• THE ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC ANNOUNCES SPECIAL PERFORMANCES, COLLABORATIONS AND WORLD PREMIERES FOR SUNDAY NIGHT’S ACM AWARDS.

    The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards are setting the stage for a night of incredible music on Sunday (April 18th). The ACMs announced this week special performances, collaborations and more for the awards show, which will be hosted by Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton.

    The show, which will feature some of the biggest names and emerging talent in Country Music, will take place from three iconic venues: the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe with special performances at legendary locations across the city including the Station Inn, Bridge Building and on Broadway.

    This year’s ACM Awards will feature Elle King and Miranda Lambert opening the show with “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home),” Dierks Bentley performing U2‘s classic “Pride (In The Name Of Love)” with husband/wife duo The War and TreatyBrothers Osborne will turn in their new single, “I’m Not For Everyone,” Eric Church (“Bunch of Nothing”), Carrie Underwood will perform a medley from her new album of gospel hymns (My Savior) which will also feature a duet with CeCe Winans, Mickey Guyton (“Hold On”), Alan Jackson “You’ll Always Be My Baby” and a special mashup for “Drive (For Daddy Gene),” Chris Stapleton on the tear-inducing “Maggie’s Song,” as well as Kenny Chesney, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, Jimmie Allen, Gabby Barrett, Lady A, Dan + Shay, Maren Morris and Ryan HurdThomas RhettBlake Shelton celebrating the 20th Anniversary of his first hit single, “Austin,” as well as his latest “Minimum Wage,” Chris Young and Kane Brown, Carly Pearce and Lee Brice (“I Hope You’re Happy Now”).

    Previously announce performers include Keith Urban, Little Big Town and Ashley McBryde.

    The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton, will air Sunday, April 18th beginning at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

  • DIERKS BENTLEY, BROTHERS OSBORNE, LUKE BRYAN, ERIC CHURCH, MICKEY GUYTON, ALAN JACKSON, LITTLE BIG TOWN, CHRIS STAPLETON, KEITH URBAN AND CARRIE UNDERWOOD ARE AMONG THE ANNOUNCED PERFORMERS AT THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Mickey Guyton, Alan Jackson, Little Big Town, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood are among the performers at this year’s ACM Awards. They’re joined by Kelsea Ballerini, Lee Brice, Kane Brown, Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Ryan Hurd, Jack Ingram,  Elle King, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris, Carly Pearce, Jon Randall, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, The War and Treaty, CeCe Winans and Chris Young.

    Over 25 artists will perform more than 30 songs from three iconic Country Music venues: the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe. Additional details on the exciting performances including unprecedented collaborations and surprising moments will be announced in the coming weeks. First-time ACM Awards performances from many of the legendary artists in the lineup can be found HERE.

    The health and safety of the artists, fans, industry, staff and partners involved in the ACM Awards is the number one priority. All guidelines set forth by national, state and local health officials will be closely followed and implemented during the production along with additional safety measures to be instated by dick clark productions and the Academy of Country Music.

     

    For more information, visit ACMcountry.com. You can also like Academy of Country Music on Facebook, follow on Twitter at @ACMawards, follow on Instagram at @ACMawards and sign up for the FREE ACM A-List for more immediate updates.

    The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton, will air Sunday, April 18th beginning at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

  • THE 63RD GRAMMY AWARDS HAVE SET THE STAGE FOR SUNDAY NIGHT’S SHOW.

    This year’s Grammy Awards have set the stage for this Sunday (March 14th), and several UMG Nashville artists are in the running. Little Big Town picked up two nods for Best Country Album for Nightfall, as well as one for Best Country Duo/Group for “Sugar Coat,” along with Brothers Osborne for “All Night,” their sixth career Grammy nomination.

    Eric Church’s “Stick That in Your Country Song,” Vince Gill’s “When My Amy Prays” and Mickey Guyton’s “Black Like Me” are nominated for Best Country Solo Performance.

    Mickey, the first Black solo female artist to be nominated in a Grammy country category, will perform her nominated song “Black Like Me” on Sunday’s show, and she says it will be very emotional for her, as is her first Grammy nomination.

    “Getting my first Grammy nomination for ‘Black Like Me’ means the absolute world to me,” she says. “I’ve been pursuing music for a very, very, very long time, and there are many times that I thought I was going to quit. And my music journey didn’t change until I stopped running away from who I really am, embracing who I really am, and opening the door for other people, other people that are marginalized.”

    Of significant note, Taylor Swift earned six nominations. folklorea follow-up to her Lover album, was nominated for best pop vocal album. The album’s lead pop single, “cardigan,” was also recognized in the overall Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance categories. Her collaboration with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, “exile,” received a nod in Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. If that wasn’t all, the “betty” artist earned a nomination for best song written for visual media for her collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber on Cats’ “Beautiful Ghosts.”

    The 63rd annual Grammy Awards, hosted by Trevor Noah, will broadcast live on Sunday, March 14th beginning at 8pm ET/5pm PT on CBS. The show will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

    Best Country Album

    Lady Like, Ingrid Andress
    Your Life Is a Record, Brandy Clark
    Wildcard, Miranda Lambert
    Nightfall, Little Big Town
    Never Will, Ashley McBryde

    Best Country Solo Performance

    “Stick That in Your Country Song,” Eric Church
    “Who You Thought I Was,” Brandy Clark
    “When My Amy Prays,” Vince Gill
    “Black Like Me,” Mickey Guyton

    “Bluebird,” Miranda Lambert

    Best Country Duo / Group Performance

    “All Night,” Brothers Osborne
    “10,000 Hours,” Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber
    “Ocean,” Lady A
    “Sugar Coat,” Little Big Town
    “Some People Do,” Old Dominion

    Audio / BROTHERS OSBORNE'S JOHN OSBORNE SAYS THEY HAD THEIR FANS AND LIVE SHOWS IN MIND WHEN WRITING AND RECORDING THEIR LATEST SINGLE, "ALL NIGHT."

