• DIERKS BENTLEY’S MILES & MUSIC FOR KIDS SELLS OUT IN 30 MINUTES.

    Tickets to Dierks Bentley‘s 10th Annual “Miles & Music For Kids” celebrity motorcycle ride and concert sold out in 30 minutes. Kicking off CMA Awards week on November 1st in Nashville, TN, the event will close out the outdoor concert season at the new Ascend Amphitheater with a star-studded concert lineup including Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell, Canaan Smith and The Cadillac Three, among others. All proceeds benefit Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

    “I thought we would have a good turnout, but to sell out Ascend in minutes is crazy! It really speaks to the passion that country fans have for causes that are important to their community. I feel honored that ‘Miles & Music’ is one of them,” shares Bentley. “Every year, the biker community has also been there for us, helping raise money for these kids…they are definitely some of the most giving people out there. So, we are holding back a few extra tickets to be sure anyone who wants to ride on Nov. 1 into downtown can jump on their bikes and join us. It’ll be pretty unreal to cruise into a sold-out amphitheater reminiscing about everyone who has helped make the last 10 years so huge – I can’t wait!”

    Over the course of the event’s history, Bentley has raised more than $3 million dollars for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals across the country. Due to their ongoing support, advance purchase tickets have been held for riders and a very limited number will be available for walk up purchase at Harley-Davidson of Columbia on a first come, first served basis the day of the event. You must be a rider planning to participate in the ride, to purchase these tickets. For more information, visitwww.dierks.com.
    Dierks is climbing the country charts with his latest single, “Riser.”

    Audio / As a father of three, Dierks Bentley says his Miles & Music for Kids motorcycle ride and concert that benefits the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt has taken on a bigger meaning now that he has children.

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    Dierks Bentley (Motorcycle Ride takes on more meaning) OC: …meaning, for sure. :25
    “When it first started, it was important to me because country music is so involved with children’s hospitals. You go to a lot of children’s hospitals and see what’s going on there, and it just hits you on any level. But then once you have kids and you’re in Labor and Delivery and you’re just praying for a healthy kid – I’ve done that three times now – and I’m lucky enough to have a healthy kid, I feel very fortunate and want to give back to those families that are struggling right now and could use a little lift. So, yeah, it takes on a lot of meaning, for sure.”

  • DIERKS BENTLEY FAN’S ‘RISER’ STORY GOES VIRAL.

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    Multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley’s epic anthem “Riser” has an everyman quality and powerful message that continues to resonates with fans. Night after night on the road, fans share their personal stories on what being a “Riser” means, but this week, it was a letter from a fan named Gihee Chang that caught Bentley’s attention.  
     
    “I cried the first time I heard your song ‘Riser.’ I’ve never had that reaction from a song,’” wrote Chang.  “The lyrics reminded me so much of my dad. My dad brought us to America from South Korea, so his family could have a better life. When we arrived to this country, no-one in my family could speak, read or understand English…my dad never let us know how scared he was, having to provide for his family of five. He never gave up…his hard work paid off. Ten years later he was offered a great job as an Engineer at Boeing. His three daughters all graduated from college…he achieved his American dream. My dad has Alzheimer’s now. He can barely speak and his once strong body is now frail. But in my eyes, he is still a Riser.”
     
    Chang’s colleagues at CBS2/KCAL9 noticed Bentley posted her letter on social media this week and surprised her with an opportunity to meet Bentley at his SOUNDS OF SUMMER TOUR stop at Save Mart Center at Fresno last night (8/20). To watch Chang share her inspiring story with Bentley, click here:http://cbsloc.al/1LocyLx 
     
    “Riser” serves as the new single and exclamation point to Bentley’s CMA, ACM and GRAMMY nominated album by the same name, which has already spawned three consecutive No. one’s at country radio. Bentley is set to continue on his headlining 2015 SOUNDS OF SUMMER TOUR this weekend in Mountain View, CA (8/21), Sacramento, CA (8/22) and Stateline, NV (8/23). For a full list of upcoming tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.

    Video / Viral Letter From CBS2's Gihee Chang Prompts Meeting With Dierks Bentley

  • NEWS AND NOTES: LBT, Dierks, Billy, Scotty, Luke, Sam, Toby

    Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman is taking her cooking show to a brand new network. Kimberly’s Simply Southern will debut on The Cooking Channel on Saturday (July 18th) at 3:30pm ET with special guest Kix Brooks. Future episodes include appearances by Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott, Billy Currington, Brett Eldredge, Jewel and Kimberly’s band mates Jimi Westbrook, Karen Fairchild and Phillip Sweet.

    Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for more than one-million sold.

    Dierks Bentley’s “Say You Do” and Billy Currington’s “We Are Tonight” were certified gold for selling more than 500,000 digital downloads.

    Scotty McCreery will be interviewed on HLN’s Weekend Express with Lynn Smith Saturday (July 18th), in the 7:00 AM / Eastern segment. Scotty stopped by the HLN studios on Friday en route to his concert tonight in Gainesville, Georgia.

    Luke Bryan’s “Kick the Dust Up” and Sam Hunt’s “Take Your Time” are nominated in the country song category at this year’s Teen Choice Awards, alongside Carrie Underwood, Hunter Hayes, Florida Georgia Line and Megan & Liz. The show airs August 16th at 8pm ET on FOX.

    Toby Keith has announced he’ll release his new album, 35 mph Town, October 9th. He co-produced the album with songwriter/producer Bobby Pinson.

    Video / Toby Keith album cover reveal

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  • LUKE BRYAN WILL ‘CRASH MY PLAYA’ WITH DIERKS BENTLEY, SAM HUNT, CHRIS STAPLETON, COLE SWINDELL, BRETT ELDREDGE AND DUSTIN LYNCH.

    NASHVILLE July 14, 2015 – ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan is ready for a second installation of Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa set for January 22nd – 26th in Riviera Maya, Mexico. This all-inclusive Caribbean concert vacation will feature Bryan headlining two of the event’s four nightly concerts, with Dierks Bentley and Cole Swindell rounding out top billing on the additional two nights. Other performers now confirmed include Brett Eldredge, Sam Hunt, Dustin Lynch, and Chris Stapleton making Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa one of the hottest country music destination events of 2016.

    Year two of Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa follows up the smashing 2015 inaugural event that set a new standard by Bryan and CID Presents, who partnered for this ultimate fan experience.

    Fans can choose from three tropical resorts and enjoy royal treatment all weekend long – all-inclusive food and drink, 24-hour concierge service, daily onsite activities, offsite excursions like day trips to Tulum or Playa Del Carmen, official Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa merchandise package, and more.

    This unrivaled country music getaway is set for January 22-26, 2016 in Riviera Maya, Mexico. For more information about Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa 2016, how to book four or five night all-inclusive packages, and details on payment plans please visit: www.crashmyplaya.com.

    About Luke Bryan
    Since the debut of his first album in 2007, superstar Luke Bryan has placed 12 singles at No. 1 and sold nearly seven million albums with 27 million digital tracks from his four studio albums.  He has been named Entertainer of the Year by both the Academy of Country Music (twice) and the Country Music Association.  In 2014, Luke achieved the best touring year of his career with 1.7 million fans attending his concerts.  On August 7, Luke will release KILL THE LIGHTS, his fifth studio album and the follow up to his most successful project to date, CRASH MY PARTY, which contains six consecutive No. 1 singles, is certified Double Platinum and has currently sold over two million copies with eight million digital downloads. He is currently headlining his “Kick The Dust Up Tour” across the U.S. through October and will also perform eight “Farm Tour” dates that month as well.  He’ll kick off 2016 with the Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa event.

  • DIERKS BENTLEY PREMIERES THE VIDEO FOR ‘RISER.’

    Dierks Bentley premiered the video for his latest single – the title track from his album Riser – with Entertainment Weekly. The clip was from his amazing performance of the song at this year’s ACM Awards. “It was really hard for me not to get emotional that night at the ACMs in Cowboy’s Stadium,” Dierks tells EW. “I really wanted to keep the production simple and make the performance all about the arrangement and the lyrics. The reaction that night and now when we perform it on tour has already been so gratifying. People just relate to the message in that song…we’ve all lived it in one way or another.”

    Dierks is currently on the road with his Sounds of Summer Tour, which makes a stop tonight in Tampa, followed by a show in West Palm Beach tomorrow (July 3rd).

    Video / Dierks Bentley Riser video

  • FOURTH OF JULY AUDIO: AJ, Billy, Canaan, Darius, Dierks, Easton, Church, Josh, Kip, Lady A, Lauren, LBT, Luke, Sam, Scotty

    Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain. The holiday is commonly associated with fireworks displays, parades, barbecues and concerts. Some of your favorite country stars take time to remember their Fourth of July traditions, memories and what the holiday really means to them.

