In recognition of his standing as one of country music’s most innovative talents, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has invited 10-time Grammy nominee Eric Church to be its 18th artist-in-residence.

The museum’s annual artist-in-residence series spotlights an artist with an exemplary body of work and asks the featured artist to create one-of-a-kind performances over multiple evenings. The museum offers its intimate CMA Theater as a blank canvas, with the understanding that the artist will curate shows that inspire appreciation for their talents and vision – often incorporating different themes and special guests.

Church will produce and perform two shows, on Tuesday, August 29th, and Wednesday, August 30th, with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets to each performance range from $75 to $500 (plus ticketing fees) with all proceeds benefiting the nonprofit museum’s educational mission. Museum members and Eric Church’s “Church Choir” fan club will have access to a special presale this Thursday (June 22nd) at 10am. Tickets to both shows will be available to the public this Friday (June 23rd), at 10am, on the museum’s website. Sales are limited to four tickets per transaction on a first-come, first-served basis and are non-refundable.

Church joins a prestigious group of past participants that includes 10 members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Cowboy Jack Clement opened the series in 2003, and other past honorees include (in chronological order) Earl Scruggs, Tom T. Hall, Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill, Buddy Miller, Connie Smith, Kenny Rogers, Ricky Skaggs, Alan Jackson, Rosanne Cash, Jason Isbell, Miranda Lambert, Marty Stuart and John Prine.

“As a student of the rich history of country music’s most prolific artists, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is a shrine of reverence for this songwriter’s heart,” shared Church. “I’m honored and humbled to be included in such esteemed company.”

*In addition to serving as 2023 artist-in-residence, Church will also be the subject of a new exhibition at the museum exploring the life and career of the CMA Entertainer of the Year winner. Eric Church: Country Heart, Restless Soul, presented by Gibson, opens July 13th and will chronicle Church’s unique path to stardom, from his early years playing late-night gigs in bars and writing songs in Nashville to his prominence as one of country music’s most authentic voices and revered rule-breakers. The exhibit is included with museum admission and will run until June 2024.

The artist-in-residence announcement comes ahead of the kickoff of Church’s The Outsiders Revival Tour this Thursday, June 22. The first fully outdoor tour of his career will feature a rotating lineup of emerging artists across varying dates, Whiskey Myers, Cody Jinks, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde, Koe Wetzel, Lainey Wilson, Midland, Parker McCollum, Travis Tritt, Elle King and Paul Cauthen, plus Jackson Dean, Morgan Wade, Muscadine Bloodline, Shane Smith & The Saints, Hailey Whitters, Ray Wylie Hubbard and The Red Clay Strays.

For more information, visit www.ericchurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.

