAPLETON SAYS HE DOESN'T REALLY THINK ABOUT A THEME IN HIS NEW ALBUM, STARTING OVER."

    Download

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

    Audio / Backstage at last night's GRAMMY AWARDS, TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne talks about winning their first Grammy Award and especially for the significance of it being for the song, "Younger Me."

    Download

    Brothers Osborne (Grammys 2022) OC: …on myself. :52
    “We, John and I have taken, I think, a lot of risks in our career and sometimes don’t always pay off and we try to just stick with who we are and what we do. And this was the validation that you got for that hard work and the sacrifices that we made. It felt like they were suddenly weren’t all for nothing. And I’m so incredibly grateful for it. And I think on top of that, with the song that we were nominated for younger me was a song that my brother and I both wrote really kind of as a letter to our younger selves. If they could just see where we are now, that would have saved themselves a lot of heartbreak and strife. And and then the add on to that to be accepting a Grammy also does adds to that story that if I could just tell my younger self that this would be here, this is where I would be in my life here on the stage right now. I would certainly not believe it, but I would also be a hell of a lot easier on myself.”

    Audio / BROTHERS OSBORNE'S TJ OSBORNE TALKS ABOUT THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THEIR SONG, "YOUNGER ME," WHICH IS FEATURED ON THE DELUXE EDITION OF THEIR ALBUM, SKELETONS.

    Download

    Brothers Osborne (Younger Me) OC: …made it through. :38
    TJ: “The inspiration behind ‘Younger Me’ was really inspired by both, really kind of both of our stories and just the different things that we struggled with in our youth and we just made things overly complicated. I truly didn’t think I’d get to this point in my life, and I’m sure John would probably say the same for himself. And we really just wanted to really kind of almost in some ways write a note to our younger selves and just kind of tell them to hold on, hold tight, and hopefully in an effort for maybe other people out there that are going through that currently to realize there will be a moment in your life where you can look back on this and be happy that you made it through.”

    Audio / Backstage at last night's Grammy Awards, an emotional Carrie Underwood says the win for My Savior is probably the most important win of her career.

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    Carrie Underwood (Grammys 2022) OC: …world to me. :24
    “I’m probably immediately going to start crying, OK? I feel like it’s more important because I feel like this is one of the most important bodies of work I’ve ever been a part of been able to do. This is what one thing that I’ve wanted to do literally my whole career. I’ve wanted to make this album and I got to, and this just means the world to me.”

    Audio / CARRIE UNDERWOOD GREW UP SINGING MANY OF THE HYMNS ON HER NEW ALBUM, MY SAVIOR, IN CHURCH AND REVISITING THEM FELT LIKE “HOME” TO HER.

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    Carrie Underwood (hymns feel like home) 1:05
    “These particular songs for My Savior, you know, I grew up singing these in church and my church that we go to right now they play a lot of very contemporary Christian songs, praise and worship songs, and it’s great. But every once in a while, they’ll kind of throw in like a chorus or something of some hymn that I grew up with and there’s an immediate sense of home when I hear that. And that’s kind of where I was at when we were recording this. It should be like a warm hug, and I feel like there’s so many people that are like me that kind of long for that. You think back to that sense of home and your church that you grew up in with the pews. I mean it’s just one of those things that it just feels like home. And after a year like last year, I feel like people are definitely searching. A lot of people were thrown out of their daily routines and trying to figure life out and be more introspective or kind of slow down. We were all forced to slow down.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON WILL PERFORM AT THIS YEAR’S GRAMMY AWARDS.

    Chris Stapleton has been added to the list of performers at this year’s GRAMMY Awards. Also announced as performers are Jon Batiste, H.E.R., Foo Fighters, Nas, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom, Jr. and Rachel Zegler.

    They’ll join previously announced performers Brothers Osborne, BTS, Brandi Carlile, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow and Olivia Rodrigo.

    Chris has three nods including Best Country Album (Starting Over), Best Country Solo Performance (“You Should Probably Leave”) and Best Country Song (“Cold”).

    The 64th Grammy Awards will take place live from the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 3rd at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on CBS.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON RELEASES NEW SINGLE, “JOY OF MY LIFE.”

    Chris Stapleton released his new single “Joy Of My Life,” on Monday (March 21st). The follow-up to his recent No. 1 single, “You Should Probably Leave,” “Joy of My Life” was originally written and recorded by John Fogerty for his 1997 album, Blue Moon Swamp.

    “Joy Of My Life” is featured on Chris’ latest album, Starting Over. Chris takes his All-American Road Show Tour to Atlantic City for a two-night stay on April 8th and April 9th.

    Video /

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton

    Reba McEntire has released a lyric video for the Oscar-nominated, Diane Warren-penned song “Somehow You Do.”

     

    Brothers Osborne will perform on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday (March 22nd). Tune in at 11:35pm ET/10:35pm CT.

     

    Chris Stapleton and Brothers Osborne are set to hit the road on select dates of Willie Nelson & Friends’ Outlaw Music Festival Tour this summer.  For complete information on tickets and guests details, go to: http://outlawmusicfestival.com

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, Vince Gill, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt and more

    Luke Bryan and Chris Stapleton honor Lionel Richie in an upcoming PBS special concert celebrating the music icon’s Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The tribute concert, which was taped earlier this month and will air May 17th on PBS, featured Luke singing “Lady,” the hit Lionel wrote for Kenny Rogers, and Stapleton performing “Say You, Say Me.” Other performers include Gloria Estefan, Yolanda Adams, Boyz II Men, Andra Day and many more.

    Kacey Musgraves is the recipient of this year’s GLAAD Vanguard Award. The presentation will be made at the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles, which will take place at the Beverly Hilton on April 2nd. Vanguard Awards are given to allies who have made a major contribution to the advancement of LGBTQ rights. GLAAD praised Musgraves’ efforts, including her use of her platform to collect cash for GLAAD’s annual anti-bullying Spirit Day campaign and to raise awareness of anti-LGBTQ. Previous recipients include Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez.

    Vince Gill and Amy Grant will return to Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium for their holiday residency, Christmas At The Ryman, in December. The pair will perform holiday classics for the shows spanning December 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20 & 21. Tickets are on sale now.

    Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt and Parker McCollumare among the artists performing at Cheyenne Frontier Days, taking place July 21st – 31st in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Check out the entire schedule here.

  • UMG NASHVILLE 2022 ACM AWARDS WINNERS: Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Parker McCollum

    There were lots of big wins at Monday night’s ACM Awards, and some incredible and moving performances.

    Chris Stapleton won his third ACM Male Artist of the Year, which is his 13th ACM Award overall. He also performed a fiery, moving and pulse-inducing performance of “Watch You Burn,” which he wrote with Mike Henderson after the devastating mass shooting at the Route 91 festival in 2017. The performance was introduced by Jason Aldean, who was on stage performing at the festival when the shooting took place.

     

    Carrie Underwood picked up an ACM Award for Single of the Year with Jason Aldean for “If I Didn’t Love You,” which they turned in a spectacular performance of during the show. This makes her 16th overall ACM win.

    https://twitter.com/carrieunderwood/status/1501069052265078792

    Brothers Osborne’s win for Duo of the Year marks their third win in the category, and sixth win overall. John and TJ performed twice on the show. First, they played the title track from their latest album, Skeletons, complete with light up outfits. They also closed the show performing a cool version of “These Boots Were Made For Walking” with Brittney Spencer.

     

     

    Parker McCollum was named New Male Artist of the Year, his first-ever ACM Award. He also performed his No. 1 “Pretty Heart.”

     

    Eric Church performed a 16-song medley on the show, which featured Ashley McBryde and included songs such as “How Bout You,” “Guys Like Me,” “Love Your Love The Most,” “Smoke A Little Smoke,” “Drink In My Hand,” “Springsteen,” “Talladega,” “Give Me Back My Hometown,” “Mr. Misunderstood,” “Round Here Buzz,” “Record Year,” “Desperate Man,” “Some Of It,” “Hell Of A View,” and his latest single “Heart On Fire.”

    Luke Bryan performed his latest single, “Up,” before joining Jordan Davis on the two-week No. 1 “Buy Dirt.”

     

     

     

    Fans can relive all of the excitement of the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony now on Prime Video and on IMDb TV, Amazon’s premium free streaming service on March 8th beginning at 8pm ET/5pm PT.

    Audio / Backstage at this year's ACM Awards, Carrie Underwood talks about her performance with Jason Aldean on "If I Didn't Love You" on the show.

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    Carrie Underwood (ACM 2022 performance with Jason Aldean) OC: …the performance. :46
    “It’s my home away from home with our residency not too far from here, so I feel like I’ve gotten a taste for Vegas showmanship. And it’s just so much fun, and we were trying to think of ways to make this performance fresh and fun and what else can we do. The song has such a huge success and we love it so much, we really just wanted to take the moment and celebrate it. When somebody said, ‘How would she feel about descending from the ceiling?’ I was like, ‘I feel good about that.’ I was excited. It’s something I’ve never done before, and I’m always up for trying new things; adding a bit of danger in to the performance.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne's TJ Osborne talks about closing the ACM Awards with Brittney Spencer.

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    Brothers Osborne (closing  ACM show) OC: …room was fun. :24
    “We knew with Brittney (Spencer) and her vocal ability and just her stage presence, we liked the arrangement that we came up with, and it was something that I genuinely just wanted to play. I was like this is gonna be exciting and fun to play. We also knw there was going to be confetti cannons at some point. I’ve never experienced that. But I felt really excited about the whole thing. I thought the night, just us aside, I thought the whole night went very well and the energy in the room was fun.”

    Audio / Backstage at Monday night’s ACM Awards, Parker McCollum says he’s realizing a dream come true.

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    Parker McCollum (ACM Award) OC: …good feeling. :18
    “Since I was a little kid, all I wanted to do was play country music for a living and work my butt off and my team’s worked their butt off. So, to get to have a night like this after putting out a record like that, just to know that it worked a little bit? I don’t know what else anybody could ask for. It’s, I don’t know, that’s a good feeling.”

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton

    Jon Pardi and Jordan Davis are among the list of rotating artists joining iconic duo Brooks & Dunn for their Reboot 2022 Tour. The trek, which will also feature Gabby Barrett, Riley Green, Walker Hayes, Morgan Wade and others, kicks off May 5th in Evansville, Indiana. Each stop will feature two opening acts.

    Kacey Musgraves is on the cover of the current TIME Magazine for its Women of the Year issue. Read the feature HERE
    Kacey is among 12 women being recognized by TIME with their Women of the Year list. Kacey will perform at TIME‘s invitation-only Women of the Year Gala in Los Angeles on International Women’s Day (March 8th). The event will also include TIME Women of the Year honorees Tracy ChouAllyson FelixAmanda GormanSherrilyn IfillJennie JosephAmanda Nguyen, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez and Kerry Washington. Additional honorees highlighted in the TIME Women of the Year list include Amal ClooneyAdena Friedman and Zahra Joya.

    Chris Stapleton has partnered with E.H. Taylor, Jr. for the 125th Anniversary of Bottled in Bond Day. Two packages are now up for bid with prizes including an autographed bottle, tickets, a VIP distillery tour and much more. All proceeds will benefit Outlaw State of Kind, which is Chris and Morgane Stapleton’s charitable fund that supports a variety of causes that are close to their heart.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke Bryan, Mickey Guyton, Priscilla Block, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, Shania Twain

    Luke Bryan will appear on ABC’s Good Morning America and Live With Kelly & Ryan, along with his fellow American Idol judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, on Tuesday (February 22nd). He will also appear on The View Wednesday (February 23rd) and Jimmy Kimmel Live on Thursday (February 24th).

    Mickey Guyton will guest host the Ellen DeGeneres Show March 3rd, and the musical guest will be Priscilla Block. Check local listings for channel and time.

    Chris Stapleton has added 25 dates to his “All-American Road Show Tour.” The trek includes newly added stops at L.A.’s The Forum, Detroit’s Comerica Park, DC’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, Long Island’s Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater, New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center and Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena among many others and is expected to run through October 27th. Tickets go on sale Friday (February 25th).

    Eric Church is currently No. 1 on Pollstar’s Live75 chart. Reba McEntire with her “Reba: Live In Concert” tour is sitting at No. 5.

    Shania Twain had a special guest join her Saturday night during her Las Vegas Residency at Zappo’s Theater at Planet Hollywood. Coldplay’s Chris Martin joined the songstress on his own “Fix You” and her iconic hit, “You’re Still the One.”

    https://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain/status/1495873981613846533

     

     

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON IS AMONG THE FIRST ROUND OF PERFORMERS ANNOUNCED FOR THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Chris Stapleton is set to perform at this year’s ACM Awards. Kelsea Ballerini, Walker Hayes, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett, Parmalee and Blanco Brown featuring Brooke Eden, Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde, and Breakthrough Artist for Amazon Music, BRELAND, will also hit the stage at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. With more than 20 performances, additional details will be announced in the coming weeks.

    Chris is a five-time nominee this year, including his fourth nod for Entertainer of the Year and seventh for Male Artist of the Year. He is also nominated for Single of the Year (“You Should Probably Leave”) – nominated as artist + producer and Video of the Year (“I Bet You Think About Me”) with Taylor Swift. He is a nine-time ACM Award winner.

    The 57th Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Dolly Parton with co-hosts Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett, will be streamed live without commercial interruption from Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on March 7th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on Amazon Prime.

     

    https://twitter.com/ACMawards/status/1493609624762818560

  • ACM NOMINATIONS: Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, Jordan Davis, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Brothers Osborne, Maddie & Tae, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Taylor Swift

    The nominations for the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards were announced this morning, and at the top of the list is Chris Stapleton with five nominations.

    Chris earned nods in the categories for Entertainer of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Single of the Year (“You Should Probably Leave”) – nominated as artist + producer, Video of the Year (“I Bet You Think About Me”).

     

    Carrie Underwood and Jordan Davis both earned four nominations each.

    Carrie is up for Carrie Underwood Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year (“If I Didn’t Love You”), Video of the Year (“If I Didn’t Love You”) and Music Event of the Year (“If I Didn’t Love You”)

     

    Jordan Davis is nominated for Single of the Year (“Buy Dirt”), Song of the Year (“Buy Dirt”) – nominated as artist + songwriter, Music Event of the Year (“Buy Dirt”), along with Luke Bryan.

     

    Luke picks up three nominations with Jordan Davis for Single of the Year (“Buy Dirt”), Song of the Year (“Buy Dirt”) and Music Event of the Year (“Buy Dirt”)

    Eric Church is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, while the members of Little Big Town are up for Group of the Year.

     

     

    The reigning CMA Duo of the Year Brothers Osborne, as well as Maddie & Tae, are up for Duo of the Year.

     

    https://twitter.com/MaddieandTae/status/1491824357399842830

    Parker McCollum is up for New Male Artist of the Year, while Priscilla Block is nominated for New Female Artist of the Year.

     

    https://twitter.com/priscillablock/status/1491826305511432194

     

    Taylor Swift receives her 32nd nomination, her first ACM Award nomination since 2018 as she is nominated for ACM Music Video of the Year. Actor, producer, and director Blake Lively receives two nominations for producing and directing Taylor Swift’s music video I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version). This marks Lively’s first ACM Award nomination and her first nomination at a music award show. Actor and Producer Austin Swift is a first-time nominee, receiving a nod for producer of I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version).

    Artist nominee list below.

     

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

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

     

    FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

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

     

    MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    • Jimmie Allen
    • Luke Combs
    • Thomas Rhett
    • Chris Stapleton 
    • Morgan Wallen

     

     DUO OF THE YEAR

    • Brooks & Dunn
    • Brothers Osborne
    • Dan + Shay
    • LOCASH
    • Maddie & Tae


    GROUP OF THE YEAR

    • Lady A
    • Little Big Town
    • Midland
    • Old Dominion
    • The Cadillac Three

     

    NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR 

    • Tenille Arts
    • Priscilla Block
    • Lily Rose
    • Caitlyn Smith
    • Lainey Wilson

     

    NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR 

    • HARDY
    • Walker Hayes
    • Ryan Hurd
    • Parker McCollum
    • Elvie Shane

     

    ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    • 29: Written in Stone – Carly Pearce

    Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Jimmy Robbins, Tony Brown

    Record Company-Label: Big Machine Records

    • Country Again: Side A – Thomas Rhett

    Producers: Dann Huff, Jesse Frasure, Matt Dragstrem

    Record Company-Label: Big Machine Label Group

    • Dangerous: The Double Album – Morgan Wallen

    Producer: Joey Moi, Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Matt Dragstrem, Dave Cohen

    Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records / Republic Records

     

    • Famous Friends – Chris Young

    Producer: Mark Holman, Corey Crowder, Chris Young, Chris DeStefano

    Record Company-Label: RCA Records Nashville

     

    • The Marfa Tapes – Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall 

    Producers: Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall

    Record Company-Label: Vanner Records / RCA Records Nashville

     

    SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    • Buy Dirt – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan 

    Producer: Paul DiGiovanni

    Record Company-Label: MCA Nashville

    • Famous Friends – Chris Young and Kane Brown 

    Producers: Corey Crowder, Chris Young

    Record Company-Label: RCA Records Nashville

    • Fancy Like – Walker Hayes

    Producers: Walker Hayes, Shane McAnally, Joe Thibodeau

    Record Company-Label: Monument Records

    • If I Didn’t Love You – Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood 

    Producers: Michael Knox

    Record Company-Label: Broken Bow Records; Macon Music, LLC; BBR Music Group, BMG

     

    • You Should Probably Leave – Chris Stapleton

    Producer: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton

    Record Company-Label: Mercury Nashville

     

    SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

    • 7 Summers – Morgan Wallen

    Songwriters: Morgan Wallen, Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally

    Publishers: Big Loud Mountain, Bo Wallace Publishing, Smackborne Music, Sony/ATV Accent, Smackstreet Music, Tempo Investments, Warner Geo Met Ric Music

     

    • Buy Dirt – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan

    Songwriters: Jordan Davis, Jacob Davis, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins

    Publishers: Anthem Music Publishing II, Bentprop Pub, Big Blue Nation Music, Combustion Five, Jentown, Jordan Davis Music, Smackwork Music, Smack Blue, Kobalt Music Group Music, Universal Music Corporation, WC Music Corp

     

    • Fancy Like – Walker Hayes

    Songwriters: Cameron Bartolini, Josh Jenkins, Shane Stevens, Walker Hayes

    Publishers: Songs of SMACK, Rarespark Media Group, Smackworks Music, Smack Blue, Kobalt Music Group, Holy Graffiti Music, Purplebeatz, WC Music Corp

     

    • Knowing You – Kenny Chesney 

    Songwriters: Adam James, Brett James, Kat Higgins

    Publishers: 3 Ring Circus, BMG Platinum Songs, Pompano Run Music, Songs of Brett, WC Music Corp

     

    • Things A Man Oughta Know – Lainey Wilson

    Songwriters: Jason Nix, Jonathan Singleton, Lainey Wilson

    Publishers: Sony/ATV Accent, Sony/ATV Countryside, Spirit Two Nashville, Super Big Music

     

    VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]

    • Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home) – Elle King and Miranda Lambert 

    Producers: Angie Lorenz, Wes Edwards, James Stratakis

    Directors: Alexa Kinigopoulos, Stephen Kinigopoulos

     

    • Famous Friends – Chris Young and Kane Brown 

    Producer: Jennifer Ansell

    Director: Peter Zavadil

     

    • I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift featuring Chris Stapleton

    Producers: Jil Hardin, Blake Lively, Kathy Palmer, Austin Swift

    Director: Blake Lively

    • If I Didn’t Love You – Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood 

    Producers: Christen Pinkston, Wesley Stebbins-Perry

    Director: Shaun Silva

     

    • Never Wanted To Be That Girl – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde 

    Producer: Ryan Byrd

    Director: Alexa Campbell

     

    SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR*(Off Camera Award)

    • Jesse Frasure
    • Nicolle Galyon
    • Ashley Gorley
    • Michael Hardy
    • Josh Osborne

     

    MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    • Buy Dirt – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan 

    Producer: Paul DiGiovanni

    Record Company-Label: MCA Nashville

    • Famous Friends – Chris Young and Kane Brown

    Producers: Corey Crowder, Chris Young

    Record Company-Label: RCA Records Nashville

    • half of my hometown – Kelsea Ballerini featuring Kenny Chesney 

    Producers: Ross Copperman, Jimmy Robbins, Kelsea Ballerini

    Record Company-Label: Black River Entertainment

    • If I Didn’t Love You – Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood

    Producer: Michael Knox

    Record Company-Label: Broken Bow Records; Macon Music, LLC; BBR Music Group, BMG

    • Never Wanted To Be That Girl – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde

    Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

    Record Company-Label: Big Machine Label Group, Warner Music Nashville


    Audio / CARRIE UNDERWOOD SAYS SHE AND JASON ALDEAN HAVE WANTED TO DO A DUET, BUT FEELS LIKE “IF I DIDN’T LOVE YOU” WAS THE “PERFECT FIT.”

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    Carrie Underwood (IIDLY perfect fit) OC: …the perfect fit. :30
    “Jason asked if I would sing ‘If I Didn’t Love You’ with him. I knew I liked the song, and Jason and I have actually been kind of trying to do things together over the years. We’ve sang together before, but we’ve never officially recorded anything together. It just kind of felt like this could be our moment. I felt like it was a little bit of an unexpected duet to other people, but I feel like I kinda always knew at some point I’d probably sing with him officially, and this just seemed like, the stars were aligning and it just seemed like it was going to be the perfect fit.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis says the success his two-week No. 1 song, "Buy Dirt," is having is pretty special.

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    Jordan Davis (Buy Dirt success is special) OC: …more special. :13
    “It just means a lot more. I wrote it with my brother (Jacob) and two my best friends (Josh and Matt Jenkins) in town and just the content of it. It comes from a really, really honest place. So, when you have songs that mean that much and you get to see them have success like ‘Buy Dirt’ is having, it’s a little bit more special.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about how he and his tree co-writers came up with "Buy Dirt."

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    Jordan Davis (Buy Dirt origin) OC: …that day. :55
    “We took a writer’s retreat a little south of Nashville, me and three of my favorite writers in the world – Matt Jenkins, Josh Jenkins and my brother Jacob. We started every day – we were down there three days – and we started every day with coffee on the back porch, and Josh would lead us in some type of devotional. He would find some scripture and then we would just kind of chew on it for a little bit. That day he had read, and I need to remember the exact scripture, but it was something about being planted, being planted in the dirt and having a strong root system so you can weather storms and rain. That is really the start of ‘Buy Dirt.’ And I don’t know if that song comes if we don’t wake up early and get out there and kind of start talking about real life. That was where it all started, and I’m grateful, grateful that I (laughs) didn’t sleep in that day.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis explains how Luke Bryan ended up on his song, "Buy Dirt."

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

     

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON HITS THE TOP OF THE COUNTRY CHARTS WITH “YOU SHOULD PROBABLY LEAVE.”

    Chris Stapleton has hit the top of the country charts with his latest single, “You Should Probably Leave,” a song he co-wrote with tunesmiths Ashley Gorley and Chris DuBois about a decade ago.

    This is Chris’ third No. 1 song as an artist, but he’s written several chart-toppers for other artists including Luke Bryan (“Drink A Beer”), Josh Turner (“Your Man”), Thomas Rhett (“Crash And Burn”), George Strait (“Love’s Gonna Make It Alright”), Darius Rucker (“Come Back Song”) and Kenny Chesney (Never Wanted Nothing More”), among others.

    Click here for audio on “You Should Probably Leave.”

    The song appears on his latest CMA and ACM award-winning album, Starting Over. Chris is also nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Best Country Solo Performance (“You Should Probably Leave”), Best Country Song (“Cold”) and Best Country Album (Starting Over).

    Prior to launching the new leg of his All-American Road Show Tour in April, Chris will headline the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on March 17th, followed by a pair of shows at the Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma on March 18th and 19th.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S “YOU SHOULD PROBABLY LEAVE” IS ENJOYING A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT.

    Chris Stapleton is closing in on the top of the country charts with “You Should Probably Leave,” a song he co-wrote with tunesmiths Ashley Gorley and Chris DuBois over 10 years ago. The song was supposed to be on an earlier album which was never released, so Chris says it’s getting a “new life” on his latest album, Starting Over.

    “This is a song that I probably wrote, let’s say 10 years ago, somewhere in there,” says Chris. “I don’t know the exact date of creation for this song, but I recorded an entire record that was previous to Traveller for Mercury that kind of canned and never came out and a version of this song is actually on that record. So, it’s kind of full circle for this song to reemerge. It’s getting a new life on this record.”

    Prior to launching the new leg of his All-American Road Show Tour in April, Chris will headline the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on March 17th, followed by a pair of shows at the Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma on March 18th and 19th.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about his latest hit, "You Should Probably Leave."

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (You Should Probably Leave) 1 OC: …on this record. :26
    “Well, this song is very old, for me. This is a song that I probably wrote, let’s say 10 years ago, somewhere in there. I don’t know the exact date of creation for this song, but I recorded an entire record that was previous to Traveller for Mercury that kind of canned and never came out and a version of this song is actually on that record. So, it’s kind of full circle for this song to reemerge. It’s getting a new life on this record.”

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (You Should Probably Leave) 2

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    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (You Should Probably Leave) 3

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    Video /

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON ON 60 MINUTES: “I’M GOOD AT BEING ME ON GUITAR.”

    Chris Stapleton was profiled on CBS’ 60 Minutes on Sunday (February 16th), and the cameras went behind the scenes with the Kentucky native both on the road and in Nashville. He showed off part of his guitar and musical instrument collection, as well as Nashville’s Broadway where he busked at one time.

    On his distinct guitar playing, “I think I have a good sense of doing what I do. I’m probably more of a stylist than I am– somebody who can do anything.   I’m good at being me on guitar.”

    The show revealed he graduated valedictorian from his high school and landed at Vanderbilt University, transferred to Kentucky and then, dropped out. Eventually, discovering his dream job: writing music. He started going to school to be a Biomedical Engineer, but quickly realized it wasn’t for him. He ran into a songwriter and really discovered that was the path he wanted to follow.

    Journalist Sharyn Alfonsi asked him what he thought was a “win” for a song. He replied, “I don’t think I ever know that. The win is finishing the song. And there are a lot of songwriters who will claim that they know. “Yeah, I knew this– when we wrote this one that it was a six-week number one. And– and I was gonna get a big giant check in the mail.” I really just think those guys are full of s***. I don’t think anybody knows that. Like, you can’t–  possibly know how everybody’s gonna feel about a song that you write. That’s impossible to know. I don’t trust computer research or phone surveys or anything like that. You have to take it to the people. I trust people. And I trust people who have taste.”

    Chris is currently making his way to the top of the country charts with “You Should Probably Leave” from his latest album, Starting Over.

    Check out the rest of the interview below.

    Video /

  • CHRIS STAPLETON WILL BE FEATURED ON “60 MINUTES” THIS WEEKEND.

    Country music star Chris Stapleton gets candid with 60 Minutes about songwriting. 

    “You can’t possibly know how everybody’s gonna feel about a song that you write. That’s impossible to know… You have to take it to the people. I trust people.” 

     

    Chris is currently making his way to the top of the country charts with “You Should Probably Leave” from his latest album, Starting Over.

    See the interview this Sunday (January 16th) on CBS.

    60Minutes.com

  • KEITH URBAN, LUKE BRYAN, DIERKS BENTLEY, SAM HUNT, JON PARDI AND CHRIS STAPLETON ADDED TO THE LINEUP FOR THIS YEAR’S HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO.

    Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Chris Stapleton and Jon Pardi have been added to the lineup for this year’s Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, taking place February 28th – March 20th. Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Kane Brown and Brad Paisley have also been added, and they join previously announced performers George Strait, Parker McCollum, Gwen Stefani, Journey, Ricky Martin and Cody Johnson, among others.

    Strait  is set to perform on the final night, marking his 31st RODEOHOUSTON performance.

    Tickets for the 90th Anniversary of the Rodeo will go on sale January 13th at Rodeohouston.com.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S “TENNESSEE WHISKEY” EARNS DIAMOND CERTIFICATION.

    Chris Stapleton was presented with a plaque commemorating the illustrious diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (R.I.A.A.) for surpassing 10 million units sold. The presentation took place at Stapleton’s second of two sold-out shows at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena over the weekend.

    Prior to releasing his Traveller album, Chris explained why he had decided to record “Tennessee Whiskey.”

    “’Tennessee Whiskey’ is a song that I love, you know I love great country songs and songwriters, and this is certainly one that is a great country song written by great country songwriters and performed by a great country artists. Certainly, if you try to cover a George Jones or David Allan Coe, you can’t try to out-George Jones George Jones or anything like that. So, if you’re gonna cover something like that, you need to try to move away from that and hopefully make it your own. We kind of happened upon this way of playing this song and had fun with it live and felt like it was something to record that was a good tip of the hat to things we grew up on and loved. I think it’s a unique and interesting version of it.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about why he recorded “Tennessee Whiskey” for his album, Traveller.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Tennessee Whiskey) OC: …version of it. :41
    “’Tennessee Whiskey’ is a song that I love, you know I love great country songs and songwriters, and this is certainly one that is a great country song written by great country songwriters and performed by a great country artists. Certainly, if you try to cover a George Jones or David Allan Coe, you can’t try to out-George Jones George Jones or anything like that. So, if you’re gonna cover something like that, you need to try to move away from that and hopefully make it your own. We kind of happened upon this way of playing this song and had fun with it live and felt like it was something to record that was a good tip of the hat to things we grew up on and loved. I think it’s a unique and interesting version of it.”

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Josh Turner, Chris Stapleton, Travis Denning, Parker McCollum, Taylor Swift

    Josh Turner is set to hang with two talented ladies — Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager — on NBC’s Today Show on Wednesday (December 8th) to chat about his new Christmas album, King Size Manger, and his Christmas tour, Holiday and the Hits.


    Chris Stapleton 
    and H.E.R. appeared on CBS’ National Tree Lighting television special to perform “This Christmas” together.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh3p-bnCf2U&t=132s

    It was announced earlier this week that Travis Denning will hit the road with pal and fellow Georgia native, Cole Swindell beginning February 17th in Peoria, Illinois.

    https://twitter.com/Travis_Denning/status/1467887846929448966

    Parker McCollum has teamed with MusicFX, a digital community platform connecting artists to their fans through NFTs, to launch the Gold Chain Cowboy Club. “I’m thrilled to be the first artist to partner with MusicFX,” said Parker. “Without my amazing fans, I would not be where I am today. MusicFX is really going to allow us to support one another as we continue this incredible journey.” The NFT fan club is set to go live on Christmas Day.

    Taylor Swift is No. 78 on the Forbes list of the Most Powerful Women In Entertainment for 2021. Other amazing women on the list include Vice President Kamala Harris, Oprah Winfrey, Rhianna, Beyonce, Reese Witherspoon, Queen Elizabeth and at No. 1 is billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Carrie Underwood, Mickey Guyton, Chris Stapleton

    Carrie Underwood, who performed during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, will perform during this year’s CMA Country Christmas. Pistol Annies, Breland, Brett Eldredge, Jimmie Allen, Lady A and hosts Carly Pearce and Gabby Barrett, among others, will also perform. CMA Country Christmas will air Monday (November 29th) beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

    Carrie Underwood and Mickey Guyton will perform during this year’s Christmas in Rockefeller, which will kick off the annual tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. Brad Paisley, Rob Thomas, Norah Jones and Alessia Cara will also perform. The two-hour special will air Wednesday (December 1st) at 8pm ET on NBC.

    Chris Stapleton‘s All-American Road Show will head to Canada beginning April 28th in London, Ontario with special guest Elle King. Tickets go on sale Friday. Visit http://chrisstapleton.com/tour for more information.

     

     

  • GRAMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Chris Stapleton, Brothers Osborne, Mickey Guyton, Kacey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood

    The nominees for the 64th Annual Grammy Awards were announced today (November 23rd).

    Chris Stapleton has three nods including Best Country Album (Starting Over), Best Country Solo Performance (“You Should Probably Leave”) and Best Country Song (“Cold”).

    Mickey Guyton is nominated in three categories, including Best Country Solo Performance (“Remember Her Name”), Best Country Song (“Remember Her Name”), Best Country Album (Remember Her Name)

    Carrie Underwood has a pair of nominations for Best Roots Gospel Album (My Savior), Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“If I Didn’t Love You”) with Jason Aldean.

    Brothers Osborne pick up nominations for Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“Younger Me”), Best Country Album (Skeletons).

    Kacey Musgraves has a pair of nods for Best Country Solo Performance (“camera roll”) and Best Country Song (“camera roll”).

    The Grammy Awards ceremony will take place January 31st at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. It will recognize the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021.

    Best Country Solo Performance

    “Forever After All,” Luke Combs
    “Remember Her Name,” Mickey Guyton
    “All I Do Is Drive,” Jason Isbell
    “Camera Roll,” Kacey Musgraves
    “You Should Probably Leave,” Chris Stapleton

    Best Country Duo/Group Performance

    “If I Didn’t Love You,” Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood
    “Younger Me,” Brothers Osborne
    “Glad You Exist,” Dan + Shay
    “Chasing After You,” Ryan Hurd and Maren Morris
    “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home),” Elle King and Miranda Lambert

    Best Country Song

    “Better Than We Found It,” Jessie Jo Dillon, Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins and Laura Veltz, songwriters (Maren Morris)
    “Camera Roll,” Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves and Daniel Tashian, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
    “Cold,” Dave Cobb, J.T. Cure, Derek Mixon and Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)
    “Country Again,” Zach Crowell, Ashley Gorley and Thomas Rhett, songwriters (Thomas Rhett)
    “Fancy Like,” Cameron Bartolini, Walker Hayes, Josh Jenkins and Shane Stevens, songwriters (Walker Hayes)
    “Remember Her Name,” Mickey Guyton, Blake Hubbard, Jarrod Ingram and Parker Welling, songwriters (Mickey Guyton)

    Best Country Album

    “Skeletons,” Brothers Osborne
    “Remember Her Name,” Mickey Guyton

    “The Marfa Tapes,” Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall and Jack Ingram
    “The Ballad of Dood & Juanita,” Sturgill Simpson
    “Starting Over,” Chris Stapleton

    Best Roots Gospel Album

    “Alone With My Faith,” Harry Connick, Jr.
    “That’s Gospel, Brother,” Gaither Vocal Band
    “Keeping On,” Ernie Haase and Signature Sound
    “Songs For the Times,” The Isaacs
    “My Savior,” Carrie Underwood

     

  • OUTSTANDING CMA PERFORMANCES FROM ERIC CHURCH, CHRIS STAPLETON, KEITH URBAN, LUKE BRYAN, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, BROTHERS OSBORNE, MICKEY GUYTON AND MORE.

    The 55th Annual CMA Awards were not only about giving out trophies, but it was about the music and several artists put their best foot forward showcasing just what makes their songs connect with fans worldwide.

    Eric Church blew the doors off of the Bridgestone Arena with his flaming performance of his latest single, “Heart On Fire.”

    Chris Stapleton turned in a soulful and off-the-charts performance with his song, “Cold,” from his CMA Award-winning Album of the Year, Starting Over.

    Chris also hit the stage with the fabulous Oscar-winning actress and singer, Jennifer Hudson, that just about brought the house down with a medley of “Night Life” and “You Are My Sunshine.” “Night Life” was written by Willie Nelson and recorded by numerous artists such as Ray Price, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day and the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, who JHud plays in the feature film, RESPECT, released nationwide this past August.

    Mickey Guyton joined forces with Brittney Spencer and Madeline Edwards to perform “Love My Hair” from her Remember Her Name album. The song was introduced by young Faith Fennidy, who was sent home from school three years ago when she was told her braids were distracting and who inspired the song.

    Keith Urban performed his latest single, “Wild Hearts,” which he co-wrote with Brad Tursi of Old Dominion, Eric Paslay and Jennifer Wayne and dedicated to all of the “born-to-be rock stars” and all of the dreamers.

    Brothers Osborne performed “Younger Me,” which was inspired by their younger selves. The song’s video was nominated for CMA Video of the Year.

     

    CMA Awards show host Luke Bryan performed his latest, “Up,” and ended the show with his No. 1 “I Don’t Want This Night to End,” with several folks dancing with the same sentiment.

     

    Carrie Underwood and Jason Aldean took to the stage to perform their recent two-week chart-topper, “If I Didn’t Love You.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Video /

  • CHRIS STAPLETON, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, LUKE BRYAN, KACEY MUSGRAVES AND TAYLOR SWIFT PICK UP NOMINATIONS FOR THIS YEAR’S AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS.

    The nominees have been announced for the 2021 American Music Awards. Chris Stapleton picks up three nominations, including Favorite Male Country Artist, Favorite Country Album for Starting Over and Favorite Country Song for “Starting Over,” while Carrie Underwood is nominated for Favorite Female Country Artist and Favorite Inspirational Artist.

    Luke Bryan has a pair of nods including Favorite Male Country Artist and Favorite Country Album for Born Here Live Here Die Here.

    Kacey Musgraves is nominated for Favorite Female Country Artist, and Taylor Swift has a handful of nods including Artist of the Year, Favorite Female Pop Artist and Favorite Pop Album (evermore).

    Favorite Male Country Artist

    • Chris Stapleton
    • Jason Aldean
    • Luke Bryan
    • Luke Combs
    • Morgan Wallen

    Favorite Female Country Artist

    • Carrie Underwood
    • Gabby Barrett
    • Kacey Musgraves
    • Maren Morris
    • Miranda Lambert

    Favorite Country Album

    • Chris Stapleton “Starting Over”
    • Gabby Barrett “Goldmine”
    • Lee Brice “Hey World”
    • Luke Bryan “Born Here Live Here Die Here”
    • Morgan Wallen “Dangerous: The Double Album”

    Favorite Country Song

    • Chris Stapleton “Starting Over”
    • Chris Young & Kane Brown “Famous Friends”
    • Gabby Barrett “The Good Ones”
    • Luke Combs “Forever After All”
    • Walker Hayes “Fancy Like”

    Favorite Country Duo or Group

    • Dan + Shay
    • Florida Georgia Line
    • Lady A
    • Old Dominion
    • Zac Brown Band

    Favorite Inspirational Artist

    • CAIN
    • Carrie Underwood
    • Elevation Worship
    • Lauren Daigle
    • Zach Williams

     

    Artist of the Year

    • Taylor Swift
    • Ariana Grande
    • BTS
    • Drake
    • Olivia Rodrigo
    • The Weeknd

    Favorite Female Pop Artist

    • Ariana Grande
    • Doja Cat
    • Dua Lipa
    • Olivia Rodrigo
    • Taylor Swift

    For a complete list of nominees, click here.

    The 2021 American Music Awards will air November 21st at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD AND CHRIS STAPLETON ARE AMONG THE PERFORMERS ADDED TO THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    Additional performers have been announced for this year’s CMA Awards. Taking the stage will be Carrie Underwood with Jason Aldean to perform their chart-topping collaboration “If I Didn’t Love You.” Chris Stapleton, 10-time CMA Awards winner and five-time CMA nominee this year including Entertainer of the Year, performs “Cold” from his CMA-nominated Album of the Year Starting Over. Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion, Chris Young and Kane Brown will also perform.

    They join previous announced performers Jimmie AllenBrothers OsborneEric ChurchDan + ShayMickey Guyton featuring Brittney Spencer and Madeline Edwards, Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde, and Blake Shelton. Additional performers and presenters for the CMA Awards will be revealed in the coming weeks.

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

  • CHRIS STAPLETON RESCHEDULES A HANDFUL OF TOUR DATES.

    Chris Stapleton has had to postpone a few of his tour dates on the advice of his doctor. The superstar has been ordered to rest his voice and has rescheduled a pair of dates in Nashville and one in Cincinnati this weekend after postponing a show in South Dakota last week.

    Chris took to his socials to share the news and to thank his fans for their support, patience and understanding.

    His rescheduled dates are:

    Nashville • 12.10.2021
    Nashville • 12.11.2021

    The show at Riverbend in Cincinnati is being rescheduled to 2022. A new date will be announced as soon as possible.”

    “I had hoped to have some good news to share with you after this quiet time, but unfortunately the progress I have made is not enough. On doctor’s orders, I will need to continue my vocal rest through the weekend to fully heal. I am sorry that so many of you have been inconvenienced and I’m truly thankful for your patience and understanding,” says Chris.

    He continues, “Nothing is more personal to me than the experience of music. I’m eternally grateful for the privilege of sharing in that journey with all of you night after night. Thank you for your continued support and I hope to see you all very soon.”

    He urged fans to please “hang onto your tickets as they will still be honored at the rescheduled dates. For those unable to attend a new date, please contact your point of purchase.”

    Chris is currently scaling the country charts with “You Should Probably Leave” from his latest album, Starting Over.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Kacey Musgraves, Taylor Swift, Mickey Guyton, Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, Darius Rucker

    Kacey Musgraves will perform on CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert tonight (October 18th) at 11:35pm ET/10:35pm CT.

    Taylor Swift and Mickey Guyton will appear during the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 36th annual Induction Ceremony. Angela Bassett, Christina Aguilera, H.E.R., Bryan Adams, Jennifer Hudson, Drew Barrymore, Paul McCartney and Lionel Richie are also among the A-listers taking part in the celebration. This year’s inductees include Tina Turner, Carole King, The Go-Gos, JAY-Z, LL Cool J, Foo Fighters and Todd Rundgren. The ceremony will take place October 30th in Cleveland, Ohio and will be available on HBO and HBO Max November 20th.

    Eric Church is set to release the music video for his latest song, “Heart On Fire,” on Wednesday

     

    Chris Stapleton performs with Kelly Clarkson on the song “Glow” from her new holiday project, When Christmas Comes Around, available now

     

    Darius Rucker joined Keb’Mo on “Good Strong Woman” from the Grammy-winning blues singer-songwriter’s upcoming album, Good To Be, which will be available early next year.

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON GETS “COZY ON A COUCH” WITH JIMMY FALLON.

    Chris Stapleton and Jimmy Fallon donned chinos and cozy sweaters last night (October 12th) on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The pair performed a song about getting “cozy on the couch” and watching films by Nancy Meyers (which included “It’s Complicated,” “The Holiday,” “Something’s Gotta Give” and “Father Of The Bride.” Check it out below.

     

    Last week, Chris performed his latest single, “You Should Probably Leave.”

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON APPEARS ON TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON AND FEATURES A SPECIAL GUEST DURING HIS PERFORMANCE.

    Chris Stapleton appeared on NBC’S Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to perform his latest hit, “You Should Probably Leave.” Chris had a little help when producer/guitarist Dave Cobb wasn’t able to fly to New York where the show is filmed, so Jimmy stepped in to play guitar and harmony vocals.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kC4LRAE2j4

     

    “You Should Probably Leave” is from Chris’ current album, Starting Over, and is sitting inside the Top 20 on the country charts.

    Chris, who takes his All-American Road Show to Syracuse, NY, New York City and Holmdel, New Jersey this weekend, is nominated for five CMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year (Starting Over) and Single and Song of the Year for “Starting Over.”

     

     

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

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

     

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

     

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

     

  • ERIC CHURCH AND CHRIS STAPLETON LEAD THE LIST OF NOMINEES FOR THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS WITH FIVE EACH.

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

    https://twitter.com/MaddieandTae/status/1436032114085044228

     

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

     

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

     

    https://twitter.com/MickeyGuyton/status/1435955423010598921

     

     

    The 55th Annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live on Wednesday (November 10th) at 8pm ET on ABC.

     

    NOMINATIONS:

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

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

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

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

     

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

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

     

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR  

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

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

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

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

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

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

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

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

     

    SONG OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Songwriters 

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

     

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

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

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

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


    NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR 

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

    MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

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

     

    Audio / Chris Stapleton, who is up for two awards at Wednesday night’s CMA Awards, including Male Vocalist and Music Video of the Year, says he’s always grateful for the moment of recognition.

    Download

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

    Audio / Eric Church talks about writing his CMA-nominated Hell of a View.

    Download

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

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

    Download

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

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

    Download

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

     

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kGCHPfIbMc

     

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

    Video /

  • JOSH TURNER SITS DOWN WITH CHRIS STAPLETON TO TALK ABOUT THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF “YOUR MAN.”

    Josh Turner said he’d never forget listening to the work tape of his first No. 1 single, “Your Man.” “It was just Chris Stapleton and a guitar and at first, I could not hear how it would be for my record,” says Josh. “My producer said take it home, put it in a different key, play around with it… and here we are 15 years later. 🤠 It was great to catch up with Chris Stapleton here about my first #1 single and his first #1 as a songwriter.”

    “Your Man” was written by, Chris Stapleton, Chris DuBois and Jace Everett. Listen to the Deluxe Edition of ‘Your Man’ by Josh Turner here: https://strm.to/JTYourManDeluxeEdition

    Check out the interview below.

    Josh is celebrating the release of the deluxe edition of his iconic Double Platinum-selling Your Man album. It features all 11 original tracks including collaborations with country icons John Anderson, Dr. Ralph Stanley, and Diamond Rio’s Marty Roe, Gene Johnson, and Dana Williams, plus live versions of the title track “Your Man,” fan favorite and often celebrated “Me and God,” and multi-week No. 1 hit “Would You Go With Me.”

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

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

     

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

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl47Vo48zuc&t=2s

     

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

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

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

    Recent critical acclaim for Starting Over:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    STARTING OVER TRACKLIST

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

     

    CHRIS STAPLETON’S “ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW”

    BOLD on-sale Friday, June 11

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

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

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

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

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

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

    August 12—Charlotte, NC—PNC Music Pavilion‡

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

    August 14—Bristow, VA—Jiffy Lube Live‡

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

    August 21—Arlington, TX—Globe Life Field#

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

    August 27—Alpharetta, GA—Ameris Bank Amphitheatre^

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

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

    September 17—Birmingham, AL—Oak Mountain Amphitheatre+

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

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

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

    September 25—Noblesville, IN—Ruoff Music Center§

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

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

    October 2—Mansfield, MA—Xfinity Center%

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

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

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

    October 14—Columbia, MO—Mizzou Arena+

    October 15—Lincoln, NE—Pinnacle Bank Arena+

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

    October 21—Cincinnati, OH—Riverbend Music Center+

    October 22—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena+

    October 23—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena+

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

    October 29—Albuquerque, NM—Isleta Amphitheater**

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

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

    November 5—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center**

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

    November 18—Orlando, FL—Amway Center^

    November 19—Estero, FL—Hertz Arena^

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

    December 3—Memphis, TN—FedEx Forum+

    December 4—Biloxi, MS—Mississippi Coast Coliseum+

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    “ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW” SPECIAL GUESTS

    †with special guests Elle King and Nikki Lane

    ‡with special guests Elle King and Kendell Marvel

    *with special guests Yola and Kendell Marvel

    ++with special guest Nikki Lane

    #with special guests Wille Nelson, Jamey Johnson and Yola

    ^with special guests Sheryl Crow and Kendell Marvel

    +with special guests The Marcus King Band and Yola

    °with special guests Margo Price and Kendell Marvel

    • with special guests TBD

    %with special guests The Marcus King Band and Caylee Hammack

    **with special guests Jamey Johnson and Yola

    ^^with special guests Margo Price and Yola

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

     

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

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

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

     

    When he released the album, he said, “If there’s a theme it’s hopefully there’s a theme of truth somewhere in it. And what I mean by that is hopefully we’re conveying in the songs some experiences that feel real and hopefully people can find themselves in those songs and in the album. And for me if I’m looking for a theme it’s that kind of, I don’t know, that thing that binds us all together as humans.”

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

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

     

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

    Download

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

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

    Download

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

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

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

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

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

    “A song of the year.” – Stereogum 

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

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

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

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

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

    “Powerful.”– Paste 

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

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

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

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

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

    The nominations celebrate yet another monumental year for Stapleton following the release Starting Over, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart this past November.  Out now on Mercury Records Nashville (stream/purchase here), Starting Over is an album of startling prescience, featuring fourteen tracks that examine life’s simplest joys and most serious struggles. Once again produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb, the record continues to receive overwhelming critical praise and landed on several “Best of 2020” lists including NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Esquire, Vulture, The Tennessean and The New York Times, who declares, “Chris Stapleton’s roar isn’t designed to scare you off. It’s regal, an announcement of an alpha figure asserting his primacy…on this, his fourth album, the thrill is back.”

    Recent critical acclaim for Starting Over:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

    CHRIS STAPLETON’S “ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW”

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

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

    June 11—Portland, OR—Sunlight Supply Amphitheater#

    June 12—George, WA—The Gorge Amphitheatre#

    June 17—Bakersfield, CA—Mechanics Bank Arena#

    June 18—Sacramento, CA—Toyota Amphitheatre#

    June 19—Mountain View, CA—Shoreline Amphitheatre#

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

    June 25—Denver, CO—Pepsi Center^

    June 26—Denver, CO—Pepsi Center^

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

    July 10—Camden, NJ—BB&T Pavilion°

    July 17—Chicago, IL—Wrigley Field%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    August 12—Charlotte, NC—PNC Music Pavilion°

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

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

    August 20—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center##

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

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

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

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

    October 2—Mansfield, MA—Xfinity Center++

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

    October 14—Columbia, MO—Mizzou Arena++

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

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

    October 22—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena++

    October 23—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena++

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

    October 29—Albuquerque, NM—Isleta Amphitheater°°

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

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

    November 11—Estero, FL—Hertz Arena**

    November 12—Orlando, FL—Amway Center**

    April 20—Toledo, OH—Huntington Center†

    April 21—Columbus, OH—Schottenstein Center†

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

    “ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW” SPECIAL GUESTS

    †with special guests Margo Price and Yola

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

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

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

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

    +with special guest Sheryl Crow

    °with special guests Elle King and Kendell Marvel

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

    **with special guests Sheryl Crow and Kendell Marvel

    ††with special guests Elle King and Nikki Lane

    ‡‡with George Strait and Little Big Town

    • §with George Strait and Brothers Osborne

    ^^with special guest Nikki Lane

    ##with special guests Willie Nelson & Family and Yola

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

    ++with special guests The Marcus King Band and Yola

    °°with special guests Jamey Johnson and Yola

     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

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  • DIERKS BENTLEY, BROTHERS OSBORNE, LUKE BRYAN, ERIC CHURCH, MICKEY GUYTON, ALAN JACKSON, LITTLE BIG TOWN, CHRIS STAPLETON, KEITH URBAN AND CARRIE UNDERWOOD ARE AMONG THE ANNOUNCED PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Mickey Guyton, Alan Jackson, Little Big Town, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood are among the performers at this year’s ACM Awards. They’re joined by Kelsea Ballerini, Lee Brice, Kane Brown, Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Ryan Hurd, Jack Ingram,  Elle King, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris, Carly Pearce, Jon Randall, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, The War and Treaty, CeCe Winans and Chris Young.

    Over 25 artists will perform more than 30 songs from three iconic Country Music venues: the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe. Additional details on the exciting performances including unprecedented collaborations and surprising moments will be announced in the coming weeks. First-time ACM Awards performances from many of the legendary artists in the lineup can be found HERE.

    The health and safety of the artists, fans, industry, staff and partners involved in the ACM Awards is the number one priority. All guidelines set forth by national, state and local health officials will be closely followed and implemented during the production along with additional safety measures to be instated by dick clark productions and the Academy of Country Music.

     

    For more information, visit ACMcountry.com. You can also like Academy of Country Music on Facebook, follow on Twitter at @ACMawards, follow on Instagram at @ACMawards and sign up for the FREE ACM A-List for more immediate updates.

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

  • CHRIS STAPLETON COVERS AL GREEN’S “I’M A RAM” FOR NEW RAM TRUCKS CAMPAIGN; TAKES FANS BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF THE MAKING OF THE SONG.

    Chris Stapleton is featured in the new Dodge Ram ads with his version of Al Green‘s 1971 “I’m A Ram.” Here he takes fans behind-the-scenes of recording the song.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fESfL0Wp2UE

     

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

  • NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL MUSIC OUTLAW COUNTRY, FEATURING CHRIS STAPLETON, JOHNNY CASH AND MORE, AVAILABLE NOW.

    NOW That’s What I Call Music, Universal Music Group Nashville and Sony Music Nashville have released Now That’s What I Call Music Outlaw Country. Now Outlaw Country is the first installment of special Outlaw Country brand under the popular NOW series.  Country Music fans can hear these eighteen tracks from their favorite Outlaw Country artists including Chris Stapleton, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Miranda Lambert, and Jamey Johnson and more. Physical and digital purchase available HERE, and vinyl will be available 4/16.

     

    Now That’s What I Call Music Outlaw Country Track Listing:

    1. Chris Stapleton- Traveller
    2. Jamey Johnson- High Cost Of Living
    3. Steve Earle- Copperhead Road
    4. Miranda Lambert- Kerosene
    5. Travis Tritt- T-R-O-U-B-L-E
    6. Billy Joe Shaver- I Been To Georgia On A Fast Train
    7. Johnny Cash- Folsom Prison Blues (Live)
    8. The Charlie Daniels Band- The Devil Went Down To Georgia
    9. Johnny Paycheck- Take This Job and Shove It
    10. Waylon Jennings- Ladies Love Outlaws
    11. Kris Kristofferson- Help Me Make It Through The Night
    12. Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson- Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys
    13. Tanya Tucker- Texas (When I Die)
    14. Emmylou Harris- Bluebird Wine
    15. Jerry Jeff Walker- Up Against The Wall, Redneck (Live)
    16. David Allan Coe- The Ride
    17. Merle Haggard & Willie Nelson- Pancho & Lefty
    18. Guy Clark- Desperados Waiting For A Train

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

    NOW That’s What I Call Music is a joint venture from Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. The multi-platinum NOW That’s What I Call Music! compilation series is the world’s best-selling multi-artist recorded music brand with sales topping 104 million in the U.S.  Now That’s What I Call Music Outlaw Country is distributed by Universal Music Group. NOW and NOW That’s What I Call Music! are registered trademarks of Universal Music Group and its affiliates.

     

     

    Audio / CHRIS STAPLETON TALKS ABOUT THE TITLE OF HIS 2015 ALBUM, TRAVELLER.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (title of Traveller) OC: …folks too. :43
    “The song ‘Traveller’ and how it ended up being the title of the record, it seemed like a natural thing to call it, because a lot of, certainly the inspiration for this record came from a series of events. It’s kind of the only song that was written inside of, well, there might’ve been one other song written inside of knowing I was going to make this record in this way. The rest of the songs came from outside of that time period. So, that’s one reason to name it that. The other reason is that it can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It’s about a journey in a musical sense and in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense. In every way that you can have a journey, this record is kind of that for me, and hopefully for some other folks too.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Eric Church, Chris Stapleton and more

    Eric Church and Chris Stapleton are among the artists to appear during the CBS two-hour special, A Grammy Salute to the Sounds of Change, next week. The program, which will also feature Brad Paisley, LeAnn Rimes, Patti LaBelle, Andra Day, Sheila E., Gloria Estefan, Gladys Knight and John Fogerty, among others, will air Wednesday (March 17th) beginning at 9pm ET/PT on CBS and via livestream and on-demand on Paramount+.

    Reba McEntire returns to the CBS show, Young Sheldon, again tonight. Check out the action beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

     

    Eric Church released a video of the first pressing of his new trilogy of albums, Heart & Soul. Thanks to United Record Pressing in Nashville, the first edition black vinyl pressing of all three albums are now available in the official Chief Merch store for pre-order.

     

    Chris Stapleon has joined forces with Buffalo Trace Distillery’s E.H. Taylor Jr. to help raise funds for the natural disaster relief efforts in Texas and Kentucky. He is auctioning off autographed bottles of their Single Barrel bourbon through his charitable fund, Outlaw State of Kind.

     

  • CATCH CHRIS STAPLETON PERFORMING ON THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON.

    Chris Stapleton performed “When I’m With You” from his new album, Starting Over on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last night (February 10th).

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHhXXa6h52w&feature=emb_logo

     

    Chris is sitting inside the Top 10 on the country charts with the title track of his latest album, “Starting Over.”

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Lauren Alaina, Priscilla Block, Dierks Bentley, Mickey Guyton, Chris Stapleton

    Lauren Alaina is featured on The Shires‘ new music video for “Lightning Strikes (feat. Lauren Alaina).” The video premiered on CMT on Monday (January 25th).

     

    Priscilla Block just signed a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music Nashville. The Mercury Nashville recording artist is currently climbing the country charts with her single, “Just About Over You.”

    Dierks Bentley has been announced as one of three headliners for this year’s WE Fest. The three-day event, which also features headliners Blake Shelton and Florida Georgia Line, will take place August 5th – 7th at Detroit Lakes’ Soo Pass Ranch. Dierks is making his way up the country charts with his latest, “Gone.”

    Mickey Guyton picked up three honors from the Nashville Scene’s 21st Annual Country Music Critics’ Poll. She was named the No. 1 Female Artist and also had the No. 1 single with “Black Like Me.” She was also named the No. 1 Artist of the Year. Chris Stapleton was named Male Artist of the Year and also showed up near the top of the Singles list (No. 2 with “Starting Over), Artists of the Year and Songwriters of the Year.
     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Chrissy Metz, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Luke Bryan, Caylee Hammack

    Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey is featured in George Clooney’s new film, “The Midnight Sky,” which is on Netflix now. The movie stars Clooney as a scientist who must venture through the Arctic Circle with a young girl to warn off a returning spaceship following a global catastrophe.

    Chrissy Metz will appear on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on Thursday, January 14th Other stars include Karamo Brown, Yvette Nicole Brown, Nicole Byer, Drew Carey, Rachael Leigh Cook, Jennie Garth, Chris Harrison, Teri Hatcher, Tony Hawk, Robert Herjavec, Leslie Jones, Jeannie Mai, Joel McHale, Maria Menounos, Kevin Nealon, Patton Oswalt, Paul Reubens, Alfonso Ribeiro, Rob Riggle, Sherri Shepherd, Joe Tessitore, Chandra Wilson and Constance Zimmer. Celebrity Wheel of Fortune premieres this Thursday (January 7th) at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Parker McCollum will make his Grand Ole Opry debut on Saturday, February 6th.

    Newcome Priscilla Block was selected by Pandora as one of their Country Artists To Watch for 2021.

    American Idol is set to premiere February 14th (Valentine’s Day). The show features returning judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, host Ryan Seacrest and mentor Bobby Bones.

    Caylee Hammack turns in a gorgeous acoustic version of Patsy Cline‘s “Crazy.” She said Patsy has been on her mind lately.

    https://twitter.com/Cayleehammack/status/1346514542558400514

     

     

     

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S STARTING OVER DEBUTS AT #1 ON BILLBOARD COUNTRY CHART.

    Chris Stapleton’s highly anticipated new album, Starting Over, debuts this week at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and #3 on the Billboard 200 with over 102,733 units. The album also tops Billboard’s Americana/Folk Albums and Digital Albums charts and is #2 on Billboard’s Top Albums chart.

    Out now on Mercury Records Nashville (stream/purchase here), Starting Over is an album of startling prescience, featuring fourteen tracks that examine life’s simplest joys and most serious struggles. Once again produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb, the record is already receiving overwhelming critical acclaim:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    In celebration of the release, Stapleton was recently a guest on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” performing the album’s title track and speaking with the host (watch the performance HERE and interview HERE). Additionally, Stapleton was also featured earlier this month on NBC’s “Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist,” NPR’s “Morning Edition” and performed an acoustic version of “Starting Over” at the 54th Annual CMA Awards.

    Starting Over finds Stapleton back in his second home, Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional work done at Muscle Shoals Sound and Compass Sound Studio), surrounded by his trusted collaborators as well as some new faces. In addition to Cobb (acoustic guitar), the record features his beloved wife, Morgane Stapleton (vocals, tambourine), with J.T. Cure (bass) and Derek Mixon (drums). Special guests include legendary musicians Mike Campbell (electric guitar), Benmont Tench (Hammond B3 organ) and Paul Franklin (pedal steel) as well as the All Voices Choir who are featured on “Watch You Burn,” written by Stapleton and Campbell.

    Kentucky-born Stapleton is a 5x Grammy, 10x CMA and 7x ACM Award-winner and one of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians. Following 2015’s quadruple platinum breakthrough solo debut album Traveller, Stapleton released two #1 albums in 2017. Both From A Room: Volume 1 (certified platinum) and From A Room: Volume 2 (certified gold) take their name from legendary RCA Studio A, where they were recorded with Cobb. Released to overwhelming critical acclaim, The Tennessean praises, “Both are rich with the textures of Stapleton’s vocals that make him one of country music’s most beloved artists, classic country sounds and thoughtful articulate lyrics about love, life and pain.” He was recently announced as the first-ever “Artist-Songwriter of the Decade” recipient by the Academy of Country Music and will resume his extensive “All-American Road Show” tour next year. Highlights include headline shows at Washington State’s Gorge Amphitheatre, Chicago’s Wrigley Field, New York’s Madison Square Garden and “A Concert for Kentucky”—a special performance benefitting his newly created Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund to be held at University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field onApril 24. Presented by Live Nation, the performance is the first concert ever held at UK’s Kroger Field and will feature very special guests Willie Nelson & Family, Sheryl Crow and Yola. 100% of the concert’s net proceeds will go toward Chris and Morgane Stapleton’s Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund. Established in partnership with the Blue Grass Community Foundation, the fund will specifically support local and national organizations directly impacting Kentucky, with initial grant distributions focusing on music and arts education. See below for complete itinerary.

     

    STARTING OVER TRACK LIST:

    1. Starting Over 

    2. Devil Always Made Me Think Twice 

    3. Cold 

    4. When I’m With You 

    5. Arkansas 

    6. Joy Of My Life  

    7. Hillbilly Blood 

    8. Maggie’s Song 

    9. Whiskey Sunrise 

    10. Worry B Gone 

    11. Old Friends 

    12. Watch You Burn

    13. You Should Probably Leave 

    14. Nashville, TN

    Audio / Chris Stapleton responds to a question about a theme in his new album, Starting Over."

    Download

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

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S DOG DESERVED HER OWN SONG ON NEW ALBUM.

    One of the tracks on Chris Stapleton’s new album, Starting Over, has been getting a lot of attention because of its emotional topic and has folks wiping tears from their eyes. Chris wrote “Maggie’s Song” the day after his beloved dog, Maggie, passed away. Word for word, the song is a true story of how he and Morgane rescued the precious pup and how she became a member of the Stapleton family, especially watching over their children, until the day she passed away. Chris says she was such a good dog, that she deserved a song of her own.

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

    “Maggie’s Song” Lyrics:

    Let me tell you a story
    About an old friend of mine
    Somebody left her in a shopping cart
    In a parking lot for us to find
    Just a fuzzy black pup
    She was hungry and feeling alone
    We put her in the back seat
    And told her we were taking her home

    Run, Maggie run
    With the heart of a rebel child
    Oh, run, Maggie run
    Be just as free as you are wild

    A few kids later
    We moved out on the farm
    And she followed those kids around
    Yeah, she kept them safe from harm
    And she loved to chase squirrels
    And playing out in the snow
    She’d take off like a bullet
    Man, you should have seen her go

    Run, Maggie run
    With the heart of a rebel child
    Oh, run, Maggie run
    Be just as free as you are wild

    It was raining on a Monday
    The day that Maggie died
    She woke up and couldn’t use her legs
    So I laid down by her side
    She put her head on my hand
    Like she’d done so many times
    I told her she was a good dog
    Then I told her goodbye

    Run, Maggie run
    With the heart of a rebel child
    Oh, run, Maggie run
    Be just as free as you are wild

    I had a revelation
    As the tractor dug a hole
    I can tell you right now
    That a dog has a soul
    And I thought to myself
    As we buried her on the hill
    I never knew me a better dog
    And I guess I never will

    Starting Over was released last Friday (November 13th), and features his latest single, the title track.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says his dog, Maggie, who he and Morgane rescued several years ago, deserved a song tribute.

    Download

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

    Video /

    View
  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S NEW ALBUM STARTING OVER OUT NOW.

    Chris Stapleton’s highly anticipated new album, Starting Over, is out today on Mercury Records Nashville. Stream/purchase here.

    In celebration of the release, Stapleton was a guest on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last night performing the album’s title track and speaking with the host. Watch the performance HERE and interview HERE. Additionally, he joined the show earlier this week for a special comedy segment, “A Very Covid Christmas.” Stapleton was also recently featured on NBC’s “Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist,” NPR’s “Morning Edition” and performed an acoustic version of “Starting Over” at the 54th Annual CMA Awards.

     

    Starting Over is an album of startling prescience, featuring fourteen tracks that examine life’s simplest joys and most serious struggles. Once again produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb, the record is already receiving overwhelming critical acclaim:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Starting Over finds Stapleton back in his second home, Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional work done at Muscle Shoals Sound and Compass Sound Studio), surrounded by his trusted collaborators as well as some new faces. In addition to Cobb (acoustic guitar), the record features his beloved wife, Morgane Stapleton (vocals, tambourine), with J.T. Cure (bass) and Derek Mixon (drums). Special guests include legendary musicians Mike Campbell (electric guitar), Benmont Tench (Hammond B3 organ) and Paul Franklin (pedal steel) as well as the All Voices Choir who are featured on “Watch You Burn,” written by Stapleton and Campbell.

    Kentucky-born Stapleton is a 5x Grammy, 10x CMA and 7x ACM Award-winner and one of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians. Following 2015’s quadruple platinum breakthrough solo debut album Traveller, Stapleton released two No. 1 albums in 2017. Both From A Room: Volume 1 (certified platinum) and From A Room: Volume 2 (certified gold) take their name from legendary RCA Studio A, where they were recorded with Cobb. Released to overwhelming critical acclaim, The Tennessean praises, “Both are rich with the textures of Stapleton’s vocals that make him one of country music’s most beloved artists, classic country sounds and thoughtful articulate lyrics about love, life and pain.” He was recently announced as the first-ever “Artist-Songwriter of the Decade” recipient by the Academy of Country Music and, next year, will be the subject of a new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

    Stapleton’s “All-American Road Show” tour is planned to resume next year. Highlights include headline shows at Washington State’s Gorge Amphitheatre, Chicago’s Wrigley Field, New York’s Madison Square Garden and “A Concert for Kentucky”—a special performance benefitting his newly created Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund to be held at University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field on April 24. Presented by Live Nation, the performance is the first concert ever held at UK’s Kroger Field and will feature very special guests Willie Nelson & Family, Sheryl Crow and Yola. 100% of the concert’s net proceeds will go toward Chris and Morgane Stapleton’s Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund. Established in partnership with the Blue Grass Community Foundation, the fund will specifically support local and national organizations directly impacting Kentucky, with initial grant distributions focusing on music and arts education. See below for complete itinerary.

    STARTING OVER TRACK LIST:

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

     

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about his new album, Starting Over.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Starting Over album slice of life) OC: …was recorded. :38
    “I mean obviously, there are three covers on the record that are older songs. There are a few songs that I pulled from my big sack of songs (laughs), but a lot of the songs on this record kind of happened in the space of making the record. Now granted, that process happened between 2018 and early 2020, so there’s a two, two-plus year period there that a lot can happen. So, in that sense, it’s probably more of a slice of life than some of the previous records that you get this kind of in-the-moment feeling even if the moment that we’re in now is very different than the moment that this was recorded.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON TO PERFORM AT 54TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS, NEW ALBUM OUT THIS FRIDAY.

    Chris Stapleton will perform “Starting Over” during the 54th Annual CMA Awards—airing this Wednesday, November 11 at 8:00pm ET/7:00pm CT on ABC. Already a 10x CMA Award winner, Stapleton is also nominated for two awards at this year’s ceremony: Male Vocalist of the Year and Music Video of the Year (“Second One To Know”).

    “Starting Over” is the title track of Stapleton’s anticipated new album, which will be released this Friday, November 13 on Mercury Records Nashville (pre-order/pre-save). In celebration of the new music, Stapleton will be a guest on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” this Thursday, November 12, performing and speaking with the host. He was also featured on yesterday’s episode of NBC’s “Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist.” Watch the full profile HERE.

    Starting Over is an album of startling prescience—completed in late February only days before the shutdown began. Across its fourteen tracks are songs that examine life’s simplest joys and most serious struggles. Alongside eleven songs written by Stapleton with both longtime friends and new collaborators are three carefully chosen covers: John Fogerty’s “Joy Of My Life” and Guy Clark’s “Worry B Gone” and “Old Friends.” The resulting album—both timely and timeless—speaks to and transcends the current moment in ways unimaginable even while it was being created.

    Already receiving widespread acclaim, Billboard calls new song “Cold,” “earth-shattering…this is the finest rip-your-heart-out song you’ll hear all day…or any day,” while Rolling Stoneselected the title track as a “Song You Need to Know” praising,“‘Starting Over’ is for a new day and, like its title implies, a fresh start…a song that, despite being written before the world went to hell in the spring, encapsulates our current moment.” Watch the song’s official music video, which was directed and filmed by Becky Fluke, HERE.

    The album finds Stapleton back in his second home, Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional work done at Muscle Shoals Sound and Compass Sound Studio), surrounded by his trusted collaborators as well as some new faces. Produced by Dave Cobb (who also plays acoustic guitar), the record features his beloved wife, Morgane Stapleton (vocals, tambourine), with J.T. Cure (bass) and Derek Mixon (drums). Special guests include legendary musicians Mike Campbell (electric guitar), Benmont Tench (Hammond B3 organ) and Paul Franklin (pedal steel) as well as the All Voices Choir who are featured on “Watch You Burn,” written by Stapleton and Campbell.

    Kentucky-born Stapleton is a 5x Grammy, 10x CMA and 7x ACM Award-winner and one of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians. Following 2015’s quadruple platinum breakthrough solo debut album Traveller, Stapleton released two No. 1 albums in 2017. Both From A Room: Volume 1 (certified platinum) and From A Room: Volume 2 (certified gold) take their name from legendary RCA Studio A, where they were recorded with Cobb. Released to overwhelming critical acclaim, The Tennessean praises, “Both are rich with the textures of Stapleton’s vocals that make him one of country music’s most beloved artists, classic country sounds and thoughtful articulate lyrics about love, life and pain.” He was recently announced as the first-ever “Artist-Songwriter of the Decade” recipient by the Academy of Country Music and, next year, will be the subject of a new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

    Stapleton’s “All-American Road Show” tour is planned to resume next year. Highlights include headline shows at Washington State’s Gorge Amphitheatre, Chicago’s Wrigley Field, New York’s Madison Square Garden and “A Concert for Kentucky”—a special performance benefitting his newly created Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund to be held at University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field on April 24. Presented by Live Nation, the performance is the first concert ever held at UK’s Kroger Field and will feature very special guests Willie Nelson & Family, Sheryl Crow and Yola. 100% of the concert’s net proceeds will go toward Chris and Morgane Stapleton’s Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund. Established in partnership with the Blue Grass Community Foundation, the fund will specifically support local and national organizations directly impacting Kentucky, with initial grant distributions focusing on music and arts education. See below for complete itinerary.

    STARTING OVER TRACK LIST:

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

    CHRIS STAPLETON’S “ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW”

    April 21—Toledo, OH—Huntington Center†

    April 22—Columbus, OH—Schottenstein Center†

    April 24—Lexington, KY—A Concert for Kentucky – Kroger Field‡

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

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

    June 11—Portland, OR—Sunlight Supply Amphitheater#

    June 12—George, WA—The Gorge Amphitheatre#

    June 17—Bakersfield, CA—Mechanics Bank Arena#

    June 18—Sacramento, CA—Toyota Amphitheatre#

    June 19—Mountain View, CA—Shoreline Amphitheatre#

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

    June 25—Denver, CO—Pepsi Center^

    June 26—Denver, CO—Pepsi Center^

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

    July 10—Camden, NJ—BB&T Pavilion°

    July 17—Chicago, IL—Wrigley Field%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    August 12—Charlotte, NC—PNC Music Pavilion°

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

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

    August 20—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center##

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

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

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

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

    October 2—Mansfield, MA—Xfinity Center++

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

    October 14—Columbia, MO—Mizzou Arena++

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

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

    October 22—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena++

    October 23—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena++

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

    October 29—Albuquerque, NM—Isleta Amphitheater°°

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

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

    November 11—Estero, FL—Hertz Arena**

    November 12—Orlando, FL—Amway Center**

    “ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW” SPECIAL GUESTS

    †with special guests Margo Price and Yola

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

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

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

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

    +with special guest Sheryl Crow

    °with special guests Elle King and Kendell Marvel

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

    **with special guests Sheryl Crow and Kendell Marvel

    ††with special guests Elle King and Nikki Lane

    ‡‡with George Strait and Little Big Town

    • §with George Strait and Brothers Osborne

    ^^with special guest Nikki Lane

    ##with special guests Willie Nelson & Family and Yola

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

    ++with special guests The Marcus King Band and Yola

    °°with special guests Jamey Johnson and Yola

  • CHRIS STAPLETON ADDED TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    Chris Stapleton will perform his latest smash hit, “Starting Over,” on Wednesday night’s (November 11th) CMA Awards.

    Chris is nominated for a pair of awards, including Male Vocalist and Music Video of the Year for his LEGO-themed “Second One to Know.” He’s also set to release his fourth studio album, Starting Over, on Friday (November 13th).

    Lauren Alaina has been tapped as a presenter on the show, and she’ll be joined by Lauren Akins (NYT best-selling author and wife of Thomas Rhett), as well as Charles Esten, Sara Evans, Jake Owen, supermodel Taylor Hill, actor Patrick Schwarzenegger and gospel superstar  CeCe Winans.

    Previously announced performers include hosts Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker taking the stage together for an emotional, groundbreaking tribute performance. Darius will also take the stage with Lady A. Additional performances include Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Little Big Town, Jon Pardi, Keith Urban, Gabby Barrett featuring Charlie Puth, Luke Combs, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris, Rascal Flatts, Jason Aldean, Jimmie Allen, Ingrid Andress, Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber, Jenee Fleenor, Old Dominion, Carly Pearce and Lady A’s Charles Kelley and Morgan Wallen and Thomas Rhett feat. McEntire, Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin.

    “The 54th Annual CMA Awards,” hosted by Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker,  will broadcast live from Nashville’s Music City Center Wednesday, November 11th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Video /

    View
  • CHRIS STAPLETON UNVEILS NEW SONG, “ARKANSAS,” FROM UPCOMING ALBUM STARTING OVER.

    Chris Stapleton’s new song, “Arkansas,” is out today (listen HERE). Written by Stapleton and legendary musician Mike Campbell, “Arkansas” is the third song unveiled from Stapleton’s anticipated new album, Starting Over, out November 13th on Mercury Records Nashville (pre-order/pre-save).

    Already receiving widespread acclaim, Billboard calls the song “Cold,” “earth-shattering…this is the finest rip-your-heart-out song you’ll hear all day…or any day,” while Rolling Stone selected the title track, “Starting Over,” as a “Song You Need to Know” praising, “‘Starting Over’ is for a new day and, like its title implies, a fresh start…a song that, despite being written before the world went to hell in the spring, encapsulates our current moment.” Watch the song’s official music video, which was directed and filmed by Becky Fluke, HERE.

    Starting Over is an album of startling prescience—completed in late February only days before the shutdown began. Across its fourteen tracks are songs that examine life’s simplest joys and most serious struggles. Alongside eleven songs written by Stapleton with both longtime friends and new collaborators are three carefully chosen covers: John Fogerty’s “Joy Of My Life” and Guy Clark’s “Worry B Gone” and “Old Friends.” The resulting album—both timely and timeless—speaks to and transcends the current moment in ways unimaginable even while it was being created.

    The album finds Stapleton back in his second home, Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional work done at Muscle Shoals Sound and Compass Sound Studio), surrounded by his trusted collaborators as well as some new faces. Produced by Dave Cobb (who also plays acoustic guitar), the record features his beloved wife, Morgane Stapleton (vocals, tambourine), with J.T. Cure (bass) and Derek Mixon (drums). Special guests include legendary musicians Mike Campbell (electric guitar), Benmont Tench (Hammond B3 organ) and Paul Franklin (pedal steel) as well as the All Voices Choir who are featured on “Watch You Burn,” written by Stapleton and Campbell

    Kentucky-born Stapleton is a 5x Grammy, 10x CMA and 7x ACM Award-winner and one of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians. Following 2015’s quadruple platinum breakthrough solo debut album Traveller, Stapleton released two No. 1 albums in 2017. Both From A Room: Volume 1 (certified platinum) and From A Room: Volume 2 (certified gold) take their name from legendary RCA Studio A, where they were recorded with Cobb. Released to overwhelming critical acclaim, The Tennessean praises, “Both are rich with the textures of Stapleton’s vocals that make him one of country music’s most beloved artists, classic country sounds and thoughtful articulate lyrics about love, life and pain.” He was recently announced as the first-ever “Artist-Songwriter of the Decade” recipient by the Academy of Country Music and, next year, will be the subject of a new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

    Stapleton’s “All-American Road Show” tour is planned to resume next year. Highlights include headline shows at Washington State’s Gorge Amphitheatre, Chicago’s Wrigley Field, New York’s Madison Square Garden and “A Concert for Kentucky”—a special performance benefitting his newly created Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund to be held at University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field on April 24. Presented by Live Nation, the performance is the first concert ever held at UK’s Kroger Field and will feature very special guests Willie Nelson & Family, Sheryl Crow and Yola. 100% of the concert’s net proceeds will go toward Chris and Morgane Stapleton’s Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund. Established in partnership with the Blue Grass Community Foundation, the fund will specifically support local and national organizations directly impacting Kentucky, with initial grant distributions focusing on music and arts education. See below for complete itinerary.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S “COLD” OUT TODAY.

    Chris Stapleton’s new song “Cold” is out today (listen HERE). Written by Stapleton along with producer Dave Cobb and longtime bandmembers, J.T. Cure and Derek Mixon, “Cold” is the second song unveiled from his anticipated new album, Starting Over, out November 13th on Mercury Records Nashville (pre-order/pre-save).

     

    “Cold” follows the album’s title track, which was released last month and is already receiving widespread acclaim—Rolling Stone calls it a “Song You Need to Know,” while Billboard praises, “designed for this moment, an exhalation in the middle of an anxiety-stricken year, with Stapleton’s gruff voice providing hope for a better future.” Watch the official music video for the song, which was directed and filmed by Becky Fluke, HERE.

    “Starting Over” begins an album of startling prescience—completed in late February only days before the shutdown began. Across its fourteen tracks are songs that examine life’s simplest joys and most serious struggles. Alongside eleven written by Stapleton with both longtime friends and new collaborators are three carefully chosen covers: John Fogerty’s “Joy Of My Life” and Guy Clark’s “Worry B Gone” and “Old Friends.” The resulting album—both timely and timeless—speaks to and transcends the current moment in ways unimaginable even while it was being created.

    The album finds Stapleton back in his second home, Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional work done at Muscle Shoals Sound and Compass Sound Studio), surrounded by his trusted collaborators as well as some new faces. Produced by Dave Cobb (who also plays acoustic guitar), the record features his beloved wife, Morgane Stapleton (vocals, tambourine), with J.T. Cure (bass) and Derek Mixon (drums). Special guests include legendary musicians Mike Campbell (electric guitar), Benmont Tench (Hammond B3 organ) and Paul Franklin (pedal steel) as well as the All Voices Choir who are featured on “Watch You Burn,” written by Stapleton and Campbell.

    Kentucky-born Stapleton is a 5x Grammy, 10x CMA and 7x ACM Award-winner and one of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians. Following 2015’s quadruple platinum breakthrough solo debut album Traveller, Stapleton released two No. 1 albums in 2017. Both From A Room: Volume 1 (certified platinum) and From A Room: Volume 2 (certified gold) take their name from legendary RCA Studio A, where they were recorded with Cobb. Released to overwhelming critical acclaim, The Tennessean praises, “Both are rich with the textures of Stapleton’s vocals that make him one of country music’s most beloved artists, classic country sounds and thoughtful articulate lyrics about love, life and pain.” He was recently announced as the first-ever “Artist-Songwriter of the Decade” recipient by the Academy of Country Music and, next year, will be the subject of a new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

    Stapleton’s “All-American Road Show” tour is planned to resume next year. Highlights include headline shows at Washington State’s Gorge Amphitheatre, Chicago’s Wrigley Field, New York’s Madison Square Garden and “A Concert for Kentucky”—a special performance benefitting his newly created Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund to be held at University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field on April 24. Presented by Live Nation, the performance is the first concert ever held at UK’s Kroger Field and will feature very special guests Willie Nelson & Family, Sheryl Crow and Yola. 100% of the concert’s net proceeds will go toward Chris and Morgane Stapleton’s Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund. Established in partnership with the Blue Grass Community Foundation, the fund will specifically support local and national organizations directly impacting Kentucky, with initial grant distributions focusing on music and arts education. See below for complete itinerary.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON RELEASES OFFICIAL VIDEO FOR LATEST SINGLE, “STARTING OVER.”

    Chris Stapleton recently released the music video for “Starting Over,” which was shot during the recording process at the historic RCA Studio A on Music Row in Nashville. The clip features his wife and phenomenal vocalist Morgane, as well as producer Dave Cobb and bandmembers J.T. Cure and Derek Mixon.

     

    Chris co-wrote “Starting Over” with his longtime collaborator Mike Henderson, and the tune is the title track from his upcoming album scheduled for release November 13th.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON TALKS TO CBS THIS MORNING ABOUT HIS NEW ALBUM, STARTING OVER.

    Chris Stapleton had just finished recording his new album “Starting Over,” set to be released in November, when the coronavirus pandemic hit.

    Asked by “CBS This Morning” co-host Anthony Mason about whether he had any doubts releasing new music amid the global health crisis, the notoriously private singer said “of course” he did.

    “I think everybody has doubts about everything they’re doing in every moment right now,” he said.

    The 42-year-old artist has been riding out the pandemic at his home, an hour outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife and five children. He admitted the cloistered way of life is not always easy.

    “There’s good days and bad days,” he said. “If anybody tells you that they haven’t reached a near breaking point mentally in these times, I think they’re probably lying to you.”

    Stapleton said he had asked his wife for a mountain bike for his birthday in April, and now spends time riding it through the woods.

    “It’s helped tremendously, in a centering kinda way,” he said.

    Starting out as a Nashville-based songwriter before becoming a solo star, Stapleton mined his deep catalog of work for his latest album. He recorded most of it at RCA Studio A in Nashville, where he made his earlier solo albums — including “Traveller,” his breakthrough debut and the best-selling country album of the last decade.

    “Recording to me is, you’re trying to capture magic, you know, as much as you can… the magic of a moment,” he said.

    Stapleton said it was his wife, Morgane, who lets him know when a song is just right.

    “And she’s not wrong,” he said. “Me and Dave Cobb may be listed as producers on the record, but my wife is generally the producer of my life… I used to say she has excellent taste in everything but men.”

    Like many artists, Stapleton wishes he could take his album on the road and play in front of crowds.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON RETURNS WITH STARTING OVER .

    Starting Over, the highly anticipated new studio album from Chris Stapleton, is out November 13th on Mercury Records Nashville and is now available for pre-order/pre-save. Listen to the title track HERE.

    Written by Stapleton and Mike Henderson, “Starting Over” begins an album of startling prescience—completed in late February only days before the shutdown began. Across its fourteen tracks are songs that examine life’s simplest joys and most serious struggles. Alongside eleven written by Stapleton with both longtime friends and new collaborators are three carefully chosen covers: John Fogerty’s “Joy Of My Life” and Guy Clark’s “Worry B Gone” and “Old Friends.” The resulting album—both timely and timeless—speaks to and transcends the current moment in ways unimaginable even while it was being created.

     

    The album finds Stapleton back in his second home, Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional work done at Muscle Shoals Sound and Compass Sound Studio), surrounded by his trusted collaborators as well as some new faces. Produced by Dave Cobb (who also plays acoustic guitar), the record features his beloved wife, Morgane Stapleton (vocals, tambourine), with longtime bandmates J.T. Cure (bass) and Derek Mixon (drums). Special guests include legendary musicians Mike Campbell (electric guitar), Benmont Tench (Hammond B3 organ) and Paul Franklin (pedal steel) as well as the All Voices Choir who are featured on “Watch You Burn,” written by Stapleton and Campbell.

    STARTING OVER TRACK LIST:

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

    CHRIS STAPLETON’S “ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW”

    November 21—Arlington, TX—Globe Life Field*

    April 21—Toledo, OH—Huntington Center†

    April 22—Columbus, OH—Schottenstein Center†

    April 24—Lexington, KY—A Concert for Kentucky – Kroger Field‡

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

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

    June 11—Portland, OR—Sunlight Supply Amphitheater#

    June 12—George, WA—The Gorge Amphitheatre#

    June 17—Bakersfield, CA—Mechanics Bank Arena#

    June 18—Sacramento, CA—Toyota Amphitheatre#

    June 19—Mountain View, CA—Shoreline Amphitheatre#

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

    June 25—Denver, CO—Pepsi Center^

    June 26—Denver, CO—Pepsi Center^

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

    July 10—Camden, NJ—BB&T Pavilion°

    July 17—Chicago, IL—Wrigley Field%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    August 12—Charlotte, NC—PNC Music Pavilion°

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

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

    August 20—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center##

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

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

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

    October 2—Mansfield, MA—Xfinity Center++

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

    October 14—Columbia, MO—Mizzou Arena++

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

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

    October 22—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena++

    October 23—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena++

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

    October 29—Albuquerque, NM—Isleta Amphitheater°°

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

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

    November 11—Estero, FL—Hertz Arena**

    November 12—Orlando, FL—Amway Center**

    “ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW” SPECIAL GUESTS

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

    †with special guests Margo Price and Yola

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

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

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

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

    +with special guest Sheryl Crow

    °with special guests Elle King and Kendell Marvel

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

    **with special guests Sheryl Crow and Kendell Marvel

    ††with special guests Elle King and Nikki Lane

    ‡‡with George Strait and Little Big Town

    • §with George Strait and Brothers Osborne

    ^^with special guest Nikki Lane

    ##with special guests Willie Nelson & Family and Yola

    ++with special guests The Marcus King Band and Yola

    °°with special guests Jamey Johnson and Yola

    Kentucky-born Stapleton is a 5x Grammy, 10x CMA and 7x ACM Award-winner and one of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians. Following 2015’s quadruple platinum breakthrough solo debut album Traveller, Stapleton released two No. 1 albums in 2017. Both From A Room: Volume 1 (certified platinum) and From A Room: Volume 2 (certified gold) take their name from legendary RCA Studio A, where they were recorded with Cobb. Released to overwhelming critical acclaim, The Tennessean praises, “Both are rich with the textures of Stapleton’s vocals that make him one of country music’s most beloved artists, classic country sounds and thoughtful articulate lyrics about love, life and pain.” He was recently announced as the first-ever “Artist-Songwriter of the Decade” recipient by the Academy of Country Music and, next year, will be the subject of a new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

    Stapleton’s “All-American Road Show” tour is planned to resume next year. Highlights include headline shows at Washington State’s Gorge Amphitheatre, Chicago’s Wrigley Field, New York’s Madison Square Garden and “A Concert for Kentucky”—a special performance benefitting his newly created Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund to be held at University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field on April 24. Presented by Live Nation, the performance is the first concert ever held at UK’s Kroger Field and will feature very special guests Willie Nelson & Family, Sheryl Crow and Yola. 100% of the concert’s net proceeds will go toward Chris and Morgane Stapleton’s Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund. Established in partnership with the Blue Grass Community Foundation, the fund will specifically support local and national organizations directly impacting Kentucky, with initial grant distributions focusing on music and arts education. See below for complete itinerary.

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Starting Over) 1

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    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Starting Over) 2

    Download

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Starting Over) 3

    Download

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Starting Over) 4

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S TRAVELLER CELEBRATES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY.

    Chris Stapleton burst onto the country music scene with one of the most prolific albums of the decade with his debut solo studio album, Traveller, five years ago on May 5th, 2015. The collection, which was named Album of the Year by both the CMA and ACM, was certified quadruple platinum last year.

    “It’s about a journey in a musical sense and in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense. In every way that you can have a journey, this record is kind of that for me, and hopefully for some other folks too,” says Chris.

    The global supstar is also celebrating the third anniversary of the release of  From A Room: Volume One in 2017.

     

    Audio / CHRIS STAPLETON TALKS ABOUT THE TITLE OF HIS 2015 ALBUM, TRAVELLER.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (title of Traveller) OC: …folks too. :43
    “The song ‘Traveller’ and how it ended up being the title of the record, it seemed like a natural thing to call it, because a lot of, certainly the inspiration for this record came from a series of events. It’s kind of the only song that was written inside of, well, there might’ve been one other song written inside of knowing I was going to make this record in this way. The rest of the songs came from outside of that time period. So, that’s one reason to name it that. The other reason is that it can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It’s about a journey in a musical sense and in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense. In every way that you can have a journey, this record is kind of that for me, and hopefully for some other folks too.”

    Video /

    View
  • NEWS AND NOTES: Hot Country Knights, Lauren Alaina, Vince Gill, George Strait, Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, Travis Denning

    Hot Country Knights will perform Thursday night (April 2nd) on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon At Home Edition.

     

    The Circle will remain unbroken again this Saturday night (April 4th) as the Grand Ole Opry welcomes Lauren Alaina, Terri Clark and Ashley McBryde on stage to perform during a livestream beginning at 7:30p ET/6:30p CT.

    CMT will broadcast CMT GIANTS Kenny Rogers: A Benefit For MusiCares, an uplifting celebration to honor the extraordinary life and legendary music of the late Kenny Rogers. The special, which will feature virtual performances by such folks as Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Rascal Flatts, Lionel Richie, Michael McDonald and more, will air April 8th at 8pm ET/PT. Check cmt.com for more airings. During the special, fans will have the opportunity to honor Rogers’ life and donate directly to MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, established to provide critical funds directly to the thousands of music creators and industry professionals who have the greatest need due to the coronavirus pandemic. Half of all funds raised will go directly to the Nashville country community.

    George Strait, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church and Vince Gill will perform during the A&E special, “Willie Nelson: American Outlaw,” on April 12th beginning at 10p ET/9p CT. Jimmy Buffett, Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones and many others will also perform.

    Travis Dennng is among the list of artists scheduled to perform during Charlie Daniels’ all-star Vounteer Jam at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.  Trace Adkins, Justin Moore, The Marshall Tucker Band, Chris Janson, Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Keb’ Mo, Mickey Gilley and many more will also perform.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Hot Country Knights, Eric Church, Jon Pardi, Brothers Osborne, Caylee Hammack, Jon Langston, Kacey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Parker McCollum

    The Hot Country Knights will make their “worldwide television debut” on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday (February 3rd).

     

    Canada’s huge music festival, Boots & Hearts, has announced the line-up for their 2020 fest. Eric Church, Jon Pardi, Brothers Osborne, Caylee Hammack and Jon Langston are all set to perform during the four-day event, taking place August 6th – 9th in Oro-Medonte, Ontario.

    Kacey Musgraves will be among the performers for this year’s Primavera Sound music festival. The 2020 event, taking place June 3rd through June 7th in Barcelona, Spain, will also feature performances by Maggie Rogers, Lana Del Rey, Bad Bunny, Beck, Tyler, the Creator and many more.

    Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves are among the artists to be featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s new exhibit, “American Currents: State of the Music.” The exhibit, which opens March 6th and runs through February 7th, 2021, also features Jason Aldean, Maren Morris, Morgan Wallen, Lil Nas X, Luke Combs, Kelsea Ballerini, Billy Ray Cyrus, Tanya Tucker, Blanco Brown and John Prine, among others.

    Caylee Hammack and Parker McCollum have been announced as part of MusicRow’s Next Big Thing for 2020.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON ANNOUNCES NEW ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW TOUR DATES FOR 2020.

    Chris Stapleton’s “All-American Road Show” will return this summer and fall with an extensive new run of shows including stops at Washington State’s Gorge Amphitheatre on June 20th, Atlanta’s Truist Park on July 18th, Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on October 2nd and New York’s Madison Square Garden on October 10th. Additionally, on August 29th, Chris will make his headline debut at Chicago’s famed Wrigley Field with special guests The Highwomen, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell. Additional guests along the tour include (in alphabetical order) Dwight Yoakam, Elle King, Hank Williams Jr., Kendell Marvel, Margo Price, Nikki Lane, Sheryl Crow, The Marcus King Band and Yola.

    https://twitter.com/ChrisStapleton/status/1222520155009355779

    Stapleton Fan Club pre-sales will begin Tuesday (February 4th) at 10:00am local time. For more information visit www.stapletonfanclub.com. Public tickets for the newly announced concerts begin next Friday (February 7th) at 10:00am local time.

    CHRIS STAPLETON’S “ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW”

    (BOLD on-sale Friday, February 7th at 10:00am local time)

     

    March 11—Corpus Christi, TX—American Bank Center#

    March 12—Austin, TX—Frank Erwin Center#

    March 14—Arlington, TX—Globe Life Field*

    March 20—Biloxi, MS—Mississippi Coast Coliseum+

    March 21—Birmingham, AL—Legacy Arena at the BJCC+

    April 22—Toledo, OH—Huntington Center+

    April 23—Columbus, OH—Schottenstein Center+

    April 25—Lexington, KY—A Concert for Kentucky – Kroger Field†

    June 4—Albuquerque, NM—Isleta Amphitheater‡

    June 5—Phoenix, AZ—Ak-Chin Pavilion‡

    June 6—San Bernardino, CA—Glen Helen Amphitheater‡

    June 11—Bakersfield, CA—Mechanics Bank Arena°

    June 12—Sacramento, CA—Toyota Amphitheatre°

    June 13—Mountain View, CA—Shoreline Amphitheatre°

    June 18—Boise, ID—Ford Idaho Center Arena°

    June 19—Portland, OR—Sunlight Supply Amphitheater°

    June 20—George, WA—The Gorge Amphitheatre°

    June 25—Salt Lake City, UT—USANA Amphitheatre§

    June 26—Denver, CO—Pepsi Center§

    June 30—Milwaukee, WI—Summerfest at American Family Insurance Amphitheater^

    July 16—Estero, FL—Hertz Arena##

    July 17—Orlando, FL—Amway Center##

    July 18—Atlanta, GA—Truist Park**

    July 23—Darien Center, NY—Darien Lake Amphitheater##

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

    July 25—Holmdel, NJ—PNC Bank Arts Center##

    July 30—Scranton, PA—The Pavilion at Montage Mountain++

    July 31—Philadelphia, PA—BB&T Pavilion++

    August 1—Mansfield, MA—Xfinity Center++

    August 6—Cuyahoga Falls, OH—Blossom Music Center++

    August 7—Charlotte, NC—PNC Music Pavilion++

    August 8—Raleigh, NC—Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek++

    August 12—Gilford, NH—Bank NH Pavilion††

    August 13—Gilford, NH—Bank NH Pavilion††

    August 20—Sioux Falls, SD—Denny Sanford PREMIER Center††

    August 29—Chicago, IL—Wrigley Field‡‡

    October 1—Knoxville, TN—Thompson-Boling Arena+

    October 2—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena+

    October 8—State College, PA—Bryce Jordan Center+

    October 9—Atlantic City, NJ—Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall+

    October 10—New York, NY—Madison Square Garden+

    October 15—Columbia, MO—Mizzou Arena+

    October 16—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center+ (on-sale February 14)

    October 17—Lincoln, NE—Pinnacle Bank Arena+ (on-sale February 14)

    October 22—Lubbock, TX—United Supermarket Arena+

    October 23—San Antonio, TX—AT&T Center+ (on-sale March 27)

    “ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW” SPECIAL GUESTS

    #Jamey Johnson and Yola

    *Willie Nelson & Family, Jamey Johnson and Yola

    +The Marcus King Band and Yola

    †Willie Nelson & Family, Sheryl Crow and Yola

    ‡Dwight Yoakam and The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell

    °Margo Price and The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell

    §Sheryl Crow and The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell

    ^Sheryl Crow

    ##Sheryl Crow and Kendell Marvel

    **Hank Williams Jr., Sheryl Crow and Kendell Marvel

    ++Elle King and Kendell Marvel

    ††Elle King and Nikki Lane

    ‡‡The Highwomen, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell

  • CHRIS STAPLETON ANNOUNCES NEW ROAD SHOW TOUR DATES FOR 2020.

    Chris Stapleton just announced dates and opening acts for his 2020 All American Road Show Tour. The trek, which will feature Jamey Johnson, Willie Nelson & Family, Sheryl Crow, Yola and the Marcus King Band on select dates, is set to kick off March 11th in Corpus Christi, Texas.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B5K2od4FQuq/

    Dates in Corpus Christi, Biloxi and Birmingham go on sale Friday, December 6th. Austin and Columbus are on sale Friday, December 13th.

    Prior to the tour kick-off, he’ll join Keith Urban and his friends for the All for the Hall benefit at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena February 10th.

    Video /

    View
  • ERIC CHURCH, BROTHERS OSBORNE, LITTLE BIG TOWN, VINCE GILL AND CHRIS STAPLETON SCORE GRAMMY NOMINATIONS.

    Eric Church scores two nominations at this year’s GRAMMY Awards, including Best Country Album for Desperate Man and Best Country Song for his recent No. 1 smash, “Some Of It.”

    Brothers Osborne scored Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You),” while Little Big Town receives a nod in the same category for “The Daughters.”

    Vince Gill is up for Best American Roots Song for “I Don’t Wanna Ride the Rails No More,” and Chris Stapleton is nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media for “The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy” for Toy Story 4.

    The 62nd GRAMMY Awards will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles January 26th at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Best Country Duo/Group Performance
    “Brand New Man,” Brooks & Dunn With Luke Combs
    “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You),” Brothers Osborne
    “Speechless,” Dan + Shay
    “The Daughters,” Little Big Town
    “Common,” Maren Morris Featuring Brandi Carlile

    Best Country Song
    “Bring My Flowers Now,” Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth & Tanya Tucker, songwriters (Tanya Tucker)
    “Girl Goin’ Nowhere,” Jeremy Bussey & Ashley McBryde, songwriters (Ashley McBryde)
    “It All Comes Out in the Wash,” Miranda Lambert, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
    “Some of It,” Eric Church, Clint Daniels, Jeff Hyde & Bobby Pinson, songwriters (Eric Church)
    “Speechless,” Shay Mooney, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers & Laura Veltz, songwriters (Dan + Shay)

    Best Country Album
    Desperate Man, Eric Church
    Stronger Than the Truth, Reba McEntire
    Interstate Gospel, Pistol Annies
    Center Point Road, Thomas Rhett
    While I’m Livin’, Tanya Tucker

    Best American Roots Song
    “Black Myself,” Amythyst Kiah, songwriter (Our Native Daughters)
    “Call My Name,” Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan & Sara Watkins, songwriters (I’m With Her)
    “Crossing to Jerusalem,” Rosanne Cash & John Leventhal, songwriters (Rosanne Cash)
    “Faraway Look,” Dan Auerbach, Yola Carter & Pat McLaughlin, songwriters (Yola)
    “I Don’t Wanna Ride the Rails No More,” Vince Gill, songwriter (Vince Gill)

    Best Song Written for Visual Media
    “The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy,” From: Toy Story 4 (Chris Stapleton)
    “Girl in the Movies,” From: Dumplin’
    “I’ll Never Love Again” (Film Version), From: A Star Is Born
    “Sprit,” From: The Lion King
    “Suspirium,” From: Suspiria

    Audio / Eric Church talks about being creative in the studio for his new album, Desperate Man.

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    Eric Church (creative process in the studio) OC: …the creativity. :57
    “It was an interesting creative process. This record was made in the studio, from writing to completion, then any record we have ever made. It was really there, ‘cause I wrote songs there, we change things there. I played parts there, I never played, never thought of. I think maybe it was the first album in our career that there was more creative energy in the studio than any other, because it was written, made, conceived, it was all there. I mean, on ‘The Snake,’ for example, that background part was myself, Jeff Hyde and Joanna, and we tried to sound the old blues kind of sound. We were doing that creatively in the studio, and it made a really interesting thing. A lot of people will say, ‘Who sang that? who is that?’ Well it was us! We were feeling the creativity.”

    Audio / BROTHERS OSBORNE’S TJ OSBORNE TALKS ABOUT THE SONG “I DON’T REMEMBER ME (BEFORE YOU).

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    Brothers Osborne (I Don’t Remember Me (Before You) 1:05
    “There was a bit of the song that was a little on the nose. I don’t – it started the first tag (sings) which was an idea Shane had. He showed up that day and goes ‘I don’t remember my life before I had my babies.’ He said, ‘I literally can’t think of who I was. I don’t remember who I was before [my] husband Michael.’ And we thought man, that is a really interesting thing. An incredible idea. I’m sure it’s been done to some extent, but I can’t really recall that subject being said that way. And so, we were all about it. We loved the idea and the concept, but when Jay [Joyce] heard it, he goes, ‘Man, I think it would be really cool to save the ‘before you’ till the end of the song and I instantly was like, ‘Man, I think that’s a killer idea.’ John and I were all about it. And so, it ends now (sings) it kind of goes in a turn around. You don’t know what the hell I’m talking about. ‘I don’t remember me,’ you keep hearing this, and then at the end is the reveal ‘I don’t remember me before you,’ which I think is great. It also made it problematic [for] the title of the song.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON RELEASES MUSIC VIDEO FOR HIS SONG, “SECOND ONE TO KNOW.”

    Chris Stapleton sings, fights ninjas and slays a dragon during the animated video for his song, “Second One to Know.” Well, actually, the LEGO version of this country phenomenon is the star of the action-packed clip.

    The video was created by the LEGO Group and Pure Imagination Studios producer/director David Coleman, and it took thousands of hours to bring it to life. “Second One to Know” originally appeared on Chris’ 2017 album From A Room: Volume 1.

    The movie-like clip features Chris as a LEGO, complete with cowboy hat and feather band, as well as his wife Morgane and the rest of his band AND superfan and friend, actor Chris Pratt.

     

    “We wanted to do something fun for this song and it always sounded like a fight scene to me, so we approached The LEGO Group with this idea and a rough outline of what we wanted to do,” Chris said in a statement. “Once The LEGO Group gave us the green light, David Coleman and the team at Pure Imagination took that outline and refined and built it into what it has become. Along the way, the fight got bigger and more absurd and I got a front row seat to watch the massive amount of work that animators put into what they do. The tiniest details were thought about and discussed and edited and revised. My kids even got to be a part of designing their characters and it was a cool thing for us to get to do together. It was an incredible experience for me, and I couldn’t be happier with the end result.”

    Chris will perform with P!nk during this year’s CMA Awards. He’s up for Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Single of the Year for “Millionaire.” The 53rd Annual CMA Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 13th at 8pm ET on ABC.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Clare Dunn, Kylie Morgan

    Chris Stapleton will headline the benefit, A Concert for Kentucky, at University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field in Lexington April 25th. Proceeds from the event will go to the Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund, which the superstar and his wife Morgane founded in 2016. The organization supports numerous causes in Kentucky. Willie Nelson & Family, Sheryl Crow and Yola will also perform. Tickets go on sale October 11th, with pre-sales for Chris’ fan club and Citi card members on October 8th.

    Clare Dunn is set to release a remix of “My Love” with rapper Ingrid, who has written songs for Beyoncé and released her debut album in 2016, on Friday (October 4th).

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B3IXVoNBBqc/

    Newcomer Kylie Morgan has been chosen as one of the recipients of the second annual CMA KixStart Artist Scholarship. For the next year, the CMA will provide support, connections, participation in CMA-related events and a stipend to assist in career development. Angie K and Everette are also beneficiaries of the CMA scholarship. Kylie is set to open several shows for Kip Moore beginning October 10th in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON NAMED ACM ARTIST-SONGWRITER OF THE DECADE.

    Chris Stapleton was recently surprised by the Academy of Country Music with their Artist-Songwriter of the Decade Award. Not only has he enjoyed amazing success as an artist in recent years, but he’s also written several chart-topping hits for other artists, as well.

    https://twitter.com/ACMawards/status/1176237785960910849

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON JOINED JOHN MAYER ON STAGE IN NASHVILLE LAST NIGHT TO PERFORM A SONG THEY WROTE THE DAY BEFORE.

    This will blow the top of your head right off! Chris Stapleton joined John Mayer onstage at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Thursday night (August 8th) to perform a song they JUST wrote the day before. Check out a snippet of the song, “I Just Remembered That I Didn’t Care,” which had the two of them trading vocals and guitar riffs throughout the song. Following the debut performance of the new tune, Chris also helped John on his hit, “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room.”

    The pop star told the sold-out crowd of the surprise collaboration (before revealing who he was bringing out), “I said, ‘You wanna do one of my songs or one of your songs?’ And he said, ‘We could do either or we could just write a song and play it.’ I said, ‘Challenge accepted.'”

    Mayer revealed that he came to town early to pen the new song with Stapleton the day before.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B07qVUJF-1e/

     

    Chris travels to Holmdel, New Jersey for a show tonight (August 9th), followed by a stop in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania on Saturday (August 10th) and Columbia, Maryland on Sunday (August 11th).

  • CHRIS STAPLETON JOINS ED SHEERAN AND BRUNO MARS ON “BLOW.”

    Chris Stapleton joins Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars on the rockin’ tune, “Blow.” The song will appear on the British pop star’s new album, No.6 Collaborations Project, due out Friday (July 12th).

    The official video just dropped and doesn’t feature any of the male stars, but an all-female cast in the clip that was directed by Bruno Mars at the world-famous Viper Room in L.A.

     

    Check out the official lyric video below:

    Other artists featured on the new project by Sheeran include Eminem, Travis Scott, Khalid, Cardi B, 50 Cent and Justin Bieber.

    You can catch Chris on the road this summer. He’s performing Tuesday (July 9th) in Allentown, Pennsylvania and Friday (July 12th) in Fort Laramie, Ohio. For more information on tour dates, go to chrisstapleton.com.

  • MAY 5TH ANNIVERSARY: Chris Stapleton’s “Traveller” and “From A Room: Volume One

    Chris Stapleton is celebrating two anniversaries on May 5th. In 2015, he released his multi-platinum album, Traveller, and in 2017, he released From A Room: Volume One.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about the title of his 2015 album, Traveller.

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    Chris Stapleton (title of Traveller) OC: …folks too. :43
    “The song ‘Traveller’ and how it ended up being the title of the record, it seemed like a natural thing to call it, because a lot of, certainly the inspiration for this record came from a series of events. It’s kind of the only song that was written inside of, well, there might’ve been one other song written inside of knowing I was going to make this record in this way. The rest of the songs came from outside of that time period. So, that’s one reason to name it that. The other reason is that it can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It’s about a journey in a musical sense and in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense. In every way that you can have a journey, this record is kind of that for me, and hopefully for some other folks too.”

    Audio / CHRIS STAPLETON SAYS RCA STUDIO A HAS A DISTINCTIVE SOUND THAT HE LIKES.

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    Chris Stapleton (From A Room studio) OC: …about it. :38
    “That whole room is a sweet spot. The thing to know about that room is that room sounds like that room. I’m also a fan of studios that have a sound. Over time, there have been places that have sounds, you know, Capitol out in L.A. or Muscle Shoals. You can point to places that have sounds – Stax, Motown – these places have sounds, not just by the guys playing ‘em, but the actual sound of the room. The room’s become part of the band. Here in town, the place that has the most of that kind of mojo to me is that room, so that’s what I like about it.”

  • ACM AWARDS 2019: Chris Stapleton

    Chris Stapleton goes into this year’s ACM Awards with six nominations (tied with Dan + Shay), including Entertainer of the Year. He’s also nominated twice, as both artist and producer, for Album of the Year for From A Room: Volume 2, an award he won last year for From A Room: Volume 1. Additionally, he’s up for Male Vocalist (which he won last year), as well as Song of the Year twice, as both artist and songwriter, for “Broken Halos,” for which he won the CMA Song of the Year Award in November.

    He says he’s always surprised to hear his name called when it comes to awards. “These things are always fantastic to win, but when you get nominated or invited to these parties, in my estimation, you’ve already won and you’ve already gotten to be far beyond anything, you know, anybody who’s a musician could ever dream of getting to do, and we get to do that every day, we get to live it every day,” says the humble Kentucky native. “As far as thinking about going into anything, I’m always genuinely surprised to win anything, and I’m always grateful for it.”

    At last year’s CMA Awards, he picked up awards for Single and Song of the Year for “Broken Halos,” which he co-wrote with his friend and mentor Mike Henderson, which made the wins so much sweeter. “It’s very meaningful for me because I do consider myself first and foremost a songwriter  and to get to do it with a man who was a mentor to me, Mike Henderson. You know a lot of things that I try to do on electric guitar or the ways I try to think lyrically or I try to get as much information, or he would call it secret knowledge, out of him as I can. So, to win awards with him means so very much to me that I’m not even sure I can describe it.”

    The 54th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 7th at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

    In the meantime, Chris is poised to top the country charts with his latest song, “Millionaire.” This would be only his second time as an artist to have a No. 1 song. We’re pulling for ya, Chris!

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says he’s always surprised when he wins awards.

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    Chris Stapleton (awards) OC: …grateful for it. :30
    “These things are always fantastic to win, but when you get nominated or invited to these parties, in my estimation, you’ve already won and you’ve already gotten to be far beyond anything, you know, anybody who’s a musician could ever dream of getting to do, and we get to do that every day, we get to live it every day. As far as thinking about going into anything, I’m always genuinely surprised to win anything, and I’m always grateful for it.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton is nominated for Song of the Year for “Broken Halos” at this year’s ACM Awards. He took home the CMA Awards for Single and Song of the Year for “Broken Halos,” which he said was made even sweeter since he was able to share it with his friend and mentor, Mike Henderson.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (winning CMA Song Award for Broken Halos) OC: …describe it. :45
    “It’s extremely meaningful, because on paper and in chart performance and all those things, there were certainly more worthy songs in both categories, and I think that’s worth saying and noting. The flipside of that is it’s very meaningful for me because I do consider myself first and foremost a songwriter  and to get to do it with a man who was a mentor to me, Mike Henderson, you know a lot of things that I try to do on electric guitar or the ways I try to think lyrically or I try to get as much information, or he would call it secret knowledge, out of him as I can. So to win awards with him means so very much to me that I’m not even sure I can describe it.”

  • BROTHERS OSBORNE, CHRIS STAPLETON, GEORGE STRAIT AND LITTLE BIG TOWN ARE AMONG THE INITIAL PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    The initial list of performers for this year’s ACM Awards have been announced and some of your favorite country artists will take to the stage, including Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, George Strait and Little Big Town. Reba McEntire, Maren Moris, Thomas Rhett, Miranda Lambert and Kane Brown will also perform, as well as previously announced Jason Aldean.

    The 54th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba, will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 7th at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

     

     

  • ACM AWARDS NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED, AND CHRIS STAPLETON IS LEADING THE LIST.

    The nominations for this year’s ACM Awards have been announced and the reigning Male Artist of the Year Chris Stapleton leads the list (ties with Dan + Shay) with six nods, including Entertainer of the Year. He is also nominated twice, as both artist and producer, for Album of the Year for From A Room: Volume 2, which he won last year for From A Room: Volume 1. Plus, he’s nominated for Song of the Year twice, as both artist and songwriter, for “Broken Halos.” He’s also up for Male Artist of the Year. He’s won numerous awards over the past few years, and while he’s grateful for every single trophy he takes home, he has a special affinity for the Album categories.

    “They are all significant and if you get one award for anything it’s a treat. But any of the awards that awarded the album, the album awards, because I really wanted to make an album that was good,” says Chris. “I wanted that to be a thing, again, more than I wanted it to be, ‘Well here’s the single and eight other songs.’ So, the album awards for me were important in that we did our job in a good way, you know. Just I have such an affinity for albums that I don’t know if I want those more or if they mean more, but they are all meaningful.”

    Kacey Musgraves earned five nominations in three categories, including a nod for Female Artist of the Year. Additionally, she is nominated in the Album of the Year Category twice, as both artist and producer, for Golden Hour, as well as in the Song of the Year category twice, as both artist and songwriter, for “Space Cowboy.” Kacey, who took home four Grammy Awards a couple of weeks ago, most recently won an ACM in 2016 in the Video of the Year category for “Forever Country” and previously won in the Album of the Year category in 2013 for Same Trailer Different Park.

    Dierks Bentley received four nominations, including his fourth nod for Album of the Year for The Mountain. Dierks is also nominated for “Burning Man” (featuring Brothers Osborne) in both the Music Event of the Year category and Video of the Year category. He is also nominated for Male Artist of the Year. If he were to win for Video of the Year this year, it would mark his third win in this category.

    Reigning Duo of the Year and Video of the Year winners, Brothers Osborne earned four nominations in three categories, including a nod for Duo of the Year. They are also nominated for Music Event of the Year for “Burning Man” with Dierks Bentley. Additionally, Brothers Osborne are nominated twice in the Video of the Year category for songs “Shoot Me Straight” and “Burning Man.” The guys tweeted, “Unreal. Beyond grateful. Love y’all.”

     

    Luke Bryan has won a handful of ACM Awards over his career, including the New Artist of the Year Award in 2010 and following it up with two Entertainer Awards just a few years later. He tell us he is honored to be included in both the Entertainer and the Single of the Year categories. “The opportunity to go to the ACMs with two nominations – Entertainer of the Year and Single of the Year – is just a huge honor for me. When I was able to record ‘Most People Are Good,’ I just felt like it was a really, really important song for the world to hear, an important song for me to have in my live show and to put out on radio, and to have it nominated is so rewarding for me and I’m so happy for the songwriters. And also, to have an Entertainer of the Year nomination is a huge honor for me. It’s something that I really, really work hard at every year to try to be a better Entertainer, a better singer and a better performer.”

     

    Keith Urban has a pair of nominations at this year’s ACM Awards, including Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year. Keith picked up the CMA Award for Entertainer of the Year in November and says he is absolutely elated.”

    Maddie & Tae are looking forward to being in Vegas for this year’s ACM Awards where they’re nominated for Duo of the Year.

    https://twitter.com/MaddieandTae/status/1098298938711592962

    Jordan Davis, who was the most played new artist of 2018, is up for New Male Artist of the Year.

    The 54th Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 7th at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Entertainer of the Year
    Jason Aldean
    Luke Bryan
    Kenny Chesney
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban

    Album of the Year
    Dan + Shay — Dan + Shay
    Desperate Man — Eric Church
    From A Room: Volume 2 — Chris Stapleton
    Golden Hour — Kacey Musgraves
    The Mountain — Dierks Bentley 

    Single of the Year
    “Down to the Honky Tonk” — Jake Owen
    “Heaven” — Kane Brown
    “Meant to Be” — Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
    “Most People Are Good” — Luke Bryan
    “Tequila” — Dan + Shay

    Female Artist of the Year
    Miranda Lambert
    Ashley McBryde
    Maren Morris
    Kacey Musgraves
    Carrie Underwood

    Male Artist of the Year
    Dierks Bentley
    Luke Combs
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban

    Group of the Year
    Lady Antebellum
    LANCO
    Little Big Town
    Midland
    Old Dominion

    Duo of the Year
    Brothers Osborne
    Dan + Shay
    Florida Georgia Line
    LOCASH
    Maddie & Tae

     Song of the Year
    “Break Up in the End” (Cole Swindell) — Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill, Jon Nite
    “Broken Halos” (Chris Stapleton) — Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton
    “Meant to Be” (Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line) — David Garcia, Tyler Hubbard, Joshua Miller, Bebe Rexha
    “Space Cowboy” (Kacey Musgraves) — Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves
    “Tequila” (Dan + Shay) — Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers
    “Yours” (Russell Dickson) — Casey Brown, Russell Dickerson, Parker Welling

    Video of the Year
    “Babe” — Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift
    “Burn Out” — Midland
    “Burning Man” — Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne
    “Drunk Girl” — Chris Janson
    “Shoot Me Straight” — Brothers Osborne
    “Tequila” — Dan + Shay

    Music Event of the Year
    “Burning Man” — Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne
    “Drowns the Whiskey” — Jason Aldean featuring Miranda Lambert
    “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” — David Lee Murphy featuring Kenny Chesney
    “Keeping Score” — Dan + Shay featuring Kelly Clarkson
    “Meant to Be” — Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line

    New Female Artist of the Year
    Danielle Bradbery
    Lindsay Ell
    Ashley McBryde
    Carly Pearce

    New Male Artist of the Year
    Jimmie Allen
    Luke Combs
    Jordan Davis
    Michael Ray
    Mitchell Tenpenny

    New Duo or Group of the Year
    High Valley
    LANCO
    Runaway June

    Songwriter of the Year
    Ross Copperman
    Ashley Gorley
    Shane McAnally
    Chase McGill
    Josh Osborne

    Audio / Chris Stapleton is going into this year's ACM Awards with six nominations, but one probably means the most to him.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (affinity for albums) OC: …any one of them. :45
    “They are all significant and if you get one award for anything it’s a treat. But any of the awards that awarded the album, the album awards, because I really wanted to make an album that was good. I wanted it, I wanted that to be a thing, again, more than I wanted it to be, ‘Well here’s the single and eight other songs.’ So, the album awards for me were important in that we did our job in a good way, you know. Just I have such an affinity for albums that I don’t know if I want those more or if they mean more, but they are all meaningful. They are all are things that one of them would feel like a career. One of them. Any one of them.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about his ACM nominations for Male and Album, but he's also nominated for two other awards.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (ACMs 2019) OC: …of it. :26
    “It’s like, ‘Wow!’ I look at that list of artists and there’s Luke Combs is probably gonna be a staple on there now, and Thomas Rhett’s gonna be in there every year and it’s gonna be harder, there’s less space. There’s only five guys in there, and to be one of those I think I appreciate it now more than ever. The album, obviously, is like the biggest nomination ever to get for anything. It’s one of the tangible results that you get to physically see from like putting time in the whole, the year and a half that goes into making that. I was very appreciative of it.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan, who is poised to enter the top of the country charts with “What Makes You Country,” is humbled by his two ACM nominations this year for Entertainer and for Single of the Year for “Most People Are Good.”

    Download

    Luke Bryan (ACM 2019 reaction) OC: …the ACMs. 1:05
    “The opportunity to go to the ACMs with two nominations – Entertainer of the Year and Single of the Year – is just a huge honor for me. When I was able to record ‘Most People Are Good,’ I just felt like it was a really, really important song for the world to hear, an important song for me to have in my live show and to put out on radio, and to have it nominated is so rewarding for me and I’m so happy for the songwriters. And also, to have an Entertainer of the Year nomination is a huge honor for me. It’s something that I really, really work hard at every year to try to be a better Entertainer, a better singer and a better performer. Nothing is better than going to the ACMs in Vegas, having a couple of nominations and just being out there and enjoying the party and being in the room and seeing what happens. I’m humbled by it, and it’s gonna be exciting the night of the ACMs.”

  • KACEY MUSGRAVES AND CHRIS STAPLETON ARE FEATURED ON THE 2019 GRAMMY NOMINEES ALBUM.

    Kacey Musgraves and Chris Stapleton are featured on the 2019 GRAMMY Nominees album, alongside such artists as Cardi B, Brandi Carlile, Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Shawn Mendes, Drake, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone and Maren Morris with Zedd and Grey.

    Kacey’s  song, “Slow Burn,” which she proclaims as her most autobiographical from her Golden Hour album, is included in the list of the GRAMMY nominees compilation, as is Chris’ collaboration with pal Justin Timberlake on “Say Something,” which is nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Chris is also nominated for Best Country Album (From A Room: Volume 2) and Best Country Solo Performance (“Millionaire”).

    Kacey is nominated for overall Album of the Year for Golden Hour, as well as Best Country Album for Golden Hour, Best Country Solo Performance (“Butterflies”) and Best Country Song (“Space Cowboy”).

    A portion of album proceeds will benefit the GRAMMY Museum and MusiCares—two charitable organizations founded by the Recording Academy that focus on music education programs and critical assistance for music people in need.

    The GRAMMY compilation was released on Friday (January 25th).

    The 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 10th at 8pm ET/5pm PT.

    2019 GRAMMY Nominees Album Track List:

    1.     JANELLE MONÁE
    “Make Me Feel”

    2.  CARDI B, BAD BUNNY & J BALVIN
    “I Like It”

    3.  KENDRICK LAMAR & SZA
    “All The Stars”

    4.  DRAKE
    “God’s Plan”

    5.     ZEDD, MAREN MORRIS & GREY
    “The Middle”

    6.     KACEY MUSGRAVES
    “Slow Burn”

    7.  POST MALONE FEAT. 21 SAVAGE
    “rockstar”

    8. H.E.R. FEAT. DANIEL CAESAR
    “Best Part”

    9. CHILDISH GAMBINO
    “This Is America”

    10. BRANDI CARLILE
    “The Joke”

    11.  LADY GAGA & BRADLEY COOPER
    “Shallow”

    12.  ARIANA GRANDE
    “God Is A Woman”

    13. CAMILA CABELLO FEAT. YOUNG THUG
    “Havana”

    14. TAYLOR SWIFT
    “Look What You Made Me Do”

    15. SHAWN MENDES
    “In My Blood”

    16. KELLY CLARKSON
    “I Don’t Think About You”

    17. P!NK
    “Beautiful Trauma”

    18. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE FEAT. CHRIS STAPLETON
    “Say Something”

    19. MAROON 5 FEAT. CARDI B
    “Girls Like You”

    20. CHRISTINA AGUILERA FEAT. DEMI LOVATO
    “Fall In Line”

    21. BACKSTREET BOYS
    “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”

    22. TONY BENNETT & DIANA KRALL
    “‘S Wonderful”

     

    Audio / Kacey Musgraves talks about the song “Slow Burn,” which is featured on her Grammy-nominated album Golden Road.

    Download

    Kacey Musgraves (Slow Burn introspective) OC: …a person. :21
    “One of my most introspective and personal songs I’ve ever done is called ‘Slow Burn,’ and it’s a song that opens the album. I’m really, really proud of this song. I love it so much, and it’s a true look at kind of my perspective right now and who I am as a person.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON ANNOUNCES 2019 DATES FOR HIS ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW TOUR.

    Chris Stapleton announced the 2019 leg of his All-American Road Show Tour this week, as well as a date at the Hollywood Palladium in L.A. February 10th and a handful of dates during the C2C Festival in the U-K next month. He’ll be joined by a variety of opening acts, including Brothers Osborne, Margo Price, Brent Cobb, Kendell Marvel and the Marcus King Band. He’ll also play a show with George Strait in Atlanta at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium March 30th.

    The actual tour kicks off July 9th in Allentown, Pennsylvania and will span through November 2nd in Louisville.

    Check out the dates below.

    In the meantime, Chris, who is making his way up the country charts with “Millionaire,” is nominated for three GRAMMY Awards, including Best Country Album (From A Room: Volume 2) and Best Country Solo Performance (“Millionaire”) as well as Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for his performance on Justin Timberlake’s “Say Something.” The 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards will broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles February 10th at 8pm ET on CBS.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON AND ERIC CHURCH HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE ALL-STAR LINEUP FOR THE WILLIE NELSON CONCERT CELEBRATION.

    Chris StapletonEmmylou HarrisEric ChurchJimmy Buffett, Bobby BareJamey JohnsonLukas NelsonMargo PriceMicah NelsonNathaniel RateliffRay Benson, and Steve Earle have been added to the all-star lineup of Willie: Life & Songs Of An American Outlaw, A Willie Nelson All-Star Concert Celebration. They join previously announced performers Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, The Avett Brothers, George Strait, Jack Johnson, John Mellencamp, Kris KristoffersonLee Ann WomackLyle Lovett,Norah Jones and The Little Willies, Sheryl CrowSusan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks, and Vince Gill.

    This once-in-a-lifetime concert event will take place Saturday, January 12th, 2019 at 7PM CT at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. This historic event will honor living legend Willie Nelson and feature his greatest hits performed by today’s biggest superstars.

    The event will be filmed for a broadcast television special to premiere on A&E Network in 2019.

    Additional tickets have just been released and are on sale now online at Livenation.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, and at the Bridgestone Arena box office. VIP packages including great seats and exclusive merchandise are also available.

    In his 85th year, Willie Nelson is more prolific than ever. In 2018 alone, he’s released his 67th studio album (Last Man Standing), a stirring collection of his favorite Sinatra songs (My Way) and headlined the largest touring festival in North America (Outlaw Music Festival). Willie is America’s music hero. It’s hard to put into words what he means to singers, songwriters, musicians, and people all over the world. Through life’s ups and downs, heartbreaks and rewards, Willie and his songs have been a dear and constant friend to all of us. He’s a trusted father figure to millions of Americans by lifting them up through FARM AID and his annual JULY 4th PICNIC. He’s the clear inspiration for dozens of today’s biggest music stars
    from all genres of music.

    FOR COMPLETE SHOW DETAILS AND OFFICIAL CONCERT WEBSITE, VISIT: 
    http://willieoutlaw.com 
    #willieoutlaw
  • CHRIS STAPLETON WINS MALE VOCALIST, SINGLE AND SONG OF THE YEAR AT THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    Chris Stapleton was the night’s big winner. He took home three trophies, including the hardware for Male Vocalist of the Year (for the third year in a row) and for Single and Song of the Year for “Broken Halos,” which he co-wrote with his friend Mike Henderson.

    He says he’s always surprised to hear his name called when it comes to awards. “These things are always fantastic to win, but when you get nominated or invited to these parties, in my estimation, you’ve already won and you’ve already gotten to be far beyond anything, you know, anybody who’s a musician could ever dream of getting to do, and we get to do that every day, we get to live it every day. As far as thinking about going into anything, I’m always genuinely surprised to win anything, and I’m always grateful for it.”

    Chris is making his way up the country charts with his latest song, “Millionaire,” which is from his current album, From A Room: Volume 2.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says he's always surprised when he wins awards.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (CMA 2018) OC: …grateful for it. :30
    “These things are always fantastic to win, but when you get nominated or invited to these parties, in my estimation, you’ve already won and you’ve already gotten to be far beyond anything, you know, anybody who’s a musician could ever dream of getting to do, and we get to do that every day, we get to live it every day. As far as thinking about going into anything, I’m always genuinely surprised to win anything, and I’m always grateful 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.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON IS FLYING HIGH WITH THE EAGLES.

    Chris Stapleton will open for the Eagles on Saturday (June 23rd) in Dallas, and he couldn’t be more thrilled to share the stage with the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers again (he played a show with them in Houston last week).

    “One of the greatest shows I ever went to in my life was The Eagles’ Hell Freezes Over Tour in ’95?,” recalls Chris. “My memory of it is [that] I went there, I saved all my money and I bought me and my brother a ticket, and it was at the Charleston Civic Center in West Virginia in1995. I was 17, 16, 17, and we drove the four hours from my hometown to go watch that show, and they played for four hours. They played all the Eagles hits, and then they took turns singing all their solo stuff with the Eagles as the backup band. So, I don’t think you could ask for much more out of a show. And it was flawless, every piece of it was flawless.”

    He adds, “So, to get to go play a show with those guys, and I know they lost Glenn Frey and I’m real sad about that, but Vince is in the band now and I know vince pretty well, and I’m excited to play with all those guys. Really cool.”

    Before he plays Saturday’s show, he’s taking his All American Road Show tour to Rogers, Arkansas on Friday (June 22nd).

    Chris is climbing the country charts with his latest song, “Millionaire,” which is from his award-winning album, From A Room: Volume 2.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton is thrilled to open a few dates for the legendary Eagles, who he says put on one of the best concerts in his life when he was 16 or 17 years old.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Eagles) OC: …really cool. :51
    “One of the greatest shows I ever went to in my life was The Eagles’ Hell Freezes Over Tour in ’95?…My memory of it is [that] I went there, I saved all my money and I bought me and my brother a ticket, and it was at the Charleston Civic Center in West Virginia in1995. I was 17, 16, 17, and we drove the four hours from my hometown to go watch that show, and they played for four hours. They played all the Eagles hits, and then they took turns singing all their solo stuff with the Eagles as the backup band. So, I don’t think you could ask for much more out of a show. And it was flawless, every piece of it was flawless. So, to get to go play a show with those guys, and I know they lost Glenn Frey and I’m real sad about that, but Vince is in the band now and I know Vince pretty well, and I’m excited to play with all those guys. Really cool.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON EARNS SOME HEAVY METAL.

    Chris Stapleton got some great news this week. His 2015 album, Traveller, was just certified triple platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), while From A Room: Volume 1 has been certified platinum and From A Room: Volume 2 has gone gold.

    When making albums, Chris wants them to be good, from top to bottom. “We’re all incredibly fortunate that out on the road that the people who come out to the shows dig that deep. It sure is a powerful thing when you can pull out an album cut and have everybody sing along and have somebody be excited about it or watch that be somebody’s song they were hoping you were going to play that night,” he says. “I care about the album, quite a bit, and I kind of learned that from Tom Petty. He made my favorite record of all time, which was Wild Flowers, and that album really made me appreciate the album, top to bottom. I try to think about that record a lot when I’m making records, and that’s the way I feel about albums. I want them to be good, top to bottom.”

    The ACM and CMA Male Vocalist of the Year (among other awards) recently released his latest song, “Millionaire,” which is featured on his newly minted gold album, From A Room: Volume 2.

    Chris will hit the road with his 2018 All-American Road Show Tour, featuring Marty Stuart and Brent Cobb, beginning June 16th in Brandon, Mississippi. He’s also set to do a few shows before then, including CMA Music Fest, as well as a handful of shows with The Eagles.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about making records.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (making records) OC: …top to bottom. :3
    “We’re all incredibly fortunate that out on the road that the people who come out to the shows dig that deep. It sure is a powerful thing when you can pull out an album cut and have everybody sing along and have somebody be excited about it or watch that be somebody’s song they were hoping you were going to play that night. I care about the album, quite a bit, and I kind of learned that from Tom Petty. He made my favorite record of all time, which was Wild Flowers, and that album really made me appreciate the album, top to bottom. I try to think about that record a lot when I’m making records, and that’s the way I feel about albums. I want them to be good, top to bottom.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON WINS TWO ACM AWARDS.

    Chris Stapleton picked up the ACM awards for Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for From A Room: Volume 1, which features his first No. 1 song (“Broken Halos”) as an artist. While Sugarland explained he’s back in Nashville with wife Morgane, who was expecting twins and couldn’t make it to Las Vegas for the ACM Awards show, Reba interrupted to explain the twin boys came early. Mom, brother and sister and the baby boys are all doing well.

    Chris released the collection of songs in May of last year. The album takes its name from Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, where it was recorded with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb.

    “That whole room is a sweet spot,” says Chris. “The thing to know about that room is that room sounds like that room. I’m also a fan of studios that have a sound. Over time, there have been places that have sounds, you know, Capitol out in L.A. or Muscle Shoals. You can point to places that have sounds – Stax, Motown – these places have sounds, not just by the guys playing ‘em, but the actual sound of the room. The room’s become part of the band. Here in town, the place that has the most of that kind of mojo to me is that room, so that’s what I like about it.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton explains how he decided to name his award-winning album, From A Room: Volume 1 after RCA Studio A.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (From A Room studio) OC: …about it. :38
    “That whole room is a sweet spot. The thing to know about that room is that room sounds like that room. I’m also a fan of studios that have a sound. Over time, there have been places that have sounds, you know, Capitol out in L.A. or Muscle Shoals. You can point to places that have sounds – Stax, Motown – these places have sounds, not just by the guys playing ‘em, but the actual sound of the room. The room’s become part of the band. Here in town, the place that has the most of that kind of mojo to me is that room, so that’s what I like about it.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON RELEASES NEW SINGLE, “MILLIONAIRE.”

    Chris Stapleton has released “Millionaire,” a song included on his latest album, From A Room: Volume 2. The tune, written and originally recorded by Kevin Welch, will go for adds at radio April 23rd.

    “I love that song. I would always sit around the house playing that song to myself on guitar,” says Chris. “It’s fun to play. It’s fun to sing. It’s a great melody. It’s great lyrics. It’s great everything. To me, that’s a great song, and I just loved it so it was time to do it.”

    Chris leads the nominees at this year’s ACM Awards with eight nominations in five categories, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Album, Single and Song of the Year. The 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 15th at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says he’s always loved the song, “Millionaire,” which was written and recorded by Kevin Welch for his 2002 album of the same name.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Millionaire) OC: …time to do it. :15
    “I love that song. I would always sit around the house playing that song to myself on guitar. It’s fun to play. It’s fun to sing. It’s a great melody. It’s great lyrics. It’s great everything. To me, that’s a great song, and I just loved it so it was time to do it.”

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Millionaire) 1

    Download

    Audio / Chris Stapleton (Millionaire) 2

    Download
  • CHRIS STAPLETON ‘I WANT LOVE’ 5:00 AND :90 VIGNETTES.

    Chris Stapleton recorded  “I Want Love,” which is featured on Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin, which will be available this Friday (April 6th). The song, written by Sir Elton and Bernie, was the first single from the pop legend’s 2001 album, Songs From the West Coast.

    We’ve included both a full five-minute vignette and a :90 second vignette of Chris Stapleton’s “I Want Love” for your use.

    Audio / I Want Love 5:00 Vignette

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    Audio / I Want Love :90 Vignette

    Download
  • CHRIS STAPLETON ENJOYS THE CREATIVE PROCESS.

    After having released not one, but two albums last year, Chris Stapleton says “it’ll probably be a minute” before he releases a new album. He released From A Room: Volume 1 last May and followed it up with From A Room: Volume 2 in December of last year.

    “I like the creative process, and I like to do things just because I like to do them. I’ve got a couple of songs in some movies and some different collaborations with some people that are on the horizon,” says Chris. “But as far as a project for me, I don’t know what that next thing is. It’ll probably be a minute, because two records in a year is a lot…It’s been great, and it was a good plan, and I’m real happy with the way things are turning out. But we’ll probably not be recording anything real soon. It may be a minute. We’ll tour off these two records. They’ve got a lot of life in ‘em as far as touring goes, so I’m sure whatever the next right thing is to do will present itself and then I’ll look at it dead in the eye and go, “Alright, let’s go.”

    Chris is poised to land at the top of the country singles charts for the first time as an artist with “Broken Halos.”

    The Kentucky native leads the list of nominees with eight nods in five categories, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Single of the Year for “Broken Halos,” Song of the Year for “Whiskey and You” and Album of the Year for From a Room, Vol. 1.

    The 53rd Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 15th at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Audio / After releasing two records in one year, Chris Stapleton says it may be a little while before he goes back in to record, that is unless the music presents itself.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (what’s next) OC: …let’s go. :52
    “I like the creative process, and I like to do things just because I like to do them. I’ve got a couple of songs in some movies and some different collaborations with some people that are on the horizon. But as far as a project for me, I don’t know what that next thing is. It’ll probably be a minute, because two records in a year is a lot and sometimes you don’t know stuff like that until you do it, like, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna put out two records in a year.’ It’s been great, and it was a good plan, and I’m real happy with the way things are turning out. But we’ll probably not be recording anything real soon. It may be a minute. We’ll tour off these two records. They’ve got a lot of life in ‘em as far as touring goes, so I’m sure whatever the next right thing is to do will present itself and then I’ll look at it dead in the eye and go, “Alright, let’s go.”

    Video /

    View
  • CHRIS STAPLETON NEARS THE TOP OF THE COUNTRY CHARTS WITH ‘BROKEN HALOS.’

    Chris Stapleton is nearing the top of the country charts with “Broken Halos,” which recently won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song. He wrote the tune with his buddy Mike Henderson several years ago, and it still stands the test of time.

    “If you can write a song and you listen to it 10 years away from writing it and go, ‘You know, that’s a pretty good song. I like that song,’ then it’s a pretty good indication that it’s probably okay because it’s holding up,” says Chris. “If it held up the day you wrote it and it holds up for you in a completely different segment of your life, hopefully that means it’ll help more people, and it’ll mean more to more people.”

    “Broken Halos” is from his CMA and Grammy Award-winning album, From A Room: Volume 1, which was released last May.

    Chris, who is the most nominated artist at this year’s ACM Awards, will perform at RodeoHouston March 16th.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about songs holding up years after they’re written.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (songs holding up) OC: …a good song. :29
    “If you can write a song and you listen to it 10 years away from writing it and go, ‘You know, that’s a pretty good song. I like that song,’ then it’s a pretty good indication that it’s probably okay because it’s holding up. If it held up the day you wrote it and it holds up for you in a completely different segment of your life, hopefully that means it’ll help more people, and it’ll mean more to more people. It’s gonna mean something to different people if it’s a good song.”

    Video / Chris Stapleton's Broken Halos

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON DOMINATES THE COUNTRY ALBUM CHARTS.

    Chris Stapleton has kicked off 2018 in a big way, sweeping the GRAMMY Awards by winning three awards and also dominating Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart (dated February 10th) with the top three spots, marking the first time the feat has been achieved in over 25 years.

    The Kentucky native is the first artist to hold the three top spots on the Top Country Albums since Garth Brooks achieved this accomplishment in 1992 with Ropin’ the Wind, No Fences and his self-titled debut, according to Billboard. Following the GRAMMY Awards, the singer’s latest release From A Room: Volume 2, holds tight at No. 1, followed by Traveller and From A Room: Volume 1.

    Chris’ latest song, “Broken Halos,” has reached the Top 10 on the country singles charts.

    You can catch Chris on his All-American Road Show Tour with special guests Marty Stuart and Brent Cobb when it resumes June 16th in Brandon, Mississippi.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton wants to make music so he can play music.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (making music Vol. 2) OC: …making music. :59
    “You know, my goal with making Traveller, I hoped to possibly sell 50,000 records, and that was my goal. I was like I was gonna make this record and I was going to go out and play music, because that’s what I knew how to do and that’s what Universal allowed me to do. Obviously, we did a little better than that, and so this time around I tried to reset – to a degree – and go, but let’s put this into perspective here. None of this was expected stuff. What were you trying to do? What are we trying to do? We’re trying to make music that we like and make a record that we like. So, very much I would love to be able to sell enough records that I can still go play shows and keep making records. That’s the goal. That’s the dream, whether it’s 20,000 records or 50,000 records or getting to play a room for 300 people or 20,000 people. That’s the dream still. I’m still making a living playing music. So, no, I didn’t feel any pressure from it whatsoever, because all that came from just making music for the sake of making music.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON JOINS JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE ON THE SUPER BOWL VERSION OF THE TONIGHT SHOW.

    Chris Stapleton joined pal Justin Timberlake on the Super Bowl version of NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Sunday night (February 4th). The duo performed “Say Something” from JT’s new album, Man of the Woods. The pair released a video for the duet last week.

    Chris is climbing the country charts with his latest song, “Broken Halos,” from his album, From A Room: Volume 1.

    https://twitter.com/ChrisStapleton/status/960384957435777024

     

    Video / Chris Stapleton with Justin Timberlake on The Tonight Show

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    Video /

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON ANNOUNCES NEW ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW TOUR WITH MARTY STUART AND BRENT COBB.

    Following his three GRAMMY wins last night (January 28th), Chris Stapleton announced the 2018 leg on his All-American Road Show Tour this morning, and he’s taking along special guests Marty Stuart and Brent Cobb. Tickets go on sale February 9th. He’s got a few festival and specialty dates before the trek kicks off June 16th in Brandon, Mississippi.

    You can sign up for the pre-sale by going to Stapletonfanclub.com.

    https://twitter.com/ChrisStapleton/status/957982620331200512

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON WINS THE GRAMMY FOR BEST COUNTRY ALBUM.

    Chris Stapleton picked up his third award of the night for Best Country Album for From A Room: Volume 1. This is his second Best Country Album award; his first was for Traveller in 2016.

    He released the collection of songs in May of last year, followed by Volume 2 in December. The album takes its name from Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (the capital “A” in “From A Room”) where it was recorded over the last year with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb.

    Chris also performed with Emmylou Harris, singing the late Tom Petty‘s “Wildflowers.” Backstage, he talked about being emotional before taking to the stage.

    During the pre-telecast, Chris picked up two awards for Best Country Solo Performance for “Either Way” and Best Country Song for “Broken Halos,” which is making its way up the country charts.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton explains why he named his album From A Room: Volume 1.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (From A Room studio) OC: …about it. :38
    “That whole room is a sweet spot. The thing to know about that room is that room sounds like that room. I’m also a fan of studios that have a sound. Over time, there have been places that have sounds, you know, Capitol out in L.A. or Muscle Shoals. You can point to places that have sounds – Stax, Motown – these places have sounds, not just by the guys playing ‘em, but the actual sound of the room. The room’s become part of the band. Here in town, the place that has the most of that kind of mojo to me is that room, so that’s what I like about it.”

    Video / Chris Stapleton acceptance speech for Best Country Album at the 2018 GRAMMY Awards

    View

    Video / Chris Stapleton & Emmylou Harris

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON PICKS UP TWO GRAMMYS DURING THE PRE-TELECAST.

    Chris Stapleton is already a GRAMMY Award winner – times two. He picked up the trophy for Best Country Song for his current single, “Broken Halos,” which he co-wrote with Mike Henderson.

    “To win this with him means so, so much to me,” says Chris.

    The Kentucky native also won for Best Country Solo Performance for “Either Way.”

    Both songs are featured on his GRAMMY-nominated Album of the Year, From A Room: Volume 1.

    Chris will perform with the legendary performer Emmylou Harris during the televised show.

    Video / Chris Stapleton acceptance speech for Best Country Solo Performance

    View
  • CHRIS STAPLETON PERFORMS A PAIR OF SONGS AND INVITES STURGILL SIMPSON ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.

    Chris Stapleton was the musical guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live this weekend, and he brought along a special guest, Americana’s Sturgill Simpson, to perform two songs. Chris teased the collaboration on his socials earlier on Saturday (January 27th).

    https://twitter.com/ChrisStapleton/status/957423326238052352

    The pair first teamed for “Midnight Train to Memphis,” then later in the show, they performed “Hard Livin’.” Both songs are from Stapleton’s latest album, From A Room: Volume 2.

    This was Stapleton’s second appearance on the long-running show. He made his debut on SNL in 2016, performing a pair of songs from his multi-platinum Traveller album.

    Chris, who is making is way up the country charts with his latest single “Broken Halos,” is nominated for three GRAMMY Awards, including Best Country Album (From A Room, Volume 1), Best Country Song (“Broken Halos”) and Best Country Solo Performance (“Either Way”). He is also scheduled to perform with Emmylou Harris on tonight’s 60th Annual Grammy Awards, airing live from Madison Square Garden in New York City beginning at 7:30p ET on CBS.

    Video / Chris Stapleton and Sturgill Simpson Midnight Train to Memphis on SNL

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    Video / Chris Stapleton Sturgill Simpson "Hard Livin'" on SNL

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON AND JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE “SAY SOMETHING” IN NEW MUSIC VIDEO.

    Justin Timberlake has released “Say Something,” featuring Chris Stapleton, ahead of the pop star’s new album Man of the Woods, dropping February 2nd. The talented duo unveiled the song with a full-length music video of the song (check it out below).

    Catch Chris this weekend as he is the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, followed by the re-airing of CBS Sunday Morning and a performance with the legendary Emmylou Harris on the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, which will air live from Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday (January 28th) beginning at 7:30p ET on CBS.

    “Say Something” ft. Chris Stapleton from Man of the Woods
    Official Music Video directed by La Blogothèque
    Man Of The Woods – An Album By Justin Timberlake – February 2nd – Pre-Order Now:
    iTunes – http://tmbr.lk/jMOTW_iTunes
    Amazon – http://tmbr.lk/jMOTW_Amazon
    Spotify Pre-Save – http://tmbr.lk/jMOTW_SpotifyPreSave
    Target – http://tmbr.lk/MOTW_Target
    Google Play – http://tmbr.lk/jMOTW_GooglePlay
    More Options – http://tmbr.lk/jMOTW

    Stream “Say Something”:
    Apple Music – http://tmbr.lk/jSAYSOMETHING_AM
    Spotify – http://tmbr.lk/jSAYSOMETHING_SP
    Amazon – http://tmbr.lk/jSAYSOMETHING_AZ

    Video / Say Something with Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton

    View
  • JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE AND CHRIS STAPLETON SET TO DROP NEW SONG ‘SAY SOMETHING’ FROM JT’S UPCOMING ALBUM, ‘MAN OF THE WOODS.’

    Chris Stapleton joins pal Justin Timberlake on the song “Say Something,” featured on JT’s new album, Man of the Woods, which is set for release February 2nd. The pair previewed the song in a social post, and it will be available for purchase beginning at noon on Thursday (January 25th).

    https://twitter.com/ChrisStapleton/status/956337393791066112

    Catch Chris on NBC’s Saturday Night Live and the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards this weekend.

    Chris is making his way up the country charts with his lastest song, “Broken Halos.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON ADDED TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S GRAMMY AWARDS.

    Chris Stapleton will perform with the legendary Emmylou Harris on Sunday night’s (January 28th) GRAMMY Awards. He joins previously announced performers Eric Church, Brothers Osborne and Maren Morris, who will team up together to honor the victims of concert violence last year. Little Big Town will also perform during the show.

    Chris is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for “Either Way,” Best Country Song for his current song “Broken Halos” and Best Country Album for From A Room: Volume 1.

    The 60th Annual Grammy Awards will air live from Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday beginning at 7:30p ET on CBS.

    If you can’t wait until Sunday to see Chris perform, watch him on NBC’s Saturday Night Live this weekend.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON, LADY ANTEBELLUM AND LITTLE BIG TOWN ARE INCLUDED ON THE NEW 2018 GRAMMY NOMINEES ALBUM.

    Lady Antebellum, Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town will be featured on the new compilation, 2018 GRAMMY Nominees album, which will be released January 12th. Hits by Kenny Chesney, Thomas Rhett, Bruno Mars, Kelly Clarkson, P!nk and Kendrick Lamar are also included on the collection.

    A portion of album proceeds benefit the year-round work of the GRAMMY Museum and MusiCares—two charitable organizations founded by the Recording Academy that focus on music education programs and critical assistance for music people in need.

    The 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards, which will be hosted by James Corden, will air live from New York City’s Madison Square Garden January 28th beginning at 7:30pm ET on CBS.

    2018 GRAMMY Nominees Album Track List:

    1. BRUNO MARS
      “24K Magic”
      Record Of The Year
      Album Of The Year
    2. KELLY CLARKSON
      “Love So Soft”
      Best Pop Solo Performance
    3. LUIS FONSI & DADDY YANKEE FEAT. JUSTIN BIEBER
      “Despacito” (Remix)
      Record Of The Year
      Song Of The Year
      Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
    4. KENDRICK LAMAR
      “HUMBLE.”
      Record Of The Year
      Album Of The Year
    5. LORDE
      “Green Light”
      Album Of The Year
    6. CHILDISH GAMBINO
      “Redbone”
      Record Of The Year
      Album Of The Year
    7. JAY-Z
      “The Story Of O.J.”
      Record Of The Year
      Album Of The Year
    8. ZEDD & ALESSIA CARA
      “Stay”
      Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
    9. LADY GAGA
      “Million Reasons”
      Best Pop Solo Performance
    10. IMAGINE DRAGONS
      “Thunder”
      Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
    11. THE MAN
      “Feel It Still”
      Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
    12. THE CHAINSMOKERS & COLDPLAY
      “Something Just Like This”
      Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
    13. P!NK
      “What About Us”
      Best Pop Solo Performance
    14. LOGIC FEAT. ALESSIA CARA & KHALID
      “1-800-273-8255”
      Song Of The Year
    15. JULIA MICHAELS
      “Issues”
      Song Of The Year
    16. KESHA
      “Praying”
      Best Pop Solo Performance
    17. CHRIS STAPLETON
      “Broken Halos”
      Best Country Album
    18. LITTLE BIG TOWN
      “Better Man”
      Best Country Album
    19. THOMAS RHETT FEAT. MAREN MORRIS
      “Craving You”
      Best Country Album
    20. LADY ANTEBELLUM
      “You Look Good”
      Best Country Album
    21. KENNY CHESNEY
      “All The Pretty Girls”
      Best Country Album
  • CHRIS STAPLETON HAS THE ‘TIME OF HIS LIFE’ WITH ACTOR CHRIS PRATT ON THE JIMMY KIMMEL SHOW.

    Chris Stapleton appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday (December 4th) with Guardians of the Galaxy’s Chris Pratt as guest host. During the show, Pratt brought out Stapleton to sing a duet, aka “Cheesy Duet.” After spinning a wheel of several songs including “A Whole New World,” “Don’t Know Much,” “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” the wheel landed on “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing. They did a great job, and even did the “lift” from the end of the film, starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.

    The two then talked about Stapleton’s new album, From A Room: Volume 2, as well as their newfound friendship and toast each other with some “Tennessee Whiskey.”

    Check out the videos below.

    Stapleton is currently climbing the country charts with his song, “Broken Halos.”

    Video / Chris Stapleton and Chris Pratt duet

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    Video / Chris Pratt interviews Chris Stapleton

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S ‘SCARECROW IN THE GARDEN’ IS A STORY SONG FEATURING DARK SUBJECT MATTER.

    Chris Stapleton released his new album, From A Room: Volume 2, which he recorded at the same time as Volume 1, released this past May and won the CMA Album of the Year Award. The very first song he recorded for both projects is “Scarecrow in the Garden,” which he wrote with Brice Long and Matt Fleener. The tune’s subject matter is relatively dark, but the story song contains a lot of substance and imagery, according to Chris.

    “Maybe it’s my inner love of bluegrass murder ballads creeping out. It’s a farming/suicide song for the most part [laughs], you know. So it’s not exactly like, it’s not happy fare at all. But it’s a fun story-song and fun’s not the right word, but for me it’s fun, you know. I love things with story and substance and I feel like lyrically and subject-matter-wise, that thing has all that to me. And I just love the imagery in that song. I’m not trying to toot my own horn, I just, we had a good day that day.”

    Chris, who is making his way up the country charts with “Broken Halos,” will appear on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday (December 4th).

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about “Scarecrow in the Garden,” a song featured on his new album, From A Room: Volume 2.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Scarecrow in the Garden) OC: …that day. :54
    “That’s the very first thing that we recorded. That’s the one song I walked into the studio, I mean not for this record, for both of these few records, and I said, ‘I want to do this song.’ And that song has been in my catalog for a bit, and it’s been hanging around. Nobody recorded it or anything. Maybe it’s my inner love of bluegrass murder ballads creeping out. It’s a farming/suicide song for the most part [laughs], you know. So it’s not exactly like, it’s not happy fare at all. But it’s a fun story-song and fun’s not the right word, but for me it’s fun, you know. I love things with story and substance and I feel like lyrically and subject-matter-wise, that thing has all that to me. And I just love the imagery in that song. I’m not trying to toot my own horn, I just, we had a good day that day.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Darius Rucker, Luke Bryan, Kacey Musgraves, Vince Gill, Dierks Bentley, Billy Currington

    Chris Stapleton is making the media rounds this week. He’s scheduled to appear on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday (December 4th) along with superfan/actor Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Parks and Recreation, Jurassic World) and actress Margot Robbie (The Suicide Squad). Stapleton is also scheduled to perform on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on Wednesday (December 6th).

    OF NOTE: Pratt appeared on Popcorn with Peter Travers where he talked about how Chris Stapleton was on his own mixtape (a reference to Guardians) and sang part of “Tennessee Whiskey.” Then, Chris sent him a mixtape of his From A Room: Volume 1 along with a walkman, so he could listen to it properly. When Stapleton performed during the second of a two-night stand at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena earlier this year, Pratt came out wearing a jean jacket embossed with Stapleton’s image. They proceeded to sing “Tennessee Whiskey” together.

    Luke Bryan will perform on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on December 12th.

    Darius Rucker, as well as Dolly Parton and Brad Paisley, will honor the late Glen Campbell during ABC’s The Year in Memoriam 2017 television special airing December 18th at 10pm ET. A companion special, The Year: 2017, will air the following night (December 19th) and will highlight major events that took place over the past year. Both specials will be hosted by Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts.

    Kacey Musgraves will join Josh Groban for the Home for the Holidays special December 19th at 8pm ET on CBS. Kelly Clarkson and Kane Brown will also appear during the one-hour show which will feature performances alongside inspirational stories of families whose lives have been changed by adoption.

    Vince Gill was honored with the CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award last week at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

    Dierks Bentley has been booked as one of the headliners for the fourth annual Country LakeShake Festival, being held June 22nd – 24th in Chicago. He’ll be joined by Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line, Billy Currington, Lee Brice, Tracy Lawrence, Cole Swindell and many more.

    Video / Chris Pratt listening to From A Room: Volume 1

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    Video / Chris Pratt joining Chris Stapleton on stage.

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON PROFILED ON NBC’S SUNDAY TODAY WITH WILLIE GEIST.

    Chris Stapleton and his wife Morgane were featured on NBC’s Sunday Today With Willie Geist (December 3rd). They talked about Chris’ new album, From A Room: Volume 2, which just came out last week, as well as his road to stardom, “Drink a Beer,” which he wrote and his friend Luke Bryan took to No. 1, as well as when he and Morgane found out they were expecting twins.

    Chris is currently making his way up the country charts with “Broken Halos,” which is on From A Room: Volume 1.

    Video /

  • CHRIS STAPLETON RELEASES ‘FROM A ROOM: VOLUME 2’ ON FRIDAY.

    Chris Stapleton’s From A Room: Volume 2 arrives Friday (December 1st). The multiple Grammy, CMA and ACM Award-winning musician. The forthcoming album takes its name from Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (the capital “A” in “From A Room”) where it was recorded over the last year with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb. Along with Stapleton on vocals and guitar and Cobb on acoustic guitar, the album features Morgane Stapleton on harmony vocals as well as longtime band-members J.T. Cure on bass and Derek Mixon on drums. In addition to seven songs co-written by Stapleton, the album features versions of Kevin Welch’s “Millionaire” and the Homer Banks/Lester Snell-penned song made famous by Pops Staples, “Friendship.” See below for complete track list.

    Chris says he didn’t feel any pressure to make From A Room: Volume 1 or Volume 2, because he’s just making music he likes. “My goal with making Traveller, I hoped to possibly sell 50,000 records, and that was my goal. I was like I was gonna make this record and I was going to go out and play music, because that’s what I knew how to do and that’s what Universal allowed me to do. Obviously, we did a little better than that, and so this time around I tried to reset – to a degree – and go, but let’s put this into perspective here. None of this was expected stuff. What were you trying to do? What are we trying to do? We’re trying to make music that we like and make a record that we like,” says Chris. “So, very much I would love to be able to sell enough records that I can still go play shows and keep making records. That’s the goal. That’s the dream, whether it’s 20,000 records or 50,000 records or getting to play a room for 300 people or 20,000 people. That’s the dream still. I’m still making a living playing music. So, no, I didn’t feel any pressure from it whatsoever, because all that came from just making music for the sake of making music.”

    Volume 2 follows the release of From A Room: Volume 1, which debuted earlier this year at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart, #2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and, with its RIAA Gold certification, remains the #1 best-selling country album of 2017.

    Check ChrisStapleton.com/tour for tickets and more information.

    FROM A ROOM: VOLUME 2 TRACK LIST:

    1. Millionaire (Kevin Welch)
    2. Hard Livin’ (Chris Stapleton, Kendell Marvel)
    3. Scarecrow In The Garden (Chris Stapleton, Brice Long, Matt Fleener)
    4. Nobody’s Lonely Tonight (Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson)
    5. Tryin’ To Untangle My Mind (Chris Stapleton, Jaron Boyer, Kendell Marvel)
    6. A Simple Song (Chris Stapleton, Darrell Hayes)
    7. Midnight Train To Memphis (Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson)
    8. Drunkard’s Prayer (Chris Stapleton, Jameson Clark)
    9. Friendship (Homer Banks, Lester Snell)

      Audio / Chris Stapleton wanted to make music so he could play music.

      Download

      Chris Stapleton (making music Vol. 2) OC: …making music. :59
      “You know, my goal with making Traveller, I hoped to possibly sell 50,000 records, and that was my goal. I was like I was gonna make this record and I was going to go out and play music, because that’s what I knew how to do and that’s what Universal allowed me to do. Obviously, we did a little better than that, and so this time around I tried to reset – to a degree – and go, but let’s put this into perspective here. None of this was expected stuff. What were you trying to do? What are we trying to do? We’re trying to make music that we like and make a record that we like. So, very much I would love to be able to sell enough records that I can still go play shows and keep making records. That’s the goal. That’s the dream, whether it’s 20,000 records or 50,000 records or getting to play a room for 300 people or 20,000 people. That’s the dream still. I’m still making a living playing music. So, no, I didn’t feel any pressure from it whatsoever, because all that came from just making music for the sake of making music.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON WINS BIG AT THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    Chris Stapleton continued his winning streak at this year’s CMA Awards, taking home Male Vocalist of the Year (for the third year in a row) and Album of the Year for From A Room: Volume 1, which remains the top-selling country album of 2017.

    Chris is grateful for the awards and calls the past few years a fairy-tale.

    “It’s an unimaginable, fairy-tale of a thing really, and we’re so proud just to get to just make music and go out and play it for people and make records and that’s the dream,” said Chris. “Then when you have all of these other things that people are nice enough to give you, that makes the dream an even larger dream.”

    This was his second Album of the Year trophy. His first win was for his 2015 album, Traveller.

    “It sure is a powerful thing when you can pull out an album cut and have everybody sing along and have somebody be excited about it or watch that be somebody’s song they were hoping you were going to play that night,” he said. “I care about the album, quite a bit, and I kind of learned that from Tom Petty. He made my favorite record of all time, which was Wild Flowers, and that album really made me appreciate the album, top to bottom. I try to think about that record a lot when I’m making records, and that’s the way I feel about albums. I want them to be good, top to bottom.”

    Chris, who’s making his way up the country chart with “Broken Halos,” will release From A Room: Volume 2 December 1st.

    He will wrap up his All-American Road Show Tour this weekend, which includes stops in Little Rock on Thursday (November 16th), Oklahoma City (November 17th) and Omaha (November 18th).

    Audio / Backstage at the CMA Awards, Chris Stapleton said awards make his dream of making music an even bigger dream.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (realizing dream) OC: …larger dream. :15
    “It’s an unimaginable, fairy-tale of a thing really, and we’re so proud just to get to just make music and go out and play it for people and make records and that’s the dream. Then when you have all of these other things that people are nice enough to give you, that makes the dream an even larger dream.”

    Audio / Backstage at this year’s CMA Awards, Chris Stapleton, who picked up trophies for Album of the Year as well as Male Vocalist of the Year, said he’s very fortunate people actually listen to full albums.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (making records) OC: …top to bottom. :3
    “We’re all incredibly fortunate that out on the road that the people who come out to the shows dig that deep. It sure is a powerful thing when you can pull out an album cut and have everybody sing along and have somebody be excited about it or watch that be somebody’s song they were hoping you were going to play that night. I care about the album, quite a bit, and I kind of learned that from Tom Petty. He made my favorite record of all time, which was Wild Flowers, and that album really made me appreciate the album, top to bottom. I try to think about that record a lot when I’m making records, and that’s the way I feel about albums. I want them to be good, top to bottom.”

    Video / Chris Stapleton Broken Halos performance on the CMA Awards

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON PREVIEWS HIS UPCOMING ALBUM WITH THE SONG ‘SCARECROW IN THE GARDEN.’

    Chris Stapleton is previewing his new album, From A Room: Volume 2, by releasing a few songs ahead of the album’s release on December 1st. On Friday (November 3rd), he revealed “Scarecrow in the Garden.” In October, he put out “Millionaire” – both of which you can listen to below.

    The new offering follows the release of From A Room: Volume 1 this past May. Both albums take their name from historic RCA Studio A where he recorded them.

    Chris is currently making his way up the country charts with “Broken Halos.”

    Pre-Order From A Room: Volume 2
    Exclusive Pre-Order Bundles – http://smarturl.it/CSFARVol2
    Digital Pre-Order – http://geni.us/FromARoomVol2

    Video / Audio of Scarecrow in the Garden

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    Video / Audio of 'Millionaire' From A Room: Volume 2

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S TOUR SET WAS BUILT TO HOUSE MANY FUNCTIONS ON THE ROAD.

