Dierks Bentley has released the second episode of his ongoing four-part series leading up to the release of his new album, Black, on May 27th. The new video is titled “What the Hell Did I Say” is the follow-up to “I’ll Be the Moon.”  Check it out below.

Brothers Osborne, Eric Paslay, Canaan Smith, Jon Pardi and many others have been added to the lineup at the Riverfront Stage during this year’s CMA Music Fest, running Thursday, June 9th through Sunday, June 12th.

Dierks Bentley held a surprise pop-up show in Knoxville, Tennessee over the weekend. The event, which took place at a local hotspot, The International, will be seen next month on CMT. The CMT Instant Jam with Dierks is set to debut May 28th at 9pm ET.

Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott performed at the Stand Up to Cancer benefit, chaired by Reese Witherspoon and her husband Jim Toth, as well as MasterCard President and CEO Ajay Banga and his wife Ritu. The gala event over the weekend raised more than $42 million and also featured performances by Sheryl Crow, Tony Bennett and Jamie Foxx. Also in attendance were the event’s co-founder Katie Couric, Alec Baldwin, Joe Torre, Maura Tierney and Donna Karan. Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now.

Chris Stapleton is featured (sort of) in Jake Owen’s new video for “American Love Song.” Jake is wearing one of Chris’ tour T-shirts in the clip.

Clare Dunn recently shot the video for her single, “Tuxedo,” at a farm south of Nashville. The clip will hit the airwaves in the coming weeks.

Dierks Bentley is swimming up the country charts with his latest single, “Somewhere on a Beach,” from his upcoming album, Black, set for release this spring. Raised in Arizona, Dierks and his family often went to Southern California to hit the beach, and he still tries to hit the sandy terrain with his family quite often.

“My favorite beach is the closest beach. I mean, I’m not picky. [laughs] Whatever’s the closest beach, that’s my fave,” says Dierks. “Now we go down to like Destin [Florida], that’s close to us here; Gulf of Mexico. Mexico itself, I mean gosh, the whole Playa del Carmen area is amazing. I got married in Cabo San Lucas, so I definitely love the beach.”

Dierks is looking forward to turning his upcoming summer tour to “Somewhere on a Beach.” The trek, which also features Randy Houser and Cam, kicks off May 12th in Holmdel, New Jersey.

Country Music has lost a legend. Merle Haggard, who turned 79 today, died Wednesday (April 6th) in California, surrounded by friends and family. The Country Music Hall of Famer had been in failing health for quite some time, diagnosed with double pneumonia in December, which led to the cancellation of several dates, including a two-night stand at the Ryman Auditorium.

Haggard had 40 No. 1 songs, including “Mama Tried,” “Workin’ Man Blues,” “Okie From Muskogee” and “The Fightin’ Side of Me” and wrote many classics, some of which had been recorded by folks such as Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Vince Gill, who is a lifelong fan of the iconic entertainer.

“I‘ve been a [Merle] Haggard nut my whole life,” says Vince Gill, who along with his pal Paul Franklin released Bakersfield album in 2013 (a collaborative tribute of Merle Haggard and Buck Owens songs). “And I’ve played country music, recorded country music my whole life, and I’ve tried to emulate what I loved about Merle Haggard on a lot of occasions.”

Many of country music’s brightest stars took to Twitter to offer their thoughts:

For Eric Church, he wrote and recorded “Pledge Allegiance to the Hag” for his Sinners Like Me album. The song also featured the subject of the song, Mr. Merle Haggard.

Eric Church ‏@ericchurch 
Rest in peace. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00IEK9KdWgE …

Alan Jackson ‏@OfficialJackson 
“We lost one of the greatest singer/songwriters since Hank Williams. Inspiration to millions, great American, thank you Merle. I’ll miss you.”

Luke Bryan ‏@LukeBryanOnline 
“A true hero was lost today. Thank you for your contribution to not only country music but all music. @merlehaggard”

Keith Urban ‏@KeithUrban 
“One of the gr8 concert memories I have is seeing Merle and the Strangers at the Ryman in Nashville. We had a ‘live’ album of his when I was growing up and I felt like I’d fallin’ inside my Dad’s stereo speakers. One of my all time favorite voices – and a master songwriter. Blessings to your soulful spirit Merle & all of you family & loved ones.” – KU

Hillary Scott ‏@HillaryScottLA
“You are a cornerstone of country music @merlehaggard…u will be missed greatly. Praying for the Haggard family.”

KACEY MUSGRAVES ‏@KaceyMusgraves 
“I think I’ll just stay here and drink.”

Billy Currington ‏@billycurrington 
“rip @merlehaggard thank you for all the great music u blessed us with. we will play it forever.”

Dierks Bentley ‏@DierksBentley 
“Literally just fell to the floor. can’t believe we lost the hag. rip merle haggard.”

