• FOURTH OF JULY AUDIO 2019: Adam, AJ, Billy, Brandon, Carrie, Clare Darius, Dierks, Eric, Jon, Jordan, Josh, Keith, Kip, Little Big Town, Luke, Maddie & Tae, Sam, Travis

    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. Some of your favorite country stars take time to remember their Fourth of July traditions, memories and what the holiday really means to them (see below).

    Some artists will celebrate with friends and family, while others will celebrate the holiday by doing what they do best — performing for fans.

    Luke Bryan has been tapped to perform during NBC’s annual Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks, live from New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge. The coverage will air live at 8pm – 10pm ET on NBC. Maren Morris and Brad Paisley will also perform.

    Keith Urban will celebrate Independence Day by performing at Provo, Utah’s America’s Freedom Festival.

    Jordan Davis will be playing the 4th of July Spectacular, a free show for service men and women, at the Schofield Barracks in Oahu, Hawaii.

    Kip Moore will be performing at the Greeley Independence Stampede in Greeley, Colorado.

    Travis Denning is set to play the Party in the Park 4th of July Celebration in Frederick, Maryland.

    Clare Dunn will perform during the Our Country 4th of July Spectacular in Norco, California.

    Jon Langstonis scheduled to perform at the Red, White and Country concert in Columbus, Ohio.

    Jon Pardi will perform during Fort Gordon’s Independence Celebration in Fort Gordon, Georgia on July 3rd.

    Brandon Lay is set to play the Heinz Field 4th of July Celebration in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

    Click here for 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 recalls his favorite Fourth of July memories when he was a child.]-

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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 / CLARE DUNN AND HER FAMILY ARE USUALLY IN THE MIDST OF HARVESTING THEIR CROPS DURING THE FOURTH OF JULY HOLIDAY, BUT SHE SAYS IT'S ONE OF HER FAVORITE MEMORIES GROWING UP SINCE THAT WAS WHEN THEY WERE ALL TOGETHER AS A FAMILY.

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    Clare Dunn (Fourth of July) OC: …with your family. 1:12
    “Fourth of July is probably one of the biggest memories for me, because it’s always during harvest time. And harvest time, being a farmer, is your most important time of the year. It’s always nine-o. It’s always busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, but we always go into town, depending on what field we’re at. A lot of my memories are South Grenada, Colorado, we farm just south of that town, and we go into town and get Mexican food, a great Mexican food place called Shorty’s, and we get tostados and enchiladas and we take them back out to the field. And everybody stops for a second and we eat on the hoods or the tailgates of pickups, and we’re just all out there in the field taking a brief moment to eat dinner and then get back to cutting. And if you’re lucky you’ll see some fireworks from town. Those are some of my favorite memories growing up because you’re all out there working. You’re together, and it’s just the moment of pride, of getting the harvest in and getting to be with your family.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about what the Fourth of July means to him.

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    Darius Rucker (4th of July) 1 OC: …in the world. :24
    “The Fourth of July to me is a day to celebrate freedom. We get to travel all over the world and see a lot of stuff, and I’ve been to a lot of countries that aren’t like ours and that’s when you really appreciate the fact that you can do whatever you want. As long as you’re willing to deal with the consequences, you can do whatever you want, you know?  [I] appreciate those soldiers who died for us to be sitting here doing this, and we live in the greatest country in the world.”

    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 doesn't have any traditions for the Fourth of July, since it's ever-changing. This year, he'll be performing in Columbus, Ohio.

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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 defines patriotism.

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    Keith Urban (patriotism) OC: …the unity. :24
    “It’s common, shared beliefs and identity. And I think at its core, it’s an incredibly strengthening, vital thing for our people to have, and it’s particularly gratifying in the midst of so much separating of ideas that it can get fractious. And it’s kind of nice that a sense of patriotism can remind everybody of the unity.”

    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 / Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild talks about the big sacrifices the military AND their families make to keep this country free.