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    Brothers Osborne (All Night) 2 OC: …what we did. :15
    “‘All Night’ is a song we wrote with our friend, Andrew DeRoberts. We wanted to write a song that just felt good. We didn’t want to think too hard about it. We wanted to write a song that no matter what happened we knew that our fans at our shows were gonna love to sing along to (it), and that’s what we did.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton, who will perform “Black Like Me” on this year’s Grammy Awards, said her performance will be emotional because it’s not just about her.

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    Mickey Guyton (Grammy performance) OC: …right now. :33
    “My performance at the Grammys is going to be so special and emotional, like it’s not just about me, there’s it’s the song Black Like Me. It is so many people’s stories. And that was my goal in this performance. There’s representation as well, which is really important to me in this performance. But I just wanted people to feel like they’re coming together. This is a huge moment for black people in country music, and I just feel so honored to stand in these shoes right now.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton talks about her first Grammy nomination and what it means to her.

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    Mickey Guyton (Grammy nomination) OC: …are marginalized. :29
    “Getting my first Grammy nomination for ‘Black Like Me’ means the absolute world to me. I’ve been pursuing music for a very, very, very long time, and there are many times that I thought I was going to quit. And my music journey didn’t change until I stopped running away from who I really am, embracing who I really am, and opening the door for other people, other people that are marginalized.”

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet talks about the band’s ninth studio album, Nightfall.

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    LBT (Nightfall) OC: …proud of it. :23
    Nightfall is our ninth studio album, and we poured our hearts into this project and we’re so proud of it. We feel like it makes a beautiful statement about where we are right now as a band and how much we love making music together and also that the album takes you on a journey. It will transport you hopefully into a beautiful place, because we love it and we’re very proud of it.”

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman talks about the band's Grammy-nominated song “Sugarcoat,” a tune that appears on their new album, Nightfall.

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    LBT (Sugarcoat) OC: …what’s going on. :20
    “I love ‘Sugarcoat.’ It’s a story about a woman who is putting up all these fronts to live a perfect life, and actually what is happening behind closed doors is the opposite of perfect. It’s really devastation, but she’s covering it up at every time but then she realizes that she needs to let her man know she knows what’s going on.”

    Audio / Eric Church talks about his song, "Stick That In Your Country Song."

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    Eric Church (STIYCS) OC: …found itself. :56
    “I’ve never had a song in my career that was a harbinger of things to come. When we recorded ‘Stick That in Your Country Song,’ we had a booming economy and a pretty great world going on. And I remember thinking when I did it, ‘Wow, I’m not sure this, I’m not sure how relevant this is for right now. I love the song. I love the sentiment, but I’m just not sure.’ And within about 30 days, the world changed, and it changed for a while, and this song just became more and more real and more and more relevant. And truth be told – 100% honesty – I had a different single picked out as the first single, and then the world kept changing and it kept bringing itself almost like a magnet back to this song and back to this moment. So, this song found itself. It wasn’t me finding it, it found itself.”

    Audio / Vince Gill talks about his song, "When My Amy Prays."

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    Vince Gill (When My Amy Prays) OC: …give myself. :15
    “To me the real beauty of that song is the light that I paint her in, obviously. But the, golly, how is the right way to say this? Maybe the emotion comes from the vulnerability that I give myself.”

  • CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY — MONDAY, MARCH 8TH.

    Monday (February 8th) is International Women’s Day, which is a global day celebrating

    the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. International Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900’s.

    Many of your favorite female country artists are also celebrating this day in honor of women everywhere and of their influences and inspirations.

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about her amazing professional influences.

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    Carrie Underwood (Musical influences) OC: …do it too. :54
    “I think my biggest influences musically, or career-wise, would have to be women like Reba, like Dolly, like Faith Hill, like Martina McBride. You see all of these women just juggle everything masterfully and many of them are moms and they’re superstars and they’re talented, and you know, I know how hard they work because I’m in their shoes somewhat and doing the same juggling. You know, you have the kids and the career and you’re just trying to crush everything you do and being pulled in a million different directions. And to see women like that who are just beautiful and smart and strong and talented, knowing that they have come first and they’re still getting to do what they love and they’re still getting to be the mom and the wife and all the things – that’s just such an inspiration to me and just lets me know that I can do it too.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about her biggest female influence – her Mom.

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    Carrie Underwood (biggest female influence) OC: …ever had. :25
    “I would say my biggest female influence would have to be my Mom. She was the first person that I was around that really taught me what it was like to be a woman, to be a Mom, to be a wife, to be a daughter and a sister. And just watching her and how she did everything with grace and integrity and she’s so strong. I mean, she was just the best role model anybody could have ever had.”

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (IWD)

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    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (NWM)

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    Audio / Caylee Hammack talks about her professional inspirations, including Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and more.

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    Caylee Hammack (Loretta Lynn and professional inspirations) OC: …look up to. :31
    “My first concert ever was Loretta Lynn. I was 13 years old and I got to see her in Columbus, Georgia. I begged my Dad to bring me, and I just remembered sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what she’d sing or say next. Loretta Lynn has been such an inspiration to me and all of the women who came before me – Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, all the way to Miranda Lambert and the legends of today. It’s unreal how many amazing women I have been given in this world to look up to.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack talks about seeing Loretta Lynn in concert when she was 13 years old.

