• NEWS AND NOTES: Luke Bryan, Reba McEntire, Jon Pardi, Darius Rucker, Toby Keith, Mickey Guyton, Jordan Davis

    Luke Bryan, Reba McEntire, Jon Pardi, Darius Rucker, Toby Keith and many others are featured on Hardy’s latest HIXTAPE: Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE in tribute to the late Joe Diffie. Using Joe’s archived recordings for the album, several country artists joined forces to bring Joe’s recordings back to life.

    Luke is  joined by Randy Houser on “Honky Tonk Attitude,” which Joe originally released in 1993.

    Reba, along with Jake Worthington, recorded “Is It Cold In Here?,” while Jon Pardi and Old Dominion collaborated on “Bigger Than The Beatles.” Darius and Hailey Whitters are featured on the song “Home.”

    For his final recording, Toby, along with Luke Combs, joined forces with Joe on “Ships That Don’t Come In.”

     

    Mickey Guyton received a special delivery from Beyoncé on the day her Cowboy Carter album was released. Mickey posted photos of a huge bouquet of flowers and a card that read, “Thank you for opening doors for me, queen. Love and respect, Beyoncé.”

     

    Jordan Davis has some famous fans, including Peyton Manning, NFL great Jason Kelce and new Philadelphia Eagle Jordan Davis. Another famous fan — actor Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar, Designated Survivor, House) was on the Kelly Clarkson Show recently, and said he was really into Jordan’s music. Take a look at the video clip below.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Kacey Musgraves, Reba McEntire, Eric Church

    Tune In for Kacey Musgraves on Sunday Today With Willie Geist this Sunday (March 10th) at 8am ET and 6am PT on NBC.

     

    Reba McEntire takes us behind-the-scenes of getting ready to sing the National Anthem at this year’s Super Bowl.

     

    Eric Church will perform during the All-Star Tribute to Jimmy Buffett in L.A. next month. Keep The Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett, which will take place  at the Hollywood Bowl on April 11th, will also feature performances, in addition to Eric, by such artists as Paul McCartney, the Eagles, Kenny Chesney, Sheryl Crow, Jon Bon Jovi, Pitbull, Zac BrownJake Owen and Mac McAnally, who was a long-time member of Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band. Tickets go on sale on Friday (March 15th).

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Kacey Musgraves

    Reba McEntire returns as a Coach for Season 25 of The Voice tonight (February 26th) after making her red-chair debut on the show in Season 24. Check out the season premiere beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on NBC.

     

     

    What is Keith Urban up to? He posted a cryptic message on his socials this morning (February 26th) saying, “hey…what are you doin’ right now?” The image in the post is a clock with its hands at 2:45 with

    I’M OUT TONIGHT
    AND I’M FEELIN’ LIKE
    I SHOULD CALL YOU UP
    AND MAYBE TAKE A SHOT
    THAT YOU’RE WIDE AWAKE
    AT A QUARTER TO 3

     

    Luke Bryan and his fellow American Idol judges — Katy Perry and Lionel Richie — were stunned on Sunday night (February 25th) when Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter, Emmy Russell, auditioned for the popular competition show. She performed an original song about an eating disorder called “Skinny,” and all three judges sent her to Hollywood with a golden ticket.

     

    Don’t forget to catch Kacey Musgraves performing on NBC’s Saturday Night Live this Saturday (March 2nd). Actress Sydney Sweeney (Anyone But You, Euphoria, The White Lotus) will host. Check local listings for time.

     

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Kacey Musgraves, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, Little Big Town

    Kacey Musgraves just revealed on socials she will be the musical guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live on March 2nd. Actress Sydney Sweeney (Anyone But You, Euphoria, The White Lotus). This will be Kacey’s third musical performance on the long-running show.

     

    Reba McEntire will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 63rd annual Western Heritage Awards at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City on April 13th. Reba’s late father, Pro Rodeo Hall of Famer and three-time world champion steer roper Clark Vincent McEntire, was posthumously inducted by Red Steagall (who discovered Reba singing the National Anthem 50 years ago) into the Hall of Great Westerners in 2019.


    Darius Rucker
    ‘s episode of CMT’s Campfire Sessions will air this Friday (February 23rd) at 10pm ET/9pm CT. He performs several of his hits in stripped-down acoustic versions in front of an actual campfire.

    The members of Little Big Town are guest-hosting Apple Music Country’s The Kelleigh Bannen Show this week through Thursday (February 22nd).

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • 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).

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Eric Church, Josh Ross, Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves, Alan Jackson

    Eric Church will perform the post-race concert on July 13th during the IndyCar Weekend taking place July 12th – 14th at the Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa.

    Josh Ross has released a performance video for his song, “Truck Girl.”

     

    Reba McEntire just loves her Tater Tots. In fact, she and her boyfriend, actor Rex Linn, have nicknames for each other: she is Tater Tot and Rex is Sugar Tot. So, Sonic Drive-In has partnered with the Queen of Country on a new combo meal, Reba’s Sweetheart Meal, just in time for Valentine’s Day. The special meal will be available beginning Monday (February 12th) at participating restaurants. The limited-edition meal, which includes a Sonic cheeseburger with everything on it, a side order of Tots and a new Chocolate Covered Strawberry Shake, will be available through March 3rd.  “My boyfriend Rex and I have known each other since 1991,” she says in a press release. “After getting reacquainted in 2020 at a dinner, he found out I love tots! That started my nickname, ‘Tater Tot.’ My little sister, Susie, gave Rex the name ‘Sugar Tot.’ So now, we’re The Tots! Sugar and Tater. We both love tots, especially at SONIC! They are our absolute favorite. We even spent our most memorable Valentine’s Day dinner at SONIC and will do the same this year. We encourage others to make special Valentine’s memories at SONIC this year too! Just like Sugar and Tater.”

     

    Kacey Musgraves just announced her new album, Deeper Well, which will come out March 15th. Now she’s offering a special Zine packaging that has photos, lyrics, thoughts behind the songs and the album CD. It will be available on her website, at Barnes & Noble Bookstores and Indie record stores.

    New merch for Deeper Well is also available.

     

    Kacey Musgraves will appear on NBC’s TODAY Show on March 15th.

     

    Alan Jackson announced on his socials that he and his wife Denise will become grandparents for the second time later this year. His daughter Mattie and her husband Connor Smith are expecting their first child — a boy — in June. Daughter Ali gave birth to a son — Jackson Alvie Bradshaw — in 2022.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • REBA McENTIRE PREPARING TO SING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AT THIS YEAR’S SUPER BOWL.

    Reba McEntire has been preparing to perform the National Anthem at Sunday’s (February 11th) Super Bowl. The first thought that she had when she found out she was going to do this was to decide what to wear. She got hooked up with one of her favorite designers, Ralph Lauren, who she’s never met before.

    “Well, for us to get ready to sing the National Anthem, of course we had to find out what I was going to wear,” she says. “So, (prominent fashion designer) Cristina Ehrlich, oh man, she hooked us up with Ralph Lauren to make my outfit for me to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. I have never met Ralph Lauren, and I am so excited because I’ve been a huge fan of him for many, many years and that I’m gonna get to wear a Ralph Lauren outfit, it’s oh, just so exciting. Then Adam Blackstone put the music together for me and we were gonna do it acapella, but Adam said, no, it might be better with the band, so we have that ready to go, and now, it’s just let’s get there and start singing.”

    The Country Music Hall of Famer also had a little help from her boyfriend, actor Rex Linn, on getting ready for the Big Game and told the press earlier on Thursday (February 8th) some of her tips on being prepared to perform on such a huge stage. “I prepare by being prepared. I’ve been singing the National Anthem in the shower, when we get in the car,” says Reba. “Rex, my boyfriend, is a huge football fan, played all sports when he was going to school, and he’ll say, ‘Ok, sing it one more time.’ I said, ‘I think I know the words real good right now, so I’m alright.’ But just to be prepared and know that everybody’s gonna be singing it with me, that helps. If I know if they’re singing along and they’re remembering and having fun too, that’s easier on me, but just to be prepared when you walk out there.”

    The global superstar explains how honored she is to perform the National Anthem on Sunday. “I am honored beyond words to be chosen to get to sing it,” she says. “It means that I get to sing a very special song for all Americans, people all around the world, who have really worked so hard for our freedom and to give us peace, and it’s not about me. I’m the representation of this song, and I’m just honored to get to sing it. It’s a good one. I’ve been doing it for 50 years, and I’m really proud to get to sing it.”

    Check out all the action from the Big Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on CBS. The kickoff is scheduled for 6:30pm ET/5:30pm CT, but make sure to tune in early to catch Reba performing the National Anthem, as well as Post Malone performing “America the Beautiful” and Andra Day singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire reveals she will wear a Ralph Lauren outfit to perform the National Anthem at the Super Bowl.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (preparing to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl) OC: …start singing. :43
    “Well, for us to get ready to sing the National Anthem, of course we had to find out what I was going to wear. So, (prominent fashion designer) Cristina Ehrlich, oh man, she hooked us up with Ralph Lauren to make my outfit for me to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. I have never met Ralph Lauren, and I am so excited because I’ve been a huge fan of him for many, many years and that I’m gonna get to wear a Ralph Lauren outfit, it’s oh, just so exciting. Then Adam Blackstone put the music together for me and we were gonna do it acapella, but Adam said, no, it might be better with the band, so we have that ready to go, and now, it’s just let’s get there and start singing.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire says she's honored to be chosen to sing the National Anthem at this year's Super Bowl.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Super Bowl press conference) OC: …to sing it. :29
    “Well, it means a lot. I haven’t sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. I am honored beyond words to be chosen to get to sing it. It means that I get to sing a very special song for all Americans, people all around the world, who have really worked so hard for our freedom and to give us peace, and it’s not about me. I’m the representation of this song, and I’m just honored to get to sing it. It’s a good one. I’ve been doing it for 50 years, and I’m really proud to get to sing it.”

    Audio / At today's Super Bowl press conference, Reba McEntire was asked if she had any tips for Post Malone and Andra Day for being prepared to perform on such a big stage. ****NOTE: The host of the PC laughs in a few places during the soundbite.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (tips to prepare) OC: …walk out there. :31
    “Well, I prepare by being prepared. I’ve been singing the National Anthem in the shower, when we get in the car. Rex, my boyfriend, is a huge football fan, played all sports when he was going to school, and he’ll say, ‘Ok, sing it one more time.’ I said, ‘I think I know the words real good right now, so I’m alright.’ But just to be prepared and know that everybody’s gonna be singing it with me, that helps. If I know if they’re singing along and they’re remembering and having fun too, that’s easier on me, but just to be prepared when you walk out there.”

  • REBA McENTIRE IS A HUGE FOOTBALL FAN, AND THE APPRECIATON FOR THE SPORT STARTED EARLY.

    Reba McEntire is a huge football fan, and the megastar has had an appreciation for the sport ever since she was in high school performing with her sisters and brother during the games.

    “I’ve always liked football, even in high school,” says Reba. “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.”

    The Country Music Hall of Famer says her boyfriend is really big into watching college football and could be even more excited than she is at performing the National Anthem at this year’s Super Bowl. “My boyfriend, (actor) Rex Linn, absolutely loves college football,” she says. “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.”

    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 her early relationship with football.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (football fan) OC: …at the Super Bowl. :46
    “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.”

  • 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.

    Download

    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.”

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Tyler Hubbard, Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Brothers Osborne, Darius Rucker and more

    According to several media reports, initially by TVLine.comReba McEntire is returning to the small screen in a scripted show. She’s teaming up with her Reba Executive Producer and writer to reportedly work on a pilot for NBC. Reba will star as a woman who “inherits her father’s restaurant and is less than thrilled to discover that she has a new business partner in the half-sister she never knew she had.” She’s no stranger to TV, as she also headlined Malibu Country and recently recurrances on CBS’ Young Sheldon and joined the cast of ABC’s Big Sky for its third and final season, as well as serving as a coach on NBC’s The Voice and in last year’s Lifetime movie, The Hammer.

    Tyler Hubbard is set to perform at Family Gras in Metairie, Louisiana on Sunday (February 4th). The three-day festival, taking place Friday (February 2nd), Saturday (February 3rd) and Sunday, will also feature performances by Amy Grant, Cheap Trick, the Oak Ridge Boys and Amanda Shaw, among others.

    Reba McEntire, boyfriend Rex Linn, friends and family had their third annual Chili Cookoff recently, and the superstar unfortunately came in LAST place. However, she still got a trophy, which featured a chili pepper mounted on top of a mini toilet. Check out the behind-the-scenes below.

    Eric Church and Sam Hunt will headline this year’s Lasso in the City in Montreal August 16th and 17th. Tyler Hubbard, Kip Moore, Josh Ross, The War And Treaty, Dalton Dover, Dustin Lynch, Nate Smith, Brett Young and many others will also perform. Tickets are on sale now.

    Brothers Osborne will perform at the 2024 Symphony Fashion Show in Nashville on April 23rd. The fundraiser for the Symphony will showcase the Fall 2024 collection from clothing designer Prabal Gurung.

     

     

    Darius Rucker recently chatted with the CBC about his latest album, Carolyn’s Boy, Hootie & The Blowfish and much more.

     

    Taylor Swift has been named Billboard‘s No. 1 on their 2024 Power 100 List. Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2023 has made history on the charts, in stadiums, in movie theaters and more, and she’ll continue to do so as her Eras Tour resumes its world domination in February. Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group worldwide, is ranked No. 2.

  • REBA McENTIRE FINDS ACTING UNIQUELY CREATIVE.

    Reba McEntire not only has a string of hits, a bookshelf full of awards, a clothing line, a restaurant, books and more, but she also has acting credits a mile long. Reba finds acting to be another kind of creative outlet and enjoys stepping into a role because she gets to be a different character.

    “It’s another creative outlet – that’s why I love acting,” she says. “When I did ‘Annie Get Your Gun,’ I got to sing, I got to act, but I also got to be another character. I wasn’t Reba McEntire, so that’s what I really enjoy doing – being outside my character.”

    She is celebrating an anniversary on Friday (January 26th) of when she first took over in the title role of Broadway’s Annie Get Your Gun in 2001 at the Marquis Theater. She followed Bernadette Peters, Susan Lucci and Cheryl Ladd in the role, while Ethel Merman originated the role on Broadway in 1946. The Oklahoma native brought back nearly a 100% theater capacity in audience and captured the hearts of Broadway critics, as well.

    Reba heads to Las Vegas to sing the National Anthem at this year’s Super Bowl on February 11th and will return to The Voice for Season 25 on February 26th on NBC. She’ll be joined by fellow coaches John Legend, Chance the Rapper and Dan + Shay on NBC.

    Audio / Reba McEntire says acting is another creative outlet for her.

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    Reba McEntire (acting creative outlet) 2 OC: …outside my character. :15
    “It’s another creative outlet – that’s why I love acting. When I did ‘Annie Get Your Gun,’ I got to sing, I got to act, but I also got to be another character. I wasn’t Reba McEntire, so that’s what I really enjoy doing – being outside my character.”

  • 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).

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, The War And Treaty, Kenny Rogers and more.

    Keith Urban has just announced as the headlining performer for the NBA Crossover pregame concert as part of the NBA All-Star Weekend February 17th at the Indiana Convention Center. on will perform at the Indiana Convention Center as part of the NBA All-Star Weekend in February.

    Reba McEntire has just released a new collection at Dillards, including a new horse motif cardigan, tops, jeans, dresses and more.

    The War And Treaty, along with Jelly Roll, Post Malone, Eddie Vedder and more, will perform at the second annual “Reportin’ For Duty” Leslie Jordan tribute concert at the Humble Baron in Shelbyville, Tennessee on February 17th. Proceeds will benefit epidermolysis bullosa research. Actor Leslie Jordan, who made his way into everyone’s hearts with his social posts during the pandemic, died suddenly from cardiac dysfunction while driving in October 2022.

     

    NOW That’s What I Call Country Classics 70s will be the latest installment in the popular NOW series and the 5th in the Country Classics series. The project, a joint venture between Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, will be available on both CD and vinyl on March 1st. NOW That’s What I Call Country Classics 70s will include country superstars – Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Glen Campbell, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Linda Ronstadt, Tanya Tucker, Don Williams and many more. The vinyl LP will be available in translucent orange color. Find the track list below.

    TRACK LIST:

    SIDE A

    1) Rhinestone Cowboy- Glen Campbell
    2) The Gambler- Kenny Rogers
    3) Take Me Home, Country Roads- John Denver
    4) Jolene- Dolly Parton
    5) Coal Miner’s Daughter- Loretta Lynn
    6) Rose Garden- Lynn Anderson
    7) Delta Dawn- Tanya Tucker
    8) Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Cowboys- Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson
    9) Hello Darlin’- Conway Twitty

    SIDE B

    1) Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue- Crystal Gayle
    2) Blue Bayou- Linda Ronstadt
    3) Smokey Mountain Rain- Ronnie Milsap
    4) Wildfire- Michael Martin Murphy
    5) Every Which Way but Lose- Eddie Rabbit
    6) It Must Be Love- Don Williams
    7) When You’re Hot, Your Hot- Jerry Reed
    8) Take This Job and Shove It- Johnny Paycheck
    9) The Devil Went Down to Georgia- Charlie Daniels Band

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Bryce Leatherwood,Kylie Morgan, Carrie Underwood

    Dierks Bentley is helping those affected by the devastating tornadoes that hit Middle Tennessee over the weekend. He posted a link o his socials to donate to The Community Foundation of Tennessee. Click here for more information.

    Darius Rucker appeared on the season finale of Fox’s Snake Oil on Wednesday (December 13th).

    Keith Urban will perform his hit “Blue Ain’t Your Color” during The Voice finale December 19th. In addition, Season 22 winner Bryce Leatherwood will perform his major record label debut song “The Finger,” while the show’s coaches — Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani, John Legend and Niall Horan — will perform the Christmas classic, “Let It Snow!” Jelly Roll and Dan+Shay will also perform during the finale of The Voice, which will air December 19th at 9pm ET/8pm CT on NBC.

    Kylie Morgan is among the performers for a benefit show, “Unplugged For Tennessee: A Tornado Relief Benefit Concert,” at Nashville’s legendary Exit/In. Hardy, Nate Smith, Dylan Marlowe, Alanna Springsteen, Chayce Beckham, Abby Anderson and Kylie’s husband Jay Allen will also perform during the acoustic show on Sunday (December 17th). Doors open at 6:30pm CT; show starts at 7:30pm CT. For more information, click here.

    Jon Langston will headine the first annual Nashville Dance Fest January 26th – January 28th.

    Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain and others reveal the iconic song that forever changed their lives and career during CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown this weekend. You can find out more on Saturday (December 16th) and Sunday (December 17th) at 9am ET/8am CT on CMT.

     

     

  • REBA MCENTIRE, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, BRENDA LEE, LITTLE BIG TOWN, JOSH TURNER, MADDIE & TAE, PARKER MCCOLLUM AND TYLER HUBBARD SOLO READS OF “TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.”

    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Reba McEntire.

    Audio / REBA McENTIRE READS "TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS."

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    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Carrie Underwood.

    Audio / CARRIE UNDERWOOD READS "TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS."

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    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Brenda Lee.

    Audio / Here's a (DRY) read of "'Twas The Night Before Christmas" from the iconic Brenda Lee.

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    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Josh Turner.

    Audio / JOSH TURNER READS "TWAS THE NIGHT BEFOR

    Download

    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Maddie & Tae.

    Audio / MADDIE & TAE "TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS."

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    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Parker McCollum.

    Audio / PARKER MCCOLLUM "TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS."

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    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Tyler Hubbard.

    Audio / TYLER HUBBARD "TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS."

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  • COUNTRY STARS ALAN JACKSON, ANNE WILSON, BRAD PAISLEY, BRENDA LEE, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, DARIUS RUCKER, DIERKS BENTLEY, GEORGE STRAIT, JON PARDI, KEITH URBAN, LUKE BRYAN AND REBA MCENTIRE JOIN FORCES FOR FIRST RESPONDERS CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION.

    For the third year in a row, country music’s biggest artists are giving back during the holiday season through a charitable holiday campaign led by Universal Music Group. This year, for the first time, the “Music 4 Good” holiday campaign extends across several Universal Music Group labels and features artists from multiple genres. Country stars participating include Alan Jackson, Anne Wilson, Brad Paisley, Brenda Lee, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, George Strait, Jon Pardi, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan and Reba McEntire.

    Each of the stars have each donated “Once in a Lifetime” VIP experiences (fly-aways, VIP concert experiences, exclusive merchandise and more) to benefit First Responders Children’s Foundation and as well as other charitable organizations. A portion of the sponsors’ proceeds will provide scholarships and mental health services to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. Select packages also benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame, The Store, and C.A.T.S. Foundation.

    Each VIP experience is available for bidding online at charitystars.com/umg through January 12, 2024. Some of the experiences this year include Carrie Underwood’s “REFLECTION: The Vegas Residency 2024” Experience; Darius Rucker’s Hootie & The Blowfish “Ultimate Fan Flyaway;” Jon Pardi’s “Country Fan Fest MEGA VIP Experience;” Keith Urban’s “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Getaway;” and Reba McEntire’s “The Voice” VIP Experience.  The full list of country packages is below.

     Alan Jackson – “Ultimate Nashville VIP” Experience

    • Roundtrip airfare for two people to Nashville, Tennessee
    • A 6 Day / 5 Night hotel stay in Nashville, TN valid from June 5-10, 2024
    • Two 4-Day Passes to CMA Fest 2024
    • Two tickets to the Grand Ole Opry
    • Two tickets to the Country Music Hall Of Fame
    • Hand-signed Stetson Straw Cowboy Hat
    • Hand-signed Let It Be Christmas vinyl and Alan Jackson silhouette t-shirt (XL)
    • $100 bar credit for AJ’s Good Time Bar
    • AJ’s Good Time Bar merch pack
    • Silverbelly gift pack including an engraved Silverbelly barrel head, Silverbelly bar mat set, whiskey glasses, and more

     

    Anne Wilson – “Mother’s Day Weekend Getaway”

    • Four $200 vouchers from Southwest Airlines towards airfare to 30A (Florida’s Panhandle)
    • A 3 Day / 2 Night hotel stay in 30A at The Pearl Hotel for May 10-12, 2024
    • ‘The Polished Pearl’ Spa Package including
      • 50-minute Pearl Perfection Massage (with warm stones added)
      • Pearl Miracle Moisturizing Facial
      • Illumination Hand Treatment
    • $1000 Ultimate Mattel Toy Package For All Ages including toys from American Girl
    • A personalized video message from Anne Wilson thanking you for your donation
    • Hand-signed acoustic guitar
    • Hand-signed “My Jesus” vinyl
    • Anne Wilson “Rebel” merch pack including a long sleeve t-shirt (XL), trucker hat, sticker bundle, and patch bundle

     

    Brad Paisley – “Country Music Flyaway”

    *Also benefits The Store

    • $1000 gift card towards round trip airfare to the city of your choice to see Brad Paisley in concert
    • $500 gift card towards hotel accommodations
    • Two of Brad Paisley’s personal “Friends & Family” tickets to the show of your choice in 2024*
    • Two Meet & Greet passes to meet Brad Paisley
    • Hand-signed New ‘Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster – Silver Sparkle’ valued at $1550
    • Hand-signed “Son Of The Mountains” CD & vinyl
    • Brad Paisley merch pack

     

    Brenda Lee – “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree At Rockefeller Center” VIP Experience

    • Roundtrip airfare for two people to New York, NY
    • A 3 Day / 2 Night stay in New York, NY
    • Two Ultimate Rockefeller Center Christmas 2024 Experience Tickets which include:
      • A private, guided VIP tour of Rockefeller Center at Christmastime
      • Two Top Of The Rock admission tickets (would have to confirm what ticket level comes with this)
      • Indulgent drinks and bites in your own private rink-side chalet beneath the glowing Rockefeller Center Christmas tree
      • Skating on the iconic rink
      • A private moment on the Center Plaza to enjoy and take photos with the Christmas Tree
    • $1000 Ultimate Mattel Toy Package For All Ages including toys from American Girl, Barbie, Hot Wheels and much more!
    • Hand-signed Brenda Lee “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” vinyl
    • Brenda Lee merch pack including “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” wrapping paper, Christmas mug, Christmas tree ornament, and T-shirt (XL)

     

    Carrie Underwood – “REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency 2024” Experience

    *Also benefits C.A.T.S. Foundation

    • Roundtrip airfare for 2 to Las Vegas, NV
    • A 3 day / 2 night stay at Resorts World Las Vegas, valid through Aug 24, 2024*
    • 2 tickets to a mutually agreed upon show for REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency 2024
    • $150 dining credit at a Resorts World Las Vegas restaurant
    • Hand-Signed Denim & Rhinestones (Deluxe Edition) vinyl
    • Hand-Signed Denim & Rhinestones Deluxe Edition CD w/ T-shirt
    • My Gift ornament set (Red & Silver)
    • 1-year free subscription to Carrie’s “fit52” fitness app

     

    Darius Rucker (Hootie & the Blowfish) – “Ultimate Fan Flyaway”

    • $1000 gift card towards round trip airfare to the city of your choice to see Hootie & the Blowfish in concert in 2024
    • $500 gift card towards hotel accommodations
    • Two of Darius Rucker’s personal “Friends & Family” tickets to the show of your choice in 2024*
    • Two Meet & Greet passes to meet Darius Rucker in person
    • Hand-signed acoustic guitar
    • Hand-signed “Carolyn’s Boy” CD and vinyl
    • Darius Rucker merch pack including a Carolyn’s Boy Cassette T-shirt (XL), a Darius Rucker Star Patch Hat, Southern Comfort Candle Set, and a Maroon Logo Koozie
    • Hootie & the Blowfish merch pack including a Garnet Aloha Tee (XL), a Surf Trucker Hat, a Goin’ Home candle and a Tour Koozie (Purple)

     

    Dierks Bentley – “Gravel & Gold” Flyaway

    • $1000 gift card towards round trip airfare to the city of your choice to see Dierks in concert
    • $500 gift card towards hotel accommodations
    • Two of Dierks Bentley’s personal “Friends & Family” tickets to the show of your choice in 2024*
    • A personalized video message from Dierks Bentley thanking you for your donation
    • Hand-signed Fender Player Telecaster Red guitar
    • Hand-signed “Gravel & Gold” CD Box Set and hand-signed “Gravel & Gold” vinyl
    • Dierks Bentley merch pack including two “Gravel & Gold” camper mugs, a “Gravel & Gold” hat, and a “Gravel & Gold” vinyl slipmat

     

    George Strait – “King Of Country” Vegas Flyaway

    • Roundtrip airfare for two people to Las Vegas, NV
    • A 3 Day / 2 Night hotel stay in Las Vegas, valid from December 6-8, 2024
    • Two of George Strait’s personal “Friends & Family” tickets to see George Strait on December 7, 2024
    • $150 Dining credit
    • Hand-signed George Strait Line Resistol Cowboy Hat
    • George Strait Vinyl Box Set
    • George Strait merch pack including a George Strait Heather Denim Silhouette Tee, a George Strait black 3-D logo ballcap, a George Strait blue 20 oz tumbler, and a 2024 George Strait calendar

     

    Jon Pardi – “Country Fan Fest MEGA VIP Experience”

    • Roundtrip airfare for two people to Salt Lake City, UT
    • A 6 Day / 5 Night hotel stay in Salt Lake City, UT, valid July 23-28, 2024
    • Two 4-Day MEGA VIP Passes to Country Fan Fest 2024
      • 4-Day MEGA VIP Pass grants entry to Country Fan Fest 2024 Wednesday, July 24-Saturday July 27, 2024
      • Exclusive access to the MEGA VIP Party Pit
      • Access to air-conditioned VIP lounge
        • VIP Lounge is open on concert days, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
        • VIP Lounge is open for catered Lunch & dinner: Thursday, Friday & Saturday (included)
      • Re-entry into the Main Concert Grounds is allowed all day
      • Access to the campgrounds is included. Campsite is not included with this pass.
    • Two Meet & Greet passes to personally meet Jon Pardi
    • Hand-signed Fender Player Telecaster Butterscotch guitar
    • Hand-Signed “Merry Christmas From Jon Pardi” CD & Vinyl
    • Jon Pardi Merch Pack including one Beer For Santa t-shirt (XL), one Beer For Santa ornament, and one set (2) of Merry Christmas From Jon Pardi pint glasses

     

     

    Keith Urban – “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Getaway”

    *Also benefits the Country Music Hall of Fame

    • Roundtrip airfare for two people to New York, NY
    • Hotel room for a 4 Day / 3 Night stay in NYC from November 27-30, 2024
    • Two tickets to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade viewing in Bryant Park (including front row view along 6th Avenue, between 40th-42nd streets.)
    • Two invitations to join children and relatives of fallen heroes at the annual First Responder’s Children’s Foundation pre-parade breakfast and awards ceremony at the Bryant Park Grill
    • Two tickets to the 2024 Christmas Spectacular featuring the Radio City Rockettes
    • A personalized video message from Keith Urban thanking you for your donation
    • Hand-signed personalized Keith Urban Acoustic Yamaha guitar
    • Keith Urban merch pack including a KU Black Tote Bag, KU Live Crew Neck (XL), Keith Urban Double Sided Scarf, Keith Urban Jigsaw Puzzle & KU Peace Sign Notebook

     

    Luke Bryan – “#1 Fan” VIP Experience

    • $1000 gift card towards round trip airfare to the city of your choice to see Luke Bryan in concert
    • $500 gift card towards hotel accommodations
    • Two of Luke Bryan’s personal “Friends & Family” tickets to the show of your choice in 2024*
    • A personalized video message from Luke Bryan thanking you for your donation
    • Hand-signed custom skinned acoustic guitar
    • Hand-signed “#1’s” Volume 1 & Volume 2 Vinyl Box Set
    • Luke Bryan merch pack including a Luke Bryan Camo blanket, a Luke Bryan camo hat, and a Country On Can Cooler

     

    Reba McEntire – “The Voice” VIP Experience

    • Roundtrip airfare for two people to Los Angeles, CA
    • A 3 Day / 2 Night hotel stay in Los Angeles, CA
    • Two VIP Tickets to a Season 25 “The Voice” Live Show including a meet & greet with Reba McEntire at her coach’s chair*
    • Two tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood
    • Hand-signed The Ultimate Christmas Collection CD & vinyl + Hand-signed Not That Fancy
      Box Set
    • Reba McEntire merch pack including a Reba Tote, a Team Reba Fancy T-Shirt (XL), a Team Reba ballcap, an Ultimate Christmas Litho, and an Ultimate Christmas Mug

     

    ABOUT FIRST RESPONDERS CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION
    First Responders Children’s Foundation is a national foundation that provides programs and resources that address the specific needs of first responders and their families. The Foundation focuses on four key areas: Scholarships, Financial Assistance Grants; a Mental Health Resilience Program; and Community Engagement. The Foundation was founded over 21 years ago in response to 9/11 when 800 children lost a first responder parent. Additional information about FRCF can be found at www.1stRCF.org and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @1strcf.

  • CHRISTMAS 2023: Reba McEntire

    Reba McEntire has graced us with a couple of Christmas collections, including 1995’s Merry Christmas to You and 2006’s Secret of Giving: A Christmas Collection, as well as last year’s compilation, Ultimate Christmas Collection.

    She recalls one of her favorite Christmas memories when she was a young girl in Oklahoma. “The funniest thing I can always remember about Christmastime is my older brother Pake, when we were kids at home, he’d always be the first one to jump out of bed and run down the hall, and he’d just run down the hall with his underwear on,” she says. “And he’d say, ‘If y’all don’t hurry up and get up and get in here, I’m opening all the presents by myself.’ But he knew it was a standing rule we all had to be in there before anybody could open up a present, but I can still see Pake running down the hall.”

    When her son Shelby was just a little boy, she recalls one Christmas morning when he was so excited about what “Santy Claus” brought him. “I’ll never forget one (Christmas) morning I woke up and I was laying on my left side and I felt something, and I opened up my eyes, and Shelby was three inches away from my face. He said, ‘Mom, you’re not gonna beweive what Santy Claus weft for me.’ And so, he said you’ve got to come here. I got up out of bed and went in there and there was this little tractor trailer set that he had just fallen in love with at the store. He’s seen it, and he said, ‘I can’t beweive he bought this for me.’ He was so cute.”

    Even though she grew up with a real tree, these days Reba prefers to put up an artificial tree. “I definitely have an artificial tree, because when we were growing up, we’d all go out on the ranch and cut down a Christmas tree, bring it in and then we had to water it every other day – make sure the coffee can was full of water – and the cedar needles got everywhere, so nowadays I just go with an artificial tree…and two, I can leave it with the lights on half the year.”

    The Country Music superstar likes to leave her Christmas tree up long after the presents have been unwrapped and put away. “How long do I leave my Christmas tree and decorations up? Well, after Christmas I am so in tune with the sparkly lights, I leave the lights on and take the Christmas ornaments off. It keeps it really festive.”

    In 2013, Kelly Clarkson asked her buddies Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood to join her on “Silent Night” during her NBC Christmas special. Reba said it was her favorite holiday song to sing. “I love ‘Silent Night.’ I love it, mainly because I got to sing it with my two buddies, Kelly Clarkson and Trisha Yearwood.”

     

    Reba reveals her favorite holiday movie stars Chevy Chase. “It has to be Christmas Vacation. I absolutely love it. We always watched it on Christmas Eve, and the kids would just sit there and watch it over and over and over. Sometimes, we even watch it in July.”

    Catch Reba as coach on NBC’s The Voice, which  airs Mondays at 8pm ET/PT and Tuesdays at 9pm ET/PT.

     

    Audio / Reba McEntire grew up in Oklahoma along with her sister Susie and brother Pake. She recalls one of the family’s funniest Christmas memories.

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    Reba McEntire (Pake) OC: …down the hall.  :22
    “The funniest thing I can always remember about Christmastime is my older brother Pake, when we were kids at home, he’d always be the first one to jump out of bed and run down the hall, and he’d just run down the hall with his underwear on. And he’d say, ‘If y’all don’t hurry up and get up and get in here, I’m opening all the presents by myself.’ But he knew it was a standing rule we all had to be in there before anybody could open up a present, but I can still see Pake running down the hall.”

    Audio / REBA MCENTIRE RECALLS A CUTE CHRISTMAS MEMORY OF HER SON SHELBY WHEN HE WAS JUST A CHILD.

    Download

    Reba (Christmas memory of Shelby) OC: …he was so cute! :28
    “I’ll never forget one (Christmas) morning I woke up and I was laying on my left side and I felt something, and I opened up my eyes, and Shelby was three inches away from my face. He said, ‘Mom, you’re not gonna beweive what Santy Claus weft for me.’ And so, he said you’ve got to come here. I got up out of bed and went in there and there was this little tractor trailer set that he had just fallen in love with at the store. He’s seen it, and he said, ‘I can’t beweive he bought this for me.’ He was so cute.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire says these days she prefers an artificial Christmas tree.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (artificial tree) OC: …half the year. :24
    “I definitely have an artificial tree, because when we were growing up, we’d all go out on the ranch and cut down a Christmas tree, bring it in and then we had to water it every other day – make sure the coffee can was full of water – and the cedar needles got everywhere, so nowadays I just go with an artificial tree…and two, I can leave it with the lights on half the year.”

    Audio / REBA MCENTIRE TALKS ABOUT LEAVING HER CHRISTMAS TREE UP AFTER THE HOLIDAYS.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (leaving Christmas tree up) OC: …really festive. :13
    “How long do I leave my Christmas tree and decorations up? Well, after Christmas I am so in tune with the sparkly lights, I leave the lights on and take the Christmas ornaments off. It keeps it really festive.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire says the favorite Christmas song she's ever sang is "Silent Night," which she performed with pals Kelly Clarkson and Trisha Yearwood.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (favorite Christmas song to sing) OC: …Yearwood. :08
    “I love ‘Silent Night.’ I love it, mainly because I got to sing it with my two buddies, Kelly Clarkson and Trisha Yearwood.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about her favorite Christmas movie.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (favorite Christmas movie) OC: …in July. :11
    “It has to be Christmas Vacation. I absolutely love it. We always watched it on Christmas Eve, and the kids would just sit there and watch it over and over and over. Sometimes, we even watch it in July.”

  • 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.

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: George Strait, Jon Pardi, Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, The War And Treaty, Mickey Guyton

    George Strait and Jon Pardi will take part in a tribute show celebrating the late singer-songwriter-musician-producer Keith Gattis at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl on Tuesday (November 28th). Sheryl Crow, Wade Bowen, Randy Houser, Dean Dillon, Jack Ingram and Kendell Marvel, among others will also perform.

    During a recent television taping, Jon Pardi‘s Aunt Shane got to meet her idol, Wynonna, and she couldn’t have been more excited.

    Reba McEntire joined Willie Geist for his TODAY Show Sunday Sitdown on NBC on Sunday (November 26th) to share details on her emotional moment at Madison Square Garden concert and her first big break in music. She also talked about her new book “Not That Fancy,” which is chock-full of stories about family, friends and parties with Solo cups.

     

    Sam Hunt and his wife Hannah Lee Fowler welcomed their second child earlier this month. Sam revealed Baby Hunt No. 2 had arrived with a social post, writing, “Thank you, Lord.”

    The War And Treaty (Michael and Tanya Trotter) performed a stunning rendition of the National Anthem on Thanksgiving Day ahead of the Detroit Lions versus Green Bay Packers game.

     

    Mickey Guyton is set to host the National Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington, D.C. on Thursday (November 30th). This year’s special holiday event will feature performances by Darren Criss, Samara Joy, Ledisi, Reneé Rapp, St. Vincent, Joe Walsh and Dionne Warwick, as well as performances by the United States Coast Guard’s Guardians Big Band. CBS will broadcast the event on December 15th and you can stream it live on Paramount+.

  • REBA MCENTIRE CAPTIVATES AT GRAND OLE OPRY AND RYMAN AUDITORIUM FOR “NOT THAT FANCY” WEEKEND.

    Reba McEntire celebrated a “Not That Fancy” weekend with back-to-back appearances at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium in celebration of her new book and album, both titled Not That Fancy.

    Reba kicked things off Saturday night as she headlined the Grand Ole Opry, performing songs featured on her new album. Reba’s record label UMG Nashville honored her with a plaque for her hit “Fancy” being certified RIAA double platinum and surpassing 400 million streams.

    Left image: Reba is honored with a plaque for “Fancy” being certified RIAA Double Platinum. (L-R: Reba’s manager Justin McIntosh, UMG Nashville CEO Cindy Mabe and Reba McEntire)

    Sunday night, she took to the Ryman stage with her Reba co-star Melissa Peterman for “Not That Fancy: An Evening with Reba & Friends” to talk about her new book. Reba delighted fans with personal stories, laughs, and a special performance. The night even included a few surprise guests as her boyfriend Rex, son Shelby, friend Marci and siblings Alice and Pake joined her on stage. Reba was honored with a plaque for her book landing on the New York Times Bestseller list. The title also landed on bestseller lists with The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Publishers Weekly.

    “An homage to her faith, family, and Oklahoma upbringing (Booklist), Not That Fancy is a “lifestyle guide that has a sense of humor” (Garden & Gun). Purchase the book HERE.

    For the accompanying album Not That Fancy, Reba teamed up with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to record stripped-down versions of some of her most iconic songs, “making room for McEntire’s voice to shine” (American Songwriter). The 14-track collection features a brand new single “Seven Minutes In Heaven,” an homage to Reba’s mother. Listen to the album now HERE.

  • 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.

     

     

     

     

  • REBA McENTIRE TAKES FANS BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF THE EMOTIONAL VIDEO FOR “SEVEN MINUTES IN HEAVEN.”

    Reba McEntire‘s emotional and poignant video for her new song, “Seven Minutes In Heaven,” 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.

    In the video, she sits in a booth with a woman who resembles her mother from the back, and it was a pretty emotional day for the superstar. “I picked out the lady to play mama, Eleanor. She did a great job. And she was a sweetheart to get to work with,” says Reba. “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.”

    “Seven Minutes in Heaven” comes off Reba’s Not That Fancy album, a companion to her book of the same title. The project also includes stripped down versions of “The Fear Of Being Alone,” “I’m A Survivor,” “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” “Fancy” and “Consider Me Gone,” among others.

    In other news, you can get a chance to livestream her sold-out Not That Fancy: An Evening with Reba & Friends event live from Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium on Sunday through Veeps.com. The special event will be hosted by her friend and Reba co-star Melissa Peterman and will feature personal stories from Reba from her new book, Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots. The Country Music Hall of Famer will also perform several songs, including “Seven Minutes in Heaven.”

     

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about the music video for "Seven Minutes In Heaven."

    Download

    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.”

  • REBA MCENTIRE’S “NOT THAT FANCY” LANDS ON THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER LISTS.

    Reba McEntire’s new lifestyle book “Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots,” has topped The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, following its October 10th release. “An homage to her faith, family, and Oklahoma upbringing (Booklist), the book is a “lifestyle guide that has a sense of humor” (Garden & Gun). Purchase the book HERE.

    Additionally, her accompanying album Not That Fancy shot to the No. 1 spot on the Current Country Album chart. Reba teamed up with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to record stripped-down versions of some of her most iconic songs, “making room for McEntire’s voice to shine” (American Songwriter). The 14-track collection features a brand new single “Seven Minutes In Heaven,” an homage to Reba’s mother. Watch the music video HERE. Listen to the album now HERE.

    Amidst all buzz, Reba’s iconic hit “Fancy” – the namesake for the new book and album – surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Brothers Osborne, Jon Pardi, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Mickey Guyton

    Reba McEntire‘s new book, Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Life, Love, Eating and Dusting Off Your Boots, has landed on the New York Times Best Sellers List.

    Reba McEntire joined her fellow Voice coach Gwen Stefani as she receives her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last week.

     

    Jon Pardi appears on CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown talking about his new single, “Cowboys And Plowboys” with Luke Bryan. Tune in on Saturday (October 21st) and Sunday (October 22nd) at 9am ET/8am CT.

     

    Darius Rucker appears on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Monday (October 23rd). He talks about his new album, Carolyn’s Boy, his favorite Halloween costume, Halloween candy and if he believes in ghosts. Check your local listings for times.

     

     

    Brothers Osborne will perform on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday (October 23rd). NFL greats and sports commentators Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long, as well as actor-comedian Ronny Chieng, will also appear on the show. (check local listings for times)

    George Strait and Jon Pardi will take part in a tribute show celebrating the late singer-songwriter-musician-producer Keith Gattis at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl November 28th. Sheryl Crow, Wade Bowen, Randy Houser, Dean Dillon, Jack Ingram and Kendell Marvel, among others will also perform.

    Comedian Nate Bargatze appeared on NBC’s TODAY Show on Monday to talk about his first time hosting Saturday Night Live (this weekend), his Be Funny comedy tour and much more.

     

     

    Mickey Guyton recorded a new holiday duet with Michael Bolton. “Christmas Isn’t Christmas” is out now and will be featured on the pop singer’s new album, Christmas Time, which will be available November 3rd.

    https://twitter.com/MickeyGuyton/status/1715428193044234576

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Eric Church, Jon Pardi, Parker McCollum, Darius Rucker

    Reba McEntire appeared on NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers on Wednesday night (October 12th). She talked about The Voice, her mom, her new album and book, Not That Fancy: Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating and Dusting Off Your Boots, her favorite tater tots “recipe,” the corn mazes reflecting her image and her restaurant, Reba’s Place.

     

    This weekend, Eric Church, Jon Pardi, Parker McCollum and Maren Morris are set to headline the 2023 GoldenSky Country Music Festival at Discovery Park In Sacramento, California. Jon and Maren lead the way on Saturday (October 14th), while Eric and Parker will be the closers on Sunday (October 15th). Jordan Davis, Lainey Wilson, Wynonna Judd, Jackson Dean, Megan Moroney and many others will also perform.

    Darius Rucker performed “Have A Good Time” from his new album, Carolyn’s Boy, on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Thursday night (October 13th).

     

    Darius Rucker will livestream his last show on his Starting Fires Tour from Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater on Saturday (October 14th). Tickets are available now at veeps.com.

    Darius has a few more upcoming media appearances including:

    • October 17th: ABC “ABC News Live Prime”
    • October 23rd: NBC “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (interview only)
    • November 1st: ABC “Nightline”

     

     

  • REBA McENTIRE’S NEW BOOK, NOT THAT FANCY, IS AVAILABLE NOW.

    Reba McEntire‘s new lifestyle book, NOT THAT FANCY: LESSONS ON LIVING, LOVING, EATING AND DUSTING OFF YOUR BOOTS, is available now. The book contains personal stories, photos, lifestyle tips, recipes and so much more.

     

    The Oklahoma native was first signed to a solo record deal with PolyGram/Mercury Records in Nashville in 1975. With a series of single and album releases, it wasn’t until her fifth album did she have her first chart-topper, “Can’t Even Get the Blues.” Up until that moment — and even after — she performed anywhere she could.

    “From hearing that first song on the radio, I spent the next seven years traveling around playing anywhere I could living on greasy burgers and corn dogs at truck stops and county fairs from Los Angeles to Boston, seven years of performing at fairs, rodeos and honkytonks, singing over bar brawls and tractor pull competitions and even bull sales; seven years of patience before I had a real hit, ‘Can’t Even Get the Blues,'” Reba recalls in her new book. “That was in January of 1983. Even with that hit, the first time I headlined my own show in 1984, only 800 people showed up. I actually lost money. I had to write a check to get out of town, because I didn’t sell enough tickets. I thought, ‘Welcome to the big time, little girl.’ I sure did appreciate the few who did show up, though. Thank God for that McEntire determination.”

    Women in the music business in the music business in the ’70s and ’80s and earlier didn’t really have a say in their career or what songs they would record. However, Reba really started taking control when she heard the song “Can’t Even Get The Blues,” which her producer played for her, but he was going to have her male labelmate, Jacky Ward (“Fools Fall in Love”), record. Reba persevered and the song became her first No. 1 hit.

    “I knew the boys in the business were all picking their own songs and producers and running their tours they way they wanted to, why couldn’t I? Then one day my producer Jerry Kennedy played me a song called ‘Can’t Even Get the Blues.’ It was uptempo, sassy and strong, a real departure from the waltzes I’d been recording,” she recalls. “I loved it from the first moment I heard it, but he intended it for Jacky Ward, my fellow labelmate. ‘Why wouldn’t you pitch me a song like that,’ I asked him. ‘You’d record that?’ I said, ‘Heck yeah, I would.’ So, we did. It became the second single on Unlimited, my fifth album, and it went to number-one. It was great to feel like I had a seat at the table for what I wanted my career to be.”

    Reba recently spoke to PEOPLE magazine and gave them the recipe for her chocolate chip cookies, which just so happens to be a favorite of her boyfriend, actor Rex Linn. Click here for the article and recipe.

    The Country Music Hall of Famer previously co-wrote a 1994 memoir titled Reba: My Story with Tom Carter and also authored a second biography, Comfort From a Country Quilt, in 1999.

    You can catch Reba every week as a coach on NBC’s The Voice.

     

    Audio / From the audio version of her new book, Not That Fancy, Reba McEntire is proud to be from Oklahoma.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (proud to be an Okie) OC: …like Oklahoma. :22
    “Now I’m going to tell you right now, I’m proud to be an Okie. To me there’s nothing better than sitting on the back porch looking out at the land that goes on for miles of beautiful sunset, and me just sipping on a glass of iced tea or whiskey and Sprite (laughs) with my friends and family. I don’t know what Heaven is gonna look like, but I hope it feels like Oklahoma.”

    Audio / From the audio version of her new book, Not That Fancy, Reba McEntire talks about the beginning of her music career.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (beginning of her career) OC: …McEntire determination. :55
    “From hearing that first song on the radio, I spent the next seven years traveling around playing anywhere I could living on greasy burgers and corn dogs at truck stops and county fairs from Los Angeles to Boston, seven years of performing at fairs, rodeos and honkytonks, singing over bar brawls and tractor pull competitions and even bull sales; seven years of patience before I had a real hit, ‘Can’t Even Get the Blues.” That was in January of 1983. Even with that hit, the first time I headlined my own show in 1984, only 800 people showed up. I actually lost money. I had to write a check to get out of town, because I didn’t sell enough tickets. I thought, ‘Welcome to the big time, little girl.’ I sure did appreciate the few who did show up, though. Thank God for that McEntire determination.”

    Audio / From the audio version of her new book, Not That Fancy, Reba McEntire talks about the point in her career where she took charge of her music and then scored her first No. 1 hit.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (A Seat At The Table) OC: …career to be. :47
    “I knew the boys in the business were all picking their own songs and producers and running their tours they way they wanted to, why couldn’t I? Then one day my producer Jerry Kennedy played me a song called ‘Can’t Even Get the Blues.’ It was uptempo, sassy and strong, a real departure from the waltzes I’d been recording. I loved it from the first moment I heard it, but he intended it for Jacky Ward, my fellow labelmate. ‘Why wouldn’t you pitch me a song like that,’ I asked him. ‘You’d record that?’ I said, ‘Heck yeah, I would.’ So, we did. It became the second single on Unlimited, my fifth album, and it went to number-one. It was great to feel like I had a seat at the table for what I wanted my career to be.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, The War And Treaty, Anne Wilson

    Reba McEntire will appear on NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers and Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live! on Wednesday (October 11th) to talk about her new book Not That Fancy: Lessons in Living, Loving, Eating and Dusting Off Your Boots, as well as her companion album and being a coach on NBC’s The Voice.

    Reba McEntire stopped by NBC’s TODAY Show for all three hours on Tuesday (October 10th). She talked about her new book, Not That Fancy: Lessons in Living, Loving, Eating and Dusting Off Your Boots, starting her music career, her mother and how she almost stopped singing after her mother passed in 2020.

     

    Darius Rucker will perform on CBS’ The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Thursday (October 12th).

    The War And Treaty are among the rotating opening acts for Zach Bryan on The Quittin’ Time 2024 Tour. They’ll open five shows in Los Angeles (2 nights), Boston, Orlando and Sunrise. The husband-wife duo, Michael and Tanya (pr. Tonya) Trotter also appear on “Hey Driver” from his recent self-titled album, which also features the No. 1 duet with Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything.”

    https://twitter.com/warandtreaty/status/1711457047789666431

     

    Anne Wilson, who just released her debut country single “Rain In The Rearview,” will join Scotty McCreery as direct support on his Cab In A Solo Tour early next year. The trek will kick-off at Hobart Arena in Troy, Ohio on January 26th, 2024 with stops in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston and more. Tickets go on sale this Friday (October 13th).

    https://twitter.com/ScottyMcCreery/status/1711733729566261486

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • REBA McENTIRE SET TO RELEASE HER NEW BOOK, NOT THAT FANCY: SIMPLE LESSONS ON LIVING, LOVING, EATING AND DUSTING OFF YOUR BOOTS.

    Reba McEntire will release her new lifestyle book, NOT THAT FANCY: LESSONS ON LIVING, LOVING, EATING AND DUSTING OFF YOUR BOOTS, on Tuesday (October 10th). “An homage to her faith, family and Oklahoma upbringing,” (Booklist) the book is an enchanting collection of funny, poignant and deeply personal stories, photos, lifestyle tips and recipes.

    From the audio version of her book, Reba gives a little insight into what lies within its pages. “That’s what I’m sharing in this book – the simple Oklahoma-style truths I keep coming back to and a bunch of good stories, photos and recipes that go along with ‘em,” she says. “So, if you’re looking to slow down, get back to basics and just have a heckuva lot of fun, then I think we’re gonna have a good time together in these pages. Come on in. Kick off your boots or leave ‘em on. I don’t care and learn how to bring a little of my Western-inspired life into your own. Let’s have a good time, alright?”

    Reba is determined to enjoy her life, both personally and professionally. “Everything I’m doing in my life from here on out – personal or professional, doesn’t matter – I’m gonna have fun,” she says. “Enjoying what we’ve been given is one of the best ways I know to honor the Lord. I’ve been blessed beyond measure, and I want to make sure to never stop letting God know just how thankful I am for the life he’s given me, especially those Not That Fancy things, because as I found, that’s where my heart is.”

    Tomorrow, we will have more of Reba talking about her career in music, taken from the audio version of her book.

    The Country Music Hall of Famer previously co-wrote a 1994 memoir titled Reba: My Story with Tom Carter and also authored a second biography, Comfort From a Country Quilt, in 1999.

    On Tuesday (October 10th), fans can tune in to catch Reba on TODAY at 8a ET/7a CT. On Wednesday (October 11th), Reba will appear on Late Night With Seth Meyers at 12:35a ET/11:35p CT. Reba will also appear on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, on Wednesday (October 11th) at 9p ET/8p ET.

    Audio / From the audio version of her new book, Reba McEntire introduces what fans can expect from Not That Fancy: Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating and Dusting Off Your Boots.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Introducing her book) OC: …good time, alright? :33
    “So, that’s what I’m sharing in this book – the simple Oklahoma-style truths I keep coming back to and a bunch of good stories, photos and recipes that go along with ‘em. So, if you’re looking to slow down, get back to basics and just have a heckuva lot of fun, then I think we’re gonna have a good time together in these pages. Come on in. Kick off your boots or leave ‘em on. I don’t care and learn how to bring a little of my Western-inspired life into your own. Let’s have a good time, alright?”

    Audio / From the audio version of her new book, Not That Fancy, Reba McEntire says she's going to enjoy all aspects of her life.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Enjoying Life) OC: …my heart is. :36
    “Singing will always remind me of Mama, and I feel like she’s right there with me when I’m singing, but I’m also doing it for fun again. Everything I’m doing in my life from here on out – personal or professional, doesn’t matter – I’m gonna have fun. Enjoying what we’ve been given is one of the best ways I know to honor the Lord. I’ve been blessed beyond measure, and I want to make sure to never stop letting God know just how thankful I am for the life he’s given me, especially those Not That Fancy things, because as I found, that’s where my heart is.”

    Audio / In the audio version of her book, Not That Fancy, Reba McEntire says her family were always learning, dreaming and working hard.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Learning, Dreaming and Working Hard) OC: …and go home. :20
    “Most of what you hope for in this life takes time and some good old-fashioned sticktoitiveness. None of us in the McEntire family were overnight successes. From generation to generation, we just kept learning, dreaming and working hard. One thing I’m sure of, good things won’t come to you if you just give up and go home.”

  • 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.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • REBA MCENTIRE KICKS OFF NOT THAT FANCY RELEASE FESTIVITIES WITH DEBUT OF NOT THAT FANCY ACOUSTIC ALBUM.

    Reba McEntire is kicking off an action-packed week of celebration with the release of her acoustic album Not That Fancy. Reba teamed up with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to record stripped-down versions of some of her most iconic songs, “making room for McEntire’s voice to shine” (American Songwriter). The 14-track collection also features a brand new single “Seven Minutes In Heaven.” Listen to the album now HERE.

    The album is the first offering for fans who are also awaiting next week’s Oct. 10 debut of Reba’s accompanying book Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots. “An homage to her faith, family and Oklahoma upbringing,” (Booklist) the book is an enchanting collection of funny, poignant, and deeply personal stories, photos, lifestyle tips, and recipes. Pre-order the book HERE.

    Tomorrow, October 7th, fans can catch Reba on CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown. On release day, Tuesday October 10th, fans can tune in to catch Reba on TODAY at 8a ET/7a CT. On Wednesday, October 11th, Reba will appear on Late Night With Seth Meyers at 12:35a ET/11:35p CT. Reba will also appear on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, on Wednesday, October 11th at 9p ET/8p ET.

    Fans can order a limited-edition Not That Fancy box set that includes a copy of the new book and album, along with a Reba-branded apron and Reba-branded stationary in a custom-made album themed box. Fans can also purchase limited edition vinyl via Barnes & Noble.

    NOT THAT FANCY track list:
    1.    The Fear of Being Alone (Acoustic Version)
    2.    Consider Me Gone (Acoustic Version)
    3.    Somebody Should Leave (Acoustic Version)
    4.    How Blue (Acoustic Version)
    5.    If You See Him, If You See Her with Brooks & Dunn (Acoustic Version)
    6.    Till You Love Me (Acoustic Version)
    7.    Seven Minutes In Heaven
    8.    The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia (Acoustic Version)
    9.    Does He Love You with Dolly Parton (Acoustic Version)
    10.    One Promise Too Late (Acoustic Version)
    11.    The Last One To Know (Acoustic Version)
    12.    New Fool At An Old Game (Acoustic Version)
    13.    I’m A Survivor (Acoustic Version)
    14.    Fancy (Acoustic Version)

     

    [[audio-player-1]]

     

  • REBA McENTIRE WILL RELEASE NOT THAT FANCY ALBUM ON FRIDAY; NEW BOOK ARRIVES ON OCTOBER 10TH.

    Reba McEntire releases NOT THAT FANCY on Friday (October 6th). For NOT THAT FANCY, Reba teamed up with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to record stripped-down versions of some of her most iconic songs. The 14-track collection will also feature a brand new single “Seven Minutes In Heaven.”

    The album is releasing in conjunction with Reba’s upcoming book Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots. Set to go on sale Tuesday (October 10th), the book is an enchanting collection of funny, poignant, and deeply personal stories, photos, lifestyle tips, and recipes from Reba.

    Not that Fancy includes over 50 recipes from Reba’s family traditions and her restaurant Reba’s Place; never-before-seen photographs and never-before-told stories from Reba’s personal and professional life and simple, not-that-fancy lifestyle tips.

    Fans can order a limited-edition Not That Fancy box set that includes a copy of the new book and album, along with a Reba-branded apron and Reba-branded stationary in a custom-made album themed box.

    Fans can also purchase limited edition vinyl via Barnes & Noble.

    NOT THAT FANCY track list:
    1.    The Fear of Being Alone (Acoustic Version)
    2.    Consider Me Gone (Acoustic Version)
    3.    Somebody Should Leave (Acoustic Version)
    4.    How Blue (Acoustic Version)
    5.    If You See Him, If You See Her with Brooks & Dunn (Acoustic Version)
    6.    Till You Love Me (Acoustic Version)
    7.    Seven Minutes In Heaven
    8.    The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia (Acoustic Version)
    9.    Does He Love You with Dolly Parton (Acoustic Version)
    10.    One Promise Too Late (Acoustic Version)
    11.    The Last One To Know (Acoustic Version)
    12.    New Fool At An Old Game (Acoustic Version)
    13.    I’m A Survivor (Acoustic Version)
    14.    Fancy (Acoustic Version)

    To celebrate the release of the new collection, her video for “Till You Love Me” has been remastered in HD.

     

     

    Audio / REBA MCENTIRE TALKS ABOUT "FANCY."

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Fancy) OC: …always a hit. :41
    “I fell in love with that song when Bobbie Gentry had it out in the late ’60s. It was a hit then, and it’s been a hit every time anybody listens to it. Everybody can relate to it; it’s a rags-to-riches song. I had wanted to do that song earlier, but not until I got with Tony Brown in 1990 to do this album (Rumor Has It), he had asked me, he said, ‘Are there any old songs you’d like to do a remake on?’ And I looked at him and said, ‘Yeah! Fancy!’ He said, ‘Omigosh! That’s my favorite song!’ So, we did this song, and it has just been with me forever. I just absolutely love it. I’ve recorded it. I’ve performed it many times, done it on television shows, and it’s always a hit.”

     

  • 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.

     

     

     

  • TUNE IN: Reba McEntire on America’s Got Talent

    Reba McEntire will perform on NBC’s America’s Got Talent on Wednesday (September 20th). Tune in beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on NBC.

     

     

    You can also catch Reba next Monday (September 25th) when Season 24 of The Voice premieres on NBC beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

    You can also pick up her new book, Not That Fancy, when it goes on sale October 10th with the companion album of the same name dropping October 6th. The album contains stripped down/acoustic versions of some of Reba’s biggest hits and was produced by GRAMMY-winning producer Dave Cobb. It will also include three new classic stripped down/acoustic songs that have never been released, along with a brand-new song, “Seven Minutes in Heaven.”

     

  • 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

     

  • REBA MCENTIRE PARTNERS WITH 40 FARMS NATIONWIDE FOR THEMED CORN MAZES IN CELEBRATION OF FALL BOOK LAUNCH.

    Reba McEntire is partnering with more than 40 farms across the country as they host Reba-themed corn mazes in celebration of her upcoming lifestyle book Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots. 

    While navigating the mazes, guests will look for clues and play an interactive game quizzing them on how much they know about the country music legend. Participants will enjoy photo opps, music and prizes along the way. The farms, which are designed by The MAiZE Inc. in 23 states across the U.S., will reach more than a million visitors during the fall season.

    For more information, visit https://themaize.com/pages/reba.

    “While l admit being in a corn maze is one of the more unique things I’ve ever been invited to be a part of, I couldn’t be more excited to be involved with some of the things that matter most to me – farming, family, and friends,” said McEntire. “Growing up on a ranch in Oklahoma, I know how important agriculture is and I love being involved with something that brings more people out to farms across the country for good wholesome fun!”

    Along with getting lost in the maze, guests will have the opportunity to enter to win a grand prize trip to Nashville for a one-night-only special event, “Not That Fancy: An Evening with Reba & Friends” set for November 5 at Nashville’s iconic Ryman Auditorium. The prize will also include a two-night stay at Hotel Fraye.

    Additionally, one winner from each farm will receive an autographed copy of Reba’s upcoming book Not That Fancy. Officially being released on Tuesday, October 10, the book is a collection of funny, poignant, and deeply personal stories, photos, tips, and recipes. On October 6, Reba will also release a corresponding album Not That Fancy with stripped-down versions of some of her most iconic songs as well as a brand-new track.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Priscilla Block

    Eric Church put on a once-in-a-lifetime special show at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington over the weekend. He played the entire Chief and Mr. Misunderstood albums from top to bottom.

    Carrie Underwood is set to perform on the Plaza Stage of NBC’s TODAY Show on Thursday (September 14th).

    Reba McEntire takes fans behind-the-scenes of the promo shoot for Season 24 of NBC’s The Voice. The new season premieres September 25th.

     


    Priscilla Block
    will perform at The Grand Ole Opry’s special show next month. Opry Goes Pink returns for its 15th anniversary October 10th, and will also feature performances from Carly Pearce, The Isaacs, Riders In The Sky and Gary Mule Deer. Carly will also flip the switch on the Opry’s barn backdrop and turn it pink for the special event. Five dollars from every ticket sold will go to Susan G. Komen to assist in the fight against breast cancer.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Mickey Guyton, Darius Rucker, Reba McEntire

    Mickey Guyton‘s official music video for “Nothing Compares To You” with Kane Brown premieres Thursday (September 7th) at Noon CT on Youtube.

    https://twitter.com/MickeyGuyton/status/1699574611657085052

     

    Darius Rucker will be inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville on October 4th at 11am CT. Darius’ favorite all-time wrestler, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, will be in attendance to induct the multi-platinum country superstar. Don McLean of “American Pie” fame, rock and roll guitarist Duane Eddy, and former record-label executive Joe Galante will also be inducted into the Walk of Fame, and the four become the 101st, 102nd, 103rd and 104th stars.  Inductees are recognized for their significant work of preserving the musical heritage of Nashville and for contributing to the world through song.

    ESPN’s College Game Day new theme song video, featuring Darius Rucker, Lainey Wilson and The Cadillac Three singing “Comin’ To Your City,” premiered last Saturday. Check it out here:

     

     

    Reba McEntire is being honored with a series of tribute corn mazes. With the release of Reba’s new book, Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots, and its companion album, Not That Fancy, 40 farms in 24 states will feature Reba-themed corn mazes. “While l admit being in a corn maze is one of the more unique things I’ve ever been invited to be a part of, I couldn’t be more excited to be involved with some of the things that matter most to me — farming, family, and friends,” says the country icon. “Growing up on a ranch in Oklahoma, I know how important agriculture is, and I love being involved with something that brings more people out to farms across the country for good wholesome fun!” The 5+ acre mazes are scheduled to open Saturday, September 16th, and people can enter to win a chance for a trip to Nashville. Click HERE for your chance to win and check out the 40 participating farms.

     

     

     

  • REBA McENTIRE TAKES HER THRONE ON NBC’S THE VOICE.

    Reba McEntire posted a video on her socials as her reign begins at NBC’s The Voice. She takes over from long-running coach Blake Shelton, who retired from the show earlier this year, and she joins fellow coaches Gwen Stefani, John Legend and Niall Horan.

    Season 24 of The Voice will premiere September 25th and 26th on NBC and streaming on Peacock.

    https://twitter.com/reba/status/1696550149328085091

    After serving as the Mega Mentor for Season 23, Reba will be sitting in the red chair for Season 24 and 25.

    Reba is set to release her upcoming lifestyle book Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots. Set to go on sale Tuesday, October 10th, the book is an enchanting collection of funny, poignant, and deeply personal stories, photos, lifestyle tips, and recipes.

    In conjunction with the book, Reba will release an accompanying album also titled NOT THAT FANCY. Reba teamed up with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to record stripped-down versions of some of Reba’s most iconic songs. The 14-track collection will also feature a brand new single “Seven Minutes In Heaven.” The album is set to release Friday, October 6th and is available to pre-order now: https://strm.to/NotThatFancy.

  • REBA MCENTIRE’S NOT THAT FANCY ALBUM AVAILABLE FOR DIGITAL PRE-ORDER NOW.

    Reba McEntire’s forthcoming album NOT THAT FANCY is available for digital pre-order today HERE. Reba also unveiled a new track from the album, the acoustic version of her hit “Till You Love Me.”

    For NOT THAT FANCY, Reba teamed up with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to record stripped-down versions of some of her most iconic songs. The 14-track collection will also feature a brand new single “Seven Minutes In Heaven.” The album is set to release Friday, October 6th.

    The album is releasing in conjunction with Reba’s upcoming book Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots. Set to go on sale Tuesday, October 10th, the book is an enchanting collection of funny, poignant, and deeply personal stories, photos, lifestyle tips, and recipes from Reba.

    Not that Fancy includes over 50 recipes from Reba’s family traditions and her restaurant Reba’s Place; never-before-seen photographs and never-before-told stories from Reba’s personal and professional life and simple, not-that-fancy lifestyle tips.

    Fans can order a limited-edition Not That Fancy box set that includes a copy of the new book and album, along with a Reba-branded apron and Reba-branded stationary in a custom-made album themed box.

    Fans can also purchase limited edition vinyl via Barnes & Noble.

    NOT THAT FANCY track list:
    1.    The Fear of Being Alone (Acoustic Version)
    2.    Consider Me Gone (Acoustic Version)
    3.    Somebody Should Leave (Acoustic Version)
    4.    How Blue (Acoustic Version)
    5.    If You See Him, If You See Her with Brooks & Dunn (Acoustic Version)
    6.    Till You Love Me (Acoustic Version)
    7.    Seven Minutes In Heaven
    8.    The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia (Acoustic Version)
    9.    Does He Love You with Dolly Parton (Acoustic Version)
    10.    One Promise Too Late (Acoustic Version)
    11.    The Last One To Know (Acoustic Version)
    12.    New Fool At An Old Game (Acoustic Version)
    13.    I’m A Survivor (Acoustic Version)
    14.    Fancy (Acoustic Version)

    About Reba McEntire
    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that includes music, television, film, theater, retail and hospitality. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has more than 50 award wins under her belt, earning honors from the ACM Awards, American Music Awards, People’s Choice Awards, CMA Awards, GRAMMY® Awards and GMA Dove Awards. Reba was also a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. Reba has celebrated unprecedented success including 35 career No.1 singles and more than 58 million albums sold worldwide. Reba earned her 60th Top 10 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, extending her record for the most Top 10 hits among female artists. Reba’s Top 10 success spans five straight decades, landing her in the singular group with only George Jones, Willie Nelson, and Dolly Parton who have the same achievement. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe® nominated actress has multiple movie credits to her name, a critically acclaimed lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun, and starred in the 6-season television sitcom Reba. Reba has also proven to be a savvy entrepreneur, with longstanding brand partnerships including her Dillard’s clothing line and western footwear collection REBA by Justin™. She has even added restauranteur to the list with Reba’s Place, a restaurant, bar, retail and entertainment venue in Atoka, Oklahoma. Reba will serve as a coach on Seasons 24 and 25 of NBC’s The Voice. For more information, visit www.Reba.com.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, The War And Treaty, Keith Urban

    If you missed Reba McEntire on tour, you can watch her historic performance on April 15th at Madison Square Garden — her first time headlining the iconic venue — this Sunday (August 13th) via an exclusive global streaming event via Veeps. Tickets for Reba McEntire: Live in Concert are available to purchase at Veeps.com/Reba for $19.99 or as part of an exclusive $44.99 bundle which includes a discounted pre-order of Reba’s upcoming book, “Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots.” The book is scheduled for release October 10th. All stream tickets for Reba McEntire: Live in Concert will include a 7-day rewatch window.

     

    The War And Treaty appeared on ABC’s GMA3 on Wednesday (August 9th). Michael and Tanya Trotter talked about their album, Lover’s Game, appearing on former President Barack Obama’s Summer Playlist, who made the first move and much more. They also performed a fiery version of their song “Ain’t No Harmin’ Me.”

     

    Keith Urban appears on CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown this weekend. The show airs Saturday (August 12th) and Sunday (August 13th) at 9am ET/8am CT.

    https://twitter.com/cmtHot20/status/1689411326504800256

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks Bentley, Priscilla Block, Jordan Davis, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill

    Dierks Bentley, Priscilla Block and Jordan Davis will be featured on CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown this weekend. Catch all the action this Saturday (July 29th) and Sunday (July 30th) beginning at 9am ET/8am CT.

     

    Jordan Davis will be featured on CMT’s Summer Sessions performing some new songs as well as some of his biggest hits on August 4th.

     

    Carrie Underwood supported husband and former NHL player, Mike Fisher, as he was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame earlier this week.

     

     

    Reba McEntire will livestream her recent show from Madison Square Garden with Veeps. If you purchase tickets for the event, you can also pre-order her book, “Not That Fancy” at a special price. For more information, go to veeps.com/reba.

     

     

    Vince Gill and Paul Franklin will talk about their new project, Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys on TalkShop Live on Monday (July 31st) beginning at 7pm ET/6pm CT.

     

     

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Eric Church, Josh Turner

    Reba McEntire is ready for her chair-turn as a coach on the new season of The Voice. It was announced that Season 24 of the competition show will have a two-night premiere on Monday, September 25th and Tuesday, September 26th.

     

    Eric Church and Josh Turner will be featured on this weekend’s CMT Hot 20 Countdown. Tune in on Saturday (July 22nd) and Sunday (July 23rd) at 9am ET/8am CT on CMT.

    Toby Keith will receive the first-ever “Country Icon Award” at this year’s first People’s Choice Country Awards. The award, presented by Blake Shelton, will be given to Toby for his work as a musician, humanitarian and entrepreneur. The People’s Choice Country Awards, hosted by Little Big Town, will air live from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House September 28th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on NBC and Peacock.

  • REBA MCENTIRE ANNOUNCES SPECIAL RYMAN EVENT “NOT THAT FANCY: AN EVENING WITH REBA & FRIENDS.”

    Reba McEntire will celebrate the release of her upcoming lifestyle book with a one-night-only special event, “Not That Fancy: An Evening with Reba & Friends” set for November 5th at 7:30 pm at Nashville’s iconic Ryman Auditorium.

    Reba’s former Reba co-star Melissa Peterman will host the event, which will be an evening of stories with Reba at the Mother Church. All tickets will include a complimentary copy of Reba’s new book: Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots. Tickets go on sale HERE on Friday (July 14th).

     

    https://twitter.com/theryman/status/1678808837908725780

    Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots is set to release Tuesday, October 10. It is an enchanting collection of funny, poignant, and deeply personal stories, photos, tips, and recipes from Reba McEntire.

    Not That Fancy includes over 50 recipes (desserts, meats, sides, and cocktails) from Reba’s family traditions and her restaurant Reba’s Place (Atoka, Oklahoma); never-before-seen photographs and never-before-told stories from Reba’s personal and professional life (ranching with her Daddy, pranks with Brooks & Dunn, falling in love over a plate of tater tots); and simple, not-that-fancy lifestyle tips (how to achieve Reba’s signature hairstyle, design a down-to-earth date night, play a mean game of cards). Learn more at NotThatFancy.com.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Eric Church, Jordan Davis

    Darius Rucker and the Hootie & The Blowfish just celebrated the 29th anniversary of their 1994 debut album Cracked Rear View on July 5th.

     

    Following yesterday’s premiere of “CMA Fest: 50 Years of Fan Fair” on Hulu, the Country Music Association revealed the documentary will make its broadcast debut  July 18th at 9pm ET/8pm CT on ABC. The 75-minute special, which features Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Dolly Parton, Wynonna Judd, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton and many others, explores the festival’s 1972 debut of Fan Fair.

    https://twitter.com/CountryMusic/status/1676969763548037123

    Keith Urban has been announced as one of the nominees for the 2023 class for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He’s nominated alongside Steven Curtis Chapman, Martie Maguire and Gillian Welch and David Welch (nominated as a team) in the Contemporary Songwriter/Artists category. The 53rd Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala will take place October 11th at the Music City Center. The nominees for the Contemporary Songwriters category are Casey Beathard, Shawn Camp, Jim Collins, Don Henry, David Lee Murphy, Leslie Satcher, Darrell Scott and Victoria Shaw.

    Jordan Davis released his Apple Music Sessions live EP on Thursday (July 6th). You can watch him perform “Tucson Too Late,” “Church In A Chevy” and a cover of Foy Vance’s “Guiding Light” (which features special guest Sam Hunt).

     

    Eric Church has been announced as part of a new group of Nashville city leaders of a 16-person Music City Host Committee whose goal is to book high-profile events for the upcoming enclosed Tennessee Titans stadium in Nashville. The committee includes former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, Tennessee State University head football coach Eddie George and many others, to look at a potential Super Bowl, the 2031 NCAA Men’s Final Four and a college football National Championship game reportedly on the list, according to the Nashville Business Journal.

     

    Bill Anderson will be celebrated by the Grand Ole Opry as the longest-serving Opry member in the show’s history on July 22nd. Vince GillJamey JohnsonJeannie SeelyRicky Skaggs are scheduled to perform.

     

  • 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.

     

  • REBA MCENTIRE FEATURED ON NBC’S THIRD ANNUAL “INSPIRING AMERICA” NETWORK SPECIAL.

    Superstar Reba McEntire was featured on NBC’s third annual “Inspiring America” network special, which aired over the weekend. Click here to watch.

    “Inspiring America” celebrates remarkable individuals, including newsmakers, celebrities, athletes, philanthropists, and everyday people who have been an inspiration over the past year. The special spotlighted Reba’s involvement with Reba’s Place, a new venue that is revitalizing Reba’s hometown of Atoka, Oklahoma with help from a family friend and the Choctaw Nation.

    Over the weekend, Reba made multiple appearances at CMA Fest and was featured as Artist of the Day. Reba performed at Spotify House and delighted fans with a surprise appearance at Nissan Stadium during Cody Johnson’s set. The two performed Reba’s chart-topping hit, “Whoever’s in New England,” giving “a dynamic performance worthy of a jet-engine roar of a standing ovation.” (Tennessean) Reba also appeared at the CMA Close Up Stage, where she shared stories from her forthcoming lifestyle book, Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots, due in October.

    Video /

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Maddie & Tae, Reba McEntire, Jon Langston, Luke Bryan

    Maddie & Tae have been announced as one of the performers during this year’s A Capitol Fourth, which will take place on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. The Independence Day celebration will also feature performances by Chicago, Boyz II Men, Belinda Carlisle, Babyface, Charles Esten, the Broadway cast of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamon Musical and the National Symphony Orchestra. The 90-minute live event, featuring host Alfonso Ribeiro, will air beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT July 4th on PBS. The special will also air on the American Forces Network and will stream on PBS.org and YouTube and available on-demand from July 4th-18th.

    Reba McEntire made a surprise appearance during Cody Johnson’s set at Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest over the weekend. Cody presented the Country Music Hall of Famer with a gold plaque for their duet, “Dear Rodeo.”

    Luke Bryan surprised Jon Langston on stage during his set at the Skydeck at Fifth & Broad over the weekend during CMA Fest. The superstar presented Jon with a gold plaque for his song, “All Eyes On Us.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Mickey Guyton

    Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban are among the artists participating in the new documentary, “CMA Fest: 50 Years of Fan Fair,” which tells the story of country music’s longest-running festival. Premiering June 5th on Hulu, the 75-minute special features exclusive one-on-one interviews, never-before-seen archival content and CMA Fest Performances from the last 50 years. “CMA Fest: 50 Years of Fan Fair” will also feature Bill Anderson, Kelsea Ballerini, BRELAND, Brooks & Dunn, Shy Carter, Luke Combs, Wynonna Judd, Miranda Lambert, Patty Loveless, Mark Miller of Sawyer Brown, Craig Morgan, Lorrie Morgan, Dolly Parton, Carly Pearce, Jeannie Seely, Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Lainey Wilson, Trisha Yearwood and Chris Young, among others. CMA Fest will celebrate its milestone 50th anniversary June 8-11, 2023, in downtown Nashville, featuring hundreds of artists performing across multiple stages.

     

    Brad Paisley will perform at the second annual Beachlife Ranch festival, taking place in Redondo Beach, California, September 22nd – 24th. The Doobie Brothers, Jack Johnson, Wynonna Judd, Midland and Shooter Jennings will also perform.

     

    Mickey Guyton, Trisha Yearwood and CMT’s Leslie Fram will be honored by Save The Music and SongFarm.org for their contributions to the music industry and music education at Nashville’s 4th annual “Hometown to Hometown” event June 5th at City Winery. Caylee Hammack, Kelsea Ballerini, Brittney Spencer and more will perform. All proceeds will benefit music technology programs in Nashville, Georgia and Texas.

  • REBA MCENTIRE SET TO JOIN NBC’S ‘THE VOICE’ AS COACH FOR SEASON 24.

    THE VOICE — “The Knockouts Premiere” Episode 2311 — Pictured: Reba McEntire — (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)

    After serving as the Mega Mentor for Season 23 of NBC’s ‘The Voice,’ Reba McEntire will continue her run with the beloved competition, signing on as a coach for Season 24. Reba will draw from her iconic career as she shares her expertise with hopeful up-and-comers, joining veteran coach John Legend and returning coaches Niall Horan and Gwen Stefani.

     

    Reba is set to release her upcoming lifestyle book Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots. Set to go on sale Tuesday, October 10, the book is an enchanting collection of funny, poignant, and deeply personal stories, photos, lifestyle tips, and recipes.

    In conjunction with the book, Reba will release an accompanying album also titled NOT THAT FANCY. Reba teamed up with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to record stripped-down versions of some of Reba’s most iconic songs. The 14-track collection will also feature a brand new single “Seven Minutes In Heaven.” The album is set to release Friday, October 6 and is available to pre-order now: https://strm.to/NotThatFancy.

  • REBA MCENTIRE AND BROOKS & DUNN RELEASE ACOUSTIC VERSION OF “IF YOU SEE HIM, IF YOU SEE HER” IN CELEBRATION OF SONG’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY.

    Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn have released an acoustic version of their chart-topping hit “If You See Him, If You See Her” in celebration of the song’s 25th anniversary. The superstars teamed up with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to record a stripped-down version of the iconic track, available HERE.

    The original song was the lead single on both Reba’s album “If You See Him” and Brooks & Dunn’s “If You See Her,” released concurrently by different record labels in 1998. The monumental hit soared to the top of the country charts, holding the No. 1 spot for back-to-back weeks. The duet was sparked by their in-demand multi-year tour and marks one of many career collaborations between the two acts, including a Las Vegas residency.

    The acoustic version of “If You See Him, If You See Her” is one of 14 tracks from Reba’s upcoming album NOT THAT FANCY, set to release Friday, October 6th. The collection of stripped-down hits will also feature a brand new single “Seven Minutes In Heaven” and is available to pre-order now.

    The album accompanies Reba’s upcoming book, Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots. Set to go on sale Tuesday, October 10, the book is an enchanting collection of funny, poignant, and deeply personal stories, photos, lifestyle tips, and recipes from Reba McEntire. The book is available for pre-order HERE

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Mickey Guyton, Brothers Osborne, Sam Hunt

    Reba McEntire sat down with Willie Geist for NBC’s Sunday Sitdown over the weekend. She spoke about her emotional moment at her recent Madison Square Garden concert, her first big break in music, Solo cups and her new book “Not That Fancy.” Check out the interview below.

    Mickey Guyton reprised her role as “Wanda Warbler” on the latest episode of the Disney Channel’s Mickey Mouse Funhouse. 

    Brothers Osborne and Sam Hunt will perform during Pacific Office Automation 147 race weekend set for June 2nd and 3rd at the Portland International Speedway. Tickets are now on sale at NASCARPortland.com.

    Video /

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan, Vince Gill, Jon Langston

    Join Reba McEntire on Talk Shop Live on Monday (April 17th) to talk about her new book, Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating and Dusting Off Your Boots, with her buddy Garth Brooks beginning at 7pm ET/6pm CT. The collection of recipes, stories and lifestyle tips will be available October 10th. Reba revealed the cover of her book on NBC’s Today Show and on her socials Monday morning (April 17th). During her Today Show appearance, she talked about her boyfriend-actor Rex Linn and how they started dating and their shared love over Tater Tots, and she also shared a drink recipe from her new restaurant, Reba’s Place, in Atoka, Oklahoma.

     

    But wait, there’s more! Reba will join NBC’s The Voice as mega mentor beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on Monday night (April 17th).

    Luke Bryan will appear on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday (April 18th) beginning at 11:35pm ET/10:35pm CT.


    Vince Gill 
    is set to perform at Eric Clapton’s upcoming Crossroads Guitar Festival. The two-day event, taking place September 23rd and 24th at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, will also feature performances by Sheryl Crow, Jerry Douglas, Jakob Dylan, Gary Clark Jr., Albert Lee, Los Lobos, Taj Mahal, Del McCoury Band, Keb’ Mo’, H.E.R., Santana, ZZ Top, Marcus King and many others. Tickets to the festival go on sale this Friday (April 21st) at 10am thru Ticketmaster.

     

    Jon Langston will release a new song, “Ain’t No Cowboy,” on Friday (April 21st).

     

     

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  • REBA MCENTIRE CONCLUDES TOUR AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN.

    Reba McEntire concluded her Reba: Live In Concerttour Saturday night (April 15th) with an energetic performance at Madison Square Garden, marking her first time headlining the iconic venue. The tour stop was the final of 51 dates as Reba showcased her “timeless excellence” (Tennessean) with her “glitzy, cinematic” (Billboard) live show.

    Reba is making the rounds on Monday (April 17th). First, she will appear on NBC’s Today Show at 8am ET. She’ll reveal the cover of her new book, Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots. Reba will also co-host the third hour.

    Join Reba on Talk Shop Live on Monday (April 17th) to talk about her new book, Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating and Dusting Off Your Boots, with her buddy Garth Brooks beginning at 7pm ET/6pm CT. The collection of recipes, stories and lifestyle tips will be available October 10th.

    But wait, there’s more! Reba will join NBC’s The Voice as mega mentor beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Little Big Town, Reba McEntire, Eric Church, Brothers Osborne

    Little Big Town announced that they will appear on the new CBS Television Show, Superfan this summer.  It is described as the “ultimate fan-based competition, in which contestants vie to prove who knows the most about a favorite performer. These aspiring superfans will also live a dream by getting to personally engage one-on-one with their idol.” Little Big Town’s episode is scheduled to air June 30th.

    https://twitter.com/littlebigtown/status/1645893428058681345

     

    Reba McEntire will release a new ranch-inspired book titled, Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating and Dusting Off Your Boots on October 10th. It will include over 50 recipes for full meals, desserts, cocktails and more from Reba’s family traditions, as well as exclusive photographs and never-before-told stories of Reba’s personal and professional life — from ranching with her Daddy to pranks on the road and to falling in love and some lighthearted lifestyle tips. The book will be available as a hardcover, digital and audio book. Reba will appear on TalkShopLive on Monday (April 17th) at 7pm ET, with Garth Brooks, who wrote the book’s foreword.


    Eric Church 
    will receive a star on the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville May 4th during an induction ceremony that will also include the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum’s Joe & Linda Chambers and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp CEO Butch Spyridon.

    Brothers Osborne will be the Artist of the Day for CMA Fest’s 50th anniversary celebration. John and TJ Osborne will take the stage June 10th at 10:45am for a live taping of the Country Heat Weekly podcast with hosts Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson, to chat about their career, music and tour, which will stream exclusively on Amazon Music.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Mickey Guyton, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood

    Mickey Guyton will appear on CBS Mornings and The Tamron Hall Show on Thursday (March 23rd) to talk about her new show, “My Kinda Country,” which is set to premiere Friday (March 24th) on Apple+. The show was co-created by Kacey Musgraves and Reese Witherspoon and also features Mickey, Jimmie Allen and Orville Peck. “My Kind of Country” is a new singing competition series, which provides an opportunity to showcase diverse artists from around the world.

     

    Keith Urban, Little Big Town and Mickey Guyton, as well as Tim McGraw, are set to perform at the Capitol One Jam Fest in Houston April 2nd. The March Madness Music Festival is part of the festivities surrounding the NCAA® Men’s Final Four® Weekend.

    Keith Urban takes over CMT Hot 20 Countdown this weekend. Tune in Saturday (March 25th) and Sunday (March 26th) beginning at 9am ET/8am CT.

    https://twitter.com/cmtHot20/status/1638677005247074304

    Luke Bryan, as well as his fellow American Idol judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, will appear on ABC’s Live With Kelly and Ryan on March 28th.

    Reba McEntire is scheduled to appear on The Jennifer Hudson Show March 29th.

    Carrie Underwood‘s fans are really “hating” their hearts…before wrapping the tour last week, Carrie’s fans in numerous cities sang along to her latest hit, “Hate My Heart,” and cameras caught all the action.

    https://twitter.com/carrieunderwood/status/1638992767060955138?s=46&t=uIo-zKfKtZ4P7eX-4uM8nQ

     

  • REBA MCENTIRE KICKS OFF FINAL LEG OF REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT TOUR WITH SOLD-OUT OPENING WEEKEND.

    Reba McEntire launched the final leg of her Reba: Live In Concert tour last night, performing to a sold-out crowd at VyStar Veteran’s Memorial Arena in Jacksonville. Reba showcased her “timeless excellence” (Tennessean) with her “glitzy, cinematic” (Billboard) live show, kicking off a weekend of capacity shows.

    The 14-city run features Terri Clark and The Isaacs and will conclude April 15 at Madison Square Garden, marking Reba’s first time to headline the iconic venue. For tickets and additional information, click HERE.

    Reba recently celebrated the grand opening of Reba’s Place, a 15,000-square-foot combination restaurant, bar, live music venue, and retail store in Atoka, Oklahoma. Visit rebasplace.com to learn more.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks Bentley, Reba McEntire, Little Big Town

    Dierks Bentley will talk about his new album, Gravel & Gold, and Reba McEntire dishes on her new restaurant in Oklahoma when they appear on CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown this weekend. Catch all of the action both Saturday (February 25th) and Sunday (February 26th) beginning at 9am ET/8am CT.

    https://twitter.com/cmtHot20/status/1628545267405316100

    Dierks Bentley stops by to perform on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday (February 27th).

    Little Big Town will help celebrate the legendary Ronnie Milsap’s 80th birthday at the Grand Ole Opry on March 25th. Trace Adkins and Mark Wills will also perform.

  • ‘THE VOICE’ ANNOUNCES SEASON 23 MEGA MENTOR REBA McENTIRE.

    Multi-media entertainment mogul and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Reba McEntire will serve as Mega Mentor on Season 23 of NBC’s four-time Emmy Award-winning musical competition series “The Voice,” premiering Monday, March 6th (8-10 p.m. ET/PT).

    Reba joins superstar coaches Chance the Rapper, Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan and Blake Shelton to mentor the remaining artists who have made it through the Battle Rounds as each team prepares for the Knockouts that begin April 17th. Having served as Battle Advisor to Team Blake during the show’s inaugural season, it’s most fitting Reba returns as Blake coaches his final group of artists and bids farewell to the competition.

    With a career that spans across music, television, film and theater, Reba has celebrated unprecedented success with 35 career #1 singles and more than 58 million albums sold worldwide. She recently earned her 60th Top 10 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, extending her record for the most Top 10 hits among female artists. With a plethora of accolades under her belt – 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 3 Grammy Awards, and a GMA Dove Award – Reba is also a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe-nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, held a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun,” and starred in the six-season television sitcom “Reba.”

  • REBA MCENTIRE OPENS NEW DINING AND ENTERTAINMENT VENUE REBA’S PLACE IN ATOKA, OKLAHOMA.

    Reba McEntire, in partnership with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the city of Atoka, hosted a grand opening for the highly-anticipated dining and entertainment venue, Reba’s Place in Atoka, Okla. on Thursday, January 26th. Located in southeastern Oklahoma, Reba’s Place offers a multi-story restaurant, bar, retail and entertainment venue for the local community and guests across the country.

    “Music and the fans helped build this place and get it all together. And that’s what a restaurant is all about, where people can come in, visit and eat,” Reba said. “Reba’s Place is a joint venture with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and they are the best partner. It’s exciting to work with people who have a passion for this town and for creating jobs, tourism, and new opportunities in southeastern Oklahoma, in the community where I grew up.”

    Constructed in a century-old Masonic Temple, the three-story, 13,284-square-foot venue features a dining space accommodating 250 people, a stage with state-of-the-art acoustics and lighting for a concert-quality experience and a mercantile, making it one of southeastern Oklahoma’s premier destination experiences.

    Dining & Drinks:
    Reba’s Place includes menu items McEntire grew up with in southeast Oklahoma paired with choices drawn from cities and regions associated with her career and music, including Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans and more.

    Menu highlights include Choctaw Beef Steaks and Chops, Slow Smoked Brisket, Nashville Hot Chicken, Memphis Style Bologna Sandwiches, an array of burgers and sandwiches, Banana Pudding Jars and McEntire’s favorite Strawberry Shortcake.

    The main floor also showcases a restored antique bar that is more than 100 years old and offers a wide range of beer, wine and spirits crafted into signature cocktails.

    Live Entertainment: 
    Reba’s Place will have live music regularly, highlighting entertainers from towns all around southeast Oklahoma. Guests can expect to see live performances during both lunch and dinner.

    Mercantile:
    The mercantile store features merchandise and memorabilia only available at Reba’s Place. Merchandise available at Reba’s Place showcases current and past Reba tour merchandise, Reba Boots by Justin, Reba’s fashion line in partnership with Dillard’s, Montana Silversmiths, Lodge Cookware, candles, boutique body products and housewares.

    McEntire provides memorabilia from her archives in Nashville or from her family archives in Oklahoma.  In addition, the retail space hosts a large collection of costumes, gold and platinum album certifications, photographs, objects, awards and posters from throughout her career.

    Reba’s Place hosts the archive of McEntire’s mother, Jackie McEntire’s library of books. This diverse collection of books is located in “Jac’s Library” on the third floor, adjacent to the mercantile.

    Reba’s Place is located at 319 E Court Street, Atoka, OK 74525, and is open daily, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

    On Thursday, January 26th, Reba hosted a private grand opening event and was joined by family members, city officials, Choctaw Nation tribal council members and community members.

    Video /

  • REBA MCENTIRE TO PERFORM LIVE FROM REBA’S PLACE GRAND OPENING, THURSDAY, JANUARY 26TH.