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    LBT (military) OC: (Karen) …whenever we can. (Kimberly: “Yeah.”) :
    “It’s such a huge sacrifice what these men and women do for us, and not only the ones that are serving, but the families that are left here at home. Kimberly and I met a young girl that, she’s 21 years old and she has a third baby and her husband has served multiple times overseas. She’s raising these children at home, and doing a great job and the best she can, and he’s serving his country. And he’s making a monstrous sacrifice, but so is she and so are those children, and we just can’t take it for granted. I mean, it’s just a huge commitment that they make, and what an honor. We love to be able to sing for them and entertain them and to say thank you whenever we can.” (Kimberly: “Yeah.”)

    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 / 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.”

  • ALAN JACKSON CELEBRATES THREE DECADES OF MUSIC.

    Photo Courtesy of Alan Jackson Archives
    Flanked by then-Arista Nashville label chief Tim DuBois (L) and publisher-manager Barry Coburn (R), Alan Jackson signs his original record deal on June 26, 1989

    Thirty years ago today, on June 26, 1989, music history was made…though the principals in the room didn’t know it and would’ve been hard-pressed to imagine the impact of the moment. That day, country music superstar Alan Jackson’s professional music career truly began as he signed his first record deal.

    What followed is the stuff dreams are made of; something most can only imagine. A career many never achieve. A career unique in accomplishment, achievement and artistry. Alan Jackson’s music – songs written by him, recorded by him, brought to life by him – represent every aspect of the human experience: life, love, loss…partyin’, drinkin’, laughin’…romance, reality, heartache…crying, remembering, and mourning. The singer-songwriter’s career is filled with all of them – 30 years of music and a lifetime’s worth of moments.

    The scope of Jackson’s 30-year career has been noted in recent years with his inductions to the Country Music Hall of Fame and to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His contributions to music have, of course, also been celebrated by The Recording Academy (with multiple Grammy Award nominations and wins) and with membership in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry. The Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association have saluted his artistry with over 150 nominations and 35 awards (combined), including three CMA Entertainer of the Year trophies (one of only five artists in history to earn that many).

    “When I came here, I wanted to carry on the tradition of real hard-core country music. And I’d like to stay that way,” Jackson said in the early days of his career. “It isn’t easy to keep your feet on the ground,” he added. “You get separated from working people, from real life. You know who the real fans are,” he explained. “They’re just good people, and that’s where I come from. They love music, and they don’t care about all this music business; they don’t understand all that. They just know if they like it or not. And what I intend to do is give ’em what they want – something real.”

    What he gave them is real music for – and about – real people…just as he intended. Song after song…more than 60 singles…over half of them #1 hits…filling 60-million albums sold worldwide, highlighted by multi-platinum successes and a gospel music collection that remains a perennial bestseller more than a decade after its release.

    As he celebrates 30 years in music, Jackson shows no signs of shifting gears. He continues to tour, playing to sellout arena crowds across the U.S. year after year…and 2019 is no exception. The prolific artist is writing and recording new music. And he’s enjoying his newfound role as entrepreneur and an industry leader as the owner and creative force behind AJ’s Good Time Bar, one of the first – and the only solely-owned – artist-named honky-tonks in downtown Nashville.

    To begin the 30th anniversary celebration, a newly-produced documentary chronicling Jackson’s storied career is being released on DVD this week. Alan Jackson: Small Town Southern Man features rarely-seen performance and interview footage of Jackson, never-before-seen photos, and interviews with such peers as Carrie Underwood, Lee Ann Womack and Alison Krauss…along with industry leaders like his current label president, longtime producer and even the man who signed him to that record deal on that fateful June day.

    In his hometown of Newnan, GA, a newly-created exhibit showcasing the locality’s favorite son has been unveiled and is now on display. The museum-quality display can be enjoyed by locals and visitors to the Coweta County Visitors Center located in the historic 1904 courthouse. A block away, a new mural also celebrates Newnan’s hometown boy – a two-story image of Jackson covers the side of a building at 11 North Court Square, commissioned by the city and created over the last several months.

    A three-decade career in entertainment is something most artists can only aspire to. For Alan Jackson – self-professed as “just a singer of simple songs” – it’s become a “honky-tonk dream” come true.