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    Caylee Hammack (Loretta Lynn) OC: …should listen. :28
    “My female idol growing up was Loretta Lynn. I was 13 when I got to see her live in-concert for the very first time. It was my first concert ever, and I will always remember sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to just see what she was gonna sing or say next. The power she had on stage is something you don’t see much; there’s a magic there. I think that when a woman tells her story – a woman like Loretta Lynn – everyone should listen.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack talks about the women in country music who have become her friends and supportive country music family.

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    Caylee Hammack (Miranda, Ashley, Tenille) OC: …more grateful. :46
    “I could on and on about Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline and Tammy Wynette and Reba and Dolly, but I want to actually mention a few friends that I’ve recently made in this year of quarantine and that’s Miranda Lambert and Ashley McBryde and Tenille Townes, these women that I’ve really gotten to connect with over this time in random group messages and such. I‘m just so very grateful that not only do I have women that have paved the way for us coming up in the country music industry, but I also have amazing women around me that I get to celebrate every single time that they put a new song out or win an award. I feel like I’ve found a family in country music, in the women of country music and I just couldn’t be more grateful.”

    Audio / During a backstage press conference at the CMA Awards a few years ago, Kacey Musgraves talked about being inspired by two of her idols, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton, and hoped she could carry that inspiration on in her own music.

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    Kacey Musgraves (women in Country Music) OC: …of it all. :37
    “I look at people like Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton, songwriters who were sassy and intelligent and beautiful and also intelligent and humorous. They inspired me, and if I can be at all any part of that in carrying that on, then I feel like,  that’s just the icing on the cake for me, and I feel like I’ve done my job.”

    Audio / Kylie Morgan explains what International Women’s Day means to her.

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    Kylie Morgan (International Women’s Day) OC: …so young. :21
    “For me, International Women’s Day is not only about women supporting women but also looking up to other women. And the very first tiny woman, actually, I ever looked up to was Shirley Temple. Not only was she a child star, but she never let her age hold her back. And I feel like I continue to grow up with that mentality and why I started my career so young.”

    Audio / Lauren Alaina talks about the woman she is inspired by on a daily basis.

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    Lauren Alaina (woman she most admires) OC: … :24
    “A woman that regularly inspires me would be my manager, Trisha. She is the most positive person that I’ve ever met. She’s constantly putting out fires. Trisha’s putting ‘em out and calming me down and helping me get to the next place and she just does everything with such grace and poise and she’s such a problem solver and she’s always positive and I just really admire that about her.”

    Audio / Loretta Lynn, who was once signed to Decca and MCA Records, talks about two of her songs that had a big impact.

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    Loretta Lynn (which songs had most impact) OC: …double hits. :10
    “‘You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)’ and ‘Fist City’ is another one. They both hit women, you know? I wrote them about other women at the time and myself too, so I think that’s why they were double hits.”

    Audio / Maddie & Tae talk about some of the women they most admire.

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    Maddie & Tae (women most admire) OC: (Maddie) …everybody! :43
    “I definitely can’t pick just one inspiring woman in my life, because I’ve been blessed by many. (TAE INTERRUPTS) Yeah, I was gonna say Tae is definitely one that inspires me always for many different reasons. You are really good at living in the moment, I feel like; very good at being present and I always pick that up from you every time we hang out. (TAE SAYS, “Your joy inspires me.”) My mom, she is just a baddie and amazing. I would say our manager Haley. She is just so great at balancing work life and family life, and I really admire that. And I would say, I don’t know. All the women in my life – my sister, my sister-in-laws, my mother-in-law. I love ‘em all. My grandma…everybody!”

    Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (IWD)

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    Audio / Mickey Guyton recalls the moment she wanted to become a country singer.

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    Mickey Guyton (started with LeAnn) OC: …done. :24
    “I was eight-years-old, and my church, I grew up singing in the church, and my church drove to Arlington [Texas] from Waco to go see a Texas Rangers baseball game. We were all the way up in the nosebleed section, and the announcer says, ‘Please rise as 10-year-old LeAnn Rimes sings the National Anthem,’ and that was before ‘Blue’ came out. I was already stuck on her, and then when ‘Blue’ came out, I was just like done.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton talks about the female country artists she admired growing up.

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    Mickey Guyton (on pursuing a career as a singer) OC: …all those people. :50
    “It wasn’t like something where I was like, ‘Dad, I want to be a professional singer.’ It wasn’t until I was older when I finally admitted it. When you say something like that, it’s pretty crazy. What are we normally supposed to be? We’re supposed to be a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, go to school and for me to even say that was just kind of crazy. So, I took an interest in singing. I started doing solos in the church choir or the school had a talent show. I’d bring my boom box, and I’d sing ‘I Will Always Love You.’ I was just mesmerized by big-voiced women, so from LeAnn, I started listening to Dolly and Patsy Cline and Patty Loveless and Reba McEntire and Faith Hill and Martina McBride, all those people.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton released the song “Sister” a couple of years ago, and she explains why the message was so important.

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    Mickey Guyton (why the song Sister is so important to her) OC: …out there. :21
    “As a woman, we need our sisters and this song is just so important for women, for girls, for everyone right now, to show solidarity and support for each other. No matter what it is that you believe, no matter what it is that you do, this song is exactly that for every woman out there.”

    Audio / Priscilla Block talks about the legendary Dolly Parton.

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    Priscilla Block (Dolly Parton) OC: …me some Dolly. :19
    “Hey-this is Priscilla Block, and I would say one female country legend that I look up to would be Dolly Parton. I love how honest she is, and she’s always just embraced who she is as a woman, and I love that so much, you know. Big hair, big hoops and you know what’s next. I love me some Dolly.”