    Reba McEntire is set to perform live from the grand opening of Reba’s Place in Atoka, Oklahoma Thursday, January 26th. The event is closed to the public, but fans across the country can join in via a live stream from Reba’s socials at 6:45p CT at Facebook.com/Reba.

    Reba’s Place is a combination restaurant, bar, live music venue and retail store. Constructed in an old Masonic Temple, the venue features two stories of dining space and a stage for regular live music. The menu includes popular dishes from the region and beyond, all made from scratch. Highlights include the “Fancy” steak dinner, street tacos, chicken fried steak and Reba’s personal favorite, pinto beans and corn bread.

    The main floor also showcases a restored antique bar that offers a broad range of beer, wine and spirits. The venue will feature a curated rotating collection of memorabilia from Reba’s personal archives, and visitors can purchase a wide selection of Reba merch at the retail space.

    To learn more, visit rebasplace.com.

  • REBA MCENTIRE’S THE HAMMER SET TO DEBUT ON LIFETIME TOMORROW, JANUARY 7TH.

    Reba McEntire’s The Hammer, starring and executive produced by Reba, is set to premiere tomorrow, January 7th at 8p ET/7p CT on Lifetime and will be available to stream the following day.

    In The Hammer, Reba plays Kim Wheeler, an outspoken, firecracker lawyer who is appointed Judge of the 5th District of Nevada and is one of the few traveling judges left in America.

    This is Lifetime’s second collaboration with Reba, who also starred in and executive produced her 2021 holiday film, Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune. The Hammer also reunites McEntire with her Reba co-star Melissa Peterman and stars Kay Shioma Metchie and Rex Linn.

    “I loved the script for The Hammer and could definitely identify with the tough, no-nonsense spirit of the real life person it was based on,” Reba said. “Also, how could I say no to getting to work with my boyfriend, Rex Linn, and my Reba tv show co-star Melissa Peterman again? We had the best time!”

    Leading up to the premiere, Reba will appear on The Talk today at 2p ET/1p CT. Tomorrow, January 7th, Reba and her co-stars will be discussing the movie via Facebook Live at 6p ET/5p CT. Reba will be also be live tweeting throughout The Hammer’s debut. Fans can join in with Reba by using #TheHammer.

    Reba will continue her Reba: Live In Concert tour this spring, kicking off March 9 in Jacksonville. For additional information, visit Reba.com.

  • REBA McENTIRE PREMIERES HER NEW LIFETIME MOVIE, THE HAMMER, THIS WEEKEND.

    Reba McEntire enters the courtroom on Saturday (January 7th) in the new Lifetime movie, The Hammer. The multi-talented superstar plays Kim Wheeler, an outspoken lawyer who is appointed to be a judge for Nevada’s 5th District, making her one of the few traveling judges left in America. The previous judge died under suspicious circumstances, and now Kim finds herself  dispensing justice between Reno and Las Vegas, as well as helping her sister (played by Reba co-star and friend, Melissa Peterman) who is accused of murdering the former judge. Her real-life boyfriend (and Big Sky co-star) Rex Linn also stars in the film.

    Known as an iconic singer and storyteller, Reba finds acting a different kind of creative outlet. “It’s another creative outlet. That’s why I love acting.  When I did ‘Annie Get Your Gun,’ I got to sing, I got to act, but I also got to be another character. I wasn’t Reba McEntire. So that’s what I really enjoy doing – being something outside my character.”

    This is Lifetime’s second collaboration with Reba who also starred in and executive produced her 2021 holiday film, Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune.

    With her run on ABC’s Big Sky: Deadly Trails, Reba has delved into a darker place with her complex character Sunny Barnes, who some might say is a bad person, while others see the character as a mother protecting her family.

    She definitely plays a good person and a steward of justice in The Hammer, which you can catch this Saturday (January 7th) beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on Lifetime.

    You can also catch Reba on tour this spring. She recently announced 14 additional dates, featuring special guests Terri Clark and The Isaacs. The spring run will kick off March 9th in Jacksonville and will conclude at NYC’s Madison Square Garden, marking Reba’s first time playing the iconic venue.

    Audio / A couple of years ago, Reba McEntire talked about acting as another creative outlet.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (acting creative outlet) OC: …good person. :29
    Yeah it’s another creative outlet. That’s why I love acting.  When I did ‘Annie Get Your Gun,’ I got to sing, I got to act, but I also got to be another character. I wasn’t Reba McEntire. So that’s what I really enjoy doing – being something outside my character.”

    Video /

    View
  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, Dalton Dover, Luke Grimes

    Reba McEntire is set to appear on The Talk on Friday (January 6th) on CBS. She will talk about her new Lifetime movie, The Hammer, which premieres on Saturday (January 7th) at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

    Sam Hunt kicked off the New Year by appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show to perform “Wishful Drinking” with Ingrid Andress earlier this week.

    Dalton Dover has been named one of Amazon Music’s 2023 “Breakthrough Artists to Watch: Country Class.” Jackson Dean, Nate Smith, Madeline Edwards and Megan Moroney, among others. These artists will be featured on Amazon Music “Breakthrough” playlists and on the “Country Heat Weekly” podcast (hosted by Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson) .

    Luke Grimes‘ debut song, “No Horse To Ride,” was featured in the mid-season finale of the hit Paramount Television show, Yellowstone, this past Sunday (January 1st). Luke, who plays Kayce Dutton on the show, was just signed to Universal Music Group/Mercury Nashville. He co-wrote the song with hit tunesmiths Jonathan Singleton and Tony Lane.
  • REBA MCENTIRE TO BE FEATURED ON ABC NEWS’ ‘SUPERSTAR’ SERIES.

    Reba McEntire will be featured on ABC News’ “Superstar” series, set to air tomorrow, December 8th at 10p ET, available the next day on Hulu.

    From her humble beginnings on an Oklahoma cattle ranch to her rise as one of country music’s most influential stars, this one-hour special explores the experiences, triumphs and losses that made Reba a household name. Rare childhood photos and intimate behind-the-scenes videos reveal her story of grit and determination in a male-dominated industry.

    The star-studded TV event features interviews with artists that know and admire Reba, including Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Dolly Parton, Kristin Chenoweth, Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Melissa Peterman, Miranda Lambert, Nick Jonas, Vince Gill and Wynonna Judd.

    Reba’s new holiday album, Reba: The Ultimate Christmas Collection is available now along with limited-edition festive merch.

    Reba will conclude the fall leg of her Reba: Live In Concert tour on Dec. 16 and is set to kick off a spring run in March. Her upcoming Lifetime movie “Reba McEntire’s The Hammer” premieres Jan. 7 at 8p EST on Lifetime.

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about her iconic hit, "Fancy."

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Fancy) OC: …always a hit. :41
    “I fell in love with that song when Bobbie Gentry had it out in the late ’60s. It was a hit then, and it’s been a hit every time anybody listens to it. Everybody can relate to it; it’s a rags-to-riches song. I had wanted to do that song earlier, but not until I got with Tony Brown in 1990 to do this album (Rumor Has It), he had asked me, he said, ‘Are there any old songs you’d like to do a remake on?’ And I looked at him and said, ‘Yeah! Fancy!’ He said, ‘Omigosh! That’s my favorite song!’ So, we did this song, and it has just been with me forever. I just absolutely love it. I’ve recorded it. I’ve performed it many times, done it on television shows, and it’s always a hit.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, The War & Treaty, Mickey Guyton

    Just a reminder to catch ABC’s Superstar: Reba McEntire and a whole slew of famous faces, including Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Dolly Parton, Nick Jonas, Wynonna Judd, Lainey Wilson and more paying tribute to the singer, actor, entrepreneur and all-around Superstar on Thursday (December 8th) beginning at 10pm ET on ABC.

     

    Also in Reba McEntire news, a premiere date has been set for her Lifetime TV movie, The Hammer. She stars as a traveling judge who takes over a district in Nevada and helps to solve a murder AND clear her sister’s name. Reba’s boyfriend, Rex Linn, who also stars with her in ABC’s Big Sky: Deadly Trails, is featured in the TV show, as well as one of her best friends, Melissa Peterman. Reba McEntire’s The Hammer will air January 7th at 8pm ET on Lifetime.

     

     

    Darius Rucker has released the lyric video for his version of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” from his 2014 Christmas album, Home For The Holidays.

     

     

    The War and Treaty will perform during the ABC special, CMA Country Christmas, Thursday (December 8th) beginning at 9pm ET/8pm CT. The special also features performances by host Carly Pearce,  Maren Morris, Dan + Shay, Old Dominion and Scotty McCreery, among others.

     

    Mickey Guyton is set to perform “I Still Pray” on The Tamron Hall Show on Thursday (December 8th) on ABC (check local listings for time).

     

  • CHRISTMAS 2022: Reba McEntire

    Reba McEntire has given us a few holiday collections, and she released The Ultimate Christmas Collection earlier this year. It’s made up of favorites from her previous Christmas releases along with the stirring track, “I Needed Christmas,” which is featured in the Lifetime movie, “Reba McEntire’s Christmas In Tune,” which premiered last year (check Lifetime for a schedule of airings this year).

    Reba recalls one of her favorite Christmas memories when she was a young girl in Oklahoma. “The funniest thing I can always remember about Christmastime is my older brother Pake, when we were kids at home, he’d always be the first one to jump out of bed and run down the hall, and he’d just run down the hall with his underwear on,” she says. “And he’d say, ‘If y’all don’t hurry up and get up and get in here, I’m opening all the presents by myself.’ But he knew it was a standing rule we all had to be in there before anybody could open up a present, but I can still see Pake running down the hall.”

    When her son Shelby was just a little boy, she recalls one Christmas morning when he was so excited about what “Santy Claus” brought him. “I’ll never forget one (Christmas) morning I woke up and I was laying on my left side and I felt something, and I opened up my eyes, and Shelby was three inches away from my face. He said, ‘Mom, you’re not gonna beweive what Santy Claus weft for me.’ And so, he said you’ve got to come here. I got up out of bed and went in there and there was this little tractor trailer set that he had just fallen in love with at the store. He’s seen it, and he said, ‘I can’t beweive he bought this for me.’ He was so cute.”

    Reba, who currently plays Sunny Barnes on the ABC-TV drama Big Sky, will take her headlining tour to Columbus, Ohio on Friday (December 2nd) with opening act Jo Dee Messina and Raleigh, North Carolina on Saturday (December 3rd).

    Reba: The Ultimate Christmas Collection Track List
    1. Away In A Manager – from 1987 Merry Christmas To You
    2. O Holy Night – from 1987 Merry Christmas To You
    3. White Christmas – from 1987 Merry Christmas To You
    4. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) – from 1987 Merry Christmas To You
    5. Up On The Housetop – from 1999 Secret of Giving
    6. I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus – from 1999 Secret of Giving
    7. Mary, Did You Know? – from 1999 Secret of Giving
    8. O Come All Ye Faithful – from 2018 My Kind Of Christmas
    9. Jingle Bell Rock – from 2018 My Kind Of Christmas
    10. Winter Wonderland – from 2018 My Kind Of Christmas
    11. I’ll Be Home For Christmas – from 2018 My Kind Of Christmas
    12. I Needed Christmas – from 2021 Christmas In Tune

     

    Audio / REBA MCENTIRE GREW UP IN OKLAHOMA ALONG WITH HER SISTER SUSIE AND BROTHER PAKE. SHE RECALLS ONE OF THE FAMILY’S FUNNIEST CHRISTMAS MEMORIES.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Pake) OC: …down the hall.  :22
    “The funniest thing I can always remember about Christmastime is my older brother Pake, when we were kids at home, he’d always be the first one to jump out of bed and run down the hall, and he’d just run down the hall with his underwear on. And he’d say, ‘If y’all don’t hurry up and get up and get in here, I’m opening all the presents by myself.’ But he knew it was a standing rule we all had to be in there before anybody could open up a present, but I can still see Pake running down the hall.”

    Audio / REBA MCENTIRE RECALLS A CUTE CHRISTMAS MEMORY OF HER SON SHELBY WHEN HE WAS JUST A CHILD.

    Download

    Reba (Christmas memory of Shelby) OC: …he was so cute! :28
    “I’ll never forget one (Christmas) morning I woke up and I was laying on my left side and I felt something, and I opened up my eyes, and Shelby was three inches away from my face. He said, ‘Mom, you’re not gonna beweive what Santy Claus weft for me.’ And so, he said you’ve got to come here. I got up out of bed and went in there and there was this little tractor trailer set that he had just fallen in love with at the store. He’s seen it, and he said, ‘I can’t beweive he bought this for me.’ He was so cute.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire says these days she prefers an artificial Christmas tree.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (fake tree) OC: …half the year. :24
    “I definitely have an artificial tree, because when we were growing up, we’d all go out on the ranch and cut down a Christmas tree, bring it in and then we had to water it every other day – make sure the coffee can was full of water – and the cedar needles got everywhere, so nowadays I just go with an artificial tree…and two, I can leave it with the lights on half the year.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about leaving her Christmas tree up after the holidays.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (leaving Christmas tree up) OC: …really festive. :13
    “How long do I leave my Christmas tree and decorations up? Well, after Christmas I am so in tune with the sparkly lights, I leave the lights on and take the Christmas ornaments off. It keeps it really festive.”

  • REBA McENTIRE, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, LITTLE BIG TOWN, JOSH TURNER, MADDIE & TAE, PARKER McCOLLUM AND TYLER HUBBARD SOLO READS OF “TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.”

    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Reba McEntire.

    Audio / Reba McEntire reads "Twas The Night Before Christmas."

    Download

    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Little Big Town.

    Audio / The members of Little Big Town on "Twas The Night Before Christmas."

    Download

    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Carrie Underwood.

    Audio / Carrie Underwood reads "Twas The Night Before Christmas."

    Download

    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Josh Turner.

    Audio / Josh Turner "Twas The Night Before Christmas."

    Download


    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Maddie & Tae.

    Audio / Maddie & Tae "Twas The Night Before Christmas."

    Download



    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Parker McCollum.

    Audio / Parker McCollum "Twas The Night Before Christmas."

    Download

    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Tyler Hubbard.

    Audio / Tyler Hubbard "Twas The Night Before Christmas."

    Download
  • COUNTRY STARS ALAN JACKSON, GEORGE STRAIT, JON PARDI, JORDAN DAVIS, KACEY MUSGRAVES, KEITH URBAN, LITTLE BIG TOWN, LUKE BRYAN, MADDIE & TAE, REBA MCENTIRE, SAM HUNT AND TYLER HUBBARD JOIN FORCES FOR FIRST RESPONDERS CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION.

    As part of Gaylord Opryland Resort’s 39th annual A Country Christmas event, Universal Music Group Nashville is hosting Parade of Trees, a display where their world-renowned artists have come together to showcase Christmas trees decorated by Grand Ole Opry members Alan Jackson, Keith Urban, Little Big Town and Reba McEntire, along with George Strait, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Kacey Musgraves, Luke Bryan, Maddie & Tae, Sam Hunt and Tyler Hubbard.

    Along with their trees, country music’s biggest stars have each donated “Once in a Lifetime” VIP experiences (fly-aways, VIP concert experiences, exclusive merchandise and more) all to benefit First Responders Children’s Foundation. Proceeds raised will provide scholarships and mental health services to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty including a new collaboration with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® for the local Monroe Carell Jr Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

    “The holidays are a special time when people come together to celebrate and be thankful for their blessings,” said Reba McEntire. “This holiday season, I’m thankful I can help raise awareness for the First Responders Children’s Foundation, which supports the children and families of first responders who risk their lives every day to serve our communities. I hope everyone will go to charitystars.com/paradeoftrees to enter to win and support the families of this wonderful organization.”

    The Parade of Trees is on display in the resort’s Garden Conservatory and Cascades Atrium now until January 10, 2023, as a self-guided tour of the Christmas trees decorated specifically to the artist’s style or album theme. Each VIP experience will be available for bid online at www.CharityStars.com/ParadeOfTrees until January 10, 2023. Some of the themes and experiences this year include Reba McEntire’s red, green, and gold tree celebrating her Christmas album, The Ultimate Christmas Collection, paired with a VIP trip to New York City to see her live at Madison Square Garden; Keith Urban’s tree representing his song “Wild Hearts” (and Live In Las Vegas flyaway, including travel and accommodations, a meet and greet, and hand-signed personalized guitar); Maddie & Tae’s “Every Night Every Morning” themed tree (and Disney World Weekend Getaway including flights, hotel, passes, and signed merch), and Luke Bryan’s “Country On” themed tree (and Las Vegas VIP Experience including flights, hotel, VIP entrance, preshow toast with Luke, and signed memorabilia). Other artist packages include VIP festival experiences, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade getaways, stadium flyaways, exclusive numbered prints, signed guitars, custom toy packages from Mattel, and more. The complete listings can be viewed at www.charitystars.com/paradeoftrees.  Guests visiting Gaylord Opryland Resort can scan QR codes at each tree location to donate and gain access to win the designated artist’s VIP prize package, and fans can also bid on the sweepstakes online.

  • REBA MCENTIRE “SHOWCASES HER TIMELESS EXCELLENCE” AT SOLD-OUT NASHVILLE SHOW; SUPERSTAR HONORED FOR 58 MILLION ALBUMS SOLD.

    Reba McEntire showcased her “timeless excellence” and “superstar presence” (Tennessean) Friday (10/21) night at a sold-out stop on her Reba: Live In Concert tour, presented by Live Nation. The GRAMMY Award-winning entertainer played to a capacity crowd at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, marking her first time as a solo headliner at the venue. The 30-song set kept the crowd on their feet from start to finish as Reba delivered a “rich, hit-filled and emotionally-resonant” (Billboard) performance. The 90-minute live show was full of special moments, including four costume changes, pyrotechnics, a Linda Ronstadt medley featuring opener Terri Clark and virtual collaborations with Brooks & Dunn and Vince Gill.

    Earlier in the night, Reba was honored for more than 58-million albums sold worldwide. Universal Music Group Nashville President Cindy Mabe and Chairman/CEO Mike Dungan presented Reba with a plaque to commemorate the impressive accomplishment.


    Reba is honored with a plaque for 58 million albums sold worldwide. L-R: Mike Dungan, Reba, Cindy Mabe

    Reba also performed to capacity crowds in Charleston, WV and St. Louis, MO over the weekend, kicking off Reba: Live in Concert with six consecutive sold-out shows. Reba recently announced additional dates for Spring of 2023. For tickets and additional information, click HERE.

    Fans can order Reba: The Ultimate Christmas Collection, available HERE. Limited edition holiday merch, including a sweatshirt, ornament, mug and lithograph available for pre-order HERE. Fans can also pre-order Reba: The Ultimate Christmas Collection as a limited white vinyl, set to release November 4th.

    You can also catch Reba as “Sunny Barnes” in the hit ABC drama, Big Sky: Deadly Trails (Wednesdays, 10pm ET/9pm CT).

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Jon Pardi, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Parker McCollum

    Jon Pardi and his wife Summer posted a gender reveal of their baby on socials on Monday morning (October 17th). The baby GIRL is set to arrive in February 2023. Check out the heartwarming video below.

     

    Carrie Underwood kicked off THE DENIM & RHINESTONES TOUR in Greenville, South Carolina on Saturday (October 15th), and she’s giving fans a little behind-the-scenes of Night One.

     

    Reba McEntire is having a blast working on ABC’s Big Sky: Deadly Trails show. When they asked her one thing she liked about it, she had several answers.

    You can watch the show Wednesday nights at 10pm ET/9pm CT on ABC.

     

    Parker McCollum  and Connor Smith pranked Thomas Rhett on the final night of the BRING THE BAR TO YOU TOUR in Dayton, Ohio on Saturday (October 15th). The pair dressed up in beer bottle costumes when Thomas Rhett

     

  • REBA MCENTIRE KICKS OFF REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT WITH ENERGETIC SOLD-OUT SHOW.

    Reba McEntire kicked off her fall arena tour Reba: Live In Concert last night, performing to a sold-out crowd at Lafayette, LA’s Cajundome. Reba kept fans captivated with her “glitzy, cinematic” (Billboard) live show, complete with pyrotechnics and four outfit changes. Last night marked the first of 17 stops on the fall leg of her arena tour. Reba recently announced additional dates for Spring of 2023. For tickets and additional information, click HERE.

    Today marks the release of Reba: The Ultimate Christmas Collection, available HERE. The collection is made up of favorites from her previous Christmas releases along with the stirring track “I Needed Christmas,” featured in the Lifetime movie “Reba McEntire’s Christmas In Tune.”

    Fans can find limited edition holiday merch, including a sweatshirt, ornament, mug and lithograph available for pre-order HERE. Fans can also pre-order Reba: The Ultimate Christmas Collection as a limited white vinyl, set to release November 4.

  • REBA MCENTIRE EXTENDS REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT AMIDST MULTIPLE SOLD-OUT SHOWS.

     

    Reba McEntire is extending her REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT tour following a string of sold-out stops on the fall leg. Reba announced today 14 additional dates set for spring of 2023, featuring special guests Terri Clark and The Isaacs. The spring run will kick off March 9 in Jacksonville and will conclude at NYC’s Madison Square Garden, marking Reba’s first time playing the iconic venue.

    “I am very grateful we’re continuing this tour on into 2023,” Reba said. “I’ve had so much fun being back out on the road and doing what I love to do most, entertaining people. And now getting to headline places like Madison Square Garden and bring my buddies Terri Clark and The Isaacs with https://twitter.com/reba/status/1576920173419892738me? Well, that’s just the extra icing on an already triple-layered, stuffed and filled, iced and frosted cake!”

     

    Presented by Live Nation, tickets go on sale Friday, October 7 at 10 AM local time. Reba fans can access a special fan presale starting Tuesday, October 4 at 10 AM local time by signing up for Reba’s email list here: http://eepurl.com/bYbLIP. Fans must be signed up by 11:59 PM CT on Monday, October 3 in order to receive the presale code. The presale code will be emailed out on Tuesday morning prior to the presale.

    Citi is the official presale credit card for the Reba tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Tuesday, October 4 at 10am local time until Thursday, October 6 at 10pm local time through Citi Entertainment. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.

    The fall leg of REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT is set to kick off next week, Oct. 13, in Lafayette, LA. With 35 No. 1 hits under her belt, the award-winning entertainer will deliver hit after hit during her “entertaining and flawlessly executed” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) live show.

    For tickets and additional information, visit: Reba.com.

    REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT, 2023 Dates
    March 9           Jacksonville, FL           VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
    March 10         Columbia, SC               Colonial Life Arena
    March 11         Charlottesville, VA        John Paul Jones Arena
    March 17         Milwaukee, WI              Fiserv Forum
    March 18         Moline, IL                     Vibrant Arena at the Mark
    March 23         Reno, NV                      Reno Events Center
    March 24         Nampa, ID                    Ford Idaho Center**
    March 25         Salt Lake City, UT        Vivint Arena
    March 30         Phoenix, AZ                 Footprint Center
    March 31         Palm Desert, CA          Acrisure Arena
    April 1              Los Angeles, CA          Hollywood Bowl
    April 13            Manchester, NH           SNHU Arena
    April 14            Hershey, PA                 GIANT Center
    April 15            New York, NY              Madison Square Garden

    ** On sale Friday, October 14 at 10am local time 

    Fans can watch Reba as a regular on the third season of the ABC drama Big Sky, airing every Wednesday at 10p ET/9p CT. Reba: The Ultimate Christmas Collection releases October 14 and is available for pre-order now.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Jon Pardi, Maddie & Tae

    Reba McEntire talked about her new role in ABC’s Big Sky, her cameo as a water spirit in Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, her tour and Dolly Parton’s surprise appearance at her Grand Ole Opry debut when she stopped by Late Night With Seth Meyers earlier this week.

     

     

     

    Jon Pardi and Maddie & Tae will be featured on CMT’s Hot Top 20 Countdown this weekend. Tune in Saturday (September 24th) at 9am ET/8am CT or Sunday (September 25th) at 8am ET/7am CT.

     

    Maddie and Tae performed “Every Night Every Morning” off their EP “Through the Madness: Vol. 2″ as part of the Citi Music Series on NBC’s TODAY Show on Wednesday (September 21st).

     

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  • REBA MCENTIRE GEARS UP FOR ‘BIG SKY’ DEBUT WITH NATIONAL TV APPEARANCES.

    Reba McEntire is making multiple national TV appearances this week as she prepares for her debut on ABC’s Big Sky: Deadly Trails, which airs Wednesday (September 21st) at 10p ET/9p CT.

    Reba kicked things off Tuesday (September 20th) with an appearance on Good Morning America; watch the interview HERE.

    Fans can also catch the global superstar on Late Night with Seth Meyers Tuesday (September 20th) at 12:35a ET/11:35p CT and on LIVE with Kelly and Ryan Thursday, (September 22nd).

    Follow along for live content from Reba on Instagram and Twitter during tomorrow night’s Big Sky: Deadly Trails premiere.

    In addition to her role on Big Sky this fall, Reba is kicking off a tour run October 13th in Lafayette, LA. For tickets and additional information, visit ​​reba.com/events.

    Reba: The Ultimate Christmas Collection releases October 14th and is available for pre-order now.

    Reba recently announced “Reba McEntire’s The Hammer,” a Lifetime movie starring, and executive produced by the superstar, set to release in 2023.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire

    Reba McEntire will appear on ABC’s Good Morning America to chat about her role as “Sunny Barnes” on the third season of Big Sky on Tuesday (September 2oth).

     

    Reba McEntire is scheduled to appear on ABC’s Live With Kelly and Ryan on Thursday (September 22nd).

  • REBA McENTIRE LOVED THE IDEA OF PLAYING “SUNNY BARNES” IN THE NEW SEASON OF ABC’S BIG SKY.

    The wait is almost over for fans of the ABC drama series, Big Sky. The third season of the show, titled Big Sky: Deadly Trails, premieres this Wednesday (September 21st) at 10pm ET/9pm CT, and features a few new faces this year — Reba McEntire and boyfriend Rex Linn (CSI: MiamiBetter Call Saul, Young Sheldon). Reba plays “Sunny Barnes,” who is described as a “successful backcountry outfitter with a secret history of missing customers.” Rex plays her husband “Buck Barnes.”

    The country superstar says she was approached by Executive Producer and Showrunner of Big Sky, Elwood Reid, and said she absolutely would love the chance to play Sunny on the show. “When Elwood Reid first pitched his idea for me becoming a member of the Big Sky family, I fell in love with it. I absolutely loved it,” says Reba. “Yeah, I play a devious, conniving, scheming woman on one side and on the other, I’m a really nice gal. I get to play on the screen with Rex Linn — he plays my husband – and a cast of wonderful characters. I love the crew (and) everything about filming Big Sky. I can’t wait for y’all to watch it.”

     

     

    Big Sky also features Jensen Ackles (SupernaturalThe Boys), Katheryn Winnick and Kylie Bunbury.

    Reba is set to kick-off her fall arena tour, Reba: Live in Concert, kicks off October 13th in Lafayette, Louisiana.

    She also just announced Reba: The Ultimate Christmas Collection, which is set for release October 14th. The collection is made up of favorites from her previous Christmas releases along with the stirring track “I Needed Christmas,” featured in the Lifetime movie “Reba McEntire’s Christmas In Tune.”

     

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about joining the cast of Season Three of ABC’s Big Sky.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Big Sky) OC: …to watch it. :35
    “When Elwood Reid first pitched his idea for me becoming a member of the Big Sky family, I fell in love with it. I absolutely loved it. Yeah, I play a devious, conniving, scheming woman on one side and on the other, I’m a really nice gal. I get to play on the screen with Rex Linn — he plays my husband – and a cast of wonderful characters. I love the crew (and) everything about filming Big Sky. I can’t wait for y’all to watch it.”

  • REBA MCENTIRE ANNOUNCES REBA: THE ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION, DUE OCTOBER 14th.

    Reba McEntire announced today, Reba: The Ultimate Christmas Collection, set to release Friday, October 14th. The collection is made up of favorites from her previous Christmas releases along with the stirring track “I Needed Christmas,” featured in the Lifetime movie “Reba McEntire’s Christmas In Tune.” The collection is available for pre-order now HERE.

    “I’m excited to share this newly packaged collection of my all-time favorite Christmas songs,” said Reba. “It was so hard to narrow down to just twelve songs, but I hope my fans enjoy this journey through time!”

    Fans can find limited edition holiday merch, including a sweatshirt, ornament, mug and lithograph available for pre-order now HERE. Fans can also pre-order Reba: The Ultimate Christmas Collection as a limited white vinyl, set to release November 4th.

    Reba: The Ultimate Christmas Collection Track List
    1. Away In A Manager – from 1987 Merry Christmas To You
    2. O Holy Night – from 1987 Merry Christmas To You
    3. White Christmas – from 1987 Merry Christmas To You
    4. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) – from 1987 Merry Christmas To You
    5. Up On The Housetop – from 1999 Secret of Giving
    6. I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus – from 1999 Secret of Giving
    7. Mary, Did You Know? – from 1999 Secret of Giving
    8. O Come All Ye Faithful – from 2018 My Kind Of Christmas
    9. Jingle Bell Rock – from 2018 My Kind Of Christmas
    10. Winter Wonderland – from 2018 My Kind Of Christmas
    11. I’ll Be Home For Christmas – from 2018 My Kind Of Christmas
    12. I Needed Christmas – from 2021 Christmas In Tune

     

    Reba’s fall arena tour, Reba: Live in Concert, kicks off October 13th in Lafayette, LA. Tickets are available now at Reba.com/events.

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about one of her favorite holiday songs on her new Ultimate Christmas Collection.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (one of her favorites on album) OC: …Christmas In Tune. :30
    “One of my favorite songs on this collection is ‘Away In A Manger.’ That song holds a special place in my heart because it was the first song I ever sang behind a microphone at my first grade Christmas program back in Kiawa, Oklahoma. Sixty-some odd years later, here I am still singing Christmas songs. In addition to that song, you’ll also hear ‘I Needed Christmas,’ which you might recognize from my Lifetime original movie, Reba McEntire’s Christmas In Tune.”

  • GEORGE STRAIT, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, REBA McENTIRE, ALAN JACKSON, LUKE BRYAN, LITTLE BIG TOWN AND MORE WILL BE FEATURED ON THE NEW COMPILATION, COUNTRY CHRISTMAS GREATEST HITS.

    One of the hottest Christmas compilations will be released next month, and it includes several of country music’s reigning superstars.

    Country Christmas Greatest Hits includes 13 holiday songs from such icons as Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, George Strait, Luke Bryan, Vince Gill, Darius Rucker, Little Big Town, just to name a few. The collection will also feature one of the best-selling Christmas songs in the history of Christmas songs — “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” from Brenda Lee.

    TRACK LIST:

    1. “Favorite Time Of Year”- Carrie Underwood
    2. “Run Run Rudolph”- Luke Bryan
    3. “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”- Little Big Town
    4. “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch”- Darius Rucker
    5. “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”- Brenda Lee
    6. “Let It Be Christmas”- Alan Jackson
    7. “Jingle Bell Rock”- George Strait
    8. “Hard Candy Christmas”- Reba McEntire
    9. “Go Tell It On The Mountain”- Josh Turner
    10. “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year”- Vince Gill
    11. “Holly Jolly Christmas”- Maddie & Tae
    12. “Please Come Home For Christmas”- Gary Allan
    13. “O Holy Night”- Mickey Guyton

    Country Christmas Greatest Hits will be released October 14th.

  • 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.

     

     

  • 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.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain

    Little Big Town has been announced as one of the acts to perform on NEW YEAR’S EVE LIVE: NASHVILLE’S BIG BASH on Saturday, December 31st at 8pm ET/PT; 10:30pm – 1:30am ET/PT on CBS. Originating from multiple locations in downtown Nashville, the special will also include performances by Brooks & Dunn, Kelsea Ballerini and Zac Brown Band. Additional artists will be announced at a later date.

    Luke Bryan will release a new vinyl box set with 22 No. 1 songs. The box set comes with a #1’s Volume 1 brown swirl vinyl, a #1’s Volume 2 tangerine lemon-colored vinyl and a 12×12 poster. The collection, featuring such songs as “Do I,” “Rain Is A Good Thing,” “Someone Else Calling You Baby,” “Drunk On You,” “Move,” Rollercoaster,” “Drink A Beer,” “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye,” and many others, is available for pre-order now and will ship September 29th. Click here for more information.

    ABC’s Big Sky, featuring Reba McEntire, has released a sinister new trailer, which also features another famous voice — Patsy Cline singing “Walkin’ After Midnite.” Big Sky: Deadly Trails premieres September 21st on ABC.

    Shania Twain will join fellow celebrity judges — Adam Lambert, Beverley Knight and Jason Manford on the second season of the UK singing competition show, Starstruck. The show features talented singers who transform into their music idols and battle it out in front of the judges.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, Little Big Town, Eric Church, Brothers Osborne

    Carrie Underwood‘s music will be part of the Peloton’s All For One 2022 Music Festival this weekend, which is one of Peloton’s biggest weekends of the year. Carrie is one of 33 artists in a mixed genre lineup with artists like Alanis Morrissette, Lil Baby, Green Day, Maroon 5, Saweetie, Tove Lo, John Mayer and many others. There will be four classes dedicated to the global superstar with instructors giving highlights about her career, new album and tour, along with playing her music.

     

    Reba McEntire has been filming her role of local backcountry expert “Sunny Barnes” (and possible villan) for the much-anticipated third season of ABC’s Big Sky. It was recently announced she’d be joining the cast of the popular show this past summer, and now comes the news her real-life boyfriend, actor Rex Linn (Better Call Saul, CSI: Miami), will play her husband in the show. The new season will premiere September 21st on ABC.

     

    Taylor Swift has been named Songwriter-Artist of the Decade by the Nashville Songwriters Association International for her cumulative songwriting success between 2010-2019. Ashley Gorley, who has more than 60 No. 1 songs under his belt, has been named Songwriter of the Decade. Little Big Town and Jordan Davis will perform at the event, which will also include performances by Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett, HARDY, Jacob Davis, Babyface and more. The show will take place September 20th at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

     

    Shania Twain and Little Big Town are among the famous faces making special appearances on the new FOX series, Monarch, starring Trace Adkins and Susan Sarandon. The series, which also includes guest appearances by Martina McBride and Tanya Tucker, premieres September 11th.

     

    Eric Church and Brothers Osborne are featured on the new Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson album, which is available now. Luke Combs, Ashley McBryde, Tyler Childress and many more are also included.

  • 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.

    https://twitter.com/carrieunderwood/status/1557484624799997955

    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 /

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Shania Twain, Luke Bryan, Chrissy Metz, Reba McEntire

    Shania Twain is among the newest inductees to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, alongside Steve Wariner, Gary Nicholson, David Malloy and Hillary Lindsey.  They will be officially inducted during the 52nd annual Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala at Music City Center on October 30th.

    https://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain/status/1554952781122912257

     

    Luke Bryan was featured on ABC’s Nightline program on Tuesday night (August 2nd). He talked about his career, ups and downs in his family life and how he keeps his energy up every day.

     

    Chrissy Metz (This Is Us) is about to embark on a tour next week. She’s set to kick off the City Winery trek beginning August 9th in Washington, D.C., followed by shows in Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Chicago and Atlanta, before wrapping in Nashville on September 1st.

     

    https://twitter.com/ChrissyMetz/status/1537842694881427458

     

     

    Reba McEntire just voiced an ominous new promo for the new season of ABC’s Big Sky. It was announced recently that she’ll be joining the cast of the show this year. Look for the new season to premiere September 21st.

     

  • REBA MCENTIRE ANNOUNCES FALL ARENA TOUR, REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT.

    Reba McEntire has announced a fall arena tour REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT, set to kick off October 13 in Lafayette, LA. With 35 No. 1 hits under her belt, the award-winning entertainer will deliver hit after hit during her “entertaining and flawlessly executed” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) live show. Presented by Live Nation, the 17-city tour will feature special guest Terri Clark across all shows.

    “I can’t wait to see everyone out on the road again this fall,” said Reba. “We had so much fun in the spring and I’m ready to get back out there with my buddy Terri Clark!”

     

    Tickets for REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT go on sale Friday, July 15 at 10 AM local time. Reba fans can access a special fan presale starting Tuesday, July 12 at 10 AM local time by signing up for Reba’s email list here. Fans must be signed up by 11:59 PM CT on Monday, July 11 in order to receive the presale code. The presale code will be emailed out on Tuesday morning prior to the presale.

    Citi is the official card of the REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday at 10am local time until Thursday at 10pm local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.

    USA Today exclusively announced the tour earlier today HERE.

    For tickets and additional information, visit: Reba.com.

    REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT, 2022 Dates
    October 13 – Lafayette, LA – CAJUNDOME
    October 14 – Ft. Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
    October 15 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center
    October 20 – Charleston, WV – Charleston Coliseum
    October 21 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
    October 22 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
    October 28 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
    October 29 – Corpus Christi, TX – AmericanBank Center
    November 3 – Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena
    November 4 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
    November 5 –  Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse
    November 10 – Estero, FL – Hertz Arena
    November 11 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
    November 12 – Savannah, GA- Enmarket Arena
    November 17 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum
    November 18 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
    November 19 – Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena

    Reba’s special CD & DVD pairing, MY CHAINS ARE GONE, which features Reba performing some of the most beloved hymns of all time is available now.

    Reba recently announced Reba McEntire’s The Hammer, a Lifetime movie starring and executive produced by the superstar. She is also set to join the ABC series “Big Sky” as a regular for its forthcoming third season.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Parker McCollum, Travis Denning, Kacey Musgraves

    Reba McEntire will star in the new Lifetime movie, “The Hammer,” along with boyfriend Rex Linn (CSI: Miami, Better Call Saul) and her Reba show co-star and close friend, Melissa Peterman. Reba also serves as executive producer on the film, which is inspired by the life of traveling circuit judge Kim Wanker. This is not the only place you’ll be able to catch the country superstar on the small screen. She’s also joining the of the ABC series, Big Sky, this coming season.

    Parker McCollum sold out three nights in a row at the Whitewater Amphitheatre in New Braunsfels, Texas recently. He said it was “absolutely electric every night. My favorite venue in the world.”

     

    Travis Denning releases a new song, “Buy A Girl A Drink,” on Friday (July 8th). He says he “fell in love with this song the moment we wrote it. So much of me and (fiancee) Madison’s story is in it, and I know so many others are in it as well.”

    Kacey Musgraves recently performed the Elvis cover “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (from The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ELVIS) at Hampton Court Palace in England as part of her star-crossed tour.

     

     

  • 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.

  • REBA McENTIRE WILL PUBLISH A LIFESTYLE BOOK FOR RELEASE NEXT YEAR.

    Global superstar Reba McEntire has joined forces with Harper Celebrate, a gift book imprint of HarperCollins Focus, for a forthcoming lifestyle book for release in the fall of 2023. The full-color book will feature personal stories, food and cocktail recipes, and lifestyle tips that range from hosting to packing a suitcase. Each chapter will be centered on a theme from her iconic songs including grit, family legacy, being curious, and prioritizing the things that matter most.

    Reba remarked, “I’m so excited to partner with the Harper Celebrate team to create my first lifestyle book where I will share stories, behind the scenes photos, some of my favorite recipes and life lessons I’ve learned over the years. I know my fans are going to love it!”

    “Reba is universally beloved for her talent, humor, and unapologetic authenticity,” said Michael Aulisio, vice president and publisher, Harper Celebrate. “This book will offer readers a seat at Reba’s table as she shares her hard-earned wisdom on what it means to live a good life. And let me assure you, there will be a lot of fun had along the way.”

    She previously co-wrote a 1994 memoir titled Reba: My Story with Tom Carter and also authored a second biography, Comfort From a Country Quilt, in 1999. In February, she released her latest album My Chains Are Gone, a collection of classic hymns and gospel songs.

     

  • 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.

     

  • ALAN JACKSON, REBA McENTIRE AND SHANIA TWAIN ARE UP FOR NEW SOCIALLY-VOTED CATEGORY AT THIS YEAR’S CMT MUSIC AWARDS.

    CMT today introduced an all-new, socially-voted category honoring superstar hitmakers who have cemented their status in music history with classic songs that withstood the test of time, and have found themselves the catalyst of recent social trends as their hits still resonate with fans old and new:  “Trending Comeback Song of the Year.

    Beginning today, fans can vote for their favorite nominees by swiping up on CMT’s Instagram Story through Saturday, April 9th. The winner will be announced across CMT’s social platforms ahead of the 2022 CMT MUSIC AWARDS, airing on CBS on Monday, April 11th. 

    The following seven superstar acts are nominated for “Trending Comeback Song of the Year”:

    • Alan Jackson – “Freight Train”
    • Brooks & Dunn – “Neon Moon”
    • Dolly Parton – “9 to 5”
    • Reba – “I’m A Survivor”
    • Sara Evans – “Suds in the Bucket”
    • Shania Twain – “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!”
    • Taylor Swift – “Love Story”

    Last year, Taylor Swift took home the 2021 socially-voted “Best Family Feature” category for “The Best Day (Taylor’s Version).”

  • GO BEHIND-THE-SCENES WITH REBA McENTIRE AS SHE GOT READY FOR THE OSCARS.

    Reba McEntire takes fans behind-the-scenes of “Getting Ready With ELLE” as she gets glammed up for last week’s Oscars.

    Rocking three custom Dolce & Gabanna dresses paired with her signature glam, she takes on both the red carpet and the Oscar stage. Tune in as she preps for the big night and tells ELLE what she’s looking forward to most.

     

    Check out Reba’s Oscar performance of “Somehow You Do,” which was nominated for Best Original Song.

     

    Prior to last Sunday’s show, Reba said one of the nominated films she saw was the Best Picture winner, CODA. “I love CODA. I thought CODA was good,” says Reba. “There was just something really sweet and precious about that, that the family was death all except the one, the daughter. Not only can she hear, but she can also sing so well. I got to work with Marlee Maitlin before, and I was thrilled for them. It’s a wonderful movie.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire absolutely loved the movie, CODA, which won three Oscars including the night's top honors, Best Picture.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (CODA) OC: …wonderful movie. :23
    “I love CODA. I thought CODA was good. There was just something really sweet and precious about that, that the family was death all except the one, the daughter. Not only can she hear, but she can also sing so well. I got to work with Marlee Maitlin before, and I was thrilled for them. It’s a wonderful movie.”

  • REBA McENTIRE PERFORMS A BEAUTIFUL RENDITION OF “SOMEHOW YOU DO” ON SUNDAY NIGHT’S OSCARS.

    Reba McEntire performed the Oscar-nominated song “Somehow You Do” from the movie Four Good Days at the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday night (March 27th). She was accompanied by the show’s all-star band, which included Sheila E., Travis Barker, Kevin Jonas and Robert Glasper.

    The film’s co-star Mila Kunis introduced Reba’s performance of the Diane Warren-penned song.

    After performing, the cameras panned to the song’s composer first, who mouthed “beautiful,” then cut to her boyfriend, actor Rex Linn who gave two thumbs up to the camera.

    This wasn’t her first performance at the Oscars. In 1991, she sang “I’m Checking Out” from the movie Postcards From the Edge, which took place less than two weeks after the plane crash in which several members of her band and crew were killed.

    Prior to Sunday night’s show, she chatted with reporters about performing at the Oscars. She explained that a few friends asked if she was excited about her appearance to which she replied that she was feeling a heaviness about the performance on Wednesday before rehearsals (March 23rd).

    “I was very emotional about the Oscars because I said yes to the Oscars in ’91, and then the plane crash happened, and then I went ahead and sang the song because I felt Jim Hammon (her road manager who died in the crash) had been talking to me saying, ‘Go do it for us, we’re checked out of this heartbreak hotel.’ So, everybody said, ‘Aren’t you excited, aren’t you excited?’ and I didn’t feel excited. And so, I finally figured it out yesterday, I thought if I got too excited, something could happen, so I said, ‘God, I’m just gonna give it up to you.’ I don’t know why I didn’t when I first felt this hardness or this heaviness in my heart. So, I just said, I’m giving it all up to you, let me have a good time, let me sing it the way I am supposed to sing it, the way you want me to sing it. Your will, not my will. Your way, not my way.’ And it lifted like a hundred pounds off my shoulders. We went to rehearsal, and I had a great time.”

    Click here to see Reba’s performance at this year’s Academy Awards.

    Reba also just released a gospel album, My Chains Are Gone, on Friday (March 25th).

    Audio / Reba McEntire said she was pretty emotional about performing at this year's Oscars, her first time since performing in 1991, just days after the plane crash that killed most of her band and crew.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Oscars emotional) OC: …great time. :59
    “I was very emotional about the Oscars because I said yes to the Oscars in ’91, and then the plane crash happened, and then I went ahead and sang the song because I felt Jim Hammon (her road manager who died in the crash) had been talking to me saying, ‘Go do it for us, we’re checked out of this heartbreak hotel.’ So, everybody said, ‘Aren’t you excited, aren’t you excited?’ and I didn’t feel excited. And so, I finally figured it out yesterday, I thought if I got too excited, something could happen, so I said, ‘God, I’m just gonna give it up to you.’ I don’t know why I didn’t when I first felt this hardness or this heaviness in my heart. So, I just said, I’m giving it all up to you, let me have a good time, let me sing it the way I am supposed to sing it, the way you want me to sing it. Your will, not my will. Your way, not my way.’ And it lifted like a hundred pounds off my shoulders. We went to rehearsal, and I had a great time.”

  • REBA MCENTIRE’S MY CHAINS ARE GONE IS AVAILABLE ON CD AND DVD TODAY.

    Reba McEntire’s special CD & DVD pairing, MY CHAINS ARE GONE, is available today (March 25th). The release features Reba performing some of the most beloved hymns of all time.

    The DVD offers a recording of Reba’s 2017 first ever solo headlining show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, now being released with Gaither Music Group. Featuring special guests Trisha Yearwood, Kelly Clarkson and The Isaacs, and hosted by Gospel music legend Bill Gaither. In addition to the DVD, fans will be able to tune in tonight (3/25) to a special broadcast premiere of the performance on UPtv at 8pm ET, with an encore on April 4th @ 2am ET. Reba’s companion 12-track audio CD features some of her favorite hymns, as well as special guest feature performances by Lauren Daigle, Kelly Clarkson, Trisha Yearwood and The Isaacs.

     

    Fans can purchase the DVD now here: https://lnk.to/MyChainsAreGoneDVD.
    Fans can purchase the CD now here: https://strm.to/MyChainsAreGonePR.

    One of the songs she recorded after discovering it on Randy Houser’s 2008 album, Anything Goes. “’Back To God’ is a song that I absolutely fell in love with on Randy Houser’s freshman album. I wanted to record it myself, which I did, and then to do it again with Lauren Daigle, you just never get tired of hearing ‘Back To God.’ It is a song of instruction of faith and hope.”

    Reba will perform at the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday (March 27th). Reba will perform “Somehow You Do,” written by Diane Warren and nominated for Best Original Song category from the movie “Four Good Days” starring Mila Kunis and Glenn Close. Fans can tune in to Oscars on ABC at 8/7pm CT to catch the performance.

    My Chains Are Gone: Hymns & Gospel Favorites Official DVD Track List:
    1. Jesus Loves Me
    2. I Got The Lord On My Side
    3. Back To God
    4. I’ll Fly Away
    5. Softly And Tenderly (featuring Kelly Clarkson and Trisha Yearwood)
    6. God And My Girlfriends
    7. Just Like Them Horses
    8. The Greatest Man I Never Knew
    9. How Great Thou Art
    10. Because He Lives
    11. In The Garden/Wonderful Peace (featuring The Isaacs)
    12. It Is Well With My Soul (featuring The Isaacs)
    13. The Lord’s Prayer
    14. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

    My Chains Are Gone: Hymns and Gospel Favorites Official CD Track List:
    1. Jesus Loves Me
    2. Oh, How I Love Jesus
    3. When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder
    4. Amazing Grace / My Chains Are Gone
    5. I’ll Fly Away
    6. Because He Lives
    7. In The Garden / Wonderful Peace (Featuring The Isaacs)
    8. How Great Thou Art
    9. Softly & Tenderly (Featuring Kelly Clarkson & Trisha Yearwood)
    10. I’d Rather Have Jesus
    11. The Lord’s Prayer
    12. Back To God (Acoustic Version) (Featuring Lauren Daigle)

    Reba just released her three-part box set REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED at the end of last year. REVIVED includes some of Reba’s biggest hits as they’ve evolved in her live show, REMIXED puts a whole new spin on some of her most beloved tracks and on REVISITED, Reba works with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to strip things back. Fans can purchase the new spin on some of Reba’s most beloved tracks here.

    About Reba McEntire:
    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 3 GRAMMY® Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. Reba has celebrated unprecedented success including 35 career No.1 singles and selling over 56 million albums worldwide. Reba recently earned her 60th Top 10 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, extending her record for the most Top 10 hits among female artists. Reba’s Top 10 success spans across five straight decades and lands her alongside only George Jones, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton in the achievement. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe® nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun and starred in the six-season television sitcom Reba. Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and she was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign. In 2020, Reba launched her very first Spotify original podcast, Living & Learning with Reba McEntire, featuring guests including Dolly Parton, Lady A, Trisha Yearwood, Leslie Jordan, Kristin Chenoweth, Jane Fonda and more. For more information, visit www.Reba.com or follow @Reba on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about the song "Back To God" on her new album, My Chains Are Gone.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Back To God) OC: …faith and hope. :21
    “’Back To God’ is a song that I absolutely fell in love with on Randy Houser’s freshman album. I wanted to record it myself, which I did, and then to do it again with Lauren Daigle, you just never get tired of hearing ‘Back To God.’ It is a song of instruction of faith and hope.”

    Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (available now)

    Download
  • REBA McENTIRE WILL MAKE HER SECOND APPEARANCE ON THE OSCARS THIS SUNDAY.

    Reba McEntire will be performing during Sunday night’s Academy Awards Show. She will sing the Oscar-nominated song “Somehow You Do” from the drama Four Good Days, starring Glenn Close and Mila Kunis. The song was written and composed by Diane Warren, who is nominated for her 13th award in the Best Original Song category at the Oscars this year.

    This isn’t Reba’s first performance on the Oscar stage. She first performed on the Oscars less than 10 days after she lost most of her band members in a tragic plane crash. She sang “I’m Checking Out” at the awards in 1991. Meryl Streep sang the song in the film, Postcards From The Edge, and it was nominated for Best Original Song that year. She wasn’t able to perform it on the Oscars because she was very, very pregnant.

    “The first time I got to sing on the Oscars, it was right after the plane crash. I sang ‘checking out of this heartbreak hotel for Postcards From the Edge. I’m pretty sure, now correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Meryl Streep was pregnant and could not perform at the Oscars, so they asked me to do it. I almost didn’t do it, because of the plane crash, but I did. I did sing it,” says Reba. “And here we are all these years later, and I’m singing another song by Diane Warren that is so powerful and needed, because it gives hope. If you’ve seen the movie, Four Good Days, it’s such an emotional movie about drug addiction – opioids, oxycontin. So, it’s needed today, and this song gives hope, which we always need. So, I’m very honored that Diane asked me to sing the song, and we are both so thrilled to get nominated.”

    The 94th Academy Awards will air live on Sunday (March 27th) beginning at 8pm ET on ABC.

     

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about performing at this year's Oscars.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (singing on the Oscars) OC: …nominated. 1:04
    “The first time I got to sing on the Oscars, it was right after the plane crash. I sang ‘checking out of this heartbreak hotel for Postcards From the Edge. I’m pretty sure, now correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Meryl Streep was pregnant and could not perform at the Oscars, so they asked me to do it. I almost didn’t do it, because of the plane crash, but I did. I did sing it. And here we are all these years later, and I’m singing another song by Diane Warren that is so powerful and needed, because it gives hope. If you’ve seen the movie, Four Good Days, it’s such an emotional movie about drug addiction – opioids, oxycontin. So, it’s needed today, and this song gives hope, which we always need. So, I’m very honored that Diane asked me to sing the song, and we are both so thrilled to get nominated.”

  • REBA McENTIRE IS SET TO RELEASE MY CHAINS ARE GONE ON FRIDAY (MARCH 25TH).

    Reba McEntire will release MY CHAINS ARE GONE, a special CD & DVD pairing, on Friday (March 25th). The new release showcases Reba performing some of the most beloved hymns of all time.

    My Chains Are Gone is the perfect title for this album because my chains ARE gone,” says Reba. “I rely on my faith so much every day. There’s freedom in knowing that I don’t have to figure it out myself.”

    The DVD offers fans a long-requested recording of Reba’s 2017 first ever solo headlining show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, now being released with Gaither Music Group. Featuring special guests Trisha Yearwood, Kelly Clarkson and The Isaacs, the special combines footage from that historic night along with newly captured 2021 performances recorded at Clementine in Nashville. Hosted by Gospel music legend Bill Gaither, this DVD finds Reba lending her unmistakable voice to classic hymns and newly written songs of hope. Fans can pre-order the DVD now here:  https://lnk.to/MyChainsAreGoneDVD.

    “I think when they listen to these songs, it makes them feel closer to that connection with Heaven, God and the Holy Spirit that they can have somebody to talk to to make them feel that they do have hope and it might strengthen their faith,” she adds.

    In addition to the DVD, fans will be able to watch a special broadcast premiere of the performance on UPtv on March 25th at 8pm ET, with an encore on April 4th at 2am ET.

    On that same day, Reba will also be releasing a companion 12-track audio CD which features some of her favorite hymns, as well as special guest feature performances by Lauren Daigle, Kelly Clarkson, Trisha Yearwood and The Isaacs. MY CHAINS ARE GONE on CD is available to pre-order now here: https://strm.to/MyChainsAreGonePR.

    My Chains Are Gone: Hymns & Gospel Favorites Official DVD Track List:

    1. Jesus Loves Me
    2. I Got The Lord On My Side
    3. Back To God
    4. I’ll Fly Away
    5. Softly And Tenderly (Featuring Kelly Clarkson and Trisha Yearwood)
    6. God And My Girlfriends
    7. Just Like Them Horses
    8. The Greatest Man I Never Knew
    9. How Great Thou Art
    10. Because He Lives
    11. In The Garden/Wonderful Peace (Featuring The Isaacs)
    12. It Is Well With My Soul (Featuring The Isaacs)
    13. The Lord’s Prayer
    14. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

    My Chains Are Gone: Hymns and Gospel Favorites Official CD Track List

    1. Jesus Loves Me
    2. Oh, How I Love Jesus
    3. When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder
    4. Amazing Grace / My Chains Are Gone
    5. I’ll Fly Away
    6. Because He Lives
    7. In The Garden / Wonderful Peace (Featuring The Isaacs)
    8. How Great Thou Art
    9. Softly & Tenderly (Featuring Kelly Clarkson & Trisha Yearwood)
    10. I’d Rather Have Jesus
    11. The Lord’s Prayer
    12. Back To God (Acoustic Version) (Featuring Lauren Daigle)

    Reba just released her three-part box set REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED at the end of last year. REVIVED includes some of Reba’s biggest hits as they’ve evolved in her live show, REMIXED puts a whole new spin on some of her most beloved tracks and on REVISITED, Reba works with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to strip things back. Fans can purchase the new spin on some of Reba’s most beloved tracks here.

     

     

    Audio / Reba McEntire says the songs on her new gospel album, My Chains Are Gone, give her hope and inspiration.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (My Chains Are Gone) 1 OC: …this album. :23
    “This collection of songs gives me inspiration and hope and that’s what I was looking for when I was choosing the songs to put on this album, and I think we did a really good job of finding just the perfect songs and the combination of how we put ‘em in the album. It flows very well, and I’m so appreciative of my friends and family helping me with this album.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about the title of My Chains Are Gone.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (My Chains Are Gone-title) OC: …by myself. :24
    My Chains Are Gone’ is the perfect title for this album because my chains ARE gone. I rely on my faith so much every day. There’s freedom in knowing that I don’t have to figure it out myself. Like Mama said when she walked up to the preacher, he said, , ‘Jackie, what can I do for you?’ She said, ‘Well, preacher, I’m here to turn myself in. I’m tired of doing it by myself.’”

    Audio / Reba McEntire hopes people will find hope when they listen to My Chains Are Gone.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (My Chains Are Gone) 2 OC: …their faith. :27
    “Well, when people listen to this album, I hope they feel that there is hope, that they have some people to talk to. I think when they listen to these songs, it makes them feel closer to that connection with Heaven, God and the Holy Spirit that they can have somebody to talk to to make them feel that they do have hope and it might strengthen their faith.”

    Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (available this week)

    Download

    Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (available now)

    Download
  • REBA McENTIRE WILL PERFORM NOMINATED SONG AT THIS YEAR’S OSCARS.

    Reba McEntire will perform during Sunday night’s Academy Awards Show. She will sing the Oscar-nominated song “Somehow You Do” from the drama Four Good Days, starring Glenn Close and Mila Kunis. The song was written and composed by Diane Warren, who is nominated for her 13th award in the Best Original Song category at the Oscars this year.

    “I definitely feel like the fans can relate to the overall message of this song,” says Reba. “It does give hope when you’re down, depressed and you’re having problems in life. This song gives hope, and that’s what we all need.”

     

    Beyoncé, Billie Eilish and Finneas, as well as Sebastián Yatra will also perform their Oscar-nominated songs during the ceremony.

    The 94th Academy Awards, hosted by Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes, will air live on Sunday (March 27th) at 8pm ET/5pm PT on ABC.

    Audio / REBA MCENTIRE EXPLAINS HOW HER SONG, "SOMEHOW YOU DO," FROM THE FILM FOUR GOOD DAYS, IS HOPEFUL.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Somehow You Do) OC: …we all need. :14
    “I definitely feel like the fans can relate to the overall message of this song. It does give hope when you’re down, depressed and you’re having problems in life. This song gives hope, and that’s what we all need.”

    Video /

    View
  • 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

     

     

  • REBA MCENTIRE OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES UPCOMING RELEASE OF MY CHAINS ARE GONE ON CD AND DVD – AVAILABLE MARCH 25th.

    Reba McEntire is announcing a special CD & DVD pairing, MY CHAINS ARE GONE, which will be available on March 25th. The forthcoming releases feature Reba performing some of the most beloved hymns of all time.

    The DVD offers fans a long-requested recording of Reba’s 2017 first ever solo headlining show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN, now being released with Gaither Music Group. Featuring special guests Trisha Yearwood, Kelly Clarkson and The Isaacs, the special combines footage from that historic night along with newly captured 2021 performances recorded at Clementine in Nashville, TN. Hosted by Gospel music legend Bill Gaither, this DVD finds Reba lending her unmistakable voice to classic hymns and newly written songs of hope. Fans can pre-order the DVD now here:  https://lnk.to/MyChainsAreGoneDVD.

    In addition to the DVD, fans will be able to watch a special broadcast premiere of the performance on UPtv on March 25th at 8pm ET, with an encore on April 4th @ 2am ET.

    On that same day, Reba will also be releasing a companion 12-track audio CD which features some of her favorite hymns, as well as special guest feature performances by Lauren Daigle, Kelly Clarkson, Trisha Yearwood and The Isaacs. MY CHAINS ARE GONE on CD is available to pre-order now here: https://strm.to/MyChainsAreGonePR.

    Fans can also tune in for a special talkshoplive, the groundbreaking livestream commerce platform, with Reba on March 1st at 5pm CT, where she will share stories behind this album as well as a special sneak peek at one of the performances from the DVD. Fans can RSVP for the event and order a limited number of autographed copies of the CD here: https://talkshop.live/watch/i67cbta0-yUb

    My Chains Are Gone: Hymns & Gospel Favorites Official DVD Track List:

    1. Jesus Loves Me
    2. I Got The Lord On My Side
    3. Back To God
    4. I’ll Fly Away
    5. Softly And Tenderly (Featuring Kelly Clarkson and Trisha Yearwood)
    6. God And My Girlfriends
    7. Just Like Them Horses
    8. The Greatest Man I Never Knew
    9. How Great Thou Art
    10. Because He Lives
    11. In The Garden/Wonderful Peace (Featuring The Isaacs)
    12. It Is Well With My Soul (Featuring The Isaacs)
    13. The Lord’s Prayer
    14. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

    My Chains Are Gone: Hymns and Gospel Favorites Official CD Track List: 

    1. Jesus Loves Me
    2. Oh, How I Love Jesus
    3. When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder
    4. Amazing Grace / My Chains Are Gone
    5. I’ll Fly Away
    6. Because He Lives
    7. In The Garden / Wonderful Peace (Featuring The Isaacs)
    8. How Great Thou Art
    9. Softly & Tenderly (Featuring Kelly Clarkson & Trisha Yearwood)
    10. I’d Rather Have Jesus
    11. The Lord’s Prayer
    12. Back To God (Acoustic Version) (Featuring Lauren Daigle)

    Reba McEntire is currently out on the road as part of her anticipated REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT tour. Playing to packed houses across the country, Reba invited red-hot newcomers across various dates including Caylee Hammack, Brandy Clark, Hannah Dasher, Reyna Roberts, Caitlyn Smith, Brittney Spencer and Tenille Townes. Live Nation is the official tour promoter and tickets for upcoming REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT dates are on sale now at reba.com and livenation.com.

    Reba just released her three-part box set REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED at the end of last year. REVIVED includes some of Reba’s biggest hits as they’ve evolved in her live show, REMIXED puts a whole new spin on some of her most beloved tracks and on REVISITED, Reba works with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to strip things back. Fans can purchase the new spin on some of Reba’s most beloved tracks here.

     

  • REBA McENTIRE IS “SOMEHOW” BASKING IN THE LIGHT OF THIS YEAR’S OSCARS.

    Reba McEntire recorded the Diane Warren-penned “Somehow You Do,” which was featured in the film Four Good Days. The song was just announced as one of the nominees for Best Original Song at this year’s Academy Awards. Following the announcement on Tuesday (February 8th), she congratulated Diane Warren (who landed her 13th Oscar nomination).

    Diane is also know for composing the following nominated songs,  “Til It Happens to You” from The Hunting Ground, “Grateful” from Beyond the Lights, “There You’ll Be” from Pearl Harbor, “Music Of My Heart” from Music of the Heart, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” from Armageddon, “How Do I Live” from Con Air, “Because You Loved Me” from Up Close & Personal, and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” from Mannequin.

  • REBA MCENTIRE LAUNCHES HIT-STACKED REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT TOUR WITH THREE BACK-TO-BACK SOLD-OUT ARENA SHOWS.

    Reba McEntire kicked off her anticipated REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT tour this past weekend with three back-to-back sold-out shows.  Playing to packed houses in Evansville, IN, Huntsville, AL and Duluth, GA, Reba treated the crowds to a stacked set of her most celebrated hits. Known for her witty personality, iconic wardrobe changes and her trademark vocals, fans enjoyed songs including “I’m A Survivor,” “Consider Me Gone,” “Fancy,” “Little Rock” and many more.

    Reba invited red-hot newcomer Caylee Hammack to join her as opening act this weekend, and special guests still to come across various dates include Brandy Clark, Hannah Dasher, Reyna Roberts, Cailtyn Smith, Brittney Spencer and Tenille Townes. Reba will pick back up on the road this weekend with shows in Toledo, OH (1/20), Green Bay, WI (1/21) and Sioux Falls, SD (1/22). Live Nation is the official tour promoter and tickets for upcoming REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT dates are on sale now at reba.com and livenation.com.

    REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT Official Tour Dates:
    1/20 Toledo, OH – Huntington Center *with Hannah Dasher
    1/21 Green Bay, WI – Resch Center *with Hannah Dasher
    1/22 Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center *with Hannah Dasher
    1/27 Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena *with Caitlyn Smith
    1/28 Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena *with Caitlyn Smith
    1/29 Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena *with Caitlyn Smith
    2/3 Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center Omaha *with Brandy Clark
    2/4 Springfield, MO – JQH Arena *with Brandy Clark
    2/5 North Little Rock, AR – Simmons Bank Arena *with Brandy Clark
    2/17 Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena *with Brittney Spencer
    2/18 Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata Event Center *with Brittney Spencer
    2/19 Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event Center *with Brittney Spencer
    2/24 Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at the BJCC *with Tenille Townes
    2/25 Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum *with Tenille Townes
    2/26 Bossier City, LA – Brookshire Grocery Arena *with Tenille Townes
    3/4 Mashantucket, CT – Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino
    3/5 Mashantucket, CT – Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino
    3/17 Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena *with Reyna Roberts
    3/18 Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center *with Reyna Roberts
    3/19 Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena *with Reyna Roberts

    Reba just released her three-part box set REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED at the end of last year. REVIVED includes some of Reba’s biggest hits as they’ve evolved in her live show, REMIXED puts a whole new spin on some of her most beloved tracks and on REVISITED, Reba works with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to strip things back. Fans can purchase the new spin on some of Reba’s most beloved tracks here.

  • REBA McENTIRE: On This Date In History (January 11th)

    On this date (January 11th) in 1983, Reba McEntire scored her first No. 1 hit with “Can’t Even Get the Blues,” which was included on her Unlimited album for Polygram/Mercury Records. “It was just something different.  Before that song I was kind of the queen of waltzes,” she says.

    The song is also included on her recent three-album box set, Revised, Remixed, Revisited, which was released in October.

    Reba is set to hit the road for her REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT tour, kicking off this Thursday (January 13th) in Evansville, Indiana.

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about her first No. 1 song.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Can’t Even Get The Blues) OC: …there you go. :16
    “’Can’t Even Get the Blues” was my very first number one record.  It was the fifth song that we selected as a single off my fourth album at Polygram Mercury Records.  It was just something different.  Before that song I was kind of the queen of waltzes.  So, there you go.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Jordan Davis, Carrie Underwood

    Reba McEntire has a few recommendations to watch on TV. She recently posted the two — “Welcome to Earth” and The Beatles docuseries, “Get Back” — as her recommendations since they’re “Very entertaining and educational.”

    Reba McEntire reprises her role as “June” on the hit CBS show, Young Sheldon, tonight (January 6th). You can check out the episode titled “An Expensive Glitch and a Goof-Off Room” beginning at 8pm ET on CBS.

     

    Jordan Davis guests on new country duo Seaforth‘s new song, “Good Beer,” which will be released on Friday (December 7th). His own collaboration with Luke Bryan, “Buy Dirt,” is making its way to the top of the charts.

    Carrie Underwood surprised fans with a cameo appearance in the new season (Ep. 9) of the popular Netflix series, “Cobra Kai,” which is based off the hit ’80s film franchise, The Karate Kid. She performed Survivor’s “The Moment of Truth” — a song from the original Karate Kid soundtrack — at the All Valley Karate Tournament in the episode.

    https://twitter.com/carrieunderwood/status/1478156214265655299

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Mickey Guyton, Jon Pardi, Lauren Alaina, Maddie & Tae

    Watch Carrie Underwood on NBC’s Today Show on Friday (December 24th) for an all-new holiday performance.

    https://twitter.com/carrieunderwood/status/1474051545041932290

    Reba McEntire performed “I Needed Christmas” from her Lifetime holiday movie, Christmas In Tune, on ABC’s Good Morning America earlier this week.

    https://twitter.com/GMA/status/1473294281561493508

    Vince Gill and Mickey Guyton recorded the song “Love Changes Everything” for the soundtrack of the feature film, American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story. The movie, based on Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner’s life story, stars Zachary Levi, Anna Paquin and Dennis Quaid and is set to open nationwide on Christmas Day. The soundtrack will be released on Christmas Eve (December 24th).

    Mickey Guyton is among the performers set for the 31st Annual MusiCares Person of the Year Concert honoring the legendary Joni Mitchell. Also performing are Graham Nash, James Taylor, Brandi Carlile, Pentatonix, Jon Batiste, Herbie Hancock and Leon Bridges, among others. The event will be held January 29th at the Los Angeles Convention Center, two nights before the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

    Reba McEntire, Jon Pardi, Lauren Alaina and Maddie & Tae are among the artists joining Musicians On Call for “Hope for the Holidays” virtual concert. The artists, which also includes Brett Eldredge, Caitlyn Smith and Cassadee Pope, perform holiday favorites and deliver messages to hospital patients and caregivers at over 5,000 hospitals nationwide.

    Eric Church performed “Joy To The World” during In Performance At The White House: Spirit of the Season on PBS earlier this week. The special, hosted by actress Jennifer Garner, also featured performances by the Jonas Brothers, Pentatonix, Norah Jones, Camilla Cabelo, Billy Porter and many others. If you missed it, you can stream it now — see below.

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  • CHRISTMAS 2021: Reba McEntire

    Reba McEntire has graced us with a couple of Christmas collections, including 1995’s Merry Christmas to You and 2006’s Secret of Giving: A Christmas Collection.

    She recalls one of her favorite Christmas memories when she was a young girl in Oklahoma. “The funniest thing I can always remember about Christmastime is my older brother Pake, when we were kids at home, he’d always be the first one to jump out of bed and run down the hall, and he’d just run down the hall with his underwear on,” she says. “And he’d say, ‘If y’all don’t hurry up and get up and get in here, I’m opening all the presents by myself.’ But he knew it was a standing rule we all had to be in there before anybody could open up a present, but I can still see Pake running down the hall.”

    When her son Shelby was just a little boy, she recalls one Christmas morning when he was so excited about what “Santy Claus” brought him. “I’ll never forget one (Christmas) morning I woke up and I was laying on my left side and I felt something, and I opened up my eyes, and Shelby was three inches away from my face. He said, ‘Mom, you’re not gonna beweive what Santy Claus weft for me.’ And so, he said you’ve got to come here. I got up out of bed and went in there and there was this little tractor trailer set that he had just fallen in love with at the store. He’s seen it, and he said, ‘I can’t beweive he bought this for me.’ He was so cute.”

    Reba starred in the Lifetime holiday movie, Christmas In Tune, this year, and released the song, “I Needed Christmas,” from the film. If you missed the premiere, you can catch the movie on December 21st at 10pm ET.

     

    Audio / REBA MCENTIRE GREW UP IN OKLAHOMA ALONG WITH HER SISTER SUSIE AND BROTHER PAKE. SHE RECALLS ONE OF THE FAMILY’S FUNNIEST CHRISTMAS MEMORIES.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Pake) OC: …down the hall.  :22
    “The funniest thing I can always remember about Christmastime is my older brother Pake, when we were kids at home, he’d always be the first one to jump out of bed and run down the hall, and he’d just run down the hall with his underwear on. And he’d say, ‘If y’all don’t hurry up and get up and get in here, I’m opening all the presents by myself.’ But he knew it was a standing rule we all had to be in there before anybody could open up a present, but I can still see Pake running down the hall.”

    Audio / REBA MCENTIRE RECALLS A CUTE CHRISTMAS MEMORY OF HER SON SHELBY WHEN HE WAS JUST A CHILD.

    Download

    Reba (Christmas memory of Shelby) OC: …he was so cute! :28
    “I’ll never forget one (Christmas) morning I woke up and I was laying on my left side and I felt something, and I opened up my eyes, and Shelby was three inches away from my face. He said, ‘Mom, you’re not gonna beweive what Santy Claus weft for me.’ And so, he said you’ve got to come here. I got up out of bed and went in there and there was this little tractor trailer set that he had just fallen in love with at the store. He’s seen it, and he said, ‘I can’t beweive he bought this for me.’ He was so cute.”

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  • 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.

     

    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.

     

  • REBA MCENTIRE ANNOUNCES “REBA’S PLACE” A RESTAURANT, BAR, LIVE MUSIC VENUE AND RETAIL STORE SET TO OPEN IN ATOKA, OKLAHOMA IN 2022.

    Reba McEntire revealed some exciting news this past weekend, announcing to a home state crowd in Durant, Oklahoma on Friday (November 26th) the development of “Reba’s Place,” a restaurant, bar, live music venue and retail store set to open in Atoka, Oklahoma in 2022. Constructed in a century old Masonic Temple, “Reba’s Place” features two stories of dining space that opens up to a central stage which will regularly host live music performances. The aesthetics of the venue are heavily influenced by Reba’s western heritage and include a curated collection of memorabilia from Reba’s personal archives. Reba’s Place is created in partnership with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the city of Atoka.

    “I’m very excited to be opening a place so close to my roots,” shared Reba. “The Choctaw Nation and the city of Atoka are wonderful partners and I can’t wait to welcome our first guests to Reba’s Place. We are working very hard to create something not only for the local community, but that will also bring in folks from across the country.”

    Watch Reba make the special announcement below.

    Menu highlights at “Reba’s Place” include the “Fancy” steak dinner, street tacos, chicken fried steak and Reba’s personal favorite, pinto beans and corn bread. The menu also includes scratch-made versions of many of the dishes most popular in the region, alongside favorites from other areas including Nashville, New Orleans and Mexico. The main floor also showcases a restored antique bar that is more than 100 years old and offers a broad range of beer, wine and spirits crafted into signature cocktails.The retail space will feature a combination of merchandise created just for this new venture alongside established Reba favorites.

    Reba just released her celebratory three-part box set REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED. The set is a reimagined collection of some of Reba’s most iconic songs. REVIVED includes some of Reba’s biggest hits as they’ve evolved over the years in her live show and features all new arrangements of fan favorites. REMIXED puts a whole new spin on some of her most beloved tracks and on REVISITED, Reba works with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to strip things back.

  • COUNTRY STARS ALAN JACKSON, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, DARIUS RUCKER, ERIC CHURCH, GEORGE STRAIT, JOSH TURNER, KEITH URBAN, LUKE BRYAN, MICKEY GUYTON AND REBA McENTIRE JOIN FORCES FOR FIRST RESPONDER’S CHILDREN FOUNDATION.

    As part of Gaylord Opryland Resort’s 38th annual A Country Christmas event, Universal Music Group Nashville is hosting Parade of Trees, a display where their world-renowned artists have come together to showcase Christmas trees decorated by Grand Ole Opry members Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Josh Turner, Keith Urban and Reba McEntire, along with Eric Church, George Strait, Luke Bryan and Mickey Guyton.

    For downloadable images of all the artist trees, click HERE

    Along with their trees, country music’s biggest stars have each donated “Once in a Lifetime” VIP experiences (fly-aways, VIP concert experiences, exclusive merchandise and more) all to benefit First Responders Children’s Foundation. Proceeds raised will provide scholarships and mental health services to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.

    The Parade of Trees is on display in the resort’s Garden Conservatory now until January 2, 2022 as a self-guided tour of the Christmas trees decorated specifically to the artist’s style or album theme, and each VIP experience will be available for bid online at www.CharityStars.com/ParadeOfTrees until January 12, 2022. Some of the themes and experiences include Carrie Underwood’s white tree celebrating her Christmas album, My Gift (Special Edition), as well as a trip to Las Vegas for her upcoming REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency; Eric Church’s two trees representing his albums Heart and Soul, colored red with an American theme and blue with a rock n’ roll theme respectively (and accompanying East and West Coast VIP Experiences); Mickey Guyton’s “Indigo” tree (and Ultimate NYC Thanksgiving VIP Experience, which includes front row Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade viewing) and Luke Bryan’s camo-themed tree (and Live In Las Vegas flyaway, including pre-show margarita toast with Luke).  Other artist packages include VIP festival experiences, exclusive numbered prints, signed guitars, custom toy packages from Mattel, and more.  The complete listings can be viewed at www.charitystars.com/paradeoftrees.  Guests visiting Opryland can scan QR codes at each tree location to donate and gain access to win the designated artist’s VIP prize package, and fans can also bid on the sweepstakes online.

  • REBA MCENTIRE RETURNS TO THE KELLY CLARKSON SHOW WITH A PERFORMANCE OF ICONIC HIT “THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN GEORGIA (REVIVED).”

    Reba McEntire joined The Kelly Clarkson Show Monday (November 8th) for a contemporary performance of her legendary chart-topper, “The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia (Revived).” Featured on her recently released three-part box set REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED, REVIVED includes some of Reba’s biggest hits as they’ve evolved in her live show, REMIXED puts a whole new spin on some of her most beloved tracks and on REVISITED, Reba works with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to strip things back. Fans can purchase the new spin on some of Reba’s most beloved tracks here.

    Watch Reba’s performance of “The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia (Revived)” here:

    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 3 GRAMMY® Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. Reba has celebrated unprecedented success including 35 career No.1 singles and selling over 56 million albums worldwide. Reba recently earned her 60th Top 10 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, extending her record for the most Top 10 hits among female artists. Reba’s Top 10 success spans across five straight decades and lands her alongside only George Jones, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton in the achievement. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe® nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun and starred in the six-season television sitcom Reba. Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and she was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign. Last year, Reba launched her very first Spotify original podcast, Living & Learning with Reba McEntire, featuring guests including Dolly Parton, Leslie Jordan, Kristin Chenoweth, Jane Fonda and more. Reba is also set to hit the road this winter for “REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: Together in Vegas,” the longest-running country residency in Las Vegas taking place  Dec. 1-15, 2021 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Reba will hit the road again her nationwide REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT tour launching Nov. 26th in Durant, OK. Joining her for various dates across the tour include Brandy Clark, Hannah Dasher, Caylee Hammack, Reyna Roberts, Cailtyn Smith, Brittney Spencer and Tenille Townes. For more information, visit www.Reba.com or follow @Reba on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Keith Urban

    Luke Bryan will appear on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on Monday (October 25th) with guest host and fellow American Idol judge, Katy Perry.

    Carrie Underwood took home a Dove Award at the recent Gospel Music Awards show. Her duet with gospel legend CeCe Winans, “Great Is They Faithfulness” won for Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year. Carrie previously earned a GMA Dove Award in 2006 when her debut single, “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” won for Country Recorded Song of the Year.

    https://twitter.com/carrieunderwood/status/1451748708605960193

     

    Reba McEntire has revealed her Fall 2021 Collection for Dillards. Check out the behind-the-scenes of her recent photo shoot.

     

    Keith Urban picked up three ARIA Award nominations for Best Artist and two in the category of Song of the Year (“Love Songs Ain’t For Us” with Amy Shark and “One Too Many” with Pink). The ARIA’s, which celebrate the Australian music industry, will take place November 24th, 2021.

  • REBA McENTIRE BEHIND-THE-SCENES COMMENTARY ON THE ORIGINAL VIDEO FOR “DOES HE LOVE YOU.”

    When watching the original video for “Does He Love You,” you may have noticed some dramatic ways Reba McEntire wore her hair or the white turban on her head. Come to find out, her fashionista, Sandi Spika (Borchetta) was covering up a huge bandage on Reba’s forehead.

    “Well, before we shot the video, I had to have surgery on my forehead, because I had a basal cell carcinoma on my forehead,” says Reba. “So, to get my schedule lined up with a plastic surgeon and my dermatologist was a miracle, but it happened to be real close to the filming of the ‘Does He Love You’ video. So, if you’ll watch it, you’ll see that Sandi Spika had draped my head with hair which usually goes the other way, hair or scarves, because I huge band-aid on my forehead, so that’s one thing I remember very distinctly. And then looking back at it, it was like I was looking in a mirror because that’s not how I see my hair parted.”

    Also, casting Rob Reiner as the director at the end of the video was pretty easy. She was actually shooting the movie North in California and he came in and shot the end scene just for fun. “He did that last bit with us just for fun, and I thought it was great of him to do that.”

    The original version and the new revisited version with Dolly Parton is featured on Reba’s new three-part box set, REVISED REMIXED REVISITED.

    Audio / Reba McEntire recalls some of the more memorable moments of the original “Does He Love You” video.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Does He Love You original video) OC: …to do that. 1:03
    “Well, before we shot the video, I had to have surgery on my forehead, because I had a basal cell carcinoma on my forehead. So, to get my schedule lined up with a plastic surgeon and my dermatologist was a miracle, but it happened to be real close to the filming of the ‘Does He Love You’ video. So, if you’ll watch it, you’ll see that Sandi Spika had draped my head with hair which usually goes the other way, hair or scarves, because I huge band-aid on my forehead, so that’s one thing I remember very distinctly. And then looking back at it, it was like I was looking in a mirror because that’s not how I see my hair parted. And working with Linda was so much fun. She’s a hoot. And we got to shoot the video up on Long Island, and then get to do the end part while I was filming the movie North with Rob Reiner in California, so we got to do, he did that last bit with us just for fun, and I thought it was great of him to do that.”

    Video /

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  • REBA McENTIRE PERFORMS ON THE TODAY SHOW.

    Reba McEntire performed “Is There Life Out There” and “I’m a Survivor” “Is There Life Out There” from her new REVISED REMIXED REVISITED box set on NBC’s Today Show on Thursday (October 14th). She also talked about the three-part collection, as well as her duet with Dolly Parton on “Does He Love You,” her recent rescue from a collapsed building, her romance with actor Rex Linn (“Better Call Saul,” “CSI Miami,” “Young Sheldon”) and more.

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Reba McEntire

    Dierks Bentley joined Blake Shelton‘s team as an advisor on NBC’s The Voice on Monday (October 11th) and Tuesday (October 12th) for the beginning of the battle rounds.

     

    Eric Church has been added as a presenter during tomorrow night’s (October 13th) 2021 CMT Artists of the Year. He’s joined by Connie Britton, Lady A, Michael W. Smith, Moran Evans, Nelly and Garth Brooks. The show is set to air live from Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center beginning at 9pm ET/8pm CT.

     

    Catch Reba McEntire on NBC’s Today Show on Thursday (October 14th) talking about her new three-part box set, Revised Remixed Revisited.

  • REBA MCENTIRE ANNOUNCES MULTI-CITY REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT TOUR.

    Reba McEntire revealed today that she will hit the road again, announcing REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT tour. Joining her for various dates across the tour include Brandy Clark, Hannah Dasher, Caylee Hammack, Reyna Roberts, Cailtyn Smith, Brittney Spencer and Tenille Townes. Live Nation is the official tour promoter and tickets for REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT go on sale October 15 at 10am local time at reba.com and livenation.com.

    https://twitter.com/Cayleehammack/status/1447547540715474944

     

     

    Citi is the official presale credit card for the Reba tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Tuesday, October 12th at 10am local time until Thursday, October 14th at 10pm local time through Citi Entertainment. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.

     

     

    Reba just released her three-part box set REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED on Friday (October 8th) and is continuing to celebrate the release this week. REVIVED includes some of Reba’s biggest hits as they’ve evolved in her live show REMIXED puts a whole new spin on some of her most beloved tracks and on REVISITED, Reba works with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to strip things back. Tomorrow (10/12), Reba will take part in a special Amazon Music livestream event where she will perform songs with her REVISITED collaborator and producer, Dave Cobb. Hosted by Jessie James Decker, fans can tune in at 5pm CT via Amazon Live on desktop, mobile, Fire tablet, or via the Amazon Shopping App on Fire TV.

    On Thursday (October 14th), Reba will perform two songs and share more behind the release on TODAY, beginning at 8am local time on NBC.

    REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT Official Tour Dates:
    11/26 Choctaw Casino & Resort, Durant, OK – The Grand Theater
    11/27 Choctaw Casino & Resort, Durant, OK – The Grand Theater
    1/13 Evansville, IN – Ford Center *with Caylee Hammack 
    1/14 Huntsville, AL – Von Braun Center Arena *with Caylee Hammack 
    1/15 Duluth, GA – Gas South Arena *with Caylee Hammack 
    1/20 Toledo, OH – Huntington Center *with Hannah Dasher
    1/21 Green Bay, WI – Resch Center *with Hannah Dasher
    1/22 Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center *with Hannah Dasher
    1/27 Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena *with Caitlyn Smith
    1/28 Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena *with Caitlyn Smith
    1/29 Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena *with Caitlyn Smith
    2/3 Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center Omaha *with Brandy Clark
    2/4 Springfield, MO – JQH Arena *with Brandy Clark
    2/5 North Little Rock, AR – Simmons Bank Arena *with Brandy Clark
    2/17 Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena *with Brittney Spencer
    2/18 Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata Event Center *with Brittney Spencer
    2/19 Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event Center *with Brittney Spencer
    2/24 Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at the BJCC *with Tenille Townes
    2/25 Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum *with Tenille Townes
    2/26 Bossier City, LA – Brookshire Grocery Arena *with Tenille Townes
    3/4 Mashantucket, CT – Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino
    3/5 Mashantucket, CT – Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino
    3/17 Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena *with Reyna Roberts
    3/18 Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center *with Reyna Roberts
    3/19 Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena *with Reyna Roberts

    About Reba McEntire:
    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 3 GRAMMY® Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. Reba has celebrated unprecedented success including 35 career No.1 singles and selling over 56 million albums worldwide. Reba recently earned her 60th Top 10 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, extending her record for the most Top 10 hits among female artists. Reba’s Top 10 success spans across five straight decades and lands her alongside only George Jones, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton in the achievement. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe® nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun and starred in the six-season television sitcom Reba. Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and she was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign. Last year, Reba launched her very first Spotify original podcast, Living & Learning with Reba McEntire, featuring guests including Dolly Parton, Leslie Jordan, Kristin Chenoweth, Jane Fonda and more. Reba is also set to hit the road this winter for “REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: Together in Vegas,” the longest-running country residency in Las Vegas taking place  Dec. 1-15, 2021 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. For more information, visit www.Reba.com or follow @Reba on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • REBA McENTIRE AND DOLLY PARTON BLEND THEIR VOICES FOR AN AMAZING VERSION OF “DOES HE LOVE YOU.”

    Reba McEntire looked to her friend, Dolly Parton, to record a new version of her classic “Does He Love You.” Reba was “thrilled to pieces” when Dolly agreed to do it, and once they heard their blended voices, they couldn’t have been happier. What’s surprising is that this is the first time the two global superstars have done a duet.

    “At the beginning when Dolly starts to sing, she has that beautiful whisper and then when she comes on powerhouse, I’m like, ‘Omigosh!’ It just gave me goosebumps,” says Reba.

    The two powerhouses offer a twist on the differing perspectives tackled in the new version of the track with Dolly singing the original part of the 1993 original with Linda Davis. “We’ve known each other so long, we really feel where we’re gonna go,” says Dolly. “I knew…what she was feeling when she was singing certain notes, I thought, I’m not gonna let her out sing me. (REBA LAUGHS) So, I mean I love her singing, I thought well, I’m really, really, really gonna have to woman up on this one. But I really felt it though. It’s such a great song, to start with, such a well-written song, such a good subject, so I thought this time I get to be the Jolene (REBA LAUGHS), but she’s the redhead!”

    The iconic pair also released the video for “Does He Love You” on Friday (October 8th), the same day Reba released her three-part box set REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED.

    REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED is a reimagined collection of some of Reba’s most iconic songs. REVIVED includes some of Reba’s biggest hits as they’ve evolved over the years in her live show and features all new arrangements of fan favorites. REMIXED puts a whole new spin on some of her most beloved tracks and on REVISITED, Reba works with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to strip things back.

    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.

    Download

    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 / On the set of the music video, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton talk about singing together on “Does He Love You.”

    Download

    Reba Dolly (Does He Love You banter)  OC: (Dolly) …but she’s the redhead! :48
    REBA: “At the beginning when Dolly starts to sing, she has that beautiful whisper and then when she comes on powerhouse, I’m like, ‘Omigosh!’ It just gave me goosebumps.” DOLLY: “But we’ve known each other so long, we really feel where we’re gonna go. I knew… what she was feeling when she was singing certain notes, I thought, I’m not gonna let her out sing me. (REBA LAUGHS) So, I mean I love her singing, I thought well, I’m really, really, really gonna have to woman up on this one. But I really felt it though. It’s such a great song, to start with, such a well-written song, such a good subject, so I thought this time I get to be the Jolene (REBA LAUGHS), but she’s the redhead!”

    Video /

    View
  • REBA McENTIRE’S THREE-PART BOX SET, REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED, OUT NOW!

    Reba McEntire’s celebratory three-part box set REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED is available to purchase and stream today, here. To mark the special release Reba shared the instantly iconic new music video for one of the tracks from the collection, “Does He Love You,” from REVISITED, with Dolly Parton, premiering exclusively with Facebook today. The two powerhouses offer a twist on the differing perspectives tackled in the new version of the track and embody those characters in the stunning music video shot in Nashville, TN and directed by Dano Cerny.

    “Getting to go back to these songs has been such a special experience,” shared Reba. “Each collection shows a different side of my personality, and I can’t wait to hear what the fans think of the new takes on some of the songs. Of course, getting to work with Dolly was just a dream come true and bringing this new version of ‘Does He Love You’ to life with the music video was an experience I will never forget.”

    REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED is a reimagined collection of some of Reba’s most iconic songs. REVIVED includes some of Reba’s biggest hits as they’ve evolved over the years in her live show and features all new arrangements of fan favorites. REMIXED puts a whole new spin on some of her most beloved tracks and on REVISITED, Reba works with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to strip things back. Reba gave fans a taste of what to expect from the collection last night when she performed “Take It Back/ Why Haven’t I Heard From You (revived)” on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on NBC last night (10/7), available to watch here.

    About Reba McEntire:
    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 3 GRAMMY® Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. Reba has celebrated unprecedented success including 35 career No.1 singles and selling over 56 million albums worldwide. Reba recently earned her 60th Top 10 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, extending her record for the most Top 10 hits among female artists. Reba’s Top 10 success spans across five straight decades and lands her alongside only George Jones, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton in the achievement. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe® nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun and starred in the six-season television sitcom Reba. Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and she was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign. Last year, Reba launched her very first Spotify original podcast, Living & Learning with Reba McEntire, featuring guests including Dolly Parton, Leslie Jordan, Kristin Chenoweth, Jane Fonda and more. Reba is also set to hit the road this winter for “REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: Together in Vegas,” the longest-running country residency in Las Vegas taking place Dec. 1-15, 2021 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. For more information, visit www.Reba.com or follow @Reba on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • REBA McENTIRE IS A TRIPLE THREAT WITH REVIVED REMIXED AND REVISITED.

    One Reba McEntire is amazing. Two Reba McEntires is fantastic, but three Reba McEntires is out of this world spectacular. Check out a recent promo with three different Rebas and don’t forget to get your copy of REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED on Friday (October 8th).

     

     

  • REBA McENTIRE READY TO RELEASE REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED BOX SET.

    Reba McEntire is set to release her three-part box set, REVIVED REMIXED REVISTED on Friday (October 8th). The project is a reimagined collection of some of Reba’s most adored songs. REVIVED offers Reba’s biggest hits as they’ve evolved over the years in her live show, featuring all new arrangements of fan favorites like “Is There Life Out There” and “Can’t Even Get The Blues” recorded with Reba’s touring band. REMIXED puts a whole new spin on songs including “Little Rock” and “I’m A Survivor” and on REVISITED, Reba works with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to strip back and recut songs like “Somebody Should Leave” and “Consider Me Gone,” and it features the long-awaited pairing of Reba and Dolly Parton on the classic duet “Does He Love You.”

    The collection spans Reba’s entire career and she says she loves the new versions of her iconic hits. “Listening to the three versions of the songs that I have recorded in the past, I have performed on stage, now listening to the dance mix it’s like, ‘Wow, that’s weird!’  Or it’s like, ‘Wow, get up and dance.’ Or ‘I never would have picked that song to be a dance remix until now.’ They did a great job,” says Reba. “I’m just so thrilled with it. And then the way Dave Cobb did the selected songs that we slowed the songs down, we’ve got different instrumentation, it’s just a brand-new song for me. I love them.”

    Reba is also set to hit the road this winter for “REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: Together in Vegas,” the longest-running country residency in Las Vegas. Taking place  Dec. 1-15, 2021 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. “REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: Together in Vegas,” is a culmination of the friendship and musical admiration the trio has shared since first touring together in 1993 and features more than 30 action-packed hits backed by a band of 10 players from both of their touring crews.