    Video / Alan Jackson Fourth of July

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  • DIERKS BENTLEY IS HAILED BY CRITICS FOR SOUNDS OF SUMMER TOUR.

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    Three weeks into country music superstar Dierks Bentley’s 2015 SOUNDS OF SUMMER TOUR, music critics in major markets across the U.S. are applauding the PLATINUM seller as he engages capacity amphitheater crowds, delivering epic performances and “memories that will last a lifetime.”

    “Yes, the crowd sings along with every word. Yes, he pulls female fans dressed as flight attendants up on the stage with him. And yes, we all wanted more.” – St. Louis Dispatch

    “Bentley has had a long, steady climb to Chesney heights, which he has finally reached in the form of a headlining package tour and all its accouterments…onstage, Bentley was as exuberant as ever, roaming and high-fiving, running up to a tiny stage set in the cheap seats for a handful of songs, doing a little crowd surfing. Judging from his performance, Dierks Bentley is enjoying the view from the top.”  – The Boston Globe

    “Bentley lost no time engaging himself with fans…from there, it was a total country singalong party, with the audience following along to nearly every of Bentley’s dozen-year hit catalog, ranging from 2003’s ‘What Was I Thinkin” all the way to his current single, ‘Riser.’” – Yahoo!

    “Cleveland has always had an affection for the Arizona-born singer-songwriter with the expressive Everyman voice…his ability to convey that kind of “I can relate” emotions are what make Dierks Bentley a special kind of performer.” – The Plain Dealer

    Additionally, Bentley was the inaugural headliner at New York City’s first-ever country festival this weekend, with Rolling Stone naming him FarmBorough’s “Best of the Fest,” observing his set provides “levity to his victory lap of a performance.” Village Voice simultaneously handpicked Bentley’s set as a Top 10 highlight, noting “Bentley’s set solidified him as the artist you most want to have a beer with.”

    Bentley’s 2015 SOUNDS OF SUMMER TOUR lands over the holiday weekend in Tampa, FL (7/2) and West Palm Beach, FL (7/3) before his performance on NBC’s annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular (7/4 at 7:00P CT on NBC). For a full list of upcoming appearances and tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.

  • DIERKS BENTLEY HITS THE SMALL SCREEN FOR A COUPLE OF PERFORMANCES AND HEADLINES NEW YORK’S FIRST FARMBOROUGH FESTIVAL.

    NASHVILLE, TN – June 24, 2015 – Multi-PLATINUM singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley will kickstart the crowd in New York City on Friday (6/26), as he takes over Central Park for an early four song set during Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series (ABC at 7:00A ET), before lighting up the first-ever FarmBorough Festival as the city’s inaugural headliner. Additionally, Bentley will be part of an all-star line up for NBC’s annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular two-hour special, airing July 4th at 8:00P ET on NBC.

    “It’s a big weekend for country fans in NYC…they got their own festival! And it’s just as big of a deal for me to get to kick the whole thing off,” said Bentley. “The ‘Sounds of Summer’ tour has been a total blast so far, and we’re pumped about getting to party with the fans in Boston and Philly this weekend too.”

    Of the new single “Riser,” Billboard notes that Bentley “has spent the past two years trickling out singles from the Grammy-nominated album…but all along, he had the secret weapon of ‘Riser’ in his back pocket.” It has also has been dubbed by CMT as its “favorite song on the album” and the career-defining track is “on the cusp of a movement, a defining brand with which he and his audience can identify” (Rolling Stone).

    Bentley’s three weekends into his 2015 SOUNDS OF SUMMER TOUR, which will continue this week following FarmBorough (6/26) with stops in Boston, MA (6/27) and Camden, NJ (6/28). For a full list of upcoming tour dates and appearances, visit www.dierks.com.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Toby, LBT, Kacey, Dierks

    Toby Keith became a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame during a ceremony in New York City last week. Comedian and TV show host Stephen Colbert honored him. Songwriter Bobby Braddock (“He Stopped Loving Her Today,” “Time Marches On,” “People Are Crazy”), Cyndi Lauper, Jerry Garcia, Linda Perry, Willie Dixon and Robert Hunter were also inducted.

    Little Big Town was featured on CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood over the weekend. The band, who taped their interviews last year and earlier this year, talked about their longevity as a group, their induction into the Grand Ole Opry and their latest smash hit, “Girl Crush.”