Eric Church 2023 Tour Dates
* denotes festival dates
June 22              Milwaukee, Wisc. / American Family Insurance  Amphitheater                              Elle King
June 23              Detroit, Mich. / Pine Knob Music Theatre                                                               Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 24              Cleveland, Ohio / Blossom Music Center                                                                Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 29              Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium                                                                     Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 30              Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium                                                                     Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 1                Virginia Beach, Va. / Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater                           Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 6                Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage                                                                          Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 7                Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage                                                                          Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 8                Pittsburgh, Pa. / The Pavilion at Star Lake                                                               Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 14              Cincinnati, Ohio / Riverbend Music Center                                                             Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 15              St. Louis, Mo. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre                                                   Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 21*             Cheyenne, Wyo. / Cheyenne Frontier Days Arena                                                  Cheyenne Frontier Days
July 23*             Minot, N.D. / North Dakota State Fairgrounds                                                        North Dakota State Fair
July 27              Rogers, Ark. / Walmart AMP                                                                                    Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 28              Dallas, Texas / Dos Equis Pavilion                                                                           Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 29              Austin, Texas / Germania Insurance Amphitheater                                                  Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
Aug. 4               Raleigh, N.C. / Coastal Credit Union Music Park                                                   Cody Jinks
Aug. 5               Bristow, Va. / Jiffy Lube Live                                                                                  Cody Jinks
Aug. 11             Indianapolis, Ind. / Ruoff Music Center                                                                  Cody Jinks
Aug. 12             Chicago, Ill. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre                                                     Cody Jinks
Aug. 13*            Des Moines, Iowa / Iowa State Fairgrounds                                                           Iowa State Fair
Aug. 17             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                                       Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 18             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                                       Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 19             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                                       Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 24             Saratoga Springs, N.Y. / Saratoga Performing Arts Center                                     Lainey Wilson, The Red Clay Strays
Aug. 25             Holmdel, N.J. / PNC Bank Arts Center                                                                   Whiskey Myers
Aug. 26             Philadelphia, Pa. / Freedom Mortgage Pavilion                                                      Whiskey Myers
Sept. 8               Portland, Ore. / RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater                                               Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 9               George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre                                                                      Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 10             George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre                                                                     Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 15             Albuquerque, N.M. / Isleta Amphitheater                                                               Paul Cauthen, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 16             Phoenix, Ariz. / Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre                                               Jelly Roll, Paul Cauthen
Sept. 21             Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre                                                              Whiskey Myers
Sept. 22             Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre                                                              Whiskey Myers
Sept. 23             Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion                                                                    Whiskey Myers
Sept. 24             Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion                                                                    Whiskey Myers
Sept. 29             West Palm Beach, Fla. / iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre                                     Whiskey Myers
Sept. 30             Tampa, Fla. / MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre                                     Whiskey Myers
Oct. 7*              Bristol, Tenn. / Bristol Motor Speedway                                                                 Country Thunder Bristol
Oct. 15*             Sacramento, Calif. / Discovery Park                                                                       GoldenSky Festival

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will explore the life and ever-growing career of 10-time GRAMMY nominee and CMA Entertainer of the year Eric Church in its newest exhibition, Eric Church: Country Heart, Restless Soul, presented by Gibson. The exhibit will chronicle Church’s unique path to stardom, from his early years playing late-night gigs in bars and writing songs in Nashville to his current prominence as one of country music’s most authentic voices and revered rule-breakers. The exhibit, which opens July 13 and runs through June 2024, is included with museum admission.

Just announced: “@EricChurch: Country Heart, Restless Soul,” presented by @GibsonGuitar, opens July 13. In celebration, be here July 15 for a writers round feat. songs of @EricChurch, performed by co-writers @LukeLaird, @JeremySpillman, and more.

Link: https://t.co/vfv2CFJ5jB pic.twitter.com/LxwY8bx16J

— Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (@countrymusichof) June 6, 2023

Having long eschewed industry norms with a sound and approach uniquely his own, the man praised by The Wall Street Journal as “knowledgeable and respectful of country’s history, but not shackled by it” has held tight to his artistic identity throughout his more than two decades in Nashville, earning a devoted audience and amassing an impressive list of accolades, including 10 Billboard #1 country radio hits and over 50 million units sold across multiple Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum-certified albums. A revered storyteller, Church has also written or co-written almost all of the songs he has recorded and released. He continues to fill sold-out venues with his raucous live show, as well as challenge his own musical approach with every new level of success he achieves.

“Eric Church has done it his way completely,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “His steadfast artistic vision and authenticity resonate deeply with audiences, and he continues to serve as an important collaborator and renegade role model for generations of country music artists.”

The exhibit will include musical instruments, song manuscripts, stage wear, tour memorabilia, awards, photographs and more from Church’s personal collection. Photos of artifacts featured in the exhibit can be found here. More information about the exhibit can be found on the museum’s website.