     

    Audio / Reba McEntire says she loves all of the new versions of her iconic songs on her new three-part box set, Revived Remixed Revisited.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (RRR versions) OC: …love them. :38
    “You know, listening to the three versions of the songs that I have recorded in the past, I have performed on stage, now listening to the dance mix it’s like, ‘Wow, that’s weird!’  Or it’s like, ‘Wow, get up and dance.’ Or ‘I never would have picked that song to be a dance remix until now.’ They did a great job. I’m just so thrilled with it. And then the way Dave Cobb did the selected songs that we slowed the songs down, we’ve got different instrumentation, it’s just a brand-new song for me. I love them.”

    Video /

    View
  • 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.

     

  • REBA McENTIRE RELEASES A VIDEO FOR HER REMAKE OF “I’M A SURVIVOR.”

    Reba McEntire has released a video for the remake of her song “I’m A Survivor,” which first appeared on Greatest Hits Volume III: I’m A Survivor, released in 2001.  

    The song, about a premature baby girl who grows up and becomes a single parent, was also used in a different form for her TV sitcom, Reba, and the Country Music Hall of Famer loves to perform the song, especially because of the reaction of her fans.

    “’I’m A Survivor’ is the theme song of the Reba TV song and I love to perform this on stage,” she says. “Women will stand up in the audience and hold their hands up when I sing ‘I’m A Survivor,’ because they are too.”

    “I’m A Survivor” is featured on the Revisited portion of her upcoming box set, Revived, Remixed, Revisited, which is available this Friday (October 8th).

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about "I'm A Survivor."

    Download

    Reba McEntire (I’m A Survivor) OC: …they are too. :12
    “’I’m a Survivor’ is the theme song of the Reba TV song and I love to perform this on stage. Women will stand up in the audience and hold their hands up when I sing ‘I’m A Survivor,’ because they are too.”

  • REBA McENTIRE’S CHRISTMAS IN TUNE SET TO AIR NOVEMBER 26TH.

    Reba McEntire’s Lifetime Christmas movie, Christmas In Tune, has an air date of November 26th. The movie, which also stars John Schneider (Dukes of Hazzard), Candice King and Justin David, follows the story of the singing duo, made up of Georgia (Reba) and Joe Winter (Schneider), years after their personal and professional breakup. The two agree to reunite after their daughter, Belle (King), asks them to participate in a Christmas Charity concert.

    https://twitter.com/reba/status/1442927173321441281

    Christmas In Tune is a really cute story about a man and a woman who were a duo singing partner and also married,” says Reba. “The lady is more of the singer, but the man is more the writer, but they make a good duo. And so, things went a little south and they have a beautiful daughter and things went south so they went their separate ways, and the daughter gets them back together for a military benefit at Christmas. And of course, neither one could turn her down.”

    Catch Reba McEntire’s Christmas In Tune November 26th at 8pm ET/PT on Lifetime.

    Reba is set to release her triple album hits package, Revived Remixed Revisited, October 8th. Featuring 30 classic tunes (including “Fancy,” “That’s The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia,” “Is There Life Out There” and many more) spread out over three discs, each segment of Revived Remixed Revisited takes a different approach to re-imagining the Hall of Famer’s work.

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about her upcoming Lifetime holiday movie, Reba McEntire’s Christmas In Tune.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Christmas In Tune) 1 OC: …turn her down. :29
    Christmas In Tune is a really cute story about a man and a woman who were a duo singing partner and also married. The lady is more of the singer, but the man is more the writer, but they make a good duo. And so, things went a little south and they have a beautiful daughter and things went south so they went their separate ways, and the daughter gets them back together for a military benefit at Christmas. And of course, neither one could turn her down.”

  • 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.

    Download

    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.

    Download

    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.”

  • REBA MCENTIRE RELEASES “THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN GEORGIA” (ERIC KUPPUR REMIX) FROM HER UPCOMING THREE-PART BOX SET REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED OUT OCTOBER 8TH.

    Reba McEntire is offering another taste of what to expect from her upcoming three-part box set REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED, releasing “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” (Eric Kuppur Remix) today, available to listen here. The pulsing remix offers another take on Reba’s iconic hit ahead of the full release of REMIXED, one of three collections of her forthcoming box set release on October 8, available to pre-order here. REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED is a reimagined collection of some of Reba’s most adored songs. REVIVED offers Reba’s biggest hits as they’ve evolved over the years in her live show, featuring all new arrangements of fan favorites like “Is There Life Out There” and “Can’t Even Get The Blues” recorded with Reba’s touring band. REMIXED puts a whole new spin on songs including “Little Rock” and “I’m A Survivor” and on REVISITED, Reba works with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to strip back and recut songs like “Somebody Should Leave” and “Consider Me Gone,” and it features the long-awaited pairing of Reba and Dolly Parton on the classic duet “Does He Love You.”

    The collection spans Reba’s entire career and today, with Reba previously releasing “Is There Life Out There” from REVIVED, “I’m A Survivor” (Lafemmebear Remix) from REMIXED, and “Consider Me Gone” from REVISITED ahead of the full release.

    Reba is also set to hit the road this winter for “REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: Together in Vegas,” the longest-running country residency in Las Vegas. Taking place  Dec. 1-15, 2021 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. “REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: Together in Vegas,” is a culmination of the friendship and musical admiration the trio has shared since first touring together in 1993 and features more than 30 action-packed hits backed by a band of 10 players from both of their touring crews.
     
    About Reba McEntire:

    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 3 GRAMMY® Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. Reba has celebrated unprecedented success including 35 career No.1 singles and selling over 56 million albums worldwide. Reba recently earned her 60th Top 10 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, extending her record for the most Top 10 hits among female artists. Reba’s Top 10 success spans across five straight decades and lands her alongside only George Jones, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton in the achievement. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe® nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun and starred in the six-season television sitcom Reba. Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and she was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign. Last year, Reba launched her very first Spotify original podcast, Living & Learning with Reba McEntire, with guests including Dolly Parton, Leslie Jordan, Kristin Chenoweth and more as they explore a variety of topics including aging, cancel culture, dating and more. Reba recently released “Somehow You Do,” written by Diane Warren, and featured in the motion picture “Four Good Days” starring Glenn Close and Mila Kunis.For more information, visit www.Reba.com or follow @Reba on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • 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: 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.

     

     

  • REBA McENTIRE HAS A BLAST ON TIKTOK.

    Reba McEntire‘s “I’m A Survivor” has received a new life from TikTok (see a compilation of TikTok videos below). The song originally appeared on her third compilation album, Greatest Hits Volume III: I’m A Survivor in 2001. The song was also used as the theme song for her WB sitcom, Reba.

    Reba, who even got into the act on the social platform trying to feed her donkeys, says she’s had a blast with the resurgence. “I think the revival of ‘I’m A Survivor’ that has exploded on TikTok has been a blast. It’s been so much fun and it has a new audience in a different way. It’s just really exciting. We’ve had a blast with it.”

     

     

    She recently announced the release of  REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED on October 8th with pre-order available now. The three-part box set is a reimagined collection of some of Reba’s most iconic songs. REVIVED includes some of Reba’s biggest hits as they’ve evolved over the years in her live show and features all new arrangements of fan favorites like “Is There Life Out There” and “Can’t Even Get The Blues” recorded with Reba’s touring band. REMIXED puts a whole new spin on songs including “Little Rock” and “I’m A Survivor” and on REVISITED, Reba works with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to strip back and recut songs like “Somebody Should Leave” and “Consider Me Gone,” and it features the long-awaited pairing of Reba and Dolly Parton on the classic duet “Does He Love You.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire says she's having fun with the revival of "I'm A Survivor" on TikTok.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (I’m A Survivor on TikTok) OC: …with it. :13
    “I think the revival of ‘I’m A Survivor’ that has exploded on TikTok has been a blast. It’s been so much fun and it has a new audience in a different way. It’s just really exciting. We’ve had a blast with it.”

  • REBA McENTIRE ANNOUNCES THREE-PART BOX SET REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED DUE OUT OCTOBER 8TH.

    Reba McEntire is set to release REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED on October 8th with pre-order available now. The three-part box set is a reimagined collection of some of Reba’s most iconic songs. REVIVED includes some of Reba’s biggest hits as they’ve evolved over the years in her live show and features all new arrangements of fan favorites like “Is There Life Out There” and “Can’t Even Get The Blues” recorded with Reba’s touring band. REMIXED puts a whole new spin on songs including “Little Rock” and “I’m A Survivor” and on REVISITED, Reba works with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to strip back and recut songs like “Somebody Should Leave” and “Consider Me Gone,” and it features the long-awaited pairing of Reba and Dolly Parton on the classic duet “Does He Love You.”

    In an exclusive interview with Variety, Reba shares, “I’ve been continuing to make new albums, and we really haven’t spent the time to slow down enough to revisit and work the catalog and remind people of what we’ve done in the past. I’m really a forward thinker, so that was a little out of my realm,” but when presented with this idea, she says she was thrilled. “I think it’s very important to keep the songs of mine that my fans grew up on (alive). My fans are very loyal, very sweet to me, and I think they’re going to enjoy this three-album package where they can sit down and say, ‘Oh, I remember when Reba sang that in Omaha.’” Read more of Reba’s interview HERE including her thoughts on working with Dave Cobb, world-class remixers, and Dolly Parton.

    The collection spans Reba’s entire career and today, she shares a song from each set- “Is There Life Out There” from REVIVED, “I’m A Survivor” (Lafemmebear Remix) from REMIXED, and “Consider Me Gone” from REVISITED.

    Reba also joins celebrated TV personality Nancy O’Dell Aug. 23 at 7pm ET/ 6 CT for talkshoplive where fans can pre-order special autographed editions of the box set, plus hear stories around the making of REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED.

    Additionally, the final dates for “REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: Together in Vegas,” the longest-running country residency in Las Vegas, were announced for Dec. 1-15, 2021 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. “REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: Together in Vegas,” is a culmination of the friendship and musical admiration the trio has shared since first touring together in 1993 and features more than 30 action-packed hits backed by a band of 10 players from both of their touring crews.

    For more Reba news, music and information, visit www.Reba.com or find @Reba on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

    About Reba McEntire:
    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 3 GRAMMY® Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. Reba has celebrated unprecedented success including 35 career No.1 singles and selling over 56 million albums worldwide. Reba recently earned her 60th Top 10 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, extending her record for the most Top 10 hits among female artists. Reba’s Top 10 success spans across five straight decades and lands her alongside only George Jones, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton in the achievement. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe® nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun and starred in the six-season television sitcom Reba. Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and she was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign. Last year, Reba launched her very first Spotify original podcast, Living & Learning with Reba McEntire, with guests including Dolly Parton, Leslie Jordan, Kristin Chenoweth and more as they explore a variety of topics including aging, cancel culture, dating and more. Reba recently released “Somehow You Do,” written by Diane Warren, and featured in the motion picture “Four Good Days” starring Glenn Close and Mila Kunis.

     

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about her new project, REVISED REMIXED REVISITED.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (RRR) OC: …for everybody. :56
    “Well, REVISED REMIXED REVISITED is a sort of reimagined collection of some of my biggest songs, which is exciting for me and hopefully the fans too. REVIVED features exciting new arrangements of fan favorites like ‘Is There Life Out There’ and ‘Can’t Even Get The Blues’ that I recorded with my touring band. REMIXED takes songs like ‘Little Rock’ and ‘I’m A Survivor’ and spins them in ways like you’ve probably never heard me before…and on REVISITED I got to work with Grammy award winning producer Dave Cobb, who strips back songs like ‘Somebody Should Leave’ and ‘Consider Me Gone’ AND I finally got to team up with my friend and hero — Dolly Parton – on a brand-new version of ‘Does He Love You.’ This project really has something for every one of my fans out there, whether they’ve been with me for 40 years or just joined the journey, we wanted something for everybody.”

  • REBA McENTIRE SET TO HOST 2021 COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES ANNOUNCEMENT ON MONDAY, AUGUST 16TH.

     

    Reba McEntire is set to host the 2021 Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees announcement on August 16th. You can watch a livestream of the announcement beginning at 11am ET/10am CT on the CMA’s YouTube Channel.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke Bryan, Reba McEntire, Maddie & Tae, Keith Urban

    Luke Bryan will appear on ABC’s Live With Kelly and Ryan on Friday (August 6th). He will chat about his new imdb.com docuseries, Dirt Road Diaries.

    Reba McEntire is joined by buddies Brooks & Dunn for their final shows in Las Vegas this December. Tickets go on sale for the December 1st – 15th shows at The Colosseum this Friday.  “I can’t wait to be back in Vegas with my buddies @BrooksAndDunn  for our final shows at the @ColosseumatCP  Dec 1-15! Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 AM PT. Don’t miss your last chance to see us #TogetherInVegas!

     

    Join Maddie & Tae as they rate their past red carpet looks in their latest YouTube video.

     

    Keith Urban graces the new issue of Rolling Stone Australia, which will hit newsstands Down Under September 6th. Keith, who is sitting inside the Top 10 on the country charts with “One Too Many” feat. P!nk, rejoins The Voice Australia as a coach, premiering this weekend.

    https://twitter.com/KeithUrban/status/1421990473854562310

  • ALAN JACKSON, DARIUS RUCKER, GEORGE STRAIT, MICKEY GUYTON AND REBA AMONG THE SUPERSTARS CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF CHARLEY PRIDE ON CMT GIANTS.

    CMT announced “CMT GIANTS: Charley Pride,” an all-new special celebrating the extraordinary life and legacy of trailblazing country music titan Charley Pride. The star-packed, 90-minute event premieres Wednesday, August 25th at 9p/8c exclusively on CMT. 

    “CMT GIANTS: Charley Pride” brings together Charley’s superstar friends and some of the biggest names in music today to celebrate his most legendary hits, including 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. Special guests Neal McCoy, Nolan Ryan,  Ronnie Milsap, and Charley’s wife Rozene Pride, also appear to share their personal memories and reflect on Charley’s lasting legacy, which are blended alongside rare archival photos, interviews and performances, with clips and commentary from Charley Pride himself. 

    “It’s an incredibly great honor to celebrate Charley Pride’s career from the perspective of those who knew him best – his friends, family and peers,” shared Margaret Comeaux, Executive Producer, CMT. “As a true ‘giant’ in country music, Charley serves as an inspiration for present and future artists, and his legendary career transcends barriers with music that stands the test of time.” 

    Shared Rozene Pride: “I am delighted to have so many giants in the business celebrate the legacy of Pride. He would have been so happy to see the artists give so generously of their time and talent honoring him. This truly is a testament to the impact that he had on the country music community for so many years.”

    Charley Pride celebrated more than 50 years as a recording artist, enjoying one of the most successful careers in the history of country music and is credited with helping to break color barriers by becoming the first black superstar within the genre. A true living legend, he sold tens of millions of records worldwide with his large repertoire of hits. A three-time GRAMMY® award and Recording Academy “Lifetime Achievement Award” winner, Pride garnered no less than 36 chart-topping country hits, including “Kiss An Angel Good Morning,” a massive #1 crossover hit that sold over a million singles and helped Pride land the Country Music Association’s “Entertainer of the Year” award in 1971 and the “Top Male Vocalist” awards of 1971 and 1972. A proud member of the Grand Ole Opry, Pride performed concerts worldwide and has toured the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand over the last several years. He received the Crossroads Of American Music Award At the 2019 GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi Gala in November of 2019, and the Country Music Association’s Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award one year later in November 2020. On December 12, 2020, Pride died at the age of 86 from complications due to COVID-19. His memory and storied legacy will live on through his vast library of stories and songs, with forthcoming plans for a final album release, public celebration of life ceremony, tribute concert, and biopic film. Full bio available here; follow Charley Pride on Facebook and at CharleyPride.com.

    Launched in 2006, the CMT GIANTS franchise is CMT’s elite honor celebrating the careers of country music’s most legendary artists: Reba McEntire (2006), Hank Williams, Jr. (2007), Alan Jackson (2008) and Kenny Rogers (2020). Stars that have previously taken part in past specials include Brad Paisley, Buddy Guy, Dolly Parton, Faith Hill, Gretchen Wilson, Jennifer Nettles, Kelly Clarkson, LeAnn Rimes, Lionel Richie, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Martina McBride, Megan Mullally, Michael McDonald, Rascal Flatts, Rita Wilson, Steven Tyler, Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith and Trisha Yearwood, to name a few.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith Urban, Brothers Osborne, Reba McEntire, Priscilla Block, Lauren Alaina, Sam Hunt and more

    Keith Urban has returned as a coach to The Voice Australia, and the first look at the new season has arrived. He’ll be joined by Rita Ora, Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy. The four coaches turn in a stellar, colorful performance of Justin Timberlake’s global hit “Can’t Stop The Feeling!” The video was directed by ARIA Award-winning James Chappell, who has previously worked with Keith and Guy. The Voice Australia will premiere on the Seven Network following the Olympics.

     

     

     

    Brothers Osborne are featured on CMT’s Campfire Sessions show, which is set to air on Thursday (July 17th) at 9pm ET.

     

    Reba McEntire is set to perform at this year’s Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular. The special, which will also feature performances by the Black Pumas, Coldplay and One Republic, will air Sunday, July 4th from 8-10pm ET with an hour-long encore presentation at 10pm ET.

     

    Priscilla Block will perform during Nashville’s Fourth of July celebration, Let Freedom Sing!. The free event will take place in downtown Nashville on lower Broadway and will also feature performances by Lilly Hiatt, Regi Wooten and Friends, the Nashville Symphony and headliner Brad Paisley.

    Lauren Alaina will appear on CBS’ new home makeover series, Secret Celebrity Renovation, a one-hour series featuring celebrities in sports, music, film and other entertainment fields the chance to give a surprise home renovation to a meaningful and influential person who helped guide them to success. The show, which also features other famous faces such as Paula Abdul, Wayne Brady, Boomer Esiason, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Emmitt Smith and Anthony Ramos, among others, will premiere Friday, July 9th at 8pm ET/PT. No word yet on when Lauren’s appearance will air.

    Sam Hunt has been added to the list of performers at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival this fall. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, Sam will be joined during the two-day festival by Maroon 5, Billie Eilish, Florida Georgia Line, Khalid, Journey, Coldplay, Nelly and Weezer, among others. The two-day event will take place September 17th-18th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The CW Network will exclusively livestream both nights via the CW app and CWTV.com, while iHeartMedia radio stations will also broadcast the festival live across more than 150 markets. The CW will also broadcast the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival as a two-part television special October 2nd-3rd 8 to 10pm ET.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Brothers Osborne

    https://twitter.com/KeithUrban/status/1400821357718429697

     

    Keith Urban loves to collaborate with other artists. Case in point is his current single, “One Too Many” with P!nk. Keith is also featured on BRELAND’s new release, “Throw It Back,” which was released today (June 4th). “BRELAND is my brother from another mother,” says Keith. “I LOVE creating with him. Everything is so simpatico and matter of fact – here it is! I’m stoked that a song written from our very first time writing together (June of last year) is finally coming out.” This is not their first collaboration – the pair wrote and recorded “Out The Cage,” which is featured on Keith’s The Speed of Now Part 1. Check out the video that was shot at Analog in Nashville.

     

    The Grand Ole Opry has released a limited-edition LP vinyl, Unbroken|Empty Room, Full Circle, which includes memorable performances recorded live from the Opry stage in front of an empty house due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Artists featured on the new LP include Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Luke Combs, Trace Adkins, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell and many others. The collection is available exclusively on Opry.com and at the Opry’s Nashville-based retail outlets.

     

     

     

    Brothers Osborne will be featured in an upcoming episode of Circle Network’s new show, “Landmarks: The Stages of Country Music.” The new series delves into artists’ relationships with iconic venues including The Grand Ole Opry, the legendary Ryman Auditorium, Tootsie’s, Billy Bob’s, The Station Inn, Gruene Hall and more. The show will also raise awareness for Save Our Stages, which supports independent live music venues.

  • REBA MCENTIRE PREMIERES “SOMEHOW YOU DO” MUSIC FILM DIRECTED BY JON AVNET.

    Country icon Reba McEntire is giving fans their first taste of new music in two years today with the release of the original song “Somehow You Do,” listen HERE. “Somehow You Do” was written by Diane Warren for the feature film Four Good Days and marks the third time Reba has collaborated with the award-winning songwriter following the success of “What If” in 1997 and “I’ll Be” in 2000. The song also reunites Reba with longtime producer Tony Brown.

    This stunning video, which highlights Reba among a picturesque Southern Californian backdrop, was directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jon Avnet (Fried Green Tomatoes, Risky Business, Black Swan). Fans can watch HERE.

    “Somehow You Do” is the featured track in the new motion picture Four Good Days, which opens in select theaters on April 30th. Directed by Rodrigo Garcia, Four Good Days includes knockout performances by Glenn Close and Mila Kunis.  The film had its worldwide premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. In celebration, Reba has released the official music video today.

    “It’s an honor to get to sing a Diane Warren song anytime, but then to be associated with talented actors in a movie like Glenn and Mila is just icing on the cake,” says Reba. “Add in Jon Avnet directing the video and it just doesn’t get much better!”

    “Reba’s interpretation of Diane Warren’s song was so nuanced and moving,” adds Jon. “When I was asked if I would direct the filming of it, I jumped at the opportunity.  I hoped to use the film to interpret both the song and the movie ‘Four Good Days.’  It was worth every minute in the desert working with Reba. She’s a pro’s pro and fun to boot!  And of course, this is my second go around with Diane Warren.  The first was ‘Because You Loved Me,’ that Celine Dion sung for my film ‘Up Close and Personal.’ That one worked out well and I think ‘Somehow You Do’ should as well.”

    “‘Somehow You Do’ is a song about hope, about how even through the times that are so hard and moments in your life that are so devastating, that somehow you will get through them and get to the other side,” shares Diane Warren. “It is a song about strength of the human spirit and no voice can convey that as much as Reba McEntire. She makes you feel with every note that you might think you can’t get through it, but somehow you will, and somehow you do.”

    Audio below and here.

    About Reba McEntire:
    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 3 GRAMMY® Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. Reba has celebrated unprecedented success including 35 career No.1 singles and selling over 56 million albums worldwide. Earlier this month, Reba received her 51st CMA nomination as well as her 60th Top 10 hit on the Billboard chart extending her record for the most among female artists. Reba has now collected Top 10 hits in five straight decades and is the fourth artist to achieve the feat alongside George Jones, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe® nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun and starred in the six-season television sitcom Reba. Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and she was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign. Last year, Reba launched her very first Spotify original podcast, Living & Learning with Reba McEntire, with her former Reba TV show co-star Melissa Peterman. Together with their guests including Dolly Parton, Leslie Jordan, Kristin Chenoweth and more they explore a variety of topics including aging, cancel culture, dating and more. Reba just released her first taste of new music in two years with “Somehow You Do,” written by Diane Warren, and featured in the motion picture “Four Days” starring Glenn Close and Mila Kunis.

    About Diane Warren:
    Diane Warren is one of the most continuously prolific and successful contemporary songwriters of our time. Her songs have been featured in more than 100 motion pictures resulting in 12 Academy Award® nominations, most recently for “Io Si (Seen)” performed by Laura Pausini for the Netflix film The Life Ahead starring Sophia Loren.  She is a Grammy winner with 15 nominations, a two-time Golden Globe Award winner with six nominations and Emmy winner.  She has penned nine #1 and thirty-two top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001.

    In Summer 2021, for the first time in her career, she will release her own album, Diane Warren: The Cave Sessions Vol. 1 (via BMG), which will feature an all-star line-up of talent who will bring her songwriting and storytelling to life, including John Legend, Celine Dion, Ty Dolla $ign and Darius Rucker.  She is the sole owner of her publishing company Realsongs.

    About Jon Avnet:
    He is best known for co-writing, directing and producing Fried Green Tomatoes, which garnered multiple Academy Award nominations (for writing and for Jessica Tandy, who co-starred with Kathy Bates, Cicely Tyson and Mary Louise Parker) and BAFTAs and a Golden Globe nomination for best Picture.  He has also directed the three Emmy-winning performances of Margo Martindale, Colleen Dewhurst and Judy Davis. He produced Paul Brickman’s Risky Business for David Geffen and Warner Bros. which launched the career of Tom Cruise.  Avnet was the executive producer of Black Swan, starring Natalie Portman (winner of the Oscar for Best Actress) and directed by Darren Aronofsky. Black Swan received five Oscar nominations in total (including Best Picture) as well as multiple nominations and wins from the PGA, WGA, SAG, BAFTA, AFI, and the Golden Globes. In television, Avnet produced The Burning Bed, starring Farrah Fawcett, which garnered eight Emmy nominations, a Golden Globe nomination and is still today the highest-rated television movie ever aired on NBC. This film is credited with creating the “battered woman syndrome” as a legal defense for victims of domestic violence. He directed the pilot for TCA award winning Drama Boomtown, the critically acclaimed limited series Uprising, the multiple Emmy nominated limited series The Starter Wife, Justified, Sneaky Pete. He was nominated for the DGA awards for both Uprising and The Starter Wife.  Other movies directed by Avnet include, Up Close and Personal starring Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer,  Red Corner, with Richard Gere, Righteous Kill, starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino and Three Christs with Richard Gere, Peter Dinklage, Walton Goggins and Bradley Whitford. Other films produced by Avnet include Less Than Zero, The Mighty Ducks 1,2 and 3, Miami Rhapsody, When a Man Loves a Woman, George of the Jungle.  As well as Alex Haley’s Moma Flora Family, starring Cicely Tyson and Queen Latifah and Heatwave, starring Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones. On Broadway, his plays have received 35 Tony nominations and 12 Tony awards. He produced, all with Bill Haber, two Tony Award winning shows,  “Spamalot” and “The History Boys.” He also produced “The Pillowman,” “Inherit the Wind,” starring Christopher Plummer and Bryan Dennhey, “The Seafarer” by Connor McPherson, and the Mike Nichols-directed “Country Girl,” starring Morgan Freeman and Frances McDormand. He is Vice Chairman of the American Film Institute, A board member of the Directors guild of America and for 17 years a member of the Board of Overseers for the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Avnet is CEO of Indigenous Media, Producer of Four Good Days,  which was co-founded by director Rodrigo Garcia and COO Jacob Avnet.

    About Four Good Days:
    In an emotional journey based on a true story by Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post writer Eli Saslow, 31-year-old Molly begs her estranged mother Deb for help fighting a fierce battle against the demons that have derailed her life. Despite all she has learned over a decade of disappointment, grief and rage, Deb throws herself into one last attempt to save her beloved daughter from the deadly and merciless grip of heroin addiction. Powerhouse performances from Glenn Close and Mila Kunis anchor director Rodrigo García’s poignant and unpredictable chronicle of mother and daughter fighting to regain the love and trust that once held them together.

     

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about the music video for "Somehow You Do" from the film, Four Good Days.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Somehow You Do video) OC: …getting it together. :13
    “Jon Avnet did a great job on creating this concept. He thought about it a long time, he listened to the song…I’m really glad to be the recipient to bring it to life, and I hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did getting it together.”

     

  • REBA McENTIRE SET TO RELEASE THE SONG “SOMEHOW YOU DO” FROM THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE, FOUR GOOD DAYS.

    Reba McEntire is set to release her new song, “Somehow You Do,” from the movie Four Good Days tomorrow (April 22nd). The film, starring Glenn Close and Mila Kunis, is about an addict (Kunis) who leaves a detox clinic and goes to live with her mother (Close) and fights to stay clean for at least four days.

    Even though the film’s storyline is specific, Reba says fans will find “Somehow You Do” very relatable.

    “I definitely feel like the fans can relate to the overall message of this song,” says Reba. “It does give hope when you’re down, depressed and you’re having problems in life. This song gives hope, and that’s what we all need.”

     

    Four Good Days will be released nationwide April 30th.

     

    Audio / Reba McEntire explains how her new song, "Somehow You Do," from the film Four Good Days, is hopeful.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Somehow You Do relatable) OC: …we all need. :14
    “I definitely feel like the fans can relate to the overall message of this song. It does give hope when you’re down, depressed and you’re having problems in life. This song gives hope, and that’s what we all need.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire describes the movie Four Good Days.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Four Good Days) OC: …emotional. :06“Well, the movie’s about a mother-daughter relationship dealing with drug addiction. It’s very emotional.

    Video /

    View
  • NEWS AND NOTES: Carrie Underwood, Mickey Guyton, Reba McEntire, Eric Church

    Carrie Underwood is set to perform songs from her new album, My Savior, on the Today Show on Friday (March 26th) on NBC. My Savior will be available beginning tomorrow, as well.

    https://twitter.com/carrieunderwood/status/1374455779458097161

     

    Mickey Guyton is featured on a new version of Breland’s “Cross Country.”

    https://twitter.com/MickeyGuyton/status/1372764015856812032

     

    Reba McEntire sings the theme song “Somehow You Do,” for the new movie, Four Good Days, starring Glenn Close and Mila Kunis. “It was written by the amazing Diane Warren who also wrote my songs ‘I’ll Be’ and ‘What If.'” The film will be released April 30th.

     

    Eric Church is featured in the new issue of Garden & Gun to talk about recording his latest three-album project, Heart & Soul, hanging on his Tennessee property and how he relaxes after a long tour.

     

     

  • 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.

     

  • REBA MCENTIRE SET TO RELEASE ALL THE WOMEN I AM CONCERT SPECIAL EXCLUSIVELY ON YOUTUBE.

    Country icon Reba McEntire is set to premiere her All The Women I Am concert special exclusively on YouTube this Friday, March 12, marking the first time the concert has been available digitally and in its entirety, including her signature “Fancy” encore. Filmed in 2011 at the Cajundome in Layfayette, LA, the recording features performances of Reba’s greatest hits including “Is There Life Out There,” “Turn On The Radio” and more. The special will premiere at 7:30pm CT and Reba will celebrate with fans through a chat on her YouTube channel HERE.

    In anticipation, Reba has released a special teaser trailer for the event which can be viewed HERE.

    “2011 was the last time we got to go out and play a big arena tour, and I’m so glad we captured this show on film. I know it’s not the same as being there in person, but I hope this gives my fans something to enjoy until we can get back out there on the road safely,” shares Reba.

    Recently, Reba returned to CBS’ breakout hit “Young Sheldon” as the fiery character June, Dale’s ex-wife. She will make her third guest appearance on the sitcom this Thursday, March 11 at 7pm CT in an episode title “A Pager, a Club and a Cranky Bag of Wrinkles.”

    Last year, Reba released two additional concert specials with YouTube, 1990’s Reba In Concert and 1994’s Reba: Live. The specials were a massive success with over 100,000 fans watching in just the first three days. The Country Music Hall of Fame member also re-released her legendary album, Rumor Has It, last year in celebration of the 30th Anniversary.

    About Reba McEntire:
    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 3 GRAMMY® Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. Reba has celebrated unprecedented success including 35 career No.1 singles and selling over 56 million albums worldwide. Earlier this month, Reba received her 51st CMA nomination as well as her 60th Top 10 hit on the Billboard chart extending her record for the most among female artists. Reba has now collected Top 10 hits in five straight decades and is the fourth artist to achieve the feat alongside George Jones, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe® nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun and starred in the six-season television sitcom Reba. Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and she was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign. Reba just launched her very first Spotify original podcast, Living & Learning with Reba McEntire, with her former Reba TV show co-star Melissa Peterman. Together with their guests including Dolly Parton, Leslie Jordan, Kristin Chenoweth and more they explore a variety of topics including aging, cancel culture, dating and more.

    Additional information can be found at: www.reba.com

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

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

     

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

     

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

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

     

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

     

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

     

     

     

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

     

     

     

     

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  • REBA McENTIRE’S “FANCY” WAS RELEASED 30 YEARS AGO TODAY.

    Reba McEntire is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of her song, “Fancy,” today (February 11th).

    She posted to socials this morning, saying, “When “Fancy” was released 30 years ago today, I had no idea that it would go on to become my most well-known and most requested song. That’s the power of a great story song!”

     

    Reba says she fell in love with “Fancy” when Bobbie Gentry originally released it. “I fell in love with that song when Bobbie Gentry had it out in the late ’60s,” says Reba. “It was a hit then, and it’s been a hit every time anybody listens to it. Everybody can relate to it; it’s a rags-to-riches song. I had wanted to do that song earlier, but not until I got with Tony Brown in 1990 to do this album (Rumor Has It), he had asked me, he said, ‘Are there any old songs you’d like to do a remake on?’ And I looked at him and said, ‘Yeah! Fancy!’ He said, ‘Omigosh! That’s my favorite song!’ So, we did this song, and it has just been with me forever. I just absolutely love it.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about "Fancy."

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Fancy) OC: …always a hit. :41
    “I fell in love with that song when Bobbie Gentry had it out in the late ’60s. It was a hit then, and it’s been a hit every time anybody listens to it. Everybody can relate to it; it’s a rags-to-riches song. I had wanted to do that song earlier, but not until I got with Tony Brown in 1990 to do this album (Rumor Has It), he had asked me, he said, ‘Are there any old songs you’d like to do a remake on?’ And I looked at him and said, ‘Yeah! Fancy!’ He said, ‘Omigosh! That’s my favorite song!’ So, we did this song, and it has just been with me forever. I just absolutely love it. I’ve recorded it. I’ve performed it many times, done it on television shows, and it’s always a hit.”

    Video /

    View
  • CHRISTMAS 2020: Reba McEntire

    Reba McEntire has graced us with a couple of Christmas collections, including 1995’s Merry Christmas to You and 2006’s Secret of Giving: A Christmas Collection.

    She recalls one of her favorite Christmas memories when she was a young girl in Oklahoma. “The funniest thing I can always remember about Christmastime is my older brother Pake, when we were kids at home, he’d always be the first one to jump out of bed and run down the hall, and he’d just run down the hall with his underwear on,” she says. “And he’d say, ‘If y’all don’t hurry up and get up and get in here, I’m opening all the presents by myself.’ But he knew it was a standing rule we all had to be in there before anybody could open up a present, but I can still see Pake running down the hall.”

    When her son Shelby was just a little boy, she recalls one Christmas morning when he was so excited about what “Santy Claus” brought him. “I’ll never forget one (Christmas) morning I woke up and I was laying on my left side and I felt something, and I opened up my eyes, and Shelby was three inches away from my face. He said, ‘Mom, you’re not gonna beweive what Santy Claus weft for me.’ And so, he said you’ve got to come here. I got up out of bed and went in there and there was this little tractor trailer set that he had just fallen in love with at the store. He’s seen it, and he said, ‘I can’t beweive he bought this for me.’ He was so cute.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire grew up in Oklahoma along with her sister Susie and brother Pake. She recalls one of the family’s funniest Christmas memories.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Pake) OC: …down the hall.  :22
    “The funniest thing I can always remember about Christmastime is my older brother Pake, when we were kids at home, he’d always be the first one to jump out of bed and run down the hall, and he’d just run down the hall with his underwear on. And he’d say, ‘If y’all don’t hurry up and get up and get in here, I’m opening all the presents by myself.’ But he knew it was a standing rule we all had to be in there before anybody could open up a present, but I can still see Pake running down the hall.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire recalls a cute Christmas memory of her son Shelby when he was just a child.

    Download

    Reba (Christmas memory of Shelby) OC: …he was so cute! :28
    “I’ll never forget one (Christmas) morning I woke up and I was laying on my left side and I felt something, and I opened up my eyes, and Shelby was three inches away from my face. He said, ‘Mom, you’re not gonna beweive what Santy Claus weft for me.’ And so, he said you’ve got to come here. I got up out of bed and went in there and there was this little tractor trailer set that he had just fallen in love with at the store. He’s seen it, and he said, ‘I can’t beweive he bought this for me.’ He was so cute.”

  • DARIUS RUCKER SAYS CO-HOSTING THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS WITH REBA McENTIRE WAS ONE OF THE BEST EXPERIENCES OF HIS LIFE.

    Darius Rucker co-hosted last night’s CMA Awards for the first time ever, and says being up there on that stage with Reba McEntire (who’s hosted and co-hosted five times) was “one of the best experiences of his life.”

    “It was a dream come true,” said Darius backstage at the CMA Awards. “It was something I never ever thought they would ask me to do. Reba made it so easy and she was so great to me, and this was one of the best experiences of my life.”

    Darius performed his latest hit single, “Beers and Sunshine,” on the show, as well as a duet with Reba on “In The Ghetto,” which paid tribute to the late and great Mac Davis, who recently passed away.

    Audio / Darius Rucker says co-hosting the CMA Awards with Reba was one of the best moments of his life and career.

    Download

    Darius Rucker (CMA Awards greatest night) OC: …of my life. :10
    “It was a dream come true. It was something I never ever thought they would ask me to do. (Reba: “He did a great job.”) Reba made it so easy and she was so great to me, and this was one of the best experiences of my life.”

  • REBA McENTIRE AND DARIUS RUCKER ARE READY TO HOST THE 54TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS.

    Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker are set to host tonight’s CMA Awards. Country Music’s Biggest Night™ will take place from Music City Center in downtown Nashville and will feature some of the biggest artists and performances in Country Music. Darius joins the CMA Awards stage for the first time as host, while Reba returns for the fifth time.

    The two will also perform a special version of “In The Ghetto” in tribute to legendary songwriter Mac Davis who passed away in September at the age of 78. The song, which the pair recorded last month, will be available at all DSPs at midnight ET, tonight, following their CMA Awards performance.

    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, nine People’s Choice Awards, six CMA Awards, three GRAMMY Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. Reba has celebrated unprecedented success including 35 career No.1 singles and selling over 56 million albums worldwide. Last month, Reba received her 51st CMA Awards nomination as well as her 60th Top 10 hit on the Billboard chart, extending her record for the most among female artists. Reba has now collected Top 10 hits in five straight decades and is the fourth artist to achieve the feat alongside George Jones, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun” and starred in the six-season television sitcom “Reba.” Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and she was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign. Reba just launched her very first Spotify original podcast, Living & Learning with Reba McEntire, with her former “Reba” TV show co-star Melissa Peterman. Together with their guests including Dolly Parton, Leslie Jordan, Kristin Chenoweth and more they explore a variety of topics including aging, cancel culture, dating and more.

    Three-time GRAMMY Award winner and Grand Ole Opry member Darius Rucker first achieved multi-Platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of Hootie & the Blowfish, whose 2x Diamond-certified Cracked Rear View remains the seventh-highest selling studio album of all time. Since releasing his first Country album in 2008, which earned him the CMA Award for New Artist of the Year, Rucker has gained a whole new legion of fans with four No. 1 albums and nine No. 1 singles at Country radio. His current of-the-moment single, “Beers And Sunshine,” was written via a Zoom session earlier this year and calls for slowing down to enjoy the simple things in life when the world feels out of control. A lifelong philanthropist, Rucker is a constant supporter of MUSC Children’s Hospital in his hometown of Charleston, SC and has raised more than $2 million dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through his annual Darius & Friends event.

    Check out all the action Wednesday night (November 11th) beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.

    Audio / From "Good Morning America," Reba McEntire talks about hosting the CMA Awards tonight.

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    Audio / From "Good Morning America," Darius Rucker explains how he prepared to host the CMA Awards with Reba McEntire.

    Download
  • NEWS AND NOTES: Brothers Osborne, Reba, Sam, Shania, Little Big Town and more

    Brothers Osborne will perform from the Sofar Listening Room on Thursday (October 15th) beginning at 3pm ET/2pm CT. The duo just released their brand new album, Skeletons, last week and are currently making their way up the country charts with their latest single, “All Night.”

    Reba McEntire will reportedly star in a television adaptation of “Fried Green Tomatoes” with legendary producer Norman Lear at the helm as executive producer, according to Variety. The hour-long drama, possibly airing on NBC, is described as “a modernization of the novel and movie that explores the lives of descendants from the original work. When present-day Idgie Threadgoode (McEntire) returns to Whistle Stop after a decade away, she must wrestle with a changed town, estranged daughter, faltering cafe and life-changing secret.” Reba is also said to be one of the executive producers, as well.

    Reba McEntire, Brothers Osborne and Little Big Town are among the artists performing at various venues around Nashville for the virtual Save Our Stages Festival, taking place October 16th – 18th. The three-day event will also include performances by Kelsea Ballerini, Dave Matthews, Marshmello, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, Jason Mraz, Foo Fighters, Leon Bridges and many more. This benefit will raise awareness and money for the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund to support independent music venues across the nation during this devastating pandemic. Check out all the information on times, venues and performances right here.

    Sam Hunt has been added to the list of performers at this year’s CMT Music Awards. Sam is up for Male Video of the Year for “Hard to Forget,” and he’s also nominated for CMT Performance of the Year for his cover of Reba McEntire’s iconic hit, “Fancy,” at the 2019 CMT Artists of the Year ceremony. He joins previously announced performers Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, Kane Brown, Dan + Shay and Ashley McBryde on the main stage. Also performing are Gabby Barrett and Morgan Wallen, as well as several performances from the the Ram Trucks Side Stage featuring Caylee Hammack, Mickey Guyton, Travis Denning, Ingrid Andress, Hardy and Riley Green. Shania Twain will also make an appearance at the CMT Awards ceremony, her first since 2011. The 2020 CMT Music Awards will air October 21st beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

     

  • REBA McENTIRE AND DARIUS RUCKER SET TO HOST “THE 54TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS.”

    photo credit: CMA/ABC

    The Country Music Association has revealed that Country Music superstars and previous CMA Awards winners Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker will host “The 54th Annual CMA Awards” live from Nashville on November 11th (8:00-11:00pm ET) on ABC. Country Music’s Biggest Night™ will take place from Music City Center in downtown Nashville and will feature the biggest artists and performances in Country Music. McEntire and Rucker came together to announce the news live this morning on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

    “I’m thrilled to be back hosting the CMA Awards and even more thrilled that I get to share the stage with Darius Rucker,” says McEntire. “We’re looking forward to a night of celebrating great Country Music and hope you’ll tune in and watch!”

    “I look forward to the CMA Awards every year because of the incredible performances and the opportunity to celebrate the year in Country Music,” says Rucker. “To be invited to host this year’s awards alongside Reba — are you kidding me?! — it is an absolute honor. Even though this year will look a little different than normal, I know that we’re all eager for a night of musical celebration, and this year’s show definitely won’t disappoint!”

    Rucker joins the CMA Awards stage for the first time as host, while McEntire returns for the fifth time.

    “We are beyond thrilled to welcome Reba and Darius as this year’s CMA Awards hosts,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “Their playful chemistry and genuine warmth are exactly what we know our viewers want to see this year. We look forward to bringing fans a night of celebration, live performances and a television experience unlike any other. We cannot wait to share more details about our show in the coming weeks.”

    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, nine People’s Choice Awards, six CMA Awards, three GRAMMY Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. Reba has celebrated unprecedented success including 35 career No.1 singles and selling over 56 million albums worldwide. Last month, Reba received her 51st CMA Awards nomination as well as her 60th Top 10 hit on the Billboard chart, extending her record for the most among female artists. Reba has now collected Top 10 hits in five straight decades and is the fourth artist to achieve the feat alongside George Jones, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun” and starred in the six-season television sitcom “Reba.” Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and she was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign. Reba just launched her very first Spotify original podcast, Living & Learning with Reba McEntire, with her former “Reba” TV show co-star Melissa Peterman. Together with their guests including Dolly Parton, Leslie Jordan, Kristin Chenoweth and more they explore a variety of topics including aging, cancel culture, dating and more.

    Three-time GRAMMY Award winner and Grand Ole Opry member Darius Rucker first achieved multi-Platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of Hootie & the Blowfish, whose 2x Diamond-certified Cracked Rear View remains the seventh-highest selling studio album of all time. Since releasing his first Country album in 2008, which earned him the CMA Award for New Artist of the Year, Rucker has gained a whole new legion of fans with four No. 1 albums and nine No. 1 singles at Country radio. His current of-the-moment single, “Beers And Sunshine,” was written via a Zoom session earlier this year and calls for slowing down to enjoy the simple things in life when the world feels out of control. A lifelong philanthropist, Rucker is a constant supporter of MUSC Children’s Hospital in his hometown of Charleston, SC and has raised more than $2 million dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through his annual Darius & Friends event.

    Nominations for “The 54th Annual CMA Awards” were revealed last month and can be found at CMAawards.com. 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 is open now and closes Tuesday, Oct. 27 (6:00 PM/CT).

     

    photo credit for profile photo: Alysse Gafkjen/ABC
  • REBA McENTIRE WILL HOST HER OWN PODCAST, TITLED “LIVING AND LEARNING.”

    Reba McEntire will be the host of a new original podcast titled “Living and Learning with Reba McEntire” on Spotify beginning September 21st. Some of her upcoming  guests include Dolly Parton, actress and activist Jane Fonda, Queer Eye co-star Karamo Brown and author Glennon Doyle with more famous names to be announced soon.

    Fans worldwide can tune in to hear Reba’s trademark wit and wisdom as she and expert guests share honest, comedic takes on struggles we all face when it comes to confronting life’s challenges, making good decisions, and creating happiness around us. In a nutshell, it’s Reba’s interpretation of ‘living your best life.’ Along with her co-host and friend Melissa Peterman, Reba will tackle a different topic through informative and intriguing conversations with both an expert in the field and a celebrity guest each episode.

    “I am so excited to be partnering with Spotify on my new podcast and I’m even more excited to be connecting with my fans in a way I haven’t done before,” says Reba. “I’m looking forward to sharing some of what I’ve learned from my own life challenges and hopefully learning more along the way. Spotify is the perfect platform to share this journey with my fans, old and new!”

    Reba ust released the 30th Anniversary edition of her iconic Rumor Has It album.

     

  • REBA McENTIRE CELEBRATES THE RELEASE OF THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF “RUMOR HAS IT” ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA.

    Reba McEntire celebrated the release of the 30th Anniversary of her iconic album, “Rumor Has It” earlier today with an appearance and performance on ABC’s Good Morning America. Check it out below.

    Video /

    Video /

  • REBA MCENTIRE’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF ICONIC ALBUM, RUMOR HAS IT, AVAILABLE TODAY.

    Country superstar Reba McEntire releases the 30th Anniversary Edition of her iconic album, Rumor Has It, today (listen HERE). Originally released in 1990, Rumor Has It features four Top 10 hits including the album title track, “You Lie”, “Fallin’ Out Of Love” and her signature hit, “Fancy.” In addition, the anniversary edition vinyl includes a bonus track, a live acoustic version of “Fancy” recorded at The Ryman, while the cd and digital versions features that bonus track as well as a new dance remix of “Fancy.” In celebration, Reba is set to perform “Fancy” on ABC’s Good Morning America Monday, September 14th.

    Earlier this month, Reba received her 51st CMA nomination in the Musical Event of the Year category for being featured on Thomas Rhett’s No.1 hit “Be A Light.” “Be A Light” marks Reba’s 60th Top 10 hit on the Billboard chart extending her record for the most among female artists. Reba has now collected Top 10 hits in five straight decades and is the fourth artist to achieve the feat alongside George Jones, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton.

    Reba also recently re-launched two live concert specials exclusively on YouTube, fans can watch clips of the specials on Reba’s channel HERE.

    Rumor Has It Track List:

    1. “Climb That Mountain High”
    2.  “Rumor Has It”
    3.  “Waitin’ For The Deal To Go Down”
    4.  “You Lie”
    5.  “Now You Tell Me”
    6.  “Fancy”
    7.  “Fallin’ Out Of Love
    8.  “This Picture”
    9.  “You Remember Me”
    10.  “That’s All She Wrote”
    11.  “Fancy” (Dave Audé Remix) – Bonus Track
    12.  “Fancy” (Live At The Ryman) – Bonus Track

    About Reba McEntire:
    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 3 GRAMMY® Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. In 2017, she marked her thirteenth summit as the double-disc collection SING IT NOW: SONGS OF FAITH & HOPE topped both the Billboard Country and Christian/Gospel charts, bolstering Reba’s successful record of 35 No. 1 singles and over 56 million albums sold worldwide. Reba co-produced her latest GRAMMY® nominated album, STRONGER THAN THE TRUTH (Big Machine Records) alongside Buddy Cannon in Nashville. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe® nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun and starred in the six-season television sitcom Reba. Most recently, she joined the voice cast of Fox Animation’s Spies in Disguise – released in theaters Christmas 2019. Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign.

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about the title cut of er iconic album, Rumor Has It.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Rumor Has It) OC: …for me.  :28
    “The Name of the album is Rumor Has It, and the song itself, ‘Rumor Has It,’ is a great, great song, very slow, very sad, very true-to-life. Unfortunately, a lot of people can relate to this song, and that’s what I‘m always looking for when I’m listening to songs for an album are songs that when people listen to it can go, ‘Ohhhhh, yup. That’s my life. She’s singing it straight for me.”

  • REBA McENTIRE RELEASES 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF HER RUMOR HAS IT ALBUM ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH.

    Country superstar Reba McEntire will re-release her iconic RIAA triple-platinum certified album Rumor Has It on Friday (September 11th) in honor of the record’s 30th Anniversary. Originally released in 1990, Rumor Has It features four Top 10 hits including the album title track, “You Lie,” “Fallin’ Out Of Love” and her signature hit, “Fancy.” In addition, the anniversary edition vinyl will include a bonus track, a live acoustic version of “Fancy” recorded at The Ryman, while the CD and digital versions will feature that bonus track as well as a new dance remix of “Fancy.”

    The Oklahoma native went through a lot during the making of the album, but she had some downtime to pick just the right songs. “It was 1990, February of 1990. I had Shelby, so that was in February. I had been on bedrest since December the 6th, so finally had him on the 23rd of February and then we started in on the tour,” says Reba. “But while I was on bedrest, I was listening for songs. They’d bring me a huge box of cassette tapes. I had to stay on my left side all the time and I had my boom box and I would listen to songs all day long. So, I had Shelby, and then we went right into recording with Tony Brow and I had been recording with Jimmy Bowen before that since 1984. Tony and I had been big friends for a long time there at MCA Records, so he started producing me and we had a blast with that. Then we went on tour and it was hard. I was way out of shape. I had to get back into shape quick. I had a brace around my back and my stomach because it was the big staircase I had to walk up and down. A lot of stuff happened, but a lot of great things happened out of that. Number-one, Shelby is 30 years old; ‘Fancy’ is my biggest song of my career; four great singles off this album, so I’m really thrilled that we’re getting to re-release it. Who would’ve thought you would’ve been able to do that?”

     

    Rumor Has It Track Listing:

    1. “Climb That Mountain High”

    2. “Rumor Has It”

    3. “Waitin’ For The Deal To Go Down”

    4. “You Lie”

    5. “Now You Tell Me”

    6. “Fancy”

    7. “Fallin’ Out Of Love”

    8. “This Picture”

    9. “You Remember Me”

    10. “That’s All She Wrote”

    11. “Fancy” (Dave Audé Remix) – Bonus Track

    12. “Fancy” (Live At The Ryman) – Bonus Track

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about the circumstances surrounding the making of her iconic "Rumor Has It' album.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (making of Rumor Has It) OC: … do that? 1:24
    “It was 1990, February of 1990. I had Shelby, so that was in February. I had been on bedrest since December the 6th, so finally had him on the 23rd of February and then we started in on the tour. But while I was on bedrest I was listening for songs. They’d bring me a huge box of cassette tapes. I had to stay on my left side all the time and I had my boom box and I would listen to songs all day long. So, I had Shelby, and then we went right into recording with Tony Brow and I had been recording with Jimmy Bowen before that since 1984. Tony and I had been big friends for a long time there at MCA Records, so he started producing me and we had a blast with that. Then we went on tour and it was hard. I was way out of shape. I had to get back into shape quick. I had a brace around my back and my stomach because it was the big staircase I had to walk up and down. A lot of stuff happened, but a lot of great things happened out of that. Number-one, Shelby is 30 years old; ‘Fancy’ is my biggest song of my career; four great singles off this album, so I’m really thrilled that we’re getting to re-release it. Who would’ve thought you would’ve been able to do that?”

     

     

  • REBA MCENTIRE SET TO RELEASE ANOTHER CONCERT SPECIAL EXCLUSIVELY ON YOUTUBE.

    Due to popular demand, country superstar Reba McEntire is set to re-launch another concert special exclusively on YouTube this Friday, August 28.  Marking the first time this special will be available digitally, Reba In Concert features some of the entertainer’s biggest hits including “Fancy,” “You Lie” and “Whoever’s In New England.” The show was filmed in 1990 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas and serves as a dedication to Reba’s original band members (included in the special) who were tragically lost in a plane crash the following year.

    Featuring 16 iconic performances, Reba In Concert will premiere at 7:30pm CT and Reba will again celebrate with fans through a chat on her YouTube channel HERE.

    In anticipation, Reba has released a special teaser trailer for the event which can be viewed HERE.

     

    “This show is very special to me because it features my friends that we lost in a plane crash 29 years ago,” shares Reba. “Their love for music and incredible talents deserve to be seen again, and I’m so glad that we’re getting the chance to stream this concert for the first time ever. I can’t wait to watch it and I hope they will feel all the love we still have for them.”

    Last month, Reba released her 1994 concert special Reba: Live to massive success with over 100,000 fans watching in just the first three days. It was recently announced that the Country Music Hall of Fame member is set to re-release her legendary album, Rumor Has It, in celebration of the 30th Anniversary. The album includes four Top 10 hits including the title track, “You Lie,” “Fallin’ Out Of Love” as well as “Fancy.” In addition, the anniversary edition vinyl will include a bonus track, a live acoustic version of “Fancy” recorded at The Ryman, while the cd and digital versions will feature that bonus track and a new dance remix of “Fancy.” Special cd, vinyl and autographed bundle packages will be available for fans featuring items such as a commemorative lithograph, limited-edition t-shirt and more. Additional information can be found at: www.reba.com

  • REBA MCENTIRE SET TO RE-RELEASE ICONIC ALBUM RUMOR HAS IT FOR 30TH ANNIVERSARY.

    Country superstar Reba McEntire is set to re-release her iconic RIAA triple-platinum certified album Rumor Has It on September 11th in honor of the record’s 30th Anniversary. Originally released in 1990, Rumor Has It features four Top 10 hits including the album title track, “You Lie”, “Fallin’ Out Of Love” and her signature hit, “Fancy.” In addition, the anniversary edition vinyl will include a bonus track, a live acoustic version of “Fancy” recorded at The Ryman, while the cd and digital versions will feature that bonus track as well as a new dance remix of “Fancy.”

    Special cd, vinyl and autographed bundle packages will be available for fans featuring items such as a commemorative lithograph, limited-edition t-shirt and more. Additional information can be found at: www.reba.com

    “I never imagined I’d get the chance to put out an album for a second time. It’s just so much fun to look back and remember where we were and what we were doing when they were originally released,” shares Reba. “This album in particular is very special to me because it was the first time I got to record with Tony Brown and he was the reason I finally got to record ‘Fancy.’ Now here we are 30 years later and I never end a show without singing that song.”

    Rumor Has It Track Listing:

    1. “Climb That Mountain High”
    2. “Rumor Has It”
    3. “Waitin’ For The Deal To Go Down”
    4. “You Lie”
    5. “Now You Tell Me”
    6. “Fancy”
    7. “Fallin’ Out Of Love”
    8. “This Picture”
    9. “You Remember Me”
    10. “That’s All She Wrote”
    11. “Fancy” (Dave Audé Remix) – Bonus Track
    12. “Fancy” (Live At The Ryman) – Bonus Track

    Reba recently re-launched her Reba: Live special exclusively on YouTube, reaching over 100,000 views in just the first three days. Filmed in 1994 at the Omaha Civic Center, the recording showcases Reba’s extraordinary showmanship and includes plenty of iconic costume changes as well as her signature humor. The Oklahoma native’s distinctive talent truly comes to life in the hour-long special that includes twelve unique performances. Fans can watch clips of the special on Reba’s YouTube channel HERE.

    About Reba McEntire:
    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 3 GRAMMY® Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. In 2017, she marked her thirteenth summit as the double-disc collection SING IT NOW: SONGS OF FAITH & HOPE topped both the Billboard Country and Christian/Gospel charts, bolstering Reba’s successful record of 35 No. 1 singles and over 56 million albums sold worldwide. Reba co-produced her latest GRAMMY® nominated album, STRONGER THAN THE TRUTH (Big Machine Records) alongside Buddy Cannon in Nashville. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe® nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun and starred in the six-season television sitcom Reba. Most recently, she joined the voice cast of Fox Animation’s Spies in Disguise – released in theaters Christmas 2019. Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign.

    Fans can pre-order the Rumor Has It anniversary edition HERE

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

  • REBA MCENTIRE SET TO RELEASE REBA: LIVE CONCERT SPECIAL EXCLUSIVELY ON YOUTUBE.

    Country superstar Reba McEntire is set to re-launch her Reba: Live special exclusively on YouTube this Friday, July 17th, marking the first time the concert has been available digitally. Filmed in 1994 at the Omaha Civic Center, the recording showcases Reba’s extraordinary showmanship and includes plenty of iconic costume changes as well as her signature humor. The Oklahoma native’s distinctive talent truly comes to life in this hour-long special that includes twelve unique performances. The special will premiere at 7pm CT and Reba will celebrate with fans through a chat on her YouTube channel HERE.

    In anticipation, Reba has released a special teaser trailer for the event which can be viewed below.

    “This was one of my first big tours with all the dancers and costume changes, and it was my very first network television special,” shares Reba. “It’s so much fun to get to revisit it and share it with my fans all these years later! I hope they enjoy it and I can’t wait to share some stories from the behind the scenes during the chat.”

    It was just announced that Reba will join fellow Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill for the Grand Ole Opry’s 4,933rd consecutive Saturday night broadcast on July 18. The performance will be available to watch on Circle TV, wsmonline.com and SiriusXM. Most recently, Reba shared a new music video for her timeless song “What If,” which can be viewed HERE. Written by Diane Warren and originally released in 1997, Reba spoke to NBC’s TODAY as well as Entertainment Tonight (watch HERE) as to why she felt compelled to re-release the song with an updated video as an encouraging message of hope and positivity.

    About Reba McEntire:
    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 3 GRAMMY® Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. In 2017, she marked her thirteenth summit as the double-disc collection SING IT NOW: SONGS OF FAITH & HOPE topped both the Billboard Country and Christian/Gospel charts, bolstering Reba’s successful record of 35 No. 1 singles and over 56 million albums sold worldwide. Reba co-produced her latest GRAMMY® nominated album, STRONGER THAN THE TRUTH (Big Machine Records) alongside Buddy Cannon in Nashville. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe® nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun and starred in the six-season television sitcom Reba. Most recently, she joined the voice cast of Fox Animation’s Spies in Disguise – released in theaters Christmas 2019. Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign.

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK RELEASES FIERY NEW TRACK “REDHEAD” FEATURING REBA MCENTIRE OFF HER UPCOMING DEBUT ALBUM IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU – AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW.

    Capitol Nashville’s Caylee Hammack is offering fans a look into her recently-announced upcoming debut record today, releasing her scorching new song “Redhead” that is “as badass and unique as a fiery head of hair” (Rolling Stone), featuring superstar Reba McEntire available to listen here. Co-written by Hammack with Natalie Hemby and Trent Dabbs, the song details the clothes line, tightrope and dare devil high hopes childhood of the brazen “Redhead” with an assist from fellow flame-haired vocalist Reba McEntire.

    Hammack also premiered a music video for the track today exclusively with CMT, CMT Music and CMT.com, available to watch here. Directed by Justin Clough, the video filled with personality, confidence and persuasion takes viewers back to a little redhead’s childhood, living life in a double-wide trailer as her parents attempt to handle their daughter’s fervor. Hammack’s dynamic performance revels in the nostalgia.

    “This song was inspired by an older cousin of mine with fiery red hair,” shared Hammack. “You don’t hear about redheads very much in songs, so I simply wanted to write one for her and all the redheads in my family. Then, Reba came in the studio and TRANSFORMED this song. She helped me create an anthem for all redheads. Whether you get it naturally or find it in a bottle, this is for the firecrackers!”

    Hammack is all about the truth, the complete, whole unvarnished truth. That truth stains IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU, her major label debut, with equal doses joy, courage and enough detail to break an axle. Available on August 14 Hammack announced the upcoming and anticipated debut release this week, with Hammack co-writing and co-producing every track on the 13-song collection that is available to pre-order now here.

    Currently nominated for ACM “New Female Artist Of The Year” and “Music Event Of The Year,” Caylee Hammack has been noted as an “Artist To Watch” by outlets including The Bobby Bones Show, Rolling Stone and HITS Magazine for her “mix of clever lyrics and haunting melodies” (Music Row). 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 has “created a kind of country music that’s larger—and brighter—than real life”(HITS Magazine). 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 cayleehammack.com

     

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Redhead w Reba)

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    Audio / Caylee Hammack talks about working with country superstar Reba McEntire.

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    Caylee Hammack (Redhead) 1 OC: … just love her. 40
    “Being able to work with Reba McEntire was truly a childhood dream come true. It was a dream that I never even knew I had a chance of accomplishing or reaching, but she was so kind to me and so generous to be able to come in and learn this song and sing it with me. It is such an honor to work with a professional business woman like that, a legend in her career field and a legend in many other ways as well. She is just such an idol of mine and I’m just so grateful she was willing to step in and sing this crazy song with me. I just love her.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Brandon, Jordan, Caylee, Little Big Town, Brothers Osborne, Keith, Reba

    Brandon Lay will be performing on Country Outdoors Live on the Outdoor Channel on Friday (May 29TH) beginning at 7pm ET/6pm CT.

    Jordan Davis will be answering your questions about his new self-titled EP tonight (May 29th) on Instagram beginning at 7pm ET/6pm CT.

    Caylee Hammack is joining fellow Georgian Trisha Yearwood this weekend as a guest on “Trisha’s Southern Kitchen.” Airing tomorrow (May 30th) on Food Network at Noon ET/11am CT, Hammack and Yearwood share stories of their roots and indulge in a menu that takes them back to their days in Georgia. Hammack was a guest on Yearwood’s tour late last year and the two bonded over small town life in Georgia.

    Little Big Town will perform their new single, “Wine, Beer, Whiskey” on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: At Home Edition on Monday (June 1st).

    Brothers Osborne will be holding their 2020 Family Reunion fan club party virtually. The party will be on http://BrothersOsborne.com, exclusively for all members of The Family. The guys will also be doing a virtual m&g with a few lucky premium members.

    Keith Urban and Reba McEntire have been added to the list of artists taking part in CMT CELEBRATES OUR HEROES: AN ARTISTS OF THE YEAR SPECIAL, premiering Wednesday (June 3rd) at 8pm ET/PT on CMT and will simulcast on Paramount Network, Pop TV and TV Land. The two-hour special will also include appearances by Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Jake Owen, Lee Brice, Sean Penn, Gary Sinise, Scarlett Johansson, Olivia Munn and Zac Brown. Previously announced artists include Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker,

  • REBA MCENTIRE MOVES ARENA TOUR TO SUMMER 2021.

    Out of an abundance of caution, country icon Reba McEntire has made the decision to reschedule her upcoming arena tour, scheduled to launch in July, to Summer 2021. The newly rescheduled dates launch July 8, 2021 in Evansville, IN and wrap August 14, 2021 in Grand Rapids, MI. Previously purchased tickets will be honored for all dates. If fans are unable to attend the new dates they will receive an email explaining how to request a refund.

    “I can’t wait to see everybody when we know it’s safe to gather again,” shares Reba. “We’ve worked so hard on this new show and I’ll be ready to go as soon as we get the green light!”

    NEW DATES: Reba Live In Concert 2021 Tour

    July 8                     Evansville, IN                      Ford Center

    July 9                     Huntsville, AL                     Von Braun Center

    July 10                   Biloxi, MS                            Mississippi Coast Coliseum

    July 15                   Green Bay, WI                   Resch Center

    July 16                   St. Paul, MN                       Xcel Energy Center

    July 17                   Sioux Falls, SD                    Denny Sanford Premier Center

    July 22                   Duluth, GA                          Infinite Energy Center

    July 30                   Bethlehem, PA                  Wind Creek Event Center

    Aug 6                     Pittsburgh, PA                   PPG Paints Arena

    Aug 7                     Toledo, OH                          Huntington Center

    Aug 12                   Peoria, IL                              Peoria Civic Center

    Aug 13                   Rosemont, IL                      Allstate Arena

    Aug 14                   Grand Rapids, MI             Van Andel Arena

     

    Yesterday, Reba appeared on NBC’s TODAY as well as Entertainment Tonight to promote the updated music video she recently released for her timeless song “What If,” watch HERE. Reba felt compelled to re-release the song as an encouraging message of hope and positivity. Written by Diane Warren and originally released in 1997, fans can listen to the uplifting track and watch the new video HERE.

     

    For a full list of tour dates, news and more, visit www.reba.com

  • REBA McENTIRE APPEARS ON NBC’S TODAY SHOW TO TALK ABOUT “WHAT IF,” QUARANTINE AND MORE.

    Watch Reba McEntire talk to NBC’s Today Show about the 2020 version of her song and video, “What If,” life in quarantine and more right here.

  • UPDATED UMG NASHVILLE COVID-19 QUARANTINE AUDIO AND LINERS, PART 2: Reba, Darius, Pardi, Brandon, Caylee, Chrissy, Langston, Kylie and more

    We will continue to update this story as we try to navigate our way through uncharted territory during this global pandemic.  Keep checking back.

    Country Music Stars and the entire country music industry and country music fans seem to be some of the first to show up to lend a helping hand, a voice and a song to get all of us through these tough times.

    Some of your favorite country stars are live streaming performances, answering your questions, revealing what they are doing to pass the time while social distancing and giving a message of hope to the rest of us.

    Find audio below as well as some recent social posts.

     

    To download previously posted audio, click here.

     

     

    View this post on Instagram

    A special message for The Family from John and TJ

    A post shared by Brothers Osborne (@brothersosborne) on

     

     

    Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (COVID-19)

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    Audio / Reba McEntire (message and thoughts during COVID-19)

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    Reba McEntire (message and thoughts during COVID-19) OC: …I know I sure will. 1:50
    “Our Mama, Jacqueline McEntire, passed away March the 14th of this year, and so my two sisters and brother and I have been really busy here in Oklahoma taking care of her estate and Daddy’s estate, he passed away five years ago. So, we’ve been making sure we get everything separated and divided up amongst us. It’s been healing, sad, hmmm, we’ve found so many fun, wonderful things that we’d never seen before — letters from Daddy to Mama, pictures that I don’t know why she hadn’t shown us but we hadn’t seen ’em before. Mama had put ’em in a box in her closet. So, it’s really neat to see those things and oh, memory lane and so emotional, but gosh, we had a blast. It’s been so wonderful to get to stay with my sister in Chockie, Oklahoma with her and her husband Mark, Susie and Mark. We’ve just had the best time. Some people are in cities with millions, and we’re just here in this little bitty town in Chockie. There might not be more than 14 people here. It’s been a great time of rest, relaxation, meditation, getting to know your family better, my family. I’ve totally enjoyed it. My heart goes out to those peoople who did get sick during the Coronavirus. My heart goes out to the ones who have lost loved ones and family members and friends, but like the song says ‘What If,’ I think it’s really joined us together and made us a tightknit bunch. We’ll survive. We’ll go on, and I think we’ll love deeper, appreciate more and come out stronger at the end. I know I sure will.”

    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Coronavirus liner)

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    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Coronavirus liner)

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    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Coronavirus liner) 2

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    Audio / Jon Pardi talks about what he's been doing to keep busy during this time if social distancing.

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    Jon Pardi (what he’s been doing) OC: …know what I’m saying? :27
    “How I’m doing with social distancing? Well, I’ve got my country distancing, and I’ve been working on the land, praying for the sun and no more rain in Tennessee. I mean it’s just so rainy. I haven’t really gotten to see my family or anything, because everybody’s so far apart, but I’m hanging in there. Trying to write some music, watching TV, Netflix and stuff, so it’s been fun, getting back to my inner self, powering up the soul, know what I’m saying?”

    Audio / Jon Pardi reveals his favorite show on Netflix right now.

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    Jon Pardi (favorite show on Netflix) OC: …overdubbed. :09
    “My favorite show on Netflix right now is ‘The Money Heist.’ It’s originally in Spanish but overdubbed in English. It’s very good, even though you can tell that it’s overdubbed.”

    Audio / Jon Langston (what he's been doing)

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    Jon Langston (what he’s been doing) OC: …as possible. :09
    “Lately I’ve been turkey hunting a little bit and playing outside with my dog and trying to get outside in the yard and get as much done around the house as possible.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack explains what she's been doing during this time of social distancing.

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    Caylee Hammack (what she’s been doing) OC: …stuck at home. :25
    “Hey y’all-this is Caylee Hammack, and the way I have dealt with social distancing is I have just really dove into all of the books I’ve bought over the past year that I’ve not been able to read and I haven’t caught up with. I have been gardening like crazy And really just cleaning and reorganizing my house and trying to make the best out of being stuck at home.”

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (COVID-19) 1

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    Audio / Brandon Lay reveals his favorite hobb9es.

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    Brandon Lay (fave hobbires) OC: …'”
    “Hey y’all, I’m Brandon Lay. My favorite hobbies are plaing basketball, working on tractors and listening to Fleetwood Mac.”

    Audio / Brandon Lay talks about what he's been doing during social distancing.

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    Brandon Lay (what he’s been doing) OC: …take advantage of. :33

    Audio / Brandon Lay sends heartfelt message to fans.

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    Brandon Lay (message to fans) OC: …before you know it. :23

    Audio / LINER Chrissy Metz (COVID-19)

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    Audio / LINER Kylie Morgan (COVID-19)

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  • REBA MCENTIRE RELEASES NEW “WHAT IF” MUSIC VIDEO.

    Country superstar Reba McEntire releases a new music video for her timeless song “What If” today. Written by Diane Warren and originally released in 1997, Reba felt compelled to re-release the song with an updated video as an encouraging message of hope and positivity.  The uplifting track is also available for the first time on digital platforms today, listen HERE.

     

     

    “This song is as relevant today as it was 23 years ago,” shares Reba. “That’s the power of a great song and Diane Warren is no stranger to writing great songs. Even though we may not be able to physically reach out with just one hand right now, we can still be there for each other and take care of our neighbors, essential workers and medical professionals. Re-releasing this song and updated video with its message of care, hope and love felt like the right thing to do. Maybe we still can change things.”

    About Reba McEntire:
    Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 3 GRAMMY® Awards, a GMA Dove Award and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. In 2017, she marked her thirteenth summit as the double-disc collection SING IT NOW: SONGS OF FAITH & HOPE topped both the Billboard Country and Christian/Gospel charts, bolstering Reba’s successful record of 35 No. 1 singles and over 56 million albums sold worldwide. Reba co-produced her latest GRAMMY® nominated album, STRONGER THAN THE TRUTH (Big Machine Records) alongside Buddy Cannon in Nashville. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe® nominated actress has 11 movie credits to her name, a lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun and starred in the six-season television sitcom Reba. Most recently, she joined the voice cast of Fox Animation’s Spies in Disguise – released in theaters Christmas 2019. Her brand partnerships include Dillard’s, REBA by Justin™ and was named the first female and musician to portray KFC’s iconic founder Colonel Harland Sanders in their celebrity colonel campaign.

     

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about her song "What If."

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    Reba McEntire (What If) OC: …What If. :16
    “Hi, this is Reba McEntire. Now more than ever, the song ‘What If’ hits close to home. Well, even though it may feel like we’re living in a world gone mad, you know we can still fond ways to make a difference and hopefully change things. Here it is, ‘What If.'”

     

  • REBA OFFERS UP ACTIVITIES FOR FOLKS WHO ARE AT HOME.

    Looking for something to do with your time while you’re at home? Download the brand new Reba coloring pages, print them on your home printer and color with your family!

    Click here to download.

     

  • REBA MCENTIRE SHIFTS ARENA TOUR TO SUMMER KICKOFF.

    Country superstar Reba McEntire has postponed her upcoming arena tour, originally scheduled to launch next weekend. The newly rescheduled dates launch July 9th in Huntsville, AL and wrap August 8th in Evansville, IN. Previously purchased tickets will be honored for all dates.

    “For the safety of everyone, we have decided to postpone our new arena tour until July,” shares Reba. “All tickets will be honored for the new dates. Most importantly, stay safe and take care of you and your loved ones. We’ll get through this together.”

    NEW DATES: Reba Live In Concert 2020 Tour

    July 9                     Huntsville, AL                     Von Braun Center Arena

    July 10                   Duluth, GA                          Infinite Energy Center

    July 11                   Biloxi, MS                            Mississippi Coast Coliseum

    July 16                   Pittsburgh, PA                   PPG Paints Arena

    July 17                   Toledo, OH                          Huntington Center

    July 18                   Bethlehem, PA                  Wind Creek Event Center

    July 23                   St. Paul, MN                       Xcel Energy Center

    July 24                   Rosemont, IL                      Allstate Arena

    July 31                   Green Bay, WI                   Resch Center

    Aug 1                     Sioux Falls, SD                    Denny Sanford Premier Center

    Aug 6                     Grand Rapids, MI             Van Andel Arena

    Aug 7                     Peoria, IL                              Peoria Civic Center

    Aug 8                     Evansville, IN                      Ford Center

     

     

    For a full list of tour dates, news and more, visit www.reba.com

  • REBA MCENTIRE RETURNS HOME TO UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP NASHVILLE .

    Country superstar Reba McEntire announced today that she will return to her original label home, Universal Music Group Nashville, where she spent the first 32 years of her famed career. During her time on both Mercury and MCA Records, two of the four labels that form Universal Music Group Nashville, Reba celebrated unprecedented success including 33 of her 35 career No. 1 singles and selling over 56 million albums worldwide.

    “It’s a wonderful feeling to be back with the family where I started,” shares Reba. “I am thrilled because my catalog is here at Universal and I’m really excited to revisit all the songs that I recorded many years ago. We’re going to have a lot of fun.”

    “At a time when our music, our community and our artists need a bright guiding light, Reba returning to the place where it all started is a great testament to her continuing impact and her powerful musical legacy and we are so proud she’s coming home,” says UMG Nashville President Cindy Mabe. “Reba is a music icon who changed culture and paved her own path by making strong empowering musical statements throughout her career through her songs, her videos, her fashion, her shows and her persona. She’s inspired so many generations of fans and there is so much more impact to be made. It is our honor and privilege to get to collaborate and grow the future of Reba’s musical career.”

    On March 20th, Reba will hit the road on her first headlining arena tour since 2011 kicking off in Evansville, IN. Rising singer/songwriter Caylee Hammack is set to join her for the dozen stops including Pittsburgh, PA, Toledo, OH, St. Paul, MN and more. In addition, Reba will continue her residency with Brooks & Dunn at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas with 24 new dates through December.

    Known as a powerhouse vocalist whose talent transcends musical boundaries, Reba is a true multi-media entertainment mogul. From the top of the country charts to the Broadway stage, Reba has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to inhabit any style of song with an authority and passion that has made her a household name from stage to screen. Her successful career spans across music, television, film, theater and retail. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 3 GRAMMY Awards and a GMA Dove Award. Reba was also a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient.

    Her timeless hits include “Whoever’s In New England,” “You Lie,” “Fancy,” “Rumor Has It,” “Is There Life Out There,” “The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia,” “Does He Love You” and more. Most recently, Reba released her acclaimed album, Read My Mind, on vinyl for the first time in celebration of its 25th Anniversary. The album includes hits such as “Why Haven’t I Heard From You” and “She Thinks His Name Was John.”

    Originally from Oklahoma, Reba is a Golden Globe nominated actress and has 11 movie credits to her name in addition to her lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun.” She also starred in the six-season television sitcom “Reba.”

    For a full list of tour dates, news and more, visit www.reba.com

    Fans can click HERE to listen to a special playlist.

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about being back home at Universal Music Group.

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    Reba McEntire (back at UMG) OC: …be exciting. :36
    “It’s a wonderful feeling to be back with the family where I started. A full circle moment. I am thrilled because my catalog is here at Universal, and I’m really excited to revisit all of the songs that I recorded many years ago and work with a team that’s so excited about my songs as I am. We’re gonna have a lot of fun. It’s gonna be very interesting to see what you can do with songs in 2020 as opposed to back 30, 40 years ago. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s gonna be exciting.”

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK WILL HIT THE ROAD WITH REBA McENTIRE IN 2020.

    Caylee Hammack is getting ready to hit the road with another feisty redhead…none other than superstar Reba McEntire. The tour, which will hit a dozen cities, kicks off March 20th in Evansville, Indiana and is set to wrap May 9th in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

    https://twitter.com/Cayleehammack/status/1196413298603892737

     

    Tickets for Evansville, IN; Huntsville, AL; Toledo, OH; Rosemont, IL; Green Bay, WI; Biloxi, MS and Grand Rapids, MI go on sale this Friday (November 22nd) with presales beginning Tuesday (November 18th).

    “I have always loved to entertain and to be entertained so I couldn’t be more thrilled to head back out on the road and sing for the fans every night,” shared Reba. “We have so many talented females creating new music and having Caylee join us will be a lot of fun!”

    REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT 2020 Tour Dates:
    3/20 – Evansville, IN: Ford Center
    3/21 – Huntsville, AL: Von Braun Center Arena
    3/26 – Pittsburgh, PA: PPG Paints Arena
    3/28 – Toledo, OH: Huntington Center *
    4/24 – Rosemont, IL: Allstate Arena
    4/25 – Green Bay, WI: Resch Center *
    4/26 – Sioux Falls, SD: Denny Sanford Premier Center *
    5/1 – Biloxi, MS: Mississippi Coast Coliseum
    5/2 – Duluth, GA: Infinite Energy Center
    5/7 – St. Paul, MN: Xcel Energy Center
    5/8 – Peoria, IL: Peoria Civic Center
    5/9 – Grand Rapids, MI: Van Andel Arena

    * Support act to be announced

  • CARRIE, REBA AND DOLLY WILL OPEN THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS WITH A HOST OF COUNTRY FEMALE ARTISTS.

    Women in Country Music will unite for a historic, not-to-be-missed opening performance at this year’s CMA Awards. The entire show is set to pay tribute to the great women of country music, led by show hosts Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton. The performance will also feature Terri Clark, Sara Evans, Crystal Gayle, The Highwomen (comprised of Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires), Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles, Tanya Tucker and Gretchen Wilson, each performing iconic Country songs for a monumental decades-spanning medley never before seen.

     

    The show will also feature an additional multi-artist performance with Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Kelsea Ballerini, Ashley McBryde, Lindsey Ell, Carly Pearce and Runaway June. The group will come together for an epic performance of an iconic CMA Song of the Year and CMA Single of the Year.

    “It’s definitely going to be heartfelt,” says Carrie. “The whole tone this year is obviously taking a look at women in country music. And I love the fact that there’s a theme happening. I hope that’s kind of something that maybe we adopt for future CMAs. It probably makes things harder for everybody else, but it’s just so nice to just be heartfelt and celebrate, you know, women in country music.”

    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 / Carrie Underwood talks about the theme of celebrating women at this year's CMA Awards.

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    Carrie Underwood (CMA Awards 2019 theme) OC: …it is heartfelt. :48
    “It’s definitely going to be heartfelt. The whole tone this year is obviously taking a look at women in country music. And I love the fact that there’s a theme happening. I hope that’s kind of something that maybe we adopt for future CMAs. It probably makes things harder for everybody else, but it’s just so nice to just be heartfelt and celebrate, you know, women in country music. So, I feel obviously, Dolly and Reba and myself all have you know, we’ll have our moments of I don’t want to say comedy, but I feel like Dolly and Reba are both so good at those like one liners that just kill. So, I can’t imagine there not being some of those in there. But, you know, I feel like it is heartfelt.”

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD TO HOST “THE 53RD ANNUAL CMA AWARDS” WITH SPECIAL GUEST HOSTS REBA McENTIRE AND DOLLY PARTON, CELEBRATING LEGENDARY WOMEN IN COUNTRY MUSIC.

    Carrie Underwood will host “The 53rd Annual CMA Awards” with special guest hosts and Country Music Hall of Fame members Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, celebrating legendary women in Country Music throughout the ceremony.

     

     

     

    https://twitter.com/CountryMusic/status/1163405893188358144

    Combined, the three hosts hold 124 CMA Awards nominations and 22 total wins, 11 of which are for Female Vocalist of the Year. In addition, the three superstars hold a combined 14 nominations in the Entertainer of the Year category, with Parton receiving the award in 1978 and McEntire winning in 1986.

    https://twitter.com/DollyParton/status/1163408397565419520

     

    Final nominees for “The 53rd Annual CMA Awards” will be announced live August 28th during ABC’s “Good Morning America” from their Times Square studio in New York and via livestream following the broadcast.

    Carrie, who is making her way up the country charts with “Southbound,” has won seven CMA Awards, has sold 64 million records worldwide and recorded 26 No. 1 singles, 13 of which she co-wrote. Underwood has co-hosted the CMA Awards since 2008, creating an unforgettable legacy, from celebrating the 50th anniversary of the CMA Awards in 2016 to countless other highlights across the legendary broadcast’s history.

    This year’s CMA Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 13th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.

     

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD SURPRISES REBA McENTIRE AT THE GRAND OLE OPRY.

    Carrie Underwood and Dolly Parton surprised Reba McEntire at the Grand Ole Opry on Friday night (September 22nd) during the 40th Anniversary of Reba’s Opry debut. Not only did Carrie turn in amazing performances of her songs “Wasted” and “I Told You So,” but she also joined Reba on “Does He Love You.” Vince Gill also showed up to honor his friend and fellow Okie.

    Carrie shared photos of her with Reba, Dolly and Vince and asked, “How is this my life?”

     

     

  • FOREVER COUNTRY: Keith, Darius, Reba

    As announced yesterday (September 13th), in celebration of The 50th Annual CMA Awards, the CMA has created the biggest video in Country Music history. Titled “Forever Country,” the single and accompanying music video features 30 CMA Award-winning acts. This single was produced by CMA Award-winning Board member Shane McAnally and the video was directed by Grammy Award-winning director Joseph Kahn. In another historic move, the single will be unveiled to the public Friday, September 16th in a global roadblock across Country radio, premiering on hundreds of radio stations simultaneously at 8:30 AM/ET across the U.S., in addition to premiering in key international markets.

    The song and music video weave a medley of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” together.

    “The 50th Annual CMA Awards” will be hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and broadcast live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, November 2nd (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC.

    For more information on “Forever Country” visit ForeverCountry50.com.

    A radio special about the song, hosted by Luke Bryan (as well as an unhosted version), will be made available to download on ForeverCountry50.com. A second radio special about the video will be available in the coming days.

    Audio / Keith Urban explains why he wanted to take part in the Country Music Association’s 50th Anniversary event, “Forever Country.”

    Download

    Keith Urban (why he wanted to take part in Forever Country) OC: …all about. :29
    “I really wanted to be a part of the CMA’s ‘Forever Country.’ The songs are just so perfect. The fact that they all go together so seamlessly was incredible. I’ve played ‘Country Road’ in my cover band days; I’ve played ‘On the Road Again’ in my cover band days, and you know, I guess for me the reason these songs have stood the test of time is that they’re truth. They’re truth and they’re universal, and no matter where you come from in the world, you know what these songs are all about.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Forever Country)

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    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about the mashup of the three iconic country songs that make up "Forever Country."

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    Darius Rucker (Forever Country song mashup) OC: …great move. :45
    “I mean, these three songs are so iconic and so big and have been so big so long when I was a young kid I remember singing ‘On the Road Again’ and singing ‘Country Roads’ on the John Denver TV show and all that stuff but they’ve all stood the test of time. ‘I Will Love You’ is one of those songs that just stood the test of time so much that somebody else cut it and made it even bigger and to have the hosts do it together that’s such a cool story to start with ‘On the Road Again’ and that’s what we do as artists we’re on the road again, and then ‘Country Road Take Me Home’ and then you’re singing to the fans ‘I Will Always Love You,’ ‘cause it’s true none of us could be out here doing this if our fans didn’t want to see us play. And so I think the three of those songs together was pretty smart. That was a great move.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker says he's honored to be on "Forever Country."

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    Darius Rucker (Forever Country) 1 OC: …pretty awesome. :19
    “I heard about it when I got a phone call asking me if I was interested in doing it, and they started saying the names that were doing it and am I interested. You know, I’m honored to be asked to be on it. I was excited and hearing all the big names that were doing it and to know that I was gonna be a part of that, and it was pretty awesome.”

    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (tune in)

    Download

    Audio / Reba McEntire talks about singing "I Will Always Love You" as part of the CMA's "Forever Country."

    Download

    Reba (Forever Country) OC: …huge thrill. :10
    “I get to sing ‘I Will Always Love You,’ and that’s Dolly Parton’s song. It’s been a huge favorite of mine for many, many years, and to get to sing on that with everybody and especially Dolly was a huge thrill.”

    Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (Forever Country)

    Download

     

    Video / Keith Urban Forever Country

    Video / Darius Rucker Forever Country

    Video / Reba Forever Country

  • KEITH URBAN JOINS NBC’S THE VOICE AS THE MEGA MENTOR THIS SEASON.

    Keith Urban is joining NBC’s The Voice as this season’s Mega Mentor. Beginning with next Monday’s (April 8th) episode, Keith will mentor the remaining artists who have made it through the battle rounds and get ready for the knockout rounds. Coaches Reba McEntire, John Legend, Chance the Rapper and Dan + Shay will choose the inner from their team to advance to the playoffs before the live shows start.

    Keith spent a lot of his own time competiting in talent competitions on TV, even when he was just nine years old. While it was a bit of a brutal experience, it made him work even harder on his chosen craft.

    “I was on a few singing talent TV shows when I was a kid, a bunch of them actually,” Keith recalls. “The first one I did I was nine-years-old and my Mom and Dad got me on to a TV show called Pot of Gold. It was a singing competition show with three judges, one of whom was just a really unfiltered, unapologetic, vicious, scathing kind of judge. (laughs) This was a long time before Simon Cowell’s template. This guy had it nailed, and at nine-years-old I was subjected to this, and I got kind of crucified by this judge. It didn’t faze me, you know? And then I went on other shows after that, but my experience with all of those was really loving good feedback, constructive feedback, even if it was something I needed to work on. I remember the judge telling me to kindly learn how to sing in tune. (laughs) I’m like, ‘Okay?!’”

    Keith has been a coach on The Voice in Australia, a mentor on NBC’s The Voice here in the States and now a Mega Mentor. He also spent several years at the judges table for “American Idol.”  The best part of this kind of job for Keith is the mentoring — helping contestants figure out what they need to work on to get better…in a nice way.

    “Just getting good advice and honest advice was something I really loved and needed, so it was a no-brainer when I got asked to do it,” he says. “The first one I got asked to do was be a coach on The Voice in Australia on their first season, and I did it. I loved it. Then I did quite a few seasons of American Idol as a judge on American Idol and loved it. So, when The Voice here in the States asked me to come and be a mentor and now a Mega Mentor, whatever that means – I feel like a Transformer – I jumped at the opportunity, because the mentoring part I particularly love. I love that the most. I love being able to try and help an artist navigate some things they’ve got to work on and try and be constructive and helpful but also do it in a supportive way. Nobody wants to get humiliated in front of people, but you do need honest advice as well, so I love that opportunity.”

    Keith previously appeared on The Voice as an advisor to Blake Shelton during Season 15 and also served as a coach in the Australian version of the competition show for Seasons 1, 10 and 11.

    Keith recently released his new single, “Messed Up As Me,” and it’s currently closing in on Top 35 on the country charts.

     

    Audio / Keith Urban talks about going on talent competition shows when he was a kid.

    Download

    Keith Urban (The Voice Mega Mentor) 1 OC: …I’m like, ‘Okay.’ :53
    “I was on a few singing talent TV shows when I was a kid, a bunch of them actually. The first one I did I was nine-years-old and my Mom and Dad got me on to a TV show called Pot of Gold. It was a singing competition show with three judges, one of whom was just a really unfiltered, unapologetic, vicious, scathing kind of judge. (laughs) This was a long time before Simon Cowell’s template. This guy had it nailed, and at nine-years-old I was subjected to this, and I got kind of crucified by this judge. It didn’t faze me, you know? And then I went on other shows after that, but my experience with all of those was really loving good feedback, constructive feedback, even if it was something I needed to work on. I remember the judge telling me to kindly learn how to sing in tune. (laughs) I’m like, ‘Okay?!’”

    Audio / Keith Urban talks about his love of mentoring younger talent in a nice, but honest way and why he jumped at the chance to be the Mega Mentor on NBC's The Voice this season.

    Download

    Keith Urban (The Voice Mega Mentor) 2 OC: …that opportunity. :50
    “Just getting good advice and honest advice was something I really loved and needed, so it was a no-brainer when I got asked to do it. The first one I got asked to do was be a coach on The Voice in Australia on their first season, and I did it. I loved it. Then I did quite a few seasons of American Idol as a judge on American Idol and loved it. So, when The Voice here in the States asked me to come and be a mentor and now a Mega Mentor, whatever that means – I feel like a Transformer – I jumped at the opportunity, because the mentoring part I particularly love. I love that the most. I love being able to try and help an artist navigate some things they’ve got to work on and try and be constructive and helpful but also do it in a supportive way. Nobody wants to get humiliated in front of people, but you do need honest advice as well, so I love that opportunity.”

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD SHARES FAITH-BASED COUNTRY AND GOSPEL MUSIC ON HER NEWEST CHANNEL.

    In addition to CARRIE’S COUNTRY (Ch. 60) and CARR-DIO by CARRIE’S COUNTRY, Carrie Underwood expands her SiriusXM musical universe with a third channel joining our lineup: SAVIOR SUNDAY DAILY by CARRIE’S COUNTRY.

    Inspired by the fan-favorite show on Carrie’s hugely popular CARRIE’S COUNTRY, SAVIOR SUNDAY DAILY by CARRIE’S COUNTRY becomes a full-time channel on the SiriusXM app beginning March 21, playing a daily blend of uplifting faith-based country and gospel music handpicked by Carrie.

    How to listen

    SAVIOR SUNDAY DAILY by CARRIE’S COUNTRY is available to stream anytime on the SiriusXM app.

    The Savior Sunday show on CARRIE’S COUNTRY will continue to air every Sunday on channel 60.

    What you’ll hear

    Enjoy Carrie’s versions of gospel standards from her GRAMMY-award winning album My Savior, which covers of some of her favorite traditional gospel hymns in a unique pastiche of musical styles from classic country to folk, bluegrass, and gospel.  SAVIOR SUNDAY DAILY by CARRIE’S COUNTRY also features timeless spiritual country and new classics from artists like Dolly Parton, Alan Jackson, as well as Nashville’s rising stars and many more.

    “We had a couple of little churches we went to. I remember my first being very tiny with wooden pews. That was probably one of my earliest music memories, singing these hymns in the congregation, and being on stage and singing in front of people for the first time,” Carrie said while recording My Savior, which won the GRAMMY Award for Best Roots Gospel Album in 2022.  “It was always just familiar. These hymns are like a warm hug, just sweet, familiar songs I’ve been singing and listening to my whole life.”

    More artists you’ll hear on SAVIOR SUNDAY DAILY by CARRIE’S COUNTRY include Gabby Barrett, NEEDTOBREATHE, Randy Travis, Thomas Rhett, Reba McEntire, and Zach Williams.

    “This music shaped who I am as a person and is the foundation of my career as a recording artist,” Carrie says.  “I feel so blessed to get be able to create a destination to share these songs with generations of people who love them as I do, as well as others who might be experiencing them for the first time.”