     

    Audio / Alan Jackson says he didn’t think he’d be as successful as he has been over the last 30 years.

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    AJ (when he made it) OC: …headlining some shows and things. :33
    “When I was just trying to get a record deal, I thought, ‘Well, if you can get the deal and you have a hit or two and your career lasts just a few years, two or three years, and if you’re lucky, five years would be big.’ So, I wasn’t expecting any long-term thing out of it, but I actually felt after Here in the Real World, and that album did well, and then I guess the next one was Don’t Rock the Jukebox album, I felt like that was already a big climb there for me and felt pretty comfortable at that level. I guess I’d already started headlining some shows and things.”

  • FOURTH OF JULY 2019 LINERS

    Audio / LINER Adam Hambrick (Fourth of July)

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    “Hey! This is Adam Hambrick, wishing you a safe and Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER AJ (4th of July)

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    “Hey! This is Alan Jackson, wishing you a happy and safe Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Billy Currington (4th of July)

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    “Hey guys! I’m Billy Currington, wishing you a Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Brandon Lay (Fourth of July)

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    “What’s up, everybody? This is Brandon Lay, wishing you a Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Bros Osborne (Fourth of July)

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    “Hey y’all! I’m John, and I’m TJ, and we are Brothers Osborne, wish you a very Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Fourth of July)

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    “Hi! This is Carrie Underwood wishing you a Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Fourth of July)

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    “Hey y’all! This is Caylee Hammack wishing you a safe and Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Independence Day)

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    “Hey y’all! This is Caylee Hammack. Happy Independence Day, everybody!”

    Audio / LINER Clare Dunn (Fourth of July)

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    “Hey! This is Clare Dunn, wishing you a very Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Darius (4th of July)

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    “Hey y’all, what’s up? This is Darius Rucker, wishing you a very, very happy Fourth of July!”

    Audio / LINER Darius (Happy Birthday, America)

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    “Hey y’all, what’s up? This is Darius Rucker. Happy Birthday, America!”

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (4th of July)

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    “Hey everybody! This is Dierks Bentley, wishing you a Happy and safe Fourth of July.

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (4th of July)

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    “Hey this is Eric Church, wishing you a very happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Gary Allan (4th of July)

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    “Hey! This is Gary Allan. Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Langston (Fourth of July)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Jon Langston wishing you a safe and Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (4th of July)

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    “Hi, it’s Jon Pardi, wishing you a happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (Fourth of July)

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    “Hey! I’m Jordan Davis, wishing you a Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (summer)

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    “Hey everybody, Keith Urban here, wanting to wish you all a fantastic and safe summer. Enjoy the sunshine. Hopefully, you’ll get to spend some time with the ones you love, and hopefully, we’ll also get to see you out on the road.”

    Audio / LINER Lauren Alaina (4th of July)

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    “Hey! It’s Lauren Alaina. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER LBT (4th of July)

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    “Hey! We’re Little Big Town. Happy Fourth of July!”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (4th of July)

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    “Hey! This is Luke Bryan, wishing you a very happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Fourth of July)

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    “Hey everybody! I’m Maddie, and I’m Tae and we’re Maddie & Tae, wishing you a safe and happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Mickey Guyton (4th of July)

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    “Hey! This is Mickey Guyton, wishing you a Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Fourth of July)

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    “Hey everybody! This is Sam Hunt, wishing you a safe and happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Travis Denning (Fourth of July)

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    “Hey y’all! It’s Travis Denning, wishing you a safe and Happy Fourth of July.”

  • FATHER’S DAY 2019

    Father’s Day is Sunday (June 16th), and we have audio with many of your favorite country stars! Download the soundbites below.

    Audio / Alan Jackson allows his three daughters to live and learn.

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

    Audio / Brandon Lay is celebrating his first Father’s Day as a Dad to his nine-month-old son, Ryder.

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    Brandon Lay (1st Father’s Day) OC: …the experience. :24
    “Hey y’all, this is Brandon Lay, and this year is gonna be my first Father’s Day as a Father, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. It’s something that I’ve dreamed about for a long time, and definitely having little Ryder these past nine months have changed everything. So, I have a whole new appreciation for families out there. I don’t know how everyone does it, but thankful for him and super thankful for the experience.”