    Audio / Priscilla Block says she is inspired by her mother.

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    Priscilla Block (Mom) OC: …in the butt. :25
    “I would honestly say one of the most inspiring women in my life is my mom because she raised five kids, and honestly had no clue what she was doing, but kind of always just made life so fun. She was there when we needed to laugh and when we needed to cry, and she was also there when we needed a little kick in the butt.”

    Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (International Women's Day)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Catie Offerman. Happy International Women’s Day. This is such a special chance for all of us to celebrate each other and all the women around the globe and all their amazing accomplishments. We love you!”

  • THE ACM AWARDS NOMINATIONS 2021 HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED!

    With six each, Chris Stapleton and Maren Morris lead the list of nominations at this year’s ACM Awards.

    Chris earned nods in the categories for Entertainer, Male Artist, Song (for “Starting Over”) and Album of the Year (Starting Over) as artist, songwriter and producer.

     


    Brothers Osborne
    and Kelsea Ballerini, along with ET‘s Rachel Smith revealed the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards nominees today (February 26th) on CBS This Morning.

    The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Eric Church earned three category nominations for Entertainer, Male Artist and Music Event of the Year for Luke Combs’ “Do to Me.”

     

     

    Luke Bryan picks up a pair of nominations for Entertainer of the Year and Album of the Year for Born Here Live Here Die Here, while Dierks Bentley also is nominated for two including Male Artist of the Year and Music Video of the Year for “Gone.”

     

     

     

     

    Brothers Osborne are nominated for both Duo of the Year (an award they’ve won twice before) and Album of the Year for Skeletons. Keith Urban also picks up two nods…in the same category – Music Event of the Year for both “Be a Light” with Thomas Rhett, Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin, as well as his latest single, “One Too Many” with P!nk.

     

     

    Carrie Underwood earned a nod in Music Event of the Year with John Legend for “Hallelujah,” while Lauren Alaina is also nominated in Music Event of the Year for Hardy’s “One Beer,” along with Devin Dawson.

     

     

    Little Big Town picks up a nomination for Group of the Year, while Maddie & Tae scored a nomination for Duo of the Year.

     

     

     

    Mickey Guyton and Caylee Hammack are both nominated for New Female Artist of the Year, while Travis Denning and Parker McCollum are up for New Male Artist of the Year.

    https://twitter.com/MickeyGuyton/status/1365330487636594694

     

     

     

     

    The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from Nashville April 18th beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CBS. The show will also be available to stream live and on demand on the Paramount+.

    Entertainer of the Year

    Luke Bryan
    Eric Church

    Luke Combs
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton

    Female Artist of the Year

    Kelsea Ballerini
    Miranda Lambert
    Ashley McBryde
    Maren Morris
    Carly Pearce

    Male Artist of the Year

    Dierks Bentley
    Luke Combs
    Eric Church
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton

    Duo of the Year

    Brooks & Dunn
    Brothers Osborne
    Dan + Shay
    Florida Georgia Line
    Maddie & Tae

    Group of the Year

    Lady A
    Little Big Town
    Old Dominion
    The Cadillac Three
    The Highwomen

    New Female Artist of the Year

    Ingrid Andress
    Tenille Arts
    Gabby Barrett
    Mickey Guyton
    Caylee Hammack

    New Male Artist of the Year

    Jimmie Allen
    Travis Denning
    Hardy
    Cody Johnson
    Parker McCollum

    Album of the Year

    Born Here Live Here Die Here, Luke Bryan
    Mixtape Vol. 1, Kane Brown
    Never Will, Ashley McBryde
    Skeletons, Brothers Osborne
    Starting Over, Chris Stapleton

    Single of the Year

    “Bluebird,” Miranda Lambert
    “I Hope,” Gabby Barrett
    “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
    “More Hearts Than Mine,” Ingrid Andress
    “The Bones,” Maren Morris

    Song of the Year

    “Bluebird,” Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Natalie Hemby
    “One Night Standards,” Ashley McBryde, Nicolette Hayford, Shane McAnally
    “Some People Do,” Jesse Frasure, Matt Ramsey, Thomas Rhett, Shane McAnally
    “Starting Over,” Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson
    “The Bones,” Jimmy Robbins, Maren Morris, Laura Veltz

    Video of the Year

    “Better Than We Found It,” Maren Morris
    “Bluebird,” Miranda Lambert
    “Gone,” Dierks Bentley
    “Hallelujah,” Carrie Underwood and John Legend

    “Worldwide Beautiful,” Kane Brown

    Songwriter of the Year

    Ashley Gorley
    Michael Hardy
    Hillary Lindsey
    Shane McAnally
    Josh Osborne

    Music Event of the Year

    “Be A Light,” Thomas Rhett f/Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, Keith Urban
    “Does To Me,” Luke Combs f/Eric Church
    “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
    “Nobody But You,” Blake Shelton f/Gwen Stefani
    “One Beer,” Hardy f/Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson
    “One Too Many,” Keith Urban f/P!nk

     

    Audio / Chris Stapleton, who is nominated for 6 ACM Awards including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year (among others), talks about the theme of his latest album, Starting Over.

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    Chris Stapleton (theme of Starting Over album) OC: …as humans. :54
    “I’ve never really looked at records necessarily as having a theme.  I’ve never made a record in that kind of a constraint necessarily. And there are a lot of great records that have this theme and this overlying thread that kind of runs through them.  Maybe the thread for me is just I’m singing. I wrote a bulk of the songs. It’s the same guys playing all the songs. If there’s a theme – if there’s a theme it’s hopefully there’s a theme of truth somewhere in it. And what I mean by that is hopefully we’re conveying in the songs some experiences that feel real and hopefully people can find themselves in those songs and in the album. And for me if I’m looking for a theme it’s that kind of, I don’t know, that thing that binds us all together as humans.”