    CeCe Winans takes the wheel

    In celebration of the new channel, GRAMMY Award-winning gospel legend and Carrie collaborator CeCe Winans recorded a special edition of the CARRIE’S COUNTRY Guest DJ series Take The Wheel.

    Carrie’s duet with CeCe, the best-selling and most-awarded female gospel artist of all time, on the classic hymn, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” is one of the many highlights of Carrie’s GRAMMY-award winning album My Savior.

    Hear CeCe Take The Wheel on the CARRIE’S COUNTRY and SAVIOR SUNDAY DAILY by CARRIE’S COUNTRY channels beginning Easter weekend.

     

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about introducing new generations to the hymns featured on her album, My Savior.

    Download

    Carrie Underwood (new generation for hymns) :49
    “I feel like people my age and older really did grow up singing hymns. We go to church now, and everything is very praise and worship, which is wonderful, but I feel like there are a lot of people who have not experienced a lot of these hymns or they’re not a part of their weekly life, you know. So, I do hope people – I hope people that are like me that grew up with them can listen to them and feel the heart behind them. We wanted to make them sound fresh, but we didn’t want to change anything too much. So, I hope the traditionalists will enjoy it but I also hope that people who haven’t experienced these songs as much can listen and feel, get that sense of home but enjoy what they’re listening to as well.”

  • 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.

    Download

    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."

    Download

    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."

    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 / 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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  • VALENTINE’S DAY 2024

    Each year on February 14th, many people exchange cards, candy, gifts or flowers with their special someone. The day of romance we call Valentine’s Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the 5th century.

    Over 190 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion.

    We’ve got some thoughts and feelings and more about love, romance and marriage from several of your favorite country artists. A few are new and some have become our favorites over the years. Which country stars are romantic? Which ones have a good reason to celebrate the holiday that’s all about love?

     

    Reba McEntire teams up with Sonic to bring a limited edition Sweetheart Meal — complete with her favorite Tater Tots — for Valentine’s Day.

     

    Audio / Alan Jackson talks about his love for wife, Denise, over the years.

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    AJ (Valentine’s Day) OC: …continue to. :24

    “We got a lot of history together now, and we’re happier than we’ve ever been. So, she’s still beautiful, and she’s always inspired songs. I mean, one of my early hits was a song called ‘I’d Love You All Over Again,’ I wrote for her for our 10th anniversary. I mean, there’s been a zillion songs that have pieces of our good days and bad days inspired, and they continue to.”

    Audio / Billy Currington recalls his first real Valentine’s Day.

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    Billy Currington (Valentine’s Day memory) OC: …took off running. :21
    “Yeah, I remember my first girlfriend. I was in first or second grade, but anyway, I remember it was Valentine’s Day and your mom going, ‘You’ve got to give your girlfriend something, and you’ve got to go give it to her.’ I’ll never forget — we got her a box of chocolates or whatever it was. I remember going down to her classroom and knocking on the door, getting her to come to the door. I remember handing it to her, and then I took off running.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood is all about the chocolate most couples give each other on Valentine’s Day.

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    Carrie Underwood (Valentine’s Day-chocolate) OC: …white chocolate. :14
    “Chocolate’s every woman’s friend – in their time of need or in their time of happiness or in their time of sadness or madness, chocolate is my friend. Anything with caramel in it, ooooooooh. White chocolate’s good too. You can’t beat some good white chocolate.”

    Audio / Before tying the knot with wife Cassady, Dierks Bentley says Valentine's Day wasn't always a pleasant holiday for him.

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    Dierks Bentley (Valentine’s Day) 1 OC: …want to. :19

    “Well, before, as a single guy in the past, if you were dating someone, it’s that holiday that comes along where you have to really like stamp out on paper exactly where the relationship really stands. You don’t want to undershoot it ’cause then you’ll be in trouble, you know, if you don’t give the right present or don’t say the right things, you’re gonna be in the doghouse. But then if you overstate your hand, then you’re moving the relationship way faster than you actually want to.”

    Audio / DIERKS BENTLEY SAYS THE MOST INTERESTING GIFT HE AND HIS WIFE CASSIDY HAVE GIVEN EACH OTHER WERE MIXTAPES OF SONGS.

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    Dierks Bentley (Valentine’s Day-most interesting gift he’s given his wife) OC: …formulate yourself. 1:19
    “When ‘What Was I Thinkin’’ was released in 2003, I didn’t know what my life would look like, and all of a sudden, I found myself out on the road full-time, just gone. So, the place where I was staying, I had some friends pack it up and move it into a storage facility…and in there I found some letters that she and I had written back and forth when we were dating. I was working at The Nashville Network and she was working out in San Francisco and found some letters I had written her and I’d gotten back and some stuff she’d sent me, including a CD of songs she’d been listening to, back when you made CD mixes and there’s like these three hearts on that CD. I just found that it was so meaningful for me those gifts you give each other before any money, before anything else was going on, just music, giving of mixtapes was so cool. She reminded me of a mixtape that I had sent her. I’d sent it to her via FedEx, because it was so important she get this as quickly as possible. This was sadly before, I guess we had internet back then, but you really couldn’t send songs over the internet. I think the most interesting thing I’ve given her and she’s given me was just mixtapes, because there’s nothing like music to put into words and the thoughts you have in your head that you can’t formulate yourself.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about the love you have for your children.

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    Dierks Bentley (Valentine’s Day) 2 OC: …could before. :28

    “You get married and that’s a long-term, bigger image of what love can be. Then you have a child, and your heart gets spread so thin and it’s so vulnerable, like it’s a really tough, tough feeling, and it can kill you. It can really be painful at times, and at the same time, it’s so great. But it definitely stretches your heart…and it doesn’t change anything, it just makes your heart, I think it just makes it bigger. I think you just find that you can love more than you ever thought you could before.”

    Audio / Eric Church says his wife, Katherine, loves him in spite of, and for, his fallibilities.

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    Eric Church (Valentine’s) OC: …love song is. :19

    “True love to me is when you love a person in spite of all their fallibilities, and for me, I have a lot of ‘em. I’m definitely at times hard to love, and that’s what’s great about Katherine and the way she loves me. She loves me in spite of those things and really for those things.”

    Audio / George Strait talks about love.

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    George Strait (Love) OC: …go ‘round. :14
    “If you don’t have love, I mean what do you have? You know, you have love for your wife or your husband or your children or your dogs or your horses or your golf clubs, you know? Love is what makes the world go ‘round.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi says he has learned a lot about love and about Valentine’s Day from his wife, Summer.

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    Jon Pardi (Valentine’s Day – Summer) OC: …for you. (laughs) :35
    “One thing Summer has taught me is that gifts are cool, diamonds, blah, blah, blah, but to take your time and clear your mind and write something about what she means to you on a card is probably the most least expensive and the biggest price you can give her is just to write and tell her how much you love her on a little card. That’s what she taught me for Valentine’s Day, so I just do that. It’s way cheaper. (laughs) And of course, I always say to her, ‘Babe, every day is Valentine’s Day for you.’” (laughs)

     

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about meeting his wife in New Orleans. They were both there attending separate weddings.

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    Jordan Davis (meeting wife) OC: …here we are. :47
    “My college roommate was getting married in New Orleans. My wife was in New Orleans for a totally separate wedding. Both wedding parties were staying at the same hotel, so we met, the first time, in the lobby of the hotel. I’m actually wearing a necklace that has the coordinates to that hotel. Then the next day, me and my brother walk into a bar in New Orleans, and her and her friends were sitting in the corner, and I was like, ‘Hey-that’s the girl from the lobby.’ She was actually dating somebody at the time. But we kind of exchanged numbers and stayed in contact, and about two months later, a month later, she came into town for CMA Music Fest and told me that she no longer had a boyfriend, and here we are.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis reveals the Valentine’s Day tradition he and his wife enjoy every year, however THIS year, he’s touring overseas, so it might be a little hard to find an Olive Garden in Europe.

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    Jordan Davis (Valentine’s Day tradition) OC: …happy Valentine’s. (laughs)
    “When it comes to Valentines, Kristen is way more romantic than I am. I’m not a very romantic guy. I have worked on it.  I’ve tried to get a little bit better over the years. Kristen loves chocolate so she’s good for a big chocolate box, but here’s our thing about Valentine’s Day, and this is the God’s honest truth. We’ve been going to Olive Garden on Valentine’s Day since we met. We’ve continued that tradition. I think it started with her and a friend, they used to always go to Olive Garden on Valentine’s Day before they started dating, or before they got in a relationship. So, we have carried that out, so this year will be our, I believe our eighth Valentines in a row where we go in for endless salad and bread sticks. So, if its Valentine’s Day, and you’re at an Olive Garden, we could be next to each other. So, yeah, hope to see somebody out there at the table next to us just hammering on some breadsticks. So, happy Valentine’s.” (laughs)

     

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about a couple of his favorite love songs.

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    Jordan Davis (love song) OC: …well done! :25
    “I guess Valentine’s Day gets you to thinking about love songs. You know, me and my wife’s first dance was ‘I’m Gonna Lose You’ [by] John Legend and Meghan Trainor. I think that’s just an amazing love song. I think also a love song that I heard the other day? ‘Strawberry Wine’ from Deana Carter? Great love song. I listened to that a lot. Ooooh Deana Carter. Well done.”

     

    Audio / Josh Turner says his wife would call him a romantic, but since they have four children, it takes a bit of work to make time for each other.

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    Josh Turner (Romantic) OC: …long time to come. :26
    “If you ask my wife Jennifer if I was a romantic, she would definitely say, ‘Yes,’ but she knows that sometimes my hectic schedule and our busy lifestyles can kind of interfere with the romantic side of things. But we do try to make efforts towards being together and having adult conversations and taking time away from the children and doing things that husbands and wives do, so we’ll definitely try to continue that for a long time to come.”

    Audio / KEITH URBAN TALKS ABOUT THE SUPPORT HE AND HIS WIFE, OSCAR-WINNING ACTRESS NICOLE KIDMAN, GIVE EACH OTHER, WHICH IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT WHEN TWO CREATIVE ARTISTS ARE MARRIED TO EACH OTHER.

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    Keith Urban (Nicole support) OC: …very important. :17
    “I feel very blessed that I have the support of my family like I do. It’s a beautiful thing having two artists because we understand the passion and the responsibility of what we get to do. It’s very important.”

    Audio / KYLIE MORGAN SAYS HER HUSBAND JAY ALLEN IS THE MOST ROMANTIC PERSON SHE'S EVER MET.

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    Kylie Morgan (Valentine’s Day) OC: …I’ve ever had. :33
    “Man, I will say my husband Jay Allen, who is also a country music artist if you guys haven’t heard of him, he is the most romantic person I’ve ever met in my entire life, truly. For Valentine’s Day, gosh, two years ago, I came home to the entire house being lit with tiny candles, a whole dinner made with my favorite bottle of wine, and this was even before he proposed. So, a lot of people thought that he was gonna pop the question that night, but he saved that for a later time. But it was the most magical Valentine’s Day I’ve ever had.”

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman says falling in love with her husband, Stephen Schlapman, came as a big surprise.

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    Little Big Town (Kimberly falling in love) OC: …healed me. 1:20
    Kimberly: “Well, I wasn’t planning on falling in love, at all. I didn’t want to…I wasn’t sure that I ever would.  So, my husband now and I were just really good friends, and after my late husband died all my friends were calling me, all the time. Just checking up on me. He was just an old friends. We had known each other for about six years and he started calling me just like everybody else did.  But, he started calling me more than everybody else did [laughs]. We had both been through similar losses, he hadn’t lost a mate but he had lost a close friend, so we kind of bonded over that. I grieved, kind of, at him a lot. He took my grief, I had a lot of grief left, and he just took it and listened and accepted it and was so understanding and let me talk about my late husband all the time. We still talk about him a lot, and he’s totally fine with it. He says that, that made me who he fell in love with and he never minds if I bring anything from the past up which is just really sweet. I was shocked, I remember when I first realized that I was having feelings. I just thought, OK, this is so weird.  What is this?  I haven’t felt this in a long, long, time. This is weird. But, eventually I allowed myself and it’s been the most beautiful gift of my life. It pulled me out of the deepest hole that I’ve ever been in and healed me.”

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook had a chemistry performing together, but it wasn’t until they each found themselves single…at the same time…that sparks flew romantically. The pair, who wed in 2006, have a son, Elijah.

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    Little Big Town (Jimi & Karen fell in love) OC: (Kimberly) …to be together. :48

    JIMI: “We were in the band a long time before there was ever anything which is interesting. I think there was always something underlying there that we were kind of trying to ignore. And then when the opportunity came, when all of us, ended up single kind of at the same time, a very strange turn of events for the band in a lot of different ways. And those feelings, you were able to come out with them finally. It was like, we’re single. Let’s get together. And, you know, she has a beautiful heart and she’s absolutely gorgeous and I just love her dearly.”

    PHILLIP: “Get a room!” [laughs]

    KIMBERLY: “They’re a perfect match. They really are. They were meant to be together.”

    Audio / LITTLE BIG TOWN’S PHILLIP SWEET WAS READY FOR LOVE WHEN HE MET REBECCA, HIS WIFE SINCE 2007.

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    Little Big Town (Phillip – reasons fell in love) OC: …real love. :17
    “I think everything that I had gone through before had prepared me to be ready to see that there was genuine love there for me, and my Rebecca.  So, it was just a great time, I wouldn’t have been ready before I met her…Now it’s just been a really great journey to heal through the past and to know real love.”

    Audio / LUKE BRYAN TALKS ABOUT MARRYING CAROLINE, HIS COLLEGE SWEETHEART.

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    Luke Bryan (married college sweetheart) OC: …married. :27
    ”I married my college sweetheart. We dated back in college and broke up for nearly six years, and while I was off doing my Nashville stuff and touring and writing songs, she was finishing getting her career kind of going. Man, we just kinda bumped into each other one night, and it was like bam, here we are married.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about his favorite love song.

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    Luke Bryan (love song with Caroline) OC: …That’s it! :11
    “Caroline and I, we had a love song in college. It was Lenny Kravitz’ [starts singing] ‘I just can’t get you off of my mind.’ That’s it!”

    Audio / Maddie & Tae’s Taylor Kerr talks about her husband, songwriter Josh Kerr. The pair are just about to celebrate their fourth anniversary as a married couple (they got married February 21st, 2020).

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    Maddie & Tae (Tae talking about husband Josh) OC: …that way, you know? :45
    “From the moment I met Josh, he never shied away from sharing what’s on his heart. For me, sharing what’s on my heart is sometimes hard, but he always created the environment and dynamic of it’s totally normal to open up and let people to see that side of you. And so, the more we spent time together, the more I kind of adopted that mindset of like, ‘Okay, I can be vulnerable. I can take risks. I can put myself out there and maybe get rejected, but maybe it could be awesome.’ Our relationship is that to a T. I was skeptical at first and I was scared, and he was scared. And we both just, we went all in, and I felt so safe to go there with him and he’s always made me feel that way, you know?”

    Audio / Travis Denning wrote two songs about his now-wife Madison Montgomery and released them ahead of their wedding last year – “Second Best Thing” and “New Year’s Kiss.”

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    Travis Denning (writing 2 songs for Madison) OC: …that way. :40
    “I had the title ‘Second Best Thing’ I think right when me and Madison started dating and really started getting serious. It’s funny to look back that I wrote a song about getting married that early in our relationship, but for as creepy as that might sound (laughs), I mean, it’s just the truth. I knew really fast that we were going to spend the rest of our life together, and then I later wrote ‘New Year’s Kiss’ just recalling that kind of initial moment that I knew we’d probably end up being more than just friends. I recorded them a while ago and have just been holding on for the right moment to put them out, and I wanted this to kind of feel like a gift to her, and I hope it comes off that way.”

  • 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.

     

     

    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.”

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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 / 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.”

     

  • TOBY KEITH LOSES HIS BATTLE WITH CANCER AND THE COUNTRY MUSIC COMMUNITY REACTS.

    Toby Keith (Covel) passed away on Monday night (February 5th) from his battle with stomach cancer. He announced his illness in June 2022 and revealed he’d been diagnosed in October 2021, and had undergone radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. He was 62 years old.

    In September of last year at the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards, Toby was presented with the Country Icon Award by fellow Okie Blake Shelton. He also performed the emotional “Don’t Let The Old Man In,” followed by three shows in Las Vegas in December 2023.

    The superstar, best known for such hits as “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue,” “American Soldier,” “Who’s Your Daddy,” “Wanna Talk About Me,” and many others, is survived by his wife Tricia, whom he married 40 years ago (in 1984). The couple has three children — daughters Shelley and Krystal; son, Stelen — as well as four grandchildren.

    Having sold over 40 million albums, had over 30 songs go to No. 1 , Toby began his career in 1993 with the release of his debut single, “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” which went straight up to the top of the country charts. Mercury Nashville was his label home for several years, and they came up with a cool marketing plan to showcase their three new artists at the time, including Toby, Shania Twain and John Brannen, called the Triple Play Tour.

    His passing was announced on his social media platforms, stating he was surrounded by his family and “He fought his fight with grace and courage.” The statement then asked for people to “Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”

    Many members of the country music community and beyond sent us audio and took to social media to remember the singer-songwriter-performer-entrepreneur, including fellow Oklahoman Reba McEntire. She tells us, “Toby and I are both from Oklahoma and very proud of our Oklahoma heritage. Toby worked very hard to make a mark in the country music business and did a great job doing that. Very proud of him, and I hope he rests in peace. I was very honored to get to work with Toby and be a part of the era of country music he was in. We’ll sure miss him.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire shares her thoughts and remembrances about Toby Keith.

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    Reba McEntire (Toby Keith) OC: …miss him. :25
    “Toby and I are both from Oklahoma and very proud of our Oklahoma heritage. Toby worked very hard to make a mark in the country music business and did a great job doing that. Very proud of him, and I hope he rests in peace. I was very honored to get to work with Toby and be a part of the era of country music he was in. We’ll sure miss him.”

    Carrie Underwood posted a photo of her and Toby and said, “Saddle up the horses, Jesus, ‘cause a true blue COWBOY just made his ride up to heaven!!! Introduce him to all the Okies and sign that boy up for the choir! We’re gonna miss you, Toby, but my heart has no doubt that you are standing in the presence of our King right now!!! See you again someday, friend.”

    Luke Bryan just arrived at the set of American Idol when he heard the news of Toby’s passing. He said, “An iconic artist and a great man. Your songs turn every room into a good time.”

    Josh Turner wrote, “Toby Keith was a force to be reckoned with. 32 #1 hits, 30 years in the music business, a proficient songwriter, an unforgettable voice, and a staunch supporter of the US military. Not many people know what it takes to have a 30 year career, but you have to be incredibly tough.”

    Travis Denning took to his socials to perform a piece of Toby’s hit, “My List.” He wrote, “Country Music lost an icon today. Toby Keith was one of the greatest entertainers this genre ever saw. At his core, and what I loved most, was a songwriter. He could write them just as good as anyone else and respected a damn good written one. RIP Toby.”

     

    George Strait posted a tribute to Toby from him, his wife Norma and the rest of his family. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the @TobyKeith  family. May God give you comfort and peace.”

     

     

     

     

    Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce was asked during a pre-Super Bowl press conference his favorite country song, and he said, “R.I.P. Toby Keith. ‘Should’ve Been a Cowboy.'”

     

     

    Several artists were lucky to tour with Toby, including burgeoning superstar Eric Church, who said in 2011 prior to the kickoff of the Locked and Loaded Tour that he was going to give the headliner a run for his money.

    Audio / Eric Church was direct support for Toby Keith in 2011, and he felt the two were very similar in approaching performing for fans and Eric told him he was going to give him a run for his money on stage.

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    Eric Church (Toby Keith 2011) OC: …I promise. :30
    “We’ve done things our own way. We don’t care a whole lot what people think, probably never will, and I think that makes a good tour. There’s not people out there following rules and trying to be something they’re not, and I’ve always respected that about Toby, and I think that’s so far why we’ve gotten along pretty well. And you know, I just straight up told him, ‘I’m coming out there, man, to step on it. I don’t care. I know it’s your tour. I know you’re Toby Keith. I don’t care. I’m coming out there swingin’, so either stand there and get punched or swing back.’ So, it’s gonna be fun. He’s gonna swing back (smiles), I promise.”

    Darius Rucker paid tribute to Toby on socials (see Instagram post below), saying “Country Music lost a legend.” He also performed at the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday night (February 6th) and sang his “favorite Toby song,” which was “God Love Her.”

     

    Audio / Backstage at the now defunct American Country Awards (ACAs) in 2010, Toby Keith talked about what he wanted to accomplish sooner rather than later.

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    Toby Keith (wanted to accomplish 2010) OC: …want 150. :42
    “I don’t know about being a visionary, I’m just a songwriter. But one goal that I am, if God lets me live long enough – Lord willing – that I’m gonna accomplish…I’ll probably accomplish it anyway, but I want to accomplish it sooner rather than later is 100 million spins as a songwriter, and I’m over 70 million now. And being able to have a long career and to write 99% of the stuff and looked upon in those peer groups that they, those pedestals that they put you on. When I crossed the 50 million, the 50 million club was a who’s who. Had to get to 70, so I want to get to 100. That’s just my next number, and then I won’t be happy. I want 150.”

    Audio / Backstage at the now defunct American Country Awards (ACAs) in 2010, Toby Keith talked about his mentor, friend and collaborator Willie Nelson with whom he had a No. 1 hit, “Beer For My Horses.”

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    Toby Keith (Willie Nelson) OC: …a great guy. :30
    “I’ve worked with Willie for years. We did some videos together. We did duets together, and he was in a movie with me. Willie’s been a great supporter and a great friend of mine, great mentor. Believe it or not, Willie Nelson is a wonderful mentor (laughs). And he is amazing, has a little light in his eyes all the time and a great smile on his face, and he’s a very honest person. He’s not a hypocrite, and he stands up for his friends, you know. He’s a great guy.”

    Audio / Toby Keith talks about his first times on stage.

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    Toby Keith (first times on stage) OC: …our first gig. :48
    “My grandmother got me a guitar on my eighth birthday or 10th birthday, somewhere around there. And then I went and stayed with her one summer when I was like 12, and she had a band in her night club and I would get up and jam with them. So, I’ve been on stage since I was a kid, but the first place where my band actually went and set up besides the garage and played as our band, was a little bar that’s not there anymore in Oklahoma named, it was called The Feed Store. The guy who had the gig went on vacation or something and they had us come in and fill in and they said they needed someone to fill in for this guy and we’d never played a paying job, and we took the job. We played it and he came back, and they gave us the job and told him to hit it. So, it was like our first gig.”

    Audio / Toby Keith's first concert was Hank Williams, Jr. He went with his mom when he was just six years old.

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    Toby Keith (first concert) OC: …me with her. :22
    “My mom took me to see Hank Williams Jr. when I was six years old at the Civic Center in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Hank wasn’t even Bocephus yet. Hank had an album out that had a song on it called ‘Eleven Roses,’ and he was singing a lot of his father’s songs, and my mom wanted to go see him. She had two tickets, and I was her oldest son, so I was six and she took me with her.”

     

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    Video / News story and a flashback Friday look at Taylor Swift with Nashville's NBC affiliate, WSMV. Taylor talked about Toby Keith after signing with Big Machine Records, which he had an equity partnership in.

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  • UMG NASHVILLE’S “A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS” RADIO SPECIAL.

    With hosts such as Jon Pardi, Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Maddie & Tae, Jordan Davis, Caylee Hammack and more, you will have 24 hours of a star-studded holiday playlist with A Country Christmas. Click HERE to download.

  • ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2023 (MULTIPLE ARTISTS)

    Reba McEntire
    Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
    Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

    Keith Urban
    The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
    In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

    Carrie Underwood
    The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
    While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

    Jordan Davis
    And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
    Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap

    Kimberly from Little Big Town
    When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
    I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

    TJ Osborne
    Away to the window I flew like a flash,
    Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

    John Osborne
    The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
    Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

    Tae from Maddie & Tae
    When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
    But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

    Jimi from Little Big Town
    With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
    I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

    Tyler Hubbard
    More rapid than eagles his reindeer they came,
    And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

    Little Big Town
    “Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
    On, Comet! On, Cupid! On Donner and Blitzen!

    Caylee Hammack
    To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
    Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

    Dierks Bentley
    So up to the house-top the reindeer they flew,
    With the sleigh full of toys, and St Nicholas too

    Darius Rucker
    And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
    The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

    As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
    Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

    Brad Paisley
    He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
    And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

    Maddie from Maddie & Tae
    A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
    And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

    Karen from Little Big Town
    His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
    His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

    Jon Pardi
    His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
    And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

    The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
    And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

    Parker McCollum
    He had a broad face and a little round belly,
    That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

    Reba McEntire
    He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
    And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

    Phillip from Little Big Town
    A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
    Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

    Josh Turner
    He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
    And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

    Luke Bryan

    And laying his finger aside of his nose,
    And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

    Brenda Lee
    He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
    And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

    Alan Jackson
    But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,
    “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

     

    Audio / 'Twas The Night Before Christmas (multiple artists-produced)

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    Audio / 'Twas The Night Before Christmas (multiple artists-dry)

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  • THANKSGIVING 2023 SOUNDBITES

    The Thanksgiving holiday tradition traces its origins to a 1621 celebration at Plymouth, in the state that’s now known as Massachusetts. The 1621 Plymouth feast and thanksgiving was prompted by a good harvest. While initially, the Plymouth colony did not have enough food to feed half of the 102 colonists, the Wampanoag Native Americans helped the Pilgrims by providing seeds and teaching them to fish. The practice of holding an annual harvest festival like this did not become a regular affair in New England until the late 1660s. People now celebrate the holiday by giving thanks for their blessings over the past year, as well as feasting on turkey and other festive goodies.

    Some festive fun facts about Thanksgiving:

    • President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday on October 3rd, 1863.
    • Harry Truman is often credited with being the first president to pardon a turkey, but that’s not quite true. He was the first to receive a ceremonial turkey from the National Turkey Federation – and he had it for dinner. John F. Kennedy was the first to let a Thanksgiving turkey go, followed by Richard Nixon who sent his turkey to a petting zoo. George H.W. Bush is the president who formalized the turkey pardoning tradition in 1989.
    • The average number of calories consumed on Thanksgiving is 4,500.
    • Butterball answers more than 100,000 turkey-cooking questions via their Butterball Turkey Hotline each November and December.
    • The tradition of football on Thanksgiving began in 1876 with a game between Yale and Princeton. The first NFL games were played on Thanksgiving in 1920.
    • The Wednesday before Thanksgiving has become known as “Drinksgiving.” Bars experience a huge boom the night before the holiday.

    Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 23rd, and most people might be enjoying time with a group of their friends and families, including some of your favorite country stars, such as Alan Jackson, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Catie Offerman, Caylee Hammack, Dalton Dover, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley,  Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, Travis Denning, Tyler Hubbard and more. They share their thoughts of thanks this year, their lessons in gratitude, memories and favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

    Audio / Alan Jackson talks about his favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    AJ (Thanksgiving) OC: …enjoy it. :19
    “My favorite Thanksgiving dish would be the homemade dressin’ that we, cornbread-based kind of dressin’ that we always have with turkey. That recipe is a kind of a combination of my mama, and Denise has taken it and perfected it over the years, so that me and my children really enjoy it.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne talk about their favorite Thanksgiving tradition – a Misfits Thanksgiving -- that they started when they moved to Nashville because they couldn’t afford to go home for the holiday.

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    Brothers Osborne (Misfits Thanksgiving) OC: (TJ) …Happy holidays, y’all. 1:02
    “What’s up, y’all? It’s Brothers Osborne here. And a Thanksgiving tradition that we did for so many years. John and I would host what we would call a Misfits Thanksgiving, and we would have everyone, I mean we must’ve done this for 15 years or so and it really started because we didn’t have enough money to go back home to see our family, so we would hang out in Nashville. And so everyone that was kind of in our same shoes, we’d all end up at our house, and it really turned into really blossoming some of our most cherished relationships. We would be there with Kacey Musgraves. It was the first time I really got to hang out with Mickey Guyton (JOHN: “Maren Morris.”) Maren Morris. They would come over and we just became like family to each other because we couldn’t get home to see our own families. And that’s a Thanksgiving tradition that we still to this day try to keep, and it’s a revolving door of who’s there or who’s not there, but yeah, it’s a wonderful tradition. And let me tell you, spending it with our friends in Nashville, there’s a little less arguing than back home. (laughs)” JOHN: “We’re still arguing, but we get over it faster.” (laughs) TJ: “Anyways, Happy Holidays, y’all.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood says she’s grateful for her family.

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    Carrie Underwood (Thanksgiving 2023) OC: …we all are. :30
    “I am grateful for so many things this Thanksgiving. I think the thing I’m most grateful for, though, is family. I mean, that’s what it’s all about, and that’s what this life is all about. I’m blessed to have two incredible boys that I get to take care of and that love on me daily, and they’re just giant blessings in my life, and of course, my extended family, as well. That’s what this time of year’s all about – getting together and just realizing how blessed we all are.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood says she and her family don’t have too many Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Carrie Underwood (Thanksgiving) OC: …the other one. :34
    “We don’t have too many set-in-stone Thanksgiving traditions. I find myself a lot of times working on or around Thanksgiving or unable to get home or whatever. We try to be together, but sometimes that just doesn’t work out. But yeah, I mean, I think it’s just about we eat. I eat a lot every year on Thanksgiving. [laughs] I never skip THAT tradition. But yeah, that’s the gist of it, and I’m kind of lucky. I get two Thanksgivings, because I also get to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with my husband’s family, so if I don’t hit one, I’ll definitely be able to get the other one.”

    Audio / Catie Offerman

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    Catie Offerman (Thanksgiving) OC: …what I do. :17
    “I am so thankful for a lot of things. I think my family, the gift of being able to put music out this year has been huge for me. I think that’s something I’ve waited on for a really long time, and I’m so thankful for that. I’m thankful for my health and just being able to keep playing music and doing what I do.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack says Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday, because she gets to just spend time with her family.

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    Caylee Hammack (Thanksgiving) OC: …favorite holiday. :27
    “Thanksgiving is the one holiday where we stay at home. We stay at my family’s house, and it’s just me, my mom and dad, my brother and sister and their families. We all sit around and just eat all day. And I love Thanksgiving because you don’t have to worry about getting gifts for people; you don’t have to worry about wrapping them. You just show up and you eat all day with the people you love. So, I absolutely love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack talks about her favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    Caylee Hammack (Thanksgiving eats) OC: …cranberry jelly. :15
    “My favorite Thanksgiving meal (dish) is definitely cornbread dressing. My mom makes the best, er, some people call it stuffing, but I’ve always called it dressing for some reason. But I love that with canned cranberry jelly.”

    Audio / Dalton Dover says this one dish HAS to be on the dinner table at Thanksgiving.

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    Dalton Dover (Thanksgiving eats) 1 OC: …at Thanksgiving. :04
    “Like I’m a big deviled eggs guy, so they got to be on the dinner table at Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / We asked Dalton Dover who makes the deviled eggs at Thanksgiving.

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    Dalton Dover (Thanksgiving eats) 2 OC: …best. :02
    “My grandma, and she makes the absolute best (deviled eggs).”

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about his favorite part of Thanksgiving.

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    Darius Rucker (favorite part of Thanksgiving) OC: …my family. :17
    “My favorite part of Thanksgiving is easy – it’s food. It’s eating. It’s hanging out with family and getting some great food, ‘cause that’s really what Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for all of the great things you’ve got, and I always give thanks for the greatest thing I’ve got and that’s my family.”

     

    Audio / Zealous football fan Darius Rucker says Thanksgiving is his favorite sporting day of the year.

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    Darius Rucker (Thanksgiving Day favorite sporting day) OC: …big for me. :10
    “Thanksgiving Day is my favorite sports day of the year. It’s crazy how much football you get to watch (laughs) on Thanksgiving Day, so I really like that a lot. Thanksgiving is big for me.”

     

    Audio / Dierks Bentley, who is thankful for his wife, two daughters and son, talks about his Thanksgiving must-have! It’s an oldie, but a goodie!

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    Dierks Bentley (Thanksgiving must-have) OC: …for Thanksgiving. :34
    “You gotta have a big turkey. Thanksgiving is not possible without a turkey. We cook it traditionally, but when we’re in, a couple of Thanksgivings ago, we were here in Nashville, we did the whole fry the turkey up, and it was great. It just tasted so good; all those juices get locked in there, and I love that too. You really can’t, to me, cook a turkey wrong. I’m gonna eat it any way, and I have over the years. Trust me, I’ve played a lot of county and state fairs, where I’ve seen gigantic turkey legs, you know, I’ve had the flat meat. I’ve done turkey every way you could do it. I’m pretty good any way you want to cook it up, but you’ve got to have a turkey for Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / Jon Langston talks about his Thanksgiving tradition.

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    Jon Langston (Thanksgiving) OC: …pretty cool. :21
    “We always watch football on Thanksgiving. It was pretty cool in high school. It was a big deal in high school if you had practice on Thanksgiving Day because you made third round of the playoffs. So, in high school we always had practice on Thanksgiving, so I guess that was pretty cool. Everybody’s waking up on a cold Thanksgiving morning going to football practice, but yeah, pretty cool.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about his childhood Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving) OC: …lot of football. :12
    “When I was growing up at Thanksgiving, we just got all the family together. You know, did the traditional turkey, ham, all the sides, but it was always at either one of my grandparents’ house. Just a lot of family, a lot of food and a lot of football.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis says his favorite Thanksgiving side dish makes him happy all year round.

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    Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving side dish) 2 OC: …Cheese guy. :09
    “My favorite Thanksgiving side dish – Macaroni and Cheese – anytime. Thanksgiving, a random Tuesday. I don’t care. I’m a Macaroni and Cheese guy.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis says one of his new favorite Thanksgiving traditions is frying a turkey.

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    Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving turkey) OC: …most forward to. :11
    “Favorite Thanksgiving tradition for me? I just recently got into frying the turkey, so I’m the turkey-frying guy, and I’m getting pretty good at it. So, I would have to say that’s my thing that I look most forward to.”

     

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about the Davis family Thanksgiving.

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    Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving memory) OC: …really special. :17
    “A typical Thanksgiving in the Davis household growing up – we would always go to East Texas to my grandparents’ house. You know, during the day, me and my grandfather would always go fish. My grandma would always have a huge spread, and just get to spend time around a lot of family members I don’t get to see a lot of, so they were always really special.”

    Audio / Josh Turner shares his favorite Thanksgiving side dish.

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    Josh Turner (fave side dish) OC: …’em myself. [laughs] :24
    “Uh, deviled eggs! [laughs] Where I’m from in South Carolina, I don’t think I’ve tasted a bad deviled egg. It’s like everybody has their own twist on it, but they’re all good, but I always loved it when my mama made ‘em. I’m learning as I get older, making deviled eggs is no easy task. It’s more complicated than it looks, and so that’s probably why I never made ‘em myself.” [laughs]

    Audio / Josh Turner explains what he enjoys about the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

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    Josh Turner (holidays) OC: …the peace and quiet. :38
    “I love being outside in nature and the outdoors, and the holidays is a great time for me to go and partake in that part of my life. A lot of times, Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s a little cold to go fishing, but when it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s a great time to go hunting, especially in South Carolina, that’s when the temperatures are starting to drop and the conditions are getting right, and especially in November, kind of the tail end of the rut, as far as deer season. So, it’s a good time to get in the deer stand whether you kill anything or not, it’s just a great time to just get away from everything and get away from the noise and the lights and the diesel fumes [laughs] and just relax and just enjoy the peace and quiet.”

    Audio / Keith Urban gives thanks for many things, including his wife and two daughters.

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    Keith (Thanksgiving) OC: …for me. :21
    “Thankful that, well, my marriage is just, it’s life-giving, not just life-changing, it’s been life-giving for me. And from there, we created life, and that’s just beautiful, absolutely beautiful. And the effect that all of that has had in my work, has given life to it too, given it a sense of purpose and really deepened the experience for me.”

    Audio / The members of Little Big Town love Thanksgiving since they get time off to be with their families.

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    LBT (Thanksgiving) 2 OC: (Kimberly) …and eat. :31
    KIMBERLY: “Thanksgiving—we love Thanksgiving, ‘cause we get to be with our families and we don’t often get to spend time with our families, our extended families, until the holidays. I love being around the table with my family and talking and laughing and cooking and eating…” JIMI: “And eating and eating and eating and eating…” PHILLIP: “The laughter around the eating, the good cheer, the celebration, the music…” JIMI: “The eating, going taking a nap, then coming back and eating.” KIMBERLY: “Go to bed with a full belly, take a nap, and then get up and eat.”

    Audio / Maddie & Tae talk about their Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Maddie & Tae (Thanksgiving) OC: (TAE) …I do. :41
    MADDIE: “I love Thanksgiving because I get to see my family, and it’s not as much pressure as Christmas I feel like because there are no gifts exchanged. It’s just all about quality time and I love quality time. My favorite dish is some broccoli-cheese casserole and Tae’s favorite dish, I know, is cranberry sauce, just plain. Just plain ole cranberry sauce, no turkey, just cranberry sauce.” TAE: “She knows.” MADDIE: “That’s it.” TAE: “I genuinely feel there’s something wrong with me. (MADDIE: “Out of the can.”) out of the can. My parents know just to have cranberry sauce for me, like no one else can touch it. There’s a home video where my brother Mason tries to eat it, and I’m like, ‘What are you doing? This is mine.’” MADDIE: “She eats it out of the can.” TAE: “I do.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton talks about one of her favorite Thanksgiving traditions.

    Download

    Mickey Guyton (Thanksgiving traditions) OC: …Thanksgiving traditions. :17
    “One of my Thanksgiving traditions is playing charades after Thanksgiving dinner. I’m not the most competitive person in the world, but as soon as you put some Charades in the picture, I am crazy, and you will definitely want to be on my team if we’re playing Charades. I’m just saying. So, that’s one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions.”

     

    Audio / Mickey Guyton reveals her favorite Thanksgiving dish.

    Download

    Mickey Guyton (favorite Thanksgiving dish) OC: …both so much! :39
    “My favorite Thanksgiving dish that has to, has to, has to be at Thanksgiving dinner is dessert. Dessert is my favorite Thanksgiving dish. I mean, it doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it’s sweet. My mom actually makes an Italian cream cake that’s absolutely awesome. It’s homemade, and the entire family, that’s the first thing to go at Thanksgiving dinner. And my Grandma D, she makes a pecan pie that is awesome. She taught me how to make them when I was little, and I just love them, and that’s the other thing that I look forward to at Thanksgiving dinner, and I love them both so much!”

    Audio / Parker McCollum talks about his family’s Thanksgiving tradition.

    Download

    Parker McCollum (Thanksgiving tradition) OC: …go there. :27
    “I mean, my parents have been split up for a long time, but they’re all from the same town. My mom and dad went to high school together and all that stuff and all the family still lives back there on both sides. So, we kind of do a Thanksgiving with my dad’s side of the family, but all my life, we’ve always gone to my mom’s parents’ house on Thanksgiving, and they got a big ole house and a bunch of property and it’s really where I grew up is right there. That’s kind of home for me, so that’s kind of our thing. We always go there.”

    Audio / One of Parker McCollum’s favorite dishes at Thanksgiving is his Aunt’s creamed corn.

    Download

    Parker McCollum (Thanksgiving eats) OC: …creamed corn. Mmm hmmm. :04
    “My Aunt’s creamed corn is pretty bomb. I love creamed corn. Mmm hmmm.”

    Audio / Priscilla Block describes a typical Thanksgiving holiday with her family.

    Download

    Priscilla Block (Thanksgiving) OC: …so much. :34
    “Thanksgiving has always been chaos, actually any holiday that my entire family is there is straight chaos. But for Thanksgiving, we all try so hard to be together and it’s such a fun holiday to, my family’s a little cheesy. Like, we actually still go around the table and being like, ‘What are you thankful for?’ ‘What are you thankful for?’ So, that means a lot where it’s not about presents, it’s not about anything else. It’s just about truly being thankful, and that’s why I love Thanksgiving so much.”

     

    Audio / Reba McEntire explains what she's most thankful for this year.

    Download

    Reba McEntire (Thankful) OC: …happy camper. :39
    “Omigosh I wake up in the morning grateful that I can, that I’m alive, I can breathe, I can move, I can get out of bed on my own. (I’m) very grateful for the lifestyle that I have and if anybody needs help, please Lord please, direct me in what you want me to do. Just grateful for getting Rex in my life, my family being healthy and happy, my friends being healthy and happy. I’ve got a great job and people I love and get to work with, and I’ve got a huge faith. So, no matter what happens to me, I know where I’m going, so I’m a happy camper.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about his favorite Thanksgiving eats.

    Download

    Sam Hunt (Thanksgiving eats) OC: …disappears. :12
    “When I pile my plate up, it’s mostly turkey and then I’ll put a little dressing on the side, and I’ll usually go ahead and grab my dessert on the first run [laughs] and have it ready before it all disappears.”

    Audio / Travis Denning talks about a typical Thanksgiving holiday growing up.

    Download

    Travis Denning (typical Thanksgiving holiday) OC: …a lot of people. :22
    “A typical Thanksgiving growing up was essentially and the men of the family – Dad and Uncle Mike and my granddaddy — watching football, while grandmama and my mom pretty much yelled at each other in the kitchen the whole day. But they threw down and made the best food you could ever imagine, which you know is kind of how it is for a lot of people.”

    Audio / Travis Denning talks about his ideal Thanksgiving menu.

    Download

    Travis Denning (Thanksgiving menu) OC: …then beer. :17
    “The ideal Thanksgiving menu to me is a little bit of turkey, but definitely prioritizing ham. I’m a firm believer in ham at Thanksgiving. Squash casserole, broccoli casserole, stuffing and then beer.”

    Audio / Tyler Hubbard talks about his favorite Thanksgiving traditions.

    Download

    Tyler Hubbard (Thanksgiving) OC: …I love it. :22
    “Favorite Thanksgiving tradition for me is probably just getting together with family, having a big meal and watching a little football and taking a nice long nap. I mean, we didn’t reinvent the wheel with Thanksgiving by any means. But my Nanny (grandmother) does make a pretty mean sweet potato casserole, so that’s one of my favorites that I look forward to and I don’t know if that’s a tradition or not, but in my head it is. I love it.”

     

     

     

  • TUNE IN: CMA FEST 2023 TELEVISION SPECIAL AIRS WEDNESDAY ON ABC.

    Dierks Bentley, along with Elle King and Lainey Wilson, host this year’s CMA Fest primetime television special. The three-hour show, airing Wednesday (July 19th), features amazing performances by some of today’s biggest country stars, as well as extraordinary collaborations, including Dierks, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Jordan Davis, Vince Gill, Tyler Hubbard, Little Big Town, Reba McEntire, Jon Pardi, Darius Rucker and Keith Urban. Additional performances include Elle, Lainey, Jelly Roll, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, HARDY, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Avril Lavigne, Tim McGraw, Jo Dee Messina, Old Dominion, Carly Pearce, Jason Aldean, Ashley McBryde, Leon Bridges and Tanya Tucker.

    For Dierks, CMA Fest week was one of reflecting back over his career, but also a chance for him to be a fan. “For me, it’s a magical week of reflection and being a fan. I’m playing, but also just like total fan mode,” he says. “I’ve always said I’m a fan of country music first and foremost, and this weekend is a great place to be a fan. It’s just the best of the best.”

    Of his two co-hosts, Dierks had the best time working alongside them. “I get to co-host this with two of the funniest people I know – Elle King and Lainey Wilson. I mean, yes, talented beyond all talent, both incredible stylists vocally that sound like nobody else, great songwriters. You can list all that stuff. Whatever. Who cares? They’re funny. They’re so fun to be around. They make you laugh the whole time, so it doesn’t even feel like work. It just feels like this is ridiculous that I get the chance to hang out with these girls.”

    Check out CMA Fest, dubbed the Music Event of the Summer, on Wednesday (July 19th) at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC. The special will also be available the next day on Hulu.

    Alabama — “Mountain Music”
    Jason Aldean — “Try That In A Small Town”
    Dierks Bentley — “Gold”
    Luke Bryan — “But I Got A Beer In My Hand”
    Eric Church — “Smoke a Little Smoke”/ "Bad Mother Trucker”
    Luke Combs — “Love You Anyway”
    Dan + Shay — “Speechless”
    Jordan Davis — “Buy Dirt”
    Vince Gill and Luke Combs — “One More Last Chance”
    HARDY — “TRUCK BED”
    HARDY featuring Lainey Wilson — “wait in the truck”
    Tyler Hubbard — “Dancin’ In The Country”
    Jelly Roll – “Need A Favor”
    Cody Johnson — “’Til You Can’t”
    Cody Johnson and Reba McEntire — “Whoever’s In New England”
    Elle King featuring Miranda Lambert — “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”
    Miranda Lambert and Leon Bridges — “If You Were Mine”
    Miranda Lambert and Avril Lavigne — “Kerosene/Sk8er Boi”
    Little Big Town — “Wine, Beer, Whiskey”
    Ashley McBryde — “Light On In The Kitchen”
    Tim McGraw — “Standing Room Only”
    Jo Dee Messina and Carly Pearce — “I’m Alright”
    Old Dominion — “Memory Lane”
    Jon Pardi — “Your Heart Or Mine”
    Carly Pearce — “What He Didn’t Do”
    Darius Rucker — “Fires Don’t Start Themselves”
    Tanya Tucker with Elle King and Lainey Wilson — “Texas (When I Die)”
    Keith Urban — “Wild Hearts”
    Lainey Wilson — “Watermelon Moonshine” 
    
    
    						

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about all of the amazing happenings at CMA Fest.

    Download

    Darius Rucker (CMA Music Fest) OC: …awesome. :48
    “Music Fest is like nothing else. I say all the time that country music is the only genre that could have something like that. It’s truly amazing, when I come that weekend, people are everywhere and they want to be your best friend. It’s always cool and I love coming here. The thing that always gets me is the show. The fact that you can get that many superstars at one show all playing for free, for the same goal, to entertain those people that are in that stadium that come here for the whole week from all over the world. They come here for one week to see country music, and it’s amazing that those artists say on Friday and Saturday night, this is country music come on out. That’s awesome.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley, who is co-hosting CMA Fest TV special, says not only is he a performer, but attending as a fan, as well.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (CMA Fest 2023) OC: …best of the best. :48
    “This is a great weekend for me, ‘cause I get to go from the Station Inn to the Stadium. I mean, I get to run my whole life in that little, you know, I started off going to watch a band play at the Station Inn back in 1994 with dreams of one day trying to make it as a country artist and nothing says country artist like playing the Stadium here in Nashville. So, it’s kind of a look back at my life in a short six-day period, and even the Hot Country Knights is like that’s to me Lower Broadway at its best…or worst. But, so it’s really, for me it’s a magical week of reflection and being a fan. I’m playing, but also just like total fan mode. I’ve always said I’m a fan of country music first and foremost, and this weekend is a great place to be a fan. It’s just the best of the best.”

    Audio / DIERKS BENTLEY TALKS ABOUT HOSTING THIS YEAR'S CMA FEST WITH ELLE KING AND LAINEY WILSON.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (hosting CMA Fest 2023) OC: …of all time. 1:01
    “Hosting the CMA Fest is the ultimate gig. It’s so fun. I mean, I’ve hosted some big awards show as well and those are great too, but this is a four-day festival, so I get to be there for four days. And which if I was doing it by myself, it would be great because you get a chance to see all your artist buddies you don’t see very often, hear great music, see the all-stars of the country music fans, people that travel from all over the world to be here and they bring the most energy. It’s the greatest fans to play in front of, BUT I get to co-host this with two of the funniest people I know – Elle King and Lainey Wilson. I mean, yes, talented beyond all talent, both incredible stylists vocally that sound like nobody else, great songwriters. You can list all that stuff. Whatever. Who cares? They’re funny. They’re so fun to be around. They make you laugh the whole time, so it doesn’t even feel like work. It just feels like this is ridiculous that I get the chance to hang out with these girls. So, yeah, we’re hosting the CMA Fest. Last year it was Elle and I; this year we’re bringing on Lainey Wilson. It’s gonna be…it’s fun. It’s going to be so much fun. I cannot wait. It’s gonna be the greatest CMA Fest of all time.”

    Audio / Eric Church says CMA Fest is special and unique to country music.

    Download

    Eric Church (CMA Music Fest) OC: …barrage of  music. :32
    “Well, I think it’s what makes country music unique. Find me another format that happens in, it’s just not something that happens. I think it’s because country music is the one format where the fans…the music is really about them. And we’re them; we’re not different than them. We’re not a lot of the rock stars and a lot of the other guys where they’re their own person, they’re their own agenda…they’re not like the people that are listening to them. It’s different in country, we are. We come from there, we are that. I think it’s just a great thing for them to be able to come to our town and to get just this barrage of music.”

    Audio / KEITH URBAN TALKS ABOUT THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT SURROUNDING CMA FEST.

    Download

    Keith Urban (CMA Fest 2023) OC: …always need it, though. :29
    “The good thing about CMA Fest is it’s historically always comes at a time when it feels like we need it the most. When we were here back in 2010 after the Nashville floods and doing a special performance, I think CMA Fest was really acknowledging what everybody had gone through and the floods, and so I think it’s such a community spirit out there, not just Nashville, but the country community coming together and celebrating life and the moment. We always need it, though.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about playing CMA Fest.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (CMA Music Fest) OC: …for this week. :33
    “It’s a great week. I truly love this week for hundreds of reasons. I always remember my first ones and starting out and doing River Stages and always dreaming of coming over here and performing at LP Field (now Nissan Stadium) and all of the stuff building the fan base early in the week. It’s an amazing week for Nashville, and it’s a great week for me. And then I get to be home and do all this stuff. It’s always been a fun week for me. A lot of my family always comes in for this week.”

    Audio / VINCE GILL TALKS ABOUT CMA FEST, FORMERLY KNOWN AS FAN FAIR.

    Download

    Vince Gill (CMA Fest 2023) OC: …grateful. 1:03
    “This is a genre of music unlike anything that I’ve ever experienced. It’s a grateful artist base. It’s grateful for the people that give us the opportunity to do what we do, you know, whether it’s at the Fairgrounds or whether it’s a bigger place. I don’t know if it ever really mattered. All those people out there that buy a ticket to come and do this whether they stand in line to get somebody’s autograph or go to a show or whatever. They’re just here because they like what we do, you know? And it feels good to let them know they’re appreciated and not be standoffish and not be that way. So, I’ve always enjoyed it. This is about my 40th year of doing anything connected with whatever they call it. (laughs) I don’t even know anymore (laughs), but it’s still the same thing. It’s just a bunch of people that loves what everybody does and man, it’s great for everybody to hang and just sitting backstage running into so and so and running into so and so, you don’t get to see them very often. So, you know grateful.”

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood, Travis Denning

    Make sure to tune in to catch Dierks Bentley host  the 2023 NHL Awards on Monday (June 26th), the National Hockey League announced today. The celebration of the League’s best regular-season performances will broadcast live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on TNT, Sportsnet and TVA Sports in the U.S. and Canada, at 8pm ET. Fans can also follow the festivities across the NHL’s social media channels via the official hashtag #NHLAwards.

    Darius Rucker has been tapped to perform on CNN’s The Fourth In America on July 4th for the 247th anniversary of the United States’ independence. Other musical performances include Alanis MorrisetteThe All-American Rejects Demi LovatoDuran DuranFlo RidaLeon BridgesPost MaloneSheryl CrowSmash Mouth, Zac Brown BandThe Plain White T’s, and more. The special, which will feature performances and firework shows from around the country (including Nashville, New Orleans, Boston, Chicago, Houston, New York City and more), will air live from 7pm ET to 1am ET on CNN.

    Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Reba McEntire and many others are featured in the new television special, CMA Fest: 50 Years of Fan Fair, airing July 5th on Hulu.  The documentary film traces the story of the world’s largest and longest-running Country Music festival, CMA Fest.

     

    Travis Denning is set to release a new song “Things I’m Going Through” tomorrow (June 23rd).

     

     

  • CMA FEST 2023

    The 50th annual CMA Fest (formerly known as Fan Fair) kicked off on Thursday (June 8th), and the entertainment was everywhere in downtown Nashville.

    The official kick-off took place at the Riverfront Stage with Lainey Wilson and continued throughout the day, ending up with a party at Nissan Stadium with performances and/or appearances by Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Tyler Hubbard, Darius Rucker, Elle King, Luke Combs, Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay and a surprise appearance by Vince Gill.

    More than 90,000 people are estimated to participate during CMA Fest, a 12% growth over 2022. The stadium alone saw a 10% increase in attendance year over year. Fans from all 50 states and a record-breaking 51 countries filled Music City in anticipation of seeing more than 300 acts taking part in CMA Fest.

    Dierks, who is co-hosting next month’s ABC-TV special CMA Fest with Elle King and Lainey Wilson and performed Sunday night (June 11th) at Nissan Stadium, says he’s not only a country artist, but a fan of the format as well. “This is a great weekend for me, ‘cause I get to go from the Station Inn to the Stadium. I mean, I get to run my whole life in that little, you know, I started off going to watch a band play at the Station Inn back in 1994 with dreams of one day trying to make it as a country artist and nothing says country artist like playing the Stadium here in Nashville. So, it’s kind of a look back at my life in a short six-day period,” says Dierks. “So it’s really, for me it’s a magical week of reflection and being a fan. I’m playing, but also just like total fan mode. I’ve always said I’m a fan of country music first and foremost, and this weekend is a great place to be a fan. It’s just the best of the best.”

     

    Vince was a special surprise guest during Luke Combs’ set, to which the newly-anointed country superstar called his “absolute hero.” The pair teamed up on Vince’s 1993 hit “One More Last Chance.” Vince says he’s grateful to be a part of CMA Fest. “This is a genre of music unlike anything that I’ve ever experienced. It’s a grateful artist base. It’s grateful for the people that give us the opportunity to do what we do, you know, whether it’s at the Fairgrounds or whether it’s a bigger place. I don’t know if it ever really mattered,” says Vince. All those people out there that buy a ticket to come and do this whether they stand in line to get somebody’s autograph or go to a show or whatever. They’re just here because they like what we do, you know? And it feels good to let them know they’re appreciated and not be standoffish and not be that way. So, I’ve always enjoyed it.”

    Backstage prior to his first Nissan Stadium performance, Jordan Davis said he came to Nashville to be a songwriter and never dreamed he’d get to perform at Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest. “Long story short, I moved to town to write songs. I had never played with a band; I’d never played a show,” says the Louisiana native. “I was trying to get a publishing deal and trying to get other artists to cut my songs. I truly started playing music and trying to go after being an artist, because I didn’t know if that was going to happen. So, I figured I was already this far down the road, so I might as well start trying to make some money gigging around and here we are. I kind of fell backwards into it, but I’m very grateful I did. I truly never, never dreamed that I would be playing on the stage that I’m getting to play on tonight.”

    Having performed his two No. 1 songs as a solo artist — “5 Foot 9” and “Dancin’ In The Country” — Tyler Hubbard is overwhelmed by the reaction the fans have had for his recent self-titled album. “It means a ton to me to have these songs connect the way they have, it’s been really special,” he says. “It’s inspired me, it’s motivated me, and it makes me want to keep doing it, and it’s given me a lot of life. These songs are special, and they mean a lot and to watch the fans sing ‘em back to me at the shows and to hear their stories and to see their videos that they’re making to my music, it’s fulfilling as a songwriter, as an artist. It’s just what I love, and like I said, it just motivates me to keep doing this thing. I just love the connection, and that’s what music does. It brings us together and so that’s why I’m honored to be a part of it.”

    Night two pulled in performances by Tanya Tucker, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson. Reba McEntire surprised the crowd at Nissan Stadium during Cody Johnson’s set. The pair performed her hit “Whoever’s In New England,” before Cody presented her with a gold plaque for their hit duet “Dear Rodeo.” Also performing on Friday (June 9th) were Miranda Lambert, HARDY and Keith Urban (who had the crowd mesmerized).

    Additional performers at Nissan Stadium included Little Big Town, Jon Pardi, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Josh Turner, Tim McGraw, Jelly Roll, Old Dominion, Ashley McBryde, Tracy Lawrence, as well as hot newcomers on the Platform Stage including Dalton Dover, Ashley Cooke, Megan Moroney, Ian Munsic, Nate Smith, Alana Springsteen and Haley Whitters.

    More highlights and performances will be featured during the CMA Fest ABC-TV special, hosted by Dierks Bentley, Elle King and Lainey Wilson. Catch all the action at 8pm ET on July 19th.

    Audio / Dierks Bentley, who is co-hosting the ABC-TV CMA Fest, says he’s not only a performer, but also a fan during this special week.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (CMA Fest 2023) OC: …best of the best. :48
    “This is a great weekend for me, ‘cause I get to go from the Station Inn to the Stadium. I mean, I get to run my whole life in that little, you know, I started off going to watch a band play at the Station Inn back in 1994 with dreams of one day trying to make it as a country artist and nothing says country artist like playing the Stadium here in Nashville. So, it’s kind of a look back at my life in a short six-day period, and even the Hot Country Knights is like that’s to me Lower Broadway at its best…or worst. But, so it’s really, for me it’s a magical week of reflection and being a fan. I’m playing, but also just like total fan mode. I’ve always said I’m a fan of country music first and foremost, and this weekend is a great place to be a fan. It’s just the best of the best.”

    Audio / Vince Gill talks about CMA Fest, formerly known as Fan Fair.

    Download

    Vince Gill (CMA Fest) OC: …grateful. 1:03
    “This is a genre of music unlike anything that I’ve ever experienced. It’s a grat4eful artist base. It’s grateful for the people that give us the opportunity to do what we do, you know, whether it’s at the Fairgrounds or whether it’s a bigger place. I don’t know if it ever really mattered. All those people out there that buy a ticket to come and do this whether they stand in line to get somebody’s autograph or go to a show or whatever. They’re just here because they like what we do, you know? And it feels good to let them know they’re appreciated and not be standoffish and not be that way. So, I’ve always enjoyed it. This is about my 40th year of doing anything connected with whatever they call it. (laughs) I don’t even know anymore (laughs), but it’s still the same thing. It’s just a bunch of people that loves what everybody does and man, it’s great for everybody to hang and just sitting backstage running into so and so and running into so and so, you don’t get to see them very often. So, you know grateful.”

    Audio / Backstage prior to his performance at Nissan Stadium on Thursday night, Jordan Davis talked about how he became an artist.

    Download

    Jordan Davis (CMA Fest 2023) OC: …play on tonight. :34
    “Long story short, I moved to town to write songs. I had never played with a band; I’d never played a show. I was trying to get a publishing deal and trying to get other artists to cut my songs. I truly started playing music and trying to go after being an artist, because I didn’t know if that was going to happen. So, I figured I was already this far down the road, so I might as well start trying to make some money gigging around and here we are. I kind of fell backwards into it, but I’m very grateful I did. I truly never, never dreamed that I would be playing on the stage that I’m getting to play on tonight.”

    Audio / Tyler Hubbard says it means the world to him to see his songs connect with the fans.

    Download

    Tyler Hubbard (CMA Fest 2023) OC: …part of it. :36
    “It means a ton to me to have these songs connect the way they have, it’s been really special. It’s inspired me, it’s motivated me, and it makes me want to keep doing it, and it’s given me a lot of life. These songs are special, and they mean a lot and to watch the fans sing ‘em back to me at the shows and to hear their stories and to see their videos that they’re making to my music, it’s fulfilling as a songwriter, as an artist. It’s just what I love, and like I said, it just motivates me to keep doing this thing. I just love the connection, and that’s what music does. It brings us together and so that’s why I’m honored to be a part of it.”

    Audio / Keith Urban talks about the community spirit surrounding CMA Fest.

    Download

    Keith Urban (CMA Fest 2023) OC: …always need it, though. :29

    “The good thing about CMA Fest is it’s historically always comes at a time when it feels like we need it the most. When we were here back in 2010 after the Nashville floods and doing a special performance, I think CMA Fest was really acknowledging what everybody had gone through and the floods, and so I think it’s such a community spirit out there, not just Nashville, but the country community coming together and celebrating life and the moment. We always need it, though.”

    Audio / Josh Turner talks about his fan encounter with the late, great Vern Gosdin.

    Download
  • CMA FEST 2023

    It’s that time of the year again! The 2023 CMA Fest is kicking off this week in Nashville, and the stars are coming out to perform and hangout with their fans. You can find out where your favorite artists are playing, if go to cmafest.com here.

    Darius Rucker unofficially kicks off his Darius & Friends concert on Monday (June 5th) with proceeds going to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

    https://twitter.com/dariusrucker/status/1665801859372572674

    The Grand Ole Opry will celebrate CMA Fest in a huge way with performances by Carrie Underwood, Josh Turner, Bill Anderson and Lainey Wilson beginning Tuesday (June 6th). On Thursday (June 8th), Sam Hunt and Terri Clark will perform. On Friday (June 9th) and Saturday (June 10th), Vince Gill, Trace Adkins and more are set to perform.

    The CMA Closeup Stage will feature interviews and more with the Artists of the Day — Thursday (Dierks Bentley); Friday (Reba McEntire); Saturday (Brothers Osborne); Sunday (Wynonna Judd).

    Spotify is featuring performances from tons of country artists, including Jordan Davis, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Brad Paisley, Brothers Osborne, Dalton Dover, Josh Ross, Luke Grimes, Mickey Guyton and many more, at their fourth annual Spotify House located at Ole Red on Broadway in downtown Nashville beginning Thursday (June 8th).

    https://twitter.com/OleRed/status/1661010487704973315

    Universal Music Group Nashville will be putting on a ton of performances, as well, at the Skydeck at 5th and Broadway for more than 20 hours of live music featuring Brothers Osborne, Jordan Davis, Maddie & Tae, Luke Grimes, Priscilla Block, Travis Denning, Kylie Morgan, Caylee Hammack, Catie Offerman, Josh Ross, Kassi Ashton, Dalton Dover, Boy Named Banjo, Sam Williams and many more beginning Thursday (June 8th).

    https://twitter.com/UMGNashville/status/1664645097126862848

     

    On Wednesday (June 7th), the annual Concert for Love and Acceptance will take place at Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon. The show will feature performances by Maddie & Tae, Terri Clark, Pam Tillis, Desmond Child and more. More information can be found at nashvillepride.org.On Wednesday (June 7th), the annual Concert for Love and Acceptance will take place at Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon. The show will feature performances by Maddie & Tae, Terri Clark, Pam Tillis, Desmond Child and more. More information can be found at nashvillepride.org.

    Whiskey Jam will take over with performances by Kassi Ashton, the Hot Country Knights, Dylan Scott and many more. They start at Losers through Wednesday (June 7th) and then move downtown from Thursday (June 8th) to Sunday (June 11th).

    Maddie & Tae are throwing their fans a party on Saturday (June 10th) from 11a – 1pm. This is their first-ever fan club party at 5th & Broadway’s Skydeck.

    Audio / Darius Rucker returns to the historic Ryman Auditorium on Monday (June 5th) for his annual Darius and Friends concert benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He says there’s nothing like CMA Fest.

    Download

    Darius Rucker (CMA Music Fest) OC: …awesome. :48
    “Music Fest is like nothing else. I say all the time that country music is the only genre that could have something like that. It’s truly amazing, when I come that weekend, people are everywhere and they want to be your best friend. It’s always cool and I love coming here. The thing that always gets me is the show. The fact that you can get that many superstars at one show all playing for free, for the same goal, to entertain those people that are in that stadium that come here for the whole week from all over the world. They come here for one week to see country music, and it’s amazing that those artists say on Friday and Saturday night, this is country music come on out. That’s awesome.”

    Audio / DIERKS BENTLEY, WHO WILL PERFORM AT NISSAN STADIUM ON SUNDAY (JUNE 11TH AND IS CO-HOSTING THE TELEVISED VERSION OF CMA FEST) RECALLS THE WORST THING HE'S BEEN ASKED TO SIGN.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (signing a baby’s head) OC: …child’s brain. :13
    “A baby’s head with a sharpie. Yeah, like a two-week old baby. I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to do it. The woman was like, ‘Please.’ I was like, ‘Alright.’ The head at that point is so vulnerable, transparent, so I’m just hoping they didn’t get any ink in the child’s brain.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis, who has multiple performances this week including on stage at Nissan Stadium Thursday night (June 8th), says he’s grateful to be a part of CMA Fest (what he calls the best music festival around).

    Download

    Jordan Davis (CMA Fest) OC: …this one. :56
    “The role reversal of who’s traveling. Now everybody gets to come to, not just my hometown, but all the artists. We’re all pretty much based in Nashville now, and it really is the best week of the year – from fan club parties to where we can go to and either play new music or just get a chance to say thank you. The fans are why we get to do this, so any chance we get to get one-on-one time with them or take a photo, play a song, say thank you, not just me, but we all love it. And also, to be able to be home, you know Broadway has such a special place in country music, so to bring country music to that street for a week and then end it every night at the stadium with the biggest names in country music. It’s the best music festival out there, and I’m truly blessed that I get to be a part of it. So, I’m grateful for it and looking forward to this one.”

    Audio / Josh Turner, who will perform at Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest on Sunday night (June 11th), talks about the weirdest thing he's signed for a fan.

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    Josh Turner (weirdest things he’s signed) OC: …Sharpie, though. :10
    “A toothpick; an unused toothpick, let me throw that out there, an unused toothpick. It was quite challenging, actually, and it didn’t look anything like my autograph. It took a really small Sharpie, though.”

    Audio / KEITH URBAN, WHO PERFORMS AT NISSAN STADIUM (HOME OF THE TENNESSEE TITANS) ON FRIDAY (JUNE 9TH), SAYS CMA MUSIC FEST IS LIKE SUMMER CAMP.

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    Keith Urban (CMA Music Fest) OC: …love it. :25
    “I love it! It’s like summer camp. I mean, it is! It’s a chance to obviously see a lot of people I don’t normally see. I don’t know. It’s just palpable. Since Fan Fair, it’s just been that sort of week-plus of energy; the town just explodes, and what it is we love about this genre and the community aspect of it. I always love it.”

    Audio / LUKE BRYAN, WHO IS SET TO PERFORM AT NISSAN STADIUM ON SUNDAY (JUNE 11TH), ENJOYS CMA MUSIC FEST WEEK.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (CMA Music Fest) OC: …for this week. :33
    “It’s a great week. I truly love this week for hundreds of reasons. I always remember my first ones and starting out and doing River Stages and always dreaming of coming over here and performing at LP Field (now Nissan Stadium) and all of the stuff building the fan base early in the week. It’s an amazing week for Nashville, and it’s a great week for me. And then I get to be home and do all this stuff. It’s always been a fun week for me. A lot of my family always comes in for this week.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about his first time at CMA Music Fest.

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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.”

    Audio / Tyler Hubbard, who is set to perform at Nissan Stadium on Thursday (June 8th), talks about his first time at CMA Music Fest.

    Download

    Tyler Hubbard (1st CMA Fest) OC: …a special week. :55
    “The first CMA Music Fest that I remember was we were not performing. We were not invited. It was BK and I were actually working as promotional guys for Coke Zero, so we were passing out free Coke Zero in the middle of summer in downtown Nashville, burning hot, and dreaming of the year that we would be able to play a show there. Looking back, it’s been such an awesome progression to go from that to playing small stages and then playing Riverfront and then getting to play Nissan Stadium multiple times was just a dream come true. Every year we’d go back, and we’d say remember where we started over there with the Coke Zero tent? So just a lot of great memories of that week, what a special week in Nashville and a special week for not only us as artists, but for the fans too to just connect, so it’s always a special week.”

  • 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."

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    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
  • DIERKS BENTLEY RETURNS TO THE ROAD WHERE HE “POURS HIS ENERGY AND HEART” INTO THE GRAVEL & GOLD TOUR THIS SUMMER.

    As “an artist made for the outdoor summer concert season” (Sun-Sentinel), multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley announces details today behind his upcoming GRAVEL & GOLD TOUR this summer, produced by Live Nation. The “notorious road warrior” (Rolling Stone) has tapped Jordan Davis as direct support with a diverse group of special guests joining throughout the 28-city trek including Elle King, Tracy Lawrence, Tyler Braden, Caylee Hammack, Hot Country Knights, Kameron Marlowe, The Cadillac Three, The Red Clay Strays, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Shane Smith & the Saints, Caitlyn Smith and Hailey Whitters. Tickets will be available starting with fanclub presales beginning Tues., Mar. 7 at 10:00A. Citi is the official presale credit card of the GRAVEL & GOLD TOUR and Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Weds., Mar. 8 at 10:00A local time through Citi Entertainment®. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com. Tickets begin going on sale to the public next Fri., Mar. 10 at 10:00A Local Time at Dierks.com.

    “I’ve been waiting as patiently as possible for the time when we could tell our fans about this tour and I’m happy the moment has arrived,” said Bentley. “With new music, a whole new set and vibe along with incredible musicians and singers to share the stage with.…I can honestly say I think this will be our best tour ever. Jordan Davis and I have been talking about touring for a long time and he’s just killing. Not to mention the list of artists that we will be touring with is so exciting for me as a fan of all their music. I will be side stage every night taking it all in alongside the fans on this GRAVEL & GOLD TOUR.”

     

    Named after his newly released 10th studio album which “testifies to everything Bentley does so well” (Esquire), the GRAVEL & GOLD TOUR will take Bentley back to the road where “his stage presence is something to marvel ” (Spokesman Review) and “he pours his energy and heart into each performance” (St. Louis Dispatch). Coinciding with the announce Bentley’s GRAVEL & GOLD TOUR openers trade verses for their own rendition of his Top 10 and climbing single “Gold” here. (YouTube Link)

    GRAVEL & GOLD TOUR Dates:

    6/01 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage

    6/02 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre

    6/03 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center

    6/04 – Madison, IL – NASCAR Cup Series Race

    6/16 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek

    6/17 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion

    6/22 – Gilford, NH – Bank of NH Pavilion

    6/24 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake

    7/08 – Chicago, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

    7/09 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center

    7/13 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place

    7/14 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

    7/15 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

    7/21 – Camdenton, MO – Ozarks Amphitheater

    7/27 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

    7/28 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

    7/29 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live

    8/03 – Corning, CA – Rolling Hills Casino

    8/04 – Lake Tahoe, NV – Harveys Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena

    8/10 – Boise, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater

    8/11 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre

    8/12 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater

    8/17 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre

    8/18 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

    8/19 – Palm Springs, CA – Acrisure Arena

    8/24 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater

    8/25 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater

    8/26 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre

    The 10th album landmark speaks to how time has flown in Bentley’s unique, 21st-century career. The diverse 14-track album of perspective and self-awareness, at many levels, from the personal to the professional is a testament to the many strains of Country music Bentley has mastered and cultivated in his career, from the arena shaker to the barroom weeper to the bluegrass fireballer. His current Top 10 and climbing single “Gold,” hits the core theme of perspective with a road-trip vibe and wisdom earned only by putting in the years and the work. He landed his first publishing deal in 2001 and released his debut album in 2003, producing an instant No. One single. The years since have revealed a rare consistency that’s fueled longevity – eight more albums that reached the top of the Country sales charts, resulting in 21 No. One songs, eight billion streams, three CMA Awards, 14 GRAMMY® nominations and membership into the Grand Ole Opry. Trendy sounds have ebbed and flowed around him over these two decades, but fans have relied on Bentley for something more nourishing and individual. He also has created professional endeavors outside of the music with his Flag & Anthem lifestyle collection Desert Son, along with his “Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row” franchise hosting four locations. For more information visit www.Dierks.com.

     

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about taking Jordan Davis on tour.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (Jordan Davis on tour) OC: …going crazy. :51
    “Yeah, big tour coming up this year. I’m pretty excited about it. It’s going to be with one of my favorite people in the world. Who you tour with is, is, is huge. And people always ask me, do you pick your tour mate? I’m like can’t imagine not picking them because we’re gonna spend the whole year together, and it’s not just about ticket sales. It’s about the whole hang, the vibe and Jordan Davis. You know, I asked Jordan this time last year, and we’ve been talking about it for a while. I feel really lucky because he’s a great guy. I mean, this it’s fun touring with someone who’s just so easy to get along with, but he’s also like really hot right now. It’s like, yes, I nailed it! I got someone who’s, like, just crushing it. I mean, he’s had so many huge hits and I mean, he’s really, he’s just rocking. And so, I feel so lucky to have him out there. It just makes my job so much more fun when the person in front of me is just got the crowd going crazy.”

  • DIERKS BENTLEY GRAVEL & GOLD ALBUM AUDIO TOOLKIT.

    We have compiled an array of content — a variety of liners and soundbites – from DIERKS BENTLEY to equip you with everything you might need to put together your own album radio special; roll-out tracks surrounding the release of his new GRAVEL & GOLD record to use in news feeds, specials and much more. Check out all of details below (including audio liners and soundbites, as well as transcriptions) to create your own content surrounding DIERKS’ new album release.

    CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM TOOLKIT.

    There comes a time in any climb up one of Colorado’s famous 14,000 foot peaks when, after a few hours of striving, you pause on a ledge, turn around, and marvel at the vista and the ground you’ve covered. That’s where Dierks Bentley finds himself, 20 years into an exceptional career in 21st century country music. The view is breathtaking for sure, but this is a multi-platinum artist in peak shape, his eyes fixed on the summit.

    The 2020 pandemic gave Bentley a moment to breathe and think about his journey to this point and the possibilities for the heights that lay ahead. The break led to a new burst of creativity. With one foot in Nashville and one in his beloved second home of Colorado, he worked harder than he ever had on an album – his landmark tenth, Gravel & Gold.

    It’s a diverse, 14-track album written almost entirely by Dierks with his closest collaborators about perspective and self-awareness at many levels from the personal to the professional. It’s also a testament to the many strains of country music Bentley has mastered and cultivated in his career, from the arena shaker to the barroom weeper to the bluegrass fireballer. In its opening track “Same Old Me,” Bentley recognizes that midlife demands adjustments and adaptations – as well as nurturing the inner fire of the 18-year-old country music fanatic who first arrived in Nashville in the 1990s. Fifty minutes later, we’re in an intimate circle with Music City’s greatest pickers, trading licks and laughs on a witty song about getting high. It was no easy thing to encompass in one record the values and sounds that have defined Bentley across two decades of hits and millions of touring miles, but he’s pulled it off. The story of Gravel & Gold is one of renewal, family, persistence and devotion to making the music as authentic and lasting as it can possibly be.

    GRAVEL & GOLD Track List:

    1. “Same Ol’ Me” (Luke Dick, Jon Randall, Dierks Bentley)
    2. “Sun Sets In Colorado” (Ross Copperman, Tommy Lee James, Josh Osborne)
    3. “Heartbreak Drinking Tour” (Luke Dick, Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Ross Copperman, Dierks Bentley)
    4. “Something Real” (Luke Dick, Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Ross Copperman, Dierks Bentley)
    5. “Still” (Jeff Hyde, Ryan Tyndell, Jeremy Spillman, Dierks Bentley)
    6. “Beer At My Funeral” (Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers)
    7. “Cowboy Boots” (Featuring Ashley McBryde) (Casey Brown, Jordan Minton, Hunter Phelps, Dierks Bentley)
    8. “Gold” (Luke Dick, Ashley Gorley, Ross Copperman, Dierks Bentley)
    9. “Walking Each Other Home” (Luke Dick, John Osborne, Dierks Bentley)
    10. “Roll On” (Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers, Dierks Bentley)
    11. “All The Right Places” (Josh Osborne, Ross Copperman, Dierks Bentley)
    12. “Ain’t All Bad” (Casey Brown, Jordan Minton, Hunter Phelps, Dierks Bentley)
    13. “Old Pickup” (Neil Thrasher, Tony Martin, Michael Dulaney)
    14. “High Note” (Featuring Billy Strings)  (Jim Beavers, Charlie Worsham)
  • GRAND OLE OPRY CELEBRATES OPRY MEMBER DIERKS BENTLEY ON THE RELEASE OF GRAVEL & GOLD WITH HIS 90TH OPRY PERFORMANCE ON MARCH 3RD.

    The Grand Ole Opry will celebrate Opry member Dierks Bentley on the release of his 10th studio album, GRAVEL & GOLD out now, with a special one-hour set, “Dierks Bentley & Friends,” on the Friday, March 3rd show. The Opry will bring to life a portion of the Gravel & Gold album with performances by Bentley as well as his friends Jordan DavisAshley McBryde and more to be announced.

    The “Dierks Bentley & Friends” one-hour set will air as a Saturday night Opry Live on March 18 on the Opry’s television broadcast home, Circle Network, Circle All Access Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The Opry show will be heard on opry.com and wsmonline.com, SiriusXM Willie’s Roadhouse, and the show’s flagship radio home, WSM Radio.

    20 years into an exceptional career, Bentley delivers GRAVEL & GOLD today as the 14-track album details perspective and self-awareness at many levels from the personal to the professional. It’s also a testament to the many strains of country music Bentley has mastered and cultivated in his career, from the arena shaker to the barroom weeper to the bluegrass fireballer. GRAVEL & GOLD is a story of renewal, family, persistence and devotion to making the music as authentic and lasting as it can possibly be.

    Tickets are on sale now for all shows through Summer 2023 at (615) 871-OPRY and opry.com.  Tennessee residents can save on Opry show tickets year-round with a TN Friends $45 ticket offer. Visit opry.com/tnfriends for details.

  • DIERKS BENTLEY’S 10th AND MOST “UNIQUE AND COMPELLING” ALBUM GRAVEL & GOLD IS OUT NOW TO EARLY PRAISE.

    Twenty years into one of modern country music’s most credible careers, multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley delivers his 10th studio album GRAVEL & GOLD today. The 14-track album about perspective and self-awareness is a testament to the many strains of country music Bentley has mastered and cultivated in his career, from the arena shaker to the barroom weeper to the bluegrass fireballer. Fans can now listen to GRAVEL & GOLD here and go into the studio for the making of the new album here.

    Bentley will take new music to New York City were he’ll perform “Sun Sets in Colorado” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Monday (2/27 @ 10:35P CT on NBC). The next morning Bentley will visit TODAY (2/28 at 8:00A local time on NBC) for an interview and performances of his Top 10 single “Gold,” “the swampy rocker” (Rolling Stone) “Same Ol’ Me” as well as his No. 1 hit “Free & Easy.” To close out the week, on Thursday Bentley takes CBS Mornings (3/02 @ 7:00A CT on CBS) to his Whiskey Row location on Nashville’s Lower Broadway to reflect on the journey to GRAVEL & GOLD.

    Even ahead of the release of GRAVEL & GOLD, Bentley has been applauded for his devotion to making music as authentic and lasting as it can possibly be.

    “A collection of 14-tracks that testifies to everything Bentley does so well in song.” – Esquire

    “The 14-track project is a combination of Bentley’s versatile influences and illustrious career.”  – American Songwriter

    “Bentley revives his Country roots and sonic identity with GRAVEL & GOLD.” – The Tennessean 

    “Bentley self-produced the album – a first for him – and crafted a unique and compelling commercial mix of traditional country and bluegrass that feels like a natural stretch from his 2018 album.” – CMT

    “Proving indeed why he is one of Country’s biggest stars.” – TODAY

    “Bentley is the most self-assured and creatively confident he’s sounded in years.” – Holler

    The 10th album landmark speaks to how time has flown in Bentley’s unique, 21st-century career. He landed his first publishing deal in 2001 and released his debut album in 2003, producing an instant No. 1 single. The years since have revealed a rare consistency that’s fueled longevity – eight more albums that reached the top of the Country sales charts, resulting in 21 No.1 songs, eight billion streams, three CMA Awards, 14 GRAMMY® nominations and membership into the Grand Ole Opry. Trendy sounds have ebbed and flowed around him over these two decades, but fans have relied on Bentley for something more nourishing and individual. He also has created professional endeavors outside of the music with his Flag & Anthem lifestyle collection Desert Son, along with his “Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row” franchise hosting four locations. For more information visit www.Dierks.com.

     

    GRAVEL & GOLD Track List:

    1. “Same Ol’ Me” (Luke Dick, Jon Randall, Dierks Bentley)
    2. “Sun Sets In Colorado” (Ross Copperman, Tommy Lee James, Josh Osborne)
    3. “Heartbreak Drinking Tour” (Luke Dick, Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Ross Copperman, Dierks Bentley)
    4. “Something Real” (Luke Dick, Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Ross Copperman, Dierks Bentley)
    5. “Still” (Jeff Hyde, Ryan Tyndell, Jeremy Spillman, Dierks Bentley)
    6. “Beer At My Funeral” (Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers)
    7. “Cowboy Boots” (Featuring Ashley McBryde) (Casey Brown, Jordan Minton, Hunter Phelps, Dierks Bentley)
    8. “Gold” (Luke Dick, Ashley Gorley, Ross Copperman, Dierks Bentley)
    9. “Walking Each Other Home” (Luke Dick, John Osborne, Dierks Bentley)
    10. “Roll On” (Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers, Dierks Bentley)
    11. “All The Right Places” (Josh Osborne, Ross Copperman, Dierks Bentley)
    12. “Ain’t All Bad” (Casey Brown, Jordan Minton, Hunter Phelps, Dierks Bentley)
    13. “Old Pickup” (Neil Thrasher, Tony Martin, Michael Dulaney)
    14. “High Note” (Featuring Billy Strings)  (Jim Beavers, Charlie Worsham)

    Audio / Dierks Bentley says moving back to Nashville from Colorado gave him a clear direction for his latest album, Gravel & Gold.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (honed in on album) OC: …into this record. :33
    “I really honed-in on the direction of this album when I came back to Nashville from Colorado. I did not want to come back. I wanted to stay in Colorado forever, but I got sucked back into Nashville. But when I got here, I actually realized how much I missed this place. It’s a great town, great friends, great people and obviously great music, and this record really kind of took a direction there. I wrote the song ‘Gold,’ which is about something that could look like gravel but actually could feel like gold, depending on your perspective, and so just having an attitude for gratitude was a big part of my head space going into this record.”

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (in stores now)

    Download
  • DIERKS BENTLEY GETS READY TO RELEASE HIS BRAND NEW ALBUM, GRAVEL & GOLD.

    Dierks Bentley readies his 10th studio album GRAVEL & GOLD for release Friday (February 24th). The collection, which features his latest single “Gold,” is a diverse, 14-track album about perspective and self-awareness at many levels from the personal to the professional. It’s also a testament to the many strains of country music Bentley has mastered and cultivated in his career, from the arena shaker to the barroom weeper to the bluegrass fireballer.

    The Arizona native, who spent part of the pandemic in Colorado, recorded this new album not once, not twice, but three times. “You know, the first time I went to go in to record this album was during the pandemic, and it wasn’t a lot of fun being in the studio where you had to get Covid testing and you had to wear a mask,” recalls Dierks. “Very non-conducive to making art, to making music, so it really kind of messed up the session a little bit. And I cut 14 songs and decided it just was missing a little bit of the spark that comes from the fun of being in the studio and collaborating with your friends without all of those restrictions. So, the first take didn’t go so well because of that, but it just got more fun the more I worked on it, and by the time I went back in to the studio for the third time, man, it was nothing but just great vibes, great energy and I think you can hear that throughout the whole album.”

    GRAVEL & GOLD Track List:

    1. “Same Ol’ Me” (Luke Dick, Jon Randall, Dierks Bentley)
    2. “Sun Sets In Colorado” (Ross Copperman, Tommy Lee James, Josh Osborne)
    3. “Heartbreak Drinking Tour” (Luke Dick, Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Ross Copperman, Dierks Bentley)
    4. “Something Real” (Luke Dick, Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Ross Copperman, Dierks Bentley)
    5. “Still” (Jeff Hyde, Ryan Tyndell, Jeremy Spillman, Dierks Bentley)
    6. “Beer At My Funeral” (Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers)
    7. “Cowboy Boots” (Featuring Ashley McBryde) (Casey Brown, Jordan Minton, Hunter Phelps, Dierks Bentley)
    8. “Gold” (Luke Dick, Ashley Gorley, Ross Copperman, Dierks Bentley)
    9. “Walking Each Other Home” (Luke Dick, John Osborne, Dierks Bentley)
    10. “Roll On” (Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers, Dierks Bentley)
    11. “All The Right Places” (Josh Osborne, Ross Copperman, Dierks Bentley)
    12. “Ain’t All Bad” (Casey Brown, Jordan Minton, Hunter Phelps, Dierks Bentley)
    13. “Old Pickup” (Neil Thrasher, Tony Martin, Michael Dulaney)
    14. “High Note” (Featuring Billy Strings)  (Jim Beavers, Charlie Worsham)

    To celebrate the release, Dierks will livestream a special performance from Nashville’s CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame on Thursday (February 23rd).  The livestream – An Evening With Dierks Bentley: The Road To Gravel & Gold – will feature hits from his award-winning career and new songs from his upcoming 10th studio album. To watch, tune into 3point5, a new Twitch channel powered by Universal Music Group’s °1824 beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about recording his new album, Gravel & Gold, multiple times.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (recording the album 3 times) OC: …the whole album. :38
    “You know, the first time I went to go in to record this album was during the pandemic, and it wasn’t a lot of fun being in the studio where you had to get Covid testing and you had to wear a mask. Very non-conducive to making art, to making music, so it really kind of messed up the session a little bit. And I cut 14 songs and decided it just was missing a little bit of the spark that comes from the fun of being in the studio and collaborating with your friends without all of those restrictions. So, the first take didn’t go so well because of that, but it just got more fun the more I worked on it, and by the time I went back in to the studio for the third time, man, it was nothing but just great vibes, great energy and I think you can hear that throughout the whole album.”

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (available this week)

    Download

     

  • 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.

  • 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.

     

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  • 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.

     

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  • DIERKS BENTLEY’S PERFORMANCE VIDEO FOR “SAME OL’ ME” CLOSES OUT A HISTORIC ERA AT NASHVILLE’S ICONIC EXIT/IN.

     

    With the recent announcement of his upcoming 10th studio album GRAVEL & GOLD out February 24th, multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley also shares a performance video of the record’s opening track “Same Ol’ Me.”  Shot at the end of December 2022 with the same inner fire of the 18-year-old Country music fanatic who first arrived in Nashville in the 1990s, Dierks performed the last notes of a historic era at Music City’s iconic Exit/In.

    “My first time playing Exit/In was just as meaningful to me as playing the Ryman and Bridgestone Arena,” said Bentley. “I opened for Asleep at the Wheel before I had a record deal or anything. A manager was supposed to come watch me play, but they didn’t show up. I had a few too many Busch Lights and passed out under a bench. The last thing I remember hearing was Ray Benson’s booming voice. I woke up around 4:00am and realized I was all alone! It was bittersweet to be in there during the last days of December as they were closing it down. I felt honored to take a shot with the guys and toast to the history there and turn the lights off.”

    GRAVEL & GOLD is a diverse, 14-track album about perspective and self-awareness at many levels from the personal to the professional. It’s also a testament to the many strains of country music Bentley has mastered and cultivated in his career, from the arena shaker to the barroom weeper to the bluegrass fireballer. GRAVEL & GOLD is a story of renewal, family, persistence and devotion to making the music as authentic and lasting as it can possibly be. Fans can now pre-order GRAVEL & GOLD and access its first available tracks “Gold,” “High Note” feat. Billy Strings and now “Same Ol’ Me” here.

    The 10th album landmark speaks to how time has flown in Bentley’s unique, 21st-century career. He landed his first publishing deal in 2001 and released his debut album in 2003, producing an instant No. One single. The years since have revealed a rare consistency that’s fueled longevity – eight more albums that reached the top of the Country sales charts, resulting in 21 No. One songs, 8 billion streams, three CMA Awards, 14 GRAMMY® nominations and membership into the Grand Ole Opry. Trendy sounds have ebbed and flowed around him over these two decades, but fans have relied on Bentley for something more nourishing and individual. He also has created professional endeavors outside of the music with his Flag & Anthem lifestyle collection Desert Son, along with his “Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row” franchise hosting four locations. For more information and a list of upcoming tour dates, visit www.Dierks.com.

  • DIERKS BENTLEY’S 10TH ALBUM GRAVEL & GOLD “TESTIFIES TO EVERYTHING HE DOES SO WELL” (ESQUIRE) – OUT FEBRUARY 24TH.

    There comes a time in any climb up one of Colorado’s famous 14,000 foot peaks when, after a few hours of striving, you pause on a ledge, turn around, and marvel at the vista and the ground you’ve covered. That’s where Dierks Bentley finds himself, 20 years into an exceptional career in 21st century country music, with plans to release his 10th studio album GRAVEL & GOLD on February 24th. It’s a diverse, 14-track album about perspective and self-awareness at many levels from the personal to the professional. It’s also a testament to the many strains of country music Bentley has mastered and cultivated in his career, from the arena shaker to the barroom weeper to the bluegrass fireballer. GRAVEL & GOLD is a story of renewal, family, persistence and devotion to making the music as authentic and lasting as it can possibly be. Fans can now pre-order GRAVEL & GOLD and access its first available tracks “Gold,” “High Note” feat. Billy Strings and now “Same Ol’ Me” HERE.

     

     

    “It’s been four years since I put out an album, and part of the reason for that is that I wrote and recorded two records that I didn’t feel were good enough and had to start over…twice,” explains Bentley. “I’m going to be able look back on it for the rest of my life and be like, yeah, that was harder than I thought it would be, but zero regrets. I had to get it right. That’s the Gravel & Gold of it all.”

    With a mix of long time collaborators, Bentley finds himself as a producer for the first time with GRAVEL & GOLD.  In its opening track “Same Ol’ Me,” out today and available as a live video at 12:00P HERE. Bentley recognizes that midlife demands adjustments and adaptations – as well as nurturing the inner fire of the 18-year-old country music fanatic who first arrived in Nashville in the 1990s. “Heartbreak Drinking Tour” calls on country music’s capacity for telling stories, “Something Real” reasserts the importance of holding on to integrity and self in a world of pressures, while “Still,” is a spacious and lovely meditation on staying spiritually grounded, largely through the power and freshness of nature. “Cowboy Boots” features Ashley McBryde with sharp writing about a timeless but humble subject, while “Beer At My Funeral” gives the album a jab of Roger Miller humor at 21st century arena scale. “Gold,” the album’s first single hits the core theme of perspective with a road-trip vibe and wisdom earned only by putting in the years and the work, and a similar gratitude for connection and life’s gentle gifts can be found in “Walking Each Other Home.” The final track is an intimate circle with Music City’s greatest pickers trading licks and laughs on the witty song about getting high, “High Note” feat. Billy Strings alongside Jerry Douglas on dobro, Sam Bush on mandolin, Charlie Worsham on guitar and Bryan Sutton on guitar and banjo.

    “Selfishly I’ve always wanted to have my cake and eat it too,” says Bentley. “I’m in the bluegrass space. I’m in the traditional country space. It’s always been important to me to have the love and support of this community in Nashville, particularly the older establishment and the Opry – and to know that I’m able to do that but also get out on the road and play the big venues too?   It doesn’t get any better than that for me.”