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

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

    Audio / CLARE DUNN RECALLS ONE HER FATHER’S FAVORITE GIFTS HE RECEIVED FOR FATHER’S DAY.

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

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

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    Eric Church (Father’s Day) OC: …always admired. :29
    “My dad is a, I’m trying to find the right words to describe him. My dad is a great guy, honest guy, very call it like he sees it, which is where I get a lot of that. No BS. I’m gonna tell you how I feel whether you like it or not. I’m that guy, I’m me…My dad’s that way, so I get a lot of that from him. There’s also an honesty and an integrity that my dad carries himself with that I’ve always admired. I think the both of them combined, and they’ve been married for I think 40 years, to be together that long in this day and time is a feat in itself.”

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

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

    Audio / JORDAN DAVIS TALKS ABOUT HIS FAVORITE QUALITIES OF HIS DAD.

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about learning and teaching life lessons.

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

    Audio / MADDIE MARLOW TALKS ABOUT HER FATHER’S FAVORITE GIFT SHE’S EVER GIVEN HIM FOR FATHER’S DAY.

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

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

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

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

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

    Audio / Vince Gill says "kindness" is the one quality he hopes he's taught his children. He also says when his grandchildren come over, he shuts out the rest of the world to focus on them.

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

  • VALENTINE’S DAY: AJ, Billy, Carrie, Dierks, Eric, Jordan, Josh, Keith, Little Big Town, Luke

    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 150 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion; 2.2 million marriages take place in the United States annually, which breaks down to more than 6,000 a day.

    Thursday is Valentine’s Day (February 14th), and 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 aren’t? Which ones have a good reason to celebrate the holiday that’s all about love?

     

    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 / Dierks Bentley explains the realities of Valentine’s Day.

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    Dierks Bentley (Valentine’s Day realities) OC: …that’s awesome. :53
    “I’m gonna be the voice of truth and honesty for Valentine’s Day for a lot of the guys out there listening and for some of the girls listening, as well too. You may like this; you may not, but Valentine’s Day is a really difficult day for guys. When you’re single, it’s stressful for like a month leading up to it, and inevitably, you do something wrong. You don’t get the wrong thing or you say too much, and she’s wanting to get engaged faster than you want to get engaged. I don’t know. It’s just a very stressful holiday. I’m at a time in my life where I got a five-year-old, a three-year-old and a zero-year-old, and we’re just really trying to survive on a day-to-day basis. I mean, we get about four hours of sleep, and we’re literally in survival mode. So, I think there should be a hall pass for guys in that phase of their life. It doesn’t take much at this stage for us to get excited. A dinner alone is heaven. I mean, if we can just have a dinner and a glass of wine, that’s awesome.”

    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. This year, I got that whole thing dumped back out into my house. I’m going through just years of old stuff, 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 I 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 / Eric Church says his wife, Katherine, loves him in spite of everything. “Like Jesus Does.”

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    Eric Church (Valentine’s) OC: …love song is. :18

    “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 / 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 now that 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 / 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 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 / Luke Bryan reveals what he’s doing on Valentine’s Day this year.

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    Luke Bryan (Valentine’s Day 2019) OC: …somewhat romantic. :33
    “For Valentine’s Day this year, I’m working every day around Valentine’s. I’m doing Idol. Actually, Idol is filming on Valentine’s Day, and so I have approached Caroline about maybe flying out to L.A. I think we’re gonna have a short taping day at Idol, so maybe we can have a Valentine’s dinner at one of her favorite restaurants in Los Angeles. I’ll try to make it somewhat romantic.”

    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.”

     

  • COUNTRY SUPERSTAR ALAN JACKSON KICKS OFF HIS 2019 TOUR THIS WEEKEND!

    Alan Jackson’s has been thrilling lovers of real country music for nearly three decades…and he’s about to continue that tradition as he embarks on another year of concert performances with this weekend’s start of his 2019 tour!

