While in New Zealand over the holidays, Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne and his wife Lucie Silvas were a long way from home when they found out their four-legged baby was missing. A nephew was watching Barley when she freaked out over fireworks on New Year’s Eve and ran away. In fact, Barley is actually a walking miracle because she ended up five miles away outside of TJ Osborne‘s house.
FOUND!!!
She freaked because of fireworks then left my (John’s) house and walked 5 miles/6 hrs to TJ’s. Haha. Unbelievable.
When they came home, they had to have a serious “conversation” with Barley in which Mom Lucie told her, “You know, it’s not that your father and I don’t trust you, it’s just that you’re at that age where you could be easily influenced by things.”
Sometimes you have to sit down and talk with your children. Person to person. pic.twitter.com/ct9j7NKw38
What are some of your favorite stars doing to welcome in the New Year? A few of them are working to help fans celebrate. Several artists have taken the time off around the holidays and will hit it hard when they return to the road in January. Some artists have resolutions, and some are very helpful with their own hangover cures for those who imbibe too much on New Year’s Eve.
Keith Urban is set to headline Music City on New Year’s Eve for the third consecutive year. He’ll perform at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park as part of the Jack Daniels Music City Midnight bash. Peter Frampton, Judah & the Lion, Caitlyn Smith, Devon Gilfillian and the Fisk Jubliee Singers are also on the bill. Keith will be featured on “NBC’s New Year’s Eve,” which will be hosted by Carson Daly and Chrissy Teigen. The special will air Monday, December 31st from 10-11pm ET/PT and return 11:30pm – 12:30am ET/PT.
Lauren Alaina will perform during the West Coast celebration of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019.” She joins Kane Brown, Bazzi, Kelsea Ballerini, Camila Cabello, Ciara, Halsey, Shawn Mendes, Weezer, The Chainsmokers, Foster the People, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai and Charlie Puth, as well as a performance by Macklemore with Skylar Grey. Airing just after midnight, Post Malone will perform from a stop on his current tour in Brooklyn, New York. The televised celebration takes place Monday, December 31st beginning at 8pm ET on ABC.
Dierks Bentley will perform on the FOX Network’s New Year’s Eve with Steve Harvey. The special begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT.
Audio / Brothers Osborne talk about how people spend the last moments of the year, and the first moments of the new year.
Brothers Osborne (New Year) OC: (TJ) …next month. :44 JOHN: “I think it’s kind of funny how we spend literally the last moment and the very first moment of every year being extremely intoxicated, extremely, because you don’t want to wait until like 12:30 to get your buzz on. You’ve got to do it before midnight, and then once midnight happens, you’re like, ‘Omigod! Now it’s time to celebrate even more.’ Debauchery is the literally bookending your entire year.” TJ: “I love how everyone starts the year off with diets and then we end the year with like excessive amounts of food. And then you get to the end of the year, you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m going to start a diet on the 1st, so I’m going to eat everything that’s in front of me.’ I love it.” JOHN: “And come February 1st, ‘what diet?’” [laughs] TJ: “What diet? I’ll start it next month.” [laughs]
Audio / John Osborne of Brothers Osborne says a little hair of the dog is definitely the cure for a hangover.
Brothers Osborne (hangover cure) OC: …of the year. :07 “Usually drinking more. I mean, a little hair of the dog never hurt anybody. Plus, it’s the first of the year.”
Clare Dunn (hangover cure) OC: …hangover cure. :10 “Greasy food is always kind of a, you can let it go for one day before you start all your resolutions [laughs] after that. So, that’s probably my best hangover cure.”
Audio / Dierks Bentley says there’s not really a cure for a hangover.
Dierks (NYE) OC: …for that. :10
“I think January first is universally accepted as a dog. So I mean, a little hair of the dog, I guess. But just…water and stay on the couch, I guess. There’s no real sure-fire cure for that.”
Audio / Dierks Bentley says you don't want to have a hangover around children.
Dierks Bentley (New Year’s) OC: …in stride. 1:11 “New Year’s is rough. New Year’s hurts no matter what’s going o n. I’ve played a lot of New Year’s shows, you know, but I’ve honestly found that it’s not my favorite night to throw down. Look, for a living, that’s what I do. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, I host a big party; not only on stage, but I’ve got friends backstage. It starts before the concert sometimes, [and] it goes long after the concert, so a lot of times on New Year’s, I’m looking for a really mellow hang – a good party, good friends, pretty chill. Some of my best New Year’s – it doesn’t make for great radio – but some of my best New Year’s have been just like actually hearing fireworks go off while I’m in bed, [laughs] and know I’m gonna wake up the next morning for the first day of the New Year feeling great, feeling recharged and I’m ready to go ad go into the New Year feeling good as opposed to going into it with a giant Jagerbomb hangover, which I’ve done many, many times. So, the goal this year is to go into it feeling pretty good and the kids help with that, because you really just don’t want to be hungover with children. It’s not a good feeling. You would probably admit to any crime to get them, just feel better, and get them leave you alone. So, [I’m] gonna try to hit New Year’s this year in stride.”