    GRAVEL & GOLD Track List:

    1. “Same Ol’ Me”
    2. “Sun Sets In Colorado”
    3. “Heartbreak Drinking Tour”
    4. “Something Real”
    5. “Still”
    6. “Beer At My Funeral”
    7. “Cowboy Boots” (Featuring Ashley McBryde)
    8. “Gold”
    9. “Walking Each Other Home”
    10. “Roll On”
    11. “All The Right Places”
    12. “Ain’t All Bad”
    13. “Old Pickup”
    14. “High Note” (Featuring Billy Strings)

    The 10th album landmark speaks to how time has flown in Bentley’s unique, 21st-century career. He landed his first publishing deal in 2001 and released his debut album in 2003, producing an instant No. One single. The years since have revealed a rare consistency that’s fueled longevity – eight more albums that reached the top of the Country sales charts, resulting in 21 No. One songs, 8 billion streams, three CMA Awards, 14 GRAMMY® nominations and membership into the Grand Ole Opry. Trendy sounds have ebbed and flowed around him over these two decades, but fans have relied on Bentley for something more nourishing and individual. He also has created professional endeavors outside of the music with his Flag & Anthem lifestyle collection Desert Son, along with his “Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row” franchise hosting four locations. For more information and a list of upcoming tour dates, visit www.Dierks.com.

     

    Audio / Dierks Bentley briefly talks about the song, "Same Ol' Me," from his upcoming album, Gravel & Gold.

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    Dierks Bentley (Same Ol’ Me) 1 OC: …country music. :13
    “I wrote this song with Jon Randall and Luke Dick, and it’s kind of about no matter how much you change and life changes you, at the end of the day, I’m still just the same ol’ me playing the same ol’ guitar, singing the same ol’ country music.”

  • COUNTRY MUSIC STAR TYLER HUBBARD JOINS FORCES WITH FIRST RESPONDERS CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION TO DELIVER 2,000 TOYS TO CHILDREN AT NASHVILLE’S MONROE CARELL JR. CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL AT VANDERBILT.

    Tyler Hubbard, First Responders Children’s Foundation, and leading global toy company Mattel teamed up this week to deliver 2,000 toys to children undergoing treatment at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, the local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital®.

     

     

    The toys arrived at the hospital via fire truck, police car, and ambulance — in true first responder style — and were personally delivered to children by Hubbard. The EMI Records recording artist was joined by Jillian Crane, President and CEO of First Responders Children’s Foundation (FRCF), a national organization that assists the children and families of first responders across America. FRCF delivers hundreds of thousands of holiday toys to children around the nation each year as part of its “Toy Express” initiative.

    “First Responders Children’s Foundation is enormously grateful to Tyler Hubbard, Mattel, Universal Music Group Nashville, the Vanderbilt University Police Department, Nashville Fire Department and everyone at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for joining together for this truly special day,” Ms. Crane said. “Working hand-in-hand with Nashville’s first responder community to see a sparkle in the eyes of these brave young children is the greatest holiday gift imaginable; their laughter and smiles will long be remembered by everyone lucky enough to be at this event.”

    Hubbard volunteered to participate in  the toy delivery in the spirit of expanding his role with the wildly popular Parade of Trees charitable holiday initiative which is a collaboration with his record label, Universal Music Group Nashville and Gaylord Opryland Resort, to benefit the First Responders Children’s Foundation. In addition to Hubbard, the initiative features country artists including Grand Ole Opry members Alan Jackson, Keith Urban, Little Big Town and Reba McEntire, along with George Strait, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Kacey Musgraves, Luke Bryan, Maddie & Tae and Sam Hunt. Each artist has decorated a tree specifically to their style or album, with the trees on display at Gaylord Opryland Resort now through January 5, 2023, as a self-guided tour. Along with their trees, country music’s biggest stars have each donated “Once in a Lifetime” VIP experiences (fly-aways, VIP concert experiences, exclusive merchandise and more) all to benefit First Responders Children’s Foundation, which are available now through January 10, 2023 at www.CharityStars.com/ParadeOfTrees. Proceeds raised will provide scholarships and mental health services to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.

    “We are thrilled to welcome local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, to the Parade of Trees family,” said Dawn Gates, Senior Vice President at Universal Music Group Nashville. “And we are especially grateful to Tyler, First Responders Children’s Foundation and Mattel for generously making this toy-delivery happen for the children. Their smiling faces when they received their toys are what the holiday season is all about.”

    Following the Hospital toy delivery, the caravan moved on to the hospital’s Seacrest Studio where Hubbard played several songs for children and their families who also received holiday toys.

    “It’s always an honor to visit the kids at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt,” says Hubbard. “Thanks to Mattel and First Responders Children’s Foundation for making this happen for the kids. Spending time with the kids was so special, and I hope we brought some joy to these families this holiday season. This is truly what the holidays are all about.”

    “The Mattel Children’s Foundation is thrilled to once again partner with the First Responders Children’s Foundation for their amazing holiday Toy Express as part of our Play it Forward holiday giving,” remarked Nancy Molenda, Executive Director of Mattel Children’s Foundation. “Even more so, we’re excited that they asked us to donate over 2,000 toys to the incredible Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt to bring the gift of play to these deserving children this holiday season.”

    “We are incredibly appreciative of Tyler Hubbard, First Responders Children’s Foundation, Universal Music Group Nashville and Gaylord Opryland Resort for their generosity and support of Monroe Carell during the holiday season,” said Meg Rush, MD, MMHC, President of Monroe Carell. “The giving spirit of all involved is what makes our Nashville community such a special place and will go a long way to brighten a hospital stay for many children and families.”

  • COUNTRY STARS PUT ON A PARADE OF TREES AT NASHVILLE’S GAYLORD OPRYLAND HOTEL.

    As part of Gaylord Opryland Resort’s 39th annual A Country Christmas event, Universal Music Group Nashville is hosting Parade of Trees, a display where their world-renowned artists have come together to showcase Christmas trees decorated by Grand Ole Opry members Alan JacksonKeith Urban, Little Big Town and Reba McEntire, along with George StraitJon PardiJordan DavisKacey MusgravesLuke BryanMaddie & TaeSam Hunt and Tyler Hubbard.

    This Holiday season, Universal Music Group Nashville is offering you the chance to win “Once in a Lifetime” VIP Experiences from some of your favorite artists. All proceeds will help the First Responders Children’s Foundation provide scholarships and mental health services to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. You could win Luke Bryan’s “Country On” Las Vegas VIP Experience, Kacey Musgraves’ “Nashville Favorites,” George Strait’s “King Of Country Flyaway,” and many more! Visit CharityStars.com/ParadeofTrees to enter and use code HOLIDAYS for 100 extra entries.

     

    https://twitter.com/littlebigtown/status/1600587246591217669

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Audio / LINER Tyler Hubbard (Parade of Trees)

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    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Parade of Trees)

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  • ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2022 (Multiple Artists)

    Reba McEntire
    Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
    Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

    Keith Urban
    The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
    In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

    Carrie Underwood
    The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
    While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

    Jordan Davis
    And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
    Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap

    Kimberly from Little Big Town
    When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
    I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

    TJ Osborne
    Away to the window I flew like a flash,
    Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

    John Osborne
    The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
    Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

    Tae from Maddie & Tae
    When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
    But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

    Jimi from Little Big Town
    With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
    I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

    Tyler Hubbard
    More rapid than eagles his reindeer they came,
    And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

    Little Big Town
    “Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
    On, Comet! On, Cupid! On Donner and Blitzen!

    Caylee Hammack
    To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
    Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

    Dierks Bentley
    So up to the house-top the reindeer they flew,
    With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too

    Darius Rucker
    And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
    The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

    As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
    Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

    Jordan Davis
    He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
    And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

    Maddie from Maddie & Tae
    A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
    And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

    Karen from Little Big Town
    His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
    His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

    Jon Pardi
    His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
    And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

    The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
    And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

    Parker McCollum
    He had a broad face and a little round belly,
    That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

    Reba McEntire
    He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
    And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

    Phillip from Little Big Town
    A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
    Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

    Josh Turner
    He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
    And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

    Luke Bryan

    And laying his finger aside of his nose,
    And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

    He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
    And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

    Alan Jackson
    But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,
    “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

     

     

    Audio / TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (PRODUCED)

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    Audio / TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (DRY, NO MUSIC BED)

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  • DIERKS BENTLEY JOURNEYS FORWARD TO HIS 10TH STUDIO ALBUM WITH THE RELEASE OF BLUEGRASS INFLUENCED “HIGH NOTE” FEATURING BILLY STRINGS.

    Multi-Platinum and Award Winning singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley has always encompassed the values and sounds that have defined his authentic two-decade career. Those many strains of Country music he’s mastered and cultivated span the arena shaker to the barroom weeper to the bluegrass fireballer. Today, he releases “High Note” featuring Billy Strings, a witty track about weed that taps Bentley’s passion for and experience with bluegrass that finishes in a super-jam featuring legends Jerry Douglas on dobro, Sam Bush on mandolin and guest guitar stars Billy Strings and Bryan Sutton. “High Note” helps set the stage for Bentley’s tenth LP, arriving early next year. To listen, click here or watch the music video here.

    “Bryan Sutton first tipped me off to Billy Strings about seven years ago mentioning that the future of bluegrass was in good hands,” said Bentley. “I was totally blown away the first time I saw him. I’ve cut songs like these since my first record, and I knew I wanted to have him on this one, I’m such a huge fan. It was a lot of fun to have him, Jerry, Sam and Bryan all passing licks around – having them all on this record means a lot to me personally.”

    Produced by Bentley alongside Ross Copperman, Jon Randall and F. Reid Shippen, the new track follows the lead single from his 10th studio album “Gold,” where he “cranks up the energy and learns to enjoy the ride” (Rolling Stone). Last night, Bentley performed “Gold” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert here, after he sat down with the host to discuss wining the first-ever Colbert Cup during Pickled, the CBS special celebrity pickleball tournament to benefit Comic Relief US featuring other celebrities like Will Ferrell, Sugar Ray Leonard, Emma Watson and Tig Notaro. Fans can watch the interview portion here.

    That 10th album landmark speaks to how time has flown in Bentley’s unique, 21st-century career. He landed his first publishing deal in 2001 and released his debut album in 2003, producing an instant No. One single. The years since have revealed a rare consistency that’s fueled longevity – eight more albums that reached the top of the Country sales charts, resulting in 21 No. One songs, 6.4 billion streams, three CMA Awards, 14 GRAMMY® nominations and membership into the Grand Ole Opry. Trendy sounds have ebbed and flowed around him over these two decades, but fans have relied on Bentley for something more nourishing and individual. He also has created professional endeavors outside of the music with his Flag & Anthem lifestyle collection Desert Son, along with his “Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row” franchise hosting four locations. For more information, visit www.Dierks.com.

     

  • THANKSGIVING 2022

    The Thanksgiving holiday tradition traces its origins to a 1621 celebration at Plymouth, in the state that’s now known as Massachusetts. The 1621 Plymouth feast and thanksgiving was prompted by a good harvest. While initially, the Plymouth colony did not have enough food to feed half of the 102 colonists, the Wampanoag Native Americans helped the Pilgrims by providing seeds and teaching them to fish. The practice of holding an annual harvest festival like this did not become a regular affair in New England until the late 1660s. People now celebrate the holiday by giving thanks for their blessings over the past year, as well as feasting on turkey and other festive goodies.

    Some festive fun facts about Thanksgiving:

    • President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday on October 3rd, 1863.
    • Harry Truman is often credited with being the first president to pardon a turkey, but that’s not quite true. He was the first to receive a ceremonial turkey from the National Turkey Federation – and he had it for dinner. John F. Kennedy was the first to let a Thanksgiving turkey go, followed by Richard Nixon who sent his turkey to a petting zoo. George H.W. Bush is the president who formalized the turkey pardoning tradition in 1989.
    • The average number of calories consumed on Thanksgiving is 4,500.
    • Butterball answers more than 100,000 turkey-cooking questions via their Butterball Turkey Hotline each November and December.
    • The tradition of football on Thanksgiving began in 1876 with a game between Yale and Princeton. The first NFL games were played on Thanksgiving in 1920.
    • The Wednesday before Thanksgiving has become known as “Drinksgiving.” Bars experience a huge boom the night before the holiday.

    Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 24th, and most people might be enjoying time with a group of their friends and families, including some of your favorite country stars, such as Alan Jackson, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Catie Offerman, Caylee Hammack, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, Travis Denning, Tyler Hubbard and more. They share their thoughts of thanks this year, their lessons in gratitude, memories and favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

    Audio / Alan Jackson talks about his favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    AJ (Thanksgiving) OC: …enjoy it. :19
    “My favorite Thanksgiving dish would be the homemade dressin’ that we, cornbread-based kind of dressin’ that we always have with turkey. That recipe is a kind of a combination of my mama, and Denise has taken it and perfected it over the years, so that me and my children really enjoy it.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne talk about their favorite Thanksgiving tradition – a Misfits Thanksgiving -- that they started when they moved to Nashville because they couldn’t afford to go home for the holiday.

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    Brothers Osborne (Misfits Thanksgiving) OC: (TJ) …Happy holidays, y’all. 1:02
    “What’s up, y’all? It’s Brothers Osborne here. And a Thanksgiving tradition that we did for so many years. John and I would host what we would call a Misfits Thanksgiving, and we would have everyone, I mean we must’ve done this for 15 years or so and it really started because we didn’t have enough money to go back home to see our family, so we would hang out in Nashville. And so everyone that was kind of in our same shoes, we’d all end up at our house, and it really turned into really blossoming some of our most cherished relationships. We would be there with Kacey Musgraves. It was the first time I really got to hang out with Mickey Guyton (JOHN: “Maren Morris.”) Maren Morris. They would come over and we just became like family to each other because we couldn’t get home to see our own families. And that’s a Thanksgiving tradition that we still to this day try to keep, and it’s a revolving door of who’s there or who’s not there, but yeah, it’s a wonderful tradition. And let me tell you, spending it with our friends in Nashville, there’s a little less arguing than back home. (laughs)” JOHN: “We’re still arguing, but we get over it faster.” (laughs) TJ: “Anyways, Happy Holidays, y’all.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood says she and her family don’t have too many Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Carrie Underwood (Thanksgiving) OC: …the other one. :34
    “We don’t have too many set-in-stone Thanksgiving traditions. I find myself a lot of times working on or around Thanksgiving or unable to get home or whatever. We try to be together, but sometimes that just doesn’t work out. But yeah, I mean, I think it’s just about we eat. I eat a lot every year on Thanksgiving. [laughs] I never skip THAT tradition. But yeah, that’s the gist of it, and I’m kind of lucky. I get two Thanksgivings, because I also get to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with my husband’s family, so if I don’t hit one, I’ll definitely be able to get the other one.”

    Audio / Catie Offerman explains what she's most thankful for this holiday.

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    Catie Offerman (Thanksgiving) OC: …what I do. :17
    “I am so thankful for a lot of things. I think my family, the gift of being able to put music out this year has been huge for me. I think that’s something I’ve waited on for a really long time, and I’m so thankful for that. I’m thankful for my health and just being able to keep playing music and doing what I do.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack says Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday, because she gets to just spend time with her family.

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    Caylee Hammack (Thanksgiving) OC: …favorite holiday. :27
    “Thanksgiving is the one holiday where we stay at home. We stay at my family’s house, and it’s just me, my mom and dad, my brother and sister and their families. We all sit around and just eat all day. And I love Thanksgiving because you don’t have to worry about getting gifts for people; you don’t have to worry about wrapping them. You just show up and you eat all day with the people you love. So, I absolutely love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack talks about her favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    Caylee Hammack (Thanksgiving eats) OC: …cranberry jelly. :15
    “My favorite Thanksgiving meal (dish) is definitely cornbread dressing. My mom makes the best, er, some people call it stuffing, but I’ve always called it dressing for some reason. But I love that with canned cranberry jelly.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about his favorite part of Thanksgiving.

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    Darius Rucker (favorite part of Thanksgiving) OC: …my family. :17
    “My favorite part of Thanksgiving is easy – it’s food. It’s eating. It’s hanging out with family and getting some great food, ‘cause that’s really what Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for all of the great things you’ve got, and I always give thanks for the greatest thing I’ve got and that’s my family.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker says Thanksgiving Day is his favorite sporting day.

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    Darius Rucker (Thanksgiving Day favorite sporting day) OC: …big for me. :10
    “Thanksgiving Day is my favorite sports day of the year. It’s crazy how much football you get to watch (laughs) on Thanksgiving Day, so I really like that a lot. Thanksgiving is big for me.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley, who is thankful for his wife, two daughters and son, talks about his Thanksgiving must-have! It’s an oldie, but a goodie!

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    Dierks Bentley (Thanksgiving must-have) OC: …for Thanksgiving. :34
    “You gotta have a big turkey. Thanksgiving is not possible without a turkey. We cook it traditionally, but when we’re in, a couple of Thanksgivings ago, we were here in Nashville, we did the whole fry the turkey up, and it was great. It just tasted so good; all those juices get locked in there, and I love that too. You really can’t, to me, cook a turkey wrong. I’m gonna eat it any way, and I have over the years. Trust me, I’ve played a lot of county and state fairs, where I’ve seen gigantic turkey legs, you know, I’ve had the flat meat. I’ve done turkey every way you could do it. I’m pretty good any way you want to cook it up, but you’ve got to have a turkey for Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / Eric Church says he’s thankful for his family as well as for his fans.

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    Eric Church (Thanksgiving) OC: …want to do it. :23
    “A couple of things. I’m thankful for my family and great health. And I’m thankful for from a career standpoint, I’m very thankful for the success we’ve had lately. I’m thankful for what the fans have done. I mean there’s a lot of stuff to be thankful for in that regard. And I’m thankful that I was given the opportunity to do it my own way. I’m thankful that I’m going to get to keep doing this and do it the way that I want to do it.”

    Audio / Jon Langston talks about his Thanksgiving tradition.

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    Jon Langston (Thanksgiving) OC: …pretty cool. :21
    “We always watch football on Thanksgiving. It was pretty cool in high school. It was a big deal in high school if you had practice on Thanksgiving Day because you made third round of the playoffs. So, in high school we always had practice on Thanksgiving, so I guess that was pretty cool. Everybody’s waking up on a cold Thanksgiving morning going to football practice, but yeah, pretty cool.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi lists all of the things he’s thankful for, including the fans, his wife and country radio.

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    Jon Pardi (Thanksgiving) OC: …miss them. :31
    “I’m so thankful for all the fans that showed up at my concerts this year. There was a lot of concerts. There was a lot of fans. We always had a good time. I know the crowd did. It was a tough year, but we made it through it and that’s something to celebrate. And also my amazing wife Summer – thankful for her. And just being a part of country music. I’m thankful for that too, and country radio…and all the people at UMG that I don’t get to see a lot, but I still miss them.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about his childhood Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving) OC: …lot of football. :12
    “When I was growing up at Thanksgiving, we just got all the family together. You know, did the traditional turkey, ham, all the sides, but it was always at either one of my grandparents’ house. Just a lot of family, a lot of food and a lot of football.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis says his favorite Thanksgiving side dish is green bean casserole.

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    Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving side dish) OC: …look forward to. :12
    “favorite side dish for Thanksgiving is green bean casserole, just the regular green beans from a can, nothing fancy, just do it the old-fashioned way. But that’s the thing I most look forward to.”

    Audio / Josh Turner shares his favorite Thanksgiving side dish.

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    Josh Turner (fave side dish) OC: …’em myself. [laughs] :24
    “Uh, deviled eggs! [laughs] Where I’m from in South Carolina, I don’t think I’ve tasted a bad deviled egg. It’s like everybody has their own twist on it, but they’re all good, but I always loved it when my mama made ‘em. I’m learning as I get older, making deviled eggs is no easy task. It’s more complicated than it looks, and so that’s probably why I never made ‘em myself.” [laughs]

    Audio / Josh Turner explains what he enjoys about the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

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    Josh Turner (holidays) OC: …the peace and quiet. :38
    “I love being outside in nature and the outdoors, and the holidays is a great time for me to go and partake in that part of my life. A lot of times, Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s a little cold to go fishing, but when it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s a great time to go hunting, especially in South Carolina, that’s when the temperatures are starting to drop and the conditions are getting right, and especially in November, kind of the tail end of the rut, as far as deer season. So, it’s a good time to get in the deer stand whether you kill anything or not, it’s just a great time to just get away from everything and get away from the noise and the lights and the diesel fumes [laughs] and just relax and just enjoy the peace and quiet.”

    Audio / Keith Urban gives thanks for many things, including his wife and two daughters.

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    Keith (Thanksgiving) OC: …for me. :21
    “Thankful that, well, my marriage is just, it’s life-giving, not just life-changing, it’s been life-giving for me. And from there, we created life, and that’s just beautiful, absolutely beautiful. And the effect that all of that has had in my work, has given life to it too, given it a sense of purpose and really deepened the experience for me.”

    Audio / Kip Moore says he usually goes home to Georgia for Thanksgiving.

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    Kip Moore (Thanksgiving) OC: …with them. :11
    “I [usually] go home for Thanksgiving. I love going home to see all them. I have five brothers and sisters and it’s a blast to go home and just catch up on their lives. I get so wrapped up in all this that I lose touch sometimes, and it’s cool to hear everything going on with them.”

    Audio / The members of Little Big Town love Thanksgiving since they get time off to be with their families.

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    LBT (Thanksgiving) 2 OC: (Kimberly) …and eat. :31
    KIMBERLY: “Thanksgiving—we love Thanksgiving, ‘cause we get to be with our families and we don’t often get to spend time with our families, our extended families, until the holidays. I love being around the table with my family and talking and laughing and cooking and eating…” JIMI: “And eating and eating and eating and eating…” PHILLIP: “The laughter around the eating, the good cheer, the celebration, the music…” JIMI: “The eating, going taking a nap, then coming back and eating.” KIMBERLY: “Go to bed with a full belly, take a nap, and then get up and eat.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about how thankful he is and his plans for the Thanksgiving holiday.

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    Luke Bryan (Thanksgiving) OC: …and family. :30
    “Thanksgiving every year I go to my farm in Georgia, and we float on the Flint River and bass fish, and we do some quail hunting, but most importantly, we’re together as a family. I’m thankful every year to have the ability to go be with my family and reflect on another great year in the business, and I’m so thankful for health and I’m so thankful that I’ve been able to enjoy this career for so many years with so many friends and family.”

    Audio / Maddie & Tae talk about their Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Maddie & Tae (Thanksgiving) OC: (TAE) …I do. :41
    MADDIE: “I love Thanksgiving because I get to see my family, and it’s not as much pressure as Christmas I feel like because there are no gifts exchanged. It’s just all about quality time and I love quality time. My favorite dish is some broccoli-cheese casserole and Tae’s favorite dish, I know, is cranberry sauce, just plain. Just plain ole cranberry sauce, no turkey, just cranberry sauce.” TAE: “She knows.” MADDIE: “That’s it.” TAE: “I genuinely feel there’s something wrong with me. (MADDIE: “Out of the can.”) out of the can. My parents know just to have cranberry sauce for me, like no one else can touch it. There’s a home video where my brother Mason tries to eat it, and I’m like, ‘What are you doing? This is mine.’” MADDIE: “She eats it out of the can.” TAE: “I do.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton talks about one of her favorite Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Mickey Guyton (Thanksgiving traditions) OC: …Thanksgiving traditions. :17
    “One of my Thanksgiving traditions is playing charades after Thanksgiving dinner. I’m not the most competitive person in the world, but as soon as you put some Charades in the picture, I am crazy, and you will definitely want to be on my team if we’re playing Charades. I’m just saying. So, that’s one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton reveals her favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    Mickey Guyton (favorite Thanksgiving dish) OC: …both so much! :39
    “My favorite Thanksgiving dish that has to, has to, has to be at Thanksgiving dinner is dessert. Dessert is my favorite Thanksgiving dish. I mean, it doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it’s sweet. My mom actually makes an Italian cream cake that’s absolutely awesome. It’s homemade, and the entire family, that’s the first thing to go at Thanksgiving dinner. And my Grandma D, she makes a pecan pie that is awesome. She taught me how to make them when I was little, and I just love them, and that’s the other thing that I look forward to at Thanksgiving dinner, and I love them both so much!”

    Audio / Parker McCollum talks about his family’s Thanksgiving tradition.

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    Parker McCollum (Thanksgiving tradition) OC: …go there. :27
    “I mean, my parents have been split up for a long time, but they’re all from the same town. My mom and dad went to high school together and all that stuff and all the family still lives back there on both sides. So, we kind of do a Thanksgiving with my dad’s side of the family, but all my life, we’ve always gone to my mom’s parents’ house on Thanksgiving, and they got a big ole house and a bunch of property and it’s really where I grew up is right there. That’s kind of home for me, so that’s kind of our thing. We always go there.”

    Audio / One of Parker McCollum’s favorite dishes at Thanksgiving is his Aunt’s creamed corn.

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    Parker McCollum (Thanksgiving eats) OC: …creamed corn. Mmm hmmm. :04
    “My Aunt’s creamed corn is pretty bomb. I love creamed corn. Mmm hmmm.”

    Audio / Priscilla Block describes a typical Thanksgiving holiday with her family.

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    Priscilla Block (Thanksgiving) OC: …so much. :34
    “Thanksgiving has always been chaos, actually any holiday that my entire family is there is straight chaos. But for Thanksgiving, we all try so hard to be together and it’s such a fun holiday to, my family’s a little cheesy. Like, we actually still go around the table and being like, ‘What are you thankful for?’ ‘What are you thankful for?’ So, that means a lot where it’s not about presents, it’s not about anything else. It’s just about truly being thankful, and that’s why I love Thanksgiving so much.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire shows gratitude for her life every day.

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    Reba McEntire (Thankful) OC: …happy camper. :39
    “Omigosh I wake up in the morning grateful that I can, that I’m alive, I can breathe, I can move, I can get out of bed on my own. (I’m) very grateful for the lifestyle that I have and if anybody needs help, please Lord please, direct me in what you want me to do. Just grateful for getting Rex in my life, my family being healthy and happy, my friends being healthy and happy. I’ve got a great job and people I love and get to work with, and I’ve got a huge faith. So, no matter what happens to me, I know where I’m going, so I’m a happy camper.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about his favorite Thanksgiving eats.

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    Sam Hunt (Thanksgiving eats) OC: …disappears. :12
    “When I pile my plate up, it’s mostly turkey and then I’ll put a little dressing on the side, and I’ll usually go ahead and grab my dessert on the first run [laughs] and have it ready before it all disappears.”

    Audio / Travis Denning talks about a typical Thanksgiving holiday growing up.

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    Travis Denning (typical Thanksgiving holiday) OC: …a lot of people. :22
    “A typical Thanksgiving growing up was essentially and the men of the family – Dad and Uncle Mike and my granddaddy — watching football, while grandmama and my mom pretty much yelled at each other in the kitchen the whole day. But they threw down and made the best food you could ever imagine, which you know is kind of how it is for a lot of people.”

    Audio / Travis Denning lists his Thanksgiving must-haves.

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    Travis Denning (Thanksgiving menu) OC: …then beer. :17
    “The ideal Thanksgiving menu to me is a little bit of turkey, but definitely prioritizing ham. I’m a firm believer in ham at Thanksgiving. Squash casserole, broccoli casserole, stuffing and then beer.”

    Audio / Tyler Hubbard explains why he’s so grateful this Thanksgiving.

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    Tyler Hubbard (Thanksgiving 2022) OC: …blessing for sure. 1:13
    “I’m just super thankful to kind of be in a place of, I guess I feel like we’ve made it through the thick—we kept calling it, ‘Man, we’re in the thick of it.’ We had a rough last couple of years, you know, my wife and I and family, getting through the pandemic, injuries, we had our third baby, the big transition career-wise – so everything at once, it felt like our world was somewhat collapsing. So now we’re in this stage of the rebuild, and not only can we see the light at the end of the tunnel, it almost feels like we’re there. So, I just look around every day lately and I’m just so grateful to be able to be back on tour, able to play shows, my kids are healthy, we’re all happy and in a good place and getting into a rhythm and having a good balance in our life between work and family and just feeling really good. So, as I’m approaching Thanksgiving here, I’m just really kind of looking back and reflecting on this last year and how different it was last year and even the year before that, and just how grateful I am to be able to be making music and doing what I love and also being really present as a dad and getting to watch these kids grow up. It’s really a cool blessing for sure.”

    Audio / Tyler Hubbard talks about his favorite Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Tyler Hubbard (Thanksgiving) OC: …I love it. :22
    “Favorite Thanksgiving tradition for me is probably just getting together with family, having a big meal and watching a little football and taking a nice long nap. I mean, we didn’t reinvent the wheel with Thanksgiving by any means. But my Nanny (grandmother) does make a pretty mean sweet potato casserole, so that’s one of my favorites that I look forward to and I don’t know if that’s a tradition or not, but in my head it is. I love it.”

  • 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.

     

    Chris Stapleton paired with his wife Morgane Stapleton and the iconic female vocalist Patty Loveless on “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive.”

     

    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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."

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    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.”

  • DARIUS RUCKER PLAYS POSSUM, THE ASSASSIN ON ABC’S BIG SKY.

    Darius Rucker guest stars on ABC’s hit show, Big Sky: Deadly Trails, as a character named Possum who he debuted on Wednesday (November 2nd). His partner is the iconic Lyle Lovett, who plays Tex, and Darius couldn’t have been more excited to be on the show.

    “First of all, Lyle Lovett’s one of the reasons I’m sitting in this room. I mean, in the ‘90s when Lyle Lovett came out with his Large Band and Joshua Judges Ruth, those were records that blew my mind. I know every word to every song on those records,” says Darius. “I met Lyle a couple of times, but to get to go do a TV show with him and we play assassins, you know? And it’s just awesome. There was a moment in the scene that we were shooting, where the scene starts and we’re sitting in a bar and Lyle and I are singing ‘Down In The Valley,’ and it gave me chills. I mean, just really gave me chills, because it’s freaking Lyle Lovett! And Reba’s been nothing but awesome to me since I’ve known her. Since I came to Nashville, she’s been one of my champions and awesome, and when we did the CMAs together, I’ve never seen anybody more giving than she was when we did that. And to get the phone call to do Big Sky, I was shocked. I’m not much of an actor, but it was fun to do, to hang out with Lyle was fun, you know, Rex – Reba’s boyfriend – was like, he was basically my acting coach. We were on the phone, and he was giving me tips about going through the lines and everything, and it was just great.”

     

     

     

    https://twitter.com/BigSkyABC/status/1587995983274704898

    Catch Big Sky: Deadly Trails at 10pm ET/9pm CT on Wednesdays on ABC.

  • DARIUS RUCKER IS SCHEDULED TO GUEST STAR IN ABC’S BIG SKY: DEADLY TRAILS.

    Darius Rucker, along with Lyle Lovett, are joining Reba McEntire on the ABC-TV hit, Big Sky: Deadly Trails this season.

    Darius will play the character of “Possum,” and according to the character synopsis, he will portray “a hired gun who works at night like his nocturnal namesake.” Lyle will play his partner “Tex,” described as a “well-mannered cowboy and tracking specialist with a hidden menacing side.”

    Reba stars in the show alongside her real-life boyfriend, actor Rex Linn (CSI Miami; Better Call Saul). The pair play a husband-wife duo, who own a glamping business called “Sunny Day Excursions.” “Sunny” and “Buck” are smack dab in the middle of the missing persons-murder-mystery. The show centers around Sheriff Beau Arlen, portrayed by Jensen Ackles (Supernatural, The Boys), private detective Cassie Dewell (Kylie Bunbury–Game Night, Tut, Under the Dome), undersheriff Jenny Hoyt (Katheryn Winnick-Bones, Vikings) as they try to maintain law and order in Helena, Montana.

    Big Sky airs on Thursdays at 9pm CT/10pm ET on ABC.

     

  • ALAN JACKSON NAMED CMT “ARTIST OF A LIFETIME.”

    Country superstar Alan Jackson will be honored with the Artist of a Lifetime award (presented by Ram Trucks) at the 2022 CMT Artists of the Year celebration, joining the ranks of previous recipients Randy Travis, Reba McEntire, Loretta Lynn, Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers and Merle Haggard as he’s celebrated by his peers for a remarkable career spanning more than three decades.

    “I believe I’ve made more videos than just about anybody, and I know how important they have been in bringing my songs to life for the fans, so thank you CMT for all the years and for this sweet honor,” Jackson says. “I’m very proud.”

    “We’re honored to recognize the incomparable Alan Jackson as this year’s CMT Artist of a Lifetime. For more than 30 years, his traditional sound, iconic voice and beloved catalog of music has captivated audiences across the globe and his talent as a recording artist and songwriter are simply unmatched,” shared CMT producers. CMT Artists of the Year will air as a 90-minute special on the network, premiering Friday, October 14 (9:00pm ET/8:00pm CT).

    Jackson’s history with CMT runs deep. He has made and released nearly 60 iconic music videos, starting with his debut single…two of which were honored as the CMA Video of the Year (“Chattahoochee” and “Midnight in Montgomery”), another recognized as the ACM Video of the Year (“Drive (For Daddy Gene)”). He was honored as a “CMT Giant” in 2008…and he received the inaugural Impact Award at the 2014 CMT Music Awards. Jackson has also ranked Number 1 on both CMT’s 40 Greatest Songs of the Decade and CMT’s fan-voted 20 Greatest Men in Country Music lists.

    The Artist of a Lifetime honor is just the latest event in a year that’s already proven memorable for the entertainer. Jackson has been playing to full houses and sellout crowds on his Last Call: One More for the Road Tour since its early summer launch (the tour heads to the West this weekend with stops in Phoenix, AZ and Anaheim, CA…continuing next weekend with a swing to the Northeast that brings over three decades of music to Atlantic City, NJ and Pittsburgh, PA). He recently unveiled Silverbelly, a premium bourbon whiskey distilled exclusively for – and hand-selected by – the country superstar, which is available in several states and continues its nationwide rollout this fall. And AJ’s Good Time Bar, his four-story honky-tonk in the heart of downtown Nashville featuring daily live music and a rooftop view of Music City remains a top draw for tourists and locals alike.

    In addition to Jackson as this year’s Artist of a Lifetime, the 2022 CMT Artists of the Year special will showcase previously announced honorees Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Kane Brown, Luke Combs and Walker Hayes.

     

  • 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.

  • BILL ANDERSON AND DOLLY PARTON UNLEASH BLUEGRASS VERSION OF “SOMEDAY IT’LL ALL MAKE SENSE.”

    Following the ‘Good Morning America‘ debut of the official music video and stellar reviews for the emotionally driven ballad, Whisperin’ Bill Anderson and Dolly Parton release a bluegrass version of “Someday It’ll All Make Sense,” available everywhere today.

    To stream and download “Someday It’ll All Make Sense (Bluegrass Version)” click HERE.

    “The bluegrass/acoustical version was the original way this song was recorded. Sierra Hull played mandolin, her husband, Justin Moses, played fiddle and dobro and the record was co-produced by longtime bluegrass stalwart, Thomm Jutz. Both Dolly and I have a deep appreciation for the simplicity and authenticity of this type of music, and we both wanted this version to be heard,” Anderson shared. “I think the intimacy and warmth of the acoustical approach allow the lyric of the song to stand out even more. And it’s that lyric that seems to be resonating with people.”

    The song’s poignant lyrics are brought to life under the masterful direction of Trey Fanjoy (Taylor Swift, Steven Tyler, Paul McCartney, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, George Strait, Loretta Lynn, Jack White), as the video shows the two country music icons journey down the road to hope. “Someday It’ll All Make Sense” was co-written by Anderson with Bobby Tomberlin and Ryan Larkins and is on Anderson’s most recent release, As Far As I Can See: The Best Of, released June 10 by MCA RecordsTo stream or download, click HERE.

    Someday the picture will come into focus
    And we’ll see it all plain and clear
    When we come together in the place He has for us
    Where the pain and the hurt disappear

    Someday we’ll laugh at these roads that we’ve traveled
    I am completely convinced
    That hope never dies or goes out of fashion
    Someday it’ll all make sense

    As Far As I Can See: The Best Of is a collection of 16 songs and shares its name with the current exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame, Bill Anderson: As Far As I Can See. The name comes from the opening line of one of the first songs he ever wrote, “City Lights,” the country classic that was a hit for Ray Price in 1958. In addition to such beloved songs as “City Lights,” “Still,” Po’ Folks,” The Tip Of My Fingers,” and “Sometimes,” the album features a new song with country icon Dolly Parton, “Someday It’ll All Make Sense.” The newly recorded duet is joined by Anderson and Parton’s first-ever collaboration, an incredibly rare demo of “If It Is All The Same To You,” recorded in 1964 and eventually released as a duet with Jan Howard on Anderson’s chart-topping 1969 album of the same name. As Far As I Can See: The Best Of, was released by MCA Nashville/UMe, which has been Anderson’s label home for most of his seven-decade long career. The new project is released in conjunction with the first-time digital release of seven of Anderson’s albums from the 1960s, available HERE.

    For more information on Bill Anderson visit BillAnderson.com or follow him on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

  • 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.

  • DOLLY PARTON JOINS BILL ANDERSON FOR THE CINEMATIC MUSIC VIDEO FOR “SOMEDAY IT’LL ALL MAKE SENSE” MUSIC VIDEO.

    Country Music Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame members Whisperin’ Bill Anderson and Dolly Parton make their music video debut together with video for the emotional “Someday It’ll All Make Sense.” ABC’s ‘Good Morning America‘ premiered the cinematic video online.

    “Working with my ol’ buddy Bill Anderson was the most meaningful fun I’ve had in years,” shared Dolly. “I love the song we sang, I love how we sounded together on it and getting to do a video with him was just icing on the cake. I hope the fans enjoy it as much as we enjoyed being together on it.”

    The song’s poignant lyrics are brought to life under the masterful direction of Trey Fanjoy (Taylor Swift, Steven Tyler, Paul McCartney, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, George Strait, Loretta Lynn, Jack White), as the video shows the two country music icons journey down the road to hope. “Someday It’ll All Make Sense” was co-written by Anderson with Bobby Tomberlin and Ryan Larkins and is on Anderson’s most recent release, As Far As I Can See: The Best Of, released June 10th by MCA RecordsTo stream or download, click HERE.
    Someday the picture will come into focus
    And we’ll see it all plain and clear
    When we come together in the place He has for us
    Where the pain and the hurt disappear

    Someday we’ll laugh at these roads that we’ve traveled
    I am completely convinced
    That hope never dies or goes out of fashion
    Someday it’ll all make sense

    “Hopefully, our song can help bring a bit of levity to a world that seems upside down and sideways so much of the time these days. If it can, music will have once again proven itself to be the optimal healer,” said Anderson.
    As Far As I Can See: The Best Of is a collection of 16 songs and shares its name with the current exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame, Bill Anderson: As Far As I Can See. The name comes from the opening line of one of the first songs he ever wrote, “City Lights,” the country classic that was a hit for Ray Price in 1958. In addition to such beloved songs as “City Lights,” “Still,” Po’ Folks,” The Tip Of My Fingers,” and “Sometimes,” the album features a new song with country icon Dolly Parton, “Someday It’ll All Make Sense.” The newly recorded duet is joined by Anderson and Parton’s first-ever collaboration, an incredibly rare demo of “If It Is All The Same To You,” recorded in 1964 and eventually released as a duet with Jan Howard on Anderson’s chart-topping 1969 album of the same name. As Far As I Can See: The Best Of, was released by MCA Nashville/UMe, which has been Anderson’s label home for most of his seven-decade long career. The new project is released in conjunction with the first-time digital release of seven of Anderson’s albums from the 1960s, available HERE.

    For more information on Bill Anderson visit BillAnderson.com or follow him on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

    Video /

    View
  • CMT CROSSROADS: MICKEY GUYTON JOINS LEANN RIMES & FRIENDS TO PREMIERE THURSDAY, APRIL 14TH AT 8P/7C.

    CMT today revealed international, multi-platinum, GRAMMY award-winning singer-songwriter LeAnn Rimes will headline an upcoming installment of the iconic music seriesCMT Crossroads.” Featuring a powerhouse lineup of Ashley McBryde, Brandy Clark, Carly Pearce and Mickey Guyton, the all-female concert event celebrates Rimes’ 25th career anniversary and recognizes the path she blazed forward for women in all genres. “CMT Crossroads: LeAnn Rimes & Friends” will premiere Thursday, April 14th at 8p/7c exclusively on CMT. 

     

    From one-of-a-kind performances of her biggest chart-topping, genre-bending hits alongside new songs, the 90-minute special brings Rimes together with the next generation of female artists who have been inspired and heavily influenced by her music. From commemorating Blue, the critically acclaimed album that first launched her to superstardom at the age of 13, to previewing new music from her forthcoming 19th studio album, god’s work, “CMT Crossroads: LeAnn Rimes & Friends” pays tribute to her groundbreaking career and unforgettable music that continues to transcend the test of time.

    “It was such a magical and surreal experience, celebrating the past 25 years of my music as a full installment of ‘CMT Crossroads.’ And to share the stage with women who are each, so unique and truly standing in their own magnificence, to get to hear firsthand how I have, in some special way, influenced their artistry… it was humbling and special,” said LeAnn Rimes, who recently announced her upcoming tour, the story…so far, in support of her 25th music anniversary and forthcoming album, god’s work. “This is such an expansive year for me, from my new album release later this year to my upcoming tour, and I could not think of a better way to kick it all off than to celebrate the past, present and future with this memorable show.”

    “What better way to celebrate LeAnn’s music and legacy than to bring together those who credit LeAnn for inspiring their own careers,” said Margaret Comeaux, Executive Producer & Senior Vice President, Production, CMT. “The reciprocal admiration amongst these women is more than evident throughout filming, and makes for a truly magical connection on stage in this special extended episode of CMT Crossroads.”

    Rimes holds an extensive history with CMT, from the premiere of her first hit music video for “Blue” to her show-stopping tribute to Reba at the first-ever “CMT Giants” taping, the list goes on. A 3x CMT Music Awards nominee, Rimes first took home her first trophy in 2008 (“Collaborative Video of the Year” with Bon Jovi) and has shared many unforgettable performances on CMT stages throughout her career, including a world premiere of “Swingin’” and outstanding performance of “Nothin’ Better To Do” at past CMT Music Awards. Rimes also previously teamed up with British soul singer Joss Stone for a highly praised “CMT Crossroads” episode.

    “CMT Crossroads: LeAnn Rimes & Friends” will premiere during the first-ever CMT MUSIC AWARDS WEEK, featuring all-new original programming culminating with the “CMT Music Awards Extended Cut” featuring 30 extra minutes of bonus content and performances on Friday, April 15th at 8p/7c. Additional details on the week-long CMT programming event to be announced at a later date.

    For more information, visit CMT.com, check out CMT Crossroads on Facebook & YouTube and use the hashtag #CMTcrossroads.

  • MCA NASHVILLE RECORDING ARTIST CATIE OFFERMAN RELEASES DEBUT TRACK “HAPPYLAND TRAILER PARK.”

    MCA Nashville’s Catie Offerman releases her debut track today, “Happyland Trailer Park” – Listen HERE. Offerman may be a new name to country music fans, but she is already gaining a reputation as one of the genre’s most skilled players and promising modern traditionalists. A New Braunfels, Texas-native, Offerman wrote the buoyant “Happyland Trailer Park” with Nashville-based songwriters Joe Clemmons (Gabby Barrett, Ryan Hurd), and Rodney Clawson (George Strait, Jason Aldean, Faith Hill) with award-winning Dann Huff as the producer (Reba McEntire, Lady A, Thomas Rhett).

    “Everybody’s got a different definition of the ‘good stuff’ but what is the ‘good stuff?’ It’s what makes you happy, it’s what makes you feel alive,” says Offerman. “‘Happyland Trailer Park’ is the place your spirit leads you. It’s about searching out the parts of life that aren’t mapped out. I love the uncertainties in the adventure and finding the happiness of the journey along the way. The heart is the key – just going with it and taking the ride.”

     

    Airstream hitched to an F-150

    Stars shine brighter when you ain’t in the city 

    One head light on the signs that you’re passin’ 

    Don’t know where you’re going, so there’s no use in asking 

    Why the hell you’re here 

    What ya trying to find 

    Searching for an answer, down a broken white line

     

    Everybody’s got a different definition of the good stuff 

    Heading down the highway looking for a hook up 

    You’ll know that you found it when the dreamer in your heart’s

    Pulling in to Happyland Trailer Park 

     

    Listen to the debut track available everywhere now and watch the official visualizer for “Happyland Trailer Park” HERE.

     

    Audio / Catie Offerman talks about her song, "Happyland Trailer Park."

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    Catie Offerman (Happyland Trailer Park) OC: …recording it. :21
    “When we wrote this song, ‘Happyland Trailer Park,’ it was all about putting smiles on people’s faces and enjoying the journey. I think life has a lot of ups and downs, and it’s something about finding happiness along the way. It says in the song, everybody has a different definition of the good stuff, and I hope that whatever that good stuff is in your life, that you find it. I hope you enjoy this song. We sure had fun making it and recording it.”

  • 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

     

     

     

  • CHRISTMAS 2021 LINERS

    Here are some holiday liners from UMG Nashville artists, including Alan Jackson, Billy Currington, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Caylee Hammack, Chrissy Metz,Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Gary Allan, George Strait, Hootie & The Blowfish, Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Josh Turner, Kassi Ashton, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Kylie Morgan, Lauren Alaina, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Maddie & Tae, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, Shania Twain, Taylor Swift, Terri Clark, Travis Denning and more!

     

     

    Audio / LINER AJ (Christmas)

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    “Hi! This is Alan Jackson, and I’m wishing y’all a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Billy Currington (Happy Holiday Season)

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    “Hi! Billy Currington here, wishing you and your family a safe and Happy Holiday Season.”

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Merry Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is T.J., and I’m John, and we are Brothers Osborne, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Christmas)

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    “Hi! I’m Carrie Underwood, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Christmas) 2

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    “Hey, it’s Carrie Underwood. From our house to yours – Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Christmas) 1

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    “Hey y’all, this is Caylee Hammack, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Caylee Hammack. Happy Holidays, everybody!”

    Audio / LINER Chrissy Metz (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! This is Chrissy Metz, wishing you Happy Holidays.”

    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Christmas)

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    “Hey y’all! What’s up? This is Darius Rucker, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Dierks Bentley, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

     

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey everybody! It’s Dierks Bentley, wishing you a very Happy Holiday season.”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Merry Christmas)

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    “Hey everybody! It’s Eric Church, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Gary Allan (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Gary Allan. Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER George Strait (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey everybody! This is George Strait, wishing you and your family a Happy Holiday season.”

    Audio / LINER Hootie & The Blowfish (Christmas)

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    “Hey Everybody, we’re Hootie & The Blowfish, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Langston (Christmas)

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    Hey y’all this is Jon Langston, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.

    Audio / LINER Jon Langston (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Jon Langston. Happy Holidays.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Merry Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Jon Pardi, wishing you a Merry Christmas!”

    Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (Christmas)

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    “Hey! I’m Jordan Davis, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! I’m Josh Turner, wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season.”

    Audio / LINER Kacey Musgraves (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Kacey Musgraves, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Christmas)

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    “Hi folks, this is Keith Urban, wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Holiday season)

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    “Hi everyone, this is Keith Urban, wishing you and all your family the very best this holiday season.”

    Audio / LINER Kip Moore (Christmas)

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    “Hey guys, this is Kip Moore, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Kip Moore (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey y’all, it’s Kip Moore. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Kylie Morgan (Christmas)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Kylie Morgan, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Lauren Alaina (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Lauren Alaina, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER LBT (Christmas)

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    “Hey! We’re Little Big Town, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Christmas)

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    “Hey! It’s Luke Bryan, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! It’s Luke Bryan. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Christmas)

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    “Hi! We’re Maddie & Tae, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Mickey Guyton (Christmas)

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    “Hey! It’s Mickey Guyton, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Christmas)

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    “Hey, I’m Parker McCollum, and I’m wishing you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.”

    Audio / LINER Priscilla Block (Christmas)

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    “Hi! This is Priscilla Block wishing you a very Merry Christmas.

     

    Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (Christmas)

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    “Hey-Reba here-hoping you have a very Merry Christmas. Ho, Ho, Ho.”

     

    Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (Happy Holidays)

    Download

    “Hey, this is Reba, wishing you a Happy Holiday Season.”

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Christmas)

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    “Hey everybody! This is Sam Hunt, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey everybody! I’m Sam Hunt. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Shania Twain (Christmas)

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    “Hi! This is Shania Twain, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Taylor Swift (Happy Holiday Season)

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    “Hey, this is Taylor Swift, wishing you a very Happy Holiday Season.”

    Audio / LINER Terri Clark (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Terri Clark, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Travis Denning (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! I’m Travis Denning. Happy Holidays.”

  • CELEBRATE GIVING TUESDAY WITH THE UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP NASHVILLE’S PARADE OF TREES.

    To celebrate Giving Tuesday, Universal Music Group Nashville is offering up a discount code for anyone who wants to donate into the raffle for the Parade of Trees Event for Gaylord Opryland Resort’s 38th Annual Country Christmas event. Universal Music Group Nashville is hosting the Parade of Trees, a display featuring Christmas trees decorated by Grand Ole Opry members Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Josh Turner, Keith Urban and Reba McEntire, along with Eric Church, George Strait, Luke Bryan and Mickey Guyton.

    Along with their trees, country music’s biggest stars have each donated “Once in a Lifetime” VIP experiences (fly-aways, VIP concert experiences, exclusive merchandise and more) all to benefit First Responders Children’s Foundation. Proceeds raised will provide scholarships and mental health services to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.

    You don’t have to be in Nashville to check out the beautiful trees & check out the ‘once in a lifetime’ package offerings at www.CharityStars.com/ParadeOfTrees! For a limited time, if you bid to win one of these artist-hosted packages, you can use code: UMGN at checkout for 100 extra entries (that is 100 extra ways to win!!)

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD WINS 16TH AND 17TH AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS.

    Carrie Underwood has won her 16th and 17th American Music Awards, which were announced during a special TikTok livestream ahead of Sunday night’s “2021 American Music Awards” (AMAs), the world’s largest fan-voted awards show.  Additionally, Underwood and fellow nominee Jason Aldean performed their No. 1 smash hit duet “If I Didn’t Love You,” while showcasing their hometown influences and Southern roots, as part of ABC’s live telecast from L.A.’s Microsoft Theater on November 21st.

    2021 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS – The AMAs will air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 21, at 8:00 p.m. EST/PST on ABC. (ABC)
    CARRIE UNDERWOOD

    Underwood’s 8th win for Favorite Female Country Artist and her first for Favorite Inspirational Artist elevate Underwood to tie Garth Brooks and Justin Bieber as the sixth top AMA winners of all time.  With 15 prior wins, including seven for Favorite Female Country Artist (2007, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019), Underwood was previously tied with Reba McEntire and Lionel Richie as the seventh highest all-time winners.

  • THANKSGIVING 2021 (Updated)

    Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 25th, and most people might be enjoying time with a group of their friends and families, including some of your favorite country stars, such as Alan Jackson, Brothers Osborne, Caylee Hammack, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, Travis Denning and more. They share their thoughts of thanks this year, their lessons in gratitude, memories and favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

    The Thanksgiving holiday tradition traces its origins to a 1621 celebration at Plymouth, in the state that’s now known as Massachusetts. The 1621 Plymouth feast and thanksgiving was prompted by a good harvest. While initially, the Plymouth colony did not have enough food to feed half of the 102 colonists, the Wampanoag Native Americans helped the Pilgrims by providing seeds and teaching them to fish. The practice of holding an annual harvest festival like this did not become a regular affair in New England until the late 1660s. People now celebrate the holiday by giving thanks for their blessings over the past year, as well as feasting on turkey and other festive goodies.

    Some festive fun facts about Thanksgiving:

    • President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday on October 3rd, 1863.
    • Harry Truman is often credited with being the first president to pardon a turkey, but that’s not quite true. He was the first to receive a ceremonial turkey from the National Turkey Federation – and he had it for dinner. John F. Kennedy was the first to let a Thanksgiving turkey go, followed by Richard Nixon who sent his turkey to a petting zoo. George H.W. Bush is the president who formalized the turkey pardoning tradition in 1989.
    • The average number of calories consumed on Thanksgiving is 4,500.
    • Butterball answers more than 100,000 turkey-cooking questions via their Butterball Turkey Hotline each November and December.
    • The tradition of football on Thanksgiving began in 1876 with a game between Yale and Princeton. The first NFL games were played on Thanksgiving in 1920.

    Carrie Underwood and Mickey Guyton are among the artists performing during the 95th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, airing Thursday, November 25th at 9am ET/ 8am CT on NBC.

    To access Thanksgiving liners, click here.

     

     

    Audio / Alan Jackson talks about his favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    AJ (Thanksgiving) OC: …enjoy it. :19
    “My favorite Thanksgiving dish would be the homemade dressin’ that we, cornbread-based kind of dressin’ that we always have with turkey. That recipe is a kind of a combination of my mama, and Denise has taken it and perfected it over the years, so that me and my children really enjoy it.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne says the whole family is going to be together this Thanksgiving.

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    Brothers Osborne (Thanksgiving 2021) OC: …I can’t wait.  :31
    “For this Thanksgiving it’s gonna be such a good time. I mean last year, we had a very scaled-back Thanksgiving. Everyone was worried about the pandemic, and rightfully so, but for this Thanksgiving, we’re coming back. We’re back with family. We’re all vaccinated. We’re gonna be hugging on each other, loving on each other and just celebrating the world coming back to somewhat normal. And our mom and dad, our mom’s been here for a while. Our dad and his girlfriend, Cindy, have officially moved down here, and we’re going to have the whole family together. It’s gonna be beautiful. I can’t wait.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne talk about their favorite Thanksgiving tradition – a Misfits Thanksgiving -- that they started when they moved to Nashville because they couldn’t afford to go home for the holiday.

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    Brothers Osborne (Misfits Thanksgiving) OC: (TJ) …Happy holidays, y’all. 1:02
    “What’s up, y’all? It’s Brothers Osborne here. And a Thanksgiving tradition that we did for so many years. John and I would host what we would call a Misfits Thanksgiving, and we would have everyone, I mean we must’ve done this for 15 years or so and it really started because we didn’t have enough money to go back home to see our family, so we would hang out in Nashville. And so everyone that was kind of in our same shoes, we’d all end up at our house, and it really turned into really blossoming some of our most cherished relationships. We would be there with Kacey Musgraves. It was the first time I really got to hang out with Mickey Guyton (JOHN: “Maren Morris.”) Maren Morris. They would come over and we just became like family to each other because we couldn’t get home to see our own families. And that’s a Thanksgiving tradition that we still to this day try to keep, and it’s a revolving door of who’s there or who’s not there, but yeah, it’s a wonderful tradition. And let me tell you, spending it with our friends in Nashville, there’s a little less arguing than back home. (laughs)” JOHN: “We’re still arguing, but we get over it faster.” (laughs) TJ: “Anyways, Happy Holidays, y’all.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood says she and her family don’t have too many Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Carrie Underwood (Thanksgiving) OC: …the other one. :34
    “We don’t have too many set-in-stone Thanksgiving traditions. I find myself a lot of times working on or around Thanksgiving or unable to get home or whatever. We try to be together, but sometimes that just doesn’t work out. But yeah, I mean, I think it’s just about we eat. I eat a lot every year on Thanksgiving. [laughs] I never skip THAT tradition. But yeah, that’s the gist of it, and I’m kind of lucky. I get two Thanksgivings, because I also get to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with my husband’s family, so if I don’t hit one, I’ll definitely be able to get the other one.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack says Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday, because she gets to just spend time with her family.

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    Caylee Hammack (Thanksgiving) OC: …favorite holiday. :27
    “Thanksgiving is the one holiday where we stay at home. We stay at my family’s house, and it’s just me, my mom and dad, my brother and sister and their families. We all sit around and just eat all day. And I love Thanksgiving because you don’t have to worry about getting gifts for people; you don’t have to worry about wrapping them. You just show up and you eat all day with the people you love. So, I absolutely love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack talks about her favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    Caylee Hammack (Thanksgiving eats) OC: …cranberry jelly. :15
    “My favorite Thanksgiving meal (dish) is definitely cornbread dressing. My mom makes the best, er, some people call it stuffing, but I’ve always called it dressing for some reason. But I love that with canned cranberry jelly.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about his favorite part of Thanksgiving.

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    Darius Rucker (favorite part of Thanksgiving) OC: …my family. :17
    “My favorite part of Thanksgiving is easy – it’s food. It’s eating. It’s hanging out with family and getting some great food, ‘cause that’s really what Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for all of the great things you’ve got, and I always give thanks for the greatest thing I’ve got and that’s my family.”

     

    Audio / Darius Rucker says Thanksgiving is his favorite sports day of the year because of all the football games that are taking place.

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    Darius Rucker (Thanksgiving Day favorite sporting day) OC: …big for me. :10
    “Thanksgiving Day is my favorite sports day of the year. It’s crazy how much football you get to watch (laughs) on Thanksgiving Day, so I really like that a lot. Thanksgiving is big for me.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley, who is thankful for his wife, two daughters and son, talks about his Thanksgiving must-have! It’s an oldie, but a goodie!

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    Dierks Bentley (Thanksgiving must-have) OC: …for Thanksgiving. :34
    “You gotta have a big turkey. Thanksgiving is not possible without a turkey. We cook it traditionally, but when we’re in, a couple of Thanksgivings ago, we were here in Nashville, we did the whole fry the turkey up, and it was great. It just tasted so good; all those juices get locked in there, and I love that too. You really can’t, to me, cook a turkey wrong. I’m gonna eat it any way, and I have over the years. Trust me, I’ve played a lot of county and state fairs, where I’ve seen gigantic turkey legs, you know, I’ve had the flat meat. I’ve done turkey every way you could do it. I’m pretty good any way you want to cook it up, but you’ve got to have a turkey for Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / Eric Church says he’s thankful for his family as well as for his fans.

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    Eric Church (Thanksgiving) OC: …want to do it. :23
    “A couple of things. I’m thankful for my family and great health. And I’m thankful for from a career standpoint, I’m very thankful for the success we’ve had lately. I’m thankful for what the fans have done. I mean there’s a lot of stuff to be thankful for in that regard. And I’m thankful that I was given the opportunity to do it my own way. I’m thankful that I’m going to get to keep doing this and do it the way that I want to do it.”

    Audio / Jon Langston talks about his Thanksgiving tradition.

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    Jon Langston (Thanksgiving) OC: …pretty cool. :21
    “We always watch football on Thanksgiving. It was pretty cool in high school. It was a big deal in high school if you had practice on Thanksgiving Day because you made third round of the playoffs. So, in high school we always had practice on Thanksgiving, so I guess that was pretty cool. Everybody’s waking up on a cold Thanksgiving morning going to football practice, but yeah, pretty cool.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi lists all of the things he’s thankful for, including the fans, his wife and country radio.

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    Jon Pardi (Thanksgiving 2021) OC: …miss them. :31
    “I’m so thankful for all the fans that showed up at my concerts this year. There was a lot of concerts. There was a lot of fans. We always had a good time. I know the crowd did. It was a tough year, but we made it through it and that’s something to celebrate. And also my amazing wife Summer – thankful for her. And just being a part of country music. I’m thankful for that too, and country radio…and all the people at UMG that I don’t get to see a lot, but I still miss them.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis gives thanks for this year, but most importantly, for his healthy 3-month-old son, Locklan.

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    Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving 2021) OC: …thankful list. :16
    “This has been a great year both music-wise and personal, but I think the most thing I’m thankful for in 2021 is a healthy son, 3-month-old son Locklan. So, that’s definitely at the top of my thankful list.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about Thanksgiving traditions growing up.

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    Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving) OC: …lot of football. :12
    “When I was growing up at Thanksgiving, we just got all the family together. You know, did the traditional turkey, ham, all the sides, but it was always at either one of my grandparents’ house. Just a lot of family, a lot of food and a lot of football.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis says his favorite Thanksgiving side dish is green bean casserole.

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    Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving side dish) OC: …look forward to. :12
    “favorite side dish for Thanksgiving is green bean casserole, just the regular green beans from a can, nothing fancy, just do it the old-fashioned way. But that’s the thing I most look forward to.”

    Audio / Josh Turner shares his favorite Thanksgiving side dish.

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    Josh Turner (fave side dish) OC: …’em myself. [laughs] :24
    “Uh, deviled eggs! [laughs] Where I’m from in South Carolina, I don’t think I’ve tasted a bad deviled egg. It’s like everybody has their own twist on it, but they’re all good, but I always loved it when my mama made ‘em. I’m learning as I get older, making deviled eggs is no easy task. It’s more complicated than it looks, and so that’s probably why I never made ‘em myself.” [laughs]

    Audio / Josh Turner explains what he enjoys about the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

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    Josh Turner (holidays) OC: …the peace and quiet. :38
    “I love being outside in nature and the outdoors, and the holidays is a great time for me to go and partake in that part of my life. A lot of times, Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s a little cold to go fishing, but when it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s a great time to go hunting, especially in South Carolina, that’s when the temperatures are starting to drop and the conditions are getting right, and especially in November, kind of the tail end of the rut, as far as deer season. So, it’s a good time to get in the deer stand whether you kill anything or not, it’s just a great time to just get away from everything and get away from the noise and the lights and the diesel fumes [laughs] and just relax and just enjoy the peace and quiet.”

    Audio / Keith Urban gives thanks for many things, including his wife and two daughters.

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    Keith Urban (Thanksgiving) OC: …for me. :21
    “Thankful that, well, my marriage is just, it’s life-giving, not just life-changing, it’s been life-giving for me. And from there, we created life, and that’s just beautiful, absolutely beautiful. And the effect that all of that has had in my work, has given life to it too, given it a sense of purpose and really deepened the experience for me.”

    Audio / Kip Moore says he usually goes home to Georgia for Thanksgiving.

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    Kip Moore (Thanksgiving) OC: …with them. :11
    “I [usually] go home for Thanksgiving. I love going home to see all them. I have five brothers and sisters and it’s a blast to go home and just catch up on their lives. I get so wrapped up in all this that I lose touch sometimes, and it’s cool to hear everything going on with them.”

    Audio / The members of Little Big Town love Thanksgiving since they get time off to be with their families.

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    LBT (Thanksgiving) 2 OC: (Kimberly) …and eat. :31
    KIMBERLY: “Thanksgiving—we love Thanksgiving, ‘cause we get to be with our families and we don’t often get to spend time with our families, our extended families, until the holidays. I love being around the table with my family and talking and laughing and cooking and eating…” JIMI: “And eating and eating and eating and eating…” PHILLIP: “The laughter around the eating, the good cheer, the celebration, the music…” JIMI: “The eating, going taking a nap, then coming back and eating.” KIMBERLY: “Go to bed with a full belly, take a nap, and then get up and eat.”

    Audio / Maddie & Tae talk about their Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Maddie & Tae (Thanksgiving) OC: (TAE) …I do. :41
    MADDIE: “I love Thanksgiving because I get to see my family, and it’s not as much pressure as Christmas I feel like because there are no gifts exchanged. It’s just all about quality time and I love quality time. My favorite dish is some broccoli-cheese casserole and Tae’s favorite dish, I know, is cranberry sauce, just plain. Just plain ole cranberry sauce, no turkey, just cranberry sauce.” TAE: “She knows.” MADDIE: “That’s it.” TAE: “I genuinely feel there’s something wrong with me. (MADDIE: “Out of the can.”) out of the can. My parents know just to have cranberry sauce for me, like no one else can touch it. There’s a home video where my brother Mason tries to eat it, and I’m like, ‘What are you doing? This is mine.’” MADDIE: “She eats it out of the can.” TAE: “I do.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton talks about one of her favorite Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Mickey Guyton (Thanksgiving traditions) OC: …Thanksgiving traditions. :17
    “One of my Thanksgiving traditions is playing charades after Thanksgiving dinner. I’m not the most competitive person in the world, but as soon as you put some Charades in the picture, I am crazy, and you will definitely want to be on my team if we’re playing Charades. I’m just saying. So, that’s one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton reveals her favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    Mickey Guyton (favorite Thanksgiving dish) OC: …both so much! :39
    “My favorite Thanksgiving dish that has to, has to, has to be at Thanksgiving dinner is dessert. Dessert is my favorite Thanksgiving dish. I mean, it doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it’s sweet. My mom actually makes an Italian cream cake that’s absolutely awesome. It’s homemade, and the entire family, that’s the first thing to go at Thanksgiving dinner. And my Grandma D, she makes a pecan pie that is awesome. She taught me how to make them when I was little, and I just love them, and that’s the other thing that I look forward to at Thanksgiving dinner, and I love them both so much!”

    Audio / Parker McCollum talks about his family’s Thanksgiving tradition.

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    Parker McCollum (Thanksgiving tradition) OC: …go there. :27
    “I mean, my parents have been split up for a long time, but they’re all from the same town. My mom and dad went to high school together and all that stuff and all the family still lives back there on both sides. So, we kind of do a Thanksgiving with my dad’s side of the family, but all my life, we’ve always gone to my mom’s parents’ house on Thanksgiving, and they got a big ole house and a bunch of property and it’s really where I grew up is right there. That’s kind of home for me, so that’s kind of our thing. We always go there.”

    Audio / One of Parker McCollum’s favorite dishes at Thanksgiving is his Aunt’s creamed corn.

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    Parker McCollum (Thanksgiving eats) OC: …creamed corn. Mmm hmmm. :04
    “My Aunt’s creamed corn is pretty bomb. I love creamed corn. Mmm hmmm.”

    Audio / Priscilla Block explains why she's super thankful this year.

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    Priscilla Block (Thanksgiving 2021) OC: …thankful this year. :18
    “With Thanksgiving coming up, I am so, so thankful for this past year. It has been unbelievable. I just feel like I am living my dream and everything that I have always dreamed of is finally happening, and I’m just super, super, super thankful this year.”

    Audio / Priscilla Block describes a typical Thanksgiving holiday with her family.

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    Priscilla Block (Thanksgiving) OC: …so much. :34
    “Thanksgiving has always been chaos, actually any holiday that my entire family is there is straight chaos. But for Thanksgiving, we all try so hard to be together and it’s such a fun holiday to, my family’s a little cheesy. Like, we actually still go around the table and being like, ‘What are you thankful for?’ ‘What are you thankful for?’ So, that means a lot where it’s not about presents, it’s not about anything else. It’s just about truly being thankful, and that’s why I love Thanksgiving so much.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire describes what makers her thankful this year at Thanksgiving.

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    Reba McEntire (Thankful) OC: …happy camper. :39
    “Omigosh I wake up in the morning grateful that I can, that I’m alive, I can breathe, I can move, I can get out of bed on my own. (I’m) very grateful for the lifestyle that I have and if anybody needs help, please Lord please, direct me in what you want me to do. Just grateful for getting Rex in my life and Riddler, my family being healthy and happy, my friends being healthy and happy. I’ve got a great job and people I love and get to work with, and I’ve got a huge faith. So, no matter what happens to me, I know where I’m going, so I’m a happy camper.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about his favorite Thanksgiving eats.

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    Sam Hunt (Thanksgiving eats) OC: …glass of milk. :12
    “When I pile my plate up, it’s mostly turkey and then I’ll put a little dressing on the side, and I’ll usually go ahead and grab my dessert on the first run [laughs] and have it ready before it all disappears.”

    Audio / Travis Denning explains what the perfect menu is for Thanksgiving.

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    Travis Denning (Thanksgiving menu) OC: …then beer. :17
    “The ideal Thanksgiving menu to me is a little bit of turkey, but definitely prioritizing ham. I’m a firm believer in ham at Thanksgiving. Squash casserole, broccoli casserole, stuffing and then beer.”

    Audio / Travis Denning talks about a typical Thanksgiving holiday growing up.

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    Travis Denning (typical Thanksgiving holiday) OC: …a lot of people. :22
    “A typical Thanksgiving growing up was essentially and the men of the family – Dad and Uncle Mike and my granddaddy — watching football, while grandmama and my mom pretty much yelled at each other in the kitchen the whole day. But they threw down and made the best food you could ever imagine, which you know is kind of how it is for a lot of people.”

  • 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.

  • LUKE BRYAN IS SET TO HOST “THE 55TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS.”

    Luke Bryan hosts “The 55th Annual CMA Awards”airing live on ABC Wednesday, November 10, 2021.

    Luke Bryan has been announced as host of this year’s CMA Awards.

    “The CMA Awards is one of the biggest nights of the year for Country Music,” says Bryan. “Being asked to host the CMA Awards was definitely something I put a lot of thought into before answering. The pressure that comes along with that can be overwhelming, but knowing I get to help honor and celebrate so many of my friends, I knew it was something I couldn’t turn down. I mean, growing up in Georgia, I remember watching Vince Gill, Reba, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Rogers, Barbara Mandrell, to name a few. They were so good. And then becoming a part of this amazing Country Music family and sitting on the front row while Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood and Darius Rucker took the reins, all of these artists are heroes and friends, and I am honored to have my name included in this group. I’m looking forward to making it fun and memorable and using this platform to continue to make Country Music shine.”

     

    Luke, a two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year and three-time ACM Entertainer of the Year, will make his CMA Awards hosting debut on this year’s stage. The Georgia native is currently scaling the country charts once again with his latest song, “Up.”

    Since his debut, Bryan has garnered 27 No. 1 hits and has more RIAA certified digital singles than any other Country artist with 68.5 million, has 15.6 billion streams worldwide, and has sold nearly 13 million albums. His headline concert tours have played sold-out shows for 12 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 over 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 this past April. 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 this past February. Bryan is set to return as a celebrity judge for a fifth season, alongside Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, on ABC’s “American Idol” in 2022.  Airing now, fans can see Bryan’s original five-part docuseries “Luke Bryan: My Dirt Road Diary,” on IMDb TV, Amazon’s premium free streaming service. Visit LukeBryan.com or follow Bryan on Twitter @LukeBryan, Instagram and Facebook.

    Performers and presenters for the show will be revealed in the coming weeks.

    The 55th Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 10th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.

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  • 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.

  • FOURTH OF JULY 2021 AUDIO

    Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain. The holiday is commonly associated with fireworks displays, parades, barbecues and concerts…and with restrictions easing up all across the nation, celebrations are coming back in force, although a few may still be virtual. Some of your favorite country stars take time to remember their Fourth of July traditions, memories and what the holiday really means to them.

    Alan Jackson and Mickey Guyton are set to perform during A Capitol Fourth on the Fourth of July (Sunday) on PBS beginning at 8pm ET. Vanessa Williams, Gladys Knight, Jimmy Buffett, Jimmie Allen and Train are also among the stars performing during the special.

     

    Reba McEntire is set to perform during this year’s Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular. The special, which will also feature performances by the Black Pumas, Coldplay and One Republic, among others, will air Sunday, July 4th from 8-10pm ET with an hour-long encore presentation at 10pm ET.

    Priscilla Block will perform during Nashville’s Fourth of July celebration, Let Freedom Sing!. The free event will take place in downtown Nashville on lower Broadway and will also feature performances by Lilly Hiatt, Regi Wooten and Friends, the Nashville Symphony and headliner Brad Paisley.

    Parker McCollum will perform on the Fourth of July at the WhiteWater Amphitheater in New Braunfels, Texas.

    Click here to access liners.

     

    Audio / Adam Hambrick has two things that make the Fourth of July spectacular.

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    Adam Hambrick (Fourth of July) OC: …July. :11
    “Fire up the grill and blow something up. Two things that are important for a good time on the Fourth of July – one (is) fire and meat. Those two things make a Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / Alan Jackson recalls one of the coolest Fourth of July memories he’s ever enjoyed.

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    AJ (fave 4th of July memory) OC: …very cool. :58
    Well, this one is hard to beat. A couple of years ago, maybe longer than that now, I had an old boat in Florida. It’s like an old antique motor yacht, and it was kind of a cool old boat. I had taken that boat, I’ve always wanted to take it up north like to New York and up in that area, up in the northeast where it’s so pretty. So, we took the boat up there and Denise and the girls, we all went up. They like going to New York City, which I don’t really care about going to the city. So, I got to stay in my boat there at the harbor tied up, which was cool anyway. So they spent time in the city a few days and then that was Fourth of July, and we went out in the Hudson River that night and they shot the fireworks off and we were anchored out in front of the Statue of Liberty and New York City was behind us, and the Statue of Liberty and the fireworks were going off sitting on that boat. That was the coolest thing and my girls still talk about that. I mean, that was the coolest thing on Fourth of July I can ever remember. I can’t top that one probably. It was emotional sitting there watching the Statue of Liberty and thinking about all that. It was very cool.”

    Audio / Billy Currington talks about his favorite Fourth of July memories.

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    Billy Currington (4th of July) OC: …of my life. :16
    “My best memories would be hanging out with my mom, brother and sister on the beach on Tybee Island right off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. We’d go there every year, and we’d light our own fireworks and watch the ones that they had for us. They were the best times, some of the best times of my life.”

    Audio / Brandon Lay talks about what he and family would do over the Fourth of July holiday.

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    Brandon Lay (Fourth of July) OC: …good times. :47
    “I remember everybody hanging out at my grandmother’s and we would drive down the road to a fireworks stand off the side of Highway 45 out there in Jackson [Tennessee]. Just getting the bottle rockets and Black Cats and bringing ‘em back to the house, it felt like it was an eternity before it got dark. We just kept wanting to light ‘em and our parents would tell us it ain’t time, but just how exhilarating it was to see ‘em shoot up. We’re not talking big time fireworks here, but you would’ve thought that it was. It’s funny just how you remember things, but I just remember a screen door at my grandmother’s, running in and out, in and out, in and out and four wild little cousins running around. It was good times.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood recalls one of her favorite Fourth of July memories.

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    Carrie Underwood (favorite Fourth of July memory) OC: …work out. :51
    “I think my favorite Fourth of July memory would be going to the fireworks stand and picking out which fireworks I wanted to do. I must’ve been like 7 or 8, and I came home and made a list of what order I wanted to do them in, because I wanted to put a show on for Mom and Dad, and of course I couldn’t wait until it was dark outside (laughs). So, I made my Mom and Dad get the lawn chairs and come out to the backyard and watch some not very dramatic fireworks at like six o’clock in the evening, but I was so proud of myself, and I was so proud of the show that I put on. So, I feel like that was a little training for what I do now – putting on shows, figuring out how it’s all going to work out.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker enjoys setting off fireworks.

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    Darius Rucker (fireworks) OC: …off once. :15
    “Oh, I love fireworks. We had the bottle rocket fights and all that good stuff. I was the typical little crazy kid, you know. In South Carolina, it was always legal, so we shot fireworks when it was legal. We did all that sort of stuff. I almost blew my hand off once.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley says the people of this country are what define America.

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    Dierks (people are America) OC: …all about. :17
    “The definition of America to me, you know, getting a chance to travel across the country on a tour bus, stepping upon stages whether it be county fairs, state fairs, arenas, rock bars, the Opry stage, anywhere across the country and looking out at that crowd and seeing people. The people, to me, are what America’s all about.”

    Audio / Eric Church recalls his family activities on the Fourth of July holiday.

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    Eric Church (4th of July) OC: …freedoms. 1:17
    “The Fourth of July for me, growing up we would always go to the lake, we didn’t live on the lake but we would all go to the lake. Had a buddy who had a pontoon and we would always get on the pontoon and you go out and you’d tie all the pontoons together and just have a big time. This was before, I was younger then, the adults were having more fun than we were, you know it was just to go swim in the water and shoot off fireworks. Basically, water tailgating is what it was. And then as we got older, same thing…we would just, us younger kids had our own boat and we had as much fun as the adults.”

    Audio / Jon Langston talks about what he usually does on the Fourth of July,

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    Jon Langston (Fourth of July) OC: …either way. :17
    “The Fourth of July is usually different every year. We’re usually playing shows, or we’re out on the lake or at the beach, or sometimes I’ve said, ‘I’m staying at home,’ shooting fireworks off the back porch or something. That’s probably not the safest thing, but we have a good time either way.”

    Audio / JORDAN DAVIS TALKS ABOUT SOME OF HIS FAVORITE CHILDHOOD FOURTH OF JULY MEMORIES.

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    Jordan Davis (Fourth of July) 2 OC: …really cool. :17
    “Probably baseball games, firework shows at baseball games. We’d go to Shreveport Captains games, so yeah, we’d do that or barbecues and fireworks. I can remember being on the lake for a couple of Fourth of Julys. We’d take the boat out and we’d watch the downtown fireworks show from the boat, which was really cool.”

    Audio / Josh Turner talks about the fireworks “wars” his family would have when he was growing up.

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    Josh Turner (fireworks) OC: …of money. [laughs] :20
    “Yeah, we had fireworks around, especially my Daddy’s family. All the individual families had a lot of competition with each other and tried to outdo each other to try to see who had the biggest and baddest fireworks and all that. [laughs] My daddy, I think, was the smartest one. He just went out and bought maybe $25 worth of fireworks and let everybody else put on the big show, so he saved a lot of money.” [laughs]

    Audio / Keith Urban recalls coming over to America for the first time.

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    Keith Urban (coming to America 1st time) OC: …as I could. :39
    “1989 was the first year I came to the States, and it had always been my goal, but I had no plan on how to get here. It was just a case of keep playing, keep getting better at what you do, and then hopefully, somehow, some way I’ll end up over here. The guy who was managing me at the time, we just planned a trip over here – it was actually for the New Music Seminar in New York. And we came over for that, and then we did a trip down to Nashville, and I shopping my little demo around. I think I humored everybody more than anything else [laughs] with my tragic, ill-fitting demo for the time. So, I left there, but I was just so committed to coming back as quick as I could.”

    Audio / Kip Moore says he’s very proud of the U.S. military and can’t imagine having to do what they do to protect the United States.

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    Kip Moore (Fourth of July-soldiers) OC: …every day. :32
    “I’m a very, very patriotic person, proud of the country that I live in, and I’m very proud of what those guys do for us each and every day, and I don’t take it for granted one bit. My grandparents were in the military, fought wars, and I’ve seen the battle that they go through, just the horror of remember things. When I start to think that I’m half-way tough, I realize how I’m not one bit when I talk to soldiers when I’m out and realize the things that they go through. I can’t imagine facing what those guys face every day.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan recalls one of his favorite Fourth of July memories.

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    Luke Bryan (4th of July memories) OC: …we used to. :21
    “Some of my favorite Fourth of July memories were spent on Lake Blackshear down in Georgia with my family. I was always kind of in charge of driving home from Tennessee and picking up all the fireworks and my nieces and nephews always got excited when I rolled in because they knew I had all the fireworks. But, it was always a great memory, and I miss not getting to do that as much as we used to.”

    Audio / MADDIE & TAE TALK ABOUT THEIR FOURTH OF JULY TRADITIONS.

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    Maddie & Tae (Fourth of July) OC: …it’s perfect. :29
    TAE: “One of my favorite Fourth of July traditions – I’d say it’s a tradition ‘cause it happens every year, but I’m not always able to make it – is that we go to my grandparents in Oklahoma, and we all line up lawn chairs right in front of their garage and we just light fireworks. We always do it far away and then we light it, and we always run back and watch the fireworks, but that’s probably one of my favorite memories.” MADDIE: “My birthday is July 7th, so I always get built-in fireworks for my birthday, and sometimes we actually celebrate it on the 4th, because there’s fireworks everywhere, so it’s perfect.”

    Audio / Parker McCollum talks about his favorite Fourth of July memories. NOTE: Do NOT try this at home.

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    Parker McCollum (Fourth of July) OC: …days of my life. :23
    “My favorite Fourth of July memories growing up are actually kind of dangerous now that I think about it, but we used to have fireworks wars where we’d shoot like roman candles and bottle rockets. We’d always go to my grandma’s house, pop fireworks and we’d end up shooting ’em at each other and having wars; no eye protection, no nothing, just shooting bottle rockets at each other’s faces. But it was so fun; some of the best days of my life.”

    Audio / Priscilla Block says the Fourth of July is one of her favorite holidays.

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    Priscilla Block (Fourth of July) OC: …we get crazy. :26
    “I love Fourth of July. I usually always have a Fourth of July party. It is known that there is a slip-n-slide at my house on Fourth of July. You know, it’s such a great holiday to just bring friends together and, I don’t know, we get wild on the Fourth. We get crazy.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about what he and his family did over the Fourth of July holiday when he was growing up in Georgia.

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    Sam Hunt (Fourth of July) OC: …good time. :39
    “My granddad on the other side of my family, he would always take a lot of pride…fireworks were actually, I’m from Georgia, and most of them were illegal, I’m pretty sure, growing up. But over in Alabama, that’s where all the firework stands were, and we only had to drive 10, 15 minutes to get to the Alabama line, so we could go get a bundle of fireworks pretty easy. But he would always take a lot of pride in going and finding all the good stuff, and coming back with a  big pile. He’d have his torch out there at the end of the driveway and we’d all eat homemade ice cream and put down towels on the driveway and he’d shoot off fireworks for 30-45 minutes. Such a good time.”

    Audio / TRAVIS DENNING TALKS ABOUT THE FOURTH OF JULY EVENTS HIS HOMETOWN OF WARNER ROBINS, GEORGIA WOULD THROW EVERY YEAR.

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    Travis Denning (Fourth of July) OC: …will love. :51
    “Fourth of July in Warner Robins, Georgia is an event. It’s something else. In fact, forever they’ve thrown an Independence Day concert, and back in the day, it was huge. It was the biggest thing they did all year. They would actually have the concert in the MAC (McConnell-Talbert Stadium), which was the high school football stadium that Warner Robins and Northside and Houston County shared. I mean, one year they had Wynonna play and then they had Josh Turner one year, Darius Rucker. I mean it was like a big deal, and there’d be 15,000, 20,000 people there, and I think it’s so cool that there’s a little bit of a legacy of people coming together in that town and making something happen, you know? I’ll never forget going to those shows and thinking, I was more proud of what the city had done. I was like, ‘That’s just so cool that they could put together a show like this, an event that everybody will love.”

     

  • 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."

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    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.”

  • LAUREN ALAINA PERFORMS WITH HER FATHER AND BROTHER ON THE STAGE OF THE GRAND OLE OPRY.

    The Grand Ole Opry honored members of the U.S. Military Saturday night during its annual “Salute The Troops” show featuring Lauren Alaina plus Opry members Luke Combs and Chris Young, among others in front of a sold-out crowd. The performances aired as part of Opry Live on the Circle Network.

    Lauren was joined by her father, a veteran of the U.S. Army, and brother for the classic “When You Say Nothing At All,” while the hit-maker also added “Road Less Traveled” and her current single, “Getting Over Him.”

     

    https://twitter.com/Lauren_Alaina/status/1399070292392263681

     

    Oh BROTHER Yesterday was my brother’s birthday, and I asked him and my daddy to perform with me at the @opry . God has blessed me with more than I can comprehend, but one of the biggest blessings he gave me was being my brother’s little sissy and my daddy’s little girl,” she wrote on her socials.

    On Friday, the Opry will release a limited-edition vinyl LP titled Unbroken | Empty Room, Full Circle. Available exclusively on Opry.com and at the Opry’s Nashville-based retail outlets, the LP includes memorable performances by Luke Combs, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, and more recorded live from the Opry stage in front of an empty house during the 29 weeks that the  Saturday night Opry shows continued uninterrupted during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Among those scheduled for upcoming spring and summer Opry performances are Trace Adkins, Kelsea Ballerini, Steven Curtis Chapman, Lindsay Ell, The Isaacs, Chris Janson, Gary LeVox, MercyMe, Craig Morgan, Carly Pearce, Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis, Darius Rucker, Tenille Townes, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, Rhonda Vincent, Clay Walker, Gene Watson, and more.

  • SPECIAL GUESTS ANNOUNCED FOR BENEFIT CONCERT HEADLINED BY COUNTRY SUPERSTAR ALAN JACKSON.

    Not only is Country Music icon Alan Jackson returning to his hometown next month to headline a special concert event benefitting relief efforts in Newnan, Georgia – he’ll be joined by a multi-talented lineup led by multi-platinum entertainer Chris Young, singer-songwriter-producer Caylee Hammack, singer-songwriter Adam Wright and country artist Brian Wright, the latter two both – like Jackson – Newnan natives.

    Where I Come From: Tornado Benefit Featuring Alan Jackson takes place June 26 at Newnan’s Coweta County Fairgrounds (275 Pine Rd., Newnan GA, 30263). Tickets for the event go on sale this Friday, May 21 at 10:00am ET at AlanJacksonBenefit.com; ticket prices start at $49.99, and pre-sale opportunities are available. Detailed information regarding the concert is also available at AlanJacksonBenefit.com.

    Chris Young brings over a decade of chart-topping hits to the stage as he joins Where I Come From. With eleven #1 songs, including “Losing Sleep,” “Sober Saturday Night,” “Think Of You,” and “I’m Comin’ Over” – not to mention the current Top-10 hit, “Famous Friends,” with Kane Brown – Young plays to capacity crowds; the Grammy, CMA and ACM-nominated entertainer was seen by over 400,000 people on his most recent headlining tour. Named one of Billboard’s Top 20 artists of the past decade, Young’s achievements also include membership – like Jackson – in the Grand Ole Opry. (Full bio and press photo HERE.)

    Georgia native Caylee Hammack recently released her major label debut album, If It Wasn’t for You. Not only did she co-produce the project – she wrote or co-wrote every song on the album. Such potent women as Reba McEntire, Ashley McBryde and Tenille Townes lent their voices to the project. The ACM-nominated New Female Artist of the Year has also been joined by Jackson as a duet partner – he’s featured on her recording of “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good.” (Full bio and press photo HERE.)

    Two-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter-producer Adam Wright was born in Newnan, Georgia and maintains close ties to the community. His songs have been recorded by Jackson, as well as by Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood, Garth Brooks and John Legend. He has toured with Jackson, Womack and Loretta Lynn, among others. Wright’s new album, I Win, was released last fall. (Full bio and press photo HERE.)

    “Big City” Brian Wright has been performing country music for nearly two decades. He finally gave up being a fan and decided to make his own brand of country music, a fresh sound all his own, rooted in the traditional country sounds that pay homage to his traditional country music heroes. Wright is also a Newnan native. (Full bio and press photo HERE).

    Proceeds from Where I Come From: Tornado Benefit Featuring Alan Jackson will benefit the Coweta Community Foundation, which is managing charitable efforts to help the people of Newnan in the wake of the storm (more info below). Donations to the Foundation’s relief efforts can be made via their website.

    On March 26th, an EF-4 tornado – just shy of the most-powerful ranking on the National Weather Service’s scale – ripped across Newnan…the city where Jackson and his wife, Denise were born, raised, met and married. At least 70 homes were completely destroyed, many others suffered major damage, and – all told – over 1700 structures were impacted and compromised.

    “After the tornadoes came through Newnan I knew that I wanted to do what I could to help my hometown. I started working on an idea to do some kind of benefit in Nashville to help those affected in Newnan, but then heard from a group of leaders in Newnan,” Jackson stated when the event was officially announced earlier this week. “I’m glad we came up with a way to bring this show to my hometown…and I’m happy to be helping the people who need it most.”

    Cornerstone Building Brands is the presenting sponsor of Where I Come From: Tornado Benefit Featuring Alan Jackson. The event is driven by Southtowne Chevrolet. Additional details are available at AlanJacksonBenefit.com.

    ABOUT ALAN JACKSON:
    A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and an inductee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Alan Jackson’s membership among music’s all-time greats is part of a long line of career-defining accolades that include three CMA Entertainer of the Year honors, 30 years of membership in the Grand Ole Opry, a Billboard ranking as one of the Top 10 Country Artists of All-Time, induction to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Heritage Award as the most-performed country songwriter-artist of ASCAP’s first 100 years.

    The man from rural Newnan, GA has sold nearly 60-million albums worldwide, ranks as one of the 10 best-selling male vocalists of all-time (rock, pop and country). He has released more than 60 singles – registering 50 Top Ten hits and 35 #1s (including 26 Billboard chart-toppers). He has earned more than 150 major music industry awards – including 19 Academy of Country Music Awards, 16 Country Music Association Awards, a pair of Grammys and ASCAP’s Founders and Golden Note Awards.

    Jackson – one of the most successful and respected singer-songwriters in music – just released his latest album, Where Have You Gone, May 14. The 21-track collection features 15 songs penned solely by the music icon. He’s also the man behind one of Nashville’s most-popular tourist stops, AJ’s Good Time Bar, a four-story honky-tonk in the heart of downtown featuring daily live music and a rooftop view of Music City.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

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

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    Eric Church (ACM Entertainer Nod) OC: …live up to. :51
    “Coming off the CMA Entertainer of the Year – I’ve said this in interviews and I really believe this – I did not know what that award would mean to me because we’d never won that award (laughs) and never thought we would, and I felt a responsibility. I know what that award means to the format; I know what that means historically, and I tried to live up to that. I think with the vaccinations, I think with the touring, I think with the things we’ve tried to do during this, I’ve done more in that regard than I ever would’ve, because I understand the people that came before me, and I understand the people that will come after me. So, that nomination means more to me now than it probably ever has, because we’ve won. I think representing the format that I adore is something that I’m trying to live up to.”

    Audio / Eric Church talks about his ACM Male Artist nomination.

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

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

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

    Audio / Chris Stapleton, who is nominated for Entertainer, Male Artist, Album and Song of the Year at this year’s ACM Awards, talks about the theme of his latest album, Starting Over.

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

    Audio / Chris Stapleton will perform “Maggie’s Song” on the ACM Awards on Sunday Night (April 18th). He felt like Maggie, a dog he and Morgan rescued and had for 14 years, deserved a song of her own – that song appears on his ACM-nominated album, Starting Over.

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

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

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    Brothers Osborne (how Skeletons came about) OC: …came about. 1:02
    “Skeletons is a record that was essentially brought on because we wanted to play more new songs live. So, going into this record T.J. and I decided let’s make a record that no matter what song we just cherry pick out of the record we can do it during our show. And that is how we decided the songs that we ended up on the record. And we started with just like every other artist, 30, 40 plus songs. We started whittling them down, ‘well we might be able to play that. I don’t know if we would be able to play that.’ And that’s how we ended up with Skeletons. And it was really birthed from just playing live shows. One of the cool things about this record is that this is the first record where our entire band is playing on it. Previous records our drummer Adam and our bass player Pete they were playing, but this one has our other guitar player Jason and our keys player Billy Justin now. And it made a huge difference because for the first time we all got in the studio after playing hundreds of shows together, we put the headphones on and started playing and it was like oh it’s just the guys. We’re jamming with the dudes. And that’s how the record came about.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (ACM promo)

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    Audio / LINER Mickey Guyton (ACM Promo)

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

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  • 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.

     

  • 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.

     

    https://twitter.com/Lauren_Alaina/status/1365342084824203268

     

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

     

     

    https://twitter.com/MaddieandTae/status/1365320131132407808

     

    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

     

     

     

    https://twitter.com/Travis_Denning/status/1365305014068129801

     

    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.

    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 / 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.

    Download

    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.

    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 / CARRIE UNDERWOOD TALKS ABOUT THE SONG, “HALLELUJAH,” WHICH JOHN LEGEND WROTE AND IS FEATURED ON.

    Download

    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.

    Download

    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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  • DARIUS RUCKER HITS THE TOP OF THE COUNTRY CHARTS WITH HIS 10TH NO. 1 HIT, “BEERS AND SUNSHINE.”

    Darius Rucker hit No. 1 country single this week with “Beers and Sunshine.” The tune, which he co-wrote with producer Ross Copperman, J.T. Harding and Josh Osborne, tops both the Country Aircheck/Mediabase and Billboard country charts.

    With his first solo single at Country radio since packing arenas during 2019’s Hootie & the Blowfish blockbuster world tour, the South Carolina nativehas earned his 10th career No. 1 with “Beers And Sunshine.”

    Written via a Zoom session with producer Ross Copperman and fellow songwriters Josh Osborne and TJ Harding at the onset of the global pandemic that changed the way music is made, the anthem celebrated by ABC News Radio as “a ray of sunshine for fans during what’s been a tumultuous year” calls for slowing down to recognize the important things in life when the world feels out of control.