    The country music icon opens his new tour with shows Friday in Louisville, Kentucky and Saturday in Greenville, South Carolina. Several weekends of concerts will follow through the spring, summer and into the fall as the three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year headlines arena concerts and amphitheater shows (detailed listing below, with more dates still to be added) in city-after-city.

    Tickets and information for all Alan Jackson 2019 Tour dates are available at alanjackson.com/tour, where you can find information about Alan, his tour schedule, music and more. Jackson is again teaming up with CID Entertainment to offer fans VIP experiences at many of his 2019 shows.

    Alan Jackson has been celebrating and telling real-life stories in his music since arriving on the scene in 1989. His concerts are filled with three decades of hits that have gained him legions of longtime fans – songs that draw added crowds as a younger generation discovers his music. Jackson’s repertoire stands the test of time; it has impacted a field of artists who cite him an influence…and his music has earned him a place alongside music’s greatest names, cementing his place in its history with membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Fans will hear the songs they love from the man who wrote and made them famous – his debut hit “Here in The Real World”…signature songs “Chattahoochee,” “Drive” and “Gone Country”…party anthems “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” and “Good Time”…and many more.

    The country superstar brings exciting talent on the road with him in 2019. Newcomer William Michael Morgan will be Jackson’s special guest on most shows; hitmaker Randy Houser will play the role on selected dates (see listing below). Jackson has a long history of giving new and rising stars their first chances to perform in front of arena-size crowds – artists who’ve been on one of their “first big tours” with Alan include Brad Paisley, LeAnn Rimes, Sara Evans, Chris Young and, more recently, Jon Pardi and Lauren Alaina.

    In addition to Morgan and Houser, many of Jackson’s shows will include a brief performance by an aspiring singer-songwriter who currently performs at AJ’s Good Time Bar, his self-owned honky-tonk on downtown Nashville’s famed “Lower Broadway.” The rotating list of newcomers (see listing below) taking the stage includes James Carothers, Amanda Daughtry and Jay Bragg along with two artists that are to-be-determined by a fan-voted “Wild Card” contest (https://www.ajsgoodtimebar.com/vote) that runs through February 8.

    Alan Jackson’s touring history has taken him across America and to places far beyond, and his music has gained him fans around the globe. Beginning this weekend, he continues his tradition of “keepin’ it country” for people far and wide as he brings nearly 30 years of hits to a city near you!

    ALAN JACKSON’S 2019 TOUR
    (Dates Already On Sale, Unless Otherwise Noted)

    Fri., January 25           Louisville, KY (KFC Yum! Center)*                                    with William Michael Morgan

    Sat., January 26          Greenville, SC (Bon Secours Wellness Arena)*               with William Michael Morgan

    Fri., February 22         Madison, WI (Alliant Energy Center)***                             with William Michael Morgan

    Sat., February 23        Grand Rapids, MI (Van Andel Arena)***                           with William Michael Morgan

    Sun., March 10           Bossier City, LA (CenturyLink Center)****                         with William Michael Morgan

    Fri., April 12                Oklahoma City, OK (Chesapeake Energy Arena) ++ ***  with William Michael Morgan

    Sat., April 13               Omaha, NE (CHI Health Center)***                                   with Randy Houser

    Fri., April 26                Fort Wayne, IN (War Memorial Coliseum)****                  with William Michael Morgan

    Fri., May 10                 Columbus, OH (Schottenstein Center)****                        with William Michael Morgan

    Sat., May 11                Roanoke, VA (Berglund Center) ~~                                  with William Michael Morgan

    Fri., May 17                 Winston-Salem, NC (Veterans Mem. Coliseum)**            with William Michael Morgan

    Sat., May 18                Hershey, PA (Giant Center)**                                            with William Michael Morgan

    Fri., August 9              Rogers, AR (Walmart AMP)*                                             with William Michael Morgan

    Sat., August 10           Wichita, KS (Intrust Bank Arena) ++ *                               with William Michael Morgan

    Fri., August 23            N. Charleston, SC (N. Charleston Coliseum)                    with Randy Houser