Audio / Eric Church has a couple of hangover cures for those times (especially on New Year’s Eve) when you might imbibe a little too much.
Eric Church (hangover cure) OC: …every time. :17 “The best hangover cure – I’ve got two. One is 5-hour Energy [bottles], because of all the B-vitamins that are in it. You can start pounding those, and it’s either gonna work, or it’s gonna keep you up and prolong your misery. But the other one I have is just take two Advil and a beer in the morning. Hair of the dog, man – that works every time.”
Jon Pardi (hangover cure) OC: …deal with it. :20 “My hangover cure is Bloody Marys, but be careful – because once you have a couple, don’t go to beer, because if you go to beer, you’re gonna start drinking again and you’ll end up a morning drunk. OR if you want to go the non-alcoholic route, there’s nothing you can do for hangovers. [laughs] You just go deal with it.”
Audio / Kacey Musgraves has her own hangover cure.
Kacey Musgraves (hangover cure) OC: …water. Yup! :32
“Coconut water is a major help with hangovers and also, a lot of times we go and eat Vietnamese fuh. It’s a soup, and it’s got this awesome broth. You can get different things in it or whatever, but for some reason, it’s just like…it’s almost like a chicken noodle soup kind of an idea, you know, but it’s good. That’s good for hangovers too. That, sleep, Tylenol, coconut water and just water, in general. And when you’re drinking, have your alcohol, drink a little bit of water, drink some more alcohol, drink some water. Yup!”
Audio / Kip Moore gives advice on how to avoid a hangover on New Year’s Eve.
Luke Bryan (New Years-best) OC: …great night. :17 “My best New Year’s Eve is definitely when my wife and I started back dating. We started back dating right before Christmas, and we went on a trip down to Florida and met some friends. And her birthday is New Year’s Eve. We celebrated it that night. It was just a great night.”
Audio / Travis Denning recalls his favorite New Year’s Eve party.
Travis Denning (favorite New Year’s Eve party) OC: …it was good. :41 “I think my favorite New Year’s Eve party ever was when my sister got married, and my sister’s party got done at 10:30, 10:45 and she got married right behind a little club that I played a lot in Macon, Georgia called the Crazy Bull and love the owner. We’re boys, you know? So, we just literally walked right over and burned the house down. That was one of my favorite New Year’s Eve memories, ‘cause I got to see my sister and brother-in-law get married and that was such a great, great time, and then me and my older cousin and best friend, we ended up at Waffle House that night, so it was good.”
Audio / Travis Denning talks about getting dressed up for New Year’s Eve.
Travis Denning (wants to get dressed up for New Year’s Eve) OC: …good for it. :13 “No matter what I do for New Year’s Eve, I want to get dressed up. I want to wear a suit. I want to get real snazzied up, and I don’t care if I’m just going to a bar. Like, it’s New Year’s Eve, let’s look good for it.”
Audio / Travis Denning talks about his hangover cures.
Travis Denning (hangover cure) OC: …me better. :17 “You know, I think my hangover cure is just sitting on my butt, [laughs] not doing anything. Drink some water, a cup of coffee, but usually anything greasy or just some big ole Mexican food that’ll get me at least to a nap, which will get me better.”
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.
Esquire magazine released its list of the Top 10 Best Country Albums of 2018, and UMG Nashville has several on the list including Brothers Osborne’s Port Saint Joe (No. 7), Dierks Bentley’s The Mountain (No. 5), Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour (No. 4) and Eric Church’s Desperate Man (No. 2). Ashley McBryde’s Girl Going Nowhere, John Prine’s The Tree of Forgiveness and Pistol Annies’ Interstate Gospel were also on the list.
Kacey’s CMA Album of the Year, Golden Hour, summed up the last chapter of her life. “The title Golden Hour just seemed to sum up this chapter of my life perfectly. I mean not only am I from a town called Golden, Texas, but leading up to making this record, there’s been a lot of beauty in my atmosphere and in my world. I love the picture that pops in my head when I hear that title. It’s also an actual song on the record, but it’s just this warm, golden feeling that I’m really happy to have in my life, and I found it to be the perfect title for this record.”
Dierks took to the Rocky Mountain resort town of Telluride, Colorado, which every summer plays host to a celebrated bluegrass festival. Owing to his well-documented love of the genre, Bentley has attended the festival multiple times over the years, always making a point to slow down and tune back in to the world around him. But after performing on the festival’s main stage in 2017, the beautiful surroundings became more than a much-needed getaway, it reflected where he is in life; his past, present and future and the album reflected the happiness he felt.
