• THANKSGIVING 2016

    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 24th, and most people will be enjoying time with their friends and families, including some of your favorite country stars, such as Alan Jackson, Brothers Osborne, Canaan Smith, Clare Dunn, Darius Rucker, David Nail, Dierks Bentley, Easton Corbin, Eric Church, Eric Paslay, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Mickey Guyton, Sam Hunt and more. They share their thoughts, memories and favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

    Audio / Alan Jackson talks about his favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    AJ (Thanksgiving) OC: …enjoy it. :19
    “My favorite Thanksgiving dish would be the homemade dressin’ that we, cornbread-based kind of dressin’ that we always have with turkey. That recipe is a kind of a combination of my mama, and Denise has taken it and perfected it over the years, so that me and my children really enjoy it.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne talks about their annual Misfits Thanksgiving dinner.

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    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 and 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 / Canaan Smith says his favorite Thanksgiving dish is pumpkin pie.

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    Canaan Smith (pumpkin pie) OC: …Thanksgiving. :14
    “Pumpkin pie is where it’s at. My mom makes the best. She got it from her mom, my Nanny. It’s so good. It’s made from scratch. Everything about it, it’s just mouthwatering. I love it. I can’t get enough. If I could get fat, it’d be from pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / Clare Dunn talks about her favorite Thanksgiving side dish.

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    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.

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    Darius Rucker (favorite part of Thanksgiving) OC: …my family. :17
    “My favorite part of Thanksgiving is easy – it’s food. It’s eating. It’s hanging out with family and getting some great food, ‘cause that’s really what Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for all of the great things you’ve got, and I always give thanks for the greatest thing I’ve got and that’s my family.”

     

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about what he's most thankful for.

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    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 / David Nail talks about his favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    David Nail (Thanksgiving dish) OC: …spoonful. :33
    “My favorite Thanksgiving dish was my grandmother’s macaroni and cheese. There probably wasn’t anything elaborate about it. It was probably the cheapest macaroni and cheese that money can buy, but for some reason it was always extra special, and she would also add extra cheese to it for me. My cousin Matt and I would have many, many fights about who would get the last spoonful.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley, who is thankful for his wife, two daughters and son, talks about his Thanksgiving must-have! It’s an oldie, but a goodie!

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    Dierks Bentley (Thanksgiving must-have) OC: …for Thanksgiving. :34
    “You gotta have a big turkey. Thanksgiving is not possible without a turkey. We cook it traditionally, but when we’re in, a couple of Thanksgivings ago, we were here in Nashville, we did the whole fry the turkey up, and it was great. It just tasted so good; all those juices get locked in there, and I love that too. You really can’t, to me, cook a turkey wrong. I’m gonna eat it any way, and I have over the years. Trust me, I’ve played a lot of county and state fairs, where I’ve seen gigantic turkey legs, you know, I’ve had the flat meat. I’ve done turkey every way you could do it. I’m pretty good any way you want to cook it up, but you’ve got to have a turkey for Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / Easton Corbin talks about spending Thanksgiving with family.

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    Easton (Thanksgiving) OC: …my grandma’s. :33
    “Having family and being able to spend that quality time with them and obviously, the opportunity to do what I do. But absolutely during that time, being able to spend that time with family and your loved ones. We used to always go to my grandma’s, that’s Christmas and Thanksgiving. We’d go there for the big meal. I don’t get to go back much. A lot of times I’ll stay up [in Nashville] for Thanksgiving, and then go down during Christmas, but we’d always go to my grandma’s.”

    Audio / Eric Church says he’s thankful for his family as well as for his fans.

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    Eric Church (Thanksgiving) OC: …want to do it. :23
    “A couple of things. I’m thankful for my family and great health. And I’m thankful for from a career standpoint, I’m very thankful for the success we’ve had lately. I’m thankful for what the fans have done. I mean there’s a lot of stuff to be thankful for in that regard. And I’m thankful that I was given the opportunity to do it my own way. I’m thankful that I’m going to get to keep doing this and do it the way that I want to do it.”

    Audio / Eric Paslay talks about his favorite Thanksgiving memories.

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    Eric Paslay (Thanksgiving) OC: …too much. :05
    “My best Thanksgiving memory, I think, is just hanging out with family, watching football and eating too much!”

    Audio / Josh Turner shares his favorite Thanksgiving side dish.