    Sat., August 24           Charlotte, NC (Spectrum Center)                                      with Randy Houser

    Fri., September 20      Orlando, FL (Amway Arena) ^^ **                                      with William Michael Morgan

    Sat., September 21     Jacksonville, FL (Veterans Memorial Coliseum) ++ **      with William Michael Morgan

     

    ^^   Tickets on sale Friday, February 1

    ++  Tickets on sale Friday, February 8

    ~~  Tickets on sale on TBD

    *     featuring AJ’s Good Time Bar artist James Carothers
    **   featuring AJ’s Good Time Bar artist Amanda Daughtry
    ***  featuring AJ’s Good Time Bar artist Jay Bragg

    **** featuring AJ’s Good Time Bar artist to-be-determined

     

    More Shows to Be Added!!

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith, Brothers O, Darius, George, AJ, Kacey, Little Big Town, Jordan

    Keith Urban, Toby Keith and Zac Brown Band will headline this year’s Faster Horses Festival July 19th – 21st in Brooklyn, Michigan. Tickets go on sale January 25th for the three-day events, which also features Brothers Osborne, Brett Young, Maren Morris, Michael Ray, Morgan Evans, Old Dominion and many others.

    Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Town and many more will help Loretta Lynn celebrate her 87th birthday with an all-star concert April 1st at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Jack White and Miranda Lambert among others will also perform. Tickets go on sale Friday (January 18th) with the pre-sale taking place Tuesday (January 15th) with the special code: BIRTHDAY.  “I am so excited to celebrate my 87th birthday with all my friends,” said the Country Music Hall of Famer. “This is the first time I’ve ever had a birthday party! My birthday wish has come true. The only other wish I have is that Keith Urban jumps out of my birthday cake!” The show will benefit the Opry Trust Fund and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

    Jordan Davis has been on a safari in South Africa. He apparently “ran” into an elephant who really didn’t seem to want his photo taken.

    Catch Jordan, who is making his way to the top of the country charts with “Take It From Me,” when he hits the road next week with Old Dominon on their Make It Sweet Tour.

  • TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2018: UPDATED WITH VIDEO

    Some of UMG Nashville’s talented artists have recited the age-old holiday poem, “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” This year, we have Alan Jackson, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Little Big Town, Darius Rucker, TJ and John Osborne (Brothers Osborne), Jordan Davis and Brandon Lay doing the honors.

    For your convenience, we’re offering a produced and a dry version of the holiday classic.

    Keith Urban

    Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
    Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

    The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
    In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

    The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
    While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.


    TJ Osborne

    And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
    Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap.

    When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
    I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

    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.

    When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
    But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

    With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
    I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

    Lauren Alaina

    More rapid than eagles his reindeer they came,
    And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

    “Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
    On, Comet! On, Cupid! On Donner and Blitzen!

    To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
    Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

    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.

    A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
    And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

    Carrie Underwood
    His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
    His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

     

    Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet

    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.


    Brandon Lay

    He had a broad face and a little round belly,
    That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

    He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
    And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!


    Luke Bryan

    A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
    Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

    He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
    And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

    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!”

    Happy Holidays!

     

    Audio / Twas the Night Before Christmas (produced)

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    Audio / Twas the Night Before Christmas (dry)

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  • “A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS” RADIO SPECIAL, HOSTED BY LAUREN ALAINA.

    UMG Nashville is pleased to bring you a unique holiday special to help you program your stations. The three-hour program is spot-free (includes 10-14 minutes of local avails per hour; non-exclusive).

    Click here to download the special.

    A Country Christmas is a three-hour, multi-artist special hosted by Lauren Alaina, and features classic holiday tunes, as well as Christmas thoughts, memories and more from many of your favorite country artists, including Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Alan Jackson and George Strait, among many others. We’ll also give you some bonus content and liners, as well.

    CLEARANCE WINDOW:

    Friday, December 14th – Sunday, December 25th

  • COUNTRY SUPERSTAR ALAN JACKSON ANNOUNCES 2019 TOUR!

    Country Music Hall of Famer Alan Jackson will be hitting the road in 2019, bringing nearly three decades of hits to cities across America!