Examples of items to be displayed include:

• the Harmony H-303 three-quarter-size acoustic guitar that belonged to Church when he was a child.
• Ray-Ban Aviator Mirror sunglasses worn by Church onstage.
• the Von Dutch trucker hat Church bought at a Mississippi truck stop in the late 2000s and began wearing onstage.
• the outfit worn by Church on the album cover of The Outsiders and at the CMA Awards in 2013, which includes a Rogue two-tone leather jacket, John Varvatos shirt and Diesel jeans.
• a sculpture made from vinyl records of various sizes, which replicates the soundwave of Church’s recording of “Record Year” and was used as a prop in the 2016 music video for the song.
• a Gibson Eric Church Hummingbird Dark guitar. Church contributed to the design of the limited-edition guitar and used it on his “Double Down Tour” (2019).
• the Tom Ford purple suede jacket that Church wore when he and Jazmine Sullivan sang the national anthem at Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, in 2021.

In support of the exhibit’s opening, the museum will host a public program, Writers’ Round: The Songs of Eric Church, featuring Luke Laird, Jeremy Spillman and others, on Saturday, July 15, at 2:30 p.m. in the museum’s Ford Theater. The writers will perform and share the stories behind the songs they have crafted with Church. To reserve tickets to the program or learn more about the exhibit, visit the museum’s website.

The exhibit’s announcement comes ahead of Church’s CMA Fest performance at Nissan Stadium this Saturday, June 10 and the kickoff of The Outsiders Revival Tour on June 22. The first fully outdoor tour of his career will feature a rotating lineup of emerging artists across varying dates, Whiskey Myers, Cody Jinks, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde, Koe Wetzel, Lainey Wilson, Midland, Parker McCollum, Travis Tritt, Elle King and Paul Cauthen, plus Jackson Dean, Morgan Wade, Muscadine Bloodline, Shane Smith & The Saints, Hailey Whitters, Ray Wylie Hubbard and The Red Clay Strays.

For more information, visit www.ericchurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.

Eric Church 2023 Tour Dates
* denotes festival dates

June 10*             Nashville, Tenn. / Nissan Stadium                                                                          CMA Fest
June 16*             Central Point, Ore. / Jackson County Expo                                                            Rogue Music Festival
June 17*             Santa Rosa, Calif. / Sonoma County Fairgrounds                                                  Country Summer Music Festival
June 22              Milwaukee, Wisc. / American Family Insurance  Amphitheater                              Elle King
June 23              Detroit, Mich. / Pine Knob Music Theatre                                                               Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 24              Cleveland, Ohio / Blossom Music Center                                                                Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 29              Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium                                                                     Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 30              Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium                                                                     Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 1                Virginia Beach, Va. / Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater                           Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 6                Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage                                                                          Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 7                Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage                                                                          Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 8                Pittsburgh, Pa. / The Pavilion at Star Lake                                                               Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 14              Cincinnati, Ohio / Riverbend Music Center                                                             Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 15              St. Louis, Mo. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre                                                   Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 21*             Cheyenne, Wyo. / Cheyenne Frontier Days Arena                                                  Cheyenne Frontier Days
July 23*             Minot, N.D. / North Dakota State Fairgrounds                                                        North Dakota State Fair
July 27              Rogers, Ark. / Walmart AMP                                                                                    Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 28              Dallas, Texas / Dos Equis Pavilion                                                                           Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 29              Austin, Texas / Germania Insurance Amphitheater                                                  Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
Aug. 4               Raleigh, N.C. / Coastal Credit Union Music Park                                                   Cody Jinks
Aug. 5               Bristow, Va. / Jiffy Lube Live                                                                                  Cody Jinks
Aug. 11             Indianapolis, Ind. / Ruoff Music Center                                                                  Cody Jinks
Aug. 12             Chicago, Ill. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre                                                     Cody Jinks
Aug. 13*            Des Moines, Iowa / Iowa State Fairgrounds                                                           Iowa State Fair
Aug. 17             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                                       Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 18             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                                       Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 19             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                                       Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 24             Saratoga Springs, N.Y. / Saratoga Performing Arts Center                                     Lainey Wilson, The Red Clay Strays
Aug. 25             Holmdel, N.J. / PNC Bank Arts Center                                                                   Whiskey Myers
Aug. 26             Philadelphia, Pa. / Freedom Mortgage Pavilion                                                      Whiskey Myers
Sept. 8               Portland, Ore. / RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater                                               Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 9               George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre                                                                      Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 10             George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre                                                                     Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 15             Albuquerque, N.M. / Isleta Amphitheater                                                               Paul Cauthen, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 16             Phoenix, Ariz. / Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre                                               Jelly Roll, Paul Cauthen
Sept. 21             Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre                                                              Whiskey Myers
Sept. 22             Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre                                                              Whiskey Myers
Sept. 23             Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion                                                                    Whiskey Myers
Sept. 24             Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion                                                                    Whiskey Myers
Sept. 29             West Palm Beach, Fla. / iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre                                     Whiskey Myers
Sept. 30             Tampa, Fla. / MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre                                     Whiskey Myers
Oct. 7*              Bristol, Tenn. / Bristol Motor Speedway                                                                 Country Thunder Bristol
Oct. 15*             Sacramento, Calif. / Discovery Park                                                                       GoldenSky Festival

