• REBA McENTIRE, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, LITTLE BIG TOWN, JOSH TURNER, MADDIE & TAE, PARKER McCOLLUM AND TYLER HUBBARD SOLO READS OF “TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.”

    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Reba McEntire.

    Audio / Reba McEntire reads "Twas The Night Before Christmas."

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    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Little Big Town.

    Audio / The members of Little Big Town on "Twas The Night Before Christmas."

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    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Carrie Underwood.

    Audio / Carrie Underwood reads "Twas The Night Before Christmas."

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    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Josh Turner.

    Audio / Josh Turner "Twas The Night Before Christmas."

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    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Maddie & Tae.

    Audio / Maddie & Tae "Twas The Night Before Christmas."

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    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Parker McCollum.

    Audio / Parker McCollum "Twas The Night Before Christmas."

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    Here’s a solo read of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” from Tyler Hubbard.

    Audio / Tyler Hubbard "Twas The Night Before Christmas."

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Brothers Osborne, Little Big Town, Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, Travis Denning

    Brothers Osborne will perform at the SEC Championship Concert in Atlanta on December 3rd beginning at Noon ET.

    https://twitter.com/brothersosborne/status/1593632869280276480

    Little Big Town will perform during The 24th Annual A Home For The Holidays at The Grove L.A. television special December 23rd at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CBS.

    Dierks Bentley and his partner Phil Keoghan, the Emmy-winning host of “The Amazing Race,” were crowned the champions of the first annual pickleball tournament “Pickled,” which aired last Thursday (November 17th) on CBS. They received their trophy — the Colbert Cup — when they appeared later that night on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

     

     

    Keith Urban and Tim McGraw are among the headliners at next years Boots and Hearts Festival, taking place August 10th-13th at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, Ontario, Canada. Travis Denning, Hardy and many more will also perform. Tickets are on sale now at bootsandhearts.com.

     

  • THANKSGIVING 2022

    The Thanksgiving holiday tradition traces its origins to a 1621 celebration at Plymouth, in the state that’s now known as Massachusetts. The 1621 Plymouth feast and thanksgiving was prompted by a good harvest. While initially, the Plymouth colony did not have enough food to feed half of the 102 colonists, the Wampanoag Native Americans helped the Pilgrims by providing seeds and teaching them to fish. The practice of holding an annual harvest festival like this did not become a regular affair in New England until the late 1660s. People now celebrate the holiday by giving thanks for their blessings over the past year, as well as feasting on turkey and other festive goodies.

    Some festive fun facts about Thanksgiving:

    • President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday on October 3rd, 1863.
    • Harry Truman is often credited with being the first president to pardon a turkey, but that’s not quite true. He was the first to receive a ceremonial turkey from the National Turkey Federation – and he had it for dinner. John F. Kennedy was the first to let a Thanksgiving turkey go, followed by Richard Nixon who sent his turkey to a petting zoo. George H.W. Bush is the president who formalized the turkey pardoning tradition in 1989.
    • The average number of calories consumed on Thanksgiving is 4,500.
    • Butterball answers more than 100,000 turkey-cooking questions via their Butterball Turkey Hotline each November and December.
    • The tradition of football on Thanksgiving began in 1876 with a game between Yale and Princeton. The first NFL games were played on Thanksgiving in 1920.
    • The Wednesday before Thanksgiving has become known as “Drinksgiving.” Bars experience a huge boom the night before the holiday.

    Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 24th, and most people might be enjoying time with a group of their friends and families, including some of your favorite country stars, such as Alan Jackson, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Catie Offerman, Caylee Hammack, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, Travis Denning, Tyler Hubbard and more. They share their thoughts of thanks this year, their lessons in gratitude, memories and favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

    Audio / Alan Jackson talks about his favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    AJ (Thanksgiving) OC: …enjoy it. :19
    “My favorite Thanksgiving dish would be the homemade dressin’ that we, cornbread-based kind of dressin’ that we always have with turkey. That recipe is a kind of a combination of my mama, and Denise has taken it and perfected it over the years, so that me and my children really enjoy it.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne talk about their favorite Thanksgiving tradition – a Misfits Thanksgiving -- that they started when they moved to Nashville because they couldn’t afford to go home for the holiday.