    Audio / Eric Church, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, is nominated for Entertainer (among others) at this year’s ACM Awards. Backstage at last year’s CMA Awards, he talked about his first Entertainer of the Year win.

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    Eric Church (CMA 2020) 1 OC: …next year or two. :31
    “There’s not really been winners this year. I mean, nobody’s played. Nobody’s done the things we normally do. It’s been a year, to me, about losses. It’s about loss of life. It’s about loss of education for your kids. It’s about loss of time playing. It’s been a year of managing those losses. But I really meant what I said (during my acceptance speech) that we were in a room together as country music, and that’s not happened this year. So, I think that that was a win for country music, and I think it was a win for where we’re gonna go in the next year or two.”

    Audio / Before releasing his latest album in August of last year, Luke Bryan talked about what fans can expect on BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE.

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    Luke Bryan (fan expectations for BHLHDH) OC: …something for everybody. :37
    “I think fans can expect a little something of everything. They can expect a love song, a dancing song; obviously, ‘One Margarita’ being a big ole fun summer drinking song. And I think we have songs that will make you cry, touch your emotions, and I think, like I said there are songs that you can fall in love to out there. And there are songs that talk about the true meaning of life when you think about a song like ‘For a Boat,’ and you got a father teaching his son about the important things in life. So, I’m just proud of the way the album come together, and I feel like there’s something for everybody.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about his latest single, "Gone," for which the music video is nominated for an ACM Award.

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    Dierks Bentley (Gone) 2 OC: …would enjoy it too. :18
    “You know, the song, ‘cause I didn’t write it I can only brag on it, is just really well-written. It’s catchy, it’s fun. It’s metaphorical about what’s happening right now. It reminds me a little bit of some stuff we’ve had out in the past, but it feels like new territory in other ways and I don’t know, I just enjoyed it. I enjoyed singing it and I enjoyed playing it, and I wanted to put it out there and I thought our fans would enjoy it too.”

    Audio / KEITH URBAN TALKS ABOUT RECORDING “ONE TOO MANY” WITH P!NK.

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    Keith Urban (P!NK duet) OC: …it together. :29
    “This song was written as a duet, and I sent the song to her and luckily she loved it. I loved the song and I was really hoping she would love it, because she’s truly one of the great singers of our generation. So, to hear her voice on this song was phenomenal. We had such a great time getting to do that. I wish we could’ve done it in the same space, but you know with the situation we’re in, of course, we couldn’t do that. So, she recorded her vocal at her house and I did mine at my house, and we put it together.”

    Audio / CARRIE UNDERWOOD TALKS ABOUT THE SONG, “HALLELUJAH,” WHICH JOHN LEGEND WROTE AND IS FEATURED ON.

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    Carrie Underwood (Hallelujah) OC: …cool collaboration. :37
    “’Hallelujah’ is a song that touches on many different topics and feelings. It’s a love song, it’s a Christmas song, it’s a celebrating the time of year song. It’s you know, still wanting that joyfulness – it was written by John Legend and Toby Gad. When I listened to it, it had John’s voice on it, and it’s just beautiful. I knew I wanted to sing it – we asked if John, you might want to sing it with me. The perfect song, the perfect person, John Legend sounds amazing on it and I was like wow, I can’t believe that this just all came together like this, and just kind of a really cool collaboration.”

    Audio / Parker McCollum talks about being nominated for his first ACM Award…for New Male Artist of the Year.

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    Parker McCollum (1st ACM Nomination) OC: …So grateful. :36
    “What does it mean to be nominated for an ACM Award? I can’t even explain it. I’ve watched these awards shows from the time I can remember listening to country music or watching television. It’s been my whole life. And so to be nominated for an ACM, something like New Male Artist of the Year – an absolute honor and a dream come true and so cool to see how proud my family is of me getting nominated for something like this. It’s just, there are no words, man. So grateful.”

     

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  • LITTLE BIG TOWN RELEASES AN ACOUSTIC VERSION OF THEIR LATEST, “WINE, BEER, WHISKEY.”

    Little Big Town has released an acoustic version of their latest single, “Wine, Beer, Whiskey.” The song, written by Tofer Brown, Sean McConnell and LBT band members Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook, was a fun moment of levity for the band and their co-writers and was completed in under an hour paying homage to friends named Jack, Jose, Brandy, Sherry and Captain.

    Check out the acoustic version below.

     

     

  • VALENTINE’S DAY 2021

    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.

    Sunday is Valentine’s Day (February 14th), and 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 aren’t? Which ones have a good reason to celebrate the holiday that’s all about love?

    Click here for Valentine’s Day Liners.

     

    Audio / Alan Jackson talks about his love for wife, Denise, over the years.

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    AJ (Valentine’s Day) OC: …continue to. :24
    “We got a lot of history together now, and we’re happier than we’ve ever been. So, she’s still beautiful, and she’s always inspired songs. I mean, one of my early hits was a song called ‘I’d Love You All Over Again,’ I wrote for her for our 10th anniversary. I mean, there’s been a zillion songs that have pieces of our good days and bad days inspired, and they continue to.”

    Audio / Billy Currington recalls his first real Valentine’s Day.

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    Billy Currington (Valentine’s Day memory) OC: …took off running. :21
    “Yeah, I remember my first girlfriend. I was in first or second grade, but anyway, I remember it was Valentine’s Day and your mom going, ‘You’ve got to give your girlfriend something, and you’ve got to go give it to her.’ I’ll never forget — we got her a box of chocolates or whatever it was. I remember going down to her classroom and knocking on the door, getting her to come to the door. I remember handing it to her, and then I took off running.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood is all about the chocolate most couples give each other on Valentine’s Day.