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    Josh Turner (fave side dish) OC: …’em myself. [laughs] :24
    “Uh, deviled eggs! [laughs] Where I’m from in South Carolina, I don’t think I’ve tasted a bad deviled egg. It’s like everybody has their own twist on it, but they’re all good, but I always loved it when my mama made ‘em. I’m learning as I get older, making deviled eggs is no easy task. It’s more complicated than it looks, and so that’s probably why I never made ‘em myself.” [laughs]

    Audio / Keith Urban gives thanks for many things, including his wife and two daughters.

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    Keith (Thanksgiving) OC: …for me. :21
    “Thankful that, well, my marriage is just, it’s life-giving, not just life-changing, it’s been life-giving for me. And from there, we created life, and that’s just beautiful, absolutely beautiful. And the effect that all of that has had in my work, has given life to it too, given it a sense of purpose and really deepened the experience for me.”

    Audio / Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley talks about the annual eating contest he and his two brothers – Josh and John -- have over the Thanksgiving holiday.

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    Lady A (Charles-Thanksgiving eating contest) OC: …five pounds! :25
    “One of my most memorable Thanksgiving memories was probably the first year that me and my two brothers decided to start our annual eating contest where we ate throughout the whole day. We started that morning and weighed ourselves and at the very end of the night, we weighed ourselves out and all three of us equally gained five pounds. I wish we had a more accurate scale to decide the winner, but we all tied. Five pounds!”

    Audio / Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott describes her favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    Lady A (Hillary-Thanksgiving food) OC: …ever tasted. :12
    “So, my favorite Thanksgiving food would have to be my grandmother’s sweet potato casserole. There’s just something she puts in it — probably all the love – that makes it better than anything I’ve ever tasted.”

    Audio / The members of Little Big Town love Thanksgiving since they get time off to be with their families.

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    LBT (Thanksgiving) 2 OC: (Kimberly) …and eat. :31
    KIMBERLY: “Thanksgiving—we love Thanksgiving, ‘cause we get to be with our families and we don’t often get to spend time with our families, our extended families, until the holidays. I love being around the table with my family and talking and laughing and cooking and eating…” JIMI: “And eating and eating and eating and eating…” PHILLIP: “The laughter around the eating, the good cheer, the celebration, the music…” JIMI: “The eating, going taking a nap, then coming back and eating.” KIMBERLY: “Go to bed with a full belly, take a nap, and then get up and eat.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton talks about one of her favorite Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Mickey Guyton (Thanksgiving traditions) OC: …Thanksgiving traditions. :17
    “One of my Thanksgiving traditions is playing charades after Thanksgiving dinner. I’m not the most competitive person in the world, but as soon as you put some Charades in the picture, I am crazy, and you will definitely want to be on my team if we’re playing Charades. I’m just saying. So, that’s one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton reveals her favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    Mickey Guyton (favorite Thanksgiving dish) OC: …both so much! :39
    “My favorite Thanksgiving dish that has to, has to, has to be at Thanksgiving dinner is dessert. Dessert is my favorite Thanksgiving dish. I mean, it doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it’s sweet. My mom actually makes an Italian cream cake that’s absolutely awesome. It’s homemade, and the entire family, that’s the first thing to go at Thanksgiving dinner. And my Grandma D, she makes a pecan pie that is awesome. She taught me how to make them when I was little, and I just love them, and that’s the other thing that I look forward to at Thanksgiving dinner, and I love them both so much!”

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about his favorite Thanksgiving meal.

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    Sam Hunt (Thanksgiving eats) OC: …glass of milk. :34
    “When I pile my plate up, it’s mostly turkey and then I’ll put a little dressing on the side, and I’ll usually go ahead and grab my dessert on the first run [laughs] and have it ready before it all disappears. Those are the really the three things. It’s strange, but since I was very young, I’ve always loved drinking milk, my brothers too, we drank lots of milk. My cousins, who grew up down the road, they always looked at us funny when we wanted to drink milk with our Thanksgiving meal. They would have coke or whatever else. So, I still get turkey, dressing, a piece of pecan pie and a big ole glass of milk.”

     

     

  • GEORGE STRAIT AND ALAN JACKSON WILL PERFORM ON THE CMA AWARDS…TOGETHER.

    George Strait and Alan Jackson will perform together on tonight’s CMA Awards to celebrate the 50th Anniversary. The two have been friends for more than 20 years and have collaborated on the CMA Awards previously. The two teamed up in 1999 to perform “Murder on Music Row,” which happened to win an award for Vocal Event of the Year in 2000. And again in 2013 to pay tribute to the late George Jones by performing his song “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”

    Audio / George Strait talks about performing with his friend Alan Jackson on the CMA Awards.

