• LITTLE BIG TOWN AND BRAD PAISLEY TO PERFORM A SPECIAL SHOW TO BENEFIT THE MICHAEL J. FOX FOUNDATION.

    Little Big Town and Brad Paisley will be performing at a fundraising event for the Michael J. Fox Foundation, an organization that raises money for research on a cure for Parkinson’s Disease. “A Country Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson’s” will take place  at Nashville’s Fisher Center at Belmont University April 26th. A special dinner starts at 6pm followed by performances from LBT and Brad.

    Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman posted a poignant message on her Instagram account to talk about the benefit show, but she also revealed her own mother has Parkinson’s. “As you grow up, there’s a part of life that one doesn’t plan for. I’m there right now. My precious mother has Parkinson’s Disease, and she is fighting it like a warrior. I have learned in recent years that Parkinson’s is incredibly complex and devastatingly debilitating,” she writes. She adds, “Michael J. Fox says his goal from the beginning has been to find a cure and close the doors of his foundation. If you or someone you love are in this fight or if you would just like to fight along with this incredibly important crusade, gather some of your friends and grab a table for a heartwarming & super fun evening.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Mickey Guyton, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood

    Mickey Guyton will appear on CBS Mornings and The Tamron Hall Show on Thursday (March 23rd) to talk about her new show, “My Kinda Country,” which is set to premiere Friday (March 24th) on Apple+. The show was co-created by Kacey Musgraves and Reese Witherspoon and also features Mickey, Jimmie Allen and Orville Peck. “My Kind of Country” is a new singing competition series, which provides an opportunity to showcase diverse artists from around the world.

     

    Keith Urban, Little Big Town and Mickey Guyton, as well as Tim McGraw, are set to perform at the Capitol One Jam Fest in Houston April 2nd. The March Madness Music Festival is part of the festivities surrounding the NCAA® Men’s Final Four® Weekend.

    Keith Urban takes over CMT Hot 20 Countdown this weekend. Tune in Saturday (March 25th) and Sunday (March 26th) beginning at 9am ET/8am CT.

    https://twitter.com/cmtHot20/status/1638677005247074304

    Luke Bryan, as well as his fellow American Idol judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, will appear on ABC’s Live With Kelly and Ryan on March 28th.

    Reba McEntire is scheduled to appear on The Jennifer Hudson Show March 29th.

    Carrie Underwood‘s fans are really “hating” their hearts…before wrapping the tour last week, Carrie’s fans in numerous cities sang along to her latest hit, “Hate My Heart,” and cameras caught all the action.

    https://twitter.com/carrieunderwood/status/1638992767060955138?s=46&t=uIo-zKfKtZ4P7eX-4uM8nQ

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Brothers Osborne, The War And Treaty, Little Big Town, Parker McCollum

    Brothers Osborne had to cancel their appearance at Monday night’s (March 20th) Love Rising concert. In a message to fans on their socials John Osborne explained the reason behind the cancellation. John also posted on his own Instagram account that it’s “go time” while wearing a surgical mask and other hospital gear (see this post below).

    The War and Treaty‘s Michael and Tanya Trotter will perform on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live March 27th. Check local listings for time.

    Little Big Town will hit the road on their Friends of Mine Tour next month. Opening on the trek, which kicks off April 13th in Birmingham, Alabama, are Caitlyn Smith, Ashley Ray, Jonathan Hutcherson, Patty Griffin and Carter Faith. Tickets are now on sale.

    Parker McCollum is set to perform a pre-race concert at the Nashville Superspeedway ahead of the Ally 400 on June 25th. “I’ve always been a big fan of NASCAR and am excited to bring my show to the track in June,” said Parker in a press release.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town, Jordan Davis, Parker McCollum, Jon Pardi

    Keith Urban just announced new dates for his Las Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. He will keep the party going November 1st – 18th with his fan club presale beginning on Wednesday (March 15th) at 10am PT, with tickets on sale to the public on Saturday (March 18th).

     

    You can win a limited-edition Chris Stapleton guitar. The folks at Epiphone just announced the release of the Chris Stapleton Frontier. Only 300 guitars will be produced. Check out the details below and how to get the limited run axe.

