• LABOR DAY 2017: AJ, Billy, Canaan, Darius, Dierks, Keith, Kip, Lady A, Luke and many more

    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 4th, 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 talking about 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 / 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 / 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 job.

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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 / Jordan Davis, whose debut single is making its way up the country charts, talks about his worst job.

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    Jordan Davis (Labor Day) OC: …worst job. :41
    “[My] worst job was probably whenever I got out of school I started working for an environmental group in Baton Rouge, and I was doing actual environmental work at first. I went to my boss probably about four months in and told him that I was going to move to Nashville and write songs. Luckily enough, he let me stay on, but I became the weedeater guy for the landscaping side of the business. I seriously weedeated eight hours a day. The only break I would get would be in-between yard to yard. So, like we would be in the car and I would try to doze off for like 10 minutes. I was covered in grass in the middle of the summer in Baton Rouge. It was awful. That was definitely the worst job.”

    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 / Keith Urban talks about performing for fans.

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    Keith Urban (Labor Day) OC: …amazing. :22
    “Seeing people connect to the music is absolutely, hands-down the biggest reward for me, especially when you go to a place you’ve never been to before and it’s all these people, I mean lots of people out there. You’ve never met a single one of ‘em and they’re singing every word, and you realize that it’s not just a pretty melody and everything, but they get the songs. It’s amazing.”

    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…”

     

     

     

  • LABOR DAY LINERS 2017

    Audio / LINER Billy Currington (Labor Day)

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    Hey y’all! It’s Billy Currington, wishing you a very happy Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Brandon Lay (Labor Day)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Brandon Lay, wishing you a happy and work-free Labor Day Weekend.”

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Labor Day)

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    This is TJ, and I’m John, and we are Brothers Osborne, wishing you a happy and work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Canaan Smith (Labor Day)

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    Hey! What’s up, guys? I’m Canaan Smith. Have a great and work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Canaan Smith (Labor Day)

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    Hey! What’s up, guys? I’m Canaan Smith. Have a great and work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Clare Dunn (Labor Day)

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    Hey! What’s up? This is Clare Dunn, and I hope you have a Happy Labor Day weekend.

     

    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Labor Day)

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    Hey! It’s Darius Rucker, and I hope you have a have a happy work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Labor Day)

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    Hey! It’s Eric Church, and I hope you have a have a happy Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Eric Paslay (Labor Day)

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    Hey! It’s Eric Paslay, and I hope you have a happy and work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Labor Day weekend)

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    Hey! It’s Jon Pardi, and I hope you have a happy and work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Kacey Musgraves (Labor Day weekend)

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    Hey! It’s Kacey Musgraves, hoping you have a happy Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Labor Day weekend)

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    Hi everybody! This is Keith Urban, wishing you a very happy Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Kip Moore (Labor Day)

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    Hey—what’s happening guys? This is Kip Moore, wishing you a happy and work-free Labor Day Weekend.

    Audio / LINER LBT (Labor Day)

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    Hi! We’re Little Big Town, hoping you have a work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Labor Day)

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    Hey! It’s Luke Bryan, and I hope you have a have a happy Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Labor Day)

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    Hey everybody! I’m Sam Hunt. Have a great and work-free Labor Day weekend.

     

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris, AJ, LBT, Strait, Lady A, Vince, Eric, Darius, Clare

    Chris Stapleton and Alan Jackson have been added to the list of performers at this year’s ACM Honors. They join previously announced performers Little Big Town, George Strait, Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott, Vince Gill, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Thomas Rhett, Maren Morris and others. Eric Church, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson are among the honorees, in addition to Strait and Kelsea Ballerini. The show, which tapes next week at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, will air September 15th on CBS.

    Little Big Town’s Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet took time out to catch the Tennessee Titans practice on Thursday (August 17th).

    https://twitter.com/Titans/status/898261817213898752

     

    Darius Rucker is set to perform in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina for the first time in four years October 22nd. He will take the stage at Volvo Car Stadium on Daniel Island just two days after the release of his fifth studio album, When Was the Last Time. Tickets go on sale Friday (August 18th) at 10am at Ticketmaster.