    Chris Stapleton has three nominations going into this year’s CMA Awards. He’s up for Male Vocalist, Album of the Year for From A Room: Volume 1 AND Entertainer of the Year.

    Earlier this year, Chris launched his All-American Road Show, along with rotating special guests including Brothers Osborne, Lucie Silvas, Brent Cobb, Margo Price, Marty Stuart and more. The tour features a very cool set and lighting grid, which has more than one function by design.

    “It all functions from a sonic place. I built, people look at it and it looks like a Thunderdome and don’t know what it is. It’s a giant diffuser is what it is, so it’s meant to tune a stage every night to a certain, we cut out all the bad bass and all the bad high and so, garbage in and garbage out. A-it helps us hear better on stage and we don’t have to wear any in-ears (monitors), but also it hopefully gives more consistencies sonically in the show,” says Chris. “Now, after we built it, we put some lights on it and it happens to look like the Death Star or something, but that’s how we wanted to approach music. We still stand in basically the same configuration we would stand in a 300-person club; we’re just in a bigger room and we made our own little room on stage that hopefully makes us feel a little more cozy, and hopefully the result is that it seems to be to try to create some of that feeling in a much larger room, you know? Some of the intimacy of playing a smaller place in a larger room would be my hope and dream for how that works.”

    The Kentucky native has climbed inside the Top 30 with his latest song, “Broken Halos,” which is from his most recent album, From A Room: Volume 1. Chris’ new album, From A Room: Volume 2, is set for release December 1st.

    Chris continues his All-American Road Show this week with stops in Charleston, West Virginia on Thursday (November 2nd), Columbus, Ohio on Friday (November 3rd) and Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday (November 4th).

    Catch Chris at the 51st Annual CMA Awards, which will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 8th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Audio / CMA Entertainer of the Year nominee Chris Stapleton describes the set on his All-American Road Show Tour.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (tour set) OC: …how that works. 1:05
    “Well, the set’s actually — I haven’t talked a whole lot about it – but it all functions from a sonic place. I built, people look at it and it looks like a Thunderdome and don’t know what it is. It’s a giant diffuser is what it is, so it’s meant to tune a stage every night to a certain, we cut out all the bad bass and all the bad high and so, garbage in and garbage out. A-it helps us hear better on stage and we don’t have to wear any in-ears (monitors), but also it hopefully gives more consistencies sonically in the show. Now, after we built it, we put some lights on it and it happens to look like the Death Star or something, but that’s how we wanted to approach music. We still stand in basically the same configuration we would stand in a 300-person club; we’re just in a bigger room and we made our own little room on stage that hopefully makes us feel a little more cozy, and hopefully the result is that it seems to be to try to create some of that feeling in a much larger room, you know? Some of the intimacy of playing a smaller place in a larger room would be my hope and dream for how that works.”

    Audio /

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (tour set) 2 OC: …some of that. :18
    “Dreaming up things on napkins over years, I would always draw things like ‘What can I do to make this better and easier to play on and in and hopefully have the result of something that sounds better up front?’ This is a march in that direction and hopefully it achieves some of that.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S ‘FROM A ROOM: VOLUME 2’ OUT DECEMBER 1st

    Chris Stapleton’s From A Room: Volume 2 will be released December 1st on Mercury Records Nashville and is now available to pre-order digitally and with exclusive limited-edition bundles. The multiple Grammy, CMA and ACM Award-winning musician first shared the album news from stage during the first of two sold-out shows at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena this past Friday. Of the special hometown concerts, CMT praises, “…cemented his status as one of music’s greatest talents to emerge from the current decade.”

    The forthcoming album takes its name from Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (the capital “A” in “From A Room”) where it was recorded over the last year with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb. Along with Stapleton on vocals and guitar and Cobb on acoustic guitar, the album features Morgane Stapleton on harmony vocals as well as longtime band-members J.T. Cure on bass and Derek Mixon on drums. In addition to seven songs co-written by Stapleton, the album features versions of Kevin Welch’s “Millionaire” and the Homer Banks/Lester Snell-penned song made famous by Pops Staples, “Friendship” See below for complete track list.

    Volume 2 follows the release of From A Room: Volume 1, which debuted earlier this year at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart, #2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and, with its RIAA Gold certification, remains the #1 best-selling country album of 2017. Stapleton’s 2015 double-platinum solo debut, Traveller, is currently the #2 best-selling country album of the year.

    The critically acclaimed album, which Rolling Stone awarded four stars declaring, “From A Room is strikingly focused, sonically and thematically,” was recently nominated for Album of the Year at the 51st annual CMA Awards. Stapleton is also nominated for Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year at the awards, which will be broadcast on ABC live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 8 at 8/7c.

    Stapleton will soon wrap-up his extensive and widely praised “All-American Road Show” tour, which includes upcoming shows in Baton Rouge, San Antonio, Bossier City, Austin, Houston, Dallas, Charleston, WV, Columbus, Grand Rapids, Tampa, Jacksonville, Little Rock, Oklahoma City and Omaha. Special guests Marty Stuart and Brent Cobb will join for the final leg of the tour. See below for details. Live Nation is the national tour promoter for “Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show.” Many of the shows on “Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show” have already sold out, with limited tickets remaining for others. Check ChrisStapleton.com/tour for tickets and more information.

    In addition to the “All-American Road Show” dates, Stapleton will perform as part of the “All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers Farewell Concert” on October 25 and will join fellow country performers for the “COUNTRY RISING” benefit concert on November 12. Stapleton will also make his debut on PBS’ legendary “Austin City Limits” program later this month. The taping will be streamed live via ACL’s YouTube channel on Monday, October 23 at 8pm CT/9pm ET with the broadcast version airing on PBS early next year as part of Season 43.

    FROM A ROOM: VOLUME 2 TRACK LIST:

    1. Millionaire (Kevin Welch)
    2. Hard Livin’ (Chris Stapleton, Kendell Marvel)
    3. Scarecrow In The Garden (Chris Stapleton, Brice Long, Matt Fleener)
    4. Nobody’s Lonely Tonight (Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson)
    5. Tryin’ To Untangle My Mind (Chris Stapleton, Jaron Boyer, Kendell Marvel)
    6. A Simple Song (Chris Stapleton, Darrell Hayes)
    7. Midnight Train To Memphis (Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson)
    8. Drunkard’s Prayer (Chris Stapleton, Jameson Clark)
    9. Friendship (Homer Banks, Lester Snell)

    “CHRIS STAPLETON’S ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW” 

    October 19—Baton Rouge, LA—Raising Cane’s River Center Arena* (SOLD OUT)

    October 20—San Antonio, TX—AT&T Center*

    October 21—Bossier City, LA—CenturyLink Center* (SOLD OUT)

    October 25—Nashville, TN—All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers Farewell Concert

    October 26—Austin, TX—Austin360 Amphitheater* (SOLD OUT)

    October 27—Houston, TX—Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman* (SOLD OUT)

    October 28—Dallas, TX—Starplex Pavilion* (SOLD OUT)

    November 2—Charleston, WV—Charleston Civic Center (SOLD OUT)

    November 3—Columbus, OH—Nationwide Arena*

    November 4—Grand Rapids, MI—Van Andel Arena* (SOLD OUT)

    November 10—Tampa, FL—MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre*

    November 11—Jacksonville, FL—Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena*

    November 12—Nashville, TN—COUNTRY RISING

    November 16—Little Rock, AR—Verizon Arena*

    November 17—Oklahoma City, OK—Chesapeake Energy Arena*

    November 18—Omaha, NE—CenturyLink Center Omaha*

    *with special guests Marty Stuart and Brent Cobb

  • CHRIS STAPLETON REVEALS NEW ALBUM COMING IN DECEMBER.

    Chris Stapleton made his Nashville Bridgestone Arena headlining debut with two sold-out shows over the weekend, and during Friday night’s concert, the superstar revealed he will release his new album, From A Room: Volume 2, on December 1st.

    https://twitter.com/ChrisStapleton/status/919068227690487808

     

    Chris released From A Room: Volume 1 this past spring, and it features the hit, “Broken Halos,” which is currently making its way up the country charts.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton explains how he makes records.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (how he makes records) OC: …in a pot. :19
    “I heard Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, I read an interview with him one time where he said he always just tried to make music that he would want to listen to, and I think that is the best kind of litmus test for what you want to record or make. And I’m a big fan of albums too, so I always like things that kind of work together in a pot.”

  • DIERKS BENTLEY, SAM HUNT, LADY ANTEBELLUM, LITTLE BIG TOWN, CHRIS STAPLETON, GEORGE STRAIT AND CARRIE UNDERWOOD WILL TAKE PART IN COUNTRY RISING, A BENEFIT CONCERT TO SUPPORT THE VICTIMS OF THE RECENT HURRICANES.

    Country Music’s biggest stars have rallied to announce plans for COUNTRY RISING, a benefit concert to support those in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and additional Caribbean islands who have been impacted by the recent hurricanes. The star-studded lineup at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 12 will include performances by Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Garth Brooks, Sam Hunt, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Chris Stapleton, George Strait and Carrie Underwood. Tickets and VIP packages for the event go on sale next Friday, Oct. 6 at 10:00A CT on Ticketmaster.com. Additional artists and more details will be announced over the coming weeks at CountryRising.org.

    The Nashville music community has also stepped on board, with AEG and Live Nation teaming up as the official show promoters working alongside organizer Red Light Management, Bridgestone Arena and the Nashville Predators. COUNTRY RISING will benefit The Country Rising Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which was established to support charitable initiatives to help victims of the September 2017 hurricanes — Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose and Maria. In the course of rebuilding lives disrupted by these devastating storms, there are immediate needs and there also will be long-term needs. This fund will strategically support both as they emerge.

    For more information, visit: www.CountryRising.org.

    About The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
    The Community Foundation exists to promote and facilitate giving in the 40 counties of Middle Tennessee and beyond. It does this by accepting gifts of any size from anyone at any time and by empowering individuals, families, companies, nonprofits, and communities to respond to needs and opportunities that matter. The Community Foundation works with people who have great hearts, whether or not they have great wealth, to craft solutions that reflect their intentions and goals. For more information, call 615-321-4939 or visit www.cfmt.org.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON AND WIFE MORGANE JOIN JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE ON STAGE AT THIS YEAR’S PILGRIMAGE FESTIVAL.

    Justin Timberlake headlined the Pilgrimage Festival in Franklin, Tennessee over the weekend, performing many of his hits. The Tennessee native also brought out a couple of special guests — Chris and Morgane Stapleton to perform. The trio sang “Tennessee Whiskey,” which they recreated from the first time they performed the song at the CMA Music Awards a couple of years ago. They also performed “Fire Away” and “Sometimes I Cry,” both of which will assault your senses in the utmost beautiful way.

    https://twitter.com/ChrisStapleton/status/911794600557400064

     

    Chris is currently making his way up the charts with “Broken Halos” from his album, From A Room: Volume 1.

    Video / Chris and Morgane Stapleton perform "Tennessee Whiskey" with Justin Timberlake at the Pilgrimage Festival

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    Video / "Fire Away"

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    Video / "Sometimes I Cry"

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  • GEORGE STRAIT, CHRIS STAPLETON, DARIUS RUCKER, LUKE BRYAN AND KIP MOORE JOIN TOGETHER TO HELP RAISE MONEY FOR HURRICANE RELIEF.

    Tuesday Night’s Hand in Hand telethon for Hurricane Relief was a star-studded affair with broadcasts from four cities, including San Antonio, New York, Nashville and Los Angeles. The hour-long special was closed out with a performance by Country Music Hall of Famer George Strait, along with Chris Stapleton, Lyle Lovett, Miranda Lambert and Robert Earl Keen. Strait went on to perform with appearances by his special guests for an additional two hours after the live telecast ended.

    SAN ANTONIO, TX - SEPTEMBER 12: (L-R) In this handout photo provided by Hand in Hand, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, George Strait, Lyle Lovett and Robert Early Keen perform onstage during George Strait's Hand in Hand Texas benefit concert at the Majestic Theatre on September 12, 2017 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Hand in Hand/Getty Images)

    SAN ANTONIO, TX – SEPTEMBER 12: (L-R) In this handout photo provided by Hand in Hand, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, George Strait, Lyle Lovett and Robert Early Keen perform onstage during George Strait’s Hand in Hand Texas benefit concert at the Majestic Theatre on September 12, 2017 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Hand in Hand/Getty Images)

    SAN ANTONIO, TX - SEPTEMBER 12: In this handout photo provided by Hand in Hand, George Strait performs onstage during George Strait's Hand in Hand Texas benefit concert; Strait and special guests Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Lyle Lovett and Robert Early Keen perform in concert at the Majestic Theatre on September 12, 2017 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Hand in Hand/Getty Images)

    SAN ANTONIO, TX – SEPTEMBER 12: In this handout photo provided by Hand in Hand, George Strait performs onstage during George Strait’s Hand in Hand Texas benefit concert; Strait and special guests Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Lyle Lovett and Robert Early Keen perform in concert at the Majestic Theatre on September 12, 2017 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Hand in Hand/Getty Images)

    George Strait also revealed they’re selling a special T-shirt with proceeds going to help Hurricane victims. He’s working with the Rebuild Texas Fund, created by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and the OneStar Foundation, to rebuild Texas after Hurricane Harvey. All donations will be matched by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation up to $10 million.

     

    Additional performers at the Grand Ole Opry House included Darius Rucker with Demi Lovato, Brad Paisley and CeCe Winans, as well as Blake Shelton with Usher.

     

    Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore and other country stars showed their support by answering phones and taking donations (Luke and Dierks were in Nashville, along with Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Angie Harmon, Nashville Predators PK Subban, while Kip was in the Big Apple, answering phones near the likes of Julia Roberts, George Clooney and many others.

     

    Luke appeared with Amy Grant to ask folks to donate whatever they could. “In too many places for too many people, it’s going to take years for the effects of these storms to pass. So, let’s help these folks,” he said.

    https://twitter.com/PKSubban1/status/907798673509281793

     

    At the end of the telecast, more than $14 million had been raised in the course of the one-hour show.

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON HAS TWO OF THE BEST-SELLING COUNTRY ALBUMS OF 2017.

    Chris Stapleton’s From A Room: Volume 1 is holding the top spot as the best-selling country album of 2017 so far. The collection has sold around 500,000 copies, while his 2015 debut album Traveller, which was recently certified double-platinum for selling more than 2 million copies, is the second-best selling album of the year.

    Chris says he really enjoys all of the songs on the album, most of which he wrote over 10 years ago. “I like all of those songs, and a lot of the songs that I feel like are better songs of mine have never been cut and have never been recorded and things that I like. I heard Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, I read an interview with him one time where he said he always tried to make music that he would want to listen to, and I think that is the best kind of litmus test for what you want to record or make,” says Chris. “If you write a song and you still like it 10 years after the day you wrote it, it’s real easy to like a song the day you wrote it. Everybody can think they’re a genius on the day they write a song. If you can write a song and then listen to it 10 years away from writing it and go, ‘You know, that’s a pretty good song. I like that song,’ then that’s a pretty good indication that it’s probably okay.”

    Chris will take his tour on the road this weekend when he makes a stop in George, Washington at the Watershed Festival on Friday (July 28th) and in Central Point, Oregon for the Country Crossings Music Festival on Saturday (July 29th), as well as Mountain Home, Idaho for the Mountain Home Country Music Festival on Sunday (July 30th).

    The Kentucky native is currently making his way up the country charts with his latest single, “Broken Halos.”

    Audio / Most, if not all, the songs on Chris Stapleton’s From A Room: Volume 1, were written 10 years before he put out the album, and he says he really likes all of the songs on the album, even a decade after writing them.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (From A Room-songs) OC: …probably okay. :50
    “I like all of those songs, and a lot of the songs that I feel like are better songs of mine have never been cut and have never been recorded and things that I like. I heard Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, I read an interview with him one time where he said he always tried to make music that he would want to listen to, and I think that is the best kind of litmus test for what you want to record or make, and I’m a fan of albums too, so I always like things that work together in a pod. If you write a song and you still like it 10 years after the day you wrote it, it’s real easy to like a song the day you wrote it. Everybody can think they’re a genius on the day they write a song. If you can write a song and then listen to it 10 years away from writing it and go, ‘You know, that’s a pretty good song. I like that song,’ then that’s a pretty good indication that it’s probably okay.”

    Video / Chris Stapleton's performance of Broken Halos on Today Show

  • CHRIS STAPLETON IS LOOKING FORWARD TO OPENING FOR TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS.

    Chris Stapleton will open a couple of shows for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers later this month, and he couldn’t be more thrilled since he’s a huge fan of the rocker.

    “I’m a huge Tom Petty fan, and he’s one of my all-time favorites and the Wildflowers album, in particular, is possibly my favorite record of all-time,” says Chris. “This is something his booking agents and my guys have been working on for a time, or so they told me…and they came up with to play Wrigley and the Summerfest up in Milwaukee, and why wouldn’t we do that? [laughs] I buy tickets to Tom Petty, so I’d certainly be more than happy to be on a bill with him.”

    Chris will open for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers June 29th at Wrigley Field in Chicago and at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin July 5th.

    The  Kentucky native is on the airwaves with his single, “Either Way,” from his new album, From A Room, Volume 1, which was just certified gold (the only new country album to achieve gold status this year so far).

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about opening a couple of shows for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Tom Petty) OC: …bill with him. :38
    “I’m a huge Tom Petty fan, and he’s one of my all-time favorites and the Wildflowers album, in particular, is possibly my favorite record of all-time. This is something his booking agents and my guys have been working on for a time, or so they told me. And  I’ just like, ‘Okay, yeah, sure I’m gonna go play with Tom Petty. That sounds great. Two thumbs up.’ And they came up with to play Wrigley and the Summerfest up in Milwaukee, and why wouldn’t we do that? [laughs] I buy tickets to Tom Petty, so I’d certainly be more than happy to be on a bill with him.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON SENDS NOTE TO HIS FANS FOLLOWING THE CANCELLATION OF SEVERAL SHOWS.

    Chris Stapleton had to postpone eight shows on his All-American Road Show Tour. According to a post on his website, the “next three weeks” of the tour have been postponed. In addition, he’s had to cancel his appearance at Nissan Stadium (home of the Tennessee Titans) during CMA Music Festival in Nashville.

    He took to his socials to send a heartfelt thank you note to his fans. He revealed he went for a consultation with a specialist, and he says he’s on the road to recovery from a broken bone and a detached tendon in his right index finger, which prevents him from playing the guitar. He says he wanted to make sure he gave the fans “the show you deserve,” and apologized for the inconvenience. He had to postpone eight concer on his All-American Road Show Tour. According to a post on his website, the “next three weeks” of the tour have been postponed. In addition, the singer-songwriter’s high-profile appearance on the main stage at CMA Music Festival in Nashville has been canceled.

    https://www.facebook.com/chrisstapletonofficial/

     

    Postponed shows include:
    June 1 – Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center
    June 2 – Mt. View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
    June 3 – Wheatland, CA @ Toyota Amphitheatre
    June 9 – Southaven, MS @ Bankplus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove
    June 10 – Birmingham, AL @ Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
    June 15 – Charleston, WV @ Charleston Civic Center
    June 16 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
    June 17 – Noblesville, IN @ Klipsch Music Center

     

    Brothers Osborne sent a message out to Chris via Twitter to lend their support and “an index finger” if he needed it.

    Chris is currently making his way up the country charts with his single, “Either Way,” from his No. 1 album, From A Room, Volume 1.

     

    Video / Message from Chris Stapleton

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S TOUR, ‘THE ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW,’ HAS HAD TO POSTPONE THE NEXT THREE WEEKS OF DATES.

    Unfortunately, the next three weeks of Chris Stapleton‘s “The All-American Road Show” have been postponed. Below is the full list of dates that Chris’ people are trying to reschedule. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Hold on to your tickets for now, and stay tuned for updates.

    June 1 – Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center
    June 2 – Mt. View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
    June 3 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
    June 9 – Southaven, MS – Bankplus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove
    June 10 – Birmingham, AL – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
    June 15 – Charleston, WV – Charleston Civic Center
    June 16 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
    June 17 – Noblesville, IN – Klipsch Music Center

    Unfortunately, Chris’ appearance at the CMA Music Festival on Sunday, June 11th is cancelled, as well.

    Thank you for your patience and support.

    https://twitter.com/ChrisStapleton/status/869917879713529857

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON AND LITTLE BIG TOWN WILL PERFORM ON THE SEASON FINALE OF ‘THE VOICE.’

    Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town are among the list of performers for the live two-hour season finale of NBC’s The Voice on Tuesday (May 23rd).

    Chris will sing “Either Way” from his recently released sophomore solo album, From A Room: Volume 1, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart with more than 218,000 first-week sales. This is the strongest sales week by a country artist since 2015 and, with its 13.5 million audio on-demand streams, is the highest streaming debut for a country artist to date.

    Little Big Town will perform “Better Man” with finalist Lauren Duski, while former Voice coach CeeLo Green will perform “Shining Star” with Jesse Larson; Puerto Rican, international superstars Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee will perform their No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 single “Despacito” with Mark Isaiah; Gladys Knight will perform “You’re the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me” and “Neither One” with Vanessa Ferguson and TSoul; and Rascal Flatts will perform “Yours If You Want It” with Brennley Brown.

    Additional performers include Miley Cyrus, Zedd and Alessia Cara.

    The season finale will air live at 9pm ET on NBC.

  • EARLY BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS INCLUDE CHRIS STAPLETON AND HILLARY SCOTT & THE SCOTT FAMILY.

    Early Billboard Music Award winners include Chris Stapleton and Hillary Scott & The Scott Family.

    Chris picked up the award for Best Country Album for his double-platinum, Traveller.


    The Scott Family won Top Christian Song for “Thy Will.”

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON SCORES A NO. 1 ALBUM.

    Chris Stapleton’s From A Room, Volume 1 debuted at the top of the Billboard Country Albums Chart. The collection sold 219,000 units (and 202,000 in traditional album sales) to land at No. 1 on the Country chart and at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. This is the highest-selling country debut since Luke Bryan’s Kill the Lights sold 320,000 in its first week in 2015. Stapleton also debuts at No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart this week (Logic’s Everybody sold 196,000 in album sales, but with over 70 million streams).

    Chris not only holds the top spot on the Country album chart, but he is also sitting at No. 2 with his previous album, Traveller, which sold nearly 24,000 copies this week. This marks only the second time a male artist has held the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the same week since 1993 (when Garth Brooks accomplished that feat December 2016). It’s also the fourth time for any country artist since then (LeAnn Rimes in 2003 and Taylor Swift in 2009). Rounding out the Top 3 this week is Keith Urban’s Ripcord.

    Stapleton says he didn’t feel any pressure for his new album even with the double-platinum success of his previous record, Traveller. “I didn’t have any expectations for the last record. I was hoping if we even sold 50,000 records, it’d be a giant victory for me as far as getting to go out and play shows and play live and keep the wheels rolling, but we did a little bit more than that,” says Chris. “So, I kind of feel the same way about this record. It’s a new record and my expectations for this record don’t have much to do with the last record. I want them to be whatever it’s gonna be for this record.

    The Kentucky native, who just released his new single “Either Way,” is in the midst of headlining his All-American Road Show. He’s set to play San Diego on Thursday (May 18th), Phoenix on Friday (May 19th) and L.A. on Saturday (May 20th).

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says he doesn’t have unrealistic expectations for his new record, From A Room, Volume 1.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (album expectations) OC: …when you do that. :33
    “You know, I didn’t have any expectations for the last record. I was hoping if we even sold 50,000 records, it’d be a giant victory for me as far as getting to go out and play shows and play live and keep the wheels rolling, but we did a little bit more than that. So, I kind of feel the same way about this record. It’s like, it’s a whole, it’s a new record and my expectations for this record don’t have much to do with the last record. They just, I want them to be whatever it’s gonna be for this record. So, that kind of takes the pressure off when you do that.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S ‘ROOM’ HAS A DISTINCTIVE SOUND.

    Chris Stapleton recorded his much-anticipated new album, From A Room: Volume 1, at RCA Studio A, just as he had with his previous multiple-platinum collection. Re-teaming with producer Dave Cobb (Traveller), the album takes its name from Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, where it was recorded during the winter of 2016-17.

    “That whole room is a sweet spot. The thing to know about that room is that room sounds like that room,” says Chris. “I’m also a fan of studios that have a sound. Over time, there have been places that have sounds, you know, Capitol out in L.A. or Muscle Shoals. You can point to places that have sounds – Stax, Motown – these places have sounds, not just by the guys playing ‘em, but the actual sound of the room. The room’s become part of the band. Here in town, the place that has the most of that kind of mojo to me is that room, so that’s what I like about it.”

    The Kentucky native just released his new single, “Either Way,” which is from From A Room, Volume 1.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says RCA Studio A has a distinctive sound that he likes.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (From A Room studio) OC: …about it. :38
    “That whole room is a sweet spot. The thing to know about that room is that room sounds like that room. I’m also a fan of studios that have a sound. Over time, there have been places that have sounds, you know, Capitol out in L.A. or Muscle Shoals. You can point to places that have sounds – Stax, Motown – these places have sounds, not just by the guys playing ‘em, but the actual sound of the room. The room’s become part of the band. Here in town, the place that has the most of that kind of mojo to me is that room, so that’s what I like about it.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON GIVES THE TONIGHT SHOW SOME ‘LEGS’ AND A SONG FROM A ROOM.

    Chris Stapleton appeared on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday (May 8th). He teamed up with Jimmy, the host of the show, and actor-musician Kevin Bacon for a sketch as ZZ Top titled “First Draft of Rock” in a remake of the trio’s hit, “Legs,” using alternate lyrics as sort of the first draft of the song.

    She’s got hands / She knows how to wave them / She’s got eyebrows / She knows how to raise them / She’s got nostrils / She knows how to flare them / She’s got a butt cheek / She’s actually got a pair of them.

     

    Chris also performed “I Was Wrong,” a song from his new album, From A Room, Volume 1. He also just released his new single, “Either Way,” which was the most added song at country radio this week.

    Video / Chris in Tonight Show skit, First Drafts of Rock

    View

    Video / Chris Stapleton I Was Wrong on Tonight Show

    View
  • CHRIS STAPLETON RELEASES NEW ALBUM AND NEW SINGLE.

    Chris Stapleton releases his much-anticipated new album, From A Room: Volume 1 today. The collection of nine songs will be followed by a second volume following later this year.

    He re-teamed with producer Dave Cobb (Traveller) and recorded the project at RCA Studio A, and it will feature eight songs he co-wrote, as well as a cover of “Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning,” originally recorded by Willie Nelson for his 1982 album, Always On My Mind. The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard country chart.

    All of the songs on the album were written before the release of his last record, the double-platinum Traveller. “None of these songs are new. None of these songs were written in the last two years. They all pre-date the last record,” says Chris. “They’re all dipping out of the  [same] well, much like Traveller was with the exception of ‘Traveller’ itself. So, the process is very much the same.”

    The album takes its name from Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, where it was recorded during the winter of 2016-17. Other highlights from the album include “Second One To Know,” which Stapleton recently premiered at the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards as well as the album’s first single, “Either Way.”

    In addition to Stapleton on vocals and guitar and Cobb on acoustic guitar, the album features Morgane Stapleton on harmony vocals as well as longtime band-members J.T. Cure on bass and Derek Mixon on drums and musicians Mickey Raphael on harmonica, Robby Turner pedal steel and Mike Webb on keys.

    Chris also releases his new single, “Either Way,” which he wrote with Tim James and Kendall Marvel and is one of his wife’s favorite songs. “I wrote that song over 10 years, so I couldn’t recall the day or all those things, but I’m sure I t went something like I walked into the room with Tim James and Kendall Marvel, one of them had this idea,” recalls Chris. “It seemed really tragic and sad, so we tried to do that to the best of our ability, but also to put truth in it and honesty in it, and when you can do that, then truth and honesty are going to find somebody inside a song.”

    The release of Volume 1 comes exactly two years to the day since the release of Traveller. Released to immediate widespread critical acclaim, the album had one of the best-selling first weeks by a debut country artist in 2015. Following a historic turn on the 49th Annual CMA Awards—where Stapleton became the first artist to win Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year at the same awards – Traveller became the first album to re-enter the Billboard 200 all-genre album chart at No. 1, where it stayed for two straight weeks. The critically acclaimed album went on to win multiple Grammy and ACM Awards and was the #1 selling Country album of 2016 and the fourth-highest selling album of 2016 across all genres.

    Coming off a sold-out Canadian tour last month, Stapleton is currently in the midst of an extensive U.S. tour. “Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show” will span throughout 2017 and includes stops at L.A.’s The Forum, Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre and New York’s Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater and will feature Brothers Osborne, Lucie Silvas, Anderson East, Brent Cobb, Margo Price and Marty Stuart as special guests. Seven new dates were recently added to the tour itinerary, which go on-sale at LiveNation.com this Friday (April 7th) at 10:00am local time.

    From A Room: Volume 1 track list:
    1. “Broken Halos” (Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson)
    2. “Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning” (Gary P. Nunn and Donna Sioux Farar)
    3. “Second One to Know” (Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson)
    4. “Up to No Good Livin'” (Chris Stapleton and Casey Beathard)
    5. “Either Way” (Chris Stapleton, Tim James and Kendall Marvel)
    6. “I Was Wrong” (Chris Stapleton and Craig Wiseman)
    7. “Without Your Love” (Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson)
    8. “Them Stems” (Chris Stapleton, Jimmy Stewart and Shawn Camp)
    9. “Death Row” (Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson)

    Audio / Chris Stapleton reveals that the songs he recorded for From A Room, Volume 1 pre-date his double-platinum album, Traveller.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (From A Room, Volume 1) OC: …wanted to play. :50
    “None of these songs are new. None of these songs were written in the last two years. They all pre-date the last record. They’re all dipping out of the  [same] well, much like Traveller was with the exception of ‘Traveller’ itself. So, the process is very much the same. We evaluated songs and some of these songs were probably even on the short list to cut last time, not that they got picked over…we take the studio at a very kind of ‘What do you feel like doing now?’ kind of way, and that’s what we did this time as well. It’s like, ‘What are you in the mood to do?’ We eat dinner, have a cocktail and start playing and ‘Let’s play this one. Hey! Okay. It’s on the list. Let’s do it.’ And that’s really, not that we didn’t think about it, but we very much followed the muse of the room and moment and trying to play songs that we wanted to play.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about his new single, “Either Way.”

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Either  Way) OC: …I can. 1:07
    “I wrote that song over 10 years, so I couldn’t recall the day or all those things, but I’m sure I t went something like I walked into the room with Tim James and Kendall Marvel, one of them had this idea. It seemed really tragic and sad, so we tried to do that to the best of our ability, but also to put truth in it and honesty in it, and when you can do that, then truth and honesty are going to find somebody inside a song. Little pieces of yourself are gonna get in there, whether you know it or not, you can think something’s fiction and find out years later it’s not, but that’s a whole other conversation. As far as recording that song, you know my wife always loved that song, which should worry me, but she just loves really slow sad songs and she always wanted me to play that song So, I felt led to do it and if I’m gonna sing something, I’m gonna sing it with every ounce of belief and try to put every bit of believability in a lyric that I can.”

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Either Way)

    Download
  • CHRIS STAPLETON RELEASES A NEW TRACK FROM HIS FORTHCOMING ALBUM, ‘FROM A ROOM, VOLUME 1.’

    Chris Stapleton has released another “instant grat track” from his forthcoming album, From a Room: Volume 1. He covered Willie Nelson’s “Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning,” which the Red-Headed Stranger had a hit with in 1982. You can get the song immediately if you pre-order the album.

    From a Room, Volume 1 takes its name from Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, where it was recorded during the winter of 2016-17. Once again produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave CobbVolume 1 features “Second One To Know,” which Stapleton recently premiered at the 52nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards as well as the album’s first single, “Either Way.”

    The highly anticipated full-length record is the first new music from Stapleton since 2015’s breakthrough double Platinum solo debut Traveller and will be followed by From A Room: Volume 2—coming later this year.

    From a Room, Volume 1 will be released May 5th.

    Video / Chris Stapleton 'Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning'

    View
  • CHRIS STAPLETON RELEASES “BROKEN HALOS” IN PREPARATION FOR THE RELEASE OF HIS HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NEW ALBUM, ‘FROM A ROOM: VOLUME 1.’

    Chris Stapleton’s new song, “Broken Halos,” is premiering today (listen/share HERE). The song is the first instant grat track unveiled from Stapleton’s highly anticipated new album, From A Room: Volume 1, which will be released May 5th on Mercury Records Nashville and is now available for pre-order digitally and with physical bundles. Each digital pre-order comes with an instant download of “Broken Halos.”

    The highly anticipated full-length record is the first new music from Stapleton since 2015’s breakthrough double Platinum solo debut Traveller and will be followed by From A Room: Volume 2—coming later this year.

    The album takes its name from Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, where it was recorded during the winter of 2016-17. Once again produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb, Volume 1 features eight original songs as well as a rendition of “Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning,” written by Gary P. Nunn and Donna Sioux Farar and made famous by Willie Nelson. Additional album highlights include “Second One To Know,” which Stapleton recently premiered at the 52nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards as well as the album’s first single, “Either Way.”

    In addition to Stapleton on vocals and guitar and Cobb on acoustic guitar, the album features Morgane Stapleton on harmony vocals as well as longtime band-members J.T. Cure on bass and Derek Mixon on drums and musicians Mickey Raphael on harmonica, Robby Turner pedal steel and Mike Webb on keys.

    The May 5 release of Volume 1 comes exactly two years to the day since the release of Traveller. Released to immediate widespread critical acclaim, the album had one of the best-selling first weeks by a debut country artist in 2015. Following a historic turn on the 49th Annual CMA Awards—where Stapleton became the first artist to win Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year at the same awards – Traveller became the first album to re-enter the Billboard 200 all-genre album chart at No. 1, where it stayed for two straight weeks. The critically acclaimed album went on to win multiple Grammy and ACM Awards and was the #1 selling Country album of 2016 and the fourth-highest selling album of 2016 across all genres. Additionally, in the past two years, Stapleton has performed on multiple national TV shows including “Saturday Night Live,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and was profiled on “CBS News Sunday Morning.”

    Coming off a sold-out Canadian tour last month, Stapleton is currently in the midst of an extensive U.S. tour. “Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show” will span throughout 2017 and includes stops at L.A.’s The Forum, Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre and New York’s Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater and will feature Brothers Osborne, Lucie Silvas, Anderson East, Brent Cobb, Margo Price and Marty Stuart as special guests. Of a recent performance, the Seattle Times declares, “…Stapleton dazzled the sold-out crowd with a barrage of songs that defy easy categorization while receiving the kind of deafening cheers reserved for superstars.” See below for complete tour details.

    FROM A ROOM: VOLUME 1 TRACKLIST

    1. Broken Halos (Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson)
    2. Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning (Gary P. Nunn and Donna Sioux Farar)
    3. Second One To Know (Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson)
    4. Up To No Good Livin’ (Chris Stapleton and Casey Beathard)
    5. Either Way (Chris Stapleton, Tim James and Kendall Marvel)
    6. I Was Wrong (Chris Stapleton and Craig Wiseman)
    7. Without Your Love (Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson)
    8. Them Stems (Chris Stapleton, Jimmy Stewart and Shawn Camp)
    9. Death Row (Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson)

      “CHRIS STAPLETON’S ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW” 

    April 20—Roanoke, VA—Berglund Center† (SOLD OUT)

    April 21—Pikeville, KY—East Kentucky Expo Center† (SOLD OUT)

    April 22—Pikeville, KY—East Kentucky Expo Center† (SOLD OUT)

    April 27—Columbia, MO—Mizzou Arena‡ (SOLD OUT)

    April 28—Cape Girardeau, MO—Show Me Center‡ (SOLD OUT)

    April 29—Bloomington, IL—U.S. Cellular Coliseum‡ (SOLD OUT)

    May 5—Alpharetta, GA—Verizon Amphitheatre§ (SOLD OUT)

    May 6 – Alpharetta, GA – Verizon Amphitheatre§ (SOLD OUT)

    May 11—Virginia Beach, VA—Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at VA Beach§

    May 12—Raleigh, NC—Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek§ (SOLD OUT)

    May 13—Charlotte, NC—PNC Music Pavilion§ (SOLD OUT)

    May 18—San Diego, CA—Mattress Firm Amphitheatre§

    May 19—Phoenix, AZ—Ak-Chin Pavilion§

    May 20—Los Angeles, CA—The Forum§

    May 23—Denver, CO—Red Rocks Amphitheatre§ (SOLD OUT)

    May 24—Denver, CO—Red Rocks Amphitheatre§ (SOLD OUT)

    June 1—Fresno, CA—Save Mart Center at Fresno State§

    June 2— Mountain View, CA—Shoreline Amphitheatre§

    June 3—Wheatland, CA—Toyota Amphitheatre§

    June 9—Southaven, MS—BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove#

    June 10—Birmingham, AL—Oak Mountain Amphitheatre# (SOLD OUT)

    June 11—Nashville, TN—CMA Music Fest

    June 15—Charleston, WV—Charleston Civic Center# (SOLD OUT)

    June 16—Cincinnati, OH—Riverbend Music Center#

    June 17—Indianapolis, IN—Klipsch Music Center#

    June 22—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center#

    June 23—Manhattan, KS—Country Stampede

    June 24—North Platte, NE—Nebraskaland Days

    June 29—Chicago, IL—Wrigley Field†† (SOLD OUT)

    July 5—Milwaukee, WI—Summerfest††

    July 6—Milwaukee, WI—Summerfest††

    July 14—Mansfield, MA—Xfinity Center#

    July 15—Hartford, CT—The XFINITY Theatre#

    July 16—Darien Lake, NY—Darien Lake Performing Arts Center#

    July 20—Holmdel, NJ—P.N.C. Bank Arts Center#

    July 21—Wantagh, NY—Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater#

    July 22—Bristow, VA—Jiffy Lube Live#

    July 28—George, WA—Watershed Festival (SOLD OUT)

    July 29—Central Point, OR—Country Crossings Music Festival

    July 30—Mountain Home, ID—Mountain Home Country Music Festival

    August 3—Duluth, MN—AMSOIL Arena** (SOLD OUT)

    August 4—Prairie Du Chien, WI—Country on the River

    August 5—St. Louis, MO—Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre**

    August 10—Hershey, PA—Giant Center**

    August 11—Pittsburgh, PA—KeyBank Pavilion**

    August 12—Philadelphia, PA—BB&T Pavilion**

    August 17—Toronto, ON—Budweiser Stage**

    August 18—Cleveland, OH—Blossom Music Center**

    August 19—Clarkston, MI—DTE Energy Music Theatre** (SOLD OUT)

    August 25—Gilford, NH—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion**

    October 6—Des Moines, IA—Wells Fargo Arena**

    October 7—St Paul, MN—Xcel Energy Center**

    October 19—Baton Rouge, LA—Raising Cane’s River Center Arena+ (SOLD OUT)

    October 20—San Antonio, TX—AT&T Center+

    October 21—Bossier City, LA—CenturyLink Center+

    October 26—Austin, TX—Austin360 Amphitheater+

    November 4—Grand Rapids, MI—Van Andel Arena+

    *with special guest Maren Morris

    †with special guest Brent Cobb

    ‡with special guest Lucie Silvas

    • with special guests Brothers Osborne and Lucie Silvas

    #with special guests Anderson East and Brent Cobb

    **with special guests Margo Price and Brent Cobb

    ††with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

    +with special guests Marty Stuart and Brent Cobb

  • CHRIS STAPLETON REVEALS DETAILS ABOUT HIS NEW ALBUM.

    CStapleton_A-Room_VOL.1-608x608

    Chris Stapleton has revealed the title and track list for his much-anticipated new album, From a Room: Volume 1. The collection of nine songs will be released May 5th, with a second volume following later this year.

    He re-teamed with producer Dave Cobb (Traveller) and recorded the project at RCA Studio A, and it will feature eight songs he co-wrote, as well as a cover of “Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning,” originally recorded by Willie Nelson for his 1982 album, Always On My Mind. The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard country chart.

    The album takes its name from Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, where it was recorded during the winter of 2016-17. Other highlights from the album include “Second One To Know,” which Stapleton recently premiered at the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards as well as the album’s first single, “Either Way.”

    In addition to Stapleton on vocals and guitar and Cobb on acoustic guitar, the album features Morgane Stapleton on harmony vocals as well as longtime band-members J.T. Cure on bass and Derek Mixon on drums and musicians Mickey Raphael on harmonica, Robby Turner pedal steel and Mike Webb on keys.

    The May 5th release of Volume 1 comes exactly two years to the day since the release of Traveller. Released to immediate widespread critical acclaim, the album had one of the best-selling first weeks by a debut country artist in 2015. Following a historic turn on the 49th Annual CMA Awards—where Stapleton became the first artist to win Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year at the same awards – Traveller became the first album to re-enter the Billboard 200 all-genre album chart at No. 1, where it stayed for two straight weeks. The critically acclaimed album went on to win multiple Grammy and ACM Awards and was the #1 selling Country album of 2016 and the fourth-highest selling album of 2016 across all genres.

    Coming off a sold-out Canadian tour last month, Stapleton is currently in the midst of an extensive U.S. tour. “Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show” will span throughout 2017 and includes stops at L.A.’s The Forum, Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre and New York’s Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater and will feature Brothers Osborne, Lucie Silvas, Anderson East, Brent Cobb, Margo Price and Marty Stuart as special guests. Seven new dates were recently added to the tour itinerary, which go on-sale at LiveNation.com this Friday (April 7th) at 10:00am local time.

    From a Room is now available for pre-order digitally and with physical bundles.

    From A Studio: Volume 1 track list:
    1. “Broken Halos” (Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson)
    2. “Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning” (Gary P. Nunn and Donna Sioux Farar)
    3. “Second One to Know” (Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson)
    4. “Up to No Good Livin'” (Chris Stapleton and Casey Beathard)
    5. “Either Way” (Chris Stapleton, Tim James and Kendall Marvel)
    6. “I Was Wrong” (Chris Stapleton and Craig Wiseman)
    7. “Without Your Love” (Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson)
    8. “Them Stems” (Chris Stapleton, Jimmy Stewart and Shawn Camp)
    9. “Death Row” (Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson)
    CHRIS STAPLETON’S ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW” 

    April 6—Columbus, GA—Columbus Civic Center* (SOLD OUT)

    April 8—Ft. Lauderdale, FL—Tortuga Music Festival

    April 20—Roanoke, VA—Berglund Center† (SOLD OUT)

    April 21—Pikeville, KY—East Kentucky Expo Center† (SOLD OUT)

    April 22—Pikeville, KY—East Kentucky Expo Center† (SOLD OUT)

    April 27—Columbia, MO—Mizzou Arena‡ (SOLD OUT)

    April 28—Cape Girardeau, MO—Show Me Center‡ (SOLD OUT)

    April 29—Bloomington, IL—U.S. Cellular Coliseum‡ (SOLD OUT)

    May 5—Alpharetta, GA—Verizon Amphitheatre§ (SOLD OUT)

    May 6 – Alpharetta, GA – Verizon Amphitheatre§ (SOLD OUT)

    May 11—Virginia Beach, VA—Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at VA Beach§

    May 12—Raleigh, NC—Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek§ (SOLD OUT)

    May 13—Charlotte, NC—PNC Music Pavilion§ (SOLD OUT)

    May 18—San Diego, CA—Mattress Firm Amphitheatre§

    May 19—Phoenix, AZ—Ak-Chin Pavilion§

    May 20—Los Angeles, CA—The Forum§

    May 23—Denver, CO—Red Rocks Amphitheatre§ (SOLD OUT)

    May 24—Denver, CO—Red Rocks Amphitheatre§ (SOLD OUT)

    June 1—Fresno, CA—Save Mart Center at Fresno State§

    June 2— Mountain View, CA—Shoreline Amphitheatre§

    June 3—Wheatland, CA—Toyota Amphitheatre§

    June 9—Southaven, MS—BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove#

    June 10—Birmingham, AL—Oak Mountain Amphitheatre# (SOLD OUT)

    June 11—Nashville, TN—CMA Music Fest

    June 15—Charleston, WV—Charleston Civic Center# (SOLD OUT)

    June 16—Cincinnati, OH—Riverbend Music Center#

    June 17—Indianapolis, IN—Klipsch Music Center#

    June 22—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center#

    June 23—Manhattan, KS—Country Stampede

    June 24—North Platte, NE—Nebraskaland Days

    June 29—Chicago, IL—Wrigley Field†† (SOLD OUT)

    July 5—Milwaukee, WI—Summerfest††

    July 6—Milwaukee, WI—Summerfest††

    July 14—Mansfield, MA—Xfinity Center#

    July 15—Hartford, CT—The XFINITY Theatre#

    July 16—Darien Lake, NY—Darien Lake Performing Arts Center#

    July 20—Holmdel, NJ—P.N.C. Bank Arts Center#

    July 21—Wantagh, NY—Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater#

    July 22—Bristow, VA—Jiffy Lube Live#

    July 28—George, WA—Watershed Festival (SOLD OUT)

    July 29—Central Point, OR—Country Crossings Music Festival

    July 30—Mountain Home, ID—Mountain Home Country Music Festival

    August 3—Duluth, MN—AMSOIL Arena** (SOLD OUT)

    August 4—Prairie Du Chien, WI—Country on the River

    August 5—St. Louis, MO—Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre**

    August 10—Hershey, PA—Giant Center**

    August 11—Pittsburgh, PA—KeyBank Pavilion**

    August 12—Philadelphia, PA—BB&T Pavilion**

    August 17—Toronto, ON—Budweiser Stage**

    August 18—Cleveland, OH—Blossom Music Center**

    August 19—Clarkston, MI—DTE Energy Music Theatre** (SOLD OUT)

    August 25—Gilford, NH—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion**

    October 6—Des Moines, IA—Wells Fargo Arena** (ON-SALE 4/7)

    October 7—St Paul, MN—Xcel Energy Center** (ON-SALE 4/7)

    October 19—Baton Rouge, LA—Raising Cane’s River Center Arena+ (ON-SALE 4/7)

    October 20—San Antonio, TX—AT&T Center+ (ON-SALE 4/7)

    October 21—Bossier City, LA—CenturyLink Center+ (ON-SALE 4/7)

    October 26—Austin, TX—Austin360 Amphitheater+ (ON-SALE 4/7)

    November 4—Grand Rapids, MI—Van Andel Arena+ (ON-SALE 4/7)
    *with special guest Maren Morris

    †with special guest Brent Cobb

    ‡with special guest Lucie Silvas

    • with special guests Brothers Osborne and Lucie Silvas

    #with special guests Anderson East and Brent Cobb

    **with special guests Margo Price and Brent Cobb

    ††with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

    +with special guests Marty Stuart and Brent Cobb

  • KEITH URBAN, SAM HUNT AND CHRIS STAPLETON HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Keith Urban, Sam Hunt and Chris Stapleton have been added to the list of performers for this year’s ACM Awards. They’re joined by Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Thomas Rhett, Reba McEntire, Cole Swindell, Rascal Flatts and Contemporary Christian singer Lauren Daigle.

    Previously announced performers include ACM co-hosts Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley, as well as Jon Pardi, Brothers Osborne, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris and Florida Georgia Line with the Backstreet Boys.

    Additional acts and presenters will be announced in the coming days.

    The 52nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley, will be broadcast live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas April 2nd at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

    Video / Keith Urban announcing he will perform on the ACM Awards

  • CHRIS STAPLETON ANNOUNCES NEW TOUR AND NEW ALBUM.

    Chris Stapleton announced a lot of news this week – a new headlining tour and a brand-new album. Chris will officially launch his All-American Road Show May 5th in Alpharetta, Georgia and will hit cities such as Los Angeles, Philly, San Diego, Phoenix, Cincinnati and more, including a stop at Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, before wrapping in Gilford, New Hampshire August 25th. The trek will take place after several dates in March and April, and Chris will also make time to open for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for a trio of shows in June.

    Brothers Osborne, Lucie Silvas, Brent Cobb, Anderson East and Margo Price will join Chris on the road, with the artists playing select dates. Brothers Osborne and Lucie Silvas (who is married to John Osborne) will kick off the trek in May.

    Chris will also release his new as-yet-to-be-titled album, the follow-up to his multi-platinum Traveller, on May 5th.

    Tickets for the All-American Road Show will go on sale for fan club members February 21st, with tickets to the general public will be available beginning February 24th.

    All-American Road Show Tour:

    March 9 – Houston, TX @ Rodeo Houston
    March 18 – London, ON @ Budweiser Gardens*
    March 19 – Ottawa, ON @ Canadian Tire Centre*
    March 22 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre*
    March 24 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome*
    March 25 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place*
    March 27 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena*
    March 28 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena†
    March 30 – Las Vegas, NV @ Pearl Theater – Palms Casino Resort†
    April 6 – Columbus, GA @ Columbus Civic Center†
    April 8 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Tortuga Music Festival
    April 20 – Roanoke, VA @ Berglund Center‡
    April 21 – Pikeville, KY @ East Kentucky Expo Center‡
    April 22 – Pikeville, KY @ East Kentucky Expo Center‡
    April 27 – Columbia, MO @ Mizzou Arena+
    April 28 – Cape Girardeau, MO @ Show Me Center+
    April 29 – Bloomington, IL @ U.S. Cellular Coliseum+
    May 5 – Alpharetta, GA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre§
    May 11 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at VA Beach§
    May 12 – Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek§
    May 13 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion§
    May 18 – San Diego, CA @ Mattress Firm Amphitheatre§
    May 19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion§
    May 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum§
    May 23 – Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre§
    June 1 – Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center at Fresno State§
    June 2 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre§
    June 3 – Wheatland, CA @ Toyota Amphitheatre§
    June 9 – Southaven, MS @ BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove#
    June 10 – Birmingham, AL @ Oak Mountain Amphitheatre#
    June 15 – Charleston, WV @ Charleston Civic Center#
    June 16 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center#
    June 17 – Indianapolis, IN @ Klipsch Music Center#
    June 22 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center#
    June 23 – Manhattan, KS @ Country Stampede
    June 24 – North Platte, NE @ Nebraskaland Days
    June 29 – Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field††
    July 5 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest††
    July 6 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest††
    July 14 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center#
    July 15 – Hartford, CT @ The XFINITY Theatre#
    July 16 – Darien Lake, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center#
    July 20 – Holmdel, NJ @ P.N.C. Bank Arts Center#
    July 21 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater #
    July 22 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live#
    July 28 – George, WA @ Watershed Festival
    July 29 – Central Point, OR @ Country Crossings Music Festival
    July 30 – Mountain Home, ID @ Mountain Home Country Music Festival
    August 3 – Duluth, MN @ AMSOIL Arena**
    August 4—Prairie Du Chien, WI—Country on the River
    August 5 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre**
    August 10 – Hershey, PA @ Giant Center**
    August 11 – Pittsburgh, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion**
    August 12 – Philadelphia, PA @ BB&T Pavilion**
    August 17 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage**
    August 18 – Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center**
    August 19 – Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre**
    August 25 – Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion**

    *with special guest Lindi Ortega
    †with special guest Maren Morris
    ‡with special guest Brent Cobb
    +with special guest Lucie Silvas
    §with special guests Brothers Osborne and Lucie Silvas
    #with special guests Anderson East and Brent Cobb
    **with special guests Margo Price and Brent Cobb
    ††with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker, Chris Stapleton

    Don’t forget to catch Lady Antebellum on CBS This Morning on Thursday (February 15th). They will be announcing the nominees for this year’s ACM Awards during the 8am hour.

    Lady A is also scheduled to appear on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert tomorrow night, as well.

    Darius Rucker and Chris Stapleton, along with Brett Eldredge, will appear in a new CMT special titled CMT Hometown Heroes. Darius will return to MUSC Children’s Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina, where his mother worked as a nurse, while Chris goes back to his high school in Paintsville, Kentucky. The one-hour special debuts March 31st at 10pm ET.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, Sam Hunt, The Band Perry

    Little Big Town will perform the National Anthem at the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship between the Alabama Crimson Tide (winner of the Peach Bowl) and the Clemson Tigers (winners of the Fiesta Bowl). The game takes place at the Rayond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Monday (January 9th) at 8:30pm ET.

    Nominations were announced for the iHeart Music Awards on Wednesday (January 4th). Luke Bryan has nods in a couple of categories, including the all-genre Male Artist of the Year, as well as Country Artist of the Year, alongside labelmate Keith Urban. Dierks Bentley’s “Somewhere on a Beach” is up for Country Song of the Year, while Chris Stapleton has a Best New Country Artist of the Year nomination.

    Chris Stapleton earned some heavy metal. His songs “Traveller,” “Fire Away,” “Nobody To Blame” and “Parachute” have all been certified gold.

    Keith Urban, Luke Bryan and Sam Hunt are up for Favorite Male Country Artist, while Little Big Town and The Band Perry are up for Favorite Country Group at this year’s People’s Choice Awards, airing live January 18th at 9pm ET on CBS.

  • LITTLE BIG TOWN AND CHRIS STAPLETON ARE AMONG THE COUNTRY ARTISTS FEATURED IN THE LATEST COUNTRY EDITION OF MEAN TWEETS.

    If you haven’t seen the latest country edition of Jimmy Kimmel’s Mean Tweets, then we’ve got a treat (or tweet) for you. Check out Little Big Town and Chris Stapleton tweets, as well as Miranda Lambert, Trace Adkins, Florida Georgia Line, Randy Houser and Cole Swindell, among others.

    Video / Mean Tweets, Country Edition 2

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON HAS AN INCREDIBLE CMA AWARDS NIGHT WITH WINS AND HEROES.

    Chris Stapleton had quite a few special moments at this year’s CMA Awards, and a couple of them were offstage. First, his video for “Fire Away” was named Music Video of the Year earlier in the day.

    The clip was directed by Tim Mattia and starred actors Ben Foster (Lone Survivor, Inferno) and Margarita Levieva (Revenge, The Blacklist). The video concept, which Chris envisioned, centered on mental health issues and helped raise awareness for the Campaign to Change Direction.

    He also took home the CMA Award for Male Vocalist of the Year for the second consecutive year. “What a wonderful night, I’ve gotten to be a fan tonight,” he said while accepting the award, saying that many of the legends in the crowd created “music I’ve grown up on…It means so much to get to be a part of country music, these are the best people in the world.”

    One of his favorite moments of the night was performing “Seven Spanish Angels” with Dwight Yoakam. The song was originally recorded by Ray Charles and Willie Nelson. Before stepping onstage, Chris took a moment to thank Dwight.

    “I looked at Dwight before walking onstage tonight, and he and I have gotten to know each other a little bit,” Chris told the press backstage. “We wrote a song a couple weeks ago and really hit it off. But I looked at him when we walked onstage tonight, and I try my best not to be a fan and freak people out, but I looked at Dwight and I said, ‘Man, I just want you to know you’re a hero, and I really appreciate you doing this.’ It got me, to get to do that.”

    Chris is currently sitting inside the Top 20 on the country charts with “Parachute” from his album, Traveller, which has been nominated for Favorite Country Album at the 2016 AMAs. The American Music Awards will air Sunday, November 20th at 8pm ET on ABC, Live from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles.

    https://twitter.com/ChrisStapleton/status/794962111839563776

     

    Audio / Backstage at this year’s CMA Awards, Chris Stapleton talks about his CMA Award-winning Music Video of the Year, “Fire Away.”

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Fire Away CMA video) OC: …the video. 1:03
    “The label kept asking me if I was going to do a video for the record, and they kept asking what I wanted to do. We were in this meeting hall at the label, and I said, ‘Here’s what I want to do. Here’s the idea,’ and I got dead silence out of it, and they thought I was a crazy man for a minute. Then they went back and thought about it and everybody got on board with it and we found Tim who was a remarkable director to direct, and I had this crazy idea to get Ben Foster in the video and I didn’t know him at all [laughs] at the time, and he was kind enough to do it. He brought in the actual reason for doing it, which was to raise the awareness. I had the idea for a storyline, and then everything happened very organically with that video and he brought Margarita in to play the female role in that video. It became something hopefully that has value beyond just being a video for the sake of doing a video. That’s what I liked about the video.”

    Audio / Backstage at this year’s CMA Awards, Chris Stapleton talks about his “alternate reality.”

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Dwight & heroes) OC: …reality. :39
    “I looked at Dwight before walking onstage tonight, and he and I have gotten to know each other a little bit. We wrote a song a couple weeks ago and really hit it off. But I looked at him when we were walked onstage tonight, and I try my best not to be a fan and freak people out, but I looked at Dwight and I said, ‘Man, I just want you to know you’re a hero, and I really appreciate you doing this.’ It got me, to get to do that. What a remarkable thing. It’s an alternate reality. My buddy J.T. Cure, the bass player in the band, we step off the bus sometimes, and we’re looking around at what we’re doing, and we just start laughing, because it really feels like an alternate reality.”

     

    Video / Chris Stapleton & Dwight Yoakam CMA Awards

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    Video / Fire Away video

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  • DIERKS BENTLEY AND CHRIS STAPLETON ARE ALREADY CMA WINNERS FOR MUSICAL EVENT AND MUSIC VIDEO.

    Even though the CMA Awards aren’t airing until tonight, a couple of awards have already been announced.

    Dierks Bentley picked up his first award of the day for Musical Event of the Year for their No. 1 hit, “Different for Girls,” featuring Elle King. The award is a first for Elle, and the third career win for Dierks. He previously won the Horizon Award (now New Artist of the Year) in 2005 and Music Video of the Year for “Drunk on a Plane” in 2014.

    He and Elle will perform together tonight at the CMA Awards.

    Chris Stapleton, who won four awards last year, takes home Music Video of the Year for “Fire Away.” The clip, directed by Tim Mattia and starring Ben Foster (Inferno, Lone Survivor, Six Feet Under) and Margarita Levieva (The Blacklist, Revenge) (pr. Le-vee-va), was used as a conduit to help bring mental health awareness to light. In the video, a young couple battle with the woman’s mental issues until it finally drives her to commit suicide.

    “It’s a subject matter that is very close to me and means a lot to me, and to be able to tell that story and to share it with so many people and to bring that character to life for me was tremendously important,” says Margarita. “So, as soon as I heard the whole outline and how we were going to shoot it and the story that we’re going to tell, I was immediately drawn and really looking forward to doing it.”

    Chris, who is also up for several other CMA Awards including Entertainer of the Year, is currently sitting inside the Top 20 on the country charts with his latest single, “Parachute,” a song from his CMA award-winning album, Traveller.

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

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about having Elle King sing on the song, “Different For Girls” on his new album, Black.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (Elle King) OC: …new place. :36
    “Well, I love Elle King’s voice. I mean she has such a unique voice, and you never know if her voice is going to blend with your voice. I didn’t found out until I went down to the studio in Austin, and right away it was just a really natural sounding blend. Her voice just lifted up this song. The lyrics of this song are pretty strong and her voice on this particular song really takes the song to a whole other level. I really wanted to find a way for her not to just be background vocals. I wanted to find a way to really get her included in the song, so I gave her the second verse and made the song more of a conversation as opposed to just background vocals. And it really, it just took the song to a whole new place.”

    Audio / Elle King talks about the song “Different for Girls,” and how much she enjoyed singing with Dierks Bentley.

    Download

    Elle King (Different for Girls) OC: …song with him. 1:08
    “The song itself, it’s an interesting take on a breakup or relationship song. I don’t know if this is why Dierks wanted me to sing on it, you know, besides just my voice, I think I take a really interesting writing approach with my songs about breakups, and I write often from the male perspective. And this song is really thinking about how different men and women are through a breakup, and so I was really excited to be a part of someone else’s song that’s kind of jumping outside the norm of a breakup song or a relationship song. I think it’s got a sweetness to it. The lyrics of this song are really smart, so I thought that it was kind of just a good fit, and I really do want to break out in the country world, because I love country music, not just because I play the banjo. I love country music, and I really love that he’s bringing like a lot of attitude, and I think comedy, to modern country. So, I was really excited to sing this song with him.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about coming up with the concept of the music video for “Fire Away.”

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Fire Away video) OC: …grew from there. :25
    “The song is kinda about loving somebody unconditionally through not so easy times. The concept of the video kind of came to me as that would be the hardest possible space in which to love somebody. I’ve been a huge fan of Ben’s [Foster] for a long time and so we tried to track him down and he was kind enough to take the phone call. And then it kind of grew from there.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton explains why he wanted to make the video for “Fire Away.”

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Fire Away video) 2 OC: …in the world. :29
    “I wanted to get real actors and not spend a lot of time making it a promo video for me, and that was how I wanted to make a video, because I felt like that it was more artful and meaningful on the backend. That was the thing – it was just a notion, and then it became real and useful and something that can hopefully make the world a better place through putting the notion out in the world.”

    Video / Different for Girls

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    Video / Chris Stapleton Fire Away video

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley, Easton Corbin

    Brothers Osborne claimed Song of the Year at the 54th Annual ASCAP Awards on Monday night (October 31st) for “Stay a Little Longer.” Chris Stapleton was presented the Vanguard Award, which acknowledges the impact of an ASCAP member on musical genres that shape the future of American music.

    Dierks Bentley performs live on Good Morning America on Wednesday morning (November 2nd) in advance of the 50th Annual CMA Awards.

    Easton Corbin is set to perform during the 90th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which will air on NBC.

    Video /

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  • LUKE BRYAN, CHRIS STAPLETON AND SHANIA TWAIN WILL BE HONORED AT THE CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR SPECIAL THURSDAY.

    The CMT Artists of the Year special airs Thursday (October 20th), and will include performances by Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild, Kelsea Ballerini, Meghan Trainor, jill Scott and Zara Larsson. They’ll pay tribute to honorees Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett and Carrie Underwood. Karen is expected to sing with Luke, while Kelsea, Meghan and Jill will honor Shania Twain, who will receive the Artist of a Lifetime Award.

    Taped live at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center, the CMT Artists of the Year special will air Thursday (October 20th) at 9pm ET/PT on CMT.

     

    Video / CMT Artists of the Year promo

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: The Band Perry, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Jon Pardi, Dierks Bentley

    The Band Perry will perform their single, “Comeback Kid,” on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on Monday (October 10th).

    The Band Perry are set to perform at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship November 20th. Before the race begins at the Ford EcoBoost 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, the trio will perform a live show. The championship race will be broadcast on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 2:30pm ET.

    Chris Stapleton’s Traveller album has been certified double-platinum for two-million albums by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

    Luke Bryan’s “Strip It Down” and “Kick the Dust Up” and Jon Pardi’s “Head Over Boots” have been certified platinum by the RIAA. Dierks Bentley’s “Different for Girls” featuring Elle King goes gold.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON WILL BE HONORED WITH THE ASCAP VANGUARD AWARD.

    Chris Stapleton will receive the ASCAP Vanguard Award at the 54th annual ASCAP Country Music Awards this year. The singer-songwriter will be honored with the award, which pays tribute to songwriters and publishers of ASCAP’s most-performed country songs of 2015. Previous recipients include Third Day, The Civil Wards and Sara Bareilles, among others.

    “Every so often, someone comes along with songwriting so masterful, a voice so powerful and a presence so captivating, that it stops you in your tracks,” said ASCAP President Paul Williams. “Chris Stapleton does just that. By distilling Southern sounds and themes into potent songs, he has brought raw soul back to the country charts, and established himself as one of the most respected and original artists in American music today. We are thrilled to honor him with the ASCAP Vanguard Award.”

    The ASCAP Country Music Awards will take place at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium October 31st.
    Chris is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year (“Nobody to Blame”), Male Vocalist of the Year and Music Video of the Year (“Fire Away”), as well as Musical Event of the Year with wife Morgane Stapleton, for their performance of “You Are My Sunshine” at the 50th annual CMA Awards which will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 2nd at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Chris is currently making his way up the country charts with “Parachute” from his award-winning album, Traveller.

  • CMA AWARDS 2016 NOMINATIONS: Chris Stapleton

    After his amazing breakout year in 2015, Chris Stapleton will go into this year’s CMA Awards to win possibly five awards (six as artist and producer for Single of the Year for “Nobody to Blame”). In addition to Single, he is also up for Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Music Video of the Year for “Fire Away” and Musical Event of the Year with his wife Morgane Stapleton (her first nomination) for “You Are My Sunshine.”

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

    Audio / Backstage at last year's CMA Awards, Chris Stapleton told the press he felt embraced by the Nashville music community after picking up trophies in three categories.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (feeling of being embraced) OC: …a real one, you know? :17
    “It’s surreal. Very unbelievable. I don’t have enough kind of adjectives to get there, but it’s a wonderful feeling. It’s a lot of love. I feel a lot of love. I feel very loved. It’s a short answer, but it’s a real one, you know.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about coming up with the concept of the music video for “Fire Away.”

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Fire Away video) OC: …grew from there. :25
    “The song is kinda about loving somebody unconditionally through not so easy times. The concept of the video kind of came to me as that would be the hardest possible space in which to love somebody. I’ve been a huge fan of Ben’s [Foster] for a long time and so we tried to track him down and he was kind enough to take the phone call. And then it kind of grew from there.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Little Big Town, Lady Antebellum, Eric Paslay, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton

    Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman appears on the Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay show tomorrow (August 18th). See if Kimberly can take down the celebrity chef beginning at 10pm ET on The Food Network.

    embed]https://twitter.com/littlebigtown/status/765937243504738304[/embed]

    Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley has been tapped as the NSAI Song Contest Grand Prize Mentor this year.

    Eric Paslay will appear on GAC Playlist August 29th at 12p and 3p ET.

    Luke Bryan welcomes friend and his former ACM Awards co-host Blake Shelton as a headliner for the third year of Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa, an all-inclusive concert vacation set for January 19-22, 2017 in Riviera Maya, Mexico. After two sold-out years, the hottest country music destination event keeps getting better and better. The Caribbean beach vacation will also feature Luke headlining two of the four nightly concerts. Additional performers to be announced soon.

    Chris Stapleton‘s “Parachute” is being used in Dodge Ram commercials. Check them out below.

    Video / Parachute -- Dodge Ram 1

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    Video / Parachute -- Dodge Ram 2

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON SHOWS FANS BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF HIS ‘FIRE AWAY’ VIDEO.

    Chris Stapleton’s powerful “Fire Away” video is used as a conduit to help bring mental health awareness to light. In the video, a young couple battle with the woman’s mental issues until it finally drives her to commit suicide.

    “[The idea for the video] was just a notion, and then it became real and useful and something that can hopefully make the world a better place,” says Chris. “The song is kinda about loving somebody unconditionally through not so easy times. The concept of the video kind of came to me as that would be the hardest possible space in which to love somebody. I’ve been a huge fan of Ben’s [Foster] for a long time and so we tried to track him down and he was kind enough to take the phone call. And then it kind of grew from there,” says Chris. “It was just a notion, and then it became real and useful and something that can hopefully make the world a better place.”

    Chris first came up with the “notion” when he was trying to figure out an idea for a music video, and then he wanted real actors to be in the clip…so that led to Ben Foster (Lone Survivor, Six Feet Under) and Margarita Levieva (The Blacklist, Revenge) (pr. Le-vee-va) coming on board and then bringing on ChangeDirection.org.

    “It’s a subject matter that is very close to me and means a lot to me, and to be able to tell that story and to share it with so many people and to bring that character to life for me was tremendously important,” says Margarita. “So, as soon as I heard the whole outline and how we were going to shoot it and the story that we’re going to tell, I was immediately drawn and really looking forward to doing it.”

    Check out the behind-the-scenes of the video and interviews with its stars, as well as director Tim Mattia and President of Change Direction, Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen below.

    Chris is currently making his way up the country charts with his latest single, “Parachute,” a song from his award-winning album, Traveller.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about coming up with the concept of the music video for “Fire Away.”

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Fire Away video) OC: …grew from there. :25
    “The song is kinda about loving somebody unconditionally through not so easy times. The concept of the video kind of came to me as that would be the hardest possible space in which to love somebody. I’ve been a huge fan of Ben’s [Foster] for a long time and so we tried to track him down and he was kind enough to take the phone call. And then it kind of grew from there.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton explains why he wanted to make the video for “Fire Away.”

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Fire Away video) 2 OC: …in the world. :29
    “I wanted to get real actors and not spend a lot of time making it a promo video for me, and that was how I wanted to make a video, because I felt like that it was more artful and meaningful on the backend. That was the thing – it was just a notion, and then it became real and useful and something that can hopefully make the world a better place through putting the notion out in the world.”

    Audio / Actress Margarita Levieva, best known for her roles in Revenge and The Blacklist, explains why she wanted to be involved in the music video for Chris Stapleton’s “Fire Away.”

    Download

    Margarita Levieva (Fire Away video) OC: …to doing it. :37
    “When I first got the call about this video and I heard it was a music video, I was really interested and curious, and then I heard the subject matter and the story. It’s a subject matter that is very close to me and means a lot to me, and to be able to tell that story and to share it with so many people and to bring that character to life for me was tremendously important. So, as soon as I heard the whole outline and how we were going to shoot it and the story that we’re going to tell, I was immediately drawn and really looking forward to doing it.”

    Audio / Ben Foster talks about Chris Stapleton’s “Fire Away” video.

    Download

    Ben Foster (Fire Away video) OC: …connected. :19
    “What would be the worst circumstance – a policeman starting his life with his true love and he can’t police his home. He can’t save it. It’s beyond that four-letter word, Love…hopefully, this video, it’s not about whose character it’s about; it’s about how we’re all connected.”

    Video / Chris Stapleton BTS of Fire Away

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    Video / Chris Stapleton "Fire Away" music video

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON PARTNERED WITH RAM TRUCKS AND CABELA’S TO RETURN HOME.

    Chris Stapleton teamed up with Ram Trucks and the ACMs to journey back home in his Ram Truck to his high school in Paintsville, Kentucky. He performed a pair of concerts and left the students and community with something to build on…in the hometown that built him. Directed by rock-star photographer and director, Danny Clinch.

    Chris, whose single “Nobody to Blame” won the ACM Song of the Year, left Las Vegas with six total awards, including Male Vocalist, New Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for Traveller.

    Video / Chris Stapleton & Ram Trucks 1

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    Video / Chris Stapleton Ram Trucks commercial

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  • ACM AWARDS 2016: Chris Stapleton is a big winner!

    Chris Stapleton ended up with SIX awards at this year’s ACM Awards as both artist, producer and songwriter. The truckload of awards include Album of the Year for Traveller (as both artist and producer), Song of the Year for “Nobody to Blame” (artist and songwriter), Male Vocalist of the Year and New Male Vocalist of the Year.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says he’s very grateful for his ACM Awards and recent success.

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

    Audio / Backstage at this year’s ACM Awards, Chris Stapleton says he doesn’t feel a lot of pressure performing on the show.

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    Chris Stapleton (ACM performance) OC: …playing music. :22

    “Well you hope so and you’re also just trying not to mess up ’cause they’re throwing you out there and it’s you know throw and go and you hope you’re in tune and all those things. And they put you later in the night tonight and I’m like, ‘Well this is kind of next to last’ (laughs) so there’s a little bit of pressure there I guess but no, we’re just trying to play music and it’s always a comfortable spot for me once the first note hits just to be playing music.”

    Audio / Backstage at this year’s ACM Awards, Chris Stapleton talks about the opening monologue where everyone took credit for “discovering” him.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (opening monologue) OC: …but me. :21
    “You know it’s a strange thing and it’s a wonderful gift and I’m grateful for t. It was a pretty funny monologue I didn’t know anything about it and as soon as it started I though this is gonna go on and on. I thought it might have carried on throughout the night and I was a little worried about that ’cause it could have gotten darker and darker but I don’t know…it didn’t so were good. Who gets credit? Everybody. Everybody but me.”

  • ACM AWARDS: LBT and CHRIS STAPLETON

    UMG ACM Winners so far include Chris Stapleton, who picked up the Song of the Year honors for his current single, “Nobody to Blame,” along with his co-writers Barry Bales and Ronnie Bowman.

    Congrats go to Little Big Town, who were surprised with the Vocal Event of the Year award for “Smokin’ and Drinkin’” with Miranda Lambert.

  • DIERKS BENTLEY, CHARLES KELLEY, LUKE BRYAN AND CHRIS STAPLETON HIGHLIGHT ACM PARTY FOR A CAUSE FESTIVAL ON SATURDAY.

    On Saturday Night (April 2nd), Dierks Bentley headlined the second night of the 4th ACM Party for a Cause® Festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. The three-day event continued with an all-star lineup of performers on the Ram Trucks Main Stage including Chris Stapleton, Frankie Ballard, Lee Brice, Chris Janson, Dustin Lynch and Chris Young.
    Highlights from the second day and night included:

    • Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelly and Eric Paslay joined headliner Dierks Bentley on stage to perform Kelley’s debut solo single, “The Driver.”
    • Chris Stapleton performed a duet with his wife, Morgane, as the sunset over the Las Vegas Festival Grounds.
    • ACM CEO Bob Romeo presented Chris Stapleton with his ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year

    The morning kicked off with the ACM & Cabela’s Celebrity Tic-Tac-Toe Archery Tournament. Cabela’s Ambassadors Luke Bryan and Justin Moore returned to host the fan-favorite event held at the Cabela’s Stage at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. Country music stars Luke BryanChris Janson, Dustin Lynch, Justin MooreEric PaslayChris Rice, and Granger Smith, former MLB player Adam LaRoche, plus Cabela’s pro staff Wade Middleton and Kristy Titus participated in the archery tournament featuring Cabela’s state-of-the-art archery equipment.

    "LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 02:  Singers Justin Moore (L) and Luke Bryan attend Cabela's & Academy of Country Music Celebrity Archery Tournament during the 4th ACM Party for a Cause Festival at at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on April 2, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for ACM)"

    “LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 02: Singers Justin Moore (L) and Luke Bryan attend Cabela’s & Academy of Country Music Celebrity Archery Tournament during the 4th ACM Party for a Cause Festival at at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on April 2, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for ACM)”

    "LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 02:  Singers Justin Moore (L) and Luke Bryan attend Cabela's & Academy of Country Music Celebrity Archery Tournament during the 4th ACM Party for a Cause Festival at at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on April 2, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for ACM)"

    “LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 02: Singers Justin Moore (L) and Luke Bryan attend Cabela’s & Academy of Country Music Celebrity Archery Tournament during the 4th ACM Party for a Cause Festival at at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on April 2, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for ACM)”

     

    o   HIGHLIGHTS:

    • Team Luke and Team Justin competing head-to-head for the trophy:
    • Team Luke included country music artists Chris Janson, Chase Rice, and Granger Smith plus Cabela’s pro staffer Wade Middleton.
    • Team Justin included artists Dustin Lynch, Eric Paslay, former MLB player Adam LaRoche and Cabela’s Pro Staffer Kristy Titus. Country artist Lucas Hoge and bow hunting athlete Cameron Hanes also competed at the event during half-time.
    • Team Luke was leading the competition when host Storme Warren suggested that Luke and Justin make a sudden death deal: the two artists shoot one last game of tic-tac-toe and whoever wins would take home the trophy. In spite of Team Luke’s commanding lead, Justin surprised the crowd with a victory!

    On Sunday (April 3rd), Kenny Chesney will close out the festival with a full set after his performance on the 51st ACM Awards. Earlier in the evening, Brett Eldredge, Sam Hunt, Kip Moore, Chase Rice and Old Dominion will perform on the Ram Trucks Main Stage.

    The Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena Sunday at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

  • ACM AWARDS 2016: Chris Stapleton

    Chris Stapleton is going into Sunday night’s ACM Awards already a winner. He picked up the award for New Male Vocalist of the Year. He’s also up for numerous other awards, including Male Vocalist, Album of the Year for Traveller, Song of the Year for “Nobody to Blame” (as both artist and songwriter) and Vocal Event of the Year for “Hangover Tonight” with Gary Allan.

    He’s experienced such a huge wave of success over the past year – heck, the past six months – with three CMA Awards, a huge CMA performance with Justin Timberlake, and through it all, he trusted his instincts where his music is concerned.

    “I always just listen to myself, hopefully to a fault. And sometimes if I ever catch myself not listening to what I want to do musically or personally or anything, it always puts me in a bad spot,” says Chris. “So, hopefully, I’ve learned to follow my own instinct of what I need to do or want to do. It always just kind of works out for me musically and as a job path.”

    “The best example I can give [is] I was in a band called The Steel Drivers. Choosing a career in bluegrass isn’t exactly like, it doesn’t sound like job security to most people, but I was in that band for a few years and out of that, those recordings and those records that I made with that band, a song was recorded by Adele. That’s not a path that you would take to get a song recorded by Adele. No one would ever tell you to be in a bluegrass band, [with] a country rhythm, make a few records with them and you’ll get a cut by the biggest pop star in the world. Those are things that just happen I think when you (A) get really, really lucky and (B) try to follow your path, and whatever that path may be. Sometimes you just don’t know why you have to do those things, and if you listen to yourself enough, you just go do it and figure out what it’s for later.”

    Chris is set to perform on the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards, which will air live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET/PT delayed on CBS.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says whenever he’s followed his instincts, it’s worked out in a big way.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (following his instincts) OC: …it’s for later. 1:09
    “I always just listen to myself, hopefully to a fault. And sometimes if I ever catch myself not listening to what I want to do musically or personally or anything, it always puts me in a bad spot. So, hopefully, I’ve learned to follow my own instinct of what I need to do or want to do. It always just kind of works out for me musically and as a job path. You know, the best example I can give [is] I was in a band called The Steel Drivers. Choosing a career in bluegrass isn’t exactly like, it doesn’t sound like job security to most people, but I was in that band for a few years and out of that, those recordings and those records that I made with that band, a song was recorded by Adele. That’s not a path that you would take to get a song recorded by Adele. No one would ever tell you to be in a bluegrass band, [with] a country rhythm, make a few records with them and you’ll get a cut by the biggest pop star in the world. Those are things that just happen I think when you (A) get really, really lucky and (B) try to follow your path, and whatever that path may be. Sometimes you just don’t know why you have to do those things, and if you listen to yourself enough, you just go do it and figure out what it’s for later.”

  • ACM AWARDS 2016: ALBUM OF THE YEAR (Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Chris Stapleton)

    Eric Church’s surprise release, Mr. Misunderstood, Sam Hunt’s Montevallo and Chris Stapleton’s Traveller are up for Album of the Year at this year’s ACM Awards. They’re nominated alongside Thomas Rhett’s Tangled Up and Chris Young’s I’m Coming Over.

    Eric says inspiration struck unexpectedly for his Mr. Misunderstood album, and that’s why he ended up with a new album in 10 days. “Really inspiration is kind of what led [to the Mr. Misunderstood album]. I sat down one day to write. I had no intentions and nobody needing an album,” he says. “We’d just finished ‘The Outsiders’ and we’d just finished ‘Wrecking Ball,’ and I was writing and one day led to another day. You get into grooves and inspiration strikes you as a songwriter, and all of a sudden something was happening to me three, four, five days in in a row that had never happened, where every day a song was being written that sounded like a record. All of a sudden I had one, and I knew it, and I decided to go in and just record one song and 10 days later I had an album.”
    Sam, who has experienced nearly unequaled success with his debut album, hopes folks listen to the record with open hearts and minds. “The record is hopefully diverse enough to reach people of several different tastes,” he says. “If there is something I could say to someone that was about to listen to this record for the first time, I would hope that they could put aside any preconceived notions or any direction that whatever they have stumbled across before has given them, they could open their mind and just listen to the music with an open mind and open heart and just see how they feel about it; see how it makes them feel.”

    Chris Stapleton has had such a huge journey over the past year, and especially the last six months, and his Traveller album has been No. 1 on the country charts nearly every week since the CMA Awards last November. He says the title of the album is quite representative of the songs that appear on the record. “It seemed like a natural thing to call it, because a lot of, certainly the inspiration for this record came from a series of events. It’s kind of the only song that was written inside of, well, there might’ve been one other song written inside of knowing I was going to make this record in this way. The rest of the songs came from outside of that time period,” he says. “So, that’s one reason to name it that. The other reason is that it can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It’s about a journey in a musical sense and in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense. In every way that you can have a journey, this record is kind of that for me, and hopefully for some other folks too.”

    The 51st Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Luke and Dierks Bentley, will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

    Audio / Eric Church explains why he decided to surprise his fans and the industry with his ACM-nominated album, Mr. Misunderstood.

    Download

    Eric Church (MM album) 2 OC: …80,000 records. 1:11
    “Really inspiration is kind of what led [to the Mr. Misunderstood album]. I sat down one day to write. I had no intentions and nobody needing an album. We’d just finished ‘The Outsiders’ and we’d just finished ‘Wrecking Ball,’ and I was writing and one day led to another day. You get into grooves and inspiration strikes you as a songwriter, and all of a sudden something was happening to me three, four, five days in in a row that had never happened, where every day a song was being written that sounded like a record. All of a sudden I had one, and I knew it, and I decided to go in and just record one song and 10 days later I had an album. I didn’t know what to do, you know because our schedule was off and it was supposed to be sometime later this year that you got new music. I decided that, and this was my decision, in the past everything has always been about hype. The label gets it and radio and the press, and the last people to get the record are the fans. And I decided that we should just put it out, but give it to the fans, let them have it first, and we gave away 80,000 records.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt explains what he hopes for when people listen to his new album, Montevallo.

    Download

    Sam Hunt (Montevallo expectations) OC: …makes them feel. :43
    “I hope that people, if the give the full album a chance, will have the ability to see what I want to represent as an artist, they will be able to get out of this music what I get out of music that I love, you know? The record is hopefully diverse enough to reach people of several different tastes. If there is something I could say to someone that was about to listen to this record for the first time, I would hope that they could put aside any preconceived notions or any direction that whatever they have stumbled across before has given them, they could open their mind and just listen to the music with an open mind and open heart and just see how they feel about it; see how it makes them feel.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton explains why he felt his album should be titled Traveller.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (title of Traveller) OC: …folks too. :43
    “The song ‘Traveller’ and how it ended up being the title of the record, it seemed like a natural thing to call it, because a lot of, certainly the inspiration for this record came from a series of events. It’s kind of the only song that was written inside of, well, there might’ve been one other song written inside of knowing I was going to make this record in this way. The rest of the songs came from outside of that time period. So, that’s one reason to name it that. The other reason is that it can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It’s about a journey in a musical sense and in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense. In every way that you can have a journey, this record is kind of that for me, and hopefully for some other folks too.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: LUKE BRYAN, ERIC PASLAY, TOBY KEITH, VINCE GILL, CHRIS STAPLETON

    Luke Bryan is scheduled to appear on The Late Late Show with James Corden on Thursday (March 31st) on CBS. Check your local listings for times.

    Luke Bryan is set to co-host for the ACM Great Outdoor Celebrity Archery Tournament in Las Vegas with Justin Moore again this year on Saturday, April 2nd. Eric Paslay and Dustin Lynch will be playing for #TeamLuke. Check out some of the action from last year in the video below.

    Eric Paslay is set to join Toby Keith on his 2016 Interstates & Tailgates Tour this summer. The trek kicks off May 21st in Louisville, Kentucky, and Eric will join the tour July 8th in Virginia Beach. “Really excited for the opportunity to be on the road with TOBY this year,” said Eric. “He sure knows how to put on a show. I can’t wait to take it all in and learn from one of the best.”

    Vince Gill will receive the E.W. “Bud” Wendell Award May 3rd during a ceremony at the Music City Center as part of Nashville’s National Tourism Week Hospitality Industry Celebration.The award honors Nashville business executives who’ve helped the city in its advancement as the center of music entertainment.

    Chris Stapleton has been announced as one of the performers at the 25th anniversary of the Lollapalooza festival July 30th in Chicago.

    Video / ACM Archery Tournament

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON HEADS HOME WITH RAM TRUCKS AND ACM LIFTING LIVES.

    Chris Stapleton and Ram Trucks, in conjunction with ACM  Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy of Country Music, today announced a partnership that will see the two-time Grammy Award winner return to Johnson Central High School, his alma mater, located in Stapleton’s hometown of Paintsville, Kentucky.   During the visit, Ram Nation volunteers (a grassroots team of Ram truck owners) and students from the Johnson Central High School carpentry program will dedicate an outdoor performance space, The Golden Eagle Stage Powered By RAM Trucks, for the school’s use.   It will be located on the grounds of Johnson Central High School, and was constructed by JCHS carpentry students in conjunction with Ram Nation volunteers.

    In addition, Stapleton will perform a closed afternoon concert for students, educators and administrators at the Johnson Central High School Gymnasium.  Later that evening, Stapleton will return to the same stage for his sold-out ‘Ram Trucks Hometown Concert’ for the Paintsville community.

    “While the story of Chris Stapleton may not be widely known, it’s one of pride, dedication and perseverance, all values important to our Ram truck owners,” said Marissa Hunter, Director of Brand Advertising, FCA US. “It’s a great opportunity and honor for us to go back to Paintsville with Chris to document his return to the place that built his character and work-ethic. Ram will be creating videos from this experience to show millions of people the very special town and moments that made Chris the man he is today.”

     

    About Ram Trucks

    The Ram Truck brand is sponsoring the March 24 Paintsville activities as part of its ongoing relationship with Stapleton. In conjunction with his 2015 Traveller album, the brand first partnered with the award-winning and critically acclaimed artist, who is a Ram truck owner himself, for a series of episodic videos telling stories of Stapleton and real Ram truck owners’ experiences travelling in their trucks. The videos can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/ramtrucks along with a“Waltz Across Texas” videofeaturing Stapleton’s powerful vocals (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJQVOlnleuk).

    Ram Nation is a grassroots volunteer corps of Ram owners and like-minded people willing and ready to lend a helping hand in their communities when an opportunity arises. Truck owners interested in answering future calls to help, whether its mobilizing volunteers to assist in disaster relief efforts or proactive community outreach initiatives, can sign up for Ram Nation at RamTrucks.com/RamNation.

    About ACM Lifting Lives®
    ACM Lifting Lives® is the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music dedicated to improving lives through the power of music. Through partnerships with artists and strong ties in the music industry, ACM Lifting Lives develops and funds music-related therapy and education programs, and serves members of the community who face unexpected hardships through its Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund. Through generous donations and the support of artists and fans, ACM Lifting Lives is able to fund everything from disaster relief and helping communities in need, to music education in schools and music camps for those with disabilities and supporting programs that use music therapy as a means to help our veterans and wounded warriors ease back into life.  For more information, please visit www.ACMLiftingLives.org.

    Video / Chris & Ram Trucks 1

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON ADDS MORE TOUR DATES.

    If you haven’t had a chance to see Chris Stapleton in concert, never fear. He’s added several more shows to his touring schedule this spring and summer. In addition to his dates with Luke Bryan and Hank Williams, Jr., he’s also got several headlining gigs with Jason Isbell, Aubrie Sellers, Anderson East and Sam Lewis on select shows. Tickets for the new shows go on sale Friday (March 18th).

    Go to Chrisstapleton.com for more information on tour dates or to see when he’s coming to your town.

    In other news, Chris, who’s up for seven ACM Awards next month, has announced he’s returning to his homestate of Kentucky, the town of Paintsville, to be exact, to perform a FREE concert at Johnson Central High School Gymnasium. The show, sponsored by Ram Trucks, will take place March 24th; tickets were handed out on a first come, first serve basis.

    Chris is sitting inside the Top 10 on the country charts with “Nobody to Blame.”

  • LUKE BRYAN AND CHRIS STAPLETON HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Luke Bryan and Chris Stapleton have been added to the list of performers at next month’s ACM Awards. They’re joined by Jason AldeanTim McGraw and Thomas Rhett. Previously announced performers include Keith Urban, Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Kelsea Ballerini, Cam and Florida Georgia Line.

    The 51st Academy of Country Music Awards, which will be hosted by Luke and Dierks, will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON RELEASES THE VIDEO FOR ‘FIRE AWAY.’

    Chris Stapleton has released a music video for “Fire Away,” a song from his award-winning album, Traveller. The concept of the clip, which features Ben Foster (Lone Survivor, X-Men) and Margarita Levieva (The Black List, Revenge) and directed by Tim Mattia, was conceived by Chris.

    The clip, which takes you through a young married couple’s first happy moments that quickly turn tragic, is helping to bring awareness to mental health issues, specifically through the Campaign to Change Direction. The organization was introduced to Chris through Foster and hopes to begin conversations about the five signs of mental illness, which are featured in the video. Nearly one in five people have a diagnosable health condition and most of them do not speak up.

    Chris is currently blazing up the country charts with his single “Nobody to Blame,” which is also from his album, Traveller.

    At this year’s ACM Awards, he’s nominated for Male Vocalist, New Male Vocalist, Album of the Year for Traveller, Song of the Year for “Nobody to Blame” and Vocal Event of the Year for the song “Hangover Tonight” with Gary Allan. The 51st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will broadcast live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Check out the video here: http://www.chrisstapleton.com/fire-away/

    Album buy link: http://umgn.us/Traveller

    Video / Chris Stapleton Fire Away

  • LBT, ERIC PASLAY, CHRIS STAPLETON, KEITH URBAN AND ERIC CHURCH ARE ALL ACM SONG OF THE YEAR NOMINEES.

    The ACM nominees for Song of the Year and Songwriter of the Year were announced on Thursday (February 18th). Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush,” Eric Paslay’s “She Don’t Love You” and Chris Stapleton’s “Nobody to Blame” are on the ballot, as well as Keith Urban’s “Raise ‘Em Up,” featuring Eric Church.

    The Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Song of the Year [awarded to songwriter(s)/publisher(s)/artist(s)]
    “Burning House,” Cam
    Songwriters: Jeffrey Bhasker, Tyler Johnson, Cam

    “Girl Crush,” Little Big Town
    Songwriters: Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose

    “Nobody to Blame,” Chris Stapleton
    Songwriters: Chris Stapleton, Barry Bales, Ronnie Bowman

    “Raise ‘Em Up,” Keith Urban featuring Eric Church
    Songwriters: Tom Douglas, Jaren Johnston, Jeffrey Steele

    “She Don’t Love You,” Eric Paslay
    Songwriters: Eric Paslay, Jennifer Wayne

    Songwriter of the Year
    Rodney Clawson (“Crash My Party”)
    Ross Copperman (“Strip It Down”)
    Ashley Gorley (“Play It Again”)
    Shane McAnally (“Break Up in a Small Town”)
    Josh Osborne (“John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16”)

    Audio / Eric Paslay talks about writing “She Don’t Love You” with Jennifer Wayne.

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    Eric Paslay (She Don’t Love You) OC: …this album. :52
    “We initially were trying to write a song for George Strait ‘cause he had just announced that he was doing Cowboy Rides Away tour, and Jen Wayne’s grandfather is John Wayne, so she knows a lot about cowboys. So, we were trying to just write that song, and we didn’t quite have it and in the midst, like songwriters do of writing a song, we were just cutting up and small talk and this and that. And I think I said ‘She don’t love you’ or she said ‘she don’t love you’ and I said ‘Yeah, she’s just lonely,’ just kind of joking around or something. And 45 minutes later we had written ‘She Don’t Love You,’ and I’m proud to have a great ballad. I believe it was probably the best ballad I’ve ever been a part of writing-wise. And I think when you think of country music, those songs that the whole room quiets down over or even all the guys at the bar turn around and listen, and that’s definitely that song on this album.”

    Audio / KEITH URBAN SAID ‘RAISE ‘EM UP’ WAS THE PERFECT SONG FOR HIM AND ERIC CHURCH TO DO TOGETHER.

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    Keith Urban (Raise ‘Em Up) 3 OC: …sang on it. :15
    “It wasn’t written as a duet, but it just struck me as the perfect song. There’s a particular theme really in the song, particularly in the second verse that I felt was just perfect for Eric. I sent him the song, and he loved it. And I was really happy that he came in and sang on it.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON SHOWS HIS FUNNY SIDE ON JIMMY KIMMEL WITH A ‘CHRINGEWORTHY’ PROJECT.

    Chris Stapleton showed his funny side on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live Wednesday night (February 17th), just days after winning two GRAMMY Awards.

    Not only did he perform “When the Stars Come Out” with wife Morgane and producer Dave Cobb, as well as the rest of his band, but he also was game for a fake TV ad for a “special concept album,” titled Chringeworthy, in which he takes some of the most irritating words in the English language and turns them into songs. Some of the words include “delish,” “moist” and juicy,” as well as “panties,” “scrotum” and “vajayjay.”

    During the ad, Chris pledged that he would “turn all the words you hate the most, into songs you will love the most.” And, if you didn’t wait to buy it, you could also get a free tube of ointment.

    Chris tops the ACM nominations, alongside Eric Church, with five. He earned nods in both the Male Vocalist and New Male Vocalist categories, as well as Vocal Event for “Hangover Tonight” with Gary Allan, plus nominations as both artist and producer in the Album of the Year category for Traveller. These mark Chris’ first nominations as an artist. He was previously nominated as a songwriter in 2014 for “Drink A Beer,” which was recorded by Luke Bryan (with Stapleton on background vocals). The Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 3rd beginning at 8pm ET on CBS.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON WINS HIS FIRST GRAMMY AWARD!

    Chris Stapleton just picked up his first-ever GRAMMY Award, for Best Country Solo Performance for the song “Traveller.” He accepted the award .in the pre-telecast Premiere Ceremony. “I’ve never had one of these, and that’s amazing,” he said. “I’ve been sitting out in this audience a couple different times. Third time’s the charm.”

    Chris thanked his wife, Morgane, his band, UMG and his producer, Dave Cobbs.

    The Kentucky native is also nominated for overall Album of the Year for Traveller and overall Album of the Year.

    UPDATE: Chris also took home the Grammy Award for Best Country Album for Traveller.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton explains why he felt why his album should be named Traveller.

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    Chris Stapleton (title of Traveller) OC: …folks too. :43
    “The song ‘Traveller’ and how it ended up being the title of the record, it seemed like a natural thing to call it, because a lot of, certainly the inspiration for this record came from a series of events. It’s kind of the only song that was written inside of, well, there might’ve been one other song written inside of knowing I was going to make this record in this way. The rest of the songs came from outside of that time period. So, that’s one reason to name it that. The other reason is that it can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It’s about a journey in a musical sense and in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense. In every way that you can have a journey, this record is kind of that for me, and hopefully for some other folks too.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON ADDED TO THE LIST OF GRAMMY PERFORMERS.

    Chris Stapleton has been added to the list of performers at this year’s GRAMMY Awards. He’ll be joined by Bonnie Raitt and Gary Clark Jr. in a tribute to the late B.B. King.

    Chris is nominated for four GRAMMYs, including Album of the Year and Best Country Album for Traveller, as well as Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song for the album’s title cut, “Traveller.”

    Previously announced country performers include Little Big Town, Sam Hunt and Carrie Underwood.

    Chris is climbing the country charts with his latest single, “Nobody to Blame.”

    The 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles February 15th at 8pm ET on CBS.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON PERFORMS ON ‘SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.’

    Chris Stapleton was the musical guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live over the weekend. He performed his current single, “Nobody to Blame,” as well as “Parachute,” which are both from his album, Traveller. Check both performances out below.

    Chris is nominated for four Grammy Awards, including Best Country Album (Traveller), Best Country Solo Performance (“Traveller”) and Best Country Song (“Traveller”), as well as the all-genre Best Album. The 58th Annual Grammy Awards will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles February 15th at 8pm ET

    Video / Chris Stapleton Nobody to Blame on SNL

    Video / Chris Stapleton performance of Parachute on Saturday Night Live.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Sam Hunt, Kacey Musgraves, Canaan Smith, Eric Church

    Chris Stapleton was just confirmed to be the musical guest when NBC’s Saturday Night Live returns January 16th. The host will be Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Girls, This is Where I Leave You).

    Also, don’t forget to set your DVRs for the following TV appearances:

    Sam Hunt drops by Late Night With Seth Meyers on Wednesday (January 6th), while Kacey Musgraves is set to perform on the Late Show With Stephen Colbert Friday (January 8th).

    At the College Football Playoff National Championship game Monday (January 11th) at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Canaan Smith will perform “America the Beautiful” before the game, while Eric Church will headline Championship Tailgate on the Capital One Quicksilver Music Stage.

  • DIERKS BENTLEY, SAM HUNT, KIP MOORE, CHRIS STAPLETON, BROTHERS OSBORNE, KELLEIGH BANNEN AND LAUREN ALAINA WILL PERFORM DURING THE ACM PARTY FOR A CAUSE FESTIVAL IN APRIL.

    he Academy of Country Music is announcing the 4th ACM Party For A Cause® Festival in 2016 being headlined—with full set performances!—by superstars Carrie Underwood on Friday, April 1, Dierks Bentley on Saturday, April 2 and Kenny Chesney on Sunday, April 3, 2016 at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds, in the heart of the famous Las Vegas Strip.  These ACM Award-winning artists will be joined on the Main Stage by some of the biggest and best names in country including Frankie Ballard, Kelsea Ballerini, Lee Brice, Cam, Sam Hunt, Chris Janson, Dustin Lynch, Kip Moore, Kellie Pickler, Chris Stapleton, Chris Young, Maddie & Tae, Old Dominion and more to be announced. The Party Stage will feature more hit makers and rising stars including Lauren Alaina, Kelleigh Bannen, Chase Bryant, Lindsay Ell, Jana Kramer, Chris Lane, Jackson Michelson, Granger Smith, Brothers Osborne and more to be announced.  Full daily schedule to be announced closer to the festival including details on a special “ACM Women of Country Night” hosted by Friday’s headliner Carrie Underwood.

    Fans can purchase three-day passes at www.ticketmaster.com.

    Ticket proceeds from the ACM Party For A Cause Festival benefit the Academy’s charitable arm, ACM Lifting Lives.  Generous giving from fans, and partnerships with artists, has allowed ACM Lifting Lives to support military programs that use music therapy to aid our veterans and wounded warriors, while providing funding to help them ease back into civilian life.  Over $400,000 has been donated to various military organizations in just three years.  For more information, visit www.ACMpartyforacause.com.

    The festival will include multiple stages for ongoing LIVE country music performances, interactive games, a country marketplace, and more to be announced.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON RETURNS TO NO. 1 ON THE COUNTRY ALBUM CHART.

    Chris Stapleton’s Traveller climbs back to the top of the country album chart this week. He sold another 44,000 copies to land at No. 1 on the country album chart and at No. 9 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.

    Chris is set to appear on ABC’s Good Morning America Tuesday (December 15th), and NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday (December 17th).

    The Kentucky native is making his way up the country charts with “Nobody to Blame.”

  • GRAMMY AWARDS NOMINATIONS 2015: Chris Stapleton, LBT, Sam, Charles, Keith, Kacey and more.

    The nominations for the 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards were announced Monday morning (December 7th) and country music is well-represented.

    Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town and Sam Hunt led the list of country nominees, with Chris and LBT each picking up four, while Sam earned two.

    Little Big Town are nominated for overall Song of the Year for “Girl Crush,” as well as Best Country Duo/Group Performance, Best Country Album for Pain Killer and Best Country Song. The group tweeted, “WOW! 4 nominations? We are thrilled to be representing country music w/ @TheGRAMMYs, esp. ‘Song Of The Year.’”

    Chris, who picked up three CMA Awards last month, is nominated in four categories at the Grammy Awards, including overall/all-genre Album of the Year. He says that he hopes fans enjoy his album, Traveller, as a whole. “Music to me is meant to be enjoyed in that way and you’re really supposed to dive into it. And I hope some folks can find it in their hearts to do that with this record, because I think it’s how it was meant to be used. And somewhere in there if they’re compelled to come and watch me live, that’d be great.” Chris is also nominated for Best Country Album, Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song.

    Sam Hunt has a pair of nods, including the overall Best New Artist, as well as Best Country Album for his debut album, Montevallo, which has spawned three No. 1 hits, and another song making its way up the country charts. “I am beyond humbled with these nominations,” says Sam. “I am so grateful to the fans, the Nashville music community and the Recording Academy for their appreciation and recognition. This has been just the most amazing year.”

    John and TJ Osborne, aka Brothers Osborne, are excited to earn their very first Grammy nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their Top 10 single, “Stay a Little Longer.” The two were asleep when news of their nomination was announced. ““My wife woke me up, just like screaming, ‘Wake up! Wake up!’ I woke up in a panic. I thought the damn house was on fire,” laughs John. “But, yeah, we hear most big news while we’re asleep.”

    Charles Kelley earned his first-ever GRAMMY nomination as a solo artist in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category for his “soaring new single” (Entertainment Weekly) “The Driver” featuring Dierks Bentley and Eric Paslay. This year’s recognition serves as Kelley’s 12th career nomination from The Recording Academy. “I’m still in shock from waking up this morning to a GRAMMY nomination for ‘The Driver,” says Charles. “I feel like I’m just getting started on this journey, so to get honored in this way and share it with Dierks and Eric is incredible. I’m so thankful to my producer Paul Worley who encouraged me to chase this record down.”

    Keith Urban has a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance for his recent chart-topping hit, “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16,” while Kacey Musgraves picks up a nod for Best Country Album for Pageant Material.

    The 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be handed out February 15th.

    ALBUM OF THE YEAR

    Sound & Color – Alabama Shakes

    To Pimp A Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar

    Traveller – Chris Stapleton

    1989 – Taylor Swift

    Beauty Behind The Madness – The Weeknd

     

    SONG OF THE YEAR

    “Alright” – Kendrick Duckworth, Mark Anthony Spears, Pharrell Williams (Kendrick Lamar)

    “Blank Space” – Max Martin, Shellback, Taylor Swift (Taylor Swift)

    “Girl Crush” – Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose (Little Big Town)

    “See You Again” – Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charles Puth, Cameron Thomaz (Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth)

     

    BEST NEW ARTIST

    Courtney Barnett

    James Bay

    Sam Hunt

    Tori Kelly

    Meghan Trainor

     

    BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE

    “Burning House” – Cam

    “Traveller” – Chris Stapleton

    “Little Toy Guns” – Carrie Underwood

    “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” – Keith Urban

    “Chances Are” – Lee Ann Womack

     

    BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE

    “Stay A Little Longer” – Brothers Osborne

    “If I Needed You” – Joey+Rory

    “The Driver” – Charles Kelley, Dierks Bentley, Eric Paslay

    “Girl Crush” – Little Big Town

    “Lonely Tonight” – Blake Shelton featuring Ashley Monroe

     

    BEST COUNTRY SONG

    “Chances Are” – Hayes Carll (Lee Ann Womack)

    “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools” – Barry Dean, Luke Laird, Jonathan Singleton (Tim McGraw)

    “Girl Crush” – Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose (Little Big Town)

    “Hold My Hand” – Brandy Clark, Mark Stephen Jones (Brandy Clark)

    “Traveller” – Chris Stapleton (Chris Stapleton)

     

    BEST COUNTRY ALBUM

    Montevallo – Sam Hunt

    Pain Killer – Little Big Town

    The Blade – Ashley Monroe

    Pageant Material – Kacey Musgraves

    Traveller – Chris Stapleton

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about what he hopes for folks and fans to go away with when they listen to his album.

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    Chris Stapleton (album) OC: …that’d be great. :47
    “I grew up on records as a piece of work. I didn’t grow up in an age where we necessarily bought singles or just one piece of an album. I grew up on things that were albums. I hope that people go ahead and get the whole album and listen to it, take the time to listen it, and not as a passive thing, as like I’m watching television or Youtube, all these things that we have as distractions. Music to me is meant to be enjoyed in that way and you’re really supposed to dive into it. And I hope some folks can find it in their hearts to do that with this record, because I think it’s how it was meant to be used. And somewhere in there if they’re compelled to come and watch me live, that’d be great.”

    Audio / John & TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne reveal how they found out they were nominated for a Grammy.

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    Brothers Osborne (Grammys) OC: (John) …we’re asleep. [laughs] :28
    TJ: “We found out that we were nominated almost the same exact way we found out we were nominated for an ACM. I woke up to like 60 text messages, and I was like, ‘Who the hell is texting me at this time of the day.’ And I looked at the phone, and everyone’s like, ‘Wake up! You were nominated for the Grammys.’” JOHN: “My wife woke me up, just like screaming, ‘Wake up! Wake up!’ I woke up in a panic. I thought the damn house was on fire. But, yeah, we hear most big news while we’re asleep.” [laughs]

    Audio / Brothers Osborne talk about their Grammy nomination.

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    Brothers Osborne (Grammys) 2 OC: (John) …by our peers. :39
    TJ: “I mean, it’s crazy to be nominated for a Grammy, For the rest of our lives, we’ll always be Grammy nominated artists, you know. And hopefully, we win the category, but just simply being nominated, it’s something that a lot of musicians and songwriters and entertainers never, ever get to achieve, and so it’s, to say it’s an honor is an understatement.” JOHN: “Yeah, we’ve always taken kind of a different approach when it comes to music. And our music is not necessarily 100% conventional all the time, so the mountain for us has been a bit steeper, and this is an amazing achievement because we’re nominated and we’re being acknowledged by our peers.”

    Audio / Keith Urban explains that while he and producer Dann Huff changed up the song’s production from the demo, it didn’t detract from “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16.”

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    Keith Urban (J3 #1 party) OC: …does everything. :30
    “For me, it was just a great song. It kinda didn’t matter how it was done, it was a great song. It was solid, great melody. Even from a singer’s standpoint, there’s certain things about rhythmic qualities of consonants and vowels and where they fall in a melody and where they fall in the rhythm that matter to me; maybe not even just matter, but they resonate with me that way. So, you can have a song that’s really well-written lyrically, but it’s not great to sing. It doesn’t sing well. It reads well, but it doesn’t sing well, and this is one of those songs that does everything.”

    Audio / Charles Kelley talks about his Grammy nomination for “The Driver.”

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    Charles Kelley (Grammys) OC: …this record. :57
    “I actually found out about the nominations this morning. My wife woke me up. I had a whole bunch of text messages from friends and family congratulating me. I, of course, like most musicians, don’t wake up before nine o’clock. But just honestly, I have not been able to get this smile off my face today. I’m so fired up. I’m so ready for fans to hear this project. ‘The Driver’ is a song, it’s probably one of the most honest songs I’ve written in a long time, and to be able to share this moment with my buddies Dierks Bentley and Eric Paslay, means the world to me. Every time I go on social media and see the reaction and fans specifically talking about this song and how it’s speaking to them, that reminds me of why I wanted to pursue this project. I don’t know. It just means the world to me, and it means the world to me that Hillary and Dave are so supportive. They were one of my first texts this morning congratulating me. And I cannot wait for everybody to hear the rest of this record.”

    Audio / Kacey Musgraves talks about her Grammy nominated album, Pageant Material.

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    Kacey Musgraves (Pageant Material) OC: …for the record. :55
    “For this record, Pageant Material, it’s funny how that was one of the later songs we wrote, and I don’t go into a record, or I haven’t yet, with a theme in mind. I just like let the songs come, and somewhere along the way, they take shape on their own. That’s kind of what happened here. We gotten ‘Pageant Material,’ and at that point, I think that was the last one we wrote, that one or ‘Dime Store [Cowgirl].’ So, we had most of the songs in the batch, and I hadn’t really, I was kind of feeling a little weird ‘cause I was like I didn’t really know what it was going to be called. Same thing happened with Same Trailer…, it just kind of popped out of nowhere and late in the game. So, I was just messing around with the titles, and I just thought, ‘Pageant Material – that would be an awesome statement for the record, I think.’ It’s just kind of saying, ‘I’m not pageant material. I’m not a robot. I kind of am what I am.’ And it also has a humorous touch to it too, which I really like. And of course, I love big hair and retro styles, so I thought it was a good fit for the record.”

  • LUKE BRYAN, LITTLE BIG TOWN, SAM HUNT AND CHRIS STAPLETON ARE CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR.

    Luke Bryan, Little Big Town and Sam Hunt are among the CMT Artists of the Year special, airing Wednesday night (December 2nd). The 90-minute special pays tribute to the top country artists of the year with once-in-a-lifetime performances, unexpected tributes and unforgettable toasts from the biggest stars of music, film and television. Chris Stapleton will receive the 2015 CMT Artists of the Year Breakout award and perform live during the sixth annual CMT Artists of the Year special.

    Pop stars Adam Lambert and Leona Lewis will honor Little Big Town by performing “Girl Crush, while Darius Rucker, Cassadee Pope and Raelynn are set to perform Blake Shelton’s “Neon Light.” The event will also feature appearances by Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott, Dolly Parton, Trace Adkins, Kellie Pickler and more. Florida Georgia Line will be among the honorees.

    The show will premiere live from Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center Wednesday at 8pm ET/PT.

    Video / Sam Hunt Year in Review 2015--CMT

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    Video / LBT Year in Review 2015-CMT

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    Video / Luke Bryan Year in Review-CMT

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S TRAVELLER TOPS THE ALBUM CHART FOR A SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK.

    Chris Stapleton’s Traveller continues to dominate on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. His CMA Album of the Year sold 97,000 copies in pure album sales, but pushed 124,000 equivalent album units, which includes traditional album sales, digital tracks and streaming, to land at No. 1 on both the overall and country charts.

    Last week, the collection made history as the first album to reenter the chart at No. 1, after Traveller popped back after the Kentucky native’s three CMA Award wins earlier this month.

    Eric Church’s Mr. Misunderstood climbed a spot to No. 2 in its second week of release with 58,000 in pure album sales/65,000 units overall.

    Chris’ new single, “Nobody to Blame,” has vaulted into the Top 40 this week.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, Brothers Osborne, Sam Hunt, Little Big Town, Hillary Scott, Darius Rucker

    Eric Church and Chris Stapleton are among the artists paying tribute to the late John Lennon in a new AMC all-star special, Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert, December 19th. The special, being recorded December 5th in New York City, will also include performances by Kris Kristofferson, Peter Frampton, Steven Tyler, Sheryl Crow, Train’s Pat Monahan and Aloe Blacc.

    Tim McGraw performed the song “Here Tonight” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this week. TJ and John of Brothers Osborne wrote the song.

    Sam Hunt has been chosen as a curator for the fourth annual Grammy Amplifier program – an online music initiative that gives a platform to aspiring artists. Big Sean and Lzzy Hale have also been named curators for the program, which invites hopeful singers to upload their songs for consideration at www.grammyamplifier.com. Hunt, Big Sean and Hale will select three winners from the top 25 most popular submissions to win one-of-a-kind experiences that include an in-studio recording session with a Grammy Award-winning producer, an opening spot for a popular artist and/or a series of festival shows, and a music video with a notable director. “I’m honored to be part of a program where I can help elevate new and emerging talent,” Sam said in a prepared statement. “It wasn’t long ago I was an unknown artist, and I couldn’t be more grateful to the people who helped me with the tools I needed to start my career. I look forward to shining a light on these aspiring musicians.” The Grammy Amplifier program is open to submissions through December.

    Little Big Town will honor rock icon Gregg Allman during the second season premiere of Nashville-based performance webcast series Skyville Live on December 11th at 8pm ET.

    On Monday (November 16th), Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott will host Leadership Music’s Dale Franklin Awards honoring three music industry leaders in Nashville, including Reba.

    Darius Rucker recently presented a $1 million grant from the CMA Foundation to Metro Nashville Public Schools to provide instruments and music education for more than 85,000 local students. “A defining moment in my life was when my mother gave me my first guitar – I can honestly say it completely changed my life,” says Darius. “So to know that we, as artists with CMA, are helping kids get the option for that kind of discovery is really incredible.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S MEMORIES HAVE ALWAYS INCLUDED MUSIC.

    Chris Stapleton has been receiving a lot of recognition ever since last week’s CMA Awards, where he picked up trophies for Male Vocalist, Album and New Artist of the Year. It sounds like he was born to be a vehicle for music, a conveyor of song…a singer…and that’s exactly what he’s always been, even as a small boy growing up in Kentucky.

    “I don’t remember ever not singing. I always sang. I sang with my brother. We would sing at home and sing at church and different things. I don’t ever remember not singing. I don’t have any memory of where I didn’t sing,” says Chris. “I found it out because I didn’t like anything else, and I found out a bunch of things that I was not.”

    He drove an ice truck, sold cars, went to college and had a handful of other jobs, but he always turned to music. “The thought of doing anything else just made me so miserable, I think that really [laughs] steered my path and for better or worse.”

    Chris is currently on the West Coast with sold-out shows, including Thursday night in Portland, Oregon, Friday in Chico, California, Sunday in San Francisco and Monday in Los Angeles. He’s also set to perform during Music City’s New Year’s Bash on Broadway, along with Kings of Leon, The Whigs and Kelsea Ballerini, among others.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says he can’t remember not singing…ever.

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    Chris Stapleton (always sang) OC: …in that way. :41
    “I don’t remember ever not singing. I always sang. I sang with my brother. We would sing at home and sing at church and different things. I don’t ever remember not singing. I don’t have any memory of where I didn’t sing. I found it out because I didn’t like anything else, and I found out a bunch of things that I was not. I sold cars and drove an ice truck and went to college, did different [things] – not in that order, but you know. You find out who you’re not, and the thought of doing anything else just made me so miserable, I think that really [laughs] steered my path and for better or worse. Fortunately for me, it kind of worked out, but I’m pretty lucky in that way.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON LANDS AT NO. 1.

    Mercury Nashville’s Chris Stapleton released his debut album, Traveller, to overwhelming critical acclaim in May and it is the best-selling first week album by a debut country artist in 2015. Last week 13.6 million viewers tuned in to the 49th Annual CMA Awards and saw the soulful singer in a remarkable on-stage collaboration with superstar and good friend Justin Timberlake. In addition to the performance that Entertainment Weekly called “an unapologetic display of abnormal levels of talent,” Stapleton took home awards for New Artist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year. This marks the first time in CMA Awards history for a New Artist of the Year winner to also collect Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year. Almost instantaneously, Traveller rocketed to the top of the album sales charts where it currently remains on both the Billboard 200 and country albums chart with 153,428 units sold and 177,199 equivalent album sales this week making it the fourth biggest sales week for any country album in 2015 and the first debut country album to hit the top of the Billboard 200 in four years. “Tennessee Whiskey” is the best-selling digital country song of the week with 131,206 downloads sold. Fans can purchase Traveller HERE.

    Within hours of Stapleton’s impressive showing, all of his remaining tour dates sold out. As the  New York Times points out, “His victories at the awards … were a collective acknowledgement by the industry of the superlative talent of one of its own. With that voice, he does a thing many of his colleagues simply cannot.”

    Since his May album debut, Stapleton has performed on The View, Late Show with David Letterman, Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers and CBS This Morning Saturday Sessions.

    Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A by Vance Powell and co-produced by Dave Cobb and Stapleton, Traveller had already been named “Best of 2015” by Rolling Stone, NPR Music, Entertainment Weekly, Los Angeles Times, Stereogum and more.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON ‘TRAVELS’ TO NO. 1 ON THE ALBUM CHART!

    Chris Stapleton’s Traveller album climbs to the top of both the Billboard Top 200 and Country Album charts this week. The collection of songs, including his latest single “Nobody to Blame,” “Tennessee Whiskey,” “Traveller” and “Fire Away,” sold more than 177,000 total albums, 153,000 of which were pure album sales. The rest came from the multiple downloads of the single “Tennessee Whiskey,” which he performed during the ceremony, as well as other Traveller singles that have now found renewed interest.

    According to Billboard, Traveller, which was just named the CMA Album of the Year, returns to the list after being absent from the chart since September, and initially debuting and peaking at No. 14 in May (It was released on May 5th through Mercury Records). It bounds back in at No. 1 with 177,199 equivalent album units earned in the week ending November 5th (up 6,109 percent from about 3,000 units) according to Nielsen Music. Of the new week’s total unit sum, 153,000 were pure album sales (up 6,412 percent from 2,000).

    The lift is most likely due to his stellar performance with superstar Justin Timberlake on last week’s CMA Awards, where they traded vocals on Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” and JT’s “Drink You Away.” Chris picked up three CMA Awards, including Album, Male Vocalist and New Artist of the Year.

    “Tennessee Whiskey” ranks as the second-largest selling digital song of the week (a No. 2 debut on the Digital Songs chart) with 131,000 downloads sold. “ Traveller’s title track also enters at No. 40 with 25,000. Traveller is also the first debut country album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in over four years. The last was Clear As Day, by 2011 American Idol winner Scotty McCreery, which debuted atop the list in 2011.

    Carrie Underwood’s Storyteller came in at No. 2, followed by Eric Church’s surprise release, Mr. Misunderstood, which sold more than 76,000 copies in less than two days.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about his CMA Album of the Year, Traveller.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Traveller album) OC: …journey, I think. :22
    “It’s a collection of songs that’s as old as my songwriting career is, so it’s probably 12 or 13 years worth of songs. The song Traveller itself came when I was driving through the desert in an old jeep, and I was thinking a lot about life and how we’re all just kind of passing through it. It’s more about that than an actual physical journey, I think.”

    Video / Chris Stapleton with Justin Timberlake at CMA Awards

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON STEALS THE SHOW WITH AWARDS AND A PERFORMANCE.

    Chris Stapleton has already earned a pair of CMA awards – New Artist and Album of the Year for his debut, Traveller. He also had the biggest and most talked about performance all night – his collaboration with one of today’s hottest artists, Justin Timberlake. The pair traded vocals and licks on Chris’ “Tennessee Whiskey” before launching into the pop star’s country-blues song, “Drink You Away.”

    The album, Traveller, was a labor of love and reflection for the singer-songwriter and powerhouse vocalist. “It seemed like a natural thing to call it, because a lot of, certainly the inspiration for this record came from a series of events,” says Chris. “It can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It’s about a journey in a musical sense and in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense. In every way that you can have a journey, this record is kind of that for me, and hopefully for some other folks too.”

    He just released his brand new single, “Nobody to Blame,” from his CMA Award-winning album.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton explains why he named his album Traveller.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (title of Traveller) OC: …folks too. :43
    “The song ‘Traveller’ and how it ended up being the title of the record, it seemed like a natural thing to call it, because a lot of, certainly the inspiration for this record came from a series of events. It’s kind of the only song that was written inside of, well, there might’ve been one other song written inside of knowing I was going to make this record in this way. The rest of the songs came from outside of that time period. So, that’s one reason to name it that. The other reason is that it can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It’s about a journey in a musical sense and in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense. In every way that you can have a journey, this record is kind of that for me, and hopefully for some other folks too.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON READY TO HIT THE CMA STAGE WITH JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE.

    Chris Stapleton’s special guest during his performance on Wednesday night’s CMA Awards will be pop superstar Justin Timberlake, as announced on ABC’s Good Morning America on Monday (November 2nd). The two have apparently been talking about a collaboration for some time.

    “We’ve always talked about finding a reason to do something together,” Chris Stapleton tells Rolling Stone Country. “”[Timberlake] is obviously one of the greatest musical talents in the world, maybe ever, that we have,” Stapleton says.. “I called him up with no thought of him agreeing to it, and he was ready to start planning it right then. I said, ‘Well, I think maybe we should wait, and if we get nominated they’ll let me have [a slot].’ He was so gracious and kind to want to do it and was so excited about it, and I’m excited about it. It’ll be something I’ve never done before for sure.”

    Chris, who just released his new single “Nobody to Blame,” is nominated for Male Vocalist, New Artist and Album of the Year for Traveller.

    The 49th Annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday (November 4th) at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton explains why he named his album Traveller.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (title of Traveller) OC: …folks too. :43
    “The song ‘Traveller’ and how it ended up being the title of the record, it seemed like a natural thing to call it, because a lot of, certainly the inspiration for this record came from a series of events. It’s kind of the only song that was written inside of, well, there might’ve been one other song written inside of knowing I was going to make this record in this way. The rest of the songs came from outside of that time period. So, that’s one reason to name it that. The other reason is that it can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It’s about a journey in a musical sense and in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense. In every way that you can have a journey, this record is kind of that for me, and hopefully for some other folks too.”

    Justin posted a photo of him and Chris during their CMA rehearsals on Sunday. “Finishing up rehearsals… Honored to share the stage with this BADASS. Wednesday night. Memphis x Nashville. Chris Stapleton #CMAawards

    11260362_10153286957667098_377385523366740626_o

  • CHRIS STAPLETON ADDED TO LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    Chris Stapleton – with a very special guest – has joined the list of performers at next week’s CMA Awards. The powerhouse vocalist and songwriter received his first nominations this year, which includes Male Vocalist, New Artist and Album of the Year for Traveller. He joins previously announced performers including Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Little Big Town, Kacey Musgraves, Dierks Bentley with Lindsey Stirling, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line, Zac Brown Band, Maddie & Tae, Kelsea Ballerini, Eric Church with Hank Williams Jr., Keith Urban with John Mellencamp, Reba with Brooks & Dunn and Thomas Rhett with Fallout Boy.

    Also, the list of presenters have been announced: Charles Kelley, Darius Rucker, Reba, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, actor Kiefer Sutherland (24), Lee Ann Womack, Cole Swindell, Jennifer Nettles, ABC’s Wicked City actress Erika Christensen, ESPN’s Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit, Sports Illustrated cover model Hannah Davis, Heather O’Reilly and Megan Rapinoe of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team and A Capella sensations Pentatonix.

    The 49th Annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday (November 4th) at 8pm ET on ABC.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Sam Hunt, Lady Antebellum, Eric Church

    Chris Stapleton is set to perform on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers on Tuesday (August 18th).

    Sam Hunt
     will perform on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday (August 18th).

    Sam Hunt‘s previous No. 1 single, ‘Take Your Time,’ has been certified double platinum by the R.I.A.A. for sales of more than two million.

    As announced last week, Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley will soon become a daddy. The baby is due next Spring. Charles and his wife Cassie (who has a lifestyle blog Womanista, which broke the news of the preganancy) were married in 2009.

    Eric Church made a surprise appearance at Charlie Daniels’ 40th Anniversary Volunteer Jam last week in Nashville. “Charlie Daniels was a giant influence in my musical DNA,” Church said after the performance. “What he has done with the Volunteer Jam is honorable. What he has done in music is iconic. He is a gentleman and a patriot, and it was my honor to be in his presence.” The show, which also featured performances by Ted Nugent, Billy Ray Cyrus, Wynonna, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alabama and Tracy Lawrence, was a benefit for U.S. military and veterans through The Journey Home Project.

  • LUKE BRYAN WILL ‘CRASH MY PLAYA’ WITH DIERKS BENTLEY, SAM HUNT, CHRIS STAPLETON, COLE SWINDELL, BRETT ELDREDGE AND DUSTIN LYNCH.

    NASHVILLE July 14, 2015 – ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan is ready for a second installation of Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa set for January 22nd – 26th in Riviera Maya, Mexico. This all-inclusive Caribbean concert vacation will feature Bryan headlining two of the event’s four nightly concerts, with Dierks Bentley and Cole Swindell rounding out top billing on the additional two nights. Other performers now confirmed include Brett Eldredge, Sam Hunt, Dustin Lynch, and Chris Stapleton making Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa one of the hottest country music destination events of 2016.

    Year two of Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa follows up the smashing 2015 inaugural event that set a new standard by Bryan and CID Presents, who partnered for this ultimate fan experience.

    Fans can choose from three tropical resorts and enjoy royal treatment all weekend long – all-inclusive food and drink, 24-hour concierge service, daily onsite activities, offsite excursions like day trips to Tulum or Playa Del Carmen, official Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa merchandise package, and more.

    This unrivaled country music getaway is set for January 22-26, 2016 in Riviera Maya, Mexico. For more information about Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa 2016, how to book four or five night all-inclusive packages, and details on payment plans please visit: www.crashmyplaya.com.

    About Luke Bryan
    Since the debut of his first album in 2007, superstar Luke Bryan has placed 12 singles at No. 1 and sold nearly seven million albums with 27 million digital tracks from his four studio albums.  He has been named Entertainer of the Year by both the Academy of Country Music (twice) and the Country Music Association.  In 2014, Luke achieved the best touring year of his career with 1.7 million fans attending his concerts.  On August 7, Luke will release KILL THE LIGHTS, his fifth studio album and the follow up to his most successful project to date, CRASH MY PARTY, which contains six consecutive No. 1 singles, is certified Double Platinum and has currently sold over two million copies with eight million digital downloads. He is currently headlining his “Kick The Dust Up Tour” across the U.S. through October and will also perform eight “Farm Tour” dates that month as well.  He’ll kick off 2016 with the Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa event.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S SOLO DEBUT ALBUM, TRAVELLER, BOWS AT NO. 2 ON THE COUNTRY ALBUM CHARTS AND IS BEST-SELLING FIRST WEEK BY A DEBUT COUNTRY ARTIST IN 2015.

    (Nashville, TN) – Chris Stapleton’s solo debut album, Traveller, entered the Billboard Country Albums Chart at No. 2 and Top 15 on Billboard’s Top 200 with over 27,000 albums sold making it the best-selling first week by a debut country artist in 2015.  Traveller is also one of the Top 10 best first week country debuts in the last five years. With appearances on ABC’s The View and CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman, rave reviews from media, as well as, fellow artists and sold out shows in New York City and Nashville – Traveller has been one of the most talked about albums of the year.

    In addition to its chart topping success, Traveller has been met with stellar reviews:

    “a triumphant debut…”

    Billboard

    “…a capital-A Album bursting with old-school country outlaw tracks that his voice has lived long enough to sing.”

    Entertainment Weekly

    “…Traveller is easily, and naturally, the year’s strongest country debut.”

    The Fader

    “It’s easy to imagine masses in sold-out arenas bellowing all the words to ‘Fire Away,’ the crawling country blues track that’s one of many highlights of this debut album. Or, for that matter, most of the album.”

    Los Angeles Times

    “..stunner of a solo debut.”

    Philadelphia Inquirer 

    “…stunning new album…”

    Rolling Stone

    expansive, explosive solo album.”

    Stereogum

    “The much-anticipated Traveller more than meets the expectations of a debut disc by a singer- songwriter who’s been a well-known secret in Nashville for years.”

    The Wall Street Journal

    Traveller was recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional production at The Castle and Blackbird Studio) and was produced by Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell) and Stapleton, and recorded by Vance Powell (Jack White).

    Already a world-renowned songwriter, Stapleton has enjoyed five #1 hits including the five-week No. 1 “Never Wanted Nothing More” recorded by Kenny Chesney, George Strait’s “Love’s Gonna Make it Alright,” Josh Turner‘s “Your Man” and Luke Bryan‘s “Drink A Beer,” which Stapleton is nominated for a CMT Award for Performance of the Year with Lady Antebellum from the recent CMT Artists of the Year show (watch the performance here).

    In support of Traveller, Stapleton will be performing on a series of shows on Eric Church’s The Outsiders World Tour.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about why he recorded “Tennessee Whiskey” for his album, Traveller.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Tennessee Whiskey) OC: …version of it. :41
    “ ‘Tennessee Whiskey’ is a song that I love, you know I love great country songs and songwriters, and this is certainly one that is a great country song written by great country songwriters and performed by a great country artists. Certainly, if you try to cover a George Jones or David Allan Coe, you can’t try to out-George Jones George Jones or anything like that. So, if you’re gonna cover something like that, you need to try to move away from that and hopefully make it your own. We kind of happened upon this way of playing this song and had fun with it live and felt like it was something to record that was a good tip of the hat to things we grew up on and loved. I think it’s a unique and interesting version of it.”

     

  • CHRIS STAPLETON PERFORMS ON ABC’S ‘THE VIEW.’

    Chris Stapleton made his debut on ABC’s The View Tuesday morning (May 5th), performing “Tennessee Whiskey” from his new album, Traveller.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ‘TRAVELLER’ ALBUM IS AVAILABLE NOW!

    Chris Stapleton’s highly anticipated solo debut album, Traveller, is available now. Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional production at The Castle and Blackbird Studio in Middle Tennessee), Traveller was produced by Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell).

    “The song ‘Traveller’ and how it ended up being the title of the record, it seemed like a natural thing to call it, because a lot of, certainly the inspiration for this record came from a series of events,” says Chris. “Another reason is that it can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It’s about a journey in a musical sense and in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense. In every way that you can have a journey, this record is kind of that for me, and hopefully for some other folks too.”

    In addition to renditions of Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove’s “Tennessee Whiskey” (recorded by George Jones and David Allan Coe) and Don Sampson’s “Was It 26,” the album features twelve original songs, including fan-favorite “Sometimes I Cry,” for which Chris returned to RCA Studio A to record a new version of “Sometimes I Cry” live-to-tape in front of an audience.

    Catch him performing “Tennessee Whiskey” on ABC’s The View on Tuesday (5/5), and then performing live on select days on Eric Church’s The Outsiders World Tour.

    TRAVELLER ALBUM TRACKLIST:

    1. Traveller (Chris Stapleton)
      2. Fire Away (Chris Stapleton and Danny Green)
      3. Tennessee Whiskey (Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove)
      4. Parachute (Chris Stapleton and Jim Beavers)
      5. Whiskey And You (Chris Stapleton and Lee Thomas Miller)
      6. Nobody To Blame (Chris Stapleton, Barry Bales and Ronnie Bowman)
      7. More Of You (Chris Stapleton and Ronnie Bowman)
      8. When The Stars Come Out (Chris Stapleton and Dan Wilson)
      9. Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore (Chris Stapleton)
      10. Might As Well Get Stoned (Chris Stapleton and Jimmy Stewart)
      11. Was It 26 (Don Sampson)
      12. The Devil Named Music (Chris Stapleton)
      13. Outlaw State Of Mind (Chris Stapleton, Ronnie Bowman and Jerry Salley)
      14. Sometimes I Cry (Chris Stapleton and Clint Ingersoll)

    Audio / Chris Stapleton explains why he felt why his new album should be named Traveller.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (title of Traveller) OC: …folks too. :43
    “The song ‘Traveller’ and how it ended up being the title of the record, it seemed like a natural thing to call it, because a lot of, certainly the inspiration for this record came from a series of events. It’s kind of the only song that was written inside of, well, there might’ve been one other song written inside of knowing I was going to make this record in this way. The rest of the songs came from outside of that time period. So, that’s one reason to name it that. The other reason is that it can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It’s about a journey in a musical sense and in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense. In every way that you can have a journey, this record is kind of that for me, and hopefully for some other folks too.”

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Traveller available now)

    Download

    Hey! It’s Chris Stapleton. My debut album is called Traveller. It’s available now.

    Video / Behind the Scenes of Traveller

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON HAS ALWAYS HAD MUSIC IN HIS HEART.

    Chris Stapleton has a voice other artists envy and celebrate, having him guest on many of their songs that he wrote, including the No. 1 “Drink a Beer,” as well as two that are on the charts right now – Gary Allan’s “Hangover Tonight” and Thomas Rhett’s “Crash and Burn.” The gravelly, powerful and touching voice has been in Nashville for the last 15 years and tells us he can’t remember a time he didn’t sing.

    “I don’t ever remember not singing. I always sang. I sang with my brother. We would sing at home and sing at church and different things. I don’t ever remember not singing. I don’t have any memory of where I didn’t sing,” says the Kentucky native. “I don’t know how you find that out [of my path as an artist]. I found it out, because I didn’t like anything else. I found out a bunch of things that I was not. I sold cars and drove an ice truck and went to college and did different things, not in that order, but you find out who you’re not. And the thought of doing anything else just made me so miserable. I think that really [laughs] kind of steered my path, for better or worse.”

    Chris’ solo debut album, Traveller, is available on Tuesday (May 5th).

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says he can’t ever remember not singing.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (always sang) OC: …in that way. :51
    “I don’t ever remember not singing. I always sang. I sang with my brother. We would sing at home and sing at church and different things. I don’t ever remember not singing. I don’t have any memory of where I didn’t sing. I was probably terrible. In fact, I know I was terrible at some point, but my parents were kind enough to go, ‘Yeah, you sound great.’ Having parents like that is a wonderful thing when you’re trying to figure out who you are. Beyond that, I don’t know how you find that out. I found it out, because I didn’t like anything else. I found out a bunch of things that I was not. I sold cars and drove an ice truck and went to college and did different things, not in that order, but you find out who you’re not. And the thought of doing anything else just made me so miserable. I think that really [laughs] kind of steered my path, for better or worse. Fortunately, for me, it kind of worked out, but I’m pretty lucky in that way.”

    Video / Traveller Album Trailer

    View
  • A TRIP OUT WEST LEADS CHRIS STAPLETON TO ‘TRAVELLER.’

    Chris Stapleton did a little soul-searching in the desert to really find his “voice” for his solo debut album, Traveller, which comes out Tuesday (May 5th). The collection leads off with the title track, the song that really helped guide the album’s direction.

    “My father passed away in October 2013, and [I] had a single die around the same time on radio, so I needed a little head clearing space. My wife had the presence of mind to know me well enough that I needed that. She bought me an old jeep out in Phoenix, Arizona, and we flew out there and decided to drive it home,” recalls Chris. “Along the way, just driving through the desert, I was thinking about life and how we’re all just passing through it and that’s what the song is. So, as I was driving, I was humming lyrics into my phone and wrote the song then and there. Somewhere in New Mexico, probably, that song was born.”

    Chris, who penned the No. 1 hits “Drink a Beer” for Luke Bryan, “Never Wanted Nothing More” for Kenny Chesney, George Strait’s “Love’s Gonna Make It Alright,” “Come Back Song” for Darius Rucker and “Your Man” for Josh Turner, wrote or co-wrote 12 of the 14 songs on the new project. The other two are covers of “Tennessee Whiskey,” which was recorded by David Allan Coe, as well as George Jones (and written by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove), and “Was It 26,” which was recorded by Charlie Daniels and written by Don Sampson.

    You can catch Chris performing on ABC’s The View on Tuesday.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton explains how he came up with the idea for his single, “Traveller.”

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Traveller single) OC: …was born. :37
    “My father passed away in October 2013, and [I] had a single die around the same time on radio, so I needed a little head clearing space. My wife had the presence of mind to know me well enough that I needed that. She bought me an old jeep out in Phoenix, Arizona, and we flew out there and decided to drive it home. Along the way, just driving through the desert, I was thinking about life and how we’re all just passing through it and that’s what the song is. So, as I was driving, I was humming lyrics into my phone and wrote the song then and there. Somewhere in New Mexico, probably, that song was born.”

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Traveller)

    Download
  • CHRIS STAPLETON MAKES HIS SOLO NETWORK TELEVISION DEBUT ON LETTERMAN!

    Check out Chris Stapleton‘s performance of his new single, “Traveller,” here on the Late Show With David Letterman on Tuesday night (April 14th). The song goes for ADDs on April 27th, and it’s the title track from his new album, Traveller, which drops May 5th.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON MAKES HIS NETWORK TELEVISION SOLO DEBUT ON LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN ON TUESDAY!

    Chris Stapleton will make his network television solo debut tomorrow night on the “Late Show With David Letterman.” The performance celebrates his highly anticipated debut solo album, Traveller, which will be released May 5th on Mercury Records Nashville and is now available for pre-order. Stapleton is also featured this week as part of the VEVO DSCVR program. Watch Stapleton’s exclusive, stripped down performance of two new album tracks here: “Traveller” and “Fire Away.” Artists previously featured in the program include Tove Lo, Hozier, Jamestown Revival, MisterWives and more.

    In addition to several tour dates with Eric Church, Stapleton will embark on a series of special headlining performances this spring including album release shows at New York’s Mercury Lounge on May 5 and Nashville’s Cannery Ballroom on May 8 and May 9. He is also confirmed to perform at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 2, New York’s Farmborough Festival on June 26, Delaware’s Big Barrel Country Music Festival on June 27 and Louisville’s Forecastle Festival on July 19. See below for complete tour details.

    As part of Record Store Day 2015, Mercury Records Nashville will release a limited edition 10” vinyl, IN STEREO, which features three tracks from Traveller—“When The Stars Come Out,” “Fire Away” and “Tennessee Whiskey.” Stapleton will celebrate the release with a special in-store performance at Dallas’ Good Records on Saturday, April 18 at 12:00 P.M.

    In advance of the release, the album track “When The Stars Come Out” recently premiered at the Los Angeles Times and can now be heard/shared here. Of the music, the Los Angeles Times’ Randy Lewis praises, “…positions him among the ranks of a new wave of musicians who are mindful of tradition but who also are striving to inject fresh ideas and modes of expression into country and bluegrass.” Additionally, NPR Music recently premiered the first single and title track praising, “‘Traveller’ gives Stapleton’s loyal admirers what they’ve been craving: a consummately crafted song that’s also vibrant and immediate, traditionalist without being the least bit fussy about it…He’s a treasure who deserves the kind of genre-spanning audience a song like this one courts. Southern rock, Americana, country, long-haired soul—call ‘Traveller’ whatever feels right. It belongs in all of those categories. It belongs in your day, whatever kind you’re having.” Moreover, of the single, The New York Times asserts, “On this howling, earthy, spacious album, Mr. Stapleton’s voice is liquor-thick and three-drinks limber. That’s not the modern country model of manliness, which is preening and glossy, but a reminder of the genre’s haggard strain that long predates it,” while Country Weekly declares, “Every once in a while you run into a singer here in Nashville who just blows you away, an artist who can create sound in an effortless manner and transport your soul out of this world. This morning that someone proved to be Chris Stapleton.” The single can now be heard/shared here.

    Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional production at The Castle and Blackbird Studio), Traveller was produced by Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell) and recorded by Vance Powell (Jack White). In addition to renditions of Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove’s “Tennessee Whiskey” and Don Sampson’s “Was It 26,” the album features twelve original songs, including fan-favorite “Sometimes I Cry.” Recently, during a special album reveal party, Stapleton returned to RCA Studio A to record a new version of “Sometimes I Cry” live-to-tape in front of an audience—allowing a unique, once-in-a-lifetime glimpse inside the making of the album.

    Of the album, Stapleton comments, “This record was made standing on the shoulders of friends, family, and heroes. I hope people enjoy listening to it as much as I’ve enjoyed making it.”

    Over the course of his acclaimed career, Stapleton has enjoyed five #1 singles, including “Drink A Beer” (co-written by Jim Beavers and recorded by Luke Bryan), which is nominated for “Song of the Year” at the 2015 ACM Awards. He has also penned over 170 album cuts, including songs recorded by Adele, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley, and has such notable co-writers as Vince Gill, Peter Frampton and Sheryl Crow among others. Additionally, Stapleton has shared the stage with such respected artists as Gill, Alison Krauss, Marty Stuart, Emmylou Harris and more. As lead vocalist for critically acclaimed bluegrass band The SteelDrivers, Stapleton earned three Grammy nominations including “Best Bluegrass Album,” as well as an International Bluegrass Music Association Award for “Emerging Artist of the Year.” He’s also won eight ASCAP Awards and has contributed to the soundtracks of several feature films including “Cars 2” and “Valentine’s Day.”

    TRAVELLER ALBUM TRACKLIST:

    1. Traveller (Chris Stapleton)
    2. Fire Away (Chris Stapleton and Danny Green)
    3. Tennessee Whiskey (Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove)
    4. Parachute (Chris Stapleton and Jim Beavers)
    5. Whiskey And You (Chris Stapleton and Lee Thomas Miller)
    6. Nobody To Blame (Chris Stapleton, Barry Bales and Ronnie Bowman)
    7. More Of You (Chris Stapleton and Ronnie Bowman)
    8. When The Stars Come Out (Chris Stapleton and Dan Wilson)
    9. Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore (Chris Stapleton)
    10. Might As Well Get Stoned (Chris Stapleton and Jimmy Stewart)
    11. Was It 26 (Don Sampson)
    12. The Devil Named Music (Chris Stapleton)
    13. Outlaw State Of Mind (Chris Stapleton, Ronnie Bowman and Jerry Salley)
    14. Sometimes I Cry (Chris Stapleton and Clint Ingersoll)

    CHRIS STAPLETON CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

    April 16—Dallas, TX—City Tavern

    April 18—Dallas, TX—Good Records in-store

    April 30—Boston, MA—TD Garden*

    May 2—New Orleans, LA—New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

    May 5—New York, NY—Mercury Lounge

    May 8—Nashville, TN—Cannery Ballroom (SOLD OUT)

    May 9—Nashville, TN—Cannery Ballroom (on-sale Friday, April 10)

    May 15—Park City, KS—Hartman Arena†

    May 19—Columbia, MO—The Blue Note

    May 20—Lincoln, NE—Pinnacle Bank Arena*

    May 22—Rapid City, SD—Rushmore Plaza Civic Center*

    May 23—Bozeman, MT—Brick Breeden Fieldhouse*

    May 24—Billings, MT—The Pub Station

    May 28—Denver, CO—Bluebird Theater

    May 30—St. Louis, MO—The Firebird

    June 5—Athens, GA—Georgia Theatre

    June 6—Macon, GA—Cox Capitol Theatre

    June 7—Birmingham, AL—Iron City

    June 26—New York, NY—Farmborough Festival

    June 27—Dover, DE—Big Barrel Country Music Festival

    June 28—Charleston, WV—Mountain Stage

    July 3—Fort Worth, TX—Billy Bob’s Texas 4th of July Picnic

    July 12—Chicago, IL—Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Fest

    July 19—Louisville, KY—Forecastle Festival

    *with Eric Church

    †with Gary Allan

  • CHRIS STAPLETON IS GETTING DSCVR’D!

    Chris Stapleton is gearing up for his Traveller album release May 5th with a performance on David Letterman Tuesday night (April 14th) and VEVO’s DSCVR series. Check out acoustic versions of his single, “Traveller,” and the song “Fire Away” from his new album, which you can pre-order now at iTunes.

    The ‘Traveller’ video features up to 20 facts about Chris that you may not know.

    Video / Chris Stapleton Traveller for VEVO DSCVR Series

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    Video / Chris Stapleton Fire Away

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON HAS ‘STARS’ IN HIS SIGHTS.

    Chris Stapleton’s “When The Stars Come Out” from his forthcoming album, Traveller, premiered yesterday at the Los Angeles Times and can now be heard/shared here. Of the music, the Los Angeles Times’ Randy Lewis praises, “…positions him among the ranks of a new wave of musicians who are mindful of tradition but who also are striving to inject fresh ideas and modes of expression into country and bluegrass.”

    The track is from Stapleton’s highly anticipated debut solo album, Traveller, which will be released May 5 on Mercury Records Nashville and is now available for pre-order. In advance of the release, Stapleton will make his network television debut next Tuesday, April 14 on the “Late Show with David Letterman.”

    In addition to several tour dates with Eric Church, Stapleton will embark on a series of special headlining performances this spring including album release shows at New York’s Mercury Lounge on May 5 and Nashville’s Cannery Ballroom on May 8 and May 9. He is also confirmed to perform at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 2, New York’s Farmborough Festival on June 26, Delaware’s Big Barrel Country Music Festival on June 27 and Louisville’s Forecastle Festival on July 19. See below for complete tour details.

    As part of Record Store Day 2015, Mercury Records Nashville will release a limited edition 10” vinyl, IN STEREO, which features three tracks from Traveller—“When The Stars Come Out,” “Fire Away” and “Tennessee Whiskey.” Stapleton will celebrate the release with a special in-store performance at Dallas’ Good Records on Saturday, April 18 at 12:00 P.M.

    Already receiving widespread acclaim, NPR Music recently premiered the first single and title track praising, “‘Traveller’ gives Stapleton’s loyal admirers what they’ve been craving: a consummately crafted song that’s also vibrant and immediate, traditionalist without being the least bit fussy about it…He’s a treasure who deserves the kind of genre-spanning audience a song like this one courts. Southern rock, Americana, country, long-haired soul—call ‘Traveller’ whatever feels right. It belongs in all of those categories. It belongs in your day, whatever kind you’re having.” Additionally, of the single, The New York Times asserts, “On this howling, earthy, spacious album, Mr. Stapleton’s voice is liquor-thick and three-drinks limber. That’s not the modern country model of manliness, which is preening and glossy, but a reminder of the genre’s haggard strain that long predates it,” while Country Weekly declares, “Every once in a while you run into a singer here in Nashville who just blows you away, an artist who can create sound in an effortless manner and transport your soul out of this world. This morning that someone proved to be Chris Stapleton.” The single can now be heard/shared here.

    Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional production at The Castle and Blackbird Studio), Traveller was produced by Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell) and recorded by Vance Powell (Jack White). In addition to renditions of Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove’s “Tennessee Whiskey” and Don Sampson’s “Was It 26,” the album features twelve original songs, including fan-favorite “Sometimes I Cry.” Recently, during a special album reveal party, Stapleton returned to RCA Studio A to record a new version of “Sometimes I Cry” live-to-tape in front of an audience—allowing a unique, once-in-a-lifetime glimpse inside the making of the album.

    Of the album, Stapleton comments, “This record was made standing on the shoulders of friends, family, and heroes. I hope people enjoy listening to it as much as I’ve enjoyed making it.”

    Over the course of his acclaimed career, Stapleton has enjoyed five #1 singles, including “Drink A Beer” (co-written by Jim Beavers and recorded by Luke Bryan), which is nominated for “Song of the Year” at the 2015 ACM Awards. He has also penned over 170 album cuts, including songs recorded by Adele, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley, and has such notable co-writers as Vince Gill, Peter Frampton and Sheryl Crow among others. Additionally, Stapleton has shared the stage with such respected artists as Gill, Alison Krauss, Marty Stuart, Emmylou Harris and more. As lead vocalist for critically acclaimed bluegrass band The SteelDrivers, Stapleton earned three Grammy nominations including “Best Bluegrass Album,” as well as an International Bluegrass Music Association Award for “Emerging Artist of the Year.” He’s also won eight ASCAP Awards and has contributed to the soundtracks of several feature films including “Cars 2” and “Valentine’s Day.”

    TRAVELLER ALBUM TRACKLIST:

    1. Traveller (Chris Stapleton)
    2. Fire Away (Chris Stapleton and Danny Green)
    3. Tennessee Whiskey (Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove)
    4. Parachute (Chris Stapleton and Jim Beavers)
    5. Whiskey And You (Chris Stapleton and Lee Thomas Miller)
    6. Nobody To Blame (Chris Stapleton, Barry Bales and Ronnie Bowman)
    7. More Of You (Chris Stapleton and Ronnie Bowman)
    8. When The Stars Come Out (Chris Stapleton and Dan Wilson)
    9. Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore (Chris Stapleton)
    10. Might As Well Get Stoned (Chris Stapleton and Jimmy Stewart)
    11. Was It 26 (Don Sampson)
    12. The Devil Named Music (Chris Stapleton)
    13. Outlaw State Of Mind (Chris Stapleton, Ronnie Bowman and Jerry Salley)
    14. Sometimes I Cry (Chris Stapleton and Clint Ingersoll)

    CHRIS STAPLETON CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

    April 16—Dallas, TX—City Tavern

    April 18—Dallas, TX—Good Records in-store

    April 30—Boston, MA—TD Garden*

    May 2—New Orleans, LA—New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

    May 5—New York, NY—Mercury Lounge

    May 8—Nashville, TN—Cannery Ballroom (SOLD OUT)

    May 9—Nashville, TN—Cannery Ballroom (on-sale Friday, April 10)

    May 15—Park City, KS—Hartman Arena†

    May 19—Columbia, MO—The Blue Note

    May 20—Lincoln, NE—Pinnacle Bank Arena*

    May 22—Rapid City, SD—Rushmore Plaza Civic Center*

    May 23—Bozeman, MT—Brick Breeden Fieldhouse*

    May 24—Billings, MT—The Pub Station

    May 28—Denver, CO—Bluebird Theater

    May 30—St. Louis, MO—The Firebird

    June 5—Athens, GA—Georgia Theatre

    June 6—Macon, GA—Cox Capitol Theatre

    June 7—Birmingham, AL—Iron City

    June 26—New York, NY—Farmborough Festival

    June 27—Dover, DE—Big Barrel Country Music Festival

    June 28—Charleston, WV—Mountain Stage

    July 3—Fort Worth, TX—Billy Bob’s Texas 4th of July Picnic

    July 12—Chicago, IL—Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Fest

    July 19—Louisville, KT—Forecastle Festival

    *with Eric Church

    †with Gary Allen

  • CHRIS STAPLETON WILL RELEASE HIS SOLO DEBUT ALBUM, ‘TRAVELLER,’ IN MAY.

    “His voice is just incredible…it’s like caramel.”—Adele

    “REAL music fans already know. So, mainstream: Chris Stapleton. Remember that name…”—Justin Timberlake

    “One of the best singers on the planet. It’s ridiculous…so good. So good”—Little Big Town

    “Stapleton’s writing is masterful, but his huge country/blues voice—think Gregg Allman by way of the Kentucky coal mines—is what will really blow your hair back and make you literally feel every word he sings.”—Rolling Stone

    “Every once in a while you run into a singer here in Nashville who just blows you away, an artist who can create sound in an effortless manner and transport your soul out of this world. This morning that someone proved to be Chris Stapleton.”—Country Weekly

    Nashville, Tenn. – Chris Stapleton’s highly anticipated solo debut album, Traveller, will be released May 5 on Mercury Records Nashville. As a special preview, a behind-the-scenes album trailer can now be viewed here.

    Already a world-renowned songwriter, Stapleton has enjoyed five #1 hits including the five-week No. 1 “Never Wanted Nothing More” recorded by Kenny Chesney, George Strait’s “Love’s Gonna Make it Alright” and Luke Bryan’s “Drink A Beer,” which Stapleton recently performed with Lady Antebellum at the recent CMT “Artists of the Year” show (watch the performance here).

    Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional production at The Castle and Blackbird Studio), Traveller was produced by Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell) and recorded by Vance Powell (Jack White). In addition to renditions of Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove’s “Tennessee Whiskey” and Don Sampson’s “Was It 26,” the album features twelve original songs, including fan-favorite “Sometimes I Cry.” Last night, during a special album reveal party, Stapleton returned to RCA Studio A to record a new version of “Sometimes I Cry” live-to-tape in front of an audience—allowing a unique, once-in-a-lifetime glimpse inside the making of the album. The track is currently being mastered and will be added to the final track-listing very shortly.

    Of his inspiration behind the record, Stapleton comments, “This record was made standing on the shoulders of friends, family, and heroes. I hope people enjoy listening to it as much as I’ve enjoyed making it.”

    Over the course of his acclaimed career, Stapleton has penned over 170 album cuts, including songs recorded by Adele, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley, and has such notable co-writers as Vince Gill, Peter Frampton and Sheryl Crow among others. Additionally, Stapleton has shared the stage with such respected artists as Gill, Alison Krauss, Marty Stuart, Emmylou Harris and more. As lead vocalist for critically acclaimed bluegrass band The SteelDrivers, Stapleton earned three Grammy nominations including “Best Bluegrass Album,” as well as an International Bluegrass Music Association Award for“Emerging Artist of the Year.” He’s also won eight ASCAP Awards and has contributed to the soundtracks of several feature films including “Cars 2” and “Valentine’s Day.”

    In celebration of the release, Stapleton will join Little Big Town on their Pain Killer Tour in March followed by a series of The Outsiders World Tour shows with Eric Church in May.

    TRAVELLER ALBUM TRACKLIST:

    1. Traveller (Chris Stapleton)

    2. Fire Away (Chris Stapleton and Danny Green)

    3. Tennessee Whiskey (Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove)

    4. Parachute (Chris Stapleton and Jim Beavers)

    5. Whiskey And You (Chris Stapleton and Lee Thomas Miller)

    6. Nobody To Blame (Chris Stapleton, Barry Bales and Ronnie Bowman)

    7. More Of You (Chris Stapleton and Ronnie Bowman)

    8. When The Stars Come Out (Chris Stapleton and Dan Wilson)

    9. Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore (Chris Stapleton)

    10. Might As Well Get Stoned (Chris Stapleton and Jimmy Stewart)

    11. Was It 26 (Don Sampson)

    12. The Devil Named Music (Chris Stapleton)

    13. Outlaw State Of Mind (Chris Stapleton, Ronnie Bowman and Jerry Salley)

    TBD Sometimes I Cry (Chris Stapleton and Clint Ingersoll)

     

    Video / Traveller trailer

  • CHRIS STAPLETON WILL PERFORM ‘DRINK A BEER’ WITH LUKE BRYAN ON CMA AWARDS. (PRESS RELEASE)

    Nashville, TN- Nov. 5, 2013- Mercury recording artist and soul shaking vocalist Chris Stapleton will perform “Drink A Beer” with Luke Bryan on the 47th Annual CMA Awards on Wed., Nov. 6th on ABC.  Stapleton penned the song along with Jim Beavers, and he also provides vocals on the track found on Bryan’s recently released Platinum certified album “Crash My Party.”  Stapleton is currently putting the finishing touches on his solo country debut for Mercury.
     
    “It’s always amazing to get the news that one of your songs is going to be cut by another artist, and I’ve been really lucky to have some success with that over the years,” said Stapleton.  “Luke asked me to sing on the track for his new album, and we’ve performed it live together, but I’m especially honored he asked me to stand up there with him on the CMA’s on Wednesday night.”
     
    A native of the small town of Paintsville, KY and son of a coal miner, Stapleton made the move to Nashville in 2001 to learn the craft of songwriting and pursue a career in music.  A decade later, he has scored No. one country hits with songs penned for superstars including George Strait and Kenny Chesney, and he’s racked up over 170 album cuts. Stapleton has already had a diverse singing career that includes stints as lead vocalist for GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass band The SteelDrivers and lead vocalist in the howling rock and roll band The Jompson Brothers.  
  • CHRIS STAPLETON “GET CLEARED WITH YOUR BEARD” CAMPAIGN

    CHRIS STAPLETON OFFERS VIP ACCESS TO CONCERTS IN “GET CLEARED WITH 
    YOUR BEARD” CAMPAIGN

     

    Nashville, TN – Sept. 23, 2013 – GRAMMY nominated singer/songwriter and professional hair grower Chris Stapleton is calling on his fans to submit photos of their facial hair via social media for the chance to win a place on his guest list at one of his shows, beginning with Joe’s Bar in Chicago on Sept. 27.  The ongoing campaign, “Get Cleared With Your Beard,” launched today and encourages fans to get creative with their submissions.  

    “It’s funny, I get a lot of questions right off the bat from fans about my beard, which always makes for a great conversation starter…we just get straight down to the personal stuff,” laughed Stapleton.  “I decided to have some fun with it and celebrate the beard…women too!  If your husband or boyfriend or brother, or even your grandma has a beard and you are proud of it, then send in your photos!”  

    Fans can submit photos of their beard with the hashtag #GetClearedWithYourBeard to Stapleton’s Facebook ( facebook.com/chrisstapletonofficial), Twitter ( @ChrisStapleton) or Instagram ( @CAStapleton).

    Visit   www.ChrisStapleton.com, facebook.com/chrisstapletonofficial, twitter.com/ChrisStapleton or instagram.com/CAStapleton for more information.

  • CHRIS STAPLETON’S ‘WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?’ GETS THE LYRICAL TREATMENT. (VIDEO)

    Chris Stapleton‘s “What Are You Listening To?’ is climbing the country charts. We’ve taken the liberty of putting together a lyric video for the song, which has a cool vintage feel to it.  

    Video / Chris Stapleton - What Are You Listening To?

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  • LUKE BRYAN GETS HIS ‘DRINK’ ON WITH CHRIS STAPLETON ON ‘CRASH MY PARTY.’ (AUDIO AND VIDEO)

    Luke Bryan is set to hit stores with his fourth studio album, Crash My Party, on Tuesday (August 13th). The collection features his three-week No. 1 hit with the title track, as well as his current smash, “That’s My Kind of Night.” Another track on the album is “Drink a Beer,” which features singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton on background vocals – Chris also co-wrote the song with Jim Beavers. Luke, who says the song is a piece of art, compares Stapleton to the fastest man in the world. “Having Chris Stapleton sing background on it, that’s like heaven. That’s like me being in a foot race with Usain Bolt [sprinter and 6-time Olympic gold medalist] or something,” says Luke. “Having Chris Stapleton sing, he’s the best singer on the planet to me. So, for him to come in and lend his backgrounds on it takes this song even yet to a higher level with just how powerful he is as a singer and an artist.”

    Luke is currently making his way up the country charts with “That’s My Kind of Night.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan (Stapleton on Drink a Beer)

    Download
    AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about singer/songwriter Chris Stapleton who wrote “Drink a Beer,” and also sings background vocals on the song.

    Luke Bryan (Stapleton on Drink a Beer) OC: …piece of work. :36
    “Having Chris Stapleton sing background on it that’s like heaven. That’s like me being in a foot race with Usain Bolt [sprinter and 6-time Olympic gold medalist] or something.  Having Chris Stapleton sing, he’s the best singer on the planet to me. So, for him to come in and lend his backgrounds on it takes this song even yet to a higher level with just how powerful he is as a singer and an artist, and he wrote the song also with Jim Beavers. I’m honored to say I’m starting to do some pieces of works. It feels like a true piece of work.”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan CMP in stores August 13

    Download

    [[3]]

  • CHRIS STAPLETON IS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION AS HE RELEASES HIS DEBUT SINGLE! (PRESS RELEASE)

    Early Buzz From Other Artists and Critics Fueling Debut Solo Project

    Stapleton Added to Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley: Locked & Reloaded Tour

    Nashville, TN – June 17, 2013 – The wait is over for fans of Grammy nominated vocalist and hit songwriter Chris Stapleton as he steps out of the pages of other artist’s liner notes and into the spotlight with the release of his debut country single for Mercury Nashville, “What Are You Listening To?”  The song shipped to radio today with an official add date of 7/1 and is available for purchase across all digital platforms on 7/2. 

    “When Mercury approached me about making a record for them, I was really flattered and humbled, but it also made me do some real soul searching about the kind of record I would want to make,” said Stapleton.  “I’m really happy with the songs we’ve written and how the album is coming together, and I’m excited to finally release the lead single and for what 2013 has in store.  My biggest wish is that people hear these songs and they are moved in some way…that they are reminded of someone they love or someone they lost or even of themselves.” 

    With over 170 album cuts as a songwriter and one of the most sought after session players and singers in Nashville, artists and critics are already showering praise on Stapleton even prior to single release.  

    “Without a shadow of a doubt, Chris Stapleton has one of the greatest voices on planet earth.”  Luke Bryan

    “There’s nobody on country radio with a voice as powerful and soulful as Chris Stapleton’s.”  Dierks Bentley

    “His voice is just incredible…it’s like caramel.”  Adele

    Additionally, Music Row’s Robert Oermann describes the debut single as “sublimely soulful” and dubbed Stapleton “the Next Great Vocalist in country music…his powerful singing has always deserved its own spotlight.” 

    Press can preview “What Are You Listening To?” and get to know Stapleton in the video at www.ChrisStapleton.com

    In the past week, Stapleton played his first-ever solo shows at Bonnaroo and CMA Music Festival.  He has also just been invited to join Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley during the Fall leg of the Locked and Reloaded Tour, starting Oct. 10 in Lincoln, NE with more shows to be announced soon.  

    A native of the small town of Staffordsville, KY (pop: 2400) and son of a coal miner, Stapleton made the move to Nashville in 2001 to learn the craft of songwriting and pursue a career in music.  A decade later, he has scored four No. one country hits with songs penned for George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Darius Rucker and Josh Turner, and has racked up over 170 album cuts for artists including Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Alan Jackson.  Stapleton has already had a diverse singing career that includes stints as lead vocalist for GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass band The SteelDrivers and lead vocalist in the howling rock and roll band The Jompson Brothers. 

    For updated tour dates and more information please visit www.ChrisStapleton.com

  • CHRIS AND MORGANE STAPLETON, KEITH URBAN AND VINCE GILL ARE AMONG THE ARTISTS WHO HAVE SIGNED ON FOR HEAL THE MUSIC DAY.