“I think the unifying thread that runs through The Mountain would be just happiness and positivity, just a real kind of vibe of being grateful in the moment that you’re in, you know? The album really started off just as a tiny idea of something to do with the West,” says Dierks. “The album kind of wrote itself to be that story of just songs like ‘Living,’ ‘Can’t Bring Me Down’ and ‘The Mountain,’ just the vibe of just being really grateful and inspired by your surroundings and not just the mountain vibe, but the surroundings on the road too. The people that I meet on the road that are climbing their own personal mountains and the stuff they’re trying to overcome. I hear so many stories backstage at the Meet-and-Greets, and I was unknowingly inspired by those stories, and I think that gives the whole Mountain [album] a great metaphor between the actual mountains and the mountains people are pursuing in their own lives.”
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Audio / DIERKS BENTLEY TALKS ABOUT A UNIFYING THREAD THAT RUNS THROUGHOUT HIS NEW ALBUM, THE MOUNTAIN.
Dierks Bentley (unifying thread in The Mountain) OC: …their own lives. 1:22 “I think the unifying thread that runs through The Mountain would be just happiness and positivity, just a real kind of vibe of being grateful in the moment that you’re in, you know? The album really started off just as a tiny idea of something to do with the West. I wasn’t sure if it was a sonic idea or some sort of lyric or an overall vibe, and I didn’t really know where to go. I just put it on the backburner and kept just doing what we were doing which was touring nonstop. I had some shows up there. I played a show, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in June (2017) and it was just so inspiring and so fun, and I kinda had the idea to come back and write there and I did. I came back in August, then I came back and recorded there. That initial little idea I had, I thought I wasn’t going to work on that all, but it turns out I was just kind of in a back door way. And the album kind of wrote itself to be that story of just songs like ‘Living,’ ‘Can’t Bring Me Down’ and ‘The Mountain,’ just the vibe of just being really grateful and inspired by your surroundings and not just the mountain vibe, but the surroundings on the road too. The people that I meet on the road that are climbing their own personal mountains and the stuff they’re trying to overcome. I hear so many stories backstage at the Meet-and-Greets, and I was unknowingly inspired by those stories, and I think that gives the whole Mountain [album] a great metaphor between the actual mountains and the mountains people are pursuing in their own lives.”
Keith Urban will host a Twitter Q&A Tuesday (Monday in the U.S.) to discuss his hosting duties at this year’s ARIA Awards (Australia’s equivalent of the GRAMMYS).
Brothers Osborne have added a THIRD show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on February 13th due to overwhelming demand and two sold-out shows on February 15th and 16th. Tickets go on sale this Friday.
The lineup for the 2018 Country Thunder Wisconsin has been announced with Chris Stapleton serving as one of the headliners for the four-day festival, taking place July 18th-21st. Tim McGraw and Jake Owen will also headline.
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!
Brothers Osborne are currently across the pond playing shows in the U-K. Their last scheduled show of the year is in London on December 2nd. The reigning CMA Duo of the Year love the sights and sounds of Christmas.
“I love the overall feel and look at that time of year, because it’s starting to get really cold then and everything’s coming to a halt. It stays dark, so you have a lot of Christmas lights. I just love Christmas lights – they put you in such an amazing mood,” says John Osborne. “Just the sounds, like all the Christmas music and even shopping, which is quite possibly one of the most hectic things to do during the holidays. Even if we have all our shopping done, we’ll still go to the mall just because it’s so alive and vibrant and the colors and the music and the lights. I just love it. It’s a bit sensory overload, but I kinda dig that.”
Last year for Christmas, John and TJ hosted their family in Nashville. Spending time with their family has become very important to the duo. “Particularly as of late with John and I traveling a lot we don’t get a lot of family time at all. And so, as time goes on, I really value that more and more,” says TJ.
Brothers Osborne are currently climbing the country charts with “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You),”
Audio / John Osborne of Brothers Osborne says he loves the feel, sights and sounds of Christmas.
Brothers Osborne (feel of Christmas) OC: …dig that. :36 “I love the overall feel and look at that time of year, because it’s starting to get really cold then and everything’s coming to a halt. It stays dark so you have a lot of Christmas lights. I just love Christmas lights – they put you in such an amazing mood. Just the sounds, like all the Christmas music and even shopping, which is quite possibly one of the most hectic things to do during the holidays. Even if we have all our shopping done, we’ll still go to the mall just because it’s so alive and vibrant and the colors and the music and the lights. I just love it. It’s a bit sensory overload, but I kinda dig that.”
Audio / TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne says he values family time more and more during the holidays.
Brothers Osborne (Christmas) OC: …more and more. :21 “I think part of just holidays in general when mostly there’s nowhere to go, everything is shut down so you’re like forced to finally like (JOHN: “Relax.”) you have to be a family and hang in this house. Particularly as of late with John and I traveling a lot we don’t get a lot of family time at all. And so, as time goes on, I really value that more 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.”