    The country music icon will hit the road beginning January 25, headlining arena concerts and amphitheater shows (detailed listing below, with more dates to be added). The three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year will be thrilling audiences far-and-wide as they relive their favorite songs night-after-night in city-after-city.

    Tickets and information for all Alan Jackson 2019 Tour dates are available at alanjackson.com/tour, where you can find information about Alan, his tour schedule, music and more. Jackson is again teaming up with CID Entertainment to offer fans VIP experiences at many of his 2019 shows.

    Alan Jackson’s concerts find the country icon performing hits that have gained him legions of longtime fans, songs that continue to draw new crowds as a younger generation discovers his music. Jackson’s repertoire stands the test of time; it has impacted a field of artists who cite Jackson as an influence. It’s these same songs – many written by Alan – that earned him his place alongside country music’s greatest names and cemented his place in its history with membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Fans will hear the songs they love from the man who wrote them and made them famous, including his debut hit “Here in The Real World”…signature songs such as “Chattahoochee,” “Drive” and “Gone Country”…party anthems “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” and “Good Time”…and many, many more.

    The country superstar will be bringing exciting talent on the road with him in 2019. Newcomer William Michael Morgan will be Jackson’s special guest on most shows; hitmaker Randy Houser will play the role on selected dates.

    In addition to Morgan and Houser, many of Jackson’s shows will include a brief performance by aspiring singer-songwriters who’ve played AJ’s Good Time Bar, his self-owned honky-tonk on downtown Nashville’s famed “Lower Broadway.” Jackson has a long history of giving new and rising stars their first chances to perform in front of arena-size crowds – artists who’ve been on one of their “first big tours” with Alan include Brad Paisley, LeAnn Rimes, Sara Evans, Chris Young and, more recently, Jon Pardi and Lauren Alaina.

    Alan Jackson’s touring history has taken him across America and to places far beyond, and his music has gained him fans around the globe. In 2019, he’ll continue his tradition of “keepin’ it country” for people far and wide as he brings nearly 30 years of hits to a city near you!

     

    ALAN JACKSON’S 2019 TOUR

    (Dates Already On Sale, Unless Otherwise Noted)

    More Shows to Be Added!!

     

    Friday, January 25          Louisville, KY (KFC Yum! Center)                               with William Michael Morgan

    Saturday, January 26      Greenville, SC (Bon Secours Wellness Arena)           with William Michael Morgan

    Friday, February 22         Madison, WI (Alliant Energy Center)                           with William Michael Morgan

    Saturday, February 23    Grand Rapids, MI (Van Andel Arena) **                      with William Michael Morgan

    Sunday, March 10           Bossier City, LA (CenturyLink Center) **                     with William Michael Morgan

    Friday, April 12                Oklahoma City, OK (Chesapeake Energy Arena) ++ with William Michael Morgan

    Saturday, April 13            Omaha, NE (CHI Health Center)                                 with Randy Houser

    Friday, April 26                Fort Wayne, IN (War Memorial Coliseum) **              with William Michael Morgan

    Friday, May 10                Columbus, OH (Schottenstein Center) **                    with William Michael Morgan

    Friday, May 17                Winston-Salem, NC (Veterans Mem. Coliseum) ++   with William Michael Morgan

    Saturday, May 18            Hershey, PA (Giant Center) ++                                   with William Michael Morgan

    Friday, August 9              Rogers, AR (Walmart AMP)                                        with William Michael Morgan

    Saturday, August 10        Wichita, KS (Intrust Bank Arena) ++                           with William Michael Morgan

    Friday, August 23            N. Charleston, SC (N. Charleston Coliseum)              with Randy Houser

    Saturday, August 24        Charlotte, NC (Spectrum Center)                                with Randy Houser

    Friday, September 20      Orlando, FL (Amway Arena) ++                                   with William Michael Morgan

    Saturday, September 21 Jacksonville, FL (Veterans Memorial Coliseum) ++    with William Michael Morgan

     

    ** Tickets on sale Friday, December 14

    ++ On sale date TBD