    The fifth annual “Heal The Music Day” will be October 21st, 2022 and music makers across all genres are invited to join Chris & Morgan Stapleton, Lauren Daigle, Keith Urban, Rodney Crowell, Ronnie Dunn, Tina Parol, Vince Gill, Wiatr & Associates, and many more to raise awareness and funding to support Music Health Alliance (MHA). In just nine years, MHA has provided free healthcare advocacy and access to life-saving health and financial resources to more than 18,000 working music professionals nationwide and is entirely funded through individual and corporate donations and grants.

    Launched in 2017, Heal The Music Day is the brainchild of Grammy-winning musician Rodney Crowell who is championing this year’s campaign with MHA in an effort to raise awareness and support for the emergency and ongoing medical needs of our country’s creative community, 76% of whom are self- employed or part of a small business, many with limited and unpredictable resources, and often uninsured or under-insured for healthcare. To participate, members of the music community — including artists, songwriters, producers, publishers, publicists, promoters, business managers, record label executives, booking agents, attorneys, venues, stylists and more — can pledge a percentage of a single day earnings or event to support MHA’s life-saving services and help their fellow music makers who are in need.

    “In the world of the working musician, good health is something most of us take for granted – that is, until something goes wrong,” says Crowell. “The healthcare advocates at MHA ensure that no music professional must face a healthcare crisis alone. It is crucial to support MHA’s work to heal the music and the best part is that music makers don’t have to do anything that they are not already doing. Pledges can be as simple as a percent of a concert, event, creative work, or single donation made for Heal The Music Day October 21.”

    Through personal and compassionate healthcare advocates, Music Health Alliance’s free services range from access to doctors, specialists, diagnostic testing, hospitals, medicine, health insurance, Medicare and senior care, mental health support, dental and vision resources, end of life care, and financial assistance resources during times of illness. For every $1 donated, MHA can provide $30 in healthcare support and services.

    “Heal The Music Day is not only our largest fundraiser, but also an opportunity for the music industry to step up and support their fellow musicians in need. The need for our services has increased more than 65% this year over last, with mental health support growing more than 300% over the past two years. Our goal is to raise more than $300,000 this year to meet the continued increase in critical need and ensure that nobody working in the music industry will ever have to walk a health crisis alone. Heal The Music Day is a great investment into the long-term health and wellness of the music industry as a whole,” says Tatum Allsep, MHA Founder and CEO.

    Pledges made for Heal The Music Day will continue the impact of MHA’s services on our country’s working musicians since 2013.

    • Healthcare support for 18,000 music industry professionals served in 49 states
    • 2,380 families saved from bankruptcy due to medical bills
    • 28 music professionals assisted with life-saving heart, liver, kidney, and lung transplants
    • More than 912,000 meals, medicine, health insurance premiums, and doctor visits provided for the most vulnerable music industry professionals during Covid relief
    • $85 million in healthcare costs saved for working musicians and their families

    Become a Heal The Music Day partner and make a pledge at https://www.healthemusic.com/. Through an anonymous matching donor, all donations made October 1-21 will be matched up to $25,000, doubling the impact of donations by music makers and music supporters alike.

    As advocates, Music Health Alliance fights so those in our industry never have to feel alone in a health crisis. Thanks to the direct efforts of Music Health Alliance, members of the music community across the country have gained access to lifesaving cancer treatment, transplants, medications to treat Parkinson’s, end of life care, and many other crucial services. Its services are free to any person who has worked in the music industry for three or more years, or who has credited contributions to 4 commercially released recordings or videos. Spouses, partners, and children of qualifying individuals may also receive access to the non-profit’s services from birth to end of life.

    To learn more about Music Health Alliance’s free services and how you can take part in “Heal The Music Day,” contact MHA at 615-200-6896 or info@musichealthalliance.com and learn more at MusicHealthAlliance.com.

    MUSIC HEALTH ALLIANCE
    Founded in 2013 and based in Nashville, Music Health Alliance (MHA) has provided free healthcare advocacy and lifesaving support and resources to more than 18,000 music industry members across 49 states in the non-profit’s first nine years. MHA has supported songwriters, musicians, performers, producers, engineers, venue operators, artist managers, agents, publishers, business managers, and more by providing access to medicine, mental health resources, COVID-19 relief, diagnostic tests, lifesaving transplants, end of life care, and many other necessary services, saving more than $85,000,000 in healthcare costs for the nationwide music community in less than a decade. Entirely funded through grants and individual and corporate donations, financial support from the music community is critical to continue MHA’s advocacy and free services. For every $1 donation, MHA is able to provide $30 in life-saving healthcare resources to Heal The Music. MHA fights so those in our industry never have to feel alone in a health crisis and removes obstacles so patients can receive lifesaving care. All MHA services are free to any person who has worked in the music industry for three or more years or who has credited contributions to 4 commercially released recordings or videos. Spouses, partners, and children of qualifying individuals may also receive access to the non-profit’s services from birth to end of life. More info at www.musichealthalliance.com.

  • CHRIS AND MORGANE STAPLETON PERFORM “STARTING OVER” AT 54TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS.

    Chris and Morgane Stapleton performed a “spellbinding” (Billboard) version of “Starting Over” during last night’s 54th Annual CMA Awards. Watch HERE. Later in the evening, Stapleton joined “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for “A Very Covid Christmas” and will return to the show tonight for a performance and chat with the host.

    “Starting Over” is the title track of Stapleton’s anticipated new album, which will be released tomorrow on Mercury Records Nashville (pre-order/pre-save). As a special preview, SiriusXM will debut the full album today across all country channels. The special will feature stories and insight from the two men closest to the project, producer and six-time Grammy Award winner Dave Cobb and Stapleton himself. Full details here.

    Already receiving widespread acclaim, the Associated Press declares, “a sure-footed masterpiece…one of the year’s finest albums,” while Entertainment Weekly praises, “…a dynamite and dynamic new album from the mighty-voiced Kentucky native…the singer-songwriter is hitting new heights, nailing the crossroads of country, rock, gospel, and pop across 14 tracks.” Stapleton was also recently featured on NBC’s “Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist.” Watch the full profile HERE.

    Starting Over is an album of startling prescience—completed in late February only days before the shutdown began. Across its fourteen tracks are songs that examine life’s simplest joys and most serious struggles. Alongside eleven songs written by Stapleton with both longtime friends and new collaborators are three carefully chosen covers: John Fogerty’s “Joy Of My Life” and Guy Clark’s “Worry B Gone” and “Old Friends.” The resulting album—both timely and timeless—speaks to and transcends the current moment in ways unimaginable even while it was being created.

    The album finds Stapleton back in his second home, Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional work done at Muscle Shoals Sound and Compass Sound Studio), surrounded by his trusted collaborators as well as some new faces. Produced by Cobb (who also plays acoustic guitar), the record features his beloved wife, Morgane Stapleton (vocals, tambourine), with J.T. Cure (bass) and Derek Mixon (drums). Special guests include legendary musicians Mike Campbell (electric guitar), Benmont Tench (Hammond B3 organ) and Paul Franklin (pedal steel) as well as the All Voices Choir who are featured on “Watch You Burn,” written by Stapleton and Campbell.

    Kentucky-born Stapleton is a 5x Grammy, 10x CMA and 7x ACM Award-winner and one of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians. Following 2015’s quadruple platinum breakthrough solo debut album Traveller, Stapleton released two No. 1 albums in 2017. Both From A Room: Volume 1 (certified platinum) and From A Room: Volume 2 (certified gold) take their name from legendary RCA Studio A, where they were recorded with Cobb. Released to overwhelming critical acclaim, The Tennessean praises, “Both are rich with the textures of Stapleton’s vocals that make him one of country music’s most beloved artists, classic country sounds and thoughtful articulate lyrics about love, life and pain.” He was recently announced as the first-ever “Artist-Songwriter of the Decade” recipient by the Academy of Country Music and, next year, will be the subject of a new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

    Stapleton’s “All-American Road Show” tour is planned to resume next year. Highlights include headline shows at Washington State’s Gorge Amphitheatre, Chicago’s Wrigley Field, New York’s Madison Square Garden and “A Concert for Kentucky”—a special performance benefitting his newly created Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund to be held at University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field on April 24. Presented by Live Nation, the performance is the first concert ever held at UK’s Kroger Field and will feature very special guests Willie Nelson & Family, Sheryl Crow and Yola. 100% of the concert’s net proceeds will go toward Chris and Morgane Stapleton’s Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund. Established in partnership with the Blue Grass Community Foundation, the fund will specifically support local and national organizations directly impacting Kentucky, with initial grant distributions focusing on music and arts education. See below for complete itinerary.

  • 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.

  • ACM NOMINATIONS 2024: Chris, Brothers Osborne, Eric, Jordan, Parker, Maddie & Tae, Little Big Town, Kacey, Kassi,Kylie and more

    The nominations for the 59th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards were announced today (April 9th), and Universal Music Group has several nominated artists.

    The reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year Chris Stapleton has five nods, including one for Entertainer of the Year, as well as his ninth consecutive nomination for Male Artist of the Year, an award he’s won three times in the past. Chris is also up for Album of the Year (Higher – Artist & Producer nominations) and Artist-Songwriter of the Year.

    Morgane Stapleton receives her first nomination as a producer on her husband Chris Stapleton’s album Higher. 

    Jordan Davis earns four nominations, including Single of the Year (“Next Thing You Know”), Song of the Year (“Next Thing You Know” – Artist & Songwriter nominations) and Visual Media of the Year (“Next Thing You Know”).

     

    Brothers Osborne’s nomination for Duo of the Year marks their 17th ACM nomination and the tenth year in a row being nominated for ACM Duo of the Year, an award the pair has brought home four times, including last year.

    Kacey Musgraves’ two nominations this year brings her total nominations count to 27, including eight nominations for Female Artist of the Year. She won the award in 2018, the same year she won Album of the Year for Golden Hour. She is nominatied for Female Artist of the Year and Music Event of the Year (“I Remember Everything” w/ Zach Bryan).

    2022’s New Male Artist of the Year Parker McCollum received two nominations for Single of the Year (“Burn It Down”) and Visual Media of the Year (“Burn It Down”).

    https://twitter.com/ParkerMcCollum/status/1777721612227260593

     

    Little Big Town receives its 18th nomination for Group of the Year, which ties the group for the all-time record of 18 nominations for Group of the Year held by Alabama. Little Big Town has been nominated in the category every year since 2005, with the exception of 2011.

    Maddie & Tae are nominated for Duo of the Year, along with Brothers Osborne and The War And Treaty.

    https://twitter.com/MaddieandTae/status/1777711532987621883

     

    Kassi Ashton and Kylie Morgan have earned their first ACM nomination, which is for New Female Artist of the Year.

     

    https://twitter.com/KassiAshton/status/1777701763279163456

     

    https://twitter.com/kyliemorgan/status/1777774399719985276

    Eric Church is nominated for Music Event of the Year for “Man Made A Bar,” along with Morgan Wallen.

    The 59th Annual ACM Awards will stream live from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on May 16th at 8pm ET/7pm CT/5pm PDT on Prime Video.  You can also catch offical red carpet coverage on Prime Video, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch and P, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch and Amazon Live, starting at 7 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. CDT/4 p.m. PDT.

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

    • Kane Brown
    • Luke Combs
    • Jelly Roll
    • Cody Johnson
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Morgan Wallen
    • Lainey Wilson

    FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    • Kelsea Ballerini
    • Ashley McBryde
    • Megan Moroney
    • Kacey Musgraves
    • Lainey Wilson

    MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    • Luke Combs
    • Jelly Roll
    • Cody Johnson
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Morgan Wallen

     DUO OF THE YEAR

    • Brooks & Dunn
    • Brothers Osborne 
    • Dan + Shay
    • Maddie & Tae 
    • The War And Treaty

    GROUP OF THE YEAR

    • Flatland Cavalry
    • Lady A
    • Little Big Town 
    • Old Dominion
    • Zac Brown Band

    NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    • Kassi Ashton
    • Ashley Cooke
    • Hannah Ellis
    • Kylie Morgan 
    • Megan Moroney

    NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    • ERNEST
    • Kameron Marlowe
    • Dylan Scott
    • Conner Smith
    • Nate Smith

    NEW DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR

    • Neon Union
    • Restless Road
    • Tigirlily Gold

     

    ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    Gettin’ Old – Luke Combs
    Producer: Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton, Luke Combs
    Record Company-Label: River House Artists / Columbia Nashville

     Higher – Chris Stapleton
    Producer: Chris Stapleton, Dave Cobb, Morgane Stapleton
    Record Company-Label: Mercury Nashville

    Leather – Cody Johnson
    Producers: Trent Willmon
    Record Company-Label: CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville LLC

    One Thing At A Time – Morgan Wallen
    Producers: Joey Moi, Cameron Montgomery, Charlie Handsome, Jacob Durrett
    Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records / Republic Records / Mercury Records

    Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good) – Kelsea Ballerini
    Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa Vanderheym
    Record Company-Label: Black River Entertainment

    SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    Burn It Down – Parker McCollum
    Producer: Jon Randall

    Record Company-Label: MCA Nashville

    Fast Car – Luke Combs
    Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton
    Record Company-Label: River House Artists / Columbia Nashville

    Last Night – Morgan Wallen
    Producer: Joey Moi, Charlie Handsome
    Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records / Republic Records / Mercury Records

    Need A Favor – Jelly Roll
    Producer: Austin Nivarel
    Record Company-Label: Stoney Creek Records / BMG Nashville


    Next Thing You Know – Jordan Davis
    Producer: Paul DiGiovanni
    Record Company-Label: MCA Nashville

     

    SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

    Fast Car – Luke Combs
    Songwriters: Tracy Chapman
    Publishers: Purple Rabbit


    Heart Like A Truck – Lainey Wilson
    Songwriters: Dallas Wilson, Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson
    Publishers: Sony / ATV Countryside; Songs of Riser House; Songs of Wild Cat Well Music

     

    Next Thing You Know – Jordan Davis
    Songwriters: Chase McGill, Greylan James, Jordan Davis, Josh Osborne

    Publishers: Family Farm Songs; Hold On Can I Get A Number 1 Music; Songs of Universal Inc.

     

    The Painter – Cody Johnson
    Songwriters: Benjy Davis, Kat Higgins, Ryan Larkins
    Publishers: Big Music Machine; BMG Platinum Songs US; Nashblonde Music; Pompano Run Music; Songs for Ellie May; Sony / ATV Tree Publishing; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Group; Well That Was Awkward Music

     

    Tennessee Orange – Megan Moroney
    Songwriters: Ben Williams, David Fanning, Megan Moroney, Paul Jenkins
    Publishers: 33 Creative; Bone Bone Creative; Sony / ATV Tree Publishing

     

    MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    Can’t Break Up Now – Old Dominion, Megan Moroney
    Producers: Brad Tursi, Geoff Sprung, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Whit Sellers, Ross Copperman, Kristian Bush
    Record Company-Label: Three Up Three Down, LLC / Columbia Nashville


    Different ‘Round Here – Riley Green (Ft. Luke Combs)
    Producer: Dann Huff
    Record Company-Label: BMLG Records

     

    I Remember Everything – Zach Bryan (feat. Kacey Musgraves)
    Producer: Zach Bryan
    Record Company-Label: Belting Bronco Records / Warner Records, Inc

     

    Man Made A Bar – Morgan Wallen (feat. Eric Church)
    Producer: Joey Moi
    Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records / Mercury Records / Republic Records

     

    Save Me – Jelly Roll (with Lainey Wilson)
    Producers: Zach Crowell, David Ray Stevens
    Record Company-Label: Stoney Creek Records / BMG Nashville

     

    VISUAL MEDIA OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]

    Burn It Down – Parker McCollum
    Producers: Christen Pinkston &Wesley Stebbins-Perry

    Director: Dustin Haney

     

    Human – Cody Johnson
    Producer: Christen Pinkston &Wesley Stebbins-Perry
    Director: Dustin Haney

    In Your Love – Tyler Childers
    Producer: Kacie Barton, Whitney Wolanin, Nicholas Robespierre, Ian Thorton, Silas House
    Director: Bryan Schlam


    Next Thing You Know – Jordan Davis
    Producer: Jamie Stratakis

    Director: Running Bear (Stephen Kinigopoulos, Alexa Stone)


    Tennessee Orang
    e – Megan Moroney
    Producer: Lauren Starr, Saul Levitz, Laura Burhenn
    Director: Jason Lester

    ARTIST-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

    • Zach Bryan
    • ERNEST
    • HARDY
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Morgan Wallen

     

    Audio / CHRIS STAPLETON SAYS HIS NEW ALBUM HIGHER HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Higher album) OC: …on this record. :56
    “One thing that’s probably notable about the record to me is it’s the first one that we’ve put out that doesn’t contain a cover, so there’s no covers on this record. So, in that way, I guess you could say it should be more intrinsically whatever we do. So, there’s definitely some exploration of the edges of what that is, and certainly some moments of stretching out vocally and trying to see what that is. There’s some different stuff on this record, I think, and I think it’s really great. I think it’s something that people will enjoy. I think there’s something on it for everybody, which is kind of always my goal. If you’re a kind of a hardcore traditional country person, there’s a song on there for that somewhere. If you leaned into more of the R&B side of what we do, there’s stuff on there for that. If you like the rock side of things that we do, there’s stuff on there for that. And there’s some really great songs on here. I’m excited about the songs on this record.”

    Audio / At last year's ACM Awards, CHRIS STAPLETON SAYS HE'S HUMBLED BY THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED HIM ACM ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (ACM 2023 win) OC: …take it. :13
    “I’m humbled by it and feel very thankful to the people that voted for me for it and think I’m deserving of that, but I’ll take it. I’ll take it.”

    Audio / JORDAN DAVIS TALKS ABOUT HIS ACM NOMINATED SONG, "NEXT THING YOU KNOW."

    Download

    Jordan Davis (Next Thing You Know) OC: …whole lotta people. :47
    “You know, there’s no chorus to this song. And I think it’s really cool that all we do is repeat ‘Next Thing You Know’ throughout it, but when you’re trying to write songs for a, a job, not putting a chorus on it is a fast way to get it thrown into the garbage can, and I think that makes me more proud of this song in that this is what we wanted to do with it and we just wanted to be as honest as possible in how fast life goes. I remember leaving, telling somebody like when they were like, ‘Did you write today?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah.’ They said, ‘Did you get anything good?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, we wrote a song that doesn’t even have a chorus.’ And I got the look of like, ‘Well, we’ll probably never hear that one,’ and little did I know it would connect with a whole lotta people.”

    Audio / Parker McCollum talks about shooting the video for "Burn It Down."

    Download

    Parker McCollum (Burn It Down video) OC: …turned out great. :38
    “Man, the video was pretty easy, actually. I talked to Dustin, the director, and I was like, ‘Man, I feel like wherever we are, we’re just blowing stuff up and so let’s go blow some stuff up and burn it down.’ And he had a great vision out there in New Mexico. We were in the desert, I mean, the desert, desert. You couldn’t, it was like the ocean, but sand; the middle of the ocean but sand. And it was actually really cold in the morning, then it got really hot at night and then the smoke and the fire and they’re wanting me to walk through it over and over, take after take after take. I’m walking through like this chemical burning black smoke. I’m like this is really risking it for a music video, but it turned out great.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, Mickey Guyton,Dierks Bentley, Little Big Town, Jordan Davis, Vince Gill, Chrissy Metz

    Carrie Underwood has earned a GMA Dove Award nomination for Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year for her song “All Is Well.” The GMA Dove Awards Nashville will be held October 18th and will air exclusively on TBN and the TBN app, October 21st at 8pm ET and 10pm ET.

    The trailer for Reba McEntire‘s upcoming Lifetime movie, The Hammer, has just been released, and it looks goooooood! The film, which stars real-life boyfriend Rex Linn and good friend Melissa Peterman, is expected to premiere sometime next year.

     

    Darius Rucker will be featured in a new edition of CMT’s Storytellers series. He’ll be sharing stories and playing a handful of songs on the show on August 31st at 10pm ET/9pm CT.

    Mickey Guyton will perform during the 10th anniversary of the Global Citizen Festival on September 24th in Central Park in New York City. Actress Priyanka Chopra will host the New York event, which will also feature performances by Mariah Carey, Metallica, Jonas Brothers, Charlie Puth and more. A second event will take place at Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana. Click here more information on the event.

    Catch Little Big Town on CMT on Friday (August 12th) beginning at 9pm ET/8pm CT for CMT Summer Camp. The band performs new and classic hits at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Georgia.

    Dierks Bentley, Little Big Town, Jordan Davis, Vince Gill and many others have been announced as performers at this year’s ACM Honors. Kelsea Ballerini, Morgan Wallen, Dan + Shay, Hardy, Avril Lavigne and Wynonna Judd will also perform. The show, which will pay tribute to Chris Stapleton, Shania Twain, Miranda Lambert and the popular TV show Yellowstone, will take place  August 24th at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The two-hour special will air September 13th at 8pm ET/PT on FOX.

    Parker McCollum is set to make his first appearance on Austin City Limits on October 29th. Robert Earl Keen, who is retiring from live performing.

    Chrissy Metz appeared on NBC’s TODAY Show on Thursday (August 11th) to talk about her City Winery Tour, her children’s book and more. Check out the interview below.

     

    Video /

    Video /


  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith, Reba, Little Big Town, Chris, Carrie, Kacey, Darius

    Keith Urban, Reba McEntire and Little Big Town have been added to the list of artists taking part in Loretta Lynn’s Hometown Rising benefit show on Monday (September 13th) at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House. The event, which also added Brittney Spencer and BRELAND to the lineup, will raise money for those impacted by the deadly and devastating floods that hit Middle Tennessee last month. Previously announced artists include Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. The event will stream live on Circle Network, as well as on Circle All Access’ Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.

    Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town and Reba McEntire will sing some of Kenny Rogers‘ biggest hits as the global superstar’s life and legacy is honored in a new star-studded concert special, Kenny Rogers: All In For The Gambler. The celebration, which will also feature Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Idina Menzel and more, was filmed at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville before Rogers’ untimely passing. The live concert, which features on-stage tributes, stories and songs as he bid farewell to performing, will air September 23rd on CBS.

    The official music video for Jason Aldean‘s duet with seven-time Grammy award winner Carrie Underwood, “If I Didn’t Love You,” premiered last night (September 8th). “Carrie was made for this song, but also for this video,” said Aldean. “I’m glad that she was down to get together to make it…it’s something that turned out a little outside of what I’d normally do, which is always cool.”

     

    Kacey Musgraves appears on CBS’ The Late Show With Stephen Colbert tonight (September 9th). Check local listing for time.

    Darius Rucker will perform the National Anthem at the Miami Dolphins home opening game September 19th at the Hard Rock Stadium.

     

     

     

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

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

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

     

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

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmc7MnKvD4Q

     

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

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi, Chrissy Metz and more

    Dierks Bentley will perform during Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series on Friday (July 23rd) on ABC.

    Jon Pardi covers Metallica’s massive hit “Wherever I May Roam,” on the heavy metal band’s The Blacklist — a reimagined version of their Black album, available on digital September 10th. The collection features 53 artists, including Jon, Chris Stapleton, Darius Rucker, Mickey Guyton, Jason Isbell, Miley Cyrus and Elton John, among others with all proceeds going to the charities of the artists choice.

     

    Chrissy Metz will headline Chrissy Metz & Friends July 30th at the iconic The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. Joining her will be celebrated songwriter and producer Jimmy Robbins (Maren Morris, Kelsea Ballerini, Maddie & Tae, Brett Young) and the singer/songwriter and Bowyer & Bow/Capitol Christian Music Group recording artist Blessing Offor. Proceeds from Chrissy Metz & Friends benefit the CMA Foundation and its mission to provide resources and support for music teachers, students, and music education programs across the US.

  • CMT MUSIC AWARDS NOMINATIONS 2021: Brothers O, Carrie, Chris, Dierks, Keith, LBT, Luke, Mickey, Sam

    The nominations for this year’s CMT Music Awards have been announced. Little Big Town and Mickey Guyton have three nominations apiece, while Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood have two (Video of the Year, Collaborative Video of the Year). Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan are also nominated (see list of nominees below).

    The 2021 CMT Music Awards, hosted by Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown, airs Wednesday, June 9th at 8:00PM ET/7:00PM CT on CMT, with a five channel simulcast across MTV, MTV2, Logo, Paramount Network and TV Land. Each winner is selected by the fans, with voting now open at vote.cmt.com

    The first round of nominees for the highly-coveted “Video of the Year” award includes 14 acts, most notably Carrie Underwood, who continues her reign as the most-awarded artist in CMT Music Awards history with 22 wins, nominated this year for her collaboration with John Legend

    The nominees for the “2021 CMT Music Awards” are:

    VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration). Top five nominees, from the first round of voting, will be announced on June 1. Top 3 nominees, from the second round of voting, will be announced on June 8. Final voting will be determined via social media and announced as the final category during the live show.

    • Carrie Underwood with John Legend – “Hallelujah”
    • Dierks Bentley – “Gone”
    • Elle King and Miranda Lambert – “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”
    • Ingrid Andress – “Lady Like”
    • Kane Brown – “Worldwide Beautiful”
    • Keith Urban with P!nk – “One Too Many”
    • Kelsea Ballerini – “hole in the bottle”
    • Kenny Chesney – “Knowing You”
    • Maren Morris – “Better Than We Found It”
    • Mickey Guyton – “Heaven Down Here”
    • Miranda Lambert – “Settling Down”
    • Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris – “Chasing After You”
    • Sam Hunt – “Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90’s”
    • Willie Jones – “American Dream”

    FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

    • Carly Pearce – “Next Girl”
    • Gabby Barrett – “The Good Ones”
    • Kelsea Ballerini – “hole in the bottle”
    • Maren Morris – “To Hell & Back”
    • Mickey Guyton – “Heaven Down Here”
    • Miranda Lambert – “Settling Down”

    MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

    • Chris Stapleton – “Starting Over”
    • Darius Rucker – “Beers and Sunshine”
    • Kane Brown – “Worship You”
    • Luke Bryan – “Down To One”
    • Luke Combs – “Lovin’ On You”
    • Thomas Rhett – “What’s Your Country Song”

    DUO/GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video by a duo or group; awarded to the artists

    • Brothers Osborne – “All Night”
    • Lady A – “Like A Lady”
    • Little Big Town – “Wine, Beer, Whiskey”
    • Old Dominion – “Never Be Sorry”
    • Parmalee and Blanco Brown – “Just The Way”
    • Runaway June – “We Were Rich”

    BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video from an artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female or group/duo)

    • Dylan Scott – “Nobody”
    • Hailey Whitters feat. Little Big Town – “Fillin’ My Cup”
    • HARDY – “Give Heaven Some Hell”
    • Lainey Wilson – “Things a Man Oughta Know”
    • Mickey Guyton – “Black Like Me”
    • Niko Moon – “GOOD TIME (Ride Along Video)”

    COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists

    • Carrie Underwood with John Legend – “Hallelujah”
    • Chris Young and Kane Brown – “Famous Friends”
    • Elle King and Miranda Lambert – “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”
    • Keith Urban with P!nk – “One Too Many”
    • Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris – “Chasing After You”
    • Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard – “Undivided”

    CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
    Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

    • From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Brooks & Dunn and Luke Combs “1, 2 Many”
    • From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Dan + Shay “I Should Probably Go To Bed”
    • From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Jimmie Allen and Noah Cyrus “This Is Us”
    • From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Kelsea Ballerini and Halsey “The Other Girl”
    • From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Little Big Town “Wine, Beer, Whiskey”
    • From CMT Crossroads – Nathaniel Rateliff and Margo Price “Twinkle Twinkle”
  • NEWS AND NOTES: Alan, Mickey, Vince, Chris, Luke, Jordan, Maddie & Tae, Taylor

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


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

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

     

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

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

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

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

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

     

    Top Country Artist

    Gabby Barrett

    Kane brown

    Luke combs

    Chris Stapleton

    Morgan Wallen

     

    Top Country Album

    Gabby Barrett – Goldmine

    Sam Hunt – Southside

    Chris Stapleton – Starting Over

    Carrie Underwood – My Gift

    Morgan Wallen – Dangerous: The Double Album

     

    Top Country Male

    Luke Combs

    Chris Stapleton

    Morgan Wallen

     

    Top Country Female

    Gabby Barrett

    Maren Morris

    Carrie Underwood

     

    Top Country Duo/Group

    Dan + Shay

    Florida Georgia Line

    Maddie & Tae

     

    Top Christian Artist

    Casting Crowns

    Elevation Worship

    For King & Country

    Carrie Underwood

    Zach Williams

     

    Top Christian Album

    Bethel Music – Peace

    Elevation Worship – Grave Into Gardens

    Carrie Underwood – My Gift

    We The Kingdom – Holy Water

    Zach Williams – Rescue Storm

     

     

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

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

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

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

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Taylor, Keith, Vince, Carrie, Darius, Reba, Chris

    Taylor Swift‘s “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s version)” is featured in the trailer for the new animated film, Spirited Untamed, from Dreamworks.  The song originally appeared on her 1989 album, and this is the first and only place to hear her re-recorded version of the song.

    The film, which features the voices of Jake Gyllenhaal, Julianne Moore, Walton Goggins, Andre Braugher, and Isabela Merced, will hit theaters nationwide on June 4th.

     

    Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban are among the artists featured on a limited-edition LP for the Grand Ole Opry’s Unbroken: Empty Room, Full Circle album. The announcement came on the anniversary of the Opry’s decision to pause in-house audiences in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Available June 4th, 2021, exclusively on Opry.com and at the Opry’s Nashville-based retail outlets,  the LP includes memorable performances recorded live from the Opry stage in front of an empty house. For 29 weeks, Saturday night Opry shows continued uninterrupted despite public health orders that temporarily shuttered many other live productions. These performances were made possible because of the devotion of Grand Ole Opry members, featured performers, Opry staff and local health officials who safely worked together to bring comfort to millions around the world. Brad Paisley, Marty Stuart, Luke Combs and many more.

    Chris Stapleton and his wife, Morgane, join actor-singer Leslie Jordan on his song “Farther Along,” which will be featured on his forthcoming debut album of Southern gospel hymns, Company’s Comin’.  Brothers Osborne’s TJ Osborne, Dolly Parton, Ashley McBryde, Tanya Tucker, Brandi Carlile and more are featured on the album. The Tennessee native, best known for his roles in TV shows such as “Ally McBeal,” “Boston Public,” “Reba,” “Boston Legal,” and “American Horror Story,” has become a social media favorite while in quarantine for his endearing videos, including a regular “Sunday Mornin’ Hymn Singin'” series.

     

  • SAM, CARRIE, KEITH, LITTLE BIG TOWN, LUKE, MADDIE & TAE, BROTHERS O, CHRIS, PARDI, CAYLEE AND TRAVIS NOMINATED FOR CMT AWARDS THIS YEAR.

    The nominations for this year’s CMT MUSIC AWARDS were announced on Wednesday (September 23rd), and several UMG Nashville artists were among the nominees.

    Sam Hunt picked up three nods, including Video of the Year (“Hard To Forget”); Male Video of the Year (“Hard To Forget”) and CMT Performance of the Year (“Fancy” from CMT Artists of the Year show).

    Carrie Underwood, who reigns as the most awarded artist in CMT Music Awards history with 20 wins, is up for two awards including Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year  for “Drinking Alone;” and Little Big Town is also up for a pair of awards including Video of the Year (“Sugar Coat”) and Group Video of the Year (“Wine, Beer, Whiskey”).

    “Breakthrough Video of the Year” nominees include Caylee Hammack (“Family Tree”) and Travis Denning (“After a Few”).

    The finalists for “Video of the Year” will be announced on October 12; fans will be able to vote throughout the week until October 16 to determine the winner.

    Fan voting begins today at vote.cmt.com and continues until 12PM ET/11 AM CT on Monday, October 12. The top five “Video of the Year” finalists will be revealed at that time.

    The finalists for “Video of the Year” will be announced on October 12; fans will be able to vote throughout the week until October 16 to determine the winner.

    The nominees for the “2020 CMT Music Awards” are:

    VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration) and the video director. Final nominees announced on 10/12, with final voting held until 10/16 and announced in-show.

    • Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards”
    • Blanco Brown – “The Git Up”
    • Carrie Underwood – “Drinking Alone”
    • Dan + Shay – “I Should Probably Go To Bed”
    • Keith Urban – “Polaroid”
    • Kelsea Ballerini – “homecoming queen?”
    • Little Big Town – “Sugar Coat”
    • Luke Combs – “Beer Never Broke My Heart”
    • Miranda Lambert – “Bluebird”
    • Old Dominion – “Some People Do”
    • Sam Hunt – “Hard To Forget”
    • Tanya Tucker – “Bring My Flowers Now”
    • The Chicks -“Gaslighter”
    • Thomas Rhett – “Remember You Young”

    FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

    • Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards”
    • Carrie Underwood – “Drinking Alone”
    • Gabby Barrett – “I Hope”
    • Kelsea Ballerini – “homecoming queen?”
    • Maren Morris – “The Bones”
    • Miranda Lambert – “Bluebird”

    MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

    • Jason Aldean – “Got What I Got”
    • Luke Bryan – “One Margarita”
    • Luke Combs – “Even Though I’m Leaving”
    • Morgan Wallen – “Chasin’ You (Dream Video)”
    • Sam Hunt – “Hard To Forget”
    • Thomas Rhett – “Remember You Young”

    GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video by a group; awarded to the artists

    • Lady A – “Champagne Night”
    • Little Big Town – “Wine, Beer, Whiskey”
    • Midland – “Cheatin’ Songs (Live From the Palomino)”
    • Old Dominion – “One Man Band”
    • The Chicks – “Gaslighter”
    • The Highwomen – “Crowded Table”

    DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video by a duo; awarded to the artists

    • Brothers Osborne – “All Night (Studio Performance)” 
    • Dan + Shay – “I Should Probably Go To Bed”
    • Florida Georgia Line – “Blessings”
    • LOCASH – “One Big Country Song”
    • Maddie & Tae – “Die From A Broken Heart”

    BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video from an artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female or group/duo)

    • Blanco Brown – “The Git Up”
    • Caylee Hammack – “Family Tree”
    • Gabby Barrett – “I Hope”
    • Ingrid Andress – “More Hearts Than Mine”
    • Riley Green – “I Wish Grandpas Never Died”
    • Travis Denning – “After a Few”

    COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists

    • Blake Shelton with Gwen Stefani – “Nobody But You”
    • Carly Pearce and Lee Brice – “I Hope You’re Happy Now”
    • Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber – “10,000 Hours”
    • Kane Brown featuring Nelly – “Cool Again”
    • Marshmello and Kane Brown – “One Thing Right”
    • Thomas Rhett featuring Jon Pardi – “Beer Can’t Fix”

    CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
    Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

    • From CMT Artists of the Year: Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards”
    • From CMT Crossroads: Brooks & Dunn and Luke Combs – “Brand New Man”
    • From CMT Artists of the Year: Chris Young – “Drowning”
    • From CMT Crossroads: Halsey and Kelsea Ballerini – “Graveyard”
    • From CMT Artists of the Year: Sam Hunt – “Fancy”
    • From CMT Crossroads: Sheryl Crow and Chris Stapleton – “Tell Me When It’s Over”

     

    Audio / MADDIE & TAE TALK ABOUT THE EMOTIONS THAT TOOK PLACE WHILE FILMING THE VIDEO FOR THEIR LATEST SONG, “DIE FROM A BROKEN HEART.”

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    Maddie & Tae (DFABH video emotions) OC: (Tae) …feel something. :49
    MADDIE: “My role in this is kind of being the narrator and watching my best friend go through kind of like how this inspiration started for this song. So, we just both really, really dug into the like just lowest, lowest parts of our (TAE: “Heartache.”). It was tricky, ‘cause I was like I have to be really, really emotional and I feel bad all the camera guys, especially with Tae’s scenes, they’re just like, you could see their eyes welling up watching her and watching me crying.” TAE: “My parents just happened to be in town when we were shooting, so I was like, ‘When else are you gonna be in town when we’re making music videos, so you have to come,’ cause they’ve never seen it. They came and one specific scene – I’m not gonna say what it is – but it made both of my parents cry. And I walked out and my mom had a red nose and my dad’s like, ‘I wasn’t crying. I wasn’t crying.’ (MADDIE: “Awwwwww.”) And I was like, ‘Oh no.’ Well, if it makes my parents cry, hopefully it’ll makes people feel something.”

    Audio / CAYLEE HAMMACK TALKS ABOUT HAVING SOME OF HER FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS FEATURED IN THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR “FAMILY TREE.”

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    Caylee Hammack (Family Tree video) OC: …world to me. :37
    “If you’ve ever wrangled monkeys, that’s pretty much the gist of getting ‘Family Tree’ together because I brought in a bunch of my family members, I brought a bunch of my friends, I brought my dog in, we had a little cast because some of the people couldn’t come in to play the roles. It was a wild day on set, but I think it all came together. Being able to bring my family in that video means the world to me, because ‘Family Tree’ is the introductory course into my music, you know? It’s the appetizer of my tunes, and being able to start that off very strong with all of my family surrounding me, means the world to me.”

    Audio / TRAVIS DENNING TALKS ABOUT THE STORY LINE OF HIS MUSIC VIDEO FOR "AFTER A FEW."

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    Travis Denning (AAF video) OC: …act in it. :50
    “One thing I loved about the treatment for the After a Few music video is Justin Clough, who directed it, just had this great idea of the similarities between the relationship and taking a gamble on that and actually taking a gamble on a poker game. And so, we decided to kind of have this story line of me and this girl that I just couldn’t help but go back to and every drink was a gamble into falling back in her arms. And then this other side where I’m going up playing poker and getting more confident and winning money and then finally, everything comes to a T with going all in on this hand, and all of a sudden, I’m all in with her. I just thought it was so cool, and it was just great how the cinematic aspect completely mirrored one another. It was fun to act in it.”

    Audio / CARRIE UNDERWOOD TALKS ABOUT “DRINKING ALONE,” WHICH SHE CO-WROTE WITH BRETT JAMES AND DAVID GARCIA.

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    Carrie Underwood (Drinking Alone) OC: …right now. 1:07
    “I had the title, and we just kind of started what does this mean. This is another one that I feel like the title could have gone to a very like sad emotional place, but me being me I still wanted to have that strong kind of character in there. So, I love the fact that this is a breakup song. ‘I’m here at the bar drinking my pain away. You and me can hang out. Why should we both be lamenting over lost love separately? We’re both here doing the same thing. Let’s just do that together.’ I love that the character, I was like I don’t want her like going home with him. I don’t want any of that. I just want it to be like, ‘Okay we’ll just hang out. We’ll drink. We’ll maybe share a corner booth kiss.’ But it’s just more about that night and that moment and that Band-Aid and then going your separate ways. ‘Like this isn’t a thing. I’m not looking to start a new relationship. I’m out of this one. Let’s just let whatever this is be what this is right now.’”

    Audio / LUKE BRYAN TALKS ABOUT HIS MULTI-WEEK NO. 1 SONG, "ONE MARGARITA."

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    Luke Bryan (One Margarita) OC: …margarita. :44
    “’One Margarita’ is like the perfect summertime anthem party song, get on your boat, have a great time. The first time I heard it, I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s like the catchiest, most fun party song I’ve heard in a long time.’ Sop, we knew we had something special with the song. We get it recorded, and I’m like, ‘Hey! We’ve got Crash My Playa. What better place to put a song called ‘One Margarita’ out and then do the video?’ So, we go to Crash My Playa and we just start shooting it down there. And the video just feels fun. It came together amazing, and it gives fans a little glimpse of what Crash My Playa is if they’ve never been, and hey-it makes you want to have a margarita.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke, Sam, Keith, Chris, Brothers O, Dierks, Billy, Jon, Travis

    Luke Bryan will appear on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday (February 12th), along with his fellow Idol judges.

    Sam Hunt will perform his latest smash, “Kinfolks,” on Thursday’s (February 13th) episode of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!

    Keith Urban’s All for the Hall benefit show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena this week raised more than $800,000 for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The massive line-up included performances by Keith, Chris Stapleton, Brothers Osborne, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Ingrid Andress, Tenille Townes, Tanya Tucker and many more.

    https://twitter.com/ETCanada/status/1227673052693106688

     

    The ninth-annual Watershed Music and Camping Festival announced country superstars Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban and Thomas Rhett will headline the event at George, Washington’s Gorge Amphitheatre July 31st-August 2nd. The three-day festival will also include performances by Jon Pardi, Billy Currington, Travis Denning, Kelsea Ballerini, Randy Houser and many others. Passes go on sale February 21st at 10am PT at watershedfest.com.

  • THE GRAMMY AWARDS 2020: Church, LBT, Brothers Osborne, Stapleton, Vince

    This year’s Grammy Awards show is looming on the horizon and all of the artists are hoping to take home the bronze gramophone.

    Eric Church has two nominations at this year’s GRAMMY Awards, including Best Country Album for Desperate Man and Best Country Song for his recent No. 1 smash, “Some Of It.”

    Brothers Osborne are up for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You),” while Little Big Town has a nod in the same category for “The Daughters.”

    Vince Gill is nominated for Best American Roots Song for “I Don’t Wanna Ride the Rails No More,” and Chris Stapleton has a nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media for “The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy” for Toy Story 4.

    Keith Urban and Shania Twain are among the presenters at this year’s show.

    The 62nd GRAMMY Awards will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles January 26th at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Best Country Duo/Group Performance
    “Brand New Man,” Brooks & Dunn With Luke Combs
    “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You),” Brothers Osborne
    “Speechless,” Dan + Shay
    “The Daughters,” Little Big Town
    “Common,” Maren Morris Featuring Brandi Carlile

    Best Country Song
    “Bring My Flowers Now,” Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth & Tanya Tucker, songwriters (Tanya Tucker)
    “Girl Goin’ Nowhere,” Jeremy Bussey & Ashley McBryde, songwriters (Ashley McBryde)
    “It All Comes Out in the Wash,” Miranda Lambert, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
    “Some of It,” Eric Church, Clint Daniels, Jeff Hyde & Bobby Pinson, songwriters (Eric Church)
    “Speechless,” Shay Mooney, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers & Laura Veltz, songwriters (Dan + Shay)

    Best Country Album
    Desperate Man, Eric Church
    Stronger Than the Truth, Reba McEntire
    Interstate Gospel, Pistol Annies
    Center Point Road, Thomas Rhett
    While I’m Livin’, Tanya Tucker

    Best American Roots Song
    “Black Myself,” Amythyst Kiah, songwriter (Our Native Daughters)
    “Call My Name,” Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan & Sara Watkins, songwriters (I’m With Her)
    “Crossing to Jerusalem,” Rosanne Cash & John Leventhal, songwriters (Rosanne Cash)
    “Faraway Look,” Dan Auerbach, Yola Carter & Pat McLaughlin, songwriters (Yola)
    “I Don’t Wanna Ride the Rails No More,” Vince Gill, songwriter (Vince Gill)

    Best Song Written for Visual Media
    “The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy,” From: Toy Story 4 (Chris Stapleton)
    “Girl in the Movies,” From: Dumplin’
    “I’ll Never Love Again” (Film Version), From: A Star Is Born
    “Sprit,” From: The Lion King
    “Suspirium,” From: Suspiria

    Audio / BROTHERS OSBORNE’S TJ OSBORNE TALKS ABOUT THE GRAMMY-NOMINATED SONG “I DON’T REMEMBER ME (BEFORE YOU).

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    Brothers Osborne (I Don’t Remember Me (Before You) 1:05
    “There was a bit of the song that was a little on the nose. I don’t – it started the first tag (sings) which was an idea Shane had. He showed up that day and goes ‘I don’t remember my life before I had my babies.’ He said, ‘I literally can’t think of who I was. I don’t remember who I was before [my] husband Michael.’ And we thought man, that is a really interesting thing. An incredible idea. I’m sure it’s been done to some extent, but I can’t really recall that subject being said that way. And so, we were all about it. We loved the idea and the concept, but when Jay [Joyce] heard it, he goes, ‘Man, I think it would be really cool to save the ‘before you’ till the end of the song and I instantly was like, ‘Man, I think that’s a killer idea.’ John and I were all about it. And so, it ends now (sings) it kind of goes in a turn around. You don’t know what the hell I’m talking about. ‘I don’t remember me,’ you keep hearing this, and then at the end is the reveal ‘I don’t remember me before you,’ which I think is great. It also made it problematic [for] the title of the song.”

    Audio / ERIC CHURCH TALKS ABOUT HIS GRAMMY-NOMINATED SONG "SOME OF IT."

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    Eric Church (Some of It coming of age) OC: …figure it out. :56
    “That’s a song, a coming-of-age song, it’s an adult song. It’s adult music. If you listen to the thematics in that and what it’s about, it’s about being older and having some wisdom about you. I think that’s something that I appreciate in my fan base now that early on probably wasn’t there. We were young and drunk and fighting and stupid. But I think now to see them grow – to see the fan base grow – it’s just one of those songs that came along at the right time. And again, it was such a blessing that happened. It wasn’t going to be on the album. It was just one of those freak things that I put it on the album, the last song on the album. The album was done, and all of a sudden it becomes the pillar, one of the pillars on the album. I think again, you go back to it’s one of the great things about music, is you just never know what’s going to happen until it’s all said and done. You can try to plan all you want to, but you’ll probably not going to figure it out.”

    Audio / ERIC CHURCH TALKS ABOUT BEING CREATIVE IN THE STUDIO FOR HIS GRAMMY-NOMINATED ALBUM, DESPERATE MAN.

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    Eric Church (creative process in the studio) OC: …the creativity. :57
    “It was an interesting creative process. This record was made in the studio, from writing to completion, then any record we have ever made. It was really there, ‘cause I wrote songs there, we change things there. I played parts there, I never played, never thought of. I think maybe it was the first album in our career that there was more creative energy in the studio than any other, because it was written, made, conceived, it was all there. I mean, on ‘The Snake,’ for example, that background part was myself, Jeff Hyde and Joanna, and we tried to sound the old blues kind of sound. We were doing that creatively in the studio, and it made a really interesting thing. A lot of people will say, ‘Who sang that? who is that?’ Well it was us! We were feeling the creativity.”

    Audio / Vince Gill talks about his Grammy-nominated song, "I Don't Wanna Ride the Rails No More."

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    Vince Gill (I Don’t Wanna Ride the Rails No More) OC: …down the road. (laughs) 1:15
    “I don’t think that I intended it to be so verbatim about trains. I think it’s about – it could very well be the bus for me. I don’t want to ride the bus no more. I’ve been riding this bus for 40 something years. But it’s just a song of reflection. My brother struggled in his life and probably a good chance he hopped a few trains in his life. And it just has such a – such a great history of Grapes of Wrath and just old school people hopping freight trains and struggling and riding them out. Maybe Dust Bowl folks riding them out, copping a ride on a train somewhere. I just think that that whole image of riding a train has just this great beauty to it. So, it’s really just a song of reflection, of a life that at times is lonely but ‘I don’t want to ride the rails no more. I want to find a woman’s love worth dying for.’ That’s yearning. It’s hopeful. Even, once again, you can get an element of some sense of hope in something then you just don’t depress the crap out of somebody and send them on down the road. (laughs)”

    Audio / Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild talks about the group’s Grammy nominated “The Daughters.”

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    LBT (Grammys 2020) OC: …speaking about. 1:28
    “We put it out as a moment to kind of kick off the record Nightfall, and we just love the song so much and we’ve had so many opportunities to share it on television and lots of radio opportunities. For it to just get nominated for Country Song of the Year by a Duo or Group, that’s an incredible category to be in because that’s any collaboration that’s been done on any country record plus by any duo or group. It encompasses so many incredible performances, that it really, it’s an absolute honor for that song to have gone all the way to the Grammys. Just so cool. It speaks to the message too. It speaks to how important that message is. We’re still talking about it all the time – equal play, equal play. We’re talking about it in just the way women are treated, and we need the champions out there for the daughters and that’s the heart of the song. Luckily, we’re in a band with two guys that believe in that, but there’s a lot of people out there that need that reminder that it’s not an equal playing field. It still isn’t. It’s time for us to change it so that the next generation doesn’t know what we’re speaking about.”

  • UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP NASHVILLE SIGNS CHRISSY METZ.

    Back Row: River House Artists Director of Creative/A&R Zebb Luster, UMG Nashville Chairman & CEO Mike Dungan, UMG Nashville President Cindy Mabe, UMG Nashville EVP A&R Brian Wright, UMG Nashville EVP & COO Mike Harris
    Front Row: UMG Nashville EVP Promotion Royce Risser, Chrissy Metz, River House Artists Founder/Owner Lynn Oliver-Cline

     

    Universal Music Group Nashville has signed Chrissy Metz, star of 20th Century Fox’s BREAKTHROUGH and the award-winning NBC series “This Is Us.” UMG Nashville first worked with Metz on the Breakthrough movie soundtrack which featured her performance of the Oscar-nominated, Diane Warren penned track, “I’m Standing With You.” Chrissy made her Academy of Country Music Awards debut in April when she performed “I’m Standing With You” alongside now label mates Carrie Underwood, Lauren Alaina, Maddie & Tae & Mickey Guyton. The incredibly moving performance can be viewed HERE.

    “To say I am excited to fulfill a lifelong dream is an understatement,” shares Metz.  “Music has always been my first love and to be working alongside Cindy and the incomparable team at UMG is truly a gift!”

    “Chrissy Metz is simply tapped into America’s emotional conscience,” explains Cindy Mabe, President, Universal Music Group Nashville. “Music was her first love and no matter if she’s singing, acting, writing or just being, she’s always real, powerful and fully connected with her audience.  I can’t wait to put her musical story into the world and I’m so inspired to bring her into the Universal Music Group Nashville family.”

    An Emmy and two-time Golden Globe nominee, Metz is currently working on her debut Country album to be released later this year.  She is also set to produce the upcoming Inspirational Mountaineer Movie ‘Gorge’ in the works with Amazon.  Her memoir, THIS IS ME, debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List.

    ABOUT UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP NASHVILLE:
    Universal Music Group Nashville consists of Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville and Mercury Nashville. Reading like a “who’s who” of Music Row, the combined rosters include Adam Hambrick, Alan Jackson, Billy Currington, Brandon Lay, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Caylee Hammack, CB30, Chris Stapleton, Clare Dunn, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Gary Allan, George Strait, Hootie & The Blowfish, Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Josh Turner, Kacey Musgraves, Kassi Ashton, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Kylie Morgan, Lauren Alaina, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Parker McCollum, Sam Hunt, Shania Twain, Travis Denning and Vince Gill. For additional information, visit www.umgnashville.com.

    Video /

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Little Big Town, Carrie, Pardi, Dierks, Keith, Chris, Luke and more

    Little Big Town will perform on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday (January 15th).

    Carrie Underwood has been announced as one of the main headliners during the Barefoot Country Music Fest in Wildwood, New Jersey this summer. The three-day festival will take place June 19th – 21st. Tickets are on sale now.

    Jon Pardi’s “Heartache on the Dance Floor” has been certified double-platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), while Dierks Bentley’s “Say You Do” has been certified platinum.

    This year’s RodeoHouston lineup has been announced and will include headliners Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Chris Stapleton and Jon Pardi, as well as Willie Nelson, Maren Morris, Kane Brown, Chris Young, Brad Paisley, Gwen Stefani, Khalid and many others. The 2020 RodeoHouston will take place March 3rd – March 22nd, with tickets going on sale this Thursday (January 16th).

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Kacey, Chris, Luke, Caylee, Parker, Darius

    Kacey Musgraves is set to appear on The Late, Late Show with James Corden on Thursday night. The talk show host appeared on Kacey’s Amazon Prime Christmas Special, which is available to stream now.

    The life and career of Chris Stapleton will be featured in an exhibit at The Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum beginning next year. “I’m proud to get to share pieces of our musical journey at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum,” says Chris. The superstar’s exhibit will open June 26th, 2020. Martina McBride and Bill Anderson will also receive new exhibits.

    Luke Bryan joined Jimmy Fallon and The Roots’ Tariq Trotter for a funny video skit for NBC’s Tonight Show this week. The clip showcases the three guys wearing mullets and gold uniforms crashing a football-watching party as they rapped snacking ideas.

    Caylee Hammack and Parker McCollum have been announced as part of MusicRow’s Next Big Thing for 2020. MusicRow Magazine’s Next Big Thing Class of 2020 has set itself apart from today’s artists with talent and hard work. Some of these NBT artists have just released their first singles, while others are celebrating chart-topping hits. All have broken through by bringing unique styles and by surrounding themselves with team members who champion them.

    Darius Rucker is scheduled to perform a pre-race concert before the Daytona 500 February 16th.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B5nbebIlyD5/

     

     

     

  • ERIC, KEITH, CARRIE AND CHRIS ARE AMONG THE FIRST PERFORMERS OF THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    The first round of performers for this year’s CMA Awards have been announced. Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Chris Stapleton with Pink will perform, as well as Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Maren Morris, Dolly Parton with for King & Country and Zach Williams.

    The 53rd annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie with special guests Reba and Dolly, will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 13th at 8pm ET on ABC.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Lauren, Eric, Dierks, Darius, Chris and more

    Lauren Alaina kicks up her heels for the premiere of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars on Monday (September 16th). Make sure to check her out on the dance competition show beginning at 8pm ET.

    https://twitter.com/Lauren_Alaina/status/1173261105688240128

    Eric Church has become a staple as a celebrity picker on ESPN’s College GameDay show. He picked up the mantle and the picks this past Saturday (September 15th) as the crew made their picks for Week 3 of the 2019 college football season.

     

    Dierks Bentley and Darius Rucker are among the stars coming out to help raise money for areas of the Bahamas hit by Hurricane Dorian on Monday (September 16th). The Hope 4 Hope Town benefit, taking place at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, will also feature performances by Florida Georgia Line, Ryan Hurd, Riley Green, LOCASH and many more.

    Chris Stapleton joins Sheryl Crow on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Friday (September 20th).

    The first installment of Ken Burns’ documentary Country Music premiered on Sunday (September 15th) on PBS. The eight-part series will continue through September 25th.

     

     

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Kacey, Gary, Dierks, Chris, Travis and more

    Don’t forget to tune-in or set your DVRs since Kacey Musgraves will headline NBC’s Today Show Summer Concert Series on Friday (tomorrow morning).

    Gary Allan is set to headline this year’s 9th Annual Kickin’ for a Kure concert in San Antonio on Saturday (July 20th).  The concert series has raised over $500,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society since its inception.

    Dierks Bentley and Chris Stapleton are among the artists to donate a percentage of their single-day earnings as part of the Music Health Alliance’s Heal the Music Day on October 18th. The organization helps provide access to healthcare through services that PROTECT, DIRECT & CONNECT music professionals with medical and financial solutions.

    Travis Denning will hit the road with pal Riley Green on the Get That Man a Beer Tour, kicking off Sepember 5th in Statesboro, Georgia. Tickets go on sale this Friday (July 20th).

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Shania, Kacey, Carrie, Keith, Luke, Chris and more

    Shania Twain appears on ABC’s Strahan & Sara on Thursday (June 20th) to talk about her Las Vegas Residency, as well as the new movie she is filming.

    Kacey Musgraves is nominated for two awards at this year’s Teen Choice Awards. She’s up for Choice Country Artist and Choice Country Song for “Rainbow.” Voting continues through June 25th, with the show airing August 11th at 8pm ET on FOX.

    Carrie Underwood is featured on the cover of the new issue of People Magazine. Along with being named at the top of the 100 best things in America, she also talks about family, faith and some of the personal pain and trauma she experienced over the last couple of years. The issue hits newsstands on Friday (June 21st).

    Luke Bryan has been tapped to perform during NBC’s annual Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks, live from New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge. The coverage will air live at 8pm – 10pm ET on NBC. Maren Morris and Brad Paisley will also perform.

    Keith Urban returns as the presenting sponsor of this year’s Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament for the fourth year. The 33rd annual golf outing, which will benefit the United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee organization, will take place August 19th at the Old Natchez Country Club in Nashville.

    Chris Stapleton has given his talents to Ed Sheeran’s new album, No. 6 Collaborations Project. He teamed up with the pop superstar and Bruno Mars for a song titled “Blow” for the project, due July 12th. Also appearing on the project are Khalid, Cardi B, Eminem, Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper and Camila Cabello, among others.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/By3E4qmhW8J/

     

  • CHRISSY METZ TO PERFORM WITH LAUREN ALAINA, MICKEY GUYTON, MADDIE & TAE AND CARRIE UNDERWOOD.

    The Academy of Country Music® announced today that Chrissy Metz, star of the upcoming movie BREAKTHROUGH being released by 20th Century Fox this Easter, will make her live television performance debut on Sunday night (February 7th) at this year’s ACM Awards. She’ll be joined on stage by Lauren AlainaMickey Guyton, Maddie & Tae and Carrie Underwood for a must-see collaboration. The artists, who are each featured on the film’s soundtrack will perform a special rendition of the song “I’m Standing With You,” while spotlighting ACM Lifting Lives®, the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music dedicated to improving lives through the power of music.

    The soundtrack, featuring songs from Chrissy, Carrie, Maddie & Tae, Lauren, Mickey, Darius Rucker and Adam Hambrick, among others, is available now. Breakthrough, which also stars Josh Lucas and Topher Grace, arrives in theaters nationwide April 17th.

    As previously announced, 14-time ACM Award® winner Carrie will also perform a song from her own album Cry Pretty at Country Music’s Party of the Year®, which will also feature performances by Jason Aldean (ACM Dick Clark Artist of the Decade Award honoree), Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, Brandi Carlile, Eric Church, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Combs (ACM New Male Artist of the Year), Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Khalid, Miranda LambertLANCO (ACM New Group of the Year), Little Big TownAshley McBryde (ACM New Female Artist of the Year), Old DominionReba McEntireMaren MorrisThomas RhettBlake SheltonChris StapletonGeorge Strait and Keith Urban. This year’s star-studded list of presenters includes Lauren Alaina, Beth Behrs, Clint Black, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Jessie James Decker, Hunter Hayes, Jay Hernandez, Lady AntebellumMidland, Nancy O’Dell, Danica Patrick, Carly Pearce, Dennis Quaid, Michael Ray, Cole Swindell and Wilmer Valderrama.

    The 54th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 7th at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

    Audio / Maddie Marlow and Tae Dye of Maddie & Tae talk about performing on Sunday night’s ACM Awards.

    Download

    Maddie & Tae (ACM perf Breakthrough) OC: (Maddie) …think about this. :30
    TAE: “We are so excited to perform with Chrissy and Carrie and Mickey and Lauren – just powerhouse vocals up there.” [MADDIE: “Yes.”] “We’re very excited. It’s gonna be a great performance. We’re singing ‘I’m Standing With You,’ which is a song that Chrissy sings and has on the soundtrack, and we’re just really excited. I can’t wait!” MADDIE: “I know. That’s gonna be a really special moment. I hope it inspires everyone like it’s already inspiring me. I get chills and goosebumps every time I think about this.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton says she is "obsessed" with Chrissy Metz, who stars in the new film, Breakthrough, and who she will be singing with on Sunday night.

    Download

    Mickey Guyton (Chrissy Metz) OC: …really say. :40
    “I absolutely love Chrissy Metz. This is Us is literally one of my favorite shows. When it first came out, I was literally crying on every freaking episode thanks to Chrissy Metz. And then being able to meet her, she is just literally such a gem, and what’s even more special to me is I didn’t even know she was a part of the film when I wrote the song. I didn’t know who was in the film, and that was just a plus for me. And again, yet another blessing. This film is the gift that keeps on giving to me. And just to be a part of it and be around her and, it’s, I’m obsessed with her is all I can really say.”

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  • GRAMMY AWARDS 2018: Kacey, Keith, Chris, LBT, Brothers Osborne and more.

    The GRAMMY Awards are taking place on Sunday (February 10th), and several of your favorite country artists are nominated.

    Kacey Musgraves has four, including overall Album of the Year for Golden Hour, as well as Best Country Album. Her song “Butterflies” picks up a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance, while “Space Cowboy” earns a nod for Best Country Song. Click here for audio from Kacey.

    Chris Stapleton is nominated for three awards, including Best Country Solo Performance (“Millionaire”); Best Country Album (From A Room: Volume 2) and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Justin Timberlake for “Say Something.”

    Brothers Osborne has a pair of nods for Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“Shoot Me Straight”) and Best Country Album (Port St. Joe).

    Little Big Town competes for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their song “When Someone Stops Loving You” – the song is also nominated for Best Country Song (award goes to the songwriters).

    Keith Urban grabs a nod for Best Country Solo Performance for “Parallel Line,” which is from his latest album, Graffiti U.

    Vince Gill gains a Grammy nomination in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category for the duet “Dear Hate” with Maren Morris.

    And Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin captures a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance for Maren Morris’ version of “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.”

    The 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles Sunday (February 10th) at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Album of the Year
    Invasion of Privacy — Cardi B
    By the Way I Forgive You — Brandi Carlile
    Scorpion — Drake
    beerbongs & bentleys — Post Malone
    H.E.R. — H.E.R.
    Dirty Computer — Janelle Monae
    Golden Hour — Kacey Musgraves
    Black Panther: The Album — Kendrick Lamar

    Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
    “Fall In Line” — Christina Aguilera Featuring Demi Lovato
    “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” — Backstreet Boys
    “‘S Wonderful” — Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
    “Shallow” — Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
    “Girls I Like You” — Maroon 5 Featuring Cardi B
    “Say Something” — Justin Timberlake Featuring Chris Stapleton
    “The Middle” — Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey

    Best Country Solo Performance
    “Wouldn’t It Be Great?” — Loretta Lynn
    “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” — Maren Morris
    “Butterflies” — Kacey Musgraves
    “Millionaire” — Chris Stapleton
    “Parallel Line” — Keith Urban

    Best Country Duo/Group Performance
    “Shoot Me Straight” — Brothers Osborne
    “Tequila” — Dan + Shay
    ”When Someone Stops Loving You” — Little Big Town
    “Dear Hate” — Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill
    “Meant to Be” — Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line

    Best Country Song
    “Break Up in the End” — Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill & Jon Nite, songwriters (Cole Swindell)
    “Dear Hate” — Tom Douglas, David Hodges & Maren Morris, songwriters (Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill)
    “Space Cowboy” — Luke Laird, Shane McAnally & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
    “Tequila” — Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds & Dan Smyers, songwriters (Dan + Shay)
    “When Someone Stops Loving You” — Hillary Lindsey, Chase McGill & Lori McKenna, songwriters (Little Big Town)

    Best Country Album
    Unapologetically — Kelsea Ballerini
    Port Saint Joe — Brothers Osborne
    Girl Going Nowhere — Ashley McBryde
    Golden Hour — Kacey Musgraves
    From A Room: Volume 2 — Chris Stapleton

    Audio / CHRIS STAPLETON SAYS HE’S ALWAYS LOVED THE SONG, “MILLIONAIRE,” WHICH WAS WRITTEN AND RECORDED BY KEVIN WELCH FOR HIS 2002 ALBUM OF THE SAME NAME.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Millionaire) OC: …time to do it. :15
    “I love that song. I would always sit around the house playing that song to myself on guitar. It’s fun to play. It’s fun to sing. It’s a great melody. It’s great lyrics. It’s great everything. To me, that’s a great song, and I just loved it so it was time to do it.”

    Audio / Keith Urban talks about the song, “Parallel Line,” which was co-written by Ed Sheeran.

    Download

    Keith Urban (Parallel Line) 2 OC: …great line. :37
    “Ed’s the only guy you’re gonna hear say, ‘You said I love you to me/and I don’t know what that means/so I froze on my feet/people use it so carelessly.’ When is a guy going to say, ‘People use the word so carelessly?’ That’s not usually a guy sentiment, but I feel it as far as being scared of having my heart broken by somebody. Yeah. That’s a guy feeling. That’s a human feeling. So, when I heard those opening lines and chorus, ‘take a little bit of my heart tonight/No I literally don’t mind/just please don’t misplace it.’ Gosh, that’s a great line.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne says getting out of Nashville helped them focus just on making a record.

    Download

    Brothers Osborne (Port Saint Joe) 2 OC: …you escape. :21
    JOHN: “There were no distractions, because we were away from Nashville.  We were just really able to stay focused and do our thing and not worry about the distractions of just being at home in Nashville.” TJ: “And that was one of the things that we most loved about recording out there was just to simply get into the record and get lost and do what really music does best; it just helps you escape.”


  • LUKE, KACEY, CHRIS AND STRAIT WILL PERFORM AT THIS YEAR’S HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO.

    The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has announced the line-up for this year’s event running February 25th – March 17th.  Kacey Musgraves is scheduled to open the season, followed by shows with Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Tim McGraw, Brooks & Dunn, Cardi B, Panic! At the Disco, Old Dominion, Kane Brown, Kings of Leon, Zac Brown Band, Brad Paisley and many others. George Strait with special guests Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen will close out RodeoHouston.

    Tickets go on sale Thursday (January 10TH) at 10am at rodeohouston.com.

  • KACEY, CHRIS, KEITH, LBT, VINCE AND RESTORATION ARE NOMINATED FOR GRAMMYS.

    The nominations for 2019’s GRAMMY Awards have been announced, and Kacey Musgraves leads the list of UMG Nashville’s artists with four, including overall Album of the Year for Golden Hour, as well as Best Country Album. Her song “Butterflies” picks up a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance, while “Space Cowboy” earns a nod for Best Country Song.

    Chris Stapleton is nominated for three awards, including Best Country Solo Performance (“Millionaire”); Best Country Album (From A Room: Volume 2) and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Justin Timberlake for “Say Something.”

    Brothers Osborne has a pair of noms for Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“Shoot Me Straight”) and Best Country Album (Port St. Joe).

    Little Big Town competes for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their song “When Someone Stops Loving You” – the song is also nominated for Best Country Song (award goes to the songwriters).

    Keith Urban grabs a nod for Best Country Solo Performance for “Parallel Line,” which is from his latest album, Graffiti U.

    Vince Gill gains a Grammy nomination in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category for the duet “Dear Hate” with Maren Morris.

    And Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin captures a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance for Maren Morris’ version of “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.”

    The 2019 Grammys will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles February 10th on CBS.

    Album of the Year
    Invasion of Privacy — Cardi B
    By the Way I Forgive You — Brandi Carlile
    Scorpion — Drake
    beerbongs & bentleys — Post Malone
    H.E.R. — H.E.R.
    Dirty Computer — Janelle Monae
    Golden Hour — Kacey Musgraves
    Black Panther: The Album — Kendrick Lamar

    Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
    “Fall In Line” — Christina Aguilera Featuring Demi Lovato
    “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” — Backstreet Boys
    “‘S Wonderful” — Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
    “Shallow” — Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
    “Girls I Like You” — Maroon 5 Featuring Cardi B
    “Say Something” — Justin Timberlake Featuring Chris Stapleton
    “The Middle” — Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey

    Best Country Solo Performance
    “Wouldn’t It Be Great?” — Loretta Lynn
    “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” — Maren Morris
    “Butterflies” — Kacey Musgraves
    “Millionaire” — Chris Stapleton
    “Parallel Line” — Keith Urban

    Best Country Duo/Group Performance
    “Shoot Me Straight” — Brothers Osborne
    “Tequila” — Dan + Shay
    ”When Someone Stops Loving You” — Little Big Town
    “Dear Hate” — Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill
    “Meant to Be” — Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line

    Best Country Song
    “Break Up in the End” — Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill & Jon Nite, songwriters (Cole Swindell)
    “Dear Hate” — Tom Douglas, David Hodges & Maren Morris, songwriters (Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill)
    “Space Cowboy” — Luke Laird, Shane McAnally & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
    “Tequila” — Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds & Dan Smyers, songwriters (Dan + Shay)
    “When Someone Stops Loving You” — Hillary Lindsey, Chase McGill & Lori McKenna, songwriters (Little Big Town)

    Best Country Album
    Unapologetically — Kelsea Ballerini
    Port Saint Joe — Brothers Osborne
    Girl Going Nowhere — Ashley McBryde
    Golden Hour — Kacey Musgraves
    From A Room: Volume 2 — Chris Stapleton

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Little Big Town, Shania, Keith, Luke, Chris, Kacey, Vince, Dierks, Jon

    Little Big Town paid tribute to the legendary Cher at the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday night (December 2nd). This year’s honorees include Reba McEntire, Cher, composer and pianist Philip Glass, jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter and Lin-Manuel Miranda and the creators of Hamilton. The Kennedy Center honors will air December 26th at 8pm ET on CBS.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq6SHTkB5o3/

     

    Shania Twain is scheduled to appear on Live With Kelly & Ryan on Friday (December 7th).

    Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, Shania Twain and Vince Gill are among the artists vying for tour awards at the Pollstar Awards, which will be handed out February 13th in Los Angeles. Keith, Luke, Chris and Shania are up for Best Country Tour, alongside Kenny  Chesney and Thomas Rhett. Kacey is nominated in the all-genre Best Support/Special Guest category for opening Harry Styles’ tour, while Vince up for Best Touring Musician for his stint with the Eagles.

    Dierks Bentley and Jon Pardi are among the artists who will pay tribute to the late Troy Gentry (Montgomery Gentry)at a benefit concert, C-Ya on the Flip Side. Lee Brice, Tracy Lawrence, Justin Moore, Rascal Flatts and Dustin Lynch, among others will also perform at the event taking place January 9th at the Grand Ole Opry. Proceeds will go to a handful of organizations including the Troy Gentry Foundation, the Opry Trust, T.J. Martell Foundation, Make-A-Wish and many others.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith, Brothers O, Chris

    Keith Urban will host a Twitter Q&A Tuesday (Monday in the U.S.) to discuss his hosting duties at this year’s ARIA Awards (Australia’s equivalent of the GRAMMYS).

    Brothers Osborne have added a THIRD show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on February 13th due to overwhelming demand and two sold-out shows on February 15th and 16th.  Tickets go on sale this Friday.

    The lineup for the 2018 Country Thunder Wisconsin has been announced with Chris Stapleton serving as one of the headliners for the four-day festival, taking place July 18th-21st. Tim McGraw and Jake Owen will also headline.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke, Kacey, Chris

    Luke Bryan takes over Pickler and Ben on Tuesday. He talks about his latest single, “What Makes You Country,” American Idol and his favorite holiday traditions. Check local listings for times.

     

    Kacey Musgraves will be a guest judge during the highly-anticipated fourth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. Her “weave-snatching” episode will air December 14th at 8pm ET on VH1.

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/1062088650488496130

    Chris Stapleton will be among the artists paying tribute to the legendary Dolly Parton as MusiCares Person of the Year February 8th. Pink, Leon Bridges, Norah Jones, Shawn Mendes, Lauren Daigle and many more will also perform at the event taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center two days prior to the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Jordan, Keith, Chris, Josh, Kacey and more

    Jordan Davis performed at half-time during Sunday Night Football’s match-up yesterday (October 28th) between the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings. New Orleans came from behind to win the game 30-20.

     

    Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton and Lady Antebellum will headline next year’s C2C: Country to Country music festival. The three-day event, which runs March 8th-10th in London, Glasgow and Dublin, will also feature performances by Lyle Lovett, Brett Eldredge, Dustin Lynch and many more.

    Josh Turner was able to take a couple of days to spend with his family (which includes his wife and four sons) at Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida for the boys fall break. His first gospel album, I Serve a Savior, is available now.

    Kacey Musgraves covered Keane‘s “Somewhere Only We Know” for the BBC last week, and over the weekend, the band’s Tom Chaplin joined her at her show in London for a live performance of the song.

    https://twitter.com/CAFCfanDanii/status/1056295840120221697

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks, Chris, Luke, Brothers O, Darius

    Dierks Bentley, Chris Stapleton and Garth Brooks helped induct Ricky Skaggs into Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday (October 21st). The late Dottie West and the late fiddle player Johnny Gimble were also inducted into the Hall of Fame.

    Luke Bryan will appear on ABC’s Live with Kelly & Ryan, along with his fellow American Idol judges, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, on October 30th.

    Brothers Osborne, along with Ram Trucks are speaking out in support of helping to rebuild Port Saint Joe, Florida following Hurricane Michael. The town where John and TJ recorded their latest album, Port Saint Joe, was devastated by the storm. “We feel such a deep connection to Port St Joe and the people of the Florida panhandle who were devastated by the effects of hurricane Michael. The healing process has only begun and with the help of @ramtrucks, we will dedicate ourselves to helping rebuild this beautiful place. Donate at Redcross.org (link in bio) to help Support The Port and its surrounding communities.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BpC5Om6HYT1/?taken-by=brothersosborne

    Darius Rucker’s “If I Told You” has been certified platinum, while “Alright” has been certified double platinum.

    https://twitter.com/RIAA/status/1054153893020663808

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris, Kacey, Keith, Luke

    Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves have been added to the lineup for this year’s Farm Aid. The 33rd annual event will also feature performances by the Farm AID board of directors Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews as well as Sturgill Simpson and Margo Price. Tickets for this year’s event, taking place September 22nd at the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford, Connecticut, go on sale Friday (June 29th) at 10am ET.

    Keith Urban performs on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday night (June 26th). Shaquille O’Neal and Jenna Dewan will also appear on the show, which airs at 11:35a ET.

    Luke Bryan will reunite with his American Idol co-star on ABC’s Live With Kelly and Ryan on Wednesday (June 27th). Adam Sandler (The Wedding Singer, Grown Ups, The Waterboy, Happy Gilmore) and Winston Duke (Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War) are also scheduled guests on the show.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks, Keith, Carrie, Lauren, Jon, Chris

    Dierks Bentley will perform on NBC’s Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon Wednesday (June 13th).

    Keith Urban will be joined by Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and Ricky Martin on this year’s Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular. The two-hour show will air from New York City on July 4th at 8pm ET on NBC.

    Carrie Underwood will perform at Spotify’s first-ever Hot Country Live show on July 4th in New York at Pier 17. Tickets go on sale Friday (June 15th).

    Lauren Alaina and Jon Pardi will host this year’s ACM Honors at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium August 22nd. Tickets go on this Friday (June 15th). Honorees include Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson, Darius Rucker and Rhett Akins.

    Justin Timberlake’s song with Chris Stapleton, “Say Something,” has been honored for a Teen Choice Award for Male Artist, while Carrie Underwood is nominated for Choice Country Artist. The Teen Choice Awards will air live from The Forum in Los Angeles August 12th on FOX. Voting is open now.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Sam, Chris, Darius, Dierks, Carrie, Luke, Shania

    Sam Hunt surprised the crowd at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium during CMA Music Fest on Saturday night (June 9th) with a performance of his latest song, “Downtown’s Dead.”

    Chris Stapleton popped into his CMA Music Festival Pop-Up store at the George Jones Museum to sign autographs following a pop-up performance at SiriusXM’s Happy Hour at Margaritaville.

    As you know Darius Rucker is one of the founding members of the supergroup Hootie & the Blowfish. Their breakthrough album, Cracked Rear View, was just certified 21x Platinum by the RIAA, meaning more than 21 million copies of the collection were sold.

    Dierks Bentley will perform during the Today Show’s Citi Summer Concert Series on Tuesday (June 12th), followed by a performance on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday (June 13th).

    Chris Stapleton’s album Traveller has been certified triple platinum (3 million copies sold), while Luke Bryan’s “Huntin’, Fishin’, Lovin’ Every Day” and “Drink a Beer” were certified double-platinum. Luke’s “Most People Are Good,” “Light It Up” and “Move” are now gold.

    Carrie Underwood will perform her anthemic “The Champion” with Ludacris for the very first time at this year’s Radio Disney Music Awards and will receive their Hero Award. The show will take place at 8pm ET on June 23rd on the Disney Channel. Find out more information right here.

    Luke Bryan was featured on CBS Sunday Morning (June 10th), in which the cameras took viewers behind-the-scenes of his recent Musicians On Call visit with young patients in Manhattan.

    Shania Twain
    performs on CBS’ Late Late Show with James Corden Monday night (June 11th).

    Video /

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  • BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS: Chris, Luke, Sam, Alan

    The Billboard Music Awards took place Sunday night (May 20th), and a  of your favorite country artists went home with trophies

    Chris Stapleton won the Top Country Album Award for From A Room: Volume 1, and he also won the award for Top Country Male Artist.

    https://twitter.com/UMGNashville/status/998293563640307713

    Luke Bryan took home the award for Top Country Tour.

    Sam Hunt picked up the award for Top Country Song for the multi-platinum, “Body Like a Back Road.”

    Alan Jackson won for Top Christian Album for his Precious Memories Collection.

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks, Shania, Lady A, Jordan, Sam, Chris

    Dierks Bentley’s “Woman, Amen” was heard during Sunday night’s premiere of ABC’s American Idol.

    Shania Twain has signed on to be one of the judges on the reality series, RuPaul’s Drag Race, which features several female impersonators through a series of competitions and challenges.

    Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley, Jordan Davis and Scotty McCreery are among the artists performing during the 14th Annual Drive for Show Rock Fore! Dough concert April 3rd prior to the 2018 Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. All proceeds will benefit The First Tee of Augusta, which strives to impact the lives of young people by creating affordable and accessible golf facilities.

    Sam Hunt won an iHeart Radio Award Sunday night for Country Song of the Year for his huge smash “Body Like a Back Road,” while Chris Stapleton’s From A Room: Volume 1 picked up the award for Country Album of the Year.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Charles, Alan, Vince, Chris

    Charles Kelley teams up with Jake Owen for a charity show at Nashville’s Topgolf to benefit the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt on Thursday (March 1st).

    Alan Jackson, Vince Gill and Chris and Morgane Stapleton are featured in the new issue of GQ magazine. The article features the styles of 15 Country and Americana artists, which also includes Lyle Lovett, Alison Krauss, Randy Travis and Marty Stuart.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris, Kacey, Charles, Jon, Kip

    Chris Stapleton is Justin Timberlake’s special guest on today’s Brit Awards. The pair will perform their duet, “Say Something,” from the pop superstar’s new album, Man of the Woods.

    Kacey Musgraves will perform during Monday night’s (February 26th) Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC.

    Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley is teaming up with Jake Owen next Thursday (March 1st) to perform a show at Topgolf Nashville’s live music venue, The Cowan, to benefit pediatric cancer research at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Click here for ticket information.

    Jon Pardi and Kip Moore will perform during the Academy of Country Music’s “Party for a Cause” events in Las Vegas prior to the ACM Awards. For ticket info, go to partyforacause.com. The ACM Awards will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 15th at 8pm ET on CBS.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris, Sam, Lady A

    Chris Stapleton is holding steady at No. 1 on the Billboard country album chart with From A Room: Volume 2. The collection was released in December and is followed by From A Room: Volume 1 at No. 2, while the Kentucky native’s album Traveller is sticking around at No. 5 on the chart.

    Sam Hunt will headline the Firestone Legends Day concert May 26th at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 102nd Indianapolis 500. Canaan Smith and Filmore will serve as opening acts for the concert.

    Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott invited bandmate Charles Kelley and his family (including wife Cassie and son Ward) to meet her twin daughters, Betsy and Emory. She posted a photo of Charles holding both girls on her Instagram account [see below].

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BfTm67sgCJG/?taken-by=hillaryscottla

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Tyminski, Chris, Keith, Little Big Town

    Tyminski is scheduled to perform “Wanted” from his album, Southern Gothic, on ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday (January 16th).

    Chris Stapleton has been announced as the musical guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live January 27th. Will Ferrell will host.

     

    Keith Urban and Little Big Town are among the artists honoring Fleetwood Mac during the 2018 MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute in New York City January 26th, just a couple of days before the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, Imagine Dragons and Lorde will also perform during the show.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris, Lady A, Sam, Darius

    The dynamic duo of Chris Stapleton and Justin Timberlake is back, according to several sources, including Rolling Stone, Hollywood.com and Spin. The two will pair up for their first collaboration on record on the pop superstar’s new album, Man of the Woods, due for release February 2nd. The two previously shared the stage during the 2015 CMA Awards, as well as last year’s Pilgrimage Festival. JT’s new album will also feature appearances by Alicia Keys, Pharrell and Timbaland.

    Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley is set to headline the Snowmass Celebrity Ski Fest next month in Colorado. The two-day event, taking place February 21st and 22nd, will also feature appearances by Nashville’s Charles Esten and singer-songwriter Edwin McCain and will raise money for Lady A’s charity, LadyAID.

    Sam Hunt‘s “Body Like a Back Road” has been certified quadruple platinum (4x) by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).

    Darius Rucker is enjoying the winter weather that has hit the Eastern Seaboard. He posted of a photo of his snow-covered front yard in Charleston, South Carolina. Check it out below.

     

     

  • GRAMMY NOMINATIONS FOR CHRIS, LBT, LADY A, SAM AND BROTHERS O.

    The nominations for the 60th Annual Grammy Awards were announced early Tuesday morning (November 28th). Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town lead the country nominees with three apiece.

    Chris is up for including Best Country Album for From A Room: Volume 1, as well as Best Country Solo Performance for “Either Way” and Best Country Song for “Broken Halos.”

    The members of Little Big Town have nominations for Best Country Album for The Breaker, Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Better Man” and Best Country Song for “Better Man.”

    Lady Antebellum have two nods for Best Country Album for Heart Break and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “You Look Good.”

    Sam Hunt is also up for two Grammy Awards for Best Country Solo Performance for “Body Like a Backroad,” which is also nominated for Best Country Song. Sam wrote the record-breaking hit with Zach Crowell, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.

    Brothers Osborne picked up a nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “It Ain’t My Fault.”

    https://twitter.com/brothersosborne/status/935512194258755587

    The 60th Annual Grammy Awards will air live from New York City’s Madison Square Garden January 28th on CBS.

    Best Country Album
    Cosmic Hallelujah, Kenny Chesney
    Heart Break, Lady Antebellum
    The Breaker, Little Big Town
    Life Changes, Thomas Rhett
    From A Room: Volume 1, Chris Stapleton

    Best Country Solo Performance
    “Body Like A Back Road,” Sam Hunt
    “Losing You,” Alison Krauss
    “Tin Man,” Miranda Lambert
    “I Could Use A Love Song,” Maren Morris
    “Either Way,” Chris Stapleton

    Best Country Duo/Group Performance
    “It Ain’t My Fault,” Brothers Osborne
    “My Old Man,” Zac Brown Band
    “You Look Good,” Lady Antebellum
    “Better Man,” Little Big Town
    “Drinkin’ Problem,” Midland

    Best Country Song
    “Better Man,” Little Big Town
    Songwriter: Taylor Swift

    “Body Like A Back Road,” Sam Hunt
    Songwriters: Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne

    “Broken Halos,” Chris Stapleton
    Songwriters: Mike Henderson and Chris Stapleton

    “Drinkin’ Problem,” Midland
    Songwriters: Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Mark Wystrach

    “Tin Man,” Miranda Lambert
    Songwriters: Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert and Jon Randall

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Shania, Darius, Luke, LBT, Sam, Dierks, Jon, Church, Strait, Stapleton, Kacey

    Darius Rucker will appear on ABC’s The View on Wednesday (October 25th).

    Shania Twain is featured on CBS’ The Talk on Wednesday (October 25th).

    Luke Bryan is a special guest on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday (October 26th).

    During the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame celebration earlier this week, the NSAI presented the 10 Songs I Wish I’d Written Awards. The honorees included Little Big Town’s “Better Man (written by Taylor Swift), Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road” (written by Sam, Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally and Zach Crowell), “Different for Girls” by Dierks Bentley, featuring Elle King (written by JT Harding and Shane McAnally), Jon Pardi’s “Dirt on My Boots” (written by Ashley Gorley, Jesse Frasure and Rhett Akins) and Eric Church’s “Kill a Word,” which he co-wrote with Jeff Hyde and Luke Dick.

    George Strait, Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town and Kacey Musgraves have been announced as performers at next year’s Bayou Country Superfest. The festival will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Oreleans over the Memorial Day weekend. Tickets go on sale next Thursday (November 2nd).

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith, Sam, Carrie, LBT, Chris, Jon, Luke

    Keith Urban, Sam Hunt, Carrie Underwood, Little Big Town, Chris Stapleton and Jon Pardi earned nominations for this year’s American Music Awards. Keith leads the country nominees with three nods, including Favorite Male Artist – Country, Favorite Album – Country for Ripcord and Favorite Song – Country for “Blue Ain’t Your Color.” Sam picks up a pair of nominations, including Favorite Male Artist – Country and Favorite Song – Country for “Body Like a Back Road.” Chris earns a nomination for From A Room: Volume 1, while Jon picks up a nod for Favorite Song – Country for “Dirt on My Boots.” The 45th Annual American Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on November 19th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Luke Bryan’s Crash My Party and Tailgates and Tanlines albums were certified 4X platinum by the RIAA. Several of his songs, including “Drunk on You,” “Crash My Party,” “Play It Again” and “That’s My Kind of Night” were also certified 4X platinum, while “Country Girl [Shake It For Me]” was certified quintuple platinum. Luke’s “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye,” “Home Alone Tonight” and “All My Friends Say” was certified platinum.

    Keith Urban is set to appear on a new television special, Grammys Greatest Stories, which will take a behind-the-scenes look at the past 59 years of Grammys performances and history. The two-hour show will include appearances by Paul McCartney, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Celine Dion and U2, among others. Grammys Greatest Stories: A 60th Anniversary Special will air Black Friday, November 24th beginning at 9pm ET on CBS.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith, Luke, Chris, Carrie, Sam, Kacey, Mickey

    Keith Urban’s Ripcord took home the Top Selling Album of the Year trophy at this year’s Canadian Country Music Awards, which were held in Saskatoon, SK on Sunday night (September 10th). The award goes to the highest-selling non-Canadian album. Eric Paslay presented Single of the Year on the televised show.

    Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton and Keith Urban are among this year’s CMT Artists of the Year. What’s special about the CMT Artists of the Year is that the honorees are recognized by their fellow peers through speeches and never-before-seen footage played throughout the evening. One-night only performances also fill the Schermerhorn Symphony Center halls as duets and collaborations take over the stage. Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line will also be honored. The 2017 CMT Artists of the Year special will air live from Nashville October 18th at 8pm ET on CMT.

    Carrie Underwood and Sam Hunt played an acoustic show for a small group of people at Fontanel, located North of Nashville, according to CMT.com. The two superstars performed as part of the Songs on a Mission fundraising dinner for Mission Lazarus, an organization that assists people around the world. The event raised more than $630,000 for the group’s Honduran orphanage.

    Chris Stapleton is scheduled to perform at the all-star A Concert for Charlottesville later this month. Dave Matthews Band will headline the show at UVA Scott Stadium, while Justin Timberlake, Ariana Grande, Pharrell Williams, Cage the Elephant, The Roots and Brittany Howard from Alabama Shakes will also perform. Free tickets will initially go to the residents of Charlottesville, Virginia (the location in which violent white nationalist rallies took place last month) for the show taking place September 24th.

    Kacey Musgraves and Mickey Guyton give their thoughts on the legendary Patsy Cline in a new DVD celebrating her remarkable life and music. When Patsy Cline Was…Crazy will be available October 6th. Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, Bill Anderson, Callie Khouri and many more will also be featured.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris, AJ, LBT, Strait, Lady A, Vince, Eric, Darius, Clare

    Chris Stapleton and Alan Jackson have been added to the list of performers at this year’s ACM Honors. They join previously announced performers Little Big Town, George Strait, Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott, Vince Gill, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Thomas Rhett, Maren Morris and others. Eric Church, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson are among the honorees, in addition to Strait and Kelsea Ballerini. The show, which tapes next week at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, will air September 15th on CBS.

    Little Big Town’s Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet took time out to catch the Tennessee Titans practice on Thursday (August 17th).

    https://twitter.com/Titans/status/898261817213898752

     

    Darius Rucker is set to perform in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina for the first time in four years October 22nd. He will take the stage at Volvo Car Stadium on Daniel Island just two days after the release of his fifth studio album, When Was the Last Time. Tickets go on sale Friday (August 18th) at 10am at Ticketmaster.

    Clare Dunn returned home to Colorado last week to headline the Sand and Sage Round-Up Kick-Off concert, drawing one of the largest crowds in event history. Prior to her performance, Clare hosted a VIP charity party including a silent auction, autographed memorabilia, an acoustic performance and more, which raised over $25,000 for the Colorado FFA Foundation and Children’s Hospital Colorado.

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Shania, Kacey, Chris, Lady A, LBT, Luke, Kip, George, Vince and more

    Shania Twain is scheduled to perform on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon August 16th. Her new album, NOW, will be released September 29th.

    Kacey Musgraves will appear on the season finale of CMT’s Nashville, which airs Thursday (August 10th) at 9pm ET.

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/894975691694915584

     

    Hillary Scott has been nominated for Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year for “Thy Will” for this year’s Dove Awards. Hillary and her family, the Scott Family, recorded and released “Thy Will” from their Love Remains album. The 48th Annual GMA Dove Awards will take place at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville October 17th at 7:30pm ET. The Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) will exclusively air the awards show on Sunday, October 22nd.

    https://twitter.com/HillaryScottLA/status/895378170425298944

     

    Chris Stapleton and Lady Antebellum have been added to the lineup for the all-star concert, All in For the Gambler: Kenny Rogers’ Farewell Concert Celebration. The event, which will be taped at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena October 25th, will also feature guest appearances by Little Big Town, Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, Jamey Johnson and Elle King, among others.

    Luke Bryan, Little Big Town and Kip Moore are among the artists performing at the Gulf Coast Jam in Panama City, Florida September 1st – 3rd. Jason Aldean, Brett Eldredge, Dan + Shay and Granger Smith will also perform.

    George Strait, Little Big Town, Vince Gill, Hillary Scott and Toby Keith are among the first-round performers at this year’s ACM Honors, taking place at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium August 23rd. The concert event, which will also feature performances by Brad Paisley, Kelsea Ballerini, Thomas Rhett and Maren Morris, will air September 15th at 9pm ET/PT on CBS.

    As previously announced, Special Award recipients celebrated at the 11th Annual ACM Honors will include Kelsea Ballerini (Gene Weed Milestone Award), Toby Keith (Poet’s Award), Bob Kingsley (Mae Boren Axton Service Award), Reba McEntire (Mae Boren Axton Service Award), “Nashville” (Tex Ritter Film Award), Dolly Parton (Gary Haber Lifting Lives Award), Shel Silverstein (Poet’s Award, awarded posthumously), and George Strait (Cliffie Stone Icon Award)The evening will also honor winners of the Industry and Studio Recording Awards, along with Songwriter of the Year Award winner, Lori McKenna. The Academy of Country Music will present trophies to previously announced Special Award recipients Eric Church (Merle Haggard Spirit Award) and Willie Nelson (Poet’s Award) at a later date.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks, Jon, Chris, Lauren, Easton

    Dierks Bentley and Jon Pardi will appear on CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown this weekend. The cameras caught up with the tourmates backstage at the recent Faster Horses Festival. Check out what the two had to say on Saturday (July 29th) at 9am ET.

     

    Chris Stapleton is set to perform during the annual iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, which runs September 22nd and 23rd. The two-day event will also feature performances by Pink, Thomas Rhett, Miley Cyrus, Kings of Leon, Harry Styles, Coldplay, Niall Horan, The Weeknd and Thirty Seconds to Mars, among others.

    Chris Stapleton, along with Lee Ann Womack, will perform in honor of the legendary Jerry Lee Lewis on August 24th for a taping for the online series Skyville Live in Nashville. The show will premiere sometime in the coming months.

    Lauren Alaina has released the lyric video for her current single, “Doin’ Fine,” the autobiographical song she wrote with busbee and Emily Shackleton. Check it out here.

    Easton Corbin, who’s making his way up the country charts with “A Girl Like You,” recently took in a New York Yankees baseball game at Yankees Stadium.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith, Luke, Eric, Sam, Lady A, Dierks, Darius, LBT, Chris, Kacey

    Catch several of this year’s hottest performances from CMA Music Festival during ABC’s CMA Fest television special. Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Sam Hunt and Lady Antebellum will take the stage, along with collaborations between Dierks Bentley and Cole Swindell and Darius Rucker with Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild, among others. The music event will air August 16th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Chris Stapleton’s From A Room: Volume 1 is the No. 1 country album in the nation this week. His Traveller album lands at No. 2, followed by Keith Urban’s Ripcord at No. 3.

    Chris Stapleton‘s From a Room: Volume 1 has been certified gold by the R.I.A.A for more than 500,000 copies sold.

    Kacey Musgraves (along with her fiancé Ruston Kelly) are among the singer-songwriters who are adding their vocals and music to poems Johnny Cash had written throughout the years that are being turned into a tribute album to the Man in Black. The collection, which will be called Johnny Cash Forever Words: The Music, will also feature contributions from Brad Paisley, Jewel, Jamey Johnson, T-Bone Burnett and the late Chris Cornell. Kacey and Ruston recently debuted their duet, “To June, This Morning,” at Blackberry Farm in East Tennessee. Johnny wrote the poem for his wife, June Carter Cash, more than 45 years ago.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BWX_GXrF1_G/?taken-by=spaceykacey

    Sam Hunt garners more nominations at this year’s Teen Choice Awards, which just announced its second wave of nominees. He grabbed two more nods, including Choice Country Song for “Body Like a Back Road,” as well as Choice Summer Tour for his 15 in a 30 Tour. Sam was previously nominated for Choice Country Artist and the all-genre Choice Song for his huge smash hit, “Body Like a Back Road.” Voting is now open at TeenChoice.com or fans can tweet the category hashtag with the nominee’s name through July 19th. The Teen Choice Awards will air live August 13th at 8pm ET on FOX.

    Keith Urban’s lovely wife, Nicole Kidman, has earned an Emmy nomination for her role as “Celeste Wright“ in HBO’s Big Little Lies, alongside her friend Reese Witherspoon. The show was also nominated in the Outstanding Limited Series category and ended up with 16 nominations. The Emmys will air live September 17th at 8pm ET on CBS.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith, Shania, Lady A, Chris, Kip, Lauren, Vince

    Keith Urban will perform songs from his current album, Ripcord, as well as several of his hits, during an Audience Network special premiering Friday (July 14th) at 9pm ET, which you can find on DirectTV and Uverse.  The  live performance and interview from the four-time GRAMMY Award-winning, platinum-selling artist was filmed on location during the AT&T Block Party at the 2017 NCAA March Madness Music Festival in Phoenix.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkXXz6qkRC0
    Shania Twain has been keeping up with the scores at Wimbeldon since one of the First Round champs, Milos Raonic, is from her home country of Canada. She’s been cheering him on, even sharing a recent photo taken of the pair.

    https://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain/status/885064450700488704

     

    Catch Lady Antebellum on Friday (July 14th) when they take over Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series on ABC, performing a handful of their hits, including “You Look Good,” which is soaring to the top of the country charts.

    Chris Stapleton is expected to drop by NBC’s Today Show to perform during their Citi Concert Series on July 18th.

    Kip Moore has been releasing short video clips and teasers of songs from his upcoming album, Slowheart. The collection, which features his hit “More Girls Like You,” will be released later this year.


    Lauren Alaina’s film debut, Road Less Traveled, will be available on DVD September 21st. The title was taken from her No. 1 song and album, Road Less Traveled.

    Vince Gill will soon welcome another member into the family. His daughter Jenny Gill is pregnant with child No. 2 and the baby’s arrival is expected in January (2018). The new addition will join big brother Wyatt, who was born in August of 2014.

    https://www.facebook.com/jennygillmusic/photos/a.140479882650153.18687.134855256545949/1562361313795329/?type=3&theater

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Jon, Chris, Lady A

    Jon Pardi’s video for his new single, “Heartache On the Dance Floor,” will premiere during CMT’s Hot 20 on Saturday (June 17th). The clip was shot in Venice Beach (California).

    Lady Antebellum will perform during NBC’s annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular in New York City. Brad Paisley is also scheduled to perform.

    Chris Stapleton’s From A Room, Volume 1 is the first 2017 released country album to be certified gold for more than 500,000 copies sold.

    https://twitter.com/RIAA/status/874998602531209217

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris, Shania, Dierks, Keith, Kip, Lauren, Lady A

    Chris Stapleton will appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday (May 8th) and Howard Stern on Tuesday (May 9th).

    Chris Stapleton and Shania Twain will perform during NBC’s Today Show summer concert series. Shania will take the stage in Rockefeller Plaza June 16th, while Chris, who just released his album From A Room, Volume 1, is scheduled to perform July 18th. Zac Brown Band, Brad Paisley, Thomas Rhett, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran are also scheduled to perform throughout the summer.

    Dierks Bentley appears on ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday (May 9th) to announce the lineup for this year’s GMA Summer Concert Series.

    Keith Urban earned platinum certification for several of his albums, including Ripcord, Fuse, Get Closer and Greatest Hits-18 Kids.

    Kip Moore and Lauren Alaina will take part in the fourth annual Georgia on My Mind concert, hosted by the Peach Pickers (songwriters Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson and Ben Hayslip), on May 16th at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. The event is a fundraiser for the Georgia Music Foundation and will also feature performances by Michael Ray and Chris Janson.

    Lady Antebellum will take part in a multi-artist episode of CMT Crossroads featuring Earth, Wind & Fire. The latest installment will film in downtown Nashville during this year’s CMA Music Festival.

  • LUKE, CHRIS, KEITH, LBT, DIERKS, ERIC, VINCE AND HILLARY SCOTT & THE SCOTT FAMILY ARE NOMINATED FOR BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS.

    The nominees for the 2017 Billboard Music Awards were announced and several of your favorite country artists are up for awards. Luke Bryan is nominated in the all-format fan-voted Billboard Chart Achievement category, as well as for Top Country Tour.

    Keith Urban has several BBMA nods, including Top Country Album for Ripcord and Top Country Song for “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” as well as a nomination for Top Country Artist.

    Chris Stapleton is up against Keith as Top Country Artist, as well as Top Country Album for Traveller.

    Little Big Town’s “Better Man” is up for Top Country Song, while Dierks Bentley’s “Different for Girls” featuring Elle King, Eric Church’s “Kill a Word” with Rhiannon Giddens and Vince Gill’s appearance on Chris Young’s “Sober Saturday Night” are up for Top Country Collaborations.

    Hillary Scott & the Scott Family have three BBMA nominations, including Top Christian Artist, Top Christian Album for Love Remains and Top Christian Song for “Thy Will.”

    The Billboard Music Awards will air on May 21 at 8PM on ABC.

    Billboard Chart Achievement Award Presented by Xfinity:
    Luke Bryan
    Nicki Minaj
    The Chainsmokers
    The Weeknd
    Twenty One Pilots

    Top Country Artist:
    Florida Georgia Line
    Blake Shelton
    Keith Urban
    Chris Stapleton
    Jason Aldean

    Top Country Tour:
    Luke Bryan
    Kenny Chesney
    Dixie Chicks

    Top Country Album:
    Jason Aldean, They Don’t Know
    Florida Georgia Line, Dig Your Roots
    Blake Shelton, If I’m Honest
    Chris Stapleton, Traveller
    Keith Urban, Ripcord

    Top Country Song:
    Kenny Chesney Featuring Pink, “Setting The World On Fire”
    Florida Georgia Line, “H.O.L.Y.”
    Florida Georgia Line Featuring Tim McGraw, “May We All”
    Little Big Town, “Better Man”
    Keith Urban, “Blue Ain’t Your Color”

    Top Country Collaboration:
    Dierks Bentley Featuring Elle King, “Different For Girls”
    Kenny Chesney Featuring Pink, “Setting The World On Fire”
    Eric Church Featuring Rhiannon Giddens, “Kill A Word”
    Florida Georgia Line Featuring Tim McGraw, “May We All”
    Chris Young Featuring Vince Gill, “Sober Saturday Night”

    Top Christian Artist:
    Lauren Daigle
    Hillsong Worship
    Hillary Scott & the Scott Family
    Skillet
    Chris Tomlin

    Top Christian Album:
    Casting Crowns, The Very Next Thing
    Lauren Daigle, How Can It Be
    Joey + Rory, Hymns
    Hillary Scott & The Scott Family, Love Remains
    Skillet, Unleashed

    Top Christian Song:
    Lauren Daigle, “Trust In You”
    Hillary Scott & The Family, “Thy Will”
    Skillet, “Feel Invincible”
    Ryan Stevenson Featuring GabeReal, “Eye Of The Storm”
    Zach Williams, “Chain Breaker”

  • NEWS & NOTES: LBT, Luke, Eric, Sam, Darius, Chris, Alan

    Little Big Town will perform on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Wednesday (March 1st), followed by The Talk on March 14th.

    Luke Bryan will perform on The Tonight  Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday (March 2nd).

    Eric Church and Sam Hunt, along with Jason Aldean, will headline the 4th Annual Route 91 Harvest Festival September 29th – October 1st at Nevada’s Las Vegas Village. Tickets go on sale Friday (March 3rd).

    Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Chris Stapleton and Alan Jackson are scheduled to perform during this year’s Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The three-day concert event will take place April 7th – 9th and will also feature such artists as Brett Eldredge, Kenny Chesney, Maren Morris, Dustin Lynch, Brett Young, Chris Lane and many more.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith, Dierks, Lady A, Chris

    Keith Urban is set to co-host the third hour of NBC’s Today Show on Tuesday (February 7th).

    Dierks BentleyLady Antebellum, Chris and Morgane Stapleton, and many others are featured on a new tribute album, Gentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williams. The 11-track album will be released May 26th, in honor of Williams’ birthday the following day. See track list below.

    Gentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williams Track List: 
    1. “Tulsa Time” –  Pistol Annies
    2. “I Believe in You” – Brandy Clark
    3. “We’ve Got a Good Fire Goin'” – Lady Antebellum
    4. “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend” – Dierks Bentley
    5. “Amanda” – Chris Stapleton feat. Morgane Stapleton
    6. “Till The Rivers All Run Dry” – Alison Krauss
    7. “Love Is On A Roll” – John Prine feat. Roger Cook
    8. “If I Needed You” – Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires
    9. “Maggie’s Dream” – Trisha Yearwood
    10. “Lord I Hope This Day is Good” – Keb’ Mo’
    11. “Good Ole Boys Like Me” – Garth Brooks

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke, Chris, Lauren, Brothers Osborne, Little Big Town

    Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton and Kenny Chesney will headline the fifth annual Tortuga Music Festival. The three-day event will take place April 7th – 9th in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and will also feature performances by Alan Jackson, Darius Rucker, Brett Eldredge, Maren Morris, Dustin Lynch, Old Dominion and Nelly, among others.

    Chris Stapleton appeared on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday (January 24th) for the show’s “Behind the Lyrics” segment. He “explains” the story behind the title track of his hit album, Traveller. Check it out here.

    Luke Bryan will be joined by Cole Swindell, Phillip Phillips and songwriter Dallas Davidson to perform a benefit concert to help victims affected by the storms that recently devastated South Georgia. A  date for the benefit will be announced soon.

    Little Big Town, Brothers Osborne, Lauren Alaina and Gary Allan are among the artists performing at Chicago’s Country LakeShake this summer. The three-day event, which also features Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts and many others, will take place June 23rd – 25th at the Huntington Bank Pavilion. Tickets go on sale February 3rd at 10am.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Darius, David, Easton, Chris, Luke

    Darius Rucker helped pay tribute to James Taylor at this week’s Kennedy Center Honors by performing a medley of some of the iconic singer-songwriter’s biggest hits, including “Sweet Baby James” and “Carolina in My Mind.” Rounding out the tribute, Darius, along with Garth Brooks and Sheryl Crow, performed ‘How Sweet It Is’ together. See videos of their performances below.

    David Nail’s “Good at Tonight” will play throughout the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Check it out, as well as the matchup between Alabama and Washington at 2p ET on ESPN.

    Easton Corbin performed the National Anthem at his alma mater, The University of Florida, before their first basketball game in their brand new arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Check it out in a post by Rare Country here.

    Chris Stapleton will be the special guest with Tom Petty at Wrigley Field on June 29th, as well as July 5th and 6th at the 50th Anniversary of Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

    Luke Bryan took his boys to the WWE Live Holiday Tour when it made its stop at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena this week. He went backstage to meet the legendary wrestler, Jon Cena.

     

    Video / Darius Rucker performs tribute to James Taylor

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    Video / Darius, Garth and Sheryl pay tribute to James Taylor

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris, Lauren, Keith

    Chris Stapleton and Lauren Alaina are set to perform during Dolly Parton’s telethon to benefit the victims of the deadly wildfires in East Tennessee. The three-hour telethon, Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund, airs tonight (December 13th) at 8pm ET on GAC, AXS-TV, RFD and the Heartland Network, while also simulcasting on numerous radio clusters, including select iHeart Media stations, Cumulus’ NASH Nights Live and Country Roads on TuneIn. Reba, Kenny Rogers, Alabama, Hank Williams Jr., Chris Young, Amy Grant, Cyndi Lauper and Don McLean will also perform.

    Chris Stapleton will open three shows for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers’ 40th Anniversary Tour at Chicago’s Wrigley Field on June 29th and at Milwaukee’s Summerfest July 5th-6th.

    Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color” is spending a third week at the top of the Canadian Country Singles Chart.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris, Strait

    Chris Stapleton and his wife Morgane are scheduled to perform on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday (November 10th).

    George Strait is among the performers honoring Tom Petty as 2017’s MusiCares Person of the Year on February 10th. The event will be held in the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center, and will also feature performances by Jackson Brown, Foo Fighters, Don Henley, Norah Jones, Kings of Leon, Stevie Nicks and Elle King, among others. Proceeds will support the Recording Academy’s MusiCares Foundation, which provides assistance for members of the music community in need.

  • 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.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: George, Luke, Chris, Sam, Keith, Eric

    George Strait is a grandfather once again. His son, Bubba, and daughter-in-law, Tamara, welcomed their second child Jillian Louise Strait on September 10th. She joins big brother Harvey, who was born February 2nd, 2012.

    Luke Bryan is up for Favorite Male Country Artist and his album, Kill the Lights, is nominated for Favorite Country Album, along with Chris Stapleton’s Traveller, at this year’s American Music Awards. The AMA’s will air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles November 20th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Sam Hunt’s “Break Up in a Small Town” and Keith Urban’s “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16,” along with Eric Church’s “Like a Wrecking Ball” and “Record Year” are among “The 10 Songs I Wish I’d Written”  as voted on by NSAI members.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Vince, Kacey, Chris, Darius, Lady A, Brothers O

    Vince Gill, Kacey Musgraves and Chris Stapleton shared the same stage in a songwriters’ round with James Taylor and Joe Walsh Tuesday night (September 27th) for the Country Music Hall of Fame’s All For the Hall Los Angeles benefit.

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/781075897705111553

    Since Darius Rucker performs a lot of shows, he doesn’t get to see a lot during his downtime. However, he made an exception the other night to catch the Violent Femmes.

    The  members of Lady Antebellum are currently in Los Angeles, staying in the same house and writing songs for their upcoming project.

     

    Brothers Osborne‘s “Stay a Little Longer” helped The Voice contestant Josh Gallagher get picked by Blake Shelton.

    https://twitter.com/RachiePix5/status/780932161461489665

    Speaking of TJ and John Osborne, the two have recorded a video urging folks to register to vote. Check it out below.

    Video / Brothers Osborne urge people to vote by holding their breath.

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris, Sam, Darius, Mickey

    Chris Stapleton picked up the trophy for Artist of the Year at the 15th Annual Americana Awards Wednesday night (September 21st). The awards show was held at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. “Thank you to all the Americana radio stations out there, it’s been a big part of what we’ve been doing,” Chrissaid, genuinely touched by the Artist of the Year award. “I’m nervous, there’s so many heroes out here in audience and up here on the stage, this is a remarkable thing.”

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    George Strait attended the 15th Annual Americana Awards this week to present singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

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    Sam Hunt will be one of the headliners at the 5th Annual Taste of Country Music Festival. He’ll join previously announced headliner Jason Aldean at next year’s festival, being held June 9th – 11th at Hunter Mountain Resort in Hunter, New York.

    Darius Rucker shot the video for his latest single, “If I Told,” at the top of the Capitol building in Los Angeles on Wednesday (September 21st).


    Mickey Guyton performed her single, “Heartbreak Song,” on NBC’s Today show on Wednesday (September 21st).

    Video / Mickey Guyton performs "Heartbreak Song" on Today Show.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Darius, Luke, Chris, Dierks, Eric

    Darius Rucker will sing the national anthem at New Era Field as the Buffalo Bills play host to the New York Jets for Thursday Night Football.

    Luke Bryan and Chris Stapleton, as well as Carrie Underwood, Thomas Rhett and Florida Georgia Line, will be honored as CMT Artists of the Year 2016. The 7th Annual CMT Artists of the Year will air from Nashville on Thursday, October 20th.

    Dierks Bentley and his wife just added to their family. It seems ever since the country star’s beloved Jake passed away, their other dog George, has been very lonely. So, Dierks, his wife and two daughters, Evie and Jordan (son Knox wasn’t with them), went to the Nashville Humane Association and picked out a beautiful female dog. Dierks, who is poised to hit the top of the country charts with “Different for Girls,” caught the family leaving with their new as-yet-to-be-named pup on video and posted it to Twitter.

    Speaking of Dierks, he recently partnered with LyricLink for an app that features more than 100 Dierks emojis and also pulls direct quotes from his songs.

    Eric Paslay is hitting the road this fall for the Angels in This Town 2016 Tour, and he’s taking along his special guest, Lindsay Ell. Go to ericpaslay.com for tour dates and info. He made the announcement on Twitter and Facebook on Wednesday (September 14th).

     

    Video / Eric Paslay and Lindsey Ell announcing the Angels in This Town Tour

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith, Dierks, Vince, Luke, Chris, Lauren

    Don’t forget to tune into ABC’s Good Morning America on Wednesday (August 31st) to watch Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley and Cam announce some of the nominees for this year’s CMA Awards.

    Luke Bryan and Zac Brown Band have been announced as headliners for next year’s We Fest in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. The three-day event, which will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2017, will take place August 3rd – 5th.

    Vince Gill, along with Patty LovelessCharlie Worsham and The Time Jumpers are set to perform a free show at Nashville’s Walk of Fame Park September 25th, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the CMA Awards.

    Luke Bryan was just added to the list of artists performing at Charlie DanielsVolunteer Jam. The event, to celebrate Charlie’s 80th birthday, will feature additional performances by Chris Stapleton, Kid Rock, Travis Tritt and Larry the Cable Guy and will take place November 30th at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

    Lauren Alaina will perform her hit single, “Road Less Traveled,” on NBC’s Today Show September 8th.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks, Chris, Josh, Toby

    Dierks Bentley will perform on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Monday (June 27th).

    Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” has been certified gold and platinum by the R.I.A.A. The song, which he performed on the CMA Awards last November, is from his award-winning album, Traveller.

    At the CRB’s annual Country Radio Hall of Fame dinner, Josh Turner paid tribute to Randy Travis, who was honored with the Career Achievement Award. Josh performed a medley of Randy’s songs, including “Diggin’ Up Bones,” “Three Wooden Crosses,” “Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart” and “Forever and Ever, Amen,” among others. Prior to his performance, Josh said, “I’m just honored and flattered to have been asked to honor my hero. One of the best things I feel like anybody can have in life is a hero, because a hero makes you want to be a better version of yourself, and they inspire you to do great things. That’s exactly what Randy Travis has done for me throughout the years.”

    Toby Keith raised more than $1.1 million during his 13th annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic earlier this month in Oklahoma. Proceeds from the event will benefit his foundation’s OK Kids Korral, where families are able to stay for free when their children are receiving cancer treatments.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris, Dierks, Jon, Luke, Sam, Billy, Easton, Canaan

    Chris Stapleton has just been tapped to open for the reunited Guns N’ Roses at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium. The show is scheduled for July 9th.

    Speaking of Chris, his song “Tennessee Whiskey” has been certified platinum and gold by the R.I.A.A. Gold certifications were also handed out to Dierks Bentley for “Somewhere on a Beach” and Jon Pardi’s “Head Over Boots.”

    Luke Bryan and Sam Hunt are among the nominees at this year’s Teen Choice Awards. Sam is up for two awards, including Choice Country Artist, alongside Luke, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Kelsea Ballerini and Hunter Hayes. He’s also up for Choice Country Song for “Make You Miss Me.” The show will air July 31st at 8pm ET on Fox.

    Several country stars are turning out for K92.3’s Country Strong – Orlando’s Night of Healing & Country Music benefit concert on Tuesday (June 21st). The event, which will feature performances by Billy Currington, Easton Corbin, Canaan Smith, as well as Cole Swindell, Michael Ray, Tyler Farr, Jerrod Niemann, Maddie & Tae and Parmalee. The event’s proceeds will go to the families of the victims of the tragic shootings in Orlando last weekend.

  • CMA MUSIC FEST 2016: Eric, Chris and Sam

    Numerous country artists performed, met with and signed autographs for hundreds of thousands of fans from around the world. On Friday, not only did Eric Paslay, Clare Dunn, Canaan Smith, Mickey Guyton, Easton Corbin, Alan Jackson and Lauren Alaina take part in CMA Music Fest, but at Nissan Stadium were performances by Eric Church, Sam Hunt and Chris Stapleton, among others.

    Eric Church made a surprise appearance at the Ernest Tubb Record Shop following his stadium performance and performed The Band’s “Ophelia” with Charlie Worsham.

    Chris brought the crowd to his feet performing songs from his award-winning album, Traveller. “It’s a remarkable thing to get to be a part of a mass of people who wanna listen to music,” says Chris.

    Sam Hunt says coming to CMA Music Festival years ago inspired him to move to Nashville. “I was here several years ago for the first time for CMA Fest as a fan. I came out to the show, did the full experience, and it really was one of the big reasons I decided to move to Nashville,” he says. “It kind of made the idea of being a songwriter more tangible and realistic, and also I fell in love with the city, Nashville, so I knew it’d be a place I’d be happy living, and also because of the music. So, yeah, that week here really inspired my move here, and it was a significant part of my life.”

    Chris  is currently on the airwaves with his latest single, “Parachute,” while Sam is making his way up the charts with “Make You Miss Me.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says it’s “remarkable” people come to Nashville for a week to celebrate country music.

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    Chris Stapleton (CMA Music Fest) OC: …It’s great. :20
    “It’s a weird thing, you know, like I can’t think of any other word, other than that I live down the street, so just gonna drive down to the football stadium and play for 25 minutes, you know. Yeah, it’s a remarkable thing to get to be a part of a mass of people who wanna listen to music. It’s great.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt says his first trip to Nashville for CMA Music Fest was what inspired him to move to Nashville.

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    Sam Hunt (CMA Music Fest-move to Nashville) OC: …good week for Nashville. :38
    “You know, I was here several years ago for the first time for CMA Fest as a fan. I came out to the show, did the full experience, and it really was one of the big reasons I decided to move to Nashville. It kind of made the idea of being a songwriter more tangible and realistic, and also I fell in love with the city, Nashville, so I knew it’d be a place I’d be happy living, and also because of the music. So, yeah, that week here really inspired my move here, and it was a significant part of my life. But since then, I’ve been to every CMA Fest since, I think, and it’s a good week for Nashville.”

  • CMT MUSIC AWARDS: LBT, Stapleton

    Little Big Town picked up their very first CMT Music Award during last night’s show for Group/Duo Video of the Year for their huge hit “Girl Crush.”

    Chris Stapleton also picked up his very first CMT Music Award for “Fire Away,” which was named Breakthrough Video of the Year.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton explains why he wanted to make the video for “Fire Away.”

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    Chris Stapleton (Fire Away video) 2 OC: …in the world. :29
    “I wanted to get real actors and not spend a lot of time making it a promo video for me, and that was how I wanted to make a video, because I felt like that it was more artful and meaningful on the backend. That was the thing – it was just a notion, and then it became real and useful and something that can hopefully make the world a better place through putting the notion out in the world.”

    Video / Backstage at the CMT Music Awards, LBT thanks their fans.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke, LBT, Lady A, Chris, Brothers O, AJ, Kacey, Kip, Canaan, Jon and more.

    Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Lady Antebellum, Chris Stapleton and Brothers Osborne are among the artists performing during the Country 500 three-day concert event taking place on the infield of the Daytona International Speedway, during Memorial Day Weekend. Also known as “The Great American Music Fest at Daytona,” the Country 500 is the first huge music festival inside the grounds of one of the most iconic motorsports venues.

    During Jimmy Buffett‘s recent show at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater, Alan Jackson surprised the crowd to perform their huge hit, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.”

    Brothers Osborne
     and Kacey Musgraves are set to play alongside bands like Violent Femmes and Better Than Ezra at the second annual Pilgrimage Music & Culture Festival September 24 and 25 in Franklin, Tennessee.

    Kip Moore revealed to Us Weekly a rock playlist that “inspire him and get his blood pumping.” Some of the tracks include Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” and The Killers’ “Shot at the Night.”

    Canaan Smith will take part in the 4th Annual Cornhole Challenge, hosted by Craig Campbell on Tuesday, June 7th during this year’s CMA Music Festival. Proceeds will benefit the fight against colorectal cancer.

    Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley won $10,000 for their Lady Aid children’s charities at the KNCI Golf and Guitars event.

    Jon Pardi’s upcoming album, California Sunrise, is now available for pre-order. The album is available beginning June 17th.

    Little Big Town was recently named the Artist of the Year by the Music Business Association.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith, Chris, Kacey, Vince, David, Church, Lady A, Kip and more

    Don’t forget to catch Keith Urban perform on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (11:35p ET) on Friday (May 6th), the day his new album, Ripcord, is released. Keith will also be profiled on CBS Sunday Morning this Sunday (May 8th).

    Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves and Willie Nelson are set to headline the 15th Annual Austin City Limits Music Festival, taking place over two consecutive weekends – September 30th – October 2nd and October 7th – 9th – at Austin’s Zilker Park.

    Vince Gill and David Nail are among the artists taking part in the 26th Annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game during this year’s CMA Music Festival. The players will put on their gloves June 7th at 3pm and play against each other at the new First Tennessee Park in Nashville. Tickets for the game are available at Ticketmaster. More names will be announced in the coming weeks. Proceeds will benefit City of Hope’s mission to eradicate cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

    This year’s Faster Horses Festival will feature performances from Eric Church, Lady Antebellum and Jason Aldean on the main stage. The lineup for the second stage includes Kelleigh Bannen, Haley Georgia, Aubrie Sellers, LanCo, Mo Pitney and many others. The festival is taking place July 15th – 17th in Brooklyn, Michigan.

    It seems Kip Moore may have gone back into the studio following his European trek to lay down some cool lyrics and funky beats. Check out his Instagram video below. In the meantime, he’s making his way up the country charts with his latest hit, “Running for You.” Kip is set to go on the road on Miranda Lambert’s Keeper of the Flame 2016 Tour, along with Brothers Osborne, in just a couple of weeks.

    Video / Kip Instagram video in the studio

    Gettin funky with the slowhearts

    A video posted by kipmooremusic (@kipmooremusic) on

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Brothers, Paslay, Canaan, Pardi, Dierks, Hillary, Chris, Clare

    Brothers Osborne, Eric Paslay, Canaan Smith, Jon Pardi and many others have been added to the lineup at the Riverfront Stage during this year’s CMA Music Fest, running Thursday, June 9th through Sunday, June 12th.

    Dierks Bentley held a surprise pop-up show in Knoxville, Tennessee over the weekend. The event, which took place at a local hotspot, The International, will be seen next month on CMT. The CMT Instant Jam with Dierks is set to debut May 28th at 9pm ET.

    Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott performed at the Stand Up to Cancer benefit, chaired by Reese Witherspoon and her husband Jim Toth, as well as MasterCard President and CEO Ajay Banga and his wife Ritu. The gala event over the weekend raised more than $42 million and also featured performances by Sheryl Crow, Tony Bennett and Jamie Foxx. Also in attendance were the event’s co-founder Katie Couric, Alec Baldwin, Joe Torre, Maura Tierney and Donna Karan. Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now.

    Chris Stapleton is featured (sort of) in Jake Owen’s new video for “American Love Song.” Jake is wearing one of Chris’ tour T-shirts in the clip.

    Clare Dunn recently shot the video for her single, “Tuxedo,” at a farm south of Nashville. The clip will hit the airwaves in the coming weeks.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: LBT, Dierks, Chris, Sam

    Little Big Town will appear as guest judges on Project Runway All Stars on Thursday night (February 25th). The contestants are tasked with creating looks for the fashionable ladies to wear to this year’s ACM Awards. The show airs at 9pm ET on Lifetime.

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    The official music video for Dierks Bentley‘s “Somewhere on a Beach” will premiere this Friday (February 26th) on VEVO.  The Behind-the-Scenes of the clip will debut on Break.com.

    Video link: http://vevo.ly/4GyHH4

    Buy Link: http://umgn.us/SomewhereOnABeach

     

    Chris Stapleton’s Traveller is on the short list for the inaugural American Music Prize, along with debut albums by Azealia Banks, Benjamin Booker and Leon Bridges, among others. The winner is set to be announced March 2nd.

    This week, Sam Hunt helped present one of the Grammy Amplifier Program Awards (by Hyundai and the Recording Academy) to Adley Stump, a member of Blake Shelton’s team on Season 2 of The Voice. She will receive one of three prizes – a recording session, a live performance showcase or a music video. “It takes a whole lot of passion, commitment and conviction to put yourself out there, to enter a competition and to be judged,” said Sam in a press release. “There is no formula for making it in this business, but American Bombshell, Kirby and Adley have been given a tremendous opportunity to learn and grow as musicians. There’s absolutely nothing that gives us more pleasure than to be a part of an initiative like the Grammy Amplifier program that gives these aspiring talents opportunities that will help them to develop their crafts.”

  • NEWS & NOTES: LBT, Church, Dierks, Lady A, Darius, Sam, Chris

    Little Big Town will perform the National Anthem and halftime show during Sunday’s NFC Championship game between the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. Little Big Town, who will hit the road with Luke Bryan on the Kill the Lights Tour, are making their way up the country charts with “Pain Killer,” the title cut of their latest album.

    Little Big Town will perform during this year’s Grammy Awards. The group is nominated for Best Country Album for Pain Killer, as well as Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Girl Crush,” which is also up for Best Country Song and overall Song of the Year. The Grammys will air February 15th at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker are among the artists slated to perform at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena March 16th to honor Kris Kristofferson. The show will be filmed for a special, The Life & Songs of Kris Kristofferson, which will be distributed worldwide. Grammy-winning producer and musician Don Was will serve as music director for the event. Willie Nelson, Trisha Yearwood and many more will also perform. Tickets go on sale Saturday (January 23rd).

    Sam Hunt and Chris Stapleton will perform at Bonnaroo this year, along with Pearl Jam, Ellie Goulding, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Death Cab for Cuite, Jason Isbell and Grace Potter. The 15th anniversary of the event will take place June 9th – 12th with tickets going on sale Friday (January 22nd).

    Sam Hunt and Lady Antebellum are scheduled to perform during the second annual Windy City Lake Shake festival in Chicago, June 17th – 19th. Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn and Thomas Rhett are also set to perform.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Scotty, Vince, Sam, Chris, Brothers Osborne

    Scotty McCreery is set to perform the National Anthem at the AFC Divisional Playoff Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium Saturday (January 16th) on CBS at 4:35p ET.

    Vince Gill will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the 2016 NHL All-Star Game at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena January 31st. His 14-year-old daughter Corrina Grant Gill will join him, according to The Tennessean.

    Sam Hunt will be awarded the Breakthrough Artist Award at the Music Business Association’s luncheon on May 18th during the organization’s annual convention at Nashville’s Renaissance Hotel.

    Brothers Osborne will perform on NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers on Monday (January 18th), followed by a performance on NBC’s Today show Tuesday (January 19th).

    Chris Stapleton will perform live on NBC’s Saturday Night Live as the first musical guest of 2016. Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) will host. Check out the promos below.

    Video / stapleton SNL promos

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  • NEW YEAR’S 2015: Brothers O, Canaan, Chris, Clare, Dierks, Eric, Kacey, Kip, LBT, Luke

    What are some of your favorite stars doing to welcome in the New Year? Many of them are working to help fans celebrate. Several artists have taken the time off around the holidays and will hit it hard when they return to the road in January. Some artists have resolutions and some are very helpful with their own hangover cures for those who imbibe too much on New Year’s Eve.

    Chris Stapleton is set to entertain folks who are in Music City on New Year’s Eve. He’ll perform downtown as part of the Jack Daniels Bash. Kings of Leon and Kelsea Ballerini are also on the bill.

    Little Big Town will ring in the New Year at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.

    Audio / John and TJ of Brothers Osborne talk about how people spend the last moments of the year, and the first moments of the new year.

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    Brothers Osborne (New Year) OC: (TJ) …next month. :44
    JOHN: “I think it’s kind of funny how we spend literally the last moment and the very first moment of every year being extremely intoxicated, extremely, because you don’t want to wait until like 12:30 to get your buzz on. You’ve got to do it before midnight, and then once midnight happens, you’re like, ‘Omigod! Now it’s time to celebrate even more.’ Debauchery is the literally bookending your entire year.” TJ: “I love how everyone starts the year off with diets and then we end the year with like excessive amounts of food. And then you get to the end of the year, you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m going to start a diet on the 1st, so I’m going to eat everything that’s in front of me.’ I love it.” JOHN: “And come February 1st, ‘what diet?’” [laughs] TJ: “What diet? I’ll start it next month.” [laughs]

    Audio / Canaan Smith says there’s really no cure for a hangover.

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    Canaan Smith (no hangover cure) OC: …long, you know? :32
    “There is no hangover cure. The older I get I’m like, ‘Oh God! What am I thinking?’ It’s terrible. Hangovers are awful. Tequila’s the worst. I try to stay away from Tequila, because it hurts me bad. I used to be a whiskey guy. I still am every now and then, but of late, I’m domestic, American beer, just something light and tasty. Shots are my worst enemy. When I start working shots into the picture, that’s when I know I’m gonna hurt the next morning. I just try to keep it the same, whether it’s whiskey or beer or whatever, I just stick with that same drink the whole night long, you know?”

    Audio / Clare Dunn suggests a good hangover cure.

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    Clare Dunn (hangover cure) OC: …hangover cure. :10
    “Greasy food is always kind of a, you can let it go for one day before you start all your resolutions [laughs] after that. So, that’s probably my best hangover cure.”

     

    Audio / Dierks Bentley says there’s not really a cure for a hangover.

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    Dierks (NYE) OC: …for that. :10
    “I think January first is universally accepted as a dog. So I mean, a little hair of the dog, I guess. But just…water and stay on the couch, I guess. There’s no real sure-fire cure for that.”

    Audio / Eric Church has a couple of hangover cures for those times (especially on New Year’s Eve) when you might imbibe a little too much.

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    Eric Church (hangover cure) OC: …every time. :17
    “The best hangover cure – I’ve got two. One is 5-hour Energy [bottles], because of all the B-vitamins that are in it. You can start pounding those, and it’s either gonna work, or it’s gonna keep you up and prolong your misery. But the other one I have is just take two Advil and a beer in the morning. Hair of the dog, man – that works every time.”

    Audio / Kacey Musgraves, who begins a three-night stand with the ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin, Texas beginning December 29th and running through New Year’s Eve (December 31st), has her own hangover cure.

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    Kacey Musgraves (NYE) OC: …water. Yup! :32
    “Coconut water is a major help with hangovers and also, a lot of times we go and eat Vietnamese fuh. It’s a soup, and it’s got this awesome broth. You can get different things in it or whatever, but for some reason, it’s just like…it’s almost like a chicken noodle soup kind of an idea, you know, but it’s good. That’s good for hangovers too. That, sleep, Tylenol, coconut water and just water, in general. And when you’re drinking, have your alcohol, drink a little bit of water, drink some more alcohol, drink some water. Yup!”

    Audio / Kip Moore gives advice on how to avoid a hangover on New Year’s Eve.

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    Kip Moore (avoiding hangovers on NYE) OC: …yourself. :03
    “Pace yourself on New Year’s – that’s the remedy. Pace yourself.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan will perform as part of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on ABC, which will certainly be one of his best New Year’s Eves…however, his favorite has to be when he and his now wife Caroline reunited.

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    Luke Bryan (New Years-best) OC: …great night. :17
    “My best New Year’s Eve is definitely when my wife and I started back dating. We started back dating right before Christmas, and we went on a trip down to Florida and met some friends. And her birthday is New Year’s Eve. We celebrated it that night. It was just a great night.”

  • ERIC PASLAY SAYS STAPLETON RAISED THE ROOF AND RAISED THE BAR AT THE CMA AWARDS.

    Eric Paslay was among the many fans in the audience at last week’s CMA Awards talking about the incredible performance by Chris Stapleton and Justin Timberlake. He describes the entire night as “mind-blowingly awesome!”

    “I’ve been a fan of Chris Stapleton for years and years, as well as everyone in the country music community in Nashville – just the songs he writes and how many songs he’s on and the songs he sings on in the background of other artists – just all over the radio,” says Eric. “For him to win New Artist, Album and Male Vocalist, it just seemed right with his album, Traveller, that came out this year…I was somehow on the third row in front of Chris Stapleton and Justin Timberlake, and I was like at church. I think the whole room just felt the magic of something changing in country music.”

    He also says the performance was not only exciting for the fans, but as musicians, because it raises the level of music being made in town. “It’s exciting for us to go, ‘Let’s raise the bar, let’s raise the bar, let’s raise the bar,’ and just have a fun, an amazing time, because we’re doing this because we love music, and I’m glad it happened with my buddy, Chris Stapleton,” says Eric. “I get a little emotional when someone you’re a huge fan of gets a shout-out like that, because he’s been writing songs and singing songs for empty rooms and half-filled rooms. And he’s never even had a Top 20 as a singer on the radio, yet, he won Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year and New Artist of the Year. That’s awesome. That’s great music, and I’m glad that people are speaking up about it.”

    Eric – another great musician – is going “High Class” with his latest single, the first release from his forthcoming album due out next year.

    Audio / Eric Paslay says Chris Stapleton’s performance and CMA Awards were mind-blowingly awesome.

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    Eric Paslay (Stapleton & JT) OC: …country music. :46
    “CMAs 2015 was mind-blowingly awesome! I’ve been a fan of Chris Stapleton for years and years, as well as everyone in the country music community in Nashville – just the songs he writes and how many songs he’s on and the songs he sings on in the background of other artists – just all over the radio. For him to win New Artist, Album and Male Vocalist, it just seemed right with his album, Traveller, that came out this year. And he’s just so good and humble and just mind-blowingly great. I was somehow on the third row in front of Chris Stapleton and Justin Timberlake, and I was like at church. I think the whole room just felt the magic of something changing in country music.”

    Audio / Eric Paslay says it’s exciting when someone of Chris Stapleton’s talent gets recognized at the CMA Awards.

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    Eric Paslay (Stapleton & JT) 2 OC: …about it. :59
    “Miranda [Lambert] got up on stage [after] winning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year with a Chris Stapleton T-shirt on bedazzled out – I need to find one of those – dear Lord. And she was like, ‘Justin Timberlake, Chris Stapleton, I’m going home to practice.’ And you know what? That’s exciting for us musicians. It’s exciting for us to go, ‘Let’s raise the bar, let’s raise the bar, let’s raise the bar,’ and just have a fun, an amazing time, because we’re doing this because we love music, and I’m glad it happened with my buddy, Chris Stapleton. I get a little emotional when someone you’re a huge fan of gets a shout-out like that, because he’s been writing songs and singing songs for empty rooms and half-filled rooms. And he’s never even had a Top 20 as a singer on the radio, yet, he won Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year and New Artist of the Year. That’s awesome. That’s great music, and I’m glad that people are speaking up about it.”

  • CMA AWARDS 2015: Stapleton, Luke, Keith, Church, LBT

    Chris Stapleton was the big winner during Wednesday night’s CMA Awards, as he swept all three awards in which he was nominated. He was named Male Vocalist and New Artist of the Year, while his album, Traveller, was named Album of the Year. Chris also received a second trophy as a producer for the project, which he co-produced with Dave Cobb. This marks the first time a New Artist winner also won for Album of the Year and are his first CMA Awards. Chris also had THE performance of the evening with his collaboration with pop superstar Justin Timberlake on the mashup of “Tennessee Whiskey” and “Drink You Away.”

    Of the wins, Chris said, “It’s surreal. Very unbelievable. I don’t have enough kind of adjectives to get there, but it’s a wonderful feeling. It’s a lot of love. I feel a lot of love. I feel very loved. It’s a short answer, but it’s a real one.”

    Luke Bryan, who performed his recent two-week No. 1 hit “Strip It Down,” picked up his second consecutive award for Entertainer of the Year. “I don’t think I’ve ever sang or performed better on the road than this year,” said Luke. “I’ve really enjoyed every night, and for this to happen tonight is such a blessing.”

    Keith Urban and Eric Church picked up the award for Musical Event of the Year for “Raise ‘Em Up.” The win marks Keith’s fourth trophy in the category, tying him with Vince Gill, Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley as top winners. He’s also the only artist to win three years in a row.

    Little Big Town picked up a couple of awards including their fourth consecutive Vocal Group of the Year for the fourth consecutive time. Their smash hit, “Girl Crush,” was named Single and Song of the Year. Songwriters Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna and Liz Rose are first-time winners for penning the song. “We knew when we heard this song that it was incredibly special. It literally took my breath. I gasped when I realized what the song was actually about,” said LBT’s Kimberly Schlapman. “These three women poured their heart and soul into an incredibly special, once-in-a-lifetime song, and the fact that we were able to cut it is an incredible special. We’ll always be thankful to them for letting us do it.”

    Audio / Backstage at this year’s CMA Awards, Chris Stapleton had a hard time putting into words what all of his CMA wins means to him.

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    Chris Stapleton (feeling of being embraced) OC: …a real one, you know? :17
    “It’s surreal. Very unbelievable. I don’t have enough kind of adjectives to get there, but it’s a wonderful feeling. It’s a lot of love. I feel a lot of love. I feel very loved. It’s a short answer, but it’s a real one, you know.”

    Audio / Backstage at Wednesday night’s CMA Awards, Chris Stapleton talks about performing with Justin Timberlake, in what turned out to be THE performance of the night.

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    Chris Stapleton (performing with JT) OC: …crazy thing, man. :24
    “All those guys and my guys too brought it. They’re all pros and then some. It elevates you  in a way that maybe it cannot happen on your own – all those guys and my wife and my bass player, JT Cure, on the bass over there. I’ve played music with him for 20 years almost. To get to do this tonight in a way we did it, it’s a crazy thing, man.”

    Audio / Backstage at this year’s CMA Awards, Luke Bryan talks about winning his second consecutive CMA Entertainer of the Year award.

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    Luke Bryan (winning CMA entertainer) OC: …amazing. :40
    “I got to tell you, it just felt unsurmountable this year a little more, and it’s just been an amazing year for me on the road. It’s been the most enjoyable year on the road. From A to Z, I don’t think I’ve ever sang or performed better on the road than this year. I’ve really enjoyed every night, and for this to happen tonight is such a blessing. That’s all you can say. When it’s the CMA, in the hands of the CMA voters, people that come out and they pay attention to what you’re doing and for them to do this for me is truly amazing.”

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman talks about being able to record a once-in-a-lifetime song with “Girl Crush.”

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    Little Big Town (cutting Girl Crush) OC: …us do it. (laughs) :25
    “We knew when we heard this song that it was incredibly special. It literally took my breath. I gasped when I realized what the song was actually about. These three women poured their heart and soul into an incredibly special, once-in-a-lifetime song, and the fact that we were able to cut it is an incredible special. We’ll always be thankful to them for letting us do it.” (laughs)

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke, Eric, Sam, Chris, Lauren, Lady A, Keith

    Luke Bryan and Eric Church, along with Carrie Underwood have been announced as headliners for the 2016 Stagecoach Country Music Festival April 29th and 30th and May 1st. The three-day event in Indio, California, will also include performances by Sam Hunt, Eric Paslay, Little Big Town, Chris Stapleton, Chris Young, The Band Perry, Dustin Lynch, A Thousand Horses and Old Dominion.

    Lauren Alaina was chosen as this year’s hottest bachelorette by Nash Country Weekly readers. Lauren’s self-titled EP is available now, and it includes her single “Next Boyfriend.”

    Keith Urban joined Taylor Swift during her sold-out 1989 Tour stop in Toronto, to perform with the pop superstar. The pair collaborated on his 2002 No. 1 hit “Somebody Like You,” along with his most recent chart-topper, “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16.”

    Lady Antebellum will perform at the NASH Presents Hearts Unsung – a special evening of music benefiting Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals. The event will take place November 9th at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center and will be part of the full-length feature film, Hearts Unsung in theaters nationwide January 21st.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Kip, Kacey, Chris

    Prior to heading out on his Wild Ones Tour on October 8th in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Kip Moore has enjoyed a little R&R the past few days with a surfing trip in Costa Rica.

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    During a hometown show in Mineola, Texas over the weekend, Kacey Musgraves was surprised by the classic car club. Kacey took to social media to announce the surprise. “I cannot believe what just happened – as a thank you for doing my Hometown Hang benefit…the Lake Country Classic Car Club and the City of Mineola, TX SURPRISED me and fixed up my old ’67 Mustang…shined it up and got it runnin’ again…It was a high school project my Dad and I worked on and I haven’t been able to drive it for about 7 years. THANK YOU SO MUCH!” She also received a key to the city of Mineola, Texas.

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    Speaking of Kacey, she’s set to ring in 2016 with Willie Nelson at his annual New Year’s Eve shows in Austin, Texas.

    Chris Stapleton has been announced as one of the performers during the Jack Daniel’s Bash on Broadway show on New Year’s Eve in Nashville. The free show will also feature performances by Kings of Leon, Wild Cub and Kelsea Ballerini.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Sam, Easton, Little Big Town, Church, Stapleton, Kacey, Dierks and More

    Sam Hunt’s chart-topping “Take Your Time” has been certified double-platinum by the R.I.A.A. (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales of more than two-million.

    Eric Church was the special guest on ESPN’s Gameday at Ole Miss vs. Alabama over the weekend. Check out the video below on who his picks were…and if he was right or not. Also, check out his friend and fellow CMA nominee for Entertainer of the Year, Luke Bryan, whose song “Kick the Dust Up” appears to be the show’s theme song for now.

    Chris Stapleton performed “Might As Well Get Stoned” during his recent appearance on Stephen Colbert.

    Kip Moore performed “Come And Get It” during his recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

    Dierks Bentley was a special guest of Taylor Swift’s during her show in Kansas City show this week. They performed Dierks’ hit, “Every Mile a Memory.”

    Easton Corbin sang the National Anthem at the Monday Night Football game on ESPN this week as the Jets beat the Colts 20 – 7.

    Kacey Musgraves performed “Dime Store Cowgirl” on the outdoor stage on a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

    Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman are the 2015 Artists of the Year at the second annual Women in Music City Awards from The Nashville Business Journal. The Women in Music City Awards recognizes the women who help shape Nashville’s music industry. Both women serve on boards of music associations, Fairchild on CMA and Schlapman on ACM. They both also work with charities, including Bloodwater Mission and TJ Martell Foundation. The two will be honored Thursday (September 24th) during the event at Nashville’s Omni Hotel.

    Lady Antebellum scored their first No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart with “Something Better” with DJ Audien.

    Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott has created a scholarship fund for young women interested in a career in the entertainment industry at her alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University.

    Video / Eric Church Game Day

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Darius, Chris, Luke, Lady A, Dierks

    Darius Rucker returns to CBS’ Late Show With David Letterman Thursday night (April 30th) to perform “Hold My Hand” with his old band Hootie & the Blowfish. The iconic talk show host essentially helped launch the band into the stratosphere by having them on the show to perform that hit song from their multi-platinum album, Cracked Rear View.

    Chris Stapleton will perform on ABC’s The View on Tuesday (May 5th), the day his solo debut album, Traveller, is released.

    Luke Bryan and Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood have recipes featured in the new cookbook, A Southern Gentleman’s Kitchen authored by pal Matt Moore, who is a chef, musician and author living in Tennessee.

    Dierks Bentley is set to headline the 11th Annual Stars for the Second Harvest show June 9th at the Ryman Auditorium. Songwriter Craig Wiseman will host the event, which will also feature performances from Nashville stars Charles Esten (“Deacon”) and Lennon and Maisy Stella (“Maddie” and “Daphne Conrad”).

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Darius, Stapleton and LBT’s Kimberly

    Darius Rucker was back home in South Carolina on Saturday to catch a touchdown pass at the Gamecock’s spring football game. As part of coach Steve Spurrier’s annual tradition, he calls on a guest receiver each year to come off the sideline and catch a longball. Darius caught a throw from quarterback Connor Mitch.

    Chris Stapleton is set to perform on CBS’s Late Show with David Letterman on Tuesday (April 14th).

    Little Big Town‘s Kimberly Schlapman appears on ABC’s The View Wednesday (April 15th) to talk about her new cookbook, Oh Gussie! Cooking and Visiting in Kimberly’s Southern Kitchen.

     

  • GEORGE STRAIT “COWBOYS AND DREAMERS” (CUT X CUT)

    The follow-up to Honky Tonk Time Machine, Strait’s 27th No. 1 Billboard Country album, Cowboys And Dreamers features 13 new songs, including three already released tracks — “Three Drinks Behind,” “MIA Down in MIA” and “The Little Things” — as well as “Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame” featuring Chris Stapleton and Strait’s rendition of Waylon Jennings’ “Waymore’s Blues.” All making appearances in his live set, Strait has one final show in 2024, supersizing his long-standing “Strait to Vegas” show at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium to mark the 37th installment of the engagement with Chris Stapleton and special guests Little Big Town.

     

    Pre-save/pre-add Cowboys And Dreamers, HERE.

    Cowboys And Dreamers Tracklist (liner notes HERE):
    (Songwriters in parentheses)

    1) “Three Drinks Behind” (Benjamin Gaither, Jeff Silvey and Kim Williams)
    2) “Cowboys And Dreamers” (Jessie Jo Dillon, Keith Gattis and Bubba Strait)
    3) “To The Moon” (Marty Brown and Steve Clark)
    4) “MIA Down in MIA” (Adam Craig and Dean Dillon)
    5) “Wish I Could Say” (Keith Gattis)
    6) “Calling From The Car” (Bobby Braddock)
    7) “People Get Hurt Sometimes” (Jim Lauderdale, Kendell Marvel and Jimmy Ritchey)
    8) “Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame” ft. Chris Stapleton (Chris Stapleton, Jameson Clark and Timothy James)
    9) “The Little Things” (George Strait, Monty Criswell and Bubba Strait)
    10) “The Book” (George Strait, Dean Dillon, Jessie Jo Dillon and Bubba Strait)
    11) “Rent” (Guy Clark and Keith Gattis)
    12) “Waymore’s Blues” (Curtis Buck and Waylon Jennings)
    13) “The Journey Of Your Life” (Ronnie Bowman and Troy Jones)

     

    Audio / George Strait - "Three Drinks Behind" (AUDIO)

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    George Strait – Three Drinks Behind (AUDIO): “Here’s a song called Three Drinks Behind. It was written by Benjamin Gaither, Jeff Silvey, and Kim Williams. This song was sent to me years ago. Had to be 10 years ago, maybe more. Totally different demo, totally different vibe. The song is great. I loved it then. In fact, I still have it on a CD somewhere. And it was a good song then. It’s an even better song now. It’s a totally new arrangement, but I think you’ll like it. Three Drinks Behind.”

    Audio / George Strait - "Cowboys and Dreamers" (AUDIO)

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    George Strait – Cowboys and Dreamers (AUDIO): “Here’s a song written by Jesse Joe Dillon, Keith Gaddis, and my son Bubba Strait. It’s called Cowboys and Dreamers, and it’s a really cool song. So cool that I thought that I should name the whole album after it. And you know, sometimes I feel like the last of a dying breed trying to find where I fit. That pretty much says it all. Cowboys and Dreamers.”

    Audio / George Strait - "To The Moon" (AUDIO)

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    George Strait – “To The Moon” (AUDIO): “This next song was written by Marty Brown and Steve Clark. One of my producers, Tony Brown, sent it to me. And man, I just loved it. After that, we were getting songs and kind of measuring them up to how they would stack up against this song. But it’s a love song and it’s called To The Moon.”

    Audio / George Strait - "Wish I Could Say" (AUDIO)

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    George Strait “Wish I Could Say” (AUDIO): “Here’s a song that was written by my old friend, Mr. Keith Gaddis, who he lost last year, unfortunately. We miss him a lot. It’s a good old country song, just like he always wrote. That man was amazing. And anyway, this is my band on it also, the O Ways and the Whole band. And it’s a great country song, like I said, it’s called Wish I Could Say.”

    Audio / George Strait - "Calling From The Car" (AUDIO)

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    George Strait – “Calling From The Car” (AUDIO): “Here’s a song written by the great Bobby Braddock. It’s called, Calling From the Car. And it’s a good old country cheating song for sure. But man, is it clever and I love it.”

    Audio / George Strait - "People Get Hurt Sometimes" (AUDIO)

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    George Strait – “People Get Hurt Sometimes” (AUDIO): “Here’s a song written by one of my favorite songwriters, Jim Lauderdale, along with Kendall Marble and Jimmy Ritchie. It’s a beautiful song. We put some strings on it and it just really made it pretty. It’s called People Get Hurt Sometimes.”

    Audio / George Strait - "Honky Tonk Hall of Fame" (AUDIO)

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    George Strait – “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame” (AUDIO): “Here’s a song that my friend Chris Stapleton wrote, along with Jameson Clark and Timothy James. It’s a good old honky tonker, I mean a good one. And Chris was kind enough to sing it with me on the record. And so it was fun, we had a great time doing it. And it’s called Honky Tonk Hall of Fame.”

    Audio / George Strait - "The Little Things" (AUDIO)

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    George Strait – “The Little Things” (AUDIO): “Here’s a song that I wrote with Monte Criswell and my son Bubba Strait. It’s a beautiful song, I just love it. It’s called The Little Things, and that’s kind of what it’s about, is don’t miss the little things.”

    Audio / George Strait - "Waymore's Blues" (AUDIO)

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    George Strait: “Waymore’s Blues” (AUDIO): “Here’s a song that was written by one of my heroes, one of our heroes, Mr. Waylon Jennings, and also Curtis Buck. We’ve been doing this song, me and the band, for quite a few years on stage live, and we’ve been doing it a little bit different though than Waylon did it, and I just love it this way because it features my band a lot, and those boys are pretty good. So I hope you like it and next time you come see us we’re going to play it for you. Waymore’s Blues.”

    Audio / George Strait - "The Journey Of Your Life" (AUDIO)

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    George Strait – “The Journey Of Your Life” (AUDIO): “Here’s a song called The Journey of Your Life written by Ronnie Bowman and Troy Jones. And I gotta tell you, first time I heard it, I got all teared up because it, you know, it’s about granddad passing away and being right there still with your grandkids, helping them on the journey of their lives, which I hope I can do.”

    //

     

    With fans already posting excitement with their hometown record stores sharing the news, follow along at #ListentoGeorgeStrait.

    About George Strait
    George Strait is the unambiguous King of Country Music, having sold more than 105 million albums and counting while earning more than 60 major entertainment industry awards as well as countless nominations and becoming the only act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades. With 33 different Platinum or multi-Platinum albums, he’s earned the third-most certifications of any artist in any genre, following only The Beatles and Elvis Presley, and with a total of 60, Strait has more No. 1 songs than any other artist in history.

    The Texas troubadour will release his 31st career studio album Cowboys And Dreamers on Sept. 6, following 2019’s best-selling Country album, Honky Tonk Time Machine, on MCA Nashville. The album quickly became Strait’s record-extending 27th No. 1 Billboard Country album. The Country Music Hall of Fame member also earned his 100th entry on the BillboardCountry Airplay chart with his single “The Weight of the Badge” from the project.

     

    //

    Video / George Strait - "Three Drinks Behind" (Official Audio)

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  • LINEUP ANNOUNCED FOR UMG NASHVILLE TAKEOVER AT SKYDECK ON BROADWAY JUNE 6-9, 2024.

    The second annual UMG Nashville Takeover returns to Skydeck on Broadway June 6-9, 2024. This year’s star-studded lineup at the rooftop event at Fifth + Broadway includes Anne Wilson, Bryce Leatherwood, Catie Offerman, Caylee Hammack, Dalton Dover, Josh Ross, Josh Turner, Kassi Ashton, Kylie Morgan, Lee Greenwood, Louie TheSinger, Maddie & Tae, Mark Wills, Mickey Guyton, Sam Williams, Terri Clark, The War And Treaty, Travis Denning, Tyler Hubbard, Vincent Mason, and more to be announced. Fans can enjoy performances, artist photo & signing opportunities, fan club parties, listening events, plus a special performance by Cirque du Soleil. Rising talents Dillon James, Hueston, Timothy Wayne, Belle Frantz, Owen Riegling and Colt Graves are also set to perform as part of a new artist showcase, presented by Whiskey Jam. The four-day event is free to the public, open to fans of all ages, and is ADA accessible. A new canopy roof and cooling fans allow this event to proceed rain or shine.

    A full schedule of events and additional information to follow. Please visit UMGNLive.com for updates.

    UMG Nash Takeover is made possible with thanks to sponsors including Cornerstone Building Brands, hi Seltzer, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Jockey Outdoors, and Justin Boots.

    Please note, the Skydeck on Broadway will implement a bag policy for the extent of the event. Approved bags include medical bags, parenting bags, CLEAR 12” x 12” bags, and NON-CLEAR 6.5” x 4.5” bags will be permitted following screening. Backpacks of any kind are NOT permitted. Registration and queuing for all UMG Nashville events will occur on street level at Fifth + Broadway prior to Skydeck entry.

    Universal Music Group Nashville consists of Capitol Records Nashville, Capitol Comedy Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Silver Wings Records, and Sing Me Back Home Productions. Reading like a “who’s who” of Music Row, the combined rosters include Alan Jackson, Anne Wilson, Billy Currington, Brad Paisley, Brothers Osborne, Bryce Leatherwood, Carrie Underwood, Catie Offerman, Caylee Hammack, Chris Stapleton, Dalton Dover, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Dillon James, Eric Church, George Strait, Hootie & The Blowfish, Hueston, Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Josh Turner, Kacey Musgraves, Kassi Ashton, Keith Urban, Kylie Morgan, Little Big Town, Louie TheSinger, Luke Bryan, Luke Grimes, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, Sam Williams, The War And Treaty, Timothy Wayne, Travis Denning, Tyler Hubbard, Vince Gill, and comedian Nate Bargatze. For additional information, visit www.umgnashville.com.

  • GEORGE STRAIT RELEASES NEW SONG “MIA DOWN IN MIA” FROM HIGHLY ANTICIPATED COWBOYS AND DREAMERS.

    On the heels of sharing the news of his 31st studio album with fans during a sold-out show at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium earlier this month, Country Music Hall of Fame member George Strait debuts the first release from Cowboys And Dreamers with “MIA Down in MIA.” Listen to the song HERE and pre-save/pre-add Cowboys And Dreamers, set for release September 6th, HERE.

    Written by Adam Craig and Dean Dillion, and produced by Strait with Chuck Ainlay, “MIA Down in MIA” features the Texas native’s Ace in the Hole Band, including longtime fiddle player Gene Elder.

    “I’m dedicating this record to my longtime manager and friend Erv Woolsey and my longtime fiddle player and friend Gene Elders (a player on four of these tracks), who we lost on the same day, March 20, 2024, as well as my longtime friend and road manager Tom Foote, who we lost on April 29, 2024,” shares Strait. “I will never forget all of the good times we had together. May they rest in peace with our Lord Jesus Christ.”

    The follow-up to Honky Tonk Time Machine, Strait’s 27th No. 1 Billboard Country album, Cowboys And Dreamers will feature 13 new songs, including “Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame” featuring Chris Stapleton, which the pair debuted during the sold-out show at Lucas Oil Stadium on May 4, and his own rendition of Waylon Jennings’ “Waymore’s Blues.”

    The Texas Troubadour will continue his series of stadium shows next Saturday, May 25 at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa, followed by additional dates this summer in Charlotte, N.C.; East Rutherford, N.J.; College Station, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Detroit, Mich.; and Chicago, Ill., before supersizing his longstanding Strait to Vegas show with a December date at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium to mark the 37th installment of the engagement.

     Cowboys And Dreamers Tracklist:

    (Songwriters in parentheses)

    1. Three Drinks Behind (Benjamin Gaither, Jeff Silvey and Kim Williams)
    2. Cowboys And Dreamers (Jessie Jo Dillon, Keith Gattis and Bubba Strait)
    3. To The Moon (Marty Brown and Steve Clark)
    4. MIA Down in MIA (Adam Craig and Dean Dillon)
    5. Wish I Could Say (Keith Gattis)
    6. Calling From The Car (Bobby Braddock)
    7. People Get Hurt Sometimes (Jim Lauderdale, Kendell Marvel and Jimmy Ritchey)
    8. Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame ft. Chris Stapleton (Chris Stapleton, Jameson Clark and Timothy James)
    9. The Little Things (George Strait, Monty Criswell and Bubba Strait)
    10. The Book (George Strait, Dean Dillon, Jessie Jo Dillon and Bubba Strait)
    11. Rent (Guy Clark and Keith Gattis)
    12. Waymore’s Blues (Curtis Buck and Waylon Jennings)
    13. The Journey Of Your Life (Ronnie Bowman and Troy Jones)

     

    Strait’s 2024 Concert Calendar:
    5/25 Jack Trice Stadium  Ames, IA
    6/1  Bank of America Stadium  Charlotte, NC
    6/8  MetLife Stadium  East Rutherford, NJ
    6/15 Kyle Field  College Station, TX
    6/29 Rice-Eccles Stadium  Salt Lake City, UT
    7/13 Ford Field   Detroit, MI
    7/20 Soldier Field   Chicago, IL
    12/7 Allegiant Stadium  Las Vegas, NV

    For more information and to purchase tickets to all upcoming dates, visit GeorgeStrait.com.

    “MIA Down in MIA” lyrics/credits available HERE.

  • ACM AWARDS 2024 PREVIEW

    The 59th Annual ACM Awards will take place Thursday (May 11th) with a star-studded cast of nominees, performers and presenters.

    Presenters include Jordan Davis (who has four nominations), as well as Little Big Town, Alabama, BRELAND, Tyler Cameron, Sara Evans, Carin León, Ashley McBryde, Dion and Rozene Pride, Noah Reid, Richard Sherman, Charissa Thompson, Randy Travis and Clay Walker

    Previously announced performers include Chris Stapleton, Parker McCollum, host Reba McEntire, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Thomas Rhett, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Kane Brown and Jason Aldean. Post Malone, Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan, Nate Smith and Avril Lavigne, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani will also perform.

    The reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year Chris Stapleton has five nods, including one for Entertainer of the Year, as well as his ninth consecutive nomination for Male Artist of the Year, an award he’s won three times in the past. Chris is also up for Album of the Year (Higher – Artist & Producer nominations) and Artist-Songwriter of the Year.

    Morgane Stapleton receives her first nomination as a producer on her husband Chris Stapleton’s album Higher. 

    Jordan Davis earns four nominations, including Single of the Year (“Next Thing You Know”), Song of the Year (“Next Thing You Know” – Artist & Songwriter nominations) and Visual Media of the Year (“Next Thing You Know”).

    Parker McCollum is nominated for a pair of awards, including Single of the Year and Visual Media of the Year for “Burn It Down.”

    Brothers Osborne’s nomination for Duo of the Year marks their 17th ACM nomination and the tenth year in a row being nominated for ACM Duo of the Year, an award the pair has brought home four times, including last year.

    Kacey Musgraves’ two nominations this year brings her total nominations count to 27, including eight nominations for Female Artist of the Year. She won the award in 2018, the same year she won Album of the Year for Golden Hour. She is nominated for Female Artist of the Year and Music Event of the Year (“I Remember Everything” w/ Zach Bryan).

    Little Big Town receives its 18th nomination for Group of the Year, which ties the group for the all-time record of 18 nominations for Group of the Year held by Alabama. Little Big Town has been nominated in the category every year since 2005, with the exception of 2011.

    Maddie & Tae are nominated for Duo of the Year, along with Brothers Osborne and The War And Treaty.

    Kassi Ashton and Kylie Morgan have earned their first ACM nomination, which is for New Female Artist of the Year.

    Eric Church is nominated for Music Event of the Year for “Man Made A Bar,” along with Morgan Wallen.

    The ACM Country Kickoff at The Star features performances from nearly every ACM New Artist nominee this year, including Kassi Ashton, Kylie Morgan, Ashley CookeHannah EllisKameron Marlowe, Megan MoroneyNeon UnionRestless RoadDylan ScottConner SmithNate Smith, and Tigirlily Gold. More artists are set to hit the Carhartt Stage in Frisco on Tuesday (May 14th) and Wednesday (May 15th), including Chayce BeckhamAnnie Bosko, Tyler BradenTiera KennedyJenna PauletteAlana SpringsteenMatt Stell, and more.

    There will also be special performances on Tuesday (May 14th) night starting at 8pm CT for Live From the ACM Awards: ACM New Artist Winners Celebration, where the New Artists of the Year category winners for the ACM Awards will be revealed. Country Heat Weekly Podcast hosts Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson will emcee the show, which will air live on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch.

    Another event leading up to Thursday night’s (May 16th) ACM Awards, Parker McCollum will serve as the headliner for the ACM Lifting Lives LIVE, presented by Choctaw Casinos & Resorts, the tentpole fundraising event of ACM Awards Week, which brings together artists, industry members, and fans for an all-star concert. The event will take place on the golfing green at Topgolf The Colony on May 15th.

    In its second year in Texas, Parker McCollum and Friends: ACM Lifting Lives LIVE, which will also feature performances by Jordan Davis, among others, will raise money and awareness for ACM Lifting Lives, which works to improve lives through the power of music with a specific focus on health-related initiatives that use music therapy as a way of healing.

    The 59th Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will stream live from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on May 16th at 8pm ET/7pm CT/5pm PT on Prime Video.  You can also catch the official red carpet coverage on Prime Video, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch and P, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch and Amazon Live, starting at 7pm ET/6pm CT/4pm PT.

    https://twitter.com/reba/status/1789765727764808074

     

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

    • Kane Brown
    • Luke Combs
    • Jelly Roll
    • Cody Johnson
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Morgan Wallen
    • Lainey Wilson

    FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    • Kelsea Ballerini
    • Ashley McBryde
    • Megan Moroney
    • Kacey Musgraves
    • Lainey Wilson

    MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    • Luke Combs
    • Jelly Roll
    • Cody Johnson
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Morgan Wallen

     DUO OF THE YEAR

    • Brooks & Dunn
    • Brothers Osborne 
    • Dan + Shay
    • Maddie & Tae 
    • The War And Treaty

    GROUP OF THE YEAR

    • Flatland Cavalry
    • Lady A
    • Little Big Town 
    • Old Dominion
    • Zac Brown Band

    NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    • Kassi Ashton
    • Ashley Cooke
    • Hannah Ellis
    • Kylie Morgan 
    • Megan Moroney

    NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    • ERNEST
    • Kameron Marlowe
    • Dylan Scott
    • Conner Smith
    • Nate Smith

    NEW DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR

    • Neon Union
    • Restless Road
    • Tigirlily Gold

     

    ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    Gettin’ Old – Luke Combs
    Producer: Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton, Luke Combs
    Record Company-Label: River House Artists / Columbia Nashville

     Higher – Chris Stapleton
    Producer: Chris Stapleton, Dave Cobb, Morgane Stapleton
    Record Company-Label: Mercury Nashville

    Leather – Cody Johnson
    Producers: Trent Willmon
    Record Company-Label: CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville LLC

    One Thing At A Time – Morgan Wallen
    Producers: Joey Moi, Cameron Montgomery, Charlie Handsome, Jacob Durrett
    Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records / Republic Records / Mercury Records

    Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good) – Kelsea Ballerini
    Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa Vanderheym
    Record Company-Label: Black River Entertainment

    SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    Burn It Down – Parker McCollum
    Producer: Jon Randall

    Record Company-Label: MCA Nashville

    Fast Car – Luke Combs
    Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton
    Record Company-Label: River House Artists / Columbia Nashville

    Last Night – Morgan Wallen
    Producer: Joey Moi, Charlie Handsome
    Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records / Republic Records / Mercury Records

    Need A Favor – Jelly Roll
    Producer: Austin Nivarel
    Record Company-Label: Stoney Creek Records / BMG Nashville


    Next Thing You Know – Jordan Davis
    Producer: Paul DiGiovanni

    Record Company-Label: MCA Nashville

     

    SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

    Fast Car – Luke Combs
    Songwriters: Tracy Chapman
    Publishers: Purple Rabbit

    Heart Like A Truck – Lainey Wilson
    Songwriters: Dallas Wilson, Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson
    Publishers: Sony / ATV Countryside; Songs of Riser House; Songs of Wild Cat Well Music

    Next Thing You Know – Jordan Davis
    Songwriters: Chase McGill, Greylan James, Jordan Davis, Josh Osborne

    Publishers: Family Farm Songs; Hold On Can I Get A Number 1 Music; Songs of Universal Inc.