    Kacey Musgraves is scheduled to perform on ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday, the release day of her new album Pageant Material. She’ll also perform on ABC’s The View on Wednesday.

    Dierks Bentley will perform during NBC’s  Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular on Saturday, July 4th beginning at 8pm ET. Brad Paisley, Kelly Clarkson and Meghan Trainor are also scheduled to perform.

    Video / LBT on CBS Sunday Morning

  • FATHER’S DAY AUDIO: Canaan, Darius, Dierks, Church, Paslay, Keith, Kip, Lady A, LBT, Sam, Scotty

    Audio / Canaan Smith says his father is a big inspiration.

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    Canaan Smith (Father’s Day) OC: …I love him. :35
    “My dad, I think is just the greatest man. He’s always provided for us. He was always there. He was always a great dad. He worked his butt off, you know, and showed me what it was like to work hard and provide for a family, and I just hope I can do that one day too. We’ve always had a special bond. He’s been a songwriter and a singer too for a long, long time, and so I got to grow up listening to him do his thing, sitting in the other room while they do band rehearsal. I’d be sitting on the couch in the other room just taking it all in, dreaming one day to be behind that microphone, so he’s definitely been an inspiration. I love him.”

    Audio / Canaan Smith says his father taught him quite a bit about being a musician.

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    Canaan Smith (Father’s Day) 2 OC: …learned that too. :45
    “I learned that music scores chicks. [laughs] My dad had a rehearsal one time at his piano player’s house, and I was sitting on the couch in the living room, and the piano player had two daughters that were around my same age, and they were sitting on either side of me on the couch. I thought I was king of the world, you know, watching this rock and roll band and a girl around each arm, and I was like six-years-old, eight-years-old something like that, old enough to know that was pretty awesome! My dad, he taught me hard work too. It took rehearsals. It took dedication. You can’t just get up on a stage and fly by the seat of your pants. You have to be prepared, and so I learned that too.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker says his kids would say he was a fun dad, unless they did something wrong.

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    Darius Rucker (Father’s Day) OC: …loving dad. :41
    “I think if you asked my kids what kind of Dad I was they would probably say…Danny would say that I was a fun Dad. My little daughter would say that I was a fun dad; she thinks I’m a lot of fun. I think if you caught them at the right moment they would say I was mean [laughs] because when I’m home I’m not afraid to discipline them. I’m all fun until it’s not fun anymore and then daddy’s not the fun guy. I think that they’d say that I was a fun Dad, I’m a loving Dad and I think they would say that. I’m gone so much that when I’m home, I just shower love upon my kids. I say ‘I love you’ probably fifty times a day. We hug, we kiss all the time. I’m always wanting them to know how much I love them. So I’d hope they’d say that I was a loving dad.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley is a father of three, and he said it has changed him significantly.

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    Dierks Bentley (how fatherhood has changed him) OC: …different. :07
    “There’s a whole kind of universe that opens up that I didn’t know existed, and I’m not the center of it, which is really cool. It just makes you look at everything totally different.”

    Audio / Eric Church describes his father and the qualities he admires in him.

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    Eric Church (Father’s Day) OC: …always admired. :29
    “My dad is a, I’m trying to find the right words to describe him. My dad is a great guy, honest guy, very call it like he sees it, which is where I get a lot of that. No BS. I’m gonna tell you how I feel whether you like it or not. I’m that guy, I’m me…My dad’s that way, so I get a lot of that from him. There’s also an honesty and an integrity that my dad carries himself with that I’ve always admired.”

    Audio / Eric Paslay talks about what his father has taught him.

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    Eric Paslay (Father’s Day) OC: …ceiling fan. :21
    “He just taught me that working hard and sticking it out, even when you know things aren’t right, if you stick it out, it’s worth it in the end. He just taught me to work hard, and there’s a lot of things that you don’t need to pay someone to do, and it feels more rewarding when you’re able to put in new light fixtures or paint your own walls or put in a new ceiling fan.”

    Audio / Keith Urban – father to daughters Sunday and Faith -- says there are a number of things that are at the top of the list of being a dad.