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    Brothers Osborne (Misfits Thanksgiving) OC: (TJ) …Happy holidays, y’all. 1:02
    “What’s up, y’all? It’s Brothers Osborne here. And a Thanksgiving tradition that we did for so many years. John and I would host what we would call a Misfits Thanksgiving, and we would have everyone, I mean we must’ve done this for 15 years or so and it really started because we didn’t have enough money to go back home to see our family, so we would hang out in Nashville. And so everyone that was kind of in our same shoes, we’d all end up at our house, and it really turned into really blossoming some of our most cherished relationships. We would be there with Kacey Musgraves. It was the first time I really got to hang out with Mickey Guyton (JOHN: “Maren Morris.”) Maren Morris. They would come over and we just became like family to each other because we couldn’t get home to see our own families. And that’s a Thanksgiving tradition that we still to this day try to keep, and it’s a revolving door of who’s there or who’s not there, but yeah, it’s a wonderful tradition. And let me tell you, spending it with our friends in Nashville, there’s a little less arguing than back home. (laughs)” JOHN: “We’re still arguing, but we get over it faster.” (laughs) TJ: “Anyways, Happy Holidays, y’all.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood says she and her family don’t have too many Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Carrie Underwood (Thanksgiving) OC: …the other one. :34
    “We don’t have too many set-in-stone Thanksgiving traditions. I find myself a lot of times working on or around Thanksgiving or unable to get home or whatever. We try to be together, but sometimes that just doesn’t work out. But yeah, I mean, I think it’s just about we eat. I eat a lot every year on Thanksgiving. [laughs] I never skip THAT tradition. But yeah, that’s the gist of it, and I’m kind of lucky. I get two Thanksgivings, because I also get to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with my husband’s family, so if I don’t hit one, I’ll definitely be able to get the other one.”

    Audio / Catie Offerman explains what she's most thankful for this holiday.

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    Catie Offerman (Thanksgiving) OC: …what I do. :17
    “I am so thankful for a lot of things. I think my family, the gift of being able to put music out this year has been huge for me. I think that’s something I’ve waited on for a really long time, and I’m so thankful for that. I’m thankful for my health and just being able to keep playing music and doing what I do.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack says Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday, because she gets to just spend time with her family.

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    Caylee Hammack (Thanksgiving) OC: …favorite holiday. :27
    “Thanksgiving is the one holiday where we stay at home. We stay at my family’s house, and it’s just me, my mom and dad, my brother and sister and their families. We all sit around and just eat all day. And I love Thanksgiving because you don’t have to worry about getting gifts for people; you don’t have to worry about wrapping them. You just show up and you eat all day with the people you love. So, I absolutely love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack talks about her favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    Caylee Hammack (Thanksgiving eats) OC: …cranberry jelly. :15
    “My favorite Thanksgiving meal (dish) is definitely cornbread dressing. My mom makes the best, er, some people call it stuffing, but I’ve always called it dressing for some reason. But I love that with canned cranberry jelly.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about his favorite part of Thanksgiving.

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    Darius Rucker (favorite part of Thanksgiving) OC: …my family. :17
    “My favorite part of Thanksgiving is easy – it’s food. It’s eating. It’s hanging out with family and getting some great food, ‘cause that’s really what Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for all of the great things you’ve got, and I always give thanks for the greatest thing I’ve got and that’s my family.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker says Thanksgiving Day is his favorite sporting day.

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    Darius Rucker (Thanksgiving Day favorite sporting day) OC: …big for me. :10
    “Thanksgiving Day is my favorite sports day of the year. It’s crazy how much football you get to watch (laughs) on Thanksgiving Day, so I really like that a lot. Thanksgiving is big for me.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley, who is thankful for his wife, two daughters and son, talks about his Thanksgiving must-have! It’s an oldie, but a goodie!

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    Dierks Bentley (Thanksgiving must-have) OC: …for Thanksgiving. :34
    “You gotta have a big turkey. Thanksgiving is not possible without a turkey. We cook it traditionally, but when we’re in, a couple of Thanksgivings ago, we were here in Nashville, we did the whole fry the turkey up, and it was great. It just tasted so good; all those juices get locked in there, and I love that too. You really can’t, to me, cook a turkey wrong. I’m gonna eat it any way, and I have over the years. Trust me, I’ve played a lot of county and state fairs, where I’ve seen gigantic turkey legs, you know, I’ve had the flat meat. I’ve done turkey every way you could do it. I’m pretty good any way you want to cook it up, but you’ve got to have a turkey for Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / Eric Church says he’s thankful for his family as well as for his fans.

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    Eric Church (Thanksgiving) OC: …want to do it. :23
    “A couple of things. I’m thankful for my family and great health. And I’m thankful for from a career standpoint, I’m very thankful for the success we’ve had lately. I’m thankful for what the fans have done. I mean there’s a lot of stuff to be thankful for in that regard. And I’m thankful that I was given the opportunity to do it my own way. I’m thankful that I’m going to get to keep doing this and do it the way that I want to do it.”

    Audio / Jon Langston talks about his Thanksgiving tradition.

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    Jon Langston (Thanksgiving) OC: …pretty cool. :21
    “We always watch football on Thanksgiving. It was pretty cool in high school. It was a big deal in high school if you had practice on Thanksgiving Day because you made third round of the playoffs. So, in high school we always had practice on Thanksgiving, so I guess that was pretty cool. Everybody’s waking up on a cold Thanksgiving morning going to football practice, but yeah, pretty cool.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi lists all of the things he’s thankful for, including the fans, his wife and country radio.