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    Carrie Underwood (Valentine’s Day-chocolate) OC: …white chocolate. :14
    “Chocolate’s every woman’s friend – in their time of need or in their time of happiness or in their time of sadness or madness, chocolate is my friend. Anything with caramel in it, ooooooooh. White chocolate’s good too. You can’t beat some good white chocolate.”

    Audio / DIERKS BENTLEY SAYS THE MOST INTERESTING GIFT HE AND HIS WIFE CASSIDY HAVE GIVEN EACH OTHER WERE MIXTAPES OF SONGS.

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    Dierks Bentley (Valentine’s Day-most interesting gift he’s given his wife) OC: …formulate yourself. 1:19
    “When ‘What Was I Thinkin’’ was released in 2003, I didn’t know what my life would look like, and all of a sudden, I found myself out on the road full-time, just gone. So, the place where I was staying, I had some friends pack it up and move it into a storage facility…and in there I found some letters that she and I had written back and forth when we were dating. I was working at The Nashville Network and she was working out in San Francisco and found some letters I had written her and I’d gotten back and some stuff she’d sent me, including a CD of songs she’d been listening to, back when you made CD mixes and there’s like these three hearts on that CD. I just found that it was so meaningful for me those gifts you give each other before any money, before anything else was going on, just music, giving of mixtapes was so cool. She reminded me of a mixtape that I had sent her. I’d sent it to her via FedEx, because it was so important she get this as quickly as possible. This was sadly before, I guess we had internet back then, but you really couldn’t send songs over the internet. I think the most interesting thing I’ve given her and she’s given me was just mixtapes, because there’s nothing like music to put into words and the thoughts you have in your head that you can’t formulate yourself.”

    Audio / Eric Church says his wife, Katherine, loves him in spite of everything.

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    Eric Church (Valentine’s) OC: …love song is. :48
    “True love to me is when you love a person in spite of all their fallibilities, and for me, I have a lot of ‘em. I’m definitely at times hard to love, and that’s what’s great about Katherine and the way she loves me. She loves me in spite of those things and really for those things.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi says he has learned a lot about love and about Valentine’s Day from his wife, Summer.

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    Jon Pardi (Valentine’s Day – Summer) OC: …for you. (laughs) :35
    “One thing Summer has taught me is that gifts are cool, diamonds, blah, blah, blah, but to take your time and clear your mind and write something about what she means to you on a card is probably the most least expensive and the biggest price you can give her is just to write and tell her how much you love her on a little card. That’s what she taught me for Valentine’s Day, so I just do that. It’s way cheaper. (laughs) And of course, I always say to her, ‘Babe, every day is Valentine’s Day for you.’ (laughs)

     

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about meeting his wife in New Orleans. They were both there attending separate weddings.

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    Jordan Davis (meeting wife) OC: …here we are. :47
    “My college roommate was getting married in New Orleans. My wife was in New Orleans for a totally separate wedding. Both wedding parties were staying at the same hotel, so we met, the first time, in the lobby of the hotel. I’m actually wearing a necklace that has the coordinates to that hotel. Then the next day, me and my brother walk into a bar in New Orleans, and her and her friends were sitting in the corner, and I was like, ‘Hey-that’s the girl from the lobby.’ She was actually dating somebody at the time. But we kind of exchanged numbers and stayed in contact, and about two months later, a month later, she came into town for CMA Music Fest and told me that she no longer had a boyfriend, and here we are.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about a couple of his favorite love songs.

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    Jordan Davis (love song) OC: …well done! :25
    “I guess Valentine’s Day gets you to thinking about love songs. You know, me and my wife’s first dance was ‘I’m Gonna Lose You’ [by] John Legend and Meghan Trainor. I think that’s just an amazing love song. I think also a love song that I heard the other day? ‘Strawberry Wine’ from Deana Carter? Great love song. I listened to that a lot. Ooooh Deana Carter. Well done.”

     

    Audio / Josh Turner says his wife would call him a romantic, but now that they have four children, it takes a bit of work to make time for each other.

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    Josh Turner (Romantic) OC: …long time to come. :26
    “If you ask my wife Jennifer if I was a romantic, she would definitely say, ‘Yes,’ but she knows that sometimes my hectic schedule and our busy lifestyles can kind of interfere with the romantic side of things. But we do try to make efforts towards being together and having adult conversations and taking time away from the children and doing things that husbands and wives do, so we’ll definitely try to continue that for a long time to come.”

    Audio / Keith Urban talks about the support he and his wife, Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, give each other, which is especially important when two creative artists are married to each other.

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    Keith Urban (Nicole support) OC: …very important. :17
    “I feel very blessed that I have the support of my family like I do. It’s a beautiful thing having two artists because we understand the passion and the responsibility of what we get to do. It’s very important.”

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman says falling in love with her husband, Stephen Schlapman, came as a big surprise.

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    Little Big Town (Kimberly falling in love) OC: …healed me. 1:20

    Kimberly: “Well, I wasn’t planning on falling in love, at all. I didn’t want to…I wasn’t sure that I ever would.  So, my husband now and I were just really good friends, and after my late husband died all my friends were calling me, all the time. Just checking up on me. He was just an old friends. We had known each other for about six years and he started calling me just like everybody else did.  But, he started calling me more than everybody else did [laughs]. We had both been through similar losses, he hadn’t lost a mate but he had lost a close friend, so we kind of bonded over that. I grieved, kind of, at him a lot. He took my grief, I had a lot of grief left, and he just took it and listened and accepted it and was so understanding and let me talk about my late husband all the time. We still talk about him a lot, and he’s totally fine with it. He says that, that made me who he fell in love with and he never minds if I bring anything from the past up which is just really sweet. I was shocked, I remember when I first realized that I was having feelings. I just thought, OK, this is so weird.  What is this?  I haven’t felt this in a long, long, time. This is weird. But, eventually I allowed myself and it’s been the most beautiful gift of my life. It pulled me out of the deepest hole that I’ve ever been in and healed me.”