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    Keith Urban (Father’s Day) OC: …experience that. :36
    “The first thing is probably just having someone call you dad. I’m like, ‘Omigosh! I’m her dad! That’s amazing.’ That’s probably the first thing to me. I don’t know, I mean, the different personalities that our two daughters have, that’s amazing. It’s such a long list I think. I always say…I think for the people that haven’t had kids – which I hadn’t for a long, long time. I didn’t have kids ‘til later on, and being around it is not the same as having them, you know? I realize that it’s not something that can be explained until you actually sort of have it, so I’m glad I got to experience that.”

    Audio / Kip Moore talks about his father’s influence on his music career, and how he’d play classics on their fishing trips.

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    Kip Moore (Father’s Day-dad’s influence) OC: …of us singin’ ‘em. :29
    “He would just play all those classic records – Little River Band, Jackson Brown, Springsteen, Seeger, Willie Nelson, the Red-Headed Stranger, Kristofferson, Sam Cook – like classic music. He’d be singing the songs and telling us why it was such good music. And I looked up to him so much, that’s the music I gravitated towards and that’s what I continue to listen to. Whenever I think about those old fishing trips, that’s what I think about is on the way down there, him singing those songs and all of us singin’ ‘em.”

    Audio / Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood says his father was a big influence both personally and musically, and he wants to pass along those qualities to his own children someday.

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    Lady A (Father’s Day-Dave) OC: …like that. :39
    “My dad was a really hard worker growing up and was always great, however hard he worked, he’d always make important time for family, important time to be home for dinner and be there for a lot of special moments for us growing up. For all the money he would make, he would always give a portion of it back to charity or to the church, and so that was always important for me to watch. We had a great relationship growing up. My dad plays guitar; he’s very musical. I learned how to play acoustic guitar with him playing ‘Day Tripper’ by the Beatles and all these old songs we’d play together when he’d show me how to play these James Taylor songs and things like that. So, definitely want to pass along music, of course, to my children, as well, like that.”

    Audio / Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott says her father is a great communicator.

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    Lady A (Father’s Day-Hillary) OC: …my children. :33
    “I definitely got my Type-A personality from my dad. He’s the same way, but one thing I’m so appreciative of – especially from a father-daughter relationship – my dad always, always talked to me, even when I didn’t want to talk to him. He would force me to communicate and talk through things, and not always the easy stuff, which is such a rare quality in a man, truthfully. And so, I am very, very thankful for that. I think it helped me find the right husband for me, and I also know that it will help me be that much of a better communicator to my children.”

    Audio / Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley says he’s always idolized his dad.

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    Lady A (Father’s Day-Charles) OC: …rubbed off. :23
    “My father definitely passed down his work ethic to me. I idolized my dad a lot and would always like to be by his side when he did certain projects, and so I learned a lot from him about that, and just always respected him and just the way he could see a project from start to finish with such dedication, and so I’ve taken that into this and into this group, and hopefully, some good has rubbed off.”

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Jimi Westbrook says fatherhood is absolutely beautiful. He and wife Karen Fairchild became parents to Elijah Dylan on March 5, 2010.

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    Little Big Town (Jimi-Father’s Day) OC: …beautiful. :32
    “It’s still such a new experience for us, and man, I’m telling you, people can tell you all day long how great it’s going to be, but it still never touches it. That little man looking back at me, it’s the most unbelievable feeling. And every day, for me who hates mornings [laughs], waking up to a slap in the face; he’s like pounding on me, then he’s like kissing on me and stuff. It’s unbelievable. It’s absolutely beautiful.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt says his father taught him a lot about being a man and knowing the right thing.

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    Sam Hunt (Father’s Day) OC: …he’s great. :27
    “I’m obviously biased about my parents, but I’ve been around a lot of great men of integrity, but he is by far the best man that I know. He’s just taught me so much about being a man, doing the right thing, knowing the difference between right and wrong. And even though I don’t always follow his lead, I definitely know better because of him, and that means a whole lot to me. I was just really fortunate to have him as a dad, and he’s great.”

    Audio / Scotty McCreery says his father has helped him grow into an adult.

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    Scotty McCreery (Father’s Day) OC: …was to me. :29
    “My father has been incredible to me my whole life. I remember going to the baseball field when I was five-years-old and he played ball in college, so he was always trying to teach me the mechanics, but more so than that, he was teaching me the life lessons growing up. Those are the things you learn on the field – becoming a man out there. So, he’s always had my back and he’s always teaching me those values and those morals that are important to a young kid and also a growing young adult. So, love my daddy, love my father, and I just hope that one day I can be half the dad he was to me.”