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    George Strait (CMA AJ performance) OC: …came out of it. :32
    “Well Alan has been one of my favorite people that I’ve met in the business since I’ve been in it.  I’ve met a lot of great people and Alan and I have become friends.  We just have.  I love his writing, his singing and we cut some things together before.  And so when all of this came about I called him and we talked about it and had our little heart to heart about everything.  And so this is kind of what came out of it.”

     

  • CMA AWARDS 50: Alan Jackson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Video / Alan Jackson CMA 50/50

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  • ALAN JACKSON RELEASES HIS PRECIOUS MEMORIES COLLECTION.

    Alan Jackson released his Precious Memories Collection exclusively with Walmart on Friday (October 28th). The set includes his first Precious Memories album, Volume II and two previously unreleased songs.

    The two-disc collection features Precious Memories, Precious Memories Volume II, as well as, two previously unreleased songs – “It’s All About Him” inspired by Denise’s book of the same title and “That’s The Way” which Alan sang to Denise at their wedding.

    When asked about writing the song ‘It’s All About Him,’” Alan explained, “Inspired by Denise’s strength and ability [in writing her book], I sat down and wrote a song of the same title hoping to add musically to an already uplifting story.”

    Precious Memories was originally recorded as a Christmas gift for Jackson’s mother, and a handful of copies were shared with close friends. Prompted and urged by family and friends, Jackson agreed to make the music available to fans. Seven years later, Jackson and his wife Denise revisited the list of their favorite hymns they compiled for the first album and Jackson decided to release Precious Memories Volume II.  Both albums went on to sell a combined 2.3 million copies.

    DISC 1

    1. Blessed Assurance
    2. Softly And Tenderly
    3. I Love To Tell The Story
    4. When We All Get To Heaven
    5. ‘Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus
    6. In The Garden
    7. Are You Washed In The Blood?
    8. I’ll Fly Away
    9. What A Friend We Have In Jesus
    10. Standing On The Promises
    11. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
    12. Leaning On The Everlasting Arms
    13. The Old Rugged Cross
    14. How Great Thou Art
    15. I Want To Stroll Over Heaven With You

    DISC 2

    1. Amazing Grace
    2. He Lives
    3. Just As I Am
    4. Love Lifted Me
    5. O How I Love Jesus
    6. Only Trust Him
    7. There Is Power In The Blood
    8. Precious Memories
    9. Sweet Hour Of Prayer
    10. When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder
    11. Wherever He Leads I’ll Go
    12. It’s All About Him **
    13. That’s The Way **

    **New Songs

    Audio / Alan Jackson explained a few years ago why he chose to record and release Precious Memories Volume II.

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    AJ (Precious Memories II) OC: …and simple. :34
    “It’s just really overwhelming how many people have enjoyed this album. So, of course, ever since I made the first one, they’re like, ‘When [are] you going to make another one?’ (laughs) That’s all I’ve heard now for…(laughs) ‘When [are] you going to make another one?’ We had so many songs, of course, that we didn’t get to do on the first one , but…and Denise sat down and helped me pick out some more this time, and…that’s where we’re at. I just…we tried to just go in and do it just like the first one – just heartfelt and simple.”

    Audio / Alan Jackson shares his thoughts on why the songs he recorded for Precious Memories Volume II endure and resonate with people.

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    AJ (Precious Memories songs resonate) OC: …that sound. 1:03
    “They’re a lot like country songs. They’re memorable melodies, and they’re well-written subjects that appeal to common people. And I think just…when you really start listening to those songs, as a songwriter now I’m especially amazed at how good they are, you know, in the melodies. And even some of the melodies are similar, almost, to a country song. And I think that’s why I – one reason I love ‘em. And I think people that grew up in church, it’s…you know, it’s not unlike your young days in high school and whatever you listened to on the radio, you know? Those are songs that [when] you hear them now, they really take you back to that feeling of that moment. And I think that’s what these songs do for people that heard ‘em every Sunday and especially like the church I went to had a big ol’ pipe organ and a piano and that was just a monstrous sound. It was very – even though I wasn’t that crazy about being at church when I was a young man, that music – I loved that sound.”

  • GEORGE STRAIT, ALAN JACKSON AND VINCE GILL ARE AMONG THE PERFORMERS ADDED TO THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    George Strait, Alan Jackson and Vince Gill are among the former CMA Entertainer of the Year winners set to perform on next week’s CMA Awards. Alabama, Brooks & Dunn, Charley Pride and Reba will also perform during the show.