Keith Urban returned to ABC’s American Idol for Sunday night’s (May 21st) season finale. He mentored the Top 3 contestants, and he also performed his hit, “Wild Heart,” for all the dreamers on the show. Iam Tongi was crowned the winner of this season.

Keith Urban will release Volume 2 of a special No. 1’s exclusive vinyl at Walmart on August 11th.  It includes 12 No. 1 Hits from his entire catalog of albums.  The vinyl will be on exclusive purple/grape vinyl and will include a limited-edition poster inside. The track list includes such chart-toppers as “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16,” “Break On Me,” “We Were Us” (with Miranda Lambert), “You Gonna Fly,” “Once in A Lifetime,” “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me” and “Making Memories of Us,” as well as many more. Volume 1 is also still available and features “Somebody Like You,” “The Fighter” (with Carrie Underwood), “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” “Days Go By,” “You’ll Think of Me” and “Long Hot Summer,” among others.

Eric Church is set to release the THIRD pressing of his 2015 album, Mr. Misunderstood, on blue vinyl on June 9^th. The collection features the title track, “Chattanooga Lucy,” “’Round Here Buzz,” “Holdin’ My Own” and “Record Year,” among others.

Alan Jackson was the subject of a recent episode of the game show Jeopardy with the answer being “What is ‘Chattahoochie?'”

Did you guess the correct answer on @Jeopardy last night? #Chattahoochee30 pic.twitter.com/qLZLaBduWx

— Alan Jackson (@OfficialJackson) May 18, 2023

Sam Hunt posted a handful of photos of him with his daughter, Lucy, and wife Hannah, to his socials. Sam just released the song, “Women In My Life.”

She is worth far more than rubies pic.twitter.com/TygWOCshUf

— Sam Hunt (@SamHuntMusic) May 22, 2023

Tyler Hubbard surprised fans with a pop-up show at Nashville’s popular Broadway hotspot, The Stage, on Saturday night (May 20th) to celebrate the one-year release of his No. 1 debut solo single, “5 Foot 9.” He also celebrated his second No. 1 for “Dancin’ In The Country.”

Outsiders Spirits unveiled its premiere release today—a bold, new best-in-class spirit that friends and company co-founders Eric Church and entrepreneur Raj Alva have named Whiskey JYPSI – a contemporary interpretation of the “JYPSI Spirit” in all of us that seeks adventure and deeper meaning.

Lives are made for chances. 05.02.23 pic.twitter.com/S9aQmv0ewM

— Eric Church (@ericchurch) May 1, 2023

The first release, Whiskey JYPSI’s Legacy Batch 001, recently winning the Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, is based on a traditional bourbon mash bill. However, instead of blending the grains before fermentation, or sourcing from the usual geographies, Whiskey JYPSI lived up to its name – sourcing individual aged whiskey components from various origins, then scientifically blending them to recreate the mash bill.