    With the lighthearted melody recorded virtually from his home, Rucker sings not of divisive headlines or topics meant to pull us apart, instead offering a reprieve for 2:58 via his preferred forms of “B.S.” – “beers and sunshine / bonfires and summertime / back porch nights in South Carolina.” 

    “It’s certainly been a challenging year. Like a lot of people, when I got home from being on the road last March and we parked the tour bus for the foreseeable future, we had no idea what our future would actually look like,” Rucker reflects. “I don’t have the answers for how we fix the complex issues that we’re facing in our country or in Country music, however while we work through this time I think it’s important that we balance the heaviness by finding the silver lining, where we can really enjoy the simple joys this song talks about like time spent together with friends and family.”

    Rucker, who is currently at work on a forthcoming studio album, performed the song live on the CMA Awards which he co-hosted with Reba McEntire in November. Fans can once again catch a glimpse of what Billboard praises as a “smile-inducing performance” when Rucker appears live on NBC News’ “TODAY” this Friday, February 26th.

    For more information, visit www.DariusRucker.com and follow on social media @DariusRucker.

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about his new No. 1 song, "Beers and Sunshine."

    Download

    Darius Rucker (Beers and Sunshine No. 1) OC: …love that song. :33
    “You know, I really thought the song, especially right now in the winter and with everything that’s going on, it was just such an upbeat song, a happy song, and I thought people would resonate with it and eventually they did. And that was really cool. That one was also the first song that I had ever done that was all recorded over the internet too, so that was pretty cool. It was just one of those things, it was early in the pandemic and we were already like, ‘Is it really going to be like this? Is this what it’s gonna be like?’ (laughs) And that’s what it was like though, but I love that song.”

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  • LUKE BRYAN NAMED CRB 2021 ARTIST HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR.

    Luke Bryan has been named Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB) 2021 Artist Humanitarian Award recipient. Luke was recognized with the honor during his appearance on the annual “CRS Artist Interview,” sponsored by BMI, during CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience.

    CRS/CRB Board President Kurt Johnson commented, “Luke is a big star with a bigger heart. From his earliest days to as recently as Super Bowl LV, he’s leveraged his influence for good and helped songwriters, farmers, children, small businesses—people in so many different walks of life that Luke Bryan’s philanthropic work has touched. We’re so proud to honor him with this much-deserved award.”

    Luke is recognized for his charitable work with numerous organizations over the years, including ACM Lifting Lives, CMA Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Shriners Hospital, St. Jude, TJ Martell, and more. As well as his ongoing efforts with the Brett Boyer Foundation and Bayer’s #HeresToTheFarmer campaign through his annual Farm Tour.

    The Brett Boyer Foundation is an organization that is very dear to Luke’s family, formed in honor of his late niece, Sadie Brett Boyer. Their mission is to raise awareness for Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) and fund research for advance treatment options. Luke and his wife Caroline established Brett’s Barn at their farm outside of Nashville as part of Caroline’s promise to buy Brett a pony someday. The barn is now the home of a growing species of animals.

    Luke’s annual Farm Tours, launched in 2009, highlight and celebrate the contributions of America’s farmers. Every year a portion of the concert proceeds are donated as college scholarships for students of farming families where the tour is played. In 2015, Luke partnered with Farm Tour sponsor Bayer who launched the #HeresToTheFarmer campaign to support their hard work and help fight hunger throughout the country. Since its inception, the campaign has donated four million meals across the U.S. in addition to thousands of dollars to area food banks and local farmers in each of the Farm Tour cities.

    When the pandemic hit in 2020, Luke’s philanthropic support continued. Last April, Luke performed as part of Verizon’s weekly streaming entertainment series in support of small businesses affected by COVID-19, Pay It Forward Live. The performances were streamed on Twitter @Verizon, Yahoo, Verizon’s Facebook page, Fios Channel 501, FOX NOW and iHeart. Viewers were encouraged to do what they could to support local businesses in their own communities by shopping online, buying gift cards to be used when businesses reopened or ordering a meal. Verizon also donated $10, up to $2.5 million, to support small businesses when the hashtag #PayitForwardLIVE was used.

    In May 2020, Luke teamed up with BMI and radio broadcasting groups to help raise money for songwriters who have been affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A Salute to the Songwriters aired on more than 100 radio stations nationwide. Proceeds went directly to the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief fund, created by BMI, ASCAP and SESAC.

    Luke’s engagement with Verizon continued during Super Bowl LV as part of The Big Concert for Small Business. The concert was livestreamed on Yahoo, Fios, @Verizon on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube and TikTok and broadcast on BET, CBS Sports Network, CMT, MTV2 and MTV Live, as well as airing on iHeart and Sirius. Verizon made a multi-year commitment to bring one million small businesses forward by 2030 with resources to help them succeed in the digital economy and committing $10 million to small business support through the nonprofit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), focusing on business owners in historically underserved communities.

    Luke’s additional charitable endeavors, fundraisers, and concerts have included the City of Hope, Grammy MusiCares, Heart of South Georgia Fund, Ryan Seacrest Studio, Second Harvest Fund Bank, Wounded Warrior Project, and MORE.

    The CRB Artist Humanitarian Award was created in 1990 by the organization’s board to honor those Country music artists who have exhibited exceptional humanitarian efforts during their career. Past recipients include Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Lady A, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Trace Adkins, Randy Owen, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Reba, Vince Gill, Garth Brooks, and Charlie Daniels, among others.

    CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience was held Tuesday, Feb. 16, through Friday, Feb. 19.

    About Luke Bryan: Luke wrapped 2020 as Billboard’s Top Country Artist of the 2010s by reigning on their charts with 11 #1s on the Hot Country Songs chart and nine #1s on the Top Country Albums chart during the last decade. Since his debut in 2009, Luke has garnered 25 #1 hits and has more RIAA certified digital singles than any other country artist with 54.5 million. Luke has also tallied 14.6 Billion streams, 12.5 million albums sold with four Platinum albums, two 4x-Platinum albums, seven RIAA certified albums, 22 Platinum singles and 12 Multi-Platinum singles. Luke’s seven headline concert tours have played for 12 million fans 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 seven ACM awards including his honor as the first-ever recipient of the ACM Album of the Decade Award for Crash My Party, seven CMT Music Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, four American Music Awards, two CMA awards, an iHeart and a Teen Choice award and moreLuke was also named the Most Heard Artist of the Decade by Country Aircheck.

    Earlier this month, Luke, along with fellow judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, kicked off the fourth season of American Idol on ABC. On April 9, Luke will release a deluxe version of his #1, RIAA gold certified album BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE (Deluxe Edition) with six NEW songs to add to the album’s original 10 tracks.

    Visit www.LukeBryan.com or follow Luke on Twitter @LukeBryanOnlineInstagram and Facebook.

  • 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 /

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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.

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    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.

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

    Audio / Jon Pardi talks about his nomination for CMA Album of the Year for his acclaimed Heartache Medication.

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    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.

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    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.

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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 / 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.”
  • DARIUS RUCKER RELEASES THE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO FOR “BEERS AND SUNSHINE.”

    Darius Rucker has just released the official music video for his latest single, “Beers and Sunshine.” Check it out below.

     

    You can catch Darius hosting next week’s CMA Awards with Reba McEntire. “The 54th Annual CMA Awards” will broadcast live from Nashville’s Music City Center Wednesday, November 11th at 8pm ET on ABC.

  • DIERKS, BROTHERS O, KEITH, LITTLE BIG TOWN, JON PARDI AND MANY OTHERS ADDED TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    https://twitter.com/CountryMusic/status/1324350999784493062

     

    Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Little Big Town, Jon Pardi and Keith Urban have been added to the list of performers at this year’s CMA Awards. They’re joined by Jason Aldean, Jimmie Allen, Ingrid Andress, Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber, Jenee Fleenor, Old Dominion, Carly Pearce and Lee Brice and Morgan Wallen 

    CMA Duo of the Year-nominated Brothers Osborne, reigning CMA Musician of the Year Fleenor and reigning CMA New Artist of the Year and previously announced performer Ashley McBryde will come together with Aldean and Bentley for the first time to perform an epic, multi-song show opening tribute to Charlie Daniels.

    Three-time nominee this year Urban invites viewers to Australia for a special intimate performance of “God Whispered Your Name.”

    Nominated group this year Little Big Town pays a sweet tribute to Kenny Rogers, while CMA Album of the Year (Heartache Medication) nominee this year Pardi throws it back to perform in honor of Joe Diffie.

    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 Gabby Barrett featuring Charlie Puth, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris, Rascal Flatts 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.

  • SAM HUNT RELEASES HIS NEW SINGLE, “BREAKING UP WAS EASY IN THE 90s.”

    Sam Hunt has released his latest single, “Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90’s.” The tune, which is featured on his latest album Southside, is the follow-up to his recent chart-topper, “Hard to Forget.”

    “’Breaking Up Was Easy in the ‘90s,’ that’s a song that kind of speaks to the times a little bit. My favorite line from that song is ‘Modern love leads to modern hearts breaking. I’m just a product of my generation.’ Just a fun, kind of simple reflection on how much more difficult it is to be so connected, the downside of being so connected, nowadays. Yeah, that was one that was written in the ninth hour and turned out pretty cool, I thought, and we put it on the record.”

    Sam is nominated for two CMT Music Awards — Male Video of the Year for “Hard to Forget” and CMT Performance of the Year for his cover of Reba McEntire’s iconic hit, “Fancy,” at the 2019 CMT Artists of the Year ceremony. The 2020 CMT Music Awards will air October 21st beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about his new single, "Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90's."

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    Sam Hunt (Breaking Up Was Easy in the ‘90s) OC: …on the record. :35
    “’Breaking Up Was Easy in the ‘90s,’ that’s a song that kind of speaks to the times a little bit. My favorite line from that song is ‘Modern love leads to modern hearts breaking. I’m just a product of my generation.’ Just a fun, kind of simple reflection on how much more difficult it is to be so connected, the downside of being so connected, nowadays. Yeah, that was one that was written in the ninth hour and turned out pretty cool, I thought, and we put it on the record.”

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90s) 1

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    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90s) 2

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    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90s)

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    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90s) 4

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    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90s) 5

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    Video /

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  • BROTHERS OSBORNE PERFORM THEIR SONG “HATIN’ SOMEBODY” ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA.

    Brothers Osborne perform their song “Hatin’ Somebody” from their new album, Skeletons, on ABC’s Good Morning America today (October 12th).

    Check out the interview and performance here.

    John and TJ, who are making their way up the country charts with their latest single “All Night,” are nominated for CMA Vocal Duo of the Year at this year’s CMA Awards. The 54th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker, will be broadcast live from Nashville on November 11th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    The guys are also up for Duo Video of the Year for next week’s CMT Music Awards for their studio performance of “All Night.” The CMT Music Awards will air October 21st at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CMT.

    Video /

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD TAKES HOME THIRD ACM ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR AWARD.

    Carrie Underwood won the Academy’s highest honor for Entertainer of the Year with the first ever tie in that category (with Thomas Rhett). This is Carrie’s third win, making her the most awarded female in the ACM Entertainer of the Year category in ACM Awards history.

    Carrie helped kick off the 55th Annual ACM Awards performing “Before He Cheats” from the Grand Ole Opry House as part of the show’s opening along with fellow Entertainer of the Year nominees. In celebration of the 95th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry, Carrie honored trailblazing female Opry members by performing a medley of songs including Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” Loretta Lynn’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man),” Barbara Mandrell’s “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool,” Dolly Parton’s “Why’d You Come In Here Lookin’ Like That,” Reba McEntire’s “The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia,” and Martina McBride’s “A Broken Wing.”

    Carrie will release her first Christmas album, My Gift, on Friday, September 25th.

     

  • 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.”

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD, LAUREN ALAINA AND DARIUS RUCKER ADDED TO THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Carrie Underwood has been added to the list of performers at this year’s ACM Awards, along with Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, as well as Trisha Yearwood. They join previously announced performers Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Mickey Guyton, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett with Jon Pardi, Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Riley Green,  Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Old DominionTenille Townes and Morgan Wallen.

    In celebration of the 95th Anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry, two-time ACM Entertainer of the Year winner and nominated again this year, Carrie will honor trailblazing female Opry members by performing a medley of songs by Patsy ClineLoretta LynnBarbara MandrellMartina McBrideReba McEntire and Dolly Parton. Carrie is also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year.

    Also joining the telecast’s all-star lineup are presenters Lauren AlainaLily AldridgeClint Black & Lisa Hartman BlackBobby BonesCamDarius Rucker and Runaway June.

    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 55th ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, hosted by Keith Urban, will be broadcast 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.

  • 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

     

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK DEBUTS NEW SINGLE “JUST FRIENDS” WITH PERFORMANCE ON THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT’S #PLAYATHOME SERIES.

    “Stand back—she’s breathing fire,” declares Paste regarding Caylee Hammack’s new single “Just Friends” available at Country Radio today. The Capitol Nashville “songwriter/producer/full-throttle vocalist” (HITS) celebrated her new single (written by Hammack, Aaron Raitiere, Mikey Reaves) today by making her The Late Show With Stephen Colbert debut as part of their #PlayAtHome series in a full production and high velocity performance, available to watch here.

    Hammack just released her debut record IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU on August 14, available to listen here. Since the release, critics have continued to highly praise the 13-track set that sees Hammack with writer and producer credits on every track on the album.

    “With a huge voice and dynamic presence, the country newcomer pulls out all the stops on If It Wasn’t for You…The results are big and bright, effortlessly skipping between styles and packed with personality.” – Rolling Stone

    “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.” – Billboard 

    The Georgia-born singer’s new album is one of the year’s best country debuts.” – Paste 

    “One of Nashville’s most promising young singers”-  Washington Post

    “Caylee Hammack’s debut album is powered by a drive for difference.” – American Songwriter 

    “Every song on her spunky, eclectic, 13-track album offers vignettes from her life story, woven with words of hope, determination, heartache, entanglement and above all, inspiration.” – Music Row

    “Hammack’s wit and grit make listening to it all a pleasure” –  PEOPLE

    “Hammack cements herself as an incredible talent with a story all her own who has artfully turned her experiences into catchy, engaging and honest songs that will have you listening again and again.” – Pop Culture 

    “From tales about her childhood, to stories about heartbreak, to fiery songs about life, the Georgia-born artist infuses her personality and vulnerability into every word.”  Sounds Like Nashville 

    IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU takes listeners on an intimate journey, from Hammack growing up in Ellaville, GA, braving a medical scare and coming out the other side of a bad love that was the catalyst for her turning down a scholarship to Belmont University and ultimately arriving in Nashville, TN. The LP, also included in NPR’s “noteworthy releases,” exudes that Hammack is all about the truth, the complete, whole unvarnished truth. Some of country music’s most potent women have also thrown in on Hammack’s debut. With appearances by Reba, Ashley McBryde and Tenille Townes, Hammack is setting a bar for women across the genre. Hammack also continues to show her reverence for classic country music, just releasing a collaboration with Country music icon Alan Jackson: a special rendition of Don Williams’ “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good.”

    Nominated for ACM “New Female Artist Of The Year” and “Music Event Of The Year,” 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.

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK PARTNERS WITH ORLY COLOR LABS TO EXPRESS DEBUT ALBUM IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU THROUGH COLOR.

     

    “One of Nashville’s most promising young singers” (Washington Post) Caylee Hammack is partnering with ORLY Color Labs to celebrate the launch of her already critically-acclaimed and just-released debut album IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU. Hammack customized nail colors inspired by her songs on the record through ORLY Color Labs Mobile. This online platform allows users to choose photo inspirations or upload their favorite photos to create a color palette. Fans are encouraged to create their own custom shades inspired by Hammack’s album at colorlabs.com.

    The 12 signature shades Hammack created will be available in trios to be released quarterly. The “If It Wasn’t For You Nail Polish Collection 1” features fiery reddish hues inspired by the tracks “Just Friends,” “Looking for a Lighter,” and “Redhead.” The nail collection retails for $35 and is available for pre-order now at store.cayleehammack.com. The musical package of a physical autographed CD, a digital copy of the album, and the nail collection retails for $55.

    “I love being able to express myself through my music, but also through fashion and the colors that I’m wearing,” shared Hammack. “I’m always changing my nail polish color to suit my mood, and so this partnership felt like the perfect fit for my new record. I’m excited for these first colors to be out there in the world and for people to enjoy them like I have enjoyed working on them with Orly.”

    IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU takes listeners on an intimate journey, from Hammack growing up in Ellaville, GA, braving a medical scare and coming out the other side of a bad love that was the catalyst for her turning down a scholarship to Belmont University and ultimately arriving in Nashville, TN. The LP has already been praised by critics with PEOPLE declaring the set as a “a lavish feast of autobiographical storytelling, served up with catchy hooks and the singer’s power-packed voice.” Some of country music’s most potent women have also thrown in on Hammack’s debut, with appearances by Reba, Ashley McBryde and Tenille Townes. Hammack also continues to show her reverence for classic country music, just releasing a collaboration with Country music icon Alan Jackson: a special rendition of Don Williams’ “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good.”

    Currently nominated for ACM “New Female Artist Of The Year” and “Music Event Of The Year,” 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.

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK’S “DREAM COME TRUE” APPEARS ON HER DEBUT ALBUM, IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU.

    Caylee Hammack just released her debut album, If It Wasn’t For You, and she experienced a surreal moment during the process of putting together her record when she realized a dream come true — she got to record a song with the iconic Reba McEntire. The song, titled “Redhead” is a fitting tribute to all the fiery gingers in the world.

    “Having a song I get to sing with Reba McEntire is a dream come true. It definitely is a childhood dream of mine that I never, honestly, thought could ever happen,” says Caylee. “But God has been so good to me to connect me to wonderful people that I look up to (and) that I’ve always admired, and I admire even more when I get to know them personally. Reba McEntire is such a professional. She’s such a businesswoman, but also so kindhearted and good willed. Just working with her, it was truly a dream that I never thought could come true.”

    Caylee was supposed to tour as Reba’s opening act this spring and summer, but the tour — along with many others — were postponed until next year because of COVID-19. Caylee is making the most of it, though, hosting virtual concerts with her friends and CMT every week or having socially distanced backporch parties with pals Ashley McBryde and Tenille Townes.

    Audio / Caylee Hammack says working with the iconic Reba McEntire is a childhood dream come true.

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    Caylee Hammack (working with Reba) OC: …come true. :37
    “Having a song I get to sing with Reba McEntire is a dream come true. It definitely is a childhood dream of mine that I never, honestly, thought could ever happen. But God has been so good to me to connect me to wonderful people that I look up to (and) that I’ve always admired, and I admire even more when I get to know them personally. Reba McEntire is such a professional. She’s such a businesswoman, but also so kindhearted and good willed. Just working with her, it was truly a dream that I never thought could come true.”

    Video /

    View
  • CAYLEE HAMMACK’S “LAVISH FEAST OF AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL STORYTELLING” IN DEBUT RECORD IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU IS OUT TODAY AND PULLS IN EARLY CRITICAL ACCLAIM.

    “Larger than life, glowing with punk-rock energy, an electric technicolor persona” (HITS) breakout singer/songwriter Caylee Hammack’s debut album IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU is available today.  Hammack, who wrote and produced every track on the 13-song collection, will kick off her first-ever album release week with a full-band livestream of the whole record tonight on YouTube and Facebook at 6pm CT. Hammack has also invited special guests, friends and album collaborators Ashley McBryde and Tenille Townes to join her during the livestream event, available to watch here.

    The support I have felt from the minute this album was released has been overwhelming,” said Hammack. “If it wasn’t for every person on my team, every person willing to listen to a new artist and emotionally invest in them, and my family, I wouldn’t have been able to create this album. So thank you. Thank you so very much.  I feel free in a way I’ve never felt before with this album out in the world now.”

    Critics have been quick to praise Hammack’s debut album and the vulnerable songs on the collection:

    “A dynamic singer and equally memorable songwriter, Hammack’s soulful vocals and descriptive lyrics shine.” – Billboard

    “Manages to thread the needle beautifully” – American Songwriter

    “A lavish feast of autobiographical storytelling, served up with catchy hooks and the singer’s power-packed voice.”  – PEOPLE

    “Songs filled with smart, shit-kicking energy” – Rolling Stone
    “It’s safe to say that Caylee Hammack has one of the wildest life stories of any rising artist at the moment, and there is no doubt she’s born for a life in music.” – CMT

     

    “Songwriter/producer/full-throttle vocalist’s positivity-seeking If It Wasn’t for You includes the perky down-home “Family Tree, the Kacey Musgraves-feeling “Small Town Hypocrite” and the clever Southern charm kiss-off “Preciatcha” – HITS

     

    “Known for her mix of clever lyrics and haunting melodies” – Music Row

     

    “Shows off a strong voice and a stronger disposition.” – Star Tribune 

     

    “Hammack writes with a keen sense of observation and clever lyrics” – Taste Of Country

     

    “One of Country’s most promising newcomers” – Variety

     

    IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU takes listeners on an intimate journey, from Hammack growing up in Ellaville, GA, braving a medical scare and coming out the other side of a bad love that was the catalyst for her turning down a scholarship to Belmont University and ultimately arriving in Nashville, TN. The LP exudes that Hammack is all about the truth, the complete, whole unvarnished truth. Some of country music’s most potent women have also thrown in on Hammack’s debut. With appearances by Reba, Ashley McBryde and Tenille Townes, Hammack is setting a bar for women across the genre. Hammack also continues to show her reverence for classic country music, just releasing a collaboration with Country music icon Alan Jackson: a special rendition of Don Williams’ “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good.”

    Currently nominated for ACM “New Female Artist Of The Year” and “Music Event Of The Year,” 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.

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (available now)

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    Audio / Caylee Hammack talks about her debut album.

    Download

    Caylee Hammack (debut album) OC: …to tell you. :29
    “Working on my debut album, it is the first time I’ve actually truly had a voice of my own. It’s the first time I’ve actually got to sing my own songs. It’s the first time I get to be heard, which is so exciting and something that as an artist we yearn and dream of every night when we go to bed. Every single song on this record is a little part of me that I’ve turned into a story to tell you.”

  • LUKE BRYAN AND DARIUS RUCKER WILL PERFORM TOGETHER ON THE STAGE OF THE GRAND OLE OPRY THIS SATURDAY.

    Country music superstar and four-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan and multi-Platinum selling Grammy award winner and Opry member Darius Rucker will step into the circle together for the Grand Ole Opry’s 4,937th consecutive Saturday night broadcast Saturday, August 15. The Opry will air on Circle TV and SiriusXM as well as the Opry’s flagship home 650 WSM AM and wsmonline.com.

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

    Though Opry shows with a live Opry House audience are paused, the show will be broadcast live on Circle and Gray TV stations, DISH Studio Channel 102, Sling TV and other TV affiliates. Opry Live on Circle will be hosted by Bobby Bones. The livestream  on Circle All Access and YouTube channel will be guest hosted by Natalie Stovall, a member of the country trio Runaway June and host of Circle’s Southern Weekend. Opry announcer Bill Cody will be heard on 650 AM WSM and SiriusXM. Prior to the Opry Livestream at 8 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. CT, Circle Sessions: Josh Turner will air at 7:30 ET/ 6:30 p.m. on Circle All Access’ Facebook, Twitter and YouTube social channels.

    Those tuning into the Livestream on Circle All Access YouTube, Twitter and Facebook channels this Saturday can watch a Circle Sessions: Chrissy Metz at 7:30 PM ET/ 6:30 PM CT immediately prior to the Opry.

    The Opry’s paused shows without an audience since March 14 have included Opry members Trace Adkins, Bill Anderson, Kelsea Ballerini, Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Terri Clark, Luke Combs, Dailey & Vincent, Vince Gill, Dustin Lynch, Chris Janson, Reba McEntire, Craig Morgan, the Oak Ridge Boys, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Jeannie Seely, Blake Shelton, Ricky Skaggs, Connie Smith, Marty Stuart, Keith Urban, Steve Wariner, Mark Wills, Trisha Yearwood and Chris Young along with special guests Lady A, Lauren Alaina, Mandy Barnett, Lee Brice, T. Graham Brown, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, Jason Crabb, Sara Evans, Amy Grant and daughters Jenny Gill and Corrina Grant Gill, Tracy Lawrence, Ashley McBryde, Chrissy Metz, Keb’ Mo’, Carly Pearce, Kellie Pickler, Michael Ray, The Scott Family, Gwen Stefani, Sam Williams, CeCe Winans, Charlie Worsham, and Brett Young.

    Audio / Luke Bryan says one of his main goals when he moved to Nasville was to play on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.

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    Luke Bryan (playing the Opry goal) OC: …play your music. :36
    “When I moved to Nashville, I had a dry erase board and I wrote all these goals, and certainly writing a number 1 song, singing a number 1 song and playing the Opry were the first three. I mean, the day I got to walk onstage at the Opry is – I mean April 6th, 2007. It’s a was the day, I’m pretty sure it was April 6th, anyway. You know, I certainly moved here to have a presence there and to be able to call up the Opry and go ‘Hey, I want to come play there.’ It’s so amazing that they say, ‘Come on, Luke. Come play your music.’”

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK SET TO RELEASE HER DEBUT ALBUM ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 14TH.

    Caylee Hammack will release her debut album, If It Wasn’t For You, on Friday (August 14th). The thoughtful Georgia born-and-bred singer-songwriter penned all 13 tracks on the collection, including “Just Friends,” “Family Tree,” “Redhead” (which is a duet with Reba McEntire). She titled the collection, If It Wasn’t For You, to honor all of those who helped make her dream of being a country music artist a reality.

    “The album was named If It Wasn’t For You, because I could not have made this record in any capacity without all of the people in my life – my family who have encouraged me from day one; God being able to give me ideas and lining me up with people to make it; every single person listening. They don’t understand how important it is that they listen so I could be heard. If it wasn’t for everyone, none of this would happen.”

    Currently nominated for ACM “New Female Artist Of The Year” and “Music Event Of The Year,” Caylee Hammack has been noted as an “Artist To Watch” by outlets including The Bobby Bones Show, Rolling Stone and HITS Magazine for her “mix of clever lyrics and haunting melodies” (Music Row). 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 has “created a kind of country music that’s larger—and brighter—than real life”(HITS Magazine). 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 cayleehammack.com

     

     

     

    Audio / Caylee Hammack talks about naming her debut album, If It Wasn't For You.

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    Caylee Hammack (album title) OC: …Wasn’t For You. :29
    “The album was named If It Wasn’t For You, because I could not have made this record in any capacity without all of the people in my life – my family who have encouraged me from day one; God being able to give me ideas and lining me up with people to make it; every single person listening. They don’t understand how important it is that they listen so I could be heard. If it wasn’t for everyone, none of this would happen. So, the record is named If It Wasn’t For You.”

     

    Video /

    View
  • CAYLEE HAMMACK RISES FROM THE ASHES WITH HER NEW SONG “FORGED IN THE FIRE” AVAILABLE TODAY.

    Capitol Nashville’s Caylee Hammack is sharing more of her unique journey with the gripping new song “Forged In The Fire,” available here. Taken from her forthcoming debut album IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU available on August 14, the autobiographical track details how Hammack’s house burned down while she was away on a songwriting retreat losing just about everything – except for a few song-inspiring pieces such as her grandmother’s quilt. Written by Hammack, with Thomas Finchum and Andy Skib, the song’s lyrics are thought-provoking asking “When does a phoenix learn how to fly, Do I get my wings when I stop asking why.” Hammack revealed more behind the song in a special interview and video premiere exclusively with PEOPLE, who declares her anticipated debut album as a “lavish feast of autobiographical storytelling, served up with catchy hooks and the singer’s power-packed voice” available here. 

    “My father used to tell me that all of the strongest and most beautiful things are forged in fire. Iron is weak until you work it in fire. Glass can’t be blown without immense heat,” elaborated Hammack. “I grew up with this saying as a motto handed down when I needed reminding and it was rarely thought of; until I had an electrical fire at my home in 2017. I lost so much, but gained so much more. I learned that material things don’t matter. The people who surrounded me and helped me find the salvageable pieces loved me and I wasn’t alone through the hardship. Life was dark at the time, but the love I felt around me was deep. God’s seen me through, and also given me some stories to tell.  What more could I ask for?”

    Hammack’s upcoming debut record IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU takes listeners on an intimate journey, from growing up in Ellaville, GA, braving a medical scare and coming out the other side of a bad love that was the catalyst for her turning down a scholarship to Belmont University and ultimately arriving in Nashville, TN. With Hammack co-writing and co-producing every track on the 13-song collection, the album exudes that Hammack is all about the truth, the complete, whole unvarnished truth. Some of country music’s most potent women have also thrown in on Hammack’s debut. With appearances by Reba, Ashley McBryde and Tenille Townes, Hammack is setting a bar for women across the genre. Hammack also continues to show her reverence for classic country music, just releasing a collaboration with Country music icon Alan Jackson: a special rendition of Don Williams’ “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good.”

    Currently nominated for ACM “New Female Artist Of The Year” and “Music Event Of The Year,” 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 has “created a kind of country music that’s larger—and brighter—than real life” (HITS Magazine). 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.

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK COLLABORATES WITH ALAN JACKSON ON THE CLASSIC DON WILLIAMS HIT “LORD, I HOPE THIS DAY IS GOOD.”

    Capitol Nashville’s Caylee Hammack continues to hold high her reverence for classic country music, today releasing a collaboration with Country music icon Alan Jackson: a special rendition of Don Williams’ “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good.” Produced by Dave Cobb, the new track is available to stream here, Hammack and Jackson’s unique vocals complement each other on the song’s timely message of optimism and hope.

    “This song has held a special place in my heart since childhood,” shared Hammack.  “And, during the past few months at home, I have found myself frequently visiting songs I grew up on because of the comfort it has brought me, especially this one.  It has always been a golden classic in my heart and I believe in many others; and it’s message felt much needed today.   Alan Jackson was gracious enough to bring his voice and heart to this song and made it feel like chicken noodle soup for the country music soul. I just feel very honored to be able to send our rendition out into the world today!”

    “It’s so nice to be able to finally record one of my favorite Don Williams songs with a great message for today and to be able to sing it with another Georgia native with a sweet voice,” added Jackson.

    Hammack just announced her major label debut album IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU will be available on August 14. Currently nominated for two ACM Awards Hammack, who co-wrote and co-produced every song on the 13-track set, takes listeners on an intimate journey. From growing up in Ellaville, GA, braving a medical scare and coming out the other side of a bad love that was the catalyst for her turning down a scholarship to Belmont University and ultimately arriving in Nashville, TN. Some of country music’s most potent women have also thrown in on Hammack’s debut including Reba, Ashley McBryde and Tenille Townes.

    About Caylee Hammack: 
    Currently nominated for ACM “New Female Artist Of The Year” and “Music Event Of The Year,” 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 has “created a kind of country music that’s larger—and brighter—than real life”(HITS Magazine). 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.

    About Alan Jackson: A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and an inductee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Alan Jackson’s membership among music’s all-time greats is part of a long line of career-defining accolades that include three CMA Entertainer of the Year honors, more than 25 years of membership in the Grand Ole Opry, a Billboard ranking as one of the Top 10 Country Artists of All-Time, induction to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Heritage Award as the most-performed country songwriter-artist of ASCAP’s first 100 years. The man from rural Newnan, GA has sold nearly 60-million albums worldwide, ranks as one of the 10 best-selling male vocalists of all-time (rock, pop and country). He has released more than 60 singles – registering 50 Top Ten hits and 35 #1s (including 26 Billboard chart-toppers). He has earned more than 150 major music industry awards – including 19 Academy of Country Music Awards, 16 Country Music Association Awards, a pair of Grammys and ASCAP’s Founders and Golden Note Awards. Jackson is one of the most successful and respected singer-songwriters in music. He’s also the man behind one of Nashville’s most-popular tourist stops, AJ’s Good Time Bar, a four-story honky-tonk in the heart of downtown featuring daily live music and a rooftop view of Music City.

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK ESTABLISHES HER UNIQUE FIREBRAND WITH DEBUT ALBUM “IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU” – OUT AUGUST 14TH.

    Caylee Hammack is all about the truth, the complete, whole unvarnished truth. That truth stains IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU, her major label debut, with equal doses joy, courage and enough detail to break an axle. Available on August 14 “one of Country’s most promising newcomers” (Variety) Caylee Hammack announced the upcoming and anticipated debut release today, with Hammack co-writing and co-producing every track on the 13-song collection.

    Hammack offered more insight into the forthcoming release, sharing the meaning behind the record’s name as she performs a new track on the album, “Gold,” available to watch here.

     

     

    “I feel like I’m airing all my dirty laundry in this album in hopes of others feeling that honesty and vulnerability and in it, finding a safe haven to be themselves,” said Hammack. “I want the nitty gritty to shine through, that’s where the stories are. Every song on this record has a true story behind it, and now I can’t wait to tell those once people listen to the album!”

    Currently nominated for two ACM Awards, Hammack takes listeners on an intimate journey, from growing up in Ellaville, GA, braving a medical scare and coming out the other side of a bad love that was the catalyst for her turning down a scholarship to Belmont University and ultimately arriving in Nashville, TN. Destiny – and a big lion heart – wouldn’t let the girl who saw Loretta Lynn at the Columbus Civic Center at 13 miss her life’s purpose. You can hear it in the quavering homage in “Sister,” the wide open power-resilience of “Mean Something,” or the straight up country of “Forged In The Fire” and the piercing truths of “Small Town Hypocrite.”

    Some of country music’s most potent women have also thrown in on Hammack’s debut. Whether it’s Reba’s sassy “girl, I know” vocal on “Redhead” or singer/songwriters Ashley McBryde and Tenille Townes on “Mean Something,” Hammack is setting a bar for women across the genre.

    It’s not just the lyrical load, though nearly every word is true. Just as importantly, the ferocity with which Hammack and co-producer Mikey Reaves came at these songs compels. As a producer, Hammack seeks to match the emotion to the recording. It’s not enough to hear the story, she wants listeners to experience the viscerality of it. Whether it’s the swaggering Tammy Wynette come uppance “Just Like You” or vulnerability and awe that permeates “Looking For A Lighter,” these tracks pull the listener in. Hammack understands, because her feelings fall around her in songs.

    IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU Official Track List:

    1. “Just Friends”
    (Caylee Hammack, Aaron Raitiere, Mikey Reaves)

    2. “Redhead” (Featuring Reba McEntire)
    (Trent Dabbs, Caylee Hammack, Natalie Hemby)

    3. “Looking For A Lighter”
    (Caylee Hammack, Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson)

    4. “Preciatcha”
    (Caylee Hammack, Jordan Schmidt, Laura Veltz)

    5. “Sister”
    (Blake Bollinger, April Geesbreght, Caylee Hammack)

    6. “Just Like You”
    (Caylee Hammack, Blake Hubbard, Jarrod Ingram)

    7. “King Size Bed”
    (Caylee Hammack, Thomas “Tawgs” Salter, Gordie Sampson, Troy Verges)

    8. “Forged In The Fire”
    (Thomas Finchum, Caylee Hammack, Andy Skib)

    9. “Family Tree”
    (Caylee Hammack, Gordie Sampson, Troy Verges)

    10. “Mean Something” (Featuring Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes)
    (Caylee Hammack, Mikey Reaves)

    11. “Small Town Hypocrite”
    (Caylee Hammack, Jared Scott)

    12. “Gold”
    (Caylee Hammack)

    13. “New Level Of Life”
    (Caylee Hammack, Aaron Raitiere, Connor Thuotte)

    Currently nominated for ACM “New Female Artist Of The Year” and “Music Event Of The Year,” 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 has “created a kind of country music that’s larger—and brighter—than real life”(HITS Magazine). 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 https://www.cayleehammack.com/.

    Audio / Caylee Hammack talks about her debut album.

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    Caylee Hammack (debut album) OC: …to tell you. :29
    “Working on my debut album, it is the first time I’ve actually truly had a voice of my own. It’s the first time I’ve actually got to sing my own songs. It’s the first time I get to be heard, which is so exciting and something that as an artist we yearn and dream of every night when we go to bed. Every single song on this record is a little part of me that I’ve turned into a story to tell you.”

  • ICONIC WOMEN OF COUNTRY MUSIC AVAILABLE ON PBS.

    PBS has put together a special celebrating some of the biggest female hitmakers who paved the way for today’s Women of Country titled Iconic Women of CountryJoin Kathy Mattea, Trisha Yearwood, Terri Clark, Pam Tillis, Wynonna Judd and more as they pay tribute to the legends who inspired them. From Dolly Parton to Tammy Wynette to Patsy Cline to Loretta Lynn to Kitty Wells to Brenda Lee to Patsy Montana and many more, original interviews, archival footage and vintage recordings are included to showcase the hardships and obstacles these female storytellers had to endure to bring their music to light.

    There is a bundle for purchase during the PBS airings that features a DVD with additional exclusive features, plus a CD compilation and a poster created by Hatch Show Print. The DVD will include iconic performances/interviews from:  Connie Smith, Carter Family, Patsy Cline, Barbara Mandrell, Tammy Wynette, Minnie Pearl, Kitty Wells, Lynn Anderson, Dottie West, Jeannie C Riley, Patsy Montana, Jean Shepard, Brenda Lee, Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn.

    The CD Track List:

    1. Walkin’ After Midnight- Patsy Cline
    2. You Ain’t Woman Enough- Loretta Lynn
    3. Eighteen Wheels And A Dozen Roses- Kathy Mattea
    4. I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart- Suzy Bogguss
    5. A Lesson In Leavin’- Dottie West
    6. Sleeping Single In A Double Bed- Barbara Mandrell
    7. Love Is Like A Butterfly- Dolly Parton
    8. Better Things To Do- Terri Clark
    9. Big Four Poster Bed- Brenda Lee
    10. Second Fiddle (To An Old Guitar)- Jean Shepard
    11. Maybe It Was Memphis- Pam Tillis
    12. She’s In Love With The Boy- Trisha Yearwood
    13. It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels- Kitty Wells
    14. Fancy- Reba McEntire
    15. Stand By Your Man- Tammy Wynette

     

    Video /

  • COUNTRY ARTISTS CELEBRATED HEROES DURING CMT’S ARTISTS OF THE YEAR SPECIAL ON WEDNESDAY.

    CMT aired their CMT Celebrates Our Heroes: An Artists of the Year Special on Wednesday night (June 3rd) with numerous appearances and performances by such artists as Carrie Underwood, Sam Hunt, Darius Rucker, Brothers Osborne, Little Big Town, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett, Luke Combs, Blake Shelton, Kelsea Ballerini, Kane Brown, Jason Aldean, Lee Brice, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum, Florida Georgia Line  Cand many more. The special honored heroes on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic, including doctors, nurses, teachers, first responders and more.

     

    For more performances, click here.

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK “BARES HER SOUL” WITH THE RELEASE OF “SMALL TOWN HYPOCRITE” TO COUNTRY RADIO TODAY FOLLOWING OVERWHELMING RESPONSE.

    Capitol Records Nashville’s Caylee Hammack “bares her soul” (Billboard) with the release of her latest single “Small Town Hypocrite,” available at country radio today. Co-written and co-produced by Hammack, the autobiographical ballad ties together her “top-notch” writing skills and vocals that “carry a story of broken hearts and survival” (Rolling Stone). The prodigiously talented singer/songwriter shared more details “Behind The Song” with American Songwriter here, as the new single paints the unvarnished truth of Hammack’s personal journey of heartbreak and reflection. Critics and artists alike have been overwhelmingly quick to spotlight and applaud the career-song-in-the making since its release just over a month ago.

    “An autobiographical ballad about giving up her dreams for a man who she came to find out later was only holding her back, the pain is felt within every lyric she sings.” – Billboard

    “On the Georgia native’s new track, cadences reminiscent of Dolly Parton carry a story of broken hearts and survival” – Rolling Stone 

    “The track is a perfect wonder… The lyric is extraordinary, relating the saga of a woman who sets aside her dreams for a no-good guy, then summons the strength to move on. The vocal performance is quite moving, radiating vulnerability, heartache, bitterness and honesty. All in all, a fabulous little record.”  – Music Row 

    Hammack is also hosting “CMT’s Next Women of Country Goes Live” series inviting special guests each week, with previous guests including Ashley McBryde, Cassadee Pope, Tenille Townes and this week’s guest Lindsay Ell, as a medium to connect with audiences through music and conversation.  Fans can tune in each Tuesday at 5pm CT on CMT’s Facebook page to watch.

    Background on Caylee Hammack:
    Capitol Records Nashville’s Caylee Hammack grew up in the tiny town of Ellaville, Georgia where she used to pray every night as a kid, “God, just please make me different,” she remembers. Hammack is indeed refreshingly different. And at only 25, she has already packed a full life into just a few years, using fake IDs to get gigs around South Georgia, turning down a college scholarship for a love that burned out, sleeping in her car when she arrived in Nashville and then losing her home in an electrical fire. Her self-penned songs tug on her own life story – bad decisions, broken hearts, a quirky family lineage.

    Hammack’s debut Top 30 breakout single “Family Tree,” co-written/co-produced by Hammack was the most-added single at Country radio by a female artist in over three years and praised for its “soulful vocals and descriptive lyrics [that] shine” (Billboard). Hammack has brought her firebrand live set to opening slots for Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Trisha Yearwood, Brothers Osborne and some of country music’s biggest festivals. Next up, Hammack will return to the road later this year with Luke Bryan, Reba and Rascal Flatts. Hammack has also been the 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). For more information, visit cayleehammack.com.

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK DROPS A NEW SONG AND VIDEO FOR “SMALL TOWN HYPOCRITE.”

    Caylee Hammack released a new song and video for “Small Town Hypocrite.” A hauntingly stripped-down melody, Hammack’s raw vocals veer from fiery and demanding to quiet and vulnerable. Hammack co-wrote (Jared Scott) and co-produced (Mikey Reaves) the song that has already garnered attention from Billboard for the “emotional” track, declaring her “storytelling [is] at the forefront.” Led by strikingly-personal lyrics, that also hold the unique power to resonate with many, “Small Town Hypocrite” is a career song in the making. Hammack recounts how she left the guy she put her life on hold for, packed her things and drove to Nashville, even living in her car to finally follow her dreams.

    “This song is one of the most personal and difficult songs I’ve ever written,” divulged Hammack. “But, I like to think that is why it strikes a chord with people, a lot of us have been in a situation where we’ve taken stock of our lives and thought ‘what in the hell am I doing? This wasn’t what I signed up for and it definitely isn’t what I dreamed about.’ Performing it can be hard sometimes because it takes me back to those feelings and that place, but I know there is strength in being vulnerable too.”

    Check out the video below.

    The release of “Small Town Hypocrite” follows Hammack’s debut breakout single “Family Tree,” which is at Top 30 at country radio.  Caylee is set to hit the road with Reba McEntire next month. The trek kicks off kicks off March 20th in Evansville, Indiana.

  • 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.”

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD ANNOUNCES SHE’S STEPPING DOWN AS CMA AWARDS HOST AFTER 12 YEARS.

    Carrie Underwood announced this week she will be stepping down as host of the CMA Awards after 12 years. She made the announcement via Instagram, saying “I’ve decided that it’s time to pass the hosting torch (at least for now!) to others that will cherish it and honor it as much as I do.”

    View this post on Instagram

    One of the highlights of 2019 and of my entire career so far was being on stage with the legends that are Reba and Dolly Parton. I’m so proud that we could celebrate the incredible female artists that are part of the legacy of country music, past, present and future, and I’m thankful for the huge audiences all over the world that tuned in to see it. It’s hard to believe that it was my 12th year hosting and I will always treasure every show, from the 11 that I was so lucky to do with my partner in crime and friend for life, Brad Paisley, to sharing the stage with two of my all-time heroes. I’m so incredibly grateful to everyone involved with the CMA Awards all these years. It’s hard to imagine topping what we have accomplished together, so I’ve decided that it’s time to pass the hosting torch (at least for now!) to others that will cherish it and honor it as much as I do. I’ve got so many exciting things coming in the new year and beyond, and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for all of us. #blessed #MemorableMoments

    A post shared by Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) on

    “One of the highlights of 2019 and of my entire career so far was being on stage with the legends that are Reba and Dolly Parton. I’m so proud that we could celebrate the incredible female artists that are part of the legacy of country music, past, present and future, and I’m thankful for the huge audiences all over the world that tuned in to see it. It’s hard to believe that it was my 12th year hosting and I will always treasure every show, from the 11 that I was so lucky to do with my partner in crime and friend for life, Brad Paisley, to sharing the stage with two of my all-time heroes. I’m so incredibly grateful to everyone involved with the CMA Awards all these years. It’s hard to imagine topping what we have accomplished together, so I’ve decided that it’s time to pass the hosting torch (at least for now!) to others that will cherish it and honor it as much as I do. I’ve got so many exciting things coming in the new year and beyond, and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for all of us. #blessed #MemorableMoments

    Carrie, who is making her way up the country charts with her song “Drinking Alone,” will release her first book, Find Your Path: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul and Get Strong with the Fit52Life on March 3rd (2020).

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK IS GIVING YOU “12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS!”

    Caylee Hammack launched a 12-Days of Christmas promotion this past weekend for fans to see what’s under her Family “Christmas” Tree.  Essentially, she’s granting two Christmas wishes a day.  People can visit www.familytreecontest.com, and it has all of the details on how to enter.

    Caylee, who is making her way up the country charts with “Family Tree,” will hit the road with Reba McEntire beginning March 20th in Evansville, Indiana.

     

    Video /

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  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD WINS 14th AND 15th AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS.

    2019 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS.® – Hosted by Ciara and broadcasting live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 8:00 p.m. EST, on ABC. (ABC/Image Group LA) CARRIE UNDERWOOD

    Superstar Carrie Underwood broke the record for most wins for Favorite Country Album with her 6th win in the category on the “2019 American Music Awards,” broadcast live on ABC from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 24th.  Underwood was recognized by fans this year for her critically acclaimed album, Cry Pretty, giving her the most wins in the category and making her the only artist in the history of the AMAs to win Favorite Country Album for all six of her studio album releases (Some Hearts, Carnival Ride, Play On, Blown Away, Storyteller, and now, Cry Pretty).  Other nominees in the category this year included Dan + Shay’s Dan + Shay and Kane Brown’s Experiment.

    Underwood also won her 7th award as Favorite Female Artist – Country.  With previous wins for Favorite New Breakthrough Artist in 2006 and the T-Mobile Text-In Award for Artist of the Year in 2007, this year’s ceremony brings Underwood to 15 career total American Music Awards, tied with Reba McEntire as the most awarded female country artists in AMA history, and ranking her among the top 10 all-time winners in all categories, across all genres.

    The American Music Awards is the world’s largest fan-voted award show, paying tribute to today’s most influential and iconic artists.  The show is produced by dick clark productions and is seen in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.  Nominations are based on key fan interactions as reflected on Billboard.com, including streaming, album and digital song sales, radio airplay, social activity and touring. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound, and reflect the time period of September 28, 2018 through September 26, 2019.

    Underwood recently completed her stellar The Cry Pretty Tour 360, closing out the tour in the #1 spot on Pollstar’s LIVE75 chart (11/04/19), which ranks worldwide active tours by average tickets sold.  On November 13, she hosted ABC’s CMA Awards for the 12th consecutive year.  She was joined this year by special guest hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton for the three-hour live telecast, which dominated the night, ranking #1 in all 6 half-hours of primetime, as well as the becoming the #1 most social entertainment program across broadcast and cable for the night, with 2.4M total social interactions across all platforms, marking a 104% increase over the 2018 telecast, as measured by Nielsen Social.

  • 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.”

  • 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: Kacey Musgraves picks up the CMA Award for Music Video of the Year for “Rainbow.”

    This morning on ABC’s Good Morning America from Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon, Maddie & Tae announced two CMA Awards early. Kacey Musgraves’ “Rainbow” picked up the CMA Award for Music Video of the Year! Kacey will share the award with director Hannah Lux Davis.

    Kacey is also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year, as well as Song of the Year for “Rainbow.”

    “The song ‘Rainbow’ was actually written a handful of years ago as sort of a little bit of a memo to myself,” says Kacey. “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.”

    Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus took home Musical Event of the Year for their collaboration on “Old Town Road.”

    Catch Kacey perform “Rainbow Connection” with the legendary Willie Nelson tonight on the 53rd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie with special co-hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, which will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at 8pm ET on ABC.

    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.”

    Video / Rainbow Music Video

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  • CMA AWARDS 2019: Female Vocalist of the Year

    Carrie Underwood and Kacey Musgraves are nominated for CMA Female Vocalist at this year’s CMA Awards.

    Carrie has been nominated in the Female Vocalist of the Year award 14 times and has won it five times (2006, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2018), including last year. She told press backstage that this award meant a lot to her. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t want awards because I’m a competitive person and I love these,” says Carrie. “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.”

    Kacey is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year, as well as Song and Music Video of the Year for “Rainbow.” 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. She says she became a part of the country music community when she won her first CMA Award. “I got Best New Artist in 2013 and that was crazy because it had just been a lot of hard work from me and my whole team to get to that point and it’s just like, ‘Okay, here we are. Here we’re going. I’m a part of the country music community. We’re doing this.’”

    Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert and Maren Morris are also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year.

    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 / CARRIE UNDERWOOD SAYS WINNING THE CMA FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR AWARD LAST YEAR MEANT SO MUCH TO HER.

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    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 / KACEY MUSGRAVES RECALLS WINNING CMA BEST NEW ARTIST IN 2013 AND BECOMING A PART OF THE COUNTRY MUSIC COMMUNITY.

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    Kacey Musgraves (CMA-part of country music community) OC: …watching it too. :20
    “I got Best New Artist in 2013 and that was crazy because it had just been a lot of hard work from me and my whole team to get to that point and it’s just like, ‘Okay, here we are. Here we’re going. I’m a part of the country music community. We’re doing this.’ It’s fun being recognized but it’s always been fun watching it too.”

  • 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.”

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD OPEN-ENDED CMA INTERVIEW 2019

    Click here to download transcribed open-ended interview with Carrie Underwood (includes transcriptions of soundbites).

    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.

  • 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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  • CMA AWARDS 2019: Group of the Year

    Little Big Town is nominated for CMA Vocal Group of the Year, an award they’ve won six times, which tied the record for wins with the Statler Brothers and Rascal Flatts in the Vocal Group category in 2017. The group is always thankful to be included in the category.

    “It’s just amazing to be in that category because there’s so much talent in that category,” says the band’s Phillip Sweet. “So, we’re just very thankful.”

    Lady Antebellum, Old Dominion, Midland and the Zac Brown Band are also nominated for Vocal Group of the Year.

    The members of Little Big Town are making their way up the country charts with their latest song, “Over Drinking.” The humble band continues to strive to make great music, which they’ve done once again with their current single and their forthcoming album, Nightfall, which will be available in January.

    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 / THE MEMBERS OF LITTLE BIG TOWN TALK ABOUT TYING THE RECORD FOR WINS IN THE VOCAL GROUP CATEGORY IN 2017.

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    Little Big Town (CMA 2017 6th win) OC: (KAREN) …great category. :19
    KAREN: “I mean, what an honor. Gah.” PHILLIP: “I was looking out at Randy Owen of Alabama and thinking of all the groups that have come before us and for us to be standing up there, we truly are humbled by it. And it’s just amazing to be in that category because there’s so much talent in that category. So, we’re just very thankful.” KAREN: “Yeah, it’s a great category.”

  • CMA AWARDS 2019: Duo of the Year

    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 have another nod for Vocal Duo of the Year, an award they’ve claimed for the last three years, as well as a nomination for 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 when the nominations were announced — “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.”

    The two, who just released their Live From the Ryman album, are set to perform on Wednesday night with Brooks & Dunn on the Hall of Famers’ hit song, “Hard Workin’ Man.”

    Maddie & Tae scored their fifth CMA nomination in the Vocal Duo of the Year category. They picked up their first CMA Award in 2015 for Music Video of the Year for “Girl in a Country Song.” The duo is always happy to be nominated for an award, because as they said, “our peers do still feel like we’re doing something special and do still believe in us.” The ladies are currently making their way up the country charts with “Die From a Broken Heart.”

    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 / BACKSTAGE AT THE 2016 CMA AWARDS, BROTHERS OSBORNE’S TJ OSBORNE SAID HE AND HIS BROTHER JOHN CAN FEEL THE SUPPORT FROM EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY MUSIC COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY AFTER WINNING THEIR FIRST CMA VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR AWARD.

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    Brothers Osborne (CMA love) OC: …is great. :26
    TJ: “We definitely can feel the love and I feel like we’re trying to reciprocate that as much as we can because we are incredibly thankful. I mean, it’s amazing. We came to this town so many years ago. We look like an overnight success, but we came here just some poor blue-collar kids from Maryland, and here we are winning a CMA [Award]. I wish I could be home with all our boys back home. I know they’re celebrating.” JOHN: “I know! I know.” TJ: “This is great!”

    Audio / MADDIE & TAE TALK ABOUT THEIR CMA NOMINATION FOR VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR.

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    Maddie & Tae (CMA nomination) OC: …super fun. :30
    MADDIE: “Being nominated this year we never expected it, obviously. 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.”

  • CMA AWARDS HOST CARRIE UNDERWOOD VISITS ABC’S “GOOD MORNING AMERICA” AND CO-HOSTS NATIONALLY-SYNDICATED “LIVE WITH KELLY AND RYAN” ALONGSIDE RYAN SEACREST.

    Carrie Underwood visits ABC’s “Good Morning America” Friday, Nov. 8 to discuss hosting the CMA Awards alongside special guest hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton. “The 53rd Annual CMA Awards” broadcasts live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 8/7c on the ABC Television Network.

    On Friday (November 8th), superstar Carrie Underwood visited “Good Morning America” in addition to co-hosting nationally-syndicated morning talk show “Live with Kelly and Ryan” alongside longtime friend Ryan Seacrest to discuss all things CMA Awards. “The 53rd Annual CMA Awards” is hosted by Underwood with special guest hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, airing live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 8/7c on the ABC Television Network.

    “The 53rd Annual CMA Awards” hosted by Carrie Underwood with special guest hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, airs live Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 8/7c on ABC.

    During the CMA Awards, Underwood will perform her new single “Drinking Alone” in addition to taking part in a historic opening number celebrating and featuring women in Country Music led by Underwood, McEntire and Parton and featuring Terri Clark, Sara Evans, Crystal Gayle, The Highwomen (comprised of Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires), Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles, Tanya Tucker and Gretchen Wilson, each performing iconic Country songs for a monumental decades-spanning medley.

    Carrie recently released her new single, “Drinking Along,” the follow-up to her No. 1 smash “Southbound.”

  • CMA AWARDS 2019: Album of the Year

    The nominees for this year’s CMA Album of the Year include Eric Church for Desperate Man and Carrie Underwood’s Cry Pretty.

    Eric’s sixth studio album, Desperate Man, marked the end of the longest break in his career between putting out new music. In the three years since the sudden, surprise release of Mr. Misunderstood (named 2016 CMA Album of the Year), though, he has experienced some of the highest peaks and some of the biggest challenges in his work and in his life. He got a sense of where the album was headed after writing “The Snake” and “Hippie Radio.” Eric also earned nods for both Entertainer and Music Video of the Year (for “Some of It”).

    Carrie tallied her fifth nomination for CMA Album of the Year with Cry Pretty, which is her first studio album on Capitol Records Nashville and marks the first time she has co-produced her own album. The lead single and title track, “Cry Pretty” debuted as the #1 song in the U.S. all-genres. Carrie co-produced Cry Pretty with fellow writer/producer David Garcia. Carrie is also nominated for Entertainer of the Year and picked up her 14th consecutive nod for Female Vocalist, a title she’s won five times, including last year.

    Thomas Rhett’s Center Point Road, Dan + Shay’s self-titled album and Maren Morris’s Girl round out the category.

    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 says Desperate Man was the hardest record he’s ever made.

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    Eric Church (hardest record to make) OC: …we ended up. 1:20
    “Well I think, really from the last tour, the Holding My Own Tour, I realized that I am very grateful and humble that we get to do what we do. To go on every night, no openers and play for three hours, and see the way music has affected people lives, and they have affected mine. But it has turned into this thing, its own, living breathing organism that happened. And coming off of that, the biggest fear that I had was I didn’t just want to go back into the studio and make a record just because it was time to make a record. And I had some stuff going on. I mean, I had a personal thing with my health, and then I had, then Vegas happened and that will be with me forever. So, I think there was stuff that I had to process on the early part of making this record. And frankly, it made it difficult early. I mean it was tough. It was the toughest record that I’ve made out of all of them. It’s funny, it’s just like anything you do creatively, when you think this is what it’s going to be, this where we are headed, I promise you, were headed here. This is where you are going. Creativity will take over and you will end up on another path and that’s what happened here. And to credit, I think, the way we make records, or try to make records, is we will pay attention to that. We will change course, and we are not afraid to change course. So, I think for me, my favorite thing about this album, is I know where we started and where we ended up.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood says there was a lot of growth between her previous album, Storyteller, and her new collection, Cry Pretty.

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    Carrie Underwood (growth between albums) OC: …writing about. 1:07
    “I feel like between Storyteller and Cry Pretty, there was definitely a lot of growth for me as a person – emotional growth and spiritual growth and my family. And I feel like just kind of taking more ownership in my thoughts and my feelings and my wants and my creative abilities and just taking more ownership over all of those things and wanting that to translate into this album. I like to take time between projects. It’s like when do you have time to live the life you’re writing about? It’s so important to me. I like to go on tour and when I’m out, I’m out. I’m on the road. We are working hard. We’re killing it. We’re doing what we do. When I write, I want to write. I want to immerse myself in that. Whatever I’m doing, I want to completely immerse myself in and that includes living a life, and I just feel like that’s so important. And for me as a mom and as a wife and as a friend and daughter and all of those things, it’s just important to take a minute to live a life worth writing about.”

  • 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.

    Download

    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.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Hootie, Carrie, Luke, Dierks, Brothers O, Travis, Vince

    Hootie & the Blowfish will perform on The Talk on CBS on Thursday (November 7th), followed by an appearance on ABC’s Strahan, Sara, Keke on Friday (November 8th).

    Carrie Underwood will appear on ABC’s Good Morning America on Friday (November 8th), as well as co-host Live With Kelly & Ryan with Ryan Seacrest, leading up to next week’s CMA Awards.

    Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood will make appearances during ABC’s pre-CMA Awards Special, hosted by Robin Roberts. The special focuses on Dolly Parton, who is co-hosting the Awards show with Carrie and Reba McEntire. Dolly Parton: Here She Comes Again airs Tuesday (November 12th) at 10pm ET on ABC.

    Dierks Bentley and Brothers Osborne‘s John Osborne are among the artists performing a tribute to Kris Kristofferson during Wednesday’s (November 13th) CMA Awards. The Country Music Hall of Famer is being honored with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, which has only been given out four other times four other times, to Willie Nelson (2012), Kenny Rogers (2013), Johnny Cash, posthumously (2015) and Dolly Parton  (2016). The artists, which also includes Sheryl Crow and Chris Janson, will perform the Kristofferson-penned classic “Me and Bobby McGee,” which was made famous by Janis Joplin and Roger Miller, who released it first in 1969.

    Travis Denning will hit the road with Dustin Lynch on the Stay Country Tour 2020, which kicks off January 30th in Detroit, Michigan. Tickets go on sale November 15th and November 22nd.


    Vince Gill
    is among the nominees for this year’s Songwriters Hall of Fame, along with Sonny Curtis, Kye Fleming, Bob McDill and Dennis Morgan. The official induction ceremony will take place June 11th (2020) in New York City.

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD WRAPS THE CRY PRETTY TOUR 360 WITH SOLD-OUT PERFORMANCES, ALL-FEMALE LINE-UP, FAN INTERACTION AND MUCH MORE.

    *Photo credit for all photos: Jeff Johnson

    Reigning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, seven-time Grammy Award-winner and Pollstar’s three-time top female country touring artist Carrie Underwood has completed THE CRY PRETTY TOUR 360. Underwood closed out the tour in the #1 spot on Pollstar’s LIVE75 chart (11/04/19), which ranks worldwide active tours by average tickets sold.

    https://twitter.com/carrieunderwood/status/1191354710906855425?utm_source=CU+-+Distribution+List&utm_campaign=b020104d3c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_11_04_12_29&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_352278789a-b020104d3c-260821051

    The tour began May 1 in Greensboro, NC and concluded October 31 in Detroit, MI, packing arenas in 60+ cities across North America.  Numerous 360-degree sold-out shows included New York’s Madison Square Garden, Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and L.A.’s STAPLES Center, among many others.  Underwood was joined by special guests Maddie & Tae and Runaway June throughout the tour, which was sponsored by CALIA.

    THE CRY PRETTY TOUR 360 consistently garnered both critical and fan acclaim for its innovative production and eye-shaped stage design in the middle of the arena floor to create an intimate view for all attendees and for Underwood’s standout vocal performances.  Critics have been uninamous in their praise of Carrie and THE CRY PRETTY TOUR 360:

    “While much discussion about a woman’s place in country music is happening, Underwood is walking instead of talking. Taking two young female acts on the road, she delivered an arena show that goes toe-to-toe with anyone in any genre, not just country, as a vocalist, as a show(wo)man, as the embodiment or 
    realization of what the audience aspires to. And she does it in 5-inch heels.” (Pollstar)

    “An artist that both entertains and inspires, Underwood’s Cry Pretty Tour 360 cements her entertainer of the year status” (Billboard)

    “The 360 production is second to none. – Underwood’s 360 stage is a work of art, as it
    features an incredible hydraulic system that lifts up nearly half the stage… You could almost say you’re getting a show and a movie, all in one night.”  (Rolling Stone)

    The spectacular, one-of-a-kind production utilized 36 projectors and 19 video projection screens, with 15 stage elevators and over 400 moving lights.  Throughout the set, Underwood could be seen playing acoustic and electric guitar, piano and percussion at various times with her talented 8-piece band, who played 22 different types of instruments, 45 in total.

    During one of the many memorable moments of her two-hour show, Underwood invited CMA nominees Maddie & Tae and ACM-nominated Runaway June to return to the stage to join her for a crowd-pleasing 10-song medley of hits by some of the many women that she cites as having paved the way for her and all of today’s female artists in the genre, featuring Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, The Judds, Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill, Reba McEntire, Martina McBride and Shania Twain.

    Another standout moment of each show featured the winner of an ongoing contest, wherein fans submitted inspirational personal stories about what Underwood’s hit anthem, “The Champion,” means to them for the chance to join her on stage and perform the rap originated by Ludacris on the Platinum track.  In one of her final shows in her home state of Oklahoma, Underwood was joined onstage by her mother, Carole, who she described as her own personal “champion.”

    https://twitter.com/carrieunderwood/status/1181993414306480130?utm_source=CU+-+Distribution+List&utm_campaign=b020104d3c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_11_04_12_29&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_352278789a-b020104d3c-260821051

    Furthermore, Underwood arranged for a donation of $1 from each ticket sold for THE CRY PRETTY TOUR 360 to be contributed to Danita’s Children, which provides a safe haven for abandoned and vulnerable children in Haiti, while encouraging families to stay together through their education and malnutrition programs.

    In June, Underwood performed her UK arena tour, THE CRY PRETTY TOUR UK, which brought her dynamic production and signature vocal prowess to thousands of fans throughout England, Wales and Scotland with five arena shows. One of the standout moments of the tour was Underwood’s milestone performance at Glastonbury Festival’s iconic Pyramid Stage and was seen around the world online.  Fans traveled from numerous countries across the globe – USA, Spain, Canada, Germany, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Finland, Israel, Slovenia, Norway, Sweden and Australia, among others – to be in attendance at the shows. THE CRY PRETTY TOUR UK also featured the UK’s best-selling country act of all time, The Shires, as Underwood’s special guest.

    Amidst her busy touring schedule, Underwood headlined CMA Fest 2019, where she was joined on stage by Joan Jett for a showstopping medley of Jett’s greatest hits.  She performed her #1 Summer hit, “Southbound” on the ACM Awards and on the finale of “American Idol,” as well as the 2019 CMT Music Awards, where she won her 19th and 20th awards, becoming the most-awarded artist in the show’s history.  As a member of the Grand Ole Opry, she has performed ten shows this year in addition to inducting new Opry member, Kelsea Ballerini.  Underwood returned for her seventh season as the voice of NBC’s Sunday Night Football, primetime television’s #1 program for the past eight consecutive years, making it the most dominant primetime show since 1950.  She recently performed live from her tour stop in Cleveland as one of CMT’s “2019 Artists of the Year” and has been nominated for the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Country Artist, and has earned two American Music Awards nominations this year for Favorite Female Country Artist and Favorite Country Album for Cry Pretty.  Her latest single from this album, “Drinking Alone,” has just been released to country radio.

    On November 13, Underwood will host the CMA Awards for the 12th consecutive year and has been nominated for three awards this year, including Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year for Cry Pretty, and Female Vocalist of the Year.  In 2020, she will once again headline the Stagecoach Festival and HarperCollins/Dey Street Books will publish her first book, FIND YOUR PATH: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul, and Get Strong with the Fit52 Life, a fitness lifestyle book in which she shares her belief that fitness is a lifelong journey and not about perfection.  She is celebrating her 4th anniversary as lead designer for her fitness and lifestyle brand, CALIA by Carrie Underwood, which launched in 2015 and is exclusively available at DICK’S Sporting Goods nationwide and online at www.caliastudio.com.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • LUKE BRYAN AND BROTHERS OSBORNE ARE AMONG THE ARTISTS PAYING TRIBUTE TO BROOKS AND DUNN AS THEY WERE OFFICIALLY INDUCTED INTO THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME.

    Brooks and Dunn, Ray Stevens and Jerry Bradley were officially inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame during the annual Medallion ceremony on Sunday (October 20th), and the stars came out to pay tribute to these legends.

    Luke Bryan, Brothers Osborne, Trisha Yearwood and Reba McEntire honored Kix and Ronnie. John and TJ Osborne performed the duo’s “Brand New Man,” while Luke turned in their 2003 hit, “Red Dirt Road.” Luke has not only cited Ronnie as one of his vocal idols, but also recalled how Kix reached out to him when his sister passed away when he was just a newcomer.

    “It was Kix Brooks on the phone,” Luke said, “just telling me he was sorry about our loss. And I never will forget it.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan recalls receiving a phone call from Kix Brooks after his sister passed away in 2007.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (Kix Brooks call) OC: …amazed. :
    “It was Kix Brooks on the phone just telling me he was sorry about our loss. And I never will forget it. What an amazing gesture. (I) hung the phone up and called my whole family, and we were just amazed.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Sam, Carrie, Vince, Maddie & Tae, Luke, Jon, Billy, Gary, Eric, Brothers Osborne, Kylie

    Several artists have been added to this year’s CMT Artists of the Year show, including performances by Sam Hunt, Carrie Underwood (live-streamed from her Cry Pretty Tour 360 show in Cleveland, Ohio), Dan + Shay, Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown, Ashley McBryde and more. Presenters include Vince Gill and Maddie & Tae. This year’s special celebrates the network’s five Artists of the Year – Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett and Kane Brown – in addition to Reba McEntire (Artist of a Lifetime) and Ashley McBryde (Breakout Artist of the Year). The 90-minute show will air Wednesday (October 16th) at 8pm ET.

    Luke Bryan’s hit “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” was just certified double platinum by the R.I.A.A., while his “Someone Else Calling You Baby” was just declared platinum. Jon Pardi’s “Up All Night” and Billy Currington’s “Don’t It” were also certified platinum, while Gary Allan’s “It Ain’t the Whiskey,” Eric Church’s “Some of It,” Luke’s “Drinkin’ Beer & Wasting Bullet” and Sam Hunt’s “Downtown’s Dead” were all certified gold.

    Jon Pardi will perform on ABC’s Good Morning America on Friday (October 18th).

    Brothers Osborne will perform at the Troy Gentry Foundation’s C’Ya on the Flip Side II February 5th at the Grand Ole Opry House, along with Trace Adkins, Rhett Akins, Tracy Lawrence, Justin Moore, Mark Wills and Eddie Montgomery. The benefit will raise funds for the Foundation, the Opry Trust Fund, T.J. Martell Foundation, Make-A-Wish, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital and many others.

    New EMI Nashville Recording Artist Kylie Morgan is one of three recipients of the second annual CMA KixStart Artist Scholarship. Over the next year, the CMA will provide support, connections with top industry professionals, participation in CMA-related events and a stipend to assist with their developing careers. She is currently opening several shows for Kip Moore and released a song “Boys Girl” to all digital partners.

  • VINCE GILL SET TO RELEASE 30TH ANNIVERSARY VINYL EDITION OF GRAMMY WINNING ALBUM- WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME.

    Vince Gill’s 1989 release When I Call Your Name rocketed his career to a new level and introduced him to many new fans who found his easygoing charisma was just as appealing as his prodigious vocal and instrumental skills. His third full-length solo album, and first for MCA Records, established the Oklahoma-bred singer-songwriter-guitarist as one of country’s most beloved and respected performers, garnering him his first Gold record on the strength of four hit singles: the album’s title track, which reached Number 2 on Billboard‘s country singles chart, the Number 3 country hit “Never Knew Lonely,” “Never Alone” (which Gill co-wrote with Rosanne Cash) and “Oklahoma Swing” (a duet with Reba McEntire). The album, which has since been certified double platinum, earned Gill two Country Music Association Awards, including Single Of The Year, and won him his first GRAMMY Award for “Best Country Vocal Performance, Male.”

    On November 15th, MCA Nashville/UMe will commemorate the 30th anniversary of When I Call Your Name, just one day after its original release thirty years ago, with a sparkling new vinyl edition of this influential collection. In addition to a standard black vinyl version, the album will also be available in a distinctive limited-edition pressing on metallic gold vinyl, which will be available exclusively online from uDiscover and the UMGN Store. These vinyl editions mark the first time the album has been back on vinyl since its initial release. Preorder When I Call Your Name here: https://UMe.lnk.to/WhenICallYourName

    Produced by noted veteran Tony Brown, When I Call Your Name features guest appearances by Emmylou Harris and Patty Loveless, with whom Gill had worked with in his career, and instrumental support from such notable players as keyboardist Barry Beckett, bassist Willie Weeks, and guitarists Randy Scruggs and Fred Tackett.

    Vince has won 21 GRAMMY® awards, has a wall of Country Music Association trophies, placed ten albums on the Billboard charts and scored a dozen hit singles. When I Call Your Name took Vince Gill’s career to the next level and made him a household name, and his legions of fans can now re-experience this classic collection on vinyl.

     

    WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME TRACK LISTING

    SIDE A
    1. Never Alone
    2. Sight For Sore Eyes
    3. Oh Girl (You Know Where To Find Me)
    4. Oklahoma Swing
    5. When I Call Your Name
    SIDE B
    1. Ridin’ The Rodeo
    2. Never Knew Lonely
    3. We Don’t Dance
    4. We Could Have Been
    5. Rita Ballou

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD TACKLES CMA HOSTING GIG FOR THE 12TH YEAR.

    Carrie Underwood will host “The 53rd Annual CMA Awards” with special guest hosts and Country Music Hall of Fame members Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, celebrating legendary women in Country Music throughout the ceremony.

    “I was very pleased and happy and excited to hear the news that the CMA wanted to have this year’s show be focused on women in country music – past, present, future, all of us together standing united,” says Carrie. “And of course, my special guest hosts are Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton. It does not get bigger than that or better than that. I feel like the three of us love what we do so much, and we love country music and it means something I feel like to have us up there on that stage kind of driving the bus for the evening and setting the tone. We just want to be respectful of our genre and of this awards show, because it’s so important to us, and shine a lot on what I think is the backbone of country music and that’s the females that have come before all of us and will come in the future.”

    Combined, the three hosts hold 124 CMA Awards nominations and 22 total wins, 11 of which are for Female Vocalist of the Year. In addition, the three superstars hold a combined 14 nominations in the Entertainer of the Year category, with Parton receiving the award in 1978 and McEntire winning in 1986.

    Carrie, who is poised to top the country charts with “Southbound,” has won seven CMA Awards, has sold 64 million records worldwide and recorded 26 No. 1 singles, 13 of which she co-wrote. Underwood has co-hosted the CMA Awards since 2008, creating an unforgettable legacy, from celebrating the 50th anniversary of the CMA Awards in 2016 to countless other highlights across the legendary broadcast’s history.

    Carrie 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.

    This year’s CMA Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 13th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about hosting this year’s CMA Awards with special guests Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton.

    Download

    Carrie Underwood (CMA hosting 2019) OC: …Reba and Dolly. 1:06
    “I was very pleased and happy and excited to hear the news that the CMA wanted to have this year’s show be focused on women in country music – past, present, future, all of us together standing united. And of course, my special guest hosts are Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton. It does not get bigger than that or better than that. I feel like the three of us love what we do so much, and we love country music and it means something I feel like to have us up there on that stage kind of driving the bus for the evening and setting the tone. We just want to be respectful of our genre and of this awards show, because it’s so important to us, and shine a lot on what I think is the backbone of country music and that’s the females that have come before all of us and will come in the future. So, it’s just, I think it’s gonna be a wonderful night and couldn’t be more excited to stand up there with Reba and Dolly.”

  • DIERKS BENTLEY SCORES A NO. 1 HIT WITH “LIVING.”

    Dierks Bentley just scored his 19th No. 1 hit with “Living,” which topped both the Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart, as well as the Billboard country chart. It’s the third chart-topper from his latest album, The Mountain, and the song has been the soundtrack of his life, especially over the last few years.

     

    “The bar for living is so low as a musician on the road, so we really made it a personal challenge for me and the band to kind of like do more stuff during the day on the road. It’s just a big ole ‘Live Life’ on the road, and that’s where the idea for the song started,” says Dierks. “I just feel like it kind of became the core of the album, this whole theme of like gratitude and living life and making the most of every day. It’s not about the moments that, it’s not about skydiving or bullriding. It’s about just, it could be just watching your kid play hockey and being focused on that and not watching your iphone. It could be just appreciating that it’s sunny outside and taking a moment to recognize that.”

    For “Living” liners, click here.

    Dierks has a handful of CMA nominations this year, including Male Vocalist of the Year, as well as Single and Music Video of the Year for “Burning Man,” featuring Brothers Osborne. 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.

    Audio / Dierks Bentley’s latest No. 1 song, “Living,” is a pretty powerful song.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (Living) 2 OC: …things like that. :12
    “It’s a powerful song. I think it’s a party song in kind of a slower way, but it has a bigger effect because it recharges your batteries and makes you leave the show maybe taking a little extra time to think about things like that.”

    Audio / DIERKS BENTLEY TALKS ABOUT HOW HE CAME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR HIS NEW SONG, "LIVING."

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (Living) 1 OC: …recognize that. :58
    ” Living’ started from the road, actually, and just the lack of living that you sometimes can do on a tour bus, right? You sit in the bus all day long, then you go play the show, and you sit in the bus all day long and nobody’s doing any living. We kind of have this funny thing we started with the band where if someone went to Walgreen’s, it was a really big deal. ‘Wow, man, you went out and lived some life today. You actually went to Walgreen’s. Wow!’ The bar for living is so low as a musician on the road, so we really made it a personal challenge for me and the band to kind of like do more stuff during the day on the road. It’s just a big ole ‘Live Life’ on the road, and that’s where the idea for the song started. I brought it out to Colorado when I was doing that songwriting retreat with everybody, and I wrote it with three other guys, and I just feel like it kind of became the core of the album, this whole theme of like gratitude and living life and making the most of every day. It’s not about the moments that, it’s not about skydiving or bullriding. It’s about just, it could be just watching your kid play hockey and being focused on that and not watching your iphone. It could be just appreciating that it’s sunny outside and taking a moment to recognize that.”

    Video /

    View
  • ERIC CHURCH DOUBLES DOWN FOR HIS DOUBLE DOWN TOUR RESUMING FRIDAY.

    Eric Church returns to the road with the Double Down Tour resuming in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Friday (September 13th), and the trek continues throughout the fall. The uniquely-structured tour featuring back-to-back nights with distinct set lists in most cities has seen numerous sell-out crowds thus far, landing Church at the top of Pollstar’s LIVE75 and Global Concert Pulse charts for ticket sales averages while routinely earning praise from fans and critics alike.

    He’ll play two nights in most cities and perform six albums worth of material. Unlike his Holdin’ My Own Tour in 2017 where he would sometimes play four different cities in less than a week, he has spaced out his shows to a city a week. You might want to catch both nights on tour, since he’s planning on changing his set list between Friday and Saturday.

    “Some people may be surprised to learn that there’s only about five songs from our back catalog that are gonna be both nights. I’m going to play most of the Desperate Man over the two nights; probably six a night for those, but they’re not gonna be what they think. So, we’ll play ‘Smoke a Little Smoke’ one night, but you won’t get it the next. You’ll get ‘Drink in My Hand’ the next, but you won’t get it the first one,” says Eric. “So, we’re gonna make this a little bit where they’ll be those songs in there, but they won’t be both nights unless you go to both nights. It’s just the way we’re gonna do it. I think we can do it. I think our catalog will let us do it. If you come, you’re gonna hear ‘Sinners Like Me’ one night, but not both nights. And I think that it’ll make it interesting for the people that are coming, and it’ll make the show fun for us.”

    Eric is nominated for a handful of CMA Awards this year, including Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year for Desperate Man and Music Video of the Year for “Some of It.” 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.

    Audio / ERIC CHURCH EXPLAINS HOW HE’S GOING TO MIX UP THE SET LIST ON HIS DOUBLE DOWN TOUR.

    Download

    Eric Church (Double Down Tour) 2 OC: …fun for us. :45
    “Some people may be surprised to learn that there’s only about five songs from our back catalog that are gonna be both nights. I’m going to play most of the Desperate Man over the two nights; probably six a night for those, but they’re not gonna be what they think. So, we’ll play ‘Smoke a Little Smoke’ one night, but you won’t get it the next. You’ll get ‘Drink in My Hand’ the next, but you won’t get it the first one. So, we’re gonna make this a little bit where they’ll be those songs in there, but they won’t be both nights unless you go to both nights. It’s just the way we’re gonna do it. I think we can do it. I think our catalog will let us do it. If you come, you’re gonna hear ‘Sinners Like Me’ one night, but not both nights. And I think that it’ll make it interesting for the people that are coming, and it’ll make the show fun for us.”

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK WILL BE A DILIGENT STUDENT WHEN SHE HITS THE ROAD WITH DIERKS THIS WEEKEND.

    Caylee Hammack is heading out on the road with Dierks Bentley for a few dates on his Burning Man Tour, along with Jon Pardi. She tells us she cannot wait to learn from him.

    “It will be my first true major tour, and I know that there’s so much that Dierks can teach me on the road,” says Caylee. “I’ve heard he’s a wonderful mentor, so I’m very excited to get to step in underneath him and learn how he puts on a show; how he treats his crew. I’ve always heard that he’s really good to people that work with him, and I aspire to learn something from that.”

    She just joined Dierks at his second annual Seven Peaks Festival over the weekend where she performed her own set, but she also stepped into the role of Reba for the headliner’s Hot Country Knights’ set on Friday night (August 30th).

    Caylee, who recently made her debut on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, is climbing the country charts with her song, “Family Tree.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack says she cannot wait to learn from Dierks Bentley when she heads out on the road with him this week.

    Download

    Caylee Hammack (on the road with Dierks) OC: …something from that. :29
    “I reacted like a kid when I was told I was going on the road with Dierks. I guess I haven’t changed much from that. I’m still childishly excited. It will be my first true major tour, and I know that there’s so much that Dierks can teach me on the road. I’ve heard he’s a wonderful mentor, so I’m very excited to get to step in underneath him and learn how he puts on a show, how he treats his crew. I’ve always heard that he’s really good to people that work with him, and I aspire to learn something from that.”

  • 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.”

     

    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.

     

    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.

     

    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.

     

    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.”

     

  • 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.

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    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.

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    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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  • LAUREN ALAINA WILL BE THE OFFICIAL SOCIAL MEDIA CORRESPONDENT FOR THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Lauren Alaina has been named the official social media correspondent for the 54thACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™. During The Week Vegas Goes Country®, Alaina will bring fans a front-row seat and behind-the-scenes perspective of the ACM Awards experience in real-time. Fans can watch for content posted across the ACM and CBS social platforms, as well as Alaina’s personal handles.

    As previously announced, Alaina will be presenting at the 54th ACM Awards. Additionally, leading up to the telecast, she will be performing at the ACM Decades concert as part of the 7th Annual ACM Party for a Cause®.

    The 7th Annual ACM Party for a Cause, taking place on Friday, April 5 – Sunday, April 7, 2019 in Las Vegas, consist of fan events and private parties leading up to and immediately following the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards. The awards telecast, hosted by Reba McEntire, will broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 7, 2019 at 8:00 PM ET / delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

    Tickets to the ACM Awards are now on sale at www.axs.com. For more information on the ACM Awards and all ACM events including ACM Party for a Cause, visit www.ACMcountry.com and www.PartyForaCause.com. You can like Academy of Country Music on Facebook or follow on Twitter at @ACMawards and Instagram @ACMAwards for more immediate updates.

    About the Academy of Country Music Awards
    The 54th Academy of Country Music Awards™ is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry. The show is produced for television by dick clark productions and will broadcast LIVE from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 7, 2019 at 8:00 PM ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. R.A. Clark, Reba McEntire, Barry Adelman and Mark Bracco are executive producers. Pete Fisher is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

    About Lauren Alaina
    Platinum-selling country star Lauren Alaina’s critically-acclaimed sophomore album, Road Less Traveled, landed on multiple “Best Of” lists including BillboardRolling Stone and Amazon, and it became the top-streamed female country album release of 2017. Praised as “full of life lessons and uplift” (PEOPLE), the collection of 12 songs all written by the young star includes Lauren’s first No. 1 smash, “Road Less Traveled,” the Top 25 hit “Doin’ Fine,” and the deeply personal and inspiring, “Three.” The Georgia native’s latest, “Ladies in the ’90s,” is a fun, upbeat song that pays homage to an era and the artists who helped define Lauren’s youth and cultivate her love for music and song. It includes nods to Alanis Morissette, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Madonna, Reba, Shania, and more. The “sassy Southerner with killer pipes” (PARADE) has shared the stage with superstars including Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Martina McBride, Jason Aldean, and she recently wrapped the 2019 Friends and Heroes Tour with Blake Shelton.

    Following the release of Road Less Traveled, Lauren has received multiple nominations for the ACM Awards, CMA Awards, CMT Music Awards, Teen Choice Awards, Radio Disney Awards and Billboard Music Awards including taking home last year’s ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year Award and CMT Collaborative Video of the Year Award for “What Ifs,” the 4x Platinum-selling No. 1 hit with childhood friend, Kane Brown. Lauren is one of CMT’s Next Women of Country and she received her very first CMT Music Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year with her No. 1 hit “Road Less Traveled.”

    For more information and tour dates, please visit http://laurenalainaofficial.com/and follow Lauren at @Lauren_Alaina on Twitter, @laurenalaina on Instagram and on Facebook. For videos go to her YouTube (@LaurenAlainaAIVEVO)

  • MADDIE & TAE ARE PROUD TO BE NOMINATED ACM DUO OF THE YEAR.

    Maddie & Tae are nominated for Duo of the Year at this year’s ACM Awards, and they couldn’t be more thankful for the recognition.

    “Being in the Duo category, especially being the only females in that category, is really, really special,” says Maddie Marlow.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.”

    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 of Maddie & Tae talk about being nominated for the ACM Duo of the Year award this year.

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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.”

  • 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.

  • ACM AWARDS 2019: Keith Urban

    Keith Urban goes into next week’s ACM Awards with a pair of nominations, including Entertainer of the Year and Male Artist of the Year. Keith, who is the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, loves to perform and entertain his fans.

    “I know the criteria isn’t purely about live performance, but I’ve always felt that that’s what it is, otherwise I thought it probably should be called Artist of the Year, but I always thought it’s called Entertainer of the Year,” says Keith. “I’ve always loved putting on concerts and tours and shows and really tried to put on something that’s incredibly entertaining and engaging. I probably obsess about that part of what I do equal to making records.”

    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 / Keith Urban talks about what he feels goes into a nomination for Entertainer of the Year.

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    Keith Urban (Entertainer of the Year nomination) OC: …extraordinary. :32
    “Well, I know the criteria isn’t purely about live performance, but I’ve always felt that that’s what it is, otherwise I thought it probably should be called Artist of the Year, but I always thought it’s called Entertainer of the Year. I’ve always loved putting on concerts and tours and shows and really tried to put on something that’s incredibly entertaining and engaging. I probably obsess about that part of what I do equal to making records.”

  • 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.”

  • 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

  • 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.”

  • DIERKS BENTLEY WILL PERFORM A FREE SHOW IN DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE DURING THE NFL DRAFT.

    Dierks Bentley is set to headline a free outdoor concert during the NFL Draft Weekend in Nashville next month.

    He’ll perform Saturday, April 27th at the Draft Main Stage in Downtown Nashville, and the show will also serve as the annual headlining concert for participants at the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon and Half Marathon.

    Tim McGraw will also perform a free outdoor concert on April 26th to kick off the NFL Draft, which is expected to draw more than 300,000 people to Nashville. According to WKRN.com (Nashville’s ABC affiliate), organizers are calling it “the largest festival footprint ever for an NFL Draft.” Gospel superstar CeCe Winans will sing the National Anthem to help open the Draft on April 25th.

    Dierks, who is climbing the country charts with his new song “Living,” is in the midst of his Burning Man Tour. The trek is set to make stops in Toledo and Columbus, Ohio and Grand Rapids, Michigan next weekend.

    The Arizona native received four ACM 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, as well as for Male Artist of the Year. 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

     

     

  • BROTHERS OSBORNE’S “I DON’T REMEMBER ME (BEFORE YOU)” IS REVEALED AT THE END.

    Brothers Osborne’s latest song, “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You),” came out of what their co-writer Shane McAnally told them during a writing session.

    “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,” says Brothers Osborne’s TJ Osborne. “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.”

    John and TJ also co-wrote the song, from their 2018 album Port Saint Joe, with Matt Dragstrem.

    Recently off of a sold-out three-night stay at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Brothers Osborne have four ACM 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 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.

    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.”

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (I Don't Remember Me) 1

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    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (I Don't Remember Me) 2

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    Video / I Don't Remember Me (Before You)

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  • 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.”

  • LAUREN ALAINA MAKES HER DEBUT PERFORMANCE ON NBC’S LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS.

    Multi-award-winning singer-songwriter Lauren Alaina heads to late night this Tuesday (February 19th) to sing her latest tune, “Ladies in the ’90s,” for her debut performance on NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”

    Lauren co-wrote “Ladies in the ’90s” with Jesse Frasure and Amy Wadge. The fun, upbeat song pays homage to an era and the artists who helped define Lauren’s youth and cultivate her love for music and song. Including nods to Alanis Morissette, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Madonna, Reba, Shania, and more, fans can listen to “Ladies in the ’90s” and hear Lauren’s full 90s playlist HERE

    As the reigning ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year, Lauren is also on one of the hottest tours of the year with Blake Shelton on the Friends And Heroes 2019 Tour. They are currently coming out of a huge opening weekend in Oklahoma City, Kansas City and Sioux Falls before heading to Indianapolis, Buffalo and Pittsburgh this weekend with upcoming dates Louisville, Jacksonville, St. Paul and more. For more information, visit www.LaurenAlainaOfficial.com.

    In addition to hitting the road with five major tours in the past 12 months alone (Luke Bryan, Alan Jackson, Cole Swindell, Jason Aldean and Cole Swindell/Dustin Lynch), Lauren has also earned back-to-back major awards for ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year and CMT Collaborative Video of the Year, she co-hosted the prestigious 12thAnnual ACM Honors, and she performed on the 38th annual broadcast of the top-rated PBS special “A Capitol Fourth” alongside music legends CeCe Winans, the Temptations, The Beach Boys, Pentatonix and more. For ABC’s CMA Fest TV special, Lauren joined her good friend Kane Brown for an electric performance of their now 4x Platinum-selling No. 1 hit, “What Ifs,” which went to No. 1 simultaneously topping five Billboard charts.

  • LAUREN ALAINA GIVES PROPS TO “LADIES IN THE 90s.”

    Lauren Alaina is making her way up the country charts with her latest song, “Ladies in the ‘90s), which she co-wrote to say thank you to the women she heard on the radio when she was a little girl dreaming of following in the footsteps of Martina, Faith, Shania, Reba and Dolly, as well as many other female artists.

    “I grew up in such an amazing time in country music where women were so dominate on the radio and so proud to be women. Unfortunately, in the last few years, there’s been a definite lack of female presence on the radio and I get asked about it all of the time. I never really know how to answer it. I don’t know how to fix it or why it’s happened. All I know is how powerful it is when women are heard on the radio,” says Lauren. “I grew up in a time where my dreams could come true because there were women doing it, and I believed I could be a female on the radio and be a songwriter and be a woman on stage, because Martina, Faith Hill, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, Shania, the Dixie Chicks – all of these women were doing it fearlessly and inspired me to become who I am, and I wanted to write a song for them to thank them and put a positive spin on my answer to why aren’t more women on the radio? My answer is I have no idea, but look how amazing it is when they are.”

    Lauren is set to hit the road with Blake Shelton on his Friends and Heroes Tour February 14th in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

    Audio / Lauren Alaina talks about her latest song, "Ladies in the 90s."

    Download

    Lauren Alaina (Ladies in the 90s) OC: …when they are. 1:02
    “I grew up in such an amazing time in country music where women were so dominate on the radio and so proud to be women. Unfortunately, in the last few years, there’s been a definite lack of female presence on the radio and I get asked about it all of the time. I never really know how to answer it. I don’t know how to fix it or why it’s happened. All I know is how powerful it is when women are heard on the radio. I grew up in a time where my dreams could come true because there were women doing it, and I believed I could be a female on the radio and be a songwriter and be a woman on stage, because Martina, Faith Hill, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, Shania, the Dixie Chicks – all of these women were doing it fearlessly and inspired me to become who I am, and I wanted to write a song for them to thank them and put a positive spin on my answer to why aren’t more women on the radio? My answer is I have no idea, but look how amazing it is when they are.”

    Audio / LINER Lauren Alaina (Ladies in the 90s)

    Download
  • 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.

  • LAUREN ALAINA DEBUTS NEW SINGLE ON ABC’S “DANCING WITH THE STARS” AND WILL JOIN BLAKE SHELTON’S FRIENDS AND HEROES 2019 TOUR.

    Multi-award-winning singer-songwriter and one of the hottest rising female artists in country music Lauren Alaina joins ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” this Monday, November 5th at 8p ET for a night of country music celebration. Lauren will perform her current radio hit, “Ladies in the ’90s” while contestant Alexis Ren and her partner Alan Bersten pair it with a lively Samba.

    Lauren co-wrote “Ladies in the ’90s” with Jesse Frasure and Amy Wadge. The fun, upbeat song pays homage to the era and inspiration for her career path and namechecks some of her favorite 90s songs from mentors and artists who played a role in her journey to today including “Strawberry Wine” (Deana Carter), “…Baby One More Time” (Britney  Spears), “Fancy” (Reba), “Genie In a Bottle” (Christina Aguilera), “Vogue” (Madonna), “Man, I Feel Like A Woman” (Shania), “Breathe” (Faith Hill), “Cowboy Take Me Away” (Dixie Chicks) and more. To listen to “Ladies In the ’90s” and hear Lauren’s 90s playlist click HERE.