    This illustrious group of performers is among the most lauded artists in CMA Awards history with a combined 375 nominations and 94 wins, including 14 for the CMA Awards’ top honor: Entertainer of the Year. As if that weren’t enough, Brooks & Dunn, Gill, Pride and Reba have all hosted Country Music’s Biggest Night™.

    “These superstars have been an important part of our legacy and have contributed so much to our current success,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “We are delighted they are going to be part of this important milestone anniversary.”

    Each of the artists also participated in “Forever Country,” a tribute to the CMA Awards which featured 30 CMA Award winning acts appearing in a medley of Country classics including John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” The song and music video have been toppings sales and airplay charts around the globe.

    Another Hall of Fame member, Vince holds the record for hosting the CMA Awards with 12 turns at the podium (1992-2003). He has 53 CMA Awards nominations and 18 wins including five consecutive trophies for Male Vocalist (1991-1995) and two wins for Entertainer of the Year (1993, 1994).

    Alan has 81 CMA Awards nominations and 16 wins including two for Male Vocalist (2002, 2003) and three for Entertainer of the Year (1995, 2002, 2003).

    George Strait is also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and is the most awarded artist in CMA Awards history with 83 nominations and 23 wins including five for Male Vocalist (1985,1986, 1996-1998) and three for Entertainer of the Year (1989, 1990, 2013).

    Previously announced performers include Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Eric Church, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Garth Brooks with Trisha Yearwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.

    The 50th Annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday, November 2nd (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC.

  • ALAN JACKSON SET TO RELEASE PRECIOUS MEMORIES COLLECTION.

    Alan Jackson will release his Precious Memories Collection exclusively at Walmart on October 28th.  The two disc collection features Precious Memories, Precious Memories Volume II, as well as, two previously unreleased songs – “It’s All About Him” inspired by Denise’s book of the same title and “That’s The Way” which Alan sang to Denise at their wedding. The Precious Memories Collection can be purchased here.

    When asked about writing the song “It’s All About Him,” Alan explained, “Inspired by Denise’s strength and ability [in writing her book], I sat down and wrote a song of the same title hoping to add musically to an already uplifting story.”

    Precious Memories was originally recorded as a Christmas gift for Jackson’s mother, and a handful of copies were shared with close friends. Prompted and urged by family and friends, Jackson agreed to make the music available to fans. Seven years later, Jackson and his wife Denise revisited the list of their favorite hymns they compiled for the first album and Jackson decided to release Precious Memories Volume II.  Both albums went on to sell a combined 2.3 million copies.

    DISC 1

    1.  Blessed Assurance

    2.  Softly And Tenderly

    3.  I Love To Tell The Story

    4.  When We All Get To Heaven

    5.  ‘Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus

    6.  In The Garden

    7.  Are You Washed In The Blood?

    8.  I’ll Fly Away

    9.  What A Friend We Have In Jesus

    10. Standing On The Promises

    11. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

    12. Leaning On The Everlasting Arms

    13. The Old Rugged Cross

    14. How Great Thou Art

    15. I Want To Stroll Over Heaven With You

    DISC 2

    1.  Amazing Grace

    2.  He Lives

    3.  Just As I Am

    4.  Love Lifted Me

    5.  O How I Love Jesus

    6.  Only Trust Him

    7.  There Is Power In The Blood

    8.  Precious Memories

    9.  Sweet Hour Of Prayer

    10. When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder

    11. Wherever He Leads I’ll Go

    12. It’s All About Him **

    13. That’s The Way **

    **New Songs

    About Alan Jackson:
    Alan Jackson is one of the most successful and respected singer-songwriters in music.  He is in the elite company of Paul McCartney and John Lennon among songwriters who’ve written more than 20 songs that they’ve recorded and taken to the top of the charts. Jackson is one of the best-selling artists since the inception of SoundScan, ranking alongside the likes of Eminem and Metallica. The man from rural Newnan, GA, who claims he is just a “singer of simple songs,” has sold nearly 60 million albums worldwide and ranks as one of the 10 best-selling vocalists of all-time in all genres. He has released more than 60 singles—registering 50 Top Ten hits and 35 #1s (including 26 Billboard #1s).  He has earned more than 150 music industry awards—including 18 Academy of Country Music Awards, 16 Country Music Association Awards, a pair of Grammys and ASCAP’s Founders and Golden Note Awards. Jackson received the first-ever ASCAP Heritage Award in 2014 having earned the title of most performed country music songwriter-artist of ASCAP’s first 100 years.  He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry.