The Outsiders partners took a hands-on approach to every aspect of their new whiskey, creating and curating everything from inception to release – from taste, packaging and marketing to point of view. With Whiskey JYPSI, the brand has set out to not only create the finest whiskey, but also to inspire.

“Whiskey JYPSI celebrates doing things the unconventional way. It’s the commitment to the creative spirit, the process and the journey that excite me the most,” says Church. “It’s meant to inspire others to take chances like we have – follow a different path and enjoy and experience life at its fullest.”

Whiskey JYPSI has partnered with ReserveBar to make Legacy Batch 001 available in 38 states and with an SRP of $199.99. Due to state legalities, alcohol cannot be shipped to the following states: TN, AL, AK, GA, HI, KS, MA, MI, MS, OR, UT, VT. Retailers in TN will carry product while supplies last. For more information visit www.whiskeyjypsi.com.

As serious whiskey enthusiasts but not yet experts in making it, Outsiders sought the help of experienced masters in the art and science of the spirit who could reimagine the traditional whiskey industry conventions – and bring a series of rich, complex blends of whiskey and bourbon to life in a variety of releases over time. After meetings with various master distillers and blenders, they chose Ari Sussman for their first release.

“I was excited to work with these guys because it all centered on quality and creativity,” Sussman notes. “There were no rules or parameters. It just had to be the finest whiskey possible. Period.”

Sussman is the former head of Spirits Development at the Artisan Distilling Program at Michigan State University, and an award-winning whiskey maker. He also has a bit of the JYPSI Spirit in him. Before he entered the whiskey world, Ari worked in the vineyards of Bordeaux, raised ostriches and grew almonds with Bedouin tribes, and lived in an Israeli kibbutz.

Recognizing that extraordinary whiskeys are created every day all over the world, Sussman took Church’s lead in departing from industry conventions, with groundbreaking new processes destined to disrupt the category and lead to extraordinary whiskey experiences.

“Eric’s music led the way to JYPSI’s unique mix,” says Sussman. “I immersed myself in Eric’s music, thinking it just might influence my process,” adds Sussman. “What I discovered was a rich, diverse blend of music and an artist who doesn’t conform to the usual norms. That inspired me, so I took that road in creating the premiere batch of Whiskey JYPSI.”

The rest of the Whiskey JYPSI team followed suit. From the patented bottle design inspired by traditional copper pot stills, to the untraditionally produced liquid itself – everything had to be best-of-breed. Whiskey JYPSI’s Legacy 001 release promises to be just the first of many expressions at various price points.

Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Elle King and Lyle Lovett will pay tribute to Willie Nelson as the LBJ Foundation gives Nelson its highest honor, the LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award, at a gala May 12th, at the LBJ Presidential Library.

These musicians have been inspired by Nelson and share deep admiration for his musical talents and philanthropic efforts.

“It’s a reflection of Willie’s impactful legacy that these extraordinary artists will be paying tribute to him,” says Larry Temple, chairman of the LBJ Foundation Board of Trustees. “We couldn’t be happier with how the evening is shaping up.”

Net proceeds from the gala will benefit the newly established Willie Nelson Endowment for Uplifting Rural Communities at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. Willie has long advocated for sustainable agriculture, worked to eliminate global food insecurity and assisted those affected by natural disasters. Farm Aid, perhaps his best-known cause, has raised more than $70 million in aid and helped increase awareness about the plight of family farms. The Willie Nelson Endowment will fund research and student fellowships focused on sustainable agriculture, eliminating hunger, resilient energy, sustainable water and natural disaster recovery to benefit rural communities.

The endowment has received $100,000 sponsorships from President and Mrs. Johnson’s daughters, Lynda Johnson Robb and Luci Baines Johnson, as well as Texas retailer H-E-B, which is the largest private employer in Texas.

Ticket and sponsorship information is available at www.lbjaward.org.