    The Painter – Cody Johnson
    Songwriters: Benjy Davis, Kat Higgins, Ryan Larkins
    Publishers: Big Music Machine; BMG Platinum Songs US; Nashblonde Music; Pompano Run Music; Songs for Ellie May; Sony / ATV Tree Publishing; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Group; Well That Was Awkward Music

    Tennessee Orange – Megan Moroney
    Songwriters: Ben Williams, David Fanning, Megan Moroney, Paul Jenkins
    Publishers: 33 Creative; Bone Bone Creative; Sony / ATV Tree Publishing

    MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    Can’t Break Up Now – Old Dominion, Megan Moroney
    Producers: Brad Tursi, Geoff Sprung, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Whit Sellers, Ross Copperman, Kristian Bush
    Record Company-Label: Three Up Three Down, LLC / Columbia Nashville


    Different ‘Round Here – Riley Green (Ft. Luke Combs)
    Producer: Dann Huff
    Record Company-Label: BMLG Records

     

    I Remember Everything – Zach Bryan (feat. Kacey Musgraves)
    Producer: Zach Bryan
    Record Company-Label: Belting Bronco Records / Warner Records, Inc

     

    Man Made A Bar – Morgan Wallen (feat. Eric Church)
    Producer: Joey Moi
    Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records / Mercury Records / Republic Records

     

    Save Me – Jelly Roll (with Lainey Wilson)
    Producers: Zach Crowell, David Ray Stevens
    Record Company-Label: Stoney Creek Records / BMG Nashville

     

    VISUAL MEDIA OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]

    Burn It Down – Parker McCollum
    Producers: Christen Pinkston &Wesley Stebbins-Perry

    Director: Dustin Haney

    Human – Cody Johnson
    Producer: Christen Pinkston &Wesley Stebbins-Perry
    Director: Dustin Haney

    In Your Love – Tyler Childers
    Producer: Kacie Barton, Whitney Wolanin, Nicholas Robespierre, Ian Thorton, Silas House
    Director: Bryan Schlam

    Next Thing You Know – Jordan Davis
    Producer: Jamie Stratakis

    Director: Running Bear (Stephen Kinigopoulos, Alexa Stone)

    Tennessee Orange – Megan Moroney
    Producer: Lauren Starr, Saul Levitz, Laura Burhenn
    Director: Jason Lester

    ARTIST-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

    • Zach Bryan
    • ERNEST
    • HARDY
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Morgan Wallen

     

    Audio / ACM reigning Entertainer of the Year Chris Stapleton talks about his nominated Album of the Year, Higher.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (Higher album) OC: …on this record. :56
    “One thing that’s probably notable about the record to me is it’s the first one that we’ve put out that doesn’t contain a cover, so there’s no covers on this record. So, in that way, I guess you could say it should be more intrinsically whatever we do. So, there’s definitely some exploration of the edges of what that is, and certainly some moments of stretching out vocally and trying to see what that is. There’s some different stuff on this record, I think, and I think it’s really great. I think it’s something that people will enjoy. I think there’s something on it for everybody, which is kind of always my goal. If you’re a kind of a hardcore traditional country person, there’s a song on there for that somewhere. If you leaned into more of the R&B side of what we do, there’s stuff on there for that. If you like the rock side of things that we do, there’s stuff on there for that. And there’s some really great songs on here. I’m excited about the songs on this record.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis has four nominations going into Thursday night's ACM Awards, and he talked about the morning the nominations came out.

    Download

    Jordan Davis (2024) OC: …shakes out. :32
    “So, when I actually found out that I was nominated, I was driving to rehearsals and I totally forgot that the nominations were coming out that morning, and I looked down and I had 18 text messages, and I was like, ‘Oh, I must’ve gotten nominated.’ (laughs) So, I wasn’t expecting it, I really wasn’t. I mean, I love that song to death. There’s a lot of amazing songs out this year, so I truly just started calling people and saying thank you and already looking forward to being down in Dallas and seeing how this thing shakes out.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about being nominated for one of his songs at the ACM Awards.

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    Jordan Davis (awards nominations) OC: …a song acknowledged. :38
    “Nominations are truly wins. I don’t think any of us really do it for awards. They’re definitely special, but yeah, to be acknowledged by the ACMs for having a song up for Song of the Year, to me, I just go back to watching the ACMs with my family and seeing that award every year and now here I am for a chance to be up there, and I don’t know. It’s just kind of full circle. So, for me, it shows how special country music is, these award shows, but also too, it makes you feel like you’re doing something right enough to get a song acknowledged.”

     

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about his ACM-nominated song, "What My World Spins Around."

    Download

    Jordan Davis (WMWSA song) OC: …any faster. :47
    “It’s special because of what the song means to me. A lot of the messages, a lot of the comments I get on this are that there’s a spot for everybody on this – married, unmarried, engaged, grandparent, expecting a baby for the first time – there’s a spot for you in it. I’m hoping, that in all honesty, I think where I wrote the song from was you know being a touring musician and being gone for half the year and even in four years of having a kid, I’ve already missed a lot of stuff. I hope that that slows down, or at least I’m able to kinda really cherish some of the moments that I’m at home. So, aybe that’s it. Maybe it’s just seeing people slow down a little bit and realize that time’s moving fast and we don’t need to make it move any faster.”

    Audio / BACKSTAGE AT LAST YEAR'S ACM AWARDS, BROTHERS OSBORNE'S JOHN OSBORNE SAYS AWARDS REMINDS HIM OF THE JOURNEY HE AND HIS BROTHER TJ OSBORNE HAVE TAKEN IN COUNTRY MUSIC.

    Download

    Brothers Osborne (ACM 2023 win) OC: …very grateful for that. :52
    JOHN: “You know, it’s absolutely crazy. I mean, the best way for us to stay grounded is when it happens…it’s a blur on stage. You know, you have an idea of what you’re going to say, it never comes out right. And then, I walked backstage, and we get a million texts from friends, my wife, from family and stuff like that, and it reminds you constantly of where you came from and the journey that you took. There will be a day where we won’t even be nominated, and that’s okay. The reality is nothing is permanent, and we’re fortunately in a position now where we can kind of swim and bask in the glory of something, and that being this country music community has lifted us on their shoulders for years now, and we’d be nothing without them and I’m very grateful for that.”

    Audio / PARKER MCCOLLUM TALKS ABOUT SHOOTING THE VIDEO FOR "BURN IT DOWN."

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    Parker McCollum (Burn It Down video) OC: …turned out great. :38
    “Man, the video was pretty easy, actually. I talked to Dustin, the director, and I was like, ‘Man, I feel like wherever we are, we’re just blowing stuff up and so let’s go blow some stuff up and burn it down.’ And he had a great vision out there in New Mexico. We were in the desert, I mean, the desert, desert. You couldn’t, it was like the ocean, but sand; the middle of the ocean but sand. And it was actually really cold in the morning, then it got really hot at night and then the smoke and the fire and they’re wanting me to walk through it over and over, take after take after take. I’m walking through like this chemical burning black smoke. I’m like this is really risking it for a music video, but it turned out great.”

    Audio / Maddie & Tae talk about their Duo of the Year nomination.

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

    Audio / The members of Little Big Town talk about winning their very first award at the ACMs.

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    LBT (ACM first award) OC: (KAREN) …so much fun. :24
    JIMI: “The ACM Awards – is that the first?” KAREN: “The first award we ever won? Yeah. We won New Vocal Group. (KIMBERLY: “Yup.”) I can’t even remember what year that was.” KIMBERLY: “I was pregnant. It was 2007.” KAREN: “That’s right. That’s right ‘cause you bounced all the way up. We were like, don’t go into labor.” (LAUGHS) KIMBERLY: “That was our first award ever!” KAREN: “Very special, and this awards show is always like so much fun.”

    Audio / WHEN LAST YEAR'S ACM NOMINATIONS WERE ANNOUNCED, MICHAEL AND TANYA (pr. TONYA) TROTTER OF THE WAR AND TREATY TALK ABOUT THEIR FIRST ACM NOMINATION FOR DUO OF THE YEAR.

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    The War and Treaty (ACM 2023 nomination) OC: (Tanya) …country music. 1:13
    “Hey everybody! I’m Tanya, and I’m Michael, and we’re The War and Treaty. (Michael) This morning, April 13th, we woke up and to be able to see Bobby Bones do the nominations for the ACMS ad get to the category of Duo of the Year, and we were just callin’ ‘em out. We were like, ‘Brooks & Dunn,’ ‘Dan + Shay,’ and we were like ‘Brothers Osborne,’ Brothers Osborne, yes! Dan + Shay, Dan + Shay, and we was like, ‘Yes.’ We were like, ‘Maddie & Tae,’ we was like ‘Yes,’ and then time slowed down. They were like The War and Treaty. And honestly, we burst into tears, we screamed, we yelled, we high-fived, we hugged our manager, Christina. In our minds then traveled back in time and forward. We traveled to Charly Pride, DeFord Bailey and Ray Charles, and we were like, ‘I hope they’re seeing this wherever they are, and I hope they’re dancing and high-fiving as well. Thank you, ACMs.” TANYA: “Thank you so much to the ACMs and everybody who’s nominated and all of our peers in country music.”

    Audio / An emotional Kylie Morgan is blown away by her ACM nomination for New Female Artist of the Year at this year's ACM Awards.

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    Kylie Morgan (ACM 2024 reaction) OC: …so excited. :19
    “I truly still can’t believe that this is actually happening. I’ve been watching the ACMs since I was a little girl, just watching all of my heroes win awards and walk down the red carpet. And the fact that I am now one of those people just absolutely blows my mind and I’m just so thankful and so excited.”

  • THE WAR AND TREATY RELEASES NEW SONG “LEADS ME HOME.”

    The War And Treaty releases new song “Leads Me Home.” Showcasing a unique sound that has them dubbed the “King and Queen of Gospel Country,” the husband-and-wife pair turned award-winning duo, lean into their Americana roots and deliver a standout, homegrown track.

    https://twitter.com/warandtreaty/status/1788886997097963635

    Last month, Michael and Tanya Trotter performed at the White House for the Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride. They also visited the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project where Michael, an Army veteran, was presented with a certificate for his military service. They returned to Washington, D.C. last week to participate in GRAMMYs On The Hill 2024, which gave winners, nominees and music professionals a chance to visit lawmakers to advocate for legislation advancing music creators’ rights. The trip was highlighted by a surprise performance of recent single “Stealing A Kiss” at a College Signing Day event with Former First Lady Michelle Obama in attendance.

    Additional upcoming live performances for the duo include the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum’s inaugural GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Gala, CMA Fest, performances across Europe, several tour stops with Zach Bryan and Chris Stapleton, and the recently announced opening slot for The Rolling Stones at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in July. For more information visit www.TheWarAndTreaty.com.

     

    Audio / The War And Treat

    Download

    The War And Treaty (Leads Me Home) OC: (Tanya) …That’s right, baby.” :26
    MICHAEL: “‘Leads Me Home’ is about no matter how far our business has taken us on the road, the highways and byways, the many different venues, traveling here and there, and although we’re doing it together, we always take home with us because we realize that Tanya will always be home for me and I will always be home for her. At the end of the day, love will always lead us back home.” TANYA: “That’s right, baby.”

    Audio / LINER The War And Treaty (Leads Me Home) 1

    Download

    Audio / LINER The War And Treaty (Leads Me Home) 2

    Download

     

     

     

  • PARKER McCOLLUM ADDED TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Parker McCollum has been added to the list of performers at this year’s ACM Awards. Post Malone, Kelsea Ballerini and Noah KahanNate Smith and Avril LavigneBlake Shelton and Gwen Stefani will also perform.

     

    Previously announced performers include Chris Stapleton, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Thomas Rhett, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Kane Brown and Jason Alean, as well as this year’s host Reba McEntire.

    The 2022 New Male Artist of the Year is nominated for Single of the Year and Visual Media of the Year for “Burn It Down.”

    Parker will also serve as the headliner for the ACM Lifting Lives LIVE, presented by Choctaw Casinos & Resorts, the tentpole fundraising event of ACM Awards Week, which brings together artists, industry members, and fans for an all-star concert. The event will take place on the golfing green at Topgolf The Colony on May 15th, ahead of the 59th ACM Awards® the following evening.

    The 59th Academy of Country Music Awards will stream live from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on Thursday, May 16th at 8pm ET/7pm CT/5pm PT on Amazon Prime video. A Prime membership will not be required to watch live, everyone is invited to “attend” the Party of the Year.

    Fans can also tune into the official ACM Red Carpet on Prime Video, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch, and Amazon Live, starting at 7pm ET/6pm CT/4pm PT.

  • THE WAR AND TREATY RELEASES OFFICIAL “STEALING A KISS” MUSIC VIDEO.

    Today, the award-winning duo The War And Treaty shares the official music video for their latest song, “Stealing A Kiss.” “Stealing A Kiss,” written by the husband-and-wife pair and inspired by their passion for each other, is the first new track since their critically acclaimed major label album debut Lover’s Game. Directed by Gus Black, the video showcases their electrifying performance and tangible chemistry on the soulful, seductive track.

    Yesterday, Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter performed at the White House for the Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride. They also visited the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project where Michael, an Army veteran, was presented with a certificate for his military service.

    Additional upcoming live performances for the duo include Stagecoach this weekend, CMA Fest, performances across Europe, and several tour stops with Zach Bryan and Chris Stapleton, and the recently announced opening slot for The Rolling Stones at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in July. For more information visit www.TheWarAndTreaty.com.

    About The War And Treaty:
    Founded in 2014 by the husband-and-wife duo Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, The War And Treaty has emerged as one of the most electrifying new acts in American music. With a lionhearted sonic blend, both roaring with passion and tender to the touch, The Tennessean notes, “they are unlike any other act in music.” The War And Treaty’s major label debut album Lover’s Game (Mercury Nashville), was met with critical praise with Associated Press claiming, “The colossally talented pair continue their commando, no-limits journey to the top of the music world.” Drawing respect across the board, they have gone on to appear as top-flight collaborators including the latest “Hey Driver” with Zach Bryan.

  • UMG NASHVILLE ANNOUNCES SECOND ANNUAL MUSIC IS UNIVERSAL AT SKYDECK ON BROADWAY JUNE 6-9, 2024.

    UMG Nashville’s Music Is Universal returns to downtown Nashville’s Skydeck on Broadway June 6-9, 2024. The second annual four-day event is free to the public and features some of country music’s biggest artists and rising stars for live performances, fan club parties and signings, listening events, and more.

    UMG Nashville’s inaugural Music Is Universal event in 2023 featured artists including Kassi Ashton, Priscilla Block, Luke Bryan, Jordan Davis, Dalton Dover, Luke Grimes, Caylee Hammack, Sam Williams, Maddie & Tae, and many more, welcoming thousands of fans from all over the world to see over 20 artist performances, meet & greets, DJs, and exclusive listening events, reaching capacity crowds several times across the weekend.

    A full schedule of events and additional information to follow in the coming weeks with all updates available at UMGNLive.com.

    Universal Music Group Nashville consists of Capitol Records Nashville, Capitol Comedy Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Silver Wings Records, and Sing Me Back Home Productions. Reading like a “who’s who” of Music Row, the combined rosters include Alan Jackson, Anne Wilson, Billy Currington, Brad Paisley, Brothers Osborne, Bryce Leatherwood, Carrie Underwood, Catie Offerman, Caylee Hammack, CB30, Chris Stapleton, Dalton Dover, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Dillon James, Eric Church, George Strait, Hootie & The Blowfish, Hueston, Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Josh Turner, Kacey Musgraves, Kassi Ashton, Keith Urban, Kylie Morgan, Little Big Town, Louie TheSinger, Luke Bryan, Luke Grimes, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, Sam Williams, The War And Treaty, Timothy Wayne, Travis Denning, Tyler Hubbard, Vince Gill, and comedian Nate Bargatze. For additional information, visit www.umgnashville.com.

     

  • LUKE GRIMES RELEASES “ALL APOLOGIES” A COVER OF THE CLASSIC NIRVANA CLASSIC .

    Luke Grimes has released the new track “All Apologies.”  The cover of the iconic Nirvana song was recorded at one of Grimes’ fall tour stops in Boston at The Roadrunner.

     

    Grimes released his debut full-length album Luke Grimes earlier this year. Produced by Dave Cobb, Grimes wrote/co-wrote 10 of the album’s 13 songs. Grimes is returning for a second year to perform at this year’s Stagecoach Festival on April 27th and will be playing at various festivals throughout the summer.

    About Luke Grimes
    Luke Grimes is a natural-born creative: an actor, musician, singer, and songwriter who releases his self-titled debut album on March 8. Luke Grimes, produced by Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton) arrives on the heels of Grimes’ gritty, acclaimed 2023 EP, Pain Pills or Pews, and features 13 tracks. Ten songs were co-written by Grimes, including “No Horse to Ride,” which debuted at No. 7 on the Country Songs sales chart in 2022 and accumulated 43.3M release-to-date global on-demand streams. Spotify highlighted the song on the cover of its Country Hits 2023 playlist, with the song in the No. 1 position. Grimes’ recording of “Hold On,” a highlight of Pain Pills or Pews that also appears on Luke Grimes, has amassed 27.4M global streams, adding to Grimes’ nearly 105M total global streams to date of all his music.

    Known for his role as Kayce Dutton on the hit TV drama Yellowstone, Grimes grew up in Ohio playing music in the church and listening to the Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings records his father played him. Later, he moved to L.A. and joined an Americana band as its drummer before relocating to Montana, where Yellowstone films. Now writing in Nashville with hit songwriters like Rodney Clawson, Nicolle Galyon, the Love Junkies, Aaron Raitiere, and Brent Cobb, Grimes is sharing his personal story — of the loss of his father and meeting his wife — with country fans.

    In 2023 he played upwards of 20 festivals, including Stagecoach, Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival, and Under the Big Sky Festival, and headlined his own sold-out tour. Grimes will make a return to Stagecoach in April 2024 with his highly anticipated full-length album under his belt.

  • GEORGE STRAIT’S ‘THE KING AT KYLE FIELD’ ON TRACK TO SURPASS 2014 AT&T ATTENDANCE RECORD.

    The demand for George Strait‘s only show in Texas in 2024, ‘The King at Kyle Field’ on June 15th, is so great that he is on track to best his own all-time indoor attendance record of 104,793 set in 2014 at his final Cowboy Rides Away finale at AT&T Stadium. The San Antonio Express-News reported the news earlier this week.

    “George has always said he has the best fans, and there’s nothing like a Texas crowd,” shares longtime promoter and founder of Messina Touring Group, Louis Messina. “We knew the show at Kyle Field would be exciting as it’s the first-ever one of its size to be held in the stadium, but even I didn’t expect we’d sell over 100,000 tickets in just a few days. He’ll play to more people in one night than we did at AT&T in 2014! It’s a testament to George’s reputation as an entertainer and performer that here we are, still setting records and personal bests years later.”

    Announced on March 19, it’s the shortest time in Strait’s career that a single show has moved over 100,000 tickets. On June 15th, the King of Country Music will be joined by special guests Parker McCollum and Catie Offerman.  Just fyi–it’s a great present for Parker to perform with the King since it’s also his birthday on June 15th.

    The news follows the recent announcement that Strait will once again team up with Chris Stapleton to perform one-off stadium dates this year with stops at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Chicago’s Soldier Field, Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium and more. Joining Strait and Stapleton for those nine dates are special guests Little Big Town.

    Strait’s 2024 Concert Calendar:
    5/4  Lucas Oil Stadium  Indianapolis, IN
    5/11 EverBank Stadium  Jacksonville, FL
    5/25 Jack Trice Stadium  Ames, IA
    6/1  Bank of America Stadium  Charlotte, NC
    6/8  MetLife Stadium  East Rutherford, NJ
    6/15 Kyle Field  College Station, TX
    6/29 Rice-Eccles Stadium  Salt Lake City, UT
    7/13 Ford Field   Detroit, MI
    7/20 Soldier Field   Chicago, IL
    12/7 Allegiant Stadium  Las Vegas, NV

    For more information and to purchase tickets to all upcoming dates, visit GeorgeStrait.com.

  • “GEORGE STRAIT: THE KING AT KYLE FIELD” SET FOR SATURDAY, JUNE 15th, 2024.

    Texas troubadour George Strait has announced the only performance in his home state this year with a concert set for Saturday, June 15th, 2024, at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field. The King of Country Music will be joined by special guests Parker McCollum and Catie Offerman.

    Tickets to the Kyle Field performance go on sale to the general public Thursday, March 28th, at 10 a.m. CT via TheKingAtKyle.com. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning March 22 at 10 a.m. CT through March 27th at 10 p.m. CT.

     

    The news follows the recent announcement that Strait will once again team up with Chris Stapleton to perform one-off stadium dates this year with stops at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Chicago’s Soldier Field, Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium and more. Joining the King of Country and Stapleton for those nine dates are special guests Little Big Town.

    Since his record-breaking Cowboy Rides Away Tour in 2014, Strait has performed for limited engagements outside of his 36-and-counting Strait to Vegas shows at T-Mobile Arena, including headlining both weekends of the Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2021 plus his 31st appearance at the Houston Rodeo in 2022. With an unmatched 60 singles hitting the top of the charts—more than any other artist in any genre—during the span of his 30+ year career, Strait has collected 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums, more than any other Country artist and ranking third across all genres behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. The Texas troubadour is the only artist or act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades and recently earned his 100th entry on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with his latest single, “The Weight of the Badge.” He has sold nearly 70 million albums and earned more than 60 major entertainment industry awards, including induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

    Strait’s 2024 Concert Calendar:
    5/4  Lucas Oil Stadium  Indianapolis, IN
    5/11 EverBank Stadium  Jacksonville, FL
    5/25 Jack Trice Stadium  Ames, IA
    6/1  Bank of America Stadium  Charlotte, NC
    6/8  MetLife Stadium  East Rutherford, NJ
    6/15 Kyle Field  College Station, TX*
    6/29 Rice-Eccles Stadium  Salt Lake City, UT
    7/13 Ford Field   Detroit, MI
    7/20 Soldier Field   Chicago, IL
    12/7 Allegiant Stadium  Las Vegas, NV
    *Just Announced – On Sale Thursday, March 28 at 10 am CT

    For more information and to purchase tickets to all upcoming dates, visit GeorgeStrait.com.

  • CMT MUSIC AWARDS 2024:

    The nominations for the 2024 CMT Music Awards have been announced, and Universal Music Group Nashville is represented in nearly every category with nods for Anne Wilson, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Kacey Musgraves, Luke Bryan, Mickey Guyton, Priscilla Block, Reba McEntire and The War And Treaty (check out the complete list of nominees below).

    The fan-voted award show, hosted by Kelsea Ballerini, will air live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on Sunday, April 7th at 7pm CT on CBS, and will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+. Performers, presenters and additional details about the show will be announced soon.

    2024 CMT Music Awards Nominees:

    VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration). Top six nominees from the first round of voting, will be announced on April 1. The final three nominees, from the second round of voting, will be announced on show day (April 7). Final voting will be determined via social media and announced as the final category during the live show.
    Ashley McBryde – “Light On In The Kitchen”
    Brandy Clark feat. Brandi Carlile – “Dear Insecurity”
    Brothers Osborne – “Nobody’s Nobody”
    Cody Johnson – “The Painter”
    Darius Rucker – “Fires Don’t Start Themselves”
    Hardy – “Truck Bed”
    Jason Aldean – “Let Your Boys Be Country”
    Jelly Roll – “Need A Favor”
    Jordan Davis – “Next Thing You Know”
    Kacey Musgraves – “Deeper Well”
    Kelsea Ballerini – “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)”
    Lainey Wilson – “Watermelon Moonshine”
    Mickey Guyton feat. Kane Brown – “Nothing Compares To You”
    Parmalee – “Gonna Love You”
    Tyler Childers – “In Your Love”
    Zach Bryan – “Nine Ball”

    FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist.
    Ashley McBryde – “Light On In The Kitchen”
    Gabby Barrett – “Glory Days”
    Kacey Musgraves – “Deeper Well”
    Kelsea Ballerini – “Penthouse”
    Lainey Wilson – “Watermelon Moonshine”
    Megan Moroney – “I’m Not Pretty”
    Reba McEntire – “Seven Minutes In Heaven”

    MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist.
    Bailey Zimmerman – “Religiously”
    Cody Johnson – “The Painter”
    Hardy – “Truck Bed”
    Jelly Roll – “Need A Favor”
    Jordan Davis – “Next Thing You Know”
    Luke Combs – “Fast Car (Official Live Video)”
    Morgan Wallen “Last Night (One Record At A Time Sessions)”

    DUO/GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video by a duo or group; awarded to the artists.
    Brothers Osborne – “Nobody’s Nobody”
    Dan + Shay – “Save Me The Trouble”
    Old Dominion – “Memory Lane”
    Parmalee – “Girl In Mine”
    The War And Treaty – “Have You A Heart”
    Tigirlily Gold – “Shoot Tequila”

    COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists.
    Carly Pearce feat. Chris Stapleton – “We Don’t Fight Anymore”
    Ella Langley feat. Koe Wetzel – “That’s Why We Fight”
    Jon Pardi, Luke Bryan – “Cowboys and Plowboys”
    Justin Moore & Priscilla Block – “You, Me, And Whiskey”
    Lukas Nelson + Promise of the Real (POTR) feat. Lainey Wilson – “More Than Friends”
    Mickey Guyton feat. Kane Brown – “Nothing Compares To You”
    Old Dominion & Megan Moroney – “Can’t Break Up Now”

    BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR, presented by Walt Disney World
    Best video from a female artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist.
    Anne Wilson – “Rain In The Rearview”
    Ashley Cooke – “Your Place”
    Brittney Spencer – “Bigger Than The Song”
    Tigirlily Gold – “Shoot Tequila”

    BREAKTHROUGH MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR, presented by Walt Disney World
    Best video from a male artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist.
    Chayce Beckham – “23”
    Tyler Childers – “In Your Love”
    Warren Zeiders – “Pretty Little Poison”
    Zach Bryan – “Oklahoma Smokeshow”

    CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
    Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo).
    Amber Riley – “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.” (from CMT Smashing Glass)
    Bret Michaels & Chris Janson – “Nothing But A Good Time” (from CMT Crossroads)
    Carrie Underwood – “Hate My Heart” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
    Cody Johnson – “Human” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
    Dierks Bentley – “Drunk On A Plane” (from CMT Storytellers)
    Dustin Lynch feat. MacKenzie Porter – “Thinking ‘Bout You” (from CMT Campfire Sessions)
    Hozier & Maren Morris – “Take Me To Church” (from CMT Crossroads)
    Jelly Roll – “Need A Favor” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
    Kelsea Ballerini – “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
    The War And Treaty – “On My Own” (from CMT Smashing Glass)

    CMT DIGITAL-FIRST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
    Musical performance from a production, series or livestream created for CMT digital / social channels; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo).
    Chase Rice – “Goodnight Nancy” (from CMT Studio Sessions)
    Dylan Scott – “Don’t Close Your Eyes (Keith Whitley Cover)” (from “CMT Digital Campfire Sessions”)
    Megan Moroney – “I’m Not Pretty” (from “CMT Digital Campfire Sessions”)
    Nate Smith – “Whiskey On You” (from CMT Studio Sessions)
    Scotty McCreery – “It Matters To Her” (from CMT Stages)
    Stephen Wilson Jr. – “Year to Be Young 1994” (from CMT Studio Sessions)
    The Castellows – “I Know It Will Never End” (from CMT Studio Sessions)

     

     

     

     

     

     

    https://twitter.com/warandtreaty/status/1767920192661701009

     

     

     

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about the video for "Fires Don't Start Themselves," in which he plays a detective hot on the trail of a young couple whose passionate love is setting their town ablaze, both literally and figuratively.

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    Darius Rucker (Fires Don’t Start Themselves video) OC: …happy about that. :46
    “I love acting. I love… It’s a lot of fun. And the actors you get to act with are so giving and make it so easy for you and fun and everything. But that video, when they told me I wasn’t going to do any performance, I was so happy, because that’s so the cliché (for) the video. You have other people acting and then you do the performance. But when they told me I was going to play a detective, I put on my inner Stabler, because I’m such a Law and Order and CSI fan, so I put on my inner Stabler and went out and did it. And the girl I worked with, she was so fun; she was so funny. And you know that donut scene, when I see it, there’s no words and it still makes me laugh every time I see it. But yeah, that was a lot of fun and I’d love to do a lot more of that, but, you know, we’ll see if it comes. If it comes, I’ll take it. If not, I’ll keep doing this music thing. I’ll be happy about that.”

    Audio / REBA MCENTIRE TALKS ABOUT THE EMOTIONAL MUSIC VIDEO FOR "SEVEN MINUTES IN HEAVEN."

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    Reba McEntire (music video for Seven Minutes In Heaven) OC: …it still hurts. 1:08
    “I picked out the lady to play mama, Eleanor. She did a great job. And she was a sweetheart to get to work with. That is exactly what I thought it would look like if I went to heaven and it was, you know, with the smoke coming in and out, made it look really heavenly. And I thought it would be something familiar, something that you’d feel comfortable with. God thinks of everything. And so, to walk up to the booth, and the next time I walk up and mama’s there and I put my arms on her shoulders, Eleanor’s hands were very similar to mama’s when she was young. So that got me to, they kept saying, ‘Okay, let’s do it again. I said, ‘Okay, let’s take a little break here. Get in here to redo my makeup. Because I would, I just bawled. And Eleanor was sitting across from me at the booth, and she’d see me crying. She’d try to reach for a napkin out of the napkin dispenser on the table. And I’d say, ‘Eleanor, that’s okay. It’s part of the video.’ ‘You don’t want to wipe?’ I said, ‘I’m good. I’m good.’ But she was just like a mother, you know, and they’re trying to make sure everything was all right. It was healing. It was healing for me to do that video and kind of like get it out because it still hurts.”

    Audio / JORDAN DAVIS TALKS ABOUT WRITING HIS TWO-WEEK NO. 1 SMASH, "NEXT THING YOU KNOW."

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    Jordan Davis (writing Next Thing You Know) OC: …song is today. :59
    “There’s a saying that says ‘raising kids – the days are long, the years are short,’ and that’s what this song is to me. I kind of came in wanting to write something like that, you know kind of a slow down time song, and Greylan had this idea. The idea initially was about going to a bar or going somewhere and meeting somebody and then just the progression of a relationship. I kind of hijacked the title and said, ‘Hey man. I love that title, but we’re going to write it in the sense of having kids, watching ‘em grow up and hopefully becoming a grandparent, you know? Chase McGill and Josh Osborne both have kiddos, and I think they kind of grabbed on it. Greylan, hats off to him. He’s the single kid of the group, so he was like, ‘Man, I’ll go there. I don’t know how much input I can be able to say in this, but I’ll go there with you.’ I mean, he’s a great writer, and it was fun to kind of see the title that he threw out evolve into what the song is today.”

    Audio / ON THE SET OF THE FILMING OF HER NEW MUSIC VIDEO FOR "RAIN IN THE REARVIEW," ANNE WILSON EXPLAINS THE CONCEPT BEHIND IT.

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    Anne Wilson (BTS RITR video) 2 OC: …in this video. :37
    “So, I love this music video so much. We were working through the idea and concept behind it. It was really about portraying three different versions of myself – the happy version, which is the healed version; the driver, which is kind of plowing through everything and then the one that is sad and kind of looking on the past and reflecting what has come before. And I love the reminder in this music video and getting to work with T.K. McKamy on this treatment of how can we take this song and dive deeper into what it means? And I think in life we all go through different seasons where we’re either fully healed, we’re still looking back and struggling with depression and anxiety from the past or we’re driving in the seat and we’re going ahead for what’s to come. So, I love that we got to portray all three of those in this video.”

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  • LUKE GRIMES READY TO RELEASE HIS DEBUT FULL-LENGTH SELF-TITLED ALBUM.

    Luke Grimes will release his debut full-length album, Luke Grimes, on Friday (March 8th). Produced by Dave Cobb, of the album’s 13 songs, ten were co-written by Grimes. The album follows the fall 2023 release of Grimes’ EP Pain Pills Or Pews, which has amassed 105M Total Global streams to date. Out today is one of the album’s new tracks, “God And A Girl.”  Listen to the new song HERE.

    “I’ve spent the last couple of years trying my best to make something that I would be proud to put into the world. Now, all I can hope for is that it finds a few people to connect to and it makes them feel like they aren’t going through all of this alone. That’s what my favorite music has always done for me.”– Luke Grimes

    Luke Grimes Album Track List:

    1. Burn (Luke Grimes, Randy Montana, Josh Thompson)
    2. Playin’ On The Tracks (Luke Grimes, Brent Cobb)
    3. Hold On (Foy Vance, Ilsey Juber)
    4. Black Powder (Luke Grimes, Brian Allen, Dave Cobb, Chris Powell)
    5. Ghost Of Who We Were (Luke Grimes, Rodney Clawson, Nicolle Galyon)
    6. Oh Ohio (Luke Grimes, Jessi Alexander, Jon Randall)
    7. God And A Girl (Tucker Beathard, Dillon James, Jason Nix)
    8. What Angels Do (Luke Grimes, Ryan Beaver, Bart Butler)
    9. No Horse To Ride (Luke Grimes, Tony Lane, Jonathan Singleton)
    10. Wait For The Rain To Die Down (Luke Grimes, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose)
    11. Ain’t Dead Yet (Luke Grimes, Aaron Raitiere)
    12. South On 75 (Luke Grimes, Brent Cobb, Dave Cobb, Aaron Raitiere)
    13. Worst Of Me (Hayes Carll)

    About Luke Grimes:
    Luke Grimes is a natural-born creative: an actor, musician, singer, and songwriter who releases his self-titled debut album on March 8. Luke Grimes, produced by Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton) arrives on the heels of Grimes’ gritty, acclaimed 2023 EP, Pain Pills or Pews, and features 13 tracks. Ten songs were co-written by Grimes, including “No Horse to Ride,” which debuted at No. 7 on the Country Songs sales chart in 2022 and accumulated 43.3M release-to-date global on-demand streams. Spotify highlighted the song on the cover of its Country Hits 2023 playlist, with the song in the No. 1 position. Grimes’ recording of “Hold On,” a highlight of Pain Pills or Pews that also appears on Luke Grimes, has amassed 27.4M global streams, adding to Grimes’ nearly 105M total global streams to date of all his music.

    Known for his role as Kayce Dutton on the hit TV drama Yellowstone, Grimes grew up in Ohio playing music in the church and listening to the Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings records his father played him. Later, he moved to L.A. and joined an Americana band as its drummer before relocating to Montana, where Yellowstone films. Now writing in Nashville with hit songwriters like Rodney Clawson, Nicolle Galyon, the Love Junkies, Aaron Raitiere, and Brent Cobb, Grimes is sharing his personal story — of the loss of his father and meeting his wife — with country fans.

    In 2023 he played upwards of 20 festivals, including Stagecoach, Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival, and Under the Big Sky Festival, and headlined his own sold-out tour. Grimes will make a return to Stagecoach in April 2024 with his highly anticipated full-length album under his belt.

     

    Audio / Luke Grimes talks about growing up with country music and church hymns.

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    Luke Grimes (music growing up) OC: …liked about it too. 1:06
    “My parents are from the Appalachian Mountains, country music was a very big deal for them growing up. My dad became a pastor and music is also a big deal in church and these old hymns – in a lot of ways, they’re related. You know, Hank Williams wrote ‘I Saw The Light,’ which I thought was just some old church song. I didn’t realize he wrote that. Religion and church and music and sort of country life, all these things kind of went hand-in-hand and my dad also liked the old Outlaw guys, that was sort of a secret that people in church didn’t know as much, because he didn’t really want to offend anybody. You know, some people really don’t listen to secular music, but he played me all of that stuff too. What was cool about it was how honest those guys were being, and they can be these really masculine guys, but tell you about their feelings, you know, which is rare. It’s rare for grown men that are like that to be vulnerable, and I really liked that about that music, and I think that’s what my dad liked about it too.”

  • DIERKS BENTLEY DROPS HIS TAKE OF THE TOM PETTY CLASSIC “AMERICAN GIRL.”

    Dierks Bentley has released his take on the Tom Petty classic, “American Girl.” The free-spirited, bluegrass-tinged track officially impacts country radio today (via Big Machine Records/The Valory Music Co.) and is from the forthcoming Tom Petty tribute album, Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty to be released by Big Machine in partnership with the Tom Petty Estate. The album brings together the top Country and Americana artists to create a tribute to Petty’s musical legacy.

    Of the song, Bentley shares, “Petty’s southern roots shined through across his songwriting and storytelling. He might not have ever been considered as country, but you can’t go into a bar in Nashville without hearing this song. It is one of the greatest songs in a life’s work of great American songs. The spirit of this woman, the idea of such relentless hope – and disappointment – ignites such a spark. Jon and I were driven to make that feeling of American roots stand tall.”

    LISTEN TO DIERKS BENTLEY’S “AMERICAN GIRL” HERE

    Now considered as one of Petty’s greatest hits (Billboard, Hollywood Reporter and Rolling Stone), Bentley’s banjo-forward, spirited reimagination of “American Girl” is a festival of swirling fiddles, right hand organ figures and mandolin runs complimented by a pre-bridge breakdown that reinforces the stop/start nature of the moment.

    Bentley and producer Jon Randall recruited A-list session players Chad Cromwell on drums, Craig Young on bass, Rob McNelley and Randall himself on electric guitars, as well as Jimmy Wallace on piano and B-3. They also drafted acclaimed musicians Noam Pikelny on banjo, Andy Leftwich on fiddle and mandolin, and Chris Eldridge on acoustic guitar for the sweeping consideration of the desperation, dreams and betrayals plaguing a girl “raised on promises.” The instrumentation teams with Bentley’s vocals, equal part witness and mercy capturing the song’s urgency and injecting Petty’s signature pride and defiance even in the roughest places.

    George Strait, Chris Stapleton, Brothers Osborne, Dolly Parton, Luke Combs, Wynonna and many others are also featured on the album, which is set for release May 31st.

     

     

     

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about recording "American Girl" for the new Tom Petty tribute project.

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    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about the legacy of Tom Petty and his music.

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  • REBA McENTIRE DELIVERS SOARING PERFORMANCE OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AT THIS YEAR’S SUPER BOWL.

    Reba McEntire delivered a soaring rendition of the National Anthem prior to this year’s Super Bowl on Sunday (February 11th). Wearing a Ralph Lauren-designed outfit, which included a tan/  gold blazer, a black top with beaded fringe black pants, she also added her own personal and sentimental touches — her Daddy’s belt buckle and her mother’s bracelet.

    Reba previously said her boyfriend, actor Rex Linn, helped her decide to say yes to the NFL’s offer to sing the National Anthem. She followed Andra Day‘s emotional performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and Post Malone‘s stripped-down rendition of “God Bless America.”

    Reba was accompanied by actor Daniel Durant (CODA, Chicago Med), who performed the National Anthem in ASL (American Sign Language).

     

    Reba was discovered by Red Stegall 50 years ago singing the National Anthem at the National Finals Rodeo, and he brought her to Nashville less than a year later and helped get her signed to a major record label.

    The Country Music Hall of Famer will be the fourth country artist in a row to sing the anthem. Eric Church with Jazmine Sullivan did the honors in 2021; Mickey Guyton performed the anthem in 2022; Chris Stapleton (who many are hailing as one of the best renditions since Whitney Houston in 1991) in 2023 and now Reba in 2024. Other country artists who have performed the National Anthem include Garth Brooks (1993), Faith Hill (2000), The Chicks (2003), Carrie Underwood (2010) and Luke Bryan (2017).

    Reba is set to return as a coach for Season 25 of NBC’s The Voice, which is set to premiere February 26th. Coach John Legend returns with Chance the Rapper and Dan + Shay (replacing Gwen Stefani and Niall Horan).

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • SUPER BOWL 2024

    This Sunday (February 11th), millions of people around the world, including some of your favorite country stars, will be tuning in to the Super Bowl (the Big Game) as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers.

    Check out all the action from the Big Game from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on CBS with the kickoff scheduled at 6:30pm ET/5:30pm CT. Make sure to tune in early to catch Reba McEntire performing the National Anthem, as well as Post Malone performing “America the Beautiful” and Andra Day singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

    Chris Stapleton performed a critically-acclaimed version of the National Anthem at last year’s Super Bowl. He posted an encouraging note to those involved in Sunday’s (February 11th) Big Game. He wrote, “Singing the National Anthem at last year’s Super Bowl was a career highlight. Best of luck to all the players, staff, coaches & performers taking the field this weekend.” He tagged Reba, Post Malone and Andra Day.

    https://twitter.com/ChrisStapleton/status/1755576707568812401

     

     

    Audio / BILLY CURRINGTON SAYS HE LOVES WATCHING FOOTBALL.

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    Billy Currington (football fan) OC: …love football. :36
    “I’m a big football fan. I mean, when I was growing up, if you asked me who my favorite team is now, I couldn’t tell you. But when I was a kid, it was the Dallas Cowboys. And I don’t know if it was because my mom bought my brother a Pittsburgh Steelers pennant, for some reason, and bought me a Dallas Cowboys pennant, and of course over the year I fell in love with the Cowboys, and then I wanted a jersey the next Christmas, and then the next one, I wanted [more Cowboys stuff]. So, I became a long-term fan with those guys. But I like it all now that I’m older. I’ll watch any game; it doesn’t matter who’s playing. But [I] love football.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood loves football and loves being a part of Sunday Night Football.

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    Carrie Underwood (loves being a part of SNF) OC: …my whole life. :54
    “I love being the voice of Sunday Night Football because I grew up watching football…from birth. I’m from Oklahoma – we’re a football state. It’s just a part of the country that everybody has their teams and there’s such an energy about it. We would drive down to Dallas and watch the Cowboys play whenever we could. There’s just something about being at a live sporting event or watching it on TV. You have your favorites. They have their rivals. There’s an excitement to it that really, it’s unlike anything else, so being a small part of that is absolutely amazing. It’s been so wonderful working with everybody at SNF, and I count myself very lucky and very blessed that I get to be a small part of something that I’ve loved my whole life.”

    Audio / IS A HUGE FOOTBALL FAN, AS EVERYONE PROBABLY KNOWS BY NOW, AND HE EXPLAINS WHY HE LOVES FOOTBALL SO MUCH. SIDENOTE: HE’S A HUGE MIAMI DOLPHINS FAN, AND WORD HAS IT, JUST TO BE ABLE TO MEET THEN DOLPHINS QUARTERBACK, DAN MARINO, HE ASKED HIM TO BE IN A HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH VIDEO FOR “ONLY WANNA BE WITH YOU.”

    Download

    Darius Rucker (football) OC: …football season. :20
    “Ever since I was five years old, I’ve loved football, and I love how physical it is. I love the chess match of the game. I love the speed of the game. I love college football, but for me watching pro football is better because the speed is so much more. For me, there’s two times a year, man — football season and waiting for football season.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley says having two daughters who are big Taylor Swift fans has allowed him to stay in the house to watch all of the football games he wants.

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    Dierks Bentley (Super Bowl 2024) OC: …Santa Tracker. :50
    “I have been watching every single playoff game. It’s the great thing. In my house is the Kansas City Chiefs because my daughters love Taylor (Swift). Any dad out there that has daughters knows what I’m talking about. She has made football much easier to watch at my house. Everybody’s down with it now, so I’ve been able to watch a lot of playoff games with my family, which is amazing. I’m not out there in the garage. I’m allowed to be in the main part of the house watching football, and it’s so fun. As far as the Super Bowl goes, I have no idea who’s going to win, but I’m there for the whole thing. I’m there for the pre-show concerts, the introductions, our National Anthem, the half-time show and of course, the game. It’s going to be awesome. I have no idea who’s going to win, but I just hope Taylor Swift makes her flight from Japan back to the game, because that’s what we all want to see. That’s going to be the most followed flight. It’ll be followed more than the Santa Tracker.”

    Audio / Jon Langston says his favorite team in the NFL is the Atlanta Falcons.

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    Jon Langston (Atlanta Falcons) OC: …cool place too. :17
    “Favorite team in the NFL is the Falcons. You know, growing up an hour from Atlanta, I just loved the Falcons, I guess, and going to the games and stuff. Going to the Georgia Dome was a pretty big deal, and we got to play there in high school and stuff, and it’s sad to see that it’s gone, but Mercedes Benz is a pretty cool place too.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi has been a fan of the San Francisco 49ers since he was a little boy.

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    Jon Pardi (football) OC: …two great teams. :12
    “I grew up playing football and it was always the 9ers, you know? Like we looked up to those guys. I looked up to the 49ers. It was like our local team, and I guess I just never lost that spark from when they went to the Super Bowl.”

    Audio / KEITH URBAN SAYS HIS WIFE, NICOLE KIDMAN, GOT HIM INTERESTED IN FOOTBALL.

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    Keith (Nicole and football) OC: …new to me. :04

    “She’s a big NFL fan, and she sort of turned me on to it.”

    Audio / From the last time the Kansas City Chiefs squared off against the San Francisco 49ers, Little Big Town's Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet gave their thoughts.

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    LBT (Super Bowl 2020) OC: (Phillip) …win this game. :29
    JIMI: “This game is gonna be fun. Of course, my team is the Tennessee Titans, so I don’t have quite the heart connection that I do with these two teams. (Phillip: “I like Mahomes though.”) But I’m excited because I think it’s gonna be a great game. They match up very interestingly, and I think it’s gonna be fun to watch. I don’t think anybody’s gonna stop Mahomes, though. Shew. The 49er defense, they are for real.” PHILLIP: “If you can pick apart the 49er defense, you can win this game.”

    Audio / LITTLE BIG TOWN’S BEAUTIFUL AND TALENTED KAREN FAIRCHILD WAS A BADASS GROWING UP WHEN SHE WAS PLAYING QUARTERBACK FOR HER POWDER PUFF FOOTBALL TEAM.

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    LBT (football story) OC: …my lip. :40
    “I was the quarterback to my powder puff team. I was running the ball and I came around the corner – this was in high school – and a foreign exchange student, I think her name was Inga (KIMBERLY: “Inga.”), and I didn’t want to fumble ‘cause my brother and my dad were there, and I come from this very athletic family, so I held onto the ball. I knew I was going to go down, so I let my head hit first and I bit all the way through, but I didn’t fumble and I had a hole in my face, though. The sad thing is that it was just flag football, but I left my flags on and cleats and everything, ‘cause it looked cool, and I had blood running all down my jersey. I went to the emergency room like that, and they sewed up my lip.”

    Audio / LUKE BRYAN TALKS ABOUT SOME OF THE FOOD HE LIKES TO HAVE WHILE WATCHING THE SUPER BOWL.

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    Luke Bryan (Super Bowl food) OC: …over again. :22
    “Definitely Super Bowl is like the queso, the Frito Lay scoops with the Ro-tel situation. I guess it’s like, what’s the black-eyed pea stuff too? All of that, just stuff that you can sit there and have lots of sodium, and then just, it’s like Thanksgiving all over again.”

    Audio / PRISCILLA BLOCK SAYS SUPER BOWL SUNDAY IS SO MUCH FUN.

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    Priscilla Block (Football/Super Bowl food) OC: …what happens. :23
    “I mean, I feel like the Super Bowl is like just such a fun day. I’m really excited for the half-time show. I feel like that’s usually why I’m there, is to watch the anthem and the half-time show, but yes, excited to eat all the bad things. And I’m honestly, I don’t feel pulled any way this year. I wish the (Tennessee) Titans were in it, but we’ll see what happens.”

    Audio / REBA MCENTIRE TALKS ABOUT SINGING NATIONAL ANTHEM A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT.

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    Reba McEntire (full circle moment National Anthem) OC: …they asked me. :35
    “It’s absolutely amazing coming full circle, 50 years after being discovered by Red Steagall me singing the National Anthem at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. That was in 1974. Little did I know, I had no idea 50 years I’d be singing (laughs) the National Anthem at this year’s Super Bowl. Omigosh. I don’t even have the imagination to say that I would be doing something like this. I’m absolutely thrilled to pieces that they asked me.”

    Audio / REBA MCENTIRE TALKS ABOUT HER EARLY RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOTBALL.

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    Reba McEntire (football fan) OC: …at the Super Bowl. :42
    “I’ve always liked football, even in high school. As the Singing McEntires and being a part of the Kiowa High School Cowboy Band in Kiowa, Oklahoma where I went to school for 12 years, we were part of the half-time entertainment there at the school. We’d pull the trailer out and we’d play at half-time for our football games, and then my boyfriend, Rex Linn, absolutely loves college football. I really get into that, and I cheer for the Longhorns in Austin, Texas. And now getting to sing at the Super Bowl, I think Rex was more excited than I was, if that’s at all possible. I’m a huge, a huge fan of the Kansas City Chiefs, so I will be cheering them on at the Super Bowl.”

    Audio / Since she's performing at this year's Super Bowl, Reba McEntire gives her suggestions for some snacks you can make for your own Big Game celebration.

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    Reba McEntire (Super Bowl snacks) OC: …gonna be great. :30
    “Omigosh, wouldn’t it be neat if we could cook up some recipes out of my Not That Fancy book and you know, like the ranch dressing from Reba’s Place, that’s my restaurant in Atoka, Oklahoma, with chicken tenders and the beer cheese dip? Okay, if y’all don’t know what I’m talking about, get online and get the Not That Fancy book. It’s pretty cool, lots of pictures and what it’s supposed to look like when you get through making it. That’s gonna be great.”

    Audio / SAM HUNT LOVES THAT THE SUPER BOWL MIXES HIS TWO LOVES – MUSIC AND FOOTBALL.

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    Sam Hunt (Super Bowl & music) OC: …combined there. :24
    “It’s become such a massive pop culture event, and I love that they’ve incorporated music and entertainment with the sport itself and the entertainment value that comes from that. It encompasses just a strong representation of American culture, and I’m a huge music fan, obviously, and I’m a huge sports fan, so those are two of my favorite worlds combined there.”

    Audio / SAM HUNT, A FORMER UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM QUARTERBACK, WAS INSPIRED BY RETIRED INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AND DENVER BRONCOS QUARTERBACK AND NFL HALL OF FAMER PEYTON MANNING WHEN HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.

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    Sam Hunt (Peyton Manning) OC: …with music. :39
    “When I was in high school, I went to a camp called the Manning Academy, and it’s a quarterback camp down in Louisiana. And I got to spend some time with Peyton and Eli, and they have another brother [Cooper]. I’ve followed [Peyton’s] career for a long time,” he says. “Actually, a couple of years ago, I was at a concert of Kenny Chesney’s in Denver, and I was standing there side stage and Jake Owen was there. He had opened up for [Kenny], and I’ve been a friend of his for a little while, and he turned and introduced me to the guy behind us, who I wasn’t aware of at the time, but it turned out to be Peyton Manning. He was just a really nice guy, and it was just pretty cool to be on the stage with two people who inspired me in two different arenas, with Peyton with football and Kenny with music.”

    Audio / Travis Denning predicts the Kansas City Chiefs will win the Super Bowl.

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    Travis Denning (Super Bowl 2024) 1 OC: …very clutch. :13
    “I believe the Kansas City Chiefs are gonna win the Super Bowl. I just think Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the post season are just built different. They’ve been there before. They’re just used to it. I think they’re very clutch.”

    Audio / Travis Denning says he's looking forward to seeing Taylor Swift at this year's Super Bowl.

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    Travis Denning (Super Bowl 2024) 2 OC: …love story. :09
    “Honestly, I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing Taylor Swift in the crowd. I think it’s been awesome this year to see her. Her and Travis Kelce’s just got an All-American love story.”

    Audio / Travis Denning reveals his go-to Super Bowl snack.

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    Travis Denning (go-to Super Bowl snack) OC: …other pick. :05
    “My go-to Super Bowl snack is buffalo chicken dip, obviously. There’s no other pick.”

    Audio / Travis Denning gives his thoughts on singing the National Anthem.

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    Travis Denning (National Anthem) OC: …your life. :27
    “The National Anthem, I think, is one of the hardest songs to sing that we sing regularly in this country. It’s essentially two very full octave ranges and every note matters. It has to be powerful. It takes an amazing singer to sing it. And the other thing that’s hard about is if you sing it great, everybody goes ‘that was cool,’ and then they forget about it two minutes later, and if you mess it up, they remember it for the rest of your life.”

     

  • REBA McENTIRE COMES FULL CIRCLE FOR NATIONAL ANTHEM.

    Reba McEntire comes full circle next Sunday (February 11th) when she performs the National Anthem prior to this year’s Super Bowl.

    “It’s absolutely amazing coming full circle, 50 years after being discovered by Red Steagall of me singing the National Anthem at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. That was in 1974,” says Reba. “I had no idea 50 years I’d be singing (laughs) the National Anthem at this year’s Super Bowl. Omigosh. I don’t even have the imagination to say that I would be doing something like this. I’m absolutely thrilled to pieces that they asked me.”

    Along with Reba, pre-game talent for the Super Bowl includes Post Malone and Andra Day with Usher performing at half time.

    The Country Music Hall of Famer will be the fourth country artist in a row to sing the anthem. Eric Church with Jazmine Sullivan did the honors in 2021; Mickey Guyton performed the anthem in 2022; Chris Stapleton (who many are hailing as one of the best renditions since Whitney Houston in 1991) in 2023 and now Reba in 2024. Other country artists who have performed the National Anthem include Garth Brooks (1993), Faith Hill (2000), The Chicks (2003), Carrie Underwood (2010) and Luke Bryan (2017).

    This year’s Super Bowl will take place at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday (February 11th) and will air on CBS and stream live on Paramount+. Kickoff is set for 6:30pm ET/5:30pm CT.

    Reba is set to return as a coach for Season 25 of NBC’s The Voice, which is set to premiere February 26th. Coach John Legend returns with Chance the Rapper and Dan + Shay (replacing Gwen Stefani and Niall Horan).

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about singing National Anthem a full circle moment.

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    Reba McEntire (full circle moment National Anthem) OC: …they asked me. :35
    “It’s absolutely amazing coming full circle, 50 years after being discovered by Red Steagall me singing the National Anthem at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. That was in 1974. Little did I know, I had no idea 50 years I’d be singing (laughs) the National Anthem at this year’s Super Bowl. Omigosh. I don’t even have the imagination to say that I would be doing something like this. I’m absolutely thrilled to pieces that they asked me.”

     

  • KEITH URBAN RELEASES NEW SONG “STRAIGHT LINE” DEBUTING THE FIRST SONG OFF HIS UPCOMING ALBUM.

    Today, four-time GRAMMY© Award winner Keith Urban released a new song, “Straight Line.”  The song, written by Urban, Chase McGill, Jerry Flowers and Greg Wells, was co-produced by Urban and Wells. It is the first track in a year that will see Urban not only releasing his next radio single in March, but also a brand-new album.

     

    “‘Straight Line’ is the perfect first track off my album because it’s a song born of wanting to break out of routine and feeling like somewhere along the line, life lost some color and excitement – ‘You and me used to be like a year-round summer…’ This song is about getting it back again – a message of taking back your life and driving out from under the dark cloud. If you’ve seen us in concert, I hope this track gives you that same liberated feeling,” say Urban.

    He adds, “While ‘Straight Line’s’ lyrics are about being stuck and trying to break out of the monotony, the melody and energy are a boulevard of nothing but green lights. Every song on this album – even the ballads – carries an energy and a life force that became a very strong through line. I hope you feel it. I’m so excited for everyone to hear the whole thing.”

    About Keith Urban:
    Keith Urban has spent the better part of his life harnessing a deep-seated passion for music.  This, when combined with his genuine talents and driving musical inquisitiveness, helps to understand why he is one of the most successful and well-respected artists in the world.  He’s won four GRAMMY© Awards, thirteen CMAs, fifteen ACMs, three AMAs, two People’s Choice Awards and celebrated nine consecutive gold, platinum or multi-platinum albums.

    2023 has seen Urban’s induction into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame (by Dolly Parton), a return to the American Idol stage as both a mentor and performer and performances for ESPN’s Formula One Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix, the finale of NBC’s The Voice and the close of his critically hailed Las Vegas residency at the Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. It’s also seen the return of Urban’s “All For The Hall” benefit concert for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum©.

    But, it’s what hasn’t been seen (or heard) in 2023 that makes 2024 all the more exciting for Urban and his fans.  The new music, set for release throughout the year, will appear on an as of yet unnamed album to be released in ‘24.

    The new music joins a litany of chart-topping songs including “Blue Ain’t Your Color”, “Wasted Time”, “Somebody Like You”, “Long Hot Summer” and “One Too Many”, his duet with P!nk, his 43rd Top 10 single, that garnered over 100 million Spotify streams.  In fact, the song appeared on his album THE SPEED OF NOW Part 1, which marked his fourth in an historic streak of simultaneous #1 album debuts in the United States, Canada and Australia.

    Urban consistently reminds music lovers around the globe why he is one of the world’s best live performers.  His concerts have become legendary – as unpredictable as they are explosive.  An experience of emotion, musical texture, energy and showmanship.

    Urban’s musical virtuosity and fluidity has made him the musician’s musician.  He’s collaborated with a diverse group of artists that include, among others; Billy Gibbons, Buddy Guy, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, John Mayer, HARDY, Julia Michaels, Justin Timberlake, Dzeko, Miranda Lambert, Nile Rodgers, Post Malone, Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones and Vince Gill.

    He’s long supported numerous charities.  His “All For The Hall” benefit concerts for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum© have raised over $4.3 million.  He is the first Ambassador of the CMA Foundation, an advisory board member at the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and is a longtime supporter of The Mr. Holland’s Opus Fund and The Grammy Foundation.

  • LUKE GRIMES ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM COMING MARCH 8th.

    Mercury Nashville / Range Music recording artist Luke Grimes today announced that he will release his debut full-length album, Luke Grimes, on March 8th. Produced by Dave Cobb, of the album’s 13 songs, ten were co-written by Grimes. The album follows the fall 2023 release of Grimes’ EP Pain Pills Or Pews, which has amassed 105M Total Global streams to date. Out today is one of the album’s new tracks, “God And A Girl.”  Listen to the new song HERE.

    PRE-ORDER LUKE GRIMES | HERE

    “I’ve spent the last couple of years trying my best to make something that I would be proud to put into the world. Now, all I can hope for is that it finds a few people to connect to and it makes them feel like they aren’t going through all of this alone. That’s what my favorite music has always done for me.”– Luke Grimes

    Luke Grimes Album Track List:

    1. Burn (Luke Grimes, Randy Montana, Josh Thompson)
    2. Playin’ On The Tracks (Luke Grimes, Brent Cobb)
    3. Hold On (Foy Vance, Ilsey Juber)
    4. Black Powder (Luke Grimes, Brian Allen, Dave Cobb, Chris Powell)
    5. Ghost Of Who We Were (Luke Grimes, Rodney Clawson, Nicolle Galyon)
    6. Oh Ohio (Luke Grimes, Jessi Alexander, Jon Randall)
    7. God And A Girl (Tucker Beathard, Dillon James, Jason Nix)
    8. What Angels Do (Luke Grimes, Ryan Beaver, Bart Butler)
    9. No Horse To Ride (Luke Grimes, Tony Lane, Jonathan Singleton)
    10. Wait For The Rain To Die Down (Luke Grimes, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose)
    11. Ain’t Dead Yet (Luke Grimes, Aaron Raitiere)
    12. South On 75 (Luke Grimes, Brent Cobb, Dave Cobb, Aaron Raitiere)
    13. Worst Of Me (Hayes Carll)

    About Luke Grimes:
    Luke Grimes is a natural-born creative: an actor, musician, singer, and songwriter who releases his self-titled debut album on March 8. Luke Grimes, produced by Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton) arrives on the heels of Grimes’ gritty, acclaimed 2023 EP, Pain Pills or Pews, and features 13 tracks. Ten songs were co-written by Grimes, including “No Horse to Ride,” which debuted at No. 7 on the Country Songs sales chart in 2022 and accumulated 43.3M release-to-date global on-demand streams. Spotify highlighted the song on the cover of its Country Hits 2023 playlist, with the song in the No. 1 position. Grimes’ recording of “Hold On,” a highlight of Pain Pills or Pews that also appears on Luke Grimes, has amassed 27.4M global streams, adding to Grimes’ nearly 105M total global streams to date of all his music.

    Known for his role as Kayce Dutton on the hit TV drama Yellowstone, Grimes grew up in Ohio playing music in the church and listening to the Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings records his father played him. Later, he moved to L.A. and joined an Americana band as its drummer before relocating to Montana, where Yellowstone films. Now writing in Nashville with hit songwriters like Rodney Clawson, Nicolle Galyon, the Love Junkies, Aaron Raitiere, and Brent Cobb, Grimes is sharing his personal story — of the loss of his father and meeting his wife — with country fans.

    In 2023 he played upwards of 20 festivals, including Stagecoach, Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival, and Under the Big Sky Festival, and headlined his own sold-out tour. Grimes will make a return to Stagecoach in April 2024 with his highly anticipated full-length album under his belt.

  • REBA MCENTIRE SLATED TO SING NATIONAL ANTHEM AT SUPERBOWL LVIII.

    Reba McEntire is slated to perform the national anthem for Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, which was announced today on CBS Mornings. The Super Bowl will take place at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, February 11th and will air on CBS. Kickoff is set for 6:30pm ET.

    The performance will mark a full circle moment for Reba, who was discovered 50 years ago at the 1974 National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma when she sang the national anthem, launching her iconic career.

     

     

    “I’m honored to be part of something as big and historic as the Super Bowl coming to Las Vegas for the first time,” Reba said. “2024 marks 50 years since I was discovered singing the National Anthem at the National Finals Rodeo, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate that anniversary.”

    Along with Reba, pre-game talent for the Super Bowl includes Post Malone and Andra Day with Usher performing at half time.

    Reba recently wrapped her role as coach on Season 24 of NBC’s The Voice and is set to return for Season 25. Her New York Times best-selling book Not That Fancy is available now.

    The Country Music Hall of Famer will be the fourth country artist in a row to sing the anthem. Eric Church with Jazmine Sullivan did the honors in 2021; Mickey Guyton performed the anthem in 2022; Chris Stapleton (who many are hailing as one of the best renditions since Whitney Houston in 1991) in 2023 and now Reba in 2024. Other country artists who have performed the National Anthem include Garth Brooks (1993), Faith Hill (2000), The Chicks (2003), Carrie Underwood (2010) and Luke Bryan (2017).

  • LUKE GRIMES RELEASES “BURN (SPOTIFY OUTSIDE VERSION) – LIVE FROM NASHVILLE”

    Mercury Nashville / Range Music recording artist Luke Grimes today released “Burn (Spotify OUTSIDE Version) – Live from Nashville.” From the team that created Spotify Singles and Green Screen, OUTSIDE is Spotify’s newest video-first original music series, featuring artists performing original music outside in the location of their choice. Grimes performed his song “Burn” in Nashville and fans will be able to see the new video on the Spotify Global YouTube channel. Audio is now available on Spotify.

     

    Says Grimes, “I’m really grateful to the good folks at Spotify and the OUTSIDE team for allowing us to bring a new perspective to “Burn” and giving fans a unique way to experience the song.”

     

    About Luke Grimes
    Grimes’ debut track, “No Horse To Ride,” debuted inside the Top 10 of the Country Songs sales chart at No. 7. Spotify placed the song on the cover of its Country Hits 2023 playlist, with the song in the No. 1 position, and the song has been on eight Spotify Viral Charts.

    Known for his role as Kayce Dutton on the hit television series, “Yellowstone,” Grimes has been making music for years and his first full-length album will be out this spring. He closed out 2023 with a sold-out tour after playing fairs and festivals around the country, including Stagecoach, Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival, Under the Big Sky Festival and more. Grimes will make a return to Stagecoach in April, 2024.

    When not on set, Grimes can be found spinning his favorite country albums and songwriting at home in Montana or in Nashville writing with some of Music Row’s elite including Jonathan Singleton, Tony Lane, Randy Montana, Brent Cobb, Jamey Johnson, Love Junkies, Josh Osborne, Jon Randall and Jessie Alexander.

    Grimes grew up playing music in the church as the son of a Pentecostal pastor. His father also laid the foundation for the music he loves, introducing him to the works of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings. The Ohio native is now finding his own voice and style as an artist, inspired by the likes of Colter Wall, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, and the late Townes Van Zandt.

  • THE WAR AND TREATY TO PERFORM AT WWE’S TRIBUTE TO THE TROOPS.

    WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), today announced that The War And Treaty will perform God Bless America at the 21st annual Tribute to the Troops, which airs Friday, December 8 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. The event will take place in Providence, R.I. at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.

    GRAMMY nominated duo The War And Treaty are husband-and-wife pair Michael and Tanya Trotter. Michael served in the US Army from 2003 to 2007, where he was stationed in Iraq from 2004 to 2007 and won “Military Idol” during his term.

    Since its inception in 2003, WWE’s Tribute to the Troops has honored our U.S. service members, veterans and their families for their continued sacrifice and commitment to our country and is widely considered one of television’s most patriotic and heartwarming shows of the year.

    WWE has a multi-decade commitment to the U.S. Armed Forces, which includes visiting nearly 400 military installations throughout the world, offering all U.S. military personnel free tickets to WWE live events, and has partnered with military organizations, such as Hire Heroes USA. WWE currently supports the USO and tells stories of heroism and valor of our nation’s bravest through the company’s partnership with National Medal of Honor Museum to make an impact in the community.

    The War And Treaty has emerged as one of the most electrifying new acts in American music. Recently earning their first ever GRAMMY nominations for Best New Artist and Best American Roots Song, plus nominations and recognition from the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Americana Music Association including earning their second straight AMA Duo/Group of the Year honor. The War And Treaty has captivated audiences across the globe and next year, the celebrated pair hits the road with Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan, and more.

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK TO HOST NEW SHOW “PRIME COUNTRY WITH CAYLEE HAMMACK” ON SIRIUSXM.

    Capitol Records Nashville’s Caylee Hammack is taking on a new challenge – that of radio host. This morning, Hammack appeared on Sirius XM’s Highway Mornings with Cody Alan and Macie Banks yesterday morning to announce her new show “Prime Country With Caylee Hammack” show on Sirius XM on Prime Country (channel 58). The show will air Fridays from 3:00 – 6:00 pm ET, with replays on Saturdays at 5:00 pm ET and Tuesdays at 12:00 PM ET.

    Known for her charming personality and strong story telling through her songs and social media, Hammack will bring her passion for country music and its history to her new show. She will curate her favorite songs from the 80s and 90s and share stories during the three-hour program.

    “To have a platform to share the stories behind the music that made me fall in love with this genre and to dive into those stories with friends in the future episodes…well, it’s an exciting journey to start down memory lane. Buckle in, y’all,” shared Hammack.

    About Caylee Hammack:
    Capitol Nashville “songwriter/producer/full-throttle vocalist” (HITS) Caylee Hammack’s most recent releases are “History Of Repeating” and “All Or Nothing” off her forthcoming sophomore album. Earlie this year, Hammack performed at the C2C Festival with shows in London, Dublin and Glasgow and she was an opener on Dierks Bentley’s Gravel & Gold Tour. Hammack’s released her debut record IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU to high praise from critics. The 13-track set that sees Hammack with writer and producer credits on every track was spotlighted by Billboard as “Hammack has arrived with this 13-track adrenaline blast…every song on here plays out like an entry in Hammack’s diary—and is just as compelling…Hammack deserves to be a star.” Hammack garnered more acclaim when she released a new version of her deeply personal song “Small Town Hypocrite” with a guest vocal by Chris Stapleton. Co-written and co-produced by Hammack, NPR and Esquire singled out the track as one of their “Best Songs of 2020.” Winning ACM “Music Event Of The Year,” with Miranda Lambert, Caylee Hammack has been noted as an “Artist To Watch” by outlets including The Bobby Bones Show, Rolling Stone and HITS Magazine for her “voice to move mountains” (Rolling Stone). Hammack’s breakout Top 30 single “Family Tree” marked the most-added single at Country radio by a female artist in over three years. Hammack was featured on several tracks from Ashley McBryde’s album Lindeville including “Brenda Put Your Bra On,” “Bonfire at Tina’s,” and “When Will I Be Loved.” For more information visit www.cayleehammack.com.

  • CMA AWARDS 2023

    The 57th Annual CMA Awards take place on Wednesday (November 8th), and UMG Nashville will be represented in many of the night’s categories, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist, Group, Duo, Single, Song, Music Video, Musical Event and New Artist.

    With three nominations, Chris Stapleton, the reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year, returns to both Entertainer and Male Vocalist categories, marking his seventh Entertainer nod and ninth Male Vocalist nomination. He is also up for Musical Event with Carly Pearce on the song “We Don’t Fight Anymore.” Chris has 34 career nominations.

    Jordan Davis is nominated for Single, Song and Music Video of the Year for his multi-week No. 1 smash, “Next Thing You Know.” The song, produced by Paul DiGiovanni, was written by Jordan, Greylan James, Chase McGill and Josh Osborne.

    Carrie Underwood is once again nominated for Entertainer of the Year, while Parker McCollum is up for New Artist of the Year.

    Last year, Brothers Osborne picked up their fifth CMA Award for Vocal Duo of the Year and are once again nominated in the category.

    Brothers’ John Osborne is also nominated as producer AND Mix Engineer of Ashley McBryde’s album, Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville. 

    Maddie & Tae return to the Vocal Duo of the Year category, while The War And Treaty earn their first CMA nod in the category.

    Little Big Town earns their 18th nomination in the Vocal Group Of The Year category, which they’ve taken home six times. This is their 32nd CMA nomination overall.

    CMA PERFORMERS INCLUDE:
    Luke Bryan – a medley of his hits, including “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day,” “One Margarita,” “That’s My Kind Of Night,” “Play It Again” and “Country Girl (Shake It For Me),”
    Chris Stapleton — performing his latest single “White Horse”)
    Jordan Davis – multi-week No. 1 smash “Next Thing You Know”
    Little Big Town will join newly-minted Country Music Hall of Famer Tanya Tucker on her iconic hit “Delta Dawn.”
    Alan Jackson – the 16-time CMA Award winner will perform during a tribute to recently passed singer-songwriter icon Jimmy Buffett. The tribute will also feature Kenny Chesney, longtime Coral Reefer Band member Mac McAnally and the Zac Brown Band.
    The War And Treaty, first-time nominee this year for Vocal Duo of the Year, will perform their song “That’s How Love Is Made.”

    Other artists who will take the stage to perform include previously announced performers — Jelly Roll, Old Dominion, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney, Carly Pearce, Tanya Tucker, K. Michelle,  Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, HARDY, Cody Johnson, Post Malone, Ashley McBryde and Morgan Wallen.

    CMA PRESENTERS INCLUDE:

    Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, Jordan Davis, Parker McCollum, Nate Bargatze, Bill Anderson, Paula Abdul, Chris Young, Martina McBride, Sara Evans, Hailey Whitters, Craig Morgan, Lady A, Brian Kelley, Tony award-nominated actor currently starring in the hit Broadway musical “Shucked,” Kevin Cahoon, Emmy and Tony award-winning and Oscar-nominated actress, singer, author and producer, Cynthia Erivo, 2023 World Series MVP, Corey Seager and “The Golden Bachelor,” Gerry Turner.

    The 57th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and NFL great Peyton Manning, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on November 8th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC and the next day on Hulu.

     

    CMA AWARDS NOMINATIONS:

    Entertainer of The Year:

    • Luke Combs
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Carrie Underwood
    • Morgan Wallen
    • Lainey Wilson

    Female Vocalist of the Year:

    • Kelsea Ballerini
    • Miranda Lambert
    • Ashley McBryde
    • Carly Pearce
    • Lainey Wilson

    Male Vocalist of the Year:

    • Luke Combs
    • Jelly Roll
    • Cody Johnson
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Morgan Wallen

    Vocal Group of the Year:

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

    Vocal Duo Of The Year:

    • Brooks & Dunn
    • Brothers Osborne  
    • Dan + Shay
    • Maddie & Tae
    • The War And Treaty

    Single of the Year:

    • “Fast Car”; Luke Combs; Producer: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathon Singleton; Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews
    • “Heart Like A Truck”; Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
    • “Need A Favor”; Jelly Roll; Producer: Austin Nivarel; Mix Engineer: Jeff Braun
    • “Next Thing You Know”; Jordan Davis; Producer: Paul DiGiovanni; Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
    • “Wait In The Truck”; Hardy f/Lainey Wilson; Producers: Hardy, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells; Mix Engineer: Joey Moi

    Album of the Year:

    • Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville; Producers: John Osborne, John Peets; Mix Engineers: Gena Johnson, John Osborne
    • Bell Bottom Country; Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
    • Gettin’ Old; Luke Combs; Producers Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Mix Engineers: Michael H. Brauer, Jim Cooley, Chip Matthews
    • One Thing At A Time; Morgan Wallen Producers: Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi, Cameron Montgomery Mix Engineers: Josh Ditty, Joey Moi, Eivind Nordland
    • Rolling Up the Welcome Mat; Kelsea Ballerini Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa Vanderheym; Mix Engineers: Dan Grech-Marguerat, Alysa Vanderheym

    Song of the Year:

    • “Fast Car”; Songwriter: Tracy Chapman
    • “Heart Like A Truck”; Songwriters: Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Lainey Wilson
    • “Next Thing You Know”  Songwriters: Jordan Davis, Greylan James, Chase McGill, Josh Osborne
    • “Tennessee Orange”; Songwriters: David Fanning, Paul Jenkins, Megan Moroney, Ben Williams
    • “Wait In The Truck”; Songwriters: Renee Blair, Michael Hardy, Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt

    Musical Event Of The Year:

    • “Save Me”; Jelly Roll w/Lainey Wilson; Producers: Zach Crowell, David Ray Stevens
    • “She Had Me At Heads Carolina (Remix)” Cole Swindell & Jo Dee Messina; Producer: Zach Crowell
    • “Thank God”; Kane Brown w/Katelyn Brown; Producer: Dann Huff
    • “Wait In The Truck”; Hardy f/Lainey Wilson; Producers: Hardy, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells
    • “We Don’t Fight Anymore”; Carly Pearce f/Chris Stapleton; Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce

    New Artist of the Year:

    • Zach Bryan
    • Jelly Roll
    • Parker McCollum
    • Megan Moroney
    • Hailey Whitters

    Musician of the Year:

    • Jenee Fleenor
    • Paul Franklin
    • Rob McNelley
    • Derek Wells
    • Charlie Worsham

    Music Video of the Year

    • “Light On In The Kitchen”; Ashley McBryde; Director: Reid Long
    • “Memory Lane”; Old Dominion; Directors: Mason Allen, Nicki Fletcher
    • “Need A Favor”; Jelly Roll; Director: Patrick Tohill
    • “Next Thing You Know”; Jordan Davis; Director: Running Bear
    • “Wait In The Truck”; Hardy f/Lainey Wilson; Director: Justin Clough

     

     

    Audio / LUKE BRYAN TALKS ABOUT CO-HOSTING THE CMA AWARDS WITH PEYTON MANNING FOR A SECOND YEAR.

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    Luke Bryan (co-hosting with Peyton for second time) OC: …great night. :48
    “I thought we did a great job together. I think he is a crazy – no pun intended – he’s a crazy pro-preparer and he knows his brand; I know my brand. He’s a little drier humor, and I’m a little more slapstick, I guess, maybe that’s the way to say it. So, I think the partnership of he and I and when we wrapped after the show, all the producers, everybody was raving, and obviously the ratings were great, and the show was great. And I think we just gotta take what Peyton and I learned from last year and build upon it and make a great show. And like I said, I knew we did a good job when they were trying to lock me and Peyton down that night for the following year. So, it was a great night, and we were excited about it. So, it’s gonna be another great night.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about co-hosting the CMA Awards with Peyton Manning.

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    Luke Bryan (co-hosting CMAs with Peyton) OC: …stress away. :50
    “The thing about co-hosting with Peyton is all gloves are off. We can cut up with one another, have a little fun, roast each other a little bit, but it takes a little pressure off during the night – even if I’ve got a performance, then Peyton can do one of the segments while I get a little more time to get ready for the performance and coming back in and out. But the bottom line is it’s gonna be a fun thing to share with Peyton, it’s gonna be fun to be backstage, kind of toasting right before we go out and he’s a pro and hopefully I’m a pro at this point. I still try to be a kid about all this, but I do have to take it serious now and then. But, yeah, I think having someone else to share some of the duties takes a little bit of the stress of it all being all on me, takes a little bit of the stress away.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about hosting this year’s CMA Awards.

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

    Audio / Chris Stapleton, who is up for three CMA Awards including Entertainer of the Year, says he’s always grateful for the moment of recognition.

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

    Audio / Carrie Underwood is honored to be nominated for CMA Entertainer of the Year.

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    Carrie Underwood (CMA Entertainer nod) OC: …that category. :47
    “It is, I mean, obviously such an honor to be nominated in Entertainer of the Year. Obviously, that’s such a tough category to be in, ‘cause there’s just so, I don’t even want to call it competition, there’s just so many hard-working artists out there that are just you know pouring themselves and their time and their energy and their love and their artistry into what they do. You know, obviously just to even be in the final category is just absolutely amazing and hopefully, above all, we can all just remember that it’s a celebration of a great year in country music and in our careers as artists, so we’ll just see what happens, but definitely excited to be in that category.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis is nominated for three CMA Awards including Single, Song and Music Video of the Year.

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    Jordan Davis (CMA 2023 reaction) OC: …home an award. :28
    “So, when I found out about my nominations for ‘Next Thing You Know,’ I was on the road. It was early. My buddy woke me up and gave me the news. I mean, I was shocked. I did not expect to be up for three CMAs. This song has just really taken on a life of its own. I’m super grateful and humbled to have three nominations at the CMA—biggest night in Country Music, and really excited to be a part of it and pumped to see if this song can bring home an award.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne talks about the pair’s nomination for Duo of the Year.

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    Brothers Osborne (CMA Awards) OC: …awesome family. :49
    JOHN: “The Duo category can go any which way. I mean, you look at us, comparatively speaking, we’re kind of maybe somewhere in the middle in terms of the numbers and I don’t know (laughs) what it is. I don’t really know why we’re holding these up here and it’s super rad and I’m definitely going to be putting this on my mantle. I think one of the most amazing pieces of advice I was ever given was to work hard and be nice to people, and I think that’s why we have these. We work really hard, and we try to be respectful to everyone around us. And one of the things that I love about the country music genre is that it’s a family and we’re all really, really close. We’re all a bunch of misfits thrown together. We’re all a little different, but we love one another and respect one another. I’m just honored for the both of us to be a part of this awesome family.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne talks about his CMA nomination for Producer and Mix Engineer for Album of the Year for Ashley McBryde’s Lindeville.

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    Brothers Osborne (John’s nomination with Ashley McBryde) OC: …means the world. :55
    “It means the world, you know. We didn’t know when making that album if it would do anything, and for it to have been nominated, well it was nominated for a Grammy for Country Album as well. It’s awesome. I mean, we worked really, really, really hard on that, and we were doing it at a time where we were also working, so I spread myself way too thin, but I love, I love going out and playing our shows, I love writing our songs, but I love everything. I cannot make enough music. I I’ve always been like that since I was a kid. And then to get recognized for it is amazing. You don’t ever make it, that’s not your intended purpose. Your intended purpose is to make something that you love and are proud of, but to have the industry show their love, it means the world too. It’s just I love, just as much as touring and playing shows, I love getting in the studio and tinkering as well, and I wish there were more hours in the day to do both more. I just cannot get enough of it, so it’s certainly a high honor. It means the world.”

    Audio / LITTLE BIG TOWN’S KIMBERLY SCHLAPMAN SAYS SHE VIVIDLY REMEMBERS WINNING THEIR FIRST CMA AWARD IN 2012.

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    LBT (1st CMA Award) OC: …person there. :42
    “I remember almost everything about winning our first CMA Award. I remember being on the stage, our name is called, we’d been waiting a long, long time for that one. I think we made fools of ourselves pretty much because we were so crazy excited. I remember most vividly as we were standing up there, all of our friends in Nashville standing up on the floor giving us a round of applause, and I think that’s one of the most humble moments we’ve had in the band, ‘cause so many people have cheered us on for so many years and it was like, the whole town of Nashville was part of that award, not just us, but we shared that with every single person there.”

    Audio / Maddie & Tae's Taylor Kerr talks about awards nominations.

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    Maddie & Tae (Awards nominations) OC: …makes sense. :49
    “Nominations are so cool, whether it’s fan-voted or industry-voted. I think the weight it carries for Maddie and I is just like validation. I think when you’re head-down working on something and (it’s) kind of hard to look at it from a broad perspective and kind of see what other people are seeing. So, whenever you get a pat on the back with a nomination, it’ just like hey, you know, we’re doing something notable. We’re doing something that people are noticing and appreciating. So, we must be doing something right, and it definitely feels good. It doesn’t carry the weight of make or break, because we’ve had to sort of let that go, ‘cause obviously, we would love to win, but if that doesn’t happen for us, we know we’re still meant to be where we are, if that makes sense.”

     

    Audio / The War And Treaty (CMA 2023 reaction) OC: (MICHAEL) …This is crazy. :24 NOTE: quick cutoff at the end

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    TANYA: “I can’t believe you got up and you gave me the phone (Michael laughs). The first thing you did, you passed me the phone and I started crying.” MICHAEL: “Text messages from everyone. Like to think, Oh My God, this is our first CMA nomination.” TANYA: “That’s insane.” MICHAEL: “WE.ARE.NOMINATED.FOR.A.CMA.” TANYA LAUGHS: “That’s crazy.” MICHAEL: “Are you serious?” TANYA: “I mean, all I can say is thank you to the fans and everybody. Thank you so much.” MICHAEL: “This is crazy.”

    Audio / CMA New Artist of the Year nominee Parker McCollum says he’s truly humbled and grateful for his success.

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    Parker McCollum (grateful for his success) OC: …part of it all. :48
    “You know, not really like giddy about it or anything, but you know I’d just be flying home or something and be like damn, not bad for a kid from Conroe, Texas and no college degree and told everybody he was moving to Austin to be a country singer. Everybody looked at him like he had two heads. It’s certainly humbling and trying to be intentionally grateful. You know, I’m just incredibly blessed and done more and made more and been more places than I ever thought I would by 30 years old. So, it’s crazy, and you know truly the biggest thing for me is making my family proud and that’s a pretty cool feeling to see like how like they can’t believe it.  It’s crazy.  And that really is like the dopest part of it all.”

     

  • JORDAN DAVIS, ALAN JACKSON AND THE WAR AND TREATY ADDED TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    Jordan Davis, Alan Jackson and The War And Treaty have been added to the list of performers at next week’s CMA Awards. Kelsea Ballerini, Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, HARDY, Cody Johnson, Post Malone, Mac McAnally, Ashley McBryde, Morgan Wallen and Zac Brown Band will also perform.

    Jordan, who is nominated for Single, Song and Music Video of the Year for “Next Thing You Know,” will perform the multi-week No. 1 smash. The song, produced by Paul DiGiovanni, was written by Jordan, Greylan James, Chase McGill and Josh Osborne.

    https://twitter.com/JordanCWDavis/status/1719694526917616053

    16-time CMA Award winner Alan Jackson will perform during a tribute to recently passed singer-songwriter icon Jimmy Buffett. The tribute will also feature Kenny Chesney, longtime Coral Reefer Band member Mac McAnally and the Zac Brown Band.

    The War And Treaty, first-time nominee this year for Vocal Duo of the Year, will perform their song “That’s How Love Is Made.”

    Previously announced performers include Luke Bryan, who will perform a medley of his hits, including “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day,” “One Margarita,” “That’s My Kind Of Night,” “Play It Again” and “Country Girl (Shake It For Me),” Chris Stapleton (performing his latest single “White Horse”), Little Big Town will join newly-minted Country Music Hall of Famer Tanya Tucker on her iconic hit “Delta Dawn.” Other previously announced performers include Jelly Roll, Old Dominion, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney, Carly Pearce, Tanya Tucker and K. Michelle.

    Presenters for “The 57th Annual CMA Awards” will be announced in the coming days.

    The 57th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and NFL great Peyton Manning, will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 8th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC and the next day on HULU.

     

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about “Next Thing You Know.”

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    Jordan Davis (Next Thing You Know) OC: …whole lotta people. :46
    “You know, there’s no chorus to this song. And I think it’s really cool that all we do is repeat ‘Next Thing You Know’ throughout it, but when you’re trying to write songs for a, a job, not putting a chorus on it is a fast way to get it thrown into the garbage can, and I think that makes me more proud of this song in that this is what we wanted to do with it and we just wanted to be as honest as possible in how fast life goes. I remember leaving, telling somebody like when they were like, ‘Did you write today?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah.’ They said, ‘Did you get anything good?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, we wrote a song that doesn’t even have a chorus.’ And I got the look of like, ‘Well, we’ll probably never hear that one,’ and little did I know it would connect with a whole lotta people.”

     

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD ADDED TO THE LINEUP OF PERFORMERS FOR THIS YEAR’S ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY.

    More performers have been announced for this year’s Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, including Carrie Underwood, as well as Stevie Nicks, Adam Levine, Sia and Miguel, among others. Presenters include Ice T, Queen Latifah and LL Cool J.

     

    The new lineup of artists join previously announced Chris Stapleton, Elton John, Dave Matthews, St. Vincent, H.E.R., New Edition and Brandi Carlile.

    This year’s inductees are Sheryl CrowMissy ElliottRage Against the MachineWillie Nelson, the late George Michael,  The Spinners, Link Wray and DJ Kook Herc, Chaka KhanAl Kooper and Bernie Taupin. Soul Train creator Don Cornelius will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

    The ceremony will stream live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Friday November 3rd at 8p ET/7pm CT on Disney+. A primetime special, featuring highlights from the ceremony, will air New Year’s Day 2024 at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Darius Rucker, Reba McEntire, Dierks Bentley, Mickey Guyton, Priscilla Block, Dalton Dover, Tyler Hubbard

    Darius Rucker sat down with NBC’s Willie Geist for Sunday Today (October 8th), and the talked about  dedicating his new album, “Carolyn’s Boy,” to his mother, how an appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman” changed the trajectory of Hootie & the Blowfish and embarking on a solo country music career.

    Reba McEntire premiered the music video for her new song, “Seven Minutes In Heaven,” on CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown over the weekend. The clip imagines what it would be like to be able to spend seven minutes in the afterlife with a special loved one, and for Reba, that would be her mother Jaqueline, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 93.

     

    Dierks Bentley will issue a 10th anniversary edition of his 2010 album, Up on the Ridge, just in time for Record Store Day on November 24th. The collection, which will be pressed on orange vinyl, features special guests, including Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Jamey Johnson, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss and Kris Kristofferson.

    Mickey Guyton was announced as the featured performer at Helluva Block Party prior to Georgia Tech’s Family Weekend football game against Boston College on October 21st.

    Priscilla Block will perform at Tracy Lawrence‘s 18th Annual Mission: Possible Turkey Fry and Benefit Concert at Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon on November 21st. Lee Brice and Halfway to Hazard will also perform. The Turkey Fry is set to take place at the Nashville Fairgrounds that morning, followed by the concert that evening. Last year, Tracy’s event fried 1200 turkeys to benefit the Nashville Rescue Mission in helping to feed the homeless in Middle Tennessee.

    Dalton Dover will perform the National Anthem prior to Monday’s (October 9th) game in Atlanta as the Braves play host to the Phillies in Game 2 of the National League Division Series.

    Tyler Hubbard will be one of the headliners at next year’s CMC Rocks QLD  at the Willowbank Raceway in Ispwich, Queensland March 15th – 17th. Lainey Wilson and Chris Young will also headline during the three-day festival. Priscilla Block, Chase Rice, Megan Moroney, Jackson Dean, Elvie Shane, Drake Milligan, Morgan Wade and Tyler Braden, among others, will also perform.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Tyler Hubbard, Mickey Guyton, The War And Treaty, Dierks Bentley

    Tyler Hubbard will appear on NBC’s TODAY Show on Tuesday (October 3rd) during the third hour of the show.

     

    Mickey Guyton performed at the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative launched by U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Wednesday night (September 27th). According to the U.S. State Department website, the Initiative is “a worldwide effort to elevate music as a diplomatic tool to promote peace and democracy and support the United States’ broader foreign policy goals.  The Initiative aims to leverage public-private partnerships to create a music ecosystem that expands economic equity and the creative economy, ensures societal opportunity and inclusion and increases access to education.” Other performers included Dave Grohl, Herbie Hancock, Christopher Jackson, Aimee Mann & Paul Bryan, with a special video message from U-2‘s BonoQuincy Jones was presented with the first-ever Peace through Music Award

    https://twitter.com/MickeyGuyton/status/1707522660815553014

     

    The War And Treaty have released their cover of Chris Stapleton’s “Cold,” which they performed at the recent ACM Honors in Nashville. It’s available to stream on your favorite platform.

    https://twitter.com/warandtreaty/status/1707851922143666359

     

    Dierks Bentley attended a recent fundraiser, “Gateway to the West,” the U.S. Ski Team puts on every year in St. Louis, Missouri. While performing, he brought up Mikaela Shiffrin, Olympic Gold Medalist (twice) skier who also holds the record in alpine skiing for most World Cup wins in the history of the sport, to join him on his song “I’ll Be The Moon.” The event raised over $1 Million to benefit all sports.

     

     

     

     

  • THE MEMBERS OF LITTLE BIG TOWN ARE EXCITED ABOUT HOSTING THE INAUGURAL PEOPLE’S CHOICE COUNTRY AWARDS.

    The members of Little Big Town are excited to host the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards this Thursday night (September 28th).

    “I think what we’re looking forward to most in the People’s Choice Country Awards are bringing the party to Nashville, first of all. It’s the first-ever of this,” says LBT’s Jimi Westbrook. “Coming to the Opry, bringing them to the historical home of country music, and the performances. It’s always a fun night when we get everybody from the genre together and hang out and celebrate each other.”

    While they are unable to reveal what fans can expect, Phillip Sweet says it’s going to be a night that makes folks feel good. “I don’t know what we can reveal other than it’s going to be a feel-good night, and it’s going to feel like coming back home in a way. And I think people just need this kind of energy right now, like seeing the new and the fresh and what’s happening, and also honoring Wynonna, honoring Toby Keith and seeing how, at the Grand Ole Opry, all that history, you’re going to feel that energy, and that’s what I’m excited about too.”

    Little Big Town isn’t just hosting the show, but the group is also nominated Group/Duo of 2023.

    Carrie Underwood and Chris Stapleton lead Universal Music Group Nashville’s list of nominees for the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards.

    Carrie has three nods for the fan-voted show, including Female Artist of 2023, Social Country Star of 2023 and Concert Tour of 2023  for her Denim & Rhinestones Tour.

    Chris is also nominated in three categories, including Collaboration Song of 2023 for “We Don’t Fight Anymore” w/ Carly Pearce, Crossover Song of 2023 with “Just Say I’m Sorry” with P!NK and  Concert Tour of 2023 for his All American Road Show.

    Priscilla Block picks up two nominations for New Artist of 2023 and Collaboration Song of 2023 with the No. 1 song “You, Me, And Whiskey” w/ Justin Moore.

    Brothers Osborne, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae and The War And Treaty are all nominated for Group/Duo of 2023.

    During the show, Toby Keith will be presented with the Country Icon Award by fellow Okie Blake Shelton, and Wynonna will receive the Country Champion Award.

    The People’s Choice Country Awards will air live from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House Thursday (September 28th) beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on NBC and Peacock.

    PEOPLE’S CHOICE COUNTRY AWARDS NOMINATIONS:

    THE PEOPLE’S ARTIST OF 2023

    1. Blake Shelton
    2. Kane Brown
    3. Kelsea Ballerini
    4. Lainey Wilson
    5. Luke Combs
    6. Morgan Wallen
    7. Old Dominion
    8. Zach Bryan

    THE MALE ARTIST OF 2023

    1. Bailey Zimmerman
    2. Blake Shelton
    3. HARDY
    4. Jelly Roll
    5. Kane Brown
    6. Luke Combs
    7. Morgan Wallen
    8. Zach Bryan

    THE FEMALE ARTIST OF 2023

    1. Ashley McBryde
    2. Carly Pearce
    3. Carrie Underwood
    4. Elle King
    5. Kelsea Ballerini
    6. Lainey Wilson
    7. Megan Moroney
    8. Miranda Lambert

    THE GROUP/DUO OF 2023

    1. Brothers Osborne
    2. Dan + Shay
    3. Lady A
    4. Little Big Town
    5. Maddie & Tae
    6. Old Dominion
    7. Parmalee
    8. The War and Treaty

    THE NEW ARTIST OF 2023

    1. Bailey Zimmerman
    2. Corey Kent
    3. ERNEST
    4. Megan Moroney
    5. Ingrid Andress
    6. Jelly Roll
    7. Priscilla Block
    8. Zach Bryan

    THE SOCIAL COUNTRY STAR OF 2023

    1. Bailey Zimmerman
    2. Blake Shelton
    3. Carrie Underwood
    4. Dolly Parton
    5. Kelsea Ballerini
    6. Luke Combs
    7. Morgan Wallen
    8. Shania Twain

    THE SONG OF 2023 

    1. “Fast Car” – Luke Combs (Songwriter: Tracy Chapman)
    2. “Last Night” – Morgan Wallen (Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, John Byron, Ryan Vojtesak)
    3. “Love You Anyway” – Luke Combs (Songwriters: Dan Isbell, Luke Combs, Ray Fulcher)
    4. “Need A Favor” – Jelly Roll (Songwriters: Austin Nivarel, Jason DeFord/Jelly Roll, Joe Ragosta, Rob Ragosta)
    5. “Tennessee Orange” – Megan Moroney (Songwriters: Ben Williams, David Fanning, Megan Moroney, Paul Jenkins)
    6. “Thank God” – Kane Brown, Katelyn Brown (Songwriters: Christian Stalnecker, Jared Mullins, Jaxson Free, Josh Hoge, Kyle Fishman)
    7. “Thinkin’ Bout Me” – Morgan Wallen (Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, John Byron, Ryan Vojtesak, Taylor Phillips)
    8. “wait in the truck” – HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson (Songwriters: Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt, Michael Hardy, Renee Blair)

    THE COLLABORATION SONG OF 2023

    1. “Beer With My Friends” – Kenny Chesney & Old Dominion (Songwriters: Bryan Simpson, David Lee Murphy, Shy Carter)
    2. “Cowgirls” – Morgan Wallen feat. ERNEST (Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Ernest Keith Smith, James Maddocks, Milan Modi, Rocky Block, Ryan Vojtesak)
    3. “red” – HARDY feat. Morgan Wallen (Songwriters: Michael Hardy, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, Jacob Rice)
    4. “Save Me” – Jelly Roll with Lainey Wilson (Songwriters: David Ray Stevens, Jason DeFord/Jelly Roll)
    5. “Thank God” – Kane Brown, Katelyn Brown (Songwriters: Christian Stalnecker, Jared Mullins, Jaxson Free, Josh Hoge, Kyle Fishman)
    6. “wait in the truck” – HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson (Songwriters: Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt, Michael Hardy, Renee Blair)
    7. “We Don’t Fight Anymore” – Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton (Songwriters: Shane McAnally, Carly Pearce, Pete Good)
    8. “You, Me, And Whiskey” – Justin Moore, Priscilla Block (Songwriters: Brock Berryhill, Jessi Alexander, Cole Taylor)

    THE CROSSOVER SONG OF 2023

    1. “Dawns” – Zach Bryan feat. Maggie Rogers (Songwriters: Maggie Rogers, Zachary Lane Bryan)
    2. “Just Say I’m Sorry” – P!nk, Chris Stapleton (Songwriters: Alecia Moore, Chris Stapleton)
    3. “Life Goes On” – Ed Sheeran feat. Luke Combs (Songwriter: Ed Sheeran)
    4. “Seasons” – Bebe Rexha, Dolly Parton (Songwriters: Bebe Rexha, Ido Zmishlany, Sarah Solovay)
    5. “Texas” – Jessie Murph feat. Maren Morris (Songwriters: Alex Niceforo, Amy Allen, Jessie Murph, Warren “Oak” Felder)
    6. “That’s Not How This Works” – Charlie Puth feat. Dan + Shay (Songwriters: Jordan Reynolds, Charlie Puth, Dan Smyers)
    7. “UNHEALTHY” – Anne-Marie feat. Shania Twain (Anne-Marie Nicholson, CASTLE, Connor McDonough, Riley McDonough)
    8. “Wasted” – Diplo feat. Kodak Black & Koe Wetzel (Songwriters: Bill K. Kapri, Richard Cook Mears IV, Ropyr Wetzel, Thomas Wesley Pentz)

    THE ALBUM OF 2023

    1. Bell Bottom Country– Lainey Wilson
    2. Different Man– Kane Brown
    3. Gettin’ Old – Luke Combs
    4. One Thing At A Time– Morgan Wallen
    5. The Album. – Bailey Zimmerman
    6. Rolling Up The Welcome Mat – Kelsea Ballerini
    7. the mockingbird & THE CROW – HARDY
    8. Whitsitt Chapel – Jelly Roll

    THE MUSIC VIDEO OF 2023

    1. “In Your Love” – Tyler Childers
    2. “Need a Favor” – Jelly Roll
    3. “Tennessee Orange” – Megan Moroney
    4. “Thank God” – Kane Brown, Katelyn Brown
    5. “Thought You Should Know” – Morgan Wallen
    6. “wait in the truck” – HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson
    7. “Where We Started” – Thomas Rhett, Katy Perry
    8. “You Proof” – Morgan Wallen

    THE CONCERT TOUR OF 2023

    1. Blake Shelton: Back to the Honky Tonk Tour
    2. Carrie Underwood: Denim & Rhinestones Tour
    3. Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show Tour
    4. Kenny Chesney: I Go Back 2023 Tour
    5. Luke Combs World Tour
    6. Morgan Wallen: One Night At A Time World Tour
    7. Shania Twain: Queen of Me Tour
    8. Zach Bryan: The Burn, Burn, Burn Tour

     

    Audio / Little Big Town is looking forward to hosting the inaugural People's Choice Country Awards.

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    Little Big Town (hosting People’ Choice Country Awards) OC: (Phillip) …excited about too. :57
    JIMI: “I think what we’re looking forward to most in the People’s Choice Country Awards are bringing the party to Nashville, first of all. It’s the first-ever of this. (Phillip: The Grand Ole Opry.) Coming to the Opry, bringing them to the historical home of country music, and the performances. It’s always a fun night when we get everybody from the genre together and hang out and celebrate each other.” KIMBERLY: “And hopefully we can bring the people in on that, and they can party with us.” PHILLIP: “Exactly. I don’t know what we can reveal other than it’s going to be a feel-good night, and it’s going to feel like coming back home in a way. And I think people just need this kind of energy right now, like seeing the new and the fresh and what’s happening, and also honoring Wynonna, honoring Toby Keith and seeing how, at the Grand Ole Opry, all that history, you’re going to feel that energy, and that’s what I’m excited about too.”

  • LUKE GRIMES RELEASES NEW TRACK, “BURN,” FROM EP PAIN PILLS OR PEWS OUT OCTOBER 20th.

    Mercury Nashville / Range Music recording artist Luke Grimes today released the song, “Burn,” from his forthcoming eight-song EP, Pain Pills Or Pews, which comes out October 20th.  Written by Grimes, Randy Montana (Luke Combs, Parker McCollum) and Josh Thompson (Morgan Wallen, Blake Shelton), the song was produced by Dave Cobb.

    “‘Burn’ came from a simple classic rock style melody and the idea of running headfirst into a heartbreak, almost asking for it,” said Grimes. “The song always had a bit of Tom Petty vibe as he’s always been a big influence for me. Getting in the room with Randy Montana and Josh Thompson showed me what seasoned songwriters can do with a simple idea; I love how this track turned out.”

     

    PRE-SAVE PAIN PILLS OR PEWS | HERE

    After the release of his debut EP, Grimes will be heading out on the road to bring fans live performances of his songs this fall. Tickets go on sale today at 10am local time at www.lukegrimesmusic.com. Grimes will also perform for the first time at the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural festival this weekend in Franklin, Tennessee and he will be returning to Stagecoach in Indio, California in April 2024.

    Track List Pain Pills Or Pews: 

    1. No Horse To Ride (Luke Grimes)
    2. Hold On (Foy Vance)
    3. Ghost Of Who We Were (Luke Grimes)
    4. Where It’s Blue (Colton Venner)
    5. Burn (Luke Grimes)
    6. Playing On The Tracks (Luke Grimes)
    7. Oh Ohio (Luke Grimes)
    8. Ain’t Dead Yet (Luke Grimes)

     Upcoming Show Dates: 

    11/9 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
    11/10 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
    11/30 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
    12/1 Rosemont, IL Joe’s Live
    12/7 Dallas, TX The Factory in Deep Ellum
    12/9 Austin, TX Emo’s
    12/15 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
    12/16 Boston, MA The Roadrunner

    Tickets Available HERE

     

    About Luke Grimes:
    Grimes’ debut track, “No Horse To Ride,” debuted inside the Top 10 of the Country Songs sales chart at No. 7. In its second week of release, “No Horse To Ride” racked up 95K Shazams, placing it No. 2 on the Shazam Country chart, No. 2 on the Shazam Top 200 USA chart and No. 37 on the Shazam Global chart, a rarity for a country artist. Spotify placed the song on the cover of its Country Hits 2023 playlist, with the song in the No. 1 position, and the song has been on eight Spotify Viral Charts.

    Known for his role as Kayce Dutton on the hit television series, “Yellowstone,” Grimes has been making music for years and is prepping his first major label project. When not on set, Grimes can be found spinning his favorite country albums and songwriting at home in Montana or in Nashville writing with some of Music Row’s elite including Jonathan Singleton, Tony Lane, Randy Montana, Brent Cobb, Jamey Johnson, Love Junkies, Josh Osborne, Jon Randall, and Jessie Alexander.

    Grimes grew up playing music in the church as the son of a Pentecostal pastor. His father also laid the foundation for the music he loves, introducing him to the works of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings. The Ohio native is now finding his own voice and style as an artist, inspired by the likes of Colter Wall, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, and the late Townes Van Zandt. Grimes continues to tour this summer at fairs and festivals across the country.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, The War And Treaty, Carrie Underwood, Tyler Hubbard, Kip Moore

    Reba McEntire appeared on NBC’s America’s Got Talent on Wednesday night (September 20th). She performed “Can’t Even Get The Blues” with contortionist Sofie Rossi, who was a contestant in Season 11. This wasn’t the first time Reba and Sofie have met. Reba, as a guest AGT judge in 2016, gave Dossi her Golden Buzzer.

    https://twitter.com/AGT/status/1704666457882480783

    The War And Treaty (Michael and Tanya Trotter) won Duo/Group of the Year for the second consecutive year at the 22nd Annual Americana Honors & Awards at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Wednesday night (September 20th). The award came just a couple of days after they slayed the ACM honors by performing “Cold” in tribute to Chris Stapleton. Kacey Musgraves popped up as a surprise presenter.

     

    Carrie Underwood will join Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth on NBC’s Football Night in America on Sunday at 7pm ET to talk about performing the show open for 11 consecutive seasons, releasing the deluxe edition of Denim & Rhinestones and her residency, REFLECTION, at The Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas. She will also attend the Steelers-Raiders game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Kickoff is at 8:20pm ET/7:20pm ET on NBC.

     

    Tyler Hubbard will head out on the road on Kane Brown‘s In The Air Tour in select cities. Tyler’s dates — with opening act Parmalee — will kick off March 28th in Charlottesville, Virginia and are set to run through June 1st in Tampa, Florida. Jon Pardi, Cole Swindell, Bailey Zimmerman and others are also set to join various dates on Kane’s 2024 tour.

    https://twitter.com/tylerhubbard/status/1704505846216946143

     

    Kip Moore has joined forces with Charlie Worsham for a brand-new song and video “Kiss Like You Dance.” The song will be included on Charlie’s upcoming five-song EP, Compadres, which also features his friends Dierks Bentley, Elle King, Luke Combs and Lainey Wilson.

     

     

     

  • LUKE BRYAN CELEBRATES 30 #1 SINGLES WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS FRIENDS.

    Pictured (L-R): Cindy Mabe/Chair & CEO, UMG Nashville, Luke Bryan, Kerri Edwards/KP Entertainment

    Country music superstar and five-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan was honored today with a celebration for his career milestone of landing 30 #1 singles on country radio. Since his very first #1 single “Do I” landed atop of the charts in December 2009 to his thirtieth in December 2022 with “Country On” Luke has accumulated 56 total weeks at #1.

    The evening kicked off with performances and anecdotes by some of Luke’s closest friends much to his surprise in multiple ‘this is your life’ moments. Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood from Lady A performed “Do I” followed by Dierks Bentley, who went on a hilarious riff comparing their #1 tallies, and sang “Play It Again.” Up next was Marty Raybon of Shenandoah, a long-time musical hero to Luke, who performed “Fast.” The final surprise performer was good friend Jason Aldean who sang Luke’s “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye.”

    After the guest performances Luke generously spent time to highlight many of the people who attended the party thanking them for their part in his career. He saw familiar faces in the crowd including dozens of songwriters who had written many of the 30 #1 hits, members of the industry including ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC representatives and more who all showed up to celebrate the success of one of country music’s most highly respected and likeable artists. Luke closed out the performances singing “Country On.” See photos here.

    During his career, Luke has amassed a total of 21.7 Billion global streams, 11.5 Million global album sales and 52 Million track sales worldwide. He is the most digital single RIAA certified country artist of all time with 83 Million units and 15.5M album certified units for a total of 98.5M. He was recently presented with the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award in recognition of his standing as one of the most streamed artists in SoundExchange’s 20-year history.

    His headline concert tours have played sold-out shows for millions and millions of fans inclusive of nearly 40 stadium concerts, Farm Tours, Spring Break shows, and eight sold-out ‘Crash My Playa’ destination concert events. At Luke’s recent sold-out Bridgestone concert- his sixth consecutive- Billboard touted, the “key to his success as one of country music’s foremost ambassadors for more than a decade has been his long-perfected onstage blend of lovable goofball, sultry swagger and positive attitude.” This Thursday, Luke launches his 14th Farm Tour and resumes the “Country On Tour” on September 28th.

    Luke has won 50+ major music awards including five wins as Entertainer of the Year. Additional awards include six recognitions as a CMT Artist of the Year, NSAI Artist/Songwriter of the Year, the first-ever recipient of the ACM Album of the Decade Award for Crash My Party, seven CMT Music Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, and four American Music Awards—as well as being named Billboard’s Top Country Artist of the 2010s, the Most Heard Artist of the Decade by Country Aircheck, and the Artist Humanitarian Recipient by the Country Radio Broadcasters.

    On November 8th, Luke and NFL superstar Peyton Manning will return to host “The 57th Annual CMA Awards” to be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena 8:00-11:00 PM/EST) on ABC. And in 2024, Luke, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie will return as celebrity judges for their seventh season on ABC’s American Idol.

     30 career #1 singles:  

    “Country On” – written by Mark Nesler, David Frasier, Mitch Oglesby, and Styles Haury 12-12-22

    “Buy Dirt” Jordan Davis Feat. Luke Bryan 1-24-22

     “Waves”- written by Zach Crowell, Ryan Hurd and Chase McGill 8-30-21

    “Down To One”- written by Dallas Davidson, Justin Ebach and Kyle Fishman 3-1-21

    “One Margarita” – written by Michael Carter, Matt Dragstrem and Josh Thompson 7-6-21

    “What She Wants Tonight”- written by Luke Bryan, Ross Copperman, Hillary Lindsey and Jon Nite 3-31-20

    “Knockin’ Boots”- written by Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson and Jon Nite 9-9-19

    “What Makes You Country”- written by Luke, Dallas Davidson and Ashley Gorley 2-27-19

    “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset”- written by Zach Crowell, Ryan Hurd and Chase McGill 9-10-18

    “Most People Are Good”- written by David Frasier, Ed Hill and Josh Kear 3-26-18

    “Light It Up”- written by Luke Bryan, Brad Tursi 12-11-17

    “Fast”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird 4-3-17

    “Move”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Michael Carter, Jay Clementi 11-7-16

    “Huntin’, Fishin’, And Lovin’ Every Day”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip 6-20-16

    “Home Alone Tonight”—Written by: Jody Stevens, Cole Taylor, Jaida Dreyer, Tommy Cecil 2-1-16

    “Strip It Down—Written by: Luke Bryan, Jon Nite, Ross Copperman 10-19-15

    “Kick The Dust Up”—Written by: Dallas Davidson, Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley 8-3-15

    “I See You”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Ashley Gorley, Luke Laird 2-2-15

    “Roller Coaster”—Written by: Michael Carter, Cole Swindell 10-6-14

    “Play It Again”—Written by: Dallas Davidson, Ashley Gorley 5-19-14

    “Drink A Beer”—Written by: Jim Beavers, Chris Stapleton 2-3-14

    “That’s My Kind of Night”—Written by: Dallas Davidson, Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley 10-21-13

    “Crash My Party”—Written by: Rodney Clawson, Ashley Gorley 7-1-13

    “Only Way I Know” Jason Aldean, Feat Luke Bryan   2-4-13

    “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Jeff Stevens, Shane McAnally 11-5-12

    “Drunk On You”—Written by: Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, Josh Kear 6-4-12

    “I Don’t Want This Night To End”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip 1-16-12

    “Someone Else Calling You Baby”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Jeff Stevens 2-13-11

    “Rain Is A Good Thing”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson 7-11-10

    “Do I”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley 12-13-09

     

    Audio / Luke Bryan says he's been thinking about this night for days.

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    Luke Bryan (30 No. 1 Party) OC: …this happen. :27

  • JOSH TURNER’S GREATEST HITS ALBUM OUT TODAY.

    For the first time, MCA Nashville recording artist Josh Turner has released a collection of his top tracks and fan favorites, Greatest Hits, which is out today. With his deep bass voice, Josh Turner has sold more than six and a half million records, reached five and a half billion global streams, and has become an unforgettable hitmaker on country radio.  Turner’s Greatest Hits features 11 of his biggest songs from seven of his studio albums. The project includes his five No. 1 hits – “Your Man,” certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA; “Would You Go With Me,” certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA; “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” certified double-Platinum by the RIAA; “All Over Me,” certified Gold by the RIAA; and “Hometown Girl,” certified double-Platinum by the RIAA. No Greatest Hits album would be complete without Turner’s self-penned signature song, “Long Black Train,” which has over 315 million streams and is certified Platinum by the RIAA.

    LISTEN TO JOSH TURNER’S GREATEST HITS | HERE

    Fans can now purchase exclusive merchandise from the Josh Turner store including two unique CD Collector’s Boxes which include t-shirts, CD’s, and signed art cards by Turner. A limited-edition Josh Turner Denim Jacket + Patches Bundle is also available now which features a limited-edition tour patch and 11 additional patches which represent all 11 songs from Turner’s Greatest Hits album. Order Josh Turner merchandise HERE.

    TRACK LIST:

    1. “Would You Go With Me” (From the album Your Man)
    Written by Shawn Camp and John Scott Sherrill
    Produced by Frank Rogers

    2. “Firecracker” (From the album Everything Is Fine)
    Written by Josh Turner, Pat McLaughlin and Shawn Camp
    Produced by Frank Rogers

    3. “Hometown Girl” (From the album Deep South)
    Written by Marc Beeson and Daniel Tashian
    Produced by Kenny Greenberg

    4. “Long Black Train” (From the album Long Black Train)
    Written by Josh Turner
    Produced by Mark Wright and Frank Rogers

    5. “Why Don’t We Just Dance” (From the album Haywire)
    Written by Jim Beavers, Jonathan Singleton and Darrell Brown
    Produced by Frank Rogers

    6. “All Over Me” (From the album Haywire)
    Written by Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson and Rhett Akins
    Produced by Frank Rogers

    7. “Your Man” (From the album Your Man)
    Written by Chris Stapleton, Chris DuBois and Jace Everett
    Produced by Frank Rogers

    8. “Time Is Love” (From the album Punching Bag)
    Written by Tony Martin, Mark Nesler and Tom Shapiro
    Produced by Frank Rogers

    9. “I Wouldn’t Be A Man” (From the album Haywire)
    Written by Rory Bourke and Mike Reid
    Produced by Frank Rogers

    10. “Me And God” (featuring Dr. Ralph Stanley and Marty Roe, Gene Johnson and Dana Williams
    of Diamond Rio) (From the album Your Man)
    Written by Josh Turner
    Produced by Frank Rogers

    11. “I Serve A Savior” (From the album I Serve A Savior)
    Written by Josh Turner and Mark Narmore
    Produced by Kenny Greenberg

    Turner is currently on the “Long Black Train 20th Anniversary Tour,” in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Turner’s hit album, Long Black Train and the album’s second single of the same name, which were both also certified Platinum by the RIAA. Tickets for Turner’s tour are available now at joshturner.com.

    About Josh Turner:
    With timeless songs like “Long Black Train” and “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” Turner’s five No. 1 singles include “Your Man,” of which the official music video surpassed 173 million views. Turner’s album Long Black Train debuted 20 years ago and was certified Platinum by the RIAA with nearly 1.5M album sales, 1.3M track downloads and almost 315M life-to-date streams. The lead single of the same name was also certified Platinum making up over 1M track downloads and almost 245M global streams. In June 2021, Turner released Your Man Deluxe Edition, celebrating 15 years of Turner’s iconic double Platinum-selling album, as well as the mini documentary “Josh Turner Your Man 15th Anniversary” (Mini Doc). The now certified triple-Platinum selling “Would You Go With Me,” featured on Your Man Deluxe Edition, experienced a viral surge across TikTok leading to a jump in streaming which landed the classic country tune on Spotify’s US Viral 50 along with Spotify Viral charts in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. A native of South Carolina, Turner has been nominated for three GMA Dove awards and won his first GMA Dove Award in 2021 for “I Saw The Light” featuring Sonya Isaacs, off his I Serve a Savior album. Turner and has been nominated for two GRAMMY Awards, five CMA Awards, two ACM Awards, one CMT Award, seven ACA Awards and has received six Inspirational Country Music Awards. Turner released his first Christmas album, King Size Manger in 2021 and last Christmas it was released on vinyl.  His first television special, “King Size Manger,” debuted on UPtv in 2022, and is also available on DVD. To support music and arts education, he created The Josh Turner Scholarship Fund to help students pursue their studies in these fields.  Turner and his wife Jennifer, whom he met as a student at Nashville’s Belmont University, have four sons. For more information, please visit www.joshturner.com

     

    Audio / Josh Turner says every one of his albums, as he looks over his Greatest Hits collection, marks life milestones.

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    Josh Turner (albums mark life milestones) OC: …staggering. :25
    “Every album to me just kind of marks these just kind of milestones. It kind of marks certain phases and periods that I went through and different times in my life with family, career, all kinds of different things that we’ve been through and experienced. After a while, when you start looking back and see all the records start piling up and different things that you’ve been able to do through two decades, it’s pretty staggering.”

    Audio / Josh Turner talks about going in to record “Your Man.”

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    Josh Turner (Your Man) 1 OC: …impactful. :57
    “This song has just blown my mind, to be completely honest, because it went from early on when I first heard it which was Chris Stapleton and his guitar, and obviously Chris and I have very different voices. So when I heard it, I was thinking I don’t really know if this song works for me or not, but [my producer] Frank [Rogers] really believed in it. He said, ‘Take it home. Try it out. Put it in a different key, whatever. See if you can kind of figure it out.’ So, I did, and I was like, ‘You know, it’d be worth a try.’ So [we] go in the next day and we decided to give it a try, and Steve Henson starts out on the steel guitar intro, and it just sounded great. It fit my voice well, and it was a great addition to the record. It ended up becoming the title track. I just felt like that the album being called Your Man just kind of made a statement, especially being my sophomore record, still trying to prove myself. I just felt like it was just very authoritative and impactful.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (available now)

    Download

     

  • JOSH TURNER GREATEST HITS ALBUM AUDIO TOOLKIT.

    Josh Turner is about to release his first Greatest Hits collection on September 8th. The album features 11 of Turner’s biggest songs from seven of his studio albums. The project includes his five No. 1 hits – “Your Man,” certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA; “Would You Go With Me,” certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA; “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” certified double-Platinum by the RIAA; “All Over Me,” certified Gold by the RIAA; and “Hometown Girl,” certified double-Platinum by the RIAA. No Greatest Hits album would be complete without Turner’s self-penned signature song, “Long Black Train,” which has over 315 million streams and is certified Platinum by the RIAA.

    Josh feels a Greatest Hits collection is a significant achievement in the career of any artist. “Having a Greatest Hits record, period, is a milestone for any artist. It’s an accomplishment for any artist,” says Josh. “It shows, especially in this day and time, you don’t see a lot of Greatest Hits packages anymore, just because of the nature of the business. For me, it’s kind of a testament to my hard work that I’ve had to fight tooth and nail for every single thing that I’ve gotten, and I’ve had to fight for these hits too. And so, to be able to announce to my fans every night that, ‘Hey, I’ve got a Greatest Hits album coming out,’ is pretty cool.”

    JOSH TURNER GREATEST HITS Track List:

    1. “Would You Go With Me” (From the album Your Man)
      Written by Shawn Camp and John Scott Sherrill
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    2. “Firecracker” (From the album Everything Is Fine)
      Written by Josh Turner, Pat McLaughlin and Shawn Camp
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    3. “Hometown Girl” (From the album Deep South)
      Written by Marc Beeson and Daniel Tashian
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    4. “Long Black Train” (From the album Long Black Train)
      Written by Josh Turner
      Produced by Mark Wright and Frank Rogers
    5. Why Don’t We Just Dance (From the album Haywire)
      Written by Jim Beavers, Jonathan Singleton and Darrell Brown
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    6. All Over Me (From the album Haywire)
      Written by Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson and Rhett Akins
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    7. “Your Man” (From the album Your Man)
      Written by Chris Stapleton, Chris DuBois and Jace Everett
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    8. “Time Is Love” (From the album Punching Bag)
      Written by Tony Martin, Mark Nesler and Tom Shapiro
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    9. “I Wouldn’t Be A Man” (From the album Haywire)
      Written by Rory Bourke and Mike Reid
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    10. “Me And God” (featuring Dr. Ralph Stanley and Marty Roe, Gene Johnson and Dana Williams of Diamond Rio) (From the album Your Man)
      Written by Josh Turner
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    11. “I Serve A Savior” (From the album I Serve A Savior)
      Written by Josh Turner and Mark Narmore
      Produced by Kenny Greenberg

     

    ****Click HERE to download the Josh Turner Greatest Hits Album Audio Toolkit.

     

  • JOSH TURNER’S UPCOMING GREATEST HITS COLLECTION IS A MILESTONE FOR HIM.

    Josh Turner is getting ready to release a collection of his top tracks and fan favorites, Greatest Hitson September 8th. The album features 11 of Turner’s biggest songs from seven of his studio albums. The project includes his five No. 1 hits – “Your Man,” certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA; “Would You Go With Me,” certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA; “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” certified double-Platinum by the RIAA; “All Over Me,” certified Gold by the RIAA; and “Hometown Girl,” certified double-Platinum by the RIAA. No Greatest Hits album would be complete without Turner’s self-penned signature song, “Long Black Train,” which has over 315 million streams and is certified Platinum by the RIAA. 

    Josh feels a Greatest Hits collection is a significant achievement in the career of any artist. “Having a Greatest Hits record, period, is a milestone for any artist. It’s an accomplishment for any artist,” says Josh. “It shows, especially in this day and time, you don’t see a lot of Greatest Hits packages anymore, just because of the nature of the business. For me, it’s kind of a testament to my hard work that I’ve had to fight tooth and nail for every single thing that I’ve gotten, and I’ve had to fight for these hits too. And so, to be able to announce to my fans every night that, ‘Hey, I’ve got a Greatest Hits album coming out,’ is pretty cool.”

    JOSH TURNER GREATEST HITS Track List:

    1. “Would You Go With Me” (From the album Your Man)
      Written by Shawn Camp and John Scott Sherrill
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    2. “Firecracker” (From the album Everything Is Fine)
      Written by Josh Turner, Pat McLaughlin and Shawn Camp
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    3. “Hometown Girl” (From the album Deep South)
      Written by Marc Beeson and Daniel Tashian
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    4. “Long Black Train” (From the album Long Black Train)
      Written by Josh Turner
      Produced by Mark Wright and Frank Rogers
    5. Why Don’t We Just Dance (From the album Haywire)
      Written by Jim Beavers, Jonathan Singleton and Darrell Brown
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    6. All Over Me (From the album Haywire)
      Written by Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson and Rhett Akins
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    7. “Your Man” (From the album Your Man)
      Written by Chris Stapleton, Chris DuBois and Jace Everett
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    8. “Time Is Love” (From the album Punching Bag)
      Written by Tony Martin, Mark Nesler and Tom Shapiro
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    9. “I Wouldn’t Be A Man” (From the album Haywire)
      Written by Rory Bourke and Mike Reid
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    10. “Me And God” (featuring Dr. Ralph Stanley and Marty Roe, Gene Johnson and Dana Williams of Diamond Rio) (From the album Your Man)
      Written by Josh Turner
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    11. “I Serve A Savior” (From the album I Serve A Savior)
      Written by Josh Turner and Mark Narmore
      Produced by Kenny Greenberg

    The South Carolina native is currently on the “Long Black Train 20th Anniversary Tour,” in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Josh’s hit album, Long Black Train and the album’s second single of the same name. Click here for more information on his tour dates.

    Audio / Josh Turner talks about having a Greatest Hits collection.

    Download

    Josh Turner (Greatest Hits) OC: …pretty cool. :31
    “Having a Greatest Hits record, period, is a milestone for any artist. It’s an accomplishment for any artist. It shows, especially in this day and time, you don’t see a lot of Greatest Hits packages anymore, just because of the nature of the business. For me, it’s kind of a testament to my hard work that I’ve had to fight tooth and nail for every single thing that I’ve gotten, and I’ve had to fight for these hits too. And so, to be able to announce to my fans every night that, ‘Hey, I’ve got a Greatest Hits album coming out,’ is pretty cool.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Brothers Osborne, Priscilla Block, Travis Denning

    Brothers Osborne will talk about their new self-titled album and answer some questions when they appear on TalkShopLive on Wednesday (August 23rd) at 6pm ET/5pm CT. You will also have the chance to order some autographed merch and more.

     

    More artists have been announced as performers and presenters for the 16th Annual ACM Honors taking place Wednesday evening (August 23rd) at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium. The additions include Priscilla Block, Nelly, Travis Denning with Billy Ray Cyrus + Firerose, Lee Brice, Sara Evans, Dennis Quaid, Marty Stuart, Randy Travis, Hailey Whitters, Brett Young and more. They join already announced performers Keith Urban, Jordan Davis, Anne Wilson and The War And Treaty, as well as BRELAND (ACM Lift Every Voice Award), Trisha Yearwood, Brandy Clark, Chris Janson, Bailey Zimmerman, Emily Shackelton and Lady A. The all-star event will recognize several special honorees including ACM Triple Crown Award recipient Chris Stapleton, as well as ACM Poet’s Award recipients Clint Black, Mary Chapin Carpenter and K.T. Oslin. The show will also honor Kane Brown (ACM International Award) and Tim McGraw (ACM Icon Award), as well as Charlie CookCharlie Danielsthe legend Mike DunganAshley GorleyHARDYBill Mayne,  and Troy Vollhoffer. The show will premiere on FOX on FOX on Monday, September 18th at 8pm ET/PT.

  • KEITH URBAN, JORDAN DAVIS, ANNE WILSON AND THE WAR AND TREATY WILL PERFORM AT THIS YEAR’S ACM HONORS.

    The 16th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors will return to FOX on Monday, September 18th beginning at 8pm ET/PT. The all-star event will recognize several special honorees including ACM Triple Crown Award recipient Chris Stapleton, as well as ACM Poet’s Award recipients Clint Black, Mary Chapin Carpenter and K.T. Oslin. The show will also honor Kane Brown (ACM International Award) and Tim McGraw (ACM Icon Award).

    Hosted by Carly Pearce, the show will also feature performances by Keith Urban, Jordan Davis, Anne Wilson and The War And Treaty, as well as BRELAND (ACM Lift Every Voice Award), Trisha Yearwood, Brandy Clark, Chris Janson, Bailey Zimmerman, Emily Shackelton and Lady A with more names being announced at a later date.

    The full list of recipients of the Special Awards the 16th Academy of Country Music Honors includes Clint Black, BRELAND, Kane Brown, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Charlie Cook, Charlie Daniels, Mike Dungan, Ashley Gorley, HARDY, Bill Mayne, Tim McGraw, K.T. Oslin, Chris Stapleton and Troy Vollhoffer.

    The 16th Annual ACM Honors will be held on August 23rd at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and will air September 18th on FOX.

  • LUKE GRIMES RELEASES NEW VERSION OF “HOLD ON” FEATURING FOY VANCE.

    Mercury Nashville / Range Music recording artist Luke Grimes today released a new version of, “Hold On,” which also features Irish singer-songwriter Foy Vance, a co-writer on the track. Produced by Dave Cobb, the song was written by Vance and Ilsey Juber.

    LISTEN TO “HOLD ON” FEATURING FOY VANCE | HERE

    When Grimes began having discussions with his management team about his musical inspirations, Foy Vance, a singer-songwriter from Northern Ireland, was on that list. After a writing session with Vance in Scotland fell through, “Hold On,”, was pitched to the team and it was immediately put on hold for Grimes. He recorded it with Cobb, and it is one of only two songs that Grimes didn’t write for his forthcoming album. After the original “Hold On” came out earlier this year, Grimes reached out to Vance again to see if he would record a duet and though the two have still not yet met in person, the beautiful new version is now available.

    “‘Hold On’ has become one of my favorite songs on the (upcoming) album,” said Grimes. “Foy Vance is one of my favorite current songwriters and although he and I couldn’t get together in person, I knew I wanted him to be a part of this album. He had this song that had not been cut and I immediately fell in love with the words; I felt so connected to it. It’s a familiar feeling, the fear of falling too deeply for someone because you could ultimately get hurt. I think it’s a universal feeling for anyone who has had their heart broken.”

    Adds Vance, “I was so happy to hear that Luke had cut ‘Hold On’ for his debut album and then equally honoured to be asked to duet it with him.”

    About Luke Grimes
    Grimes’ debut track, “No Horse To Ride,” debuted inside the Top 10 of the Country Songs sales chart at No. 7. In its second week of release, “No Horse To Ride” racked up 95K Shazams, placing it No. 2 on the Shazam Country chart, No. 2 on the Shazam Top 200 USA chart and No. 37 on the Shazam Global chart, a rarity for a country artist. Spotify placed the song on the cover of its Country Hits 2023 playlist, with the song in the No. 1 position, and the song has been on eight Spotify Viral Charts.

    Known for his role as Kayce Dutton on the hit television series, “Yellowstone,” Grimes has been making music for years and is prepping his first major label project. When not on set, Grimes can be found spinning his favorite country albums and songwriting at home in Montana or in Nashville writing with some of Music Row’s elite including Jonathan Singleton, Tony Lane, Randy Montana, Brent Cobb, Jamey Johnson, Love Junkies, Josh Osborne, Jon Randall, and Jessie Alexander.

    Grimes grew up playing music in the church as the son of a Pentecostal pastor. His father also laid the foundation for the music he loves, introducing him to the works of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings. The Ohio native is now finding his own voice and style as an artist, inspired by the likes of Colter Wall, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, and the late Townes Van Zandt. Grimes is touring this summer at fairs and festivals across the country.

     

    [[audio-player-1]]

  • JOSH TURNER ANNOUNCES GREATEST HITS ALBUM COMING SEPTEMBER 8th.

    With his deep bass voice, Josh Turner has sold more than six and a half million records, reached five and a half billion global streams, and has become an unforgettable hitmaker on country radio. For the first time, MCA Nashville recording artist Josh Turner will release a collection of his top tracks and fan favorites, Greatest Hits, on September 8. The album features 11 of Turner’s biggest songs from seven of his studio albums. The project includes his five No. 1 hits – “Your Man,” certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA; “Would You Go With Me,” certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA; “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” certified double-Platinum by the RIAA; “All Over Me,” certified Gold by the RIAA; and “Hometown Girl,” certified double-Platinum by the RIAA. No Greatest Hits album would be complete without Turner’s self-penned signature song, “Long Black Train,” which has over 315 million streams and is certified Platinum by the RIAA.

    PRE-ORDER JOSH TURNER’S GREATEST HITS | HERE

    “When you start out in this business, you’re never guaranteed longevity,” said Turner. “I’m humbled and thankful that I’m still around making music and that I’ve done well enough for long enough to warrant releasing a Greatest Hits album.”

    GREATEST HITS TRACK LIST:

    1. “Would You Go With Me” (From the album Your Man)
      Written by Shawn Camp and John Scott Sherrill
      Produced by Frank Rogers
    2. “Firecracker” (From the album Everything Is Fine)
      Written by Josh Turner, Pat McLaughlin and Shawn Camp
      Produced by Frank Rogers

     

    1. “Hometown Girl” (From the album Deep South)
      Written by Marc Beeson and Daniel Tashian
      Produced by Frank Rogers

     

    1. “Long Black Train” (From the album Long Black Train)
      Written by Josh Turner
      Produced by Mark Wright and Frank Rogers

     

    1. Why Don’t We Just Dance (From the album Haywire)
      Written by Jim Beavers, Jonathan Singleton and Darrell Brown
      Produced by Frank Rogers

     

    1. All Over Me (From the album Haywire)
      Written by Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson and Rhett Akins
      Produced by Frank Rogers

     

    1. “Your Man” (From the album Your Man)
      Written by Chris Stapleton, Chris DuBois and Jace Everett
      Produced by Frank Rogers

     

    1. “Time Is Love” (From the album Punching Bag)
      Written by Tony Martin, Mark Nesler and Tom Shapiro
      Produced by Frank Rogers

     

    1. “I Wouldn’t Be A Man” (From the album Haywire)
      Written by Rory Bourke and Mike Reid
      Produced by Frank Rogers

     

    1. “Me And God” (featuring Dr. Ralph Stanley and Marty Roe, Gene Johnson and Dana Williams
      of Diamond Rio) (From the album Your Man)
      Written by Josh Turner
      Produced by Frank Rogers

     

    1. “I Serve A Savior” (From the album I Serve A Savior)
      Written by Josh Turner and Mark Narmore
      Produced by Kenny Greenberg

    Turner is currently on the “Long Black Train 20th Anniversary Tour,” in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Turner’s hit album, Long Black Train and the album’s second single of the same name, which were both also certified Platinum by the RIAA. Tickets for Turner’s tour are available now at joshturner.com.

     

    Audio / Josh Turner is overwhelmed that he has a Greatest Hits package coming out.

    Download

    Josh Turner (Greatest Hits collection) OC: …enjoy it. :52
    “A Greatest Hits package is not something you see a whole lot nowadays days. There’s a variety of reasons for that, but to be able to have something like that come out for my fans to buy is just one of those things you never really dreamt about. I don’t know. It’s hard to put into words. I’m very, very thankful, very blessed that I have enough songs that I can call hits to put into a collection like that and that the fans and radio and the industry has continued to support me throughout my career. It’s surreal. It’s a blessing, and I hope people enjoy it.”

  • THE WAR AND TREATY ADD MORE DATES TO THEIR 2023 LOVER’S GAME TOUR.

    The War And Treaty are extending their headlining trek, renamed as the FALL 2023 LOVER’S GAME TOUR. The band will bring their “massive, show-stopping vocals” (Vulture) to multiple cities this fall before closing out the leg in Austin, Texas (October 22nd). Tickets for new headlining dates will be available this Friday (June 23rd) and “Hearts Town” fan club members can access tickets early via pre-sale beginning Wednesday (June 21st) through Thursday (June 22nd). A portion of ticket sales will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association and Vet Tix. For complete ticket and pre-sale details visit www.thewarandtreaty.com.

     

    2023 LOVER’S GAME TOUR DATES:
    06/24/23 Sisters, OR – Big Ponderoo

    06/29/23 Ann Arbor, MI – Sonic Lunch – Liberty Plaza (afternoon show)

    06/29/23 Cadillac, MI – Coyote Crossing Resort (evening show)

    07/01/23 Sioux City, IA – Saturday in the Park

    07/04/23 Nashville, TN – Let Freedom Sing! at Riverfront Park

    07/19/23 Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center Omaha +

    07/20/23 Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre +

    07/25/23 Bozeman, MT – Live From The Divide – SOLD OUT

    07/26/23 Bozeman, MT – Live From The Divide – SOLD OUT

    07/27/23 Bozeman, MT – Live From The Divide – SOLD OUT

    07/28/23 White Sulphur Springs, MT – Red Ants Pants Music Festival

    08/05/23 Newport, RI – Newport Jazz Festival

    08/10/23 Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion +

    08/11/23 Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion +

    08/12/23 Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion +

    08/17/23 Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage +

    08/18/23 Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage +

    08/19/23 Caroga Lake, NY – Caroga Lake Music Festival

    08/25/23 Lugano, CH – Blues to Bop Festival

    08/27/23 Leicestershire, UK – Long Road Festival

    08/29/23 Dublin, IE – Workman’s Club

    08/31/23 Glasgow, UK – Oran Mor

    09/01/23 London, UK – Omeara

    09/24/23 Franklin, TN – PIlgrimage Music & Cultural Festival 

    09/25/23 Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre 

    09/26/23 Durham, NC – The Carolina Theatre of DUrham – Fletcher Hall *

    09/27/23 Charlotte, NC – Visulite Theatre *

    09/29/23 Charleston, SC – Music Farm 

    10/01/23 Memphis, TN – Mempho Music Festival

    10/05/23 San Luis Obispo, CA – SLO Brew Rock 

    10/06/23 Monterey, CA – Rebels and Renegades

    10/08/23 Menlo Park, CA – The Guild Theatre

    10/13/23 Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre

    10/14/23 Spokane, WA – The District at Knitting Factory 

    10/17/23 Boulder, CO – eTown Hall 

    10/19/23 Houston, TX – The Heights Theater 

    10/20/23 Dallas, TX – State Fair of Texas

    10/21/23 San Antonio, TX – Sam’s Burger Joint

    10/22/23 Austin, TX – Antone’s
     
    +Supporting Chris Stapleton
    *With William Prince
    Bold = newly announced dates

  • GEORGE STRAIT FANS SET NEW STADIUM RECORD IN SEATTLE: 59,142.

    On Saturday night (June 17th), George Strait broke the attendance record at Lumen Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks, Sounders FC and OL Reign, with 59,142  turned out to celebrate with the King.

    Marking his first time performing at Lumen — having last played in Tacoma on his Cowboy Rides Away Tour on April 12th, 2014 — the Texas troubadour kicked things off shortly after 9p, commencing his illustrious 31-song set.

    As one of only a handful of remaining chances to see Strait this year, the crowd reveled in the opportunity, erupting in response to Strait’s saunter to stage and simple salutation, “Hello Seattle!”

    With 60 No. 1 singles to pull from — and 25 Top 10s — the 89x Platinum music icon played offerings spanning from 1981’s Strait Country to 2019’s Honky Tonk Time Machine.

    Midway through set, Strait welcomed Chris Stapleton to the stage to perform “Pancho and Lefty” followed by two songs the 10x GRAMMY winner penned for Strait: “You Don’t Know What You’re Missing” and “Love’s Gonna Make It Alright.”

    A few stadium shows remain this year: Nashville, Tennessee on July 28th & 29th and Tampa, Florida on August 5. For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming dates, visit GeorgeStrait.com.

  • GEORGE STRAIT KICKS OFF SUMMER OF STADIUMS WITH TWO-RECORD SETTING PERFORMANCES.

    The King of Country continues his reign as “the genre’s most consistent A-list act,” as declared by the Los Angeles Times, setting back-to-back venue attendance records with his two most recent shows. George Strait brought a record-setting 46,641 attendees to Milwaukee’s American Family Field on Saturday evening (besting Paul McCartney’s 2013 record by over 2,000 people). The standout show came on the heels of last weekend’s record-setting 63,891 attendees at Columbus’s Ohio Stadium for Buckeye Country Superfest.

    “With support from the 11-member ‘Ace in the Hole’ band, Strait’s setlist in Milwaukee was nicely plotted, frequently going back and forth between somber songs and playful tunes,” praised the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel of Strait’s 32 songs over more than two hours on Saturday evening. “He let storytelling seize the spotlight, expressed with a golden croon that showed no strain while offering enough emotional nuance to embody the material.”

    “We have been fortunate to have a number of fantastic shows at American Family Field since we opened our doors. Our expectations for George Strait, Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town were very high and those expectations were blown away,” shared Jason Hartlund, executive vice president/chief commercial officer for the Milwaukee Brewers. “We set venue records for concert attendance and gross ticket revenue, among others. The Brewers have worked with Messina Touring Group for over a decade and have always enjoyed the relationship. We look forward to working together on many future shows at American Family Field.”

    The record-setting concerts followed the Country Music Hall of Famer’s recent headlining performance at Phoenix’s State Farm Stadium (May 6) and set the stage for a summer of stadium shows to come, with dates to follow in Seattle (June 17), Denver (June 24), Nashville (July 28 & 29) and Tampa (Aug. 5).

    “We truly have the best fans in the world. There’s nothing like seeing their faces when I walk on stage with my Ace in the Hole band jamming to ‘Deep in the Heart of Texas,’” shared Strait. “The energy they’re giving back to us is indescribable. I’m very grateful to all of the fans who come out to see us for these shows and I can’t wait to see you at the next one.”

    For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming dates, visit GeorgeStrait.com.

  • VINCE GILL AND PAUL FRANKLIN ANNOUNCE RELEASE OF SWEET MEMORIES: THE MUSIC OF RAY PRICE & THE CHEROKEE COWBOYS – STREET DATE: AUGUST 4th.

    Ten years following the release of the critically-acclaimed Bakersfield album, country music icon Vince Gill and legendary musician Paul Franklin, have joined forces again for their latest project, Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys. The 11-track album is set for release on August 4, 2023 on MCA Nashville and pre-orders for the much-anticipated project launch today.

    PRE-ORDER ALBUM | HERE

    LISTEN TO “KISSING YOUR PICTURE (IS SO COLD)” | HERE

    Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys contains material that might be surprising to even the most die-hard of Price’s fans. Gill explains, “When we originally started thinking about doing this record, we were going to do half and half, focusing on two different artists like we did with Bakersfield, recording songs of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. But we got to liking so many of Ray’s songs, that it became ‘Let’s do all Ray’ and ‘Well, Okay!””

    Franklin adds, “We had such a great time doing Bakersfield. It felt good introducing that music to a new generation. This time, it was a no-brainer to pick Ray Price. Once we locked in on Ray, we started looking through the sheer volume of his material. We looked for obscure songs, ones even Ray’s fans might not know as well.”

    “We kind of shopped for the unfamiliar,” Gill continues. “Eddie Stubbs [the former Grand Ole Opry announcer, WSM disc jockey and music scholar] was part of this process, although he didn’t know it at the time. I’d listen to him at night and call him up and say, ‘Play something for me I’ve never heard before.’ He’d often play something that knocked me out, and I’d take note of all the songs. I had maybe 30 different ones for Paul to listen to—some so outside the box that I didn’t know them, and Paul didn’t either.”

    In addition to choosing material that was less than predictable, as co-producers of Sweet Memories, Gill and Franklin approached the recording from a different angle as well.

    Gill explains, “This isn’t a sound-alike record. I never wanted to do that. I don’t think any of these songs sound comparable to the original.”

    The final component was their take on the musicians, from the original The Cherokee Cowboys band to the stellar lineup of players contributing to Sweet Memories.

    Gill acknowledges, “There were some unbelievably gifted musicians who were such a part of those original records. We were drawn to them probably as much as we were drawn to Ray.”

    The musicians contributing to Sweet Memories include: Tom Bukovac (electric guitar), Dennis Crouch (bass), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Steve Gibson (electric guitar), John Jarvis (piano), Greg Morrow (drums), Wendy Moten (harmony vocals), the late Michael Rhodes (electric bass), Jerry Roe (drums), Derek Wells (electric guitar), and Andrea Zonn (harmony vocals).

    “I’m excited this music is getting out there in a way we feel brings new life and new ideas to it,” Franklin notes. “And hopefully will expose a younger generation to Ray’s music.”

    Track Listing – Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys

    1. “One More Time”

    Written by Mel Tillis

    1. “I’d Fight The World”

    Written by Hank Cochran and Joe Allison

    1. “You Wouldn’t Know Love”

    Written by Hank Cochran and Dave Kirby

    1. “Walkin’ Slow (And Thinking ‘Bout Her)”

    Written by Bobby Bare and Lance Guynes

    1. “The Same Two Lips”

    Written by Marty Robbins

    1. “Weary Blues From Waitin’”

    Written by Hank Williams Sr.

    1. “Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)”

    Written by Mel Tillis, Ray Price and Wayne Walker

    1. “Sweet Memories”

    Written by Mickey Newbury

    1. “Danny Boy”

    Written by Fred E. Weatherly

    1. “Your Old Love Letters”

    Written by Ray Price

    1. “Healing Hands Of Time”

    Written by Willie Nelson

     

    ABOUT VINCE GILL:
    One of the most popular artists in modern country music, Vince Gill is famous for his top-notch songwriting, world-class guitar playing and warm, soaring tenor, all wrapped up in a quick and easy wit. Gill achieved his big breakthrough in 1990 with “When I Call Your Name,” which won both the Country Music Association’s (CMA) Single and Song of the Year awards as well as a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male. In total, Gill has won 18 CMA Awards, 22 Grammy Awards, and 8 Academy of Country Music Awards. In 1991, Gill was invited to become a member of The Grand Ole Opry, and in 2007 was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2012 he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A gifted songwriter, Gill’s compositions earned him entry into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and was awarded the prestigious BMI Icon award in 2014. Throughout his career he has released 20 albums, sold over 30 million albums, and charted 45 singles. Always considering himself a musician above all else, Gill has over the years been a part of some iconic bands including Pure Prairie League, The Notorious Cherry Bombs, and The Time Jumpers. In 2022, Gill was inducted into the Musician’s Hall of Fame.  In 2017 Gill was asked to join the Eagles on the road and continues to be a part of that historic band’s tour.

     

    ABOUT PAUL FRANKLIN:
    A native of Detroit, Paul Franklin moved to Nashville in 1972. He immediately began touring with some of country’s most legendary artists of the time including Barbara Mandrell, Jerry Reed and Mel Tillis. In the early 80’s, after so many years of being on the road, Franklin decided to take a hiatus from touring to focus primarily on recording session work. He has become one of the most iconic pedal steel players in the world playing behind such legendary artists as Sting, Mark Knopfler, Vince Gill, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Shania Twain, Barbra Streisand and Megadeth. Franklin is a member of the Grammy Award-winning band The Time Jumpers. His ability to create music outside of the country field has taken him well beyond the stereotype by which the pedal steel guitar has often been limited. His soulful playing on this uniquely voiced instrument is clearly from the heart and makes him one of the most in-demand musicians in Nashville. Franklin is currently touring with Chris Stapleton.

     

    Audio / Vince Gill talks about his upcoming project with Paul Franklin, Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys.

    Download

    Vince Gill (Ray Price record) OC: …a soundalike. :42
    “With Ray, this Ray record, I knew my job to honor Ray would be much more as a singer. The Ray Price records never had hardly any guitar featured.  It was always twin fiddles and steel guitar was predominant on all those records. So, this was a record for me to really focus on the singing and not emulate Ray in the way that he sang but just to honor it and the way that these songs are phrased is way different than the way I would have phrased a Buck Owens song or a Merle Haggard. There’s elements of what they did that I would use but not to the point of where it was a soundalike.”

    Audio / Vince Gill talks about the way Ray Price sang, and how he phrased his songs.

    Download

    Vince Gill (Ray Price record) 2 OC: …what people think. :58
    “You often think what is it that made Ray Price such a great singer and it’s very simple. It’s the way that he phrased. You say the same thing about Ray Charles. He was a great soulful singer, but nobody phrased like Ray Charles. Jerry Lee Lewis when he would make country records was one of the greatest phrasers. All time Willie has gone on. Everybody goes oh it’s so odd he back phrases. No, he front phrases more than he back phrases. And it’s because he can have that call and response with himself. He can sing and then play, sing and then play. And it makes so much sense when you look at it logically. And so we took off on this record and we thought about doing half and half like we did with Bakersfield but we wound up liking so many songs I said hell, let’s just do all Ray songs on this one. And it made a lot of sense and took a long time to finish because of Covid and all that mess but pretty grateful that it’s finally out there and see what people think.”

    Video /

    View
  • THE WAR AND TREATY RELEASE CAPTIVATING PERFORMANCE VIDEO FOR “DUMB LUCK.”

    The War And Treaty’s music video for the “vital and fiery” (HITS Magazine) song, “Dumb Luck,” is available now.  The music video puts the spotlight directly on the chill inducing vocals of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, as they sing a pleading prayer for humility with spirit-swelling Gospel grit.

    The duo shared the story behind the song, explaining, “This is a moment where we can’t afford to take anything for granted. How we’re making it, how we’re thriving and surviving, how we stay motivated is all based on realizing three things. 1. It’s all God. 2. To whom much is given much is required. 3. It could be anyone, but it’s you so use your time wisely.”

    Tonight, The War And Treaty begin their stretch of opening dates for Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show Tour.  For a full list of tour dates, click HERE.

    Additionally, the husband-and-wife duo marked Memorial Day weekend with emotionally charged performance tributes. Michael Trotter Jr, a war veteran himself, and Tanya Trotter started the weekend performing as part of “Opry Salutes The Troops” which aired on Circle Network (available HERE), and then traveled to Washington, D.C. for the PBS Memorial Day Concert (watch HERE).

    Founded in 2014 by the husband-and-wife duo Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, The War And Treaty have emerged as one of the most electrifying new acts in American music. With a lionhearted sonic blend – both roaring with passion and tender to the touch, “they are unlike any other act in music.” – The Tennessean. Their major label debut album LOVER’S GAME (Mercury Nashville), was met with critical praise with Associated Press claiming, “The colossally talented pair continue their commando, no-limits journey to the top of the music world.” Earning respect, they’ve gone on to appear as top-flight collaborators, and have been recognized by the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry and the Americana Music Association as “2022 Duo/Group of the Year.” The duo has dominated stages across the globe including North America, Europe, Italy, Australia, and Ireland, while headlining their own shows and opening for a diverse group of living legends; Al Green, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, John Legend, Lauren Daigle and Van Morrison among them. For more information visit www.thewarandtreaty.com.

  • ACM AWARDS 2023 PREVIEW

    The 58th Annual ACM Awards will take place Thursday (May 11th) with a star-studded cast of nominees, performers and presenters. Jordan Davis, Ed Sheeran and Hardy will perform, as well as collaborations between Trisha Yearwood and Carly Pearce; Ashley McBryde featuring Caylee Hammack, Brandy Clark, Pillbox Patti  and John Osborne, as well as Cole Swindell with Jo Dee Messina.

    Presenters include Tyler Hubbard, Mickey Guyton, TJ Osborne, Jon Pardi, Keith Urban, Jordan Davis, Gabby Barrett,Dak Prescott, Emmitt Smith, Tanya Tucker, Breland, MacKenzie Porter, Brandy Clark and Trisha Yearwood.

    Previously announced performers include Keith Urban, The War And Treaty, Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton, Jelly Roll, Cole Swindell, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman.

    Chris Stapleton has four nods, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Song of the Year for “You Should Probably Leave” as both artist and songwriter.

    Jon Pardi is nominated for Album of the Year for Mr. Saturday Night as songwriter and producer.

    Carrie Underwood is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, while Jordan Davis scores his first ACM nomination for Male Artist of the Year.

    Little Big Town is up for Group of the Year, and the Duo of the Year category features Brothers Osborne, Maddie & Tae and The War And Treaty.

    Of note, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne earns a second nod for Album of the Year (Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville) as Producer.

    The 58th Annual ACM Awards will be free to stream live for a global audience across 240+ countries and territories exclusively on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, May 11th at 7pm ET/6pm CT/4pm PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The full rebroadcast will stream the next day for free on Amazon Freevee.

    The two-hour, commercial-free ACM Awards will stream live for free on Prime Video and the Amazon Music Twitch channel from The Star in Frisco, Texas beginning at 7pm ET/6pm CT.

    Entertainer of the Year

    Jason Aldean
    Kane Brown
    Luke Combs
    Miranda Lambert
    Chris Stapleton
    Carrie Underwood
    Morgan Wallen

    Female Artist of the Year

    Kelsea Ballerini
    Miranda Lambert
    Ashley McBryde
    Carly Pearce
    Lainey Wilson

    Male Artist of the Year

    Kane Brown
    Luke Combs
    Jordan Davis
    Chris Stapleton
    Morgan Wallen

    Duo of the Year

    Brooks & Dunn
    Brothers Osborne
    Dan + Shay
    Maddie & Tae 
    The War and Treaty

    Group of the Year

    Lady A
    Little Big Town 
    Midland
    Old Dominion
    Zac Brown Band

    New Female Artist of the Year

    Priscilla Block 
    Megan Moroney
    Caitlyn Smith
    Morgan Wade
    Hailey Whitters

    New Male Artist of the Year

    Zach Bryan
    Jackson Dean
    ERNEST
    Dylan Scott
    Nate Smith
    Bailey Zimmerman

    Album of the Year

    Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville – Ashley McBryde; Producer: John Osborne
    Bell Bottom Country – Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce
    Growin’ Up – Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton
    Mr. Saturday Night – Jon Pardi; Producers: Jon Pardi, Bart Butler, Ryan Gore
    Palomino – Miranda Lambert; Producers: Jon Randall, Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Mikey Reaves

    Single of the Year

    “Heart Like a Truck” – Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce
    “Never Wanted to Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde; Producers: Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally
    “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” – Cole Swindell; Producer: Zach Crowell
    “Thank God” – Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown; Producer: Dann Huff
    “‘Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson; Producer: Trent Willmon

    Song of the Year

    “Sand In My Boots” – Morgan Wallen; Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Josh Osborne, Michael Hardy
    “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” – Cole Swindell; Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Cole Swindell, Jesse Frasure, Mark D. Sanders, Thomas Rhett, Tim Nichols; Publishers: Ashley Gorley
    “‘Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson; Songwriters: Ben Stennis, Matt Rogers
    “wait in the truck” – HARDY ft. Lainey Wilson; Songwriters: Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt, Michael Hardy, Renee Blair
    “You Should Probably Leave” – Chris Stapleton; Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Chris DuBois, Chris Stapleton

    Visual Media of the Year

    “HEARTFIRST” – Kelsea Ballerini; Producers: Christen Pinkston & Wesley Stebbins-Perry; Director: P Tracy}
    “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” – Cole Swindell; Producer: Troy Jackson; Director: Spidey Smith
    “Thank God” – Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown; Producer: Luke Arreguin; Director: Alex Alvga
    “‘Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson; Producer: Maddy Hayes; Director: Dustin Haney
    “wait in the truck” – HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson; Producer: Inkwell Productions; Director: Justin Clough
    “What He Didn’t Do” – Carly Pearce; Producer: Ryan Byrd; Director: Alexa Campbell

    Songwriter of the Year

    Nicolle Galyon
    Ashley Gorley
    Chase McGill
    Josh Osborne
    Hunter Phelps

    Artist-Songwriter of the Year

    Luke Combs
    ERNEST
    HARDY
    Miranda Lambert
    Morgan Wallen

     

    Audio / CARRIE UNDERWOOD TALKS ABOUT BEING NOMINATED FOR ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR.

    Download

    Carrie Underwood (Entertainer nomination) OC: …that category. :47
    “It is, I mean, obviously such an honor to be nominated in Entertainer of the Year. Obviously, that’s such a tough category to be in, ‘cause there’s just so, I don’t even want to call it competition, there’s just so many hard working artists out there that are just you know pouring themselves and their time and their energy and their love and their artistry into what they do. You know, obviously just to even be in the final category is just absolutely amazing and hopefully, above all, we can all just remember that it’s a celebration of a great year in country music and in our careers as artists, so we’ll just see what happens, but definitely excited to be in that category.”

    Audio / JORDAN DAVIS TALKS ABOUT HIS ACM NOMINATION FOR MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR.

    Download

    Jordan Davis (ACM 2023 Male nod) OC: …win for me. :49
    “I haven’t been that shocked in a long time. Definitely the most shocked I’ve been since I started doing music. It was definitely shocked to see that I was in that category. I knew I made it through to the last round, but, honestly, I was, y’all see the other nominees in there, some heavy hitters. So, to hear my name first, it was pure shock. But now too, in 2019, I was up for New Artist, so I think it goes to show that I’ve got a great team and great fans, and two, we made some great music that is connecting with people. The awards are amazing, but to be nominated with those guys is a huge win for me.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi talks about his ACM Album of the Year nomination for Mr. Saturday Night.

    Download

    Jon Pardi (ACM nomination 2023) OC: …always great. :20
    “’Mr. Saturday Night’ being nominated for Album of the Year is an accomplishment, and a lot of hard work went into it and a lot of hard work goes out touring it. It’s just a great record. We picked out songs, wrote songs, went to Key West to record vocals which is cool. Just to get nominated by songwriters and publishers and the industry is always great.”

    Audio / WHEN THIS YEAR'S ACM NOMINATIONS WERE ANNOUNCED LAST MONTH, MICHAEL AND TANYA TROTTER OF THE WAR AND TREATY TALK ABOUT THEIR FIRST ACM NOMINATION FOR DUO OF THE YEAR.

    Download

    The War and Treaty (ACM 2023 nomination) OC: (Tanya) …country music. 1:13
    “Hey everybody! I’m Tanya, and I’m Michael, and we’re The War and Treaty. (Michael) This morning, April 13th, we woke up and to be able to see Bobby Bones do the nominations for the ACMS ad get to the category of Duo of the Year, and we were just callin’ ‘em out. We were like, ‘Brooks & Dunn,’ ‘Dan + Shay,’ and we were like ‘Brothers Osborne,’ Brothers Osborne, yes! Dan + Shay, Dan + Shay, and we was like, ‘Yes.’ We were like, ‘Maddie & Tae,’ we was like ‘Yes,’ and then time slowed down. They were like The War and Treaty. And honestly, we burst into tears, we screamed, we yelled, we high-fived, we hugged our manager, Christina. In our minds then traveled back in time and forward. We traveled to Charly Pride, DeFord Bailey and Ray Charles, and we were like, ‘I hope they’re seeing this wherever they are, and I hope they’re dancing and high-fiving as well. Thank you, ACMs.” TANYA: “Thank you so much to the ACMs and everybody who’s nominated and all of our peers in country music.”

    Audio / PRISCILLA BLOCK IS SO EXCITED TO BE NOMINATED FOR ACM NEW FEMALE THIS YEAR.

    Download

    Priscilla Block (ACM 2023 nomination) OC: …to party, baby! :28
    “Omigosh! It’s Priscilla Block. I am so honored and just literally freaking out that I am nominated for New Female at the ACM Awards. This is my second year being nominated, and it’s such an honor. Gosh, I think about five years ago when I would’ve dreamed of being here, so I’m really excited, and it’s gonna be in Texas, so I’m ready. I’m ready to party, baby!”

  • LUKE GRIMES DROPS NEW TRACK “HOLD ON.”

    Mercury Nashville / Range Music recording artist Luke Grimes today released a new track, “Hold On.” Written by Foy Vance and Ilsey Juber, the song is produced by Dave Cobb.

    When Grimes began having discussions with his management team about his musical inspirations, Foy Vance, a singer-songwriter from Northern Ireland, was on that list. After a writing session with Vance in Scotland fell through, “Hold On,”, was pitched to the team and it was immediately put on hold for Grimes. He recorded it with Cobb, and it is one of only two songs that Grimes didn’t write for his forthcoming album.

    LISTEN TO “HOLD ON” | HERE

    “‘Hold On’ has become one of my favorite songs on the (upcoming) album,” said Grimes. “Foy Vance is one of my favorite current songwriters and although he and I couldn’t get together in person, I knew I wanted him to be a part of this album. He had this song that had not been cut and I immediately fell in love with the words; I felt so connected to it. It’s a familiar feeling, the fear of falling too deeply for someone because you could ultimately get hurt. I think it’s a universal feeling for anyone who has had their heart broken.”

    Grimes is making his debut Stagecoach Festival debut on Sunday, April 30. His performance will be included in the Stagecoach livestream which will be available to stream on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch and Prime Video at 2:35 p.m. PT.

    About Luke Grimes

    Grimes’ debut track, “No Horse To Ride,” debuted inside the Top 10 of the Country Songs sales chart at No. 7. In its second week of release, “No Horse To Ride” racked up 95K Shazams, placing it No. 2 on the Shazam Country chart, No. 2 on the Shazam Top 200 USA chart and No. 37 on the Shazam Global chart, a rarity for a country artist. Spotify placed the song on the cover of its Country Hits 2023 playlist, with the song in the No. 1 position, and the song has been on eight Spotify Viral Charts.

    Known for his role as Kayce Dutton on the hit television series, “Yellowstone,” Grimes has been making music for years and is prepping his first major label project. When not on set, Grimes can be found spinning his favorite country albums and songwriting at home in Montana or in Nashville writing with some of Music Row’s elite including Jonathan Singleton, Tony Lane, Randy Montana, Brent Cobb, Jamey Johnson, Love Junkies, Josh Osborne, Jon Randall, and Jessie Alexander.

    Grimes grew up playing music in the church as the son of a Pentecostal pastor. His father also laid the foundation for the music he loves, introducing him to the works of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings. The Ohio native is now finding his own voice and style as an artist, inspired by the likes of Colter Wall, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, and the late Townes Van Zandt.

  • JORDAN DAVIS ALMOST COULDN’T BELIEVE HIS EARS WHEN HE FOUND OUT HE WAS NOMINATED FOR ACM MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR.

    Jordan Davis couldn’t have predicted his nomination for ACM Male Artist of the Year, since it has been four years since he was first nominated for the ACM New Artist of the Year. He’s been nominated for a few different awards in the last few years, including winning the CMA Song of the Year in 2022 for “Buy Dirt,” and he finally picks up a nod for Male Artist.

    “I haven’t been that shocked in a long time. Definitely the most shocked I’ve been since I started doing music,” says Jordan. “It was definitely shocked to see that I was in that category. I knew I made it through to the last round, but, honestly, I was, y’all see the other nominees in there, some heavy hitters. So, to hear my name first, it was pure shock. But now too, in 2019, I was up for New Artist, so I think it goes to show that I’ve got a great team and great fans, and two, we made some great music that is connecting with people. The awards are amazing, but to be nominated with those guys is a huge win for me.”

    Jordan is up against Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen and Kane Brown.

    The 58th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will stream live from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on Amazon Prime Video May 11th at 8pm ET/7pm CT/5pm PT.