    Little Big Town will perform as part of the new CBS television special, “A GRAMMY Salute To The Beach Boys,” a two-hour tribute  featuring a star-studded  lineup, which will also include performances by John Legend, Brandi Carlile, Beck, Mumford & Sons, Weezer and many others. The special, which will also feature appearances by . The special also features appearances by Drew Carey, Tom Hanks, Jimmy Jam, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, and John Stamos, airs April 9th beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CBS and Paramount+.

    https://twitter.com/CBS/status/1635675662248988673

     

    Jordan Davis and Parker McCollum are featured in the new Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit: American Currents: State of the Music. American Currents takes a view of the country genre over the past year, exploring musical development and artist achievement. The exhibit, which also features HARDY, Molly Tuttle, Scotty McCreery, Shania Twain and more, runs until February 2024.

     

    https://twitter.com/CBSSunday/status/1635695098187984896

    Jon Pardi headlined the Houston Rodeo for the second time, and it looks like he had a little bit of fun. He posted a short video on his socials, showing a little behind-the-scenes action, as well as his well-executed exit from the arena on horseback.

    https://twitter.com/JonPardi/status/1636157657697353730

     

    Keith Urban will perform at this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards, taking place March 27th at 8pm ET/7pm CT/tape-delayed PT on FOX. P!nk, Kelly Clarkson, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Cody Johnson and Coldplay, among others. Taylor Swift will receive the 2023 iHeartRadio Innovator Award.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks Bentley, Reba McEntire, Little Big Town

    Dierks Bentley will talk about his new album, Gravel & Gold, and Reba McEntire dishes on her new restaurant in Oklahoma when they appear on CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown this weekend. Catch all of the action both Saturday (February 25th) and Sunday (February 26th) beginning at 9am ET/8am CT.

    https://twitter.com/cmtHot20/status/1628545267405316100

    Dierks Bentley stops by to perform on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday (February 27th).

    Little Big Town will help celebrate the legendary Ronnie Milsap’s 80th birthday at the Grand Ole Opry on March 25th. Trace Adkins and Mark Wills will also perform.

  • VALENTINE’S DAY AUDIO 2022

    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?

     

     

    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 / 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 the Valentine's Day tradition he and his wife Kristen enjoy to this day.

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    Jordan Davis (Valentine’s Day tradition) OC: …happy Valentine’s. (laughs) 1:04
    “When it comes to Valentines, Kristen is way more romantic than I am. I’m not a very romantic guy. I have worked on it.  I’ve tried to get a little bit better over the years. Kristen loves chocolate so she’s good for a big chocolate box, but here’s our thing about Valentine’s Day, and this is the God’s honest truth. We’ve been going to Olive Garden on Valentine’s Day since we met. We’ve continued that tradition. I think it started with her and a friend, they used to always go to Olive Garden on Valentine’s Day before they started dating, or before they got in a relationship. So, we have carried that out, so this year will be our, I believe our eighth Valentines in a row where we go in for endless salad and bread sticks. So, if its Valentine’s Day, and you’re at an Olive Garden, we could be next to each other. So, yeah, hope to see somebody out there at the table next to us just hammering on some breadsticks. So, happy Valentine’s.” (laughs)

    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 / Kylie Morgan says her husband Jay Allen is the most romantic person she's ever met.

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    Kylie Morgan (Valentine’s Day) OC: …I’ve ever had. :33
    “Man, I will say my husband Jay Allen, who is also a country music artist if you guys haven’t heard of him, he is the most romantic person I’ve ever met in my entire life, truly. For Valentine’s Day, gosh, two years ago, I came home to the entire house being lit with tiny candles, a whole dinner made with my favorite bottle of wine, and this was even before he proposed. So, a lot of people thought that he was gonna pop the question that night, but he saved that for a later time. But it was the most magical Valentine’s Day I’ve ever had.”

    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 / Maddie & Tae’s Taylor Kerr talks about her husband, songwriter Josh Kerr. The pair are just about to celebrate their third 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?”

  • VALENTINE’S DAY LINERS 2023

    Audio / LINER Billy Currington (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey! This is Billy Currington. Hope you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

     

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey, this is T.J., and I’m John, and we’re Brothers Osborne. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hi! I’m Carrie Underwood, wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day. Send me some chocolate.”

    Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey everybody, this is Catie Offerman, wishing you all a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey y’all! This is Caylee Hammack, wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Dalton Dover (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey, I’m Dalton Dover – for all the lovers out there, I’m wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Valentine’s Day)

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    “What’s up y’all? This is Darius Rucker, hoping you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey, it’s Dierks Bentley, hoping you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey! This is Eric Church, hoping you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER George Strait (Valentine’s Day)

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    “This is George Strait, wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hi! It’s Jon Pardi, and I hope you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey! It’s Jordan Davis, hoping you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey! This is Josh Turner, and I want to wish you and your sweetheart a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Kacey Musgraves (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hi, this is Kacey Musgraves, and I hope you have a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone. This is Keith Urban. Make the day special for your ‘Once in a Lifetime’ love.”