    Clare Dunn returned home to Colorado last week to headline the Sand and Sage Round-Up Kick-Off concert, drawing one of the largest crowds in event history. Prior to her performance, Clare hosted a VIP charity party including a silent auction, autographed memorabilia, an acoustic performance and more, which raised over $25,000 for the Colorado FFA Foundation and Children’s Hospital Colorado.

     

     

  • COUNTRY STARS REACT TO THE PASSING OF GLEN CAMPBELL.

    Glen Campbell passed away Tuesday afternoon (August 8th) after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The iconic singer, known for such classic songs as “Galveston,” “Wichita Lineman,” “Rhinestone Cowboy,” “Southern Nights” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” was 81. The Country Music Hall of Famer was an inspiration and musical hero to many of today’s country stars.

     

     

    https://twitter.com/littlebigtown/status/895060238872739842

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/895041594742587392

     

     

     

    Keith Urban, who cites Glen as one of his musical idols, posted a heartfelt message about the legendary performer.
    “What a powerful artistic and personal journey Glen Campbell’s passage has been. As a role model, singing guitar player he was a big influence on me.

    His blend of genres created his own sound and style and his ability to entertain wasn’t limited to the stage. He blazed real trails through film (and especially television) where his charismatic southern charm and personality fit perfectly.

    The night I won my first country music award, I got back to my hotel room and there was a fax on the floor.

    “Welcome to the award winning world kid. You got it.” Glen Campbell.

    Universal music, universal stories, universal spirit. No wonder he was a global superstar. I love Glen for so many reasons – but above all, for his humanity. My thoughts and prayers are with Kim and all of his extended family today. May peace be with you all. Go rest high on that mountain, Glen.” – KU

     

    Keith performed at last year’s 10TH ANNUAL ACM HONORS™ for a special tribute to Glen Campbell, who was honored with the ACM Career Achievement Award. Dierks Bentley also performed during the tribute, who said “He just has a way of performing that I’ve always felt like he’s one of those guys that if all of the power went out and there was no PA system and no band behind you and it just had to be just you and a guitar, he could entertain that crowd just as well as if they had all of the lights and production, and it’s Glen. He’s such a great singer, great musician and so funny, and such a great storyteller. He really carved out his niche. There’s no one that’ll ever sound like him – a classic legend.”

    Audio / A couple of years ago, Keith Urban said Glen Campbell was one of his biggest influences.

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    Keith Urban (Glen Campbell) OC: …guitar player. :22
    “I’ve always been a fan of what I like to call Guitartists, you know those guitar artists like Glen Campbell who’s probably one of my biggest influences. Those guys who knew a good song, had a great voice and played great and you know, just the all-around guys with the guitar you know? ‘Cause when you think of Glen Campbell you think off, I think of ‘Galveston’ and ‘Wichita Lineman’ then I also think of him being a phenomenal guitar player.”

     

     

     

    Video / Keith Urban and Glen Campbell performing "Wichita Lineman" in Las Vegas during a stop on Keith's 2009 tour.

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  • DARIUS RUCKER ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF HIS NEW ALBUM, ‘WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME.’

    On the heels of his eighth No. 1 Country single Darius Rucker has responded to fans’ appeals for new music with an announcement on the TODAY Show this morning, letting them know they won’t be waiting much longer for a new album from the 3-time GRAMMY winning star. When Was The Last Time, the long-awaited fifth studio country album on Capitol Records Nashville, will be released nationwide Friday, October 20th. Fans can preorder the album beginning today at http://umgn.us/DariusPreOrder.

    The Platinum-selling star released the album’s second single, a song he wrote with Derek George and Travis Hill, “For The First Time” to Country radio just yesterday, Monday, July 24th. “For The First Time” is the follow-up to his most recent No. 1 single, “If I Told You, marking eight country No. 1 singles for Rucker since his country music debut in 2008.