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook had a chemistry performing together, but it wasn’t until they each found themselves single…at the same time…that sparks flew romantically. The pair, who wed in 2006, have a son, Elijah.

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    Little Big Town (Jimi & Karen fell in love) OC: (Kimberly) …to be together. :48

    JIMI: “We were in the band a long time before there was ever anything which is interesting. I think there was always something underlying there that we were kind of trying to ignore. And then when the opportunity came, when all of us, ended up single kind of at the same time, a very strange turn of events for the band in a lot of different ways. And those feelings, you were able to come out with them finally. It was like, we’re single. Let’s get together. And, you know, she has a beautiful heart and she’s absolutely gorgeous and I just love her dearly.”

    PHILLIP: “Get a room!” [laughs]

    KIMBERLY: “They’re a perfect match. They really are. They were meant to be together.”

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet was ready for love when he met Rebecca, his wife since 2007.

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    Little Big Town (Phillip – reasons fell in love) OC: …real love. :17
    “I think everything that I had gone through before had prepared me to be ready to see that there was genuine love there for me, and my Rebecca.  So, it was just a great time, I wouldn’t have been ready before I met her…Now it’s just been a really great journey to heal through the past and to know real love.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about marrying Caroline, his college sweetheart.

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    Luke Bryan (married college sweetheart) OC: …married. :27
    ”I married my college sweetheart. We dated back in college and broke up for nearly six years, and while I was off doing my Nashville stuff and touring and writing songs, she was finishing getting her career kind of going. Man, we just kinda bumped into each other one night, and it was like bam, here we are married.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about the relationship between he and his wife, Caroline.

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    Luke Bryan (relationship with wife) OC: …enjoy your family. 1:02
    “I would say to being a 14 year marriage and relationship and for she and I to have known each other even in college and then we kind of separated a little bit for five, five-and-a-half years, she went and lived her life and I went and kind of did the same, got my career going up here (in Nashville). And you know, the relationship goals are just to try to communicate and talk stuff out and enjoy each other and not let fights or arguments or disagreements linger on more than a day or two. I’m one of those people if we’re not seeing eye-to-eye, I have to let it out maybe a little too soon, sometimes she likes to process it. But the main thing with any marriage is just trying to laugh with one another, have fun with one another, not take each other too serious and like I said, communicate and have good days and have a lot of fun and enjoy your family.”

    Audio / Maddie & Tae’s Taylor Kerr talks about her husband, songwriter Josh Kerr. The pair are just about to celebrate their first anniversary as a married couple (they got married February 21st, 2020).

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    Maddie & Tae (Tae talking about husband Josh) OC: …that way, you know? :45
    “From the moment I met Josh, he never shied away from sharing what’s on his heart. For me, sharing what’s on my heart is sometimes hard, but he always created the environment and dynamic of it’s totally normal to open up and let people to see that side of you. And so, the more we spent time together, the more I kind of adopted that mindset of like, ‘Okay, I can be vulnerable. I can take risks. I can put myself out there and maybe get rejected, but maybe it could be awesome.’ Our relationship is that to a T. I was skeptical at first and I was scared, and he was scared. And we both just, we went all in, and I felt so safe to go there with him and he’s always made me feel that way, you know?”

     

  • AN INCREDIBLE LINEUP OF COUNTRY MUSIC STARS, INCLUDING CARRIE UNDERWOOD, DIERKS BENTLEY, DARIUS RUCKER AND LITTLE BIG TOWN, TO JOIN THE ‘GRAND OLE OPRY: 95 YEARS OF COUNTRY MUSIC’ SPECIAL.

    Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley and Little Big Town will appear during the NBC TV special, Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music. The two-hour anniversary special, which also features special performances by Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Trisha Yearwood, Marty Stuart, Kelsea Ballerini, Lady A, Old Crow Medicine Show and hosts Blake Shelton and Brad Paisley.

    In addition to original songs, the special features one-of-a-kind Opry member collaborations and incredible covers including Kelsea Ballerini singing “When You Say Nothing At All” and  Dierks Bentley and Marty Stuart’s duet of “Pancho & Lefty,” as well as special moments such as when Darius Rucker recently invited Lady A to become Opry members. All performances were recorded at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.

    “Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music” will also feature archival footage including interviews, performances, and appearances by many more of today’s Opry members and legendary artists.

    “This special is going to capture so much of what makes the Opry a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience,” said Dan Rogers, Opry Vice President and Executive Producer. “10-year Opry member Blake and 20-year member Brad guide us through a powerful Opry debut, an Opry membership invitation given to one of country’s most awarded vocal groups, performances of some of today’s chart-topping hits and timeless songs that have rung out from the Opry stage for decades, and a look back at cherished members of the Opry family and musical moments that have come to define the Opry we know today.”

    Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music will air Sunday, February 14th at 9pm ET/PT on NBC.

  • THE MEMBERS OF LITTLE BIG TOWN CHOOSE THEIR FAVORITE “WINE, BEER” OR “WHISKEY.”