  • FOREVER COUNTRY: Alan Jackson, Kacey Musgraves, Lady A, Rascal Flatts

    The video for “Forever Country,” the song and biggest music video in Country Music history, made its international premiere this week at ForeverCountry50.com. The star-studded single is available for streaming and download.

    Featured artists in the video include the following CMA Award winners: Alabama, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Luke BryanEric ChurchBrett EldredgeVince GillFaith HillAlan JacksonLady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Martina McBrideTim McGraw, Ronnie MilsapKacey MusgravesWillie NelsonBrad PaisleyDolly PartonCharley PrideRascal FlattsRebaDarius Rucker, Blake Shelton, George StraitRandy Travis, Carrie UnderwoodKeith Urban and Trisha Yearwood.

    “Forever Country” is a fresh take on three Country classics: John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”

    “Forever Country,” the single was produced by CMA Award winner and CMA Board member Shane McAnally, and the video was directed by Grammy Award-winning director Joseph Kahn.

    The 50th Annual CMA Awards will be hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and broadcast live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, November 2nd (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC.


    Audio / Alan Jackson talks about “Forever Country.”

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    Alan Jackson (Forever Country) 1 OC: …for somebody. :17
    “Well, I knew it was the 50th Anniversary, so I was hoping they would come up with something interesting to do and something cool that would include a lot of artists. So, that’s what this is and I think they’ve done a good job with it, and it was hard to narrow down three songs and to narrow down all the artists too. It was a tough job for somebody.”

    Audio / Alan Jackson talks about the three songs that make up “Forever Country.”

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    Alan Jackson (Forever Country) 2 OC: …very cool. :13
    “When I first heard which songs they were using and I knew they were going to mix them up, I knew it was going to take a lot of thinking for somebody to make all those mesh together but when I heard the track it actually turned out pretty cool, very cool.”



    Audio / Kacey Musgraves talks about being a part of “Forever Country.”

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    Kacey Musgraves (Forever Country song) OC: …pretty special. :30
    “This project is crazy. I really respect the roots of the genre, the traditions of it. I just really love it.  So it’s been really fun for me to take that, which inspires me, and mix it with my own new ideas, and me as a 27-year-old girl in 2016 and make it my own thing. So, being a part of this song, a song with my peers but also with these amazing icons and legends is pretty special.”

    Audio / Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott explains how they were approached to take part in “Forever Country.”

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    Lady Antebellum (Forever Country) OC: …around us.  :29
    We got approached by Shane McAnally through our management and we thought it was really interesting. Obviously being able to be a part of the 5oth year of the CMAs, the anniversary of that, it’s a huge milestone for country music and to be included was awesome and the songs that they chose, I mean it doesn’t get more iconic and legendary than that and then the company we’re in? Goodness, it’s our heroes all around us.”



    Audio / Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley talks about the songs that make up “Forever Country.”

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    Lady Antebellum (Forever Country) 2 OC: …massive songs. :51
    “I think I guess it puts our own stamp having three voices on that song which would separate it of course from the original but you know, what I thought was really cool was that all these songs represented are country songs that have also kind of crossed over in a way. They’re big, popular songs. ‘Country Roads’ was actually more of a pop song that turned into a country song and then you’ve got, of course, ‘I Will Always Love You’ which was a country song that then turned into a big pop song so I think that’s very representative too of where country music is right now – a genre that really does skirt the line and it is such a broad appeal and it always has been but it’s really cool to kind of be singing songs that weren’t just country songs. These are just iconic, massive songs.”

    Audio / Rascal Flatts’ Gary LeVox talks about “Forever Country.”

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    Rascal Flatts (Forever Country) 1 OC: …fun to do. :32
    Gary LeVox:
    “Well we first heard about the project when they, they actually sent us an email and told us what was going on and sent us some lines and who all was gonna be on it and what it was for, and we were just thrilled and honored to be a part of it, you know, with George Strait and all the and Reba and Charley Pride and Willie and you know, but we were thrilled, and it’s just the way that they took these three gigantic songs and made ‘em all mash up so perfectly is just is incredible. So, it’s gonna be really, really fun to do.”



    Audio / Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney talk about singing “On the Road Again” with Willie Nelson.

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    Rascal Flatts (On the Road Again) OC: …so special. :26
    Jay DeMarcus: actually it does fit us because we all started traveling at a really young age, I been on the road playing music since I was 15 years old and we uh certainly were on the same bus for many many years together so it was a thrill to be able to sing that line, in one of the most popular country songs ever.” Joe Don Rooney: “Yeah, it’s special to be a part of that, be in a band, and you know well be in a trio, but still a band, and Willie Nelson, my dad loves Willie, so to have him singing on it, we come in right after him, it’s just so special.”