    Earlier this week, Rucker spoke with Billboard about teaming up with esteemed Nashville producer Ross Copperman (Dierks Bentley, Brett Eldredge, Keith Urban) to bring his vision for the album to life.

    “On top of being a genius with the equipment, Ross is so high-energy and funny; that kid is never not laughing.”  He added, “Every time we were in the studio we had a great band who had great ideas of their own, so it was the farthest thing from tedious, but just, let’s get in and do it. I think for the whole record we spent just three days tracking music.”

    This fall’s release will be yet another signature moment in the multiplatinum career of one of music’s most beloved figures. Rucker has never been busier while working on his new album with a slate of television appearances this spring and summer including a CMT Crossroads episode with John Mellencamp, an appearance in Adam Sandler’s Netflix original, Sandy Wexler, and his own episode of Celebrity Undercover Boss on CBS.

    Rucker, an avid golfer and passionate fan of the game, will host a new monthly show in SiriusXM’s 23/7 golf channel, SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio. On Par with Darius Rucker will debut tomorrow, July 26 at 3pm ET.

    The pre-order packages available include exclusive merchandise and the option to receive an autographed copy. For more information about new music, appearances and tour dates, please visit www.dariusrucker.com.

    About Darius Rucker
    Rucker first attained multi-Platinum status in the music industry as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of GRAMMY award-winning Hootie & the Blowfish. Since re-introducing himself to the world as a country artist, he has released four consecutive albums to top the Billboard Country albums chart and earned a whole new legion of fans. In 2014, Rucker won his third career GRAMMY award for Best Solo Country Performance for his 4x Platinum selling cover of Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel,” off his album, True Believers. Rucker’s first two country albums, Learn To Live and Charleston, SC 1966 produced five No. 1 singles including “Come Back Song,” “This,” “Alright,” “It Won’t Be Like This For Long” and “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It.” Southern Style, his fourth studio country album, features his seventh No. 1 single “Homegrown Honey,” co-written by Rucker, label mate Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum and Nathan Chapman. Rucker’s last single, “If I Told You,” is his eighth No. 1 on country radio and the first cut from his forthcoming fifth album for Capitol Nashville.

    Audio / Darius Rucker explains why he titled his new album, When Was the Last Time.

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    Darius Rucker (When Was the Last Time title) OC: …on a limb. :40
    “Picking an album title is hard. Sometimes you go with one of the songs, because you’ve been wracking your brain for days and finally you just go Southern Style, but that fit so well for that record, because it did. But When Was the Last Time, I was just thinking, I just thought that was what I wanted to say with this record. That was really the big gist of the record for me was ‘When was the last time you did something different? When was the last time that you did something that made you scared or made you worried, but you’d always wanted to do it?’ So, I just thought that was a great title. I didn’t want to call it For the First Time, you know, so I went with When Was the Last Time, because that’s what the record’s all about for me is going out on a limb.”

     

    Video / Darius Rucker When Was the Last Time announcement

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  • DARIUS RUCKER HITS THE AIRWAVES WITH HIS NEW SINGLE, ‘FOR THE FIRST TIME.’

    Darius Rucker has just hit the airwaves with “For the First Time,” the follow-up to his recent No. 1 “If I Told You.” The song, which he co-wrote with Derek George and Travis Hill and will be featured on his new album, made him think about some of the things he wanted to accomplish.

    “It’s a song about taking chances and doing something you wouldn’t normally do and something that’s totally out of the ordinary for you,” says Darius. “That song really made me sit down and write out a list of things that I want to do that I’ve never done.”

    Darius will perform his new single when he performs during the Watershed Festival in George, Washington on Saturday (July 29th).

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about his new single, "For the First Time."

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    Darius Rucker (For the First Time) OC: …never done. :15
    “I think the song is definitely, for me, it’s a song about taking chances and doing something you wouldn’t normally do and something that’s totally out of the ordinary for you. That song really made me sit down and write out a list of things that I want to do that I’ve never done.”