    Jordan is currently scaling the country charts with his latest single, “Next Thing You Know.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about his ACM nomination for Male Artist of the Year.

    Download

    Jordan Davis (ACM 2023 Male nod) OC: …win for me. :49
    “I haven’t been that shocked in a long time. Definitely the most shocked I’ve been since I started doing music. It was definitely shocked to see that I was in that category. I knew I made it through to the last round, but, honestly, I was, y’all see the other nominees in there, some heavy hitters. So, to hear my name first, it was pure shock. But now too, in 2019, I was up for New Artist, so I think it goes to show that I’ve got a great team and great fans, and two, we made some great music that is connecting with people. The awards are amazing, but to be nominated with those guys is a huge win for me.”

  • THE NOMINATIONS FOR THE 58TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS ARE ANNOUNCED.

    The nominations for the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards have been announced. Chris Stapleton picks up four nods, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Song of the Year for “You Should Probably Leave” as both artist and songwriter.

    Jon Pardi picks up nominations for Album of the Year for Mr. Saturday Night as songwriter and producer.

    https://twitter.com/JonPardi/status/1646650602905034753

     

    Carrie Underwood is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, while Jordan Davis scores his first ACM nomination for Male Artist of the Year.

    Little Big Town is up for Group of the Year, and the Duo of the Year category features Brothers Osborne, Maddie & Tae and The War And Treaty.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Of note, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne earns a second nod for Album of the Year (Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville) as Producer.

    The Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on May 11th on Amazon Prime.

    Entertainer of the Year

    Jason Aldean
    Kane Brown
    Luke Combs
    Miranda Lambert
    Chris Stapleton
    Carrie Underwood
    Morgan Wallen

    Female Artist of the Year

    Kelsea Ballerini
    Miranda Lambert
    Ashley McBryde
    Carly Pearce
    Lainey Wilson

    Male Artist of the Year

    Kane Brown
    Luke Combs
    Jordan Davis
    Chris Stapleton
    Morgan Wallen

    Duo of the Year

    Brooks & Dunn
    Brothers Osborne
    Dan + Shay
    Maddie & Tae 
    The War and Treaty

    Group of the Year

    Lady A
    Little Big Town 
    Midland
    Old Dominion
    Zac Brown Band

    New Female Artist of the Year

    Priscilla Block 
    Megan Moroney
    Caitlyn Smith
    Morgan Wade
    Hailey Whitters

    New Male Artist of the Year

    Zach Bryan
    Jackson Dean
    ERNEST
    Dylan Scott
    Nate Smith
    Bailey Zimmerman

    Album of the Year

    Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville – Ashley McBryde; Producer: John Osborne
    Bell Bottom Country – Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce
    Growin’ Up – Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton
    Mr. Saturday Night – Jon Pardi; Producers: Jon Pardi, Bart Butler, Ryan Gore
    Palomino – Miranda Lambert; Producers: Jon Randall, Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Mikey Reaves

    Single of the Year

    “Heart Like a Truck” – Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce
    “Never Wanted to Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde; Producers: Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally
    “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” – Cole Swindell; Producer: Zach Crowell
    “Thank God” – Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown; Producer: Dann Huff
    “‘Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson; Producer: Trent Willmon

    Song of the Year

    “Sand In My Boots” – Morgan Wallen; Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Josh Osborne, Michael Hardy
    “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” – Cole Swindell; Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Cole Swindell, Jesse Frasure, Mark D. Sanders, Thomas Rhett, Tim Nichols; Publishers: Ashley Gorley
    “‘Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson; Songwriters: Ben Stennis, Matt Rogers
    “wait in the truck” – HARDY ft. Lainey Wilson; Songwriters: Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt, Michael Hardy, Renee Blair
    “You Should Probably Leave” – Chris Stapleton; Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Chris DuBois, Chris Stapleton

    Visual Media of the Year

    “HEARTFIRST” – Kelsea Ballerini; Producers: Christen Pinkston & Wesley Stebbins-Perry; Director: P Tracy}
    “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” – Cole Swindell; Producer: Troy Jackson; Director: Spidey Smith
    “Thank God” – Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown; Producer: Luke Arreguin; Director: Alex Alvga
    “‘Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson; Producer: Maddy Hayes; Director: Dustin Haney
    “wait in the truck” – HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson; Producer: Inkwell Productions; Director: Justin Clough
    “What He Didn’t Do” – Carly Pearce; Producer: Ryan Byrd; Director: Alexa Campbell

    Songwriter of the Year

    Nicolle Galyon
    Ashley Gorley
    Chase McGill
    Josh Osborne
    Hunter Phelps

    Artist-Songwriter of the Year

    Luke Combs
    ERNEST
    HARDY
    Miranda Lambert
    Morgan Wallen

     

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about being nominated for Entertainer of the Year.

    Download

    Carrie Underwood (Entertainer nomination) OC: …that category. :47
    “It is, I mean, obviously such an honor to be nominated in Entertainer of the Year. Obviously, that’s such a tough category to be in, ‘cause there’s just so, I don’t even want to call it competition, there’s just so many hard working artists out there that are just you know pouring themselves and their time and their energy and their love and their artistry into what they do. You know, obviously just to even be in the final category is just absolutely amazing and hopefully, above all, we can all just remember that it’s a celebration of a great year in country music and in our careers as artists, so we’ll just see what happens, but definitely excited to be in that category.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi says his album, Mr. Saturday Night, is more about his life experiences than any other record.

    Download

    Jon Pardi (New album Mr Sat Night) OC: …record before. :10
    “I think it’s a special record. I think it’s different, and Mr Saturday Night, I say about this record – it’s more life experience on this record than any record before.”

    Audio / Priscilla Block is so excited to be nominated for ACM New Female this year.

    Download

    Priscilla Block (ACM 2023 nomination) OC: …to party, baby! :28
    “Omigosh! It’s Priscilla Block. I am so honored and just literally freaking out that I am nominated for New Female at the ACM Awards. This is my second year being nominated, and it’s such an honor. Gosh, I think about five years ago when I would’ve dreamed of being here, so I’m really excited, and it’s gonna be in Texas, so I’m ready. I’m ready to party, baby!”

    Audio / Michael and Tanya Trotter of The War And Treaty talk about their first ACM nomination for Duo of the Year.

    Download

    The War and Treaty (ACM 2023 nomination) OC: (Tanya) …country music. 1:13
    “Hey everybody! I’m Tanya, and I’m Michael, and we’re The War and Treaty. (Michael) This morning, April 13th, we woke up and to be able to see Bobby Bones do the nominations for the ACMS ad get to the category of Duo of the Year, and we were just callin’ ‘em out. We were like, ‘Brooks & Dunn,’ ‘Dan + Shay,’ and we were like ‘Brothers Osborne,’ Brothers Osborne, yes! Dan + Shay, Dan + Shay, and we was like, ‘Yes.’ We were like, ‘Maddie & Tae,’ we was like ‘Yes,’ and then time slowed down. They were like The War and Treaty. And honestly, we burst into tears, we screamed, we yelled, we high-fived, we hugged our manager, Christina. In our minds then traveled back in time and forward. We traveled to Charly Pride, DeFord Bailey and Ray Charles, and we were like, ‘I hope they’re seeing this wherever they are, and I hope they’re dancing and high-fiving as well. Thank you, ACMs.” TANYA: “Thank you so much to the ACMs and everybody who’s nominated and all of our peers in country music.”

  • GEORGE STRAIT RETURNS TO FORT WORTH FOR TWO NIGHTS: NOVEMBER 17th & 18th

    George Strait has announced a two-night-only event in his home state, with back-to-back concerts set for Friday, November 17 and Saturday, November 18, 2023 at Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena. The King of Country Music will be joined by special guest Caitlyn Smith for both dates.

    The two-night stand is a reprise of Strait’s two nights at Dickies Arena in 2022, which both sold out within hours of going on sale to the public. Tickets to the 2023 shows go on sale to the general public Friday, April 14 at 10 a.m. CT via Ticketmaster.com. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Tuesday, April 11 at 10 a.m. CT through Thursday, April 13 at 10 p.m. CT.

    The news follows the recent announcement that Strait will team up with Chris Stapleton to perform one-off stadium dates this year in Phoenix, Seattle, Denver, Milwaukee, Nashville (two nights) and Tampa. Joining the King of Country and Stapleton for all dates are special guests Little Big Town.

    Since his record-breaking Cowboy Rides Away Tour in 2014, Strait has performed for limited engagements outside of his 36-and-counting Strait to Vegas shows at T-Mobile Arena, including headlining both weekends of the Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2021 plus his 31st appearance at the Houston Rodeo in 2022. With an unmatched 60 singles hitting the top of the charts—more than any other artist in any genre—during the span of his 30+ year career, Strait has collected 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums, more than any other Country artist and ranking third across all genres behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. The Texas troubadour is the only artist or act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades and recently earned his 100th entry on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with his latest single, “The Weight of the Badge.” He has sold nearly 70 million albums and earned more than 60 major entertainment industry awards, including induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

    For more information and to purchase tickets to all upcoming dates, visit GeorgeStrait.com.

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK RELEASES VULNERABLE NEW SONG “HISTORY OF REPEATING.”

    Caylee Hammack is back with an emotionally raw new song “History of Repeating” released today, available to listen here and watch here. Hammack, who has “created a kind of country music that’s larger—and brighter—than real life” (HITS Magazine) co-wrote the song with Ashley McBryde and Nicolette Hayford (Pillbox Patti) and co-produced it with Dann Huff. The song shows Hammack’s bold vocals as she dives deep into the inner battles of repeating old habits when dealing with heartache.

     

    “Love is my weakness, my kryptonite even,” shared Hammack. “It’s the small girl inside of me looking for true love, and really believing I’m going to find it. This song is a very honest admission of some bad decisions that I think anyone can relate to making… those decisions sometimes we repeat, even though we know it’s not what is best for us. The humanness of our habits and hearts and a swig of Jack Daniel’s for flavor.”

    Hammack just returned from overseas at the C2C Festival with performances in London, Dublin and Glasgow and has recently announced stops as part of Dierks Bentley’s upcoming Gravel & Gold Tour. Hammack has previously brought her unforgettable live set to opening slots for Reba, Darius Rucker, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Trisha Yearwood, Brad Paisley, Brothers Osborne and some of country music’s biggest festivals.

     

    Audio / Caylee Hammack talks about her new song "History of Repeating."

    Download

    Caylee Hammack (History of Repeating) OC: …certain person. :14
    “I wrote ‘History of Repeating’ with Ashley McBryde and Pillbox Patti, and we started talking about the bad decisions we make especially when it comes to drinking and smoking and that certain person we shouldn’t talk to anymore, and it seems we all have that certain person.”

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (History of Repeating)

    Download
  • POWERHOUSE VOCAL DUO THE WAR AND TREATY TO PERFORM “AIN’T NO HARMIN’ ME” TONIGHT ON JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!

    Genre-bending duo” (Paste) known as The War And Treaty will make the television debut of their fiery new single “Ain’t No Harmin’ Me” tonight (March 27th) on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 10:35pm CT on ABC. Named as one of Vulture‘s “2023 Best Songs of the Year So Far,” the track co-written by Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter is the latest release from their new milestone album LOVER’S GAME (Mercury Nashville) and pulls back another layer of The War And Treaty’s maturing relationship. The 10-song collection produced by Dave Cobb has already been named one of the best albums of the year so far by No Depression as well as Holler and is available here.

    On the heels of LOVER’S GAME release, the husband and wife duo made their mark at SXSW by “turning the outdoor stage into a barnstorming Southern rock and soul revue” (Rolling Stone) before launching their 35-city LOVERS GAME TOUR with special guest Kat & Alex. Known for their “exhilarating live shows” (NPR) last night’s capacity crowd at Los Angeles’ Troubadour experienced how the recent CMT Music Awards nominated duo bring “the devotional fervour of a revival meeting,” (The Guardian). Limited tickets are still available for select dates as a portion of ticket sales will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association and Vet Tix.

    Founded in 2014 by the husband-and-wife duo Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, The War And Treaty have emerged as one of the most electrifying new acts in American music. With a lionhearted sonic blend – both roaring with passion and tender to the touch, they “are making soul moves that are captivating everyone who sees them,” (Hits Magazine). Earning respect, they’ve gone on to appear as top-flight collaborators, and have been recognized by the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry and the Americana Music Association as “2022 Duo/Group of the Year.” With more than 100 shows last year, the duo have dominated stages across the globe including North America, Europe, Italy, Australia, and Ireland, while headlining their own shows and opening for a diverse group of living legends; Al Green, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, John Legend, Lauren Daigle and Van Morrison among them. As they have created vastly diverse tour opportunities across multiple genres, The War And Treaty will join Chris Stapleton on the All American Road Show Tour this summer. For more information visit www.thewarandtreaty.com.

  • CMT MUSIC AWARDS 2023: Keith, Carrie, Kylie and more

    More performers have been announced for this year’s CMT Music Awards. Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Cody Johnson and Carly Pearce will all hit the stage, in addition to previously announced performers Carrie Underwood, Lainey Wilson and the hosts of the show, Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown.

    Carrie, a fan favorite and the winningest artist in CMT Music Awards history, is nominated for Video of the Year (“Hate My Heart”) and Female Video of the Year (“Ghost Story”).

    Keith Urban is the second most-nominated artist in the history of the CMT Music Awards. He is nominated for Video of the Year (“Wild Hearts”) and CMT Performance Video of the Year (“Wild Hearts” at last year’s CMT Music Awards).

    Kylie Morgan received her first awards nomination for CMT’s Female Breakthrough Video of the Year for “If He Wanted To He Would.” She couldn’t be more thrilled! “I got nominated for my first-ever CMT Award for Breakthrough Female Video of the Year for ‘If He Wanted To He Would,’” says Kylie. “I’ve only cried like 17 times. I’m still shaking about it. Thank you guys so much, and I’m so freaking excited.”

    The 2023 CMT Music Awards will air live from Moody Center in Austin, Texas beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT April 2nd on CBS. The three-hour special will also be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.

    Voting for the 2023 CMT Music Awards is now open at vote.cmt.com.

    2023 CMT MUSIC AWARDS Nominations:

    VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

    Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration). Top six nominees, from the first round of voting, will be announced on March 27. The final three nominees, from the second round of voting, will be announced on show day, April 2. Final voting will be determined via social media and announced as the final category during the live show.

    Ashley McBryde, Caylee Hammack, Brandy Clark & Pillbox Patti – “Bonfire at Tina’s”

    Blake Shelton – “No Body”

    Carrie Underwood – “Hate My Heart”

    Cody Johnson – “Human”

    Elle King feat. Dierks Bentley – “Worth a Shot”

    Gabby Barrett – “Pick Me Up”

    HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson – “wait in the truck”

    Jimmie Allen – “Down Home”

    Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown – “Thank God”

    Keith Urban – “Wild Hearts”

    Kelsea Ballerini – “HEARTFIRST”

    Little Big Town – “Rich Man”

    Luke Bryan – “Country On”

    Luke Combs – “The Kind of Love We Make”

    Morgan Wallen – “You Proof”

    Walker Hayes – “AA”

    FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

    Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist.

    Carly Pearce – “What He Didn’t Do”

    Carrie Underwood – “Ghost Story”

    Gabby Barrett – “Pick Me Up”

    Kelsea Ballerini – “HEARTFIRST”

    Lainey Wilson – “Heart Like a Truck”

    Maren Morris – “Humble Quest”

    Miranda Lambert – “Actin’ Up”

    MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

    Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist.

    Bailey Zimmerman – “Rock and a Hard Place”

    Cody Johnson – “Human”

    Cole Swindell – “She Had Me at Heads Carolina”

    Jelly Roll – “Son of a Sinner”

    Kane Brown – “Like I Love Country Music”

    Luke Combs – “The Kind of Love We Make”

    Morgan Wallen – “Wasted on You”

    GROUP/DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR;

    Best video by a duo or group; awarded to the artists.

    Dan + Shay – “You (Performance Video)”

    Lady A – “Summer State of Mind”

    Little Big Town – “Hell Yeah”

    Parmalee – “Take My Name”

    The War and Treaty – “That’s How Love Is Made”

    Zac Brown Band – “Out in the Middle”

    FEMALE BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

    Best video from a female artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist.

    Avery Anna – “Narcissist”

    Kylie Morgan – “If He Wanted to He Would”

    MacKenzie Porter – “Pickup”

    Megan Moroney – “Tennessee Orange”

    Morgan Wade – “Wilder Days”

    Tiera Kennedy – “Found It in You”

    MALE BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR

    Best video from a male artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist.

    Bailey Zimmerman – “Fall in Love”

    Corey Kent – “Wild as Her”

    Drake Milligan – “Sounds Like Something I’d Do”

    Jackson Dean – “Don’t Come Lookin’”

    Jelly Roll – “Son of a Sinner”

    Nate Smith – “Whiskey on You”

    COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

    Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists.

    Elle King feat. Dierks Bentley – “Worth a Shot”

    HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson – “wait in the truck”

    Ingrid Andress with Sam Hunt – “Wishful Drinking”

    Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown – “Thank God”

    Midland feat. Jon Pardi – “Longneck Way to Go”

    Russell Dickerson feat. Jake Scott – “She Likes It”

    Thomas Rhett & Katy Perry – “Where We Started”

    CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR:

    Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

    Black Pumas & Mickey Guyton – “Colors” (from 2022 CMT MUSIC AWARDS)

    Chris Stapleton – “Whenever You Come Around” (from “CMT Giants: Vince Gill”)

    Cody Johnson – “‘Til You Can’t” (from 2022 CMT MUSIC AWARDS)

    Cole Swindell & Lainey Wilson – “Never Say Never” (from 2022 CMT MUSIC AWARDS)

    Darius Rucker – “Let Her Cry” (from “CMT Storytellers”)

    Emmy Russell & Lukas Nelson – “Lay Me Down” (from “Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of the Life and Music of Loretta Lynn”)

    LeAnn Rimes with Ashley McBryde & Carly Pearce – “One Way Ticket” (from “CMT Crossroads: LeAnn Rimes & Friends”)

    Keith Urban – “Wild Hearts” (from 2022 CMT MUSIC AWARDS)

    The Judds – “Love Can Build a Bridge” (from 2022 CMT MUSIC AWARDS)

    Wynonna Judd & Brandi Carlile – “The Rose” (from “Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration”)

    CMT DIGITAL-FIRST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR:

    Musical performance from a production, series or livestream created for CMT digital / social channels; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo).

    Charley Crockett – “Time of the Cottonwood Trees” (from “CMT Campfire Sessions”)

    Chris Young – “Gettin’ You Home” (from “CMT Stages”)

    Ingrid Andress – “Wishful Drinking” (from “CMT Studio Sessions”)

    Jelly Roll – “Son of a Sinner” (from “CMT All Access”)

    Megan Moroney – “Tennessee Orange” (from “CMT Viral to Verified”)

    Scotty McCreery – “Damn Strait” (from “CMT Campfire Sessions”)

    Audio / Kylie Morgan talks about her CMT Award nomination.

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    Kylie Morgan (CMT nomination) OC: …freaking excited. :16
    “Hey y’all, it’s Kylie Morgan. I got nominated for my first-ever CMT Award for Breakthrough Female Video of the Year for ‘If He Wanted To He Would.’ I’ve only cried like 17 times. I’m still shaking about it. Thank you guys so much, and I’m so freaking excited.”

  • THE WAR AND TREATY OPEN THEIR HEARTS, SOULS AND STUNNING VOCALS ON THEIR NEW ALBUM, LOVER’S GAME, OUT MARCH 10TH.

    Welcome to the Church of Love with The War And Treaty! Covering a diverse range of music pallets with their “jaw-dropping harmonies” (American Songwriter), the trailblazing husband-and-wife duo expand on their sound that cuts through the whole of Southern music tradition with the release of their milestone album, LOVER’S GAME (Mercury Nashville), out Friday (March 10th). The 10-song collection produced by Dave Cobb proves why the “Nashville couple is as good as it gets” (Music Row) as they offer “stunning vocals and thought-provoking lyrics” (Nashville Lifestyles) that share a unique perspective on shifting cultural and musical tides while pulling back the layers of a maturing relationship.

    https://twitter.com/warandtreaty/status/1633854602310238208

    After receiving their first-ever CMT Music Awards nomination, Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter will showcase why “they are unlike any other act in music” (The Tennessean) when they perform the album’s title-track on the TODAY show Friday (March 10th). Additionally, The War And Treaty will sit-down with CMT Hot 20 Countdown this weekend (3/11 & 3/12 @ 8:00A CT on CMT) as they discuss the authenticity and truth behind LOVER’S GAME. Next week, they will bring their “massive, show-stopping vocals” (Vulture) to multiple performances at SXSW before launching the 35-city trek LOVER’S GAME TOUR on March 19th in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

    As “the music world has definitely shown that it’s ready to love The War And Treaty,” (Billboard) LOVER’S GAME has been touted by critics ahead of its release as the duo “keeps soaring past expectations” (Associated Press).

    “Every single song on LOVER’S GAME is alone worth the price of the album…a stunning collection of songs that explore the vulnerability and incandescent passion of love.” – No Depression

    “Vital and fiery, The War And Treaty draft an authentic Southern revival feeling. They’ve fashioned an album fusing steamy Muscle Shoals with classic Hank Williams Country.” – HITS Magazine

    “Offers an insightful perspective on a long-lasting relationship. It speaks of everlasting and ever-growing love between two people.” – Paste

    “The War And Treaty bare their souls with scorched-earth vocals and heart-rending, confessional songwriting.” – Holler

    “LOVER’S GAME is a fitting tribute to the force that brought Michael and Tanya together as they capture hearts with their riotously soulful sound.” – The Bluegrass Situation

    Founded in 2014 by the husband-and-wife duo Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, The War And Treaty have emerged as one of the most electrifying new acts in American music. With a lionhearted sonic blend – both roaring with passion and tender to the touch, they “are making soul moves that are captivating everyone who sees them,” (HITS Magazine). Earning respect, they’ve gone on to appear as top-flight collaborators, and have been recognized by the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Americana Music Association as 2022 Duo/Group of the Year. With more than 100 shows last year, the duo has dominated stages across the globe including North America, Europe, Italy, Australia, and Ireland, while headlining their own shows and opening for a diverse group of living legends: Al Green, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, John Legend, Lauren Daigle, and Van Morrison among them. As they have created vastly diverse tour opportunities across multiple genres, The War And Treaty will join Chris Stapleton on the All American Road Show Tour this summer. For more information visit www.thewarandtreaty.com.

     

     

    Audio / Michael and Tanya of The War and Treaty talk about the sounds that make up their Lover's Game album.

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    The War And Treaty (Lover’s Game) 1 OC: …was honest. 1:26
    TANYA: “We come from so many different places with music. I mean, we love blues, and when you think of country music and people always ask, ‘Why are you signed to a country music label?’ Well, blues, jazz, gospel, all of the things that make up who we are, you know, what we grew up listening to, even Calypso. My mother was Hispanic, so we grew up listening to all different styles of music. And then the Country music genre itself, it really exemplifies the kind of lifestyle that Michael and I have. It’s the one music you can have fun, you can drink a beer, you can talk about your faith, you can have a good time and it encompasses that sound, so you can write about all those things and the storytelling is there as well.” MICHAEL: “But with this album, if you don’t mind me interjecting, I think that the main focus was to let it just pour out of you however it’s gonna come out and intentionally given the sound of our love. Sometimes our love has the heartbreak of a country or a blues song; sometimes our love has the elegance and smokiness of jazz or the sexiness of R&B or the urgency salvation of gospel and Christian. So, we just wanted it to sound the way we felt and that was honest.”

    Audio / The War and Treaty's Michael and Tanya talk about how their new album is a gift of love.

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    The War And Treaty (Church of The War and Treaty) OC: (Michael) …gift of love. :34
    TANYA: “It’s what we say at our shows, you know, ‘Welcome to the Church of The War and Treaty and the message you’re gonna get here is love, love, love, love.’ That’s it. That’s how we introduce them to our shows, every show.” MICHAEL: “That’s our saying, all the time. It’s very important that you remember just how powerful love is, and love is not cliché, no matter how you slice it. Love never goes out of style, love is always in, and what we all need now is love and so this record is Tanya and I’s gift of love.”

    Audio / LINER The War and Treaty (available this week)

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  • BRAD PAISLEY INKS DEAL WITH UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP NASHVILLE.

    (L-R) Bill Simmons (The AMG), Brad Paisley, Cindy Mabe (UMGN), Kendal Marcy (The AMG)

    Universal Music Group Nashville announces the signing of country music superstar Brad Paisley to EMI Records Nashville. Paisley has cemented his place in country music history as one of the genre’s most talented and decorated male solo artists. For more than 20 years, his songwriting and unmatched showmanship led to numerous accolades and awards including three GRAMMYs, two American Music Awards, 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, and 14 Country Music Association Awards.

    The signing reunites Paisley with UMGN Chairman and CEO Mike Dungan and President Cindy Mabe. Dungan was instrumental in signing Paisley to his first deal at Arista, and Mabe served as Paisley’s marketing point person through many of his early album cycles including his breakthrough projects, Mud on the Tires and Time Well Wasted.

    “There were two people that should get the credit that you even know my name – Mike Dungan and Cindy Mabe. I ran into Mike at the fishing department at Walmart after having met with several labels and he talked me into signing my first deal with Arista. They assigned this woman named Cindy Mabe to me – we graduated the same day at Belmont. I got to work with her on my first few albums and now I get to work with her at UMG,” said Paisley. “Cindy’s a genius and terrific human being. She heard what I was up to with the new music, and she pointed me further into the direction I was headed. I’ve never had this kind of enthusiasm and empowerment. She said, ‘Make music that matters.’ It’s an amazing thing to work with Mike and Cindy again. It’s great to know they believe in this music as much as I do.”

    “Brad is a true creative.  He has no boundaries to what he uses as his canvas. He has used his voice and his words as a gift to heal the world through his philanthropy, his song writing, his guitar playing, his entertaining, his music videos, his sense of humor and his heart,” said Mabe. “He has been a part of the country music duo with Carrie Underwood that helped define country music to the world. And getting to reunite with my friend and collaborator in his next creative adventure is something I’ve wanted for a long time. I cannot wait for him to share the music he has created with the world.”

    Paisley, a consummate entertainer and creator, is finishing his next studio album, the first for UMG Nashville, expected later this year. This Friday, Feb. 24, Paisley is set to release a new song from forth coming album- “Same Here,” written by Paisley, Lee Thomas Miller and Taylor Goldsmith, and produced by Luke Wooten.

    Paisley joins UMGN’s esteemed roster including Alan Jackson, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Caylee Hammack, Chris Stapleton, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, George Strait, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Josh Turner, Kylie Morgan, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Mickey Guyton, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, Sam Williams, Tyler Hubbard, Vince Gill, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, The War And Treaty, and more.

    ABOUT BRAD PAISLEY: Brad Paisley has earned his place in country music history as one of the genre’s most talented and decorated male solo artists. Over the past 20+ years, his songwriting and unmatched showmanship have won him numerous awards, including three GRAMMYs, two American Music Awards, 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, and 14 Country Music Association Awards including a highly coveted Entertainer of the Year honor and recognition as the most successful CMA Award co-host in history, alongside Carrie Underwood, for 11 consecutive years. A member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2001, Paisley has written 21 of his 25 No. 1 hits became the first artist to achieve 10 consecutive Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 singles. The superstar’s past works have amassed 5 billion career streams.

    Forever a prolific performer, musician, and entertainer, Paisley’s first prime-time television special, Brad Paisley Thinks He’s Special (2019), garnered more than 18 million viewers. As a globally known superstar, Paisley has routed nine tours to Europe and last fall made his first-ever trek to Australia.

    Paisley’s additional endeavors include his new “American Highway” Bourbon, his collaborations with Peyton Manning on the national Nationwide insurance ad campaigns, and his partnership with Boot Barn® to develop “Moonshine Spirit by Brad Paisley,” an exclusive line of jeans, hats, T-shirts, jewelry, belts, and woven shirts.

    Paisley and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, are co-founders of nonprofit organization The Store, a free-referral based grocery store, which aims to empower low-income individuals and families in the Nashville area. For more information, visit www.thestore.org.

  • THE WAR AND TREATY OFFER NEXT CHAPTER OF LOVER’S GAME WITH NEW SONG “AIN’T NO HARMIN’ ME.”

    Trailblazing husband-and-wife duo The War And Treaty release their new single, “Ain’t No Harmin’ Me,” today from their forthcoming milestone album, LOVER’S GAME, out March 10th. The fiery track co-written by “the genre-bending duo” (Paste) and produced by Dave Cobb combines their fire-and-brimstone harmony with a prowess lyrical anthem that wards off any doubts. As hints of truth have always been present in their music, The War And Treaty continue to offer their unique perspective on shifting cultural and musical tides that encompass their first major-label release under Mercury Nashville. LOVER’S GAME is now available for pre-order HERE with instant access to “Ain’t No Harmin’ Me.”

     

    “Love is the foundation of our new record and ‘Ain’t No Harmin’ Me’ reminds us that no matter what troubles are waiting around the corner…the power of love will pull us through,” Michael Trotter Jr. said. “We wrote this together as a personal testament to ourselves…we aren’t afraid to face the hard times knowing we have the other by our side. It felt like an awakening for us, and I hope fans can feel that same energy when they hear it.”

    Listen to “Ain’t No Harmin’ Me” HERE

    “Aint No Harmin’ Me” pulls back another layer of The War And Treaty’s maturing relationship found throughout the 10-song collection, as Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter share a sonic landscape that builds off “their rootsy vocals and chameleonic arrangements,” (Billboard).  The War And Treaty dug deep into the lessons their love has laid bare, with more than 100 songs written over the last two years before completing LOVER’S GAME. The duo’s previously released BLANK PAGE EP offers an introduction to “their genre-crossing essence” (NPR).

    On the heels of new music, The War And Treaty sit-down this weekend with Sunday TODAY (February 12th at 9a CT on NBC), where they take viewers inside the studio and highlight the importance of black culture in country music.

    Founded in 2014 by the husband-and-wife duo Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, The War And Treaty have emerged as one of the most electrifying new acts in American music. With a lionhearted sonic blend – both roaring with passion and tender to the touch, they “are making soul moves that are captivating everyone who sees them,” (Hits Magazine). Earning respect, they’ve gone on to appear as top-flight collaborators, and have been recognized by the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Americana Music Association as “2022 Duo/Group of the Year.” With more than 100 shows last year, the duo has dominated stages across the globe including North America, Europe, Italy, Australia, and Ireland, while headlining their own shows and opening for a diverse group of living legends: Al Green, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, John Legend, Lauren Daigle, and Van Morrison among them. “In context and talent, they are unlike any other act in music,” (The Tennessean) which has created vastly diverse tour opportunities across multiple genres. It was just announced that this summer, The War And Treaty will join Chris Stapleton on the All American Road Show Tour.  But first, they will bring “their rootsy vocals and chameleonic arrangements” (Billboard) to more than 35-cities this spring on their own LOVER’S GAME TOUR, kicking off Mar. 19 in Oklahoma City, OK. For more information visit www.thewarandtreaty.com.

     

    Audio / Michael and Tanya of The War and Treaty reveal the inspiration behind their upcoming album, Lover's Game.

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    The War and Treaty (Lover’s Game album) OC: …falling in love. :15
    MICHAEL: “Hey everybody, it’s Michael and Tonya here from The War and Treaty. Our album, Lover’s Game, is strictly about finding love in some of the most obvious ways (TANYA: “Yes.”) and the games that lovers actually play in the process of falling in love.”

  • DIERKS BENTLEY IS LOOKING FOR A CLOSE GAME AT THIS YEAR’S SUPER BOWL.

    Dierks Bentley is looking forward to watching the match-up between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles at Sunday’s (February 12th) Super Bowl. He’s also looking forward to watching the night’s entertainment, including Chris Stapleton’s rendition of the National Anthem, Rihanna’s half-time performance and, of course, the commercials.

    “I’ve been to the last Super Bowl in Arizona. It was the New York Giants against the New England Patriots. I was actually sitting next to Peyton Manning. I did not know him at the time. He was there rooting on his brother Eli, which was pretty cool to see that whole thing playing out,” says Dierks. “Now we have two brothers playing actually in the Super Bowl at the same time. The Kelce Brothers. I think the mother’s name is Donna, so it’s a crazy story for her. It’s gonna be a great day and a really sad day for her. It’s kind of a no-win situation for her. But that’s a cool event to have those guys playing together. I think they said other firsts in the Super Bowl to have two black quarterbacks for the first time starting in Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes, so both those guys are awesome. I’m just hoping for a close game, you know? Looking forward to the half-time show, the commercials, you know? That half-time show, it’s a million dollars a minute, and it’s a 13 ½ minute half-time show, so just Rihanna, all the collaborations, the surprises, the whole thing’s so fun. But yeah, the longer it can be closer, the better the Super Bowl is for me.”

    A self-proclaimed Rihanna fan, Dierks says he would like to see more country music performers at next year’s Super Bowl. 
    “And another cool first for him, Chris Stapleton is playing the Super Bowl. He’s doing the National Anthem. For me personally, I’d be very happy watching Chris doing the half-time show. He would be amazing, and I think people would really love it. I’m a big Rihanna fan too. I’d like to sit down with Rihanna and figure out how she made 1.7 billion dollars. That’d be an interesting conversation. (laughs) But I think in 2024, we need country as the half-time show. I’m just gonna say the Hot Country Knights are available.”

    The only all-country music half-time show took place in 1994 with Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt and the Judds. Shania Twain took part in the half-time show in 2003, alongside No Doubt and Sting. Previous country stars singing the National Anthem include Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, the Dixie Chicks, Luke Bryan, Eric Church and Mickey Guyton.

    Also performing this year are Emmy-winning actor Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbot Elementary) with “Lift Every Voice and Sing” during the pre-show. Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds will also perform with a rendition of “America the Beautiful.”

    A cool note — Oscar winner Troy Kotsur will sign the national anthem alongside Stapleton. Kotsur won an Academy Award in 2022 for Best Supporting Actor for his work in “CODA,” becoming the second Deaf person ever to win an acting Oscar after Marlee Matlin.

    The Big Game kicks off at 6:30pm ET/5:30pm CT Sunday (February 12th) on FOX.

    For more Super Bowl-related audio, click HERE.

    Dierks is making his way into the Top 10 on the country charts with his latest single, “Gold,” which is from his upcoming album, Gravel & Gold, available February 24th.

     

    Audio / Dierks Bentley is looking for a close matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.

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    Dierks Bentley (Super Bowl 2023) 1 OC: …is for me.  :57
    “I’ve been to the last Super Bowl in Arizona. It was the New York Giants against the New England Patriots. I was actually sitting next to Peyton Manning. I did not know him at the time. He was there rooting on his brother Eli, which was pretty cool to see that whole thing playing out. Now we have two brothers playing actually in the Super Bowl at the same time. The Kelce Brothers. I think the mother’s name is Donna, so it’s a crazy story for her. It’s gonna be a great day and a really sad day for her. It’s kind of a no-win situation for her. But that’s a cool event to have those guys playing together. I think they said other firsts in the Super Bowl to have two black quarterbacks for the first time starting in Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes, so both those guys are awesome. I’m just hoping for a close game, you know? Looking forward to the half-time show, the commercials, you know? That half-time show, it’s a million dollars a minute, and it’s a 13 ½ minute half-time show, so just Rihanna, all the collaborations, the surprises, the whole thing’s so fun. But yeah, the longer it can be closer, the better the Super Bowl is for me.”

     

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about the entertainment, including Chris Stapleton's performance of the National Anthem, at this year's Super Bowl.

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    Dierks Bentley (Super Bowl 2023) 2 OC: …are available. :28
    “And another cool first for him, Chris Stapleton is playing the Super Bowl. He’s doing the National Anthem. For me personally, I’d be very happy watching Chris doing the half-time show. He would be amazing, and I think people would really love it. I’m a big Rihanna fan too. I’d like to sit down with Rihanna and figure out how she made 1.7 billion dollars. That’d be an interesting conversation. (laughs) But I think in 2024, we need country as the half-time show. I’m just gonna say the Hot Country Knights are available.”

  • COUNTRY STARS AND FOOTBALL ARE A GREAT COMBINATION.

    This Sunday (February 12th), millions of people around the world will be tuning in to the Super Bowl (the Big Game) as the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs, including some of your favorite country artists.

    Fresh from his sizzling performance at Sunday night’s (February 5th) Grammy Awards, Chris Stapleton will head to Arizona to perform the National Anthem prior to the Super Bowl.

    Babyface will perform “America The Beautiful,” and Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph will sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The U.S. Navy will conduct a flyover during the National Anthem to celebrate 50 years of women being admitted in the military branch. Rihanna will be the half-time performer this year.

    Check out all the action from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The Big Game will air on FOX with the kickoff scheduled at 6:30pm ET/5:30pm CT.

     

    Audio / Billy Currington says he loves watching football.

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    Billy Currington (football fan) OC: …love football. :36
    “I’m a big football fan. I mean, when I was growing up, if you asked me who my favorite team is now, I couldn’t tell you. But when I was a kid, it was the Dallas Cowboys. And I don’t know if it was because my mom bought my brother a Pittsburgh Steelers pennant for some reason, and bought me a Dallas Cowboys pennant, and of course over the year I fell in love with the Cowboys, and then I wanted a jersey the next Christmas, and then the next one, I wanted [more Cowboys stuff]. So, I became a long-term fan with those guys. But I like it all now that I’m older. I’ll watch any game, it doesn’t matter who’s playing. But [I] love football.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood has been part of Sunday Night Football for 10 years, and she loves being the voice of the famed institution.

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    Carrie Underwood (loves being a part of SNF) OC: …my whole life. :54
    “I love being the voice of Sunday Night Football because I grew up watching football…from birth. I’m from Oklahoma – we’re a football state. It’s just a part of the country that everybody has their teams and there’s such an energy about it. We would drive down to Dallas and watch the Cowboys play whenever we could. There’s just something about being at a live sporting event or watching it on TV. You have your favorites. They have their rivals. There’s an excitement to it that really, it’s unlike anything else, so being a small part of that is absolutely amazing. It’s been so wonderful working with everybody at SNF, and I count myself very lucky and very blessed that I get to be a small part of something that I’ve loved my whole life.”

    Audio / DARIUS RUCKER IS A HUGE FOOTBALL FAN, AS EVERYONE PROBABLY KNOWS BY NOW, AND HE EXPLAINS WHY HE LOVES FOOTBALL SO MUCH. SIDENOTE: HE’S A HUGE MIAMI DOLPHINS FAN, AND WORD HAS IT, JUST TO BE ABLE TO MEET THEN DOLPHINS QUARTERBACK, DAN MARINO, HE ASKED HIM TO BE IN A HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH VIDEO FOR “ONLY WANNA BE WITH YOU.” DARIUS IS ALSO COMMISSIONER OF SEVERAL FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUES, AS WELL.

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    Darius Rucker (football) OC: …football season. :20
    “Ever since I was five years old, I’ve loved football, and I love how physical it is. I love the chess match of the game. I love the speed of the game. I love college football, but for me watching pro football is better because the speed is so much more. For me, there’s two times a year, man — football season and waiting for football season.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi talks about football and his love for the San Francisco 49ers.

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    Jon Pardi (football) OC: …two great teams. :12
    “I grew up playing football and it was always the 9ers, you know? Like we looked up to those guys. I looked up to the 49ers. It was like our local team, and I guess I just never lost that spark from when they went to the Super Bowl.”

    Audio / LITTLE BIG TOWN’S BEAUTIFUL AND TALENTED KAREN FAIRCHILD WAS A BADASS GROWING UP WHEN SHE WAS PLAYING QUARTERBACK FOR HER POWDER PUFF FOOTBALL TEAM.

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    LBT (football story) OC: …my lip. :40
    “I was the quarterback to my powder puff team. I was running the ball and I came around the corner – this was in high school – and a foreign exchange student, I think her name was Inga (KIMBERLY: “Inga.”), and I didn’t want to fumble ‘cause my brother and my dad were there, and I come from this very athletic family, so I held onto the ball. I knew I was going to go down, so I let my head hit first and I bit all the way through, but I didn’t fumble and I had a hole in my face, though. The sad thing is that it was just flag football, but I left my flags on and cleats and everything, ‘cause it looked cool, and I had blood running all down my jersey. I went to the emergency room like that, and they sewed up my lip.”

    Audio / LUKE BRYAN TALKS ABOUT SOME OF THE FOOD HE LIKES TO HAVE WHILE WATCHING THE SUPER BOWL.

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    Luke Bryan (Super Bowl food) OC: …over again. :22
    “Definitely Super Bowl is like the queso, the Frito Lay scoops with the Ro-tel situation. I guess it’s like, what’s the black-eyed pea stuff too? All of that, just stuff that you can sit there and have lots of sodium, and then just, it’s like Thanksgiving all over again.”

    Audio / PRISCILLA BLOCK SAYS SUPER BOWL SUNDAY IS SO MUCH FUN.

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    Priscilla Block (Football/Super Bowl food) OC: …what happens. :23
    “I mean, I feel like the Super Bowl is like just such a fun day. I’m really excited for the half-time show. I feel like that’s usually why I’m there, is to watch the anthem and the half-time show, but yes, excited to eat all the bad things. And I’m honestly, I don’t feel pulled any way this year. I wish the (Tennessee) Titans were in it, but we’ll see what happens.”

    Audio / SAM HUNT LOVES THAT THE SUPER BOWL MIXES HIS TWO LOVES – MUSIC AND FOOTBALL.

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    Sam Hunt (Super Bowl & music) OC: …combined there. :24
    “It’s become such a massive pop culture event, and I love that they’ve incorporated music and entertainment with the sport itself and the entertainment value that comes from that. It encompasses just a strong representation of American culture, and I’m a huge music fan, obviously, and I’m a huge sports fan, so those are two of my favorite worlds combined there.”

    Audio / SAM HUNT, A FORMER UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM QUARTERBACK, WAS INSPIRED BY RETIRED INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AND DENVER BRONCOS QUARTERBACK AND NFL HALL OF FAMER PEYTON MANNING WHEN HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.

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    Sam Hunt (Peyton Manning) OC: …with music. :39
    “When I was in high school, I went to a camp called the Manning Academy, and it’s a quarterback camp down in Louisiana. And I got to spend some time with Peyton and Eli, and they have another brother [Cooper]. I’ve followed [Peyton’s] career for a long time,” he says. “Actually, a couple of years ago, I was at a concert of Kenny Chesney’s in Denver, and I was standing there side stage and Jake Owen was there. He had opened up for [Kenny], and I’ve been a friend of his for a little while, and he turned and introduced me to the guy behind us, who I wasn’t aware of at the time, but it turned out to be Peyton Manning. He was just a really nice guy, and it was just pretty cool to be on the stage with two people who inspired me in two different arenas, with Peyton with football and Kenny with music.”

    Audio / TRAVIS DENNING REVEALS HIS GO-TO SUPER BOWL SNACK.

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    Travis Denning (go-to Super Bowl snack) OC: …other pick. :05
    “My go-to Super Bowl snack is buffalo chicken dip, obviously. There’s no other pick.”

     

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK DROPS FIERCE NEW SONG “ALL OR NOTHING.”

    Caylee Hammack is back with a fiery ultimatum with her new song “All or Nothing” available today here. Hammack co-wrote (Tofer Brown and Thomas Finchum) and co-produced (Dann Huff) the track that showcases Hammack’s bold vocals as she serves up a take it or leave it message.

    “‘All Or Nothing’ has been persistently burning through my pocket since we wrote it, so I’m thankful it’s out!” shared Hammack. “This song felt fitting as the introduction to my second album coming later this year. Everybody loves a good old war cry for good love sometimes.”

    Hammack will head overseas next month, bringing her universal sound to C2C Festival with performances slated in London, Dublin and Glasgow.

    Hammack has previously brought her unforgettable live set to opening slots for Reba, Darius Rucker, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Trisha Yearwood, Brad Paisley, Brothers Osborne and some of country music’s biggest festivals.

     

    Video /

    View
  • GRAMMY AWARDS 2023

    Chris Stapleton has been added to the list of performers at this year’s Grammy Awards. He will join Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson in celebration of this year’s MusiCares Person of the Year recipients — Robinson and Berry Gordy.

    Chris is nominated for Song of the Year with Rodney Crowell for writing “I’ll Love You Till The Day I Die” recorded by Willie Nelson.

    Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton are nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Does He Love You–Revisited” alongside Brothers Osborne‘s “Midnight Rider’s Prayer” and Ingrid Andress and Sam Hunt‘s duet for “Wishful Drinking.”

    Bill Anderson received his first-ever GRAMMY® nomination as an artist in the Best American Roots Performance category for “Someday It’ll All Make Sense” (Bluegrass Version) with Dolly Parton. This is Anderson’s fifth nomination overall, after previously being nominated as a songwriter for “Once A Day” recorded by Connie Smith, “Cold Hard Facts of Life” recorded by Porter Wagoner, “Two Teardrops” recorded by Steve Wariner and “Give It Away” recorded by George Strait. Best American Roots Performance.

    Best Country Duo/Group Performance

    “Wishful Drinking,” Ingrid Andress and Sam Hunt
    “Midnight Rider’s Prayer,” Brothers Osborne
    “Outrunnin’ Your Memory,” Luke Combs and Miranda Lambert
    “Does He Love You – Revisited,” Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton
    “Never Wanted To Be That Girl,” Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
    “Going Where The Lonely Go,” Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

    Best Country Song

    “Circles Around This Town,” Ryan Hurd, Julia Michaels, Maren Morris and Jimmy Robbins, songwriters (Maren Morris)
    “Doin’ This,” Luke Combs, Drew Parker and Robert Williford, songwriters (Luke Combs)
    “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” Lori McKenna and Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
    “If I Was a Cowboy,” Jesse Frasure and Miranda Lambert, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
    “I’ll Love You Till The Day I Die,” Rodney Crowell and Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Willie Nelson)
    “‘Til You Can’t,” Matt Rogers and Ben Stennis, songwriters (Cody Johnson)

     

    The 65th Annual Grammy Awards will air live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday (February 5th) at 8pm ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS. Also available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+

     

    Audio / ON THE SET OF THE “DOES HE LOVE YOU” VIDEO, REBA MCENTIRE AND DOLLY PARTON TALKED ABOUT RECORDING THE NEW VERSION OF IT FOR REBA’S REVISED REMIXED REVISITED BOX SET.

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    Reba Dolly (recording Does He Love You) OC: (Reba) …thrilled to pieces. 1:02
    REBA: “When I first heard Dolly singing on the ‘Does He Love You’ song, I said, ‘I’ve got to hear it again!’ I absolutely loved it, but we didn’t get to record together. I did it with the band, and then we sent it to Dolly, because of COVID and everything, couldn’t get together, so I’m really glad that we got to be together today to do the video.” DOLLY: “Well, I was so excited when she wanted me to sing on it, ‘cause I thought, well, I cannot sing like Linda Davis and I thought, well, she is such a great singer so that’s gonna be a tough one, but I love Reba and I love the song. And I thought well, I’m not supposed to sound like anybody else again anyway, so and Reba and I have such similar feelings in our voices and I’ve always felt we’d sing great together, so when I heard her singing it, I thought I think I can do this. (REBA LAUGHS) I was very moved by her vocal, so I seem to know kind of what to do. But when we heard it both when it was all put together, I thought this was really good. I was real happy with it.” REBA: “Me too. I was thrilled to pieces.”

    Audio / BROTHERS OSBORNE’S JOHN OSBORNE TALKS ABOUT THE SONG “MIDNIGHT RIDER’S PRAYER” FROM THEIR UPCOMING SKELETONS DELUXE ALBUM.

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    Brothers Osborne (Midnight Rider’s Prayer) OC: …today. :31
    “We almost put this on our previous album Port Saint Joe, but it didn’t quite fit at the time, so we decided to retool to make it sound more like Brothers Osborne sounds these days. But we wrote the song back when we were in a van and a trailer and we made this song really dark and minor, and we ended up using the chorus from Willie Nelson’s ‘On The Road Again’ with Willie’s blessing. And it’s just cool. I mean it gives a good window as to lyrically where we came from, but sonically where we’re at today.”

    Audio / Backstage at last year's Grammy Awards after winning two trophies, Chris Stapleton talked about winning awards.

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    Chris Stapleton (Grammys 2022) OC: …those guys. :36
    “You know, anytime that you are even nominated for a award or someone thinks enough of you to invite you to these kinds of shows, particularly the Grammys, it’s, you know, it’s a very surreal moment and we had a very surreal moment all day today. And so it was it was a very and to get to play a song, you know that I wrote with the guys in the band on the show, won a Grammy for it earlier in the year and in the evening, and it was a special night for it. For me. For me, it’s special and it’s special. Get it to do with those guys.

     

    Video /

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  • POWERHOUSE VOCAL DUO THE WAR AND TREATY EXPAND THEIR HEARTS AND BORDERS WITH LOVER’S GAME ALBUM OUT MARCH 10TH.

    Trailblazing husband-and-wife duo The War And Treaty expand on their sound that cuts through the whole of Southern music tradition with their forthcoming milestone album, LOVER’S GAME, available March 10. The 10-song collection produced by Dave Cobb, marks their first major-label release under Mercury Nashville as it finds Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter offering a unique perspective on shifting cultural and musical tides while pulling back the layers of a maturing relationship.

    “There is no greater or higher calling in life than to be conduits of love and that’s exactly what LOVER’S GAME is to us,” says Tanya Trotter. “From the opening guitar riff to the last piano note on this record…love is the intention and love is the subject that can’t be ignored. We’ve been through every facet of it together and we could not be more excited to share another layer of our story.”

    The previously released BLANK PAGE EP offered an introduction to the full LOVER’S GAME sonic landscape with songs like the title track “showcasing their genre-crossing essence” (NPR) while “That’s How Love Is Made” echoes “the sound of pure love that shatters and defies every musical category,” (MusicRow)The spirit-lifting “Angel” soars on wings of gratitude, while “Have You a Heart” aches for real partnership. “Ain’t No Harmin’ Me” offers fire-and-brimstone harmony, while “Yesterday’s Burn” is a devoted partner pledge to soothe all scars, no matter how deep they go. The War And Treaty dug deep into the lessons their love has laid bare, with more than 100 songs written over the last two years before completing LOVER’S GAME.

    LOVER’S GAME Track Listing: 

    1. “Lover’s Game” Written by Michael Trotter Jr., Tanya Trotter, Dave Cobb
    2. “Blank Page” Written by Michael Trotter Jr., Tanya Trotter
    3. “Ain’t No Harmin’ Me” Written by Michael Trotter Jr., Tanya Trotter
    4. “Yesterday’s Burn” Written by Michael Trotter Jr., Tanya Trotter
    5. “That’s How Love Is Made”  Written by Michael Trotter Jr., Tanya Trotter, Dave Barnes
    6. “The Best That I Have” Written by Michael Trotter Jr., Tanya Trotter
    7. “Dumb Luck”  Written by Beau Bedford
    8. “Angel”  Written by Michael Trotter Jr., Tanya Trotter
    9. “Up Yonder”  Written by Michael Trotter Jr., Tanya Trotter
    10. “Have You A Heart”  Written by Michael Trotter Jr., Tanya Trotter

    “In context and talent they are unlike any other act in music,” (The Tennessean) which has created vastly diverse tour opportunities across multiple genres. It was just announced that this summer, The War And Treaty will join Chris Stapleton on the All American Road Show Tour.  But first, they will bring “their rootsy vocals and chameleonic arrangements” (Billboard) to more than 35-cities this spring on their own LOVER’S GAME TOUR, kicking off March 19 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Additionally, the duo will return to the Grand Ole Opry stage tomorrow night (February 4th).

    LOVER’S GAME TOUR DATES: 

    3/19 – Oklahoma City, OK – Beer City Music Hall

    3/21 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom

    3/23 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up

    3/24 – Santa Ana, CA – Constellation Room

    3/25 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy + Harriet’s

    3/26 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour

    3/28 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent

    3/30 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge

    3/31 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern

    4/01 – Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret

    4/03 – Bozeman, MT – Live From The Divide

    4/05 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Commonwealth Room

    4/07 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater

    4/13 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall

    4/14 – St. Louis, MO – Old Rock House

    4/15 – Davenport, IA – Raccoon Hotel

    4/16 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line

    4/19 – Evanston, IL – Space

    4/20 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Stache

    4/21 – Detroit, MI – El Club

    4/22 – Columbus, OH – A&R Music Bar

    4/23 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues

    4/25 – Buffalo, NY – The 9th Ward

    4/26 – Toronto, ON – Drake Underground

    4/28 – South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Ballroom

    4/29 – Brownfield, ME – Stone Mountain Arts Center

    4/30 – Rockland, ME – The Strand Theatre

    5/02 – Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom

    5/03 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom

    5/05 – Armore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall

    5/06 – Washington, DC – Union Stage

    5/09 – Charlotte, NC – Visulite Theatre

    5/10 – Durham, NC – Carolina Theater

    5/11 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre

    5/13 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl

     

    Founded in 2014 by the husband-and-wife duo Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, The War And Treaty have emerged as one of the most electrifying new acts in American music. With a lionhearted sonic blend – both roaring with passion and tender to the touch, they “are making soul moves that are captivating everyone who sees them,” (Hits Magazine). Earning respect, they’ve gone on to appear as top-flight collaborators, and have been recognized by the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry and the Americana Music Association as “2022 Duo/Group of the Year.” With more than 100 shows last year, the duo has dominated stages across the globe including North America, Europe, Italy, Australia, and Ireland, while headlining their own shows and opening for a diverse group of living legends: Al Green, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, John Legend, Lauren Daigle and Van Morrison among them. Their debut CMA Awards performance was dubbed one of the best moments of the night by The Washington Post, Vulture, Rolling Stone, Billboard, American Songwriter and more. For more information visit www.thewarandtreaty.com.

     

  • LUKE BRYAN WRAPS EIGHTH SOLD-OUT CRASH MY PLAYA EVENT.

    Luke Bryan’s annual all-inclusive concert vacation, Crash My Playa, wrapped Sunday night in Riviera Cancún, Mexico with its eighth sold-out event. The event took place at the incredible AAA Four Diamond Awarded Moon Palace Cancún, featuring four nights of country music on a private stretch of white sand beach. Fans were treated to two headline concerts by Luke, with Lionel Richie joining as special guest on Sunday night, as well as Cole Swindell and Chris Stapleton headlining their own nights. Additional performances throughout the event included Dustin Lynch, who hosted an all-day edition of his infamous pool party, Ashley McBryde, Brian Kelley, Carly Pearce, Chase Rice, Dylan Scott, Chayce Beckham, Alana Springsteen, Kendell Marvel and DJ Rock.

    Crash My Playa kicked off last Thursday, January 19 with four fun filled days of performances with daily pool parties, nightly concerts, and late-night party sets. Fans experience one-of-a-kind performances from all the artists participating as they joined each other on stage or as they cheered each other on from side of stage. On Sunday evening, Luke closed out the four-day event with a special “Luke & Friends” set welcoming special guest Lionel Richie along with Chayce Beckham, Brian Kelley, Dylan Scott and Dustin Lynch.

    “Year after year we aim to grow the music experience and the vacation experience to new heights,” shared Luke. “And I feel we did that this year.  Cole and Chris both knocked it out of the park with their headline sets. It was so fun to watch. And special thanks to my dear friend Lionel Richie for making our closing night even more special by joining me on stage for an evening I will never forget!  Playa is truly a highlight of my year by watching these fans and the artists have fun in the Mexico sun.”

    On February 19th, Luke returns to the small screen with Lionel Richie and Katy Perry for their sixth season as celebrity judges on ABC’s American Idol.

  • LUKE BRYAN TAKES HIS PARTY TO MEXICO FOR HIS ANNUAL “CRASH MY PLAYA” EVENT.

    Luke Bryan kicks off his annual CRASH MY PLAYA event Thursday (January 19th). The four-day event, which takes place Thursday through Sunday (January 22nd) at the AAA Four Diamond Awarded Moon Palace Cancun.

    Luke is thrilled to bring along all of the artists, including co-headliners Chris Stapleton and Cole Swindell, as well as Ashley McBryde, Brian Kelley, Carly Pearce, Chase Rice, Dylan Scott, DJ Rock and Kendall Marvel. Fellow American Idol judge Lionel Richie will make his debut appearance at the event as a guest performer during Luke’s final show of the weekend, while Dustin Lynch returns to host a special all-day edition of his famous pool party.

    Luke says he tries to up the “fun” quotient every year. “I think anytime people can be in the cold up in the United States or wherever they’re at in the world and it’s cold and dreary and you can come down to Mexico and get in the ocean and it’s like 85 degrees, you can stand there with your toes in the sand and listen to great country music and every year we have new artists that show up,” he says. “And I love the fact that we get a lot of new talent down there, some artists that are just getting their career going, and the fact that Dustin Lynch does his pool party every year, it’s one of the most amazing moments of the week. But I think the fans get down there and have a blast. We try to make it more fun every year.”

    On February 19th, Luke, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie are back for their sixth season as celebrity judges on ABC’s American Idol.

    Audio / Luke Bryan says he tries to make his annual Crash My Playa event more fun every year.

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    Luke Bryan (Crash My Playa) 2 OC: …every year. :35
    “I think anytime people can be in the cold up in the United States or wherever they’re at in the world and it’s cold and dreary and you can come down to Mexico and get in the ocean and it’s like 85 degrees, you can stand there with your toes in the sand and listen to great country music and every year we have new artists that show up. And I love the fact that we get a lot of new talent down there, some artists that are just getting their career going, and the fact that Dustin Lynch does his pool party every year, it’s one of the most amazing moments of the week. But I think the fans get down there and have a blast. We try to make it more fun every year.”

  • LUKE BRYAN ANNOUNCES FINAL LINE UP FOR CRASH MY PLAYA JANUARY 19-22, 2023.

    After seven consecutive sold-out events, five-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan has announced the final line up of talent for his annual concert vacation in Mexico, Crash My Playa. The event will take place January 19 – 22, 2023 at the incredible AAA Four Diamond Awarded Moon Palace Cancún, featuring four nights of country music on a private stretch of white sand beach. For more information go to www.crashmyplaya.com. Full schedule HERE.

    https://twitter.com/lukebryan/status/1603782251858169856

     

    New to the final round up of talent are Chayce Beckham and Alana Springsteen. They will join headliners Luke (2 nights), Chris Stapleton and Cole Swindell as well as previously announced artists Ashley McBryde, Brian Kelley, Carly Pearce, Chase Rice, Dylan Scott and DJ Rock. Kendell Marvel will return with his special “Honky Tonk Experience” late-night performance. American Idol judge Lionel Richie will make his debut appearance at the event as a guest performer during Luke’s final show of the weekend. Dustin Lynch will also host a very special all-day edition of his infamous pool party.

    A few remaining packages for the all-inclusive Crash My Playa 2023 event are available at www.crashmyplaya.com.

    Moon Palace Cancún will once again provide guests with a wide range of luxury accommodations to indulge in, just steps from Crash My Playa’s state of the art concert venue. This oceanfront sanctuary offers magnificent rooms, gourmet all-inclusive food and drink, 24-hour room service as well as plenty of activities on both land and sea, including the lavish AWE-Spa and a 27-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.

    About Luke Bryan
    Since his debut, Luke Bryan has garnered 30 No. 1 hits and has more RIAA certified digital singles than any other Country artist with 71 million. His worldwide global streams are over 19.6 billion and he has sold 13 million albums. His headline concert tours have played sold-out shows for more than 13 million fans inclusive of 36 stadium concerts, Farm Tours, Spring Break shows, and seven sold-out ‘Crash My Playa’ destination concert events. Bryan has won 50+ major music awards including five wins as Entertainer of the Year. His third and most recent Entertainer win was awarded by the Academy of Country Music in 2021. Additional awards include six recognitions as a CMT Artist of the Year, NSAI Artist/Songwriter of the Year, the first-ever recipient of the ACM Album of the Decade Award for Crash My Party, seven CMT Music Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, and four American Music Awards—as well as being named Billboard’s Top Country Artist of the 2010s, the Most Heard Artist of the Decade by Country Aircheck, and the Artist Humanitarian Recipient by the Country Radio Broadcasters.

    On February 19, 2023, Luke, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie are back for their sixth season as celebrity judges on ABC’s American Idol.

    Follow Luke Bryan: LukeBryan.com  Facebook  Twitter Instagram YouTube

     

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about having Chris Stapleton and Lionel Richie join him at Crash My Playa.

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    Luke Bryan (CMP) 1 OC: …my career. :15
    “It’s amazing to have (Chris) Stapleton join the Crash My Playa family, but then I’ve got my buddy Lionel Richie. He’s gonna come down. To stand up there at Crash My Playa and perform ‘All Night Long’ with Lionel Richie is gonna be one of the highlights of my career.”

  • LUKE BRYAN SCORES HIS 30TH CAREER NO. 1 SONG WITH “COUNTRY ON.”

    Luke Bryan lands his 30th career #1 single today with “Country On” hitting the top of the Mediabase charts.  The song was written by Mark Nesler, David Frasier, Mitch Oglesby, and Styles Haury, produced by Jeff Stevens, co-produced by Jody Stevens, and features Sarah Buxton on background vocals. In his career Luke has amassed 56 total weeks at #1 including “Country On.”

    “Country On” is the first single from new music planned for release in 2023.

    The five-time Entertainer of the Year spoke to MusicRow Magazine exclusively today; here is an excerpt:

    “According to Bryan, the secret to his longevity is both being able to write songs and find outside songs. 12 of his 30 No. 1 hits were co-written by Bryan. ‘I looked at all my heroes—guys like George Strait and Brooks & Dunn—all of my heroes wrote songs and they found songs, too.’ He also points out that it’s been crucial to him to pay attention to the next generation of hit-makers. ‘Somewhere in Nashville, there’s young songwriters writing right now with a fresh approach and a new way to say stuff. For me, it’s always fun to really open up to the whole town to try to find new songs,’ he says. ‘The little nuances of production in their demos.’”

    “It’s fitting that Bryan’s 30th No. 1 hit, “Country On,” evokes the spirit of his lasting career. He sings, “Hey Nashville, keep bending them strings. Diggin’ for gold, chasin’ them dreams. Keep on with your songs ’til the whole worlds singin’ along.” ‘What I love about that song [Country On] is it’s got a lot of the same feelings of an Alabama song, like ‘Forty Hour Week (For a Livin’)’ or ‘Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler).’ That song just speaks to the hardworking Americans out there. In my opinion, a lot of the people that I reference in that song make the world go around. ‘I’ve never really done a song that had patriotic aspects to it,’ he shares. ‘When we say, ‘Hey, hey, USA. We ain’t seen our better days,’ that’s a come-together moment. I couldn’t have hand-picked a better 30th.’”

     

    30 Career NUMBER ONE Singles –   28 solo and **two ‘featuring Luke’

    Highlights are Multi-Week #1s

     “Country On”-written by Mark Nesler, David Frasier, Mitch Oglesby, and Styles Haury 12-12-22

    “Buy Dirt” Jordan Davis Feat. Luke Bryan    ** 1-24-22

    “Waves”- written by Zach Crowell, Ryan Hurd and Chase McGill 8-30-21

    “Down To One”- written by Dallas Davidson, Justin Ebach and Kyle Fishman 3-1-21

    “One Margarita” – written by Michael Carter, Matt Dragstrem and Josh Thompson 7-6-21

    “What She Wants Tonight”- written by Luke Bryan, Ross Copperman, Hillary Lindsey and Jon Nite 3-31-20

    “Knockin’ Boots”- written by Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson and Jon Nite 9-9-19

    “What Makes You Country”- written by Luke, Dallas Davidson and Ashley Gorley 2-27-19

    “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset”- written by Zach Crowell, Ryan Hurd and Chase McGill 9-10-18

    “Most People Are Good”- written by David Frasier, Ed Hill and Josh Kear 3-26-18

    “Light It Up”- written by Luke Bryan, Brad Tursi 12-11-17

    “Fast”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird 4-3-17

    “Move”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Michael Carter, Jay Clementi 1-7-16

    “Huntin’, Fishin’, And Lovin’ Every Day”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip 6/20/16

    “Home Alone Tonight”—Written by: Jody Stevens, Cole Taylor, Jaida Dreyer, Tommy Cecil 2-1-16

    “Strip It Down”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Jon Nite, Ross Copperman 10-19-15

    “Kick The Dust Up”—Written by: Dallas Davidson, Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley 8/3/15

    “I See You”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Ashley Gorley, Luke Laird 2-2-15

    “Roller Coaster”—Written by: Michael Carter, Cole Swindell 10-6-14

    “Play It Again”—Written by: Dallas Davidson, Ashley Gorley 5-19-14

    “Drink A Beer”—Written by: Jim Beavers, Chris Stapleton 2-3-14

    “That’s My Kind of Night”—Written by: Dallas Davidson, Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley 10-21-13

    “Crash My Party”—Written by: Rodney Clawson, Ashley Gorley 7-1-13

    “Only Way I Know” Jason Aldean, Feat Luke Bryan   **2-4-13

    “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Jeff Stevens, Shane McAnally 11-5-12

    “Drunk On You”—Written by: Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, Josh Kear 6-4-12

    “I Don’t Want This Night To End”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip 1-16-12

    “Someone Else Calling You Baby”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Jeff Stevens 2-13-11

    “Rain Is A Good Thing”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson 7-11-10

    “Do I”—Written by: Luke Bryan, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelly 12-13-09

     

    Luke wraps a stellar touring year playing for one million fans including his “Crash My Playa,” “Raised Up Right Tour,” “Farm Tour,” festival dates and his exclusive Las Vegas headlining engagement at the new Resorts World Theatre with additional 2023 shows on sale now.

    In November for the second consecutive year, Luke hosted the ABC Special, “On the Road to the CMA Awards” and he and NFL great Peyton Manning hosted “The 56th Annual CMA Awards.”

    This fall Luke launched Jockey Outdoors™ collection with the apparel company and during 2020-2022 he and wife Caroline were Jockey brand ambassadors as part of their ad campaign, “There’s Only One Jockey™.”

    In their Tennessee home county, Caroline and Luke are serving as co-chair and honorary co-chair, respectively, for the Williamson Medical Center capital campaign to help fund a major renovation and expansion project.

    Luke’s charitable endeavors included donating proceeds from his Estero, Florida concert to the Florida Disaster Fund in November after Hurricane Ian ravaged that area of the state and many contributions through his yearly Farm Tour. He again gave scholarships to students from farming families who are attending the local college or university near the tour stops. He continued a partnership with Bayer to help celebrate America’s farmers and fight hunger through its #HerestotheFarmer campaign providing more than 6 million meals and more than $180,000 going to Feeding America member food banks and local farmers at each of the tour cities. He teamed up with the National Pork Board in their on-going campaign to dispel common misconceptions about modern pig farming as they in turn partnered with Farmland® to donate a truckload of protein to local foodbanks in each of the states that hosted the six Farm Tour stops. Farmland also donated $9,000 to each state’s FFA Association. Luke joined Farm Tour sponsor Fendt in creating the Luke Bryan’s Boldly Grown Popcorn, a limited-edition packaged snack. When the limited supply sold-out, Fendt donated $25,000 to the National FFA Organization, the premier youth organization that prepares members for leadership and careers in the science, business, and technology of agriculture.

     

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about his new No. 1 single, "Country On."

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    Luke Bryan (Country On) OC: …people out there. :29
    “When you hear, ‘Hey Farm Boy…’ I mean that certainly spoke to me right off the bat, and the fact that we were able to put so many different aspects of the way, the country American way of life out there, and I felt like this song really, really nailed it. It was something that really spoke to my heart and being able to put it out in the heart of summer, right against the Fourth of July, I feel it’s gonna talk to, speak to a lot of people out there.”

  • CMA AWARDS 2022: THE WINNERS, PERFORMANCES AND MORE.

    The 56th CMA Awards are now in the history books, and there were lots of great memories made, awards won and inspiring performances.

    Chris Stapleton picked up his sixth trophy for Male Vocalist of the Year at this year’s CMA Awards. During his acceptance speech, he dedicated the award to his 12-year-old daughter Ada, who was celebrating her birthday on Wednesday (November 9th). “ Man, thank you so much for this — thank you. It means so much I got an award from my friends back here. I was sitting over there and all the guys in the category all deserve this award, everybody’s killing it and I’m so honored to be in the country music community. I promised my daughter if I got up here — it’s her birthday tonight — so, Ada, happy birthday.  She’s twelve tonight. I love ya, baby. This one’s for you!”

    Brothers Osborne picked up their fifth CMA Duo of the Year trophy, and during their acceptance speech, John Osborne dropped some exciting news after telling presenter Wynonna Judd that it was an honor to receive the award from her and that they learned so much from her and her family. “I just want to say real quick, I’ve told a bunch of people, but letting the world know my wife Lucie is pregnant, we’ve got twins on the way! I love you, babe, you’ll be an amazing mom. Huge thanks to the CMAs, thanks to everyone who has a low part or huge part in our lives, it’s just an incredible ride. Thank you for letting us be on it. Thank you.”

    Jordan Davis, along with his brother Jacob Davis and friends/co-writers/brothers Matt and Josh Jenkins, won Song of the Year for the multi-platinum, two-week No. 1 song “Buy Dirt.”

    “Oh man, I did not expect that! Oh my God, Zach Sutton, Callie Bartz, Universal Music Group, Brian and Stephanie Wright, these guys behind me – Oh my God, I want them to say something, too! God, country radio, everyone who’s played this song – the fans – we wrote a song about faith and family and if that’s not country music, I don’t know what is.” Jordan called his “Buy Dirt” duet partner, Luke Bryan, up on stage to share the win. “I do remember us finishing this one and Josh saying, ‘You know what? I don’t know where this song goes, if you cut it, if somebody else cuts it, but we should be really, really proud of this.’ We were at a writing retreat when we did that and that night when I started to come back to Nashville, I just couldn’t stop listening to it. I was like, ‘Man, he was right. This is a special song.’

     

    With a touching tribute to the iconic Loretta Lynn, Country Music superstars Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood opened “The 56th Annual CMA Awards,” performing a medley of Lynn’s classics that included “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind),” and “You’re Looking At Country,” before concluding with all three artists coming together to perform “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” Carly Pearce later took the stage, first speaking to how Lynn inspired and mirrored her own musical journey before being joined by Musician of the Year winner Jenee Fleenor, Sonya Isaacs, and Ricky Skaggs to perform Pearce’s original song, “Dear Miss Loretta.”

    The audience jumped to their feet when Country Music Hall of Famer Alan Jackson surprised the crowd by performing his hit “Don’t Rock the Jukebox.” Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi, Lainey Wilson and Carrie Underwood honored the 2022 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award recipient with exceptional performances of Jackson’s greatest hits including “Remember When,” “Chattahoochee,” “Drive (For Daddy Gene),” and “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow.”

    CMA host Luke Bryan performed his latest smash hit, “Country On,” while Carrie Underwood turned in a performance of her new single, “Hate My Heart,” which is from her Denim & Rhinestones album.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIkh5aADY4g

     

    Chris Stapleton paired with his wife Morgane Stapleton and the iconic female vocalist Patty Loveless on “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ2ZgQ1AP2c

     

    Brothers Osborne teamed up with The War and Treaty on the Rolling Stones’ hit “It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)” from the new tribute album, Stoned Cold Country.

     

    Caylee Hammack and John Osborne joined Ashley McBryde, Brandy Clark and Pillbox Patti to turn in a performance of Linda Ronstadt’s “When Will I Be Loved.”

     

    Audio / Backstage at Wednesday night's CMA Awards, Brothers Osborne's John Osborne talks about raising his own duo after his surprise announcement he and wife Lucie Silvas are expecting twins.

    Download

    Brothers Osborne (raising duo) OC: …keep ’em out. :13
    “My intention was to have twins to raise our successors. So, we’ll raise them up (TJ: “Is that your retirement plan?”), and we’ll try to use as much nepotism as possible to get them in the industry. But as long as we’re in the game, I’m gonna keep ’em out.”

    Audio / Backstage at last night's CMA Awards, Brothers Osborne's TJ Osborne says the country format is about authenticity.

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    Brothers Osborne (CMAs authenticity) OC: …this genre’s about. :32
    “I think that is one of the things that I really do love about country music and the community is John and I — no news to people — we have a lot of different opinions than a lot of people in our format, but we’ve seen fans show up and I think that people just appreciate that we are who we are and particularly after me being able to come out and then see people, even people that maybe they don’t agree with it, but they love to see me being happy. I think when you get to experience those things in life you realize just really how simple our lives are and to be celebrated tonight for being who we are is just all the  more proof that that’s what this genre’s about.”

    Audio / Backstage at Wednesday night's CMA Awards, Jordan Davis talks about sharing the Song of the Year Award with his brother, Jacob Davis.

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    Jordan Davis (winning CMA Award with brother) OC: …away from us. :37 “Well, I can tell you this — whenever we got called and I went over and gave him a hug first and I just kept telling him, ‘Dude-we won Song of the Year,’ and he finally said, ‘Hey dude — we gotta go. We gotta go. We gotta get on stage.’ But we’ve had some moments backstage to kind of just drink this in. We both moved to town to write songs and just try to make a living doing that. So, we’d have been crazy to think that this was even obtainable, but now that we have it and I have it with my brother — I mean I shared a room with the guy until I was 16 years old, so we’re pretty close — this is something that nobody’s ever gonna be able to take away from us.”

  • CMA AWARDS 2022

    The 56th Annual CMA Awards take place on Wednesday (November 9th), and UMG Nashville will be represented in many of the night’s categories, including Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist, Male Vocalist, Group, Duo, Single, Song, Musical Event and New Artist.

    The evening will begin with a tribute to the late Loretta Lynn, which will include performances by Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert. Performers announced for the show include Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, HARDY, Marcus King, Miranda Lambert, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson and Zac Brown Band.

     

    Alan Jackson will receive the 2022 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi, Carrie Underwood and Lainey Wilson will take the CMA Awards stage for an all-star tribute to the Country Music Hall of Fame member. The CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award is for an iconic artist who has attained the highest degree of recognition in Country Music. The award recognizes an artist who has achieved both national and international prominence and stature through concert performances, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, streaming numbers, record sales and public representation at the highest level. The artist receiving this award has positively impacted and contributed to the growth of the genre throughout a course of years that have proven to have an unprecedented historical impact on fans and industry alike.

    Chris Stapleton has five nominations including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Music Video of the Year (“I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”), Single and Song of the Year for “You Should Probably Leave.” With this year’s five nods, Stapleton has amassed 39 career nominations. He is a six-time nominee for Entertainer of the Year and an eight-time nominee for Male Vocalist, a category he has won five times. “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” collects Stapleton his third nomination for Music Video, a category he won in 2016. The video is directed by Lively and is performed with 27-time nominee Taylor Swift. “You Should Probably Leave” marks Stapleton’s fifth nomination for Single of the Year and third nomination for Song. He is a two-time winner in both categories, claiming both trophies in 2018 and 2021. Stapleton co-produced the single with Dave Cobb and it was mixed by Vance Powell. He co-wrote the song with Chris DuBois and Ashley Gorley.

    Carrie Underwood earned three nominations including Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year for “If I Didn’t Love You” with Jason Aldean. With this year’s nominations, Underwood has garnered 40 career nods since 2006. This year marks her 16th nomination for Female Vocalist, a trophy she’s claimed five times. She is a four-time nominee for Musical Event, earning a nod this year for “If I Didn’t Love You,” a duet with Jason Aldean produced by Michael Knox. She collects her fifth nomination for the night’s most coveted trophy, Entertainer of the Year.

    Jordan Davis has two CMA nominations for Single of the Year for the multi-week No. 1 single “Buy Dirt” featuring Luke Bryan (who is also nominated); and for Song of the Year for “Buy Dirt,” which he wrote with his brother Jacob Davis (who earned his first CMA nomination), along with Matt and Josh Jenkins.

    Jon Pardi has a pair of nominations for his collaboration with Midland on “Longneck Way To Go” for Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year. The song also appears on Jon’s brand-new album, Mr. Saturday Night.

    2020’s Entertainer of the Year Eric Church is nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, while Little Big Town has a nomination for Vocal Group of the Year, a category which they’ve won SIX times!

    Reigning CMA Vocal Duo of the Year Brothers Osborne and Maddie & Tae are up for Vocal Duo of the Year.

    Dierks Bentley is nominated along with BRELAND and HARDY for Musical Event of the Year for the trio’s chart-topping tune, “Beers On Me.”

    Parker McCollum earns his first CMA nomination for New Artist of the Year

    The 56th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, will broadcast LIVE from Nashville November 9th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.

     

    CMA PERFORMERS INCLUDE:
    Luke Bryan – “Country On”
    Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi, Carrie Underwood and Lainey Wilson – All-Star tribute to Alan Jackson
    Carrie Underwood – “Hate My Heart”
    Brothers Osborne and The War & Treaty – “It’s Only Rock & Roll (But I Like It)”
    Caylee Hammack and John Osborne (Brothers Osborne) join Ashley McBryde, Brandy Clark and Pillbox Patti — “When Will I Be Loved”
    Chris Stapleton with Patty Loveless — “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive”
    A special performance from Reba McEntire

    Other artists who will take the stage to perform include Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brandy Clark, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Combs, HARDY, Cody Johnson, Elle King, Marcus King, Miranda Lambert, Carly Pearce, Katy Perry, Cole Swindell, The Black Keys, Thomas Rhett, Morgan Wallen and Zac Brown Band.

    CMA PRESENTERS INCLUDE:
    This year’s CMA Awards presenters include two-time World Series champ, MVP and Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts, CMA Musical Event of the Year nominee this year, BRELAND, from the much-anticipated upcoming limited series, “George & Tammy,” Academy Award winner, Jessica Chastain, two-time CMA nominee this year, Jordan Davis, Apple TV’s “Amber Brown” and Lifetime’s “Reindeer Games Homecoming,” Sarah Drew, “Yellowstone” star Cole Hauser, multi-platinum and award-winning songwriter/artist Tyler Hubbard, five-time Grammy winner, Country Music Hall of Fame Member, and one-half of the legendary duo, The Judds, Wynonna Judd, CMA Vocal Group of the Year nominee this year, Lady A, CBS’s “Young Sheldon” and ABC’s “Big Sky” actor Rex Linn, multiple CMA Award-winning band and Vocal Group of the Year nominee this year, Little Big Town, CMA New Artist of the Year nominee this year, Parker McCollum, six-time CMA Awards winner and Country Music Hall of Fame member, Reba McEntire, stars of the hit HGTV shows “HomeTown” and “HomeTown Takeover,” Ben and Erin Napier, 55-year Grand Ole Opry member with over 5,000 performances, and the third female Country artist to win a Grammy, Jeannie Seely, from the much-anticipated upcoming limited series, “George & Tammy,” Academy Award nominee, Michael Shannon, and six-time CMA nominee this year, Lainey Wilson.

    The 56th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and NFL great Peyton Manning, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on November 9th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.

     

    CMA AWARDS NOMINATIONS:

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

    • Luke Combs
    • Miranda Lambert
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Carrie Underwood
    • Morgan Wallen

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

    • Growin’ Up – Luke Combs
      Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton
      Mix Engineers: Jim Cooley, Chip Matthews
    • Humble Quest – Maren Morris
      Producer: Greg Kurstin
      Mix Engineer: Serban Ghenea
    • Palomino – Miranda Lambert
      Producers: Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, Mikey Reaves
      Mix Engineer: Jason Lehning
    • Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ – Lainey Wilson
      Producer: Jay Joyce
      Mix Engineer: F. Reid Shippen
    • Time, Tequila & Therapy – Old Dominion
      Producers: Shane McAnally, Old Dominion
      Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank

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

    • “Buy Dirt” – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan
      Producer: Paul DiGiovanni
      Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
    • “half of my hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini (feat. Kenny Chesney)
      Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Ross Copperman, Jimmy Robbins
      Mix Engineer: Dan Grech-Marguerat
    • “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
      Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
      Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore
    • “’Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson
      Producer: Trent Willmon
      Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke
    • “You Should Probably Leave” – Chris Stapleton
      Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
      Mix Engineer: Vance Powell

     

    SONG OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Songwriter(s) 

    • “Buy Dirt”
      Songwriters: Jacob Davis, Jordan Davis, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins
    • “Never Wanted To Be That Girl”
      Songwriters: Shane McAnally, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce
    • “Sand In My Boots”
      Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Josh Osborne
    • “Things A Man Oughta Know”
      Songwriters: Jason Nix, Jonathan Singleton, Lainey Wilson
    • “You Should Probably Leave”
      Songwriters: Chris DuBois, Ashley Gorley, Chris Stapleton

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

    • Miranda Lambert
    • Ashley McBryde
    • Carly Pearce
    • Carrie Underwood
    • Lainey Wilson

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

    • Eric Church
    • Luke Combs
    • Cody Johnson
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Morgan Wallen

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

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

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

    • Brooks & Dunn
    • Brothers Osborne
    • Dan + Shay
    • LOCASH
    • Maddie & Tae

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

    • “Beers On Me” – Dierks Bentley with BRELAND & HARDY
      Producers: Dierks Bentley, Ross Copperman
    • “If I Didn’t Love You” – Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood
      Producer: Michael Knox
    • “Longneck Way To Go” – Midland (featuring Jon Pardi)
      Producers: Dann Huff, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
    • “Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell (with Lainey Wilson)
      Producer: Zach Crowell
    • “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
      Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

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

    • “I Bet You Think About Me” (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) – Taylor Swift (featuring Chris Stapleton)
      Director: Blake Lively
    • “Longneck Way To Go” – Midland (featuring Jon Pardi)
      Director: Harper Smith
    • “Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell (with Lainey Wilson)
      Director: Michael Monaco
    • “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
      Director: Alexa Campbell
    • “’Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson
      Director: Dustin Haney

    NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    • HARDY
    • Walker Hayes
    • Cody Johnson
    • Parker McCollum
    • Lainey Wilson

    MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

    • Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle
    • Paul Franklin, Steel guitar
    • Brent Mason, Guitar
    • Ilya Toshinskiy, Banjo
    • Derek Wells, Guitar

     

     

    Audio / Luke Bryan says when hosting the CMA Awards, it's best to just be yourself and be relaxed.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (CMA hosting 2022) OC: …help me too. :47
    “What I’ve learned is just be comfortable, be yourself, and just walk out there and be yourself. That’s the main thing. Be natural, be fun. If you want to go off the script a little bit, don’t be scared to. If something in the moment happens or something in the room happens that you want to go down that path for a minute, obviously stick to the script, stick to the show, but don’t be afraid to just have fun and relax. I think if you’re relaxed as the host, then the whole night takes a different shape and form. But Peyton’ll do great. He’s been in some pretty high-profile moments in his life, so he can always call an audible and help me too.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about co-hosting the CMA Awards with Peyton Manning.

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    Luke Bryan (co-hosting CMAs with Peyton) OC: …stress away. :50
    “The thing about co-hosting with Peyton is all gloves are off. We can cut up with one another, have a little fun, roast each other a little bit, but it takes a little pressure off during the night – even if I’ve got a performance, then Peyton can do one of the segments while I get a little more time to get ready for the performance and coming back in and out. But the bottom line is it’s gonna be a fun thing to share with Peyton, it’s gonna be fun to be backstage, kind of toasting right before we go out and he’s a pro and hopefully I’m a pro at this point. I still try to be a kid about all this, but I do have to take it serious now and then. But, yeah, I think having someone else to share some of the duties takes a little bit of the stress of it all being all on me, takes a little bit of the stress away.”

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

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

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says he’s always grateful for the moment of recognition.

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

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about being nominated for Single and Song of the Year at the CMA Awards.

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    Chris Stapleton (CMA Single & Song) OC: …out there. :15
    “To be recognized as a songwriter and to be recognized in a, I guess, commercial sense from the single of the year standpoint – those are two things that are pretty hard to get because there’s a lot of great songs and there’s a lot of great singles out there.”

    Audio / Backstage at last year’s CMA Awards, Chris Stapleton talked about winning Male Vocalist of the Year.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (CMA Male Vocalist 2021) OC: …recognized for that. :17
    “It’s special every time you win something, and I do like, I feel like when you win that award, people are appreciating your talent as a singer. And I do partially pride myself on being a pretty good one, so it’s nice to be recognized for that.”

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

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    Carrie Underwood (CMA Entertainer 2022 nod) OC: …that category. :47
    “It is, I mean, obviously such an honor to be nominated in Entertainer of the Year. Obviously, that’s such a tough category to be in, ‘cause there’s just so, I don’t even want to call it competition, there’s just so many hard working artists out there that are just you know pouring themselves and their time and their energy and their love and their artistry into what they do. You know, obviously just to even be in the final category is just absolutely amazing and hopefully, above all, we can all just remember that it’s a celebration of a great year in country music and in our careers as artists, so we’ll just see what happens, but definitely excited to be in that category.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about her CMA Female Vocalist of the Year nomination.

    Download

    Carrie Underwood (CMA Female Vocalist) OC: …incredible ladies. :34
    “I feel so blessed to be a female in country music. I love country music so much, and I feel like we have so many talented, gorgeous, amazing females in our genre of music. So, just to be a female in country music is amazing in and of itself, and obviously to be in the female vocalist category at the CMAs is pretty darn special. You know, I feel like, especially with this group of ladies, everybody just lifts each other up, roots for each other and supports each other, so I’m very blessed to be surrounded by so many incredible ladies.”

     

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about her CMA nomination for Musical Event of the Year with Jason Aldean.

    Download

    Carrie Underwood (CMA Musical Event nod) OC: …what happens. :36
    “I absolutely love ‘If I Didn’t Love You.’ I love being able to work with Jason Aldean and record this song and perform this song. It’s been such a huge smash for both of us. We knew it was special, and we knew it was going to be good, but I feel like it exceeded any and all expectations that either one of us had and it’s been so much fun to just watch people love the song. So, to be included in the Musical Event category for the CMAs is really awesome. I’ll definitely be holding my breath for that one, ‘cause I just love the song so much. So, we’ll see what happens.”

    Audio / DIERKS BENTLEY TALKS ABOUT WORKING WITH HARDY AND BRELAND ON HIS RECENT NO. 1 HIT, "BEERS ON ME."

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (BOM working with Hardy and Breland) OC: …on the radio. :47
    “It’s really been a dream to get to work with Hardy and BRELAND, and it came about so organically. I wrote ‘Beers On Me’ with Hardy and some other people, and I just asked Hardy if he’d take a verse on it. It seemed like a natural song for a duet. But the cool thing is I was in the studio working on the third verse, and I took a break, and I was reading an article in the paper about a guy named BRELAND. And it just hit me maybe I should invite this guy in to sing the third verse. And so, I got his number and called him, and he came in the next day. He rewrote the verse entirely – totally different verse – made the song a hundred times better and then sang on it with the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard. So, it’s just been a really awesome collaboration, totally organic, just kind of a meant-to-be thing, and so excited seeing this song do as well as it has on the radio.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about writing "Beers On Me."

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    Dierks Bentley (BOM backstory) OC: …is all about. :30
    “I had so much fun writing this song ‘Beers On Me’ with my friends HARDY, Ashley Gorley, Ross Copperman and Luke Dick. It took five of us to write this song, and then I got in the studio with HARDY and then Breland came in and wrote a whole nother verse to it. So, there’s actually six guys writing this song, but we had so much fun doing it. One of my favorite songs I’ve written in a long time. I love the idea of just buying everybody a beer. We all have problems that we’re going through, but on a Saturday night or Thursday night or Friday night, whatever night I’m on the road, we’ve got no problems and that’s what this song is all about.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis says the success "Buy Dirt" has enjoyed is pretty special.

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    Jordan Davis (Buy Dirt success is special) OC: …more special. :13
    “It just means a lot more. I wrote it with my brother (Jacob) and two my best friends (Josh and Matt Jenkins) in town and just the content of it. It comes from a really, really honest place. So, when you have songs that mean that much and you get to see them have success like ‘Buy Dirt’ is having, it’s a little bit more special.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi explains how he ended up on Midland’s “Longneck Way To Go,” which he also put on his album, Mr. Saturday Night.

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    Jon Pardi (Longneck Way To Go) OC: …love the guys. :27
    “Well, this one I recorded with Midland and Rhett Akins and the boys wrote it, and Rhett played it for me a long time ago, and I loved it and didn’t even mention singing it with Midland. And then fast forward, we get a call from Midland’s manager like, hey we want you on the song. I was like, ‘Is it ‘Longneck Way To Go?’ And they’re like, ‘Yeah. How’d you know?’ I said, ‘Cause I love that song. I’ve been rockin’ out to it.’ So, here it is. We’re all together, and I love the guys.”

  • FOUR-TIME GRAMMY© AWARD WINNER KEITH URBAN ANNOUNCES NEW LAS VEGAS RESIDENCY AT ZAPPOS THEATER AT PLANET HOLLYWOOD RESORT & CASINO.

    Global music superstar Keith Urban has announced a new headlining Las Vegas residency at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino opening Friday, March 3, 2023 for a run of 16 dates.

    Following a successful run of shows over the past three years at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Keith Urban: The Las Vegas Residency will be a brand new show, custom designed for Zappos Theater.

    Tickets go on sale to the public starting Saturday, Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. PT. Members of The ‘Ville, Keith Urban’s official fan club, will have access to a presale beginning Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 10 a.m. PT. Citi is the official presale card of Urban’s Las Vegas Residency performances at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 12 p.m. PT until Friday, Nov. 11 at 10 p.m. PT through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.

    Caesars Rewards members, Caesars Entertainment’s loyalty program, and Live Nation and Ticketmaster customers will have access to a presale from Thursday, Nov. 10 at 10 a.m. PT until Friday, Nov. 11 at 10 p.m. PT.

    Keith Urban: The Las Vegas Residency Dates

    March 2023: 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 15, 17, 18

    June 2023: 16, 17, 21, 23, 24, 28, 30

    July 2023: 1

    Shows begin at 8 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit ticketmaster.com/keithurbanvegas. 

     

    About Keith Urban
    Keith Urban has spent the better part of his life harnessing a deep-seated passion for music.  This, when combined with his authenticity, talent and driving musical inquisitiveness, helps to understand why he is one of the most successful and well-respected artists in the world. He’s won four GRAMMY© Awards, thirteen CMAs, fifteen ACMs, three AMAs, two People’s Choice Awards and celebrated nine consecutive gold, platinum or multi-platinum albums.

    This year has seen the release of some new music, including the semi-autobiographical, fist-pumping, arena-ready track “Wild Hearts” and Urban’s current single, “Brown Eyes Baby.” They come on the heels of “One Too Many” (his duet with P!nk), the last from The Speed of Now Part 1, which marked his fourth in an historic streak of simultaneous #1 album debuts in the United States, Canada and Australia.

    2022 has also served to remind music lovers around the globe why Urban is one of the world’s best live performers. His concerts have become legendary – as unpredictable as they are explosive. An experience of emotion, musical texture, energy and showmanship.

    The “THE SPEED OF NOW WORLD TOUR 2022” kicked off in April with a series of sold-out club shows in the U.K., before landing back in the United States for more than 50 shows. From city to city, “THE SPEED OF NOW WORLD TOUR 2022” has repeatedly been hailed as not only one of the best shows of the year, but as one of Urban’s biggest tours yet.  This December will see “THE SPEED OF NOW WORLD TOUR 2022” in Australia.

    November 2022 also brings news of a residency in Las Vegas at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Urban’s all-new show launches on March 3, 2023 and will include 16 performances in March, June and July.  Urban’s shows are always about the songs and these promise to be no different.  “God Whispered Your Name,” “We Were,” and “One Too Many,” Urban’s 43rd Top 10 single that garnered over 100 million Spotify streams, will likely be played, as well as many of his #1 hits including “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” “Wasted Time,” “Somebody Like You,” “Long Hot Summer” and “Days Go By.”

    Urban’s musical virtuosity and fluidity has made him the musician’s musician. He’s collaborated with a diverse group of artists that include, among others: Billy Gibbons, Buddy Guy, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, John Mayer, Julia Michaels, Justin Timberlake, Dzeko, Miranda Lambert, Nile Rodgers, Post Malone, Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones and Vince Gill.

    He’s long supported numerous charities. His “All For The Hall” benefit concerts for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum© have raised over $4.2 million. He is the first Ambassador of the CMA Foundation, an advisory board member at the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and is a longtime supporter of The Mr. Holland’s Opus Fund and The Grammy Foundation.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves, Taylor Swift, Brothers Osborne

    Vince Gill is the subject of a new 90-minute special celebrating his extraordinary career and music. The special features performances and special appearances by some of the biggest names in country music such as Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Maren Morris, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Luke Combs and Sting, among others. “CMT GIANTS: Vince Gill,” premieres Friday (September 16th) at 9pm ET/8pm CT on CMT.

    We’re just one week away for the premiere of Season 3 of ABC’s Big Sky, which features Reba McEntire (and her boyfriend Rex Linn). Tune in Wednesday (September 21st) at 10pm ET/9pm CT.

     

    Kacey Musgraves has released a new behind-the-scenes documentary of the making of her 2021 album, star-crossed.

     

    Taylor Swift will hit the big screen in the star-studded crime drama, Amsterdam, which also stars Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Robert DeNiro, Mike Myers, Timothy Olyphant, Chris Rock, Zoe Saldana, Rami Malek and more. The film hits theaters nationwide October 7th.

    Brothers Osborne are nominated for the International Artist Achievement Award at the 2022 CMA International Awards! Winners will be announced later this year.

     

     

  • VINCE GILL CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF AWARD-WINNING ALBUM “I STILL BELIEVE IN YOU.”

    For over four decades, Vince Gill has been one of the most popular and most recorded writers and singers in modern country music.  This month, Gill’s album I Still Believe in You celebrates its 30th Anniversary, having made its debut in September of 1992. The album produced five singles, four of which went to number one, including “I Still Believe In You,” “No Future In The Past,” as well as “Tryin’ To Get Over You,” and “One More Last Chance.” The fifth single, “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away,” peaked at No.2 on the charts.  The album is certified five times platinum.

    Last night, backstage at the taping of CMT GIANTS: Vince Gill, which premieres Friday, September 16 at 9p/8c on CMT, Gill was presented with a plaque in honor of the album’s 30-year milestone.

    The album I Still Believe In You was produced by Tony Brown, and the title track “I Still Believe In You” was written by Gill and John Jarvis. Billboard once called the song “a pristine ballad embraced by one of country’s most finely refined vocalists.”  Gill earned two 1992 Grammy Awards for Best Country Song and Best Country Vocal Performance, Male for “I Still Believe In You.” At the 1993 CMA Awards, Gill took home Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year and Entertainer of the Year.

    Of the music videos created from songs off the album I Still Believe In You, four have now been remastered.  “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away” and “One More Last Chance” are freshly remastered for the album’s anniversary, and “Tryin’ To Get Over You” and “I Still Believe In You” have been previously remastered in HD.

     

    WATCH ALL REMASTERED VIDEOS | HERE

     

    CMT GIANTS: Vince Gill,” an all-new 90-minute special celebrating the extraordinary career and music of country music titan Vince Gill premieres Friday, September 16th at 9p/8c exclusively on CMT. The special brings together Gill’s superstar friends, collaborators, and some of the biggest names in music to honor him with performances of his most legendary hits, including Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Ricky Skaggs, Sting and more.  Emmylou Harris, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Rodney Crowell will also appear as special guests to share personal stories, reflect on their time working with Gill and speak to his forever impact on country music. The special will additionally feature an all-new sit-down interview with Gill as he reflects personally on his career, his classic songwriting, musical influences, and his future plans, all blended alongside rare photos, performance footage and interviews from the vault.

  • LUKE BRYAN’S ‘CRASH MY PLAYA’ SET FOR JANUARY 19-22, 2023.

    After seven consecutive sold-out events, five-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan announces the return of Crash My Playa, Luke’s annual concert vacation. The event will take place January 19th – 22nd, 2023 at the incredible AAA Four Diamond Awarded Moon Palace Cancún, featuring four nights of country music on a private stretch of white sand beach.

    Luke will headline two of the four nights with fellow American Idol judge Lionel Richie making his debut appearance at the event, joining Luke on stage for his final performance. Chris Stapleton and Cole Swindell will return to the beach this year as headliners and Dustin Lynch will once again host and perform a very special pool party. Additional performers during the four-day event include Ashley McBryde, Brian Kelley, Carly Pearce, Chase Rice, Dylan Scott and DJ Rock. Kendell Marvel will return with his special “Honky Tonk Experience” late-night performance. More performers will be announced later this fall.

    “Oh my gosh this line up! Some dear friends and new friends but regardless, what an amazing treat for the fans,” said Luke. “Everybody rest up and get ready for these four beachside hangs.”

    An extremely limited amount of all-inclusive Crash My Playa 2023 event packages will be available to the public on Tuesday, September 13th at 1 PM ET at  www.crashmyplaya.com

    Moon Palace Cancún will once again provide guests with a wide range of luxury accommodations to indulge in, just steps from Crash My Playa’s state of the art concert venue. This oceanfront sanctuary offers magnificent rooms, gourmet all-inclusive food and drink, 24-hour room service as well as plenty of activities on both land and sea, including the lavish AWE-Spa and a 27-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.

    For more information about Crash My Playa 2023 including how to book all-inclusive packages and payment plan details, please visit www.crashmyplaya.com.

    Luke is closing in on the Top 10 with his latest single, “Country On.”

  • VINCE GILL WILL BE HONORED WITH “CMT GIANTS: VINCE GILL” NEXT MONTH.

    CMT announced “CMT GIANTS: Vince Gill,” an all-new 90-minute special celebrating the extraordinary career and music of country music titan Vince Gill. The star-packed event premieres Friday, September 16th at 9p/8c exclusively on CMT.

    “CMT GIANTS: Vince Gill” brings together Gill’s superstar friends, collaborators and some of the biggest names in music to honor him with performances of his most legendary hits, including Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Luke Combs, Maren Morris and Ricky Skaggs, with more to be announced. Emmylou Harris, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Rodney Crowell and Sting will also appear as special guests to share personal stories, reflect on their time working with Gill and speak to his forever impact on country music. The special will additionally feature an all-new sit down interview with Gill as he reflects personally on his career, his classic songwriting, musical influences and his future plans, all blended alongside rare photos, performance footage and interviews from the vault.

    CMT’s new music special will mark the first-ever televised performance from Belmont University’s new Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville.

  • PARKER McCOLLUM RELEASES HIS NEW SINGLE, “HANDLE ON YOU.”

    One of Nashville’s brightest new stars, Parker McCollum, has released his latest single, “Handle On You,” available now. Written by Parker and Monty Criswell, the woeful track about reeling from a doomed relationship captures the all-too relatable emotions of grappling with trying to let go of someone you loved.

    “‘Handle On You’ is a song I wrote with my buddy Monty Criswell before Hallie and I were back together, and I was really going through it and I was drinking quite a bit and staying up all night trying to write sad country songs,” says Parker. “I wasn’t really writing anything at the time and woke up real late one day and Monty came over and he had this title called ‘Handle On You,’ and I said, ‘Man, I’ve kind of been trying to get a handle on her,’ and I was really kind of living that at the time. It’s a super honest song, and it really means a lot to me when I listen to it and think back on that time on what I was going through. You know, I was drinking to try to get out of a bad spot which is never gonna work, but I don’t regret it at all because we wrote ‘Handle On You’ from literally living exactly what that song’s about.”

    The song is the follow-up to his two chart-topping hits, “Pretty Heart” and “To Be Loved By You.”

    Recently, McCollum made another childhood dream come true by opening for Country music legend, George Strait, at his show in Kansas City, MO on July 30th. Alongside Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town, McCollum fired up the crowd for one unforgettable show with “The King” of Country.

    Since exploding onto the Country music scene in 2020 with his critically acclaimed and top-selling debut Country EP of the year, Hollywood Gold EP, McCollum has achieved two #1 singles (the Double-Platinum selling, “Pretty Heart,” and its follow-up single, “To Be Loved By You,”) made his Grand Ole Opry debut, broke records at the iconic Texas venue Whitewater Amphitheater – selling out a three-night engagement, performed for a sold-out crowd for his debut at RODEOHOUSTON and earned his first ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year and his first CMT Award for “Breakthrough Video of the Year.”

    Audio / Parker McCollum talks about his new single, "Handle On You."

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    Parker McCollum (Handle On You) OC: …song’s about. :53
    “‘Handle On You’ is a song I wrote with my buddy Monty Criswell before Hallie and I were back together, and I was really going through it and I was drinking quite a bit and staying up all night trying to write sad country songs. I wasn’t really writing anything at the time and woke up real late one day and Monty came over and he had this title called ‘Handle On You,’ and I said, ‘Man, I’ve kind of been trying to get a handle on her,’ and I was really kind of living that at the time. It’s a super honest song, and it really means a lot to me when I listen to it and think back on that time on what I was going through. You know, I was drinking to try to get out of a bad spot which is never gonna work, but I don’t regret it at all because we wrote ‘Handle On You’ from literally living exactly what that song’s about.”

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Handle On You) 1

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  • PARKER MCCOLLUM MAKES CHILDHOOD DREAM COME TRUE OPENING FOR “THE KING” OF COUNTRY MUSIC, GEORGE STRAIT.

    One of Country music’s biggest newcomers, Parker McCollum, just wrapped up his weekend by bringing a childhood dream to life – opening for one of his personal idols and Country music legend, George Strait. Hitting the stage at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO on Saturday, July 30th, McCollum, alongside Country superstars Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town, fired up the crowd for one unforgettable show.

    “Regardless of what anyone thinks of me or my music, I strive to do my absolute best on my terms – but honestly, I’ve always had this secret hope that ‘The King’ approves of what I’m doing. He is the standard and it’s an honor to share the stage with him,” says McCollum.

    The show marks yet another impressive accomplishment in Parker’s young career. Since exploding onto the Country music scene in 2020 with his critically acclaimed and top-selling debut Country EP of the year, Hollywood Gold EP, McCollum has achieved two #1 singles, the Double-Platinum selling, “Pretty Heart,” and its follow-up single, “To Be Loved By You,” made is Grand Ole Opry debut, broke records at the iconic Texas venue Whitewater Amphitheater – selling out a three-night engagement, performed for a sold-out crowd for his debut at RODEOHOUSTON and earned his first ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year and his first CMT Award for “Breakthrough Video of the Year.”

    This Friday, August 5th, McCollum will be releasing his latest single, “Handle On You.” 

    Pre-save “Handle On YouHERE

    For a list of McCollum’s upcoming tour dates, visit HERE.

  • GEORGE STRAIT KANSAS CITY STADIUM SHOW ADDS PARKER McCOLLUM.

    The King of Country’s one-night-only concert event planned for July 30th at Kansas City’s GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium keeps getting bigger as Messina Touring announces the addition of ACM New Male Vocalist and fellow Texan Parker McCollum. The chart-topping artist joins superstars Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town in gracing the stadium’s stage for the first time, while George Strait himself makes his first return to the venue since 2001. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com with limited quantities remaining.

    McCollum’s major label debut Hollywood Gold was met with widespread critical acclaim and became the top-selling debut country EP of 2020. The singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist earned his first-ever No. 1 hit with his Platinum-selling debut single, “Pretty Heart,” and his follow up single, “To Be Loved By You,” off debut album Gold Chain Cowboy, also took the No.1 spot for two consecutive chart-topping singles. McCollum has been named an ‘Artist to Watch’ by Rolling StoneBillboard, SiriusXM, CMT, RIAA and more with American Songwriter noting, “The Texas native teeters on the edge of next-level superstardom.” A dedicated road warrior, McCollum already sells out venues across the country including record-breaking crowds in Austin and Lubbock, plus Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and three nights at the iconic Billy Bob’s Texas. He also made his Grand Ole Opry debut last year and recently made his RODEOHOUSTON debut performing for a sold-out crowd and turning his childhood dream into a reality.

    With an unmatched 60 singles hitting the top of the charts—more than any other artist in any genre—during the span of his 30+ year career, Strait has collected 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums, more than any other Country artist and ranking third across all genres behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. The Texas troubadour is the only artist or act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades and recently earned his 100th entry on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with his latest single, “The Weight of the Badge.” He has sold nearly 70 million albums and earned more than 60 major entertainment industry awards, including induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

    The July 30th show will mark the 54th concert or music festival in GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium history and will be the 15th concert performance that the stadium has hosted since 2011. The 2022 show will be Strait’s fourth performance (1998-99, 2001) at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. In addition to performing in Kansas City, Strait will also headline Lincoln, Nebraska’s Pinnacle Bank Arena tomorrow, April 23, and will perform back-to-back nights with Willie Nelson and Randy Rogers for the grand opening of the Moody Center in Austin on April 29 and 30.

    For more information and to purchase tickets to all upcoming dates, visit GeorgeStrait.com.

  • KEITH URBAN WILL PRESENT AT THE GRAMMY AWARDS.

    Keith Urban has been added to Sunday night’s (April 3rd) GRAMMY Awards as a presenter. He’ll be joined by Megan Thee Stallion, Joni Mitchell, Questlove, Dua Lipa, Billy Porter, Bonnie Raitt, Kelsea Ballerini, Avril Lavigne, Jared Leto, Anthony Mackie and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez.

    Previously announced GRAMMY performers include Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, J Balvin with Maria BecerraJon Batiste BTS, Brandi Carlile, Billie EilishCynthia Erivo, H.E.R., John Legend, Lil Nas X with Jack HarlowMaverick City Music, Nas, Aymée Nuviola, Leslie Odom, Jr.Ben Platt, Olivia Rodrigo, Silk Sonic, Billy Strings and Rachel Zegler.

    The 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards, hosted by Trevor Noah, will air live on Sunday (April 3rd) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CBS.

     

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD WILL PERFORM AT THIS YEAR’S GRAMMY AWARDS.

    Carrie Underwood has been added to the list of performers at this year’s GRAMMY Awards. She’s joined in the lineup by Silk Sonic, John Legend and J Balvin. Previously announced performers, include Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Bradi Carlile, Lil Nas X, H.E.R. and more.

    Carrie is nominated for a pair of GRAMMYs — Bluegrass/Country/Roots Album of the Year for My Savior, and she and Jason Aldean are nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “If I Didn’t Love You.”

    The 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards will air live on Sunday (April 3rd) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas beginning at 8pm ET on CBS.

    The global superstar is headed up the country charts with her latest single, “Ghost Story.”

  • THE NOMINEES FOR THE 2022 CMT MUSIC AWARDS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED.

    The nominees for this year’s CMT Music Awards have been revealed. Kane Brown leads with four nods.

    With 23 wins, Carrie Underwood has more CMT Music Awards than any other artist. She is once again nominated for the night’s top award, Video of the Year, for her collaboration with Jason Aldean on “If I Didn’t Love You.” The pair are also up for Collaborative Video of the Year.

    Mickey Guyton is up for three awards, including Video of the Year for “Remember Her Name,” as well as Female Video of the Year (“Remember Her Name”) and CMT Performance of the Year featuring Gladys Knight & BRELAND forFriendship Train (from 2021 CMT Music Awards)”

    Kacey Musgraves is nominated for a pair of awards, including the overall Video of the Year, and Female Artist of the Year – both for “justified.”

    Brothers Osborne has two nominations, including Group/Duo of the Year for “I’m Not For Everyone,” as well as CMT Performance of the Year for “Muskrat Greene/Dead Man’s Curve Medley (from CMT Campfire Sessions).”

    Luke Bryan is nominated for two awards, including Male Artist of the Year for “Waves,” as well as Collaborative Vide of the Year with Jordan Davis on his two-week No. 1, “Buy Dirt.”

    Chris Stapleton is nominated for CMT Video of the Year for Taylor Swift’s “I Bet You Think About Me” (directed by actress Blake Lively) and CMT Performance of the year with H.E.R. for “Hold On (from 2021 CMT Music Awards).”

    Eric Church is up for Male Video of the Year for “Heart On Fire,” while Maddie & Tae are nominated for Group/Duo of the Year for “Woman You Got.”

    Breakthrough Video of the Year features first-time nominees Parker McCollum (“To Be Loved By You”) and Priscilla Block (“Just About Over You”).

    George Strait is nominated for CMT Performance Of the Year for “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone (from CMT GIANTS: Charley Pride).”

    Nominated for CMT Digital-First Performance of the Year are Jon Pardi for “On The Other Hand/Forever and Ever, Amen” in honor of 2021 CMT Artist of a Lifetime, Randy Travis; and Josh Turner LIVE from CMT KickBack.

    The 2022 CMT MUSIC AWARDS, co-hosted by Kelsea Ballerini and “Captain America” actor Anthony Mackie, will broadcast live from Nashville at 8pm ET Monday, April 11th on CBS, the first time country music’s only fan-voted show will appear on the network. The 2022 CMT MUSIC AWARDS will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+. CMT will air CMT MUSIC AWARDS EXTENDED CUT with an additional 30 minutes of performances and bonus footage 8pm ET Friday, April 15th.

    VIDEO OF THE YEAR 

    Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration). Top nominees, from the first round of voting, will be announced on April 4. Final nominees, from the second round of voting, will be announced on show day, April 11. Final voting will be determined via social media and announced as the final category during the live show.

    • Brandi Carlile, “Right on Time”
    • Cody Johnson, “‘Til You Can’t”
    • Cole Swindell & Lainey Wilson, “Never Say Never”
    • Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood, “If I Didn’t Love You”
    • Kacey Musgraves, “justified”
    • Kane Brown, “One Mississippi”
    • Kelsea Ballerini feat. Kenny Chesney, “half of my hometown”
    • Luke Combs, “Forever After All”
    • Maren Morris, “Circles Around This Town”
    • Mickey Guyton, “Remember Her Name”
    • Miranda Lambert, “If I Was a Cowboy”
    • Taylor Swift feat. Chris Stapleton, “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”

    FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR

    Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

    • Brandi Carlile, “Right on Time”
    • Gabby Barrett, “Footprints on the Moon”
    • Kacey Musgraves, “justified”
    • Maren Morris, “Circles Around This Town”
    • Mickey Guyton, “Remember Her Name”
    • Miranda Lambert, “If I Was a Cowboy”
    • Tenille Arts, “Back Then, Right Now”

    MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR

    Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

    • Cody Johnson, “’Til You Can’t”
    • Eric Church, “Heart On Fire”
    • Kane Brown, “One Mississippi”
    • Luke Bryan, “Waves”
    • Luke Combs, “Forever After All”
    • Thomas Rhett, “Country Again”
    • Walker Hayes, “Fancy Like”

    GROUP/DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR

    Best video by a duo or group; awarded to the artists

    • Brothers Osborne, “I’m Not for Everyone”
    • Dan + Shay, “Steal My Love”
    • Maddie & Tae, “Woman You Got”
    • Old Dominion, “I Was on a Boat That Day”
    • Parmalee, “Take My Name”
    • Zac Brown Band, “Same Boat”

    BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR, Presented by SONIC®

    Best video from an artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female or group/duo)

    • BRELAND, “Cross Country”
    • Caitlyn Smith feat. Old Dominion, “I Can’t”
    • Elvie Shane, “My Boy”
    • Parker McCollum, “To Be Loved by You”
    • Priscilla Block, “Just About Over You”
    • Tenille Arts, “Back Then, Right Now”

    COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists

    • Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde, “Never Wanted to Be That Girl”
    • Dustin Lynch feat. MacKenzie Porter, “Thinking ‘Bout You”
    • Nelly & Florida Georgia Line, “Lil Bit”
    • Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood, “If I Didn’t Love You”
    • Jimmie Allen & Brad Paisley, “Freedom Was a Highway”
    • Jordan Davis feat. Luke Bryan, “Buy Dirt”
    • Kelsea Ballerini feat. Kenny Chesney, “half of my hometown”

     

    CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

    Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

    • Brothers Osborne, “Muskrat Greene/Dead Man’s Curve Medley (from CMT Campfire Sessions)”
    • George Strait, “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone (from CMT GIANTS: Charley Pride)”
    • H.E.R. feat. Chris Stapleton, “Hold On (from 2021 CMT Music Awards)”
    • Kane Brown, “Three Wooden Crosses (from 2021 CMT Artists of the Year)”
    • Kelsea Ballerini feat. Paul Klein of LANY, “I Quit Drinking (from 2021 CMT Music Awards)”
    • Mickey Guyton feat. Gladys Knight & BRELAND, “Friendship Train (from 2021 CMT Music Awards)”
    • Nelly feat. Kane Brown, Blanco Brown & BRELAND, “Ride Wit Me (from CMT Crossroads: Nelly & Friends)”

    CMT DIGITAL-FIRST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

    Musical performance from a production, series or livestream created for CMT Digital / Social Channels; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

    • Brittney Spencer, “Sober & Skinny” (from “CMT Campfire Sessions”)
    • Carly Pearce, “Dear Miss Loretta” (from “CMT :60 Songs”)
    • Cody Johnson, “Dear Rodeo” (from “CMT Campfire Sessions”)
    • Jon Pardi, “On the Other Hand / Forever and Ever, Amen” (in honor of 2021 CMT Artist of a Lifetime Randy Travis)
    • Josh Turner LIVE (from “CMT KickBack”)
    • Lainey Wilson, “Things a Man Oughta Know” (from the CMT Studio)

     

  • PARKER McCOLLUM NAMED ACM NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR!

    Parker McCollum has been named the ACM New Male Artist of the Year! He’s set to perform at this year’s ceremony, taking place on Monday (March 7th) at 8pm ET/7pm CT/5pm PT on Amazon Prime. Parker has been named an “Artist to Watch” by Billboard, HITS magazine, Rolling Stone, CMT, Opry NextStage, SiriusXM, RIAA, and more. He released his major label debut album, Gold Chain Cowboy, last year, expanding on the success of his widely praised Hollywood Gold EP, which became the top-selling debut country EP of 2020.

    Miranda Lambert surprised him with the announcement. Watch below.

     

    As previously announced, additional confirmed performers include Dolly Parton with Kelsea Ballerini, Jason Aldean, Breakthrough Artist for Amazon Music, BRELAND featuring Thomas Rhett (“Praise The Lord”), Kane Brown (“Leave You Alone”), Luke Bryan (“Up”), Eric Church, Jordan Davis (“Buy Dirt,” feat. Luke Bryan), Walker Hayes (“AA” and “Fancy Like”), Maren Morris (“Circles Around This Town”), Brothers Osborne (“Skeletons”) and Brittney Spencer (“These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”), Parmalee and Blanco Brown featuring Brooke Eden (“Just the Way”), Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde (“Never Wanted to Be That Girl”), Thomas Rhett (“Slow Down Summer”), Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, and Chris Young (“Raised on Country”) featuring Mitchell Tenpenny (“At the End of a Bar”).

    The Academy of Country Music has also confirmed an illustrious group of presenters rounding out the star-studded lineup set to take the stage. Presenters include Alan Ritchson (actor, Reacher), Derek Carr (quarterback, Las Vegas Raiders), Guy Torry (comedian, Phat Tuesdays), James Patterson (author, Run Rose Run), Jason Aldean (singer, “Dirt Road Anthem”), Kelsey Asbille (actor, Yellowstone), Luke Grimes (actor, Yellowstone), Mickey Guyton (singer, “Black Like Me”), and Tom Pelphrey (actor, Ozark, Outer Range).

    Lainey Wilson was named ACM New Female Artist of the Year.

    Parker is currently poised to hit the top of the country charts with his latest song, “To Be Loved By You,” which follows his previous No. 1 single, “Pretty Heart.”

  • THE STAGE IS SET FOR THE 57TH ACM AWARDS, TAKING PLACE NEXT MONDAY (MARCH 7TH).

    The 57th Academy of Country Music Awards take place next Monday (March 7th) and several of your favorite country artists are preparing to take center stage.

    Chris Stapleton earned nods in the categories for Entertainer of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Single of the Year (“You Should Probably Leave”) – nominated as artist + producer and Video of the Year for “I Bet You Think About Me” with Taylor Swift.

    Carrie Underwood is nominated for four awards this year, including Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year (“If I Didn’t Love You”), Video of the Year (“If I Didn’t Love You”) and Music Event of the Year (“If I Didn’t Love You”). She is a 45-time nominee and 15-time winner, including three Entertainer of the Year Awards (the only female artist in history to win this award three times).

    Jordan Davis is nominated for Single of the Year (“Buy Dirt”), Song of the Year (“Buy Dirt”) – nominated as artist + songwriter, Music Event of the Year (“Buy Dirt”), along with Luke Bryan.

    Reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan is up for three nominations with Jordan Davis for Single of the Year (“Buy Dirt”), Song of the Year (“Buy Dirt”) and Music Event of the Year (“Buy Dirt”).

    Eric Church is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, while the members of Little Big Town are up for Group of the Year.

    The reigning CMA Duo of the Year Brothers Osborne, as well as Maddie & Tae are up for Duo of the Year.

    Parker McCollum is up for New Male Artist of the Year, while Priscilla Block is nominated for New Female Artist of the Year.

    The two-hour show, featuring more than 20 performances, will stream live without commercial interruption and is hosted by icon Dolly Parton and co-hosted by reigning ACM New Female Artist of the Year Gabby Barrett and reigning ACM New Male Artist of the Year Jimmie Allen.

    The 57th Annual ACM Awards will be streamed live from Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium March 7th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on Amazon Prime.

    Artist nominee list below.

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

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

    FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

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

    MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    • Jimmie Allen
    • Luke Combs
    • Thomas Rhett
    • Chris Stapleton 
    • Morgan Wallen

     DUO OF THE YEAR

    • Brooks & Dunn
    • Brothers Osborne
    • Dan + Shay
    • LOCASH
    • Maddie & Tae

    GROUP OF THE YEAR

    • Lady A
    • Little Big Town
    • Midland
    • Old Dominion
    • The Cadillac Three

    NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR 

    • Tenille Arts
    • Priscilla Block
    • Lily Rose
    • Caitlyn Smith
    • Lainey Wilson

    NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR 

    • HARDY
    • Walker Hayes
    • Ryan Hurd
    • Parker McCollum
    • Elvie Shane

    ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    • 29: Written in Stone – Carly Pearce

    Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Jimmy Robbins, Tony Brown

    Record Company-Label: Big Machine Records

    • Country Again: Side A – Thomas Rhett

    Producers: Dann Huff, Jesse Frasure, Matt Dragstrem

    Record Company-Label: Big Machine Label Group

    • Dangerous: The Double Album – Morgan Wallen

    Producer: Joey Moi, Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Matt Dragstrem, Dave Cohen

    Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records / Republic Records

    • Famous Friends – Chris Young

    Producer: Mark Holman, Corey Crowder, Chris Young, Chris DeStefano

    Record Company-Label: RCA Records Nashville

    • The Marfa Tapes – Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall

    Producers: Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall

    Record Company-Label: Vanner Records / RCA Records Nashville

     

    SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    • Buy Dirt – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan 

    Producer: Paul DiGiovanni

    Record Company-Label: MCA Nashville

    • Famous Friends – Chris Young and Kane Brown

    Producers: Corey Crowder, Chris Young

    Record Company-Label: RCA Records Nashville

    • Fancy Like – Walker Hayes

    Producers: Walker Hayes, Shane McAnally, Joe Thibodeau

    Record Company-Label: Monument Records

    • If I Didn’t Love You – Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood

    Producers: Michael Knox

    Record Company-Label: Broken Bow Records; Macon Music, LLC; BBR Music Group, BMG

    • You Should Probably Leave – Chris Stapleton

    Producer: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton

    Record Company-Label: Mercury Nashville

     

    SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

    • 7 Summers – Morgan Wallen

    Songwriters: Morgan Wallen, Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally

    Publishers: Big Loud Mountain, Bo Wallace Publishing, Smackborne Music, Sony/ATV Accent, Smackstreet Music, Tempo Investments, Warner Geo Met Ric Music

    • Buy Dirt – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan

    Songwriters: Jordan Davis, Jacob Davis, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins

    Publishers: Anthem Music Publishing II, Bentprop Pub, Big Blue Nation Music, Combustion Five, Jentown, Jordan Davis Music, Smackwork Music, Smack Blue, Kobalt Music Group Music, Universal Music Corporation, WC Music Corp

    • Fancy Like – Walker Hayes

    Songwriters: Cameron Bartolini, Josh Jenkins, Shane Stevens, Walker Hayes

    Publishers: Songs of SMACK, Rarespark Media Group, Smackworks Music, Smack Blue, Kobalt Music Group, Holy Graffiti Music, Purplebeatz, WC Music Corp

    • Knowing You – Kenny Chesney

    Songwriters: Adam James, Brett James, Kat Higgins

    Publishers: 3 Ring Circus, BMG Platinum Songs, Pompano Run Music, Songs of Brett, WC Music Corp

    • Things A Man Oughta Know – Lainey Wilson

    Songwriters: Jason Nix, Jonathan Singleton, Lainey Wilson

    Publishers: Sony/ATV Accent, Sony/ATV Countryside, Spirit Two Nashville, Super Big Music

     

    VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]

    • Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home) – Elle King and Miranda Lambert

    Producers: Angie Lorenz, Wes Edwards, James Stratakis

    Directors: Alexa Kinigopoulos, Stephen Kinigopoulos

    • Famous Friends – Chris Young and Kane Brown

    Producer: Jennifer Ansell

    Director: Peter Zavadil

    • I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift featuring Chris Stapleton

    Producers: Jil Hardin, Blake Lively, Kathy Palmer, Austin Swift

    Director: Blake Lively

    • If I Didn’t Love You – Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood

    Producers: Christen Pinkston, Wesley Stebbins-Perry

    Director: Shaun Silva

    • Never Wanted To Be That Girl – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde

    Producer: Ryan Byrd

    Director: Alexa Campbell

    SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR*(Off Camera Award)

    • Jesse Frasure
    • Nicolle Galyon
    • Ashley Gorley
    • Michael Hardy
    • Josh Osborne

    MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    • Buy Dirt – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan 

    Producer: Paul DiGiovanni

    Record Company-Label: MCA Nashville

    • Famous Friends – Chris Young and Kane Brown

    Producers: Corey Crowder, Chris Young

    Record Company-Label: RCA Records Nashville

    • half of my hometown – Kelsea Ballerini featuring Kenny Chesney

    Producers: Ross Copperman, Jimmy Robbins, Kelsea Ballerini

    Record Company-Label: Black River Entertainment

    • If I Didn’t Love You – Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood

    Producer: Michael Knox

    Record Company-Label: Broken Bow Records; Macon Music, LLC; BBR Music Group, BMG

    • Never Wanted To Be That Girl – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde

    Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

    Record Company-Label: Big Machine Label Group, Warner Music Nashville


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

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    Carrie Underwood (Entertainer of the Year nomination) OC: …what happens. :49
    “Of course, it’s an honor to be nominated for Entertainer of the Year, you know. I feel like I’m so blessed to have so many facets of my job and things that I do, obviously performing live on stage, but there’s about a million other irons that we’ve always got in the fire that we’re always working on and we’re always busy. It kind of encapsulates all of that and being recognized for all the things going on is always a good thing. You never know what’s going to happen, because obviously there’s been many, many other artists that have just been crushing it and putting on great shows and doing all the things. There’s only a select handful that get nominated and it’s obviously very exciting and we’ll see what happens.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood and Jason Aldean have wanted to find a song to do together, but when “If I Didn’t Love You” came along, they knew it was the perfect fit.

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    Carrie Underwood (IIDLY perfect fit) OC: …the perfect fit. :30
    “Jason asked if I would sing ‘If I Didn’t Love You’ with him. I knew I liked the song, and Jason and I have actually been kind of trying to do things together over the years. We’ve sang together before, but we’ve never officially recorded anything together. It just kind of felt like this could be our moment. I felt like it was a little bit of an unexpected duet to other people, but I feel like I kinda always knew at some point I’d probably sing with him officially, and this just seemed like, the stars were aligning and it just seemed like it was going to be the perfect fit.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood on the announcement of ACM nominations.

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    Carrie Underwood (ACM nominations announcement) OC: …like that. :30
    “I love that they announce nominations for the ACMs in the morning because the night before you kind of know that they’re gonna come out. Usually, I forget by the time morning actually gets there, and then I wake up and start going about my day, and then I’ll get a text at some point that says, ‘Congratulations,’ and say what I’m nominated for, so it’s just super ‘Oh yeah! Omigosh! Yay!’ I knew they were coming, but they always surprise me, and I always feel just super honored and excited when I get good news like that.”

    Audio / Eric Church talks about what kind of energy he receives when he performs for the audience.

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    Eric Church (performing energy) OC: …type of crowd. :43
    “I think, for me, every night I try to empty the tank. There’s always that energy floating around.  It’s a palpable thing. It’s up to me to start that exchange and get the crowd to give it back to me and then watch it build on itself, and just to have that experience. I mean, we have one night here in whatever city we are in, whether it’s Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Monday. We got this night, I’m not going to see you for a while and you’re not going to see me for a while, you know? And I love being able to capitalize on that moment and trying to live in that moment and get as much energy exchanged between myself and the crowd as we can. I love that! That’s my favorite part of what we do. I love being around people…I’m very passionate about my music and I love people who are passionate about the music too, and I love playing a show for that type of crowd.”

    Audio / Backstage at a previous awards show, Chris Stapleton says he's always grateful to win awards.

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

    Audio / Chris Stapleton is the reigning CMA Male Vocalist, and he says it's special every time you win that award.

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    Chris Stapleton (CMA Male Vocalist 2021) OC: …for that. :17
    “It’s special every time you win something, and I do like, I feel like when you win that award people are appreciating your talent as a singer. And so, I do partially pride myself on being a pretty good one, so it’s nice to be recognized for that.”

    Audio / Little Big Town talk about cheering on their fellow nominees.

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

    Audio / Maddie & Tae say a nomination means the world to them.

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

    Audio / Parker McCollum talks about his ACM nomination for New Male Artist of the Year.

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    Parker McCollum (ACM Nomination reaction) OC: …paying off. :35
    “You know, it’s really just crazy to be at a point in my life, in my career, where I can say things like I’m nominated for an ACM Award. I mean, I’ve watched those awards since I was a little kid and watched so many of my heroes win awards on that show and they play your song and you walk up and you accept an award, and it’s something I’ve thought about for a long, long, long time. So, to even be a consideration for an award, to even be a nominee, is just such an honor. It’s kind of a pinch-me moment of man, maybe what I’m doing is working out and paying off.”

    Audio / Priscilla Block is thrilled about her first ACM Nomination (for New Female Artist of the Year).

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    Priscilla Block (ACM 2022 reaction) OC: …so excited. :15
    “I am just blown away. I feel like I just keep crying. I don’t even know how this happened, but I’m so honored. This is probably one of the biggest moments of my life! I’m so excited!”

  • BROTHERS OSBORNE, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, ERIC CHURCH, JORDAN DAVIS AND LUKE BRYAN HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS FOR THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, Jordan Davis and Luke Bryan have been added to the list of performers for this year’s ACM Awards. They’ll be joined by Brittney Spencer, Chris Young, Jason Aldean, Kane Brown and Mitchell Tenpenny, as well as Dolly Parton with Kelsea Ballerini, Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett.

    They join previously announced performances from Chris Stapleton, BRELAND, Walker Hayes, Maren Morris, Parmalee and Blanco Brown Featuring Brooke Eden, Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde and Thomas Rhett.

    Carrie is nominated for four awards this year, including Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year (“If I Didn’t Love You”), Video of the Year (“If I Didn’t Love You”) and Music Event of the Year (“If I Didn’t Love You”). She is a 45-time nominee and 15-time winner, including three Entertainer of the Year Awards (the only female artist in history to win this award three times).

    Duo of the Year nominees Brothers Osborne are five-time ACM Award winners, and the pair will perform a song from their current Skeletons album.

    Eric is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, which brings his nomination count to 33.

    Reigning ACM Entertianer of the Year Luke Bryan will pre-tape a special performance of his latest single, “Up.” The ACM Awards hold a special place in Luke Bryan’s heart, as a former host, 28-time nominee, and 10-time winner—including three Entertainer of the Year Awards and the “Album of the Decade” Award for Crash My Party.

    Jordan Davis will be joined by Luke Bryan for their multi-week No. 1 smash hit, “Buy Dirt,” which has earned him four nominations, including Single of the Year (“Buy Dirt”), Song of the Year (“Buy Dirt”) – nominated as artist + songwriter, Music Event of the Year (“Buy Dirt”), along with Luke Bryan.

    The two-hour show, featuring more than 20 performances, will stream live without commercial interruption and is hosted by icon Dolly Parton and co-hosted by reigning ACM New Female Artist of the Year Gabby Barrett and reigning ACM New Male Artist of the Year Jimmie Allen.

    The 57th Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Dolly Parton with co-hosts Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett, will be streamed live from Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on March 7th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on Amazon Prime.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Priscilla Block, Taylor Swift, Eric Church and more

    Priscilla Block has released the official music video for her new single, “My Bar,” from her debut album, Welcome To The Block Party.

     

    Taylor Swift, who is making her way up the country charts with “I Bet You Think About Me” with Chris Stapleton, joins forces for a beautifully reimagined version of Ed Sheeran’s “The Joker And The Queen.”  Sharing a friendship that spans well over a decade, today marks Ed and Taylor’s fourth official collaboration to date, following “Everything Has Changed” (2012), “End Game” (2017) and “Run (Taylor’s Version)” (2021).

    The accompanying Emil Nava-directed official video brims with nostalgia as continues the storyline from the iconic “Everything Has Changed” video – Taylor and Ed’s previous collaboration, released in 2012. Ten years on, the video – featuring the original actors – captures the coming-of-age story of the now 18-year-olds, Ava and Jack, as they head to college and embark on new adventures.

     

    Eric Churchhas been announced as a headliner for the Faster Horses Festival later this year, along with Tim McGraw and Morgan Wallen. The three-day concert event, taking place in Brooklyn, Michigan July 22nd – 24th, will also feature performances from Brothers Osborne, Jordan Davis, Lauren Alaina, Ashley McBryde, Cole Swindell, Jake Owen, Chris Janson, Michael Ray and many others. In addition, Priscilla Block is among the artists performing on the Next From Nashville stage. Passes for the three-day festival go on sale March 11th.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke Bryan, Taylor Swift, Brothers Osborne, Mickey Guyton, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley

    Luke Bryan will appear on ABC’s Good Morning America on Monday (February 7th).

    Taylor Swift, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton and Mickey Guyton are among the artists featured in the new Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum’s new American Currents: State of the Music exhibit opening March 4th. The annual exhibit highlights notable music, artist achievements and events from the past year, and it will also include a video compilation of important country music moments from 2021, and recaps the year’s chart-topping country albums, singles and highest-grossing tours. The exhibit will run through February 2023.

    Taylor Swift is the subject of a course at New York University, which continues through March 9th.

    Darius Rucker was among the celebrities at this past weekend’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He was joined by fellow country artists Jake Owen, Clay Walker, Charles Kelley and Colt Ford, as well as a few famous faces including Don Cheadle, Bill Murray, Ray Romano, Alfonso Ribeiro, Andy Garcia and Chris O’Donnell. Check out the gallery of photos from The Californian here.

    Dierks Bentley will co-headline the NHL Stadium Series with pal Miranda Lambert when the Nashville Predators host the Tampa Bay Lightning in a couple of weeks. The Predators will take to the ice outdoors at Nissan Stadium (instead of Bridgestone Arena). The game will air on TNT February 26th beginning at 7:30pm ET/6:30pm CT.

     

  • MADDIE & TAE HAD A “SAD GIRL FALL” IN WRITING ONE OF THE TRACKS ON THEIR BRAND NEW ALBUM.

    Maddie & Tae had a collaboration of a lifetime when they recorded “Don’t Make Her Look Dumb” with Morgane Stapleton, who is a phenomenal singer and just so happens to be married to Chris Stapleton. The track is featured on their new album, Through The Madness Vol. 1, which is available now.

    The duo co-wrote the song with Barry Dean and Luke Laird around the time they penned their No. 1 smash, “Die From A Broken Heart.”

    “’Don’t Make Her Look Dumb’ is actually the oldest song on this project,” says Taylor Kerr. “We wrote it about a month after ‘Die From A Broken Heart’…We were in some sad girl stuff.” Maddie Font joked “It was Sad Girl Fall…Like Hot Girl Summer.”

    Tae added, “We were ahead of the times, but yeah, this song just found itself back to us for this project and we got to have the collaboration of a lifetime with Morgane Stapleton, so we’re excited for everyone to hear this one.”

    The two co-wrote all eight tracks on the new album.

    Through The Madness Vol. 1 Track List:

    1. What It’s Like Loving You (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Josh Kerr, Jordan Minton)
      2.  Woman You Got (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Mark Holman, Laura Veltz)
      3.  Don’t Make Her Look Dumb (Feat. Morgane Stapleton) (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Barry Dean, Luke Laird)
      4.  Grown Man Cry (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Eric Arjes, Jordan Minton)
      5.  Madness (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Jessie Jo Dillon, Zach Kale)
      6.  The Other Side (Feat. Lori McKenna) (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Josh Kerr, Lori McKenna)
      7.  Wish You The Best (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Matt Dragstrem, Josh Thompson)*
      8.  Strangers (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Adam Hambrick, Jimmy Robbins)

    Produced by Jimmy Robbins & Derek Wells
    * = “Wish You The Best” produced by Josh Kerr & Derek Wells

     

    Audio / Maddie & Tae talk about their song "Don't Make Her Look Dumb" from their new album, Through The Madness Vol.1.

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    Maddie & Tae (Don’t Make Her Look Dumb) OC: …hear this one. :18
    TAE: “’Don’t Make Her Look Dumb’ is actually the oldest song on this project. We wrote it about a month after ‘Die From A Broken Heart.’” MADDIE: “We were on a roll that month.” TAE: “We were in some sad girl stuff.” MADDIE: “It was Sad Girl Fall.” (laughs) TAE: “Sad Girl Fall.” (laughs) MADDIE: “Like Hot Girl Summer.” (laughs) TAE: “We were ahead of the times, but yeah, this song just found itself back to us for this project and we got to have the collaboration of a lifetime with Morgane Stapleton, so we’re excited for everyone to hear this one.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Caylee Hammack, Josh Turner and more

    If you happened to miss the premiere of Reba McEntire‘s Lifetime holiday movie, Christmas in Tune, you’re in luck. The channel will air encore presentations of the movie several times throughout the month, including December 4th, December 16th, December 21st and December 24th.

    Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, George Strait, Shania Twain, Trace Adkins, Vince Gill, Suzy Bogguss, Deana Carter and many more are featured on the new compilation 90s Country Christmas. Click here to download or stream.

     

    Caylee Hammack shared her tour diary from her dates opening up for Chris Stapleton. Check it out below.

    https://twitter.com/Cayleehammack/status/1466788316762804231

     

    Josh Turner talked to People about his new holiday song, “Soldier’s Gift,” his first-ever Christmas album, King Size Manger, and his holiday tour.

     

  • KEITH URBAN SETS ‘22 FOR HIS RETURN TO THE ROAD AND THE DEBUT OF HIS ‘THE SPEED OF NOW WORLD TOUR.”

    Four-time GRAMMY© Award winner Keith Urban has set Summer ’22 for the North American debut of his first world tour in four years, THE SPEED OF NOW WORLD TOUR.  The tour’s newly announced North American leg, with 3x GRAMMY© nominee Ingrid Andress, will add fifty shows to the previously announced concerts in Australia, Germany, Netherlands and the U.K.  For information on where to get tickets go to www.keithurban.com.

    https://twitter.com/KeithUrban/status/1466017561376665607

    “Every night is the first time we’ve played these songs for that audience, in that moment,” says Urban.  “It’s why every show is different – spontaneous and unpredictable – even for us!”  He adds, “After two years we’re finally gonna get the chance to play some of the new songs we haven’t done live before.  We’ll throw in a bunch of the songs that everyone comes to hear, a couple of which we’ll rework a bit, and it’s really gonna be tough to get us off the stage.”

    “I’ve always considered myself a live performer first,” says Urban. “It’s what I’ve always done and it’s what my music needs to live and breathe.  Our shows are all about living in the moment.  They’re a totally interactive and immersive experience where everyone can participate in whatever way they want – sing, dance, do whatever.”

    Critics from around the globe have hailed Urban’s concerts as ones “not to be missed,” as unpredictable as they are explosive.  Combine his infectious showmanship, virtuoso guitar playing, effortless spontaneity with a fist-pumping, arena-ready arsenal of hits and THE SPEED OF NOW WORLD TOUR  promises to be one of the concert event of the Summer.

    But what lies at the heart of every great show are the songs. Blue Ain’t Your Color, The Fighter, Somewhere In My Car, Wasted Time, Somebody Like You, Long Hot Summer, his latest single Wild Hearts, and his global smash One Too Many with P!NK, will anchor a night of music from one of the touring world’s best.

    The tour includes Urban’s first concerts in Ft. Worth and Savannah, his first appearances at venues in Los Angeles and Jacksonville, as well as shows in Knoxville, Charleston and Madison where he hasn’t played in nearly a decade.

    Tickets for shows on May 27th, 28th and 29th, part of Urban’s run of dates at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, go on sale on December 10th at 10:00AM PT.

    More About Keith Urban:
    Keith Urban has spent the better part of his life harnessing a passion for music.  This helps to understand why he is one of the most successful and well-respected artists in the world.  He’s won four GRAMMY© Awards, thirteen CMAs, fifteen ACMs, three AMAs, two People’s Choice Awards and celebrated nine consecutive gold, platinum or multi-platinum albums. His musical virtuosity and fluidity has made him the musician’s musician.  He’s collaborated with a diverse group of artists that include, among others; Billy Gibbons, Buddy Guy, H.E.R., Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, John Mayer, Julia Michaels, Justin Timberlake, Dzeko, Miranda Lambert, Nile Rodgers, Post Malone, Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones and Vince Gill.

    May 27-29 Las Vegas at Caesars Palace Colosseum

     

    June 17                 Tampa                   MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

    June 18                 West Palm Beach    iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

    July 8                    Toronto                  Budweiser Stage

    July 9                    Toronto                  Budweiser Stage

    July 10                  Canandaigua          CMAC

    July 15                  Cleveland              Blossom Music Center

    July 16                  Cincinnati             Riverbend Music Center

    July 22                  Mansfield              Xfinity Center

    July 23                  Bangor                  Maine Savings Amphitheater

    July 24                  Gilford                   Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion

    July 29                  Holmdel                 PNC Bank Arts Center

    July 30                  Bristow                 Jiffy Lube Live

    July 31                  Camden                 BB&T Pavilion

    August 4                Jacksonville           Daily’s Place

    August 5                Jacksonville           Daily’s Place

    August 6                Orange Beach        The Wharf Amphitheater

    August 12              Charlotte               PNC Music Pavilion

    August 13              Raleigh                  Coastal Credit Union Music Park

    August 14              Virginia Beach       Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater

    August 18              Rogers                   Walmart AMP

    August 19              St. Louis                Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

    August 20              Des Moines            Iowa State Fair

    August 26              Detroit                  DTE Energy Music Theatre

    August 27              Indianapolis          Ruoff Music Center

    August 28              Milwaukee             American Family Insurance Amphitheater

    September 1           Lake Tahoe            Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys

    September 3           Mountain View       Shoreline Amphitheatre

    September 8           Phoenix                 Footprint Center

    September 9           San Diego              North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

    September 10         Los Angeles            The Forum

    September 15         Salt Lake City        USANA Amphitheatre

    September 16         Denver                   Ball Arena

    September 17         Wichita                 INTRUST Bank Arena

    September 22         Grand Rapids         Van Andel Arena

    September 23         Columbus              Nationwide Arena

    September 24         Chicago                 Hollywood Casino Amphitheater

    September 29         Kansas City           T-Mobile Center

    September 30         Oklahoma City       Paycom Center

    October 1               Ft. Worth               Dickies Arena

    October 6               Lexington               Rupp Arena

    October 7               Nashville               Bridgestone Arena

    October 8               Atlanta                  State Farm Arena

    October 13             Savannah              Enmarket Arena

    October 14             Knoxville               Thompson Boling Arena

    October 15             Charleston            Charleston Coliseum

    October 21             Uncasville              Mohegan Sun Arena

    October 22             Long Island            UBS Arena at Belmont Park

    November 3            Madison                 Alliant Energy Center

    November 4            Peoria                    Peoria Civic Center

    November 5            St. Paul                 Xcel Center

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK TAPPED FOR FIFTH ANNUAL “SPOTIFY SINGLES: HOLIDAY EDITION” PLAYLIST.

     

    Capitol Records’ Caylee Hammack has been tapped to bring her vocal stylings to the fifth annual “Spotify Singles: Holiday Edition” playlist and campaign — alongside an all-genre lineup including Ashnikko, jxdn, Spoon and more — out today. Praised as a “dynamic singer…[with] soulful vocals,” (Billboard) Hammack fittingly pays homage to country icon Dolly Parton with a striking rendition of her Christmas classic “Hard Candy Christmas,” available to listen to here.

    “‘Hard Candy Christmas’ has always been one of my favorite Christmas songs,” shared Hammack. “It was fun to get to strip it down a bit and produce it myself in the studio for Spotify’s Holiday Series. Merry Christmas y’all.”

    Hammack made her main stage debut this past weekend at Tortuga Music Festival, and is slated to support REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT in January in select cities. Visit www.cayleehammack.com/tour for tickets and details.

    Capitol Nashville “songwriter/producer/full-throttle vocalist” (HITS) Caylee Hammack released her debut record IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU to high praise from critics. The 13-track set that sees Hammack with writer and producer credits on every track was spotlighted by Billboard as “Hammack has arrived with this 13-track adrenaline blast…every song on here plays out like an entry in Hammack’s diary—and is just as compelling…Hammack deserves to be a star.” Hammack garnered more acclaim when she released a new version of her deeply personal song “Small Town Hypocrite” with a guest vocal by Chris Stapleton. Co-written and co-produced by Hammack, NPR and Esquire singled out the track as one of their “Best Songs of 2020.” Winning ACM “Music Event Of The Year,” with Miranda Lambert, Caylee Hammack has been noted as an “Artist To Watch” by outlets including The Bobby Bones Show, Rolling Stone and HITS Magazine for her “voice to move mountains” (Rolling Stone). With her breakout Top 30 single “Family Tree” marking the most-added single at Country radio by a female artist in over three years, Hammack, the Capitol Nashville recording artist has previously brought her unforgettable live set to opening slots for Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Trisha Yearwood, Brothers Osborne and some of country music’s biggest festivals. For more information visit www.cayleehammack.com.

  • TAYLOR SWIFT RELEASES OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO FOR “I BET YOU THINK ABOUT ME.”

    Taylor Swift released the official music video for her single, “I Bet You Think About Me,” this morning (November 15th). The clip, which she co-wrote with actress Blake Lively and was directed by The Shallows actress in her directorial debut, finds Taylor crashing the wedding of an ex-boyfriend, played by Miles Teller (War Dogs, Divergent, Only the Brave) and turning everything red.

     

     

    “I Bet You Think About Me” (Taylor’s Version) is one of nine songs From the Vault that were added to the re-make of the global superstar’s 2012 album, Red. The song, which features Chris Stapleton singing harmonies, goes for adds at country radio today.

    For audio on the song, click here.

  • TAYLOR SWIFT RELEASES NEW SINGLE, “I BET YOU THINK ABOUT ME (TAYLOR’S VERSION) (FROM THE VAULT).”

    Taylor Swift released Red (Taylor’s Version) on Friday (November 12th)—the global superstar’s remake of her 2012 record, Red. Among the songs are her “From the Vault” tunes—songs she wrote during the initial sessions but didn’t end up making the final record. One of them is her new radio single, “I Bet You Think About Me,” featuring harmonies by the reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year, Chris Stapleton.

    Taylor is a tune she wrote with songstress Lori McKenna. “and I wrote this with her at her house when I was playing Foxboro Stadium on the Speak Now Tour,” she says. “We wanted this song to be like a comedic, tongue-in-cheek, funny, not caring what anyone thinks about you sort of breakup song, because there are a lot of different types of breakup songs on Red. Some of them are very sincere; some of them very stoic and heartbreaking and sad. We wanted this to be the moment like where I don’t care about anything. (laughs) And we wanted to kind of make people laugh with it, and we wanted it to be sort of a drinking song. I think that’s what it ended up being.”

    Taylor will release the official music video for “I Bet You Think About Me” on Monday (November 15th). The clip is directed by actress Blake Lively (The Town, The Shallows, Gossip Girl).

    https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/1459899686945447936

     

    Find the countdown to the premiere below.

     

     

    Audio / Taylor Swift talks about writing “I Bet You Don’t Think About Me.”

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    Taylor Swift (IBYTAM) OC: …ended up being. :46
    “The song, ‘I Bet You Think About Me’ – this is a song I wrote with Lori McKenna, who is one of my favorite singer-songwriters ever. I’d always wanted to work with her, and I wrote this with her at her house when I was playing Foxboro Stadium on the Speak Now Tour. We wanted this song to be like a comedic, tongue-in-cheek, funny, not caring what anyone thinks about you sort of breakup song, because there are a lot of different types of breakup songs on Red. Some of them are very sincere; some of them very stoic and heartbreaking and sad. We wanted this to be the moment like where I don’t care about anything. (laughs) And we wanted to kind of make people laugh with it, and we wanted it to be sort of a drinking song. I think that’s what it ended up being.”

    Audio / LINER Taylor Swift (IBYTAM feat. Chris Stapleton)

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    Video /

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    CMA AWARDS NOMINATIONS:

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

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

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

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

     

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

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

     

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR  

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

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

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

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

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

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

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

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

     

    SONG OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Songwriters 

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

     

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

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

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

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


    NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR 

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

    MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

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

     

     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • LUKE BRYAN, DIERKS BENTLEY FEAT. BRELAND & HARDY, KEITH URBAN AND MORE HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    More performers have been announced for this year’s CMA Awards. The night will see show host Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley feat. BRELAND and HARDY, as well as Keith Urban, Gabby Barrett, Thomas Rhett, Zac Brown Band and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson perform on the CMA stage.

    Three-time CMA Awards winner and two-time nominee this year, Dierks welcomes collaborators and tour mates BRELAND and  HARDY for their laidback single “Beers On Me.” Two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year winner and nominee this year in the CMA Musical Event of the Year category, Luke performs his new single “Up.”

    Singer, actress and star of the acclaimed Aretha Franklin biographical musical drama “Respect,” Hudson will perform on the CMA Awards stage for the first time. Twelve-time CMA Awards winner Urban performs his new single “Wild Hearts.”

    They all join previously announced performers Jason Aldean and Carrie UnderwoodJimmie AllenBrothers OsborneEric ChurchLuke CombsDan + ShayMickey Guyton feat. Brittney Spencer and Madeline EdwardsMiranda LambertOld DominionCarly Pearce and Ashley McBrydeBlake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, and Chris Young and Kane Brown for this year’s show.

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

  • TAYLOR SWIFT IS GETTING READY TO RELEASE HER RED (TAYLOR’S VERSION)

    Taylor Swift’s re-recorded 30-track version of Red is nearing release. Moved up from its original November 19th date to November 12th, Taylor’s Version of the collection will include 30-tracks and feature nine bonus songs including collaborations with Chris Stapleton, Ed Sheeran and Phoebe Bridgers and other tracks that were originally meant for Red (the 2012 edition), but ended up with other artists such as “Better Man” for Little Big Town.

    Taylor explains how she was heartbroken during the original making of the album but during the process of writing and recording, she healed from that heartbreak.

    “Musically and lyrically, Red’ resembled a heartbroken person,” she says. “It was all over the place, a fractured mosaic of feelings that somehow all fit together in the end. Happy, free, confused, lonely, devastated, euphoric, wild and tortured by memories past.” These are the original 30 songs that were meant for Red. I love you guys!”

    The global superstar surprised fans when she dropped a 30-second teaser on her socials with several word jumbles floating out of a vault in early August, and it didn’t take long for fans to solve the puzzle.

    The CD includes an exclusive album booklet with never-before-seen photos, artwork and lyrics for the nine songs from the vault. The vinyl version (which includes four records) includes nine songs from the vault, lyrics to all 30 songs, never-before-seen photos and artwork and handwritten lyrics for the 10-minute version of “All Too Well.”

    Audio / Taylor Swift talks about her re-recorded version of her"Red" album

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    Taylor Swift (Red) OC: …love you guys! :24
    “Musically and lyrically, Red’ resembled a heartbroken person,” she says. “It was all over the place, a fractured mosaic of feelings that somehow all fit together in the end. Happy, free, confused, lonely, devastated, euphoric, wild and tortured by memories past. These are the original 30 songs that were meant for Red. I love you guys!”

  • KEITH URBAN TO BE HONORED WITH COUNTRY RADIO BROADCASTERS 2021 ARTIST CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.

    Multi-award-winning artist Keith Urban has been announced as the recipient of the 2021 CRB Artist Career Achievement Award, recognizing Urban for his continuous meritorious work and outstanding accomplishments.

    CRB/CRS Board President, Kurt Johnson, commented about the award and this year’s honoree, saying, “Only a very select group of artists ascends to the level of this award. They do it by combining years of uncompromised brilliant performance with sustained success. As Keith continues to reach new creative heights every year, let’s pause to celebrate him. Be there October 13 when we recognize him for all he has achieved…so far. It will be an unforgettable moment.”

    Keith Urban is one of the most successful and well-respected artists in the world. He’s won four GRAMMY© Awards, thirteen CMAs, fifteen ACMs, three AMAs, two People’s Choice Awards, and celebrated nine consecutive gold, platinum, or multi-platinum albums. His musical talents have led to 24 #1’s, 43 Top 10 singles in the U.S., 27 #1’s in Canada, and numerous other chart-topping placements in Australia, the U.K., and other countries worldwide. Urban’s concerts have also become legendary – as unpredictable as they are explosive. His musical virtuosity and fluidity have made him the musician’s musician. He’s collaborated with a diverse group of artists that include, among others; Billy Gibbons, Buddy Guy, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, John Mayer, Julia Michaels, Justin Timberlake, Dzeko, Miranda Lambert, Nile Rodgers, Post Malone, Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, and Vince Gill.

    In August, he released “Wild Hearts,” an autobiographical, fist-pumping, arena-ready Urban track as authentic as it is infectious – quintessential Urban. It comes on the heels of “One Too Many” (his duet with P!nk), the last from The Speed of Now Part 1, which marked his fourth in a historic streak of simultaneous #1 album debuts in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

    He’s also long supported numerous charities, making him a beloved figure among many philanthropic communities. His “All For The Hall” benefit concerts for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum© have raised over $4.2 million. He is the first Ambassador of the CMA Foundation, an advisory board member at the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and is a longtime supporter of The Mr. Holland’s Opus Fund and The Grammy Foundation.

    The CRB Artist Career Achievement Award is presented to an individual artist or act that, through their creativity, vision, performance or leadership, has made a significant contribution to the development and promotion of country music and country radio. Previous CRB Artist Career Achievement recipients include Rascal Flatts, Steve Wariner, Martina McBride, Randy Travis, Vince Gill, Brooks & Dunn, Charlie Daniels, Dolly Parton, Reba, and more.

    Universal Music Group Nashville Chairman and CEO Mike Dungan will present Urban with the award during the Country Radio Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Awards Ceremony on October 13 at The Westin in Nashville, Tenn.

    The Class of 2021 Country Radio Hall of Fame inductees will also be honored at the event and include four off-air radio broadcasters and four on-air radio personalities. The off-air honorees are Bob Call, RJ Curtis, Bill Hagy, and Norm Schrutt. The on-air honorees are Heather Froglear, Buzz Jackson, Bob Pickett, and Angie Ward. Additionally, a special presentation honoring this year’s CRB President’s Award recipient, Beverlee Brannigan, will also be recognized at the event.

    Providing a safer environment for inductees, attendees, sponsors, and staff is a top priority for the Country Radio Hall of Fame event. Achieving this is a shared responsibility. In that spirit, CRB, Inc and its Board of Directors are requiring anyone attending the Country Radio Hall of Fame ceremony to please provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID test result completed within 48-hours of the event.

  • REBA McENTIRE HELPS PAY TRIBUTE TO “THE GAMBLER” KENNY ROGERS IN A STAR-STUDDED TRIBUTE THIS WEEK.

    Reba McEntire is among the superstars paying tribute to Kenny Rogers during the new concert special, Kenny Rogers: All In For The Gambler, on Thursday (September 23rd). Reba says he was a good friend and absolutely saved her sanity after the tragic plane crash in March 1991 resulting in the deaths of several of her band members — Chris Austin, Kirk Cappello, Joey Cigainero, Paula Kaye Evans, Jim Hammon, Terry Jackson, Anthony Saputo, and Michael Thomas as well as with the pilot and co-pilot – when he asked her to be in The Gambler 5 (The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw).

    She said, “I worked with Kenny in 1991. It was right after the plane crash, and Kenny’s manager called Narvel (Blackstock) and asked, ‘Would Reba be interested in doing Gambler 5?’ And Narvel said, ‘I don’t know.’ I said, ‘Yes, absolutely.’ It probably saved my sanity to get out of Nashville and go to California and work and be absorbed in dialogue and work and get up early, work hard and by the time you’re ready to go to bed, you went to sleep, which wasn’t happening.”

    A side note – Reba first met her now-boyfriend, actor Rex Linn, on the set of The Gambler.

    Reba also toured Australia for the first time when she opened for Kenny. She enjoyed spending time with him and said, “Kenny was funny, told the best stories, the best jokes, and I just loved being in his presence.”

    Little Big Town, Chris Stapleton, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Idina Menzel and many others will also honor Kenny’s life and legacy during the celebration that was filmed before Rogers’ untimely passing. Kenny Rogers: All In For The Gambler airs Thursday (September 23rd) at 9pm ET on CBS.

     

    Audio / Reba McEntire says working on The Gambler 5 saved her sanity after the tragic plane crash that took the lives of several of her band members in March 1991.

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    Reba McEntire (Kenny Rogers) 1 OC: …with Kenny Rogers. :41
    “I worked with Kenny in 1991. It was right after the plane crash, and Kenny’s manager called Narvel and asked, ‘Would Reba be interested in doing Gambler 5?’ And Narvel said, ‘I don’t know.’ I said, ‘Yes, absolutely.’ It probably saved my sanity to get out of Nashville and go to California and work and be absorbed in dialogue and work and get up early, work hard and by the time you’re ready to go to bed, you went to sleep, which wasn’t happening. And so, I went out there, and that’s the first time I met (now boyfriend) Rex Linn. We worked together on the movie, on The Gambler movie with Kenny Rogers.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire loved being around her good friend Kenny Rogers.

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    Reba McEntire (Kenny Rogers) 2 OC: …to a good friend. :22
    “I just loved Kenny. Kenny was a super person. I toured Australia with him. That was my first trip and then went back on my own. But Kenny was funny, told the best stories, the best jokes, and I just loved being in his presence. So, when they asked if we would do the tribute, I said, absolutely to a good friend.”

  • JOSH TURNER’S 15TH ANNIVERSARY YOUR MAN DELUXE EDITION AVAILABLE NOW.

    Country star Josh Turner’s Your Man Deluxe Edition is out now. The deluxe edition celebrates 15 years of Turner’s iconic Double Platinum-selling Your Man album. It features all 11 original tracks including collaborations with country icons John Anderson, Dr. Ralph Stanley, and Diamond Rio’s Marty Roe, Gene Johnson, and Dana Williams, plus live versions of the title track “Your Man,” fan favorite and often celebrated “Me and God,” and multi-week No. 1 hit “Would You Go With Me.”

    “The YOUR MAN album holds so many special memories,” says Turner. “It marked so many firsts in my career.  My first No.1 album and single and we were pregnant with our first child. It was a pivotal album in my career, and I am so thankful to be celebrating it 15 years later with the release of YOUR MAN Deluxe Edition.”

    The Triple Platinum-selling title track “Your Man,” penned by Chris Stapleton, Chris DuBois, and Jace Everett, has become one of Turner’s trademark hits, as has the accompanying video which is now nearing 100M views. Turner and the video’s leading lady, his wife Jennifer, returned to the historic Hermitage Hotel in downtown Nashville for a special anniversary making of the “Your Man (Official Music Video – Reimagined 15 Years Later),” which also features cameos of the couple’s four children- Hampton, Colby, Marion, and Hawke.

    “I don’t think anybody has done this, where the same people go back and recreate the video from 15 years prior, in the same location,” Turner shares exclusively with PEOPLE. “When I saw the first edit, I just sat there, and I was speechless. I was thinking, this is kind of crazy looking. Once you think you’ve done it all, you haven’t.”

     

    Watch “Your Man (Official Music Video – Reimagined 15 Years Later) 

     

    Turner’s Double-Platinum-selling “Would You Go With Me” also recently experienced a viral surge across TikTok leading to a jump in streaming which landed the classic country tune on Spotify’s US Viral 50 along with Spotify Viral charts in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. Posting more than 3.7M weekly streams, “Would You Go With Me” moved inside the Top 35 on the Country streaming chart and ranked HOT on Amazon Music’s Voice Index.

    The Your Man Deluxe Edition marks the first time the signature album has been pressed on vinyl which is available now exclusively at Walmart.

     

  • HEAVY METAL CERTIFICATIONS FOR DARIUS, SAM, LUKE, KEITH, KIP, LITTLE BIG TOWN, BROTHERS OSBORNE, ERIC, DIERKS AND MORE.

    Several of Universal Music Group Nashville artists have earned gold, platinum and multi-platinum certifications recently. See the most recent list below:

    Brothers Osborne’s “Stay a Little Longer” certified double platinum; while “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)” and “21 Summer” were certified gold.

    Chris Stapleton’s “More of You” “I Was Wrong,” “Either Way” and “Might As Well Get Stoned” went gold, while “Whiskey and You,” “Starting Over” were certified platinum. “Parachute” went double platinum and “Broken Halos” is triple platinum.

    Darius Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel” is 9x platinum, while “Come Back Song,” “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” “For the First Time,” “This,” “It Won’t Be Like This For Long” are platinum; His recent No. 1 song, “Beers and Sunshine,” and “History in the Making” are gold.

    David Lee Murphy’s “Dust on the Bottle” and “Out With a Bang” are platinum.

    Deana Carter’s “Strawberry Wine” has been certified double platinum.

    Dierks Bentley’s “What Was I Thinking,” “I Hold On” and “Somewhere On a Beach” are now 2x platinum; “Woman, Amen,” “Am I The Only One,” “Black,” “Sideways” and “Come a Little Closer” are certified platinum, while “Riser,” “Tip It On Back,” “Settle For a Slowdown,” “Every Mile a Memory” and “I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes” have gone gold.

    Eric Church’s “Springsteen” has been certified 6x platinum; “Homeboy” and “Give Me Back My Hometown” are now double-platinum; “Desperate Man,” “Some Of It” and “Hell on the Heart” are platinum; “Hell of a View” (Eric’s recent No. 1 hit), “Monsters” and “How ‘Bout You” are gold.

    Gary Allan’s “Right Where I Need to Be” has been certified platinum.

    George Strait’s “Amarillo By Morning” and “I Cross My Heart” have been certified double platinum, while “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” “Here for a Good Time” and “You Look So Good in Love” are now platinum. “Blue Clear Sky,” “The Cowboy Rides Away,” “She Let Herself Go,” “Heartland” and “I Just Want to Dance With You” have been certified gold.

    Jon Pardi’s “Ain’t Always the Cowboy” is platinum, while “What I Can’t Put Down” and “When I’ve Been Drinkin’” are gold.

    Jordan Davis’ “Slow Dance in a Parking Lot” has been certified platinum, while his latest “Almost Maybes” has gone gold.

    Kacey Musgraves’ album, Golden Hour, was recently certified platinum.

    Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color” is 5x platinum; “The Fighter” is 3x platinum; “Cop Car” is double platinum; “Wasted Time” has gone platinum, while “We Were,” “God Whispered Your Name” and his latest smash, “One Too Many” with P!nk have been certified gold.