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    Video / Alan Jackson Forever Country

    Video / Kacey Musgraves Forever Country

    Video / Lady Antebellum Forever Country

    Video / Rascal Flatts

  • ALAN JACKSON TO OPEN GOOD TIME BAR ON LOWER BROADWAY IN NASHVILLE.

    Alan Jackson is set to open his own honky tonk, titled AJ’s Good Time Bar on historic Broadway in downtown Nashville. The country superstar purchased the 6,000 square foot property, formerly known as The Wheel, which closed this past Saturday night (August 21st). The newly renovated club will undergo renovations, which is said to include a rooftop patio.

    AJ  is also partners in the popular hangout Acme Feed and Seed located on the corner of Broadway and 1st Avenue South.

     

    Video /

  • LABOR DAY: AJ, BILLY, CANAAN, DARIUS, DAVID, DIERKS, ERIC CHURCH, ERIC PASLAY, JON, LADY A, LUKE

    For many decades, Labor Day was seen as a day for workers to voice their complaints and discuss better working conditions and pay.

    U.S. Congress declared Labor Day a national holiday in 1894, and on Monday, September 5th, we will once again celebrate the people in every occupation whose work and dedication make this nation great. Labor Day in the United States is a holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It is a celebration of the American labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of workers.

    Labor Day weekend also signals the unofficial end to summer, and many of the hottest country stars are taking a look back at some of the toughest jobs they had prior to making their mark in music or their dream job now.

     

    Audio / Alan Jackson says that working man values have always been a part of his music.

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    AJ (working people songs) OC: … appreciate that. :28
    “I’ve always written songs and recorded songs, other people’s songs, about workin’ people, and workin’, the workin’ life ’cause I mean, that’s where I’m from. I mean, I worked…I’d already had jobs and worked as a grown person before I ever even thought about bein’ in the music business, so I come from that background, and…although I hadn’t had a job in a long time (laughs), I still remember a lot about it, you know, and I remember what the lifestyle is, and I still appreciate that.”

    Audio / Billy Currington recalls some of the jobs he had before landing his record deal in 2003.

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    Billy Currington (Labor Day) OC: …record deal. :40
    “I started working like at [age] 12, landscaping. This was summer, every summers, and roofing. I started when I was about 16 roofing houses, and that was probably one of my toughest jobs because down there in south Georgia, it gets hot, so doing that every day all summer long. The pawn shop when I moved to Nashville was one of my favorites, even though it was one of my least favorites. The concrete job was my least favorite of all – six years of that, and I couldn’t take it no more. After that job, that was my turning point. Either I’m going to do something else for a living [laughs] or quit and try to really focus on music and get this record deal.”

    Audio / Canaan Smith talks about the bad jobs he had before signing a publishing deal and later a record deal.

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    Canaan Smith (worst jobs) OC: …of that. [laughs] :54
    “I’ve had some terrible jobs. I was a janitor for a while, and I mopped floors, vacuums all kinds of, picking up dog poop, taking out trash, just basically somebody’s beyatch [laughs], that was my job. I did that for two-and-a-half years before I signed a publishing deal. Before that, actually my very first job, I got fired from. It was some sort of candy/chocolate store. My mom dropped me off one time, and I went to work and I was like I think I can do this, and then two shifts later I just didn’t show up because I didn’t understand the concept of having to look at a schedule to see when you come in. I just didn’t show. I just thought they’d call me, ‘Hey, we need you to come in.’ I didn’t know. I was 15 years old, and never worked and that kind of stuff. I always cut grass when I was a kid and cleaned golf clubs – whatever I could do to make some money. But, yeah, I got fired from my first job. I’m pretty proud of that.” [laughs]

    Audio / Clare Dunn discovered her love of music while working on her family’s farm in Southern Colorado.

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    Clare Dunn (discovered music) OC: …that way. :40
    “I did most of my music discovery as a young girl driving a tractor for most of the day – 10, 12 hours a day, you have nothing but the radio as your companion, basically, to keep you entertained. So, there was a local country radio station, and they, along with my parents’ love of music, I mean, that’s how I found Keith Urban and George Strait. My mom is a huge Waylon Jennings’ fan. And so music for me, I discovered it driving long hours on a tractor or hauling water to a cattle in a pickup by myself or through my parents’ love of music. And so, I was really fortunate that way.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker recalls one of his worst jobs before turning to music.