    Lauren, the reigning ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year and current CMA New Artist of the Year nominee, is right now touring the country with Cole Swindell and Dustin Lynch for the Reason to Drink… Another Tour and she joins Blake Shelton as direct support for his recently announced Friends and Heroes 2019 Tour kicking off this February.

    In addition to hitting the road with five major tours in the past 12 months alone (Luke BryanAlan Jackson, Cole Swindell, Jason Aldean and Cole Swindell/Dustin Lynch), Lauren has also earned back-to-back major awards for ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year and CMT Collaborative Video of the Year, she co-hosted the prestigious 12thAnnual ACM Honors, and she performed on the 38th annual broadcast of the top-rated PBS special “A Capitol Fourth” alongside music legends CeCe Winans, the Temptations, The Beach Boys, Pentatonix and more. For ABC’s CMA Fest TV special, Lauren joined her good friend Kane Brown for an electric performance of their now TRIPLE Platinum® selling No. 1 hit, “What Ifs,” which went to No. 1 simultaneously topping five Billboard charts.

     

    For more information, music and tour dates, please visit www.LaurenAlainaOfficial.com and follow Lauren at @Lauren_Alaina on Twitter@LaurenAlaina on Instagram and Facebook. For videos, go to @LaurenAlainaAIVEVO on YouTube.

  • CMT’S ARTISTS OF THE YEAR CELEBRATE THE WOMEN OF COUNTRY MUSIC.

    Several of country music’s top female artists were honored during CMT’s Artists of the Year live special on Wednesday night (October 17th), including Carrie Underwood, Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman, as well as Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott and the Artist of a Lifetime recipient Loretta Lynn.

    LBT’s Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook honored their bandmates Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman. The two ladies then were joined by the legendary Gladys Knight for “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night.”

    Keith Urban celebrated his friend and “The Fighter” duet partner Carrie Underwood, before she hit the stage with her 2019 Cry Pretty Tour 360 opening acts Maddie & Tae and Runaway June with an all-woman medley hailing those who paved the way. The songs they performed include Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man,” Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5,” The Judds’ “Rockin’ with the Rhythm of the Rain,” Martina McBride’s “Independence Day,” Faith Hill’s “Wild One,” Reba’s “Why Haven’t I Heard From You” and Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman,” before launching into her recent smash hit, “Cry Pretty.”

    Carrie thanked all of the women in the country music industry she called “the backbone of this music” as she accepted her trophy, as well as praised all of the women artists. “To all of the incredible, amazing, talented women that have been on this stage tonight, you are not here because you are women. You are here because you are dang good. And it is an honor to get to share tonight with you.”

    Little Big Town’s Kimberly and Karen were overwhelmed in accepting their award and helped shine a light on all of the newer female artists who “are available” to be played on the radio by reading out all of their names during their speech.

    Dierks Bentley, along with Sheryl Crow, performed “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” in tribute to Loretta Lynn.

    One of the coolest moments of the night was when Oscar-winning actress Sissy Spacek, who portrayed Loretta Lynn in the iconic film Coal Miner’s Daughter, accepted the Artist of a Lifetime award for the Country Music Hall of Famer who was at home feeling under the weather. She praised their decades-long friendship and was visibly emotional when she talked about her “sister.”

    The CMT special will re-air multiple times beginning Friday (October 19th) at 1:30am ET and 7:30am ET, as well as various times over the weekend.

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  • LAUREN ALAINA RELEASES HER NEW SINGLE, “LADIES IN THE ’90s,” TODAY.

    Multi-award-winning singer-songwriter and one of the hottest rising female artists in country music, Lauren Alaina, releases her new single “Ladies in the ’90s” today (October 5th) after teasing her new song last month on Instagram, creating a firestorm of anticipation with her fans. “Ladies In the ’90s” has shipped to country radio and goes for official radio adds on October 15th.

    To purchase/stream “Ladies In the ’90s” click HERE.

    Lauren co-wrote “Ladies In the ’90s” with Jesse Frasure and Amy Wadge. The fun upbeat song pays homage to the era and inspiration for her career path and namechecks some of her favorite 90s songs from mentors and artists who played a role in her journey to today including “Strawberry Wine” (Deana Carter), “…Baby One More Time” (Britney  Spears), “Fancy” (Reba), “Genie In a Bottle” (Christina Aguilera), “Vogue” (Madonna), “Man, I Feel Like A Woman” (Shania), “Breathe” (Faith Hill), “Cowboy Take Me Away” (Dixie Chicks) and more.

     

    Known for her fun, high energy personality, Lauren is hosting ’90s themed VIP Parties as part of Cole Swindell and Dustin Lynch’s Reason To Drink … Another Tour.  The VIP packages include a special Q&A session with Lauren, an autographed poster, commemorative VIP Meet & Greet laminate, crowd-free merchandise shopping and more. Click HERE to purchase ’90s VIP ticket packages with Lauren. Tour dates and cities below.

     

    Lauren, a 2018 CMA New Artist of the Year nominee, has been riding a wave of career highlights this year including multi-award wins, national tv performances and continuing her rise in country music as part of some of this year’s biggest tours in country music. Lauren recently wrapped with Jason Aldean’s High Noon Neon Tour 2018 and just joined Cole Swindell and Dustin Lynch for the Reason To Drink…Another Tour which kicked off last night in Tuscaloosa, AL. The tour is slated to run through the end of 2018.

     

    In addition to hitting the road with five major tours in the past 12 months alone (Luke BryanAlan Jackson, Cole Swindell, Jason Aldean and now, Cole Swindell/Dustin Lynch), Lauren has also earned back-to-back major awards for ACM New Female Artist of the Year and CMT Collaborative Video of the Year, she co-hosted the prestigious 12thAnnual ACM Honors, and she performed on the 38th annual broadcast of the top-rated PBS special “A Capitol Fourth” alongside music legends like CeCe Winans, the Temptations, The Beach Boys, Pentatonix and more. For ABC’s CMA Fest TV special, Lauren joined her good friend Kane Brown for an electric performance of their now TRIPLE Platinum® selling No. 1 hit, “What Ifs,” which went to No. 1 simultaneously topping five Billboard charts.

     

    For Lauren’s “Ladies In the ’90s” Playlist click HERE.

     

    Reason To Drink… Another Tour with Cole Swindell and Dustin Lynch

    Oct 4               Tuscaloosa, AL                       Tuscaloosa Amphitheatre

    Oct 5               Simpsonville, SC                     Heritage Park Amphitheatre

    Oct 6               Huntsville, AL                         Von Braun Arena

    Oct 11             Wallingford, CT                       Toyota Oakdale Theatre

    Oct 12             Worcester, MA                        DCU Event Center

    Oct 13             Richmond, VA                         Richmond Coliseum

    Oct 19             Sugarland, TX                         Smart Financial Center

    Oct 20             New Braunfels, TX                 White Water Amphitheatre

    Oct 25             Missoula, MT                          Adams Center

    Oct 26             Bozeman, MT                         Brick Breeden Fieldhouse

    Oct 27             Bismarck, ND                         Bismarck Events Center

    Nov 1              San Jose, CA                           SJSU Event Center

    Nov 2              Bakersfield, CA                       Rabobank Arena

    Nov 3              Phoenix, AZ                            Comerica Theatre

    Nov 8              Minneapolis, MN                     The Armory

    Nov 9              Kearney, NE                            Viaero Event Center

    Nov 10            Wichita, KS                              INTRUST Bank Arena

    Nov 29            Duluth, GA                              Infinite Energy Arena

    Nov 30            Jackson, MS                            Mississippi Coliseum

    Dec 1              Tupelo, MS                               BancorpSouth Arena

    Dec 6              Evansville, IN                           Ford Center

    Dec 7              Moline, IL                                 TaxSlayer Center

    Dec 8              Highland Heights, KY              BB&T Arena

    Dec 13            Bossier City, LA                       CenturyLink Center

    Dec 14            New Orleans, LA                     Champions Square

     

    About Lauren Alaina:
    Country star Lauren Alaina’s critically-acclaimed sophomore album, Road Less Traveled, landed on multiple “Best Of” lists including Billboard, Rolling Stone and Amazon, and it became the top-streamed female country album release of 2017. Praised as “full of life lessons and uplift” (PEOPLE), the collection of 12 songs all written by the young star includes Lauren’s first No. 1 smash, “Road Less Traveled,” the Top 25 hit “Doin’ Fine,” and the deeply personal and inspiring, “Three.” The “sassy Southerner with killer pipes” (PARADE) has shared the stage with superstars including Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Martina McBride, Jason Aldean and the Georgia native is currently on tour with Cole Swindell and Dustin Lynch. In addition to earning nominations for ACM Vocal Event of the Year and Billboard Music’s Top Country Song awards, Lauren took home this year’s ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year Award and CMT Collaborative Video of the Year Award for “What Ifs,” the triple-platinum selling No. 1 hit with childhood friend, Kane Brown. Lauren is one of CMT’s Next Women of Country and she received her first CMT Music Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year with her No. 1 hit “Road Less Traveled.”  Following the release of Road Less Traveled, Lauren has received nominations for the ACM Awards, CMA Awards, CMT Music Awards, Teen Choice Awards, Radio Disney Awards and Billboard Music Awards.

    For more information and tour dates, please visit http://laurenalainaofficial.com/and follow Lauren at @Lauren_Alaina on Twitter, @laurenalaina on Instagram and on Facebook. For videos go to her YouTube (@LaurenAlainaAIVEVO)

  • 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.”

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD IS EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE OF HER HUSBAND’S DECISION TO RETURN TO THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS.

    Carrie Underwood’s husband, Mike Fisher, announced his retirement after the NHL’s Nashville Predators went to the Stanley Cup last year, and then announced his return earlier this year. She said after he revealed he was going back to play hockey for the Preds, she received some pretty funny texts from friends.

    “After Mike announced that he was going back to play for the Predators, I got so many text messages, like ‘Couldn’t stand to have him home any more, could you? Ha ha ha ha.” I found that so funny because, honestly, he was just as busy when he wasn’t playing for them as he was when he was playing with the Predators,” says Carrie. “But I was very supportive and encouraging and maybe a little bit pushy, honestly, to get him to go back to play for them. I’m like, ‘Omigosh! This team is incredible. These fans are incredible. This town is incredible. One more run, baby. Come on. You can do it.’”

    She was very supportive of his decision, adding, “Definitely understanding that I don’t know the physical aspects or what it takes to be a hockey player, it’s got to be a lot. But I, in the end, wanted him to do what would make him happy and ultimately what he felt like he was being led to do. I guess he felt like he was led to play one last time; one more playoff, so here we go.”

    In Round One Game One on Thursday night, the Predators topped the Avalanche, 5-2, to take a 1-0 series lead.

    Carrie just released her new single, “Cry Pretty,” which she’ll perform for the first time on the ACM Awards this Sunday (April 15th). Carrie is up for two awards – Female Vocalist of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year for “The Fighter” with Keith Urban.

    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 / Carrie Underwood talks about husband Mike Fisher returning to the Nashville Predators this season.

    Download

    Carrie Underwood (Mike Fisher going back to Preds) OC: …here we go. :58
    “It’s so funny. After Mike announced that he was going back to play for the Predators, I got so many text messages, like ‘Couldn’t stand to have him home any more, could you? Ha ha ha ha.” I found that so funny because honestly, he was just as busy when he wasn’t playing for them as he was when he was playing with the Predators. But I was very supportive and encouraging and maybe a little bit pushy, honestly, to get him to go back to play for them. I’m like, ‘Omigosh! This team is incredible. These fans are incredible. This town is incredible. One more run, baby. Come on. You can do it.’ You know, definitely understanding that I don’t know the physical aspects or what it takes to be a hockey player. It’s got to be, it’s got to be a lot, but I, in the end, wanted him to do what would make him happy and ultimately what he felt like he was being led to do. I guess he felt like he was led to play one last time; one more playoff, so here we go.”

  • 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.”

  • ACM AWARDS ‘ACM FLASHBACKS’ COLLABORATIONS.

    The Academy of Country Music® revealed today an expanded lineup of superstar collaborations and must-see performances for the 53RD ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™, Country Music’s Party of the Year®.  The 53rd ACM Awards®, hosted by Reba McEntire, will broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network.

    For the first time, the Academy of Country Music Awards will debut “ACM Flashbacks” to honor classic country music hits and/or the artists whose music continues to influence musicians and fans alike. With this new feature, the ACM Awards will celebrate hits from a specific year, or honor an individual artist and their accomplishments through unique collaborations and one-of-a-kind renditions of their iconic songs. This year, the awards telecast will honor three of country music’s hit songs from 1993 with Toby Keith and Blake Shelton performing Keith’s celebrated No.1 debut single “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” Alan Jackson and Jon Pardi performing Jackson’s ACM Award-winning hit “Chattahoochee,” and Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson performing Reba’s GRAMMY® Award-winning hit “Does He Love You.”

    Additional collaborations include Kane Brown and Lauren Alaina performing the multi-platinum, No. 1 hit “What Ifs,” Keith Urban and Julia Michaels performing Urban’s new single “Coming Home,” plus previously announced Bebe Rexha with Florida Georgia Line performing the chart-topping hit “Meant to Be.”

     

    Also, Dan + Shay, Darius Rucker and Chris Young will join the lineup of previously announced solo performances by Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Midland, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood and Brett Young. Previously announced presenters include David Boreanaz, Drew Brees, AJ Buckley, Cam, Sam Elliot, Eve, Ashton Kutcher, Dustin Lynch, Nancy O’Dell, Rebecca Romijn, Max Thieriot and Lindsey Vonn.

  • LAUREN ALAINA WINS THE ACM AWARD FOR NEW FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR.

    Lauren Alaina has been named the ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year. She was surprised by a phone call from none other than Reba McEntire who rang her up to give her the news while she was getting ready for a show in Kentucky over the weekend.

    “Honest-to-God, it’s the most speechless I’ve ever been,” says Lauren. “Like, I was on the phone with Reba McEntire and could not formulate words. Like I was really feeling dumb, but I sobbed. I’ve cried ever since. It’s the biggest deal ever, and it’s just an accomplishment because my peers voted for it and the people that I respect in this industry voted for it. It’s like a different level of confirmation or something.”

    Lauren, who is making her way up the country charts with “Doin’ Fine,” is also nominated for Vocal Event of the Year for “What Ifs,” a duet with buddy Kane Brown.

    The 53rd Annual ACM Awards will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 15th at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Audio / Lauren Alaina talks about her reaction upon learning she won the ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year Award.

    Download

    Lauren Alaina (ACM Award reaction) OC: …confirmation or something. :52
    “While I’m sitting there getting ready on the bus, [my manager] Trisha’s phone rings, which I mean I’m just getting ready, not paying any attention. She’s talking on the phone and she says, ‘Okay, here she is. Lauren, there’s a call for you.’ She puts it on speaker, and I’m like, ‘Hello.’ And it sounds like Reba! She says, ‘Tell me where you are,’ and I’m like, ‘I’m in Kentucky. Who is this?’ She said, ‘It’s Reba McEntire calling to tell you you’ve won the ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year.’ And I’m like, I can’t still even form words. Honest-to-God, it’s the most speechless I’ve ever been. Like, I was on the phone with Reba McEntire and could not formulate words. Like I was really feeling dumb, but I sobbed. I’ve cried ever since. It’s the biggest deal ever, and it’s just an accomplishment because my peers voted for it and the people that I respect in this industry voted for it. It’s like a different level of confirmation or something.”

  • LAUREN ALAINA CROWNED ACM NEW FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR.

    the Academy of Country Music revealed its New Female Vocalist of the Year Award-winner, Lauren Alaina. Lauren received the special news with a surprise phone call from one of her heroes and this year’s ACM Awards host, Reba McEntire. View HERE.

     “This award is for so much more than just me,” says Lauren. “This award is for all the people who want to give up- Don’t. This award is proof that you can achieve what you want to achieve and get where you want to go.  Today, all of my dreams have come true.”

    This marks the first-ever ACM Award for Lauren, who is also nominated for Vocal Event of the Year for “What Ifs,” a collaboration with her childhood friend, Kane Brown. Additionally, Lauren is scheduled to perform on the 53rd Annual ACM Awards broadcast airing LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15 at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Lauren released her Road Less Traveled album last year and it became the top-streamed female country release of 2017. Lauren is also the only female vocalist to land two No. 1 country radio singles in 2017 with her empowering hit, “Road Less Traveled,” and with the Double Platinum-selling Brown collaboration, “What Ifs.” Currently climbing country radio’s Top 30 is Lauren’s latest, “Doin’ Fine.”

    Fans can find Lauren out on the road now with Cole Swindell’s Reason to Drink Tour and this summer, with Jason Aldean’s High Noon Neon Tour.

    For more information, visit www.LaurenAlainaOfficial.com.

  • 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
  • BENTLEY CALLS FOR FANS TO SUBMIT PHOTOS TO HAVE A CHANCE TO BE PART OF HIS LIVE PERFORMANCE OF “WOMAN, AMEN” DURING THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    The Academy of Country Music® announced today that ACM Awards® nominee and performer Dierks Bentley will provide fans with an incredible chance to be a part of the live broadcast performance of his hit, “Woman, Amen,” at the 53rd ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™. Starting today, fans are invited to submit images of their everyday female heroes (e.g., mom, sister, wife, relative, friend, co-worker, doctor, teammate, coach) for consideration to be featured on screens behind Bentley during the live telecast of his performance.

    You could be a part of the celebratory anthem by submitting a personal picture you have taken of the woman in your life who you want to honor. Images should be taken on a solid, neutral colored background and must be posted via Twitter or Instagram with the official hashtag #WomanAmenACM by Wednesday, April 4. Complete program rules and additional ideas can be viewed here: cbs.com/dierks.

    The 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 15th at 8pm ET/PT on CBS.

    Dierks is currently making his way up the country charts with his latest hit, “Woman, Amen,” which is from his upcoming album, The Mountain, due out later this year.

  • LUKE BRYAN AND DIERKS BENTLEY WILL PERFORM DURING THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley are among the initial list of performers announced for this year’s ACM Awards. They’re joined by Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett and Bebe Rexha.

    Luke is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, an award he’s won twice, and Dierks is nominated for Video of the Year for “Black,” which stars his wife Cassidy.

    The 53rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba, will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 15th beginning at 8pm ET/PT on CBS.

  • LUKE BRYAN WILL HAVE A LITTLE FREE TIME IN LAS VEGAS NEXT MONTH.

    Luke Bryan and his pal Dierks Bentley won’t be returning as hosts for this year’s ACM Awards; instead Reba McEntire will be taking back the reins for a record 15th turn as host, a post she hasn’t held since 2012.

    The new American Idol judge feels great about handing back the microphone, but he suddenly finds next month’s calendar a bit open, since he’s usually had a very strict regimen in the days leading up to and including the ACM Awards. So, he’s going to fill that time with some favorite activities.

    “It’ll be a new experience for me,” says Luke. “I’ve kind of almost trained myself to handle the ACMs with a strict schedule and a lot of times I would go a couple of days where I wouldn’t get to see my wife or hang with any friends out there. So, to be going to the ACM’s and not hosting and to have more time on my hands, it’ll be interesting ‘cause I got so conditioned to being so busy out there. So, hey, I’m gonna enjoy some pool time. I’m gonna enjoy some gambling. I might go even see some sights while I’m in Las Vegas, and I might even get to smooch on my wife a little bit. It’s gonna be a great ACM season this year.”

    Luke, who is zooming up the country charts with “Most People Are Good,” is nominated once again for Entertainer of the Year at next month’s ACM Awards.

    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.

    Luke will play the Houston Rodeo on March 8th, and is set to continue his What Makes You Country Tour March 9th in Lafayette, Louisiana.

    Audio / Luke Bryan isn’t hosting the ACM Awards with his buddy Dierks Bentley this year, so he’s going to fill his free time with some activities he hasn’t been able to enjoy for a few years.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (ACMs free time) OC: …this year. :43
    “It’ll be a new experience for me. I’ve kind of almost trained myself to handle the ACMs with a strict schedule and a lot of times I would go a couple of days where I wouldn’t get to see my wife or hang with any friends out there. So, to be going to the ACM’s and not hosting and to have more time on my hands, it’ll be interesting ‘cause I got so conditioned to being so busy out there. So, hey, I’m gonna enjoy some pool time. I’m gonna enjoy some gambling., I might go even see some sights while I’m in Las Vegas, and I might even get to smooch on my wife a little bit. It’s gonna be a great ACM season this year.”

  • 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.”

     

    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.”

  • LUKE BRYAN, ALAN JACKSON, LADY A, LBT AND CB30 PERFORM DURING THE ENCORE PRESENTATION OF THE CMA COUNTRY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL AIRING THURSDAY.

    Country Music’s biggest names celebrate the holidays with an encore presentation of “CMA Country Christmas,” airing this Thursday, Dec. 21st at 9/8c on ABC.

    The eighth annual “CMA Country Christmas” returns with first-time host and iconic entertainer Reba McEntire and features two hours of festive performances from Nashville’s famed Grand Ole Opry House by Luke Bryan, CB30, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Dustin Lynch, Kelsea Ballerini, Reba, CeCe Winans, Trisha Yearwood and Chris Young. Don’t miss fantastic collaborations by Ballerini and Reba, Little Big Town and Reba, and Jackson and Young.

    Visit CMApress.com for artist interviews and performance clips. For more information, visit CMAChristmas.com and follow us on Twitter @Countrymusic.

  • DIERKS BENTLEY IS ANNOUNCED AS THE RECIPIENT OF THE CRS 2018 ARTIST HUMANITARIAN AWARD.

    The Country Radio Broadcasters have announced multi-PLATINUM singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley as the recipient of the CRS 2018 Artist Humanitarian Award, presented by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and Dan Halyburton, Owner of Falls Media Group, as the recipient of the CRS 2018 Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award. Both individuals will be recognized at Country Radio Seminar 2018, following the Opening Ceremonies on Monday, Feb. 5, 2018.

    The CRB Artist Humanitarian Award was created in 1990 by the organization’s board to honor Country music artists who have exhibited exceptional humanitarian efforts during their career.  Past recipients of the annual award have included Zac Brown, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Garth Brooks, Charlie Daniels, among others.

    Award-winning entertainer Dierks Bentley has demonstrated his dedication to giving back nation-wide through many charitable initiatives and events, as he has raised over $4 million for charities through his “Miles & Music For Kids” all-star motorcycle ride and concert, including Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across the country. Additionally, in 2013 Bentley partnered with KMLE and KAFF as they organized and hosted the Country Cares Concert in Arizona, raising more than half a million dollars for the families of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. His first-ever song written and recorded for a motion picture, “Hold The Light,” featured in Columbia Pictures and Black Label Media’s Only The Brave embodies the spirit of the true heroism behind the firefighters depicted in the film. Bentley has also put the spotlight on local Nashville non-profit organizations such as Safe Haven Family Shelter, as his raw music video for “Riser” magnified a true story and the struggles of a formerly homeless mother.
  • LUKE, LADY A, LBT. ALAN AND MORE PERFORM DURING THE CMA COUNTRY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL.

    Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Alan Jackson and CB30 are set to perform during this year’s CMA Country Christmas airing Monday (November 27th) at 8pm ET on ABC.  Hosted by Reba McEntire, the two-hour special will also feature performances by Brett Eldredge, Trisha Yearwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Chris Young, Dan + Shay and CeCe Winans.

    CMA has partnered with Balsam Hill, the leading provider of beautiful, highly realistic, artificial Christmas trees and holiday décor, to decorate the “CMA Country Christmas” stage in 2017. Learn more about Balsam Hill at balsamhill.com.

    Toys for Tots collected unwrapped toys from performers including Dan + Shay and CB30 in addition to generous audience members attending “CMA Country Christmas” at Nashville’s Grand Old Opry House. To learn more about donating to Toys for Tots throughout the holidays, visit toysfortots.org.

    Video / Luke Bryan answers Christmas questions

    View

    Video / Quick takes with CB30

    View

    Video / Quick takes with Lady Antebellum

    View
  • 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

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke, Lady A, LBT, Alan, Darius, Shania

    Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Alan Jackson, CB30 will all perform during this year’s CMA Country Christmas. The show, hosted by Reba McEntire for the first time, will air November 27th at 8pm ET on ABC. Dustin Lynch, Brett Eldredge, Kelsea Ballerini, Trisha Yearwood, Chris Young, Dustin Lynch, CeCe Winans and Dan + Shay will also perform during the show, which will be held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.

    Darius Rucker will perform “Winter Wonderland” during ABC’s The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration this year. The show will premiere November 30th at 9pm ET, as well as “Home for the Holidays” during Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration on Christmas Day.

    The new revamp of American Idol, starring Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry as judges, will premiere Sunday, March 11th on ABC.

    Shania Twain is featured in the new free mobile game Home Street, as an in-game character throughout the month of November. The international superstar, who recently released her new album NOW, is the first guest character to appear in the game.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

     

     

  • 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.

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD WILL BE INDUCTED INTO THE OKLAHOMA HALL OF FAME.

    The Oklahoma Hall of Fame officially announced its 90th Class of 2017 honorees. Seven-time GRAMMY® Award winner Carrie Underwood is among those who will be honored at the induction ceremony in Oklahoma City on Thursday, November 16 at the Cox Convention Center. The evening will be emceed by past Oklahoma Hall of Fame inductees Vince Gill and Kristin Chenoweth.

    “I’ve always been proud to say I’m from Oklahoma,” shared Carrie. “The people, culture, and environment molded me into the person I am today. It’s such an honor to be recognized among such great company by the Oklahoma Hall of Fame!”

    The 2017 Class also includes Justice Tom Colbert, Sapulpa; Congressman Tom Cole, Moore; Bob Funk, Piedmont; Shannon Miller, Edmond; Phil Parduhn, Edmond; Hal Smith, Ardmore; and Carrie Underwood, Checotah.  Those individuals who will be honored posthumously are Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, Chickasha; and Sequoyah, the Cherokee Nation I.T. Previous inductees include Toby Keith, Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton and more 

    Along with being honored at the formal induction ceremony, the 2017 Honorees will be recognized in November with the unveiling of their portraits at the Gaylord-Pickens Museum, home of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.  In addition, their biographies, photos and fun facts will be accessible through interactive exhibits. 

    About Carrie 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 Hearts, Carnival Ride, Play 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 creative 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 claimed her fourth win in the category amid the ongoing success of her chart-topping platinum fifth studio album, Storyteller, which produced four #1 hits.
  • CMT MUSIC AWARDS 2017: Brothers O, Carrie, Darius, Dierks, Jon, Keith, Lady Antebellum, Lauren, Little Big Town, Luke

    Keith Urban leads the list of nominees with four for this year’s CMT Music Awards, tying with Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini for most nominations. He’s up for Video of the Year for “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” as well as Male Video, Collaborative Video for “The Fighter” featuring Carrie Underwood and Social Superstar.

    Voting is now open and continues until June 5th at CMT.com.

    The CMT Music Awards, featuring performances from Luke Bryan and many others, will air live from Nashville’s Music City Center on Wednesday, June 7th at 8pm ET.
    VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

    Artists of Then, Now & Forever “Forever Country”

    Brad Paisley “Today”

    Brett Eldredge “Wanna Be That Song”

    Carrie Underwood “Church Bells”

    Cole Swindell “Middle Of A Memory”

    Dierks Bentley and Elle King “Different For Girls”

    Florida Georgia Line “H.O.L.Y.”

    Jon Pardi “Dirt On My Boots”

    Keith Urban “Blue Ain’t Your Color”

    Kelsea Ballerini “Peter Pan”

    Little Big Town “Better Man”

    Luke Bryan “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day”

    Miranda Lambert “Vice”

    Thomas Rhett “Star of the Show”


    FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

    Carrie Underwood “Church Bells”

    Kelsea Ballerini “Peter Pan”

    Lauren Alaina “Road Less Traveled”

    Maren Morris “80s Mercedes”

    Miranda Lambert “Vice”

    Reba McEntire “Back To God”

     

    MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

    Blake Shelton “Came Here To Forget”

    Eric Church “Record Year”

    Jason Aldean “Lights Come On”

    Keith Urban “Blue Ain’t Your Color”

    Luke Bryan “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day”

    Thomas Rhett “Star of the Show”

     

    DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

    Big & Rich Feat. Tim McGraw “Lovin’ Lately”

    Brothers Osborne “21 Summer”

    Dan + Shay “How Not To”

    Florida Georgia Line “H.O.L.Y.”

    LOCASH “I Know Somebody”

     

    GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

    Eli Young Band “Saltwater Gospel”

    Lady Antebellum “You Look Good”

    Little Big Town “Better Man”

    Midland “Drinkin’ Problem”

    Old Dominion “Song For Another Time”

     

    BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

    Brett Young “In Case You Didn’t Know”

    Jon Pardi “Dirt On My Boots”

    Kane Brown “Used to Love You Sober”

    Lauren Alaina “Road Less Traveled”

    Luke Combs “Hurricane”

    Raelynn “Love Triangle”

     

    COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

    Artists of Then, Now & Forever “Forever Country”

    Chris Young Feat. Vince Gill “Sober Saturday Night”

    Dierks Bentley Feat. Elle King “Different for Girls”

    Florida Georgia Line Feat. Tim McGraw “May We All”

    Keith Urban Feat. Carrie Underwood “The Fighter”

    Kenny Chesney With Pink “Setting the World on Fire”

     

    CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR:

    Jason Aldean “Hicktown (From CMT Concert of the Summer)”

    Jason Derulo and Luke Bryan “Want to Want Me (From CMT Crossroads)”

    John Mellencamp and Darius Rucker “Pink Houses (From CMT Crossroads)”

    Alicia Keys and Maren Morris “80s Mercedes (From CMT Crossroads)”

    Meghan Trainor, Jill Scott and Kelsea Ballerini “You’re Still the One/Any Man of Mine/Man I Feel Like a Woman (From CMT Artists of the Year)”

    Nick Jonas and Thomas Rhett “Close (From CMT Crossroads)”

     

    SOCIAL SUPERSTAR:

    Brett Eldredge

    Jake Owen

    Keith Urban

    Kelsea Ballerini

    Lauren Alaina

    Thomas Rhett

  • 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

  • LITTLE BIG TOWN ADDS MORE DATES TO THEIR RYMAN RESIDENCY.

    Due to high demand, Grammy and Emmy Award-winning vocal group Little Big Town today announced the expansion of their highly-anticipated Ryman Residency, “Little Big Town at the Mother Church,” with additional dates including July 28th, July 29th, and November 27th. Additional dates will be announced later in the year.
    Little Big Town’s residency, the only year-long artist residency in the historic venue’s 125 history, was first announced alongside Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and Ryman Auditorium General Manager Sally Williams in November. Previously announced dates include February 24th& 25th, May 19th& 20th  and September 15th& 16th. Each show will feature different support acts andsurprise special guests, with opener Brett Cobb scheduled on February 24th and Ashley Monroe scheduled on February 25th.
    Tickets and special two-day packages for the newly-announced shows will go on saleFriday, February 10th at 10:00 a.m. CT via ticketmaster.com and ryman.com andwill be available online only. Pre-sale tickets will be available via www.littlebigtown.com/tour starting today at 7pm CT. Tickets forthe 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 BigTown’s new album, The Breaker, scheduled to be released on February 24, 2017.Also on Friday, CID Entertainment will offer additional VIP experiences. Visit www.littlebigtown.com/tour for more information.
    The launch of “Little Big Town at the Mother Church” coincideswith the reigning CMA and ACM Vocal Group of the Year’s seventh studio album, The Breaker, out February 24. Produced by Jay Joyce, the album features the #1 Billboard Hot CountrySong hit, “Better Man,” which is currently Top 5 at Country Radio. Starting today, The Breaker is available for pre-order and features two instant-grattracks, “Happy People” and “Better Man.” To pre-order The Breaker, visit Http://umgn.us/LBTBREAKER .
    ABOUT LITTLE BIG TOWN
    Grammy Award-winninggroup, Little Big Town — consisting of members Karen Fairchild,Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook — firstentered the music scene more than 18 years ago with hits such as “Boondocks,””Bring It On Home,” “Good As Gone” and the Grammy-nominatedsingle “Little White Church.” Withalbums Tornado and Pain Killer, they have seen massive successwith #1 singles “Pontoon,” “Tornado,” “DayDrinking,” and most recently the history-making, best-selling countrysingle of 2015, with “Girl Crush.” In October of 2014, the groupfulfilled a career milestone and lifelong dream when Reba McIntire asked themto become the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry; two weeks later, they wereinducted. Little Big Town has earned almost 40 award show nominations and inthe past five years has taken home nearly 20 awards, including multiple Grammy,CMA and ACM awards, and an Emmy award. They are the reigning CMA Vocal Group ofthe Year and recently won the same award for the fifth consecutive year. At the2016 Grammy Awards Little Big Town won “Best Country Group/Duo Performance,”and “Girl Crush” received the honor for “Best Country Song.” The group recentlyreceived honors from the Academy of Country Music for Vocal Group of the Yearand Vocal Event of the Year with Miranda Lambert, and the group was alsorecognized with the Crystal Milestone Award. At the recent Billboard AwardsLittle Big Town and “Girl Crush” were nominated for Top Country Song aswell as Chart Achievement Award, and the group was also honored as the 2016Music Business Association Artist of the Year. Little Big Town recentlyreleased their brand new single “Better Man” to country radio which iscurrently #6 on the charts. “Better Man” is the first single off of the group’sforthcoming seventh studio album entitled The Breaker which isset for release February 24, 2017. On the same night, the Ryman Auditorium andLittle Big Town will kick-off the historic venues first-ever residency, “LittleBig Town At The Mother Church.”  For more information, visit LittleBigTown.com or follow them @littlebigtown.

    Audio / The members of Little Big Town are looking forward to their Ryman residency, which kicks off later this month.

    Download

    LBT (Ryman residency) OC: (Phillip) …me too. 1:34
    PHILLIP: “I think we feel a responsibility to honor that place and what it represents; what it represents to us personally, but us being the face of the first artist to ever do this at The Ryman is just so amazing. I can’t even describe it, really. I feel kind of silly talking about it ‘cause it’s just like a sacred place. I don’t know why it is, but it is. When Jimi was first coming to Nashville – he found this video — and he’s singing a song on the steps of The Ryman on the street.” KAREN: “We have to share that with everybody. It’s so cool.” JIMI: “I was 23, or 24, and I was visiting Nashville for the first time and of course we had been all over. It was just me and a bunch of guy friends of mine and we were having a few cocktails and walking around town, and iit was probably after midnight, one or two in the morning. And I have a video of it of me walking up on the steps of The Ryman, and I sang “I Love the Way You Love Me,” which was a huge song that year. So, I sing this little chorus, and then I go, ‘Jimi Westbrook of the Grand Ole Opry’ or something like that. It’s really cool to actually have had that moment and then turn around and now we’re the first people to have a residency there, it’s mindblowing. I would’ve never, even though I was dreaming big, I don’t know if I really thought that would happen or not. I hpeed and dreamed, but it’s amazing. What an unbelievable place and to be able to come back and do some special things and invite some friends. It’s gonna be a lot of fun. I can’t wait to see what happens.” PHILLIP: “Me too.”

  • CANAAN SMITH RETURNS TO THE U.K. FOR HIS ‘BACK FOR MORE TOUR.’

    canaan

    Canaan Smith returns to the U.K. in March joining Brad Paisley, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne and more for the annual C2C: Country to Country music festival. Following the festival, Canaan heads out on a seven-date U.K. Back For More Tour kicking off March 14TH in Glasgow.

    Canaan toured the U.K. with the popular British duo The Shires this fall and while there, the Virginia-native fell right into step with country fans across the pond.

     

    “Touring with The Shires last year was a blast,” shares Canaan. “We made a bunch of friends and I can’t wait to get back for another round.”

     

    Canaan was named an Artist To Watch by The Huffington Post, USA Today, Yahoo! Music, Spotify and Rolling Stone. With the singer/songwriter’s first full-length album in 2015, Canaan’s Bronco debuted Top 5 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart. The 11-track album includes the RIAA Platinum-certified No. 1 hit “Love You Like That” plus the ultimate country party song, “Hole in the Bottle.”

     

    Back For More Tour Dates:

    March 14         Glasgow, Scotland                  King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut

    March 15         Birmingham, England             O2 Institute3

    March 16         Manchester, England              The Deaf Institute

    March 18         Bristol, England                      Thekla

    March 19         Portsmouth, England              The Wedgewood Rooms

    March 20         Brighton, England                  Concord 2

    March 21         London, England                    Bush Hall

     

    Tickets go on sale this Friday, Jan. 27 on www.CanaanSmith.com.

     

    For more information on Canaan and the Back for More Tour, visit www.CanaanSmith.com.

     

    High Resolution Art Available Upon Request

    Photo Credit: Jeremy Cowart

  • 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.

  • GEORGE STRAIT, ALAN JACKSON AND VINCE GILL ARE AMONG THE PERFORMERS ADDED TO THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    George Strait, Alan Jackson and Vince Gill are among the former CMA Entertainer of the Year winners set to perform on next week’s CMA Awards. Alabama, Brooks & Dunn, Charley Pride and Reba will also perform during the show.

    This illustrious group of performers is among the most lauded artists in CMA Awards history with a combined 375 nominations and 94 wins, including 14 for the CMA Awards’ top honor: Entertainer of the Year. As if that weren’t enough, Brooks & Dunn, Gill, Pride and Reba have all hosted Country Music’s Biggest Night™.

    “These superstars have been an important part of our legacy and have contributed so much to our current success,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “We are delighted they are going to be part of this important milestone anniversary.”

    Each of the artists also participated in “Forever Country,” a tribute to the CMA Awards which featured 30 CMA Award winning acts appearing in a medley of Country classics including John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” The song and music video have been toppings sales and airplay charts around the globe.

    Another Hall of Fame member, Vince holds the record for hosting the CMA Awards with 12 turns at the podium (1992-2003). He has 53 CMA Awards nominations and 18 wins including five consecutive trophies for Male Vocalist (1991-1995) and two wins for Entertainer of the Year (1993, 1994).

    Alan has 81 CMA Awards nominations and 16 wins including two for Male Vocalist (2002, 2003) and three for Entertainer of the Year (1995, 2002, 2003).

    George Strait is also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and is the most awarded artist in CMA Awards history with 83 nominations and 23 wins including five for Male Vocalist (1985,1986, 1996-1998) and three for Entertainer of the Year (1989, 1990, 2013).

    Previously announced performers include Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Eric Church, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Garth Brooks with Trisha Yearwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.

    The 50th Annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday, November 2nd (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC.

  • FOREVER COUNTRY: Alan Jackson, Kacey Musgraves, Lady A, Rascal Flatts

    The video for “Forever Country,” the song and biggest music video in Country Music history, made its international premiere this week at ForeverCountry50.com. The star-studded single is available for streaming and download.

    Featured artists in the video include the following CMA Award winners: Alabama, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Luke BryanEric ChurchBrett EldredgeVince GillFaith HillAlan JacksonLady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Martina McBrideTim McGraw, Ronnie MilsapKacey MusgravesWillie NelsonBrad PaisleyDolly PartonCharley PrideRascal FlattsRebaDarius Rucker, Blake Shelton, George StraitRandy Travis, Carrie UnderwoodKeith Urban and Trisha Yearwood.

    “Forever Country” is a fresh take on three Country classics: John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”

    “Forever Country,” the single was produced by CMA Award winner and CMA Board member Shane McAnally, and the video was directed by Grammy Award-winning director Joseph Kahn.

    The 50th Annual CMA Awards will be hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and broadcast live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, November 2nd (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC.


    Audio / Alan Jackson talks about “Forever Country.”

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    Alan Jackson (Forever Country) 1 OC: …for somebody. :17
    “Well, I knew it was the 50th Anniversary, so I was hoping they would come up with something interesting to do and something cool that would include a lot of artists. So, that’s what this is and I think they’ve done a good job with it, and it was hard to narrow down three songs and to narrow down all the artists too. It was a tough job for somebody.”

    Audio / Alan Jackson talks about the three songs that make up “Forever Country.”

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    Alan Jackson (Forever Country) 2 OC: …very cool. :13
    “When I first heard which songs they were using and I knew they were going to mix them up, I knew it was going to take a lot of thinking for somebody to make all those mesh together but when I heard the track it actually turned out pretty cool, very cool.”



    Audio / Kacey Musgraves talks about being a part of “Forever Country.”

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    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.”

    Audio / Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott explains how they were approached to take part in “Forever Country.”

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    Lady Antebellum (Forever Country) OC: …around us.  :29
    We got approached by Shane McAnally through our management and we thought it was really interesting. Obviously being able to be a part of the 5oth year of the CMAs, the anniversary of that, it’s a huge milestone for country music and to be included was awesome and the songs that they chose, I mean it doesn’t get more iconic and legendary than that and then the company we’re in? Goodness, it’s our heroes all around us.”



    Audio / Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley talks about the songs that make up “Forever Country.”

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    Lady Antebellum (Forever Country) 2 OC: …massive songs. :51
    “I think I guess it puts our own stamp having three voices on that song which would separate it of course from the original but you know, what I thought was really cool was that all these songs represented are country songs that have also kind of crossed over in a way. They’re big, popular songs. ‘Country Roads’ was actually more of a pop song that turned into a country song and then you’ve got, of course, ‘I Will Always Love You’ which was a country song that then turned into a big pop song so I think that’s very representative too of where country music is right now – a genre that really does skirt the line and it is such a broad appeal and it always has been but it’s really cool to kind of be singing songs that weren’t just country songs. These are just iconic, massive songs.”

    Audio / Rascal Flatts’ Gary LeVox talks about “Forever Country.”

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    Rascal Flatts (Forever Country) 1 OC: …fun to do. :32
    Gary LeVox:
    “Well we first heard about the project when they, they actually sent us an email and told us what was going on and sent us some lines and who all was gonna be on it and what it was for, and we were just thrilled and honored to be a part of it, you know, with George Strait and all the and Reba and Charley Pride and Willie and you know, but we were thrilled, and it’s just the way that they took these three gigantic songs and made ‘em all mash up so perfectly is just is incredible. So, it’s gonna be really, really fun to do.”



    Audio / Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney talk about singing “On the Road Again” with Willie Nelson.

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    Rascal Flatts (On the Road Again) OC: …so special. :26
    Jay DeMarcus: actually it does fit us because we all started traveling at a really young age, I been on the road playing music since I was 15 years old and we uh certainly were on the same bus for many many years together so it was a thrill to be able to sing that line, in one of the most popular country songs ever.” Joe Don Rooney: “Yeah, it’s special to be a part of that, be in a band, and you know well be in a trio, but still a band, and Willie Nelson, my dad loves Willie, so to have him singing on it, we come in right after him, it’s just so special.”

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    Video / Alan Jackson Forever Country

    Video / Kacey Musgraves Forever Country

    Video / Lady Antebellum Forever Country

    Video / Rascal Flatts

  • FOREVER COUNTRY: Trisha Yearwood and Tim McGraw

    “Forever Country” made its international premiere on radio stations across the world Friday morning (September 16th). The star-studded single is now available for streaming and download.

    Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the CMA Awards, the song and biggest music video in Country Music history includes the following CMA Award winners: Alabama, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Eric ChurchBrett Eldredge, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Ronnie Milsap, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Rascal FlattsReba, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Randy Travis, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Trisha Yearwood.

    “Forever Country” is a fresh take on three Country classics: John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”

    A portion of the video will premiere in an exclusive sneak peek during ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” on Tuesday (September 20th).

    Immediately following the sneak peek on “Dancing with the Stars,” fans will be directed to ForeverCountry50.com to see the full-length YouTube version of the music video.

    “Forever Country,” the single was produced by CMA Award winner and CMA Board member Shane McAnally, and the video was directed by Grammy Award-winning director Joseph Kahn.

    The 50th Annual CMA Awards will be hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and broadcast live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, November 2nd (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC.

    Audio / Trisha Yearwood talks about her decision to take part in "Forever Country."

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    Trisha Yearwood (Forever Country) OC: …to be asked. :30
    “This mashup is something that I didn’t really, like I kept getting in bits and pieces what it was and I really didn’t understand what it was until I got more information ‘cause I kept hearing it was ‘Take Me Home Country Roads,’ and then I heard ‘I Will Always Love You’ and I’m like what are they doing exactly? When I found out Shane McAnally was in charge, I was like he’s so musical he’s a great songwriter. I know this is gonna be cool and then when I found out that they were using so many different artists, I was just excited and truly honored to be asked.”

    Audio / Trisha Yearwood talks about the three iconic songs that make up "Forever Country."

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    Trisha Yearwood (Forever Country) 2 OC: …be her song. 1:19
    “John Denver was a pop artist, but ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ is a country song I think if John Denver moved to town now and got a record deal he would definitely be a country artist and you know just the lyric would make sense, take me home country roads. ‘On the Road Again,’ I mean I live that every day of my life, and Willie Nelson is an iconic figure in our industry you know he’s so recognizable from his singing and his look and his, he’s just I love his music so I love that song and it makes sense to be singing ‘On the Road Again’ ‘cause every artist that’s doing this lives that life. ‘I Will Always Love You,’ iconic, Dolly Parton probably one of our best songwriters ever and of course her voice speaks for itself, but that song in particular it’s been recorded by so many people and been a hit for so many people. I mean, I probably heard Linda Ronstadt version of ‘I Will Always Love You’ before I heard Dolly’s ‘cause I was a huge Ronstadt fan when I was a kid…still am. And then of course we all know Whitney made it hugely famous again, but it’s Dolly’s version. It’s that sweet voice singing those lyrics that, and when I heard her in there when I was doing the video just to hear her sing is like, it’s her song and it’ll always be her song.”

    Audio / Trisha Yearwood talks about taking part in "Forever Country."

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    Trisha Yearwood (Forever Country) 3 OC: …is so cool. :44
    “I mean, I think that, for me the moment where it came together for me is in the singing of it in the studio, I got to really hear really well what everybody else was doing. Most everybody else’s voice was on this when I did my part, so I had the luxury of hearing everybody pretty much and so it was easy to know where to fit, how to blend, and what was happening. And then in there in front of the green screen, you just think about that you’re thinking about the fact that you’re singing right behind Martina McBride, and I got to sing right behind Charley Pride so there’s such a nice mix of every era of country music in this song and the video that I’m just trying not to be giddy the whole time you’re supposed to be emoding, and I’m just really going, ‘This is so cool.’”

    Audio / LINER Trisha Yearwood (tune in)

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    Audio / Tim McGraw talks about "Forever Country." NOTE: clothes rub up against his mic.

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    Tim McGraw (Forever Country song) OC: …a part of. :50
    “Well, Faith and I got emails from our managers respectively and sort of around the same time I guess and we got it, and you know, we’re such fans of country music, fans of music in general but country music in particular because we grew up with it. We grew up listening to country music and all the people that are involved are people that we love and people we loved ten years ago, twenty years ago and today. And gosh, even 30, 40 years ago- some of the artists that are sitting on this. It was just one of those special times in history, in the history of our music and what they’re doing- we don’t want to not be a part of it. It just felt like something that was really cool to be a part of.”

  • FOREVER COUNTRY: DARIUS, DIERKS, BROOKS & DUNN, JASON, JOSEPH AND MORE

    “Forever Country” made its international premiere on radio stations across the world Friday morning (September 16th). The star-studded single is now available for download.

    Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the CMA Awards, the song and biggest music video in Country Music history includes the following CMA Award winners: Alabama, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Eric ChurchBrett Eldredge, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Ronnie Milsap, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Rascal FlattsReba, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Randy Travis, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Trisha Yearwood.

    “Forever Country” is a fresh take on three Country classics: John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”

    As part of the U.S. radio roadblock, CMA’s radio partners (except for CBS) launched a “Forever Country” sweepstakes allowing fans to enter for their chance to win the “Ultimate CMA Awards Experience.”

    The winner of the sweepstakes will be granted two tickets to “The 50th Annual CMA Awards,” round trip coach airfare to Nashville, two nights of hotel accommodations, the opportunity to walk the CMA Awards Red Carpet, sit in the Red Carpet fan section, present an official CMA Broadcast Award at the pre-broadcast Awards ceremony, and more. Fans can get additional information and enter to win at ForeverCountry50.com.

    In other news, a portion of the video will premiere in an exclusive sneak peek during ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” Tuesday, September 20th. “Good Morning America” debuted a 90 second behind-the-scenes video teaser that will live exclusively on GoodMorningAmerica.com on Yahoo for 24 hours.

    Immediately following the sneak peek on “Dancing with the Stars,” fans will be directed to ForeverCountry50.com to see the full-length YouTube version of the music video.

    “Forever Country,” the single was produced by CMA Award winner and CMA Board member Shane McAnally and the video was directed by Grammy Award-winning director Joseph Kahn.

    The 50th Annual CMA Awards will be hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and broadcast live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, November 2nd (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC.

    For more information on “Forever Country” visit ForeverCountry50.com.

    A radio special about the song, hosted by Luke Bryan (as well as an unhosted version), is available to download on ForeverCountry50.com. A second radio special about the video will be available in the coming days.

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about the video for "Forever Country."

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    Dierks Bentley (Forever Country video) OC: …mind blown. :27
    “You can tell Joseph’s a real pro. I mean the guy’s awesome so I put my faith in him and the green screen stuff’s always a little weird, but he just really seems like he knows what he’s doing. Plus there’s like 80 people out there so someone must know what they’re doing. So, yeah, I would just do what I was told to do and sing along to the lines that I already sung in the studio and I’m excited to see the results. Man, it’s gonna be crazy. I mean, I kinda don’t wanna see anything until I see the final product and just have my mind blown.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about the video for "Forever Country."

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    Darius Rucker (Forever Country video) OC: …cool video. :09
    We had a great crew and I got to see some after we finished I got to see some of the stuff on the green screen and stuff and it’s gonna be a really cool video.

    Audio / Kix Brooks talks about the origin of the “Forever Country” video.

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    Brooks & Dunn (Forever Country) 1 OC: …something cool. :40
    “You know, I think this was kind of patterned after the Brian Wilson song that the BBC did a video on as well, and it was inspirational, so…that was the pop guys doing that, you know? This isn’t copying that at all, but the 50th Anniversary of the CMA, which was kind of the creation, certainly in our world, you know? An association and a TV show that led to everything else we’re at now. Fiftieth anniversary is a big deal. You need to figure out a way to celebrate it and uh, it seems like a pretty cool way to get a handful of artists together and try and do something cool.”

    Audio / Jason Aldean, won the trophy for Album of the Year at the 2011 CMA Awards, says his kids and someday his grandchildren will think he’s cool because he is in the video for “Forever Country.”

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    Jason Aldean (Forever Country video) OC: …down the road. :38
    I love it you know I mean getting to be in a video and on a song with all those people, I mean Ronny Milsap’s one of my favorite singers ever. It’s cool to have these little videos like this and even things I do on my own but especially things like this for down the road to be able to show like your kids and your grandkids one day, I mean right now they’re kinda they’re like whatever they don’t really care but at some point it’s cool to have these things where you can show it to them and be like hey I wasn’t always like old and weird you know I was cool and somewhat young at one point so it’ll be nice for them to go back and to have these things to see down the road.

    Audio / The video’s director, Joseph Kahn, has been at the helm of some pretty mind-blowing videos for such artists as Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson and more. He feels the clip for “Forever Country” is basically a time capsule for the last 50 years of country music.

    Download

    Joseph Kahn (Forever Country time capsule) OC: …thing ever. :35
    “This is a time capsule. This is a 50th Anniversary of Country Music time capsule. And to have the responsibility of putting that together, it was exciting. And I feel honored and I’m just so into it. I just can’t wait to do something amazing. I mean look, you may look at it and go it’s not…but that’s what I want. I want something really spectacular, something awesome, something that feels like a time capsule that can last for, you know, forever. And that’s the ambition. And I’m having such a blast seeing everyone and working on it and being a part of it. It’s just the coolest thing ever.”

    Audio / LINER Brooks & Dunn (Forever Country video)

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    Audio / LINER Brooks & Dunn (Forever Country) 2

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    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Forever Country video)

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    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Forever Country video)

    Download
  • NEWS AND NOTES: Vince, Brothers O, Kacey Musgraves

    Vince Gill appears on wife Amy Grant’s new holiday album, Tennessee Christmas. The two pair up for “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” The new collection will be available October 21st.

    Brothers Osborne and Kacey Musgraves are set to perform at the annual Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival in Franklin, Tennessee September 25th. Hall & Oates, Beck, Grace Potter, Lori McKenna, Margo Price and Anderson East, among others, will also perform during the two-day festival.

    Kacey Musgraves and Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon have become friends over the past couple of years. Last year, Kacey (along with Reba and several other folks) attended the opening of Reese’s Draper James store in Nashville, then while on a photo shoot for her fall line on Nashville’s Broadway, Reese popped in her favorite boot store and picked up a pair of Kacey’s Lucchese “Golden Arrow” boots. Just this week, Reese missed Kacey’s performance at The Greek Theatre in L.A., but sent along a note and a bottle of pink champagne.

    https://twitter.com/RWitherspoon/status/756898844420415490

     

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/776390652200230913

  • LITTLE BIG TOWN WILL PERFORM ON THE BOSTON POPS FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR ON JULY 4TH.

    Grammy Award-winning country group Little Big Town will perform on the BOSTON POPS FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR, a two-hour entertainment special to be broadcast live from the Charles River Esplanade in Boston, Monday, July 4th at 9pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

    Little Big Town joins previously announced artists Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas, who will perform some of their biggest hits, accompanied by the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra under the direction of conductor Keith Lockhart.

    The BOSTON POPS FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR, now in its 43rd year, is the orchestra’s annual free outdoor Fourth of July concert. David Mugar, who will also serve as executive producer, founded the event in 1974.

    Little Big Town – consisting of Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman and Jimi Westbrook – first entered the music scene more than 18 years ago with hits “Boondocks,” “Bring It on Home,” “Good as Gone” and the Grammy-nominated single “Little White Church.” With albums Tornado and Painkiller, they have seen massive success with #1 singles “Pontoon,” “Tornado” and “Day Drinking” and, most recently, the best-selling country single of 2015, “Girl Crush.” In October 2014, the group fulfilled a career milestone and lifelong dream when Reba McIntire asked them to become the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry. Little Big Town has earned over 35 award show nominations and in the past five years has taken home nearly 20 awards, including multiple Grammy, CMA and ACM Awards and an Emmy Award. This past November, they received honors from the CMA for Vocal Group of the Year and Single of the Year for “Girl Crush,” and the song was also honored as CMA’s Song of the Year. At the 2016 Grammy Awards, Little Big Town won “Best Country Group/Duo Performance,” and “Girl Crush” received the honor for “Best Country Song.” Most recently, Little Big Town received honors from the Academy of Country Music for Vocal Group of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year with Miranda Lambert, and was recognized with the Crystal Milestone Award. At the Billboard Awards, Little Big Town and “Girl Crush” were nominated for Top Country Song as well as Chart Achievement Award, and the group was honored as the 2016 Music Business Association Artist of the Year. Currently, Little Big Town is on the road with Luke Bryan for the Kill the Lights Tour. Their new album, Wanderlust, produced by Pharrell Williams, was released June 10th.

     

    Cheat Tweet:  THIS JUST IN! @LittleBigTown joins @DdLovato & @NickJonas on @TheBostonPops Fireworks Spectacular 9-11 PM 7/4 #CBS

  • LITTLE BIG TOWN PARTNER WITH THE VOICE’S PHARRELL WILLIAMS TO RELEASE NEW MUSIC.

    b1bae00aa2974caa96d38139_1160x1160
    Little Big Town will perform the new song, “One Of Those Days,” tonight on the season finale of NBC’s “The Voice,” with the song available on iTunes, Spotify and all digital service providers now.
    Written by Little Big Town and Pharrell Williams, “One Of Those Days” will be the first song from the group’s new album, Wanderlust, produced by Pharrell, available Friday, June 10th. From Capitol Records Nashville, Wanderlust will feature eight brand new songs from the group and the mega producer.

    Wanderlust is the result of an incredible friendship and chemistry we have with Pharrell Williams,” said Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild. ”What started out as one writing session a few months ago turned into multiple writing sessions, as well as back and forth trips from Nashville to Los Angeles. When the songs started coming together, we realized it was too special to not share with our fans. Pharrell loves country music and is a huge fan of harmony. That shared passion and appreciation took us on a creative journey we had no idea would happen. The music feels like our worlds have collided in the best possible way – his infectious grooves paired with our layered vocals and harmonies. This music is meant to be danced to, sung along with and turned up loud. It’s uplifting and hopeful. We’ve been a band for a long time and have had the pleasure of collaborating with so many people, and it’s been a complete joy to make music with Pharrell!”“We had a great time working together because we all love harmonies and that’s a really fun way to make a record,” Pharrell added. “A lot of the songs were based on what the group were going through at the time and creating good feelings around those experiences.”

    Grammy Award-winning country group, Little Big Town — consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook — first entered the music scene more than 18 years ago with hits such as “Boondocks,” “Bring It On Home,” “Good As Gone” and Grammy-nominated single “Little White Church.” With albums Tornado and Painkiller, they have seen massive success with #1 singles “Pontoon,” “Tornado,” “Day Drinking,” and most recently the history-making, best-selling country single of 2015, with “Girl Crush.” In October of 2014, the group fulfilled a career milestone and lifelong dream when Reba McIntire asked them to become the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry; two weeks later, they were inducted. Little Big Town has earned over 35 award show nominations and in the past five years has taken home nearly 20 awards, including multiple Grammy, CMA and ACM awards, and an Emmy award. This past November, they received honors from the CMA for Vocal Group of the Year and Single of the Year for “Girl Crush,” and the song was also honored as CMA’s Song of the Year. At the 2016 Grammy Awards Little Big Town won “Best Country Group/Duo Performance,” and “Girl Crush” received the honor for “Best Country Song.” Most recently, Little Big Town received honors from the Academy of Country Music for Vocal Group of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year with Miranda Lambert, and the group was also recognized with the Crystal Milestone Award. At the recent Billboard Awards Little Big Town and “Girl Crush” were nominated for Top Country Song as well as Chart Achievement Award, and the group was also honored as the 2016 Music Business Association Artist of the Year. Little Big Town is currently on the road with Luke Bryan for the Kill The Lights Tour. For more information, visit LittleBigTown.com or follow them @littlebigtown.

  • KEITH URBAN IS NAMED THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2016 CRS ARTIST HUMANITARIAN AWARD.

    The Country Radio Broadcasters have announced Keith Urban as the recipient of the 2016 CRS Artist Humanitarian Award, to be presented during the opening ceremonies of Country Radio Seminar on Feb. 8, 2016. Last year’s Artist Humanitarian Award recipient, Lady Antebellum, will be on hand to present Urban with this year’s award.

    The CRB Artist Humanitarian Award was created in 1990 by the organization’s board to honor Country music artists who have exhibited exceptional humanitarian efforts during their career.

    CRS Executive Director, Bill Mayne comments, “Keith Urban is a true humanitarian who gives out of love, passion, spirit, and generosity. It’s been an honor to witness quietly from the sidelines, the amount of time, talent, and passion that Keith has selflessly given over his life and career. The impact and reach of his generosity has effected so many and is so broad in scope and depth – his is a bar of humanitarian effort, that we all can be inspired by!”

    Over the years, Urban has been a strong supporter of numerous benefit concerts, including the annual “All For The Hall” Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum benefit concerts, which has raised nearly $3 million in proceeds.  In addition, he’s been and remains a supporter of The Grammy in the Schools program, Mr. Holland’s Opus Fund and was recently named the first Ambassador of the CMA Foundation.

    He is a continued supporter of the “Make A Wish” Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. As an advisory board member at St. Jude, Urban has visited the hospital and produces a calendar each year with all net proceeds going to St. Jude. Since their inception in 2003, these calendars have raised more than $850,000 for the life-saving mission of the hospital.

    Following the 2010 Nashville flood, he was very active in the relief efforts and participated in the re-opening of the Grand Ole Opry House, Marty Stuart’s “Late Night Jam,” GAC and Vince Gill telethons; all to raise funds for flood relief.

    Additionally, he has supported our nation’s troops and the Navy SEALS Foundation. Urban donated to the foundation his share of artist and publishing royalties from his song “For You,” which reached a total of $300,000.

    He was also the first Ambassador for the CMA Foundation’s Education Program and has donated from his line, URBAN guitars, to five Music Education Matters partner programs across the country, including programs in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York City and San Francisco. He’s also donated URBAN guitars to the Grammy Foundation and its MusiCares program, as well as donating proceeds from the guitars to Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation to keep musical instruments in schools.

    Past recipients of the Artist Humanitarian Award have included Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Trace Adkins, Randy Owen, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Reba, Vince Gill, Garth Brooks and Charlie Daniels, among others.

    For more information on Keith Urban, visit www.keithurban.net. For more information on Country Radio Seminar, 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. Country Radio Seminar 2016 is set for Feb. 8-10, 2016 at the Omni Hotel.  Visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com for more information. Like CRS on Facebook and follow CRS on Twitter (Hashtag #CRS2016).

  • LUKE BRYAN KICKS OFF 125TH SALVATION ARMY RED KETTLE CAMPAIGN.

    Dallas Halftime show 1774
    The Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year, Luke Bryan took the stage on Thanksgiving at AT&T Stadium to kick off The Salvation Army’s 125th Red Kettle Campaign with a LIVE nationally televised halftime performance during the Dallas Cowboys game against the Carolina Panthers on CBS. The performance marked the nineteenth year of the partnership between the Dallas Cowboys and The Salvation Army.
    The campaign officially began with Luke’s LIVE halftime performance and the inaugural Red Kettle donation from Jerry Jones, owner and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, and his family. Since teaming up in 1997, the collaboration of The Salvation Army and the Dallas Cowboys has raised more than $2 billion for the Red Kettle campaign, which provides America’s most vulnerable with food, shelter and other support throughout the year.
    Luke joined a star-studded list of past performers including Selena Gomez, Kenny Chesney, Enrique Iglesias, Keith Urban, Daughtry, Jonas Brothers, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, Destiny’s Child, Toby Keith, LeAnn Rimes, Creed, Jessica Simpson, Billy Gilman, Clint Black, Randy Travis and Reba McEntire.
    About Luke Bryan
    Since the debut of his first album in 2007, Luke Bryan has placed 14 singles at #1 and sold nearly 8 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. Luke’s new album Kill The Lights recently debuted at #1 on both the Billboard Top 200 and Top Country Albums charts. This is Luke’s third consecutive album to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200. Kill The Lights was the third-largest-selling album debut in 2015 at the time of its release, after R&B / hip hop releases from Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Kill The Lights is also the highest country album debut in the last two years, since his own Crash My Party debuted at #1 in August 2013.

    Video / Luke Bryan kicks off Red Kettle Campaign

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  • 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 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.

  • LUKE BRYAN WILL KICK OFF THE SALVATION ARMY’S ANNUAL RED KETTLE CAMPAIGN THIS YEAR.

    Luke Bryan Group
    Luke Bryan will perform LIVE at AT&T Stadium during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys game against the Carolina Panthers on Thanksgiving Day, November 26TH, kicking off The Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Campaign. The nationally televised halftime performance marks the 19th year the Dallas Cowboys have partnered with The Salvation Army to launch the iconic annual campaign, which raises millions of dollars throughout the holiday season. Donations help provide meals and shelter for families and Christmas toys for millions of children, in addition to numerous other social services programs year-round, such as substance abuse programs, shelter and counseling for victims of domestic violence, and military veteran assistance.
    “As a football fan, I’m especially excited to be performing on Thanksgiving Day,” says Luke Bryan. “It’s also an honor to spotlight two great organizations like Dallas Cowboys and The Salvation Army and raise awareness for all the great work they do.”
    The Red Kettle Campaign runs from Thanksgiving Day through Christmas Eve and is the largest and longest-running fundraiser of its kind. It raised $144.7 million last year alone, with more than $2 billion raised since the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day partnership began in 1997.For the second year, this campaign will include an invitation for donors to share their reasons for giving on social media, and Luke Bryan will add his own #RedKettleReason.
    “This summer, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of The Salvation Army, and this holiday season marks the 125th Red Kettle Campaign. That is over a century of dedication to meeting human need across the globe,” said Lt. Col. Ron Busroe, national community relations and development secretary for The Salvation Army. “Our hope, in partnership with the Dallas Cowboys and Luke Bryan, is to continue to spread the word that The Salvation Army is here for those trying to overcome obstacles in their lives during the holidays and year-round.”
    As the reigning CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan has sold nearly eight million albums with 30 million digital tracks and placed 14 songs at the top of the charts.  He is currently a double nominee for the upcoming CMA Awards as “Male Vocalist of The Year” and “Entertainer of The Year.” Bryan’s “Kick the Dust Up Tour” kicked off in May 2015, and he is currently making his rounds through the country performing in sold-out venues everywhere.
    The Red Kettle Kickoff halftime show has been nationally televised for all of its 19 years, reaching millions of viewers with the campaign’s message. Luke Bryan is the newest addition to a list of Red Kettle Kickoff celebrity halftime performers, including Selena Gomez, Kenny Chesney, Enrique Iglesias, Keith Urban, Daughtry, Jonas Brothers, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, Destiny’s Child, Toby Keith, LeAnn Rimes, Creed, Jessica Simpson, Billy Gilman, Clint Black, Randy Travis and Reba McEntire.
    In addition to giving online or to the traditional bell ringers that will be stationed at retail locations across the country, supporters can donate through the Army’s text-to-give program. By texting the word “KETTLE” to 80888, donors can send $10 to the Red Kettle Campaign.
    From its humble beginnings as a Salvation Army captain’s start-up program in 1891 in San Francisco, the Red Kettle Campaign has grown into one of the most recognizable and important charitable campaigns in the United States. It provides toys for kids, coats for the homeless, food for the hungry and countless social service programs year-round. As part of the campaign, more than 25,000 Salvation Army volunteers throughout the country ring bells and solicit donations to the Red Kettles.

    About The Salvation Army
    The Salvation Army, established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Approximately 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through a range of social services: food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless, and opportunities for underprivileged children. Eighty-two cents of every dollar donated to The Salvation Army are used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. The Salvation Army tracks the level of need across the country with the Human Needs Index (HumanNeedsIndex.org). For more information, go to salvationarmyusa.org or follow on Twitter @SalvationArmyUS.

    About Luke Bryan
    Since the debut of his first album in 2007, Luke Bryan has placed 14 singles at #1 and sold nearly 8 million albums with 30 million digital tracks from his five studio albums. He has been named Entertainer of the Year by both the Academy of Country Music (twice) and the Country Music Association. Luke’s new album Kill The Lights recently debuted at #1 on both the Billboard Top 200 and Top Country Albums charts. This is Luke’s third consecutive album to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200. Kill The Lights is the third-largest-selling album debut in all genres in 2015 at the time of release, after R&B / hip hop releases from Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Kill The Lights is also the highest country album debut in the last two years, since his own Crash My Party debuted at #1 in August 2013.
    About the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Foundation
    In the area of community service, the Dallas Cowboys and Jones Family Foundation’s mission is built upon an overall philosophy of helping those who don’t have the strength, the resources or the means to help themselves, with a primary focus on partnership with The Salvation Army. With the Cowboys organization having enjoyed immense and unprecedented success, the Jones Family feels a very strong obligation to take the visibility, energy and celebrity of one of the world’s most powerful sports franchises and channel those dynamic forces toward the bigger purpose of making a difference. Recognized as one of the world’s most generous families, the Joneses enlist the talents, skills and resources of all the Cowboys players, coaches, cheerleaders and every member of the organization to provide a unique and cutting edge approach to community outreach. More information about the Dallas Cowboys and the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Foundation can be found on http://www.dallascowboys.com/.
    For more information about The Salvation Army and the Red Kettle Kickoff, please visit blog.salvationarmyusa.org,facebook.com/SalvationArmyUSA or twitter.com/salvationarmyus.
  • LADY A’S HILLARY SCOTT WILL HOST LEADERSHIP MUSIC’S DALE FRANKLIN AWARDS.

    Lady Antebellum’s leading lady, Hillary Scott, has been tapped to host Leadership Music’s Dale Franklin Awards honoring Jo Walker-Meador, Steve Buchanan and Reba McEntire on Monday, November 16, 2015.

    Leadership Music will honor the three music industry luminaries at a gala cocktail reception, awards presentation and musical tribute beginning at 5:30 pm at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s CMA Theater.  Big Machine Label Group is the title sponsor for the 2015 event.  CMA’s legendary long-time Executive Director, Jo Walker-Meador, will receive a new award named for Leadership Music’s Founding Council; Steve Buchanan has been chosen as the recipient of the Brian Williams Ambassador Award, and Reba McEntire, award-winning musical artist, television personality and Broadway star will be honored with Leadership Music’s prestigious Dale Franklin Award.

    “It’s always special to help recognize passionate people in our industry,” said Scott. “All three of these honorees have personally made amazing contributions not only in Nashville but have been part of sharing Country Music across the globe. I’m thrilled to have been asked to host and look forward to celebrating in a few weeks!”

    The Leadership Music® Dale Franklin Award, named for the first Executive Director of Leadership Music, was created in 2004 to recognize a music industry leader who exemplifies the highest attributes of leadership and leading by example. Previous Leadership Music Dale Franklin Award honorees Tony Brown (2004), Gerry House (2005), Emmylou Harris (2006), Frances W. Preston (2007), The Bradley Family: Owen (posthumously), Harold, Jerry, Connie and Patsy (2008), Garth Brooks, Jim Foglesong and Allen Reynolds (2009), Fred Foster, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson (2010), CMA (2011) and Charlie Daniels, Vince Gill and Alabama’s Randy Owen (2012).

    Seven-time GRAMMY awarding-winner Hillary Scott serves as one-third of the world’s most popular groups Lady Antebellum, selling over 11 million albums worldwide and earning six PLATINUM singles. The three-time ACM and CMA “Vocal Group of the Year” recently wrapped their sold-out headlining WHEELS UP 2015 TOUR, which extended the group’s 7FOR7 initiative granting seven surprises for seven fans. Additionally, their multi-level organization LadyAID continues bring awareness and generate support for children locally, nationally and globally with Scott’s heart particularly drawn to serving in Haiti.  In addition to co-writing hits for Lady Antebellum, she has also penned songs for artists such as Blake Shelton and Sara Evan’s No. one hit “A Little Bit Stronger.” Additionally, as a former MTSU student, the singer recently started a scholarship at her alma mater for young women seeking a career in the music industry. For more information visit www.ladyantebellum.com

     

  • SCOTTY McCREERY LOVES A GOOD ‘MIRACLE.’

    Fandango Movieclips, the number one destination for movie trailers and movie-related video content on YouTube, launched today a Country Edition of its “I Love Movies” original video series, featuring four new episodes with Country Music stars Scotty McCreery, Brad Paisley, Maddie & Tae and Ole Dominion. The episodes, filmed on location at CMA Music Festival in Nashville earlier this summer, are available now for viewing on Fandango Movieclips on YouTube and Fandango.com. “I Love Movies” celebrates the joys of moviegoing and showcases celebrities and other cultural influencers across the globe, sharing personal stories and introducing fans to the movies that have touched their lives.

    Scotty McCreery reveals how the film “Miracle,” based on the historic U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team victory over the Soviet Union, inspired him during his “American Idol” competition.  McCreery recalls, “If you could read my mind when Ryan Seacrest said the winner of ‘American Idol’ is Scotty McCreery, you could almost hear those lines ‘Do you believe in miracles?’ It was incredible for me out of nowhere, small town USA, to be getting up there and doing that in front of all those people.”

    Previous episodes of “I Love Movies,” have featured NBA All-Star Dwight Howard, Grammy Award winner Reba McEntire, skateboarding icon and X Games gold medalist Tony Hawk, five-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, rock legend Slash and Country Music artist Darius Rucker, talking about iconic movies like “Rocky,” “The Sound of Music,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Spy Who Loved Me,” “The Naked Gun,” “Purple Rain,” and “The Exorcist,” so that fans can learn about these movies and their impact. Interviews for “I Love Movies” were conducted by New York Times bestselling author and writer-at-large for Esquire Magazine, Cal Fussman.

    Scotty McCreery burst onto the national music scene in 2011 at age 17 and has quickly established himself as one of Country Music’s hottest new stars.  By age 21, the singer/songwriter has sold nearly 2.5 million albums, debuting three consecutive albums at No. 1 on a Billboard chart.  In 2011, after winning season 10 of “American Idol,” McCreery released his debut album, the Platinum-certified Clear As Day, which made him both the first Country artist and the youngest male artist to debut their first studio album at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. His 2013 album See You Tonight, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and featured his recent Top Ten hits “Feelin’ It” and the title song. He has also achieved three Platinum-certified singles: “I Love You This Big,” “The Trouble with Girls,” and “See You Tonight.” McCreery is currently on tour with Rascal Flatts on their RIOT TOUR 2015 this summer, in addition to doing solo dates throughout the year, and will be releasing new music soon.

    Hosted by reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year Little Big Town who is returning for the third time to host the summer’s hottest television music event, “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” airs on Tuesday, August 4 8|7c on the ABC television network. “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” is executive-produced by Robert Deaton. Filmed during CMA Music Festival in June, the special features many of today’s most exciting Country Music stars, including Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Lee Brice, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, Randy Houser, Sam Hunt, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Kip Moore, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, Cole Swindell, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Chris Young, and Zac Brown Band as they hit the stage during the four-day party and celebration of America’s music.

    Video / Scotty McCreery I Love Movies

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  • 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.”

  • MICKEY GUYTON IS READY TO RELEASE HER SELF-TITLED EP.

    Mickey Guyton is set to release her self-titled EP on Tuesday (May 26th), which includes her Top 30 single, “Better Than You Left Me,” which she co-wrote with Jennifer Hanson, Jenn Schott and Nathan Chapman. Nathan was also at the helm of the EP, along with producers Dann Huff (Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Billy Currington) and Luke Laird (Kacey Musgraves).

    Mickey has pretty much known she wanted to be a professional singer when she was eight-years-old and saw LeAnn Rimes sing the National Anthem at a baseball game.

    “I grew up singing in the church, and my church drove to Arlington [Texas] from Waco to go see a Texas Rangers baseball game,” says the Texas native. “We were all the way up in the nosebleed section, and the announcer says, ‘Please rise as 10-year-old LeAnn Rimes sings the National Anthem,’ and that was before ‘Blue’ came out. I was already stuck on her, and then when ‘Blue’ came out, I was just like done.”

    The Texas native kept her dreams of becoming a singer a little bit of a secret. “It wasn’t until I was older when I finally admitted it. When you say something like that, it’s pretty crazy. What are we normally supposed to be? We’re supposed to be a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, go to school and for me to even say that was just kind of crazy,” says Mickey. “So, I took an interest in singing. I started doing solos in the church choir or the school had a talent show. I’d bring my boom box, and I’d sing ‘I Will Always Love You.’ I was just mesmerized by big-voiced women, so from LeAnn, I started listening to Dolly and Patsy Cline and Patty Loveless and Reba McEntire and Faith Hill and Martina McBride, all those people.”

    Mickey is on the road with Brad Paisley on his Crushin’ It Tour. The next stop is June 4th in Phoenix, Arizona.

    Mickey Guyton EP Track Listing:

    1. “Why Baby Why” – Victoria Banks, Emily Shackelton, Phil Barton (produced by Nathan Chapman)
    2. “Somebody Else Will” – Luke Laird, Ashley Gorley, Hillary Lindsey (produced by Luke Laird)
    3. “Pretty Little Mustang” – Mickey Guyton, Hillary Lindsey, Jeremy Spillman (produced by Nathan Chapman)
    4. “Better Than You Left Me” – Mickey Guyton, Jennifer Hanson, Jenn Schott, Nathan Chapman (produced by Nathan Chapman and Dann Huff)

    Audio / Mickey Guyton recalls the moment she wanted to become a country singer.

    Download

    Mickey Guyton (started with LeAnn) OC: …done. :24
    “I was eight-years-old, and my church, I grew up singing in the church, and my church drove to Arlington [Texas] from Waco to go see a Texas Rangers baseball game. We were all the way up in the nosebleed section, and the announcer says, ‘Please rise as 10-year-old LeAnn Rimes sings the National Anthem,’ and that was before ‘Blue’ came out. I was already stuck on her, and then when ‘Blue’ came out, I was just like done.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton talks about her secret dream of becoming a singer.

    Download

    Mickey Guyton (on pursuing a career as a singer) OC: …all those people. :50
    “It wasn’t like something where I was like, ‘Dad, I want to be a professional singer.’ It wasn’t until I was older when I finally admitted it. When you say something like that, it’s pretty crazy. What are we normally supposed to be? We’re supposed to be a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, go to school and for me to even say that was just kind of crazy. So, I took an interest in singing. I started doing solos in the church choir or the school had a talent show. I’d bring my boom box, and I’d sing ‘I Will Always Love You.’ I was just mesmerized by big-voiced women, so from LeAnn, I started listening to Dolly and Patsy Cline and Patty Loveless and Reba McEntire and Faith Hill and Martina McBride, all those people.”

  • SAM HUNT’S FAVORITE PART OF THE ACM DUETS TELEVISION SPECIAL WAS ‘HANG’ TIME WITH DWIGHT YOAKAM.

    Sam Hunt performed “Fast as You” with Dwight Yoakam for the ACM Presents: Superstar Duets television special, premiering Friday night (May 15th), and he said it was an honor just to meet him, much less perform one of his hits with Dwight.

    “Getting to meet him was awesome, and we got to hang a little bit before getting on stage to play. As much as I loved being on stage and playing with him, my favorite part was just getting to hang with him a little bit before we got there,” says Sam. “It was just cool to be a part of that event. It’s phenomenal to think that I’m a part of the same genre as Dwight and all of the other great artists that have come before me.”

    In addition to Sam and Dwight’s performance, the two-hour special will also feature performances by Keith Urban and John Anderson, Luke Bryan and Ronnie Milsap, Dierks Bentley with Kip Moore and Ashley Monroe, Lady Antebellum and Brandy Clark, Darius Rucker and Sara Evans, Clint Black and Joe Nichols, Brett Eldredge and Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert and Patty LovelessReba and Brooks & Dunn, as well as Alabama and Eli Young Band, among others.

    ACM Presents: Superstar Duets premieres at 9pm ET on CBS on Friday.

    Audio / Sam Hunt says the best part of the ACM Presents: Superstar Duets show was getting the chance to have some hang time with Dwight Yoakam.

    Download

    Sam Hunt (Dwight duet) 1 OC: …before me. :26
    “Getting to meet him was awesome, and we got to hang a little bit before getting on stage to play. As much as I loved being on stage and playing with him, my favorite part was just getting to hang with him a little bit before we got there. I don’t know. It was just cool to be a part of that event. It’s phenomenal to think that I’m a part of the same genre as Dwight and all of the other great artists that have come before me.”

    Video / Clip of Sam Hunt and Dwight Yoakam for ACM Duets

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    Video / ACM Duets preview

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    Video / Darius Rucker & Sara Evans on Jackson

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    Video / Keith Urban & John Anderson on Swingin'

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    Video / Lady Antebellum with Brandy Clark

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    Video / Alan Jackson & Cole Swindell on Chattahoochie

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  • 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

  • SHANIA TWAIN EXTENDS HER ‘ROCK THIS COUNTRY TOUR.’

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    New York, NY (May 7, 2015) –
     One of the world’s best-selling female artist in history, Shania Twain, will be extending her ROCK THIS COUNTRY tour into the Fall of 2015, due to overwhelming fan demand. This will be her first North American tour in more than 11 years, and the now 67 date run comes hot on the heels of her hit two-year residency in Las Vegas at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
     
    Presented by AEG Live, ROCK THIS COUNTRY will give fans one last chance to see Shania perform her extensive catalog of iconic hits in a brand new production. The fall leg kicks off in North America on September 12 in Spokane, WA, stopping in Portland, Columbus, and Albany. Additional Canadian dates include two nights in Calgary, as well as Quebec City, with the final show set for Toronto.
     
    Public onsale for most US dates begins Friday, May 15 at 10:00 am local, and for Canada, Friday, May 22 at 10:00 am local on axs.com. ShaniaTwain.com presale for most US dates begins Tuesday, May 12 at 10:00 am local through Thursday, May 14 at 10:00 pm local, and in Canada, will run from Tuesday, May 19 at 10:00 am local through Thursday, May 21 at 10:00 pm local. Additionally, American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets through Front Of The Line for the Canadian shows only before the general public beginning Tuesday, May 19 at 10:00 am local through Thursday, May 21 at 10:00 pm local.
     
    A limited number of exclusive VIP Packages also will be available. Theses offers can include premium reserved tickets, access to Shania Twain’s preshow VIP sound check, exclusive merchandise and much more. A $1.00 donation from each ticket purchased will go to the Shania Kids Can Foundation. Grammy Award nominated singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw will be the special guest for most fall dates.
    “This is a celebration tour. It’s party time!  The ROCK THIS COUNTRY tour will have a different spirit than my past tours,” said Twain. “It’s a Shania they’ve never seen before.  A lot of years have gone by and I’ve got a lot more to share.”
     
    Beloved by millions worldwide, Shania has multi-platinum album sales in 32 countries with over 75 million albums sold, and 17 top 10 singles. Three of Shania’s albums (The Woman In Me, Come On Over, Up! ) reached Diamond certification, making her the only artist to have three consecutive albums sell more than 10 million copies in the US.
     
    Rising to fame with her debut album Shania Twain (1993), Shania became a worldwide phenomenon with the release of Come On Over (1997), which became the best-selling country album of all time, and the best-selling album released by a female artist. Most recently, Shania performed 105 shows during her two-year Las Vegas residency, Shania: Still The One, beginning on December 1, 2012 at The Colosseum at Ceasars Palace and wrapping in December of 2014. The show garnered rave reviews throughout its tenure.
     
    ADDED DATES – Shania Twain 2015 Fall Tour
    Sep 12
    Spokane, WA
    Spokane Arena
    Sep 13
    Portland, OR
    Moda Center
    Sep 15
    Boise, ID
    Taco Bell Arena
    Sep 17
    Calgary, AB
    Scotiabank Saddledome
    Sep 18
    Calgary, AB
    Scotiabank Saddledome
    Sep 20
    Winnipeg, MB
    MTS Centre
    Sep 21
    Fargo, ND
    FARGODOME
    Sep 23
    Sioux Falls, SD
    Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
    Sep 24
    Lincoln, NE
    Pinnacle Bank Arena
    Sep 26
    Minneapolis, MN
    Target Center
    Sep 27
    Madison, WI
    Kohl Center
    Sep 29
    Peoria, IL
    Peoria Civic Center
    Sep 30
    Columbus, OH
    Nationwide Arena *
    Oct 2
    Allentown, PA
    PPL Center
    Oct 3
    Buffalo, NY
    First Niagara Center
    Oct 6
    Manchester, NH
    Verizon Wireless Arena
    Oct 7
    Albany, NY
    Times Union Center *
    Oct 9
    Quebec City, QC
    Videotron Centre
    Oct 11
    Toronto, ON
    Air Canada Centre
    * supporting act TBD
    On-sales are subject to change so please check local listings.
     
    PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED – Shania Twain 2015 Summer Tour
    Opening acts include Wes Mack from June 5 – June 28, and Gavin DeGraw from June 30 – August 23
    Jun 5
    Seattle, WA
    KeyArena at Seattle Center
    Jun 7
    Vancouver, BC
    Pepsi Live! At Rogers Arena
    Jun 9
    Vancouver, BC
    Pepsi Live! At Rogers Arena
    Jun 11
    Edmonton, AB
    Rexall Place
    Jun 12
    Edmonton, AB
    Rexall Place
    Jun 14
    Saskatoon, SK
    SaskTel Centre
    Jun 15
    Winnipeg, MB
    MTS Centre
    Jun 19
    London, ON
    Budweiser Gardens
    Jun 20
    London, ON
    Budweiser Gardens
    Jun 22
    Hamilton, ON
    FirstOntario Centre
    Jun 24
    Toronto, ON
    Air Canada Centre
    Jun 25
    Toronto, ON
    Air Canada Centre
    Jun 27
    Ottawa, ON
    Wesley Clover Parks *
    Jun 28
    Montreal, QC
    Bell Centre
    Jun 30
    New York, NY
    Madison Square Garden
    Jul 1
    Long Island, NY
    Nassau Coliseum
    Jul 3
    Uncasville, CT
    Mohegan Sun Arena
    Jul 7
    Newark, NJ
    Prudential Center
    Jul 8
    Boston, MA
    TD Garden
    Jul 10
    Pittsburgh, PA
    CONSOL Energy Center
    Jul 11
    Grand Rapids, MI
    Van Andel Arena
    Jul 13
    Indianapolis, IN
    Bankers Life Fieldhouse
    Jul 15
    Jacksonville, FL
    Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
    Jul 16
    Miami, FL
    AmericanAirlines Arena
    Jul 18
    Greenville, SC
    Bon Secours Wellness Arena
    Jul 19
    Charlotte, NC
    Time Warner Cable Arena
    Jul 21
    Washington, DC
    Verizon Center
    Jul 22
    Philadelphia, PA
    Wells Fargo Center
    Jul 25
    Auburn Hills, MI
    Palace of Auburn Hills
    Jul 26
    Moline, IL
    iWireless Center
    Jul 28
    Minneapolis, MN
    Target Center
    Jul 29
    Rosemont, IL
    Allstate Arena
    Jul 31
    Nashville, TN
    Bridgestone Arena
    Aug 1
    Atlanta, GA
    Philips Arena
    Aug 3
    Louisville, KY
    KFC Yum! Center
    Aug 4
    St. Louis, MO
    Scottrade Center
    Aug 6
    Des Moines, IA
    Wells Fargo Arena
    Aug 7
    Kansas City, MO
    Sprint Center
    Aug 9
    Austin, TX
    Frank Erwin Center
    Aug 10
    Dallas, TX
    American Airlines Center
    Aug 12
    Oklahoma City, OK
    Chesapeake Energy Arena
    Aug 14
    Denver, CO
    Pepsi Center
    Aug 15
    Salt Lake City, UT
    EnergySolutions Arena
    Aug 17
    San Jose, CA
    SAP Center at San Jose
    Aug 19
    Anaheim, CA
    Honda Center
    Aug 20
    Los Angeles, CA
    STAPLES Center
    Aug 22
    San Diego, CA
    Valley View Casino Center
    Aug 23
    Fresno, CA
    Save Mart Center
     
    * Festival date with The Doobie Brothers also performing
     
     
    ABOUT AEG LIVE:
    AEG Live, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance.  AEG Live is comprised of touring, festival and special event divisions, seventeen regional offices and owns, operates or exclusively books thirty-five state-of-the-art venues.  The current and recent concert tour roster includes artists such as Alicia Keys, Bruno Mars, Bon Jovi, Carrie Underwood, Cher, Ed Sheeran, Enrique Iglesias, George Strait, Hunter Hayes, J Cole, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Kenny Chesney, Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney, Pitbull, Rod Stewart, The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, The WHO, Trey Songz and Juanes.   The company operates The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and produces residency shows there including Celine Dion, Jerry Seinfeld, Rod Stewart, Mariah Carey (opening May 6), and Reba, Brooks & Dunn (opening June 17); is the exclusive promoter at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas; and produces limited-engagement performances at The Venetian Theatre including Diana Ross  in April. AEG Live is also the largest producer of music festivals in North America from the critically acclaimed Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival to Stagecoach Country Music Festival and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. www.aeglive.com
  • SAM HUNT KNOWS THE LADIES!

    Sam Hunt definitely knows the ladies. He does a set of songs by such ladies as Reba, Trisha Yearwood, Bonnie Raitt, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, and he put this knowledge about them to a test when he recently played Diva Trivia with Entertainment Tonight. See how well he did below.

    Sam, who is closing in on the top of the country charts with “Take Your Time,” is nominated for New Artist of the Year at this year’s ACM Awards, which air Sunday (April 19th) at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Checkout http://hunt4acm.com/ for exclusive childhood photos of Sam with a new photo revealed daily.

    *Hashtags/Tags

    #HUNT4ACM

    #ACMAwards50

    @SamHuntMusic

    Video / Sam Hunt ET Diva Trivia

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  • ALAN, DARIUS, DIERKS, ERIC, KEITH, LADY A, LUKE AND SAM AMONG THE STARS PERFORMING FOR CBS-TV SPECIAL ‘ACM PRESENTS: SUPERSTAR DUETS.’

    Encino, CA (April 9, 2015) – The Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions announced the full lineup of country music luminaries and chart-topping artists who will perform together on “ACM Presents: Superstar Duets” and make up the evening portion of the 3rd Annual ACM Party for a Cause Festival.  Performances at the two-day outdoor music festival celebrating the 50th ACM Awards will begin at 7:30pm on Friday, April 17th and continue Saturday, April 18th on the Main Stage inside of Globe Life Park in Arlington, TX. A two-hour special including performances from the event will air on Friday, May 15th on the CBS Television Network.

    Friday’s lineup will include special collaborations by Alabama & Eli Young Band, Brooks & Dunn & Reba, Darius Rucker & Sara Evans, Dierks Bentley & Kip Moore & Ashley Monroe, Dwight Yoakam & Sam Hunt, and Luke Bryan & Ronnie Milsap, along with a special performance by Brantley Gilbert.

    Saturday’s lineup will include duet performances by Alan Jackson & Cole Swindell, Clint Black & Joe Nichols, Eric Church & Marty Stuart, Florida Georgia Line & David Lee Murphy, Hunter Hayes & Brett Eldredge, Keith Urban & John Anderson, Lady Antebellum & Brandy Clark, Miranda Lambert & Patty Loveless, and The Band Perry & Deana Carter along with special performances by Kenny Chesney and Jake Owen.

    Ticket packages to the ACM Party for a Cause Festival INCLUDING the 50th ACM Awards are available NOW at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets to the 50TH ACM Awards sold out last spring in a record 18 minutes but as staging changes became final for the ACM Awards, seats to the previously SOLD OUT Awards show and festival are now available.
    lease see a full lineup of tentatively scheduled performances below for “ACM Presents: Superstar Duets” listed by order of appearance and subject to change. For additional updates please visit www.ACMcountry.com.

     Friday, April 17, 2015 (Listed in Order of Appearance)

    ·         Brantley Gilbert

    ·         Dwight Yoakam & Sam Hunt

    ·         Darius Rucker & Sara Evans

    ·         Alabama & Eli Young Band

    ·         Brooks & Dunn & Reba

    ·         Dierks Bentley, Kip Moore & Ashley Monroe

    ·         Luke Bryan & Ronnie Milsap

     Saturday, April 18, 2015 (Listed in Order of Appearance)

    ·         Clint Black & Joe Nichols

    ·         The Band Perry & Deana Carter

    ·         Lady Antebellum & Brandy Clark

    ·         Hunter Hayes & Brett Eldredge

    ·         Jake Owen

    ·         Kenny Chesney

    ·         Alan Jackson & Cole Swindell

    ·         Miranda Lambert & Patty Loveless

    ·         Keith Urban & John Anderson

    ·         Eric Church & Marty Stuart

    ·         Florida Georgia Line & David Lee Murphy

    The 3rd Annual ACM Party for a Cause Festival, beginning at 12:00 PM on April 17-18, 2015, will include multiple stages for ongoing LIVE country music performances, interactive experiences, a family-friendly country marketplace with food trucks and vendors from around the country, and much more, all leading up to the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards, which will be broadcast LIVE for the first time ever from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. Proceeds from the event will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music and military philanthropies including Folds of Honor Foundation, Wounded Warrior Project, Navy SEAL Foundation, and Task Force Dagger Foundation.