Little Big Town announced that they will appear on the new CBS Television Show, Superfan this summer.  It is described as the “ultimate fan-based competition, in which contestants vie to prove who knows the most about a favorite performer. These aspiring superfans will also live a dream by getting to personally engage one-on-one with their idol.” Little Big Town’s episode is scheduled to air June 30th.

https://twitter.com/littlebigtown/status/1645893428058681345

Reba McEntire will release a new ranch-inspired book titled, Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating and Dusting Off Your Boots on October 10th. It will include over 50 recipes for full meals, desserts, cocktails and more from Reba’s family traditions, as well as exclusive photographs and never-before-told stories of Reba’s personal and professional life — from ranching with her Daddy to pranks on the road and to falling in love and some lighthearted lifestyle tips. The book will be available as a hardcover, digital and audio book. Reba will appear on TalkShopLive on Monday (April 17th) at 7pm ET, with Garth Brooks, who wrote the book’s foreword.

I’m headed back to @TalkShopLive next Monday to talk about my new book with my buddy @garthbrooks! Tune in at 7 ET / 6 CT to pre-order your autographed copy! RSVP here: https://t.co/ySADPX7o5j pic.twitter.com/Y50KRRr9wZ

— Reba McEntire (@reba) April 12, 2023

Eric Church will receive a star on the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville May 4th during an induction ceremony that will also include the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum’s Joe & Linda Chambers and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp CEO Butch Spyridon.

Brothers Osborne will be the Artist of the Day for CMA Fest’s 50th anniversary celebration. John and TJ Osborne will take the stage June 10th at 10:45am for a live taping of the Country Heat Weekly podcast with hosts Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson, to chat about their career, music and tour, which will stream exclusively on Amazon Music.

Eric Church is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the release of his 2013 album (April 9th), Caught In The Act, which was captured during in 2012 at the Tivoli Theater in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The 17-song collection features tracks from Eric’s previous three albums,  2011’s Chief, 2009’s Carolina and his 2006 debut, Sinners Like Me, including “Over When It’s Over,” “How ‘Bout You,” his first charted No. 1 “Drink In My Hand,” “Hungover & Hard Up,” “Sinners Like Me,” “Smoke A Little Smoke” and fan favorite, “These Boots,” among others.

The North Carolina native said taping the album reminded him of when he played the bars and clubs before getting his record deal. “We kinda left the lights up, so you could kinda look around and see everybody,” says Eric. “You could see the emotion, you could see the face[s], you could hear ‘em. I felt at home. I felt like I was back in those bars and clubs that I love so much, and theaters, that I’ve had that interaction, that connection with individual people.”

The title, Caught in the Act, perfectly describes how they recorded the album. “We wanted it to be as loose as it could be because that’s what our career has been. It’s been real,” says Eric. “I remember…like an hour before that first show of myself and the band, two hours maybe, we pulled out a sheet of paper and we took out a pen, and we went down and made a set list. We didn’t know what we were starting with. We didn’t know what we were finishing with. We just went down and said ‘Hey, what do you want to play? What do you want to play? Hey, man remember, we haven’t played this in a long time.’ There were songs that I thought there’s no way I’ll get through that but our sentiment was let’s try it. Let’s go for it.”

“I think that with the Caught In The Act, it was very much you had to catch it because it may or may not have happened. It was just one of those things that it was so by the seat of our pants and off the cuff that it may or may not have worked,” adds Eric. “We could have easily recorded this, filmed this and came to the end and went ‘This isn’t good.’ We could have done it. We treated it that way. It wasn’t overthought. It was let’s try to see if we can create this environment that the magic and the music can mesh together.”

Caught In The Act: Live Track Listing:

Each year on February 14th, many people exchange cards, candy, gifts or flowers with their special someone. The day of romance we call Valentine’s Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the 5th century.

Over 190 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion.

We’ve got some thoughts and feelings and more about love, romance and marriage from several of your favorite country artists. A few are new and some have become our favorites over the years. Which country stars are romantic? Which ones have a good reason to celebrate the holiday that’s all about love?