    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (For the First Time) 1

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    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (For the First Time) 2

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  • DARIUS RUCKER SET TO HOST A NEW MONTHLY GOLF SHOW ON SIRIUSXM.

    Darius Rucker, an avid golfer and passionate fan of the game, will host a new monthly show on SiriusXM’s 24/7 golf channel, SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio. On Par with Darius Rucker will debut July 26 (3:00-4:00 pm ET) and will feature Rucker’s perspective on the game as a devoted player (he is a single-digit handicap) and fan.

    Rucker is friendly with many active players on both the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, and he is a partner at MGC Sports, a sports agency that currently represents golfers and other athletes. He will invite the game’s stars as well as other celebrities with a passion for golf on the show for conversations that will span the worlds of golf and entertainment.

    “They say that rock stars want to be pro athletes, and pro athletes want to be rock stars, and there is definitely some truth to that,” said Rucker. “It’s no secret that music and golf are two passions of mine. I’ve been lucky enough to play with and get to know well some of the best golfers on tour. While we’re on the course, I’m looking for swing tips and all they want to do is talk music. SiriusXM is the perfect place to blend both of those worlds into one show, and I am really excited to get started.”

    “Darius is a very talented and versatile entertainer. He is also a fun-loving and engaging guy who is absolutely infatuated with the game of golf, which is something so many of us can relate to,” said Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM’s President and Chief Content Officer. “SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio is an excellent forum for him to share that passion for golf and we are very excited to work with him on what will be a very unique and entertaining show.”

    Darius Rucker first attained multi-platinum status as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of Hootie & the Blowfish. Since re-introducing himself to the world as a solo country artist, his musical life has had a remarkable second act that has featured many chart-topping hits. Rucker’s as-yet-untitled fifth Capitol Records Nashville album will be released later this year.

    Rucker’s passion for golf has been conspicuous since the game played a prominent role in the 1995 music video for “Only Wanna Be With You,” one of the earliest hits for Hootie & the Blowfish. He plays nearly every day when he is touring and was a VIP guest of Team USA at the 2016 Ryder Cup.

    Rucker is also actively involved with several golf events. These include the “Darius Rucker Intercollegiate,” the annual women’s college golf tournament held in Hilton Head; the Annual Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters celebrity pro-am tournament; the “Darius and Friends” concert and golf tournament that raised over $1 million for St. Jude Children’s Hospital in the eight years since its inception; as well as the ACM Lifting Lives® Golf Classic charity tournament.

    The SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio channel is available to listeners nationwide on satellite radios (Sirius channel 208, XM channel 92) and on the SiriusXM app. Go to www.SiriusXM.com/SiriusXMPGATOURRadio for more info.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith, Luke, Eric, Sam, Lady A, Dierks, Darius, LBT, Chris, Kacey

    Catch several of this year’s hottest performances from CMA Music Festival during ABC’s CMA Fest television special. Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Sam Hunt and Lady Antebellum will take the stage, along with collaborations between Dierks Bentley and Cole Swindell and Darius Rucker with Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild, among others. The music event will air August 16th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Chris Stapleton’s From A Room: Volume 1 is the No. 1 country album in the nation this week. His Traveller album lands at No. 2, followed by Keith Urban’s Ripcord at No. 3.

    Chris Stapleton‘s From a Room: Volume 1 has been certified gold by the R.I.A.A for more than 500,000 copies sold.

    Kacey Musgraves (along with her fiancé Ruston Kelly) are among the singer-songwriters who are adding their vocals and music to poems Johnny Cash had written throughout the years that are being turned into a tribute album to the Man in Black. The collection, which will be called Johnny Cash Forever Words: The Music, will also feature contributions from Brad Paisley, Jewel, Jamey Johnson, T-Bone Burnett and the late Chris Cornell. Kacey and Ruston recently debuted their duet, “To June, This Morning,” at Blackberry Farm in East Tennessee. Johnny wrote the poem for his wife, June Carter Cash, more than 45 years ago.

