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.
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)
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).
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.
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
Alan Jackson is the patriarch of a family of five, including his wife Denise and his three daughters Mattie, Ali and Dani. Even though his children are grown, his family usually still stick to their Christmas traditions.
“Christmas is pretty traditional. We don’t let anybody open any presents until Christmas morning,” says Alan. “We don’t let them get up on their own and take off, you know, everybody has to wait and kind of get situated, and maybe have a cup of coffee, and then we start all of the regular Christmas morning activities, opening presents, taking pictures and video. We have music going, you know, I try to keep Christmas music going in the background. I like to turn that on before I let them come down to the tree and everything.”
Alan released his second holiday album, Let It Go, in 2002.
Kacey Musgraves’ CMA Album of the Year, Golden Hour, has been named Apple Music’s Album of the Year, as well.
If you’re visiting downtown Nashville and stop by Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink, Dierks Bentley’s “Whiskey Row,” Alan Jackson’s AJ’s Goodtime Bar and Blake Shelton’s Ole Red, among others, you’ll be helping out the local Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. The country stars and other businesses are taking part in the Jingle All the Broadway initiative to help raise money and awareness for the hospital. It continues through Christmas Day.
Lauren Alaina will make her late-night TV debut with her latest song, “Ladies in the ‘90s,” on NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers on February 19th.
Here are some holiday liners from UMG Nashville artists, including Adam Hambrick, Alan Jackson, Billy Currington, Brandon Lay, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Clare Dunn, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Gary Allan, George Strait, Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Lauren Alaina, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Travis Denning and more!
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.
Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 22nd, and most people will be enjoying time with their friends and families, including some of your favorite country stars, such as Adam Hambrick, Alan Jackson, Brothers Osborne, Clare Dunn, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Eric Paslay, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Sam Hunt, Travis Denning and more. They share their thoughts, memories and favorite Thanksgiving dishes.
Audio / Adam Hambrick says he’s very thankful to his family.
Adam Hambrick (Thanksgiving) OC: …I was raised. :32 “I know this sounds very cheesy, but I am very thankful for my family. A lot of the good things that have happened in my life are just a result of being raised in a family with two parents that love each other, with sisters that I love and being raised in a community of people, even outside of my family, that’s just a lot of love and a lot of care. Those are the things that raise a person up to be successful, and I am a success because of the way I was raised.”
Audio / Adam Hambrick says his Grandfather’s turkey and dressing and a special side dish signals Thanksgiving.
Adam Hambrick (Thanksgiving food) OC: …Thanksgiving. :21 “Oh man. Give me Granddaddy’s turkey and dressing and just the friggin’ canned cranberry sauce, [laughs] like I’ll suck it down like a champ. There’s just something about the canned cranberry sauce with my Granddaddy’s turkey and dressing that will always taste like Thanksgiving.”
Audio / Alan Jackson talks about his favorite Thanksgiving dish.
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 talks about their annual Misfits Thanksgiving dinner.
Brothers Osborne (misfits Thanksgiving) OC: …going home. :45 “What we’ve done the past several years is because it’s so hard to go home, we would have what we call the Misfit Thanksgiving dinner, and all the people in Nashville who aren’t able to go home to their families, we would just invite them over to our house and have a big potluck style Thanksgiving dinner. We’ll take like a couple of tables and throw them together and throw some sheets on it just to make it look nice. It’s a very redneck display of like tableware, because all the plates don’t match an d the forks and knives don’t match, but we don’t care. People will bring wine, and at the end of the day, we’ll probably have 12-15 people all sitting at dinner together that weren’t able to go home with their families, and just enjoy it with friends. It’s been really fun. Definitely a lot less stress than going home.”
Audio / Carrie Underwood says she’s thankful for her family this year, including her second child on the way.
Carrie Underwood (Thanksgiving 2018) OC: …with them. :15 “I am thankful for definitely my family. I just have the best kid in the world [and] another on the way, and I’m excited that my busy season is about to slow down and I’m going to really get to spend some time with them.”
Audio / Carrie Underwood says she and her family don’t have too many Thanksgiving traditions.
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 / Clare Dunn talks about her favorite Thanksgiving side dish.
Clare Dunn (Thanksgiving dish) OC: …like hers. :21 “I think my favorite Thanksgiving dish [is] my mom makes the best mashed potatoes in the world. I mean, they’re crazy. They’re like garlic and butter and all the good stuff, so that’s probably my favorite Thanksgiving dish. Oh, and she makes great stuffing too, and I’m not a stuffing person, but I like hers.”
Audio / Darius Rucker talks about his favorite part of Thanksgiving.
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 talks about what he's thankful for at Thanksgiving.
Darius Rucker (Thanksgiving) OC: …alive. :17 “The main thing I’m thankful for is my family, no doubt about that. Thanksgiving is about family first, you know either getting together going to New Jersey and getting together with family or in Charleston and getting together with my family and just cooking and eating and sitting around talking and remembering and being thankful for where we are and that we’re all still alive.”
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!
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.
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.
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 / Josh Turner shares his favorite Thanksgiving side dish.
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.
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.
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 talks about his annual Thanksgiving plans to go home to visit with his family.
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.
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.
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 reveals her favorite Thanksgiving dish.
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 / Travis Denning says Thanksgiving is one of his favorite times of the year.
Travis Denning (Thanksgiving) OC: …love Thanksgiving. :43
“Thanksgiving actually is probably one of my favorite moments of the year, and the reason is actually because just about every Friday after Thanksgiving, I would play a small acoustic show at this bar in my hometown and it’s always so much fun. So many of my old friends come and it’s packed and it’s super loose and super fun and everybody’s just enjoying it. I might play three of my songs, and then I just try to figure out how many old country songs I can sing. That’s so fun, because you’re coming off spending so much time with your family and then you get this little time to go spend with your friends. I think it’s just great because you get to knock out so much like reconnecting and fellowship. I love Thanksgiving.”
“Hey guys! Gary Allan here. I just want to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving, and have a Happy Holidays and make sure you’re safe out there. Drive safe. Party your butts off, but do it safe.”
“Happy Thanksgiving everybody. It’s Keith Urban here. I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all of you listening for your incredible love and support that I’ve received over the last year, and to wish you and all of your family all the very best for this holiday.”
You can catch Keith Urban on NBC’s The Voice the next two weeks. He will serve as an adviser for Blake Shelton’s team beginning tonight (October 15th) through October 23rd. Catch Keith and Blake, as well as the rest of the celebrity coaches, on the singing competition show beginning at 8pm ET on NBC.
Set your DVR: Alan Jackson will be the subject of a new documentary, Small Town Southern Man on AXS-TV Tuesday night (October 16th) at 10pm ET.
Carrie Underwood and her husband Mike Fisher hosted a benefit earlier this month for Danita’s Children, a cause near and dear to both of their hearts. The event, which featured performances by Carrie and friend Brad Paisley, raised nearly $600,000 for the organization to help provide medical care, food and education to orphaned and impoverished children in Haiti.
Luke Bryan takes a break during auditions for American Idol to play a little on the piano and sing Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind.” The cameras caught him in action.
Shania Twain will be joined by Jake Owen and Travis Tritt for the new competition show, Real Country, which debuts November 13th at 10pm ET on the USA Network.