    Little Big Town’s latest hit, “Wine, Beer, Whiskey,” has been a perfect song for some of the times we’ve as a world have been going through for the past year. The song, written by Tofer Brown, Sean McConnell and LBT band members Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook, was a fun moment of levity for the band and their co-writers and was completed in under an hour paying homage to friends named Jack, Jose, Brandy, Sherry and Captain.

    The go-to libations for the band members include at least two of the three in the song title. “I definitely go for whiskey, that’s my go-to. I like it on a big cube. (laughs) What I really love is E.H. Taylor. It’s so good. It’s like caramel in a glass,” says Jimi Westbrook. His wife and bandmate, Karen Fairchild, enjoys a good red wine, and it could have the band’s name on the label. “We had a Syrah that we did a couple of years ago, and it still just drinks fantastic. And then I’ve been drinking Frank Family Vineyards. Their Cab is wonderful.”

    For Kimberly Schlapman, she enjoys a lighter, sweeter drink. “I hate to toot our own horn, but (laughs) my favorite wine, I like wine, and we have a canned wine, Day Drinking, and the peach is my favorite. It’s so yummy,” she says. And for Phillip Sweet, he will usually choose between two different liquors. ““I usually go to a cold shot of Crown Royal from the freezer,” he says. “I like tequila, and if it’s tequila, I like Casamigos Reposado, and I like it neat; no ice, nothing, and you can mix in a little pineapple juice for fun.”

    “Wine, Beer, Whiskey” is featured on the band’s 9th studio album Nightfall, which debuted at the top spot of Billboard’s Country Chart upon its release last year.

     

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Jimi Westbrook and Karen Fairchild reveal their pandemic go-to libations.

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    Little Big Town (Wine, Beer OR Whiskey) 1 OC: (Karen) …that’s deadly. (laughs) :55
    JIMI: “I definitely go for whiskey, that’s my go-to. I like it on a big cube. (laughs) What I really love is E.H. Taylor. It’s so good. It’s like caramel in a glass. It’s awesome.” KAREN: “Well, I like all the beverages, but I like, I had a great glass of red wine last night. This sounds horrible, but it was ours. It sounds like I’m pitching. We had a Syrah that we did a couple of years ago, and it still just drinks fantastic. And then I’ve been drinking Frank Family Vineyards. Their Cab is wonderful. It depends. If I feel super cooped up, then I’m going to buy something expensive. (laughs) And did you know that there’s an app called Drizly that delivers alcohol now? Yeah, that’s deadly. That’s deadly.” (laughs)

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman and Phillip Sweet talk about what they like drinking, especially during quarantine.

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    Little Big Town (Wine Beer OR Whiskey) 2 OC: (Phillip) …juice for fun. (laughs) :48
    KIMBERLY: “Well, I hate to toot our own horn, but (laughs) my favorite wine, I like wine, and we have a canned wine, Day Drinking, and the peach is my favorite. It’s so yummy. Sorry, but I am what I am. (laughs)” PHILLIP: “It’s a spritzer. It’s a white wine spritzer.” JIMI: “You need sweet.” PHILLIP: “I usually go to a cold shot of Crown Royal from the freezer. I like tequila, and if it’s tequila, I like Casamigos Reposado, and I like it neat; no ice, nothing, and you can mix in a little pineapple juice for fun.” (laughs)

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  • KEITH URBAN AND LITTLE BIG TOWN JOIN BARRY GIBB ON HIS NEW ALBUM, GREENFIELDS, OUT FRIDAY.

    Barry Gibb will release his anticipated new album, GREENFIELDS: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1 on Friday (January 8th) on Capitol Records. The 12-song collection, produced by Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton), features collaborations with Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Dolly Parton, Sheryl Crow, Miranda Lambert, Alison Krauss, Jason Isbell, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Brandi Carlile, Olivia Newton-John, Tommy Emmanuel and many more.

    “From the first day we stepped into RCA Studios in Nashville (the very place where Elvis, Willie, Waylon, Roy, the Everly Brothers and so many other legends made their magic) the album took on a life of its own,” says Barry of GREENFIELDS. “I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to work with Dave and all the artists who stopped by. They were all incredibly generous with their time and talent. They inspired me more than words can express. I feel deep down that Maurice and Robin would have loved this album for different reasons. I wish we could have all been together to do it…but I think we were.”

    Keith joined Sir Barry Gibb on the Bee Gees’ 1968 hit “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You,” while the members of Little Big Town lend their voices to “Lonely Days,” as well as to the iconic “How Deep Is Your Love,” along with guitarist Tommy Emmanuel.

    In addition to the new album, Gibb is the subject of an acclaimed new documentary, The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, directed by Frank Marshall and out now on HBO Max.

    GREENFIELDS: THE GIBB BROTHERS SONGBOOK, VOL. 1 TRACK LIST

    1. “I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You” with Keith Urban
      2. “Words of a Fool” with Jason Isbell
      3. “Run to Me” with Brandi Carlile
      4. “Too Much Heaven” with Alison Krauss
      5. “Lonely Days” with Little Big Town
      6. “Words” with Dolly Parton
      7. “Jive Talkin’” with Miranda Lambert, Jay Buchanan
      8. “How Deep Is Your Love” with Tommy Emanuel, Little Big Town
      9. “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” with Sheryl Crow
      10. “To Love Somebody” with Jay Buchanan
      11. “Rest Your Love On Me” with Olivia Newton-John
      12. “Butterfly” with Gillian Welch, David Rawlings

     

    Audio / Barry Gibb intros Greenfields, his new album featuring several country collaborators.

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    Audio / Barry Gibb says he's a collaborator, singer, songwriter, country artist, etc.

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    Audio / Barry Gibb says the Bee Gees songs always had some country music influence, among other influences.

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