Toby Keith ‏@TobyKeithMusic 
“The greatest singer songwriter of my lifetime is gone. Thanks for the music and friendship. R.I.P. Hag. – T”

GaryAllan ‏@GaryAllan 
“Merle was my all-time hero. Today we lost one of the greatest songwriters of country music and I will always regret not recording with him. He was a legend and I was honored whenever we got the chance to share a stage with him. Thank you for the inspiration, the advice and for always being you. I, as well as the entire music community, will miss you Merle.”

Darius Rucker ‏@dariusrucker
“Heaven’s band just got better! RIP to the LEGENDARY @merlehaggard. Your music will never die!”

Jon Pardi ‏@JonPardi 
“Sad day today @merlehaggard has passed. RIP to a true songwriter, a pioneer of California Country, and country music.”

Kip Moore ‏@KipMooreMusic 
“RIP Merle…you paved the way for so many. You had what we all hope for…a voice that matters and survives the ever changing trends.”

Josh Turner ‏@joshturnermusic  5m5 minutes ago
“Pains me to say that country music icon @merlehaggard has passed away. So honored to have known him and shared the stage with him. Thanks Merle for all you’ve done for us!”

Mickey Guyton ‏@MickeyGuyton 
“RIP Merle Haggard. Heaven’s choir just got a heck of a lot better.”

For David Nail, seeing Merle in concert was a life-changing experience. “The night I saw Merle At the Golden Nugget, it was the single greatest combination of seeing an artist/venue/city together, that I’ve ever witnessed.  It was a spiritual experience.  I looked at my buddy multiple times in disbelief that we were actually there.  I teared up on a few songs.  I knew the greatness I was seeing/hearing.”

George Strait was a huge fan of Merle Haggard’s. He says, “When I was in the Army and stationed at Schofield barracks in Hawaii, you know Merle came there, and he played Conroy Bowl.  And I remember I was playing an NCO club that night, and before my little gig, I got to run over there and I kinda snuck in and saw Merle and it just blew me away. That’s what I wanted to be like, you know, I wanted to be like the Hag. And so, I can’t tell you how big of an influence he was on me, just huge.”

Strait also posted a reaction on his socials: “It’s a very sad day for all of us Hag fans. He was a true icon of the music world and it’s hard to believe we won’t be able to see him anymore. I honestly think that had it not been for him, I would not have chosen the path that I chose.” – G

On Saturday Night (April 2nd), Dierks Bentley headlined the second night of the 4th ACM Party for a Cause® Festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. The three-day event continued with an all-star lineup of performers on the Ram Trucks Main Stage including Chris Stapleton, Frankie Ballard, Lee Brice, Chris Janson, Dustin Lynch and Chris Young.
Highlights from the second day and night included:

• Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelly and Eric Paslay joined headliner Dierks Bentley on stage to perform Kelley’s debut solo single, “The Driver.”
• Chris Stapleton performed a duet with his wife, Morgane, as the sunset over the Las Vegas Festival Grounds.
• ACM CEO Bob Romeo presented Chris Stapleton with his ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year

The morning kicked off with the ACM & Cabela’s Celebrity Tic-Tac-Toe Archery Tournament. Cabela’s Ambassadors Luke Bryan and Justin Moore returned to host the fan-favorite event held at the Cabela’s Stage at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. Country music stars Luke Bryan, Chris Janson, Dustin Lynch, Justin Moore, Eric Paslay, Chris Rice, and Granger Smith, former MLB player Adam LaRoche, plus Cabela’s pro staff Wade Middleton and Kristy Titus participated in the archery tournament featuring Cabela’s state-of-the-art archery equipment.

“LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 02: Singers Justin Moore (L) and Luke Bryan attend Cabela’s & Academy of Country Music Celebrity Archery Tournament during the 4th ACM Party for a Cause Festival at at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on April 2, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for ACM)”

“LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 02: Singers Justin Moore (L) and Luke Bryan attend Cabela’s & Academy of Country Music Celebrity Archery Tournament during the 4th ACM Party for a Cause Festival at at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on April 2, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for ACM)”

o   HIGHLIGHTS:

• Team Luke and Team Justin competing head-to-head for the trophy:
• Team Luke included country music artists Chris Janson, Chase Rice, and Granger Smith plus Cabela’s pro staffer Wade Middleton.
• Team Justin included artists Dustin Lynch, Eric Paslay, former MLB player Adam LaRoche and Cabela’s Pro Staffer Kristy Titus. Country artist Lucas Hoge and bow hunting athlete Cameron Hanes also competed at the event during half-time.
• Team Luke was leading the competition when host Storme Warren suggested that Luke and Justin make a sudden death deal: the two artists shoot one last game of tic-tac-toe and whoever wins would take home the trophy. In spite of Team Luke’s commanding lead, Justin surprised the crowd with a victory!