    Audio / LINER Kip Moore (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey! What’s happening, everybody? This is Kip Moore. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Kylie Morgan (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Kylie Morgan, wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER LBT (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey! We’re Little Big Town. Happy Valentine’s Day!”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey y’all, it’s Luke Bryan. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey everybody. I’m Parker McCollum, wishing all the lovers out there a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Priscilla Block (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Priscilla Block wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (Valentine's Day) 1

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    “Hey everybody, this is Reba McEntire, wishing you and your sweetheart a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (Valentine's Day) 2

    Download

    “Hey everybody, this is Reba McEntire, wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

     

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hi! This is Sam Hunt, wishing you a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Shania Twain (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hi, this is Shania Twain. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Tyler Hubbard (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey, it’s Tyler Hubbard, wishing y’all a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Maddie & Tae, Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Little Big Town, Alan Jackson

    Maddie & Tae will perform a pair of songs — “Bathroom Floor” and “Every Night Every Morning” on ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, hosted by Ryan Seacrest. Coming at you from multiple locations — New York, Disneyland, Los Angeles and New Orleans — the special, which kicks off at 8pm ET/7pm CT, will also feature performances by Ciara, Aly & AJ, Bailey Zimmerman, Ben Platt, Fitz and the Tantrums, Halle Bailey, Lauren Spencer Smith, Shaggy, TXT, Armani White, Betty Who, Dove Cameron, Finneas, Nicky Youre and Wiz Khalifa.

    https://twitter.com/MaddieandTae/status/1600152491894534144

    Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley and The War & Treaty are among the performers recently announced for CBS’ New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash. The special, which kicks off at 8pm ET/7pm CT, will also feature performances by Little Big Town, Sheryl Crow, Flo-Rida, Riley Green, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Steve Miller, Thomas Rhett, Lainey Wilson, Brooks & Dunn, Kelsea Ballerini and Zac Brown Band.

    Eric Church and Little Big Town are among the country stars performing in a new tribute show to Paul Simon. The two hour special, Homeward Bound: A GRAMMY Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon, will pay tribute to the iconic singer-songwriter. Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Brad Paisley, Rhiannon Giddens, Stevie Wonder, the Jonas Brothers, Dave Matthews and Sting will also perform during the special, which is set to air Wednesday (December 21st) at 9pm ET/8pm CT on CBS (and available to stream on demand on Paramount+).

    While celebrating his 43rd wedding anniversary with his wife, Denise, Alan Jackson also announced he became a grandfather to grandson Jack.

     

  • LITTLE BIG TOWN RELEASES VIDEO FOR “RICH MAN” FEATURING ACTOR CHARLES ESTEN.

    Little Big Town’s latest music video for their song “Rich Man” is available everywhere now, after making its Facebook world premiere.  Off their 10th studio album, Mr. Sun, “Rich Man” was written by LBT’s Jimi Westbrook over the course of the last decade. The video features Charles Esten (“Outer Banks,” “Nashville”), who plays the central role of a father in the emotionally poignant video.

    Produced and filmed by Running Bear Films in Nashville, TN, the video is a nostalgic film which pays homage to good men, hardworking people, and loving families everywhere. It tells the story of a young boy and his relationship with his father (Esten) over the course of time. Interwoven with a performance by Little Big Town, the video ends with a beautifully fitting twist: Westbrook himself playing the older grown-up version of the little boy.

     

    “‘Rich Man’ has a special place in my heart, and I’ve been touched by the response it’s gotten from the record and playing it on the road. We wanted the video to show the love of family, and love of a father. This song makes me think of my own dad, and I wanted to honor that as well as the heart I have for my son,” says Westbrook. “Making this with Charles, the other actors, and of course Karen, Kimberly, and Phillip, was really a labor of love.”

    Adds LBT’s Karen Fairchild: “‘Rich Man’ tells the story of how the deep roots of family ground us and give us the space to flourish and become who we are meant to be. True wealth is the story of this song.”

     

  • CHRISTMAS 2022: Little Big Town

    The members of Little Big Town have their own traditions, but one they’ve all seemed to have adopted is Kimberly Schlapman’s annual holiday tradition.

    “My favorite holiday tradition is, it’s happened every year that I can remember that I’ve been alive,” she says. “We would go over to my grandmother’s house and have Christmas over there, and everybody would come home to Mama and Daddy’s house. We’d sit down and Mama hands out everybody a gift, and we act like we don’t what it is, but we do ’cause it’s always Christmas pajamas. So, everybody opens their Christmas pajamas and goes and puts ’em on, and we come back to the living room and we sit around Daddy and he reads ‘The Christmas Story,’ and we tuck ourselves in until Santa comes.”