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    Darius Rucker (Labor Day) OC: …pizza. :15
    “I was fifteen, and I worked at a pizza place, and the guy decided that at fifteen, that I could not only clean the floors and wash the dishes, but I also had to make pizza. So, for two months, he taught me how to make pizza.”

    Audio / David Nail recalls his first job at Dairy Queen.

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    David Nail (Labor Day) OC: …Dilly Bar. :32
    “The first job that I ever had was working at Dairy Queen. One of my very best friends in the world’s mother purchased a franchise, so it was kinda a cool place to work. You put me in an ice cream place, it’s a recipe for disaster. So, Kathy Jeffers, her mother tends to tell people it was a ‘mutual separation,’ but I can vividly remember her saying that they were going to lose money if they continued to let me work, because I was eating more food than I was selling. But, it was a great two days that I spent there, and I had many a Dilly Bar.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley makes a living performing for his fans, and he can’t say enough about them.

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    Dierks Bentley (Labor Day) OC: …generosity. :26
    “Personally, the fans give me amazement. That’s the only word to really sum it up. I look out in the crowd, you know, usually see a lot of faces and fans are cheering. I know each one of these like from the road-the signs are from California…Michelle and Kayla live up in the Ohio area. They’re all, I just see them, and I’m like, ‘Wow!,’ they’re all from different regions. You know when you’re in a different region of the country and you just see certain fans. These people are way more hard core than I am, and I’m just amazed by their generosity.”

    Audio / Eric Church talks about one of his worst jobs.

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    Eric Church (Labor Day-odd jobs) OC: …bought at 2am. 1:27
    “I had an awful job. I’ve had a lot of awful jobs…my worst one was when I first came to Nashville. I got a job at the Shop at Home Network. I worked midnight, graveyard, midnight to eight. That was bad enough but then I would work all night, go home, shower and then I had writing appointments all day because I was trying to get a career started. I’d go write songs and get meetings just trying to get signed. And end up getting done at 3 of 4 with all of that, I’d go home, take a shower or sleep for a little bit and then I had to be at work again at midnight. So the schedule was bad enough, however, what I had to do at the job…I sold knives from midnight to 7 or 8am. And, anytime somebody calls you at 3 or 4am and needs 200 knives for $19.95, it’s automatically an alarming situation. And I just, I was young and I’d been in a lot of these people’s shoes, I had done this…I knew they were drunk. I knew what they had done. They’d just come home from the bar, flipped on Shop at Home and said, ‘You know what? I need that.’ So the reason the job didn’t last long for me is that I was maybe the worst salesmen in history because I ended up talking a lot of these people out of it, I’d say, ‘I’ll tell you what man, go to bed, call me, I’ll be here in the morning. If you get up in the morning and want these knives you call me back.’ Because I knew what was going to happen, you know. They bought 200 knives for $19.95…first of all some of these people you didn’t know whether you should call the cops. What do you need 200 knives for? Even though I’m selling them…what do you need them for? So, it was awful doing that job. And then they got rid of me because, they were like, ‘You’re the worst. I can’t believe you’re talking people out of it.’ I was like, ‘Man I know…I’ve been there.’ [laughs] I’d want some to talk me out of buying some of the stuff I’ve bought at 2am.”

    Audio / Eric Paslay talks about his first job…printing logos on fanny packs.

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    Eric Paslay (Labor Day) OC: …could print. :34
    “My first official job was working at a screen printing place in Texas during the summer in a metal building that had no AC. We printed on fanny packs – really cool — and these other little bags. And it was eye doctors that, some company if you bought supplies through them, they’d put your logo on fanny packs for your customers to put in a drawer somewhere. Fanny packs are cool, if you like ‘em. You know, we’d like time ourselves to see how many fanny packs you could print.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi talks about his worst job, which was at a grocery store.

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    Jon Pardi (Labor Day) OC: …so bored! :17
    “The worst job I ever had was at Hometown Grocery Store. I didn’t want to work, I was 15, and I did not want to work at the grocery store. Bagging was fun, but they sent me down the aisles to pull up cans and turn ‘em around and face ‘em, and I would just get so bored!”

    Audio / Kip Moore recalls his worst job...ever.

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    Kip Moore (Labor Day-worst job) OC: …than that. :21
    “I’d have to say my worst job ever was laying sod in the south Georgia heat. There’s nothing than that, especially when somebody would think that you’re waiting for the next sod patch to be thrown to you and you got your back turned, and all of a sudden, that big ole piece of sod hits you right on the back. You got nowhere to clean up, and you’re just stuck with dirt on your back for the rest of the day. It doesn’t get any worse than that.”

    Audio / Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum tells us what he used to do to make a buck before finding success as a musician.