    ACM Presents: Superstar Duets is produced for television by dick clark productions. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan and R.A. Clark are executive producers.  Mark Bracco, Barry Adelman and Tom Forrest are co-executive producers. Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

  • LUKE BRYAN TEARS UP WHILE ATTENDING HIS FIRST ACM AWARDS.

    Luke Bryan is now a fixture at the ACM Awards, having won Entertainer of the Year in 2013 and New Artist of the Year in 2010, plus returning as co-host for the third year in a row.

    Luke recalls attending his first ACM Awards – even before his first album was released, and it was a pretty emotional time for him because he and his family used to sit down and watch the awards together.

    “My first year out here, Reba was hosting and Capitol [Records] flew me out, and this was like a year before my first album ever came out,” says Luke. “I just sat in the back and ate popcorn, and I think Reba walked out and I started crying, so that was an amazing moment. It’s just crazy that, fast-forward the clock and now Entertainer of the Year of the ACM Awards, and I’ve hosted it twice – it’s pretty, pretty crazy.”

    Luke is nominated for Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Song of the Year for “Drink a Beer,” as well as Vocal Event of the Year with Florida Georgia Line on “This is How We Roll.” Luke has already picked up one ACM Award – the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award, which acknowledges “unprecedented, unique and outstanding individual achievement in country music.”

    The 50th Annual ACM Awards airs live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on April 19th at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Audio / Luke Bryan recalls his early ACM Awards memories.

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    Luke Bryan (early ACM memory) OC: …pretty crazy. :52
    “I just remember it was a big family night for us to sit and watch the awards. Our radio stations stayed on country music. It was our opportunity to see all our stars. We never really got to see ’em perform, we didn’t have an arena or anything so they couldn’t come to that, so a big chance to see our favorite performers were on TV watching the ACMs. Obviously, through the years of Reba was hosting was amazing. I mean, my first year out here Reba was hosting and Capitol [Records] flew me out, and this was like a year before my first album ever came out. I just sat in the back and ate popcorn, and I think Reba walked out and I started crying, so that was an amazing moment. It’s just crazy that, fast-forward the clock and now Entertainer of the Year of the ACM Awards, and I’ve hosted it twice – it’s pretty, pretty crazy.”

  • LUKE BRYAN AND ERIC CHURCH ARE ALREADY ACM WINNERS!

    ENCINO, CA (April 7, 2015) – The Academy of Country Music announced today the winners of awards that will not be televised during the 50TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, due to time constraints. The 50thACM Awards will be telecast LIVE from AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, April 19th at 8:00PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. Special Awards honorees will be feted during the 9th Annual ACM Honors event on September 1, 2015 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN.

    The Academy of Country Music Special Awards are voted on by the ACM Board of Directors and specific categories are awarded during years where the Board of Directors feels there are clear and deserving candidates. The Studio Recording Awards (formerly known as the Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist (MBI) Awards) ballot is voted on by professional members of the Academy who are classified in the Artist-Entertainer/Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist category and the Producer-Engineer-Studio Manager sub-category (contained within the Affiliated category). The Songwriter of the Year ballot is voted on by professional members of the Academy in the following categories: Artist-Entertainer/Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist, Composer, Music Publisher/PRO, Record Company, and the Producer-Engineer-Studio Manager sub-category (contained within the Affiliated category). Industry Awards are voted on by all professional members of the Academy and for the first time ever this year’s ballot included the ACM Festival of the Year category. The Academy wanted to recognize the growing festival industry, a platform that has helped raise awareness and appreciation for country music.

    SPECIAL AWARDS

    Career Achievement Award – Alabama has been chosen to receive the Career Achievement Award, honoring an individual artist, duo, group or multiple artist collaboration that has advanced the popularity and acceptance of country music through their endeavors in the entertainment industry in multiple areas during the preceding calendar year.

    Alabama received the ACM Artist of the Decade award for the 1980s after winning the Entertainer of the Year award for five consecutive years. Combining their rock influences with Southern roots, the ensemble charted 51 Top 10 hits between 1980 and 1999, with 32 reaching No. 1. They also earned six consecutive ACM awards in the Vocal Group category. Alabama joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2011, original band members Randy Owen, Jeff Cook and Teddy Gentry brought their mountain music back to country radio by singing on “Old Alabama,” Brad Paisley’s salute to them. In 2013, the band celebrated 40 years in country music with the “Back to the Bowery” Tour and the tribute album Alabama & Friends, which featured Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Florida Georgia Line and many others. Their 2013-2014 run culminated in the September 2014 releases of theAngels Among Us: Hymns and Gospel Favorites album and the Alabama & Friends At The Ryman live CD/DVD. Also in 2014, Alabama frontman Randy Owen celebrated the 25th anniversary of his call to country radio to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. To date, the “Country Cares for St. Jude Kids” initiative has raised more than $500 million for the hospital.

    Past recipients of the Career Achievement Award include John Anderson, Vince Gill, Faith HillToby KeithTim McGraw, Ronnie Milsap, Johnny Paycheck, Carl Perkins, Reba, and Kenny Rogers.

    Crystal Milestone Award – Loretta Lynn has been chosen to receive the Crystal Milestone Award, which is given to an artist or industry leader to commemorate a specific, remarkable achievement.

    Loretta Lynn remains one of country music’s most beloved and admired artists. Celebrated for her keen songwriting and down-home personality, she was named the ACM Artist of the Decade for the 1970s, an honor bestowed after she claimed four Female Vocalist awards, four Vocal Group awards (with Conway Twitty) and ultimately 1975 Entertainer of the Year – the first woman ever to earn that distinction. Lynn joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1962 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1988. The film version of her life, Coal Miner’s Daughter, is an Oscar-winning classic. Lynn has captivated a younger generation as well, collaborating with rocker Jack White on the Grammy-winning Van Lear Rose album and championing today’s female vocalists like Miranda Lambert. In 2014, Loretta celebrated her 50th anniversary in country music. New music is expected in 2015.

    Past recipients of the Crystal Milestone Award include Jason AldeanGarth BrooksKenny Chesney, Merle HaggardGayle HolcombJennifer Nettles, and Taylor Swift.

    Gene Weed Special Achievement Award – Luke Bryan has been chosen to receive the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award, which acknowledges unprecedented, unique and outstanding individual achievement in country music.

    Luke Bryan is experiencing a career rush thanks to his double-platinum project, Crash My Party. The album ushered in a record-setting six consecutive No. 1 singles: “Crash My Party,” “That’s My Kind of Night,” “Drink A Beer,” “Play It Again,” “Roller Coaster” and “I See You.” In 2014, he performed for 1.7 million fans, marking his best year of touring yet. In January, he carried his music to Europe for the first time and announced a schedule of arenas and stadium concerts stateside. An exhibit on his stellar career will open at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum this summer.

    Past recipients of the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award include Garth Brooks, George BurnsJeff FoxworthyWillie Nelson, Blake SheltonGeorge Strait, and Carrie Underwood.

    Jim Reeves International Award – Eric Church has been chosen to receive the Jim Reeves International Award, which is presented to an artist for outstanding contributions to the acceptance of country music throughout the world.

    Eric Church is proving that modern country music translates across borders, even when his biggest songs reference iconic American imagery like “Springsteen” and “Talladega.” The North Carolina native introduced The Outsiders World Tour to Europe in early 2014, sharing his rugged, original music across 12 major markets and thousands of new fans. Church began his ambitious international trek in Dublin, Ireland, with dates following in Belfast, Northern Ireland; Glasgow, Scotland; Manchester, United Kingdom; London, England; Amsterdam, Holland; Cologne, Hamburg and Munich, Germany; Malmo and Stockholm, Sweden; and Oslo, Norway. His worldwide legion of fans is known as the Church Choir.

    Past recipients of the Jim Reeves International Award include Garth BrooksDick ClarkRoy ClarkMerv GriffinAlan Jackson, Charlie NagataniBuck OwensDolly PartonTaylor SwiftKeith UrbanLady Antebellum, andRascal Flatts among others.

    Mae Boren Axton Award – Barry Adelman and Tim DuBois have been chosen as the recipients of the Mae Boren Axton Award, which is given in recognition of years of dedication and service by an outstanding individual to the Academy of Country Music.

    Barry Adelman, EVP of Television for dick clark productions, has been a tireless champion of the Academy of Country Music Awards as the show’s long-time writer and executive producer, and has served on the ACM Board of Directors. He is one of the most prolific producers working in Hollywood today, with credits including the Golden Globes, American Music Awards, So You Think You Can Dance and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, among many other high-profile live broadcasts. He has received multiple Emmy nominations in his role as a producer and has written speeches for Presidents Clinton, Bush and Reagan. Early in his career, he also wrote forThe Sonny & Cher Show and wrote the eulogy for Elvis Presley’s funeral.

    Tim DuBois enjoyed a significant songwriting career before developing Arista Nashville into a powerhouse label in the 1990s. His writing credits include ACM-nominated songs such as Alabama’s “Love in the First Degree,” Vince Gill’s “When I Call Your Name” and Jerry Reed’s “She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft).” Under his leadership at Arista, artists like Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley and Pam Tillis picked up numerous platinum albums and industry awards. Despite his busy schedule, DuBois has given countless hours to the Academy of Country Music as an officer and a member of the Board of Directors for more than 30 years. His experience and wisdom have been instrumental in helping the Academy grow and transition. He currently serves as ACM board’s Sergeant-at-Arms. Following positions at ASCAP and Vanderbilt University, he is now a partner at Artist Management Partners.

    Past recipients of the Mae Boren Axton Award include John DorrisRod EssigGayle HolcombJack LameierMarge MeoliPaul MooreRay PilzakGaynelle PittsGene WeedTommy Wiggins and David Young.

    Poet’s Award – Felice and Boudleaux Bryant (awarded posthumously) and Bob McDill have been selected to receive the Poet’s Award, which honors songwriters for outstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their careers in the field of country music.

    Felice and Boudleaux Bryant moved to Nashville in 1950 and helped established the city’s songwriting industry. Boudleaux Bryant matched his talent as a professional fiddler to his wife’s interest in poetry to create a winning formula. Their catalog includes the Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love” and “All I Have to Do Is Dream,” as well as Eddy Arnold’s “How’s the World Treating You,” Jimmy Dickens’ “I’m Little But I’m Loud,” Roy Orbison’s “Love Hurts” and the Osborne Brothers’ “Rocky Top.” Boudleaux died in 1987; Felice died in 2003. They were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1991

    Bob McDill weaves his incredible stories with vivid language, memorable melodies and a wise, relatable perspective. The Texas native has written 30 No. 1 country hits since moving to Nashville in 1970. His rich catalog includes Alabama’s “Song of the South,” Alan Jackson’s “Gone Country,” Waylon Jennings’ “Amanda” and Don Williams’ “It Must Be Love.” In addition, his ACM-nominated songwriting credits are Mel McDaniel’s “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On,” John Schneider’s “I’ve Been Around Enough to Know,” Dan Seals’ “Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold),” Pam Tillis’ “All the Good Ones Are Gone” and Keith Whitley’s “Don’t Close Your Eyes.”

    Previous recipients of the Poet’s Award include Bill AndersonBobby BraddockGuy ClarkJack ClementHank CochranDean DillonMerle HaggardTom T. HallHarlan HowardKris KristoffersonRoger MillerBuck Owens, Fred RoseDon SchlitzCindy Walker and Hank Williams.

    INDUSTRY AWARDS

    • CASINO OF THE YEAR:
      • SMALL CAPACITY– Hard Rock Live – Biloxi, MS
      • MEDIUM CAPACITY– MGM Grand Casino – Las Vegas, NV
    • FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR:Country Thunder USA: East – Twin Lakes, WI
    • NIGHTCLUB OF THE YEAR:  Joe’s Bar – Chicago, IL
    • VENUE OF THE YEAR:
      • SMALL CAPACITY– Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
      • MEDIUM CAPACITY – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
      • LARGE CAPACITY – Hollywood Bowl – Hollywood, CA
    • DON ROMEO TALENT BUYER OF THE YEAR:  Sally Williams – Ryman Auditorium
    • PROMOTER OF THE YEAR: Ed Warm – Joe’s Live

     

    STUDIO RECORDING AWARDS (FORMERLY THE MBI AWARDS)

    • BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Glenn Worf
    • DRUMMER OF THE YEAR:  Greg Morrow
    • GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Tom Bukovac
    • PIANO/KEYBOARDS PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Michael Rojas
    • SPECIALTY INSTRUMENT(S) PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Ilya Toshinsky
    • STEEL GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Dan Dugmore
    • AUDIO ENGINEER OF THE YEAR:  Chuck Ainlay
    • PRODUCER OF THE YEAR:  Jay Joyce

     

    SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

    SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR:  Luke Laird

     

    About the Academy of Country Music Awards

    The 50th Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry.  The show is produced for television by dick clark productions and will broadcast LIVE from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, R.A. Clark, Barry Adelman and Mark Bracco are executive producers.  Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

  • ERIC, ALAN, KEITH, KIP, LADY A ADDED TO THIS YEAR’S ACM PARTY FOR A CAUSE FESTIVAL.

    Eric Church, Alan Jackson, Kip Moore, Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum are a few of the latest performers announced for the 3rd Annual ACM Party for a Cause Festival, taking place in Arlington, Texas April 17th and 18th. They’re joined by John Anderson, Deana Carter, Brandy Clark, Brett Eldredge, Sara Evans, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, Ashley Monroe, David Lee Murphy, Joe Nichols, Jake Owen, Reba, Marty Stuart, Cole Swindell, Brooks & Dunn and The Band Perry.

    Previously announced performers include Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Patty Loveless, Ronnie Milsap, Dwight Yoakam, Alabama, Eli Young Band Clint Black and Florida Georgia Line.

    The event will be taped for a two hour special, ACM Presents: Superstar Duets, which will air May 15th on the CBS. Proceeds from ticket sales for the ACM Party for a Cause Festival will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy.

     

  • NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL ACM AWARDS 50 YEARS IS AVAILABLE TUESDAY.

    NASHVILLE, TN (March 10, 2015) – NOW That’s What I Call ACM Awards 50 Years, the milestone anniversary collaboration between the Academy of Country Music and NOW That’s What I Call Music!, is released Tuesday, March 31st.

    The collection of recordings celebrate the ACM Awards’ 50-year history and will feature 2 discs as well as a digital collection of ACM award-winning songs. The first disc will feature recent contemporary hits while the second will include timeless classics.

    The complete track listing for NOW That’s What I Call ACM Awards 50 Years includes:

    DISC ONE (1990-2015)

    1. Jason Aldean (with Luke Bryan & Eric Church) The Only Way I Know 2012
    2. Lee Brice I Drive Your Truck 2012
    3. Luke Bryan Country Girl (Shake It For Me) 2011
    4. Blake Shelton Honey Bee 2011
    5. Taylor Swift Mean 2010
    6. Lady Antebellum Need You Now 2010
    7. Miranda Lambert The House That Built Me 2009
    8. Brad Paisley & Keith Urban Start A Band 2008
    9. Reba & Kelly Clarkson Because of You 2007 
    10. George Strait Give It Away 2006
    11. Carrie Underwood Jesus, Take the Wheel 2005
    12. Tim McGraw Live Like You Were Dying 2004
    13. Kenny Chesney The Good Stuff 2002
    14. Lee Ann Womack I Hope You Dance 2000
    15. Faith Hill This Kiss 1998
    16. Alan Jackson Chattahoochee 1993
    17. Brooks & Dunn Boot Scootin’ Boogie 1991

    DISC TWO (1965-1989)

    1. Clint Black Better Man 1989
    2. Hank Williams Jr. There’s a Tear in My Beer 1989
    3. Randy Travis Forever and Ever Amen 1987
    4. The Highwaymen Highwayman 1985
    5. The Judds Why Not Me 1984
    6. Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers Islands in the Stream 1983
    7. Willie Nelson Always on My Mind 1982
    8. Alabama Love in the First Degree 1981
    9. The Oak Ridge Boys Elvira 1981
    10. David Frizzell & Shelly West You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma 1980
    11. George Jones He Stopped Loving Her Today 1980
    12. Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Bros. All the Gold in California 1979
    13. Don Williams Tulsa Time 1978
    14. Glen Campbell Rhinestone Cowboy 1975
    15. Charlie Rich Behind Closed Doors 1973
    16. Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty Lead Me On 1971
    17. Merle Haggard Okie From Muskogee 1969

    The album will be released on March 31st, just in time for the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards broadcast LIVE on Sunday, April 19th at 8:00pm ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. All of the Academy’s proceeds from sales of the album will go to ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music, dedicated to improving lives through the power of music.

    NOW That’s What I Call ACM Awards 50 Years is a collaboration between Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and the Academy of Country Music, and the album will be distributed by Universal Music Group Distribution. The NOW That’s What I Call Music! series is a joint venture from Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment.  NOW and NOW That’s What I Call Music!are registered trademarks of Universal Music Group and its affiliates.

    NOW That’s What I Call Music! debuted in the U.S. in 1998, following 15 years of multi-platinum international success. The series has generated sales exceeding 250 million albums worldwide, including more than 94 million in the U.S.  All 53 volumes in NOW’s numeric U.S. series have charted in the top 10 of Billboard’s Album Chart, 19 of which have reached #1.

    The 50th Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry.  The show is produced for television by dick clark productions and will broadcast LIVE from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, R.A. Clark and Barry Adelman are executive producers.  Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

    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, to supporting programs that use music therapy as a means to help our veterans and wounded warriors, while providing grants to help them ease back into life. For more information, please visit www.ACMLiftingLives.org.

    Audio / Luke Bryan explains what he loves about his song, “Country Girl (Shake It For Me).”

    Download

    Luke Bryan (loves Country Girl) OC: …tiresome work. :33
    “What I love about the song the most is the verses. I really like how the verses came together. It seems like around every little corner there’s a fun, you know, with the little break-down dance – ‘like a dandelion’ and all that. All that stuff is like ear candy to me. I just felt like it was important, I felt like it was a young, fun song, and I felt like it said right away what we were going after and it’s certainly it’s kind of paced faster than anything I’ve ever had and that’s always rewarding. I think it makes everybody’s hard work, everybody can go, ‘Yeah, it’s worth all the sleepless nights and all the tiresome work.’”

  • ALAN JACKSON, LADY ANTEBELLUM AND LITTLE BIG TOWN ADDED TO LIST OF PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum and Little Big Town have been announced as performers at this year’s ACM Awards. They’re joined by Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts and Martina McBride, as well as special duets by Christina Aguilera with surprise artists and Nick Jonas with Dan + Shay.

    They join previously announced performers Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Sam Hunt, George Strait, Keith Urban, Reba, Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Florida Georgia Line, Cole Swindell and Thomas Rhett.

    The 50th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards – hosted by Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton – will air live from the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas April 19th at 8pm ET on CBS.

  • SHANIA TWAIN WILL HIT THE ROAD THIS SUMMER.

    New York, NY March 4, 2015 – One of the world’s best-selling female artist in history, Shania Twain, has announced her first North American tour in more than 11 years entitled ROCK THIS COUNTRY.   The 48 date run comes hot on the heels of her hit two-year residency in Las Vegas at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

    Shania’s tour kicks off in North America on June 5 in Seattle, WA where she will perform her extensive catalog of iconic hits in a brand new production for fans coast to coast in major US cities such as New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Chicago, among others. Additionally, the tour will hit Canadian cities including Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Montreal, presented by AEG Live.  American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets through Front Of The Line for the Canadian shows only before the general public beginning Tuesday, March 10th at 10am through Thursday, March 12 at 10pm local time, with the public on-sale for most North American shows beginning Friday, March 13 at 10:00 am local on axs.com. Exceptions noted below.  ShaniaTwain.com presale begins Tuesday, March 10 at 10am local time through Thursday, March 12 at 10pm local time.


    A limited number of exclusive VIP Packages also will be available. Theses offers can include premium reserved tickets, access to Shania Twain’s preshow VIP sound check, exclusive merchandise and much more. A $1.00 donation from each ticket purchased will go to the Shania Kids Can Foundation. Opening acts include Canadian musician and actor Wes Mack from June 5 – June 28, and Grammy Award nominated singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw from June 30 – August 23.


    “This is a celebration tour. It’s party time!  The ROCK THIS COUNTRY tour will have a different spirit than my past tours,” said Twain. “It’s a Shania they’ve never seen before.  A lot of years have gone by and I’ve got a lot more to share.”


    Beloved by millions worldwide, Shania has multi-platinum album sales in 32 countries with over 75 million albums sold, and 17 top 10 singles. Three of Shania’s albums (The Woman In Me, Come On Over, Up! ) reached Diamond certification, making her the only artist to have three consecutive albums sell more than 10 million copies in the US.


    Rising to fame with her debut album Shania Twain (1993), Shania became a worldwide phenomenon with the release of Come On Over (1997), which became the best-selling country album of all time, and the best-selling album released by a female artist. Most recently, Shania performed 105 shows during her two-year Las Vegas residency, Shania: Still The One, beginning on December 1, 2012 at The Colosseum at Ceasars Palace and wrapping in December of 2014. The show garnered rave reviews throughout its tenure.

     

    Shania Twain 2015 Summer Tour
    Opening acts include Wes Mack from June 5 – June 28, and Gavin DeGraw from June 30 – August 23

    Jun 5 Seattle, WA KeyArena at Seattle Center
    Jun 7 Vancouver, BC Pepsi Live! At Rogers Arena
    Jun 9 Vancouver, BC Pepsi Live! At Rogers Arena
    Jun 11 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
    Jun 12 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
    Jun 14 Saskatoon, SK SaskTel Centre
    Jun 15 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre
    Jun 19 London, ON Budweiser Gardens
    Jun 20 London, ON Budweiser Gardens
    Jun 22 Hamilton, ON FirstOntario Centre
    Jun 24 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
    Jun 25 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
    Jun 27 Ottawa, ON Wesley Clover Parks ****
    Jun 28 Montreal, QC Bell Centre *
    Jun 30 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
    Jul 1 Long Island, NY Nassau Coliseum
    Jul 3 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena **
    Jul 7 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
    Jul 8 Boston, MA TD Garden
    Jul 10 Pittsburgh, PA CONSOL Energy Center
    Jul 11 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
    Jul 13 Indianapolis, IN Bankers Life Fieldhouse **
    Jul 15 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
    Jul 16 Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena
    Jul 18 Greenville, SC Bon Secours Wellness Arena
    Jul 19 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena
    Jul 21 Washington, DC Verizon Center
    Jul 22 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
    Jul 25 Auburn Hills, MI Palace of Auburn Hills
    Jul 26 Moline, IL iWireless Center
    Jul 28 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
    Jul 29 Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena
    Jul 31 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
    Aug 1 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
    Aug 3 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center
    Aug 4 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center
    Aug 6 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena
    Aug 7 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
    Aug 9 Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center
    Aug 10 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
    Aug 12 Oklahoma City, OK Chesapeake Energy Arena
    Aug 14 Denver, CO Pepsi Center ***
    Aug 15 Salt Lake City, UT EnergySolutions Arena
    Aug 17 San Jose, CA SAP Center at San Jose
    Aug 19 Anaheim, CA Honda Center
    Aug 20 Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center
    Aug 22 San Diego, CA Valley View Casino Center
    Aug 23 Fresno, CA Save Mart Center


    * On sale Saturday March 21

    ** On sale Friday March 20

    *** On sale Friday March 27

    **** Festival date with The Doobie Brothers also performing

    On-sales are subject to change so please check local listings.

     

    ABOUT AEG LIVE:
    AEG Live, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance.  AEG Live is comprised of touring, festival and special event divisions, seventeen regional offices and owns, operates or exclusively books thirty-five state-of-the-art venues.  The current and recent concert tour roster includes artists such as Alicia Keys, Bruno Mars, Bon Jovi, Carrie Underwood, Cher, Ed Sheeran, Enrique Iglesias, George Strait, Hunter Hayes, J Cole, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Kenny Chesney, Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney, Pitbull, Rod Stewart, The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, The WHO, Trey Songz and Juanes.   The company operates The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and produces residency shows there including Celine Dion, Jerry Seinfeld, Rod Stewart, Mariah Carey (opening May 6), and Reba, Brooks & Dunn (opening June 17); is the exclusive promoter at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas; and produces limited-engagement performances at The Venetian Theatre including Diana Ross  in April. AEG Live is also the largest producer of music festivals in North America from the critically acclaimed Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival to Stagecoach Country Music Festival and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. 
    www.aeglive.com

  • SAM HUNT PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE LADIES.

    Sam Hunt is paying tribute to the ladies of the ‘90s during his Lipstick Graffiti Tour. He’s performing hits from such female hitmakers as Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, Wynonna, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.

    “A lot of the songs are songs that come from an era of country music that I grew up listening to, and just judging the fan base that we’ve had so far and the people who are coming out, they seem to have similar musical interests. It seems like they grew up probably listening to a lot of the same things I grew up listening to, and a lot of these female country singers doing their thing in the ‘90s when I was listening to country music,” says Sam. “It was kind of something I wanted to [do]; I don’t know if you’d call it a nod to that era and those great female artists who meant so much to me growing up, and to kind of acknowledge all that great music. And there’s gonna be some R&B we’ll do as well from some of the female artists that came up doing it in that genre.”

    The next date on Sam’s Lipstick Graffiti Tour, featuring Native Run as openers, is Thursday (February 19th) in Knoxville, Tennessee, followed by shows in Myrtle Beach and Charleston.

    Sam, who is up for ACM New Artist of the Year, is scaling the country charts with his latest single, “Take Your Time.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about the medley of ‘90s female artists he’s doing during his shows on his Lipstick Graffiti Tour.

    Download

    Sam Hunt (Lipstick medley) OC: …together cool. :49
    “A lot of the songs are songs that come from an era of country music that I grew up listening to, and just judging the fan base that we’ve had so far and the people who are coming out, they seem to have similar musical interests. It seems like they grew up probably listening to a lot of the same things I grew up listening to, and a lot of these female country singers doing their thing in the ‘90s when I was listening to country music. And then also, the last few years, there hasn’t been a strong a presence from females in country music. I don’t know. It was kind of something I wanted to [do]; I don’t know if you’d call it a nod to that era and those great female artists who meant so much to me growing up, and to kind of acknowledge all that great music. And there’s gonna be some R&B we’ll do as well from some of the female artists that came up doing it in that genre. So, hopefully, it’ll all blend together cool.”

     

  • THE MEMBERS OF LADY ANTEBELLUM WILL RECEIVE THE CRS 2015 ARTIST HUMANITARIAN AWARD. (AUDIO AND PRESS RELEASE)

    (Nashville, Tenn. – Nov. 17, 2014) – The Country Radio Broadcasters have announced Lady Antebellum as the recipient of the CRS 2015 Artist Humanitarian Award, to be presented during the opening ceremonies of Country Radio Seminar on Feb. 25, 2014.

    The CRB Artist Humanitarian Award was created in 1990 by the organization’s board to honor those Country music artists who have exhibited exceptional humanitarian efforts during their career.  Past recipients of the annual award have included Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Trace Adkins, Randy Owen, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Reba, Vince Gill, Garth Brooks and Charlie Daniels, among others.

    CRS President Charlie Morgan stated, “It is always humbling and inspiring to learn of the great work that Country Artists do behind the scenes to share the many blessings and gifts that come with fame and stardom.  I would argue no format has a more generous group of artists than we do and at CRS 2015 we will pay special tribute to one of the best, Lady Antebellum with our Artist Humanitarian Award.”

    Since the beginning of their career, Charles, Dave and Hillary of Lady Antebellum have used their music and their likeness to make a difference in people’s lives. Whether it was their most recent week-long 7FOR7 campaign where they traveled across the country to surprise and fulfill seven wishes for seven fans in seven days; to taking on rebuilding a flood damaged elementary school in Kingston Springs or lifting the spirits of the community of Henryville, IN by performing at their high school after tornadoes ravaged the town, raising more than $240,000 for them; to raising money for at-risk youth, Lady Antebellum has been there to lend not only their voices and time, but also their hearts and money to make a difference.

    In December of 2012, Lady Antebellum established LadyAID, through which they continue to raise money and support kids in need on a local, national and global level through Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Children’s Miracle Network, and myLIFEspeaks. Armed with this overwhelming passion to help kids everywhere, Hillary Scott has spent time in Haitian orphanages helping to rebuild and serve the children. Charles Kelley has hosted his own golf tournament to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and his father’s John W Kelley MD Cardiovascular Endowment at University Health Care Foundation.  And Dave, along with Charles and Hillary, established a ping-pong challenge called Ping Pong & Songs during CMA Music Fest to benefit the children supported through LadyAID (a component fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee).

    In addition, Lady Antebellum will be featured panelists on “How 3 Become 1: Lady Antebellum.”  The panel, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 26 at 10 a.m., will discuss how the three balance their talents and creativity to form one song, one album, and ultimately, one band. The morning show hosts, PDs and OM/GMs in the seminar know how hard it can be to take a group of creative people and get them to work towards one goal. They will find out what Lady Antebellum does to achieve this every day. This is a rare opportunity to see how a group of very creative people successfully navigate this process and make decisions as one band.

    Charlie Morgan adds about their panel participation, “Part of what makes CRS so powerful is the very unique relationship between radio and artists in the country format.  Nowhere does the interaction happen with more frequency and intensity than at CRS each year.  In 2015, Lady Antebellum will give us all rare access to their lives and their individual perspectives on being a part of one of the most successful bands in our format today”

    For more information on Lady Antebellum, visit ladyantebellum.com. For more information on Country Radio Seminar, visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com  

    About Lady Antebellum:  Lady Antebellum recently released their fifth studio album, 747. The 11-song disc has already celebrated the PLATINUM certified multi-week chart-topping lead single “Bartender” and the brand new single “Freestyle.” The new music follows over 11 million albums sold worldwide, nine trips to No. one on the country radio charts, six Platinum singles, seven GRAMMY awards and “Vocal Group of the Year” honors from both the CMA and ACM’s three years in a row, and they are currently nominated for “Vocal Group Of The Year” and “Music Video Of The Year” at the upcoming 48th Annual CMA Awards. The trio’s headlining TAKE ME DOWNTOWN TOUR visited 80 cities in the US and Canada over the course of this year, delighting fans and critics with the Dallas Morning News declaring “Lady Antebellum shows off its warranted leap to superstardom.”  

    Audio / Lady A (Lady AID) 2

    Download
    AUDIO: When Lady AID was first announced in 2011, Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood talked about their hopes for the initiative.

    Lady A (Lady AID) 2 OC: …to do it. :28
    “There’s a lot of things we love to give to, but this was kind of the one umbrella organization that we can start as a band, and this will be the way that we can do a fundraiser, raise funds and then donate to these specific charities. After visiting the Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, it’s really cool to be able to have an organization that we can give directly to them and directly to MyLifeSpeaks. And so, for us, this is a way that we can do it all in one place and have one kind of a joint effort to do it.” 

     

  • CMA AWARDS 2014: Little Big Town (AUDIO)

    Little Big Town have won the CMA Vocal Group of the Year award the past couple of years, and they’re nominated once again. The band, who just released their new album, Pain Kiwerller, said they always watched the CMA Awards when they were growing up to see who was there, what they were performing and how glamorous it all was. The huge global audience for the show is not lost on the band at all.

    “Seeing Reba win Female Vocalist for the first time, Vince Gill performing for the first time and wondering who he was – voice of an angel,” says Karen. “All these great moments of discovery for us, I think, as fans of country music watching that show, and that’s still what it is for so many people, and that’s why we don’t take that lightly at all is that it’s our chance to introduce ourselves to so many people and we get a chance to do that on a really, really big, iconic platform.”

    The 48th Annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday (November 5th) at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Audio / LBT (watching CMAs)

    Download
    AUDIO: Little Big Town talk about watching the CMA Awards when they were younger and recall a few of their favorite moments.

    LBT (watching CMAs) OC: (Phillip) …it’s amazing. 1:19
    KIMBERLY: “There’s so much history there – Barbara Mandrell, I remember.” KAREN: “I always think of her too. Winning Entertainer of the Year as a woman, gosh, just dominating.” KIMBERLY: “And Alabama winning year after year after year after year for Group of the Year.” KAREN: “Seeing Reba win Female Vocalist for the first time, Vince Gill performing for the first time and wondering who he was – voice of an angel. All these great moments of discovery for us, I think, as fans of country music watching that show, and that’s still what it is for so many people, and that’s why we don’t take that lightly at all is that it’s our chance to introduce ourselves to so many people and we get a chance to do that on a really, really big, iconic platform.” KIMBERLY: “I remember as a kid just really paying so much attention to the audience, those first few rows and who’s on there and who are they sitting with and what did they have on. It was so glamorous, so glamorous, especially back then. I don’t know if it comes off as nearly as glamorous now, but back then it felt so much bigger than life and OH!” PHILLIP: “I think I still see it that way. It’s very glamorous, very classy. It’s a chance for country music gets all dressed up and looks really sharp. It’s cool. It makes country music look good, which it is. It’s amazing.”

  • LADY ANTEBELLUM CELEBRATE THE CHART-TOPPING SUCCESS OF BARTENDER. (AUDIO)

    Lady Antebellum threw a costume party at a new Nashville hotspot, City Winery, to celebrate the recent No. 1 success of their single “Bartender” in Nashville on Wednesday (October 29th). After speaking with the media, the trio donned some alcohol-inspired costumes and performed their chart-topping hit, along with co-writer Rodney Clawson.

    “We thought with the No. 1 party being so close to Halloween, we might as well keep it loose and fun,” says Lady A’s Hillary Scott. “We’ve been known to dress up when we’ve had shows on Halloween anyway. Charles was Ronnie Dunn, Dave was Kix Brooks (Brooks & Dunn) and I was Reba one year, so we love to have fun with that.”

    Adds Dave Haywood, ““It’s close to Halloween, and it’s a bar themed day, so we thought a couple alcohol-inspired costumes for this year for us.”

    Lady A has stormed the country charts with their latest single, “Freestyle.,” and just released the video for the tune on Wednesday.

    You can catch Lady Antebellum performing during next week’s CMA Awards, where they’re up for Vocal Group of the Year and Music Video of the Year for “Bartender.”

    Audio / Lady A (Bartender #1 party)

    Download
    AUDIO: Lady Antebellum attended a costume-inspired No. 1 party for their recent hit, “Bartender.”

    Lady A (Bartender #1 party) OC: (DAVE) …for us. :31
    HILLARY: “We thought with the No. 1 party being so close to Halloween, we might as well keep it loose and fun. We’ve been known to dress up when we’ve had shows on Halloween anyway. Charles was Ronnie Dunn, Dave was Kix Brooks (Brooks & Dunn) and I was Reba one year, so we love to have fun with that. My little girl is a pig. She looks awesome. She looks awesome.” [laugh] DAVE: “Costume.” CHARLES: “Her costume is pretty awesome.” DAVE: “It’s close to Halloween, and it’s a bar-themed day, so we thought a couple alcohol-inspired costumes for this year for us.”

    Audio / Lady A (Bartender #1)

    Download
    AUDIO: Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott says the band felt very encouraged after “Bartender” went to No. 1.

    Lady A (Bartender #1) 2 OC: …for sure. :23
    “This one for sure we were so excited about it, it was the first time we’d ever written with Rodney our co-writer and it was, I don’t know I think after you know taking a little bit of a break coming back with playing a tour, going out on tour writing on that tour and then having the first single just do so well it was just a big pat on the back I think and encouragement that we were headed in the right direction for the rest of the record. So, this one is very sweet for sure.”

     

  • ALAN JACKSON LAUNCHES 25th ANNIVERSARY KEEPIN’ IT COUNTRY TOUR WITH SPECIAL GUESTS JON PARDI AND BRANDY CLARK. (AUDIO AND PRESS RELEASE)

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (October 20, 2014) Country superstar Alan Jackson rings in 2015 with the continuation of the multi-faceted 25th anniversary celebration and the launch of his 25th Anniversary KEEPIN’ IT COUNTRY TOUR. Sponsored by Kubota Tractor Corporation, the tour kicks off in Fort Myers (Estero), FL on January 8 and will culminate at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver (Morrison), CO on May 17, 2015. Joining Jackson on his KEEPIN’ IT COUNTRY TOUR will be Capitol Records Nashville’s Jon Pardi and Grammy/CMA/ACM nominated hit singer/songwriter Brandy Clark.

    Alan Jackson’s 25th Anniversary KEEPIN’ IT COUNTRY TOUR will be a memorable celebration for his longtime fans as well as legions of new fans who are discovering his music through the many songs that have withstood the test of time and influenced many new artists of today like the tour’s special guests Jon Pardi and Brandy Clark. Fans will hear the songs they love from the man who wrote them and made them famous including his massive debut hit, “Here In The Real World” to “Chattahoochee,” “Drive,” “Gone Country,” the summertime party-anthems “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” and “Good Time,” and many, many more.

    Alan Jackson’s 25th Anniversary KEEPIN’ IT COUNTRY TOUR:

    JAN 08           Fort Myers (Estero), FL                   Germain Arena

    JAN 09           Tampa, FL                                        USF Sun Dome

    FEB 20           San Diego, CA                                 Valley View Casino Center

    FEB 21           Laughlin, NV                                     Laughlin Events Center

    FEB 27           Los Angeles, CA                              Nokia Theatre LA Live

    FEB 28           Phoenix, AZ                                       Ak-Chin Pavilion

    MAR 06          Dallas (Grand Prairie), TX              Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie

    MAR 27          Augusta, GA                                      James Brown Arena

    MAR 28          Greenville, SC                                    Bon Secours Wellness Arena

    APR 09          Wilmington, NC                                   Cape Fear Community College

    APR 17          Kansas City (Independence), MO    Independence Events Center

    APR 18          Enid, OK                                                Enid Event Center

    APR 24          Roanoke, VA                                       Civic Center Auditorium

    MAY 01           Sioux City, IA                                      Tyson Events Center

    MAY 02           Brookings, SD                                     Swiftel Center

    MAY 08           Green Bay, WI                                     Resch Center

    MAY 09           Bloomington, IL                                    US Cellular Coliseum

    MAY 16           Salt Lake City (West Valley City), UT        USANA Amphitheatre

    MAY 17           Denver (Morrison), CO                               Red Rocks Amphitheatre

     

    More dates may be added soon.

    Jackson’s tour is an extension of the already year-long 25th anniversary celebration which kicked off this summer with the opening of his exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, Alan Jackson: 25 Years of Keepin’ It Country, which will run through March 2015. This month the multi-platinum selling Grammy winner is also playing two record-breaking sold out shows at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s CMA Theater making him the first simultaneous artist-in-residence and major museum exhibit subject.

    Tickets and information for all KEEPIN’ IT COUNTRY TOUR dates will be available via local outlets and by visiting www.alanjackson.com, where you can find information about Alan, his tour schedule, music and more


    About Alan Jackson

    In his 25-year career, Jackson has been steadfast in his love for traditional music while enjoying major chart success.  Since signing his record deal in June 1989, he has sold nearly 60 million albums worldwide and ranks as one of the 10 best-selling country artists of all-time. He has released more than 60 singles—registering 50 Top Ten hits and 35 #1s (including 26 Billboard #1s).  He has earned more than 150 music industry awards—including 18 Academy of Country Music Awards, 16 Country Music Association Awards, a pair of Grammys and ASCAP’s Founders and Golden Note Awards.  He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry.

    Alan Jackson is one of the most successful and respected singer-songwriters in music.  He is in the elite company of Paul McCartney and John Lennon among songwriters who’ve written more than 20 songs that they’ve recorded and taken to the top of the charts.  Jackson is one of the best-selling artists since the inception of SoundScan, ranking alongside the likes of Eminem and Metallica.  

    About Jon Pardi

    California native and Capitol Records Nashville rising country star Jon Pardi released his debut album, Write You A Song, on Jan. 14, 2014.  The Los Angeles Times calls Write You A Song “one of the year’s best country albums.” The release features his Gold-certified Top 10 tune “Up All Night,” along with hits “What I Can’t Put Down,” “Missin’ You Crazy” and his brand new “When I’ve Been Drinkin.’” Pardi has a laid back, fun-loving approach towards life and it comes through in his music and his raucous live show. His charisma and authenticity strike a chord with county audiences, as he wins over fans one-by-one and show-by-show.

    Pardi’s sound is undeniably country — paying homage to some of his musical heroes such as Dwight Yoakam, George Strait and Alan Jackson.  Discovering his ability for performance back at the tender age of three when he sang ALABAMA, Alan Jackson and Hank Williams, Jr. karaoke with his grandmother, Pardi has since shared the stage with Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church and many more of today’s hottest country artists.  For additional information, visit www.JonPardi.com.

    About Brandy Clark

    Brandy Clark’s debut album, 12 Stories, was named the best album of 2013 in any genre by New York Magazine’s Jody Rosen, New York Post’s Michaelangelo Matos, NPR’s Ann Powers, Slate, and Boston Globe’s Sarah Rodman. The album was the No. 2 record for Fresh Air’s Ken Tucker and a top 10 choice for Los Angeles Times’ Randall Roberts and The New Yorker’s Sasha Frere-Jones, among many others. She earned two 2014 CMA nominations (one for New Artist of the Year, the other for Song of the Year for co-writing Kacey Musgraves’ hit “Follow Your Arrow” with Musgraves and Shane McAnally), won the 2014 Music Row Breakthrough Artist Award, and toured with Eric Church and Jennifer Nettles. She also opened for Loretta Lynn at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium. When reviewing 12 Stories, Randy Lewis of the Los Angeles Times wrote, “This is the country debut of the year.” Rolling Stone’s Will Hermes noted, “Her debut is all airtight craftsmanship, sly wit and precise detailing that treats mainstream style like artisanal fast food.” New York Magazine’s Rosen remarked, “She’s a brisk, vivid, witty storyteller; her tunes unfold in old-fashioned weepers and chugging honkytonk, with fiddles, pedal steel, and vocal harmonies driving home the punch lines and pathos,” while NPR’s Powers called her “A storyteller of the highest caliber.” Hitfix’s Melinda Newman wrote that Clark was “the best new artist country radio isn’t playing” and that 12 Stories “made almost every music critics’ best of 2013 list for its heart, wit, smart wordplay, and Clark’s expressive vocals.”

    Clark was nominated for her first GRAMMY Award earlier this year for Best Country Song for “Mama’s Broken Heart,” (a song she co-wrote with McAnally and Musgraves) which Miranda Lambert took to No. 1. That song also earned Clark her first CMA and ACM nominations, both for Song of the Year. She also wrote The Band Perry’s No. 1 hit “Better Dig Two” with McAnally and Trevor Rosen. Other artists to record her songs include Sheryl Crow, Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves, LeAnn Rimes, Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson, and more. For more information visit www.brandyclarkmusic.com.

    Suggested Tweet: 

    Alan Jackson’s 2015 #KeepinItCountry Tour w/ special guests @JonPardi & @TheBrandyClark has been announced  at alanjackson.com/tour.html ! #25AJ

    Twitter Cheat Sheet: @AlanJacksonOfficial, #AJ25, #KeepinItCountry, @JonPardi, @TheBrandyClark

    Audio / Jon Pardi (AJ tour) 1

    Download
    AUDIO: Jon Pardi is so excited about joining Alan Jackson on the road, as is his mother, Shelly.

    Jon Pardi (AJ tour) 1 OC: …Chattahoochie, I mean. 1:03
    “When I found out that I was going to be on tour with Alan and on the middle slot – which is a huge deal for us because we’ve always been the 20 minute guys; like, ‘Alright-see you later. We played five songs, and we’re out.’ So, that’s really my first middle slot – when you have an opener, then you got the middle and you have the headliner. My manager was totally egging it on, like, ‘Oh yeah. We got a middle slot.’ I was like, ‘With who?’ He said, ‘Are you ready?’ He was like, ‘Alan Jackson.’ I was like, ‘ALAN JACKSON? Are you serious? You’re joking, right? There’s no way. I mean, it’s Alan Jackson!’ And then it dawns on you. You’re so excited and you’re jumping up and down, you can’t tell everybody. I called my mom, of course. She started ccrying. ‘Alan Jackson! You don’t know how much we listen to Alan Jackson! I love Alan Jackson!’ She started going off, and any time she thinks of a George Strait or Alan Jackson, she thinks of my grandmother that we all [loved]. She influenced me, and she was always singing for all of my family, you know, ‘Don’t Rock the Jukebox’ or Chattahoochee,’ I mean.” 

     

     

  • LITTLE BIG TOWN JOINS THE GRAND OLE OPRY. (AUDIO, PHOTOS, PRESS RELEASE)

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (Oct. 17, 2014) – The critically acclaimed Grammy®-winning vocal group Little Big Town (Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman and Jimi Westbrook) were formally inducted into the Grand Ole Opry this evening by Opry members Little Jimmy Dickens and Vince Gill. The group had been invited to join the Opry on October 3rd by Opry member and friend Reba McEntire. The night marked a major milestone for the group whose first-ever public performance together was on the Opry in 1999.

    The group opened its set with a performance of its hit “Bring it On Home,” hearkening back to its Opry debut. On that night, as the members recalled backstage, they had been accompanied by only a borrowed guitar. After the group’s performance of the smash “Boondocks,” Dickens and Gill took the stage along with Opry Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher to present the group with its Opry Member Award.

    “The word ‘family’ really means something out here. It really does,” Gill said to the group. “You’ll make friends like I have with this man right here,” he continued, nodding to Dickens. “You’ll be so be blessed by the friends you’ll make out here, and they’ll last your entire life. Welcome to the family, and remember to come here as often as you can.”

    After the group shared its thanks to the Opry, family members, friends, and others who’d helped make its Opry dream come true, the members invited Gill to join them on their final song of the night, the Kris Kristofferson classic “Why Me.” “Welcome them home!” Gill cheered before a standing ovation sold out audience.

    Backstage, group members reflected on having grown up with the Opry and on its importance to their music. “This feels like the biggest moment of our lives and our career,” Schlapman said.

    “I’m so excited about sharing this moment with the band,” Fairchild added. “We’ve been through the highest of highs together, and this is sure to be the highest. This is as good as it gets.”

    Sweet reflected on everyone at the Opry having embraced the group over the years. “It feels like home,” he said. “It’s family.”

    “There’s nothing like walking those halls backstage,” added Westbrook, later sharing amazement with the other members that the group’s name would be added to the Opry Member Gallery at the Opry House backstage entrance.

    About Little Big Town
    Critically acclaimed Country group, Little Big Town – consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook – first entered the music scene more than 15 years ago with hits such as “Boondocks,” “Bring It On Home,” “Good As Gone” and Grammy-nominated single “Little White Church.”  The quartet’s fifth studio album Tornado was released on September 11, 2012 and debuted at the top of the Billboard Country Chart where it stayed for five consecutive weeks.  The album has been certified Platinum with sales of more than 1 million copies and features #1 hits “Pontoon” and “Tornado.”

    Collectively, the group has earned more than 25 award show nominations and has taken home the award for ACM Top New Vocal Group, CMA Single of the Year (“Pontoon”), CMA Vocal Group of the Year (2012 and 2013), ACM Vocal Group of the Year, ACM Video of the Year (“Tornado”), a Grammy Award for Best Country Group/Duo Performance (“Pontoon”) and an Emmy award (Outstanding Original Song-“Good Afternoon”).

    Little Big Town recently completed their sixth studio album working again with producer Jay Joyce. The first single off of the new album entitled “Day Drinking” is quickly climbing the Country radio charts.  The album, entitled Pain Killer, is set for release on October 21.

    For more information on Little Big Town please visit www.littlebigtown.com.

    About the Grand Ole Opry
    The Grand Ole Opry® is presented by Humana®.  Opry performances are held every Friday and Saturday of the year, and the Tuesday Night Opry continues through December 16.  To plan an Opry visit, call (800) SEE-OPRY or visit opry.com. The Opry presents the best in country music live every week from Nashville, Tenn.  Celebrating nearly nine decades of entertainment, the Opry can be heard at opry.com and wsmonline.com, Opry and WSM mobile apps, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, and its flagship home, 650 AM-WSM. The Grand Ole Opry is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE: RHP).  For more information, visit opry.com

    Audio / LBT (becoming Opry members)

    Download
    AUDIO: Little Big Town describe what it means to be members of the Grand Ole Opry.

    LBT (becoming Opry members) OC: …way, you know? :54
    PHILLIP: “My first feeling is it just feels like a family, and I feel like we’re being welcomed into a small family. It’s not like everyone’s invited as members of the Opry. It’s a small group of people, and it’s such an honor. I have such good warm feelings when I think about coming to play the Opry. It feels like home. It’s like family when you come here. It’s heartwarming.” JIMI: “It is. There’s nothing like walking these halls through here. From the very first time we ever came in here, it’s magical. You walk through and see all those pictures and the history and the tradition.” KAREN: “We feel a responsibility for that, to keep it going.” JIMI: “It means something. It really does.” KAREN: “And to preserve that reverence. I think it’s serious, you know? And we feel a great responsibility to carry on the tradition. It feels super serious in the most amazing way, you know?”

    Audio / LBT (full circle moment)

    Download
    AUDIO: Little Big Town’s first public performance was at the Grand Ole Opry May 1999, and they explain how it is a full circle moment.

    LBT (full circle moment) OC: (Phillip) …borrowed guitar. :14
    PHILLIP: “This is so full circle for us. This was the first place that we ever played in front of human beings in a public way. We didn’t have a band. We didn’t have any musicians, just us, and here we are tonight.” JIMI: “And one borrowed guitar.” [laughs] PHILLIP: “Yes! One borrowed guitar.”

    Audio / LBT (Opry best night)

    Download
    AUDIO: Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild says through all of their ups and downs

    LBT (Opry best night) OC: …for sure. :31
    “It’s incredible that a band that stepped on this stage for the first time and then got a record deal then lost a record deal, then got a record deal, then lost a record deal,  and then had a great record and then the label folded, and then made another record. It’s such a crazy story. We’ve had babies together and all these incredible moments. So, standing up here tonight, I know we’re gonna look down at each other and it’s gonna be as good as it gets, for sure.”

     

  • LITTLE BIG TOWN INVITED TO BECOME MEMBERS OF THE GRAND OLE OPRY. (AUDIO)

     

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (Oct. 3, 2014) – Critically acclaimed Grammy®-winning vocal group Little Big Town (Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman and Jimi Westbrook)  was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry this evening by Opry member and friend Reba McEntire.  The group will be formally inducted into the Opry on Fri., Oct. 17 by Opry member Vince Gill.

    As the group finished a three-song set with its smash “Pontoon,” McEntire appeared from the side of the stage, improvising on the song’s last few words. “I know the Grand Ole Opry is very important to y’all, because this is the first place you guys played together as a group in 1999,” McEntire began after the impromptu collaboration. “I have been asked to ask y’all, Little Big Town, would y’all like to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry?” 

    After hugs with McEntire and between the members as well as a collective “yes” from the group, McEntire said, “Special moments like this—they’re priceless.”

    Speaking for the group, Fairchild cheered, “Thank you, Grand Ole Opry! We will try to make you proud!”

    Opry Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher said, “We have been enjoying Grand Ole Opry visits from Little Big Town for almost 15 years now. During that time, the group has developed an amazing artistry and has won over millions of fans, all while maintaining a commitment to and love for the Opry we saw firsthand tonight. We will all be excited to officially welcome Little Big Town to the Opry family October 17.”

    About Little Big Town
    Critically acclaimed Country group, Little Big Town – consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook – first entered the music scene more than 15 years ago with hits such as “Boondocks,” “Bring It On Home,” “Good As Gone” and Grammy-nominated single “Little White Church.”  The quartet’s fifth studio album Tornado was released on September 11, 2012 and debuted at the top of the Billboard Country Chart where it stayed for five consecutive weeks.  The album has been certified Platinum with sales of more than 1 million copies and features #1 hits “Pontoon” and “Tornado.” 

    Collectively, the group has earned more than 25 award show nominations and has taken home the award for ACM Top New Vocal Group, CMA Single of the Year (“Pontoon”), CMA Vocal Group of the Year (2012 and 2013), ACM Vocal Group of the Year, ACM Video of the Year (“Tornado”), a Grammy Award for Best Country Group/Duo Performance (“Pontoon”) and an Emmy award (Outstanding Original Song-“Good Afternoon”). 

    Little Big Town recently completed their sixth studio album working again with producer Jay Joyce. The first single off of the new album entitled “Day Drinking” is quickly climbing the Country radio charts.  The album, entitled Pain Killer, is set for release on October 21.

    For more information on Little Big Town please visit www.littlebigtown.com.

    Audio / LBT (Opry)

    Download
    AUDIO: We caught up with Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman backstage just after the band was asked to join the Grand Ole Opry on Friday night.

    Little Big Town (Opry) OC: …going ON? [screams] :29
    “I feel like I can’t breathe very well.I can’t take very good breaths. Reba, holy freaking cow, Reba!! And then I thought, ‘Oh how nice for Reba to come out.’ I can’t believe it. We have wanted this for years, as long as we first stepped on that stage, this is what we wanted. Thank you, Jesus and Reba. Well, I was confused at first because I didn’t know whose voice that was, and then I saw Reba, and then I was like, ‘Is something going ON?’ [screams]” 

    Audio / LBT 1 Opry responsibility

    Download
    AUDIO: Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild talks about how seriously the band will take the responsibility of being Grand Ole Opry members.

    LBT 1 (Opry tradition) OC: …incredible. :37
    “It’s so much tradition and responsibility. I think we take it very seriously, that’s why I feel like, ‘Wow! I want to live up to this.’ This is incredible. I was really taking in tonight in our dressing room all the women that are on the wall, my dad and I. We were looking through all the pictures and just looking at Dolly [Parton] and Emmylou and Connie and Jeannie and Tammy and Patsy Cline. Man, if you’re a woman on this wall, you are the you-know-what. [laughs] I mean, that’s incredible.”

    Audio / LBT 2 Reba invitation

    Download
    AUDIO: Little Big Town talk about Reba coming out to invite them to become members of the Grand Ole Opry.

    LBT 2 (Reba) OC: [KIMBERLY] …look at her. :19
    “[ALL] Reba!!! PHILLIP: I mean, she’s like the best stuff, you know?” KAREN: “I was dying when she came around the corner. I could not believe it.” PHILLIP: “Motorboatin’ real good.” KIMBERLY: “I couldn’t move. I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t sing anything. I couldn’t look at her.” 

     

  • KEITH URBAN TELLS THE STORY OF THIS YEAR’S ALL 4 THE HALL BENEFIT. (AUDIO)

    Keith Urban’s fifth annual All 4 The Hall show to benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville has quite the lineup and theme this year. With co-host Vince Gill, they’ll welcome performances from  Darius Rucker, David Nail, Kacey Musgraves, Kip Moore,  Brantley Gilbert, Brett Eldredge, Carrie Underwood, Deana Carter, Lee Ann Womack with Buddy Miller, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Reba McEntire and Ronnie Milsap. The theme of Tuesday night’s (May 6th) show, Songtellers (A LARGE Intimate Evening) will have each artist perform songs they’ve recorded and/or written, or a classic, and they’ll tell a story about the song – why they wrote it, why they recorded it and what it means to them.

    “I chose to have song tellers, because some of the artists like Reba [McEntire], Ronnie [Milsap] aren’t traditionally known as songwriters, they’re more song interpreters,” says Keith. “I thought well, they’ve got their own stories to probably tell us about why they chose certain songs. I was curious to know – as some of the fans probably are – did they have to fight other artists to get that song, and that sort of stuff as well. So, I wanted to know a bit of a story about the song, not just the writing necessarily.”

    Funds raised through the All 4 The All concerts have collectively raised more than $2 million in support of the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum’s preservation efforts, exhibitions and educational programs that teach audiences about the enduring beauty and cultural importance of country music. In addition, Urban has teamed up again with Rally.org to help fans raise funds for the Country Music Hall of Fame and to compete for prizes including VIP tickets. For more information go to all4thehall.keithurban.net.

    Audio / Keith Urban (A4TH 2014)

    Download
    AUDIO: Keith Urban explains why he chose Songtellers as the theme for this year’s All 4 The Hall benefit concert.

    Keith Urban (A4TH 2014) OC: …to hear some stories. :30
    “I chose to have song tellers, because some of the artists like Reba [McEntire], Ronnie [Milsap] aren’t traditionally known as songwriters, they’re more song interpreters. I thought well, they’ve got their own stories to probably tell us about why they chose certain songs. I was curious to know – as some of the fans probably are – did they have to fight other artists to get that song, and that sort of stuff as well. So, I wanted to know a bit of a story about the song, not just the writing necessarily. So, I think it’s going to be an interesting evening to hear some stories.”

    Audio / Keith Urban (A4TH-performers list)

    Download
    AUDIO: Keith Urban says the difficult part of his annual All 4 The Hall benefit is narrowing down the performers.

    Keith Urban (A4TH-performer list) OC: …I wanted. :41
    “It’s a labor of love in the best way. It really is. If I say there’s only one challenge to it is condensing the guest list. Right from the beginning it was like putting a wedding  guest list together and which family member, you have to either invite everybody or elope. But we’ve opnly got limited time, and it’s very, very hard to have certain people who are very good friends of mine say, ‘What the? What the? Waiting on the call and nothing.’ So, I thought how do I get around this problem, and thenthe idea of themes came up, so at least there was some type of criteria to be able to put a guest list together. Otherwise, this show would be days and days long if I invited everybody I wanted.”

  • GEORGE STRAIT KICKS OFF THE FINAL LEG OF HIS FINAL TOUR. (PRESS RELEASE)

    Bossier City, La. – Musical icon and reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year George Strait kicked-off the second second leg of his final two-year tour, The Cowboy Rides Away Tour presented by Quicken Loanslast night, January 9, 2014, at CenturyLink Center in Bossier City, Louisiana. The show held an attendance of 13,957 and broke Strait’s own top two venue records for highest grossing shows of all time at the venue (beating his previous No. 1 record from his tour with Reba McEntire and Lee Ann Womack on Sept. 18, 2010 and his No. 2 arena show record with Martina McBride on Jan. 28, 2012).
     
    Addressing the crowd throughout the night, some notable moments included when special guest Jason Aldean joined Strait for “Fool Hearted Memory” and “Nobody In His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her.” Additionally, Strait was joined by his longtime friend Lieutenant General Leroy Cisco, U.S. Army (Retired) to continue their tour tradition of presenting the keys to a home as part of the Homes 4 Wounded Heroes through the Military Warriors Support Foundation initiative (www.militarywarriors.org). The 539threcipient of the program was U.S. Army Specialist Douglas Michael Edds who was joined by wife Tanya Edds on stage during the presentation.
     
    The Cowboy Rides Away Tour was dubbed one of the most popular tours of 2014 by USA Today additionally noting “the single most popular event on the board for 2014 is George Strait’s June 7 show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with Jason Aldean, Alan Jackson, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill and others.” To see the full article in USA Todayclick here.
     
    January 9, 2014 George Strait Set List is as follows:
    “The Fireman”
    “Check Yes Or No”
    “Ocean Front Property”
    “Marina Del Rey”
    “Blame It On Mexico”
    “A Fire I Can’t Put Out”
    “Easy Come, Easy Go”
    “Here For A Good Time”
    “Arkansas Dave”
    “Fool Hearted Memory” with Jason Aldean
    “Nobody In His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her” with Jason Aldean
    “River of Love”
    “You Look So Good In Love”
    “How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls”
    “I Saw God Today”
    “I Can Still Make Cheyenne”
    “Drinkin’ Man”
    “That’s What Breaking Hearts Do”
    “I Believe”
    “80 Proof Bottle of Tear Stopper”
    “Give It Away”
    “Amarillo By Morning”
    “The Chair”
    “Cowboys Like Us”
    “I Got A Car”
    “I’ll Always Remember You”
    “Give It All We Got Tonight”
    “Troubadour”
    “Unwound”
     
    Encore:
    “Same Kind Of Crazy”
    “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”
    “Folsom Prison Blues”
    “Cowboy Rides Away”
     
    Remaining The Cowboy Rides Away Tour 2014 dates are as follows: 
    January 10, 2014   Frank Erwin Center│Austin, Texas
    *With special guest Jason Aldean
    January 17, 2014   CenturyLink Center│Omaha, Neb.
    *With special guest Eric Church
    January 18, 2014   Spring Center│Kansas City, Mo.
    *With special guest Eric Church
    January 30, 2014   SAP Center│San Jose, Calif.
    *With special guest Martina McBride
    January 31, 2014   Valley View Casino Center│San Diego, Calif.
    *With special guest Miranda Lambert
    February 1, 2014   MGM Grand Garden Arena│Las Vegas, Nev.
    *With special guest Miranda Lambert
    February 7, 2014   US Airways Center│Phoenix, Ariz.
    *With special guest Martina McBride
     February 8, 2014   STAPLES Center│Los Angeles, Calif.
    *With special guest Martina McBride
    February 14, 2014   The Palace│Auburn Hills, Mich.
    *With special guest Little Big Town
    February 15, 2014   Nationwide Arena│Columbus, Ohio
    *With special guest Little Big Town
    February 28, 2014   Wells Fargo Center│Philadelphia, Penn.
    *With special guest Martina McBride
    March 1, 2014   Prudential Center│Newark, N.J.
    *With special guest Martina McBride
    March 7, 2014   KFC Yum! Center│Louisville, Ky.
    *With special guest Vince Gill
    March 8, 2014   Allstate Arena│Chicago, Ill.
    *With special guest Vince Gill
    March 21, 2014   Bridgestone Arena│Nashville, Tenn.
    *With special guest Sheryl Crow
    March 22, 2014   Phillips Arena│Atlanta, Ga.
    *With special guest Sheryl Crow 
    April 4, 2014   INTRUST Bank Arena│Wichita, Kan.
    *With special guests Lee Ann Womack and Merle Haggard
    April 5, 2014   Pepsi Center│Denver, Colo.
    *With special guests Lee Ann Womack and Merle Haggard
    April 11, 2014   Moda Center│Portland, Ore.
    *With special guest Chris Young
    April 12, 2014   Tacoma Dome│Tacoma, Wash.
    *With special guest Chris Young
    April 18, 2014   Wells Fargo Arena│Des Moines, Iowa
    *With special guest Ronnie Dunn
    April 19, 2014   BOK Center│Tulsa, Okla.
    *With special guest Ronnie Dunn
    May 23, 2014   Tiger Stadium│Baton Rouge, La.
    *Bayou Country Superfest
    May 31, 2014   Gillette Stadium│Foxborough, Mass.
    *With special guests Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
    June 7, 2014   AT&T Stadium│Arlington, Texas
    *With special guests Jason Aldean, Asleep At The Wheel, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride and Lee Ann Womack
     
    Strait, who renewed his record deal with MCA Records during a celebration at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center last fall, released “I Got A Car” to country radio and will continue to record new music and play select dates around the country following the completion of the tour.
     
    For more information on George Strait and for tour updates, please visit www.GeorgeStrait.com or follow Strait on Facebook and Twitter @georgestrait.

  • GEORGE STRAIT AND ERIC CHURCH JOIN ALL-STAR LINEUP FOR GEORGE JONES TRIBUTE SHOW. (PRESS RELEASE)

    George Strait, Eric Church, Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and Alabama have joined the all-star lineup for the George Jones tribute concert in November.

     
    “I am thrilled and honored that so many of George’s friends are coming to what would have been his last concert, but is not a fitting tribute,” says his wife Nancy Jones.  “George loved these artists and before passing had actually wrote letters to almost all of them.”
     
    The newly added list of performers will join previously announced artists Alan Jackson, Dierks Bentley, Travis Tritt, Tanya Tucker, Josh Turner, The Oak Ridge Boys, Charlie Daniels, Jamey Johnson, Montgomery Gentry, Sam Moore and others at the November 22nd show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.  All previously announced artists are currently being reconfirmed. 
     
    George Jones, often referred to as the “the greatest living country singer” was on his farewell tour titled “The Grand Tour,” when he passed away on April 26th. The icon’s hits, “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair”, “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes”, “White Lightning” and “He Stopped Loving Her Today” will surely become standards for honky-tonk cover bands for years to come.

  • LUKE BRYAN AND DARIUS RUCKER HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE ‘HEARTLAND’ CONCERT TO HELP VICTIMS OF THE CENTRAL OKLAHOMA TORNADOES.

    OKLAHOMA CITY — May 25, 2013 — Luke BryanDarius Rucker, Rascal Flatts and Ryan Tedder of One Republic have been added to the lineup for the “Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert” organized and headlined by Blake Shelton with previously announced Grammy Award-winning artists Miranda Lambert, Reba and Vince Gill also performing.

    Both Tedder and Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts have strong Oklahoma roots.

    Tickets for the concert went on sale Saturday morning and sold out in under five minutes. The Event will take place May 29th at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.

    The concert will be televised live at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. It will also air on cable networks Style, G4, Bravo, E! and CMT on either a live or delayed basis.

    “Everyone has their way to help, and mine as an entertainer is to perform to help raise money and awareness for this tragedy,” Shelton said. “This is why I want to do this special and especially hold it in Oklahoma City, which is near ground zero.”

    The Event will raise funds for the United Way of Central Oklahoma May Tornadoes Relief Fund. Working with their local COMMUNITY partners, United Way of Central Oklahoma will use the Fund for immediate, intermediate and long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts in Oklahoma following the tornadoes that devastated Moore earlier this week.

  • FINAL ACM LINEUP ANNOUNCED FOR SUNDAY NIGHT. (PRESS RELEASE)

    WHAT: The48thANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, co-hosted by Luke Bryanand Blake Shelton, honors country music’s top talent, as well as the industry’s hottest emerging artists. It is produced for television by dick clark productions and will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

    Fans can watch ACM Red Carpet Liveon GAC with hosts Suzanne Alexander, Storme Warren and Nan Kelley’s lively interviews with many of the top ACM nominees and performers. ACM Red Carpet Live will air on Sunday, April 7thfrom 3:30 PM – 5:00PM PT. GAC’s red carpet show will also stream live Sunday atACMCountry.combeginning at 3:00 PM PTand will move to the ACM Awards press room at 5:30 PM PTfeaturing press interviews with the winners. The live stream on ACMCountry.comis brought to you by Las Vegas.

    WHEN: Sunday, April 7, 2013

    3:30 PM – 5:00 PM PT GAC Red Carpet Live (also streaming at acmcountry.com)

    5:00 PM – 8:00 PM PT ACM Awards Live Telecast on CBS

    5:30 PM – 8:30 PM PT ACM Awards Press Room (streaming at acmcountry.com)

    WHO: Performers include: Jason Aldean,Garth Brooks,Luke Bryan,Kenny Chesney,Eric Church, Kelly Clarkson,Hunter Hayes,Jewel,Miranda Lambert,Tim McGraw,Blake Shelton,George Strait,Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Stevie Wonder, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Pistol Annies andThe Band Perry.Brad Paisley will headline the 3rdAnnual ACM Fan Jam, along with special guests Dierks Bentley, Hunter Hayes and John Mayer,and New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl’s nomineesBrantley Gilbert, Jana Kramer andFlorida Georgia Line.

    Presenters include: Country music artist Gary Allan,2 Broke Girlsstar Beth Behrs,Vegasstar Michael Chiklis, Grammy award-winner Sheryl Crow,The Big Bang Theory’sKaley Cuoco, music star John Fogerty,omg! INSIDERco-anchor Kevin Frazier,country music artist Faith Hill, San Francisco 49ersNFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, country music artists Miranda Lambert, Scotty McCreery and Kacey Musgraves, Entertainment Tonight co-anchor Nancy O’Dell ,country music artists Jake Owen, Reba, Shania Twain, Keith Urban, Trisha Yearwood, Chris Young and Eli Young Band, and A&E’s Duck Dynasty starsWillie& Korie Robertson.

  • KEITH URBAN, KACEY MUSGRAVES AND SCOTTY McCREERY ADDED AS PRESENTERS AT THE ACM AWARDS. (PRESS RELEASE)

    ENCINO, CA (April 3, 2013) – The Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions announced today that 2 Broke Girls star Beth Behrs, Vegas star Michael Chiklis, Grammy award-winner Sheryl Crow, The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco, music star John Fogerty, omg! INSIDER co-anchor Kevin Frazier, San Francisco 49ers NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, country music artists Miranda Lambert, Scotty McCreery and Kacey Musgraves, Entertainment Tonight co-anchor Nancy O’Dell, country music artists Jake Owen, Reba and Keith Urban, and A&E’s Duck Dynasty stars Willie & Korie Robertson are scheduled to present as part of the 48th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS. The ceremony, which will be co-hosted by Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, honors country music’s top talent, as well as the industry’s hottest emerging artists. It is produced for television by dick clark productions and will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

    They join previously announced presenters Tori Kelly and LL Cool J. In addition, Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Jewel, Kelly Clarkson, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town and The Band Perry have been announced as performers at the 48th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS. Brad Paisley will headline the 3rd Annual ACM Fan Jam, along with special guests Dierks Bentley, Hunter Hayes, and New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl’s nominees Brantley Gilbert, Jana Kramer and Florida Georgia Line.

    About the Academy of Country Music Awards
    The 48th Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music industry. The show is produced for television by dick clark productions and will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. Allen Shapiro, Orly Adelson and R.A. Clark are executive producers. Barry Adelman is producer, and Bob Bardo is the executive in charge of production. Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

  • LUKE BRYAN STARTING PREPARATIONS FOR HIS UPCOMING ACM AWARDS HOSTING GIG. (AUDIO)

    Luke Bryan is currently playing to sold-out crowds on his Dirt Road Diaries Tour, but he’s planning on taking time out to hook up with Blake Shelton to go over their hosting responsibilities for this year’s ACM Awards. “Blake and I, we’re gonna start spending some time on the phone and talking stuff out,” says Blake. “At the end of the day, I mean, whatever the writers write, Blake and I will have to say it, but we’ll certainly have a lot of input to do funny things. There’s not much time, but there’s enough time to where we can brainstorm and put something together.”

    The Georgia native is going to make sure he’s very prepared for his new hosting gig. “You just have to prepare and make sure you’re ready for what’s fixin’ to happen,” he says. “And that’s the main thing with me is that by the time I prepare, I’m not going to let myself go out there and be unsure of anything. Just go out there and make the most of it and be comfortable.”

    The 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 7th on CBS.

    On another note, Luke just played to a record capacity crowd at Louisville’s Yum Center to a total of more than 22,000 people, which also happens to be Luke’s own personal best record, as well.

    AUDIO: Luke Bryan says he and Blake Shelton will soon get together to start hashing out their hosting responsibilities for this year’s ACM Awards.

    Luke Bryan (fun stuff for ACMs) OC: …stuff together. :21
    “Blake and I, we’re gonna start spending some time on the phone and talking stuff out. At the end of the day, I mean, whatever the writers write, Blake and I will have to say it, but we’ll certainly have a lot of input to do funny things. There’s not much time, but there’s enough time to where we can brainstorm and put something together.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan (fun stuff for ACMs)

    Download

    AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about preparing for the ACM Awards.

    Luke Bryan (preparing for ACMs) OC: …great job. :31
    “I think for me, you just have to prepare and make sure you’re ready for what’s fixin’ to happen. And that’s the main thing with me is that by the time I prepare, I’m not going to let myself go out there and be unsure of anything. Just go out there and make the most of it and be comfortable, and that’s how you’ve got to roll with it. I’m excited for the opportunity, and I think it’s very, very endearing of the ACMs to have trusted me to come in there behind Reba [McEntire] and fill in, and hopefully, do a great job.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan (preparing for ACMs)

    Download

  • GEORGE STRAIT WILL BE HONORED WITH THE CRB CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD! (PRESS RELEASE & AUDIO)

    George Strait To Be Honored With

    CRB Career Achievement Award

    (Nashville, TN – Feb. 6, 2013) – Country superstar George Strait will be honored with the 2013 Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. Career Achievement Award at the Country Radio Hall of Fame Induction on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m.

    The CRB 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.

    “George Strait has done a superb job promoting country music and country radio over the years. His dedication to the format and on-going contribution to the industry as a whole make him the perfect recipient for this award,” said Mike Culotta, CRS President.

    With a career spanning more than 30 years, George Strait has the most number one singles of any artist in history including Elvis Presley.  He has sold nearly 69 million records and with 33 different platinum or multi-platinum albums, has the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and the third in all genres behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Strait was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006. Strait is the only artist to have 85 out of 90 radio singles make it to Top 10 and 24 albums at the number one position on Billboard’s Country Music Album Chart, and has recently released “Give It All We Got Tonight” from his forthcoming 2013 album.

    As previously announced, the evening will also feature Gaylan Christie being inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame and Dr. Don Carpenter, Crook & Chase, Eddie Edwards and Bill “Dex” Poindexter will be inducted in the Air Personality category. Bob Romeo will receive the 2013 Presidents’ Award.

    Previous winners of this Award include Brooks and Dunn, Kenny Rogers, Charlie Daniels, Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire.

    The Country Radio Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony unofficially kicks off Country Radio Seminar each year.

    For more information on George Strait, visit www.georgestrait.com

    AUDIO: George Strait has had a very long and successful career – more than 30 years since he released his first single, “Unwound.” King George explains what he believes has attributed to his long career.

    George Strait (long career) OC: …do it all. :29
    “It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long, though to me until I look in the mirror. It’s been a long time. It’s been a great career and I think one of the reasons is I’ve always been fortunate enough to have good people around me and good people to work with. Very loyal people that I get good advice from and bounce ideas off of and know that I can count on. You know you can’t do it by yourself. You can do a lot, but you can’t do it all.”

  • LITTLE BIG TOWN AND SCOTTY McCREERY WILL HELP ANNOUNCE THE NOMINEES FOR THE ACM AWARDS NEXT WEEK! (PRESS RELEASE)

    RYAN SEACREST, LITTLE BIG TOWN, THE BAND PERRY, BETH BEHRS,

    SCOTTY McCREERY, NANCY O’DELL & ROB MARCIANO, AND MORE

    TO ANNOUNCE NOMINEES FOR THE

    48TH ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS

    COUNTRY MUSIC’S PARTY OF THE YEAR®

    ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2013 VIA

    www.facebook.com/AcademyOfCountryMusic AND www.twitter.com/ACMAwards

    COUNTRY MUSIC FANS INVITED TO ANNOUNCE ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR CATEGORY

    & SPECIAL VIP GUESTS WILL ANNOUNCE CATEGORIES VIA VIDEO POSTS

    Tweet: Join Ryan Seacrest, Little Big Town, The Band Perry, Beth Behrs & more announcing @ACMawards nominees! How? http://youtu.be/6A_400wmheM #ACMs

    WHAT:                 The second annual ACM digital press conference, hosted by the Academy of Country Music, CBS Television and dick clark productions via ACM social media channels, to announce the nominees for the 48th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, Country Music’s Party of the Year® to be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.   

    WHO:                   The Band Perry, 2 Broke Girls star Beth Behrs, Little Big Town, Scotty McCreery, Ryan Seacrest, Entertainment Tonight hosts Rob Marciano and Nancy O’Dell and more surprise guests will announce categories via videos posted in real time to fans and media simultaneously.  The press conference will culminate with country music FANS announcing the nominees for Entertainer of the Year (see below).

    WHEN:                 Wednesday, February 13, 2013

                                    6:30 AM PST       Nominations announced via social media followed by a press release

    posted on www.ACMcountry.com.

    WHERE:               ACM Facebook Page:     www.facebook.com/AcademyOfCountryMusic

                                    ACM Twitter Feed:         www.twitter.com/ACMawards

    MORE:                  FANS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS ONLINE EVENT!  Beginning TODAY, fans are invited to visit the ACM YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/acmcountry to learn how to post videos announcing the name of the artist(s) they would like to see receive an Entertainer of the Year nomination.  On Wednesday, February 13th during the real-time digital press conference fans can watch to see if their video submission is used to announce their pick for the Academy’s biggest prize. And they’re in good company: Past participants in the ACM nominations press conferences have included Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Lionel Richie, Blake Shelton, Sugarland, Carrie Underwood and many more!

     

  • LADY ANTEBELLUM ARE AWARDED THE CMA INTERNATIONAL ARTIST ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. (AUDIO)

    NASHVILLE – During a press conference to announce their new global charity initiative LadyAID™, Lady Antebellum was surprised today when CMA Chief Executive Officer Steve Moore presented the group with the CMA International Artist Achievement Award.

    Formerly the International Touring Artist Award, the CMA International Artist Achievement Award recognizes outstanding achievement by a U.S.-based artist who contributes to the awareness and development of Country Music outside the United States.

    “We’re so honored,” said Hillary Scott. “This year especially, being able to take our tour to Europe and then to Australia, and meet even more of our fans all over the world, and to take Country Music that far, we don’t take that lightly. We really, truly do want to make this town and the Country Music community proud when we go overseas and perform.”

    “We wish Lady Antebellum much success as they help children around the world,” said Moore. “And it is because of their work around the globe as ambassadors of Country Music that we are presenting them with the International Artist Award.”

    Lady Antebellum has sold more than 11 million albums worldwide. Their “Own the Night World Tour” staged performances in 11 countries for more than one million fans including sold out shows in Dublin, London, Toronto, and three-nights at the famed Sydney Opera House. The trio’s first world tour also earned Billboard’s all-genre “Breakthrough Award” at the 2012 Billboard Touring Awards for its total ticket sales and other touring data.

    The group are multiple-award winners including most recently the 2012 CCMA International Best Selling Album Award (Canada). They were nominated for the 2012 Brit Award for Best International Group (UK). They received a CMC Music Award nomination for International Artist of the Year (Australia) as well as the 2011 Juno Award for International Album of the Year (Canada).

    Among their many international accomplishments, their hit “Need You Now” went to No. 1 in Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, and Switzerland; and Top 5 in more than 20 countries. The album was certified Triple Platinum (Canada); Double Platinum (South Africa); Platinum (Australia and New Zealand); and Gold (China, Ireland, Taiwan, and UK). 

    Lady Antebellum was certified Platinum (Canada) and Own the Night has been certified Platinum in Canada and Gold in Australia and South Africa.

    Previous winners of the CMA International Artist Achievement Award include:

    1996

    BR5 49

    2004

    Dolly Parton

    1997

    The Mavericks

    2005

    Keith Urban

    1998

    Trisha Yearwood

    2006

    Dixie Chicks

    1999

    Shania Twain

    2007

    Dwight Yoakam

    2000

    Reba McEntire

    2008

    Dierks Bentley and Brooks & Dunn

    2001

    Lonestar

    2009

    Taylor Swift

    2002

    Bellamy Brothers

    2010

    Not presented

    2003

    Dixie Chicks

    2011

    Brad Paisley

    AUDIO: Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley talk about their CMA International Artist Achievement Award.

    Lady A (CMA International Award) OC: (Charles) …hopefully proud. :49
    HILLARY: “We’re so honored to receive this award, especially this year really started to feel like we were touring a little bit more globally than we have before. This European tour and then Australian tour this year were beyond our wildest dreams. I mean, we had such an amazing time, and I think that gives us a perspective to see outside of just these borders here in America. It’s all been culminating over the past 12 months of us really feeling like we have a platform and we need to use it.”

    CHARLES: “We feel like our voice has grown so much more and our fan base has grown so much more, and they’re so much more diverse, and to see the CMAs get behind us like that with their support is pretty humbling. We’ve got big shoes to fill, and we’re gonna try to make everybody here in Nashville and our fans hopefully proud.”

  • DARIUS RUCKER ADDED TO THE LIST OF PRESENTERS AT THE CMA AWARDS.

    Darius Rucker, Reba and Jake Owen have been added to the list of presenters for Thursday’s CMA Awards.

    Reba will also perform two songs on ABC’s Good Morning America earlier that day. Additional presenters include newcomer Jana Kramer, Lisa Marie Presley, Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson and actors Tim Allen, Kimberly Williams Paisley and Nashville stars Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere

    Prior to the telecast, the awards for Musical Event, Music Video and Musician of the Year will be presented, while the winners of Musical Event and Music Video of the Year will be announced during ABC’s Good Morning America earlier on Thursday (November 1st).  

  • LUKE BRYAN GIVES KATIE COURIC ‘ACCESS’ TO HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT FEMALE COUNTRY SINGERS. (AUDIO)

    Luke Bryan will be featured on a special All Access Nashville episode of ABC’s 20/20, hosted by Katie Couric. Katie scored interviews with several of country music’s top female artists, including Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Reba and Miranda Lambert. Luke, along with Jason Aldean and Martina McBride, will chat about some of the greatest female country singers of all time.

    Luke says with interviews such as this, he wants people to see he’s having a great time, just like he does onstage. All Access Nashville With Katie Couric – A Special Edition of 20/20 will air Friday (October 26th) at 9pm ET on ABC.

    AUDIO: Luke Bryan says he hopes fans enjoy his interviews almost as much as they do his performances.

    Luke Bryan (All Access) OC: …watching. :35
    “You know, I don’t get briefed on questions, and I want people to understand that, or whoever’s interviewing or whoever’s talking to me or whoever’s watching me be interviewed that you’re getting a true person that’s telling you what’s on their brain – if they’re having a good day, a bad day, they’re not putting on a front. When I’m out on stage having the time of my life, everybody else can join in on that fun and let their guard down. For me on an interview as big as that, it’s just having fun in the situation and being yourself and hopefully, people love that type of personality that they’re watching.”

  • LUKE BRYAN WILL APPEAR ON MULTI-ARTIST ‘CMT CROSSROADS’ WITH ROCKER JOE WALSH!

    CMT PRESENTS A SPECIAL ‘CMT CROSSROADS: JOE WALSH & FRIENDS’ PREMIERING SATURDAY, JUNE 23

    Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Sara Evans, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Luke Bryan and Hunter Hayes
    Join Walsh For a Memorable CMT CROSSROADS Event

            NASHVILLE – Tuesday, May 29 — CMT presents a first of its kind CMT CROSSROADS event, CMT CROSSROADS: JOE WALSH & FRIENDS, featuring the legendary rocker and guitarist Joe Walsh, onstage with friends from country music including Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Sara Evans, Luke Bryan and Hunter Hayes as well as Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.  For one unforgettable episode of the popular performance series, the stars will align to pay homage to Walsh, performing his hits and Eagles’ classics, including “Life’s Been Good to Me,” “Life in the Fast Lane” and more.  CMT CROSSROADS: JOE WALSH AND FRIENDS premieres on Saturday, June 23 at 11:00 p.m., ET/PT. 

            “It’s an honor and a privilege to be onboard for a CMT CROSSROADS episode,” said Walsh.  “I’ve hand-picked some old friends and some new friends and we’re going to make sure it’s a special evening.  Nothing beats country music with a little rock & roll sprinkled on top.  We’re going to mix up a batch and see what happens. I got a real good feeling about it.  Nashville, here we come!”

            Best known for his powerful guitar licks, Joe Walsh has entertained the masses and captivated his peers for more than three decades with such classics as “Funk #49,” “Walk Away,” “Life’s Been Good,” and “Ordinary Average Guy.” A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Eagles, Walsh has also enjoyed tremendous success as a solo artist and will release Analog Man, his first solo album in 20 years, on Tuesday, June 5.  Walsh will tour in support of the new record throughout 2012, both in the US and abroad. For more information, visit JoeWalsh.com or follow @JoeWalsh on Twitter.

            Joe Walsh joins an elite group of performers who have taped CMT CROSSROADS, the critically-acclaimed series that pairs country music stars with popular artists from other genres—pop, rock, R&B—to play together, swap stories, and share their common love of music.  CROSSROADS has aired on CMT for a decade and has featured over 40 musical pairings which have included recently Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood and Sting and Vince Gill; as well as Bon Jovi and Sugarland; John Mayer and Keith Urban; Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire; Joss Stone and LeAnn Rimes; Robert Plant and Alison Krauss; Def Leppard and Taylor Swift; Train and Martina McBride; and The Pretenders and Faith Hill.

  • NEWS & NOTES: Dierks, Little Big Town, Lady Antebellum and More!

    Dierks Bentley will be featured in an upcoming episode of MTV’s renovated Unplugged series. An airdate for Dierks’ installment has yet to be announced. 

    Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild will appear on the new episode of GAC-TV’s Day Jobs on Wednesday (April 18th) at 10pm ET.

    Lady Antebellum have been nominated for a People’s Voice award in the ‘Websites: Celebrity/Fan’ category for the 2012 Webby Awards. They honor the best content on the web each year. The band’s website LadyAntebellum.com has already been selected as an official honoree in the ‘Music’ category. Voting ends Thursday, April 26th. 

    Keith Urban and Alan Jackson are among 18 top country artists taking part in the charitable song, “The Choice,” to benefit Soles4Souls. The song was co-written by Billy Gilman, best known for the 2000 hit “One Voice.” One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to the organization, which provides shoes for the less fortunate. Reba, Kenny Rogers, Craig Morgan and many more have also contributed their voices to the song. 

    Eric Church has been tapped to perform at this year’s Sturgis Bike Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota later this summer. He’ll take to the Buffalo Chip main stage August 8th. 

    Luke Bryan is set to take part in the Artist Development Case Study at this year’s Billboard Country Music Summit, taking place June 4th-5th in Nashville. The panel will be an in-depth discussion with Luke and other key players in his career to talk about his current growth as an artist and how they plan to grow his career over the long-term.

  • LADY A ARE ADDED AS PERFORMERS AT THE ACM AWARDS.

    Lady Antebellum have been added to the growing list of performers at this year’s ACM Awards. They are joined by Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, Chris Young and The Band Perry. Previously announced performers include Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert and Tim McGraw. The 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Blake and Reba, will air live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, April 1st at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

  • LUKE BRYAN & ERIC CHURCH WILL PERFORM ON THE ACM AWARDS! (AUDIO)

    Luke Bryan and Eric Church are on the initial list of artists set to perform on next month’s Academy of Country Music Awards. The two are joined by Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert and Tim McGraw. The 47th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards, co-hosted by Reba and Blake Shelton, will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, April 1st at 8p live ET/delayed PT on CBS.

    Luke, who picked up the Top New Solo Vocalist and Top New Artist of the Year awards in 2010, is also scheduled to perform “Runnin’ With the Night” during the ACM PRESENTS: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert taping April 2nd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The special airs April 13th on CBS. Luke, who just released his latest Spring Break EP — Suntan City, is also hitting the airwaves with his latest single, “Drunk on You,” from his hit album, tailgates & tanlines. You can currently find him on the road with Jason Aldean on the My Kinda Party tour.

    Eric, who won the Top New Solo Vocalist of the Year last year, is nominated this year for Album of the Year for 2011’s Chief and Video of the Year for “Homeboy.” He is flying up the charts with his latest single, “Springsteen,” which follows his previous No. 1 hit, “Drink in My Hand.” He’s currently headlining his first arena tour, Blood, Sweat & Beers.

    The two are throwing another performance in the mix – they’re both headlining the ACM’s free concerts at the Fremont Street Experience, May 30th (Luke) & 31st (Eric).

    AUDIO: Luke Bryan is excited about his ACM Awards performance.

    Luke Bryan (ACM 2012 performance) OC: …Lionel show. :17

    “We got the news of my ACM [Awards] performance, which was really, really rewarding and flattering news. To not have a nomination out there, and you know to get a performance slot, we were super-excited. And [we’re] certainly very excited to be a part of the Lionel [Richie] show.”

    AUDIO: Eric Church took the long way to have the success he’s currently enjoying, and it certainly wasn’t easy, by any means…but he says he’d do it all over again!

    Eric Church (worked hard) OC: …stayed hungry. :40

    “It’s never been about awards and it’s not about money either, because I would have done it differently. There are ways, I understand, you can make easier money, you can put out safer songs. You can run songs up and down the chart. I just don’t think people are going to know who you are in 10 years doing it that way. So, it’s been a longer path. You know, when you make the decision to go play clubs and honky tonks for a whole 500-600 people, two-hour shows, 100 degrees in there…you’re workin’ at that and it’s a long hard road. Somebody asked me the other day, would I do it again? And the answer is always yes, absolutely. But, boy…it’s a tough road. It’s a hard road, you have to be younger. You have to really be hungry, and we stayed hungry.” 

  • LUKE BRYAN PULLS DUTY AS ELLEN DeGENERES’ CMA RED CARPET HOST. (VIDEO)

    Ellen DeGeneres sent Luke Bryan to chat with all of the country stars on the red carpet before the Country Music Awards in Nashville on Wednesday night. Watch him catch up with Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker and Reba McEntire right before the big event.

    Video / Ellen's CMA Correspondent, Luke Bryan!

    View
  • MORE OF LADY ANTEBELLUM’S HILLARY SCOTT IN REDBOOK MAGAZINE!

    Here are some excerpts from Lady Antbellum‘s Hillary Scott in the December issue of Redbook magazine due on newsstands November 15th:

    On being the only girl in the band:
    I don’t mind it. There are moments when I’m like, If I hear one more ‘That’s what she said’ joke, I’m going to pull my hair out. But for the most part, the guys are so easygoing, and there’s no drama. In high school I was the manager of the football team, so being around boys is natural to me!

    On her meeting her fiancé Chris:

    We met in college—we went to different schools in Tennessee and met through mutual friends. I thought off the bat that he was really attractive, and I could tell that he was kind. Kindness just oozes out of him. I wanted to date him when I met him! And he just wanted to play basketball. [Laughs]

    On growing up as the daughter of musicians traveling with Reba McEntire’s band:
    I was homeschooled on the road for kindergarten, then went to elementary school and a private Christian school while living with my grandparents until I graduated, and I loved it. But my parents were gone a lot. I’ve learned to adapt my whole life, and I’m thankful for that, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t mad for a couple of years in middle school!
     
    On her favorite performance with the band:
    We sang the national anthem at the Jets-Cowboys game this past September 11, and it was so emotional. Right before, we gathered to say a prayer. Our nerves were crazy—we wanted to do a great job, but we also knew we were singing the national anthem on September 11, on national television, for one of the biggest football audiences ever. We prayed, and the peace that came over us as we took the field was unbelievable.

     

    Find out how Hillary feels about getting married, being curvy and sharing sexy duets with a guy who’s like her brother. Catch the rest of her interview in the December of Redbook magazine in stores November 15th.

     

  • DIERKS BENTLEY IS AMONG THE FIRST ROUND OF CMA AWARDS PRESENTERS.

    The first round of CMA Awards presenters has been announced and Dierks Bentley‘s name is among them. He will be joined by Jake Owen, Billy Currington, Reba, Kellie Pickler, LeAnn Rimes and Lauren Alaina.

    Previously announced performers include Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Luke Bryan and Eric Church, along with Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Kenny Chesney and Rascal Flatts, among others.

    The 45th Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 9th at 8pm ET on ABC.

  • NEWS & NOTES

    Luke Bryan‘s “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” topped the list of dance club hits in 2011, according to the Marco Club Connection’s 8th annual ranking of Country Dance Favorites. Dierks Bentley‘s “Am I The Only One” came in at No. 8. Also on the list were Blake Shelton‘s “Footloose” (No. 2) and “Honey Bee” (No. 4), Billy Currington‘s “Love Done Gone” (No. 6) and Jason Aldean‘s “Dirt Road Anthem” (No. 7)

    Lady Antebellum, Alan Jackson and Luke Bryan are among the artists scheduled to perform at this year’s Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which will take place February 28th thru March 18th at Reliant Stadium. Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Kid Rock, Reba, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Alabama and the Zac Brown Band are also set to play the annual event.

    Eric Church’s “Drink in My Hand” and Lady Antebellum’s “Just a Kiss” are featured on the 2012 Grammy nominees CD, which hits stores and online retailers January 24th. Proceeds from the sale of the compilation, also featuring songs by Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift and The Band Perry, will benefit the Grammy Foundation and the MusiCares Foundation.