    One of Karen Fairchild’s traditions include making candy. “Christmases at our house usually included making candy with my mother and my grandmother,” says Karen. “We did everything from potato candy to chocolate dipped peanut butter (JIMI: “That all sounds amazing.”) and fudge. My mom’s fudge recipe is amazing.” KIMBERLY: “What is potato candy?” KAREN: “It does use a potato, but it’s rolled and it has peanut butter inside.”

    The Christmas holiday season for the group begins with movies and music. “One of our favorite Christmas traditions is gathering around the television to watch holiday movies,” says Karen. “And I know [for] Kimberly, it starts with [KIMBERLY: “It’s a Wonderful Life.”] It’s a Wonderful Life. Ours is holiday movies and records, like certain records have to be played in order for Jimi.”  Jimi is adamant about beginning with a certain artist. “You have to start out the season right with Elvis, a little Elvis Presley.”

    A couple of years ago, Kimberly released a children’s book, A DOLLY FOR CHRISTMAS: The True Story of a Family’s Christmas Miracle.  A DOLLY FOR CHRISTMAS celebrates the season’s themes of hope, love, and family as it explores a family’s adoption process. Inspired by Schlapman’s struggle to conceive her second child and how she and her family decided to adopt, the book delves into how Schlapman’s  first daughter wrote letters to Santa Claus about her desire for a sibling until the family was actually surprised by their new baby girl, Dolly, days before Christmas. In the story, all Daisy wants for Christmas is a little brother or sister. Her parents have tried everything to make her dream come true, but nothing is working. So Daisy takes matters into her own hands, praying every day and writing a letter to Santa Claus about her one and only wish. Daisy’s parents are touched by her strong belief and grateful for her help, but as they explain, sometimes you have to wait. God will give you the perfect gift when the time is right. In this heartwarming holiday tale, Schlapman shares the true story of the Christmas when her family became whole.

     

    Audio / LITTLE BIG TOWN'S KIMBERLY SCHLAPMAN AND HER FAMILY HAVE THEIR ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TRADITION.

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    LBT (Christmas) OC: …Santa comes. :28
    “My favorite holiday tradition is, it’s happened very year that I can remember that I’ve been alive. We would go over to my grandmother’s house and have Christmas over there, and everybody would come home to Mama and Daddy’s house. We’d sit down and Mama hands out everybody a gift, and we act like we don’t what it is, but we do ’cause it’s always Christmas pajamas. So, everybody opens their Christmas pajamas and goes and puts ’em on, and we come back to the living room and we sit around Daddy and he reads The Christmas Story. And we tuck ourselves in until Santa comes.”

    Audio / LITTLE BIG TOWN’S KAREN FAIRCHILD TALKS ABOUT MAKING CANDY AT CHRISTMAS WITH HER MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER.

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    LBT (Karen-candy making) OC: …peanut butter inside. :19
    “Christmases at our house usually included making candy with my mother and my grandmother. We did everything from potato candy to chocolate dipped peanut butter (JIMI: “That all sounds amazing.”) and fudge. My mom’s fudge recipe is amazing.” KIMBERLY: “What is potato candy?” KAREN: “It does use a potato, but it’s rolled and it has peanut butter inside.” 

    Audio / THE MEMBERS OF LITTLE BIG TOWN TALK ABOUT SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES AND HOLIDAY SPECIALS.

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    LBT (Holiday movies) OC: (Phillip) …whatever I touch. [LAUGHS] :38
    KAREN: “One of our favorite Christmas traditions is gathering around the television to watch holiday movies. And I know [for] Kimberly, it starts with [KIMBERLY: “It’s a Wonderful Life.”] It’s a Wonderful Life. Ours is holiday movies and records, like certain records have to be played in order for Jimi.” JIMI: “You have to start out the season right with Elvis, a little Elvis Presley.” KAREN: “I like the Charlie Brown Christmas movie.” KIMBERLY: “It’s sweet.” KAREN: “Yeah, it is sweet.” JIMI: “I like all those classic ones like the Rudolph and what is the one with the Abominable Snowman?” KIMBERLY: “Frosty, the Snowman?” PHILLIP: [sings] “I’m Mister Heat Miser/whatever I touch…” [LAUGHS] (The song is from the Claymation special ‘A Year Without a Santa Claus.’)