    Kip Moore’s “Somethin’ Bout a Truck” is 3x platinum, “Beer Money” has been certified platinum, while “I’m To Blame,” “She’s Mine” and “More Girls Like You” are gold.

    Lauren Alaina has picked up some gold with “Road Less Traveled,” “Like My Mother Does,” “Getting Good” and “Doin’ Fine” have all been certified gold.

    Little Big Town’s “Pontoon” is 4x platinum, while “Better Man” and “Boondocks” are double platinum. The band’s “Your Side of the Bed” and “When Someone Stops Loving You” have been certified gold.

    Luke Bryan’s “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” has been certified 7x platinum; “Huntin’, Fishin’, Lovin’ Every Day” and “Strip It Down” are 3x platinum, while “Knockin’ Boots” is double platinum; “Fast” and “What Makes You Country” are platinum; while “Down To One,” “Country Man,” “Buzzkill” and “Muckalee Creek Water” are gold.

    Reba McEntire’s “Consider Me Gone” has been certified platinum.

    Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road” is now 8x platinum; “House Party” and “Break Up In a Small Town” are now 4x platinum, while “Make You Miss Me” and “Leave The Night On” are 3x platinum; “Hard to Forget” is platinum and “Breaking Up Was Easy in the ‘90s” is now gold.

    Shania Twain’s “Forever and For Always” is platinum, while “I’m Gonna Getcha Good” has now been certified gold.

    Audio / Little Big Town's Phillip Sweet talks about the band's first No. 1 single, "Pontoon."

    Download

    LBT (Pontoon summer fun) OC: …summertime fun. :13
    “It’s just fun. [Jimi laughs] It really is. It feels like summer, and it feels exactly what it sounds like. I grew up on pontoon boats in the summer on the lakes and just having a blast, so it’s good ole clean summertime fun.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about the success of “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” which is from his album, tailgates & tanlines.

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    Luke Bryan (Country Girl) OC: …It shows. :59
    “That’s the most amazing part out of the business is to get a song idea and to write it and dream it up to become this big fun thing that you pray it’s gonna be. For it to happen that way is such a pleasure. Me and one of my best friends, Dallas Davison, wrote it and we kind of felt like it was going to be what it is. I think that the song, I kind of compare it to ‘I Like It, I Love It.’ It’s not going to change the world, but people are never going to get tired of hearing it and getting up and dancing and having a big old time to it. And that’s what the song’s about, I felt like when we recorded it, I felt like it was always going to need to be the first single. And it’s fun to have it go this way and to be a big old fun up tempo song that people are wanting to go dance and make up dance routines and party down and have fun with it, it shows.”

    Audio / Eric Church explains what the song, “Springsteen,” means to him.

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    Eric Church (Springsteen) OC: …my favorites. :44
    “The interesting thing about this song is it has probably less to do with [Bruce] Springsteen than it is about what’s happening at this amphitheater up on the lawn. I had this experience. If you’ve had this experience, no matter whether you stay together or don’t stay together, when you hear that person’s music whether it’s Springsteen or anybody else, you always think of the person you were with at that show. And I have that. I just thought it was an interesting story about two people falling in love at a concert, and for the rest of their life that’s the soundtrack. That artist is the soundtrack to their love, to that time. I just love that. It makes me feel 17 again every time I hear it, and I think that other people feel the same way. It’s just a track that I’m very, very proud of. It might be my favorite on the record. I mean, I go back and forth between a couple, but that’s one of my favorites.”

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD, LUKE BRYAN, LAUREN ALAINA, JON PARDI, MICKEY GUYTON ADDED TO LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S CMT MUSIC AWARDS.

    This year’s CMT Music Awards will include cool collaborations, featuring some of the format’s biggest stars. Carrie Underwood will team with Christian supergroup NEEDTOBREATHE; while Lauren Alaina and Jon Pardi pair up. More collaborations include Mickey Guyton and BRELANDLuke Bryan and Thomas Rhett, as well as Chris Stapleton and Luke Combs.

    Previously announced performances and collabs include Brothers Osborne and Dierks Bentley, Mickey Guyton and Gladys Knight and the Marfa Tapes trio of Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram and Jon Randall. 

    The top six finalists will be revealed for “Video of the Year” Tuesday (June 1st) with voting for the night’s most sought-after prize continuing through the show on June 9th.

    The 2021 CMT Music Awards will air from Nashville on Wednesday, June 9th at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

     

  • GEORGE STRAIT ANNOUNCES RESCHEDULED DATES FOR UPCOMING “STRAIT TO VEGAS” SERIES.

    LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 01: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Recording artist George Strait (C) performs as part of his Strait to Vegas engagements at T-Mobile Arena on February 01, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Essential Broadcast Media)

    George Strait has announced his return to Las Vegas, gracing the T-Mobile Arena stage for back-to-back “Strait to Vegas” shows on Friday, August 13th and Saturday, August 14th with previously announced special guest Caitlyn Smith.

    “The Ace in the Hole Band and I have been looking forward to this day for a year and a half,” shares Strait. “I cannot wait to see Vegas and all of my great fans once again. It’s been way too long. We will finally ride again. See you soon.”

    Tickets to the original 2020 dates will be honored for the rescheduled shows: August 28th, 2020 tickets will apply to the August 13th, 2021 show, while August 29th, 2020 tickets will apply to the August 14th, 2021 show. Those unable to attend the rescheduled shows are eligible for a refund at the original point of purchase for the next 30 days. Additional tickets are on sale now at www.GeorgeStrait.com.

    As previously announced, Strait will also take the stage at Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday, November 13th, 2021 with special guests Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town.

    Since his record-breaking Cowboy Rides Away Tour in 2014, Strait has performed for limited engagements, including three sold-out performances at the top of 2020, first with “Visit Wichita Presents Strait to Oz” at INTRUST Bank Arena, then back-to-back nights of “Strait to the Heartland” at Kansas City’s Sprint Center.

    With an unmatched 60 singles hitting the top of the charts—more than any other artist in any genre—during the span of his 30+ year career, Strait has collected 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums, more than any other Country artist and ranking third across all genres behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. The Texas troubadour is the only artist or act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades and recently earned his 100th entry on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with his latest single, “The Weight of the Badge.” He has sold nearly 70 million albums and earned more than 60 major entertainment industry awards, including induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

  • BROTHERS OSBORNE ANNOUNCE HEADLINING “WE’RE NOT FOR EVERYONE.”

    EMI Nashville’s Brothers Osborne announce today plans for their headlining WE’RE NOT FOR EVERYONE TOUR launching this summer. The GRAMMY-nominated duo will hit almost 50 markets including New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta and more. Known for their “distinctive sound combining classic country and hints of soul” (The Washington Post), Brothers Osborne has earned high praise for their dynamic live show while previously touring with the likes of Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert. Rolling Stone exclaims “The Bros come guns blazing, a guaranteed show-stopper” while The Boston Globe commends the band for “winning listeners over with its spirited live performances.” AXS adds, “the pair acted like old pros as they effortlessly showcased their solid harmonies and impressive instrumentation.”

    On the WE’RE NOT FOR EVERYONE TOUR, fans can expect to hear the band’s six GRAMMY-nominated singles including No. 1 Platinum-Certified hit “Stay A Little Longer,” rowdy Top 10 Platinum-Certified hit “It Ain’t My Fault,” the reminiscent Top 25 hit “21 Summer,”  as well as Top 40 hits “Shoot Me Straight,” “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You),” and “All Night.”

    Travis Denning and Tenille Townes will serve as alternating opening acts. Fresh off his Gold-certified No.1 hit for “After A Few,” Travis has previously served as a CMA KixStart Artist as well as Opry NextStage Artist while Tenille recently won three Canadian Country Music Awards in addition to ACM New Female Artist of the Year last year. Fans can purchase tickets beginning next Friday, April 23 at brothersosborne.com. Special fan club presale tickets will be available to “The Family” starting 10am local time on April 20.

    Nominated for Duo of the Year as well as Album of the Year for their critically acclaimed third studio album, Skeletons, Brothers Osborne will perform their new single “I’m Not For Everyone” as well as “Deadman’s Curve” as part of the ACM Awards this Sunday, April 18 on CBS beginning at 8pm ET. Earlier that morning, John and TJ will be featured on CBS Sunday Morning with correspondent Anthony Mason detailing their upbringing in the blue-collar town of Deale, Maryland and journey to Nashville to pursue their musical ambitions. They also discuss John’s personal battle with mental health and TJ’s experience publicly revealing that he is gay. In addition, the band will be featured on CBS This Morning April 19 for another profile piece featuring extended footage and additional interview content.

    Tomorrow, Brothers Osborne will release a new song titled “Younger Me” written by TJ in response to the overwhelming support he received after sharing his personal story. The track was produced by both John and TJ who will perform a special version as part of Xfinity presents a special ACM Awards bonus performance by Brothers Osborne – the exclusive premiere of “Younger Me” – available on Xfinity’s YouTube channel. Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex customers can also say “ACM Awards” into the Voice Remote to enjoy the Brothers Osborne bonus performance on their TV.

     

    WE’RE NOT FOR EVERYONE TOUR Dates:

    Jul. 29                   Philadelphia, PA                               Skyline Stage at the Mann

    Jul. 30                   Boston, MA                                       Leader Bank Pavilion

    Jul. 31                   Westbrook, ME                                Maine Savings Pavilion at Rock Row

    Aug. 1                   Providence, RI                                  Bold Point Park

    Aug. 4                   Toledo, OH                                        Toledo Zoom Amphitheater

    Aug. 5                   Maryland Heights, MO                    Saint Louis Music Park

    Aug. 14                 Council Bluffs, IA                              Stir Concert Cove – Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel***

    Aug. 15                 Dubuque, IA                                      Q Casino Back Waters Stage***

    Aug. 19                 Asbury Park, NJ                                Stone Pony Summer Stage

    Aug. 20                 Bridgeport, CT                                  Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater

    Aug. 21                 Farmingville, NY                               Long Island Community Hospital Amphitheater

    Aug. 26                 Charlotte, NC                                   Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre

    Aug. 27                 Raleigh, NC                                       Red Hat Amphitheater

    Sep. 2                   Cleveland, OH                                   Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica

    Sep. 3                   Indianapolis, IN                                TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park

    Sep. 4                   Sterling Heights, MI                         Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill

    Sep. 9                   Cincinnati, OH                                  The Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center

    Sep. 10                 Memphis, TN                                    The Orpheum Theatre

    Sep. 16                 Nashville, TN                                    Ascend Amphitheater

    Sep. 17                 Rogers, AR                                        Walmart AMP

    Sep. 18                 Oklahoma City, OK                          The Criterion

    Sep. 22                 Irving, TX                                           The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

    Sep. 23                 Houston, TX                                      White Oak Music Hall – Lawn

    Sep. 24                 Austin, TX                                          Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater**

    Sep. 25                 Helotes, TX                                        Floore’s Country Store**

    Sep. 30                 Asheville, NC                                     Rabbit Rabbit

    Oct. 1                   Atlanta, GA                                        Fox Theatre

    Oct. 2                   Jacksonville, FL                                 Daily’s Place

    Oct. 8                   Denver, CO                                        Mission Ballroom

    Oct. 10                 Phoenix, AZ                                       Arizona Federal Theatre

    Oct. 12                 Los Angeles, CA                                Greek Theatre

    Oct. 13                 Santa Barbara, CA                            Santa Barbara Bowl

    Oct. 15                 San Diego, CA                                   Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU

    Oct. 16                 Sacramento, CA                               Memorial Auditorium

    Oct. 17                 San Francisco, CA                            The Masonic

    Oct. 20                 Portland, OR                                     Veterans Memorial Coliseum

    Oct. 22                 Seattle, WA                                       WaMu Theater

    Oct. 28                 New York, NY                                   Beacon Theatre

    Oct. 29                 Hampton Beach, NH                       Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom*

    Oct. 30                 Albany, NY                                         Palace Theatre*

    Nov. 11                Kansas City, MO                               Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland

    Nov. 13                Chicago, IL                                        Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom

    Nov. 18                Richmond, VA                                   Altria Theater

    Nov. 19                Washington, D.C.                             The Anthem

    Nov. 20                Moon Twp, PA                                  UPMC Events Center

     

     

    * Tenille Townes Only

    **Travis Denning Only

    *** Opener TBA

     

     

    For more information about Brothers Osborne and the WE’RE NOT FOR EVERYONE TOUR, please visit www.BrothersOsborne.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

    Download

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

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

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

    Audio / Eric Church talks about his ACM Male Artist nomination.

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

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

    Download

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

    Audio / Chris Stapleton, who is nominated for Entertainer, Male Artist, Album and Song of the Year at this year’s ACM Awards, talks about the theme of his latest album, Starting Over.

    Download

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

    Audio / Chris Stapleton will perform “Maggie’s Song” on the ACM Awards on Sunday Night (April 18th). He felt like Maggie, a dog he and Morgan rescued and had for 14 years, deserved a song of her own – that song appears on his ACM-nominated album, Starting Over.

    Download

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

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

    Download

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

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

    Download

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

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

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

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

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

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (ACM promo)

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    Audio / LINER Mickey Guyton (ACM Promo)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • JOSH TURNER’S 15TH ANNIVERSARY YOUR MAN DELUXE EDITION DUE JUNE 25TH.

    Multi-platinum-selling country star Josh Turner announces special 15th anniversary deluxe edition of his No. 1 debuting album YOUR MAN. Turner shared the news with fans first at a livestream concert last night from downtown Nashville’s Ole Red. This deluxe edition marks the first time the signature album has been pressed on vinyl which will be available exclusively at Walmart. In addition to the 11 original tracks on the album which feature collaborations with country icons John Anderson, Dr. Ralph Stanley, and Diamond Rio’s Marty Roe, Gene Johnson, and Dana Williams, the deluxe includes three bonus live recordings of Turner’s No. 1 hit songs “Your Man,” “Would You Go With Me,” and the fan favorite “Me and God.”

    “The YOUR MAN album holds so many special memories,” says Turner. “It marked so many firsts in my career.  My first No.1 album and single and we were pregnant with our first child. It was a pivotal album in my career, and I am so thankful to be celebrating it 15 years later with the release of YOUR MAN Deluxe Edition.”

    Title track “Your Man,” penned by Chris Stapleton, Chris DuBois, and Jace Everett, has become a trademark hit for Turner. His wife Jennifer, who fittingly starred as Turner’s love interest in the official video 15 years ago, surprised Turner on stage last night with the news that the hit song is officially RIAA-certified Triple Platinum.

    Josh Turner surprised by his wife Jennifer celebrating Turner’s Triple Platinum hit single “Your Man” from a live concert stream in Nashville, Tenn. March 10, 2021 Photo Credit: Lance Goodman

     

    Pre-order is available now including limited edition packages, merchandise and autographed memorabilia exclusively at YourMan.JoshTurner.com.

     

    YOUR MAN Deluxe Edition CD/Digital Track List:

    1. Would You Go With Me
    2. Baby’s Gone Home To Mama
    3. No Rush
    4. Your Man
    5. Loretta Lynn’s Lincoln
    6. White Noise (featuring John Anderson)
    7. Angels Fall Sometimes
    8. Lord Have Mercy On A Country Boy
    9. Me And God (featuring Dr. Ralph Stanley and Marty Roe, Gene Johnson, and Dana Williams of Diamond Rio)
    10. Gravity
    11. Way Down South
    12. Your Man (Live from Kansas City, MO)
    13. Would You Go With Me (Live from Plant City, FL)
    14. Me And God (Live from Key Largo, FL)

     

    For more information, visit www.JoshTurner.com.

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  • KEITH URBAN AND MICKEY GUYTON TO HOST THE “56TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™” LIVE FROM NASHVILLE, SUNDAY, APRIL 18 AT 8PM ET / 7PM CT ON CBS

    The Academy of Country Music®, dick clark productions and CBS announced today that 15-time ACM Award winner Keith Urban, and New Female Artist of the Year nominee Mickey Guyton, will host the 56TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™, honoring the biggest names and emerging talent in Country Music. CBS presents the 56th ACM Awards® live from three iconic country music venues: the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe Sunday, April 18 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

     

    Urban returns for his second year after hosting the 55th ACM Awards in September, while this marks Guyton’s first time hosting the ACM Awards and the 29th time multiple hosts have taken the ACM Awards stage. Guyton’s performance of her critically acclaimed song “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” at last year’s show featured Urban as a surprise guest on piano.

    “I’m beyond thrilled to be co-hosting with my friend Mickey,” said Urban. “I love that finally everyone will get to see her infectious energy and uber creative spirit in full light.”

    “Last year I had the opportunity to perform at the Academy of Country Music Awards with someone I long admired, Keith Urban, and this year I am incredibly excited to share hosting duties with him,” said Guyton. “As I’ve said before ‘if you can see it, you can be it,’ and it’s such an honor to step onto the ACM stage as the first ever Black woman to host the show. Over the years, the Academy of Country Music has always been a home for me through opportunities both onstage and throughout their work on diversity and inclusion. This is a moment of great significance for me and I am so thrilled to share it with all the fans.”

    “Following Mickey’s groundbreaking and emotional performance featuring Keith Urban at last September’s ACM Awards, the producers knew that they would make a perfect hosting duo,” said ACM, dcp and CBS in a joint statement. “Since then, Mickey had a stratospheric rise and Keith has continued to top the charts. They will make a dynamic pairing that captures the warmth, humor, and comfort that the fans are looking for, and join a legendary list of talented artists that have hosted the ACM Awards over the years.”

    Urban is a double nominee in the Music Event of the Year Category for his collaboration with P!nk on his latest single, “One Too Many,” for which he received an additional nomination as the song’s producer. In addition, he received a nomination for his collaboration with Thomas Rhett, Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, and Chris Tomlin on “Be A Light.” To date, Urban has won 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, securing his first win in 2001.  He has spent the better part of his life harnessing a deep-seated passion for music.  This, when combined with his authenticity and talent, helps to exemplify why he is one of the most well-respected artists in the world. In addition to his ACM Award wins, he’s pocketed four GRAMMY© Awards, three AMAs, two People’s Choice Awards and celebrated nine consecutive gold, platinum or multi-platinum albums. His latest studio album, The Speed of Now Part 1, marks the fourth in an historic streak of simultaneous #1 album debuts in the United States, Canada and Australia.  It produced “One Too Many,” his latest single, the Top 5 hit “God Whispered Your Name,” as well as the international hits “Polaroid” and “Superman.”

    While plans for a tour were placed on hold, and many in the country faced stay-at-home orders, Urban did what he does best – found ways to stay connected with his fans and used music as balm.  He was one of the first to take to social media to perform a series of “concerts” from his home.  He stole the attention of the world with his performance of Steve Winwood’s Higher Love, for Lady Gaga’s “One World: Together at Home.” His concert for COVID-19 first responders became the first in the U.S. to be held at a drive-in movie theater and supported numerous efforts to assist in COVID relief. Urban’s live shows have become legendary – as unpredictable as they are explosive.  Whether in an arena of 15,000 or outdoors in front of 50,000, they’re an experience of emotion, musical texture, energy and showmanship.  His  musical virtuosity and fluidity is unparalleled leading to collaborations with a diverse group of artists that include, among others; Billy Gibbons, Buddy Guy, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, John Mayer, Julia Michaels, Justin Timberlake, Dzeko, Miranda Lambert, Nile Rodgers, Post Malone, Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones and Vince Gill.

    Mickey Guyton was born in Arlington, Texas and began singing in church at a young age. She was drawn to a variety of artists with big voices including Dolly Parton, Cece Winans, Whitney Houston and LeAnn Rimes. After signing to Capitol Records Nashville, Mickey’s first appearance was an all-star concert at the White House captured by PBS. In 2015 she released her self-titled EP featuring her debut single “Better Than You Left Me.” The following year she was nominated for her first Academy of Country Music Award for New Female Vocalist. Mickey returned to the ACM Awards in 2019 performing “I’m Standing With You” from the BREAKTHROUGH movie soundtrack alongside Chrissy Metz, Carrie Underwood, Lauren Alaina and Maddie & Tae. This last year, Mickey performed her first solo ACM Awards performance of “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” with labelmate Keith Urban’s accompaniment on piano.  The performance, which HITS called “…a Whitney Houston/Beyoncé power-vocal rendition of the glass-ceiling reckoning…” was named one of the best performances of the night. Mickey released her EP, Bridges, last September, which includes “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?”, hailed by Variety as “country music’s song of the year, as well as, “Black Like Me,” a song Mickey co-wrote in March 2019 at a cross-genre writing camp. Due to demand, “Black Like Me” was released in June 2020 and was named one of the Top 10 songs of 2020 by NPR, Billboard and The Associated Press. Mickey recently made history as the first Black female solo artist to earn a GRAMMY nomination in a country category (Best Country Solo Performance) for “Black Like Me” which she will perform as part of the awards ceremony Sunday, March 14. Mickey and her music have been featured recently by The New York Times, CBS This Morning, NPR, TodayBillboard, The Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly, ELLE, The Washington Post, Paste, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, American Songwriter and Pollstar.

  • THE ACM AWARDS NOMINATIONS 2021 HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED!

    With six each, Chris Stapleton and Maren Morris lead the list of nominations at this year’s ACM Awards.

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

     


    Brothers Osborne
    and Kelsea Ballerini, along with ET‘s Rachel Smith revealed the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards nominees today (February 26th) on CBS This Morning.

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

     

     

    Luke Bryan picks up a pair of nominations for Entertainer of the Year and Album of the Year for Born Here Live Here Die Here, while Dierks Bentley also is nominated for two including Male Artist of the Year and Music Video of the Year for “Gone.”

     

     

     

     

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

     

     

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

     

     

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

     

     

     

    Mickey Guyton and Caylee Hammack are both nominated for New Female Artist of the Year, while Travis Denning and Parker McCollum are up for New Male Artist of the Year.

    https://twitter.com/MickeyGuyton/status/1365330487636594694

     

     

     

     

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

    Entertainer of the Year

    Luke Bryan
    Eric Church

    Luke Combs
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton

    Female Artist of the Year

    Kelsea Ballerini
    Miranda Lambert
    Ashley McBryde
    Maren Morris
    Carly Pearce

    Male Artist of the Year

    Dierks Bentley
    Luke Combs
    Eric Church
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton

    Duo of the Year

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

    Group of the Year

    Lady A
    Little Big Town
    Old Dominion
    The Cadillac Three
    The Highwomen

    New Female Artist of the Year

    Ingrid Andress
    Tenille Arts
    Gabby Barrett
    Mickey Guyton
    Caylee Hammack

    New Male Artist of the Year

    Jimmie Allen
    Travis Denning
    Hardy
    Cody Johnson
    Parker McCollum

    Album of the Year

    Born Here Live Here Die Here, Luke Bryan
    Mixtape Vol. 1, Kane Brown
    Never Will, Ashley McBryde
    Skeletons, Brothers Osborne
    Starting Over, Chris Stapleton

    Single of the Year

    “Bluebird,” Miranda Lambert
    “I Hope,” Gabby Barrett
    “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
    “More Hearts Than Mine,” Ingrid Andress
    “The Bones,” Maren Morris

    Song of the Year

    “Bluebird,” Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Natalie Hemby
    “One Night Standards,” Ashley McBryde, Nicolette Hayford, Shane McAnally
    “Some People Do,” Jesse Frasure, Matt Ramsey, Thomas Rhett, Shane McAnally
    “Starting Over,” Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson
    “The Bones,” Jimmy Robbins, Maren Morris, Laura Veltz

    Video of the Year

    “Better Than We Found It,” Maren Morris
    “Bluebird,” Miranda Lambert
    “Gone,” Dierks Bentley
    “Hallelujah,” Carrie Underwood and John Legend

    “Worldwide Beautiful,” Kane Brown

    Songwriter of the Year

    Ashley Gorley
    Michael Hardy
    Hillary Lindsey
    Shane McAnally
    Josh Osborne

    Music Event of the Year

    “Be A Light,” Thomas Rhett f/Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, Keith Urban
    “Does To Me,” Luke Combs f/Eric Church
    “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
    “Nobody But You,” Blake Shelton f/Gwen Stefani
    “One Beer,” Hardy f/Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson
    “One Too Many,” Keith Urban f/P!nk

     

    Audio / Chris Stapleton, who is nominated for 6 ACM Awards including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year (among others), talks about the theme of his latest album, Starting Over.

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

    Audio / Eric Church, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, is nominated for Entertainer (among others) at this year’s ACM Awards. Backstage at last year’s CMA Awards, he talked about his first Entertainer of the Year win.

    Download

    Eric Church (CMA 2020) 1 OC: …next year or two. :31
    “There’s not really been winners this year. I mean, nobody’s played. Nobody’s done the things we normally do. It’s been a year, to me, about losses. It’s about loss of life. It’s about loss of education for your kids. It’s about loss of time playing. It’s been a year of managing those losses. But I really meant what I said (during my acceptance speech) that we were in a room together as country music, and that’s not happened this year. So, I think that that was a win for country music, and I think it was a win for where we’re gonna go in the next year or two.”

    Audio / Before releasing his latest album in August of last year, Luke Bryan talked about what fans can expect on BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE.

    Download

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

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about his latest single, "Gone," for which the music video is nominated for an ACM Award.

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    Dierks Bentley (Gone) 2 OC: …would enjoy it too. :18
    “You know, the song, ‘cause I didn’t write it I can only brag on it, is just really well-written. It’s catchy, it’s fun. It’s metaphorical about what’s happening right now. It reminds me a little bit of some stuff we’ve had out in the past, but it feels like new territory in other ways and I don’t know, I just enjoyed it. I enjoyed singing it and I enjoyed playing it, and I wanted to put it out there and I thought our fans would enjoy it too.”

    Audio / KEITH URBAN TALKS ABOUT RECORDING “ONE TOO MANY” WITH P!NK.

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

    Audio / CARRIE UNDERWOOD TALKS ABOUT THE SONG, “HALLELUJAH,” WHICH JOHN LEGEND WROTE AND IS FEATURED ON.

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    Carrie Underwood (Hallelujah) OC: …cool collaboration. :37
    “’Hallelujah’ is a song that touches on many different topics and feelings. It’s a love song, it’s a Christmas song, it’s a celebrating the time of year song. It’s you know, still wanting that joyfulness – it was written by John Legend and Toby Gad. When I listened to it, it had John’s voice on it, and it’s just beautiful. I knew I wanted to sing it – we asked if John, you might want to sing it with me. The perfect song, the perfect person, John Legend sounds amazing on it and I was like wow, I can’t believe that this just all came together like this, and just kind of a really cool collaboration.”

    Audio / Parker McCollum talks about being nominated for his first ACM Award…for New Male Artist of the Year.

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    Parker McCollum (1st ACM Nomination) OC: …So grateful. :36
    “What does it mean to be nominated for an ACM Award? I can’t even explain it. I’ve watched these awards shows from the time I can remember listening to country music or watching television. It’s been my whole life. And so to be nominated for an ACM, something like New Male Artist of the Year – an absolute honor and a dream come true and so cool to see how proud my family is of me getting nominated for something like this. It’s just, there are no words, man. So grateful.”

     

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  • ERIC CHURCH AND JAZMINE SULLIVAN TURN IN AN AMAZING AND UNIFYING NATIONAL ANTHEM AT THIS YEAR’S SUPER BOWL.

     

    photo courtesy of @rocnation

     

    Eric Church and R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan turned in an unprecedented and beautiful rendition of the National Anthem prior to this year’s Super Bowl matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

    The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year vowed never to perform the National Anthem, unless it was at the Super Bowl. “I’ve said this forever, ‘I will never, ever sing the National Anthem,’” he tells Apple Music’s Kelleigh Bannen. “It’s so hard. Except the Super Bowl, and I fully assumed. I mean, I’m not Chris Stapleton. I fully assumed they’re never going to ask me. So, this is the first.”

    Eric said one factor was Jazmine’s voice that secured the deal. He also recently told the Los Angeles Times, “With what’s going on in America, it feels like an important time for a patriotic moment,” Church asserts. “An important time for unity. The fact that I’m a Caucasian country singer and she’s an African-American R&B singer — I think the country needs that.”

     

     

    Keith Urban weighed in on Twitter asking when fans can expect a duet between the two.

     

    Eric is currently scaling the country charts with his latest single, “Hell of a View.” He is also set to release not one, but three albums in April — Heart & Soul. The album will only be released to members of his fan club, the Church Choir, on April 20th. Heart will be released April 16th, while Soul will be available April 23rd.

     

  • KEITH URBAN AND LITTLE BIG TOWN JOIN BARRY GIBB ON HIS NEW ALBUM, GREENFIELDS, OUT FRIDAY.

    Barry Gibb will release his anticipated new album, GREENFIELDS: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1 on Friday (January 8th) on Capitol Records. The 12-song collection, produced by Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton), features collaborations with Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Dolly Parton, Sheryl Crow, Miranda Lambert, Alison Krauss, Jason Isbell, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Brandi Carlile, Olivia Newton-John, Tommy Emmanuel and many more.

    “From the first day we stepped into RCA Studios in Nashville (the very place where Elvis, Willie, Waylon, Roy, the Everly Brothers and so many other legends made their magic) the album took on a life of its own,” says Barry of GREENFIELDS. “I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to work with Dave and all the artists who stopped by. They were all incredibly generous with their time and talent. They inspired me more than words can express. I feel deep down that Maurice and Robin would have loved this album for different reasons. I wish we could have all been together to do it…but I think we were.”

    Keith joined Sir Barry Gibb on the Bee Gees’ 1968 hit “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You,” while the members of Little Big Town lend their voices to “Lonely Days,” as well as to the iconic “How Deep Is Your Love,” along with guitarist Tommy Emmanuel.

    In addition to the new album, Gibb is the subject of an acclaimed new documentary, The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, directed by Frank Marshall and out now on HBO Max.

    GREENFIELDS: THE GIBB BROTHERS SONGBOOK, VOL. 1 TRACK LIST

    1. “I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You” with Keith Urban
      2. “Words of a Fool” with Jason Isbell
      3. “Run to Me” with Brandi Carlile
      4. “Too Much Heaven” with Alison Krauss
      5. “Lonely Days” with Little Big Town
      6. “Words” with Dolly Parton
      7. “Jive Talkin’” with Miranda Lambert, Jay Buchanan
      8. “How Deep Is Your Love” with Tommy Emanuel, Little Big Town
      9. “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” with Sheryl Crow
      10. “To Love Somebody” with Jay Buchanan
      11. “Rest Your Love On Me” with Olivia Newton-John
      12. “Butterfly” with Gillian Welch, David Rawlings

     

    Audio / Barry Gibb intros Greenfields, his new album featuring several country collaborators.

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    Audio / Barry Gibb says he's a collaborator, singer, songwriter, country artist, etc.

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    Audio / Barry Gibb says the Bee Gees songs always had some country music influence, among other influences.

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  • PARKER McCOLLUM SCORES HIS FIRST NO. 1 SONG WITH “PRETTY HEART.”

    Parker McCollum’s “Pretty Heart” climbed to the top of both the Country Aircheck and Billboard Country chart this week. The Texas native wrote the song with Randy Montana, and it’s his first chart-topper.

    “Pretty Heart” was just certified Gold by the RIAA and has averaged over 5 Million streams weekly. With the release of Hollywood Gold, Parker earned the highest-selling debut EP of 2020 debuting at No.10 on the Billboard Country Chart. Critics continue to praise Hollywood Gold with Billboarding noting, “McCollum’s voice is twangy and strong and the Texan’s songwriting really stands out. There’s nothing cookie-cutter about these songs.” American Songwriter adds, “Parker McCollum shines bright on his new EP Hollywood Gold.”

    Parker said he dreamed of country music success when he was just a teen. “It’s like exactly how I dreamed it up and told my older brother that I was gonna do this when I was 17 years old is exactly how it has gone, up until the global pandemic, everything was pretty spot on. It’s like a movie script or something,” he says. “The end-all goal really was to come to Nashville and sign a major record deal and try to go play country music at the highest level. But it’s exactly how I envisioned it when I was a teenager, 16-17-years old, it’s gone identical to that, to that dream. So, to say I’m lucky and blessed is an understatement.”

    A native of Austin, Texas, Parker has made a strong impression on critics and fans alike. American Songwriter notes, “he teeters on the edge of next-level superstardom, taking cues from rule breakers like Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves,” while Rolling Stone adds, “Parker is a no-holds-barred, confessional singer-songwriter who excels at relatable tales.” Parker continues to rack up impressive streaming numbers recently crossing over 350M total career domestic streams. His No. 1 single, “Pretty Heart,” can be found on Parker’s recent EP release, Hollywood Gold.

    Parker has been named a SiriusXM Highway Finds Artist and has previously been selected as an Artist to Watch by CMTRolling StoneSiriusXMMusicRow and Sounds Like Nashville. A singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and dedicated road warrior, Parker began building a following in 2015 with his album The Limestone Kid. The track “Meet You in The Middle” became a hit on Texas’ regional radio chart — no small feat for an independent, 22-year-old musician — but it was the album’s widely-acclaimed follow-up, Probably Wrong, that helped Parker find national success. Compared to John Mayer and Jason Isbell by Rolling Stone, Parker supported the album with a string of sold-out shows, bringing record-breaking crowds to venues like San Angelo’s RiverStage and two sold-out night at Billy Bob’s along the way. Born in Conroe, TX, the 28-year-old artist bridges the gap between Texas’ homegrown music scene and Nashville’s country-industry headquarters.

    Audio / Parker McCollum says he dreamed of having country music success when he was just a teenager.

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    Parker McCollum (dreamed of success) OC: …understatement. :52
    “It’s like exactly how I dreamed it up and told my older brother that I was gonna do this when I was 17 years old is exactly how it has gone, up until the global pandemic, everything was pretty spot on. It’s like a movie script or something. I grew up listening to the Randy Rogers Band…but Randy from the Randy Rogers Band managed me for two-and-a-half years. That was a dream come true; it felt like that was the end-all goal for a little while. It was like man, we made it, but the end-all goal really was to come to Nashville and sign a major record deal and try to go play country music at the highest level. But it’s exactly how I envisioned it when I was a teenager, 16-17-years old, it’s gone identical to that, to that dream. So, to say I’m lucky and blessed is an understatement.”

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  • THE 54TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS ARE SETTING THE STAGE FOR THIS WEDNESDAY.

    “The 54th Annual CMA Awards” take place on Wednesday (November 11th), and UMG Nashville will be represented in many of the night’s categories, including Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist, Male Vocalist, Album, Group, Duo, Music Video and more.

    Eric Church, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban are vying for Entertainer of the Year, alongside Luke Combs and Miranda Lambert.

    Keith earned three nods this year, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Musical Event of the Year for Thomas Rhett’s “Be A Light,” which features Keith, Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin.

    Eric Church and Carrie Underwood each earned two nods apiece – both have an Entertainer of the Year nomination, as well as Male Vocalist and Female Vocalist, respectively. Chris Stapleton is up against Church for Male Vocalist, but also has a Music Video nomination for his LEGO-themed “Second One to Know.”

    Jon Pardi is nominated in the Album of the Year category for the acclaimed Heartache Medication collection.

    Little Big Town is nominated for Vocal Group of the Year; Brothers Osborne and Maddie & Tae are up for Duo of the Year, while Kacey Musgraves is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year.

    Reba McEntire  is nominated alongside Keith Urban for Musical Event of the Year for Thomas Rhett’s “Be A Light,” which also features Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin.

    Caylee Hammack is also nominated in the Musical Event of the Year category for “Fooled Around And Fell In Love” with Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde and Tenille Townes.

    “The 54th Annual CMA Awards,” hosted by Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker, will be broadcast live from Nashville on Wednesday (November 11th) at 8pm ET on ABC.

     

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

    • Eric Church
    • Luke Combs
    • Miranda Lambert
    • Carrie Underwood  
    • Keith Urban   

     

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

    • Heartache Medication – Jon Pardi
      Producers: Bart Butler, Ryan Gore, Jon Pardi 
    • Never Will – Ashley McBryde
      Producers: Jay Joyce, John Peets
    • Old Dominion – Old Dominion
      Producers: Shane McAnally, Old Dominion
    • What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs
      Producer: Scott Moffatt
    • Wildcard – Miranda Lambert
      Producer: Jay Joyce

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

    • Miranda Lambert
    • Ashley McBryde
    • Maren Morris
    • Kacey Musgraves  
    • Carrie Underwood   

     

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR  

    • Eric Church   
    • Luke Combs
    • Thomas Rhett
    • Chris Stapleton  
    • Keith Urban    

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

    • Lady A
    • Little Big Town  
    • Midland
    • Old Dominion
    • Rascal Flatts

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

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

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

    • “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
      Producer: Dan Smyers
      Mix Engineer: Jeff Juliano
    • “Beer Never Broke My Heart” – Luke Combs
      Producer: Scott Moffatt
      Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
    • “Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert
      Producer: Jay Joyce
      Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
    • “The Bones” – Maren Morris
      Producer: Greg Kurstin
      Mix Engineer: Greg Kurstin
    • “I Hope” – Gabby Barrett
      Producers: Ross Copperman, Zach Kale
      Mix Engineer: Buckley Miller

     

    SONG OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Songwriters 

    • “Bluebird”
      Songwriters: Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby, Miranda Lambert
    • “The Bones”
      Songwriters: Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz
    • “Even Though I’m Leaving”
      Songwriters: Luke Combs, Wyatt B. Durrette III, Ray Fulcher
    • “I Hope You’re Happy Now”
      Songwriters: Luke Combs, Randy Montana, Carly Pearce, Jonathan Singleton
    • “More Hearts Than Mine”
      Songwriters: Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis, Derrick Southerland

     

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

    • “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
      Producer: Dan Smyers
    • “Be A Light” – Thomas Rhett featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, Keith Urban
      Producer: Dann Huff
    • “The Bones” – Maren Morris with Hozier
      Producer: Greg Kurstin
    • “Fooled Around And Fell In Love” – Miranda Lambert (feat. Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes & Caylee Hammack)
      Producer: Jay Joyce
    • “I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
      Producer: busbee

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

    • “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
      Director: Patrick Tracy
    • “Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert
      Director: Trey Fanjoy
    • “Homemade” – Jake Owen
      Director: Justin Clough
    • “I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
      Director: Sam Siske
    • “Second One To Know” – Chris Stapleton
      Director: David Coleman 


    NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR 

    • Jimmie Allen
    • Ingrid Andress
    • Gabby Barrett
    • Carly Pearce
    • Morgan Wallen

    MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

    • Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle
    • Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar
    • Rob McNelley, Guitar
    • Ilya Toshinskiy, Guitar
    • Derek Wells, Guitar

     

    Audio / In 2019, Eric Church put on his amazing Double Down Tour in which he played 3 1/2 to 4 hours a night. He says loves performing live for his fans.

    Download

    Eric Church (performing energy) OC: …type of crowd. :40
    “Well, I think for me every night I try to empty the tank. There’s always that energy floating around. It’s a palpable thing, and it’s up to me to start that exchange and get the crowd to give it back to me and then watch it build on itself and just to have that experience. We have one night here in whatever city we’re in, you know, we’ve got this night. I’m not gonna see you for a while you’re not gonna see me for a while, you know? And I love being able to capitalize on that moment and trying to live in that moment and get as much energy exchange between myself and the crowd as we can. I love that. That’s my favorite part of what we do. I love being around people, I’m very passionate about my music, and I love people who are passionate about the music too and I love playing a show for that type of crowd.”

    Audio / In 2019, Carrie Underwood headlined the Cry Pretty Tour 360 with sold-out shows across the country. This year, she's put out a book, created a fitness app and released her first Christmas album. She says she loves performing live for fans.

    Download

    Carrie Underwood (performing live on stage) OC: …a lot of fun. :35
    “I think my favorite thing about performing live is just getting kind of lost in the music and the show. I have as much fun as hopefully everybody sitting out in the audience is having. I get to connect with the fans. I get to see people. The people that are streaming music and downloading music and buying albums, they’re finally in front of me. To get to have that moment with them is so much fun. The lights and the costumes and getting to have moments with my band members on stage, I mean it’s all a lot of fun.”

    Audio / Keith Urban recalls winning his first CMA Entertainer of the Year Award in 2005.

    Download

    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 / Jon Pardi talks about his nomination for CMA Album of the Year for his acclaimed Heartache Medication.

    Download

    Jon Pardi (CMA Album of the Year nod) OC: …I can, again. :28
    “Having a CMA Album of the Year nomination is amazing. Just being acknowledged by my peers and all of the people in the industry is so awesome, and we worked so hard on this record and we’re still working hard on all our albums, and it’s just awesome. And so, as I get ready to make the fourth record, this is just telling me to stay on track. So, thank you for everybody for getting me this nomination, and it’s pretty awesome. And I will try to do the best fourth record I can, again.”

    Audio / BACKSTAGE AT THE CMA AWARDS, CHRIS STAPLETON SAID AWARDS MAKE HIS DREAM OF MAKING MUSIC AN EVEN BIGGER DREAM.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (realizing dream) OC: …larger dream. :15
    “It’s an unimaginable, fairy-tale of a thing really, and we’re so proud just to get to just make music and go out and play it for people and make records and that’s the dream. Then when you have all of these other things that people are nice enough to give you, that makes the dream an even larger dream.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton, who is up for two awards at Wednesday night’s CMA Awards, including Male Vocalist and Music Video of the Year, says he’s always grateful for the moment of recognition.

    Download

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

    Audio / Backstage at last year's CMA Awards, Kacey Musgraves, who won the award for Female Vocalist, talked about celebrating women in country music.

    Download
    Kacey Musgraves (CMA Female win) OC: …the beginning. :21
    “I think it does mean something a little bit extra special considering there are so many women in here that paved the way for me to be able to speak my mind and do the things that I do. That being said I think that every year in country music females should be equally as celebrated, because I think the female narrative is really important and it’s been the backbone of country music since the beginning.”
  • BROTHERS OSBORNE SET TO PERFORM ON THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON TONIGHT.

    – In support of their new album Skeletons being released on vinyl, EMI Nashville’s Brothers Osborne are set to perform their current Top 25 single “All Night” on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon tonight, Thursday October 29.

     

    Skeletons features 12 songs all co-written by Brothers Osborne and continues to receive critical acclaim.

     

    “Incredible musicianship across this whole record.” – NPR

     

    “Brothers Osborne can expect more GRAMMY nominations, and maybe even a win, with the release of their third album.” – Associated Press

     

    “A sonic jolt of an album, Skeletons, and its 12 luscious tracks have been custom-built for what the Osbornes do best: blow-the-roof-off-the-joint live performance” – People

     

    “an album that could very well turn TJ and John Osborne into unquestionable headliners in the Nashville scene” – Billboard

     

    “a fearless country duo that keeps putting it all out there” – The Tennessean

     

    Skeletons, is a remarkably engaging country-leaning rock record that shows off what the duo does best” ­- Rolling Stone

     

    Skeletons delivers booming vocals on anthemic songs, face-melting guitar licks, and a rowdy good time” – Nashville Lifestyles

     

    “a collection of country jams” – Entertainment Tonight

     

     

    Earlier this month, John and TJ performed a special album concert experience on a one-of-a-kind LED stage. Fans can re-watch the performance HERE. The singer/songwriter siblings also recently performed the swampy and groovy “Hatin’ Somebody” on ABC’s Good Morning America, watch HERE, and just released a special animated music video for the title track, “Skeletons,” which can be viewed HERE.

     

    About Brothers Osborne

    Two sons from a working-class family, John and TJ Osborne grew up in a small, Maryland water town writing and playing songs for friends and family in their father’s shed. John moved to Nashville first to play in other bands and two years later, TJ joined him. It was then they formed Brothers Osborne as a duo that blends equal parts country and rock into one of the freshest, most identifiable sounds to come out of Nashville in recent years. The singer/songwriter siblings are three-time CMA Duo of the Year winners in addition to being named ACM Duo of the Year twice. Overall Brothers Osborne have collected four CMA, five ACM trophies and stand as six-time GRAMMY nominees.

     

    Brothers Osborne’s debut Gold Certified album PAWN SHOP features three GRAMMY-nominated tracks including the Platinum Certified No. 1 smash hit “Stay A Little Longer,” Top 10 Platinum Certified hit “It Ain’t My Fault,” as well as Top 25 hit “21 Summer.” Their sophomore album, PORT SAINT JOE, was nominated for Best Country Album at the 61st GRAMMY Awards and includes the Top 40 GRAMMY-nominated singles “Shoot Me Straight” as well as “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You).” Brothers Osborne has previously toured with Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert and more. In 2019 the duo embarked on a Headlining World Tour which hit over 40 markets including London, Toronto, New York and Los Angeles. The tour also included three sold-out nights at the famed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville which were recorded for their album, Live At The Ryman.

     

    Last fall, Brothers Osborne received the ASCAP Vanguard Award which recognizes artists whose innovative work is helping to shape the future of music.

     

    Fans can order vinyl copies of Skeletons HERE

     

  • PARKER MCCOLLUM’S NEW EP, HOLLYWOOD GOLD, AVAILABLE TODAY.

    MCA Nashville’s Parker McCollum releases his new EP, Hollywood Gold, today, listen HERE. Parker co-wrote five of the six songs on Hollywood Gold including the previously released track “Young Man’s Blues” as well as his current Top 10 single “Pretty Heart.” Parker was recently surprised with a plaque celebrating the RIAA Gold certification of “Pretty Heart” which continues to accumulate impressive streaming numbers.

    Photo ID (L-R): Parker McCollum, Red Light Management’s Enzo DeVincenzo

    Hollywood Gold was produced by award-winning singer, songwriter, musician Jon Randall Stewart and fans can learn more about the backstory of Hollywood Gold HERE

    Hollywood Gold Track Listing:

    1. “Young Man’s Blues” (Parker McCollum/Randy Montana)
    2. “Like A Cowboy” (Chris Stapleton/Al Anderson)
    3. “Pretty Heart” (Parker McCollum/Randy Montana)
    4. “Hallie Ray Light” (Parker McCollum)
    5. “Hold Me Back” (Parker McCollum/Tony Lane)
    6. “Love You Like That” (Parker McCollum/Billy Montana/Jon Randall Stewart)

    A native of Austin, Texas, Parker has made a strong impression on critics and fans alike. American Songwriter notes, “he teeters on the edge of next-level superstardom, taking cues from rule breakers like Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves” while Rolling Stone adds, “Parker is a no-holds-barred, confessional singer-songwriter who excels at relatable tales.” Parker continues to rack up impressive streaming numbers recently crossing over 350M total career domestic streams.

    Parker has been named a SiriusXM Highway Finds Artist and has previously been selected as an Artist to Watch by CMT, Rolling Stone, SiriusXM, MusicRow and Sounds Like Nashville. A singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and dedicated road warrior, Parker began building a following in 2015 with his album The Limestone Kid. The track “Meet You in The Middle” became a hit on Texas’ regional radio chart — no small feat for an independent, 22-year-old musician — but it was the album’s widely-acclaimed follow-up, Probably Wrong, that helped Parker find national success. Compared to John Mayer and Jason Isbell by Rolling Stone, Parker supported the album with a string of sold-out shows, bringing record-breaking crowds to venues like San Angelo’s RiverStage and two sold-out night at Billy Bob’s along the way. Born in Conroe, TX, the 28-year-old entrepreneurially-spirited artist bridges the gap between Texas’ homegrown music scene and Nashville’s country-industry headquarters.

    For a full list of tour dates, news and more, visit www.parkermccollum.com

    Click here for audio on the EP.

     

  • PARKER McCOLLUM READIES NEW EP, HOLLYWOOD GOLD, FOR RELEASE ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16TH.

    Parker McCollum will release his EP, Hollywood Gold, on Friday (October 16th). The six-track collection, five of which he co-wrote, includes the previously released track, “Young Man’s Blues,” as well as his current Top 10 single “Pretty Heart.” Hollywood Gold was produced by award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Jon Randall Stewart.

    The title, Hollywood Gold, continues to showcase Parker’s unique bond with his grandfather as Hollywood Gold was the name of a horse his grandfather owned decades ago.

    “I was listening to my Grandma tell a story about this Australian racehorse that my Granddad had been kind of hell bent to buy at one point way back in the day,” Parker recalls. “She was just telling me this story about this horse and how he finally ended up buying it and  it ended up getting stolen as soon as they had it after a little while, and how my Granddad would go out looking for this horse for months and months at a time and they ended up finding it. It’s a story I had heard all of my life, but I’d never really paid attention to it I don’t think as much until she was telling it this one time and I kept hearing Hollywood Gold, and I said, ‘Man! What a great name kind of for the album or the EP.’ Man, I just think it fit.”

     

    Hollywood Gold Track Listing:

    1. “Young Man’s Blues”  (Parker McCollum/Randy Montana
    2. “Like A Cowboy” (Chris Stapleton/Al Anderson)
    3. “Pretty Heart”  (Parker McCollum/Randy Montana
    4. “Hallie Ray Light” (Parker McCollum)
    5. “Hold Me Back” (Parker McCollum/Tony Lane)
    6. “Love You Like That” (Parker McCollum/Billy Montana/Jon Randall Stewart)

    A native of Austin, Texas, Parker has made a strong impression on critics and fans alike. American Songwriter notes, “he teeters on the edge of next-level superstardom, taking cues from rule breakers like Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves” while Rolling Stone adds, “Parker is a no-holds-barred, confessional singer-songwriter who excels at relatable tales.” Parker continues to rack up impressive streaming numbers recently crossing over 350M total career domestic streams.

    Parker has been named a SiriusXM Highway Finds Artist and has previously been selected as an Artist to Watch by CMTRolling StoneSiriusXMMusicRow and Sounds Like Nashville. A singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and dedicated road warrior, Parker began building a following in 2015 with his album The Limestone Kid. The track “Meet You in The Middle” became a hit on Texas’ regional radio chart — no small feat for an independent, 22-year-old musician — but it was the album’s widely-acclaimed follow-up, Probably Wrong, that helped Parker find national success. Compared to John Mayer and Jason Isbell by Rolling Stone, Parker supported the album with a string of sold-out shows, bringing record-breaking crowds to venues like San Angelo’s RiverStage and two sold-out night at Billy Bob’s along the way. Born in Conroe, TX, the 27-year-old entrepreneurially-spirited artist bridges the gap between Texas’ homegrown music scene and Nashville’s country-industry headquarters.

    For a full list of tour dates, news and more, visit www.parkermccollum.com

     

    Audio / Parker McCollum talks about how he came up with the title of his EP, Hollywood Gold.

    Download

    Parker McCollum (Hollywood Gold EP title) OC: …Hollywood Gold! :47
    “I was listening to my Grandma tell a story about this Australian racehorse that my Granddad had been kind of hell bent to buy at one point way back in the day. She was just telling me this story about this horse and how he finally ended up buying it and  it ended up getting stolen as soon as they had it after a little while, and how my Granddad would go out looking for this horse for months and months at a time and they ended up finding it. It’s a story I had heard all of my life, but I’d never really paid attention to it I don’t think as much until she was telling it this one time and I kept hearing Hollywood Gold, and I said, ‘Man! What a great name kind of for the album or the EP.’ Man, I just think it fit. If you listen to all of the songs, they all kind of tie into, they all come from the same place, I guess. It’s near and dear to me, and I hope y’all dig it. Hollywood Gold!”

    Video /

  • PARKER MCCOLLUM SET TO RELEASE NEW EP HOLLYWOOD GOLD OCTOBER 16th.

    MCA Nashville’s rising star Parker McCollum announces today he will release his new EP, Hollywood Gold, October 16. Parker co-wrote five of the six songs on Hollywood Gold including the previously released track “Young Man’s Blues” as well as his current Top 15 single “Pretty Heart.” Hollywood Gold was produced by award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Jon Randall Stewart.

    The title, Hollywood Gold, continues to showcase Parker’s unique bond with his grandfather as Hollywood Gold was the name of a horse his grandfather owned decades ago. Fans can learn more about the backstory of Hollywood Gold HERE.

    “To say I’m excited for my fans to listen to this new project, Hollywood Gold, is an understatement,” shares Parker. “I’m always striving to become a better songwriter and I feel like my songwriting on this EP is some of my best to date.”

    Hollywood Gold Track Listing:

    1. “Young Man’s Blues”  (Parker McCollum/Randy Montana
    2. “Like A Cowboy” (Chris Stapleton/Al Anderson)
    3. “Pretty Heart”  (Parker McCollum/Randy Montana
    4. “Hallie Ray Light” (Parker McCollum)
    5. “Hold Me Back” (Parker McCollum/Tony Lane)
    6. “Love You Like That” (Parker McCollum/Billy Montana/Jon Randall Stewart)

    A native of Austin, Texas, Parker has made a strong impression on critics and fans alike. American Songwriter notes, “he teeters on the edge of next-level superstardom, taking cues from rule breakers like Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves” while Rolling Stone adds, “Parker is a no-holds-barred, confessional singer-songwriter who excels at relatable tales.” Parker continues to rack up impressive streaming numbers recently crossing over 350M total career domestic streams.

    Parker has been named a SiriusXM Highway Finds Artist and has previously been selected as an Artist to Watch by CMT, Rolling Stone, SiriusXM, MusicRow and Sounds Like Nashville. A singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and dedicated road warrior, Parker began building a following in 2015 with his album The Limestone Kid. The track “Meet You in The Middle” became a hit on Texas’ regional radio chart — no small feat for an independent, 22-year-old musician — but it was the album’s widely-acclaimed follow-up, Probably Wrong, that helped Parker find national success. Compared to John Mayer and Jason Isbell by Rolling Stone, Parker supported the album with a string of sold-out shows, bringing record-breaking crowds to venues like San Angelo’s RiverStage and two sold-out night at Billy Bob’s along the way. Born in Conroe, TX, the 27-year-old entrepreneurially-spirited artist bridges the gap between Texas’ homegrown music scene and Nashville’s country-industry headquarters.

    For a full list of tour dates, news and more, visit www.parkermccollum.com

     

  • AMAZON MUSIC ANNOUNCES KEITH URBAN’S THE SPEED OF NOW GLOBAL LIVESTREAM.

    Keith Urban and Amazon Music today announced that they will join forces for “THE SPEED OF NOW Global Livestream,” an interactive concert experience that will feature the debut of new music from his new release THE SPEED OF NOW Part 1 out on Friday (September 18th). Filmed live from a state-of-the-art studio in Nashville, Tennessee, the four-time GRAMMY Award winner is inviting viewers to participate in the performance via interactive functionality. The concert experience will begin at 9pm ET on September 18th on Amazon Music’s Twitch channel and within the Amazon Music mobile app via Twitch and Amazon Music’s new live streaming functionality, as well as on Amazon.com/live.

     

    Designed as a choose-your-own-adventure experience, “The SPEED OF NOW Global Livestream” will present unifying interactivity to bring audiences together in a way that feels familiar and exciting. Featuring an immersive LED set with multi-camera angles filming on a four-walled soundstage fans are in for an unprecedented night and a set list featuring songs off the new album in addition to past hits. Leading up to September 18th, fans can explore Keith Urban’s Amazon Music Store, highlighting a collection of his music and merch with an exclusive t-shirt, only available for a limited time, or they can shop the collection during the show in the accompanying carousel on amazon.com/live.

    THE SPEED OF NOW Part 1, Urban’s tenth studio album, serves as the distillation of the music that Urban has been exploring over his career.  From “Out The Cage,” featuring funk/pop icon Nile Rodgers and Breland, to the giddyup rock of “Tumbleweed,” and his slinky soul pop duet with P!nk on “One Too Many,” Urban has never sounded so immersed in the music.  Always seeking new collaborators, THE SPEED OF NOW Part 1 defines one of the most wide-ranging careers in modern music.  His current single “God Whispered Your Name,” is currently in the Top 5 and the year thus far as seen a series of monthly releases from THE SPEED OF NOW Part 1 including “Polaroid” and “We Were,” featuring Eric Church.

    Keith Urban has spent the better part of his life harnessing a deep-seated passion for music. His authenticity, talent and driving musical inquisitiveness, helps to understand why he is one of the most successful and well-respected artists in the world.  Besides four Grammy Awards, Urban he’s won thirteen Country Music Association Awards, fifteen Academy of Country Music Awards, four People’s Choice Awards, four American Music Awards and celebrated more than 6 billion streams.

    He is a world-renowned artist, musician, producer, songwriter, singer who remains restless and musically fearless.  His live shows are notorious. An explosive experience of energy and showmanship, Urban’s concerts connect with every soul whether in an arena of 15,000 or outdoors in front of 50,000.

    His musical virtuosity and fluidity has seen him collaborate with a diverse group of artists that include Billy Gibbons, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, John Mayer, Julia Michaels, Justin Timberlake, Dzeko, Miranda Lambert, Nile Rodgers, Post Malone, Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones and Vince Gill.

  • ACM AWARDS 2020 WILL BE A STAR-STUDDED SHOW.

    The Academy of Country Music will present its annual awards show on Wednesday night (September 16th). The show was postponed from April in Las Vegas to September in Nashville due to the global pandemic (COVID-19).

    For the first time in the show’s history, the awards will take place in Nashville, broadcasting from three iconic Country Music venues: Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe. The reigning Entertainer of the Year, Keith Urban, will host the show from The Grand Ole Opry House.

    Performances include a star-studded medley from the night’s Entertainer of the Year nominees – Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Luke Combs and Thomas Rhett – to kick off the show, as well as other performances by Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Pink, Blake Shelton with Gwen Stefani, Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Riley Green, Tenille Townes, Thomas Rhett with Jon Pardi, Eric Church, Mickey Guyton, Morgan Wallen, Dan + Shay, Kane Brown, Florida Georgia Line, Trisha Yearwood, Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan.

    Eric Church is set to perform the anthemic “Stick Tat in Your Country Song,” while Luke Bryan will sing his multi-week No 1 summer smash “One Margarita.” Taylor will perform her Top 40 country hit, “betty,” and Carrie Underwood will turn in a medley of songs by the format’s most iconic female artists, including Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton. Mickey Guyton will sing the critically-acclaimed “What Are You Gonna Tell Her,” and the night’s host Keith Urban will perform with P!ink on his new song, “One Too Many from his upcoming album, The Speed of Now Part 1.

    Newcomer Caylee Hammack picked up her first ACM Award for Music Event of the Year for the Miranda Lambert-led collaboration, “Fooled Around and Fell in Love,” which also featured Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes and Elle King.

    Universal Music Group Nashville is celebrating its honorees (see below).

    Eric Church leads our nominees with three, including his second nod for Entertainer of the Year. He was also nominated as artist and songwriter in the Song of the Year category for “Some of It” – marking his eighth and ninth nominations in the category.

    Reigning Female Artist of the Year Kacey Musgraves earned three nominations including her seventh nod for Female Artist of the Year. Additionally, she received her first Single of the Year nomination as both artist and producer for “Rainbow.”

    Carrie Underwood is nominated for a pair of awards, including Entertainer of the Year, as well as Female Artist of the Year.

    Little Big Town also picks up a pair of nods for Group of the Year and Video of the Year for “Sugar Coat.”

    Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley and Keith Urban are nominated for Male Artist of the Year; Jon Pardi is up for Album of the Year for Heartache Medication; and Brothers Osborne and Maddie & Tae are up for Duo of the Year.

     

    The 55th ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, hosted by Keith Urban, will be broadcast Wednesday, September 16th (live 8:00-11:00 PM ET/delayed PT) on CBS  and will be available to stream on demand on CBS All Access.

     

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

    Luke Bryan

    Eric Church

    Luke Combs

    Thomas Rhett

    Carrie Underwood
    FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    Kelsea Ballerini

    Miranda Lambert

    Maren Morris

    Kacey Musgraves

    Carrie Underwood
    MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    Dierks Bentley

    Luke Combs

    Thomas Rhett

    Chris Stapleton

    Keith Urban
    DUO OF THE YEAR

    Brooks & Dunn

    Brothers Osborne

    Dan + Shay

    Florida Georgia Line

    Maddie & Tae
    GROUP OF THE YEAR

    Lady Antebellum

    Little Big Town

    Midland

    Old Dominion

    The Highwomen
    ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    Center Point Road – Thomas Rhett

    Producers: Julian Bunetta, Jesse Frasure, Dann Huff, Thomas Rhett, The Stereotypes, Cleve Wilson

    GIRL – Maren Morris

    Producers: busbee, Greg Kurstin, Maren Morris

    Heartache Medication – Jon Pardi

    Producers: Bart Butler, Ryan Gore, Jon Pardi

     

    What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs

    Producer: Scott Moffatt

    Wildcard – Miranda Lambert

    Producer: Jay Joyce

     

    SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    God’s Country – Blake Shelton

    Producer: Scott Hendricks

    One Man Band – Old Dominion

    Producer: Shane McAnally

    Rainbow – Kacey Musgraves

    Producers: Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves, Daniel Tashian

    Rumor – Lee Brice

    Producers: Lee Brice, Dan Frizsell, Kyle Jacobs, Jon Stone

    What If I Never Get Over You – Lady Antebellum

    Producer: Dann Huff

     

    SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

    10,000 Hours – Dan + Shay Featuring Justin Bieber

    Songwriters: Justin Bieber, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, Jessie Jo Dillon, Shay Mooney, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers

    Publishers: Beats and Banjos (ASCAP), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP) / Shay Mooney Music (BMI), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI) / Big Ass Pile Of Dimes Music (BMI), Big Machine Music (BMI) / Buckeye 26 (ASCAP), Jreynmusic (ASCAP), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP) / Bieber Time Publishing (ASCAP), Universal Music (ASCAP) / Poo B Z Inc. (ASCAP), BMG Gold Songs (ASCAP).

    Girl Goin’ Nowhere – Ashley McBryde

    Songwriters: Jeremy Bussey, Ashley McBryde

    Publishers: Songs of Song Factory (BMI) / Universal Tunes (SESAC).

    God’s Country – Blake Shelton

    Songwriters: Devin Dawson, Michael Hardy, Jordan Schmidt

    Publishers: Relative Music Group (BMI), Administered by Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing (BMI) / WB Music Corp. / Georgia Song Vibez / We-volve Music (ASCAP) / Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. / Neon Cross Music (BMI).

    One Man Band – Old Dominion

    Songwriters: Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Brad Tursi

    Publishers: WB Music Corp/Smackville Music/Smack Songs LLC (ASCAP) adm by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing. Rezsongs/Reehits World/Smacktown Music, a division of Smack Blue, LLC/Unfair Entertainment  (ASCAP) adm. by Me Gusta Music. We’re Really Doin’ It Publishing (ASCAP) adm by Words & Music. Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing/Smackville Music/Smack Songs LLC (ASCAP) adm. by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing.

    Some Of It – Eric Church

    Songwriters: Eric Church, Clint Daniels, Jeff Hyde, Bobby Pinson

    Publishers: Sony/ATV Tree Publishing/Longer and Louder Music, admin. by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC; Mammaw’s Fried Okra Music/Little Louder Songs, admin. by Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing; New Writers Of Sea Gayle Music, admin. by ClearBox Rights; New Writers Of Sea Gayle Music/Not A Track Guy Music, admin. by ClearBox Rights (BMI).
     

    MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    10,000 Hours – Dan + Shay Featuring Justin Bieber

    Producers: Dan Smyers

    Record Label: Warner Music Nashville

    Dive Bar – Garth Brooks Featuring Blake Shelton

    Producers: Garth Brooks

    Record Label: Pearl Records, Inc.

    Fooled Around And Fell In Love – Miranda Lambert Featuring Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack & Elle King

    Producer: Jay Joyce

    Record Label: Vanner Records/RCA Records Nashville

    Old Town Road – Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus

    Producers: Michael Trent Reznor, Atticus Matthew Ross, YoungKio

    Record Label: Columbia Records

    What Happens In A Small Town – Brantley Gilbert Featuring Lindsay Ell

    Producer: Dann Huff

    Record Label: The Valory Music Co.

    Audio / ERIC CHURCH TALKS ABOUT THE ENERGY EXCHANGED BETWEEN HIM AND HIS FANS IN THE AUDIENCE AT HIS SHOWS.

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    Eric Church (performing energy) OC: …type of crowd. :40
    “Well, I think for me every night I try to empty the tank. There’s always that energy floating around. It’s a palpable thing, and it’s up to me to start that exchange and get the crowd to give it back to me and then watch it build on itself and just to have that experience. We have one night here in whatever city we’re in, you know, we’ve got this night. I’m not gonna see you for a while you’re not gonna see me for a while, you know? And I love being able to capitalize on that moment and trying to live in that moment and get as much energy exchange between myself and the crowd as we can. I love that. That’s my favorite part of what we do. I love being around people, I’m very passionate about my music, and I love people who are passionate about the music too and I love playing a show for that type of crowd.”

    Audio / LAST YEAR, CARRIE UNDERWOOD TALKED ABOUT HER ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR NOMINATION FOR LAST YEAR’S CMA AWARDS…AND THE SAME SENTIMENT HOLDS TRUE FOR THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

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    Carrie Underwood (Entertainer nod 2019) OC: …sorry boys! (laughs) :28
    “I personally feel like entertainer. It’s everything, right? So, I feel like people kind of narrow it down to tours, but I feel like there’s so many more components to it. And, you know, I’m blessed and lucky to be nominated, obviously, and fantastic company. It would be amazing, but of course, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want it. (laughs) Sorry boys.” (laughs)

    Audio / A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, LUKE BRYAN TALKED ABOUT BEING NAMED ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR FROM BOTH THE ACM AWARDS AND CMA AWARDS.

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    Luke Bryan (Entertainer wins) OC: …got it right. :49
    “The title is what it is, you know? I mean, my focus in life when I’m on stage is entertaining these fans. If it’s my smile and my demeanor, if it’s my song that does it, if it’s me picking up a child out of the audience and letting them sing, it’s not being so premeditated that you can see it from a mile away. I mean, my main thing is be a fan up there that just gets to sing. That’s kind of how I’ve always approached it, and being called the Entertainer of the Year makes me want to do that to the best of my ability every night for the rest of my life as long as I’m on stage. I want people to leave my shows and go, ‘You know what? Whoever’s voting him Entertainer of the Year, they got it right.’”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack, who was nominated for a pair of awards going into this year's ACM AWARDS, has won her first for Music Event of the Year.

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    Caylee Hammack (ACM Music Event of the Year win) OC: …of women. :42
    “Getting to recreate this song with women that inspire me so very much was already a huge blessing for me. To get to perform it every night for the encore of Miranda Lambert’s show that I got to be on tour with her for, it was already this huge blessing for me and then to be nominated was a huge deal and now, we’ve won an ACM for vocal event of the year, this is unreal. And I wish there was another word I could use for it, but unreal is truly it. This is so very special, and I’m just so honored to be in this group of this caliber of women.”

    Audio / KACEY MUSGRAVES SAYS SHE WROTE “RAINBOW” AS A MEMO TO HERSELF, BUT SAYS IT CAN HELP PEOPLE ACTUALLY SEE THE SUN THROUGH THE CLOUDS.

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    Kacey Musgraves (Rainbow) 1 OC: …make it through. :48
    “The song ‘Rainbow’ was actually written a handful of years ago as sort of a little bit of a memo to myself. I think we can all get stuck in a mindset that things are never gonna improve or you can easily focus on kind of the bad parts of whatever you’re going through and not really realize that if you pulled your head above the water you’d see that the sun is actually shining and that everything’s actually okay. I think one of the reasons that people may relate to the song a lot is because, though it was written to myself, I think that it can take the shape of like whatever someone’s going through – whether it’s coming out and not having the support or just any kind of a situation that they don’t feel like they may make it through.”

    Audio / ERIC CHURCH TALKS ABOUT HIS SONG "SOME OF IT."

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    Eric Church (Some of It coming of age) OC: …figure it out. :56
    “That’s a song, a coming-of-age song, it’s an adult song. It’s adult music. If you listen to the thematics in that and what it’s about, it’s about being older and having some wisdom about you. I think that’s something that I appreciate in my fan base now that early on probably wasn’t there. We were young and drunk and fighting and stupid. But I think now to see them grow – to see the fan base grow – it’s just one of those songs that came along at the right time. And again, it was such a blessing that happened. It wasn’t going to be on the album. It was just one of those freak things that I put it on the album, the last song on the album. The album was done, and all of a sudden it becomes the pillar, one of the pillars on the album. I think again, you go back to it’s one of the great things about music, is you just never know what’s going to happen until it’s all said and done. You can try to plan all you want to, but you’ll probably not going to figure it out.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi is excited for his ACM Album of the Year nomination.

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    Jon Pardi (nominated for ACM AWARD for album) OC: …it’s awesome. :32
    “Being nominated for an ACM Award is always awesome, especially when it’s for Album f the Year. From all the hard work we put in to making this record to seeing it as a nominee for Album of the Year is amazing. It’s such a great honor to just have a nomination – to still be in the game is what I’m saying, and I put in a lot of hard work and it’s just so fun. It’s my favorite category to be in and the most, it’s the one I want to be in because that means all the songs help you get that nomination. I think that’s so great, and we work so hard on picking songs. So, it’s awesome.”

    Audio / MADDIE MARLOW OF MADDIE & TAE TALK ABOUT BEING NOMINATED FOR THE ACM DUO OF THE YEAR AWARD.

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    Maddie & Tae (ACM 2019) OC: …this year. :35
    “Being in the Duo category, especially being the only females in that category, is really, really special. We are just in such good company. Every single duo that’s nominated this year, we are really good friends with and we love and support and root for, but just the fact the industry acknowledges what we’re doing, especially after the crazy past couple of years we’ve had, just to get that nod saying, ‘Hey! You’re doing good. Keep doing what you’re doing,’ is so special. We do not take that for granted ‘cause we didn’t expect that at all, and so it was a huge shock for us and such good news for us this year.”

    Audio / BROTHERS OSBORNE SAYS IT'S AN HONOR TO BE NOMINATED AT THIS YEAR'S ACM AWARDS.

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    Brothers Osborne (being nominated) OC: (TJ) …but it really is. :26
    JOHN: “One of the things I love about the country music genre is “It sounds cliché to say it’s an honor, but it really is that it’s a family. We’re all really, really close. We’re all a bunch of misfits thrown together. We’re all a little different, but we love one another and respect one another, and I’m just honored for the both of us to be a part of this awesome family.” TJ: “I will say to add on that, it sounds cliché to say it’s an honor to be nominated, but it really is.”

  • THE NOMINATIONS FOR THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.

    The nominees for this year’s CMA Awards have been announced, and Keith Urban has earned three nods this year, bringing his total count to 50 nominations and 12 wins. He is now a 13-time Entertainer of the Year nominee, bringing home the trophy two times previously. He has now been nominated 16 times for Male Vocalist of the Year with three wins. Keith received his sixth Musical Event of the Year nomination for Thomas Rhett’s “Be A Light,” which features Keith, Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin. He has previously taken home the Musical Event award four times.

    Eric Church and Carrie Underwood each earned two nods apiece – both scored an Entertainer of the Year nomination, as well as Male Vocalist and Female Vocalist, respectively. As did Chris Stapleton, who is up against Church for Male Vocalist, but also garners a Music Video nomination for his LEGO-filmed “Second One to Know.”

    Brothers Osborne, Caylee Hammack, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves and Jon Pardi also earned nominations.

     

     

     

    https://twitter.com/MaddieandTae/status/1300796991467925505

     

    Winners of “The 54th Annual CMA Awards” will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible voting CMA members. The third and final ballot will be emailed to CMA members Thursday, October 1st. Voting for the CMA Awards final ballot ends Tuesday, Oct. 27 (6:00 PM/CT).

    For more information on the CMA AWARDS go to cmaawards.com.

    “The 54th Annual CMA Awards” will be broadcast live November 11th at 8pm ET on ABC.

     

     

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

    • Eric Church
    • Luke Combs
    • Miranda Lambert
    • Carrie Underwood  
    • Keith Urban   

     

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

    • “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
      Producer: Dan Smyers
      Mix Engineer: Jeff Juliano
    • “Beer Never Broke My Heart” – Luke Combs
      Producer: Scott Moffatt
      Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
    • “Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert
      Producer: Jay Joyce
      Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
    • “The Bones” – Maren Morris
      Producer: Greg Kurstin
      Mix Engineer: Greg Kurstin
    • “I Hope” – Gabby Barrett
      Producers: Ross Copperman, Zach Kale
      Mix Engineer: Buckley Miller

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

    • Heartache Medication – Jon Pardi
      Producers: Bart Butler, Ryan Gore, Jon Pardi 
    • Never Will – Ashley McBryde
      Producers: Jay Joyce, John Peets
    • Old Dominion – Old Dominion
      Producers: Shane McAnally, Old Dominion
    • What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs
      Producer: Scott Moffatt
    • Wildcard – Miranda Lambert
      Producer: Jay Joyce

     

    SONG OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Songwriters 

    • “Bluebird”
      Songwriters: Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby, Miranda Lambert
    • “The Bones”
      Songwriters: Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz
    • “Even Though I’m Leaving”
      Songwriters: Luke Combs, Wyatt B. Durrette III, Ray Fulcher
    • “I Hope You’re Happy Now”
      Songwriters: Luke Combs, Randy Montana, Carly Pearce, Jonathan Singleton
    • “More Hearts Than Mine”
      Songwriters: Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis, Derrick Southerland

     

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

    • Miranda Lambert
    • Ashley McBryde
    • Maren Morris
    • Kacey Musgraves  
    • Carrie Underwood   

     

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR  

    • Eric Church   
    • Luke Combs
    • Thomas Rhett
    • Chris Stapleton  
    • Keith Urban    

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

    • Lady A
    • Little Big Town  
    • Midland
    • Old Dominion
    • Rascal Flatts

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

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

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

    • “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
      Producer: Dan Smyers
    • “Be A Light” – Thomas Rhett featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, Keith Urban
      Producer: Dann Huff
    • “The Bones” – Maren Morris with Hozier
      Producer: Greg Kurstin
    • “Fooled Around And Fell In Love” – Miranda Lambert (feat. Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes & Caylee Hammack)
      Producer: Jay Joyce
    • “I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
      Producer: busbee

    MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

    • Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle
    • Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar
    • Rob McNelley, Guitar
    • Ilya Toshinskiy, Guitar
    • Derek Wells, Guitar

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

    • “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
      Director: Patrick Tracy
    • “Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert
      Director: Trey Fanjoy
    • “Homemade” – Jake Owen
      Director: Justin Clough
    • “I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
      Director: Sam Siske
    • “Second One To Know” – Chris Stapleton
      Director: David Coleman 


    NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR 

    • Jimmie Allen
    • Ingrid Andress
    • Gabby Barrett
    • Carly Pearce
    • Morgan Wallen

     

  • PARKER MCCOLLUM RELEASES NEW SONG “YOUNG MAN’S BLUES.”

    MCA Nashville’s rising star Parker McCollum has released a new track titled “Young Man’s Blues” today. Written by Parker along with frequent collaborator Randy Montana, the nostalgic song finds Parker reminiscing on the pain that comes from growing up and spending less time in your hometown. Parker has also released an official music video for the song which can be viewed HERE.

    “When I started this song, it just kind of fell out of me,” shares Parker. “I’ve been on the edge of growing up and wanting to stay a kid for quite some time now. This song was bound to happen at some point. Young man’s blues was the best way I could describe what is constantly on my mind these days. Taking it to Randy Montana to finish it off was just luck on my part. He literally pulled the second verse out of me. He always seems to know exactly where I am going with a song before I do. This is the most honest I’ve been with myself in a song since ‘Pretty Heart’ and I’m so happy with the way it turned out.”

    Parker’s debut single, “Pretty Heart,” continues to climb the country airplay charts having recently cracked the Top 20. Billboard says the tune, “showcases McCollum’s ability at writing and releasing unique story songs that leave a lasting mark on the listener” while MusicRow adds, “‘Pretty Heart’ is further evidence of his authentic sound.” “Pretty Heart” is averaging almost 4 Million streams a week adding to Parker’s overall career total of 350 Million streams.

    A native of Austin, Texas, Parker has made a strong impression on critics and fans alike. American Songwriter notes, “he teeters on the edge of next-level superstardom, taking cues from rule breakers like Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves.” Earlier this year, Parker released the special track “Like A Cowboy” (co-written by Chris Stapleton and Al Anderson) which marked Parker’s first outside cut. Parker spoke to Billboard about the unique connection he felt to the song as it reminded him of his grandfather and his upbringing.

    Parker has been named a SiriusXM Highway Finds Artist and has previously been selected as an Artist to Watch by CMT, Rolling Stone, SiriusXM, MusicRow and Sounds Like Nashville. A singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and dedicated road warrior, Parker began building a following in 2015 with his album The Limestone Kid. The track “Meet You in The Middle” became a hit on Texas’ regional radio chart — no small feat for an independent, 22-year-old musician — but it was the album’s widely-acclaimed follow-up, Probably Wrong, that helped Parker find national success. Compared to John Mayer and Jason Isbell by Rolling Stone, Parker supported the album with a string of sold-out shows, bringing record-breaking crowds to venues like San Angelo’s RiverStage and two sold-out night at Billy Bob’s along the way. Born in Conroe, TX, the 27-year-old entrepreneurially-spirited artist bridges the gap between Texas’ homegrown music scene and Nashville’s country-industry headquarters.

     

  • LUKE BRYAN’S NEW ALBUM, BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE, AVAILABLE NOW.

    Four-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan kicked off his album release day for BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE with a performance on the 2020 Summer Citi Music Series on TODAY this morning and premiering a new music video for the album’s title track. Get the album HERE.

    The “Born Here Live Here Die Here” video is a four-minute film with an inside look at Luke’s life and how his hometown and family have shaped the man he is today. From sites of Leesburg, Georgia to some of his most memorable career moments, the mini-movie gives viewers a juxtaposition glimpse that while playing stadiums, winning awards and meeting and performing for his fans, it’s bringing his family alongside him for each step of the journey that has kept him rooted in small-town integrity. Watch the video HERE.

    “I want my albums to reflect all forms of life,” shared Luke about the new album. “No matter what’s going on in the world, I want to treat my albums with bringing everybody to the party. I try to share who I am and make music my fans can relate to, but still push some envelopes. I want it to be a look into my world, take ‘em somewhere. Let ‘em have some fun. No matter who you are as a human being, I’m visualizing how you’ll react when you hear this music.”

    “The song ‘Born Here, Live Here, Die Here’ paints such a beautiful picture of rural life and a rural mindset. Every line tells of that small-town life and not needing to go look anywhere else, they’re happy, they’re content, they have everything they want right there. There’s something really, really special about those types of people. For many years I was that guy that was gonna be born there, live there, and never leave. But somehow I left and became a country music singer… but I still love to sing about those topics.”

    Fans can check out Luke’s new album and hear him talk about exclusive BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE merch representing every state, only available to purchase via his Amazon Music store.

    Next week, Luke fans can tune-in Monday night as he performs on Late Night with Seth Meyers and watch additional appearances on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Aug. 11), The Kelly Clarkson Show (Aug. 12), Opry Live (Aug 15) and Circle Sessions: Luke Bryan (Aug 19).

    Luke’s seventh studio album, BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE, already includes three back-to-back #1 singles, “Knockin’ Boots,” “What She Wants Tonight” and current single “One Margarita,” which also became the 25th #1 single of his career. “One Margarita” currently has 103 million global streams.

    Luke’s TWENTY-FIVE #1 singles
    “One Margarita”- written by Michael Carter, Matt Dragstrem and Josh Thompson
    “What She Wants Tonight”- written by Luke Bryan, Ross Copperman, Hillary Lindsey and Jon Nite
    “Knockin’ Boots”- written by Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson and Jon Nite
    “What Makes You Country”- written by Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson and Ashley Gorley
    “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset”- written by Zach Crowell, Ryan Hurd and Chase McGill
    “Most People Are Good”- written by David Frasier, Ed Hill and Josh Kear
    “Light It Up”- written by Luke Bryan, Brad Tursi
    “Fast”-written by Luke Bryan, Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird
    “Move”-written by Luke Bryan, Michael Carter, Jay Clementi
    “Huntin’, Fishin’, And Lovin’ Every Day”- written by Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip
    “Home Alone Tonight”-written by Jody Stevens, Cole Taylor, Jaida Dreyer, Tommy Cecil
    “Strip It Down”- written by Luke Bryan, Jon Nite, Ross Copperman
    “Kick The Dust Up”- written by Dallas Davidson, Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley
    “I See You”- written by Luke Bryan, Ashley Gorley, Luke Laird
    “Roller Coaster”- written by Michael Carter, Cole Swindell
    “Play It Again”- written by Dallas Davidson, Ashley Gorley
    “Drink A Beer”- written by Jim Beavers, Chris Stapleton
    “That’s My Kind of Night”- written by Dallas Davidson, Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley
    “Crash My Party”- written by Rodney Clawson, Ashley Gorley
    “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye”- written by Luke Bryan, Jeff Stevens, Shane McAnally
    “Drunk On You”- written by Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, Josh Kear
    “I Don’t Want This Night To End”- written by Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip
    “Someone Else Calling You Baby”- written by Luke Bryan, Jeff Stevens
    “Rain Is A Good Thing”- written by Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson
    “Do I”- written by Luke Bryan, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelly

    Listen to Clips of ALL Luke’s 25 #1 hits in chronological order since 2009’s “Do I” which became his first chart topping hit.

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about the title track of his new album, “Born Here Live Here Die Here.”

    Download

    Luke Bryan (BHLHDH song) OC: …those topics. :48
    “’Born Here, Live Here, Die Here,’ the song just paints such a beautiful picture of rural life and a rural mindset. Every line in that song really tells that small town life and it talks to that person that is proud of that small town life – they don’t need to go look for anywhere else, they’re happy, they’re content, they got everything they want right there and there’s something really really special about those types of people. And the second I heard the song it just felt so real for me, and it told a story, a big story in my life cause there were many, many years I was that guy that was gonna be born there, live there, and never leave. So, somehow, I left and become a country music singer, but I still love to sing about those topics.”

  • LUKE BRYAN READIES RELEASE HIS NEW ALBUM, BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE, ON FRIDAY.

    Country music superstar and four-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan will celebrate the release of his seventh studio album on August 7, BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE, with a performance that morning as part of the 2020 Summer Citi Music Series on TODAY. On Monday night, Aug. 10 Luke will perform on Late Night with Seth Meyers and will make additional appearances on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Aug. 11) and The Kelly Clarkson Show (Aug. 12). On Aug. 15, Luke will step on to the Grand Ole Opry stage for the 4,937th Saturday night broadcast with his buddy and Opry member Darius Rucker for Opry Live on CircleCircle will also celebrate Luke’s new album with a network takeover called Luke Bryan Lives Here on August 19. On that night the network stunt will also include the premiere of Circle Sessions: Luke Bryan.

     

    As excitement builds through this week, on Friday, Aug. 7 at 3 p.m. PT, Luke will perform new songs from BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE for Amazon Music’s ongoing livestream series, bringing stripped-down sets and intimate conversations with fans to Amazon.com/live. Prior to the performance, fans can submit questions by commenting on Luke’s social posts and he’ll also answer real-time questions via the chat feature during the stream. Amazon Music and Amazon Live have also collaborated with Luke to raise awareness for The Brett Boyer Foundation, viewers will have the option to learn more about the organization while watching the stream.

    Luke’s seventh studio album, BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE, already includes three back-to-back #1 singles, “Knockin’ Boots,” “What She Wants Tonight” and current single “One Margarita,” which also became the 25th #1 single of his career. “One Margarita” currently has 103 million global streams. 

    Luke’s TWENTY-FIVE #1 singles
    “One Margarita”- written by Michael Carter, Matt Dragstrem and Josh Thompson
    “What She Wants Tonight”- written by Luke Bryan, Ross Copperman, Hillary Lindsey and Jon Nite
    “Knockin’ Boots”- written by Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson and Jon Nite
    “What Makes You Country”- written by Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson and Ashley Gorley
    “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset”- written by Zach Crowell, Ryan Hurd and Chase McGill
    “Most People Are Good”- written by David Frasier, Ed Hill and Josh Kear
    “Light It Up”- written by Luke Bryan, Brad Tursi
    “Fast”-written by Luke Bryan, Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird
    “Move”-written by Luke Bryan, Michael Carter, Jay Clementi
    “Huntin’, Fishin’, And Lovin’ Every Day”- written by Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip
    “Home Alone Tonight”-written by Jody Stevens, Cole Taylor, Jaida Dreyer, Tommy Cecil
    “Strip It Down”- written by Luke Bryan, Jon Nite, Ross Copperman
    “Kick The Dust Up”- written by Dallas Davidson, Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley
    “I See You”- written by Luke Bryan, Ashley Gorley, Luke Laird
    “Roller Coaster”- written by Michael Carter, Cole Swindell
    “Play It Again”- written by Dallas Davidson, Ashley Gorley
    “Drink A Beer”- written by Jim Beavers, Chris Stapleton
    “That’s My Kind of Night”- written by Dallas Davidson, Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley
    “Crash My Party”- written by Rodney Clawson, Ashley Gorley
    “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye”- written by Luke Bryan, Jeff Stevens, Shane McAnally
    “Drunk On You”- written by Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, Josh Kear
    “I Don’t Want This Night To End”- written by Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip
    “Someone Else Calling You Baby”- written by Luke Bryan, Jeff Stevens
    “Rain Is A Good Thing”- written by Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson
    “Do I”- written by Luke Bryan, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelly
    Listen to Clips of ALL Luke’s 25 #1 hits in chronological order since 2009’s “Do I” which became his first chart topping hit.

    Audio / Luke Bryan explains what fans can expect from his new album, Born Here Live Here Die Here

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

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (BHLHDH available this week)

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  • LUKE BRYAN POURS HIMSELF A NO. 1 HIT – HIS 25TH – WITH “ONE MARGARITA.”

    Luke Bryan has just scored his 25th No. 1 single on both the Country Aircheck and Billboard country charts with his latest single, “One Margarita.” The summer smash, written by Michael Carter, Matt Dragstrem and Josh Thompson, is the follow-up to his previous chart-toppers, “What She Wants Tonight” and “Knockin’ Boots,” all from his upcoming studio album, Born Here, Live Here, Die Here, due out August 7th.

    The four-time Entertainer of the Year is set to headline the GMA Summer Concert Series on August 7th.

     

    Luke’s TWENTY-FIVE #1 singles

    “One Margarita”- written by Michael Carter, Matt Dragstrem and Josh Thompson

    “What She Wants Tonight”- written by Luke Bryan, Ross Copperman, Hillary Lindsey and Jon Nite

    “Knockin’ Boots”- written by Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson and Jon Nite

    “What Makes You Country”- written by Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson and Ashley Gorley

    “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset”- written by Zach Crowell, Ryan Hurd and Chase McGill

    “Most People Are Good”- written by David Frasier, Ed Hill and Josh Kear

    “Light It Up”- written by Luke Bryan, Brad Tursi

    “Fast”-written by Luke Bryan, Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird

    “Move”-written by Luke Bryan, Michael Carter, Jay Clementi

    “Huntin’, Fishin’, And Lovin’ Every Day”- written by Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip

    “Home Alone Tonight”-written by Jody Stevens, Cole Taylor, Jaida Dreyer, Tommy Cecil

    “Strip It Down”- written by Luke Bryan, Jon Nite, Ross Copperman

    “Kick The Dust Up”- written by Dallas Davidson, Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley

    “I See You”- written by Luke Bryan, Ashley Gorley, Luke Laird

    “Roller Coaster”- written by Michael Carter, Cole Swindell

    “Play It Again”- written by Dallas Davidson, Ashley Gorley

    “Drink A Beer”- written by Jim Beavers, Chris Stapleton

    “That’s My Kind of Night”- written by Dallas Davidson, Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley

    “Crash My Party”- written by Rodney Clawson, Ashley Gorley

    “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye”- written by Luke Bryan, Jeff Stevens, Shane McAnally

    “Drunk On You”- written by Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, Josh Kear

    “I Don’t Want This Night To End”- written by Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip

    “Someone Else Calling You Baby”- written by Luke Bryan, Jeff Stevens

    “Rain Is A Good Thing”- written by Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson

    “Do I”- written by Luke Bryan, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelly

    About Luke Bryan
    In 2019, Luke was named as the first-ever recipient of the ACM Album of the Decade Award for CRASH MY PARTY and wrapped the last ten years as the Most Heard Artist of the Decade by Country Aircheck. Since his debut in 2009, Luke has released 25 #1 hits and has more RIAA certified digital singles than any other country artist with 54 million. Luke has also tallied nearly 13 Billion streams, 12.5 million albums sold, plus four Platinum albums, two 4x-Platinum albums, seven RIAA certified albums, 22 Platinum singles and 12 Multi-Platinum singles.

    Luke’s headline concert tours have played for over one million fans every year for the last six years with four of those reaching 1.5 million. In total, Luke has performed for nearly 12 million fans in the last ten years with seven headline tours including 36 stadium concerts, 11 Farm Tours, six years of Spring Break shows and six sold-out Crash My Playa concert events. He was recognized as a CMT Artist of the Year six consecutive times, was twice named the Entertainer of the Year by BOTH the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association and was honored as a NSAI Artist/Songwriter of the Year. In total Luke has won over 40 music awards including six ACM awards, six CMT Music Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, four American Music Awards, two CMA awards, an iHeart and a Teen Choice award and more.

    Visit www.LukeBryan.com or follow Luke on Twitter @LukeBryanOnline, Instagram and Facebook

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke, Kip, Caylee, Kylie, Darius, George, Jordan, Brothers Osborne, Langston and more

    Luke Bryan surprised and paid tribute to a nurse on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic on ABC’s Good Morning America on Thursday (May 14th).

    Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Jordan Davis, Caylee Hammack and Kylie Morgan will join Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley and many others for CMT’s Feed the Front Line Live virtual benefit concert on Wednesday (May 20th). Feed the Front Line LIVE, Presented By CMT is a multi-hour, star-studded virtual benefit concert in support of Feed the Front Line’s mission to provide free meals to frontline COVID-19 employees, essential workers, and other people in need, while also supporting struggling local restaurants. The streaming event will air across CMT’s Facebook and YouTube channels  with three separate mealtime streams airing throughout the day: breakfast (10am ET), lunch (2pm ET) and dinner (8pm ET). Before, during and after each stream, fans will have the opportunity to make donations directly to Feed the Front Line.

    George Strait has had to reschedule two of his upcoming concerts until next year. His Strait to South Bend show in South Bend, Indiana, which was set for August 15th, 2020, will now take place August 7th, 2021 with special guests Chris Stapleton and Brothers Osborne. His show in Minneapolis on August 22nd, 2020 has now been scheduled for July 31st, 2021 with special guests Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town. Original tickets will be honored for the rescheduled shows. Fans unable to attend the new shows are able to get a refund at the original point of purchase within the next 30 days.

    Darius Rucker will perform the national anthem ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series at the Darlington Raceway in South Carolina on Sunday (May 17th). “I’m excited and honored to perform the National Anthem for NASCAR’s return to racing at Darlington Raceway in my home state of South Carolina,” he said. The race will air live on Fox at 3pm ET.

    Jordan Davis, Brothers Osborne, Jon Langston and many others join previously announced headliners, Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley and Lynyrd Skynyrd for the Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam. The three-day festival, taking place September 4th-6th in Panama City Beach, will also feature performances by Cole Swindell, Billy Ray Cyrus, Shy Carter, Lindsey Ell, Tenille Townes, Riley Green and many more. Tickets are available here.

  • PARKER MCCOLLUM RELEASES “PRETTY HEART” TO COUNTRY RADIO.

    Bold, new, up-and-comer Parker McCollum makes his country radio debut today with “Pretty Heart,” one of the most-added singles of the week, listen HERE. Co-written by Parker along with Randy Montana, “Pretty Heart” is the first single off his forthcoming major label debut on MCA Nashville.

     

    Since Parker released “Pretty Heart,” the song has continued to impress fans and critics alike racking up more than 25M streams.

     

    “What makes ‘Pretty Heart’ a hit is the chorus. It gets into your system immediately. After that the groove resonates, as do the lyrics.” – Bob Lefsetz

     

    “‘Pretty Heart’ showcases McCollum’s ability at writing and releasing unique story songs that leave a lasting mark on the listener” – Billboard

     

    “The passion of Parker’s fans is off the charts. We had a sold-out show with him last September, just three weeks after putting ‘Pretty Heart’ on the air, and the crowd sang it back as loud as any other song in his set.  Seven months later and our audience still can’t get enough of it, or him!” – Chris Huff, KILT Houston

     

    “The first time I heard the song I had to listen to it again and again and again! Parker already has every metric to prove ‘Pretty Heart’ is a Big Old Hit!” – Corey Garrison, WTHT Portland

     

    “Pretty Heart” has already cracked Top 40 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and fans can watch the music video for the nostalgic tune HERE.

     

    The Austin, Texas native just released a new track titled “Like A Cowboy,” listen HERE. Written by Chris Stapleton and Al Anderson, “Like A Cowboy” marks the first outside cut for Parker who felt a special connection to the song as it reminded him of his grandfather and his upbringing.

    Parker was recently selected as a SiriusXM Highway Finds Artist and has previously been named an Artist to Watch by CMT, Rolling Stone, SiriusXM, MusicRow and Sounds Like Nashville. A singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and dedicated road warrior, Parker began building a following in 2015 with his album The Limestone Kid. The track “Meet You in The Middle” became a hit on Texas’ regional radio chart — no small feat for an independent, 22-year-old musician — but it was the album’s widely-acclaimed follow-up, Probably Wrong, that helped Parker find national success. Compared to John Mayer and Jason Isbell by Rolling Stone, Parker supported the album with a string of sold-out shows, bringing record-breaking crowds to venues like San Angelo’s RiverStage and two sold-out night at Billy Bob’s along the way. Born in Conroe, TX, the 27-year-old entrepreneurially-spirited artist bridges the gap between Texas’ homegrown music scene and Nashville’s country-industry headquarters.

    For a full list of tour dates, news and more, visit www.parkermccollum.com

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  • PARKER MCCOLLUM RELEASES NEW SONG “LIKE A COWBOY.”

    MCA Nashville’s exciting newcomer Parker McCollum has released a new track titled “Like A Cowboy” today, listen HERE. Written by Chris Stapleton and Al Anderson, “Like A Cowboy” marks the first outside cut for the Austin, Texas native.

    “When I first heard ‘Like A Cowboy’ I probably listened to it 15 times in a row,” shares Parker. “It made me think of my Grandpa who would have loved this song. He was one of my best friends and he believed in me so much that I know he’d be happy to see everything that’s happened in my career.”

    Parker credits his Grandfather, Bobby Yancey, as a major inspiration and recently shared with Billboard (click HERE) how their special bond shaped his work ethic, persistence and determination while pursuing his dreams. After hearing “Like A Cowboy,” Parker felt a deep connection to the song as if it was a snapshot of his personality and upbringing.

     

    Parker just announced that his first official single to country radio will be the nostalgic “Pretty Heart,” which has already garnered 25 million streams and cracked Top 40 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart before it goes for adds on April 27.  Parker recently released the music video for “Pretty Heart” which can be viewed HERE.

    2020 is poised to be a breakout year for Parker who has been named an Artist to Watch by CMT, Rolling Stone, SiriusXM, MusicRow and Sounds Like Nashville. Fans and media alike continue to praise Parker with famed critic Bob Lefsetz noting, “this guy is for real. He’s writing his own songs and he built his own fan base” while Rolling Stone highlights, “he’s a no-holds-barred confessional singer-songwriter for fans of John Mayer and Jason Isbell.”

    In just a few short years, Parker has toured extensively throughout the US most recently with his first sold-out stop at Nashville’s Exit/In including special guest Kylie Morgan. Additional recent sold-out shows include Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, TX, Grizzly Rose in Denver, CO, George’s Majestic in Fayetteville, AR, Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, OK, Stubb’s in Austin, TX, The Jones Assembly in Oklahoma City, OK and White Oak Music Hall in Houston, TX.

    For a full list of tour dates, news and more, visit www.parkermccollum.com

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  • NOMINATIONS FOR THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED.

    The Academy of Country Music announced the nominations for this year’s awards show today, and Universal Music Group Nashville is celebrating its honorees.

    Eric Church, who performing for three-and-a-half to four hours each night on his recent Double Down Tour) leads our nominees with three, including his second nod for Entertainer of the Year. He was also nominated as artist and songwriter in the Song of the Year category for “Some of It” – marking his eighth and ninth nominations in the category.

     

    Reigning Female Artist of the Year Kacey Musgraves earned three nominations including her seventh nod for Female Artist of the Year. Additionally, she received her first Single of the Year nomination as both artist and producer for “Rainbow.”

    Carrie Underwood is nominated for a pair of awards, including Entertainer of the Year, as well as Female Artist of the Year.

     

    Newcomer Caylee Hammack also picks up two nominations, including New Female Artist of the Year, as well as Music Event of the Year for Fooled Around And Fell In Love” with Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde and Tenille Townes.

    Little Big Town also picks up a pair of nods for Group of the Year and Video of the Year for “Sugar Coat.”

     

    Luke Bryan is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, an award he’s previously won twice at the ACMs.

     

    Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley and Keith Urban are nominated for Male Artist of the Year; Jon Pardi  is up for Album of the Year for Heartache Medication; Jordan Davis for New Male Artist of the Year; and Brothers Osborne and Maddie & Tae are up for Duo of the Year.

     

     

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9EyRurhFAl/

     

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9EvXvBhf3s/

     

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9FDTf4H_it/

     

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9E158khQ_P/

     

    The 55th Academy of Country Awards show, hosted by Keith Urban, will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 5th at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

     

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

    Luke Bryan

    Eric Church

    Luke Combs

    Thomas Rhett

    Carrie Underwood

    FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    Kelsea Ballerini

    Miranda Lambert

    Maren Morris

    Kacey Musgraves

    Carrie Underwood

    MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    Dierks Bentley

    Luke Combs

    Thomas Rhett

    Chris Stapleton

    Keith Urban

    DUO OF THE YEAR

    Brooks & Dunn

    Brothers Osborne

    Dan + Shay

    Florida Georgia Line

    Maddie & Tae

    GROUP OF THE YEAR

    Lady Antebellum

    Little Big Town

    Midland

    Old Dominion

    The Highwomen

    NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    Ingrid Andress

    Gabby Barrett

    Lindsay Ell

    Caylee Hammack

    Tenille Townes

    NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    Jordan Davis

    Russell Dickerson

    Riley Green

    Cody Johnson

    Morgan Wallen
    ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    Center Point Road – Thomas Rhett

    Producers: Julian Bunetta, Jesse Frasure, Dann Huff, Thomas Rhett, The Stereotypes, Cleve Wilson

    GIRL – Maren Morris

    Producers: busbee, Greg Kurstin, Maren Morris

    Heartache Medication – Jon Pardi

    Producers: Bart Butler, Ryan Gore, Jon Pardi

     

    What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs

    Producer: Scott Moffatt

    Wildcard – Miranda Lambert

    Producer: Jay Joyce

     

    SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    God’s Country – Blake Shelton

    Producer: Scott Hendricks

    One Man Band – Old Dominion

    Producer: Shane McAnally

    Rainbow – Kacey Musgraves

    Producers: Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves, Daniel Tashian

    Rumor – Lee Brice

    Producers: Lee Brice, Dan Frizsell, Kyle Jacobs, Jon Stone

    What If I Never Get Over You – Lady Antebellum

    Producer: Dann Huff

     

    SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

    10,000 Hours – Dan + Shay Featuring Justin Bieber

    Songwriters: Justin Bieber, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, Jessie Jo Dillon, Shay Mooney, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers

    Publishers: Beats and Banjos (ASCAP), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP) / Shay Mooney Music (BMI), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI) / Big Ass Pile Of Dimes Music (BMI), Big Machine Music (BMI) / Buckeye 26 (ASCAP), Jreynmusic (ASCAP), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP) / Bieber Time Publishing (ASCAP), Universal Music (ASCAP) / Poo B Z Inc. (ASCAP), BMG Gold Songs (ASCAP).

    Girl Goin’ Nowhere – Ashley McBryde

    Songwriters: Jeremy Bussey, Ashley McBryde

    Publishers: Songs of Song Factory (BMI) / Universal Tunes (SESAC).

    God’s Country – Blake Shelton

    Songwriters: Devin Dawson, Michael Hardy, Jordan Schmidt

    Publishers: Relative Music Group (BMI), Administered by Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing (BMI) / WB Music Corp. / Georgia Song Vibez / We-volve Music (ASCAP) / Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. / Neon Cross Music (BMI).

    One Man Band – Old Dominion

    Songwriters: Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Brad Tursi

    Publishers: WB Music Corp/Smackville Music/Smack Songs LLC (ASCAP) adm by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing. Rezsongs/Reehits World/Smacktown Music, a division of Smack Blue, LLC/Unfair Entertainment  (ASCAP) adm. by Me Gusta Music. We’re Really Doin’ It Publishing (ASCAP) adm by Words & Music. Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing/Smackville Music/Smack Songs LLC (ASCAP) adm. by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing.

    Some Of It – Eric Church

    Songwriters: Eric Church, Clint Daniels, Jeff Hyde, Bobby Pinson

    Publishers: Sony/ATV Tree Publishing/Longer and Louder Music, admin. by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC; Mammaw’s Fried Okra Music/Little Louder Songs, admin. by Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing; New Writers Of Sea Gayle Music, admin. by ClearBox Rights; New Writers Of Sea Gayle Music/Not A Track Guy Music, admin. by ClearBox Rights (BMI).

    VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]

    10,000 Hours – Dan + Shay Featuring Justin Bieber

    Director: Patrick Tracy

    Producer: Christen Pinkston

    God’s Country – Blake Shelton

    Director: Sophie Muller

    Producers: Jamie Amos, Patrick Kennedy

    One Man Band – Old Dominion

    Director: Mason Allen

    Producer: Mason Allen

    Remember You Young – Thomas Rhett

    Director: TK McKamy

    Producer: Dan Atchison

    Sugar Coat – Little Big Town

    Directors: Alexa Kinigopoulos, Stephen Kinigopoulos

    Producers: Wes Edwards, Carlo Glorioso, Angie Lorenz

    SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR *(Off Camera Award)

    Ashley Gorley

    Michael Hardy

    Hillary Lindsey

    Shane McAnally

    Josh Osborne

    MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    10,000 Hours – Dan + Shay Featuring Justin Bieber

    Producers: Dan Smyers

    Record Label: Warner Music Nashville

    Dive Bar – Garth Brooks Featuring Blake Shelton

    Producers: Garth Brooks

    Record Label: Pearl Records, Inc.

    Fooled Around And Fell In Love – Miranda Lambert Featuring Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack & Elle King

    Producer: Jay Joyce

     

    Old Town Road – Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus

    Producers: Michael Trent Reznor, Atticus Matthew Ross, YoungKio

     

    What Happens In A Small Town – Brantley Gilbert Featuring Lindsay Ell

    Producer: Dann Huff

     

    Audio / ERIC CHURCH TALKS ABOUT THE ENERGY EXCHANGED BETWEEN HIM AND HIS FANS IN THE AUDIENCE AT HIS SHOWS

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    Eric Church (performing energy) OC: …type of crowd. :40
    “Well, I think for me every night I try to empty the tank. There’s always that energy floating around. It’s a palpable thing, and it’s up to me to start that exchange and get the crowd to give it back to me and then watch it build on itself and just to have that experience. We have one night here in whatever city we’re in, you know, we’ve got this night. I’m not gonna see you for a while you’re not gonna see me for a while, you know? And I love being able to capitalize on that moment and trying to live in that moment and get as much energy exchange between myself and the crowd as we can. I love that. That’s my favorite part of what we do. I love being around people, I’m very passionate about my music, and I love people who are passionate about the music too and I love playing a show for that type of crowd.”

    Audio / ERIC CHURCH TALKS ABOUT HIS SONG "SOME OF IT."

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    Eric Church (Some of It coming of age) OC: …figure it out. :56
    “That’s a song, a coming-of-age song, it’s an adult song. It’s adult music. If you listen to the thematics in that and what it’s about, it’s about being older and having some wisdom about you. I think that’s something that I appreciate in my fan base now that early on probably wasn’t there. We were young and drunk and fighting and stupid. But I think now to see them grow – to see the fan base grow – it’s just one of those songs that came along at the right time. And again, it was such a blessing that happened. It wasn’t going to be on the album. It was just one of those freak things that I put it on the album, the last song on the album. The album was done, and all of a sudden it becomes the pillar, one of the pillars on the album. I think again, you go back to it’s one of the great things about music, is you just never know what’s going to happen until it’s all said and done. You can try to plan all you want to, but you’ll probably not going to figure it out.”

    Audio / LAST YEAR, CARRIE UNDERWOOD TALKED ABOUT HER ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR NOMINATION FOR LAST YEAR’S CMA AWARDS…AND THE SAME SENTIMENT HOLDS TRUE FOR THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

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    Carrie Underwood (Entertainer nod 2019) OC: …sorry boys! (laughs) :28
    “I personally feel like entertainer. It’s everything, right? So, I feel like people kind of narrow it down to tours, but I feel like there’s so many more components to it. And, you know, I’m blessed and lucky to be nominated, obviously, and fantastic company. It would be amazing, but of course, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want it. (laughs) Sorry boys.” (laughs)

    Audio / LUKE BRYAN TALKS ABOUT BEING NAMED ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR FROM BOTH THE ACM AWARDS AND CMA AWARDS.

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    Luke Bryan (Entertainer wins) OC: …got it right. :49
    “The title is what it is, you know? I mean, my focus in life when I’m on stage is entertaining these fans. If it’s my smile and my demeanor, if it’s my song that does it, if it’s me picking up a child out of the audience and letting them sing, it’s not being so premeditated that you can see it from a mile away. I mean, my main thing is be a fan up there that just gets to sing. That’s kind of how I’ve always approached it, and being called the Entertainer of the Year makes me want to do that to the best of my ability every night for the rest of my life as long as I’m on stage. I want people to leave my shows and go, ‘You know what? Whoever’s voting him Entertainer of the Year, they got it right.’”

    Audio / Jordan Davis reacts to his ACM Nomination for New Male Artist of the Year this year.

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    Jordan Davis (ACM nomination) OC: …in Vegas. :18
    “Hey! This is Jordan Davis, and I just want to say thank you to the ACMs (and) to all my supporters in country music for making me a nominee for the New (Male) Artist of the Year at the 55th ACM Awards. I grew up watching this and to be on it now is a dream come true. So, thank y’all so much. Looking forward to an awesome weekend in Vegas.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack is overwhelmed by her two ACM nominations for Music Event and New Female Artist of the Year.

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    Caylee Hammack (ACM nominations) OC: …Thank you. (laughs) :47
    “I am blown away and just completely in awe in this situation to wake up and realize that I have two nominations for the ACMs. It’s, this is the biggest blessing in my life, I feel like right now, and I’m just so excited to be included in such a great group of women in the first place with Miranda Lambert pulling us all together to do that cover. It is amazing to see that it was nominated for Music Event of the Year and also as a young female artist in this industry, it is such a validating moment for me to be nominated as a New Female Artist of the Year nominee. Just thank you. Anybody, whoever it was, who had to kill somebody to get me there. Thank you!”(laughs)

  • GEORGE STRAIT TO PLAY NOTRE DAME STADIUM AUGUST 15TH.

    George Strait continues to reveal exciting plans for 2020 with today’s announcement of “Strait to South Bend,” taking place at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 15 with special guests Chris Stapleton and Brothers Osborne. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 6 at 10 a.m. ET via ticketmaster.com, and American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Friday, February 28 at 10am local time through Thursday, March 5 at 10pm local time.

    Since his record-breaking Cowboy Rides Away Tour in 2014, Strait has performed for limited engagements. This year has already featured three sold-out performances, first with “Visit Wichita Presents Strait to Oz” at INTRUST Bank Arena, then back-to-back nights of “Strait to the Heartland” at Kansas City’s Sprint Center.

    IN Kansas City raved about “Strait to the Heartland” night one, noting that “the 18,000-plus in attendance got just what they paid for: an evening of hits and favorites performed with enthusiasm and virtuosity. [Strait] also gave them the usual pageantry and rituals befitting one of the most beloved and admired artists in music.”

    Just last month, the King of Country Music also revealed plans for an Aug. 22 show at Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium with special guests Stapleton, Little Big Town and more, as well as two more of his legendary “Strait to Vegas” shows planned for T-Mobile Arena on Aug. 28 and 29 with special guest Caitlyn Smith.

    With an unmatched 60 singles hitting the top of the charts—more than any other artist in any genre—during the span of his 30+ year career, Strait has collected 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums, more than any other Country artist and ranking third across all genres behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. The Texas troubadour is the only artist or act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades and recently earned his 100th entry on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with his latest single, “The Weight of the Badge.” He has sold nearly 70 million albums and earned more than 60 major entertainment industry awards, including induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

  • JON PARDI HOSTS MOTORCYCLE RIDE AND CONCERT TO BENEFIT ACM LIFTING LIVES.

    Jon Pardi will host the Motorcycle Ride and Concert to benefit ACM Lifting Lives® on Friday, April 3rd, leading up to the 55th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards™. Riders will enjoy an hour-long scenic drive through rural Nevada beginning at 11 a.m. at Stoney’s Rockin’ Country (6611 Las Vegas Blvd. S.), and the ride will conclude with live performances by Pardi, Randy Houser, Taylor Young and surprise special guests. Proceeds from the event benefit ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music. Fans can register to ride (HERE). For information about general admission tickets, visit https://stoneysrockincountry.com/.

    Earlier this week, Pardi celebrated his fourth #1 Gold-certified single “Heartache Medication” at Nashville Lifestyles Music in the City event, benefitting Make A Wish Foundation. Selected as the cover star of Nashville Lifestyles January Music Issue, Pardi talked with Nashville Lifestyles editors in an exclusive live Q&A session before auctioning off a signed, limited edition Jon Pardi American Hat Co. cowboy hat with proceeds going to the charity. Pardi also performed songs off his critically-acclaimed album Heartache Medication, which was named by The New York Times as “…one of the most anticipated albums of the season,” Rolling Stone’s “Best Albums of the Year” list, and Los Angeles Times “Best Albums of the Year” (#4) list, as the only country artist/album represented.

    “Heartache Medication” recently topped both Billboard and Country Aircheck/Mediabase Airplay charts and surpassed 138 million on-demand streams. “Heartache Medication” is the title track off Pardi’s highly-praised album Heartache Medication, which debuted among the top albums on Billboard’s Country Albums chart and earned overwhelming critical-acclaim by NPR, Associated Press, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Billboard, ET, EXTRA, Variety, People and Rolling Stone. “Heartache Medication” follows the ACM/CMA winners chart-topping hits “Dirt On My Boots,” “Head Over Boots,” “Heartache On The Dance Floor” and Top 5 “Night Shift.”

    Pardi is currently featured on Thomas Rhett’s Top 25-and-climbing single at Country radio “Beer Can’t Fix” and is touring nationwide. Upcoming stops include the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo (2/9) and the Houston Rodeo (3/14), where Pardi remains one of the top-selling acts along with Chris Stapleton and Willie Nelson. For tickets and more information, visit www.jonpardi.com.

  • GEORGE STRAIT HEADS TO MINNEAPOLIS’ U.S. BANK STADIUM AUG. 22; ADDS MORE STRAIT TO VEGAS SHOWS.

    George Strait kicks off 2020 with some big show announcements. The King of Country Music is heading to Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium on Aug. 22 with special guests Chris StapletonLittle Big Town and more. Tickets available Friday, January 31st at 10 a.m. CT at ticketmaster.com.

    When the three acts were last together in the sold-out Mercedes-Benz Superdome at the 2018 Bayou Country Superfest, the New Orleans Advocate’s headline noted: “George Strait Ruled, Chris Stapleton Rocked,” while Little Big Town “Owned the Dome.”

    Additionally, “Strait to Vegas” shows return to T-Mobile Arena August 28-29. There, King George will be joined by a special guest—acclaimed singer/songwriter and Monument recording artist Caitlyn Smith, whose highly anticipated second studio album, Supernova, will be released in March. Tickets available Friday, Jan. 31 at 10 a.m. PT via straittovegas.com.

    Since his record-breaking Cowboy Rides Away Tour in 2014, Strait has performed for limited engagements
    highlighted by the sold-out “Strait to Vegas” shows, most recently in December 2019. Ahead of the newly announced Aug. dates, Strait will also return to the heartland in 2020 with sold-out performances at INTRUST Bank Arena this Friday, Jan. 24 for “Visit Wichita Presents Strait to Oz” as well as “Strait to the Heartland” at Kansas City’s Sprint Center on Saturday, Jan. 25 and Sunday, Jan. 26.

    With an unmatched 60 singles hitting the top of the charts—more than any other artist in any genre—during the span of his 30+ year career, Strait has collected 33 platinum or multi-platinum-selling albums, more than any country artist and ranking third across all genres behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. The Texas troubadour is the only artist or act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades and recently earned his 100th entry on the
    Billboard Country Airplay chart with his latest single, “The Weight of the Badge.” He has sold nearly 70 million albums and earned more than 60 major entertainment industry awards, including induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

  • HOOTIE AND THE BLOWFISH HAVE A SPECIFIC SOUND THAT IS UNIQUE TO THEM.

    Hootie and the Blowfish are climbing the country charts with their single, “Hold On,” which was written by Chris Stapleton and Jim Beavers, is the from the band’s album, Imperfect Circle.

    “The one thing we figured out through the years is that the Hootie and the Blowfish sound is just what it is. We can take any song and it’s gonna sound like us, no matter what we try and do to it. I think it turns out to be a great thing for us ‘cause it doesn’t limit us to a certain category of song or genre. It just allows us to kind of pick the songs that are the best songs and not worry about anything else.”

    The band has sold over 25 million records worldwide after they hit the airwaves in 1994 with such smash hits as “Hold My Hand,” “Let Her Cry” and “Only Wanna Be With You.”

    Audio / Dean Felber of Hootie and the Blowfish talks about the band’s sound and why it works for them.

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    Hootie & the Blowfish (HB sound) OC: …anything else. :25
    “The one thing we figured out through the years is that the Hootie and the Blowfish sound is just what it is. We can take any song and it’s gonna sound like us, no matter what we try and do to it. I think it turns out to be a great thing for us ‘cause it doesn’t limit us to a certain category of song or genre. It just allows us to kind of pick the songs that are the best songs and not worry about anything else.”

    Video /

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  • HOT COUNTRY KNIGHTS SIGN WORLDWIDE RECORDING CONTRACT WITH UMG NASHVILLE.

    Photo Credit: Zach Belcher
    Front Row (L-R): Cindy Mabe (UMG Nashville President), Douglas “Doug” Douglason, Mike Dungan (UMG Nashville Chairman/CEO)
    Back Row (L-R:) Brian Wright (UMG Nashville Exec. VP of A&R), Mary Hilliard Harrington (Red Light Management), Terotej “Terry” Dvoraczekynski, Marty Ray “Rayro” Roburn, Barry Van Ricky, Monte Montgomery, Royce Risser (UMG Nashville Exec. VP of Promotions), Trevor Travis, Jay Williams (WME Nashville Co-Head)

    The ’90s influenced country band Hot Country Knights has inked a worldwide recording deal with Universal Music Group Nashville (UMGN), it was announced today. Teaming with imprint Capitol Records Nashville, the Knights are promising to bring real ’90s country music back to a format that’s been drowning in male sensitivity, cashmere cardigan sweaters and programmed drum loops.

    “Some artists out there tried to put the ‘O’ back in country, that was a thing for a while…. but what it’s really missing is the ‘T,’” band leader Douglas (“Doug”) Douglason said. “Country music has Low-T right now…it could use a pick me up, if you know what I mean. Those record label people over at Universal finally realized that only the Knights could be up to a task this big and hard.”

    Watch the Hot Country Knights invade the UMGN building during their signing here:

    The Hot Country Knights are comprised of lead singer Douglas (“Doug”) Douglason, lead bass player Trevor Travis, lead guitarist Marty Ray (“Rayro”) Roburn, keytar/fiddle player Terotej (“Terry”) Dvoraczekynski, steel guitarist Barry Van Ricky and percussionist Monte Montgomery. As dedicated road warriors, they’ve basically lived out of a van their entire existence. For more information on The Hot Country Knights visit www.hotcountryknights.com.

    Universal Music Group Nashville consists of Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville and Mercury Nashville. Reading like a “who’s who” of Music Row, the combined rosters include Adam Hambrick, Alan Jackson, Billy Currington, Brandon Lay, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Caylee Hammack, CB30, Chris Stapleton, Clare Dunn, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Gary Allan, George Strait, Hootie & The Blowfish, Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Josh Turner, Kacey Musgraves, Kassi Ashton, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Kylie Morgan, Lauren Alaina, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Parker McCollum, Sam Hunt, Shania Twain, Travis Denning and Vince Gill.

  • DIERKS BENTLEY SET TO RELEASE RISER ON VINYL FOR FIRST TIME AVAILABLE JANUARY 31st.

    Dierks Bentley’s 2014 Riser album will be featured on vinyl for the first time in January. The collection celebrating the fifth anniversary includes his No. 1 hits “I Hold On,” “Drunk on a Plane” and “Say You Do” will be available on a translucent orange special edition and on standard black vinyl.

    “I named the album ‘Riser’ because the lyrics in that song perfectly articulate who I want to be, who I try to be,” Bentley explained when the album was released in February 2014. “There’s a lot of really intense material on this record, but there’s also a lighter side that is equally important in telling the story of the last two years of my life.” When I first started writing for this album, I was in a place of grief over the loss of my dad, but over the course of the next 18 months, my wife and I had our son Knox, and I ended in a place of real joy and gratefulness. Both sides of that coin are what country music has always been about, and I hope that my fans can feel how much of myself I put into this project. It’s all out on the table, for sure.”

    Embraced by Bentley’s fans as well as country radio, Riser topped the Billboard Country Albums chart and marked his fifth career debut in the top spot on the strength of three No. 1 country singles – “I Hold On,” “Say You Do” and the platinum-selling “Drunk On A Plane,” which became his 18th career single to peak in the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay chart. Produced by Ross Copperman and Arturo Buenahora, Riser, which was also Bentley’s seventh top 10 album on the Billboard 200, debuting at No. 6, was nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Country Album.

    Accepting change – and growing from it – is a key theme in Riser, and it is reflected by the tone of the album, which demonstrated a new artistic depth and an extra level of intensity for Bentley. Evolving from track to track, the 12-song album exudes a range of emotions and blends a contemporary sound with Bentley’s obvious love for traditional country music. Riser features six songs co-written by Bentley including the No. 1 hits “I Hold On,” which displays some of the soaring guitar work that has drawn comparisons to U2, and “Drunk On A Plane,” an up-tempo song with an underlying lonesomeness about a guy determined to enjoy his Mexican honeymoon by himself after getting left at the altar.

    Opening with “Bourbon In Kentucky,” featuring backing vocals from Kacey Musgraves, the album is loaded with highlights including “Say You Do,” “Damn These Dreams,” “Hurt Somebody,” with backing vocals by Chris Stapleton, and the powerful title track “Riser,” which has become one of Bentley’s signature songs, a fixture at his live shows and the name of his foundation which focuses on the needs of children and families. The song about overcoming life’s obstacles came to him following the death of his father and birth of his son and became the cornerstone of the record. It was accompanied by a poignant video inspired by a “60 Minutes” episode and tells the real-life story of Amy Thomas who was forced to live out of her car with her children after their house was foreclosed on. Throughout the starkly light black and white video, Bentley sings the chorus of strength and resilience: “I’m a riser/I’m a get up off the ground, don’t run and hider/Hey pushin’ comes to shovin’/Baby I’m a fighter/When darkness comes to town, I’m a lighter/A get out aliver, of the fire/survivor.”

    Dierks, who just scored his 19th No. 1 song with “Living,” will release the new vinyl editions of Riser January 31st.

    Dierks Bentley RISER LP

    Side A

    1. Bourbon In Kentucky
    2. Say You Do
    3. I Hold On
    4. Pretty Girls
    5. Here On Earth
    6. Drunk On A Plane

    Side B

    1. Five
    2. Riser
    3. Sounds Of Summer
    4. Damn These Dreams
    5. Back Porch
    6. Hurt Somebody

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about making his new album Riser over the course of the past couple of years being bookended by the death of his father and the birth of his son.

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    Dierks Bentley (Riser album songs) OC: …been amazing. :44
    “Once I kind of knew what I was feeling with my dad and just all this stuff, I had a template to start from for writing and listening for stuff to kind of fit that mold. Luckily for me, there was enough gap between my dad passing away and my son being born that we were able to go out, I had this tour on the road which my true colors actually came out. And that feeling was able to be brought into the album with songs like ‘Back Porch,’ ‘Chillin’ on a Back Porch,’ and ‘Drunk on a Plane,’ and ‘Sounds of Summer,’ these fun songs that kind of encapsulate who I am, as well as a father and a son who has lost his father. So, yeah, It’s [been] a pretty incredible journey the last two years. It’s been amazing.”

  • CMA AWARDS 2019: The Performances

    The 53rd Annual CMA Awards will feature numerous performances during tonight’s show. Show hosts Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton will be joined by several female artists including Terri Clark, Sara Evans, Crystal Gayle, Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles, Tanya Tucker, Gretchen Wilson and The Highwomen (Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires, Natalie Hemby and Maren Morris) for the opening number highlighting the contributions female artists have made to country music.

    Little Big Town will lead a special performance with Kelsea Ballerini, Lindsay Ell, Ashley McBryde, Maddie & Tae and Runaway June.

    Dierks Bentley and John Osborne (Brothers Osborne) will pay tribute to Kris Kristofferson, along with Sheryl Crow and Chris Janson.

    Brothers Osborne will perform “Hard Working Man” with Country Music Hall of Famers Brooks & Dunn.

    Eric Church is scheduled to perform his recent No. 1 song, “Some of It,” while Keith Urban will sing “We Were,” which was co-written by Eric and heading toward the top of the country charts.

    Carrie will perform her latest single, “Drinking Alone,” and Chris Stapleton pairs up with P!NK for “Love Me Anyway.”

    Kacey Musgraves, who is up for three CMA Awards for Female Vocalist, Song and Music Video of the Year for “Rainbow,” will perform “Rainbow Connection” with one of her idols and friends Willie Nelson, who is making his first CMA appearance since 2012. It’s also a full circle moment for Kacey. Check out the video below.

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/1193894166054473728

    For a list of other performances and other information, go to cmaawards.com.

    The 53rd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie with special co-hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena tonight (November 13th) at 8pm ET on ABC.

  • CMA AWARDS 2019: Male Vocalist

    Dierks Bentley, Chris Stapleton and Keith Urban are among the nominees for Male Vocalist of the Year at this year’s CMA Awards.

    Dierks is up for three awards, including Male Vocalist, Single and Music Video of the Year for “Burning Man,” which features Brothers Osborne. He says it’s “pretty cool” to be nominated and “ trophy would be awesome, to get recognized by your peers and all that, but I get to go out there and be recognized every night by the fans that cheer for us and sing for us, so my cup is pretty overflowing as it is.” Dierks recently scored his 19th No. 1 single with “Living.”

    The reigning Male Vocalist of the Year, Chris Stapleton, scored his fifth nomination in the category, which he’s consecutively won since 2015. “Millionaire” has earned his third nomination for Single of the Year. Chris is also nominated for Entertainer of the Year, his fourth nomination in the category. Chris says he’s always surprised when he wins awards. “I’m always genuinely surprised to win anything, and I’m always grateful for it.”

    Keith – the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year — is once again nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, an award he’s won three times and been nominated for nearly every year since 2004. He’s also once again up for the night’s top honor. He says his first win in the Male Vocalist category will stick with him forever. “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.”

    Luke Combs and Thomas Rhett round out the Male Vocalist category.

    The 53rd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie with special co-hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (November 13th) at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Audio / DIERKS BENTLEY SAID HE WOULD LOVE TO WIN AN AWARD AT WEDNESDAY’S CMA AWARDS, BUT HE SAYS HE ALSO GETS RECOGNIZED EVERY NIGHT BY HIS FANS.

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    Dierks Bentley (CMA nomination) OC: …as it is. :38
    “People always say it’s good to be nominated, but you think about how crowded the country music field is, how many people are trying to get in and no one’s really trying to get out. I mean, just packing more singers into one format, so to be one of the five performers to be nominated, it is pretty cool. Yeah, I’d obviously like to win one.  I got one in the previous decade, it’d be fun to get one in the teens, but yeah, either way, it’s not where, you know … the reward really lies in getting the chance to tour and get up in front of your audience every night. A trophy would be awesome, to get recognized by your peers and all that, but I get to go out there and be recognized every night by the fans that cheer for us and sing for us, so my cup is pretty overflowing as it is.”

    Audio / BACKSTAGE AT LAST YEAR'S CMA AWARDS, CHRIS STAPLETON SAYS HE'S ALWAYS SURPRISED WHEN HE WINS AWARDS.

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    Chris Stapleton (CMA 2018) OC: …grateful for it. :30
    “These things are always fantastic to win, but when you get nominated or invited to these parties, in my estimation, you’ve already won and you’ve already gotten to be far beyond anything, you know, anybody who’s a musician could ever dream of getting to do, and we get to do that every day, we get to live it every day. As far as thinking about going into anything, I’m always genuinely surprised to win anything, and I’m always grateful for it.”

    Audio / THE REIGNING CMA ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR 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 AGAIN 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.”

  • CMA AWARDS 2019: Single, Song and Music Video of the Year

    Dierks Bentley’s “Burning Man” with Brothers Osborne and Chris Stapleton’s “Millionaire” are among the nominees for Single of the Year, while Kacey Musgraves’s “Rainbow” is up for Song of the Year. “Burning Man,” “Rainbow” and Eric Church’s “Desperate Man” are all up for Music Video of the Year.

    Dierks Bentley scored three nominations including Single and Music Video of the Year for “Burning Man,” which features Brothers Osborne. He’s also nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year. The song earns Dierks his third nomination in both Single and Music Video.

    Kacey Musgraves earns a fourth nomination in Song of the Year. She last won the category in 2014 with “Follow Your Arrow.” “Rainbow” is also her third nomination for Music Video. Kacey, who will perform with Willie Nelson on Wednesday night’s show, is also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year.

    Chris, who has 16 prior nominations and 10 wins, earns his third nomination for Single of the Year for “Millionaire.” He is also nominated for Entertainer of the Year, his fourth nomination in the category, and Male Vocalist of the Year.

    Eric Church has his third nod in the category of Music Video of the Year for “Some of It.,” which follows up the storyline first shown in the clip for his smash song, “Desperate Man.” He is also nominated for Entertainer and Album of the Year for Desperate Man.


    The 53rd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie with special co-hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (November 13th) at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Audio / DIERKS BENTLEY TALKS ABOUT GETTING BROTHERS OSBORNE TO TAKE PART IN THE SONG, “BURNING MAN."

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    Dierks Bentley (Burning Man) OC: …really well. :24
    “I’d had this song for about two years. It’s been a song I’ve been holding on for a little while. I just love that song. I could really relate to the lyrics. In the studio, Jedd Hughes put down this great guitar part, and I thought, ‘Man, John would be really cool on that,’ and then, obviously TJ has a, I love his singing. Great voice. I would’ve asked them to be on it regardless, I really would have, but the fact they’re on tour with us just makes it all that sweeter. Those guys are the perfect group to do it with and they definitely took it to a new spot and now we get to sing it every night on stage, so it worked out really well.”

    Audio / DIERKS BENTLEY TALKS ABOUT THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES ACTION ON HIS "BURNING MAN" VIDEO WITH BROTHERS OSBORNE.

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    Dierks Bentley (Burning Man video shoot) OC: …turned out well. 1:28
    “The ‘Burning Man’ video shoot was, it was difficult. Sometimes you have to sacrifice comfort for, obviously, the view, for the way it turns out, for the area you’re shooting the video in and trying to get these great shots, and your comfort is secondary, which I’m totally fine with because I just want a great video that supports a great song. I’m always nervous making videos, because if I’m putting a song out there as a single, I feel like it’s a very special song, and I don’t want the video possibly make the song not be as good as it is, you know what I mean? If somebody sees the video and they don’t like the song as much, it’d be terrible so I’m willing to do whatever it takes. In this case, it meant shooting at a body of water out by Palm Springs that’s totally dead. It’s called the Salton Sea, and it used to be a place where Frank Sinatra would be waterskiing. It was this beautiful place. I don’t know what happened, but the water…the whole thing is completely dead. There’s no fish living in there. It smells terrible. It’s superhot. There’s rattlesnakes under every single rock. We lost about four or five people from heat stroke; TJ’s boots were like melting into the rocks. [laughs] It was unbelievable. I felt so bad for those guys, because when you do a duet with somebody, you’re kind of signing on to do more than just singing on a track. You’re gonna be there for awards shows, for videos, but they were great as they always are. I love those guys. It turned out great. It looks awesome on TV, which is the whole point. It was an interesting place to do a video, but we were nominated for a CMT [Award], so it all turned out well.”

    Audio / KACEY MUSGRAVES SAYS SHE WROTE “RAINBOW” AS A MEMO TO HERSELF, BUT SAYS IT CAN HELP PEOPLE ACTUALLY SEE THE SUN THROUGH THE CLOUDS.

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    Kacey Musgraves (Rainbow) 1 OC: …make it through. :48
    “The song ‘Rainbow’ was actually written a handful of years ago as sort of a little bit of a memo to myself. I think we can all get stuck in a mindset that things are never gonna improve or you can easily focus on kind of the bad parts of whatever you’re going through and not really realize that if you pulled your head above the water you’d see that the sun is actually shining and that everything’s actually okay. I think one of the reasons that people may relate to the song a lot is because, though it was written to myself, I think that it can take the shape of like whatever someone’s going through – whether it’s coming out and not having the support or just any kind of a situation that they don’t feel like they may make it through.”

    Audio / CHRIS STAPLETON SAYS HE’S ALWAYS LOVED THE SONG, “MILLIONAIRE,” WHICH WAS WRITTEN AND RECORDED BY KEVIN WELCH FOR HIS 2002 ALBUM OF THE SAME NAME.

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    Chris Stapleton (Millionaire) OC: …time to do it. :15
    “I love that song. I would always sit around the house playing that song to myself on guitar. It’s fun to play. It’s fun to sing. It’s a great melody. It’s great lyrics. It’s great everything. To me, that’s a great song, and I just loved it so it was time to do it.”

    Audio / ERIC CHURCH TALKS ABOUT HIS SONG "SOME OF IT."

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    Eric Church (Some of It coming of age) OC: …figure it out. :56
    “That’s a song, a coming-of-age song, it’s an adult song. It’s adult music. If you listen to the thematics in that and what it’s about, it’s about being older and having some wisdom about you. I think that’s something that I appreciate in my fan base now that early on probably wasn’t there. We were young and drunk and fighting and stupid. But I think now to see them grow – to see the fan base grow – it’s just one of those songs that came along at the right time. And again, it was such a blessing that happened. It wasn’t going to be on the album. It was just one of those freak things that I put it on the album, the last song on the album. The album was done, and all of a sudden it becomes the pillar, one of the pillars on the album. I think again, you go back to it’s one of the great things about music, is you just never know what’s going to happen until it’s all said and done. You can try to plan all you want to, but you’ll probably not going to figure it out.”

    Video / Rainbow

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    Video / Burning Man

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    Video / Some of It

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  • BROTHERS OSBORNE SCHEDULED FOR HALFTIME PERFORMANCE AT DETROIT LIONS THANKSGIVING DAY CLASSIC.

    Brothers Osborne is set to perform during halftime of the Detroit Lions 80th Thanksgiving Day Classic on Thursday, November 28th. The performance will be televised as part of FOX’s coverage of the game starting at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT.

    Brothers Osborne now reigns as three-time CMA Vocal Duo of the Year and are nominated again at the upcoming “53rd Annual CMA Awards” set to air on ABC Wednesday (November 13th). In addition, they are nominated for Single of the Year and Music Video of the Year for their collaboration with Dierks Bentley on the reflective rocker “Burning Man” as well as Musical Event of the Year for “All My Favorite People” with Maren Morris. Overall, Brothers Osborne have collected four CMA, five ACM trophies and stand as five-time GRAMMY nominees.

    The Maryland natives recently released their new album, Live At The Ryman, which was recorded during their incredible three-night, sold-out run at the famed auditorium earlier this year. The album features the band’s Platinum-certified hits such as “Stay A Little Longer” and “It Ain’t My Fault” from their Gold-certified debut album, Pawn Shop, as well as fan favorites from their critically-acclaimed sophomore album Port Saint Joe like “Weed, Whiskey And Willie” and “Tequila Again.”

    The duo was just announced as the next recipients of the ASCAP Vanguard Award set to be presented at the upcoming ASCAP Country Music Awards on Monday (November 11th).

    John and TJ Osborne recently performed on PBS’ “Bluegrass Underground,” watch HERE, recorded live at The Caverns in Pelham, TN.

    The singer/songwriters just wrapped touring with Chris Stapleton as part of the “All American Road Show” and will next perform at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta as part of ATLive with Eric Church and Luke Combs.

    Fans can click HERE to listen to Live At The Ryman.

    For a full list of tour dates, news, images and more, visit www.BrothersOsborne.com

  • CMA AWARDS 2019: Entertainer

    This year’s Entertainer of the Year nominees include Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban, as well as Garth Brooks.

    Eric Church tallies up three nominations with his third nod for both Entertainer and Music Video of the Year (this time for “Some of It”). He also notched his fourth career nomination for Album of the Year for Desperate Man.

    Chris Stapleton has 16 prior nominations and 10 wins. Chris earns his fifth nod for Male Vocalist of the Year, which he has won consecutively since 2015. “Millionaire” has earned his third nomination for Single of the Year. Chris is also nominated for Entertainer of the Year, his fourth nomination in the category.

    Carrie Underwood has three nods this year. She picks up her second nomination for Entertainer of the Year, and she scored her 14th consecutive nomination for Female Vocalist, a title she’s won five times, including last year. This marks her fifth nomination for Album of the Year with Cry Pretty.

    Keith Urban, who is the reigning CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year, is once again nominated for the night’s top honor, as well as for Male Vocalist of the Year.

    The 53rd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (November 13th) at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Audio / Eric Church talks about the energy exchanged between him and his fans in the audience at his shows.

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    Eric Church (performing energy) OC: …type of crowd. :40
    “Well, I think for me every night I try to empty the tank. There’s always that energy floating around. It’s a palpable thing, and it’s up to me to start that exchange and get the crowd to give it back to me and then watch it build on itself and just to have that experience. We have one night here in whatever city we’re in, you know, we’ve got this night. I’m not gonna see you for a while you’re not gonna see me for a while, you know? And I love being able to capitalize on that moment and trying to live in that moment and get as much energy exchange between myself and the crowd as we can. I love that. That’s my favorite part of what we do. I love being around people, I’m very passionate about my music, and I love people who are passionate about the music too and I love playing a show for that type of crowd.”

    Audio / BACKSTAGE AT THE 2018 CMA AWARDS, CHRIS STAPLETON SAYS HE'S ALWAYS SURPRISED AND GRATEFUL FOR RECOGNITION OF HIS CRAFT.

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    Chris Stapleton (CMA 2018) OC: …grateful for it. :30
    “These things are always fantastic to win, but when you get nominated or invited to these parties, in my estimation, you’ve already won and you’ve already gotten to be far beyond anything, you know, anybody who’s a musician could ever dream of getting to do, and we get to do that every day, we get to live it every day. As far as thinking about going into anything, I’m always genuinely surprised to win anything, and I’m always grateful for it.”

    Audio / Prior to her No. 1 party for Southbound a few weeks ago, Carrie Underwood talked about her Entertainer of the Year nomination.

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    Carrie Underwood (Entertainer nod 2019) OC: …sorry boys! (laughs) :28
    “I personally feel like entertainer. It’s everything, right? So, I feel like people kind of narrow it down to tours, but I feel like there’s so many more components to it. And, you know, I’m blessed and lucky to be nominated, obviously, and fantastic company. It would be amazing, but of course, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want it. (laughs) Sorry boys.” (laughs)

    Audio / BACKSTAGE AT LAST YEAR’S CMA AWARDS, KEITH URBAN WAS OVERWHELMED WITH HIS WIN FOR ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR, AN AWARD HE’S BEEN NOMINATED FOR NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT HASN’T WON SINCE 2005.

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    Keith Urban (Entertainer win 2018) OC: …feeling. :28
    “It’s an indescribable feeling to get that tonight, because I love playing, I love entertaining, I love putting on shows. I started playing guitar when I was six, so playing, and I came up playing in the clubs – four hours a night, five hours a night, five nights a week. I wasn’t writing songs. I was just schlepping my gear and playing cover tunes and learning my craft. To get to play three or four hours a night of original material is the most extraordinary feeling.”

  • HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH READY NEW ALBUM, IMPERFECT CIRCLE.

    Hootie & the Blowfish are getting ready to release their new album, Imperfect Circle, on Friday (November 1st). Highlights on the album — their first in 15 years — include Lucie Silvas on “Wildfire Love,” which features Ed Sheeran as a co-writer, as well as Chris Stapleton’s penmanship on the only outside cut, “Hold On,” and Sheryl Crow on backing vocals throughout the album.

    “I think it’s cool that Imperfect Circle kind of has the same ring to it as Cracked Rear View where you’re looking back and you realize nobody’s journey is perfect, but here we are,” says guitarist Mark Bryan of the album’s name. “We’ve been playing together for thirty-something years and for us to be here and to be doing this tour, to be making a record, it just seems like Imperfect Circle was perfect,” adds Rucker.

    “There’s a lot of energy getting back in the studio to record Imperfect Circle,” says Jim “Soni” Sonefeld. “It was good to gather again, it had been some years. Just the energy felt so strong recording brand new music and we’re so proud of what we came up with.”

    With the rich, bluesy vocals of Darius Rucker and gleeful harmonies of guitarist Mark Bryan, bassist Dean Felber and drummer Jim “Soni” Sonefeld, Hootie & the Blowfish have sold over 25 million records worldwide to date after their infectious melodies hit the airwaves in 1994 with hits such as “Hold My Hand,” “Let Her Cry” and “Only Wanna Be With You.”

    Catch the band performing on ABC’s Good Morning America on Friday (November 1st).

    Imperfect Circle Track Listing:
    1.   New Year’s Day (Hootie & the Blowfish, Tofer Brown, Eric Paslay and Jeff Trott)
    2.   Miss California* (Hootie & the Blowfish, Andrew DeRoberts and David Ryan Harris)
    3.   Wildfire Love (Featuring Lucie Silvas) (Hootie & the Blowfish, Joel Crouse, Kyle Rife and Ed Sheeran)
    4.   Hold On* (Jim Beavers and Chris Stapleton)
    5.   Turn It Up (Hootie & the Blowfish and Jeff Trott)
    6.   Not Tonight (Hootie & the Blowfish, Andrew DeRoberts and David Ryan Harris)
    7.   We Are One (Hootie & the Blowfish)
    8.   Everybody But You* (Hootie & the Blowfish and Frank Rogers)
    9.   Lonely On A Saturday Night (Hootie & the Blowfish, Eric Paslay and Jeff Trott)
    10. Why (Hootie & the Blowfish, Chris August and James Slater)
    11. Rollin’ (Hootie & the Blowfish, Adam Doleac, Zach Kale and John King)
    12. Half A Day Ahead (Hootie & the Blowfish)
    13. Change (Hootie & the Blowfish)
    Album Produced by Jeff Trott
    *Produced by Frank Rogers

    Audio / Jim "Soni" Sonefeld of Hootie & the Blowfish said the band experienced a lot of energy wen they went back into the studio together to record Imperfect Circle.

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    Hootie & the Blowfish (back in the studio) OC: (Soni) …came up with. :13
    “There’s a lot of energy getting back in the studio to record Imperfect Circle. It was good to gather again, it had been some years. Just the energy felt so strong recording brand new music and we’re so proud of what we came up with.”

    Audio / Dean Felber of Hootie & the Blowfish says the band has a specific j sound, which is also present on their new album, Imperfect Circle.

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    Hootie & the Blowfish (HB sound) OC: …anything else. :25
    I mean the one thing we figured out through the years is that Hootie & the Blowfish sound is just what it is. We can take any song and it’s going to sound like us no matter what we try, and I think it turns out to be a great thing for us because it doesn’t limit us to a certain category of song or genre; it just allows us to kind of pick the songs that are the best songs and not worry about anything else.”

     

  • BROTHERS OSBORNE AND KACEY MUSGRAVES JOIN THE LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    More performers have been announced for this year’s CMA Awards, including some cool collaborations such as Brooks & Dunn with Brothers Osborne, Kacey Musgraves with Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks and Blake Shelton, Lady Antebellum with Halsey. Kelsea Ballerini, Dan + Shay, Old Dominion, Blake Shelton and Thomas Rhett will also perform.

    They join previously announced performers Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton with Pink, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton (with Christian acts King & Country and Zach Williams), as well as Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert and Maren Morris.

    The 53rd Annual CMA Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 13th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.

  • HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH MAKE LONG-AWAITED RETURN TO RADIO AIRWAVES WITH “HOLD ON.”

    After thrilling nearly three-quarters of a million fans on this summer’s critically-acclaimed Group Therapy TourHootie & the Blowfish are keeping the celebration going with the release of “Hold On,” the first single off forthcoming album Imperfect Circle.

    Penned by Chris Stapleton and Jim Beavers, “Hold On” serves as the forthcoming album’s only outside cut – an uplifting track the band felt compelled to record as the perfect message for today’s society.

               People say, let it go 
               That’s just the way it is, don’t you know 
               But I don’t see how it can do any harm
               To keep reaching out with open arms, yeah

               We gotta hold on, we gotta hold on 
               There ain’t nothing that a little love can’t get us through 
               We gotta hold on, when it feels like hope is gone
               There is a remedy for you and me 
               We gotta hold on to each other, yeah

    The song was the last the band recorded for the project, but frontman Darius Rucker notes that they had no doubts about it being the perfect choice to complete the album; “When I heard it, I was like ‘this is the song.’” Adds bassist Dean Felber, “I remember listening to it in the back of the bus and it was just perfect – what it meant to me and what it would mean in today’s world.”

    From there, the band made it their own. “Our producer, Frank Rogers on that track, did a really nice job taking the guitar lick and pepping it up,” explains lead guitarist Mark Bryan, “and therefore we ended up kind of Hootie-izing it, which was fun.” Adds drummer Jim “Soni” Sonefeld, “I don’t think there was a song that summed up more of a vibe that we’ve had within our band, going back to the early nineties and sort of lifting each other up and looking out for one another.”

    The single follows “Rollin’,” “Miss California” and “Lonely On A Saturday Night” as a preview of what’s to come on Imperfect Circle. Set for release November 1 on Universal Music Group’s Capitol Nashville imprint, the album is now available for pre-order HERE.

    Imperfect Circle Track Listing:

    1. New Year’s Day (Hootie & the Blowfish, Tofer Brown, Eric Paslay and Jeff Trott)
    2. Miss California* (Hootie & the Blowfish, Andrew DeRoberts and David Ryan Harris)
    3. Wildfire Love (Featuring Lucie Silvas) (Hootie & the Blowfish, Joel Crouse, Kyle Rife and Ed Sheeran)
    4. Hold On* (Jim Beavers and Chris Stapleton)
    5. Turn It Up (Hootie & the Blowfish and Jeff Trott)
    6. Not Tonight (Hootie & the Blowfish, Andrew DeRoberts and David Ryan Harris)
    7. We Are One (Hootie & the Blowfish)
    8. Everybody But You* (Hootie & the Blowfish and Frank Rogers)
    9. Lonely On A Saturday Night (Hootie & the Blowfish, Eric Paslay and Jeff Trott)
    10. Why (Hootie & the Blowfish, Chris August and James Slater)
    11. Rollin’ (Hootie & the Blowfish, Adam Doleac, Zach Kale and John King)
    12. Half A Day Ahead (Hootie & the Blowfish)
    13. Change (Hootie & the Blowfish)

                 Album Produced by Jeff Trott
                *Produced by Frank Rogers

     

    Audio / Jim “Soni” Sonefeld of Hootie & the Blowfish talks about the band's new single, "Hold On," which was just released to country radio.

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    Hootie & the Blowfish (Hold On) 1 OC: …your heart. :23
    ” ‘Hold On’ came very late in our recording sessions, but I don’t think there was a song that summed up more of a vibe of our band going back to the early ’90s of sort of lifting each other up and looking out for one another and a spirit of sort of helping each other as a way of therapy and just a way of rebuilding your heart.”

    Audio / LINER Hootie & the Blowfish (Hold On) 1

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    Audio / LINER Hootie & the Blowfish (Hold On) 2

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    Audio / LINER Hootie & the Blowfish (Hold On) 3

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  • BROTHERS OSBORNE’S NEW ALBUM LIVE AT THE RYMAN AVAILABLE TODAY.

    EMI Nashville’s Brothers Osborne releases their new album, Live At The Ryman, today. Recorded during their incredible three-night, sold-out run at the famed auditorium earlier this year, the album features the band’s Platinum-certified hits such as “Stay A Little Longer” and “It Ain’t My Fault” from their Gold-certified debut album, Pawn Shop, as well as fan favorites from their critically-acclaimed sophomore album Port Saint Joe like “Weed, Whiskey And Willie” and “Tequila Again.” Special album packages including unique merch items are available at www.brothersosborne.com.

    “The fact that we recorded at the Ryman is incredible in a lot of ways,” says TJ. “Every time we play there it’s just a special experience and something that we don’t take for granted. Especially with all the history that’s happened in that room and all of the people who have been on that stage.”

    “This place never loses its charm and its luster,” says John. “To play this place one night is a gift and an accomplishment and the fact we did three, I still can’t wrap my mind around it.”

    Brothers Osborne now reigns as three-time CMA Vocal Duo of the Year and are nominated again at the upcoming “53rd Annual CMA Awards” set to air on ABC Wednesday, November 13. In addition, they are nominated for Single of the Year and Music Video of the Year for their collaboration with Dierks Bentley on the reflective rocker “Burning Man” as well as Musical Event of the Year for “All My Favorite People” with Maren Morris. Overall, Brothers Osborne have collected four CMA, five ACM trophies and stand as five-time GRAMMY nominees.

    Live At The Ryman Track Listing:

    1. “Drank Like Hank”
    2. “Shoot Me Straight”
    3. “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)”
    4. “Weed, Whiskey And Willie”
    5. “Down Home”
    6. “Rum”
    7. “Pushing Up Daisies (Love Alive)”
    8. “Tequila Again”
    9. “21 Summer”
    10. “Love The Lonely Out Of You”
    11. “Stay A Little Longer”
    12. “It Ain’t My Fault”

    John and TJ Osborne recently performed on PBS’ “Bluegrass Underground,” watch HERE, recorded live at The Caverns in Pelham, TN. They were also just announced as the next recipients of the ASCAP Vanguard Award set to be presented at the upcoming ASCAP Country Music Awards on November 11. The Maryland natives are currently on the road with Chris Stapleton as part of the “All American Road Show” with upcoming stops including Charleston, SC, Virginia Beach, VA and Greensboro, NC.

    Fans can click HERE for an inside look behind Live At The Ryman and HERE to listen to the album.

    For a full list of tour dates, news, images and more, visit www.BrothersOsborne.com

    Audio / John Osborne from Brothers Osborne thought it was unbelievable when someone suggested the duo do a show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, much less three nights.

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    Brothers Osborne (performing at The Ryman) OC: … around it. :50
    “To be frank, two years ago someone had mentioned playing in the Ryman Auditorium and personally I was like, ‘No, that’s crazy! That’s the mother church, we’ll never get to that state,’ and then eventually it was like… you know I think we might be able to do this. Fast forward a couple years later, and it’s like, ‘Well, they want you to do two nights.’ And I’m like, that’s unbelievable. And they sold out pretty much instantaneously, and then we sold out a third night much quicker than that, and it kind of blew my mind because it really showed the progression of our career and what we’ve been doing the last couple of years. You kind of forget how far you’ve come, and then when you look at this place and you’re like wow, to play this place one night is a gift, it’s an accomplishment that everyone should remember, but the fact that we did it three, it’s still, I can’t even wrap my mind around it.”

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (available now)

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  • THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME® AND MUSEUM AND KEITH URBAN ANNOUNCE INITIAL LINEUP FOR ALL FOR THE HALL BENEFIT CONCERT.

    Between periods of the Nashville Predators’ nationally televised home opener against the Minnesota Wild, Keith Urban took to the ice to perform and announce that the All for the Hall benefit concert, presented by City National Bank, will return to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Monday, February 10th, 2020.

     

    Ingrid Andress, Brothers Osborne, Luke Combs, Lauren Daigle, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, Tenille Townes and Tanya Tucker will join Urban for his seventh All For The Hall benefit concert, which to date has raised $3.4 million in support of the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s education programs. Additional artists are expected to be named later. Tickets go on sale Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at 10 a.m. central time, and can be purchased at LiveNation.com and the Bridgestone Arena box office. VIP ticketing packages, which include premium seating, meet-and-greet opportunities and more, will also be made available.

    https://twitter.com/PredsNHL/status/1179926908756221953

     

    The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, through its exhibits and educational programs, shares the ever-evolving country music story, from its folk roots to the present day. Throughout this narrative, the inspiration that artists draw from their musical forbearers is tangible. This exploration of how music inspires and influences later generations of artists led directly to the concert’s theme, All for the Hall: Under the Influence. During the concert, each participating artist will perform a song that was recorded by an artist who strongly influences them, in addition to one of their own hits.

    “Ken Burns’ documentary has shown us that we are all very much influenced by our heroes,” said Urban. “So this year’s All for the Hall benefit is our chance to acknowledge those that have been an influence on us and helped shape the artists that we are today. Somehow these shows always seem to take on a life of their own. They’re incredibly fun to do, and you never quite really know what’s gonna happen. So we’ll roll with it and turn Bridgestone (Arena) into one huge club!”

     

    For previous audio of Keith talking about All for the Hall and how it’s a labor of love, click here.

    This All for the Hall concert is presented by City National Bank. Ford Motor Company and Mid-South Ford Dealers are the lead sponsors. Contributing sponsors are the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association; Urban is both organizations’ reigning Entertainer of the Year.

    This All for the Hall show is produced by Live Nation.

    More information about this All for the Hall show and the All for the Hall benefit concert series can be found at www.CountryMusicHallofFame.org

    About All for the Hall
    The All for the Hall campaign began in 2005 when Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill suggested country music artists contribute the proceeds of one annual performance to benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The All for the Hall concert series was launched in 2007 in New York. The series has alternated between New York and Los Angeles in succeeding years, with Gill and fellow Country Music Hall of Fame member Emmylou Harris as hosts. Along with Urban, Gill historically hosts the All for the Hall concert in Nashville.

     

  • BROTHERS OSBORNE GET READY TO RELEASE THEIR LIVE AT THE RYMAN ALBUM.

    Brothers Osborne fans are anticipating the release of their Live at the Ryman album next week. The collection of songs recorded during their sold-out three-night run at
    Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium earlier this year will be released digitally October 11th. The guys feel there’s just something special about playing at the famed venue.

    This room, every time we play here, there’s just a special experience, a special memory every time, and it’s something that we don’t want to take for granted,” says the duo’s TJ Osborne. “And it’s cool that we had a three-night stint here and we were able to record that and have that out, especially with all the history that’s happened in this room. I just think of all the people that have been in these seats over the many years that this place has been here, and the people have been on that stage, and it’s right in our backyard now that we are Nashvillians. This place never loses its charm and its luster, and I hope it never does for me. It’s always a special, special spot.”

    The album will feature the band’s Platinum-certified hits such as “Stay A Little Longer” and “It Ain’t My Fault,” as well as fan favorites like “Weed, Whiskey And Willie” and “Love The Lonely Out Of You.” Special album packages including unique merch items will be available at www.brothersosborne.com and members of The Family fan club will receive exclusive access to the album starting October 10th.

     

    Live At The Ryman Track Listing:

    1. Drank Like Hank
    2. Shoot Me Straight
    3. I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)
    4. Weed, Whiskey and Willie
    5. Down Home
    6. Rum
    7. Pushing Up Daisies (Love Alive)
    8. Tequila Again
    9. 21 Summer
    10. Love The Lonely Out Of You
    11. Stay A Little Longer
    12. It Ain’t My Fault

    The Maryland Natives are set to reunite with Chris Stapleton on tour Thursday (October 3rd).

    The guys are the reigning CMA Vocal Duo of the Year (for three consecutive years) and are once again nominated in the category. They also are nominated for Single and Music Video of the Year with Dierks Bentley for “Burning Man” and Musical Event of the Year with Maren Morris on “All My Favorite People.” The 53rd CMA Music Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 13th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Audio / TJ Osborne from Brothers Osborne says every time they perform at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium it’s a special experience, and they’re so proud of being able to record their live album at the famed venue.

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     Brothers Osborne (recording at The Ryman) OC: …special spot. :38
    “The fact that we recorded at the Ryman, it really, it’s incredible in a lot of ways. This room, every time we play here, there’s just a special experience, a special memory every time and it’s something that we don’t want to take for granted. And it’s cool that we had a three-night stint here and we were able to record that and have that out, especially with all the history that’s happened in this room. I just think of all the people that have been in these seats over the many years that this place has been here, and the people have been on that stage, and it’s right in our backyard now that we are Nashvillians. This place never loses its charm and its luster, and I hope it never does for me. It’s always a special, special spot.”

  • HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH ANNOUNCE TRACK LIST FOR NOVEMBER 1st ALBUM, IMPERFECT CIRCLE.

    Nine months after delighting fans with the news of their first album in nearly fifteen years, Hootie & the Blowfish share the first taste of what’s to come with Imperfect Circle’s November 1 release via “Rollin’,” now available at all digital retailers and streaming platforms.

     

    Written by Hootie & the Blowfish together with Adam Doleac, Zach Kale and John King, the track premiered exclusively with Billboard yesterday, September 5th.

    “When we started getting that one going I was like, ‘Man, we’re a Southern rock band when we play this,’” frontman Darius Rucker shared. “I loved it. It’s like us trying to play a Black Crowes or Allman Brothers cover. I love the feel of that ’cause we don’t do that a lot.”

    Billboard also broke the news of Imperfect Circle’s track listing, with highlights including a Lucie Silvas feature on “Wildfire Love,” which features Ed Sheeran as a co-writer, as well as Chris Stapleton’s penmanship on the only outside cut, “Hold On,” and Sheryl Crow on backing vocals throughout the album.

    “I think it’s cool that Imperfect Circle kind of has the same ring to it as Cracked Rear View where you’re looking back and you realize nobody’s journey is perfect, but here we are,” says guitarist Mark Bryan of the album’s name. “We’ve been playing together for thirty-something years and for us to be here and to be doing this tour, to be making a record, it just seems like Imperfect Circle was perfect,” adds Rucker.

    Set for release November 1st on Universal Music Group’s Capitol Nashville imprint, the album is now available for pre-order HERE.

    Imperfect Circle Track Listing:
    1.   New Year’s Day (Hootie & the Blowfish, Tofer Brown, Eric Paslay and Jeff Trott)
    2.   Miss California* (Hootie & the Blowfish, Andrew DeRoberts and David Ryan Harris)
    3.   Wildfire Love (Featuring Lucie Silvas) (Hootie & the Blowfish, Joel Crouse, Kyle Rife and Ed Sheeran)
    4.   Hold On* (Jim Beavers and Chris Stapleton)
    5.   Turn It Up (Hootie & the Blowfish and Jeff Trott)
    6.   Not Tonight (Hootie & the Blowfish, Andrew DeRoberts and David Ryan Harris)
    7.   We Are One (Hootie & the Blowfish)
    8.   Everybody But You* (Hootie & the Blowfish and Frank Rogers)
    9.   Lonely On A Saturday Night (Hootie & the Blowfish, Eric Paslay and Jeff Trott)
    10. Why (Hootie & the Blowfish, Chris August and James Slater)
    11. Rollin’ (Hootie & the Blowfish, Adam Doleac, Zach Kale and John King)
    12. Half A Day Ahead (Hootie & the Blowfish)
    13. Change (Hootie & the Blowfish)
    Album Produced by Jeff Trott
    *Produced by Frank Rogers

    Remaining Group Therapy Tour Dates:
    September 6      Pelham, Ala. | Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
    September 7      Nashville, Tenn. | Bridgestone Arena
    September 11    Columbia, S.C. | Colonial Life Arena
    September 12    Columbia, S.C. | Colonial Life Arena
    September 13    Columbia, S.C. | Colonial Life Arena

    October 4          Dublin, Ireland | 3 Arena
    October 6          Bristol, England | O2 Academy
    October 7          Leeds, England | O2 Academy
    October 9          Glasgow, Scotland | Barrowland
    October 10        Glasgow, Scotland | Barrowland
    October 12        London, England | Eventim Apollo
    October 15        Manchester, England | O2 Apollo
    October 16        Birmingham, England | O2 Academy

    For more information, visit www.Hootie.com, and follow on Facebook @hootieandtheblowfish, Twitter @HootieTweets and Instagram @hootieofficial.

    About Hootie & the Blowfish
    With the rich, bluesy vocals of Darius Rucker and gleeful harmonies of guitarist Mark Bryan, bassist Dean Felber and drummer Jim “Soni” Sonefeld, Hootie & the Blowfish have sold over 25 million records worldwide to date after their infectious melodies hit the airwaves in 1994 with hits such as “Hold My Hand,” “Let Her Cry” and “Only Wanna Be With You.”

    The quartet met at the University of South Carolina where endless gigs at frat houses and local bars built a major local buzz. Their blend of pop, folk, blues, soul and rock made them hard to pigeonhole, but easily accessible to anyone who loved good music.

    Atlantic Records, impressed by their regional draw, signed them and released Cracked Rear View in 1994. The album had been out for six months before the band played on the Late Show with David Letterman which sent sales skyrocketing, eventually landing at No. 1 on the Billboard chart the following spring. Cracked Rear View and the band went on to win two GRAMMY Awards, an MTV Video Music Award, a Billboard Music Award, and multiple People’s Choice Awards. Cracked Rear View went on to earn the band Billboard‘s Band of the Year Award in 1996 and the RIAA’s Diamond Award for sales in excess of 10 million units. Cracked Rear View remains among the Top 10 most-certified studios album in music business history.

    The band remained a top draw nationwide and released five more albums for Atlantic: Fairweather JohnsonMusical ChairsScattered, Smothered & CoveredHootie & The Blowfish and The Best of Hootie & The Blowfish, as well as Looking For Lucky on their own Sneaky Long Records and LIVE in Charleston, The Homegrown Concert Event DVD and CD. The band took a break from full-time touring in 2007, reuniting annually for a variety of philanthropic events while also pursuing solo projects. 2019 marked the band’s first full-time touring year in over a decade as they embarked on the Group Therapy Tour ahead of Imperfect Circle, their first album in nearly 15 years due out November 1 under a new record deal with Universal Music Group Nashville.

    Audio / Mark Bryan of Hootie & the Blowfish talks about one of the differences from the band's previous albums and their new Imperfect Circle.

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    Hootie & the Blowfish (different from previous albums) OC: …the songwriting.  :23
    “I think one thing you might notice different is there’s 15 years since our last record, or 14 years or whatever it’s been. And as humans we’ve grown to a place where our songwriting is going to come from a little bit different place, a little more experience, hopefully a little more wisdom, and I don’t know, a place that we couldn’t have written from 15, 20 years ago. So, that might be a difference that you’ll hear is just some maturity int he songwriting.”

  • THE 2019 CMA AWARDS NOMINATIONS.

    The nominations for this year’s CMA Awards were announced this week. Brothers Osborne scored four nominations – the second most nominations this year right behind Maren Morris. Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton and Carrie Underwood all picked up three nominations each.