    Sam Hunt garners more nominations at this year’s Teen Choice Awards, which just announced its second wave of nominees. He grabbed two more nods, including Choice Country Song for “Body Like a Back Road,” as well as Choice Summer Tour for his 15 in a 30 Tour. Sam was previously nominated for Choice Country Artist and the all-genre Choice Song for his huge smash hit, “Body Like a Back Road.” Voting is now open at TeenChoice.com or fans can tweet the category hashtag with the nominee’s name through July 19th. The Teen Choice Awards will air live August 13th at 8pm ET on FOX.

    Keith Urban’s lovely wife, Nicole Kidman, has earned an Emmy nomination for her role as “Celeste Wright“ in HBO’s Big Little Lies, alongside her friend Reese Witherspoon. The show was also nominated in the Outstanding Limited Series category and ended up with 16 nominations. The Emmys will air live September 17th at 8pm ET on CBS.

     

  • DARIUS RUCKER RELEASES HIS NEW SINGLE, ‘FOR THE FIRST TIME.’

    Darius Rucker has had a lot of firsts over his illustrious career, but he has consistently reinvented himself and his music in numerous ways. So, when he came upon the phrase, “when was the last time I did something for the first time?,’ he was inspired to write his new single with co-writers Derek George and Travis Hill.

    “As a songwriter, sometimes the smallest idea can elicit a feeling and then you have this daunting task of trying to relay that emotion and energy into a three-minute song,” says Darius. “When we wrote ‘For The First Time,’ we each had to dig deep for that moment – for me it was ‘you say you’ve never danced to a dashboard singin’ REM under summer stars.’ After that it was all over.”

    “For The First Time” is the follow-up to his most recent No. 1 single, “If I Told You,” the first from his his long-awaited as-yet-untitled fifth Capitol Records Nashville album, slated for release later this year with Producer Ross Copperman at the helm. It will be yet another signature moment in the multiplatinum career of one of music’s most beloved figures. Rucker has never been busier while working on his new album with a slate of television appearances this spring and summer including a CMT Crossroads episode with John Mellencamp, an appearance in Adam Sandler’s Netflix original, Sandy Wexler, and his own episode of Celebrity Undercover Boss on CBS.

    For more information about new music, appearances and tour dates, please visitwww.dariusrucker.com.

    “For the First Time” impacts country radio July 24th.

    Video / Darius Rucker "For the First Time"

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith, LBT, Darius, Sam

    Keith Urban will make a return appearance on HSN this weekend. He’ll be performing and chatting about his line of Urban Guitars, including The Keith Urban American Vintage Acoustic 40-piece Guitar Package and The Keith Urban Ripcord Series 40-piece Guitar Package. Watch him on Saturday (July 8th) from 7pm – 9pm ET and Sunday (July 9th) from 4pm – 6pm ET and 10pm – 12am ET.

    Little Big Town, Darius Rucker and many more stars will perform during the Grand Ole Opry’s “Total Eclipse 2017” party. The Opry, positioned to be in the direct path of the Total Eclipse, will celebrate the historic event with a special Sunday Night show August 20th. The eclipse will take place the next day, August 21st.
    Grand Ole Opry Total Eclipse 2017 Schedule of Events:

    Sunday, August 20, 7p.m.       Grand Ole Opry Total Eclipse Show

    Monday, August 21, 11 a.m.   Grand Ole Opry Total Eclipse Plaza Party

    August 21 Eclipse Timing:

    Partial eclipse begins: 11:58 a.m. CDT

    Start of totality: 1:27 p.m. CDT

    Partial eclipse ends: 2:54 p.m. CDT

    Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road remains at the top of the Hot Country Songs chart — which in addition to radio airplay, also factors in streaming and digital sales – for a 21st week. Last week, the song broke the record for longest stay at No. 1 for a solo artist, bypassing Leroy Van Dyke’s 1961 hit “Walk on By.” By the way, Florida Georgia Line hold the record for longest time overall at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs with “Cruise” at 24 weeks.