On Sunday (April 3rd), Kenny Chesney will close out the festival with a full set after his performance on the 51st ACM Awards. Earlier in the evening, Brett Eldredge, Sam Hunt, Kip Moore, Chase Rice and Old Dominion will perform on the Ram Trucks Main Stage.

The Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena Sunday at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

Dierks Bentley and Luke Bryan have been pre-gaming for Sunday night’s ACM Awards. They joke that there’s not a lot of preparation, though, that goes into doing the monologue of a big awards show.

“What he’s told me was that there is actually no monologue. Backstage, you just have like six drinks,” says Dierks. “Hopefully, we’re gonna find one in a little bit, but for now Luke’s just said, ‘Yeah go out there, have some drinks and have fun.So, hopefully he’s not messing with me.”

You can catch the action for yourselves when the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday (April 3rd) at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

Dierks Bentley is prepping for his first run at being a host of the ACM Awards this year, along with his buddy, Luke Bryan, who’s been at it for a few years now. He says traditionally his favorite part of attending an awards show is the performances.

“My favorite thing about awards shows really are the performances. I mean, it’s awesome to be nominated. It’s just a huge honor. Getting nominated for any award show IS a win,” says Dierks. “It’s just a fun night for me and my wife and I get a chance to go in there and hang out and see old friends and cut up a little bit, but then sit down and watch the performances, you know? Just see who’s doing what, what the collaborations are, the production ideas, the singing, the musicianship, and I feel like the ACMS, every year they just get better and better, where it’s just great performances.”

As a co-host this year, Dierks says he’ll enjoy getting a behind-the-scenes look at all of the cool performances. “I’m really looking forward, obviously, to being a host on that show and getting kind of a behind-the-scenes look at some of the rehearsals and what goes into the performances.”

In addition to his role of co-host, Dierks is also nominated for Male Vocalist and Video of the Year (for “Riser”).

The 51st Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET/PT delayed on CBS.

• Dierks’ new album Black, which features his Top 10 single “Somewhere on a Beach,” will be released May 27th.

Dierks Bentley is getting ready to release his eighth studio album, Black, May 27th. It’ll be available for digital pre-order this Friday (April 1st).

Black is personal – after all, it’s named after his wife Cassidy’s maiden name, but it’s really a record about the human heart — not any particular human. It explores breakups, hookups, mess-ups and everything in-between, shining a light on the things that happen after the sun goes down.

“It’s a relationship album that covers the ups and downs of the journey and ends with some self-realization and evolvement,” says Dierks. “The song ‘Black’ helps set all of that in motion at the top of the album by guiding you into the darkness and the shadows of the night. The same guy who sings ‘Somewhere On A Beach’ winds up growing and having enough perspective to sing something introspective like ‘Different for Girls.’ By the last song, he’s taking a look back on love and life.”

Produced by Ross Copperman and executive producer Arturo Buenahora Jr., the slow-smoked grit of Bentley’s voice keeps the album rooted in country music, while it also appeals to audiences far beyond the boundaries with fresh sonic textures that flourish on the edge of arena rock.

Black will also feature some of today’s hottest female voices, including Maren Morris, Elle King, Natalie Hemby, Hillary Lindsey and Jessi Alexander. Never before has a Bentley album contained so much input from the opposite sex.

“Having a female perspective on this record really made the album more than just music,” added Bentley. “It makes it a conversation between a guy and a girl. Sometimes it’s harmonious and sometimes it’s two people clashing, but it’s always there.”

BLACK TRACK LIST:

1. Black
2. Pick Up
3. I’ll Be The Moon (feat. Maren Morris)
4. What The Hell Did I Say
5. Somewhere On A Beach
6. Freedom
7. Why Do I Feel
8. Roses And A Time Machine
9. All The Way to Me
10. Different for Girls (feat. Elle King)
11. Mardi Gras (feat. Trombone Shorty)
12. Light It Up
13. Can’t Be Replaced

Dierks’ latest single, “Somewhere on a Beach,” has climbed into the Top 10 on the Billboard country chart.

This week, Dierks  preps for his first-ever co-hosting duties at the 51st Annual ACM Awards on Sunday (April 3rd) at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CBS, where he is also nominated for “Male Vocalist of The Year” and “Video of The Year.” The forthcoming album’s Top 10 lead single “Somewhere On A Beach” continues to breeze up the radio charts as it serves as the fastest moving single of Bentley’s career. The “format superstar” (Entertainment Weekly) will set out on his 2016 SOMEWHERE ON A BEACH TOUR with Randy Houser, Cam and Tucker Beathard beginning May 12 in Holmdel, NJ, following a string of dates overseas this month. For more information on new music, upcoming appearances and tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.

Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley are co-hosting this year’s ACM Awards. The pair have been friends a long time, they’re on the same record label (Capitol Records Nashville) and they’re both up for a handful of awards. They took a few minutes to ask questions and reveal a few tidbits of info about each other.

The 51st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.