    Brothers Osborne are nominated for Single and Music Video of the Year for “Burning Man,” along with Dierks Bentley. The reigning CMA Vocal Duo of the Year also pick up another nod for Vocal Duo of the Year, an award they’ve claimed for the last three years, and Musical Event of the Year for “All My Favorite People” with Maren Morris. This marks the brothers’ first nomination for Single and second for Music Video of the Year. John and TJ are once again overwhelmed by the nominations as noted in their post on Instagram — “Will forever be honored to receive these nominations. Hard to describe with words the feeling. Our country music community has lifted us higher than we ever dreamed or probably even deserve. Also pumped to be nominated alongside two of our favorite artists/people (Dierks Bentley and Maren Morris). Love y’all.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B1ts__1n4a-/

     

    Dierks Bentley scored three nominations including Single and Music Video of the Year for “Burning Man,” which features Brothers Osborne. He’s also nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year. The song earns Dierks his third nomination in both Single and Music Video.

     

    Eric Church tallies up three nominations with his third nod for both Entertainer and Music Video of the Year for “Some of It.” He also earns his fourth nomination for Album of the Year for Desperate Man.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B1tj-5chiRx/

     

    Kacey Musgraves is nominated for Song and Music Video of the Year for “Rainbow,” as well as Female Vocalist of the Year. With 15 previous nominations and three wins, she earns a fourth nomination in Song of the Year. She last won the category in 2014 with “Follow Your Arrow.” “Rainbow” is also Kacey’s third nomination for Music Video.

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/1166746260000215040

     

    Chris Stapleton has 16 prior nominations and 10 wins, Chris earns his fifth nod for Male Vocalist of the Year, which he has won consecutively since 2015. “Millionaire” has earned his third nomination for Single of the Year. Chris is also nominated for Entertainer of the Year, his fourth nomination in the category.

    Carrie Underwood has three nods this year. She picks up her second nomination for Entertainer of the Year, and she notched her 14th consecutive nomination for Female Vocalist, a title she’s won five times, including last year. This marks her fifth nomination for Album of the Year with Cry Pretty.

     

    Keith Urban, the reigning CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year, is once again nominated for the night’s top honor, as well as for Male Vocalist of the Year.

    https://twitter.com/KeithUrban/status/1166760798691168258

     

    The members of Little Big Town pick up a nomination for Vocal Group of the Year, an award they’ve won six times.

    https://thttps://twitter.com/MaddieandTae/status/1166751182183948290witter.com/littlebigtown/status/1166725996323717120

     

    Maddie & Tae are once again nomination for CMA Duo of the Year, a category they’ve been nominated in since 2015.

    https://twitter.com/MaddieandTae/status/1166751182183948290

     

    Carrie Underwood hosts The 53rd Annual CMA Awards with special guest hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton. The ceremony will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 13th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    “THE 53RD ANNUAL CMA AWARDS” – FINAL NOMINEES (by ballot category order):   

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR  

    • Garth Brooks
    • Eric Church
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Carrie Underwood
    • Keith Urban

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

    • “Burning Man” – Dierks Bentley Feat. Brothers Osborne
      Producers: Ross Copperman, Jon Randall, Arturo Buenahora, Jr.
      Mix Engineer: F. Reid Shippen
    • “GIRL” – Maren Morris
      Producer: Greg Kurstin
      Mix Engineer: Greg Kurstin
    • “God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
      Producer: Scott Hendricks
      Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank
    • “Millionaire” – Chris Stapleton
      Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
      Mix Engineer: Vance Powell
    • “Speechless” – Dan + Shay
      Producers: Dan Smyers, Scott Hendricks
      Mix Engineer: Jeff Juliano

    ALBUM OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Artist and Producers
     

    • Center Point Road – Thomas Rhett
      Producers: Dann Huff, Jesse Frasure, Thomas Rhett, Julian Bunetta, The Stereotypes, Cleve Wilson
    • Cry Pretty – Carrie Underwood
      Producers: David Garcia, Jim Jonsin, Carrie Underwood
    • Dan + Shay – Dan + Shay
      Producers: Dan Smyers, Scott Hendricks
    • Desperate Man – Eric Church
      Producers: Jay Joyce, Arturo Buenahora, Jr.
    • GIRL – Maren Morris
      Producers: busbee, Maren Morris, Greg Kurstin

    SONG OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Songwriters 

    • “Beautiful Crazy”
      Songwriters: Luke Combs, Wyatt B. Durrette III, Robert Williford
    • “GIRL”
      Songwriters: Maren Morris, Sarah Aarons, Greg Kurstin
    • “God’s Country”
      Songwriters: Devin Dawson, Jordan Schmidt, Michael Hardy
    • “Rainbow”
      Songwriters: Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves
    • “Tequila”
      Songwriters: Dan Smyers, Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

    • Kelsea Ballerini
    • Miranda Lambert
    • Maren Morris
    • Kacey Musgraves
    • Carrie Underwood

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

    • Dierks Bentley
    • Luke Combs
    • Thomas Rhett
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Keith Urban

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

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

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

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

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

    • “All My Favorite People” – Maren Morris (feat. Brothers Osborne)
      Producers: Maren Morris, busbee
    • “Brand New Man” – Brooks & Dunn (with Luke Combs)
      Producer: Dann Huff
    • “Dive Bar” – Garth Brooks & Blake Shelton
      Producer: Garth Brooks
    • “Old Town Road (Remix)” – Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
      Producers: YoungKio, Michael Trent Reznor, Atticus Matthew Ross
    • “What Happens In A Small Town” – Brantley Gilbert & Lindsay Ell
      Producer: Dann Huff

    MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

    • Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle
    • Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar
    • Mac McAnally, Guitar
    • Ilya Toshinsky, Banjo/Guitar
    • Derek Wells, Guitar

    MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

    Award goes to Artist(s) and Director 

    • “Burning Man” – Dierks Bentley Feat. Brothers Osborne
      Director: Wes Edwards
    • “GIRL” – Maren Morris
      Director: Dave Meyers
    • “God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
      Director: Sophie Muller
    • “Rainbow” – Kacey Musgraves
      Director: Hannah Lux Davis
    • “Some Of It” – Eric Church
      Director:  Reid Long

    NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR  

    • Cody Johnson
    • Ashley McBryde
    • Midland
    • Carly Pearce
    • Morgan Wallen

    Audio / Backstage at the 2018 CMA Awards , Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne talks about their third CMA Award for Duo of the Year and gives props to fellow Duo nominees, Dan + Shay.

    Download

    Brothers Osborne (CMA Duo 2018) OC: …awesome family. 1:12
    JOHN: “The Duo category can go any which way. I mean, you look at us, comparatively speaking, we’re kind of maybe somewhere in the middle in terms of the numbers and I don’t know (laughs) what it is. I don’t really know why we’re holding these up here and it’s super rad and I’m definitely going to be putting this on my mantle, but you look at somebody like Dan+ Shay and I just love to see good people win and succeed and people that work really hard at what they do and they’re kind to people along the way and they’re immensely talented. I think one of the most amazing pieces of advice I was ever given was to work hard and be nice to people, and I think that’s why we have these. We work really hard and we try to be respectful to everyone around us. Dan + Shay are the same way, and also they have HUGE songs out on the radio too. They actually have a step above us on that, and we just love those guys. They’re very sweet. They’re very supportive. One of the things that I love about the country music genre is that it’s a family and we’re all really, really close. We’re all a bunch of misfits thrown together. We’re all a little different, but we love one another and respect one another. I’m just honored for the both of us to be a part of this awesome family.”

    Audio / Backstage at the 2018 CMA Awards, Chris Stapleton says he's always surprised and grateful for recognition of his craft.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (CMA 2018) OC: …grateful for it. :30
    “These things are always fantastic to win, but when you get nominated or invited to these parties, in my estimation, you’ve already won and you’ve already gotten to be far beyond anything, you know, anybody who’s a musician could ever dream of getting to do, and we get to do that every day, we get to live it every day. As far as thinking about going into anything, I’m always genuinely surprised to win anything, and I’m always grateful for it.”

    Audio / Backstage at last year's CMA Awards, Carrie Underwood, who is nominated for Entertainer, Female and Album of the Year, said she was still in shock after winning the Female Artist of the Year.

    Download

    Carrie Underwood (CMA Female win) OC: …means a lot. :38
    “I think I’m still in shock to be honest. When we were making this album, I would be lying if I said I didn’t want awards because I’m a competitive person and I love these. I love these shows. I love the CMAs. I have such respect for this show and this organization, but when you’re making an album, you want it to be better. You want to push yourself as an artist. For me, with all the ups and downs we’ve been through, plus making an album on top of all of that, I mean this one definitely means a lot.”

     

    Audio / Backstage at last year’s CMA Awards, Keith Urban was overwhelmed with his win for Entertainer of the Year, an award he’s been nominated for numerous times, but hasn’t won since 2005.

    Download

    Keith Urban (Entertainer win 2018) OC: …feeling. :28
    “It’s an indescribable feeling to get that tonight, because I love playing, I love entertaining, I love putting on shows. I started playing guitar when I was six, so playing, and I came up playing in the clubs – four hours a night, five hours a night, five nights a week. I wasn’t writing songs. I was just schlepping my gear and playing cover tunes and learning my craft. To get to play three or four hours a night of original material is the most extraordinary feeling.”

    Audio / DIERKS BENTLEY TALKS ABOUT GETTING BROTHERS OSBORNE TO TAKE PART IN THE SONG, “BURNING MAN."

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (Burning Man) OC: …really well. :24
    “I’d had this song for about two years. It’s been a song I’ve been holding on for a little while. I just love that song. I could really relate to the lyrics. In the studio, Jedd Hughes put down this great guitar part, and I thought, ‘Man, John would be really cool on that,’ and then, obviously TJ has a, I love his singing. Great voice. I would’ve asked them to be on it regardless, I really would have, but the fact they’re on tour with us just makes it all that sweeter. Those guys are the perfect group to do it with and they definitely took it to a new spot and now we get to sing it every night on stage, so it worked out really well.”

     

  • BROTHERS OSBORNE REVEALS DETAILS FOR NEW ALBUM LIVE AT THE RYMAN AVAILABLE OCTOBER 11TH.

    EMI Nashville’s Brothers Osborne announces that their new album, Live At The Ryman, will be released digitally on October 11. Recorded during their incredible three-night, sold-out run at the famed auditorium earlier this year, the album will feature the band’s Platinum-certified hits such as “Stay A Little Longer” and “It Ain’t My Fault” as well as fan favorites like “Weed, Whiskey And Willie” and “Love The Lonely Out Of You.” Special album packages including unique merch items will be available at www.brothersosborne.com and members of The Family fan club will receive exclusive access to the album starting October 10.

     

    In addition, John and TJ Osborne’s current Top 40 single “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)” will be included on the new live record. The duo recently released the sentimental music video for the track, watch HERE, as well as performed the nostalgic tune as part of ABC’s CMA Fest Television Special, watch HERE.

     

    Live At The Ryman Track Listing:

    1. Drank Like Hank
    2. Shoot Me Straight
    3. I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)
    4. Weed, Whiskey and Willie
    5. Down Home
    6. Rum
    7. Pushing Up Daisies (Love Alive)
    8. Tequila Again
    9. 21 Summer
    10. Love The Lonely Out Of You
    11. Stay A Little Longer
    12. It Ain’t My Fault

    Brothers Osborne currently reigns as three-time CMA Vocal Duo of the Year in addition to being named ACM Vocal Duo of the Year the past two years. Overall, Brothers Osborne have collected four CMA, five ACM trophies and stand as five-time GRAMMY nominees. The Maryland Natives are set to reunite with Chris Stapleton on tour later this fall and will also open select dates for Willie Nelson including the legendary Farm Aid on September 21.

    Click HERE to listen to a special playlist.

    For a full list of tour dates, news, images and more, visit www.BrothersOsborne.com

  • LUKE BRYAN AND KEITH URBAN JOIN THE LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Luke Bryan and Keith Urban, along with Blake Shelton and Old Dominion, have been announced as the latest performers for this year’s ACM Awards. A host of presenters have also been announced, and they include Lauren Alaina, Beth Behrs, Clint Black,Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Jessie James Decker, Hunter Hayes, Jay Hernandez, Lady AntebellumMidland, Nancy O’Dell, Danica PatrickCarly Pearce, Dennis Quaid, Michael Ray, Cole Swindell and Wilmer Valderrama.

    They join previously announced performers Jason Aldean (ACM Dick Clark Artist of the Decade Award honoree), Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Brandi Carlile, Eric Church, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Combs (ACM New Male Artist of the Year), Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Khalid, Miranda LambertLANCO (ACM New Group of the Year), Little Big TownAshley McBryde (ACM New Female Artist of the Year), Reba McEntireMaren MorrisThomas RhettChris StapletonGeorge Strait and Carrie Underwood.

    The 54th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 7th at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

  • GEORGE STRAIT’S HONKY TONK TIME MACHINE OUT NOW!

    Iconic entertainer George Strait continues his reign as the King of Country Music with the release today of his 30th career studio album Honky Tonk Time Machine. The brand-new album, which includes Strait’s latest radio single “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar,” is now available for download HERE.

    Los Angeles Times notes, “George Strait calls his new album Honky Tonk Time Machine, but it’s hard to think of a country star less in need of one of those.” While Rolling Stone calls it “a signature set of Texas soul and swing.”

    Produced by George Strait and Chuck Ainley, Honky Tonk Time Machine includes 13 tracks, eight of which were written by Strait himself. Stand-out tracks include “Sing One with Willie” featuring Willie Nelson and Strait’s version of the Johnny Paycheck classic “Old Violin.” Yet, perhaps the most notable and sentimental highlight of the album is “God and Country Music.” Written by Luke Laird, Barry Dean and Lori McKenna, the song features a very special vocal guest, Strait’s grandson, Harvey Strait.

    To further celebrate the release of Honky Tonk Time Machine, the Texas native will travel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. on Saturday (March 30) to play in front of a sold-out crowd alongside openers Chris Stapleton, Chris Janson and Ashley McBryde. The performance will serve as Strait’s first visit to Atlanta since his 2014 Cowboy Rides Away Tour.

    Honky Tonk Time Machine track list

    1. “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar”
    Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon

    1. “Two More Wishes”
      Written by Jim Lauderdale and Odie Blackmon
    2. “Some Nights”
      Written by Bubba Strait, Brice Long and Phillip White
    3. “God and Country Music” (with Harvey Strait)
      Written by Luke Laird, Barry Dean and Lori McKenna
    4. “Blue Water”
      Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
    5. “Sometimes Love”
      Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
    6. “Código”
      Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
    7. “Old Violin”
      Written by Johnny Paycheck
    8. “Take Me Away”
      Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
    9. “The Weight of the Badge”
      Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
    10. “Honky Tonk Time Machine”
      Written by Bubba Strait, Brice Long and Bart Butler
    11. “What Goes Up”
      Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Jeff Hyde
    12. “Sing One with Willie” (featuring Willie Nelson)
      Written by George Strait, Willie Nelson, Bubba Strait and Buddy CannonWith an unmatched 60 singles hitting the top of the charts – more than any other artist in any genre – during the span of his 30-year career, Strait is the undeniable “King of Country Music.” He has collected 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums, more than any country artist and ranking third across all genres behind only The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Strait is the only act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades and has sold nearly 70 million albums and earned more than 60 major entertainment industry awards, including induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

      The Country Music Hall of Famer recently played his 21st and 22nd sold-out shows at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The “Strait to Vegas” series began with six shows in 2016 and extended with 10 more in 2017. In 2018, Strait headlined Bayou Country Superfest to a sold-out Mercedes-Benz Superdome crowd in New Orleans, Louisiana, two nights in Tulsa, Oklahoma and one night in Austin, Texas. This year, fans can catch Strait at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on June 8, two additional engagements of “Strait to Vegas” at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on August 23 and 24 and Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas on November 22 and, due to overwhelming demand, has added a second show on November 23, with tickets on sale now at ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit www.GeorgeStrait.com.

  • GEORGE STRAIT RELEASES A MUSIC VIDEO FOR HIS SONG “Código.”

    Not only did George Strait release his 30th studio album, Honky Tonk Time Machine, today (March 29th), but he also released a new video for the song “Código,” which was filmed at the actual distillery where the tequila is made. Check it out below.

     

    The troubadour will hit the stage this Saturday (March 30th) with a show at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, along with a stellar lineup of opening acts, including Chris Stapleton, Ashley McBryde and Chris Janson.

    Buy/Stream Link (all accounts): http://strm.to/HonkyTonkTimeMachine

    Listen, Follow and Share the STRAIT COUNTRY PLAYLIST HERE. (A playlist curated by George.)

  • GEORGE STRAIT READIES HIS NEW ALBUM, HONKY TONK TIME MACHINE.

    George Strait is set to release his new album, Honky Tonk Time Machine, on Friday (March 29th). The Texas native produced his 30th studio album alongside Chuck Ainlay and wrote 8 of the 13 songs, including his current Top 20 single “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar” and a song he co-wrote with the legendary Willie Nelson, marking the first time the pair have collaborated on a song.

    George says he wants to make records for as long as he can. “I love making records,” says George. “It’s fun going into the studio, the whole process of putting the record together is fun for us. So, I’ve got a great team, and I’m just gonna keep doing it as long as I can. That’s my plan anyway.”

    Honky Tonk Time Machine track listing:
    1. “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar”
    Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
    2. “Two More Wishes”
    Written by Jim Lauderdale and Odie Blackmon
    3. “Some Nights”
    Written by Bubba Strait, Brice Long and Phillip White
    4. “God and Country Music” (with Harvey Strait)
    Written by Luke Laird, Barry Dean and Lori McKenna
    5. “Blue Water”
    Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
    6. “Sometimes Love”
    Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
    7. “Código”
    Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
    8. “Old Violin”
    Written by Johnny Paycheck
    9. “Take Me Away”
    Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
    10. “The Weight of the Badge”
    Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
    11. “Honky Tonk Time Machine”
    Written by Bubba Strait, Brice Long and Bart Butler
    12. “What Goes Up”
    Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Jeff Hyde
    13. “Sing One with Willie” (featuring Willie Nelson)
    Written by George Strait, Willie Nelson, Bubba Strait and Buddy Cannon

    The Country Music Hall of Famer will hit the stage this Saturday (March 30th) with a show at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, along with a stellar lineup of opening acts, including Chris Stapleton, Ashley McBryde and Chris Janson.

    Audio / George Strait says he’s going to make records for as long as he can.

    Download

    George Strait (on making records) OC: …my plan anyway. :12
    “I love making records. It’s fun going into the studio, the whole process of putting the record together is fun for us. So, I’ve got a great team, and I’m just gonna keep doing it as long as I can. That’s my plan anyway.”

    Audio / LINER George Strait (Honky Tonk Time Machine available this week)

    Download
  • GEORGE STRAIT ENLISTS HIS GRANDSON HARVEY FOR HIS SONG “GOD AND COUNTRY MUSIC.”

    George Strait is set to release his brand new studio album, Honky Tonk Time Machine, on Friday (March 29th). For the new project, the Country Music Hall of Famer enlisted the help of a very special guest, his grandson Harvey, on the song “God and Country Music,” which George hopes will be the first of many times he’ll collaborate with him.

    “When I recorded this record, we did it in Key West and I had my grandson down there with me, and we went every day to the studio, and so he’d have to get his charts and lyrics and follow along with everybody else,” says George. “But we ended up putting him on the song ‘God and Country Music,’ and he’s there on the end of it. It’s the first time I’ve ever got to sing with my grandson; maybe it’s the first of many.”

    George says the recording process was pretty fun with his young protégé. “I went in there and I kinda did it with him, and then I would kinda just back out and leave him, and so that’s how it worked out,” he says. “He was all for it. He was all about doing it. He got really involved in that record. For six years old [laughs], that’s pretty good.”

    George is scaling the country charts with his latest song, “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar,” which is poised to enter the Top 20.

    The troubadour will hit the stage this Saturday (March 30th) with a show at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, along with a stellar lineup of opening acts, including Chris Stapleton, Ashley McBryde and Chris Janson.

    In addition to the release of his new album on Friday, tickets for his Gillette Stadium show in August go on sale as well.

    For more information on his new album, shows and more, go to georgestrait.com.

    Audio / George Strait explains how his grandson Harvey ended up on his new album, Honky Tonk Time Machine.

    Download

    George Strait (Harvey on God and Country Music)  OC: …first of many. :30
    “When I recorded this record, we did it in Key West and I had my grandson down there with me, and we went every day to the studio, and so he’d have to get his charts and lyrics and follow along with everybody else. But we ended up putting him on the song ‘God and Country Music,’ and he’s there on the end of it. It’s the first time I’ve ever got to sing with my grandson; maybe it’s the first of many.”

    Audio / George Strait says his grandson Harvey was a pro in the recording studio.

    Download

    George Strait (Harvey on God and Country Music) 2 OC: …pretty good. :18
    “It took us several takes. I went in there and I kinda did it with him, and then I would kinda just back out and leave him, and so that’s how it worked out. But he was all for it. He was all about doing it. He got really involved in that record. For six years old [laughs], that’s pretty good.”

    Audio / LINER George Strait (Honky Tonk Time Machine available this week)

    Download

    Audio / LINER George Strait (Honky Tonk Time Machine available now)

    Download
  • THE ACM AWARDS HAVE ADDED SEVERAL ALL-STAR COLLABORATIONS TO THE LIST OF PERFORMANCES THIS YEAR.

    The Academy of Country Music just announced new all-star collaborations for this year’s ACM Awards. The show will once again feature “ACM Flashbacks,” a fan favorite moment honoring classic country music hits and/or the artists whose music continues to influence musicians and fans alike. This year’s “ACM Flashbacks” will feature the King of Country Music and 24-time ACM Award winner George Strait performing with Miranda Lambert, as well as new Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Brooks & Dunn performing with Luke Combs.

    Additional collaborations include Dierks Bentley & Brandi CarlileEric Church & Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris with Brothers Osborne, Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson Dan + Shay with Kelly ClarksonFlorida Georgia Line & Jason Aldean, and global superstar Khalid with Kane Brown.

    Other previously announced performers include Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town, Reba McEntire, Thomas Rhett and LANCO. Additional acts and presenters will be announced in the coming week.

    The 54th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 7th at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD ADDED TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Carrie Underwood has been added to the list of performers at this year’s ACM Awards. She joins previously announced performers including Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, George Strait, Little Big Town, Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn, Brandi Carlile, Kelly Clarkson, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean and Kane Brown, as well as the winners of the New Artist categories – Luke Combs, LANCO and Ashley McBryde. Carrie made phone calls to each of the New Artist winners over the weekend telling them they’re receiving their first ACM Awards.

     

     

    Carrie is nominated for ACM Female Artist of the Year at the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards, which will be handed out live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

  • BROTHERS OSBORNE SET TO MAKE THEIR DEBUT ON THE ELLEN DeGENERES SHOW NEXT MONTH.

    Brothers Osborne, the now five-time GRAMMY-nominees, will make their daytime TV debut on the Ellen DeGeneres Show April 2nd. The band will perform their new single “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)” on the program.

    Brothers Osborne were also recently nominated for four Academy of Country Music (ACM) awards in three categories, “Duo of The Year,” “Video of the Year,” for their song “Shoot Me Straight,” as well as their feature in Dierks Bentley’s “Burning Man,” and “Music Event of The Year.” The pair garnered 2018’s ACM awards for “Duo of the Year” and “Video of the Year.” The 54th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 7th at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

    Brothers Osborne’s sophomore album, Port Saint Joe, garnered the band two Grammy nominations, and was included in several Best Country Albums of 2018 lists, including Rolling Stone, NPR, American Songwriter and more. American Songwriter notes, “of all the roots-rock inspired acts to arise in prominence in the wake of Chris Stapleton, Port Saint Joe proved that Brothers Osborne is not only the most talented, but will likely be the most enduring.”

    The band is currently on tour and will perform shows in cities including New Orleans, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Tickets for all dates are currently on sale here.

    For a full list of tour dates, news, images and more, visit www.BrothersOsborne.com

  • DIERKS BENTLEY AND ERIC CHURCH ADDED TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THE ACM AWARDS.

    The second round of performers for this year’s ACM Awards have been announced. Dierks Bentley and Eric Church have been added to the list of performers, along with Brooks & Dunn, Brandi Carlile, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line and Ashley McBryde. They join previously announced performers Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, George Strait, Little Big Town, Reba McEntire, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett, Miranda Lambert and Kane Brown.

    Dierks Bentley received four nominations, including his fourth nod for Album of the Year for The Mountain. Dierks is also nominated for “Burning Man” (featuring Brothers Osborne) in both the Music Event of the Year category and Video of the Year category. He is also nominated for Male Artist of the Year. If he were to win for Video of the Year this year, it would mark his third win in this category.

    Eric Church is nominated in the Album of the Year category for his recent collection, Desperate Man. Eric who has seven ACM Awards to his credit, last won the Album of the Year category in 2013 with Chief. The North Carolina native is making his way across the country with his Double Down Tour, which include his next stops in Chicago, Milwaukee and Dallas.

    Additional acts and presenters for the ACM Awards will be announced in the coming weeks.

    The 54th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba, will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 7th at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

  • GEORGE STRAIT AND “THE WEIGHT OF THE BADGE.”

    George Strait pays tribute to police officers with “The Weight of the Badge,” a song from his upcoming album, Honky Tonk Time Machine. He wrote the song with his son, Bubba, and frequent collaborator Dean Dillon.

     

    “The Weight of the Badge” joins Strait’s current song, “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar,” as well as “God and Country Music” from the new album, available March 29th.

    In addition to a few more shows at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas later this year, he will also play a show at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in Atlanta, Georgia, along with Chris Stapleton, Chris Janson and Ashley McBryde.

     

  • BROTHERS OSBORNE WRAPS THREE SOLD OUT SHOWS AT THE RYMAN AUDITORIUM; CELEBRATE PLATINUM SINGLE “IT AIN’T MY FAULT.”

    photo credit: Reid Long

    This past weekend, EMI Nashville’s Brothers Osborne crossed a huge milestone off their career bucket list, headlining at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium for the first time. The reigning ACM and CMA Vocal Duo of the Year ended up selling out three shows in one week as part of their headlining world tour and continued to impress critics and fans alike with their dynamic live show. Rolling Stone praises, “a performance that emphasized their musical chops and improvisation country-rock that has made them consistent Award favorites.” To help celebrate the momentous occasion, the duo was surprised backstage with plaques for their Top 10 hit “It Ain’t My Fault” reaching Platinum Certification by the RIAA.

    Throughout the three shows, the five-time GRAMMY nominees played hits such as “Stay A Little Longer” and “It Ain’t My Fault” in addition to fan favorites including “21 Summer” and “Pawn Shop”. Each night featured different special guests such as Dierks Bentley performing their No.1 hit “Burning Man,” Maren Morris singing “Greener Pastures,” which she co-wrote with the duo, as well as Lee Ann Womack for their duet “Loving Me Back.”  Additional special guests included Dan Auerbach for a cover of Don Williams’ “Tulsa Time” and Lucie Silvas for a cover of her song “Everything Looks Beautiful.”

    Brothers Osborne recently debuted the music video for their current single “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You),” watch HERE. The sentimental video centers around a professional bull rider who struggles to get his life back on track as he battles with substance abuse and includes a surprise ending that will tug at your heartstrings.

    The Maryland Natives will continue on their headlining world tour with upcoming sold out shows in Washington DC, Milwaukee and St. Louis. Later this year, the singer/songwriters will join Chris Stapleton’s “All-American Road Show” tour.

    For a full list of tour dates, news, images and more, visit www.BrothersOsborne.com

    Audio / Brothers Osborne’s TJ Osborne talks about singing “It Ain’t My Fault.”

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    Brothers Osborne (It Ain’t My Fault) OC: …I think. 1:04

    “It’s really fun singing down there in that really low register and we kind of…once again we just wanted something that was a little more kind of gritty and kind of had some attitude to it. And it was kind of our thing where you kind of like, the whole song is just about clearly all of these things you are blaming on the other, but you are the person that is making this happen. You are the person who is to blame, but you’re just so hell bent on having a good time or going forward and not being boggled down by all of the things that would stop a normal person. You kind of just get in the surreal moment of denying any bit of blame. We wrote this with a great songwriter in town named Lee Miller, and it was actually his idea to have these kind of blaming things on each other and this back and forth. And when he started doing it I was like ‘Man, that’s really cool. I’ve never heard lyrics really delivered like that before.’ And we just started coming up with these really fun different things whether it’s blaming the ex for the drinking or the drinking for the ex or it’s just whatever order you want to put them in. It was a really, really fun different song, I think.”

     

  • BROTHERS OSBORNE RELEASE THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR THEIR LATEST SONG, “I DON’T REMEMBER ME (BEFORE YOU).”

    The sentimental video centers around a professional bull rider who struggles to get his life back on track as he battles with substance abuse and includes a surprise ending that will tug at your heartstrings.

     

    “We’re very excited to release this emotional example of someone’s life being changed by another,” says John Osborne. “We’re never truly ourselves without the ones we love.” TJ adds, “the directors, Wes and Ryan, knocked this video out of the park. We’re beyond proud of this one.”

    The five-time GRAMMY nominees again partnered with directors Wes Edwards and Ryan Silver, the same team from the ACM and CMA Award-winning video for their Top 10 hit “It Ain’t My Fault” as well as their comical “Shoot Me Straight” video.

     

    Climbing the country radio charts, “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)” is Brothers Osborne’s current single which they recently performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, watch HERE. The wistful and reflective track is featured on their critically-acclaimed sophomore album, Port Saint Joe, which was nominated for Best Country Album at the 2019 GRAMMY Awards and landed on Several Best of 2018 Lists including Esquire, Rolling Stone, NPR, American Songwriter and more. The Washington Post says, “with this second album, Brothers Osborne continue to put their own stamp on country music, fusing Southern rock with outlaw country and it’s been a winning formula.” While Rolling Stone notes, “Port Saint Joe capitalizes on TJ and John Osborne’s strengths, TJ’s earthy baritone that projects vulnerability with John adding dazzling guitar solos.”

     

    The Maryland Natives are currently on the road as part of their headlining world tour which started in the UK and Canada and kicked off the US portion in front of a sold-out crowd in Chicago last month. The duo continues to sell out every venue they’ve played so far including three sold-out nights at the famed Ryman Auditorium this week. The duo will continue to hit over 40 markets through April including upcoming sold-out shows in Washington DC, Milwaukee and St. Louis. Later this year, the singer/songwriters will join Chris Stapleton’s “All-American Road Show” tour.

     

    For a full list of tour dates, news, images and more, visit www.BrothersOsborne.com

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: LBT, Darius, Clare

    Little Big Town will join Ronnie Milsap on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday (February 6th).

    Little Big Town has been tapped to host the concert honoring Dolly Parton in Los Angeles on Friday (ahead of the GRAMMY Awards), as she’s named the 2019 MusiCares Person of the Year. Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, Vince Gill, Pink, Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Don Henley, Miley Cyrus, Norah Jones, Jennifer Nettles, Margo Price, Brandi Carlile and Shawn Mendes, among others, will also perform in tribute to the country legend.

    Darius Rucker was one of the recipients of the Arnie Award (named after PGA legend Arnold Palmer) at this year’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which runs February 7th – 10th. CBS announcer Jim Nantz and World Golf Hall of Famer Davis Love III also received the award. It’s part of Golf Digest’s Golfers Who Give Back.

    Clare Dunn is featured in this month’s issue of Cowgirl Magazine. In the article, she talks about being a part of the CMT Next Women of Country Tour, kicking off April 11th in Tampa, Florida

    https://twitter.com/ClareDunnMusic/status/1090775477831249921

     

  • ERIC CHURCH RELEASES NEW SINGLE, “SOME OF IT.”

    Eric Church has released his new song, “Some of It,” and it goes for adds at radio January 14th. The song, which Eric co-wrote with Jeff Hyde, Clint Daniels and Bobby Pinson, almost didn’t make his Desperate Man album.

    “I was playing the album for a dear friend of ours, and my wife was with me…This person loved the album, but my wife said, ‘But let me play you what didn’t make it.’ The first thing she played was ‘Some of It.’ And I hadn’t listened to it in a while, and it was always a favorite song of mine. It’s why it was the first one we took in, and I listened to it that night and I’m like…I’m gonna regret if I don’t record this song,” says Eric.  “And it just fit in the dialogue, it fit into what the entire album’s talking about and, it really made the album. I loved the album before it was on there, but it might be my favorite album now that it’s on there.”

    Eric is set to kick off his Double Down Tour January 18th and 19th in Omaha, Nebraska. Before he launches the trek, you can catch him performing during the Willie Nelson tribute concert at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena January 12th. The all-star concert event featuring Willie, Eric, George Strait, Chris Stapleton, John Mellencamp, Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Lyle Lovett and many others will be taped and broadcast as a television special on A&E at a later date.

    Audio / Eric Church explains how “Some of It” ended up on his new album, Desperate Man.

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    Eric Church (Some of It) OC: …on there. 1:16
    “I was playing the album for a dear friend of ours, and my wife was with me and it was just the three of us playing the album and as we listened to the album. This person loved the album, but my wife said, ‘But let me play you what didn’t make it.’ The first thing she played was ‘Some of It.’ And I hadn’t listened to it in a while, and it was always a favorite song of mine. It’s why it was the first one we took in, and I listened to it that night and I’m like…I’m gonna regret if I don’t record this song. I called my manager that night and said that we gotta talk. The recording was done, the record was essentially done, but, um, I said, ‘I gotta do this. I gotta cut this song.’ I think my hesitation was because, initially, all the stuff that I thought was gonna be the pillars for this album just bombed…so I was scared of that song. I thought this is another song that was in that group that I’m gonna bump and I’m gonna go a different way. But I think it’s really interesting that the album took on an identity that allowed some of it to make it from where it started to where it is now. And it just fit in the dialogue, it fit into what the entire album’s talking about and, it really made it uh, to me it made the album. I loved the album before it was on there, but it might be my favorite album now that it’s on there.”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Some of It) 1

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    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Some of It) 2

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  • UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP NASHVILLE PARTNERS WITH LUCCHESE AND JW MARRIOTT FOR RECORD SHOP CONCEPT.

    Universal Music Group Nashville has partnered with Lucchese Bootmaker and JW Marriott for a special record shop concept store. Located at the JW Marriott Hotel on the corner of 8th Avenue and Clark Place in Nashville, this limited time only pop-up shop features handmade boots by Lucchese in addition to merchandise from UMG Nashville artists such as Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, George Strait, Keith Urban and more. The shop is open every Thursday – Sunday from 12-8pm and also includes an indoor stage featuring free live music as well as Shiner beer, brewed by Spoetzl.

    Photo Credit: Katie Kauss

    About Universal Music Group Nashville

    Universal Music Group Nashville consists of Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville and Mercury Nashville. Reading like a “who’s who” of Music Row, the combined rosters include Adam Hambrick, Alan Jackson, Billy Currington, Brandon Lay, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Caylee Hammack, CB30, Chris Stapleton, Clare Dunn, Dan Tyminski, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Gary Allan, George Strait, Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Josh Turner, Kacey Musgraves, Kassi Ashton, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Lauren Alaina, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Sam Hunt, Shania Twain, Sugarland, Travis Denning and Vince Gill. For additional information, visit www.umgnashville.com

     

    About Lucchese

    Texas-based Lucchese is a legendary bootmaker and iconic brand of the American West. Applying the same craftsmanship principles and techniques since 1883, Lucchese artisans use only the finest leathers, preeminent materials and a proprietary twisted cone last to construct boots of unrivaled quality, fit, comfort and style.

  • ERIC CHURCH ADDED TO LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THE 52nd ANNUAL CMA AWARDS.

    Eric Church has just been added to the list of performers at Wednesday night’s CMA Awards. He joins previously announced performers Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Kacey Musgraves, Dierks Bentley with Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Lauren Alaina, Chris Stapleton with Maren Morris and Mavis Staples, Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line with Bebe Rexha, Midland, Old Dominion, Pistol Annies, Thomas Rhett, Brett Young and Brad Paisley with special appearances by Jon Pardi, Vince Gill, Ashley McBryde, David Lee Murphy, Lindsay Ell, Chris Janson, Marty Stuart and Cole Swindell, among others.

    Eric is currently making his way up the country chart with “Desperate Man.”

    The 52nd Annual CMA Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 14th at 8pm ET/PT on ABC.

  • CMA AWARDS 2018: Single and Song of the Year

    Chris Stapleton is nominated for numerous awards at this year’s CMA Awards, including both Single and Song of the Year for his smash “Broken Halos.”

    He is a seven-time CMA Awards winner with 16 total career nominations. He is the reigning Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year winner. He returns this year as the most nominated artist of the night with nods in the Album of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year and Song of the Year categories.

    Sam Hunt’s HUGE hit “Body Like a Back Road,” which broke numerous records and is still one of the best played and streamed songs, is nominated for Song of the Year. Sam wrote the tune with Zach Crowell, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.

    Sam was overwhelmed by the response from fans. “It’s awesome to have a reaction like that from a song, because that song was kind of uncharted territory for me,” says Sam. “So, it almost felt like I was putting out my first record for the first time where you conceptualize this idea and you’ve already conceptualized the reaction that you expect to have to this a song and you just hope that it all comes true. And this exceeded those expectations by a long shot, so it was just really great.”

    The 52nd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (November 14th) at 8pm ET/PT on ABC.

     

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

    “Broken Halos” – Chris Stapleton
    Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
    Mix Engineer: Vance Powell

    “Drinkin’ Problem” – Midland
    Producers: Dann Huff, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
    Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank

    “Drowns the Whiskey” – Jason Aldean (Feat. Miranda Lambert)
    Producer: Michael Knox
    Mix Engineer: Jeff Braun

    “Meant to Be” – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line
    Producer: Willshire
    Mix Engineer: Serban Ghenea

    “Tequila” – Dan + Shay
    Producers: Scott Hendricks, Dan Smyers
    Mix Engineer: Jeff Juliano

     

    SONG OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to Songwriter(s))

    “Body Like A Back Road”
    Songwriters: Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

    “Broken Halos”
    Songwriters: Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton

    “Drowns the Whiskey”
    Songwriter: Brandon Kinney, Jeff Middleton, Josh Thompson

    “Drunk Girl”
    Songwriter: Scooter Carusoe, Tom Douglas, Chris Janson

    “Tequila”
    Songwriter: Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers

     

    Audio / CHRIS STAPLETON TALKS ABOUT SONGS HOLDING UP YEARS AFTER THEY’RE WRITTEN.

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    Chris Stapleton (songs holding up) OC: …a good song. :29
    “If you can write a song and you listen to it 10 years away from writing it and go, ‘You know, that’s a pretty good song. I like that song,’ then it’s a pretty good indication that it’s probably okay because it’s holding up. If it held up the day you wrote it and it holds up for you in a completely different segment of your life, hopefully that means it’ll help more people, and it’ll mean more to more people. It’s gonna mean something to different people if it’s a good song.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt was overwhelmed by the reaction to his song, "Body Like a Back Road."

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    Sam Hunt (BLABR) OC: …get going. :33
    “It’s awesome to have a reaction like that from a song, because that song was kind of uncharted territory for me. So, it almost felt like I was putting out my first record for the first time where you conceptualize this idea and you’ve already conceptualized the reaction that you expect to have to this a song and you just hope that it all comes true. And this exceeded those expectations by a long shot, so it was just really great. I was just really humbled by how many people were anticipating new music, because that really helped this song have legs and really get going.”

  • MORE PERFORMERS ANNOUNCED FOR THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    Lauren Alaina, Jon Pardi, Vince Gill and Chris Stapleton with Maren Morris and Mavis Staples have been added to the list of performers for this year’s CMA Awards, along with Brad Paisley, Ricky Skaggs, Ashley McBryde, David Lee Murphy, Marty Stuart, Cole Swindell, Lindsay Ell, Chris Janson, Sierra Hull and Carson Peters.

    They join previously announced performers include Jason Aldean with Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley with Brothers Osborne, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line with Bebe Rexha, Midland, Kacey Musgraves, Old Dominion, Pistol Annies, Thomas Rhett, Underwood, Keith Urban and Brett Young. Presenters will be announced next week.

    Lauren, who just released her new song “Ladies in the ‘90s,” is a two-time CMA Awards nominee. She returns this year with a nomination for New Artist of the Year.

    Vince is a 54-time CMA Awards nominee and 18-time winner. He holds the r ecord for most wins in the Song of the Year category. He is also tied for most wins in the Male Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year (previously Vocal Event of the Year) categories. He returns this year with his 12th nomination for Musical Event of the Year.

    Stapleton is a seven-time CMA Awards winner with 16 total career nominations. He is the reigning Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year winner. He returns this year as the most nominated artist of the night with nods in the Album of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year and Song of the Year categories.

    Pardi is a two-time CMA Awards nominee, taking home his first win in 2017 for New Artist of the Year.

    The 52nd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 14th at 8pm ET on ABC.

  • CMA AWARDS 2018: Male Vocalist of the Year

    Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley and Keith Urban are all vying for Male Vocalist of the Year at this year’s CMA Awards.

    Chris receives his fourth consecutive nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, a category he remains undefeated in, having won the past three years. Chris is also nominated for Entertainer, Album, Single and Song of the Year (“Broken Halos”).

    Dierks marked his fifth consecutive nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year. He also lands a nod for Album of the Year for The Mountain, as well as Musical Event of the Year alongside Brothers Osborne for their collaboration “Burning Man.” With this year’s nominations, Bentley collects 24 total career nominations.

    Keith has the chance to take home several awards going into next week’s CMA Awards, including Male Vocalist, Entertainer and Album of the Year for Graffiti U. This year marks his 14th nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year.

    The 52nd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 14th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
    Dierks Bentley
    Luke Combs
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban

    Audio / DIERKS BENTLEY SAID HE WOULD LOVE TO WIN AN AWARD AT WEDNESDAY’S CMA AWARDS, BUT HE SAYS HE ALSO GETS RECOGNIZED EVERY NIGHT BY HIS FANS.

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    Dierks Bentley (CMA nomination) OC: …as it is. :38
    “People always say it’s good to be nominated, but you think about how crowded the country music field is, how many people are trying to get in and no one’s really trying to get out. I mean, just packing more singers into one format, so to be one of the five performers to be nominated, it is pretty cool. Yeah, I’d obviously like to win one.  I got one in the previous decade, it’d be fun to get one in the teens, but yeah, either way, it’s not where, you know … the reward really lies in getting the chance to tour and get up in front of your audience every night. A trophy would be awesome, to get recognized by your peers and all that, but I get to go out there and be recognized every night by the fans that cheer for us and sing for us, so my cup is pretty overflowing as it is.”

    Audio / DIERKS BENTLEY LOOKS BACK AT HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH FOR THE CMA HORIZON AWARD IN 2005 (the Horizon Award was renamed as New Artist of the Year).

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    Dierks Bentley (CMA Horizon memory) OC: …down the road. :43
    “There’s a lot of Jager bombs between then and now and three kids. Looking at that is like looking at a totally different person. My wife was there. It was helpful to see her. It kinda gave me a frame of reference where I was in my life. I think we had just gotten married that year, but gosh, that is a long, long time ago. I’d like to win one again sometime. Have more fresh memories. I’m sure it felt great. Winning a CMA must, is, obviously I’ve won one, it’s a great feeling. I’ve been nominated a bunch. I know what that feels like. Nominations are probably, that roller coaster ride is something I’m more familiar with than actually winning. But it’s cool and hopefully happens again down the road.”

    Audio / CHRIS STAPLETON SAYS HE’S VERY GRATEFUL FOR HIS AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS, AS WELL AS ALL OF HIS SUCCESS IN RECENT YEARS.

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

    Audio / 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 AGAIN 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.”

     

  • CMA AWARDS 2018: Album of the Year

    Chris Stapleton’s From a Room: Volume 2, Dierks Bentley’s The Mountain, Kacey MusgravesGolden Hour and Keith Urban’s Graffiti U are all nominated for CMA Album of the Year.

    Chris, who tops the list of CMA finalists with five nominations, has previously won the Album category for his first two solo albums – Traveller (2015) and From a Room: Volume 1 (2017).

    Dierks earned his sixth career nomination for Album of the Year alongside producers Ross Copperman, Jon Randall Stewart and Arturo Buenahora Jr., while also marking his fifth consecutive nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year. He also lands a nod alongside Brothers Osborne for Musical Event of the Year for their collaboration “Burning Man,” Bentley’s third nomination in the category. He won Musical Event in 2016 for his song “Different For Girls” (Feat. Elle King). With this year’s nominations, Bentley collects 24 total career nominations.

    Kacey picked up another nomination for Album of the Year, having previously been nominated for this same award in 2013 for Same Trailer Different Park and in 2015 for Pageant Material. She won New Artist of the Year in 2013 and Song of the Year for “Follow Your Arrow” in 2014. In 2016, she won the CMA International Achievement Award. This year, she’s also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year.

    Keith earned three more CMA nominations, including Album of the Year. This year marks Keith Urban’s 14th nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, 11th nomination in the Entertainer of the Year category, and his sixth nomination in the Album of the Year category for Graffiti U, bringing his career nominations to 45 with 11 total wins.

    The 52nd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 14th at 8pm ET on ABC.

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

    From a Room: Volume 2 – Chris Stapleton
    Golden Hour
     – Kacey Musgraves
    Graffiti U
     – Keith Urban
    Life Changes – Thomas Rhett
    The Mountain
     – Dierks Bentley

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about making records.

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    Chris Stapleton (making records) OC: …top to bottom. :37
    “We’re all incredibly fortunate that out on the road that the people who come out to the shows dig that deep. It sure is a powerful thing when you can pull out an album cut and have everybody sing along and have somebody be excited about it or watch that be somebody’s song they were hoping you were going to play that night. I care about the album, quite a bit, and I kind of learned that from Tom Petty. He made my favorite record of all time, which was Wild Flowers, and that album really made me appreciate the album, top to bottom. I try to think about that record a lot when I’m making records, and that’s the way I feel about albums. I want them to be good, top to bottom.”

    Audio / DIERKS BENTLEY WAS INSPIRED BY TELLURIDE TO WRITE AND RECORD HIS CMA NOMINATED ALBUM, THE MOUNTAIN.

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    Dierks Bentley (album inspired by Telluride) 2 OC: …it was magic. :53
    “I just had this crazy idea to bring some songwriters out there and let them go for hikes and walk around town and just hang and see if they can sense that same intangible vibe that I was sensing, and they did. We jumped right into it and it was really, really special. And everyone immediately starts talking about how can we start getting back out here again, because it’s one of those places you just like never want to leave. Ross said, ‘We should come back out here to make the record,’ and we all kinda laughed about it, but it planted the seed. So, I came back a few months later with a different set of guys and girls, musicians, and we recorded the album out there.” It’s one of those things where you just kind of follow your gut, just keep your heart open to ideas and see what you’re feeling, and once you get that little, tiny feeling, you’ve got to go for it, just like that gut instinct of I want to be a country singer. It’s that little seed that if you believe in it, you’ve got to go for it, try it, so that’s what we did with this album, and it was magic.”

    Audio / KACEY MUSGRAVES TALKS ABOUT THE TITLE OF HER CMA NOMINATED ALBUM, GOLDEN HOUR.

    Download

    Kacey Musgraves (Golden Hour title) OC: …this record. :34
    “The title Golden Hour just seemed to sum up this chapter of my life perfectly. I mean not only am I from a town called Golden, Texas, but leading up to making this record, there’s been a lot of beauty in my atmosphere and in my world. I love the picture that pops in my head when I hear that title. It’s also an actual song on the record, but it’s just this warm, golden feeling that I’m really happy to have in my life, and I found it to be the perfect title for this record.”

    Audio / Keith Urban talks about the decision to name his latest album, Graffiti U.

    Download

    Keith Urban (Graffiti U name) OC: …that to me. :53
    “The previous two albums I did – Fuse and Ripcord – denoted a kind of energy, and so those titles were chosen for that. And I had some energy-driven titles in mind for this album too, but as the record started to reveal itself to me, the word ‘graffiti’ kept coming to me out of the blue. I’ve always loved that word, loved the sound of the word, and then I loved the fact that it’s art-driven. When I think of graffiti, I think of self-expression, personal expression, absolutely personal expression whether you’re painting something on the side of a building in a city or whether you’re painting ‘Billy Bob Loves Charlene’ on the side of an overpass [laughs], it’s all graffiti and it’s all free and pure and very personal, and I thought this record feels like that to me.”

  • CMA AWARDS 2018: Entertainer of the Year

    The 52nd Annual CMA Awards are a little over a week away, and we’ll be highlighting different categories. Today, we give you the Entertainer of the Year category, which includes Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban and Luke Bryan, as well as Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney.

    Stapleton tops the list of CMA finalists with five nominations, including Entertainer of the Year, as well as Single and Song of the Year for “Broken Halos,” Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for From A Room: Volume 2.  With all of these nominations, he adds to his previous 11 nominations and seven wins. He lands his third consecutive nod for Entertainer of the Year. He previously won Album for his first two solo albums, Traveller, awarded in 2015, and From A Room: Volume 1, awarded in 2017. Stapleton also receives his fourth consecutive nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, a category he remains undefeated in, having won the past three years.

    Luke is once again nominated for the CMA Entertainer of the Year award, which he has won twice before in 2014 and 2015. The Georgia native says winning his first CMA Entertainer of the Year award was life-altering. “Winning my first CMA Entertainer of the Year award is something that I’ll never forget. It’s all of those memories of everything it took to get here and all the sacrifices and all the honkytonks and the late-night concerts and moving to Nashville and leaving your family and your friends, it all came together on that night,” says Luke. “To get that from your peers of fellow country music artists was pretty amazing. You never forget it. You forever feel vindicated and you feel appreciated and you feel like you’re a member of a club, and you know no matter how long you live that you left an indelible mark on this industry based on how you go about it, how you entertain and perform.” As a matter of fact, his first CMA Entertainer award was his first ever CMA Award he’d ever won.

    Keith picked up the CMA Entertainer of the Year Award in 2005, and it’s a moment he will cherish the rest of his life. “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,” says Keith. “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.” Keith has the chance to take home several awards going into this year’s CMA Awards, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for Graffiti U. This year marks Keith Urban’s 14th nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, 11th nomination in the Entertainer of the Year category, and his sixth nomination in the Album of the Year category, bringing his career nominations to 45 with 11 total wins.

    The 52nd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 14th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says all the awards and accolades he's received have been like a "fairy tale."

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (success is a dream) OC: …larger dream. :15
    “It’s an unimaginable fairy tale of a thing, really. We’re so proud just to get to make music and go out and play it for people and make records, that’s the dream. And when you have all these other things that people are nice enough to give you, that makes the dream an even larger dream.”

    Audio / Luke says winning his first CMA Entertainer of the Year Award was life-changing for him.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (winning 1st CMA Entertainer of the Year) OC: …big deal for me. :55
    “Definitely looking back and winning my first CMA Entertainer of the Year award is something that I’ll never forget. It’s all of those memories of everything it took to get here and all the sacrifices and all the honkytonks and the late-night concerts and moving to Nashville and leaving your family and your friends, it all came together on that night. To get that from your peers of fellow country music artists was pretty amazing. You never forget it. You forever feel vindicated and you feel appreciated and you feel like you’re a member of a club, and you know no matter how long you live that you left an indelible mark on this industry based on how you go about it, how you entertain and perform. It was a big deal for me.”

    Audio / BACKSTAGE IN THE PRESSROOM AFTER WINNING THE CMA ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR AWARD IN 2014, LUKE BRYAN SAID HE WAS SO HUMBLED AND OVERWHELMED THE CMA VOTERS FELT HE HAD EARNED IT.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (CMA Entertainer win) OC: …hard to describe. 1:05
    “To try to understand you would win your first CMA Award and it’s the Entertainer of the Year…I have longed and sought after many years to get one of these in my hands. To get the respect of the CMA Board and all of its voters and win this is a ginormous deal, something I could not express out on stage when I was winning it, but I can’t help but in the back of my mind want some of that respect from this body of people. So, I’m just really humbled. I think about just the hard work it took to get here, and I’m really just so blessed that this is from the CMA and I’ll never take a second of it for granted. I, honestly from the bottom of my heart, I go out on stage every night and try to sing it and perform it and entertain it like it’s my last and now, it’s like, Whew! It’s hard to describe.”

    Audio / KEITH URBAN RECALLS WINNING HIS FIRST AND ONLY CMA ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR AWARD IN 2005.

    Download

    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.”

     

  • GEORGE STRAIT RETURNS TO ATLANTA IN 2019 FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY.

    The King of Country Music, George Strait, will play one night only in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 30th, 2019 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The iconic entertainer will be joined by reigning CMA and ACM Male Vocalist of the Year, Chris Stapleton, along with 2018 CMA New Artist of the Year nominee Chris Janson and critically acclaimed, breakout country singer/songwriter Ashley McBryde. Tickets go on sale Friday, Nov. 16 at 10 am ET via Ticketmaster.com.

    The performance marks Strait’s only show in Atlanta since his Cowboy Rides Away Tour stop at State Farm Arena in 2014 when he announced he would no longer tour and only perform select engagements in the future.

    With an unmatched 60 singles hitting the top of the charts – more than any other artist in any genre – during his 30-year career, Strait is the undeniable “King of Country Music.” He has collected 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums, more than any country artist and third across all genres behind only The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Strait is the only act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades and has sold nearly 70 million albums and earned more than 60 major entertainment industry awards, including induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

    Since his record-breaking Cowboy Rides Away Tour, Strait has performed for limited engagements including 18 “Strait to Vegas” shows. Additional appearances in 2018 included two nights in Tulsa, Oklahoma and one night in Austin, Texas as well as a headlining appearance at Bayou Country Superfest for a sold-out Mercedes-Benz Superdome crowd in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Country Music Hall of Famer will wrap up 2018 with a return to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Dec. 7 and 8.

    For more information visit www.georgestrait.com.

  • MADDIE AND TAE WILL JOIN CARRIE UNDERWOOD AND LITTLE BIG TOWN’S KAREN FAIRCHILD AND KIMBERLY SCHLAPMAN WILL BE JOINED BY GLADYS KNIGHT ON THE CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR SPECIAL.

    To continue this year’s celebration of women, CMT has added seven new powerhouse performances to the “2018 CMT Artists of the Year” lineup: Carrie Underwood with CMT Next Women of Country and tour mates Maddie & Tae and Runaway June; Miranda Lambert and Pistol Annies; Kelsea Ballerini with Alison Krauss; Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman with soul legend Gladys Knight; and Hillary Scott with singer-songwriter Tori Kelly and Grammy-award winning gospel artist Kirk Franklin. In addition, honoree Maren Morris will join forces with Brandi Carlile for a powerful tribute to late icon Aretha Franklin. The 9th annual special premieres LIVE from Nashville on Wednesday, October 17th at 8pm ET/PT, only on CMT.

    In recognition of the undeniable influence and impact of female artists in country music, the “2018 CMT Artists of the Year” special is dedicated to the women of country music—past, present and future. This year’s all-female “Artists of the Year” are CarrieUnderwood, Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris, Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman and Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott. The coveted “Artist of a Lifetime” award presented by Ram Trucks will be given to country music icon Loretta Lynn.

    In addition to the “2018 CMT Artists of the Year” live special, CMT will further its commitment to female artists through a day-long “Women of Country Music” takeover across all CMT platforms where music lives including music hours on CMT, the 24/7 digital channel CMT Music and CMT Radio’s widely-syndicated shows “CMT Radio LIVE” and “CMT After Midnite” to encourage and inspire increased female airplay on October 17.

    A staunch advocate for country music’s female artists, CMT launched its dedicated “Next Women of Country” campaign in 2013 as a way to give female artists voice and airplay across all CMT platforms. The franchise has received critical acclaim, and in five years since launch CMT has expanded to include tours, digital programming and more. Ballerini and Morris are both alumnae of the “Next Women” franchise.

    Last year’s special notched its highest ratings to date and ranked as the most watched in the event’s eight-year history. More than 1.1 million fans tuned in to the premiere telecast and the encore. Socially, #CMTAOTY trended nationally on Twitter during the show and the special ranked as the #1 Most Social Entertainment Program in Primetime on Cable.

    Previous “CMT Artists of the Year” performances have included Adele and Darius Rucker performing Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now;” Meghan Trainor, Jill Scott and Kelsea Ballerini honoring Shania Twain with a medley of her biggest hits; Jason Aldean, Keith Urban and Chris Stapleton in a moving Tom Petty tribute with “I Won’t Back Down;” Adam Lambert and Leona Lewis paying tribute to Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush;” and Maroon 5 covering Taylor Swift’s “Mine.” The show has featured appearances by Ellen DeGeneres, Matthew McConaughey, Selena Gomez, Billy Bob Thornton, Roger Clemens, Morgan Freeman, the cast of Nashville and more.

    Former “CMT Artists of the Year” honorees include Blake Shelton (2015), Brad Paisley (2011), Carrie Underwood (2010, 2012, 2016), Cast of “Nashville” (2015), Chris Stapleton (2015, 2016, 2017), Eric Church (2012), Florida Georgia Line (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), Hunter Hayes (2013), Jason Aldean (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), Keith Urban (2017), Kelsea Ballerini (2016), Kenny Chesney (2011, 2012), Kenny Rogers (2015), Lady Antebellum (2010, 2011), Little Big Town (2015), Luke Bryan (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), Merle Haggard (2014), Miranda Lambert (2012, 2014), Sam Hunt (2015, 2017), Shania Twain (2016), Taylor Swift (2010, 2011), Thomas Rhett (2016), Tim McGraw (2013) and Toby Keith (2012.)

  • THE 2018 CMA NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED.

    Luke Bryan, Dan + Shay and Sugarland announced the final nominations for The 52nd Annual CMA Awards this morning (August 28th) live on ABC’s Good Morning America from Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink bar located on Lower Broadway in downtown Nashville.

    The artists revealed six categories live on-air, then announced the remaining six categories, along with finalists for the CMA Broadcast Awards, on GoodMorningAmerica.com as well as via “Good Morning America’s” Facebook page through Facebook Live, Twitter and simulcast on “Good Morning America’s” YouTube channel.

    Chris Stapleton tops the list of finalists with five nominations. Producer and musician Dann Huff receives four nominations, the second most nominations this year, while nine artists garner three each—Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Chris Janson, Miranda Lambert, Midland, Thomas Rhett and Keith Urban.

    CHRIS STAPLETON – FIVE NOMINATIONS
    Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year (“Broken Halos”), Album of the Year (From A Room: Volume 2), Song of the Year (“Broken Halos”), Male Vocalist of the Year 

    Stapleton leads this year’s CMA Awards nominations with five, adding to his previous 11 nominations and seven wins. He lands his third consecutive nod for Entertainer of the Year in addition to nominations in the Single and Song of the Year categories for “Broken Halos,” produced by Dave Cobb and Stapleton, mixed by Vance Powell, and written by Mike Henderson and Stapleton. Stapleton earns his third nomination for Album of the Year for From A Room: Volume 2, produced by Cobb and Stapleton. He previously won Album for his first two solo albums, Traveller, awarded in 2015, and From A Room: Volume 1, awarded in 2017. Stapleton also receives his fourth consecutive nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, a category he remains undefeated in, having won the past three years.

    DIERKS BENTLEY – THREE NOMINATIONS
    Album of the Year (The Mountain), Male Vocalist of the Year, Musical Event of the Year (“Burning Man”)

    Dierks Bentley earns his sixth career nomination for Album of the Year, alongside producers Ross Copperman, Jon Randall Stewart, and Arturo Buenahora Jr., while also marking his fifth consecutive nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year. He also lands a nod alongside Brothers Osborne for Musical Event of the Year for their collaboration “Burning Man,” Bentley’s third nomination in the category. He won Musical Event in 2016 for his song “Different For Girls” (Feat. Elle King). With this year’s nominations, Bentley collects 24 total career nominations.

    KEITH URBAN – THREE NOMINATIONS
    Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year (Graffiti U), Male Vocalist of the Year

    This year marks Keith Urban’s 14th nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, 11th nomination in the Entertainer of the Year category, and his sixth nomination in the Album of the Year category for Graffiti U, bringing his career nominations to 45 with 11 total wins. Urban shares the nomination with the album’s producers Dan McCarroll, J.R. Rotem, Josh Kerr, Jason Evigan, Greg Wells, Benny Blanco, Ed Sheeran, Johnny McDaid, Jesse Shatkin, Jimmy Robbins, Oscar Holter, Matt Rad, Eric Valentine, Ian Kirkpatrick, Mike Elizondo, Captain Cuts, Copperman, Huff, and Peter Karlsson. Urban is the reigning Single of the Year winner for his song “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” which he also produced.

    The 52nd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 14th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    For more information and a full list of nominees, visit CMAawards.com.

    The Final Nominees for “The 52nd Annual CMA Awards” (by ballot category order):

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
    Jason Aldean
    Luke Bryan
    Kenny Chesney
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban

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

    Broken Halos – Chris Stapleton
    Producer(s): Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
    Mix Engineer(s): Vance Powell

    Drinkin’ Problem – Midland
    Producer(s): Dann Huff, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
    Mix Engineer(s): Justin Niebank

    Drowns the Whiskey – Jason Aldean (Feat. Miranda Lambert)
    Producer(s): Michael Knox
    Mix Engineer(s): Jeff Braun

    Meant to Be – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line
    Producer(s): Willshire
    Mix Engineer(s): Serban Ghenea

    Tequila – Dan + Shay
    Producer(s): Scott Hendricks, Dan Smyers
    Mix Engineer(s): Jeff Juliano

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

    From a Room: Volume 2Chris Stapleton
    Golden HourKacey Musgraves
    Graffiti UKeith Urban
    Life ChangesThomas Rhett
    The MountainDierks Bentley

    SONG OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to Songwriter(s))

    “Body Like A Back Road”
    Songwriters: Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

    “Broken Halos”
    Songwriters: Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton

    “Drowns the Whiskey”
    Songwriter: Brandon Kinney, Jeff Middleton, Josh Thompson

    “Drunk Girl”
    Songwriter: Scooter Carusoe, Tom Douglas, Chris Janson

    “Tequila”
    Songwriter: Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Miranda Lambert
    Kacey Musgraves
    Maren Morris
    Carrie Underwood

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
    Dierks Bentley
    Luke Combs
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
    Lady Antebellum
    Lanco
    Little Big Town
    Midland
    Old Dominion

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
    Brothers Osborne
    Dan + Shay
    Florida Georgia Line
    Maddie & Tae
    Sugarland

    MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to each Artist)

    “Burning Man” – Dierks Bentley Feat. Brothers Osborne
    “Dear Hate” – Maren Morris (Feat. Vince Gill)
    “Drowns the Whiskey” – Jason Aldean (Feat. Miranda Lambert)
    “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” – David Lee Murphy (with Kenny Chesney)
    “Meant to Be” – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line

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

    “Babe” – Sugarland (Featuring Taylor Swift)
    Director: Anthony Mandler

    “Cry Pretty” – Carrie Underwood
    Director: Randee St. Nicholas

    “Drunk Girl” – Chris Janson
    Director: Jeff Venable

    “Marry Me” – Thomas Rhett
    Director: TK McKamy

    “Tequila” – Dan + Shay
    Director: Patrick Tracy

    NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
    Lauren Alaina
    Luke Combs
    Chris Janson
    Midland
    Brett Young

    MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
    Jerry Douglas, Dobro
    Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar
    Dann Huff, Guitar
    Mac McAnally, Guitar
    Derek Wells, Guitar

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Audio / LUKE BRYAN SAY WINNING HIS FIRST CMA ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR AWARD CHANGED HIS LIFE.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (winning 1st CMA Entertainer of the Year) OC: …big deal for me. :55
    “Definitely looking back and winning my first CMA Entertainer of the Year award is something that I’ll never forget. It’s all of those memories of everything it took to get here and all the sacrifices and all the honkytonks and the late-night concerts and moving to Nashville and leaving your family and your friends, it all came together on that night. To get that from your peers of fellow country music artists was pretty amazing. You never forget it. You forever feel vindicated and you feel appreciated and you feel like you’re a member of a club, and you know no matter how long you live that you left an indelible mark on this industry based on how you go about it, how you entertain and perform. It was a big deal for me.”

    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.

    Download

    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 explains why he felt the need to name his CMA nominated album, Graffiti U.

    Download

    Keith Urban (Graffiti U name) OC: …that to me. :53
    “The previous two albums I did – Fuse and Ripcord – denoted a kind of energy, and so those titles were chosen for that. And I had some energy-driven titles in mind for this album too, but as the record started to reveal itself to me, the word ‘graffiti’ kept coming to me out of the blue. I’ve always loved that word, loved the sound of the word, and then I loved the fact that it’s art-driven. When I think of graffiti, I think of self-expression, personal expression, absolutely personal expression whether you’re painting something on the side of a building in a city or whether you’re painting ‘Billy Bob Loves Charlene’ on the side of an overpass [laughs], it’s all graffiti and it’s all free and pure and very personal, and I thought this record feels like that to me.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley was inspired by Telluride to write and record his CMA nominated album, The Mountain.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (album inspired by Telluride) 2 OC: …it was magic. :53
    “I just had this crazy idea to bring some songwriters out there and let them go for hikes and walk around town and just hang and see if they can sense that same intangible vibe that I was sensing, and they did. We jumped right into it and it was really, really special. And everyone immediately starts talking about how can we start getting back out here again, because it’s one of those places you just like never want to leave. Ross said, ‘We should come back out here to make the record,’ and we all kinda laughed about it, but it planted the seed. So, I came back a few months later with a different set of guys and girls, musicians, and we recorded the album out there.” It’s one of those things where you just kind of follow your gut, just keep your heart open to ideas and see what you’re feeling, and once you get that little, tiny feeling, you’ve got to go for it, just like that gut instinct of I want to be a country singer. It’s that little seed that if you believe in it, you’ve got to go for it, try it, so that’s what we did with this album, and it was magic.”

    Audio / Kacey Musgraves talks about the title of her CMA nominated album, Golden Hour.

    Download

    Kacey Musgraves (Golden Hour title) OC: …this record. :34
    “The title Golden Hour just seemed to sum up this chapter of my life perfectly. I mean not only am I from a town called Golden, Texas, but leading up to making this record, there’s been a lot of beauty in my atmosphere and in my world. I love the picture that pops in my head when I hear that title. It’s also an actual song on the record, but it’s just this warm, golden feeling that I’m really happy to have in my life, and I found it to be the perfect title for this record.”

  • THE CMA FEST TELEVISION SPECIAL, FEATURING SOME OF THE HOTTEST PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR, AIRS WEDNESDAY ON ABC.

    Many of your favorite country stars will be featured on ABC’s three-hour special, CMA Fest on Wednesday (August 8th). The concert special was taped during this year’s CMA Music Festival in downtown Nashville in June. For fans who weren’t able to attend, or if you want to revisit the amazing time you had, you can watch Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt and Chris Stapleton, among others, perform on the stage at Nissan Stadium (home of the Tennessee Titans).

    “I’ve always been the type of artist when I can perform my music for a television audience, it’s the best of both worlds. You get to be in people’s households and they get to always put the face with the song,” says Luke. “I mean, this is like a big, awards-show-type crowd in August and yeah, it’s very important. You don’t want to go out there and lay an egg. You want to go put a great show on, because the fans that are in the room, they’re gonna go watch it again in August. And another thing — it’s gonna make people that may not have been to this festival, they’re gonna want to come be a part of that. So, it’s been fun watching CMA Music Fest grow to where it’s sold out every night, and that’s because we put a cool thing to watch on TV together for the fans.”

    The CMA Fest special, hosted by Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini, airs Wednesday (August 8t) beginning at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about the CMA Fest television special and how much he enjoys performing on it.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (CMA Music Festival TV) OC: …for the fans. 1:00
    “I’ve always been the type of artist when I can perform my music for a television audience, it’s the best of both worlds. You get to be in people’s households and they get to always put the face with the song. I mean, that used to be a big deal in my career, in my early career, we had to make sure that the people watching at home put it together that this crazy guy was singing in the song. I mean, this is like a big, awards-show-type crowd in August and yeah, it’s very important. You don’t want to go out there and lay an egg. You want to go put a great show on, because the fans that are in the room, they’re gonna go watch it again in August. And another thing — it’s gonna make people that may not have been to this festival, they’re gonna want to come be a part of that. So it’s been fun watching CMA Music Fest grow to where it’s sold out every night, and that’s because we put a cool thing to watch on TV together for the fans.”

    Audio / Keith Urban says he tries to show up and perform on CMA Music Fest every year because of the fans.

    Download

    Keith Urban (CMA Fest TV) OC: …it’s my tribe. :15
    “Well, number one, for the fans, who come from all over the world to be here, and it’s an amazing week for them. But for me personally too, I love the work that all of the CMA Board and all of the Foundation do. You know, they’ve been very good to me over the years, and it’s my tribe.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about CMA Music Fest.

    Download

    Carrie Underwood (CMA Music Festival) OC: …when they’re here. 1:05
    “CMA Music Festival is so much fun, and every year they do a TV special, which is really cool. We kind of get to give the rest of the world that didn’t get to come to the Music Fest a little taste of what it’s like and hopefully they’ll see it and want to come next year. But CMA Music Fest is so much fun. No other genre of music does what country music does for their fans like this, which is so cool. There are literally like hundreds of thousands of people that like descend on Nashville, and there’s not a hotel to be found. Everywhere you go there’s people looking for music and looking to see artists and fan club parties and charity events and the CMT Music Awards are that week. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s kind of a way to get to interact and give back and meet the people that have been coming to see you on tour and get to say thank you. It’s just a blast. I came as a kid growing up a couple of times, and it’s cool to be on that side of things and now to be on this side of things, but I think everybody just has a lot of fun when they’re here.”

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  • BROTHERS OSBORNE ADDS HEADLINING U.S. LEG TO WORLD TOUR; FEATURED ON ABC TELEVISION SPECIAL, CMA FEST, THIS WEEK.

    Reigning CMA and ACM Vocal Duo of the Year, Brothers Osborne announces additional U.S. tour dates today, expanding their upcoming headlining world tour. In addition to these newly-announced US headlining dates, the GRAMMY nominated duo is already scheduled to return to Canada in October as well as headline their second U.K. tour this November. The Wild Feathers and Lucie Silvas will be joining on select dates.

    Brothers Osborne will perform their latest single “Shoot Me Straight” on ABC’s television special of “CMA Fest” this Wednesday August 8 at 8/7c. The “rocking anthem” (Premier Guitar) continues to climb the country airplay charts, approaching the Top 25, with Rolling Stone noting it as “an epic whiskey-fueled rocker that barrels into hangover territory head on, no chaser.” “Shoot Me Straight” is featured on the duo’s critically-acclaimed sophomore album, Port Saint Joe, which has been hailed as “soulful, classic-rocking” by NPR and “absolutely superb” by the BBC.

    Fans can purchase tickets this Friday August 10, with the fan club pre-sale beginning tomorrow August 7. Fans can join The Family, the official fan club, to be eligible to participate in the pre-sale.  To become a member, join here www.brothersosborne.com/fanclub.

    Brothers Osborne is currently on the road as part of Dierks Bentley’s Mountain High Tour and has previously toured with the likes of Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, and Little Big Town. On the Maryland native’s headlining world tour, fans can expect to hear the band’s three GRAMMY-nominated singles including No. 1 Platinum-Certified “Stay A Little Longer,” rowdy Top 10 hit “It Ain’t My Fault,” the reminiscent “21 Summer,”  in addition to songs from the new record such as “Pushing Up Daisies (Love Alive)” and “Weed, Whiskey And Willie.”

    Brothers Osborne – World Tour Dates:

    Aug 26             Charlottesville, VA       Jefferson Theatre

    Aug 31             Laramie, WY               University of Wyoming Arena Auditorium

    Sept 5               Bethlehem, PA             Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks

    Oct 7                Paso Robles, CA          Vina Robles Amphitheatre

    Oct 17              Spokane, WA               Knitting Factory Concert House*^

    Oct 18              Abbotsford, BC            Abbotsford Centre*

    Oct 19              Penticton, BC               South Okanagan Events Centre*

    Oct 20              Calgary, AB                 MacEwan Hall*

    Oct 21              Edmonton, AB             Shaw Conference Centre*

    Oct 24              Saskatoon, SK              O’Brian’s Event Centre

    Oct 25              Winnipeg, MB              Burton Cummings Theatre for the Performing Arts

    Oct 26              St Paul, MN                  Palace Theatre^

    Oct 27              Madison, WI                The Sylvee^

    Oct 28              Grand Rapids, MI         20 Monroe Live^

    Nov 1               Toronto, ON                Rebel Complex*

    Nov 2               Kitchener, ON              Elements*

    Nov 3               London, ON                 London Music Hall*

    Nov 8               Asheville, NC              Thomas Wolfe Civic Center Auditorium^

    Nov 9               Louisville, KY             Palace Theatre~

    Nov 10             Fort Wayne, IN            Clyde Theatre^

    Nov 25             Glasgow, Scotland        O2 Academy Glasgow+

    Nov 27             Newcastle, England      O2 Academy Newcastle+

    Nov 28             Manchester, England    Academy Manchester+

    Nov 30             Nottingham, England    Rock City+

    Dec 1               Porthcawl, Wales         Planet Rock Festival

    Dec 2               London, England          O2 Kentish Town Forum+

    * Support from The Wild Feathers

    Support from Lucie Silvas

    ^  Fan club pre-sale begins August 7 at 10am local time, general on-sale August 10

    ~ Fan club pre-sale begins August 14 at 10am local time, general on-sale August 17

     

    For a full list of tour dates, news, images and more, visit: www.BrothersOsborne.com

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD AND LITTLE BIG TOWN HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS FOR THIS YEAR’S CMT MUSIC AWARDS.

    Carrie Underwood and hosts Little Big Town have been added to the list of performers at this year’s CMT Music Awards, in addition to Dan + Shay and Florida Georgia Line. A few special collaborations have been announced for the show, as well. Dierks Bentley will perform with tour mates Brothers Osborne and Darius Rucker will be joined by tour mate Charles Kelley (Lady Antebellum), Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean.

    Carrie has four nominations, including Female Video of the Year, Video of the Year and Collaborative Video of the Year for “The Champion” featuring Ludacris. She’s also nominated for CMT Performance of the Year with Keith Urban for “The Fighter” at last year’s CMT Music Awards.

    The members of Little Big Town are up for two awards, including Group Video of the Year for “When Someone Stops Loving You” and CMT Performance for “Stand Up for Something” with Andra Day, Common, Lee Ann Womack and Danielle Bradbery for last year’s Artists of the Year special.

    They join previously announced performers Chris Stapleton, Sam Hunt, Luke, Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and Kelsea Ballerini.

    The 2018 CMT Music Awards will air live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville June 6th at 8pm ET on CMT.

  • THE NOMINATIONS FOR THIS YEAR’S CMT MUSIC AWARDS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED.

    Carrie Underwood leads the list of nominees for this year’s CMT Music Awards nominations with four. Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line also have four nods as well. Carrie is nominated for Female Video, Collaborative Video and overall Video of the Year for “The Champion,” as well as for the CMT Performance of the Year Award for her performance with Keith Urban on “The Fighter” at last year’s CMT Music Awards.

     

    Little Big Town, who have been announced as hosts for the show, have three nominations, including Group Video of the Year for “When Someone Stops Loving You,” as well as two entries in the CMT Performance of the Year category for “Stand Up for Something” at the 2017 CMT Artists of the Year show, which also featured Andra Day, Common, Lee Ann Womack and Danielle Bradbery; as well as for “I Won’t Back Down” with Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton and Jason Aldean at the 2017 CMT Artists of the Year show.
    The 2018 CMT Music Awards, hosted by Little Big Town, will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena June 6th at 8pm ET. You can vote now at CMT.com until June 4th.

     

    THE NOMINEES FOR THE 2018 CMT MUSIC AWARDS:


    Male Video of the Year

    Blake Shelton — “I’ll Name the Dogs”
    Dustin Lynch — “Small Town Boy”
    Jason Aldean — “You Make It Easy”
    Jon Pardi — “Heartache on the Dance Floor”
    Luke Bryan — “Light It Up”
    Thomas Rhett — “Marry Me”


    Female Video of the Year

    Carly Pearce — “Every Little Thing”
    Carrie Underwood — “The Champion”
    Kelsea Ballerini — “Legends”
    Lauren Alaina — “Doin’ Fine”
    Maren Morris — “I Could Use a Love Song”
    Miranda Lambert — “Tin Man” (from 2017 ACM Awards)


    Duo Video of the Year

    Big & Rich — “Califorinia”
    Brothers Osborne — “It Ain’t My Fault”
    Dan + Shay — “Tequila”
    Florida Georgia Line — “Smooth”
    High Valley — “She’s with Me”
    Tim McGraw & Faith Hill — “Speak to a Girl”


    Group Video of the Year

    Lady Antebellum — “You Look Good”
    LANCO — “Greatest Love Story”
    Little Big Town — “When Someone Stops Loving You”
    Midland — “Make a Little”
    Old Dominion — “No Such Thing as a Broken Heart”
    Rascal Flatts — “Yours If You Want It”
    Zac Brown Band — “My Old Man”

     

    Breakthrough Video of the Year
    Carly Pearce — “Every Little Thing”
    Danielle Bradbery — “Sway”
    Devin Dawson — “All on Me”
    LANCO — “Greatest Love Story”
    Russell Dickerson — “Yours”
    Walker Hayes — “You Broke Up with Me”


    Collaborative Video of the Year

    Bebe Rex featuring Florida Georgia Line — “Meant to Be”
    Carrie Underwood featuring Ludacris– “The Champion”
    Cole Swindell featuring Dierks Bentley — “Flatliner”
    Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton — “Say Something”
    Kane Brown featuring Lauren Alaina — “What Ifs”
    Thomas Rhett featuring Maren Morris — “Craving You”


    CMT Performance of the Year

    Andra Day, Common, Little Big Town, Lee Ann Womack and Danielle Bradbery — “Stand Up for Something” (2017 CMT Artists of the Year)
    Backstreet Boys and Florida Georgia Line — “Everybody” (CMT Crossroads)
    Charles Kelley, Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker and Derek Trucks — “Midnight Rider” (2017 CMT Music Awards)
    Earth Wind & Fire and Lady Antebellum — “September” (CMT Crossroads)
    Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town — “I Won’t Back Down” (2017 CMT Artists of the Year)
    Keith Urban featuring Carrie Underwood — “The Fighter” (2017 CMT Music Awards)


    Video of the Year 

    Bebe Rexa featuring Florida Georgia Line — “Meant to Be”
    Blake Shelton — “I’ll Name the Dogs”
    Brett Young — “Mercy”
    Brothers Osborne — “It Ain’t My Fault”
    Carrie Underwood featuring Ludacris– “The Champion”
    Dan + Shay — “Tequila”
    Jason Aldean — “You Make It Easy”
    Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton — “Say Something”
    Kane Brown featuring Lauren Alaina — “What Ifs”
    Kelsea Ballerini — “Legends”
    Luke Combs — “When It Rains It Pours”
    Thomas Rhett — “Marry Me”

     

  • ACM AWARDS 2018: A LOOK AHEAD

    The ACM Awards are taking place a few days from now, and the show is promising to be inspiring, entertaining and poignant.

    Going into Sunday night’s show, Chris Stapleton leads the list of nominees with eight nods in five categories, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Single of the Year for “Broken Halos,” Song of the Year for “Whiskey and You” and Album of the Year for From a Room, Vol. 1. He’s won numerous awards over the past few years, and while he’s grateful for every single trophy he takes home, he has a special affinity for the Album categories.

    “They are all significant and if you get one award for anything it’s a treat. But any of the awards that awarded the album, the album awards, because I really wanted to make an album that was good,” says Chris. “I wanted that to be a thing, again, more than I wanted it to be, ‘Well here’s the single and eight other songs.’ So, the album awards for me were important in that we did our job in a good way, you know. Just I have such an affinity for albums that I don’t know if I want those more or if they mean more, but they are all meaningful.”

    Luke Bryan has won a handful of ACM Awards over his career, including the New Artist of the Year Award in 2010 following it up with two Entertainer Awards just a few years later. He tells us he is honored to be included in that category. “[I’m] so honored to have another Entertainer of the Year nomination and I always think about winning my first Entertainer of the Year [Award] at the ACMs,” he says. “To go to the ACMs knowing that you’re one of those lucky people that have that nomination, it just tells me that I’m doing all I can and doing the right things out on the road and hopefully, the fans are still loving what I’m trying to give to them every night.”

    Keith Urban has quite the plethora of nods going into this year’s ACM Awards, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year for “Female”  and twice, as both artist and producer in the Vocal Event of the Year category for “The Fighter” (featuring Carrie Underwood). Urban won Top New Male Vocalist of the Year in 2000, and Top Male Vocalist of the Year in 2004 and 2005.

    Keith’s “Female” was nominated for Song of the Year. The Top 10 hit was written by Nicolle Galyon, Shane McAnally and Ross Copperman, and he said he just had a feel that he needed to record the song and let everyone hear it. “The song spoke to me. It just spoke to me,” said Keith. “As I was singing it, I thought I feel like I’ve known this song my whole life. Something else was going on with it how it felt to me. So, I love it. I believe in it. I didn’t record it for any other reason than it was a heart reaction that I had to it.”

    In addition to Vocal Event of the Year for “The Fighter” with Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, is also nominated in the Female Vocalist of the Year category.

    Lauren Alaina was announced as the Top New Female Vocalist of the Year a couple of weeks ago, and she still gets emotional talking about the “love” and recognition she has received from her peers and industry insiders.

    Previously announced ACM Awards performers include Carrie Underwood, Lauren AlainaJason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown, Luke BryanKenny ChesneyKelly ClarksonFlorida Georgia LineAlan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Midland,Maren Morris, Jon Pardi, Bebe RexhaThomas RhettBlake Shelton, Keith Urban and Brett Young.

    The 53rd annual Academy of Country Music Awards will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 15th at 8pm ET on CBS.

    The nominees for this year’s ACM Awards:

    Entertainer of the Year
    Jason Aldean
    Garth Brooks
    Luke Bryan
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban

    Male Vocalist of the Year
    Jason Aldean
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban
    Chris Young

    Female Vocalist of the Year
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Miranda Lambert
    Maren Morris
    Carrie Underwood
    Reba McEntire

    Vocal Duo of the Year
    Brothers Osborne
    Dan + Shay
    Florida Georgia Line
    LoCash
    Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

    Vocal Group of the Year
    Lady Antebellum
    Lanco
    Little Big Town
    Midland
    Old Dominion
    Song of the Year
    Sam Hunt, “Body Like a Back Road”
    Keith Urban, “Female”
    Miranda Lambert, “Tin Man”
    Chris Stapleton, “Whiskey and You”

    Single of the Year
    “Better Man,” Little Big Town
    “Body Like a Back Road,” Sam Hunt
    “Broken Halos,” Chris Stapleton

    “Drinkin’ Problem,” Midland
    “I’ll Name the Dogs,” Blake Shelton

    Album of the Year
    Breaker, Little Big Town
    California Sunrise, Jon Pardi
    From A Room: Vol. 1, Chris Stapleton

    Happy Endings, Old Dominion
    Life Changes, Thomas Rhett

    Video of the Year
    “Black,” Dierks Bentley
    “It Ain’t My Fault,” Brothers Osborne
    “Legends,” Kelsea Ballerini
    “Marry Me,” Thomas Rhett
    “We Should Be Friends,” Miranda Lambert

    Vocal Event of the Year
    “Craving You,” Thomas Rhett f/Maren Morris
    “Dear Hate,” Maren Morris f/Vince Gill
    “(Funny) How Time Slips Away,” Glen Campbell and Willie Nelson
    “The Fighter,” Keith Urban f/Carrie Underwood
    “What Ifs,” Kane Brown f/Lauren Alaina

    The 53rd Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 15th at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton leads the list of nominees with eight nods in five categories including Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Single of the Year for “Broken Halos,” Song of the Year for “Whiskey and You” and Album of the Year for From a Room, Vol. 1.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (affinity for albums) OC: …any one of them. :45
    “They are all significant and if you get one award for anything it’s a treat. But any of the awards that awarded the album, the album awards, because I really wanted to make an album that was good. I wanted it, I wanted that to be a thing, again, more than I wanted it to be, ‘Well here’s the single and eight other songs.’ So, the album awards for me were important in that we did our job in a good way, you know. Just I have such an affinity for albums that I don’t know if I want those more or if they mean more, but they are all meaningful. They are all are things that one of them would feel like a career. One of them. Any one of them.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan, who took home the Entertainer Award twice, is always honored be nominated in that category.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (ACM 2018 Entertainer nod)  OC: …work harder. [laughs] :39
    “[I’m] so honored to have another Entertainer of the Year nomination and I always think about winning my first Entertainer of the Year [Award] at the ACMs. To go to the ACMs knowing that you’re one of those lucky people that have that nomination, it just tells me that I’m doing all I can and doing the right things out on the road and hopefully, the fans are still loving what I’m trying to give to them every night. You don’t want to say the same clichés about it’s an honor to be nominated, it is! The day that I don’t get nominated for stuff like that, then I’ll kinda be sad and I’ll be motivated to work harder.” [laughs]

    Audio / Lauren Alaina talks about what the ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year Award means to her.

    Download

    Lauren Alaina (New Female Vocalist reaction) OC: …and achievement. :39
    “You know, this is like a really rewarding moment for everyone on my team, because we have been fighting for so long and I just feel like we all won this award. [tears] Oh Gosh! Like Whew! I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I don’t know, I guess we’ve been at this for 8 years, 7 years? 7 years. And it’s just a big accomplishment to be able to start over and build it brick by brick and for it to be recognized by the people that we trust and respect to know music is the next level of love and achievement.”

    Audio / Keith Urban says he just felt he needed to record the song “Female.”

    Download

    Keith Urban (Female feeling) OC: …had to it. :42
    “It’s a feeling. It’s more of a feeling. It’s not as cerebral for me, the song spoke to me. It just spoke to me. When I went down into the studio to put a vocal on it; my intention was to put a vocal on the demo. I called Ross Copperman and I said, ‘Can you send me the track that you recorded and leave the vocal off, and I’ll go down to my studio and I’ll sing over the top of it and I’ll see if this fits me because it feels really right.’ And I went down and I sang it, and as I was singing it, I thought I feel like I’ve known this song my whole life. Something else was going on with it how it felt to me. So, I love it. I believe in it.  I didn’t record it for any other reason than it was a heart reaction that I had to it.”

  • BROTHERS OSBORNE SAY ‘TAKE ME TO’ ELTON JOHN.

    Brothers Osborne recorded a very cool version of the 1970 Elton John-Bernie Taupin song, “Take Me to the Pilot” for the new star-studded compilation, Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The collection, which also features Little Big Town, Kacey Musgraves, Dierks Bentley, Chris Stapleton, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson and many others, came out on Friday (April 6th).

    The boys nearly recorded another one of Elton’s hits, but decided that “Take Me to the Pilot” would be the best fit; a song they could have easily seen themselves record, even if the collection wasn’t part of the equation.

    “If you go back and listen to a lot of Elton’s early material, it sounds like some grooving, almost rock-country tunes, and ‘Take Me to the Pilot,’ sounds like a song we could’ve easily have recorded,” says John Osborne.

    “We were listening to songs of Elton’s that we thought would be great to do, and some of the songs we were just big fans of, but we realized we probably weren’t the best artist or band to recreate it,” says TJ Osborne. “Then we were listening to ‘Take Me to the Pilot,’ and we thought man, this is something that we probably would’ve wanted to cover and record anyways, regardless of it being on the Restoration project and so we did. I’m pretty proud with how it turned out.”

    Brothers Osborne, who are nominated for two ACM Awards (Vocal Duo and Music Video of the Year for “It Ain’t My Fault”), are set to release their brand-new album, Port Saint Joe, on April 20th. They’re currently making their way up the country charts with “Shoot Me Straight.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne talk about being part of the Restoration album, a tribute to the songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

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    Brothers Osborne (Take Me to the Pilot) OC: (TJ) …it is rad. 1:04
    JOHN: “We’re really stoked about being a part of the Restoration album, the Elton John tribute record, and there’s amazing artists on there and we’re honored that they’d even ask us to be a part of it. If you go back and listen to a lot of Elton’s early material, it sounds like some grooving, almost rock-country tunes, and ‘Take Me to the Pilot,’ sounds like a song we could’ve easily have recorded.” TJ: “That song, something about ‘Take Me to the Pilot,’ we were listening to songs of Elton’s that we thought would be great to do, and some of the songs we were just big fans of, but we realized we probably weren’t the best artist or band to recreate it. Then we were listening to ‘Take Me to the Pilot,’ and we thought man, this is something that we probably would’ve wanted to cover and record anyways, regardless of it being on the Restoration project and so we did. I’m pretty proud with how it turned out.” JOHN: “Yeah, me too. I hope they love it. We’ve caught wind that they like it, which is an incredible honor. I’m always excited when even the pizza delivery guy knows who we are, and to think that Bernie and Elton actually know who we are is pretty rad.” TJ: “It is rad.”

  • RESTORATION: REIMAGINING THE SONGS OF ELTON JOHN AND BERNIE TAUPIN IS AVAILABLE NOW.

    Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin was been released, and it features interpretations of some of Elton’s biggest hits by country artists. The collection features Little Big Town (“Rocket Man”), Chris Stapleton (“I Want Love”), Dierks Bentley (“Sad Songs (Say So Much)”), Kacey Musgraves (“Roy Rogers”), Brothers Osborne (“Take Me to the Pilot”), Vince Gill and Don Henley (“Sacrifice”), Lee Ann Womack (“Honkycat”) and many more. A pop compilaton, Revamp, was also released, including such artists as Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Pink, Sam Smith, Demi Lovato and Coldplay.

    Composer/Songwriter Bernie Taupin, who also created the album cover art, felt like a “kid in a candy store” working on the country version. “This has just been a joy because it’s like I’m a kid in a candy store, because I get to work and be around people that are not only friends but people that I respect tremendously,” says Bernie. “And then new artists are thrown into the mix, the best of the new artists I might add. I mean we’ve got so much talent on this album it’s frightening.”

    In celebration of Elton John and his 50 years of making music, CBS will air a tribute special, Elton John: I’m Still Standing – A Grammy Salute on Tuesday (April 10th) at 9pm ET. Several artists, including Little Big Town, Maren Morris and Miranda Lambert will sing classic Elton John songs during the show. John Legend, Miley Cyrus, Kesha and many others are also performing.

    Audio / Bernie Taupin talks about how much he enjoyed working on Restoration.

    Download

    Bernie Taupin (Restoration talent) OC: …it’s frightening. :20
    “This has just been a joy because it’s like I’m a kid in a candy store because I get to work and be around people that are not only friends but people that I respect tremendously. And then new artists are thrown into the mix, the best of the new artists I might add. I mean we’ve got so much talent on this album it’s frightening.”

    Audio / Bernie Taupin explains the story behind the hit song “Rocket Man,” which Little Big Town covered on the new Restoration album.

    Download

    Bernie Taupin (story behind Rocket Man) OC: …the story. :55
    “The term ‘Rocket Man’ comes from Ray Bradbury’s book The Illustrated Man, which is a book of short stories, all basically science fiction stories, obviously.  And there was a story which was called – I believe it was called The Rocket Man. I can’t remember the exact idea of the story as he wrote it, but my idea was that I thought that there might become a time in the not-too-distant future when being an astronaut would be almost akin to being like a taxi driver or a plumber or something. You just go to work in the morning and you come back at night as space travel becomes more a thing of the present, as opposed to the future. And that was really my idea so publishing appropriation aside, that’s really the story.”

  • VINCE GILL AND DON HENLEY “SACRIFICE” 5:00 AND :90 VIGNETTES.

    Vince Gill and Don Henley recorded “Sacrifice” for the new compilation album Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The song, written by Sir Elton and Bernie, appears on the 1989 album Sleeping with the Past. It was first released in October 1989, then in 1990, and was the second single from the album.

    The collection, also featuring Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Kacey Musgraves and Lee Ann Womack, among others, is available now.

    We’ve included both a five-minute vignette and a 90-second vignette of Vince and Don’s version of “Sacrifice” for your use.

    Audio / Vince Gill and Don Henley "Sacrifice" 5:00 Vignette

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    Audio / Vince Gill and Don Henley "Sacrifice" :90 Vignette

    Download
  • KACEY MUSGRAVES ‘ROY ROGERS’ 5:00 AND :90 VIGNETTES.

    Kacey Musgraves recorded “Roy Rogers,” which is featured on the new compilation Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The song, written by Sir Elton and Bernie, was featured on the 1973 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album.

    The collection, also featuring Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Vince Gill and Don Henley, among others, is available now.

    We’ve included both a five-minute vignette and a 90-second vignette of Kacey’s version of “Roy Rogers” for your use.

    Audio / Kacey Musgraves 5:00 "Roy Rogers" Vignette

    Download

    Audio / Kacey Musgraves :90 "Roy Rogers" Vignette

    Download

     

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/982341397532594177

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BhFzkJshXXX/?taken-by=bernietaupinofficial

     

  • LITTLE BIG TOWN WILL BE HONORED AT THIS YEAR’S GRAMMY ON THE HILL AWARDS.

    Little Big Town will be honored at the 2018 GRAMMYS on the Hill Awards on April 18th in Washington, D.C. The GRAMMY-winning group, who are scheduled to perform, join past honorees Keith Urban, Alicia Keys and John Mayer. The group have made several contributions to the music industry including advocating for music education and supporting MusiCares, which provides a safety net of support for the music community.

    GRAMMYs on the Hill also recognizes legislators who have improved the environment for music by advocating for music creators’ rights. The 2018 congressional honorees include Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), founder and co-chair of the Congressional Creative Rights Caucus, and Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), author of the Music Modernization Act and vice chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet.

    “Little Big Town’s advocacy efforts, coupled with the legislative momentum on Capitol Hill to protect creators, further the Academy’s vision of a brighter future for music — something the Recording Academy has been championing since its inception, and made an even greater commitment to when it established its D.C. offices in 1998,” said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow

    “We’re honored to stand alongside the Academy and Reps. Chu and Collins in speaking out and protecting an industry that has done so much for us,” said LBT’s Phillip Sweet.

    “Music is healing and powerful, and music education gives our children an outlet for expression that is absolutely necessary for their overall growth and well-being,” continued the band’s Karen Fairchild. “We will continue to do our part to protect music education, songwriters, recordings, and the artists who bring them to life.”

    The group, who is currently on The Breakers Tour with their next stop April 5th in Minneapolis, sing “Rocket Man” on the new tribute album, Restoration, featuring the songs by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The collection, which also features performances by Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Maren Morris and many others, will be released April 6th.

  • GEORGE STRAIT ACCEPTS TEXAN OF THE YEAR RECOGNITION AT TEXAS LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE.

    I.D. (L to R): Doug Miller, Former Texas State Representative and 52nd Annual Texas Legislative Conference Chair; Texan of the Year George Strait; Mary Jane Nalley, an owner of Gruene Hall; and Robin Jeffers, New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce Board Chair.

    Photo Credit: Rick Diamond for Getty Images

     

    NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – Iconic entertainer George Strait has been named “Texan of the Year” by the Texas Legislative Conference. At the 52nd annual statewide forum taking place at the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce on Friday, March 23, Strait joined an array of prominent honorees including former U.S. Presidents, Senators, Congressmen, Governors and innovators.

    Strait was recognized for his many contributions to the state of Texas throughout the years, particularly within the last year for his role leading recovery efforts following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. The Category 4 hurricane ties Hurricane Katrina as the costliest storm to impact the U.S., inflicting damage of over $125 billion and displacing more than 30,000 residents.

    Strait immediately set out organizing relief efforts beginning with the “Hand in Hand” Texas benefit concert and telethon. Calling on friends Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen, the concert, broadcast live from The Majestic Theater in San Antonio last fall, helped directly raise over $22 million towards hurricane recovery.

    “I’m so proud to have grown up in the great state of Texas and so proud to be here today to accept this unbelievable honor,” shared Strait who accepted the award in person. “Texas is a big place filled with amazingly talented, smart people. How’d I end up here?” a humbled Strait asked the crowd. “Last year was a tough one for our great state. We’re still continuing to recover and with the help of the many loyal, kindhearted Texans, we will get these communities back on their feet again. It’s never surprising, but always amazing how in times of need, how generous the American people can be.” Strait continued, “I’ve had a great career and always been supported by the people here in Texas. This great honor is the tip top of my list.”

    Robin Jeffers, New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce Board Chair then surprised Strait with a proclamation crowing the King of Country with a new title, “A Prince of the City of a Prince” for his dedication to the betterment of their community.

    Mary Jane Nalley, a longtime friend of Strait’s and an owner of Gruene Hall noted, “George Strait’s elite work is still ongoing and he sets a fine example of what Texas and Texans are all about.”

    In addition to spearheading the benefit concert relief efforts last September, Strait also joined Gov. Greg Abbott in Rockport-Fulton to bring attention to the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Harvey in the Coastal Bend Area.

    This May, the reigning Texan of the Year is set to perform to over 50,000 fans at the New Orleans Superdome.

    For more information, visit www.GeorgeStrait.com.

  • LITTLE BIG TOWN GETS A LITTLE HELP FROM NASA AND THE PLANET JUPITER FOR THEIR TAKE ON ‘ROCKET MAN.’

    During Little Big Town’s version of “Rocket Man” – featured on the new tribute album Restoration – you will notice some interesting space sounds, which are from NASA’s Mission Juno to explore the planet Jupiter. The project unlocked some of the secrets of the planet and the sounds from Juno’s Waves radio instrument were weaved throughout LBT’s harmonies on the song. Dr. Scott Bolton, the Principal Investigator for the Juno mission assisted the band in working the Juno data into the music.

    “One of the main reasons why we chose ‘Rocket Man’ was because we were so intrigued by not just, of course, Elton John, but by using the sounds from the Juno project so we had all these Jupiter noises,” says LBT’s Karen Fairchild. “We were like what if we did the acapella version of ‘Rocket Man’ on the Elton record, and [producer] Frank Liddell loved that idea, and we were off to the races…” Bandmate Kimberly Schlapman adds, “…or Jupiter.”

    “Rocket Man” is just one of the songs from the new album, Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The compilation, available April 6th, also includes songs from Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, Brothers Osborne, Dierks Bentley, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and many more.

    Little Big Town will help honor Elton’s illustrious career spanning five decades with a TV tribute – Elton John: I’m Still Standing A Grammy Salute – which will air April 10th at 9pm ET/PT on CBS.

    Audio / Little Big Town talks about choosing to record “Rocket Man” for the new tribute album, Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

    Download

    LBT (Rocket Man) OC: (KAREN) …  :31
    KAREN: “One of the main reasons why we chose ‘Rocket Man’ was because we were so intrigued by not just, of course, Elton John, but by using the sounds from the Juno project so we had all these Jupiter noises. We were like what if we did the acapella version of ‘Rocket Man’ on the Elton record, and Frank Liddell loved that idea and we were off to the races (KIMBERLY) or Jupiter.” PHILLIP: “Space race.”

    Video /

    View
  • KACEY MUSGRAVES IS A ‘GOOD FIT’ WITH ELTON JOHN.

    Kacey Musgraves sings “Roy Rogers” on the new tribute album, Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. She met Elton last year at the Royal Albert Hall where they both performed, and she says she really respects him as an artist and a songwriter.

    “I love Elton John, and I really respect what he’s done through his career as far as remaining true to the music, to the songwriting,” says Kacey. “His persona is larger than life, and he seems so humble and sweet and genuine. And I think anybody that manages to become an icon and a legend by being themselves is somebody that I really respect and making it about the music and not pandering to trends or whatever throughout the years. It’s just simply about the music and I think that’s really cool. Also, I’m the dime store cowgirl; he’s a brown dirt cowboy. This couldn’t be a better fit.”

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/973253900726886400

    “Roy Rogers” was originally included on the legendary performer’s 1973 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

    Little Big Town, Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert, Vince Gill and many others appear on Restoration, which is set for release April 6th.

    Kacey is set to release her new album, Golden Hour, on March 30th.

    Audio / Kacey Musgraves talks about the legendary Elton John.

    Download

    Kacey Musgraves (Elton John) OC: …better fit. :35
    “I love Elton John, and I really respect what he’s done through his career as far as remaining true to the music, to the songwriting. His persona is larger than life, and he seems so humble and sweet and genuine. And I think anybody that manages to become an icon and a legend by being themselves is somebody that I really respect and making it about the music and not pandering to trends or whatever throughout the years. It’s just simply about the music and I think that’s really cool. Also, I’m the dime store cowgirl; he’s a brown dirt cowboy. This couldn’t be a better fit.”

  • SUPERSTAR ARTISTS RE-IMAGINE ELTON JOHN’S BIGGEST HITS IN NEW PROJECTS.

    Some of the world’s biggest pop, rock and country artists are celebrating Elton John’s most beloved and legendary catalogue of hits with two albums Revamp (Island Records) and Restoration (Universal Music Group Nashville) to be released on April 6th. The superstar lineup features artists both new and iconic reinterpreting the timeless songs of the over 50 year writing partnership that Elton and Bernie Taupin share.  These renditions and artists show the depth of the catalogue these two icons have created, which can easily cross musical genres and their unparalleled influence across popular music of all styles.

    Restoration highlights countries biggest stars with thoughtful interpretations by Dierks Bentley, Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris, Miley Cyrus, Vince Gill and Don Henley, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton and Lee Ann Womack.

    Revamp features the hits reimagined by the best in pop, rock and urban with Mary J. Blige,  Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, The Killers, Mumford and Sons, P!nk and Logic, Q-Tip ft. Demi Lovato, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith.

    “’It’s always a huge compliment when an artist loves your song enough to take the time and effort to rework it,” adds Elton John. “As songwriters, Bernie and myself are thrilled when singers we admire and respect as much as those on Revamp & Restoration choose to add their own unique twist in the process. It means that our music is still relevant and ultimately that our songs continue to reach new audiences. We’re humbled and thank them all for their generosity.”

    “Because of our love of all kinds of music, we’re not stuck in one genre,” said Bernie Taupin. “From day one we borrowed from everything that’s good about American music – whether it’s blues, country, gospel, pop, pure rock – everything got thrown in the mix. I think that’s why our music over the years has been so varied. It would be tiring if you just got stuck in one niche your entire career, especially when it’s one as long as ours.”

    The album art for Restoration was created by Bernie. The rustic musical instruments and flags from both nations is an extension of his mixed-media art that’s another form of expression. It symbolizes the role that U.S. culture and its native music has played as a driver in the John/Taupin canon.

    “For me, there’s an irony about the American flag,” Taupin says. “It’s been battered and beaten and burned, but it’s resilient. It’s always come back. I incorporate it with other things, and lately I’ve done a lot of pieces with deconstructed guitars and other found materials: barbed wire, broken bottles, things that people identify with on an everyday level.  If it’s on the floor and it works, I’ll put it into the artwork. But it all goes hand in hand with my belief in America and my interest, I would say obsession, with Americana.”

    “We have two completely different albums; Revamp being the pop one and Restoration being the country one and God we have so many great artists doing our songs, it’s quite incredible,” said Elton John. “Restoration was Bernie’s project and he’s a huge country fan. The ‘Revamp’ was more my project. He came up with an astonishing list of country performers both new and legendary.”

     

    Restoration

    1. Rocket Man – Little Big Town
    2. Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters – Maren Morris
    3. Sacrifice – Don Henley and Vince Gill
    4. Take Me To The Pilot – Brothers Osborne
    5. My Father’s Gun – Miranda Lambert
    6. I Want Love – Chris Stapleton
    7. Honky Cat – Lee Ann Womack
    8. Roy Rogers – Kacey Musgraves
    9. Please – Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton
    10. The Bitch Is Back – Miley Cyrus
    11. Sad Songs (Say So Much) – Dierks Bentley
    12. This Train Don’t Stop – Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris
    13. Border Song – Willie Nelson

    Revamp

    1. Bennie and The Jets – Elton John, P!nk, Logic
    2. We All Fall In Love Sometimes – Coldplay
    3. I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues – Alessia Cara
    4. Candle In The Wind – Ed Sheeran
    5. Tiny Dancer – Florence And The Machine
    6. Someone Saved My Life Tonight – Mumford and Sons
    7. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word – Mary J. Blige
    8. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – Q Tip feat. Demi Lovato
    9. Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters – The Killers
    10. Daniel – Sam Smith
    11. Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me – Miley Cyrus
    12. Your Song – Lady Gaga
    13. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Queens of the Stone Age

    The caliber of names contributing to Revamp and Restoration is another reminder of Elton’s enduring popularity at a busy and prolific time for the superstar. Last month Elton announced his ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour. Comprising of over 300 dates across five continents over three years, the tour kicks off in the US in September and marks the finale of 50 years on the road. The first 60 dates sold out immediately after going on general sale, confirming that the farewell tour will be some of, if not the, hottest gig tickets of the coming three years.

    Music stars honor Elton John’s illustrious career spanning five decades with a rockin’ tribute on ELTON JOHN: I’M STILL STANDING A GRAMMY SALUTE, to be broadcast Tuesday, April 10 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The concert showcases musicians from multiple genres performing classic songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, including Alessia Cara, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Miranda Lambert, John Legend, Kesha, Little Big Town, Chris Martin, Shawn Mendes, Maren Morris, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and SZA.

  • ACM AWARDS 2018: Reactions

    Chris Stapleton leads the list of nominees with eight nods in five categories, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Single of the Year for “Broken Halos,” Song of the Year for “Whiskey and You” and Album of the Year for From a Room, Vol. 1. He’s won numerous awards over the past few years, and while he’s grateful for every single trophy he takes home, he has a special affinity for the Album categories.

    “They are all significant and if you get one award for anything it’s a treat. But any of the awards that awarded the album, the album awards, because I really wanted to make an album that was good,” says Chris. “I wanted that to be a thing, again, more than I wanted it to be, ‘Well here’s the single and eight other songs.’ So, the album awards for me were important in that we did our job in a good way, you know. Just I have such an affinity for albums that I don’t know if I want those more or if they mean more, but they are all meaningful.”

    Luke Bryan has won a handful of ACM Awards over his career, including the New Artist of the Year Award in 2010 following it up with two Entertainer Awards just a few years later. He tell us he is honored to be included in that category. “[I’m] so honored to have another Entertainer of the Year nomination and I always think about winning my first Entertainer of the Year [Award] at the ACMs,” he says. “To go to the ACMs knowing that you’re one of those lucky people that have that nomination, it just tells me that I’m doing all I can and doing the right things out on the road and hopefully, the fans are still loving what I’m trying to give to them every night.”

    Keith Urban has quite the plethora of nods going into this year’s ACM Awards, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year for “Female”  and twice, as both artist and producer in the Vocal Event of the Year category for “The Fighter” (featuring Carrie Underwood). Urban won Top New Male Vocalist of the Year in 2000, and Top Male Vocalist of the Year in 2004 and 2005.

    Keith posted to his socials that he was “extremely grateful” for all of the recognition.”

    Keith’s “Female” was nominated for Song of the Year. The Top 10 hit was written by Nicolle Galyon, Shane McAnally and Ross Copperman, and he said he just had a feel that he needed to record the song and let everyone hear it. “The song spoke to me. It just spoke to me,” said Keith. “As I was singing it, I thought I feel like I’ve known this song my whole life. Something else was going on with it how it felt to me. So, I love it. I believe in it. I didn’t record it for any other reason than it was a heart reaction that I had to it.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BfyeOkSjy8U/?utm_source=ig_embed

     

    In addition to Vocal Event of the Year for “The Fighter” with Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, is also nominated in the Female Vocalist of the Year category.

    Brothers Osborne could possibly take home a pair of trophies next month. TJ and John are up for Vocal Duo of the Year and Video of the Year for “It Ain’t My Fault.”

     

    Sam Hunt could also win two awards next month. He’s up for Single and Song of the Year for his HUGE hit “Body Like a Back Road.”

     

    Dierks Bentley is nominated for Video of the Year for his steamy video, “Black,” which stars his wife Cassidy. The beautiful clip was shot in Iceland in nearly subzero temperatures.

    Reigning Vocal Group of the Year, Little Big Town, earned their twelfth nomination in the category. This would be their fourth consecutive win and fifth overall. They are also nominated for Album of the Year for Breaker and Single Record of the Year for “Better Man.”

    Lady Antebellum won their first ACM Award in 2008 with the Top New Vocal Duo or Group Award. Just two years later, they took home their first Vocal Group of the Year Award, followed by another and another, as well as Single, Song and Album Awards along the way. They’re once again nominated for Vocal Group, an honor they certainly don’t take for granted.

     

    Last year Jon Pardi won the Top New Male Vocalist Award. This year, he’s up for Album of the Year for California Sunrise, which has yielded three No. 1 singles and a fourth hit.

     

    Lauren Alaina, who’s making her way up the country charts with “Doin’ Fine,” is up for two awards, including Top New Female Vocalist and Vocal Event of the Year for “What Ifs” with pal Kane Brown.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfyqsj4B45G/?utm_source=ig_embed

    The nominees for this year’s ACM Awards:

    Entertainer of the Year
    Jason Aldean
    Garth Brooks
    Luke Bryan
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban

    Male Vocalist of the Year
    Jason Aldean
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban
    Chris Young

    Female Vocalist of the Year
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Miranda Lambert
    Maren Morris
    Carrie Underwood
    Reba McEntire

    Vocal Duo of the Year
    Brothers Osborne
    Dan + Shay
    Florida Georgia Line
    LoCash
    Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

    Vocal Group of the Year
    Lady Antebellum
    Lanco
    Little Big Town
    Midland
    Old Dominion
    Song of the Year
    Sam Hunt, “Body Like a Back Road”
    Keith Urban, “Female”
    Miranda Lambert, “Tin Man”
    Chris Stapleton, “Whiskey and You

    Single of the Year
    “Better Man,” Little Big Town
    “Body Like a Back Road,” Sam Hunt
    “Broken Halos,” Chris Stapleton

    “Drinkin’ Problem,” Midland
    “I’ll Name the Dogs,” Blake Shelton

    Top New Male Vocalist
    Kane Brown
    Luke Combs
    Devin Dawson
    Russell Dickerson
    Brett Young

    Top New Female Vocalist
    Lauren Alaina

    Danielle Bradbury
    Carly Pearce
    Raelynn

    Album of the Year
    Breaker, Little Big Town
    California Sunrise, Jon Pardi
    From A Room: Vol. 1, Chris Stapleton

    Happy Endings, Old Dominion
    Life Changes, Thomas Rhett

    Video of the Year
    “Black,” Dierks Bentley
    “It Ain’t My Fault,” Brothers Osborne
    “Legends,” Kelsea Ballerini
    “Marry Me,” Thomas Rhett
    “We Should Be Friends,” Miranda Lambert

    Vocal Event of the Year
    “Craving You,” Thomas Rhett f/Maren Morris
    “Dear Hate,” Maren Morris f/Vince Gill
    “(Funny) How Time Slips Away,” Glen Campbell and Willie Nelson
    “The Fighter,” Keith Urban f/Carrie Underwood
    “What Ifs,” Kane Brown f/Lauren Alaina

    The 53rd Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 15th at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton leads the list of nominees with eight nods in five categories including Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Single of the Year for “Broken Halos,” Song of the Year for “Whiskey and You” and Album of the Year for From a Room, Vol. 1.

    Download

    Chris Stapleton (affinity for albums) OC: …any one of them. :45
    “They are all significant and if you get one award for anything it’s a treat. But any of the awards that awarded the album, the album awards, because I really wanted to make an album that was good. I wanted it, I wanted that to be a thing, again, more than I wanted it to be, ‘Well here’s the single and eight other songs.’ So, the album awards for me were important in that we did our job in a good way, you know. Just I have such an affinity for albums that I don’t know if I want those more or if they mean more, but they are all meaningful. They are all are things that one of them would feel like a career. One of them. Any one of them.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan, who took home the Entertainer Award twice, is always honored be nominated in that category.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (ACM 2018 Entertainer nod)  OC: …work harder. [laughs] :39
    “[I’m] so honored to have another Entertainer of the Year nomination and I always think about winning my first Entertainer of the Year [Award] at the ACMs. To go to the ACMs knowing that you’re one of those lucky people that have that nomination, it just tells me that I’m doing all I can and doing the right things out on the road and hopefully, the fans are still loving what I’m trying to give to them every night. You don’t want to say the same clichés about it’s an honor to be nominated, it is! The day that I don’t get nominated for stuff like that, then I’ll kinda be sad and I’ll be motivated to work harder.” [laughs]

    Audio / Keith Urban says he just felt he needed to record the song “Female.”

    Download

    Keith Urban (Female feeling) OC: …had to it. :42
    “It’s a feeling. It’s more of a feeling. It’s not as cerebral for me, the song spoke to me. It just spoke to me. When I went down into the studio to put a vocal on it; my intention was to put a vocal on the demo. I called Ross Copperman and I said, ‘Can you send me the track that you recorded and leave the vocal off, and I’ll go down to my studio and I’ll sing over the top of it and I’ll see if this fits me because it feels really right.’ And I went down and I sang it, and as I was singing it, I thought I feel like I’ve known this song my whole life. Something else was going on with it how it felt to me. So, I love it. I believe in it.  I didn’t record it for any other reason than it was a heart reaction that I had to it.”

     

    Audio / Little Big Town's Phillip Sweet talks about what went into making their ACM-nominated album, The Breaker.

    Download

    LBT (The Breaker album) 2 OC: …intangible. :27
    “We peeled through some layers of ourselves to get to this place in these songs. We couldn’t just throw a vocal on there. It’s like everything we did had to come from a deeper place this time, and we didn’t have the luxury of time to just kind of, ‘Well, I’ll just try it tomorrow.’ You had to get there. We had to find performances, and that’s what we did. We’re all about getting the performance, the true, that magic, that kind of like intangible.”

  • ACM AWARDS NOMINATIONS 2018


    The nominations for this year’s ACM Awards have been announced live on CBS This Morning.

    Entertainer of the Year
    Jason Aldean
    Garth Brooks
    Luke Bryan
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban

    Male Vocalist of the Year
    Jason Aldean
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban
    Chris Young

    Female Vocalist of the Year
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Miranda Lambert
    Maren Morris
    Carrie Underwood
    Reba McEntire

    Vocal Duo of the Year
    Brothers Osborne
    Dan + Shay
    Florida Georgia Line
    LoCash
    Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

    Vocal Group of the Year
    Lady Antebellum
    Lanco
    Little Big Town
    Midland
    Old Dominion

    Song of the Year
    Sam Hunt, “Body Like a Back Road”
    Keith Urban, “Female”
    Miranda Lambert, “Tin Man”
    Chris Stapleton, “Whiskey and You”

    Single of the Year
    “Better Man,” Little Big Town
    “Body Like a Back Road,” Sam Hunt
    “Broken Halos,” Chris Stapleton
    “Drinkin’ Problem,” Midland
    “I’ll Name the Dogs,” Blake Shelton

    Top New Male Vocalist
    Kane Brown
    Luke Combs
    Devin Dawson
    Russell Dickerson
    Brett Young

    Top New Female Vocalist
    Lauren Alaina
    Danielle Bradbury
    Carly Pearce
    Raelynn

    Album of the Year
    Breaker, Little Big Town
    California Sunrise, Jon Pardi
    From A Room: Vol. 1, Chris Stapleton
    Happy Endings, Old Dominion
    Life Changes, Thomas Rhett

    Video of the Year
    “Black,” Dierks Bentley
    “It Ain’t My Fault,” Brothers Osborne
    “Legends,” Kelsea Ballerini
    “Marry Me,” Thomas Rhett
    “We Should Be Friends,” Miranda Lambert

    Vocal Event of the Year
    “Craving You,” Thomas Rhett f/Maren Morris
    “Dear Hate,” Maren Morris f/Vince Gill
    “(Funny) How Time Slips Away,” Glen Campbell and Willie Nelson
    “The Fighter,” Keith Urban f/Carrie Underwood
    “What Ifs,” Kane Brown f/Lauren Alaina

    The 53rd Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 15th at 8pm ET on CBS.

  • ACM AWARDS NOMINATIONS 2018: Song of the Year

    Reba McEntire went live on Facebook to announce the nominees for the Song of the Year for this year’s ACM Awards. Sam Hunt‘s mega-hit “Body Like a Back Road,” Keith Urban‘s “Female” and Chris Stapleton‘s “Whiskey and You” will compete against each other alongside Miranda Lambert‘s “Tin Man.”

    The 53rd Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Reba, will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 15th at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Audio / Keith Urban said he just had to record "Female," which was written by Nicolle Galyon, Shane McAnally and Ross Copperman.

    Download

    Keith Urban (Female feeling) OC: …had to it. :42
    “It’s a feeling. It’s more of a feeling. It’s not as cerebral for me, the song spoke to me. It just spoke to me. When I went down into the studio to put a vocal on it; my intention was to put a vocal on the demo. I called Ross Copperman and I said, ‘Can you send me the track that you recorded and leave the vocal off, and I’ll go down to my studio and I’ll sing over the top of it and I’ll see if this fits me because it feels really right.’ And I went down and I sang it, and as I was singing it, I thought I feel like I’ve known this song my whole life. Something else was going on with it how it felt to me. So, I love it. I believe in it.  I didn’t record it for any other reason than it was a heart reaction that I had to it.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith, Darius, Shania

    Keith Urban has been added as one of the presenters for Sunday night’s (January 7th) Golden Globe Awards. He will present Best Original Song. Keith’s wife Nicole Kidman is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture for her role as Celeste Wright in HBO’s much-lauded Big Little Lies. Jennifer Aniston, Helen Mirren, Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon, Kit Harington, Ron Howard, Halle Berry, Emma Stone, Penelope Cruz, Allison Janney, Gal Gadot, Kelly Clarkson, Hugh Grant and many others will also present. The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards airs live Sunday at 8pm ET on NBC.

    Darius Rucker
    will headline the free AT&T Playoff Playlist concert at Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park on Monday (January 8th) prior to the College Football National Championship game between Alabama and Georgia.

    Shania Twain is set to appear on the show Drop the Mic where stars go head-to-head in an amateur rap battle. The show, which pits the superstar against pop star Megan Trainor, will air Tuesday (January 9th) at 10p ET.

    Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town and Keith Urban are among the acts performing at this year’s Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The event, taking place February 27th – March 18th, will also feature performances by Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, Garth Brooks and many more.

  • BROTHERS OSBORNE RECEIVE A GRAMMY NOMINATION AND THEIR DEBUT ALBUM, ‘PAWN SHOP,’ IS CERTIFIED GOLD.

    EMI Nashville’s Brothers Osborne received their third GRAMMY nomination in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category this morning for their Top 10 rowdy hit “It Ain’t My Fault.” This nomination joins their previously nominated performances for their No.1 Platinum smash hit “Stay A Little Longer” as well as the nostalgic “21 Summer”. All three tracks are featured on their critically-acclaimed debut album Pawn Shop which was recently certified Gold by the RIAA.

    Earlier this month, Brothers Osborne performed “It Ain’t My Fault” at the 51st Annual CMA Awards (view HERE) where they maintained their reign as “Vocal Duo of the Year” for the second year in a row. They also took home the “Music Video of the Year” Award for “It Ain’t My Fault”. Following the broadcast, “It Ain’t My Fault” rose nearly 2200% and Pawn Shop increased over 1800% in overall sales.

    2017 has been an incredible year for the real-life siblings. Highlights include winning two trophies at both the 52nd ACM Awards and 51st CMA Awards, playing ACL Fest in Austin, TX as well as Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest in Nashville and touring with Chris Stapleton on the “All American Road Show”.

    “This year has been a huge dream come true in so many ways,” says John Osborne. “And to top it off with a GRAMMY nomination leaves us speechless.” TJ adds, “we’re beyond grateful for all of the love and support we’ve gotten.”

    The Maryland natives are currently in the studio working on their sophomore album, again partnering with producer Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Little Big Town). Next year, the duo is set to launch their first headlining UK tour in May 2018.  Tickets and additional information can be found at www.brothersosborne.com

    For a full list of tour dates, news, images and more, visit: www.BrothersOsborne.com

    Fans can listen to Brothers Osborne’s “It Ain’t My Fault” playlist HERE

    Audio / John Osborne of Brothers Osborne talks about the duo's debut album.

    Download

    Brothers Osborne (Pawn Shop album) OC: …vulnerable. :38
    JOHN: “It’s very revealing, because you put your heart and soul into it, you put your whole life into it. I mean, we’re talking about songs we’ve been writing for years, and all the times that we’ve played in clubs and bars and the rehearsals and the arguments and all that have led to this one moment, and you put that on a record, and it’s revealing. I don’t think a lot of people realize how hard it is, because you’re kind of opening yourself up to everybody. It’s just naturally as a human being, you don’t want anyone to really know who you really are. You want to hide that. It’s just a very natural human response, but when you’re putting out a record, it’s all about, ‘This is who I am,’ and you’re vulnerable.”

  • SOME OF NASHVILLE’S BIGGEST STARS HELP RAISE MORE THAN FOUR MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE COUNTRY RISING BENEFIT.

    Nashville’s biggest stars united Sunday night for COUNTRY RISING, raising more than four million dollars to support charitable initiatives for those affected by the September 2017 hurricanes as well as victims of the recent shooting in Las Vegas. From top to bottom, the production was as big as the talent that took the stage at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, including host Bobby Bones and performers Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Chris Stapleton, George Strait, Keith Urban and surprise guest Jon Pardi. Additionally, Garth Brooks sent in a special video from Spokane, WA where he donated proceeds from the night’s two shows.
     
    Lady Antebellum opened the show with some of their biggest chart-toppers as well as an ode to Tom Petty as the trio covered “Learning To Fly,” followed by host Bobby Bones welcoming the crowd. “Our country has been hit hard by tragedy this year,” Bones said. “It’s affected our families. It’s affected our friends. It’s affected the Country music community, but even during those hard times what we always try to do is find the good and make the difference, and tonight we’re trying to make the difference.” 

    Sam Hunt performed a medley of his biggest hits, as well as a unifying chorus of “This Land Is Your Land.” Martina McBride belted out timely songs including “Love’s The Only House” while Keith Urban brought energy to the stage as he interacted with the crowd and performed his soulful “Blue Ain’t Your Color.” Dierks Bentley’s set included his powerful song “Riser,” which he dedicated to the first responders and the community for rallying together and rising up in the midst of tragedy, also surprising the crowd by bringing out special guest Jon Pardi who performed “Dirt On My Boots.” 

    Jason Aldean took the stage for a significant set, acknowledging the shooting in Vegas that personally affected him.
     
    “It’s been a rough couple months for us up here, and it’s a lot of fun to get back out and play for the people who matter which is you guys,” said Aldean. “I love getting up every day and playing music, and I’ll be damned if anybody out there will ever stop me from doing that.”
     
    Little Big Town performed some of their biggest hits including their smash “Better Man” while Chris Stapleton’s set included his poignant “Broken Halos,” as he announced that he and his wife Morgane are donating $250,000 to the cause.

    Reba McEntire’s performance included her tenacious “Going Out Like That” while Garth Brooks sent a surprise special video performing “Callin’ Baton Rouge” from Spokane, WA, donating proceeds from the night’s shows.
     
    George Strait closed out the evening with his beloved hits including “Amarillo By Morning.”

    Fans across the country unable to attend the benefit can continue to give by texting ‘NASHVILLE’ to 41010, by donating at www.CountryRising.org or by purchasing merchandise HERE. All proceeds raised will go toward the Country Rising Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which was established to support charitable initiatives to help victims of the September 2017 hurricanes — Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose and Maria. Additionally, the fund will also envelop victims of the recent shooting in Las Vegas. In the course of rebuilding lives disrupted by these devastating events, there are immediate needs and there also will be long-term needs. 
     
    COUNTRY RISING has also been supported by sponsors Citi, Texas Roadhouse, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, BMI, Budweiser, Frost, City National Bank, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store™, Sony Pictures Animation’s THE STAR, WME and Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Additional local businesses including Vintage Sparkle Furniture Rental, Events Plus, Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row, Black Tie Moving, Virago, Hattie B’s, Copper Whisk Cakes, Tin Roof, Dry House, Love and Lion, Foot and Salt Spa, HH Events and Revive Nashville have also stepped up to support the cause. 

    all photo credit: Getty Images

  • LAUREN ALAINA HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED AS A PRESENTER AT THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    Lauren Alaina, nominated for CMA New Artist of the Year, has been announced as a present at this year’s CMA Awards. Luke Combs, Brett Young, NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, model and Kode With Klossy founder Karlie Kloss, star of Freeform’s “Movie Night with Karli Kloss,” country artist Dustin Lynch, actress Lea Michele of ABC’s “The Mayor,” “The Path” actress Michelle Monaghan, actor, director and author Tyler Perry, stars of ABC’s “Kevin (Probably) Saves the World,” Jason Ritter and JoAnna Garcia Swisher, “Pitch Perfect 3” actresses Ruby Rose and Brittany Snow, Trisha Yearwood and radio personality Bobby Bones will also present.

    They join previously announced performers Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, Kelsea Ballerini & Reba McEntireDierks Bentley & Rascal FlattsMaren Morris & Niall Horan, Brad Paisley & Kane Brown as well as performers Garth BrooksBrothers OsborneLuke BryanAlan Jackson, Miranda LambertLittle Big TownOld DominionJon PardiP!NK, Chris StapletonThomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban. Keith will also be joined by Eric Church, Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker for an unprecedented opening collaboration as well.

    The 51st Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 8th at 8pm ET on ABC.

  • KEITH URBAN, ERIC CHURCH, LADY ANTEBELLUM AND DARIUS RUCKER ARE ADDED TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THE CMA AWARDS.

    Keith Urban, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill and pop superstar Pink have been added to the list of performers at this year’s CMA Awards, in addition to a star-studded opening collaboration with Eric Church, Lady Antebellum, the 2009 New Artist of the Year Darius Rucker and Keith Urban.

    Previously announced performers include Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town, Jon Pardi, Brothers Osborne Thomas Rhett, Garth Brooks, Miranda Lambert and Old Dominion, as well as duet partners Dierks Bentley & Rascal Flatts, Kelsea Ballerini & Reba McEntire, Maren Morris & Niall Horan and Brad Paisley with Kane Brown.

    Keith is a 10-time CMA Awards winner, including the 2005 Entertainer of the Year Award, and has been nominated 45 times since 2001 – one of the most consistent streaks of nominations over that time. He’s up for four awards this year, including Entertainer of the Year again.

    Church is a rare two-time winner of the prestigious Album of the Year Award for CHIEF and Mr. Misunderstood. He’s been nominated 25 times since 2011, and is up for three awards this year, including Entertainer of the Year for the second time.

    Lady A, featuring Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott, have won seven CMA Awards beginning with New Artist of the Year in 2008. The trio also has taken Single of the Year twice and Vocal Group of the Year three times. Lady A is up for two Awards this year, including Album of the Year for Heart Break.

    The 51st Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie and Brad, will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 8th at 8pm ET on ABC.

  • THE FIRST ROUND OF CMA PERFORMERS HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED.

    The first round of performers has been announced for this year’s CMA Awards. Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, Little Big Town, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Jon Pardi and new Country Music Hall of Famer Alan Jackson will perform, as well as Garth Brooks, Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion and Thomas Rhett.

    Luke is a two-time consecutive CMA Entertainer of the Year (2014, 2015), returning to compete for his fifth nomination in the category. He has garnered 15 CMA Awards nominations since 2010.

    Up for three nominations this year, Eric is a three-time CMA Awards winner with 25 total career nods. He returns this year with recognition in the Entertainer of the Year category, in addition to Musical Event and his sixth consecutive nomination for Male Vocalist.

    Little Big Town claims four nominations this year including Vocal Group, Album for The Breaker, and Single and Music Video for “Better Man.” They are seven-time CMA Awards winners with a career total of 26 CMA Awards nominations.

    Stapleton is a five-time CMA Awards winner nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist, and Album for From A Room: Volume 1. He receives one nomination for Album, but can receive an additional trophy as producer. This is his third consecutive nomination for Male, which he’s won the past two years. He was also nominated for Entertainer last year and won Album for Traveller in 2015. He is an 11-time CMA Awards nominee.

    The reigning CMA Vocal Duo Brothers Osborne received their first Music Video nod for “It Ain’t My Fault” and will once again vie for Vocal Duo, their third nomination in the category.

    First-time nominee, Jon Pardi, vies for two categories with nominations for New Artist of the Year and Single for “Dirt On My Boots,” which he co-produced. He receives one nomination for Single of the Year, but can receive an additional trophy as producer.

    With six CMA Awards to her name, Carrie, who is also co-hosting the CMA Awards with Brad Paisley, returns to vie for Female Vocalist, a category she’s won four times (2006-2008, 2016) and nominated for consecutively since 2006.

    With 81 career nominations, Alan is the second most nominated artist in CMA Awards history. This year marks Jackson’s 24th CMA Awards performance since debuting in 1990 with “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow.” He will receive Country Music’s Highest Honor, induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, on Sunday, Oct. 22 during the official Medallion Ceremony at the CMA Theater.

    The 51st Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 8th at 8pm ET on ABC.

  • COUNTRY RISING CONCERT EXPANDS TO INCLUDE LAS VEGAS AND ADDS KEITH URBAN TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS.

    Country Music’s star-studded benefit concert COUNTRY RISING announced today that in light of last week’s tragedy, it will now support victims of the Las Vegas shooting in addition to those in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and additional Caribbean islands who have been impacted by the recent hurricanes. Tickets and VIP packages for the event will now go on sale next Friday, Oct. 20 at 10:00A CT on www.Ticketmaster.com. Citi® is the official presale credit card of Country Rising. Citi® cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 10:00A CT through Citi’s Private Pass® program. For complete presale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com.

    Keith Urban is the latest mega-star to add his name to the bill, which also includes Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Chris Stapleton, George Strait and Carrie Underwood. Due to a scheduling conflict with additional tour dates being added in Spokane, WA, Garth Brooks will no longer be part of the event in Nashville and will instead donate all proceeds from his two added concerts on November 12th to The Country Rising Fund.

    COUNTRY RISING will benefit The Country Rising Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which was established to support charitable initiatives to help victims of the September 2017 hurricanes — Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose and Maria. Additionally, the fund will now also envelop victims of the shooting in Las Vegas last week. In the course of rebuilding lives disrupted by these devastating events, there are immediate needs and there also will be long-term needs. This fund will strategically support both as they emerge.

    For more information, visit: www.CountryRising.org.

  • SAM HUNT WILL BE HONORED WITH THE FIRST-EVER ‘SONG OF THE YEAR’ AWARD AT THIS YEAR’S CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR SPECIAL.

    CMT today announced that country superstar Sam Hunt, along with co-writers Zach Crowell, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, will be honored with the first-ever “Song of the Year” Award for mega-hit “Body Like A Back Road” at the 2017 CMT Artists of the Year, the year-end music celebration event premiering Wednesday, October 18th at 8pm ET/PT live from Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

    CMT will honor Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road” after it shattered records for the most consecutive weeks on top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, the longest No. 1 streak in history by a solo artist. “Body Like A Back Road” is the No. 1 most-downloaded country song of 2017 with 1.6M tracks sold, holding the weekly No. 1 download slot for 31 non-consecutive weeks and the song is the No. 1 most-streamed country song of 2017 with over 325M streams. This is the 31st consecutive week atop the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and it spent 16 weeks in the Top 5 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.

    “Body Like a Backroad is the clear choice for this inaugural award,” said Frank Tanki, General Manager of CMT and TV Land. “It’s a cross-genre smash that’s bound to become one of Sam Hunt’s signature songs in a growing list of chart-toppers.

    The “Artists of the Year” honorees include Chris Stapleton, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban and Luke Bryan as the five artists who collectively dominated the last 12 months in country music, ruling CMT’s platforms and country radio, scoring chart-topping album and singles, and selling out arenas across the country.

    The 90-minute special will also extend beyond music to honor the unwavering spirit of those impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma and champion the many volunteers contributing to the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts. In addition, throughout the event, country’s biggest stars will encourage fans to continue supporting the extensive recovery over the next year.

  • INFORMATION FOR STATIONS WANTING TO AIR AN AUDIO BROADCAST OF THE HAND IN HAND HURRICANE RELIEF TELETHON AND GEORGE STRAIT’S REBUILD TEXAS FUND.

    An audio broadcast of tonight’s (9/12) Hand In Hand Hurricane relief telethon and George Strait‘s Rebuild Texas Fund benefit is being made available for full or partial airing by any and all radio stations through Westwood One. Stations with a Westwood One XDS receiver can access the program, which begins at 8pm ET with the one-hour television special and continues at 9pm ET with the Strait-headlined concert from the Majestic Theater in San Antonio. Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen are also on the bill. For details on obtaining the program, click here or see below:

     

    Westwood One is proud to be the audio broadcast distribution for the Hurricane relief efforts ‘Hand In Hand” and “Rebuild Texas Fund” – tonight, September 12 from 8pm to 11 pm eastern. The first hour of the audio broadcast will be the one hour television special “Hand In Hand” featuring artist and celebrities from all genre of media and music. The last two hours will be the George Strait concert from the Majestic Theater in San Antonio featuring George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Lyle Lovett, and Robert Earl Keen. Any and all stations with a Westwood One XDS receiver will be able to access this program, and may air all or a portion of the broadcast. All Westwood One XDS receivers are authorized for the “Hand In Hand” and “Rebuild Texas Fund” 3 Hour Broadcast. This is a live benefit concert event with no network inventory or local stations breaks provided. XDS INFORMATION TO SCHEDULE THE HAND IN HAND – REBUILD TEXAS BENEFIT: XDS Program Title: Hand in Hand Benefit Program Time: 8pm – 11pm eastern How to add this program to your XDS schedule: – Go to your XDS scheduler at http://myxdsreceiver.cmneng.com – Select the station that will air the program – Open that station’s ‘Program List’ tab and select ‘Hand in Hand Benefit Concert’ – Schedule that program to your station. If there are conflicts with your existing programming, resolve the conflicts by making ‘Hand in Hand’ the Highest Priority program. If you have any questions about scheduling this program, please call our Affiliate Technical Services team at 914-908-3210.

  • GEORGE STRAIT’S HURRICANE HARVEY RELIEF BENEFIT SET FOR SEPTEMBER 12TH.

    Announced Tuesday on Good Morning America, telethon Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Harvey Relief has been set to aid those affected by Hurricane Harvey on Tuesday, Sept. 12th. The one-hour special will feature celebrity participants and performances including songs from Country Music icon and Texas native George Strait, live from his benefit concert at San Antonio’s Majestic Theatre. Joining him includes 6-time CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Miranda Lambert, reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Chris Stapleton, 4x GRAMMY Award winner Lyle Lovett and Texas Heritage Songwriter Hall of Fame member Robert Earl Keen. Select performances from Majestic Theatre will air on ABC, CBS, CMT, Fox and NBC on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. EST on the East Coast and replay on the West Coast at 8 p.m. PST. The telethon broadcast as well as Strait’s Hand in Hand Texas show will also be available internationally via live stream on Facebook.

    Strait, a Country Music Hall of Fame member, pledged to lead the country music world with this concert serving as the start of his ongoing relief efforts, with all proceeds from the show benefiting Rebuild Texas Fund thanks to event sponsor Cavender Auto Family and with assistance from the Majestic Theatre, Ticketmaster, VER, Bill Young Productions and the City of San Antonio.

    Tickets to Strait’s Hand in Hand Texas show at Majestic Theatre will go on sale Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017 at 10 a.m. CST at Ticketmaster.com.

    Proceeds from the one-hour telethon will benefit United Way of Greater Houston, Habitat for Humanity, Save the Children, Direct Relief, Feeding Texas, The Mayor’s Fund for Hurricane Harvey Relief (administered by the Greater Houston Community Fund) and RebuildTx.org through the Hand in Hand Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund managed by Comic Relief Inc.

    Phone lines, text messaging, and digital donations will be open at the beginning of the show and will conclude one-hour after the show ends. For more information, updates and a link to donate, please visit handinhand2017.com.

    Den of Thieves will produce the multi-location telethon.

    About Rebuild Texas Fund
    The Rebuild Texas Fund is built to help the many families and communities across Texas that have been devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Michael and Susan Dell launched the fund with their foundation – the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation – to support the long-term recovery and rebuilding of these communities. The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation will support community partners in four initial focus areas – health and housing; schools and child care; workforce and transportation; and capital for rebuilding small businesses. An unprecedented natural disaster in the state of Texas requires an unprecedented effort in recovery. Together with partners, individuals and businesses, Michael and Susan Dell aim to coordinate $100 million towards relief and rebuilding for years to come. More information about the Rebuild Texas Fund is available at www.RebuildTX.org.

    About Cavender Auto Family
    James “Big Jim” Cavender opened his first automobile dealership in 1939 in San Antonio, Texas. More than 75 years later, the award-winning Cavender Auto Family has grown to include Cavender Audi, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Land Rover and Toyota dealerships and service centers across South and Central Texas. The franchise, today proudly owned and operated by third and fouth generation Cavenders, employs more than 800 automotive professionals, and stands firmly on Jim Cavender’s time-tested philosophy of putting people first. That’s why generations of South Texans have come to know that “Confidence is Cavender.”

  • CMA AWARDS NOMINATIONS REVEALED.

    Lauren Alaina, Brothers Osborne and Dustin Lynch announced the final nominees for “The 51st Annual CMA Awards” Monday morning live from ABC’s “Good Morning America” studio in New York’s Times Square.

    Alaina emerged as a first-time nominee, making her debut in the New Artist of the Year category. Brothers Osborne will once again vie for Vocal Duo of the Year and also received a first-time nomination for Music Video with their anthemic “It Ain’t My Fault.”

    The artists revealed six categories live on-air, then announced the remaining six categories, along with finalists for the CMA Broadcast Awards, on GoodMorningAmerica.com as well as via “Good Morning America’s” Facebook page through Facebook Live and simulcast on “Good Morning America’s” YouTube channel.

    Little Big Town and Keith Urban each garner four nominations, tying for the second most nominations this year.

    Little Big Town’s nominations include Single, produced by Jay Joyce and mix engineered by Jason Hall and Joyce; Music Video of the Year directed by Becky Fluke and Reid Long for “Better Man”; Album of the Year for The Breaker, also produced by Joyce; and Vocal Group of the Year. This is Little Big Town’s fourth nomination for Music Video. They have been nominated in past years for “Pontoon” (2012), “Tornado” (2013), and “Girl Crush” (2015). They are seven-time CMA Awards winners and this year’s nods bring their career total to 26 nominations. Taylor Swift received her 23rd nomination for writing “Better Man,” marking her second nomination for Song of the Year and first CMA Awards nod since 2014.

    Urban tallied up nominations for Entertainer of the Year, Single and Music Video of the Year for “Blue Ain’t Your Color” and Male Vocalist. This is his thirteenth nomination for Male Vocalist and he is a three-time consecutive winner in this category (2004-2006). Urban is a 10-time CMA Awards winner. Songwriters for “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey, and Steven Lee Olsen earned a nod for Song of the Year. “Blue Ain’t Your Color” Music Video Director Carter Smith is a first-time nominee. “Blue Ain’t Your Color” producer Dann Huff and mix engineer Chris Lord-Alge also earned nods. Urban received one nomination for Single of the Year, but can receive an additional trophy as producer.

    Eric Church
    and Chris Stapleton each earned three nominations.

    Church scored recognition in the Entertainer of the Year category, as well as Male Vocalist, his sixth consecutive nomination, and Musical Event of the Year for “Kill A Word” featuring first-time nominee Rhiannon Giddens. He is a three-time CMA Award winner with 25 total career nominations.

    Five-time CMA Awards winner Stapleton is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist and Album for From A Room: Volume 1, which was produced by Dave Cobb and Stapleton. He receives one nomination for album, but can receive an additional trophy as producer. This is Stapleton’s third consecutive nomination for Male, which he’s won the past two years. He was also nominated for Entertainer last year and won Album for Traveller in 2015. He is an 11-time CMA Awards nominee.

    Brothers Osborne, Sam Hunt, Lady Antebellum and Jon Pardi garnered two nominations.

    Reigning CMA Vocal Duo of the Year Brothers Osborne earns their third nomination in this category. They also received their first Music Video nod for “It Ain’t My Fault,” directed by Wes Edwards and Ryan Silver. They’ve earned five career nominations.

    Hunt was recognized in the Single and Song categories for the record-setting “Body Like A Back Road,” produced and mix engineered by Zach Crowell, and written by Crowell, Hunt, Shane McAnally, and Josh Osborne. In 2015, Hunt received the same nods for “Take Your Time.” He is a five-time CMA Awards nominee.

    Lady Antebellum is nominated for Vocal Group of the Year and Album for their latest effort Heart Break, produced by busbee. Their previous records Need You Now (2010) and Own The Night (2012) both received Album nods. They are a 10-time consecutive (2008-2017) Vocal Group nominee and have won the category three years back to back (2009-2011).

    Newcomer Pardi burst onto the Awards scene with his first two CMA nominations this year. “Dirt On My Boots,” which he co-produced with Bart Butler, earned him a nod in the Single of the Year category. He receives one nomination as the artist, but can receive an additional trophy as producer. The song was mix engineered by Ryan Gore. “Dirt On My Boots” songwriters Rhett Akins, Jesse Frasure, and Ashley Gorley are also nominees. Additionally, Pardi received a New Artist of the Year nomination.

    Other first time CMA Awards nominees include Alaina, Combs, and Young in the New Artist of the Year category, and LOCASH in Duo. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit debuted in Album of the Year with The Nashville Sound, produced by Cobb.

    The 51st Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, will be broadcast live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, November 8th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    For more information and a full list of nominees, visit CMAawards.com.

     

     
    The Final Nominees for “The 51st Annual CMA Awards” (by ballot category order):

     

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

    Garth Brooks

    Luke Bryan

    Eric Church

    Chris Stapleton

    Keith Urban

     

    SINGLE OF THE YEAR

    (Award goes to Artist, Producer(s), and Mix Engineer(s))

    “Better Man” – Little Big Town

    Producer: Jay Joyce

    Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce

                                                                     

    “Blue Ain’t Your Color” – Keith Urban

    Producers: Dann Huff, Keith Urban

    Mix Engineer: Chris Lord-Alge

     

    “Body Like A Back Road” – Sam Hunt

    Producer: Zach Crowell

    Mix Engineer: Zach Crowell

     

    “Dirt On My Boots” – Jon Pardi

    Producers: Bart Butler, Jon Pardi

    Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore

     

    “Tin Man” – Miranda Lambert

    Producers: Frank Liddell, Eric Masse, Glenn Worf

    Mix Engineer: Eric Masse

     

    ALBUM OF THE YEAR

    (Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))

    The Breaker – Little Big Town

    Producer: Jay Joyce

     

    From A Room: Volume 1 – Chris Stapleton

    Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton

     

    Heart Break – Lady Antebellum

    Producer: busbee

     

    The Nashville Sound – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

    Producer: Dave Cobb

     

    The Weight of These Wings – Miranda Lambert

    Producers: Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf, Eric Masse

    SONG OF THE YEAR

    (Award goes to Songwriter(s))

    “Better Man”

    Songwriter: Taylor Swift

     

    “Blue Ain’t Your Color”

    Songwriters: Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey, Steven Lee Olsen

     

    “Body Like A Back Road”

    Songwriters: Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

     

    “Dirt On My Boots”

    Songwriters: Rhett Akins, Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley

     

    “Tin Man”

    Songwriters: Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall

     

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

    Kelsea Ballerini

    Miranda Lambert

    Reba McEntire

    Maren Morris

    Carrie Underwood

     

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

    Dierks Bentley

    Eric Church

    Thomas Rhett

    Chris Stapleton

    Keith Urban

     

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

    Lady Antebellum

    Little Big Town

    Old Dominion

    Rascal Flatts

    Zac Brown Band

     

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

    Brothers Osborne

    Dan + Shay

    Florida Georgia Line

    LOCASH

    Maddie & Tae

     

    MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR

    (Award goes to each Artist)

    “Craving You” – Thomas Rhett featuring Maren Morris

    “Funny How Time Slips Away” – Glen Campbell with Willie Nelson

    “Kill A Word” – Eric Church featuring Rhiannon Giddens

    “Setting the World on Fire” – Kenny Chesney with P!nk

    “Speak to a Girl” – Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

     

    MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

    (Award goes to Artist and Director(s))

    “Better Man” – Little Big Town

    Directors: Becky Fluke and Reid Long

     

    “Blue Ain’t Your Color” – Keith Urban

    Director: Carter Smith

     

    “Craving You” – Thomas Rhett featuring Maren Morris

    Director: TK McKamy

     

    “It Ain’t My Fault” – Brothers Osborne

    Directors: Wes Edwards and Ryan Silver

     

    “Vice” – Miranda Lambert

    Director: Trey Fanjoy

     

    NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    Lauren Alaina

    Luke Combs

    Old Dominion

    Jon Pardi

    Brett Young

     

     

  • THE BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS 2017 NOMINEES.

    Sam Hunt will perform his mega-hit “Body Like a Back Road” during Sunday night’s (May 21st) Billboard Music Awards.

    Luke Bryan is nominated in the all-format fan-voted Billboard Chart Achievement category, as well as for Top Country Tour.

    Keith Urban has several BBMA nods, including Top Country Album for Ripcord and Top Country Song for “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” as well as a nomination for Top Country Artist.

    Chris Stapleton is up against Keith as Top Country Artist, as well as Top Country Album for Traveller.

    Little Big Town’s “Better Man” is up for Top Country Song, while Dierks Bentley’s “Different for Girls” featuring Elle KingEric Church’s “Kill a Word” with Rhiannon Giddens and Vince Gill’s appearance on Chris Young’s “Sober Saturday Night” are up for Top Country Collaborations.

    Hillary Scott & the Scott Family have three BBMA nominations, including Top Christian Artist, Top Christian Album for Love Remains and Top Christian Song for “Thy Will.”

    The Billboard Music Awards will air live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas beginning at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Billboard Chart Achievement Award Presented by Xfinity:
    Luke Bryan
    Nicki Minaj
    The Chainsmokers
    The Weeknd
    Twenty One Pilots

    Top Country Artist:
    Florida Georgia Line
    Blake Shelton
    Keith Urban
    Chris Stapleton
    Jason Aldean

    Top Country Tour:
    Luke Bryan
    Kenny Chesney
    Dixie Chicks

    Top Country Album:
    Jason Aldean, They Don’t Know
    Florida Georgia Line, Dig Your Roots
    Blake Shelton, If I’m Honest
    Chris Stapleton, Traveller
    Keith Urban, Ripcord

    Top Country Song:
    Kenny Chesney Featuring Pink, “Setting The World On Fire”
    Florida Georgia Line, “H.O.L.Y.”
    Florida Georgia Line Featuring Tim McGraw, “May We All”
    Little Big Town, “Better Man”
    Keith Urban, “Blue Ain’t Your Color”

    Top Country Collaboration:
    Dierks Bentley Featuring Elle King, “Different For Girls”
    Kenny Chesney Featuring Pink, “Setting The World On Fire”
    Eric Church Featuring Rhiannon Giddens, “Kill A Word”
    Florida Georgia Line Featuring Tim McGraw, “May We All”
    Chris Young Featuring Vince Gill, “Sober Saturday Night”

    Top Christian Artist:
    Lauren Daigle
    Hillsong Worship
    Hillary Scott & the Scott Family
    Skillet
    Chris Tomlin

    Top Christian Album:
    Casting Crowns, The Very Next Thing
    Lauren Daigle, How Can It Be
    Joey + Rory, Hymns
    Hillary Scott & The Scott Family, Love Remains
    Skillet, Unleashed

    Top Christian Song:
    Lauren Daigle, “Trust In You”
    Hillary Scott & The Family, “Thy Will”
    Skillet, “Feel Invincible”
    Ryan Stevenson Featuring GabeReal, “Eye Of The Storm”
    Zach Williams, “Chain Breaker”

  • BROTHERS OSBORNE’S JOHN & TJ HAVE A BLAST WITH THE NEW VIDEO FOR THEIR SINGLE, ‘IT AIN’T MY FAULT.’

    Reigning ACM and CMA “Vocal Duo of the Year,” Brothers Osborne, debuts the music video for their raucous new single “It Ain’t My Fault” with VEVO today, watch HERE. John and TJ Osborne partnered with directors Wes Edwards and Ryan Silver for the eccentric video that originated as a comedic spoof on the action film Point Break. Brothers Osborne portray pawn shop owners who are robbed at gunpoint by four masked men disguised as former presidents. Hijinks ensue as the video chronicles the consequential police chase. Check out all the news at brothersnewsnetwork.com.

    For an inside look at the making of the “It Ain’t My Fault” video, People.com has premiered an exclusive behind-the-scenes piece which can be viewed HERE.

    “The media these days is flooded with all things presidential and politics,” John notes. “No matter what happens, politicians all seem to pin the blame on something else as opposed to being accountable for their own actions. We felt the connection with the song title was perfect.”

    TJ adds, “John and I always like song titles that aren’t immediately obvious but are common everyday sayings. We’re all guilty of saying ‘It Ain’t My Fault’ more so than it actually being true. When our co-writer, Lee Thomas Miller, brought up the idea we loved it. We wanted a video that was as exciting as the music.”

    Climbing country radio’s Top 25, “It Ain’t My Fault” is Brothers Osborne’s current single off their critically-acclaimed debut album, Pawn Shop. The infectious track is quickly winning over both critics and fans alike with Rolling Stone Country praising, “‘It Ain’t My Fault’ rejuvenates the tired country-rock vibe overrunning the airwaves…it’s unique in the sonic landscape.” The song has already cracked the Top 20 on Shazam’s country charts and continues to increase in sales rankings each week.

    “It Ain’t My Fault” follows the duo’s GRAMMY-nominated single “21 Summer” as well as the GRAMMY-nominated, Platinum-certified, No.1 smash hit “Stay A Little Longer.” The singer/songwriter siblings recently swept both duo categories at the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards joining Brooks & Dunn as the only country music duos to win both “New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year” as well as “Vocal Duo of the Year” in the same night. They also stand as the reigning CMA “Vocal Duo of the Year.”

    Brothers Osborne will next join Chris Stapleton as part of his All American Road Show starting May 5th in Atlanta. For a full list of tour dates, news, images and more, visit www.BrothersOsborne.com

    Fans can listen to Brothers Osborne’s “It Ain’t My Fault” playlist HERE

    Audio / Brothers Osborne's John Osborne talks about why they decided to go with the video treatment by Wes Edwards and Ryan Silver for "It Ain't My Fault."

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    Brothers Osborne (IAMF video) OC: …a little bit. :41
    “The video treatment to ‘It Ain’t My Fault’ was written by Ryan Silver and Wes Edwards. We got a lot of good treatments for the video, but this one seemed to be the most bold and daring, and we laughed the whole time we were reading it. It definitely have a huge political undertone to it, but at the end of the day, we hope people come away laughing because politics these days has been so polarizing and such a dark part of American culture that we want people to be able to laugh at it for a second. And, yeah, that’s it, and that’s why we tried to take the risks that we did. We know that we might piss a few people off along the way, but hopefully we make everyone laugh a little bit.”


    Video / Behind-the-Scenes of Brothers Osborne's video for "It Ain't My Fault"

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  • ACM AWARDS 2017

    Keith Urban leads list of ACM Awards nominations with seven in five categories, including his seventh nod for Entertainer of the Year and 10th nod for Male Vocalist of the Year. Keith is nominated twice, as both artist and producer, in the Album of the Year category for Ripcord.  He received an additional two nominations, for both artist and producer, in the Single Record of the Year category for “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” which is also nominated in the Song of the Year category.

    ACM Awards co-host Dierks Bentley received three nominations, including his fourth nomination in the Male Vocalist of the Year category.  Also, Dierks received his third nod in the Album of the Year category for Black, and his second nod in the Vocal Event of the Year category for “Different For Girls,” featuring Elle King, which the pair won at last year’s CMA Awards.

    Reigning ACM Male Vocalist of the Year Chris Stapleton is nominated in three categories. Once again, Stapleton is nominated in both the Male Vocalist of the Year category, and the Song of the Year category with “Tennessee Whiskey.”  Also, Stapleton received a nod in the Video of the Year category for “Fire Away,” which stars actors Ben Foster (Lone Survivor, Inferno) and Margarita Levieva (Revenge, The Blacklist). The video concept, which Chris envisioned, centered on mental health issues and helped raise awareness for the Campaign to Change Direction. The video has also picked up an award in the same category at last year CMA Awards.

    Luke Bryan and Keith Urban are among the Entertainer of the Year nominees, along with Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean.

    The 52nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley, will be broadcast live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas April 2nd at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

    Following is the list of final nominees and find audio with many of the nominees below.
    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
    Jason Aldean
    Luke Bryan
    Florida Georgia Line
    Carrie Underwood
    Keith Urban

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
    Jason Aldean
    Dierks Bentley
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Miranda Lambert
    Kacey Musgraves
    Maren Morris
    Carrie Underwood

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
    Big & Rich
    Brothers Osborne
    Dan & Shay
    Florida Georgia Line
    Maddie & Tae

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
    Eli Young Band
    Lady Antebellum
    Little Big Town
    Old Dominion
    Rascal Flatts

    NEW MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY T-MOBILE — WON

    Jon Pardi
    NEW VOCAL DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY T-MOBILE — WON

    Brothers Osborne
    ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    Black – Dierks Bentley

    Dig Your Roots – Florida Georgia Line
    HERO – Maren Morris

    Ripcord – Keith Urban

    The Weight of These Wings – Miranda Lambert

    Single Record of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    Blue Ain’t Your Color – Keith Urban

    H.O.L.Y. – Florida Georgia Line

    Humble And Kind – Tim McGraw

    My Church – Maren Morris

    Vice – Miranda Lambert

    SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

    Blue Ain’t Your Color – Keith Urban
    Songwriters: Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey, Steven Lee Olsen

    Die A Happy Man – Thomas Rhett
    Songwriters: Thomas Rhett, Sean Douglas, Joe Spargur

    Humble And Kind – Tim McGraw
    Songwriter: Lori McKenna

    Kill A Word – Eric Church Featuring Rhiannon Giddens
    Songwriters: Eric Church, Luke Dick, Jeff Hyde

    Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton
    Songwriters: Dean Dillon, Linda Hargrove

    Vice – Miranda Lambert
    Songwriters: Miranda Lambert, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

    Video of the Year PRESENTED BY XFINITY [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]

    Fire Away – Chris Stapleton 


    Forever Country – Artists of Then, Now & Forever

    Humble And Kind – Tim McGraw
    Peter Pan – Kelsea Ballerini

    Vice – Miranda Lambert

    Vocal Event of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    Different For Girls – Dierks Bentley Featuring Elle King

    Forever Country – Artists of Then, Now & Forever

    May We All – Florida Georgia Line Featuring Tim McGraw

    Setting The World On Fire – Kenny Chesney Featuring P!nk

    Think Of You – Chris Young Featuring Cassadee Pope

    Audio / Keith Urban, who is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, says he loves playing live.

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    Keith Urban (ACM Entertainer of the Year) OC: …extraordinary. :20
    “I’ve always loved putting on concerts and tours and shows and really trying to put on something that’s incredibly entertaining and engaging, so I probably obsess about that part of what I do equal to making records, for sure. So, to get that nomination, along with the Album at this point, is extraordinary.”

    Audio / Keith Urban’s Ripcord is nominated for Album of the Year at this year’s ACM Awards, and he says he loves making records.

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    Keith Urban (what made Ripcord) OC: …made Ripcord. :17
    “I love making music I love making records. I really do, and I’m curious and passionate and hungry about where my art can go. That’s really what drives me completely and it’s what made Ripcord.”

    Audio / Keith Urban explains the first time he heard his multi-week No. 1 song, “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” which is nominated for both ACM Single and Song of the Year.

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    Keith Urban (1st time he heard Blue) OC: …in the studio. :31
    “I just know when I heard ‘Blue Ain’t Your Color’ for the first time, it just struck me as one of those rare songs that encompass so many things in it. I couldn’t even label what it was, what style it was. It’s got a bit of soul, it’s got a bit of blues, it’s got a bit of country, it’s got just a big mix of all good things. Lyrically, it’s just an incredible song, incredible song. [It’s got] great melody, great lyric. I was so hopin’ I could do the song justice when we got in the studio.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about being named Entertainer of the Year from both the ACM Awards and CMA Awards.

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    Luke Bryan (Entertainer wins) OC: …got it right. :49
    “The title is what it is, you know? I mean, my focus in life when I’m on stage is entertaining these fans. If it’s my smile and my demeanor, if it’s my song that does it, if it’s me picking up a child out of the audience and letting them sing, it’s not being so premeditated that you can see it from a mile away. I mean, my main thing is be a fan up there that just gets to sing. That’s kind of how I’ve always approached it, and being called the Entertainer of the Year makes me want to do that to the best of my ability every night for the rest of my life as long as I’m on stage. I want people to leave my shows and go, ‘You know what? Whoever’s voting him Entertainer of the Year, they got it right.’”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley says his ACM-nominated album, Black, shows a lot of growth and maturity.

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    Dierks Bentley (growth in album) OC: …understand it. :56
    “The record when people listen to it, they’re gonna hear right away that it’s about relationships and hopefully, project their own history and storyline and relationships into this particular album. For me, it has a thread of this guy who starts off in this one place with the song ‘Black,’ kind of in the moment with this one girl and then the cracks and the fissures start to show themselves. The next song, ‘Pick Up,’ you have this desperation and then ‘I’ll Be the Moon,’ there’s some deception going on, and then it just kind of goes from there. It’s a real story about just the highs and lows and really the maturity that I guess I go through, this singer goes through, throughout the album. You know the same guy that’s singing ‘Somewhere on a Beach,’ by the end of the record is singing a song called ‘Different for Girls,’ where he’s obviously matured enough to see that there is a different way that girls and guys handle breakups sometimes and there’s also a stereotype that goes along with that unfortunately, as well, too. A lot of growth throughout the record, but it’s all about relationships and this one person’s journey through love and trying to understand it.”

    Audio / Eric Church is nominated for Song of the Year for his recent Top 5 single, “Kill a Word,” Featuring Rhiannon Giddens. He cowrote the song with Luke Dick and Jeff Hyde, and it strikes a chord with how the world is today.

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    Eric Church (Kill a Word) OC: …positive way. :34

    “‘Kill a Word’ is as proud I’ve ever been as a songwriter, not only because of a turn of phrase and the way the lyrics are, but just the message. I think that the society that we live in today, if you don’t hear this song and look around and see how it relates to the world we live in, then I can’t help you, because it’s so true with everything that’s going on. It’s one of those songs that strikes a chord that I know in my career we’ve never struck, and I hope it strikes something for a lot of people in a positive way.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton explains why he recorded his ACM-Nominated Song of the Year, “Tennessee Whiskey,” which appears on his double-platinum album, Traveller.

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    Chris Stapleton (Tennessee Whiskey) OC: …version of it. :41
    “‘Tennessee Whiskey’ is a song that I love, you know I love great country songs and songwriters, and this is certainly one that is a great country song written by great country songwriters and performed by a great country artists. Certainly, if you try to cover a George Jones or David Allan Coe, you can’t try to out-George Jones George Jones or anything like that. So, if you’re gonna cover something like that, you need to try to move away from that and hopefully make it your own. We kind of happened upon this way of playing this song and had fun with it live and felt like it was something to record that was a good tip of the hat to things we grew up on and loved. I think it’s a unique and interesting version of it.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about his ACM-nominated Music Video of the Year, “Fire Away.”

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    Chris Stapleton (Fire Away CMA video) OC: …the video. 1:03
    “The label kept asking me if I was going to do a video for the record, and they kept asking what I wanted to do. We were in this meeting hall at the label, and I said, ‘Here’s what I want to do. Here’s the idea,’ and I got dead silence out of it, and they thought I was a crazy man for a minute. Then they went back and thought about it and everybody got on board with it and we found Tim who was a remarkable director to direct, and I had this crazy idea to get Ben Foster in the video and I didn’t know him at all [laughs] at the time, and he was kind enough to do it. He brought in the actual reason for doing it, which was to raise the awareness. I had the idea for a storyline, and then everything happened very organically with that video and he brought Margarita in to play the female role in that video. It became something hopefully that has value beyond just being a video for the sake of doing a video. That’s what I liked about the video.”