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    Lady A (Labor Day) OC: …I had a lot of crummy jobs. :31
    CK “I used to…” HS: “… knock out asbestos walls.” CK: “I did that for a long time. But even before that, I used to do lawn care every summer. Oh, man, I do not miss that. Just glad those days are over. I get out here and play music for a living. It’s a lot more fun. But yeah, I used to do that, and I used to work as a bag boy at a golf course once. I did that for a couple of summers. I had a lot of crummy jobs.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about the different jobs he worked in and around Leesburg, Georgia, before heading to Nashville to pursue a career in music.

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    Luke Bryan (Labor Day-jobs) OC: …Nashville… 1:07
    “At age 12 thru 13, I worked at Rubos IGA Supermarket in Leesburg, GA. I worked during the summers on Monday and Tuesday. I stocked and cleaned up the produce.  They paid me under the table…I peeled off all of the brown lettuce. Let’s see, when I was 15, I was a cashier at K-Mart for two months. I worked at K-Mart for two months, and then I reverted back to Rubos because it didn’t really make sense for me to drive all the way into Albany and work for K-Mart. The benefits were great though-you’d get an hour-long on the blue light special. So I started back at Rubos, and then I quit Rubos and worked for my Dad-just awful just driving tractors through cotton all day, and spraying pesticides that eventually would turn your hair green. And then at some point, I started playing guitar. And well, after college I went back and worked for my dad and continued to spray and haul fertilizer around. And then I moved to Nashville…”

  • ALAN JACKSON IS PART OF NEW ROCK’N ROLL HALL OF FAME EXHIBIT.

    Alan Jackson is among the more than 50 musical artists featured in a new exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Louder Than Music: Rock, Power & Politics chronicles a variety of times, places and moments where music and American history have crossed paths over the last several decades – Alan is represented by the Jim Triggs guitar he played onstage at the 2001 CMA Awards ceremony in Nashville, where he first performed his iconic “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” a song inspired by the events and aftermath of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. The exhibit also includes Alan’s handwritten lyrics of the song.
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    Alan’s guitar is featured alongside artifacts and items from such wide-ranging talents as Beyonce, Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga, U2’sBono and Keith Richards…as well as superstars and music icons such as John Lennon, Aretha Franklin, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder. Louder Than Music: Rock, Power & Politics is open now – the exhibit runs at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland through November 27 (Thanksgiving Weekend), when it will be packed and moved to The Newseum in Washington, DC to be placed on display a week ahead of next year’s Presidential Inauguration.

    “Where Were You” captured a still-reeling nation’s emotions unlike any other song – it would go on to be honored with Grammy, CMA and ACM Awards and other accolades…and, 15 years after the events of September 2001, remains a staple of Jackson’s concerts due to fan demand.

    Jackson recently celebrated his 25th year as a member of the Grand Ole Opry with an appearance on its world-famous stage…and he just spent a month at the top of Billboard’s all-genre Music DVD chart with Keepin’ It Country: Live at Red Rocks, a concert DVD captured on tour at the revered Colorado concert venue in 2015. Jackson’s Keepin’ It Country Tour – extended from 2015 into this year – continues this summer with performances this weekend at Ohio’s iconic Jamboree in the Hills (July 15) and the Faster Horses Festival in Michigan (July 17). More shows – available at www.alanjackson.com – follow in August and through the fall.

    ABOUT ALAN JACKSON:
    The man from rural Newnan, GA, who claims he is just a “singer of simple songs,” has sold nearly 60-million albums worldwide and ranks as one of the 10 best-selling male vocalists of all-time in all genres. He has released more than 60 singles – registering 50 Top Ten hits and 35 #1s (including 26 Billboard chart-toppers). He has earned more than 150 music industry awards – including 18 Academy of Country Music Awards, 16 Country Music Association Awards, a pair of Grammys and ASCAP’s Founders and Golden Note Awards. Jackson received the first-ever ASCAP Heritage Award in 2014 having earned the title of most-performed country music songwriter-artist of ASCAP’s first 100 years. He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry.
    Alan Jackson is one of the most successful and respected singer-songwriters in music. He is in the elite company of Paul McCartney and John Lennon among songwriters who’ve written more than 20 songs that they’ve recorded and taken to the top of the charts. Jackson is one of the best-selling artists since the inception of SoundScan, ranking alongside the likes of Eminem and Metallica. Jackson’s current album, Angels and Alcohol, topped the country album charts when it was released last summer. He is also the subject of a new box set, Genuine: The Alan Jackson Story, available now