    Audio / Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley said he and his bandmates will never take an awards nomination for granted.

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    Lady Antebellum (Charles happy to be nominated) OC: …means a lot. :31

    “Yeah, yeah, for sure. I mean you can’t take that for granted. There’s always going to be a new crop of groups and musicians that … and there should be. That’s what the music business is about. That’s what fans want. I mean, I always want something new. I’m always craving it, and so hopefully all this stuff kind of as groups and as artists helps motivate you to be creative and come up with something unique and different. So we never take it for granted because there will be a time when we won’t be in those categories and you know, so, you’re still in the game; you’re still playing on a pretty high level and so that means a lot.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about "Forever Country," which is nominated for ACM Video of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year.

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    Carrie Underwood (Forever Country song) OC: …without her. :35
    “Well, I think the all three song choices were perfect. When I kind of first heard the idea of them mashing up ‘I Will Always Love You,’ ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’ and ‘On The Road Again’ I was like, ‘How’s that gonna work?,’ because they’re three very different songs by three very different artists. I’m honored to be a part of it and to be singing parts on ‘I Will Always Love You,’ which I actually do in my tour set. So, it’s perfect. And it’s perfect…it’s perfect that Dolly ends it too. It wouldn’t have been right for us to do it without her.”

    Audio / Kacey Musgraves talks about the ACM-nominated "Forever Country."

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    Kacey Musgraves talks about being a part of “Forever Country.”

    Kacey Musgraves (Forever Country song) OC: …pretty special. :30
    “This project is crazy. I really respect the roots of the genre, the traditions of it. I just really love it.  So it’s been really fun for me to take that, which inspires me, and mix it with my own new ideas, and me as a 27-year-old girl in 2016 and make it my own thing. So, being a part of this song, a song with my peers but also with these amazing icons and legends is pretty special.”

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD SIGNS WORLDWIDE DEAL WITH UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP.

    Universal Music Group announced a new worldwide recording agreement with seven-time GRAMMY® Award winner and two-time ACM Entertainer of the Year nominee, Carrie Underwood, on Tuesday (March 28th).  Underwood’s label home will be Capitol Records Nashville, one of four labels that form Universal Music Group Nashville, and Billboard country label of the year for eight consecutive years.

    Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group said, “I’m so thrilled that Carrie has decided to make Capitol Records Nashville and UMG her home globally.  As a talented writer, recording artist, performer and actor, Carrie is that exceptionally rare artist who can do it all.  I know I speak on behalf of our teams around the world when I say that we look forward to executing her creative vision and bringing her musical career to the next level.”

    Mike Dungan, Universal Music Group Nashville Chairman and CEO shares, “Already a top tier force in country music, Carrie’s vast talents and creative bravery show that she is an artist who is prepared to take on a wide range of artistic challenges.  We are excited for the future, and honored by her decision to make Universal Music Group her label partner in representing this worldwide superstar in the next phase of her career.”

    UMG Nashville President, Cindy Mabe was part of the team who launched Carrie’s first album, the eight times platinum, Some Hearts. “When I decided to take my position with Capitol Records in 2007, personally one of the hardest people for me to leave behind was Carrie Underwood,” explains Mabe. “We were a team and I had the opportunity to watch her leave American Idol as a kid and mature into one of the most important artists with the most powerful voice in music.  It was amazing to be a small part of that ride. I am so proud and humbled that she has chosen to sign with Universal Music Group Nashville and that we will once again join forces as she writes the next chapter of her soaring career as a global superstar of enormous integrity and talent.”

    Underwood states, “It’s so inspiring to me as an artist to feel this excited about the future.  The incredible team at UMG shares the heart and passion I have for music as well as the drive, and their innovative spirit has shown that together the possibilities are endless.”

    “I also want to be sure to thank every single person who has played a part in my recording career so far.  I will be forever grateful to them for all we achieved together,” adds Underwood.

    Carrie Underwood emerged from the promise of her 2005 American Idol win to become a true multi-format, multi-media superstar, spanning achievements in music, television, and film. A seven-time GRAMMY® Award winner, she has amassed over 100 major honors, sold 64 million records worldwide, and recorded 25 #1 singles, 13 of which she co-wrote, with a catalog of songs that have been streamed more than 2.6 billion times worldwide. The first female artist to be twice named the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year, Underwood was recognized by Pollstar as the top female country touring artist for each of her headlining tours in 2008, 2010, 2012, and for 2016’s “The Storyteller Tour – Stories in the Round.” Carrie also topped Billboard’s Top 25 Tours of 2016 as the leading female country artist and was the leading female artist on Country Aircheck’s top country radio performers list for her success in both 2015 and 2016. All five studio albums, Some HeartsCarnival RidePlay On, Blown Away and Storyteller – are certified Platinum or multi-Platinum, and each an American Music Awards winner as Favorite Country Album – and tallied an incredible 40 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.  The RIAA’s highest certified country album artist to debut this century, Underwood also holds the distinction of the highest album certification of any country artist to emerge since 2000 with the 8x Multi-Platinum success of her 2005 debut, Some Hearts.  She is the all-time Top Country Artist (male or female) on RIAA’s Digital Single Ranking, also placing her among the Top 5 females in the history of RIAA’s Digital Single Program across all genres.  In December of 2014, she released her Platinum-certified Greatest Hits: Decade #1, which produced two new #1 hits co-written by Underwood, including the RIAA-Platinum, GRAMMY-winning “Something in the Water.” 2016 marked Underwood’s fourth season as the voice of primetime television’s #1 program, Sunday Night Football, and in November, she returned for a ninth consecutive year as co-host of the CMA Awards. The Grand Ole Opry member also demonstrated her diversity in 2013, starring as Maria von Trapp in NBC’s three-hour holiday blockbuster, the Emmy®-winning The Sound of Music Live!, whose airings attracted 44 million viewers. The reigning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, Underwood recently claimed her fourth win in the category amid the ongoing success of her chart-topping fifth studio album, Storyteller – the only country album to launch to Platinum certification since the time of its release in October of 2015.

     Universal Music Group Nashville consists of Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville and Mercury Nashville. Reading like a “who’s who” of Music Row, the combined rosters include Alan Jackson, Billy Currington, Brandon Lay, Brothers Osborne, Canaan Smith, Chris Stapleton, Clare Dunn, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Easton Corbin, Eric Church, Eric Paslay, Gary Allan, George Strait, Haley Georgia, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Josh Turner, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Lady Antebellum, Lauren Alaina, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Mickey Guyton, Sam Hunt, Shania Twain, Sugarland, The Band Perry and Vince Gill.

  • DARIUS RUCKER GOES BACK TO CHARLESTON FOR CMT’S HOMETOWN HEROES.

    Darius Rucker goes back to the University of South Carolina’s Children’s Hospital Friday (March 31st) as part of CMT’s Hometown Heroes special. He helped to remodel the teen center/lounge, complete with state of the art TVs and selfie stations.

    MUSC is a place Darius is very familiar with because his mother worked there when he was growing up.

    “The CMT Hometown Heroes thing was unbelievable. I mean, being on the board of the children’s hospital and we have that great atrium that’s for the kids. When they asked us what they could do for us, when Dodge Ram and CMT asked what they could do for us, what we wanted was for a place for the teens to go,” says Darius. “The hospital means so much to me because my mom worked there for 30 years, and to be there and to be able to give something like that back and to do a whole show around it with CMT, which is gonna do nothing but help us with donations to help us building a new hospital, I can’t thank them enough.”

    CMT’s Hometown Heroes, which also features Chris Stapleton and Brett Eldredge airs Friday at 10pm ET.

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about CMT’s Hometown Heroes television special, which goes back to the University of South Carolina’s Children’s Hospital.

    Download

    Darius Rucker (Hometown Heroes) OC: …thank them enough. :51
    “The CMT Hometown Heroes thing was unbelievable. I mean, being on the board of the children’s hospital and we have that great atrium that’s for the kids. When they asked us what they could do for us, when Dodge Ram and CMT asked what they could do for us, what we wanted was for a place for the teens to go. A lot of teenagers didn’t want to go to the atrium because it was so kiddy, it was for the little kids. For CMT to come in there to build a teen center, a teen room for the kids with great TVs and a karaoke machine and selfie station and all the stuff they’ve got to do, the kids are using it like crazy right now. The hospital means so much to me because my mom worked there for 30 years, and to be there and to be able to give something like that back and to do a whole show around it with CMT, which is gonna do nothing but help us with donations to help us building a new hospital, I can’t thank them enough.”

  • LITTLE BIG TOWN MAKE HISTORY WITH SOLD OUT “LITTLE BIG TOWN AT THE MOTHER CHURCH” RYMAN RESIDENCY SHOWS.

    5be5971330c95f39fe29e4f1_1240x12406db80e299b8244d8473522c7_526x352b207a9f43d07e4a74db17fff_492x352
    Special guest Andra Day joins Little Big Town on stage during the February 25th show of “Little Big Town at the Mother Church” at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Photo 1: L to R:  Jimi Westbrook, Karen Fairchild, Andra Day, Kimberly Schlapman and Phillip Sweet. Photo credit :Becky Fluke. Photo 2: L to R: Jimi Westbrook, Kimberly Schlapman, Andra Day, Karen Fairchild and Phillip Sweet. Photo credit: Reid Long.
    Grammy Award-winning vocal group Little Big Town launched their unprecedented year-long artist residency, “Little Big Town at the Mother Church,” from Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium this weekend with back-to-back, sold-out shows on Friday and Saturday evening. The reigning CMA and ACM Vocal Group of the Year earned numerous standing ovations as they showcased their award-winning vocals during each nightly performance of their new album, The Breaker. The launch of “Little Big Town at the Mother Church” coincides with the world-wide release of Little Big Town’s seventh studio album, released February 24th, and marks the only time in the venue’s 125-year history to host a year-long artist residency.

    Band members Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook’s took to the Ryman stage following support acts Brent Cobb (2/24) and Ashley Monroe (2/25) to debut their first, and only, live full-length album performances of The Breaker.  After opening the show with the album’s “optimistic standout” (Sounds Like Nashville) “Happy People,” the band went on to perform every track on their new album from top to bottom– including their current chart-topping #1 song at country radio, “Better Man”–before later trading off lead vocals for several songs including “Beat Up Bible,” “When Someone Stops Loving You,” and the album’s title track, “The Breaker.”

    The packed set list had the audience on their feet, singing along to every word of the band’s biggest hits, from “Pontoon” to “Girl Crush,” the thirteen week #1 Grammy-winning crossover hit that recently propelled Pain Killer to RIAA-Platinum-status, earning the group their third RIAA-Platinum album certification as a band.
    Each evening’s special surprise guest appearances–an expected staple of future “Little Big Town at the Mother Church” dates—solicited enormous audience applause as breakout Country artists Sam Hunt and Chris Stapleton (2/24) and powerhouse vocalist Andra Day (2/25) joined Little Big Town on stage. At the close of each show, in contrast, the band earned a different reaction—complete reverence in the form of uninterrupted silence- as the band launched into an unexpected, completely acoustic encore, sans mics, aimed at paying homage to early Ryman Auditorium performances.
    Saturday’s show also included an additional on-stage surprise, with the band’s announcement from the Ryman stage that a 10th “Little Big Town at the Mother Church” Ryman Residency date has been added for July 30th due to popular demand. Previously announced dates include May 19&20, July 28&29, September 15&16, and November 27th. Pre-sale tickets for the newly-announced date are available now through March 2nd at 10pm CT by visiting here: www.ticketmaster.com/event/1B005258D765823D. 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, released February 24, 2017 on Capital Nashville. Visit www.littlebigtown.com/tour for more information.

    Little Big Town continue to earn early critical praise for The Breaker, having “expanded their audience beyond Tennessee” (USA Today) as well as “the definition of country music from the inside” (Newsday). The Los Angeles Times recently declared The Breaker “excellent” before highlighting Little Big Town as one of “only three acts that performed more than once at this year’s Grammy Awards. Reviewed as “a 21st century revival of Fleetwood Mac” (Goldderby), critics have identified The Breaker as a sweet spot, with Paste noting the album as “the band’s wheelhouse…they sound great” and Entertainment Weekly sharing high praise for the band’s latest studio project, giving the album an “A-” rating and noting “Little Big Town soar with new album…LBT’s glistening harmonies beam.”  Following the launch of “Little Big Town at the Mother Church,” the Associated Press also raved “Little Big Town momentum grows with Ryman residency.”
    Little Big Town can next be seen performing on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on March 1st, and on The Talk on March 14th.
  • ACM AWARDS 2017: Some Reactions

    The members of Lady Antebellum were in New York City this morning (February 16th) to announce several of this year’s ACM Awards nominations live on CBS This Morning.

    Keith Urban leads leads with seven nominations in five categories, including his seventh for Entertainer of the Year and 10th nod for Male Vocalist of the Year. Keith’s nominated twice, as both artist and producer, in the Album of the Year category for Ripcord.  He received an additional two nominations, for both artist and producer, in the Single Record of the Year category for “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” which is also nominated in the Song of the Year category.

    “I’ve been a musician since I was 6 years old,” says Keith.  “I just love writing songs, making records and touring.  So, for the ACMS’s to recognize RIPCORD in such a big way today is humbling.  I share these nominations with everyone in my life who made it possible – and a BIG shout out to all of our fans, who came out to see us on the ripCORD tour.  Can’t wait to play for you all again soon.”

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/832274828468031488

    Lauren Alaina picked up her first award nomination for New Female Vocalist of the Year, which she found out while at  the Detroit airport. “I honestly cannot believe I am nominated for New Female Vocalist. I don’t even know what to say,” exclaimed Lauren. “I’ve been waiting I guess five years for a nomination at the ACMs and I am so excited and so thankful and so humbled by the industry voting for me to get into this category. It means so much to me, and I found out in the Detroit airport while I was eating breakfast and I was really keeping it together until I Facetimed my dad to tell him and then I lost it and have cried for the last 10 minutes and then have gotten it together enough to talk about it again.”

    https://twitter.com/Lauren_Alaina/status/832231814941048832

    Jon Pardi is also nominated for his first award for New Male Vocalist of the Year; he woke up to numerous text messages on his phone.


    ACM Awards co-host Dierks Bentley received three nominations, including his fourth nomination in the Male Vocalist of the Year category.  Also, Bentley received his third nod in the Album of the Year category for Black, and his second nod in the Vocal Event of the Year category for “Different For Girls,” featuring Elle King.

    Chris Stapleton is nominated in three categories. Once again, Stapleton is nominated in both the Male Vocalist of the Year category, and the Song of the Year category with “Tennessee Whiskey.”  Also, Stapleton received a nod in the Video of the Year category for “Fire Away.”

    The 52nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley, will be broadcast live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas April 2nd at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
    Jason Aldean
    Luke Bryan
    Florida Georgia Line
    Carrie Underwood
    Keith Urban
    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
    Jason Aldean
    Dierks Bentley
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Miranda Lambert
    Kacey Musgraves
    Maren Morris
    Carrie Underwood

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
    Big & Rich
    Brothers Osborne
    Dan & Shay
    Florida Georgia Line
    Maddie & Tae

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
    Eli Young Band
    Lady Antebellum
    Little Big Town
    Old Dominion
    Rascal Flatts

    NEW MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY T-MOBILE

    Kane Brown

    Chris Janson

    Chris Lane

    Jon Pardi

    Brett Young

    NEW FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY T-MOBILE

    Lauren Alaina

    Cam

    Brandy Clark

    Maren Morris
    NEW VOCAL DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY T-MOBILE

    A Thousand Horses

    Brothers Osborne

    Dan + Shay

    LOCASH

    Maddie & Tae

    ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    Black – Dierks Bentley

    Dig Your Roots – Florida Georgia Line
    HERO – Maren Morris

    Ripcord – Keith Urban

    The Weight of These Wings – Miranda Lambert

    Single Record of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    Blue Ain’t Your Color – Keith Urban

    H.O.L.Y. – Florida Georgia Line

     

    Humble And Kind – Tim McGraw

    My Church – Maren Morris

    Vice – Miranda Lambert

    SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

    Blue Ain’t Your Color – Keith Urban
    Songwriters: Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey, Steven Lee Olsen

    Die A Happy Man – Thomas Rhett
    Songwriters: Thomas Rhett, Sean Douglas, Joe Spargur

    Humble And Kind – Tim McGraw
    Songwriter: Lori McKenna

    Kill A Word – Eric Church Featuring Rhiannon Giddens
    Songwriters: Eric Church, Luke Dick, Jeff Hyde

    Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton
    Songwriters: Dean Dillon, Linda Hargrove

    Vice – Miranda Lambert
    Songwriters: Miranda Lambert, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

    Video of the Year PRESENTED BY XFINITY [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]

    Fire Away – Chris Stapleton 


    Forever Country – Artists of Then, Now & Forever

    Humble And Kind – Tim McGraw
    Peter Pan – Kelsea Ballerini

    Vice – Miranda Lambert

    Vocal Event of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

    Different For Girls – Dierks Bentley Featuring Elle King

    Forever Country – Artists of Then, Now & Forever

    May We All – Florida Georgia Line Featuring Tim McGraw

    Setting The World On Fire – Kenny Chesney Featuring P!nk

    Think Of You – Chris Young Featuring Cassadee Pope

    Audio / Lauren Alaina is emotional talking about her ACM Award nomination for New Female.

    Download

    Lauren Alaina (ACM New Female) OC: …it again. :44
    “I honestly cannot believe I am nominated for New Female Vocalist. I don’t even know what to say,” exclaimed Lauren. “I’ve been waiting I guess five years for a nomination at the ACMs and I am so excited and so thankful and so humbled by the industry voting for me to get into this category. It means so much to me, and I found out in the Detroit airport while I was eating breakfast and I was really keeping it together until I Facetimed my dad to tell him and then I lost it and have cried for the last 10 minutes and then have gotten it together enough to talk about it again.”

  • FIRST LOOK: The initial ACM Awards nominations have been announced…more to come.

    The members of Lady Antebellum were in New York City this morning (February 16th) to announce several of this year’s ACM Awards nominations live on CBS This Morning.

    Luke Bryan and Keith Urban are among the Entertainer of the Year nominees, along with Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean.

    The 52nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley, will be broadcast live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas April 2nd at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
    Jason Aldean
    Luke Bryan
    Florida GeorgiaLine
    Carrie Underwood
    Keith Urban
    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
    Jason Aldean
    Dierks Bentley
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Miranda Lambert
    Kacey Musgraves
    Maren Morris
    Carrie Underwood

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
    Big & Rich
    Brothers Osborne
    Dan & Shay
    Florida Georgia Line
    Maddie & Tae

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
    Eli Young Band
    Lady Antebellum
    Little Big Town

    Old Dominion
    Rascal Flatts

    Video / LADY ANTEBELLUM ANNOUNCE THE INITIAL ACM NOMINEES.

  • THE STAGE IS SET FOR THE 50TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS.

    Eric Church and Chris Stapleton, along with Maren Morris, top the list of final nominees for this year’s CMA Awards with five nominations each.

    Chris is technically nominated for six awards, which includes single and he could win as both artist and producer. Keith Urban technically is up for five as both artist and producer of his album, Ripcord. Dierks Bentley and Carrie Underwood received four nominations, while Luke Bryan and Brothers Osborne each picked up two nominations.

    Eric Church picked up five nominations for this year’s CMA Awards. The nods include Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for Mr. Misunderstood (produced by Jay Joyce and Arturo Buenahora, Jr., as well as Single of the Year for his recent No. 1 hit “Record Year,” Song of the Year for “Record Year,” which was written by Eric and Jeff Hyde and Music Video of the Year for “Record Year,” which was directed by Reid Long and John Peets. He now has a total of 22 career nominations since his first in 2011 for New Artist of the Year.

    After Chris’ breakout year in 2015 when he had three nominations and went home with four trophies for Album (including producer), Male Vocalist, and New Artist of the Year, he is back in 2016 with five nominations, including his first for Entertainer of the Year. His list of nods this year also includes Male Vocalist; Single of the Year for “Nobody To Blame,” which was produced by Stapleton and Dave Cobb and mix engineered by Vance Powell; Music Video of the Year for “Fire Away,” which was directed by Tim Mattia; and Musical Event of the Year with life and stage partner Morgane Stapleton (her first nomination) for “You Are My Sunshine.” Stapleton only receives one nomination for Single of the Year, but can receive an additional trophy as producer.
    Dierks, a 20-time nominee and two-time winner including the Horizon Award in 2005 (now New Artist of the Year) and Music Video of the Year in 2014 for “Drunk On A Plane,” will vie for Male Vocalist; Album for Black, which was produced by Ross Copperman and Buenahora; Music Video for “Somewhere On A Beach,” which was directed by Wes Edwards; and Musical Event of the Year for “Different for Girls” with Elle King (her first CMA Awards nomination).

    Keith, who has been a nominee every year since 2004, received four CMA Awards nominations in 2016 including Entertainer of the Year, which he won in 2005 when the show went to New York City. Urban’s other nominations include Male Vocalist; Album of the Year for Ripcord, which was produced by Urban, Dann HuffJeff BhaskerTyler Johnson, Greg WillsNile Rodgers, busbee, K-KovNathan Chapman, and Jonny Price; and Musical Event of the Year for “The Fighter,” featuring Underwood. Keith only receives one nomination for Album of the Year, but can receive an additional trophy as producer. Keith has won the Musical Event category four times including “Start A Band” with Paisley (2009); “Highway Don’t Care” with McGraw and Taylor Swift (2013); “We Were Us” with Miranda Lambert (2014); and “Raise ‘Em Up,” featuring Church (2015).

    Luke, who is the reigning Entertainer of the Year, is nominated again in 2016 (he received his first nomination in the category in 2013). He is also nominated for Musical Event of the Year for “Home Alone Tonight,” featuring Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town.

    Brothers Osborne are nominated for Vocal Duo and New Artist of the Year.

    Little Big Town and Lady Antebellum vie for Vocal Group of the Year.

    Kacey Musgraves, who won New Artist of the Year in 2013 and Song of the Year in 2014, is also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year.

    Several of your favorite country artists – then, now and forever country – will take to the stage to perform at Wednesday night’s CMA Awards. Universal Music Group is representing with performances by George Strait, Alan Jackson, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Little Big Town, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, Vince Gill, Kacey Musgraves and Vince Gill.

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

    The Final Nominees for “The 50th Annual CMA Awards” (by ballot category order):

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
    Garth Brooks
    Luke Bryan
    Chris Stapleton
    Carrie Underwood
    Keith Urban 

    SINGLE OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to Artist, Producer(s), and Mix Engineer(s))
    “Die a Happy Man”
    Thomas Rhett
    Produced by Dann Huff and Jesse Frasure
    Mix Engineered by Justin Niebank
    The Valory Music Co. 

    “Humble and Kind”
    Tim McGraw
    Produced by Byron Gallimore and Tim McGraw
    Mix Engineered by Byron Gallimore
    Big Machine Records 

    “My Church”
    Maren Morris
    Produced by busbee and Maren Morris
    Mix Engineered by Dave Clauss and busbee
    Columbia Nashville/Sony Music Nashville 

    “Nobody To Blame”
    Chris Stapleton
    Produced by Dave Cobb and Chris Stapleton
    Mix Engineered by Vance Powell
    Mercury Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville 

    “Record Year”
    Eric Church
    Produced by Jay Joyce
    Mix Engineered by Jay Joyce and Jason Hall
    EMI Records Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville 

    ALBUM OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))
    Black
    Dierks Bentley
    Produced by Ross Copperman and Arturo Buenahora, Jr.
    Capitol Records Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville

    Hero
    Maren Morris
    Produced by busbee, Maren Morris, and Brad Hill
    Columbia Nashville/Sony Music Nashville 

    Mr. Misunderstood
    Eric Church
    Produced by Jay Joyce and Arturo Buenahora, Jr.
    EMI Records Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville 

    Ripcord
    Keith Urban
    Produced by Jeff Bhasker, Tyler Johnson, Dann Huff, Greg Wells, Nile Rodgers, busbee, K-Kov, Nathan Chapman, Jonny Price, and Keith Urban
    Hit Red Records/Capitol Records Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville 

    Storyteller
    Carrie Underwood
    Produced by Jay Joyce, Mark Bright, and Zach Crowell
    19 Recordings/Arista Nashville/Sony Music Nashville 

    SONG OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to Songwriter(s))
    “Burning House”
    Camaron “Cam” Ochs, Tyler Johnson, Jeff Bhasker

    “Die a Happy Man”
    Sean Douglas, Thomas Rhett, and Joe Spargur 

    “Humble and Kind”
    Lori McKenna 

    “My Church”
    busbee and Maren Morris

    “Record Year”
    Eric Church and Jeff Hyde 

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Miranda Lambert
    Maren Morris
    Kacey Musgraves
    Carrie Underwood 

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
    Dierks Bentley
    Eric Church
    Tim McGraw
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban 

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
    Lady Antebellum
    Little Big Town
    Old Dominion
    Rascal Flatts
    Zac Brown Band 

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
    Brothers Osborne
    Dan + Shay
    Florida Georgia Line
    Joey + Rory
    Maddie & Tae 

    MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to each Artist)
    “Different For Girls”
    Dierks Bentley feat. Elle King
    Capitol Records Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville 

    “Home Alone Tonight”
    Luke Bryan featuring Karen Fairchild
    Capitol Records Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville 

    “The Fighter”
    Keith Urban (featuring Carrie Underwood)
    Hit Red Records/Capitol Records Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville 

    “Think of You”
    Chris Young (duet with Cassadee Pope)
    RCA Nashville/Sony Music Nashville 

    “You Are My Sunshine”
    Morgane Stapleton with Chris Stapleton
    Low Country Sound/Elektra Records 

    MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
    Jerry Douglas (Dobro/Lap Steel Guitar)
    Paul Franklin (Steel Guitar)
    Dann Huff (Guitar)
    Brent Mason (Guitar)
    Derek Wells (Guitar) 

    MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to Artist and Director(s))
    “Burning House”
    Cam
    Directed by Trey Fanjoy 

    “Fire Away”
    Chris Stapleton
    Directed by Tim Mattia 

    “Humble and Kind”
    Tim McGraw
    Directed by Wes Edwards 

    “Record Year”
    Eric Church
    Directed by John Peets and Reid Long 

    “Somewhere On A Beach”
    Dierks Bentley
    Directed by Wes Edwards 

    NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Brothers Osborne
    Maren Morris
    Old Dominion
    Cole Swindell 

    Video /

    View
  • SHANIA TWAIN WILL RECEIVE THE ARTIST OF A LIFETIME AWARD AT THIS YEAR’S CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR CONCERT EVENT.

    In honor of her indelible impact and achievements in country music, CMT announced today that country icon Shania Twain will be the first female to receive the prestigious “Artist of a Lifetime” award when “CMT Artists of the Year,”  premieres Thursday, October 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Previous recipients of the honor were legendary artists Kenny Rogers and Merle Haggard, who were awarded in 2015 and 2014 respectively.

    Taped live at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center, the seventh -annual 90-minute special “CMT Artists of the Year” will feature once-in-a-lifetime performances, unexpected tributes and unforgettable toasts as the biggest stars of music, film and television gather to celebrate the five artists selected by CMT as the top artists of the year: Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan and Thomas Rhett. These artists collectively dominated the last 12 months ruling CMT’s platforms and country radio, scoring chart-topping album and singles, and selling out arenas around the country. Additionally, CMT will honor rising star, Kelsea Ballerini, with the second annual “Break out Star” Award.  Additional performers, presenters, and special guests will be announced at a later date.

    They join an overgrowing prestigious list of past “CMT Artists of the Year” honorees that includes Jason Aldean (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014), Kenny Chesney (2011, 2012), Eric Church (2012), Hunter Hayes (2013), Toby Keith (2012), Lady Antebellum (2010, 2011), Little Big Town (2015), Miranda Lambert (2012, 2014), Tim McGraw (2013), Brad Paisley (2011), Blake Shelton (2015), Taylor Swift (2010, 2011), Carrie Underwood (2010, 2012), Keith Urban (2014), Sam Hunt (2015) and Zac Brown Band (2010).

    ABOUT SHANIA TWAIN
    International superstar Shania Twain is a five-time GRAMMY Award-winner and the reigning Queen of Country Pop. With more than 75 million albums sold worldwide and U.S. sales topping 34.5 million, Twain remains the top-selling female country artist of all time.  Her 1997 release Come On Over has sold more than 15.65 million copies making it the No. 1 top-selling country album, the No. 1 top-selling album (all genre) by a female, and the No. 2 best-selling album overall in Soundscan history.

  • LUKE BRYAN RELEASES THE VIDEO FOR HIS LATEST SINGLE, “MOVE.”

    Reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan released his new music video for his current single “Move,” the fifth single off his Platinum-selling, No. 1 debuting Kill The Lights album. The video premiered on Vevo and across their syndication partners. Watch it HERE. The performance driven video for “Move” is the first collaboration between director Shane Drake and Luke.
    “Move,” currently sitting at No. 9 on the country singles charts, is the follow up to four consecutive No. 1 singles from Luke’s latest album, Kill The Lights. The record includes two Platinum selling songs “Kick The Dust Up” and “Strip It Down,” plus the gold-certified, two-week No. 1 single “Home Alone Tonight” featuring Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town and most recently the gold-certified “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Everyday.”
    Luke, a 2016 CMA Award Entertainer of the Year nominee, continues his Kill The Lights Tour this weekend in Phoenix, AZ and Los Angeles, CA in promotion of his No. 1 debuting Kill The Lights album, which became the best-selling country album of 2015 and the 10th biggest selling album on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 Year-End list.
    The four-time Entertainer of the Year performed for the first time and sold-out the iconic Wrigley Field in Chicago, home of the Chicago Cubs the third stadium and fourth sell-out (including two nights at Gillette Stadium) for Bryan this year, so far. The next stadium dates are October 22 at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX and closes the tour on October 29 with a return to Ford Field in Detroit, MI. Special guests on the tour are Dustin Lynch and Little Big Town. For information on tickets go towww.ticketmaster.com. Citi is the official credit card of the Kill The Lights Tour. Live Nation is the national tour promoter.
    Kill The Lights Tour
    9-22                 Phoenix, AZ                Ak-Chin Pavilion
    9-23                 Los Angeles, CA          Forum
    9-24                 Irvine, CA                    Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre
    9-30                 Salt Lake City, UT       USANA Amphitheatre
    10-1                 Salt Lake City, UT       USANA Amphitheatre
    10-2                 Las Vegas, NV             Luxor Festival Grounds / Route 91*
    10-22               Arlington, TX             AT&T Stadium ***
    10-29               Detroit, MI                  Ford Field
    Dates and Cities subject to change
    *festival date
    ***Chris Stapleton joins
    Visit www.LukeBryan.com or follow Luke on Twitter @LukeBryanOnline, Instagram and Facebook.

    Video / Luke Bryan Move video

    View
  • THE 2016 CMA NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED!

    The nominations for the this year’s CMA Awards have been announced, and Eric Church, Chris Stapleton and Maren Morris lead the list with five apiece. Chris could take home six awards, which includes single so he could win as both artist and producer. Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley and Carrie Underwood received four nominations, and Keith could pick up five trophies as he is both artist and producer for his album Ripcord, while Luke Bryan and Brothers Osborne each picked up two nominations.

    For the first time on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” the announcement of the final nominees in six of the 12 CMA Awards categories was made live from the historic stage of the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, which was home to the annual CMA Awards broadcast from 1974 to 2004. The announcement was made by Bentley, Cam, and Urban. Following “Good Morning America” the six remaining categories were announced by the nominated trio of artists on GoodMorningAmerica.com on Yahoo! as well as the “Good Morning America” Facebook page through Facebook Live – making the announcements a complete ABC takeover for the second year.

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

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
    Garth Brooks
    Luke Bryan
    Chris Stapleton
    Carrie Underwood
    Keith Urban 

    SINGLE OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to Artist, Producer(s), and Mix Engineer(s))
    “Die a Happy Man”
    Thomas Rhett
    Produced by Dann Huff and Jesse Frasure
    Mix Engineered by Justin Niebank
    The Valory Music Co. 

    “Humble and Kind”
    Tim McGraw
    Produced by Byron Gallimore and Tim McGraw
    Mix Engineered by Byron Gallimore
    Big Machine Records 

    “My Church”
    Maren Morris
    Produced by busbee and Maren Morris
    Mix Engineered by Dave Clauss and busbee
    Columbia Nashville/Sony Music Nashville 

    “Nobody To Blame”
    Chris Stapleton
    Produced by Dave Cobb and Chris Stapleton
    Mix Engineered by Vance Powell
    Mercury Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville 

    “Record Year”
    Eric Church
    Produced by Jay Joyce
    Mix Engineered by Jay Joyce and Jason Hall
    EMI Records Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville 

    ALBUM OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))
    Black
    Dierks Bentley
    Produced by Ross Copperman and Arturo Buenahora, Jr.
    Capitol Records Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville

    Hero
    Maren Morris
    Produced by busbee, Maren Morris, and Brad Hill
    Columbia Nashville/Sony Music Nashville 

    Mr. Misunderstood
    Eric Church
    Produced by Jay Joyce and Arturo Buenahora, Jr.
    EMI Records Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville 

    Ripcord
    Keith Urban
    Produced by Jeff Bhasker, Tyler Johnson, Dann Huff, Greg Wells, Nile Rodgers, busbee, K-Kov, Nathan Chapman, Jonny Price, and Keith Urban
    Hit Red Records/Capitol Records Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville 

    Storyteller
    Carrie Underwood
    Produced by Jay Joyce, Mark Bright, and Zach Crowell
    19 Recordings/Arista Nashville/Sony Music Nashville 

    SONG OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to Songwriter(s))
    “Burning House”
    Camaron “Cam” Ochs, Tyler Johnson, Jeff Bhasker

    “Die a Happy Man”
    Sean Douglas, Thomas Rhett, and Joe Spargur 

    “Humble and Kind”
    Lori McKenna 

    “My Church”
    busbee and Maren Morris

    “Record Year”
    Eric Church and Jeff Hyde 

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Miranda Lambert
    Maren Morris
    Kacey Musgraves
    Carrie Underwood 

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
    Dierks Bentley
    Eric Church

    Tim McGraw
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban 

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
    Lady Antebellum
    Little Big Town
    Old Dominion
    Rascal Flatts
    Zac Brown Band 

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
    Brothers Osborne
    Dan + Shay
    Florida Georgia Line
    Joey + Rory
    Maddie & Tae 

    MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to each Artist)
    “Different For Girls”
    Dierks Bentley feat. Elle King
    Capitol Records Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville
     

    “Home Alone Tonight”
    Luke Bryan featuring Karen Fairchild
    Capitol Records Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville 

    “The Fighter”
    Keith Urban (featuring Carrie Underwood)
    Hit Red Records/Capitol Records Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville 

    “Think of You”
    Chris Young (duet with Cassadee Pope)
    RCA Nashville/Sony Music Nashville 

    “You Are My Sunshine”
    Morgane Stapleton with Chris Stapleton
    Low Country Sound/Elektra Records 

    MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to Artist and Director(s))
    “Burning House”
    Cam
    Directed by Trey Fanjoy 

    “Fire Away”
    Chris Stapleton
    Directed by Tim Mattia 

    “Humble and Kind”
    Tim McGraw
    Directed by Wes Edwards 

    “Record Year”
    Eric Church
    Directed by John Peets and Reid Long 

    “Somewhere On A Beach”
    Dierks Bentley
    Directed by Wes Edwards 

    NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Brothers Osborne
    Maren Morris
    Old Dominion
    Cole Swindell 

     

     

    Video / GMA CMA Announcement

  • LUKE BRYAN SELLS OUT WRIGLEY FIELD!

    Luke Wrigley 1

    This past Saturday, four-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan performed for the first time at the iconic Wrigley Field in Chicago, home of the Chicago Cubs.  This marks the third stadium and fourth sell-out (including two nights at Gillette Stadium) for Bryan this year, so far. 

    Bryan continues his Kill the Lights Tour this coming weekend with stops in Charlotte, NC and two nights in Raleigh, NC.  The next stadium dates are October 22 at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX and closes the tour on October 29 with a return to Ford Field in Detroit, MI. Special guests on the tour are Dustin Lynch and Little Big Town.

    For information on tickets go to www.ticketmaster.com. Citi is the official credit card of the Kill The Lights Tour. Live Nation is the national tour promoter.

    The Kill The Lights Tour is in promotion of Luke’s Platinum-selling, No. 1 debuting Kill The Lights album which became the best-selling country album of 2015 and the 10th biggest selling album on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 Year-End list. Kill The Lights contains four consecutive No. 1 singles, “Kick The Dust Up,” “Strip It Down,” the two-week No. 1 single “Home Alone Tonight” featuring Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town and most recently “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Everyday.”
    Luke is currently making his way up the country charts with his latest single, “Move.”

    Kill The Lights Tour

    9-1                   Charlotte, NC               PNC Music Pavilion

    9-2                   Raleigh, NC                 Walnut Creek Amphitheater

    9-3                   Raleigh, NC                 Walnut Creek Amphitheater

    9-8                   Brookings, SD             Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium

    9-9                   Denver, CO                  Dick’s Sporting Goods Park

    9-10                 Denver, CO                  Dick’s Sporting Goods Park

    9-15                 Sacramento, CA           Toyota Amphitheatre

    9-16                 Mountain View, CA     Shoreline Amphitheatre

    9-17                 Chula Vista, CA           Sleep Train Amphitheater

    9-22                 Phoenix, AZ                 Ak-Chin Pavilion

    9-23                 Los Angeles, CA          Forum

    9-24                 Irvine, CA                    Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre

    9-30                 Salt Lake City, UT       USANA Amphitheatre

    10-1                 Salt Lake City, UT       USANA Amphitheatre

    10-2                 Las Vegas, NV              Luxor Festival Grounds / Route 91*

    10-22               Arlington, TX             AT&T Stadium ***

    10-29               Detroit, MI                 Ford Field

    Dates and Cities subject to change

    *festival date

    **no Little Big Town

    ***Chris Stapleton joins

     

    photo credit: Ethan Helms

    Video / Luke Bryan Wrigley Field highlights

    View
  • LUKE BRYAN MAKES HISTORY WITH A SELL-OUT CROWD AT U.S. BANK STADIUM IN MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

     b39c2dc48cfcbe736d4578ea_880x58665ee839874fdc17b189715a7_600x400
    This past weekend, reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan made history by being the first artist to play at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN, the new home of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. The sell-out crowd numbered 50,000.

    “Luke Bryan Scores TD in First Show at U.S. Bank Stadium” (headline) – Minneapolis Star Tribune 

    Bryan will continue to reign this coming weekend when he plays his first ever show at the iconic Wrigley Field in Chicago, home of the Chicago Cubs and it is SOLD OUT!  Other stadium dates include AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on October 22 and he closes the tour on October 29 with a return to Ford Field in Detroit, MI.

    For information on tickets go to www.ticketmaster.com. Citi is the official credit card of the Kill The Lights Tour. Live Nation is the national tour promoter.The Kill The Lights Tour is in promotion of Luke’s Platinum-selling, No. 1 debuting Kill The Lightsalbum which became the best-selling country album of 2015 and the 10th biggest selling album on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 Year-End list. Kill The Lights contains four consecutive No. 1 singles, “Kick The Dust Up,” “Strip It Down,” the two-week No. 1 single “Home Alone Tonight” featuring Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town and most recently “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Everyday.”

    Kill The Lights Tour
    8-25                 Kansas City, MO        Providence Medical Center Amphitheater
    8-26                 St. Louis, MO             Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
    8-27                 Chicago, IL                Wrigley Field
    9-1                   Charlotte, NC              PNC Music Pavilion
    9-2                   Raleigh, NC                 Walnut Creek Amphitheater
    9-3                   Raleigh, NC                 Walnut Creek Amphitheater
    9-8                   Brookings, SD              Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium
    9-9                   Denver, CO                  Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
    9-10                 Denver, CO                  Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
    9-15                 Sacramento, CA           Toyota Amphitheatre
    9-16                 Mountain View, CA     Shoreline Amphitheatre
    9-17                 Chula Vista, CA           Sleep Train Amphitheater
    9-22                 Phoenix, AZ                 Ak-Chin Pavilion
    9-23                 Los Angeles, CA          Forum
    9-24                 Irvine, CA                    Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre
    9-30                 Salt Lake City, UT       USANA Amphitheatre
    10-1                 Salt Lake City, UT       USANA Amphitheatre
    10-2                 Las Vegas, NV             Luxor Festival Grounds / Route 91*
    10-22               Arlington, TX             AT&T Stadium ***
    10-29               Detroit, MI                 Ford Field
    Dates and Cities subject to change
    *festival date
    **no Little Big Town
    ***Chris Stapleton joins
    Since the debut of his first album in 2007, Luke has placed 16 singles at No. 1 and sold nearly eight million albums with 30 million digital tracks from his five studio albums. He has twice been named Entertainer of the Year by both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. His fifth studio album, Kill The Lights, debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Top 200 (his third to do so) and Top Country Albums charts and closed 2015 with the best-selling country album of the year and the 10th biggest selling album on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 Year-End list. In Luke’s stellar 2015 year, he performed for 1.5 million fans in concert, had three albums on the Top 15 Year-End Country Albums list- Kill the Lights (#1), Spring Break…Checkin’ Out (#10) andCrash My Party (#15), was the most streamed artist of 2015, placed six songs in the Year-End Top Country Streaming Tracks list, had his own exhibit at The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (“Luke Bryan: Dirt Road Diary”), performed live during halftime at the Dallas Cowboys game on Thanksgiving and wrapped up the year with a live Times Square performance on ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” Luke recently co-hosted the ACM Awards for a fourth consecutive year and is performing in venues and stadiums across the U.S. on his “Kill The Lights Tour” through this fall.

    Video / Luke Bryan Dominates With a Sell-Out at His Second Stadium Appearance of the Summer U.S. Bank Stadium - Minneapolis

    View
  • BROTHERS OSBORNE ANNOUNCED THEIR FIRST HEADLINING TOUR, KICKING OFF NEXT MONTH.

    Bro O Tour 2016

    Brothers Osborne announces today its first headlining THE DIRT RICH TOUR launching this fall.  The GRAMMY-nominated duo kicks off the tour in Rosemont, IL on September 22nd and will hit almost 30 additional markets including New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Vancouver. Fans can purchase tickets beginning this Friday, August 12 at dirtrichtour.brothersosborne.com.

    Known for their “distinctive sound combining classic country and hints of soul” (The Washington Post), Brothers Osborne has earned high praise for their dynamic live show while previously touring with the likes of Eric Church, Little Big Town and Miranda Lambert. Rolling Stone exclaims “The Bros come guns blazing, a guaranteed show-stopper” while The Boston Globe commends the band for “winning listeners over with its spirited live performances.” AXS adds, “the pair acted like old pros as they effortlessly showcased their solid harmonies and impressive instrumentation.”

    On THE DIRT RICH TOUR, fans can expect to hear favorites from Brothers Osborne’s highly-acclaimed debut album Pawn Shop including the Gold-Certified, GRAMMY-nominated No.1 hit “Stay A Little Longer,” their current Top 30 single “21 Summer,” “Rum” and more.

    “‘Dirt Rich’ is a song on the record that makes a statement about who we are and where we come from,” says John. “We felt it was an appropriate title for the tour because it really defines who we are.””
    TJ adds, “We have been fortunate to be a part of some really great tours but this one is especially exciting because we’ve been building towards this for a while. We can’t wait to perform more of our material in an intimate setting with the fans out there. It’s going to be a blast.”

    Brothers Osborne’s rural blue-collar upbringing infiltrates the music they make as a twang-and-crunch duo that blends equal parts country and rock into one of the freshest, most identifiable sounds to come out of Nashville in recent years. As The Village Voice states, “the duo marries their grittier sound with a more accessible, catchy melody that has taken off with country radio and critics alike.”

    Joining the Maryland natives for select dates is new group LANco, comprised of five best friends Brandon Lancaster, Tripp Howell, Eric Steedly, Jared Hampton and Chandler Baldwin. LANco recently impacted country radio with their debut single “Love Live Tonight” which is featured on their four-song, self-titled EP produced by Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Little Big Town). Just wrapping up an extensive festival appearance schedule this spring and summer, the five man band has previously toured with Dwight Yoakam, The Band Perry, Eli Young Band and more.

    In addition, British-born singer/songwriter Lucie Silvas will join Brothers Osborne for the remaining tour dates. Silvas has sold over a million albums in Europe and toured with acts such as Little Big Town, Elton John, Chris Stapleton, James Bay, Macy Gray and Jamiroquai. She recently released the critically- acclaimed album, Letters to Ghosts, on her own imprint label through Caroline Records. Lucie co-wrote and co-produced the entire album.

    THE DIRT RICH TOUR Dates:

    Sep. 22                  Rosemont, IL                                       Joe’s Live

    Oct. 13                  Asbury Park, NJ                                   The Stone Pony*

    Oct. 14                  Rochester, NY                                     Anthology*

    Oct. 15                  Buffalo, NY                                           University of Buffalo*

    Oct. 19                  Madison, WI                                        Orpheum Theatre*

    Oct. 20                  Minneapolis, MN                                Cabooze*

    Oct. 21                  Milwaukee, WI                                    The Rave*

    Oct. 22                  Detroit, MI                                           St. Andrews Hall*

    Oct. 26                  Columbia, MO                                     The Blue Note*

    Oct. 27                  Kansas City, MO                                 Uptown Theater*

    Oct. 28                  Indianapolis, IN                                   Deluxe*

    Nov. 4                    New York, NY                                      Irving Plaza*

    Nov. 10                  Philadelphia, PA                                  TLA*

    Nov. 11                  Cleveland, OH                                     House of Blues*

    Nov. 12                  Louisville, KY                                        Mercury Ballroom*

    Nov. 17                  Atlanta, GA                                          Terminal West*

    Nov. 18                  Greensboro, NC                                  Cone Denim Entertainment Center*

    Nov. 19                  N. Myrtle Beach, SC                          House of Blues*

    Nov. 25                  Denver, CO                                          Summit Music Hall**

    Nov. 26                  Lewiston, ID                                        Clearwater River Casino**

    Nov. 27                  Boise, ID                                               Egyptian Theatre**

    Nov. 30                  Vancouver, BC                                    Commodore Ballroom**

    Dec. 2                    Portland, OR                                        Roseland Theater**

    Dec. 3                    Chico, CA                                              Senator Theater**

    Dec. 7                    San Francisco, CA                               The Fillmore**

    Dec. 9                    Sacramento, CA                                  Ace of Spades**

    Dec. 10                  Riverside, CA                                       Riverside Municipal Auditorium**

    Dec. 15                  Los Angeles, CA                                  Belasco**

    Dec. 16                  San Diego, CA                                      House of Blues**

    Dec. 17                  Las Vegas, NV                                     House of Blues**

    Jan. 7                     Dallas, TX                                             House of Blues*

    Jan. 14                   Orlando, FL                                           House of Blues*

     

    *Featuring LANco

    **Featuring Lucie Silvas

    For more information about Brothers Osborne and THE DIRT RICH TOUR, please visit www.BrothersOsborne.com

    High Resolution Art Available Upon Request

  • LUKE BRYAN TAKES FANS BEHIND THE SCENES OF HIS KILL THE LIGHTS TOUR ON SUNDAY TODAY JULY 31ST.

    Reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan spent time with NBC’s Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist in Boston (Foxborough) before he kicked off the first of a two-night stand at Gillette Stadium – home to four-time Super Bowl Champions New England Patriots. Bryan talked to Geist about his family, career and the significance and feeling of getting to this pinnacle of playing two-nights at Gillette Stadium. Not to mention being the first of five stadiums he will play this year on his Kill The Lights Tour. Bryan also gave Geist and Sunday TODAY viewers a peek behind-the-scenes onstage. Tune in to NBC’s Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist on Sunday, July 31st. Check local listings for time.

    Luke’s upcoming stadium concerts include the grand opening of U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN on August 19, the new home of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, his debut at the iconic Wrigley Field in Chicago on August 27 and the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on October 22. He closes out the tour on October 29 with a return to Ford Field in Detroit, MI.

    For information on tickets go to www.ticketmaster.com. Citi is the official credit card of the Kill The Lights Tour. Live Nation is the national tour promoter.

    The Kill The Lights Tour is in promotion of Luke’s Platinum-selling, No. 1 debuting Kill The Lights album which became the best-selling country album of 2015 and the 10th biggest selling album on the all-genreBillboard Top 200 Year-End list. Kill The Lights contains four consecutive No. 1 singles, “Kick The Dust Up,” “Strip It Down,” the two-week No. 1 single “Home Alone Tonight” featuring Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town and most recently “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Everyday.”
     
    Kill The Lights Tour
    7-29                 Philadelphia, PA                   BB&T Pavilion
    7-30                 Philadelphia, PA                   BB&T Pavilion
    7-31                 Saratoga Springs, NY          Saratoga Performing Arts Center
    8-11                 Cleveland, OH                      Blossom Music Center
    8-12                 Cleveland, OH                      Blossom Music Center
    8-13                 Cincinnati, OH                      Riverbend Music Center
    8-14                 Cincinnati, OH                      Riverbend Music Center
    8-19                 Minneapolis, MN                U.S. Bank Stadium
    8-21                 Calgary, AB                          Country Thunder Calgary*
    8-25                 Kansas City, MO                  Providence Medical Center Amphitheater
    8-26                 St. Louis, MO                       Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
    8-27                 Chicago, IL                         Wrigley Field
    9-1                   Charlotte, NC                       PNC Music Pavilion
    9-2                   Raleigh, NC                         Walnut Creek Amphitheater
    9-3                   Raleigh, NC                         Walnut Creek Amphitheater
    9-8                   Brookings, SD                      Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium
    9-9                   Denver, CO                          Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
    9-10                 Denver, CO                          Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
    9-15                 Sacramento, CA                  Toyota Amphitheatre
    9-16                 Mountain View, CA               Shoreline Amphitheatre
    9-17                 Chula Vista, CA                    Sleep Train Amphitheater
    9-22                 Phoenix, AZ                          Ak-Chin Pavilion
    9-23                 Los Angeles, CA                   Forum
    9-24                 Irvine, CA                              Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre
    9-30                 Salt Lake City, UT                 USANA Amphitheatre
    10-1                 Salt Lake City, UT                  USANA Amphitheatre
    10-2                 Las Vegas, NV                       Luxor Festival Grounds / Route 91*
    10-22               Arlington, TX                        AT&T Stadium ***
    10-29               Detroit, MI                             Ford Field
    Dates and Cities subject to change
    *festival date
    **no Little Big Town
    ***Chris Stapleton joins
     
    Since the debut of his first album in 2007, Luke has placed 16 singles at No. 1 and sold nearly eight million albums with 30 million digital tracks from his five studio albums. He has twice been named Entertainer of the Year by both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. His fifth studio album, Kill The Lights, debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Top 200 (his third to do so) and Top Country Albums charts and closed 2015 with the best-selling country album of the year and the 10th biggest selling album on the all-genreBillboard Top 200 Year-End list. In Luke’s stellar 2015 year, he performed for 1.5 million fans in concert, had three albums on the Top 15 Year-End Country Albums list- Kill the Lights (#1), Spring Break…Checkin’ Out(#10) and Crash My Party (#15), was the most streamed artist of 2015, placed six songs in the Year-End Top Country Streaming Tracks list, had his own exhibit at The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (“Luke Bryan: Dirt Road Diary”), performed live during halftime at the Dallas Cowboys game on Thanksgiving and wrapped up the year with a live Times Square performance on ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” Luke recently co-hosted the ACM Awards for a fourth consecutive year and is performing in venues and stadiums across the U.S. on his “Kill The Lights Tour” through this fall.
     
    For up to date information on Luke, the tour and tickets go to www.lukebryan.com or www.livenation.com.
     
  • LUKE BRYAN PLAYS HIS FIRST TWO-NIGHT STADIUM STAND IN BOSTON.

    This past weekend, reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan  played his first two-night stadium stand at Gillette Stadium in Boston (Foxborough) – home to four-time Super Bowl Champions New England Patriots and the first of five stadiums Bryan will play this year on his Kill The Lights Tour. Bryan was joined this weekend by Little Big Town, Chris Stapleton, Dustin Lynch and DJ Rock.  View an excerpt from the show HERE.

    Luke made headlines at the Boston Globe with his “winning moves” and was touted as “a virtuoso”.  The Sun Chronicle headline emphasized Luke being in his “musical prime” and “keeping the audience on their feet.”

    Luke’s upcoming stadium concerts include the grand opening of U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN on August 19th, the new home of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, his debut at the iconic Wrigley Field in Chicago on August 27th and the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on October 22. He closes out the tour on October 29th with a return to Ford Field in Detroit, MI.

    For information on tickets go to www.ticketmaster.com. Citi is the official credit card of the Kill The Lights Tour. Live Nation is the national tour promoter.

    The Kill The Lights Tour is in promotion of Luke’s Platinum-selling, No. 1 debuting Kill The Lights album which became the best-selling country album of 2015 and the 10th biggest selling album on the all-genreBillboard Top 200 Year-End list. Kill The Lights contains four consecutive No. 1 singles, “Kick The Dust Up,” “Strip It Down,” the two-week No. 1 single “Home Alone Tonight” featuring Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town and most recently “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Everyday.”

    Kill The Lights Tour
    7-21                 Scranton, PA                         The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
    7-22                 Pittsburgh, PA                       First Niagara Pavilion
    7-23                 Pittsburgh, PA                       First Niagara Pavilion
    7-28                 Canandaigua, NY                 Constellation Brands Marvin Sands PAC
    7-29                 Philadelphia, PA                    BB&T Pavilion
    7-30                 Philadelphia, PA                    BB&T Pavilion
    7-31                 Saratoga Springs, NY           Saratoga Performing Arts Center
    8-11                 Cleveland, OH                       Blossom Music Center
    8-12                 Cleveland, OH                       Blossom Music Center
    8-13                 Cincinnati, OH                      Riverbend Music Center
    8-14                 Cincinnati, OH                      Riverbend Music Center
    8-19                 Minneapolis, MN                 U.S. Bank Stadium
    8-21                 Calgary, AB                          Country Thunder Calgary*
    8-25                 Kansas City, MO                   Providence Medical Center Amphitheater
    8-26                 St. Louis, MO                       Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
    8-27                 Chicago, IL                          Wrigley Field
    9-1                   Charlotte, NC                        PNC Music Pavilion
    9-2                   Raleigh, NC                           Walnut Creek Amphitheater
    9-3                   Raleigh, NC                           Walnut Creek Amphitheater
    9-8                   Brookings, SD                       Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium
    9-9                   Denver, CO                           Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
    9-10                 Denver, CO                           Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
    9-15                 Sacramento, CA                   Toyota Amphitheatre
    9-16                 Mountain View, CA               Shoreline Amphitheatre
    9-17                 Chula Vista, CA                    Sleep Train Amphitheater
    9-22                 Phoenix, AZ                          Ak-Chin Pavilion
    9-23                 Los Angeles, CA                   Forum
    9-24                 Irvine, CA                              Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre
    9-30                 Salt Lake City, UT                USANA Amphitheatre
    10-1                 Salt Lake City, UT                 USANA Amphitheatre
    10-2                 Las Vegas, NV                       Luxor Festival Grounds / Route 91*
    10-22               Arlington, TX                       AT&T Stadium ***
    10-29               Detroit, MI                            Ford Field
    Dates and Cities subject to change
    *festival date
    **no Little Big Town
    ***Chris Stapleton joins

    Since the debut of his first album in 2007, Luke has placed 16 singles at No. 1 and sold nearly eight million albums with 30 million digital tracks from his five studio albums. He has twice been named Entertainer of the Year by both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. His fifth studio album, Kill The Lights, debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Top 200 (his third to do so) and Top Country Albums charts and closed 2015 with the best-selling country album of the year and the 10th biggest selling album on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 Year-End list. In Luke’s stellar 2015 year, he performed for 1.5 million fans in concert, had three albums on the Top 15 Year-End Country Albums list- Kill the Lights (#1), Spring Break…Checkin’ Out (#10) and Crash My Party (#15), was the most streamed artist of 2015, placed six songs in the Year-End Top Country Streaming Tracks list, had his own exhibit at The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (“Luke Bryan: Dirt Road Diary”), performed live during halftime at the Dallas Cowboys game on Thanksgiving and wrapped up the year with a live Times Square performance on ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” Luke recently co-hosted the ACM Awards for a fourth consecutive year and is performing in venues and stadiums across the U.S. on his “Kill The Lights Tour” through this fall.  
    For up to date information on Luke, the tour and tickets go to www.lukebryan.com or www.livenation.com.  
  • JON PARDI’S CALIFORNIA SUNRISE DEBUTS AT NO. 1.

    Jon Pardi is experiencing his first No. 1 ever as his sophomore album, California Sunrise, bows at the top of the country album chart. The project, which features his Top 10 and gold-selling hit “Head Over Boots,” sold 23,708 units and total consumption reaching 29,233.

    Pardi put his stamp on the 12-track album writing a majority of the songs including “Head Over Boots,” and reteaming with Bart Butler as co-producer. The Golden State country singer is frequently commended for his ability to connect with mainstream country radio while sticking to his traditional country roots, and with Pardi’s long-standing admiration of country music pioneers including Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and George Strait, their influence is evident throughout California Sunrise.

    Fans across the country gravitate towards Pardi’s authenticity, working-man relatability, and ready-to-cut-loose spirit. This week, Pardi hits his home state with back-to-back sellouts in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Bernardino.

    Jon is set to perform on NBC’s Today Show July 7th.

    Chris Stapleton‘s Traveller is No. 2 on the country charts, followed by Keith Urban‘s Ripcord rounding out the Top 3.

    Audio / Jon Pardi talks about what he hopes his fans will go away with when they buy the album.

    Download

    Jon Pardi (fans expectations) OC: …is about. :38
    “I know they’ll go away with a good album. And they’ll learn that I like to make music that makes you feel good and my album I’m always going to try to where you can just press play and let it play and just do whatever you want and listen to it, work on your homework, wash your car, mow your lawn. I don’t know. It’s definitely a project where you can let it play and you can just let the time pass by in a good spirit and good lyrics and a good time. Hopefully they walk away with this album and say man I really want to go see that guy live. I want to see what this is about.”

    Video / Jon Pardi Head Over Boots

    View
  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke, Mickey, Dierks, Clare

    Luke Bryan will perform during NBC’s Today Show Citi Concert Series on Friday (June 3rd).

    Mickey Guyton’s new single, “Heartbreak Song” will be available for stream and sale on Friday (June 3rd).

    Dierks Bentley has been added to the list of performers for next week’s CMT Music Awards. He’s set to perform his new single, “Different for Girls,” with Elle King. They join previously announced performers such as Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban (with Brett Eldredge and Maren Morris), Blake Shelton with Oak Ridge Boys, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line and many more. The CMT Music Awards will air live from Nashville on Wednesday (June 8th) at 8pm ET/PT.

    Clare Dunn will perform during the CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Concert, featuring SiriusXM Highway Finds on Wednesday (June 8th). Frankie Ballard, Old Dominion, Michael Ray, Aubrie Sellers and William Michael Morgan are also part of the lineup.

  • DAVID NAIL REVEALS THE TRACK LIST FOR HIS UPCOMING ALBUM, FIGHTER.

    david nail fighter

    David Nail has officially revealed the track listing as well as album art for his upcoming album, Fighter. Fans were the first to hear the exciting news, via David’s social accounts, regarding his fourth studio album which will be released on July 15th. Fighter features 11 tracks overall including Nail’s current hit single “Night’s On Fire” written by Jonathan Singleton and Deric Ruttan. Nail wrote or co-wrote seven songs for Fighter and teamed up with the same producer from his previous successful albums, Frank Liddell, for the project.

    “I truly believe this album, from top to bottom, is the first time I have been able to tell my story in real-time of where I am right now as an artist, a husband and a father,” said David Nail. “I wrote more songs for this album than I have for any of my other three so it’s already more personal. Fighter speaks to my journey, my life and now to where I am personally and professionally.”

    Fighter
    is available for pre-order now: http://umgn.us/fighterD2C

    Fighter Track List:

    1.Good At Tonight (TJ Osborne, John Osborne, Troy Verges, Barry Dean)
                *Featuring Brothers Osborne

    2.Night’s On Fire (Jonathan Singleton, Deric Ruttan)

    3.Ease Your Pain (Chris Stapleton, Lee Thomas Miller, Jesse Frasure)

    4.Home (David Nail, Barry Dean, Lori McKenna)
             *Featuring Lori McKenna

    5.Lie With Me (Abe Stoklasa, Marc Beeson)

    6.I Won’t Let You Go (David Nail)
            *Featuring Vince Gill

    7.Fighter (David Nail, Scooter Carusoe, Troy Verges)

    8.Babies (David Nail, Scooter Carusoe, Lee Thomas Miller

    9.Got Me Gone (David Nail, Dave Barnes, Jonathan Singleton)

    10.Champagne Promise (David Nail, Lee Thomas Miller)
           *Featuring Logan Brill

    11.Old Man’s Symphony (David Nail)
            *Featuring Bear Rinehart and Bo Rinehart of NEEDTOBREATHE

     

    Nail recently released Uncovered, an EP featuring four cover tracks such as Adele’s “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” and The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face” in response to growing fan demand for new music. Praised as a “must-hear,” Uncovered also includes a remake of “Looking For A Good time” from Nail’s highly-acclaimed debut album I’m About To Come Alive.

    Considered to have one of the most distinctive and powerful voices in country music, the Missouri native’s most recent album, I’m A Fire, received massive acclaim and landed on many BEST OF lists including Rolling Stone Country, NPR, iTunes and Billboard. The album’s first single, “Whatever She’s Got,” was a No.1 certified Platinum hit and was named one of the Top 3 country songs of 2014 by Billboard.

    No stranger to the road, Nail’s own headlining tour I’M A FIRE TOUR was named one of the Must See Concert Tours by Rolling Stone Country. He has toured with Taylor Swift, Darius Rucker, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Sugarland, Gavin DeGraw, Kenny Chesney and most recently with Darius Rucker’s Southern Style Tour. For all tour dates go to http://www.davidnail.com.

    Follow @DavidNail on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidnail

    Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidNail

  • LUKE BRYAN AND SAM HUNT ARE BIG WINNERS AT THIS YEAR’S ACC AWARDS.

    Luke Bryan and Sam Hunt took home a pair of trophies each at Sunday night’s American Country Countdown Awards. Luke, who performed his latest single “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day,” was presented Male Vocalist of the Year award, as well as the night’s top honor, Artist of the Year. Sam performed his latest single, “Make You Miss Me,” and was awarded Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Digital Album of the Year for Montevallo.

    Chris Stapleton’s Traveller was named Album of the Year, while Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” won Digital Song of the Year.

    Toby Keith wrapped the night with a tribute to the late Merle Haggard. He performed a medley of some of Merle’s biggest hits — “Mama Tried,” “Today I Started Loving You Again,” “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here And Drink,” “Workin Man Blues,” “Silver Wings” and “Okie From Muskogee.”

    Other winners included Carrie Underwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Thomas Rhett, Old Dominion and Florida Georgia Line.

    The show is based on country music’s longest-running radio countdown show, American Country Countdown. Winners were determined by radio airplay charts, sales and streaming data from April 1st, 2015 to March 28th, 2016.

    Photo credit: Sounds Like Nashville

  • SAM HUNT INVITES SPECIAL GUESTS DURING HIS SET AT THIS YEAR’S STAGECOACH MUSIC FESTIVAL.

    During Sam Hunt’s Stagecoach performance over the weekend, he surprised the crowd with appearances by rapper Snoop Dogg and pop stars G-Eazy and Bebe Rexha, the latter singing their hit “Me, Myself & I.” Snoop then performed his classic “The Next Episode” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” The four then shared their talents on Sam’s hit “House Party.” The idea for the on-stage collaboration came from Sam and Bud Light Music as part of the beverage company’s Stage Moments series.

    anheuser-busch-stagecoach-20160430-043316-405

    (Sam Hunt, Snoop Dogg, Bebe Rexha, and G-Eazy pose for a photo backstage at Stagecoach 2016. Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Anheuser-Busch)

    Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Little Big Town, Chris Stapleton and Eric Paslay also performed over the weekend at Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California.

    Sam is climbing the country charts with his latest single, “Make You Miss Me,” from his Montevallo album.

  • SAM HUNT LEADS THE LIST OF COUNTRY NOMINEES FOR THIS YEAR’S BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS.

    Sam Hunt leads the list of nominated country artists at this year’s Billboard Music Awards with four nods. He’s nominated for Top Country Artist, Top Country Album for Montevallo and two nominations in the Top Country Song category for “Break Up in a Small Town” and “Take Your Time.”

    Luke Bryan and Chris Stapleton follow with a pair of nods, including Top Country Artist and Top Country Album for Kill the Lights and Traveller, respectively, while Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” is up for Top Country Song.

    The 2016 Billboard Music Awards will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas May 22nd.

    2016 Billboard Music Awards Nominations:

     

    Top Country Artist:
    Zac Brown Band
    Luke Bryan
    Sam Hunt
    Chris Stapleton
    Carrie Underwood


    Top Country Album:
    Chris Stapleton, Traveller
    Luke Bryan, Kill The Lights
    Sam Hunt, Montevallo

    Zac Brown Band, Jekyll + Hyde
    Carrie Underwood, Storyteller

     

    Top Country Song:
    Sam Hunt, “Break Up In A Small Town”
    Sam Hunt, “Take Your Time”
    Little Big Town, “Girl Crush”
    Thomas Rhett, “Die A Happy Man”
    Chris Young, “I’m Comin’ Over”

  • LUKE BRYAN’S KILL THE LIGHTS TOUR BREAKS VENUE RECORDS AND CONTINUES A STRING OF SOLD-OUT SHOWS.

    Four-time Entertainer of the Year winner Luke Bryan took his Kill The Lights Tour back on the road this past weekend after a short hiatus to co-host the ACM Awards on April 3rd in Las Vegas.

    All three weekend concerts sold out including the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York, where Luke set a record with the largest single day country concert attendance and the largest single day country concert gross in the venue’s history.

    During the tour break, Luke was named the Country Artist of the Year at the iHeart Radio Music Awards, also held on April 3, and dominated as the most-nominated artist with seven category nods for the upcoming American Country Countdown Awards set for May 1.

    Luke’s Kill The Lights Tour resumes this weekend in Toledo and will go on to play six stadiums concerts before wrapping in the fall.

    The Georgia native is making his way up the country charts with his latest single, “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day,” which is from his latest album, Kill the Lights.

    2016 Kill The Lights Tour:

    4-14                 Toledo, OH                 The Huntington Center

    4-15                 State College, PA       Bryce Jordan Center

    4-16                 Charlottesville, VA     John Paul Jones Arena

    4-20                 Missoula, MT              Adams Center

    4-21                 Missoula, MT              Adams Center

    4-22                 Bozeman, MT             Brick Breeden Fieldhouse

    4-23                 Bozeman, MT             Brick Breeden Fieldhouse

    4-29                 Concord, CA              Concord Pavilion

    4-30                 Fresno, CA                  Save Mart Center

    5-1                   Indio, CA                    Stagecoach

    5-12                 Omaha, NE                 CenturyLink Center

    5-13                 Wichita, KS                INTRUST Bank Arena

    5-14                 Oklahoma City, OK    Chesapeake Energy Arena

    5-20                 Atlanta, GA                Lakewood Amphitheater

    5-21                 Atlanta, GA                Lakewood Amphitheater

    5-27                 Baton Rouge, LA       Bayou Country Superfest*

    5-29                 Daytona Beach, FL     Country 500

    6-2                   Holmdel, NJ                P.N.C. Bank Arts Center

    6-3                   Atlantic City, NJ         Boardwalk Hall

    6-4                   Hershey, PA                Hershey Park Stadium

    6-9                   Virginia Beach, VA    Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach

    6-10                 Washington, DC         Jiffy Lube Live

    6-11                 Washington, DC         Jiffy Lube Live

    6-17                 Oshkosh, WI               Country USA*

    6-19                 Columbus, OH            Buckeye Country Superfest*

    6-24                 Toronto, ON               Molson Canadian Amphitheatre

    6-25                 Toronto, ON               Molson Canadian Amphitheatre

    7-7                   Milwaukee, WI           Summerfest*

    7-8                   Indianapolis, IN          Klipsch Music Center

    7-9                   Indianapolis, IN          Klipsch Music Center

    7-15                 Boston, MA                Gillette Stadium***

    7-16                 Boston, MA                Gillette Stadium***

    7-17                 Bangor, ME                Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion

    7-21                 Scranton, PA               The Pavilion at Montage Mountain

    7-22                 Pittsburgh, PA            First Niagara Pavilion

    7-23                 Pittsburgh, PA            First Niagara Pavilion

    7-29                 Philadelphia, PA         BB&T Pavilion

    7-30                 Philadelphia, PA         BB&T Pavilion

    7-31                 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center

    8-11                 Cleveland, OH            Blossom Music Center

    8-12                 Cleveland, OH             Blossom Music Center

    8-13                 Cincinnati, OH            Riverbend Music Center

    8-14                 Cincinnati, OH            Riverbend Music Center

    8-19                 Minneapolis, MN       U.S. Bank Stadium

    8-21                 Calgary, AB                Country Thunder Calgary*

    8-25                 Kansas City, MO        Providence Medical Center Amphitheater

    8-26                 St. Louis, MO             Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

    8-27                 Chicago, IL                Wrigley Field

    9-1                   Raleigh, NC                Walnut Creek Amphitheatre

    9-2                   Charlotte, NC             PNC Music Pavilion

    9-9                   Denver, CO                 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park

    9-10                 Denver, CO                 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park

    9-15                 Sacramento, CA          Toyota Amphitheatre

    9-16                 Mountain View, CA   Shoreline Amphitheatre

    9-22                 Phoenix, AZ                Ak-Chin Pavilion

    9-30                 Salt Lake City, UT      USANA Amphitheatre

    10-1                 Salt Lake City, UT      USANA Amphitheatre

    10-22               Arlington, TX            AT&T Stadium ***

    10-29               Detroit, MI                 Ford Field

    Dates and Cities subject to change

    *festival date

    **no Little Big Town

    ***Chris Stapleton joins

     

    For up to date information on Luke, the tour and tickets go to www.lukebryan.com or www.livenation.com.

     

    https://twitter.com/lukebryanonline

    https://www.facebook.com/lukebryan

    http://instagram.com/lukebryan

    Video / Luke Bryan Huntin', Fishin' and Lovin' Every Day

    View
  • LUKE BRYAN LEADS THE LIST OF NOMINEES AT THIS YEAR’S ACC AWARDS.

    Finalists for the 2016 American Country Countdown Awards were announced today. Luke Bryan leads the nominees with seven nods, including the night’s biggest honor, Artist of the Year. Sam Hunt has five, while Thomas Rhett and Zac Brown Band each have four.

    The American Country Countdown Awards are based on country music’s longest-running radio countdown show, “American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks,” which has recognized the best in country radio for more than 40 years. This year’s host and additional performers and presenters will be announced soon.

    The 2016 American Country Countdown Awards will air live from the Forum in Los Angeles, California May 1st at 8pm ET/PT delayed on FOX. (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. Tickets for the American Country Countdown Awards at the Forum are on sale now atwww.ticketmaster.com.
    ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    Blake Shelton

    Florida Georgia Line

    Jason Aldean

    Luke Bryan

    Sam Hunt 

     

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

    Blake Shelton

    Jason Aldean

    Luke Bryan

    Sam Hunt

    Thomas Rhett

     

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

    Cam

    Carrie Underwood

    Jana Kramer

    Kelsea Ballerini

    Miranda Lambert
    GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR

    A Thousand Horses

    Dan + Shay

    Florida Georgia Line

    Old Dominion

    Zac Brown Band
    BREAKTHROUGH MALE OF THE YEAR

    Chris Janson

    Michael Ray

    Sam Hunt

     

    BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE OF THE YEAR

    Cam

    Jana Kramer

    Kelsea Ballerini

     

    BREAKTHROUGH GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR

    A Thousand Horses

    Dan + Shay

    Old Dominion

     

    SONG OF THE YEAR

    “Stay A Little Longer” – Brothers Osborne

    “Home Alone Tonight” – Luke Bryan featuring Karen Fairchild

    “Strip It Down” – Luke Bryan

    “Die A Happy Man” – Thomas Rhett

    “Homegrown” – Zac Brown Band

     

    ALBUM OF THE YEAR

    “Storyteller” – Carrie Underwood

    “Traveller” – Chris Stapleton

    “Kill the Lights” – Luke Bryan

    “Montevallo” – Sam Hunt

    “Jekyll + Hyde” – Zac Brown Band

     

    DIGITAL SONG OF THE YEAR

    “Girl Crush” – Little Big Town

    “Kick The Dust Up” – Luke Bryan

    “Die A Happy Man” – Thomas Rhett

     

    DIGITAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR

    “Anything Goes” – Florida Georgia Line

    “Montevallo” – Sam Hunt

    “Tangled Up” – Thomas Rhett

     

    TOURING ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    Garth Brooks

    Kenny Chesney

    Luke Bryan

    Shania Twain

    Zac Brown Band

     

    AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS finalists and winners for all categories are based on radio airplay charts, sales and streaming data from April 1, 2015 to March 28, 2016 provided by BuzzAngle Music. Touring data is from Pollstar “The Concert Hotwire.” The NASH Icon Award is chosen by The American Country Countdown.

  • CHARLES KELLEY RELEASES HIS NEW SINGLE, ‘LONELY GIRL,’ TO RADIO.

    Charles Kelley releases “Lonely Girl” to Country radio today from his debut solo album, THE DRIVER (Capitol Records Nashville). Fans can catch a performance of the song this Sunday (April 3rd) during the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

    “I’ve been wanting to cut this song since I heard it about three years ago,” shares Kelley. “At the time, it wasn’t the right fit for Lady A, so when we started digging into my solo project, I knew it would be a big part of the record. It’s not easy to follow Stapleton’s demo, I mean he’s the best singer in our genre, but I put my own little spin on it and it’s turned out to be a favorite live.”

    Penned by Chris Stapleton and Jesse Frasure, the new song follows THE DRIVER’s GRAMMY-nominated title track. Before hitting the road this summer with Lady A, Kelley will gear up for THE DRIVER TOUR picked up by Enterprise, with special guest Josh Kelley launching April 9 in Washington, D.C. at The Fillmore. For more information on new music and the upcoming tour, visit www.charleskelley.com.

    Audio / Charles Kelley talks about his new single, “Lonely Girl,” from his debut solo album, The Driver.

    Download

    Charles Kelley (Lonely Girl) OC: …head’s bopping. :52
    “So, ‘Lonely Girl’ is a song that Chris Stapleton actually was a part of writing, along with a friend Jesse Frasure. I’ve always said this, he is one of those singers that intimidates me to a whole other level, but I’ve always wanted to cut this too. We almost cut this on a couple of Lady Antebellum records, but it just never really fit where we were going and I felt like when I was coming out with this solo project that this was a song that would be a nice kind of addition. It’s definitely a little bit of an outlier compared to a lot of the other songs off the project. It’s got a little more groove to it. It’s a little funky. I felt like the project, to balance out more of the somber moments, needed something kind of funky. I love the way it came out. We actually have a little background part that Chris Stapleton, that he’s singing on, doing the answer parts to the song. This is definitely the one, when I’ve played it live, had the head’s bopping.”

    Audio / LINER Charles Kelley (Lonely Girl intro)

    Download
  • KEITH URBAN HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Keith Urban has been announced as one of the most recent performers at Sunday night’s (April 3rd) ACM Awards. He’ll perform alongside Miranda Lambert and ZZ Top on their classic hit “Tush.” This year’s recipient of the Mae Boren Axton Award will also perform his new single, “Wasted Time,” which debuted at radio this week.

    Previously announced performers include ACM co-hosts Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley, as well as Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Little Big Town, Charles Kelley, Chris Stapleton, Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini featuring Nick Jonas, Cam, Kenny Chesney, Brett EldredgeTim McGraw, Dolly Parton with Katy PerryThomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Trombone Shorty, Carrie UnderwoodChris Young with Cassadee Pope, Florida Georgia Line and Old Dominion.

    Presenters include Kip Moore, ACM Female Vocalist nominee Kacey Musgraves, Miss America Betty CantrellTom Hiddleston (I Saw the Light, The Avengers), Chris JansonJana KramerMartina McBrideNancy O’DellJake OwenChase RiceKiefer SutherlandCole Swindell and Maddie & Tae.

    The 51st Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET/PT delayed on CBS.

  • LITTLE BIG TOWN AND CHARLES KELLEY WILL PERFORM AT THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Little Big Town and Charles Kelley, along with previous host Blake Shelton, and newcomers Old Dominion, have been added to the list of performers at Sunday night’s ACM Awards.

    Kip Moore and Kacey Musgraves have been announced as presenters, along with Martina McBride, Jake Owen, Jana Kramer Cole Swindell and actor Kiefer Sutherland (24), among others.

    Previously announced performers include Dierks Bentley, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Eric ChurchBrett Eldredge, Sam Hunt, Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Tim McGraw, Cam, Kenny Chesney, Dolly Parton with Katy PerryThomas Rhett, Carrie UnderwoodChris Young with Cassadee Pope and Florida Georgia Line.

    The 51st Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET/PT delayed on CBS.

  • LUKE BRYAN ADDS SECOND STADIUM DATE IN BOSTON!

    Reigning CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan is the only country artist routinely performing two-nights in many concert cities, so it comes as no surprise that a second show has now been added in Boston at Gillette Stadium on July 15th due to an overwhelming demand for tickets. The Boston concerts, July 15th and 16th, are the first of six stadium dates taking place this summer on Luke’s Kill The Lights Tour. Shows will feature openers Little Big Town, Chris Stapleton and Dustin Lynch.
    Luke’s stadium concerts, in addition to Boston, include August 19, in Minneapolis at U.S. Bank Stadium, August 27th in Chicago at Wrigley Field, October 22nd in Arlington, Texas at AT&T Stadium, and closing out the tour on October 29th in Detroit at Ford Field.
    The Kill The Lights Tour is in promotion of Luke’s Platinum-selling, No. 1 debuting Kill The Lights album which became the best-selling country album of 2015 and the 10th biggest selling album on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 Year-End list. Kill The Lights contains three consecutive No. 1 singles, “Kick The Dust Up,” “Strip It Down,” and the two-week No. 1 single “Home Alone Tonight” featuring Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town.
    Kill The Lights Tour:

    3-8                   Las Cruces, NM           Pan American Center**

    3-11                 Little Rock, AR             Verizon Arena **

    3-12                 Bossier City, LA          CenturyLink Center **

    4-7                   Charleston, WV           Charleston Civic Center Coliseum

    4-8                   Baltimore, MD             Royal Farms Arena

    4-9                   Syracuse, NY               Carrier Dome

    4-14                 Toledo, OH                  The Huntington Center

    4-15                 State College, PA         Bryce Jordan Center

    4-16                 Charlottesville, VA      John Paul Jones Arena

    4-20                 Missoula, MT               Adams Center

    4-21                 Missoula, MT               Adams Center

    4-22                 Bozeman, MT              Brick Breeden Fieldhouse

    4-23                 Bozeman, MT              Brick Breeden Fieldhouse

    4-29                 Concord, CA               Concord Pavilion

    4-30                 Fresno, CA                  Save Mart Center

    5-1                   Indio, CA                     Stagecoach

    5-12                 Omaha, NE                  CenturyLink Center

    5-13                 Wichita, KS                 INTRUST Bank Arena

    5-14                 Oklahoma City, OK     Chesapeake Energy Arena

    5-20                 Atlanta, GA                 Lakewood Amphitheater

    5-21                 Atlanta, GA                 Lakewood Amphitheater

    5-27                 Baton Rouge, LA         Bayou Country Superfest*

    5-29                 Daytona Beach, FL      Country 500

    6-2                   Holmdel, NJ                P.N.C. Bank Arts Center

    6-3                   Atlantic City, NJ          Boardwalk Hall

    6-4                   Hershey, PA                Hershey Park Stadium

    6-9                   Virginia Beach, VA     Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach

    6-10                 Washington, DC          Jiffy Lube Live

    6-11                 Washington, DC          Jiffy Lube Live

    6-17                 Oshkosh, WI                Country USA*

    6-19                 Columbus, OH             Buckeye Country Superfest*

    6-24                 Toronto, ON                Molson Canadian Amphitheatre

    6-25                 Toronto, ON                Molson Canadian Amphitheatre

    7-7                   Milwaukee, WI              Summerfest*

    7-8                   Indianapolis, IN              Klipsch Music Center

    7-9                   Indianapolis, IN             Klipsch Music Center

    7-15                 Boston, MA                 Gillette Stadium***

    7-16                 Boston, MA                 Gillette Stadium***

    7-17                 Bangor, ME                 Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion

    7-21                 Scranton, PA                The Pavilion at Montage Mountain

    7-22                 Pittsburgh, PA              First Niagara Pavilion

    7-23                 Pittsburgh, PA              First Niagara Pavilion

    7-29                 Philadelphia, PA          BB&T Pavilion

    7-30                 Philadelphia, PA          BB&T Pavilion

    7-31                 Saratoga Springs, NY   Saratoga Performing Arts Center

    8-11                 Cleveland, OH             Blossom Music Center

    8-12                 Cleveland, OH             Blossom Music Center

    8-13                 Cincinnati, OH             Riverbend Music Center

    8-14                 Cincinnati, OH             Riverbend Music Center

    8-19                 Minneapolis, MN        U.S. Bank Stadium

    8-21                 Calgary, AB                 Country Thunder Calgary*

    8-25                 Kansas CIty, MO        Providence Medical Center Amphitheater

    8-26                 St. Louis, MO              Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

    8-27                 Chicago, IL                 Wrigley Field

    9-1                   Raleigh, NC                 Walnut Creek Amphitheatre

    9-2                   Charlotte, NC               PNC Music Pavilion

    9-9                   Denver, CO                 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park

    9-10                 Denver, CO                 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park

    9-15                 Sacramento, CA           Toyota Amphitheatre

    9-16                 Mountain View, CA     Shoreline Amphitheatre

    9-22                 Phoenix, AZ                Ak-Chin Pavilion

    9-30                 Salt Lake City, UT       USANA Amphitheatre

    10-1                 Salt Lake City, UT       USANA Amphitheatre

    10-22               Arlington, TX             AT&T Stadium ***

    10-29               Detroit, MI                 Ford Field
    Dates and Cities subject to change

    *festival date

    **no Little Big Town

    ***Chris Stapleton joins

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about his dreams of playing stadiums.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (dreaming of stadiums) OC: …after it. :21
    “I remember being a kid and going to see George Strait at a stadium and looking around, going, ‘This is amazing!’ I mean, ‘What can I do one day to hopefully arrive at this moment?’ So, the dream has been there for years, and since that dream [of playing stadiums] started, it’s all about, it’s been all about growing it gradually to the point where you feel like you can go after it.”

  • ERIC CHURCH LOOKING FORWARD TO HIS EUROPEAN TOUR NEXT WEEK.

    Eric Church is getting ready to head overseas for a tour that will take him throughout Europe. He kicks off the trek February 29th in Stockholm, Sweden, and will make stops in Norway, Germany, Switzerland and Amsterdam before performing three dates during the C2C Festival (Country to Country) – Dublin, Ireland (March 11th), Glasgow, Scotland (March 12th) and London, England (March 13th). Kacey Musgraves and Chris Stapleton are also on the bill for the C2C dates.

    Eric, who’s previously toured across the pond, is looking forward to performing for the fans. “There’s two different parts of Europe. There’s the English-speaking, there’s the U.K., and there’s interior Europe. We go into interior Europe and play. We go to Germany. We go to Sweden. We go to Norway. We go to Switzerland, we go to the Netherlands,” says Eric. “It’s so interesting to me when you get in places where English is not the primary, the first language, but music is, and you go there and you see the power of what music can do in these places that they can’t speak any English, but they can sing every word. It’s really something.”

    The North Carolina native has hit the airwaves with his latest single, “Record Year,” from his Mr. Misunderstood album.

    Eric is nominated for six ACM Awards, including his first-ever ACM Entertainer of the Year nod, as well as Male Vocalist, Album for Mr. Misunderstood, Video for “Mr. Misunderstood” and Vocal Event of the Year for “Raise ‘Em Up” with Keith Urban. He’s also nominated for Song of the Year with Keith for “Raise ‘Em Up” (award also goes to artist). The 51st Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on April 3rd on CBS.

    Audio / Eric Church talks about performing in Europe.

    Download

    Eric Church (playing Europe) OC: …really something. :35
    “I’m looking forward to Europe. We’ve played there one other time, and there’s two different parts of Europe. There’s the English-speaking, there’s the U.K., and there’s interior Europe. We go into interior Europe and play. We go to Germany. We go to Sweden. We go to Norway. We go to Switzerland, we go to the Netherlands. It’s so interesting to me when you get in places where English is not the primary, the first language, but music is, and you go there and you see the power of what music can do in these places that they can’t speak any English, but they can sing every word. It’s really something.”

  • LUKE BRYAN WILL HONOR LIONEL RICHIE, ONE OF HIS TOP INFLUENCES, AT THE GRAMMY AWARDS.

    Luke Bryan will perform at Monday night’s (February 15th) Grammy Awards as part of a tribute to Lionel Richie, who is one of the Georgia native’s top infl He’ll be joined by John Legend, Meghan Trainor and Demi Lovato and perform songs spanning the legend’s career, and Lionel will also join the four performers for a special collaboration during the tribute segment of the show.

    Richie was honored this year as the 2016 MusiCares Person of the Year on Saturday, which also featured performances by Luke, Chris Stapleton and many others.

    You can also catch Chris Stapleton performing during a tribute to BB King, Sam Hunt teaming up with Carrie Underwood and Little Big Town singing one of their biggest hits during this year’s GRAMMY Awards, which air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles Monday (February 15th) beginning at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Audio / Luke Bryan says Lionel Richie is one of his Top 3 influences.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (Lionel Richie influences) OC: …of all time. :06
    “He is, y far, in my top 3 most influential songwriters and artists of all time.”

  • CHARLES KELLEY HAS RELEASED HIS DEBUT SOLO ALBUM, THE DRIVER.

    Charles Kelley has stepped out from his band Lady Antebellum and released his debut solo album, The Driver. The nine-song collection includes the title cut, which features Dierks Bentley and Eric Paslay, as well as a couple of other appearances by Stevie Nicks on the Tom Petty cover, “Southern Accents,” and Miranda Lambert on “I Wish You Were Here.” “Round in Circles,” marks the first time that Charles and his brother, Josh Kelley, recorded together since Josh’s early work. The last song recorded forThe Driver is “The Only One Who Gets Me,” which is the first time the Georgia native has written a song specifically for and about his wife, Cassie, who is pregnant with the couple’s first child.

    “I want people when they hear the record to, I guess, know that I wasn’t chasing anything with this. I just wanted to make music that I believed in,” says Charles. “I hope too that they get to hear my voice in a little more of a raw environment, and this is how I’ve always wanted my voice to sound. I tried to kind of get into a little more of a richer tone, so I want people when they walk away to go, ‘Wow! I didn’t know he could sing.’”

    This spring, Charles will hit the road on The Driver Tour, and he’s taking along his brother Josh Kelley for the ride. The two-month tour kicks off April 9th at The Fillmore in Washington, D.C.

    The Driver Track Listing:

      1. “Your Love” (Abe Stoklasa, Ashley Ray)
        2. “The Driver” (feat. Dierks Bentley and Eric Paslay) (Charles Kelley, Eric Paslay, Stoklasa)
        3. “Dancing Around It” (Kelley, Stoklasa, Daniel Tashian)
        4. “Southern Accents” (feat. Stevie Nicks) (Tom Petty)
        5. “Lonely Girl” (Chris Stapleton, Jesse Frasure)
        6. “The Only One Who Gets Me” (Kelley, Nathan Chapman)
      2. 7. “Round in Circles” (Kelley, Josh Kelley)
        8. “I Wish You Were Here” (feat. Miranda Lambert) (Jedd Hughes)
        9. “Leaving Nashville” (Stoklasa, Donovan Woods)

    Audio / Charles Kelley talks about what he wants fans to go away with when they pick up his new solo album.

    Download

    Charles Kelley (what he wants fans to go away with) OC: …could sing. [laughs] :26
    “I want people when they hear the record to, I guess, know that I wasn’t chasing anything with this. I just wanted to make music that I believed in. I hope too that they get to hear my voice in a little more of a raw environment, and this is how I’ve always wanted my voice to sound. I tried to kind of get into a little more of a richer tone, so I want people when they walk away to go, ‘Wow! I didn’t know he could sing.’” [laughs]

  • LUKE BRYAN’S CRASH MY PLAYA WRAPS IN MEXICO.

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    Reigning CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan wrapped the second annual sold-out, four-night concert event, Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa, in Riviera Maya, Mexico on Monday night. The concert destination weekend featured two headline shows by Luke as well as headline concerts by Dierks Bentley and Cole Swindell. Additional performers included Craig Campbell, Brett Eldredge, Sam Hunt, Dustin Lynch, Chris Stapleton and DJ Rock.

    “The band and I really look forward to Mexico and these Playa shows,” shared Luke. “We like our tradition of launching into the new year this way.”

    Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa musical vacation delivered a special setting for an unforgettable fan experience. The four-night tropical getaway and concert experience was designed and produced by CID Presents as the ultimate all-inclusive Caribbean concert vacation. Guests were treated to nightly beachfront concerts at The Barecló Maya Beach Resort, airport transportation, 24-hour concierge, optional daily activities and off-site adventures. The event was self-produced by the production arm of CID Entertainment, the premier music travel and fan-focused experiential agency. Having developed and implemented VIP and travel packages for Luke’s tours for years, CID was the perfect partner for Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa, designing a country music festival where fans could see their favorite artists on stage and enjoy the sun, beach, food and adventures with their friends.

  • SAM HUNT’S ‘BREAK UP IN A SMALL TOWN’ NEARING THE TOP OF THE COUNTRY CHARTS.

    Sam Hunt is closing in at the top of the country charts with his latest single, “Break Up in a Small Town.” It’s the follow-up to his three previous No. 1 singles – “Leave the Night On,” “Take Your Time” and “House Party,” and it was one of the last songs he wrote before finishing his debut album, Montevallo.

    “The title explains everything you would expect about the song. It’s just about growing up in a small town and you break up with a guy or a girl, and you think you’re not gonna see ‘em again,” says Sam. “You think they’re long gone, but then you realize there’s just so many streets and so many lights. You hang out with all the same people. They’re the first person you see when you leave the house, so it’s kind of hard to get away from ‘em. That’s what this whole song’s about.”

    • Sam will perform at Bonnaroo this year, along with Chris Stapleton, Pearl Jam, Ellie Goulding, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Death Cab for Cutie, Jason Isbell and Grace Potter. The 15th anniversary of the event will take place June 9th – 12th with tickets going on sale Friday (January 22nd).
    • Sam is nominated for two Grammy Awards, including the overall Best New Artist, as well as Best Country Album for his debut album, This year’s Grammy Awards will be handed out February 15th.

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about writing the song, “Breakup in a Small Town.”

    Download

    Sam Hunt (Breakup in a Small Town) OC: …song’s about. :36
    “‘Breakup in a Small Town’ is one of the last songs I wrote before we finished the record. I wrote it with Zach Crowell and Shane McAnally, and it’s a song that, sort of the title explains everything you would expect about the song. It’s just about growing up in a small town and you break up with a guy or a girl, and you think you’re not gonna see ‘em again. You think they’re long gone, but then you realize there’s just so many streets and so many lights. You hang out with all the same people. They’re the first person you see when you leave the house, so it’s kind of hard to get away from ‘em. That’s what this whole song’s about.”

    Video / Sam Hunt Break Up in a Small Town video

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  • DIERKS, VINCE AND CHARLES GET A CHANCE TO COACH IN THE NHL.

    Dierks Bentley, as you may know, is a huge hockey fan and has skated in a local Nashville league for several years. He, along with Vince Gill, Charles Kelley and Chris Young, will serve as celebrity coaches for the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game at Music City’s Bridgestone Arena January 31ST.  The game will air live at 5pm ET on NBCSN, CBC and TVA Sports.

    The country stars will join NHL head coaches Gerard Gallant of the Florida Panthers, Lindy Ruff of the Dallas Stars, Darryl Sutter of the Los Angeles Kings and Barry Trotz of the Washington Capitals behind the bench.

    The All-Stars will take part in a three-game tournament, played in a 3-on-3 format, and featuring teams representing each NHL division. This marks the first time Nashville and the NHL’s Predators have hosted the NHL All-Star festivities.

    Vince has also been tasked with some extra duties, by performing the National Anthem prior to the game.

    But before Dierks puts on his coaching hat, he’s spending time at the beach this weekend, living out his new single “Somewhere on a Beach.” He’s performing during Luke Bryan’s second annual Crash My Playa event in Riviera Maya, Mexico, along with Sam Hunt, Chris Stapleton, Cole Swindell, Dustin Lynch, Brett Eldredge and Craig Campbell.

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about his love of playing hockey.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (hockey) OC: …the road. :31
    “If you’ve ever played it, like you get done and you lie in the house at night and your ribcage hurts from over-expanding it, ‘cause you breathe so hard, ‘cause you’re having so much fun. You think that you’re dying, but you keep going ‘cause you’re having so much fun. So, literally the bones ache from being like stretched out because you breathe so deeply. It’s just fun, man. It’s just that camaraderie of the guys. One of the periods, I really excel in the fourth period. I do good work in periods one, two and three, but the fourth period over at the Brewhouse or Sam’s Club, I’m a good team player there. It’s one of my favorite parts of the game. I just love playing it. It’s just totally opposite from the road.”

  • CHARLES KELLEY OF LADY ANTEBELLUM ANNOUNCES A RELEASE DATE FOR HIS SOLO ALBUM, THE DRIVER.

    Today, “one of the most-talked-about releases of 2016” (Billboard) receives a release date as Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum announces his first-ever solo album THE DRIVER (Capitol Records Nashville) will be available February 5th. The nine-track disc has already received a GRAMMY nomination for its lead single/title track, which fans will now receive as an instant download alongside an additional track each Friday leading into release with an iTunes pre-order purchase. 
     
    Stepping outside of Lady Antebellum, one of the world’s most popular groups, Kelley explores new territory with a raw sound that pushes his vocals into a lower, grittier key. Born in a ratty studio in the back of producer Paul Worley’s offices, the initial batch of songs gave Kelley a sense that he was going to be diving into some new territory, with a real sense of range as “Lonely Girl” and “Your Love” have a Hall and Oates-style, while his cover of Tom Petty’s “Southern Accents” (featuring Stevie Nicks) has a stark and melancholy feel. 
     
    “At first, it was really weird to go in the booth and be like, ‘Where’s Hillary? Where’s Dave?’ But it was very exciting to be the leader in there and go, ‘This is it, I’m doing this,’” Kelley shared. “It was the most fun I’ve had in the studio, because everything felt new again. It took me out of my comfort zone.”
     
    Thrilled with the first studio go-round, Kelley and Worley made plans to reconvene a few months later, where they came out with “Dancing Around It,” adding a shot of sexiness into the mix. The second session also included “Leaving Nashville,” an emotional powerhouse of a song about the ups and downs, heartaches and disappointments, of life as a songwriter.  Three final songs were cut later in the year, which added to the album’s moody feel and personal focus. “Round in Circles,” marks the first time that Charles and his brother, Josh Kelley, recorded together since Josh’s early work. THE DRIVER also benefits from an appearance by Miranda Lambert on the textured “I Wish You Were Here” and the very last song recorded, “The Only One Who Gets Me,” which is the fist time Kelley has written a song specifically for and about his wife, Cassie. 
     
    “While so many of these songs are something I specifically can relate to, it really is all of our story,” added Kelley. “It is a pure musical left turn, to take myself out of my own head and bring in a fresh perspective when we go back in to make the next Lady Antebellum record.”
    THE DRIVER TRACK LIST:
     
    1.    Your Love
    (Abe Stoklasa, Ashley Ray)
     
    2.    The Driver feat. Dierks Bentley & Eric Paslay
    (Charles Kelley, Eric Paslay, Abe Stoklasa)
     
    3.    Dancing Around It
    (Charles Kelley, Abe Stoklasa, Daniel Tashian)
     
    4.    Southern Accents feat. Stevie Nicks
    (Tom Petty)
     
    5.    Lonely Girl
    (Chris Stapleton, Jesse Frasure)
     
    6.    The Only One Who Gets Me 
    (Charles Kelley, Nathan Chapman)
     
    7.    Round In Circles 
    (Charles Kelley, Josh Kelley)
     
    8.    I Wish You Were Here feat. Miranda Lambert
    (Jedd Hughes)
     
    9.    Leaving Nashville 
    (Abe Stoklasa, Donovan Woods)
     
    For a preview of the upcoming album click here.
     
    In addition to his upcoming solo project and success as part of seven-time GRAMMY award-winning trio Lady Antebellum, Kelley has also penned No. one hits recorded by Luke Bryan and Darius Rucker. For more information on new music, visitwww.charleskelley.com

    Audio / Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum says the first single from his new solo album, The Driver, is when it clicked he could have a solo project outside of the band.

    Download

    Charles Kelley (The Driver) 2 OC: …can work. :25
    “You know, it’s our first single and it’s a trio. [laughs] It’s Eric Paslay and Dierks Bentley singing with me, but it had that kind of feel. I wanted to capture a little bit of that kind of California country feel to it, and I’m just really proud of it. If I was ever anxious, it was when I was playing the project for the label. A few of the songs just really lit up, especially with ‘The Driver,’ and that was when I was like, ‘Okay, this can work.’”

    Video / Charles Kelley The Driver video with Eric Paslay and Dierks Bentley

    View
  • NEWS AND NOTES: Sam, Jon, Mickey and More

    Sam Hunt is scheduled to perform during the 2015 NASCAR Spring Cup Series Awards next month. The show, hosted by actor and comedian Drew Carey, will air live from the Wynn in Las Vegas Friday, December 4th on NBCSN beginning at 9pm ET. Sam is currently sitting inside the Top 20 with his latest single, “Break Up in a Small Town.”

    Jon Pardi took his young puppy, Gus, on his first bus trip over the weekend. Check out the cutest little face below. Jon is sitting around Top 30 with his latest single, “Head Over Boots.”

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    G
    us

    Mickey Guyton was named one of the 13 Country Artists to Watch in a recent issue of Billboard. “Few singers in or out of country can keep pace with Guyton vocally,” they were quoted as saying in the feature. Brothers Osborne, Clare Dunn and Cam were among the artists listed as ones to watch!

    Chris Stapleton has been added to the all-star lineup of artists already confirmed for a SKYVILLE LIVE homage to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Gregg Allman. The new installment of the  online music series will deliver live performances and collaborations by Allman with Stapleton, CMA Vocal Group of the Year Little Big Town and  Taj Mahal, streaming live December 11, 2015 on SkyvilleLive.com at 8pET/7pCT.

  • CHARLES KELLEY ANNOUNCES SOLO TOUR AND PERFORMANCE ON THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH PALS DIERKS BENTLEY AND ERIC PASLAY.

    GRAMMY award-winning singer/songwriter Charles Kelley continues to map out plans for new music with the announcement of THE DRIVER TOUR picked up by Enterprise, with special guest Maren Morris. The 22-city club tour will make its first stop at House of Blues in Cleveland, OH ‪on November 28th and continue through the winter with tickets on sale ‪this Friday (10/16) at 10A local time on www.charleskelley.com.

    “I’ve played some great shows at arenas and amphitheaters, but I’m definitely looking forward to getting into clubs with people grabbing on your legs and being able to see every face,” shares Kelley.  “I can’t wait to get right up there in it with the fans and try out some of this new stuff we’ve been working on. I’m pretty excited about just scrapping the set list and playing whatever we feel like playing.”

    Ahead of the upcoming tour, Kelley will first navigate to New York City tomorrow to perform “The Driver” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (10/13 at 10:35P CT on NBC) with friends Dierks Bentley and Eric Paslay who also lent their voices to the track. The Guardian describes the song as “driving the genre out of its summer party haze and into a welcome season of introspection. It was recently announced as the lead single from Kelley’s upcoming solo project and is now available at Country radio.

    THE DRIVER TOUR Dates:

    November 28 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues

    November 29 – Asbury Park, NJ – The Stone Pony

    December 1 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre

    December 3 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte

    December 4 – Tallahassee, FL – The Moon

    December 5 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle

    December 10 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theatre

    December 11 – Oklahoma City, OH – Diamond Ballroom

    December 12 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant

    December 17 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues

    December 18 – Houston, TX – House of Blues

    December 19 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues

    January 7 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave

    January 8 – Chicago – House of Blues

    January 9 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s

    January 16 – Washington, D.C. – The Fillmore Silver Springs

    January 17 – Boston, MA – House of Blues

    January 22 – Louisville, KY  Mercury Ballroom

    January 23 – Springfield, IL  Boondocks

    January 24 – Sioux City, IA  Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

    January 26 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre

    January 28 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues

    Stepping outside of one of the world’s most popular groups, Charles Kelley explores new territory with a raw sound that pushes his vocals into a lower, grittier key than what listeners have been hearing from him in a group setting. “The Driver” serves as the lead single from his upcoming first-ever solo release and was born in a ratty studio in the back of producer Paul Worley’s office. His unmatched perspective of hours spent on the road pursuing a life-long dream is present through his impeccable voice. In addition to his success as part of seven-time GRAMMY award-winning trio Lady Antebellum, Kelley has also penned No. one hits recorded by Luke Bryan and Darius Rucker.

    Columbia Nashville singer/songwriter Maren Morris has quickly established herself in Nashville’s music community with songwriting and vocal stylings that reflect her country, folk and pop influences, with Rolling Stone Country touting her “a stellar solo artist in her own right.” Currently on Spotify, songs from her self-titled EP, available here, have garnered critical acclaim and more than 2.5 million streams in little over a month, with 3 songs hitting Spotify’s US and Global “Viral 50” chart. Recently named as one of CMT’s Next Women of Country, Maren has been featured on select tour dates with Sam Hunt, Little Big Town and Chris Stapleton.

    For a full list of upcoming performances and tour dates, and visit www.charleskelley.com

  • ERIC CHURCH AND LITTLE BIG TOWN LEAD THE LIST OF NOMINEES FOR THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    Eric Church and Little Big Town top the list of final nominees for this year’s CMA Awards with five nominations each.

    The 49th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday, November 4th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Eric’s nominations including his first Entertainer of the Year nomination, as well as Male Vocalist, Single of the Year for “Talladega,” Song of the Year for “Like a Wrecking Ball,” which he wrote with Casey Bethard; and Musical Event of the Year for “Raise ‘Em Up” with Keith Urban. He’s received a career total of 17 nominations.

    Three-time CMA Vocal Group of the Year, Little Big Town, has been nominated in the category every year since 2006 and received a nomination again in 2015. They’re also nominated for Single and Music Video of the Year for “Girl Crush;” as well as Album of the Year for Pain Killer and Musical Event of the Year for “Smokin’ and Drinkin’” with Miranda Lambert. “Girl Crush” is also nominated for Song of the Year, which is awarded to the songwriters, Liz Rose, Lori McKenna and Hillary Lindsey.

    Find the rest of the nominees below.
    New Artist of the Year
    Sam Hunt
    Maddie & Tae
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Album of the Year
    Old Boots, New Dirt, Jason Aldean
    Pageant Material, Kacey Musgraves
    Pain Killer, Little Big Town
    The Big Revival, Kenny Chesney
    Traveller, Chris Stapleton
    Female Vocalist of the Year
    Miranda Lambert
    Kacey Musgraves
    Carrie Underwood
    Lee Ann Womack
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Male Vocalist of the Year
    Dierks Bentley
    Luke Bryan
    Eric Church
    Blake Shelton
    Chris Stapleton
    Entertainer of the Year
    Garth Brooks
    Luke Bryan
    Kenny Chesney
    Eric Church
    Miranda Lambert
    Single of the Year
    “American Kids” Kenny Chesney
    “Girl Crush,” Little Big Town
    “I Don’t Dance,” Lee Brice
    “Take Your Time,” Sam Hunt
    “Talladega,” Eric Church
    Music Video of the Year
    “Biscuits,” Kacey Musgraves
    “Girl Crush,” Little Big Town
    “Girl In A Country Song,” Maddie & Tae
    “Little Red Wagon,” Miranda Lambert
    “Something In The Water,” Carrie Underwood
    Song of the Year
    “American Kids,” Kenny Chesney
    “Girl Crush,” Little Big Town
    “Like A Cowboy,” Randy Houser
    “Like A Wrecking Ball,” Eric Church
    “Take Your Time,” Sam Hunt
    Musical Event of the Year
    Django and Jimmie, Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard
    “Lonely Tonight,” Blake Shelton & Ashley Monroe
    “Raise ‘Em Up,” Keith Urban & Eric Church
    “Smokin’ And Drinkin’,” Miranda Lambert & Little Big Town
    “Wild Child,” Kenny Chesney & Grace Potter
    Musician of the Year
    Sam Bush, Mandolin
    Jerry Douglas, Dobro
    Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar
    Dann Huff, Guitar
    Mac McAnally, Guitar
    Vocal Duo of the Year
    Brothers Osborne
    Dan + Shay
    Florida Georgia Line
    Maddie & Tae
    Thompson Square
    Vocal Group of the Year
    Lady Antebellum
    Little Big Town
    Rascal Flatts
    The Band Perry
    Zac Brown Band

     

  • CMT MUSIC AWARDS WILL INCLUDE SOME BIG PERFORMANCES.

    Several of your favorite artists will be attending Wednesday night’s CMT Music Awards, including Video of the Year nominees Luke Bryan (“Play It Again”), Dierks Bentley (“Drunk on a Plane”), Darius Rucker (“Homegrown Honey”), Sam Hunt (“Leave the Night On”), Lady Antebellum (“Bartender”).

    Luke, Eric Church, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Darius and Sam, as well as Carrie Under, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Jake Owen, Reba and Zac Brown Band, are scheduled to perform.

    Darius will sing to several thousand folks during an outdoor performance down the street from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, while Keith will perform his brand new single, “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” during the show. The members of Lady A are pairing up with DJ-producer Zedd with an EDM-inspired country performance.

    Dierks’ alter-ego Captain Holden Mike Johnson performed “Drunk on a Plane” during last year’s CMT Music Awards and apparently made out like a bandit. “Last I’d heard, he’d been demoted, and he’s flying a little Cessna smiling somewhere where there’s no FAA regulations after his CMT performance debut,” says Dierks. “He’s a strong man with a strong look, and I don’t know…He took my wife home from the CMT Awards, so he’s got some moves.”

    Darius says he’s just happy to be nominated this year. ““It’s really just one of those things where I’m really happy to be nominated, because I didn’t expect that all,” says Darius. “What I always look forward to is the performances, because you never get to see anybody because we’re always on the road and you only see the guys you play with.”

    Sam Hunt has two nominations – Video of the Year and Breakthrough Video of the Year — for his first official music video, “Leave the Night On.” He made a couple of videos prior to getting signed to MCA Nashville, and said he learned a lot. “I learned from making a few of these low-budget videos early on that the best way to go about doing it is just try to keep it honest and real and all of the people in the ‘Leave the Night On’ video was friends of ours,” says Sam. “We didn’t really want to hire actors and actresses to come in. It’s just hard to stage a good time. You kinda have to just let it naturally happen. So, that was a good thing about that video is that it turned into a just a fun day hanging out with all of our buddies, and we had a really good time making the video.”

    The Walking Dead‘s Norman Reedus will be on hand to dole out trophies, as will Little Big Town, Dancing With the Stars champ Rumer Willis, action icon Arnold Schwarzenegger,  Nikki Reed, Aloe Blacc, Billy Ray Cyrus, Brett Eldredge, Cassadee Pope, Cole Swindell, David Spade, Hunter Hayes, Jana Kramer, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Houston Texans JJ Watt, Kellie Pickler, American Idol’s Nick Fradiani, Noah Galloway, Ron White, Sara Evans, Thomas Rhett and Tom Arnold will also present.

    The six finalists for video of the year will be announced at the beginning of the live show, and fans can then vote at CMT.com throughout the live telecast (ET/CT only) to determine the night’s big winner.

    The 2015 CMT Music Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Wednesday (June 10th) at 8pm ET.

    Video of the Year
    Carrie Underwood, “Something in the Water”
    Darius Rucker, “Homegrown Honey”
    Dierks Bentley, “Drunk on a Plane”

    Florida Georgia Line, “Dirt”
    Jason Aldean, “Burnin’ It Down”
    Kenny Chesney, “American Kids”
    Lady Antebellum, “Bartender”
    Lee Brice, “I Don’t Dance”
    Luke Bryan, “Play It Again”
    Maddie & Tae, “Girl in a Country Song”
    Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood, “Somethin’ Bad”
    Sam Hunt, “Leave the Night On”

    Male Video of the Year
    Dierks Bentley, “Drunk on a Plane”
    Eric Church, “Talladega”

    Jason Aldean, “Burnin’ It Down”
    Keith Urban, “Somewhere in My Car”
    Kenny Chesney, “American Kids”
    Luke Bryan, “Play It Again”

    Female Video of the Year
    Carrie Underwood, “Little Toy Guns”
    Carrie Underwood, “Something in the Water”
    Lee Ann Womack, “The Way I’m Livin'”
    Miranda Lambert, “Little Red Wagon”
    RaeLynn, “God Made Girls”
    Reba, “Going Out Like That”

    Group Video of the Year
    A Thousand Horses, “Smoke”
    Eli Young Band, “Dust”
    Lady Antebellum, “Bartender”
    Little Big Town, “Day Drinking”

    The Band Perry, “Chainsaw”
    Zac Brown Band, “All Alright”

    Breakthrough Video of the Year
    Chase Rice, “Gonna Wanna Tonight”
    Frankie Ballard, “Sunshine & Whiskey”
    Kelsea Ballerini, “Love Me Like You Mean It”
    Maddie & Tae, “Girl in a Country Song”
    RaeLynn, “God Made Girls”
    Sam Hunt, “Leave the Night On”

     

    Duo Video of the Year:
    Big & Rich “Look at You”
    Brothers Osborne “Rum”
    Florida Georgia Line “Dirt”
    Florida Georgia Line “Sun Daze”
    Maddie & Tae “Girl in a Country Song”
    Swon Brothers “Later On”

    Collaborative Video Of The Year
    Blake Shelton feat. Ashley Monroe, Lonely Tonight
    Brantley Gilbert feat. Justin Moore and Thomas Rhett, Small Town Throwdown
    Jennifer Nettles feat. Brandy Clark, His Hands
    Kenny Chesney with Grace Potter, Wild Child
    Miranda Lambert with Carrie Underwood, Somethin’ Bad
    Tim McGraw feat. Faith Hill, Meanwhile Back at Mamas

    CMT Performance Of The Year
    Brett Eldredge, Beat of the Music from CMT’s Ultimate Kickoff Party
    John Legend and Lee Ann Womack, You & I (Nobody In The World) from CMT Crossroads
    Katy Perry and Kacey Musgraves, Roar from Crossroads
    Keith Urban, It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World from 2014 CMT Artists of the Year
    Kenny Chesney, American Kids from Instant Jam
    Lady Antebellum and Aloe Blacc, Wake Me Up from CMT’s Ultimate Kickoff Party
    Lady Antebellum and Chris Stapleton, Drink a Beer from 2014 CMT Artists of the Year

    Audio / Dierks Bentley gives an update on Captain Holden Johnson, who performed “Drunk on a Plane” at last year’s CMT Music Awards.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (CMT—Drunk captain) OC: …some moves, yeah. :26
    “Captain Holden Mike Johnson – I don’t know where he is right now. Last I’d heard, he’d been demoted, and he’s flying a little Cessna smiling somewhere where there’s no FAA regulations after his CMT performance debut. I don’t know. I think he’ll still come around every now and then. He’s a strong man with a strong look, and I don’t know. Management’s not too excited about him, but we’ll see. [laughs] He took my wife home from the CMT Awards, so he’s got some moves, yeah.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker says he’s just happy to be nominated at this year’s CMT Music Awards.

    Download

    Darius Rucker (CMT performances) OC: …play with. :11
    “It’s really just one of those things where I’m really happy to be nominated, because I didn’t expect that all. I’m looking forward to, what I always look forward to is the performances, because you never get to see anybody because we’re always on the road and you only see the guys you play with.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about his music video for “Leave the Night On,” which is nominated for CMT Video of the Year.

    Download

    Sam Hunt (Leave the Night On video) OC: …making the video. :38
    “‘Leave the Night On’ was my first official music video, although I have a bit of a passion for the video world because my manager, Brad, comes from the videographer world. That’s how our relationship started was shooting this little video for another song about six months before that. But I learned from making a few of these low-budget videos early on that the best way to go about doing it is just try to keep it honest and real and all of the people in the ‘Leave the Night On’ video was friends of ours. We didn’t really want to hire actors and actresses to come in. It’s just hard to stage a good time. You kinda have to just let it naturally happen. So, that was a good thing about that video is that it turned into a just a fun day hanging out with all of our buddies, and we had a really good time making the video.”

    Audio / Lady Antebellum's Charles Kelley talks about the band's CMT video nomination for "Bartender."

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    Lady A (Bartender video) OC: …was perfect. :34
    “I think there’s no surprise why ‘Bartender’ is in video of the year — Kate Upton. You’ve got all these guys sitting there voting, and the first thing that pops in their mind is Kate Upton. And so, that was all part of the plan, so our evil plan worked. But, that was definitely one of the most fun videos to shoot, having Kate Upton and Tony Hale. He was hilarious. I mean, he took the video to a whole ‘nother level. So, we’re just really proud of that video. Shane Drake did a great job, and just kind of really actually took this basic concept and really brought it to life. I thought it was perfect.”

  • THE NOMINEES FOR THE CMT MUSIC AWARDS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED.

    Lady Antebellum performed “Long Stretch of Love” on TODAY on Wednesday (see performance below) and announced the first nominees for the 2015 CMT Music Awards – where they’re up for four awards, including Video of the Year for “Bartender.”

    Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood also announced additional categories via their social media outlets. Fan voting is now underway at CMT.com.

    The 2015 CMT Music Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena June 10th at 8pm ET on CMT.

     

    Video of the Year
    Carrie Underwood, “Something in the Water”
    Darius Rucker, “Homegrown Honey”
    Dierks Bentley, “Drunk on a Plane”

    Florida Georgia Line, “Dirt”
    Jason Aldean, “Burnin’ It Down”
    Kenny Chesney, “American Kids”
    Lady Antebellum, “Bartender”
    Lee Brice, “I Don’t Dance”
    Luke Bryan, “Play It Again”
    Maddie & Tae, “Girl in a Country Song”
    Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood, “Somethin’ Bad”
    Sam Hunt, “Leave the Night On”

    Male Video of the Year
    Dierks Bentley, “Drunk on a Plane”
    Eric Church, “Talladega”

    Jason Aldean, “Burnin’ It Down”
    Keith Urban, “Somewhere in My Car”
    Kenny Chesney, “American Kids”
    Luke Bryan, “Play It Again”

    Female Video of the Year
    Carrie Underwood, “Little Toy Guns”
    Carrie Underwood, “Something in the Water”
    Lee Ann Womack, “The Way I’m Livin'”
    Miranda Lambert, “Little Red Wagon”
    RaeLynn, “God Made Girls”
    Reba, “Going Out Like That”

    Group Video of the Year
    A Thousand Horses, “Smoke”
    Eli Young Band, “Dust”
    Lady Antebellum, “Bartender”
    Little Big Town, “Day Drinking”

    The Band Perry, “Chainsaw”
    Zac Brown Band, “All Alright”

    Breakthrough Video of the Year
    Chase Rice, “Gonna Wanna Tonight”
    Frankie Ballard, “Sunshine & Whiskey”
    Kelsea Ballerini, “Love Me Like You Mean It”
    Maddie & Tae, “Girl in a Country Song”
    RaeLynn, “God Made Girls”
    Sam Hunt, “Leave the Night On”

    Duo Video of the Year
    Big & Rich “Look at You”
    Brothers Osborne “Rum”
    Florida Georgia Line “Dirt”
    Florida Georgia Line “Sun Daze”
    Maddie & Tae “Girl in a Country Song”
    Swon Brothers “Later On”

    Collaborative Video Of The Year
    Blake Shelton feat. Ashley Monroe, Lonely Tonight
    Brantley Gilbert feat. Justin Moore and Thomas Rhett, Small Town Throwdown
    Jennifer Nettles feat. Brandy Clark, His Hands
    Kenny Chesney with Grace Potter, Wild Child
    Miranda Lambert with Carrie Underwood, Somethin’ Bad
    Tim McGraw feat. Faith Hill, Meanwhile Back at Mamas

    CMT Performance Of The Year
    Brett Eldredge, Beat of the Music from CMT’s Ultimate Kickoff Party
    John Legend and Lee Ann Womack, You & I (Nobody In The World) from CMT Crossroads
    Katy Perry and Kacey Musgraves, Roar from Crossroads
    Keith Urban, It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World from 2014 CMT Artists of the Year
    Kenny Chesney, American Kids from Instant Jam
    Lady Antebellum and Aloe Blacc, Wake Me Up from CMT’s Ultimate Kickoff Party
    Lady Antebellum and Chris Stapleton, Drink a Beer from 2014 CMT Artists of the Year

    Video / Lady Antebellum performing Long Stretch of Love on Today Show

  • LITTLE BIG TOWN’S KIMBERLY SCHLAPMAN SAYS HER NEW COOKBOOK IS MORE THAN JUST RECIPES.

    The members of Little Big Town have been the beneficiaries of their bandmate Kimberly Schlapman’s cooking for years, and now the rest of the world, in a way, will be able to enjoy her cooking as well when her first cookbook, Oh Gussie! Cooking and Visiting in Kimberly’s Southern Kitchen, hits shelves April 14th.

    “I decided to do it because a lot of people were asking me for recipes because everybody knows how much I love to cook, and I also had this show on television, Simply Southern, and there were a lot of great recipes from that that I wanted to put down and share with people,” says Kimberly. “A lot of these recipes are recipes that have been handed down to me from my grandmothers and from my mama and from friends and other family members.”

    She shares recipes and stories from when she grew up in the Appalachian foothills of north Georgia, her travels on tour with Little Big Town and life at home in Nashville, so it’s more than just a cookbook to Kimberly.

    “It’s a little bit of a memoir, because I tell a lot of stories of growing up and stories that relate to these recipes, and I tell you a whole lot about my family, and all the way back to when my grandparents were married,” she says. “It’s special to me because it is my whole heart.”

    Kimberly and the rest of Little Big Town are making their way up the country charts with “Girl Crush” from their Painkiller album. The song is also in the Top 5 country single download at iTunes.

    On another note, they’re currently headlining their Painkiller Tour with special guest, Chris Stapleton.

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman explains why she decided to make a cookbook.

    Download

    LBT (Kimberly cookbook) 1 OC: …family members.  :28
    “I guess I decided to make a cookbook, close to two years. I decided to do it because a lot of people were asking me for recipes because everybody knows how much I love to cook, and I also had this show on television, Simply Southern, and there were a lot of great recipes from that that I wanted to put down and share with people. A lot of these recipes are recipes that have been handed down to me from my grandmothers and from my mama and from friends and other family members.”

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman says her new cookbook is more than a cookbook.

    Download

    LBT (Kimberly cookbook) 2 OC: …whole heart. :21
    “I’m excited about the book, because to me it’s more than a cookbook. It’s a little bit of a memoir, because I tell a lot of stories of growing up and stories that relate to these recipes, and I tell you a whole lot about my family, and all the way back to when my grandparents were married. It’s special to me because it is my whole heart.”

  • GARY ALLAN HITS RADIO WITH NEW SINGLE, ‘HANGOVER TONIGHT.’

    Gary Allan is starting to hit the airwaves with his new single, “Hangover Tonight,” a song he co-wrote with Chris Stapleton, Jesse Frasure and Carey Barlowe. The song is the first release from his forthcoming, as-yet-untitled album – the follow-up to the hit album, Set You Free, which included the No. 1 tune, “Every Storm Runs Out of Rain.”

    Gary is thrilled for the song to be added to stations across the country and says the feel of the song is a bit of a throwback to his youth. “[I’m] super excited about this single going to radio,” says Gary. “I feel like it’s the fourth or fifth time we’ve re-invented myself, or I have, or just trying to push myself to do different things. I feel like I’ve pushed myself into a very comfortable place for myself, because it’s kind of ‘50s and ‘60s Motown.”

    “I was in rockabilly bands my whole life, and to me, it was just a throwback to my youth writing with these guys,” he adds.

    Gary’s got a few days off before he heads to Mercedes, Texas for a show on March 13th.

    Audio / AUDIO: Gary Allan says he’s really excited for folks to hear his new single, “Hangover Tonight.”

    Download

    Gary Allan (excited for Hangover Tonight) OC: …a lot of fun. :29
    “[I’m] super excited about this single going to radio. I feel like it’s the fourth or fifth time we’ve re-invented myself, or I have, or just trying to push myself to do different things. I feel like I’ve pushed myself into a very comfortable place for myself, because it’s kind of ‘50s and ‘60s Motown. It reminds me of when I did ‘Runaway,’ and things like that, so it was a very easy thing for me to do. I was in rockabilly bands my whole life, and to me, it was just a throwback to my youth writing with these guys. It was a lot of fun.”

    Audio / LINER Gary Allan (Hangover Tonight intro)

    Download
  • LITTLE BIG TOWN’S ‘GIRL CRUSH’ BRINGS THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER TO THE SURFACE.

    Little Big Town’s latest single, “Girl Crush,” is racing up the country charts, but there’s been a little confusion on the part of a few folks about the actual theme of the song. If you listen to the lyrics, you’ll see it’s just about good old-fashioned jealousy.

    “The lyric of ‘Girl Crush’ is written in a kind of sexy way, so some people might turn it off when they get to ‘I wanna taste your lips’ and all that, but once they get to the hook, they go, ‘Oh! It turns,’” says LBT’s Karen Fairchild. “It’s about a girl saying, ‘Why do you love her and not me?’ And that’s what makes it. You’ve got to lean in a little bit, but the fans are really loving this one.”

    The reigning CMA and ACM Vocal Group of the Year will embark on the new leg of their Pain Killer Tour March 5th in Savannah, Georgia with Chris Stapleton. First, they’ll head across the pond to do a few shows in the U-K beginning February 10th in London.

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild says the band’s latest smash hit, “Girl Crush,” is about jealousy, pure and simple.

    Download

    LBT (Girl Crush meaning) OC: …loving this one. :23
    “The lyric of ‘Girl Crush’ is written in a kind of sexy way, so some people might turn it off when they get to ‘I wanna taste your lips’ and all that, but once they get to the hook, they go, ‘Oh! It turns.’ It’s about a girl saying, ‘Why do you love her and not me?’ And that’s what makes it. You’ve got to lean in a little bit, but the fans are really loving this one.”

     

  • THE LINEUP FOR THE TEAM UMG AT THE RYMAN LUNCHEON IS ANNOUNCED.

    (Nashville, Tenn. – Feb. 4, 2015) – The lineup for “Team UMG At The Ryman” luncheon, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015 during CRS 2015 has been announced. This year’s performers include Billy Currington, Brothers Osborne, Canaan Smith, Chris Stapleton, Darius Rucker, David Nail, Dierks Bentley, Easton Corbin, Eric Church, Josh Turner, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Little Big Town, Mickey Guyton and Vince Gill.

    Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Nashville, Mike Dungan comments about the show, “Now in its sixth year, the UMG Ryman show has become The CRS Event.  It’s an intimate musical experience, from our family of artists and staff, with the family of friends at radio.  You just gotta be there”

    The event is scheduled to start at Noon on Feb. 26 at the Ryman Auditorium.  As in previous years, seminar registrants will receive lunch prior to the event.

    To register for CRS 2015, please visit www.crb.org or contact the CRS offices today. The current registration rate for the three-day event is $599.

    For more information and an advance agenda, please visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com.

    About Country Radio Seminar
    : Country Radio Seminar is an annual convention designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas and business practices in the Country music industry, with specific emphasis on issues relevant to Country radio. CRS 2015 will be held Feb. 25-27, 2015. Visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com for more information. Like CRS on Facebook and follow CRS on Twitter (Hashtag #CRS2015).

  • LUKE BRYAN DRINKS A BEER TO CELEBRATE NINTH NO. 1. (AUDIO)

    Reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan takes the top spot on the Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart and spends a second week at the top of the Billboard country chart with “Drink A Beer,” marking his ninth career No. 1 single.  The song, written by Chris Stapleton and Jim Beavers, has spent the last 11 weeks as a Top 5 download on Nielsen’s Country Digital Song chart, five of which were spent at No. 1. The multi-week chart topper is the third consecutive No. 1 single from Luke’s Crash My Party album which was certified Platinum in just six weeks.

    Crash My Party debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Country sales charts with 527,783 units sold, making it the biggest sales debut for a Country male artist since 2004. 

    Luke’s “That’s My Kind of Night Tour,” which has sold out all dates on its first leg this year, will also include his first-ever headline stadium shows this summer- June 21 in Pittsburgh, Penn. at Heinz Field,  Lincoln Financial Field on August 15 in Philadelphia, Penn. and on August 31 in Chicago, Ill. at Soldier Field.

    Luke currently has three ACM Award nominations, Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for Crash My Party.  Luke will co-host the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards with Blake Shelton on Sunday, April 6th at 8pm live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. 

    Audio / Luke Bryan (9th No. 1)

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    AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about hitting the top of the country charts with his ninth No. 1 single, “Drink a Beer.”

    Luke Bryan (9th No. 1) OC: …never get tired of it. :43
    “It’s very humbling, and I’m so proud of this song, because I know it’s affecting people in a really, really amazing way out there, and anytime that you can have a song that goes No. 1 and has that type of an impact, it’s a bonus on all levels. To realize that, I came to this town just with dreams and now that I’ve had 9 No. 1’s, it’s amazing. It’s flown by…still having a blast with it. Still love getting up every morning and getting on stage and writing songs and still trying to figure this crazy business out. So, it’s a huge honor to keep having No. 1’s. You never get tired of it.”

  • ERIC PASLAY AND LUKE BRYAN CELEBRATING NO. 1 SONGS THIS WEEK. (AUDIO)

    Eric Paslay’s “Friday Night” jumps two spots to land at No. 1 on the Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart, marking the Texas native’s first chart-topper…as an artist! He’s previously had three songs top the charts for others, including Jake Owen (“Barefoot Blue Jean Night”), Eli Young Band (“Even If It Breaks Your Heart”) and Love & Theft (“Angel Eyes”). Eric says his perfect “Friday Night” would include riding around in a hot muscle car, going dancing, having a good burger and “being with people you love and having a honey, that’s a good Friday night.” He laughingly adds (from a line in the song), “and having money in your pocket,  ‘cause you just got paid.” “Friday Night” is featured on Eric’s self-titled debut album arriving in stores and online tomorrow (February 4th).

    Luke Bryans “Drink a Beer” switches places with Eric to land at No. 1 on the Billboard Country chart. The tune, which features and was co-written by Chris Stapleton, has spent a mere 14 weeks on the chart. Luke says folks are moved by the song when he performs it live on his That’s My Kind of Night Tour. “I’m always able to look through the crowd and see people really overwhelmed with emotion by it, and that means so much to me. It means that the song is affecting people and helping people,” says the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year. “When you’re grieving the loss of someone and you’re remembering them, it’s helping you, whether you’re hurting while it’s helping you, it’s still helping you. And this song helps people remember special people to them.” “Drink a Beer” is the third single from Luke’s Crash My Party album.

    Audio / Eric Paslay (perfect Friday Night)

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    AUDIO: Eric Paslay describes a perfect “Friday Night.”

    Eric Paslay (perfect Friday Night) OC: …got paid. [laughs] :26
    “A perfect ‘Friday Night’ would be cruising in an old ’68 Mustang or something old or a ’74 candy apple ragtop, going dancing, having a good burger, maybe getting a poppy seed kolaches (it’s a Czech pastry). For all you foodies out there, it’s really good. Being with people you love and having a honey, that’s a good Friday night, and having money in your pocket,  ‘cause you just got paid.” [laughs]

    Audio / Luke Bryan (Drink a Beer live)

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    AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about performing “Drink a Beer” live in concert.

    Luke Bryan (Drink a Beer live) OC: …like they do. :45
    “Performing ‘Drink a Beer’ in front of a live audience, I’m always able to look through the crowd and see people really overwhelmed with emotion by it, and that means so much to me. It means that the song is affecting people and helping people. When you’re grieving the loss of someone and you’re remembering them, it’s helping you, whether you’re hurting while it’s helping you, it’s still helping you. And this song helps people remember special people to them. When I turn to the audience and let them sing it back, it’s the highlight of the night for me, and I’m so honored to have the song in my set now and so honored that the fans sing it like they do.”

  • DIERKS BENTLEY RELEASES MORE DETAILS ABOUT FORTHCOMING ALBUM, RISER. (PRESS RELEASE and AUDIO)

    Nashville, TN – January 27, 2014 – The thunderbird symbolism of Dierks Bentley’s upcoming seventh studio album RISER, available in stores February 25th, speaks volumes about the complex ball of emotions locked within. It’s a symbol of strength, resilience and renewal and one that appropriately reflects Bentley’s first album since the death of his father and the birth of his first son. Produced by Ross Copperman and Arturo Buenahora Jr, it’s a project full of sonic power that has a strong sense of family and community.

    The community of songwriters, musicians and artists that Bentley moved to Nashville with dreams of joining is ingrained in the texture of RISER.   The now 11 time GRAMMY nominated singer/songwriter co-wrote six of the album’s 12 tracks with some of the city’s most acclaimed writers and his friends.  He also called on rising artists Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton, The Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston and Charlie Worsham to sing and play on the project.

    “It’s important to really know the writers and musicians you work with, to hang out with them and live in the same world,” Bentley explains.  “I have such a romance with Nashville and this community. I drove across the country when I was 19 years old with a dream of just being invited to the party. It’s still wild to me that I get to work with and call so many incredibly talented people my friends.”

    If the songs narrate the personal story of Bentley’s previous two years, then it’s the heightened depth and increased vulnerability in the lead vocals that make you truly feel its intense highs and lows.  It comes in part from recording those performances in the Red Room, Copperman’s cozy home studio. Copperman was literally an arm’s length away, and Bentley got immediate feedback from a supportive-but-critical audience even as he breathed the words. It’s the closest Bentley has ever gotten to an elusive sonic attitude he’s sought from the outset.

    “It’s the sound in my head that I hear when I’m playing a live show,” said Bentley. “You have one ear monitor in, one ear out, and the crowd’s there and your voice feels really great. There’s a certain amount of gravel to it because you’re tired, but you’re all jacked up on whatever you’re drinking and adrenaline, and the crowds and the fans are there and there’s this feeling, fists in the air—it’s that thing that’s hard to transfer into a studio environment. There’s a rawness.”


    RISER Track List:

    1. Bourbon In Kentucky  (Hlilary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson, Ryan Tyndell)
     ** Background vocals by Kacey Musgraves

    2. Say You Do  (Shane McAnally, Matt Ramsey, Trever Rosen)

    3. I Hold On  (Brett James, Dierks Bentley)

    4. Pretty Girls  (Jessi Alexander, Jon Randall, Dierks Bentley)

    5. Here On Earth  (Ross Copperman, Ryan Tyndell, Dierks Bentley)

    6. Drunk On A Plane  (Josh Kear, Chris Tompkins, Dierks Bentley)

    7. Five  (Ross Copperman, Ryan Tyndell, Dierks Bentley)

    8. Riser  (Travis Meadows, Steve Moakler)

    9. Sounds of Summer  (Zach Crowell, Matt Jenkins, Adam Sanders)

    10. Damn These Dreams  (Ross Copperman, Jaren Johnston, Dierks Bentley)

    11. Back Porch  (Cary Barlowe, Jaren Johnston, Hillary Lindsey)

    12. Hurt Somebody  (Matt Fleener, Shane McAnally, Mark Nesler)
     ** Background vocals by Chris Stapleton

    RISER is available for pre-order at digital retailers beginning Tuesday.  Bentley will kick off his RISER TOUR on May 9th in Charlotte, NC. For more information on the upcoming tour and new music, visit www.dierks.com.

    Audio / Dierks Bentley (Thunderbird logo)

    Download
    AUDIO: Dierks Bentley explains the Thunderbird logo that represents his forthcoming album, Riser.

    Dierks Bentley (Thunderbird logo) OC: ….pretty well. 1:12
    “I had this Airstream, this 1970s Airstream, and these girls that designed it – called Junk Gypsy – they put this Thunderbird image on the back of this Airstream. I just love that image, and I was trying to figure out why. Is it because I’m a pilot? It looks like a Phoenix too, which I love ‘cause that’s where I’m from, but it’s actually a Thunderbird. There’s a group in Phoenix called The Thunderbirds, that my Dad was a part of. It’s a civic group of men that raise millions of dollars a year for different organizations and causes and charities in the valley. It’s something my dad was really proud to be a part of, and they wore these tunics and they’d wear this Thunderbird around their neck. It’s a really cool thing, and he was really proud of it. So, I saw that and it reminded me of that, and then just my dad passing. I just felt like it was an image that probably meant a lot more to me than I probably realized at the time. It found its way kind of into the team and the group and everything I was doing, and it kinda became just the early symbol of the album. Yeah, so it means a lot of different things to me. I think the album has a lot of different layers to it, as well, so I like the idea of that being out there, and just kind of, as best as you can represent an album with an image or anything, I think it does pretty well.” 

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith Urban, Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Town, Kip Moore, Billy Currington, Darius Rucker, Lady Antebellum and Eric Paslay

    Keith Urban and Kacey Musgraves have been added to the lineup of performers for the Grammy Awards on January 26th. They’ll be joined Taylor Swift, Sara Bareilles, Carole King and the two living BeatlesPaul McCartney and Ringo Starr, on the bill. The Grammys air January 26th at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Keith Urban, along with Rascal Flatts, are set to headline the two-day ACM Party for Cause Festival at the Linq in Las Vegas in April. The Flatts will headline on April 4th, while Keith will close the show April 5th. Joe Nichols, Thomas Rhett, Chris Young, Jerrod Niemann, Cadillac Three and the ACM New Artist of the Year Nominees will also perform at the event, hosted by Outnumber Hunger and ACM Lifting Lives. Tickets go on sale January 24th at ticketmaster.com.

    Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Kip Moore and Chris Stapleton are among the acts performing at this year’s Faster Horses Festival, taking place July 18th, 19th and 20th in Brooklyn, Michigan. Tickets for the three-day event, which will also feature Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert, Brett Eldredge and Cole Swindell, among others, go on sale January 23rd at 10am ET. For more information, visit fasterhorsesfestival.com.

    Billy Currington will perform a private concert during Monday night’s (January 20th) episode of ABC’s The Bachelor. He’ll sing his latest No. 1 hit, “Hey Girl,” and his current single, “We Are Tonight,” during the show, which will air at 8pm ET.

    Darius Rucker is headed back to school to host a special class on songwriting at The College of Charleston’s Arts Management Program January 27th.

    Lady Antebellum have signed on to perform, in addition to Tim McGraw, on the NBC-TV special, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit: 50 Years of Beautiful, airing February 3rd at 9pm ET. Models Kate Upton, Tyra Banks, Christie Brinkley and Kathy Ireland are set to appear on the special along with host Heidi Klum.

    Eric Paslay will perform as the Grand Ole Opry kicks off this year’s Country Radio Seminar February 19th. The star-studded lineup willalso include Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Thompson Square, Love & Theft, Brandy Clark, Will Hoge and Ole Crow Medicine Show.

  • LUKE BRYAN WILL PERFORM TWICE ON THE CMA AWARDS, INCLUDING THE TV DEBUT OF HIS NEW SINGLE, DRINK A BEER. (PRESS RELEASE AND AUDIO)

    Nashville, TN – November 5, 2013-  Country superstar and triple CMA nominee Luke Bryan will kick start the CMA Awards with an appearance tomorrow morning on Good Morning America, live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, and will then open The 47th Annual CMA Awards with his recent #1 hit “That’s My Kind of Night.”  Luke will return later in the show to sing his poignant new single “Drink A Beer,” dedicating this performance to his brother Chris and sister Kelly, whom he lost in 1996 and 2007 respectively.

    “This is the coolest sad song ever,” said Luke.  “It holds a special place in my heart and I am honored the writers allowed me to record it.”

    The song, written by Jim Beavers and Chris Stapleton, is the third single from Luke’s Platinum selling album Crash My Party.  Stapleton, who sang background vocals on the album track, will also perform them with Luke on the CMA Awards.  The single can be heard now at country radio.

    Luke is nominated for three CMA Awards, Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist and Musical Event for “The Only Way I Know” with Jason Aldean and Eric Church.

    Audio / Luke Bryan (Stapleton on Drink a Beer)

    Download
    AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about singer/songwriter Chris Stapleton who wrote “Drink a Beer,” and also sings background vocals on the song.

    Luke Bryan (Stapleton on Drink a Beer) OC: …piece of work. :36
    “Having Chris Stapleton sing background on it that’s like heaven. That’s like me being in a foot race with Usain Bolt [sprinter and 6-time Olympic gold medalist] or something.  Having Chris Stapleton sing, he’s the best singer on the planet to me. So, for him to come in and lend his backgrounds on it takes this song even yet to a higher level with just how powerful he is as a singer and an artist, and he wrote the song also with Jim Beavers. I’m honored to say I’m starting to do some pieces of works. It feels like a true piece of work.”

  • LUKE BRYAN IS ON THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME LEADING INTO THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS. (AUDIO)

    Luke Bryan, the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year, is going into Wednesday night’s CMA Awards with three nominations, including the top honor, Entertainer of the Year. Luke is also up for Male Vocalist and Musical Event of the Year for “That’s the Only Way I Know” with his buddies, Jason Aldean and Eric Church. When the nominations were read back in August, he was actually on an airplane. “I knew the nominations were coming out while I was in the air, so when I turned my phone on, it just started blowing up,” recalls Luke. “And then I see, obviously, the three nominations, and I was on a plane fist pumping. I’m sure people were looking at me kinda crazy, but it was an amazing moment.”

    OTHER LUKE NOTES:

    • Luke will be performing on the CMA Awards on Wednesday night, which air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at 8pm ET on ABC.
    • Luke will kick off CMA Awards day with a performance on ABC’s Good Morning America.
    • Luke just released his new single, “Drink a Beer,” which features Chris Stapleton, who also co-wrote the song. “Drink a Beer” follows his two previous singles, “Crash My Party” and “That’s My Kind of Night,” from his latest album.

    Audio / Luke Bryan (CMA 2013 nominations)

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    AUDIO: Luke Bryan says he was on an airplane when he found out he was nominated for three CMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year.

    Luke Bryan (CMA 2013 nominations) OC: …amazing moment. :16
    “I knew the nominations were coming out while I was in the air, so when I turned my phone on, it just started blowing up. And then I see, obviously, the three nominations, and I was on a plane fist pumping. I’m sure people were looking at me kinda crazy, but it was an amazing moment.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan (ride of a lifetime)

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    AUDIO: Luke Bryan is having the time of his life with all of the success he’s enjoying right now, including his three CMA nominations.

    Luke Bryan (ride of a lifetime) OC: …so blessed. :09
    “It’s totally the ride of a lifetime. To have No. 1s and things like this going on in my life, we’re certainly so blessed.”

  • DIERKS BENTLEY PLAYS DJ FOR A WEEK IN LATEST EPISODE OF DBTV. (VIDEO)

    Dierks Bentley takes over the controls as he guest-hosts the syndicated radio show, After Midnite, this week. He’s joined by several special guests, including Charles Kelley from Lady Antebellum and singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton. Check out the behind-the-scenes look in the latest episode of DBTV below.

    Video / Dierks Bentley - DBTV Episode 116 - After MidNite

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  • GEORGE STRAIT RELEASES HIS 40TH ALBUM, ‘LOVE IS EVERYTHING,’ TODAY. (VIDEO)

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. – George Strait releases Love Is Everything, his 40th album on MCA Nashville, today, Tuesday, May 14, available at all physical and digital retailers.  Love Is Everything features Strait’s current hit “Give It All We Got Tonight” written by Mark Bright, Tim James and Phil O’Donnell. The song is poised to be the country patriarch’s 60th career No. 1, an accomplishment no artist except the 60-year old Strait has come closing to achieving. 

    For Love Is Everything, Strait again joined forces with longtime friend and producer Tony Brown.  Providing a more personal feel, this album holds four songs written or co-written by Strait with son Bubba and legendary songwriter Dean Dillon.

    “I’m not sure they’ll learn anything about me they don’t already know,” Strait says with a laugh when talking about the content of Love Is Everything.  “I’ve been doing this a long time and 40 is a lot of records!”  He continues, “It’s always fun putting together songs for a new record. It can also be difficult at times. This one was both for sure, but worth every minute. I think it’s my best release in a while. I hope people enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it.”

    In addition, the album features songs penned by Al Anderson, Casey Beathard, L. Russell Brown, Roger Creager, Tom Douglas, Wyatt Earp, Keith Gattis, Monty Holmes, Kyle Jacobs, Donny Kees, Bill Kenner, Pat McLaughlin, Randy Montana, Jeff Silvey and Chris Stapleton. 

    After over 30 years in the business, Strait still looks forward to going in the studio and enjoys it more than ever.  Many of the players on the album have worked on a number of Strait’s projects throughout of his career.

    Strait kicked off 2013 in high gear for the first leg of his The Cowboy Rides Away Tour. Only the June 1 show in San Antonio’s Alamodome remains in the sold out tour.  Known as the “house they built for George,” the Alamodome sold out within an astounding six minutes of going on sale. Dates for the second leg of the tour will be announced later this year.

    For more information on Strait, Love Is Everything, The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, the Sixty For Sixty movement and more, visit www.GeorgeStrait.com.
    Love is EverythingTrack List:
    1.  I Got A Car

    2.  Give It All We Got Tonight

    3.  Blue Melodies

    4.  I Just Can’t Go On Dying Like This

    5.  I Thought I Heard My Heart Sing

    6.  That’s What Breaking Hearts Do

    7.  When Love Comes Around Again

    8.  The Night Is Young

    9.  Sittin’ On The Fence

    10.  I Believe

    11.  Love Is Everything

    12.  You Don’t Know What You’re Missing

    13.  When The Credits Roll

    Video / George Strait

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  • LITTLE BIG TOWN WILL RELEASE NEW ALBUM, ‘TORNADO,’ ON SEPTEMBER 11TH. (AUDIO)

    NASHVILLE TN (Wednesday, July 18, 2012)– Grammy-nominated country group Little Big Town will release their fifth studio album entitled Tornado September 11, 2012.  The album was recorded in Nashville with producer Jay Joyce (Wallflowers, Eric Church) and features the band’s hit single “Pontoon.” 

    “I am so excited for people to hear this new record,” said Jimi Westbrook. “We worked with Jay Joyce and he really pushed us to be in the moment. There was such an amazing energy between all of us in the studio and I think you can feel it.” 

    The album’s lead single “Pontoon” was released to radio in April and is currently Top 15 on Billboard’s country radio chart.  This has been Little Big Town’s fasting rising single to date. “Pontoon” is #1 on the Soundscan Digital Country chart for the second week in a row and has sold over 520,000 tracks in only eight weeks. The official music video has been viewed over 1.7 million times. 

    TRACK LISTING/WRITERS:

    1. Pavement Ends    *Jason Saenz/Brent Cobb

    2. Pontoon               *Barry Dean/Natalie Hemby/Luke Laird

    3. Sober                   *Liz Rose/Hillary Lindsey/Lori McKenna

    4. Front Porch Thing      *Chris Stapleton/Adam Hood

    5. On Your Side Of The Bed   *Lori McKenna/K.Fairchild/J.Westbrook/ K.Schlapman/P.Sweet                 

    6. Leavin’ In Your Eyes       *Brett Warren/Brad Warren/Jay Joyce/J.Westbrook/K.Fairchild/ K.Schlapman

    7. Tornado                      *Natalie Hemby/Delta Made

    8. On Fire Tonight              *Luke Laird/P.Sweet/J.Westbrook/K.Fairchild/K.Schlapman

    9. Can’t Go Back               *Natalie Hemby/Kate York/Rosi Golan

    10. Self Made                 *Natalie Hemby/Jedd Hughes/J.Westbrook/K.Fairchild

    11. Night Owl               *Natalie Hemby/J.Westbrook/K.Fairchild/K.Schlapman/P.Sweet

     

    For current tour dates, news and information on the new album please check out the bands brand new website at www.littlebigtown.com launched today!

    AUDIO: Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman reveals the group used their road band to play on their new album, Tornado. 

    LBT (new album) OC: …and calculate. :42

    “What I love this time is we used our road band. You know, Nashville has the most incredible musicians in the world, but this time we decided to use the guys that travel with us on all our shows, and it gave it such a fresh spirit. Everybody was just out there having fun and just putting out the very, very best that they had, and it was so creative. We rehearsed with them for four days – long hours – and then we cut for the next three in a row. And then of course, we did a little bit of work afterwards. But for those seven days, we worked our little tails off, and had so much fun, and I think you can hear the spontaniety and the energy and the freshness in the music. There wasn’t a lot of time to think and calculate.”

  • DIERKS BENTLEY GIVES INSIDE LOOK AT “DIAMONDS MAKE BABIES!” (VIDEO)

    “Diamonds Make Babies” is one of the tracks on Dierks Bentley‘s new album, Home, and it was written by Jim Beavers, Chris Stapleton and Lee Thomas Miller. It’s one of six songs on Home that Bentley didn’t write, even though he says he wrote about 70 songs while making the album.

    “All my friends are songwriters and musicians,” Bentley says. “It’s fun to have them included in this record, have them be part of the story and to find songs that made the album feel like it had a unique center to it.”

  • ALAN JACKSON, DARIUS RUCKER AND MANY MORE ADDED AS PRESENTERS FOR THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    Alan Jackson, Darius Rucker and Deana Carter are among the famous faces who have been announced as presenters for this year’s CMA Awards. They’re joined by Trace AdkinsIngrid Andress, Kelsea Ballerini, Lauren Daigle, Russell Dickerson, Faith Fennidy, Florida Georgia LineFreddie Freeman, Amy GrantDulé Hill,  Elle King, Lady A, Zachary Levi, Scotty McCreery, Hayley Orrantia, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie,  Susan SarandonSaycon Sengbloh, Kurt WarnerLainey Wilson, and Trisha Yearwood.

    With 20 unforgettable performances from some of the biggest names in music, “The 55th Annual CMA Awards” is not to be missed. Artists taking the CMA Awards stage include Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood, Jimmie Allen, Gabby Barrett, Dierks Bentley feat. BRELAND and HARDYBrothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Mickey Guyton feat. Brittney Spencer and Madeline Edwards, Jennifer Hudson, Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion, Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, Chris Young and Kane Brown, and Zac Brown Band.

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

  • BROTHERS OSBORNE RECRUIT ACTOR-COMEDIAN LESLIE JORDAN FOR THEIR NEW MUSIC VIDEO.

    Brothers Osborne have recruited actor-comedian-Instagram star, Emmy Award-winning Leslie Jordan, for the new video for their song, “I’m Not For Everyone.”

    TJ Osborne and Leslie first collaborated on the actor’s gospel album, Company’s Comin’, which also featured Dolly Parton, Chris and Morgane Stapleton and Tanya Tucker.

    The duo, who recently released their current album Skeletons, are making their way across the country on the We’re Not For Everyone Tour with Travis Denning and Tenille Townes. Their next stops are in Asbury, New York on Thursday (August 19th), Bridgeport, Connecticut on Friday (August 20th) and Farmingville, New York on Saturday (August 21st).

     

  • ACM AWARDS 2019: Luke Bryan

    Luke Bryan goes into this year’s ACM Awards with a pair of nominations. The two-time ACM Entertainer of the Year is once again nominated for Entertainer, and he’s also up for Single of the Year for his multi-week No. 1 “Most People Are Good.” The Georgia native is very proud of both nominations.

    “I’m very, very proud to be nominated for Entertainer of the Year at the ACMs. That’s always the highlight going out there. If I’m nominated for Entertainer of the Year, it’s such a big deal for me, but to have ‘Most People Are Good” nominated, is so, so special for me for my fans and the songwriters of that song and to have the opportunity to potentially win an ACM Award is such a big deal for me. So excited.”

    Click here for more audio with Luke on his two ACM nominations.

    The 54th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 7th at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

    This spring Luke, who just released his new song “Knockin’ Boots,” continues at the judges table for the second season of ABC’s American Idol and will launch his “Sunset Repeat Tour” on May 31st with special guests Cole Swindell and Jon Langston. The tour will include Luke’s third trip to Gillette Stadium having performed two shows in July 2016 as part of his “Kill The Lights Tour” and his Foxborough debut in August 2014 in front of a sold out crowd on his “That’s My Kind Of Night Tour.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan is very excited to be nominated for two ACM Awards this year.

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    Luke Bryan (ACM 2019) OC: …so excited. :26
    “I’m very, very proud to be nominated for Entertainer of the Year at the ACMs. That’s always the highlight going out there. If I’m nominated for Entertainer of the Year, it’s such a big deal for me, but to have ‘Most People Are Good” nominated, is so, so special for me for my fans and the songwriters of that song and to have the opportunity to potentially win an ACM Award is such a big deal for me. So excited.”

  • JORDAN DAVIS NAMED BILLBOARD AND COUNTRY AIRCHECK’S TOP NEW COUNTRY ARTIST OF 2018.

    MCA Nashville’s hot newcomer Jordan Davis has been named Billboard’s Top New Country Artist of 2018. Spurred by the massive success of Jordan’s No.1 Platinum-Certified debut single, “Singles You Up,” Billboard cites impressive streaming numbers along with radio chart success as the criteria for the top honor. Jordan was also recently named the Country Aircheck/Mediabase Most Heard New Artist of 2018 at country radio.

    Since its release, “Singles You Up” has accumulated almost 300 Million streams worldwide after sitting on the Spotify US Viral chart for over a month (peaking at No.2) in addition to hitting the Spotify Global Viral chart. “Singles You Up” is featured on the Louisiana native’s debut albumHome State which also includes his current infectious Top 15 single “Take It From Me.”

    2018 has been a whirlwind year for the singer/songwriter with highlights including national TV appearances on TODAY as well as Late Night With Seth Meyers, making his Grand Ole Opry debut, charting his first No.1 hit on country radio and embarking on his first headlining “White Wine and Whiskey Tour”.

    Critics and audiences alike continue to praise Jordan’s unique blend of classic lyric-writing melded with tech-tinged production. All Accessnotes, “Davis is one of those artists that has a distinctive voice that pairs perfectly with his ability to say things in a new, fashionable way.”Rolling Stone praises Jordan for “melding the songcraft of artists like John Prine and Jim Croce with the genre’s pop progressiveness.”

    Jordan recently wrapped touring with Kip Moore as part of the “After The Sunburn Tour” and will next hit the road with Old Dominion on the “Make It Sweet Tour” kicking off in Chicago on January 18. For additional information please visit, www.jordandavisofficial.com

    Fans can click HERE to listen to Home State.

  • COUNTRY STARS REACT TO THE HORRIFIC TRAGEDY IN LAS VEGAS.

    Words are still hard to come by, emotions and unfamiliar feelings are flooding our hearts and souls and trying to process the horrific tragedy at the Rt. 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas on Sunday night (October 1st) is still something that we can’t quite do and which will affect us the rest of our lives. The Country Music family, community, fans and friends around the world have been shaken to the core by the devastating carnage from Sunday night.

    It has taken days for me to post the following:

     

    Eric Church performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on Wednesday night (October 4th) and spoke eloquently and passionately about Sunday’s shooting in Las Vegas. He was one of the headliners at the Route 91 Harvest Festival and painted the picture of the fans who attended the festival. He dedicated “Why Not Me,” a song he wrote this week, to Sonny Melton, the Paris, Tennessee man who died protecting his wife from the bullets that were being sprayed into the crowd of festivalgoers. Check out the videos below.

     

    While he performed “Here On Earth” the other morning for a national radio show, he’s also healing folks by talking to them and really listening to them, as well as giving much needed blood to the American Red Cross.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ1oFBsBNdC/?taken-by=dierksbentley

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BZv-ybyBNni/?taken-by=davehaywoodla

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BZv53g7AAnW/?taken-by=littlebigtown

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BZwiG_WlbuE/?taken-by=ericpaslay

    https://twitter.com/ladyantebellum/status/915894375963549697

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BZv-lGSD_Yp/?taken-by=lukebryan

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BZv8EXUnfq6/?taken-by=eastoncorbin

    https://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain/status/914849889883914241

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/914749315712786432

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/914753059942789120

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BZvr-qYB–i/?taken-by=maddieandtae

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BZw4F-PA725/?taken-by=canaansmith

    https://twitter.com/MickeyGuyton/status/914793405917605888

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BZwORJcDgqs/?taken-by=samhuntmusic

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BZwFZiVjj4z/?taken-by=samhuntmusic

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BZroEAlFpFr/?taken-by=karenfairchild

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BZw8hDCD4Rc/?taken-by=ohgussie

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BZxeP_5HnSp/?taken-by=jonpardipics

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ1HQ4On0Vo/?taken-by=chrisstapleton

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BZwsEpVHTae/?taken-by=chrisstapleton

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BZv86RODLVu/?taken-by=jordandavisofficial

     

    Audio / Before performing “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” at Monday night’s Candlelight Vigil at Nashville’s Ascend Theater, Keith Urban offered hope and prayers from his family to everyone who was affected by Sunday night’s horrific tragedy in Las Vegas.

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    Keith Urban (Candlelight Vigil) OC: …in the world. 1:23
    “I I want to firstly offer the prayers and love of my whole family to everybody affected by last night’s horrific tragedy. I started this morning by finding out about it, and being shell-shocked all morning getting my kids ready for school. And our nine-year-old, as I was driving her to school this morning, said to, ‘Dad, you seem quiet.’ I said, ‘Yeah, it was a lot of people killed last night.’ She said, ‘Did you know any of them?’ I said, ‘Not that I know of.’ Then she said, ‘Well, why are you so sad?’ I said, ‘Well, first of all, these were innocent people horrifically taken. Secondly, they’re like family.’ It’s the one thing about country music that’s always been at the center of it. It is community. It’s about community. So, I did know those people in that way, and it just really hit me. I feel very grateful for this moment tonight to be able to put some light in the world.”

     

    Audio / Before performing "Go Rest High On That Mountain" at Monday night's Candlelight Vigil in Nashville, Vince Gill gave his thoughts to the horrific events of Sunday night.

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    Vince Gill (Candlelight Vigil) OC: …innocent people. :17
    Thank you for the opportunity to come and lift up 58 families who lost somebody last night. An honor to be here as a voice for the innocent. May we never lose our voice for innocent people.”

     

    Audio / Vince Gill's wife, Amy Grant, led a prayer at Monday night's Candlelight Vigil in Nashville to honor those who lost and risked their lives Sunday night in Las Vegas.

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    Amy Grant (Candlight Vigil) OC: …each other. Amen. 2:21
    Father in Heaven, thank you for the gift of each other. Thank you that none of us is born alone or dies alone. But you go before us and beneath us and beside us and within us. Thank you for loving arms that were there to catch every fallen child, man and woman. Thank you for your presence that never leaves us. Thank you for word said over and over again, ‘Fear not.’ ‘Fear not.’ Father, in silence, we lift up, we just imagine all of the people rebuilding their lives. Broken. Grieving. And as a group, I don’t even know how to imagine lifting them all up, but I’m just picturing us almost like slinging them on our backs, lifting them up in our arms to the light of your love. We lift them up now, God, in silence. We lift up grieving spouses, God. We lift up moms and dads grieving the loss of a child, a son and a daughter. We lift up the doctors and nursing attending to the hundreds of people recovering. Give us the grace, God, every day, to see each other. To see each other. To see our differences. To see our similarities. To observe. To learn rather than judge. Fill our hearts with courage to not be afraid. To love, love, love. Thank you that you began this story that we’re all a part of, and you will finish it. And it began in love, and it will end in love. Thank you for the gift of each other. Amen.”

    Video / Eric Church performs "Why Not Me" on the Grand Ole Opry.

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    Video / Eric Church honors the victims and heroes and fans at Sunday night's horrific tragedy in Las Vegas.

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  • ERIC CHURCH CELEBRATES WITH FANS DURING A SURPRISE FILLED WEEK.

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (June 15, 2015) – Even by Eric Church’s always-rising expectations, last week was a pretty damn good week.

    The acclaimed country rocker known for his blue-collar attitude put in extra work last week with some of his most memorable performances, partied with Church Choir members at a secret party and raised more than $20,000 for his Chief Cares charity fund.

    Church capped a week of heartfelt and personal performances on Sunday night at the CMA Music Festival at LP Field where he started his set with Little Feat’s “Sailin’ Shoes” and finished the night with a surprise  performance during Keith Urban’s set of their shared #1, “Raise ‘Em Up.” The Little Feat cover was part tribute to his favorite band and part history lesson for fans who may not know of that seminal rock ‘n’ roll group’s impact on modern country music and Church’s own sound.

    “I’m a huge Lowell George fan,” Church said of Little Feat’s late guitarist. “There are two huge influences on my life, The Band and Levon Helm, and Lowell George is my favorite guitar player ever. He’s just my guy. I grew up on those records. To me, musically that’s the DNA of who I am and that’s the DNA currently of what country music should be.”

    The week of memorable performances started Wednesday night when the North Carolina native performed his latest single “Like a Wrecking Ball” – a performance that will be immortalized as the music video, premiering on CMT this Wednesday – from 2014’s smash success The Outsiders at the CMT Music Awards before walking across Lower Broadway to Ryman Auditorium for Marty Stuart’s Late Night Jam.

    There he played The Band’s “The Weight” for fans and caught everyone by surprise by offering an off-the-cuff cover of Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” with that quartet’s Karen Fairchild and Phillip Sweet along with special guests Chris and Morgane Stapleton.

    “It was when (Stuart) welcomed Eric Church onstage a little after 1:00 a.m. that the evening truly heated up, reenergizing a crowd that had taken their seats hours earlier,” Rolling Stone wrote of the night, noting of “Girl Crush”: “Here was country’s preeminent alpha male singing the year’s most sultry torch song – and the fans hearty enough to still be awake ate it up. Fairchild stepped in to finish the song, balancing Church’s growl with her own purr.”

    Then on Friday night, Church pulled another surprise out of his ball cap, opening his own The Outsiders World Tour stop for a record crowd at The Amphitheater at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama. He played an acoustic set for 45 minutes, then brought out his band for his regular show. He then joined Kenny Chesney’s The Big Revival Tour at the Georgia Dome on Saturday night in Atlanta before returning to Nashville with the Atlanta Journal Constitution raving, “Between his clenched fists and grimaces, it was obvious that Church feels every note he sings and plays,” before acknowledging, “Church offers a refreshing blast of originality in a country music market that can get mired in sterility.”

    Church also raised money for his own charity, opening “The Outsider’s Joint” pop-up store in East Nashville during the festival. Shoppers had a chance to buy rare and unique items, helping Church raise more than $20,000 for the Chief Cares 501c3 non-profit charity run by Church and wife Katherine. The charity serves more than 2.5 million people around the globe with charitable giving. For more information on Chief Cares Fund, visit http://www.ericchurch.com/chiefcares.

    Church will resume The Outsiders World Tour, which has already set five venue attendance records, on June 20 at the Black Diamond Harley-Davidson in Marion, Illinois. For a full list of tour dates, visit www.EricChurch.com.