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    Jon Pardi (Thanksgiving) OC: …miss them. :31
    “I’m so thankful for all the fans that showed up at my concerts this year. There was a lot of concerts. There was a lot of fans. We always had a good time. I know the crowd did. It was a tough year, but we made it through it and that’s something to celebrate. And also my amazing wife Summer – thankful for her. And just being a part of country music. I’m thankful for that too, and country radio…and all the people at UMG that I don’t get to see a lot, but I still miss them.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about his childhood Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving) OC: …lot of football. :12
    “When I was growing up at Thanksgiving, we just got all the family together. You know, did the traditional turkey, ham, all the sides, but it was always at either one of my grandparents’ house. Just a lot of family, a lot of food and a lot of football.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis says his favorite Thanksgiving side dish is green bean casserole.

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    Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving side dish) OC: …look forward to. :12
    “favorite side dish for Thanksgiving is green bean casserole, just the regular green beans from a can, nothing fancy, just do it the old-fashioned way. But that’s the thing I most look forward to.”

    Audio / Josh Turner shares his favorite Thanksgiving side dish.

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    Josh Turner (fave side dish) OC: …’em myself. [laughs] :24
    “Uh, deviled eggs! [laughs] Where I’m from in South Carolina, I don’t think I’ve tasted a bad deviled egg. It’s like everybody has their own twist on it, but they’re all good, but I always loved it when my mama made ‘em. I’m learning as I get older, making deviled eggs is no easy task. It’s more complicated than it looks, and so that’s probably why I never made ‘em myself.” [laughs]

    Audio / Josh Turner explains what he enjoys about the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

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    Josh Turner (holidays) OC: …the peace and quiet. :38
    “I love being outside in nature and the outdoors, and the holidays is a great time for me to go and partake in that part of my life. A lot of times, Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s a little cold to go fishing, but when it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s a great time to go hunting, especially in South Carolina, that’s when the temperatures are starting to drop and the conditions are getting right, and especially in November, kind of the tail end of the rut, as far as deer season. So, it’s a good time to get in the deer stand whether you kill anything or not, it’s just a great time to just get away from everything and get away from the noise and the lights and the diesel fumes [laughs] and just relax and just enjoy the peace and quiet.”

    Audio / Keith Urban gives thanks for many things, including his wife and two daughters.

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    Keith (Thanksgiving) OC: …for me. :21
    “Thankful that, well, my marriage is just, it’s life-giving, not just life-changing, it’s been life-giving for me. And from there, we created life, and that’s just beautiful, absolutely beautiful. And the effect that all of that has had in my work, has given life to it too, given it a sense of purpose and really deepened the experience for me.”

    Audio / Kip Moore says he usually goes home to Georgia for Thanksgiving.

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    Kip Moore (Thanksgiving) OC: …with them. :11
    “I [usually] go home for Thanksgiving. I love going home to see all them. I have five brothers and sisters and it’s a blast to go home and just catch up on their lives. I get so wrapped up in all this that I lose touch sometimes, and it’s cool to hear everything going on with them.”

    Audio / The members of Little Big Town love Thanksgiving since they get time off to be with their families.

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    LBT (Thanksgiving) 2 OC: (Kimberly) …and eat. :31
    KIMBERLY: “Thanksgiving—we love Thanksgiving, ‘cause we get to be with our families and we don’t often get to spend time with our families, our extended families, until the holidays. I love being around the table with my family and talking and laughing and cooking and eating…” JIMI: “And eating and eating and eating and eating…” PHILLIP: “The laughter around the eating, the good cheer, the celebration, the music…” JIMI: “The eating, going taking a nap, then coming back and eating.” KIMBERLY: “Go to bed with a full belly, take a nap, and then get up and eat.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about how thankful he is and his plans for the Thanksgiving holiday.

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    Luke Bryan (Thanksgiving) OC: …and family. :30
    “Thanksgiving every year I go to my farm in Georgia, and we float on the Flint River and bass fish, and we do some quail hunting, but most importantly, we’re together as a family. I’m thankful every year to have the ability to go be with my family and reflect on another great year in the business, and I’m so thankful for health and I’m so thankful that I’ve been able to enjoy this career for so many years with so many friends and family.”

    Audio / Maddie & Tae talk about their Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Maddie & Tae (Thanksgiving) OC: (TAE) …I do. :41
    MADDIE: “I love Thanksgiving because I get to see my family, and it’s not as much pressure as Christmas I feel like because there are no gifts exchanged. It’s just all about quality time and I love quality time. My favorite dish is some broccoli-cheese casserole and Tae’s favorite dish, I know, is cranberry sauce, just plain. Just plain ole cranberry sauce, no turkey, just cranberry sauce.” TAE: “She knows.” MADDIE: “That’s it.” TAE: “I genuinely feel there’s something wrong with me. (MADDIE: “Out of the can.”) out of the can. My parents know just to have cranberry sauce for me, like no one else can touch it. There’s a home video where my brother Mason tries to eat it, and I’m like, ‘What are you doing? This is mine.’” MADDIE: “She eats it out of the can.” TAE: “I do.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton talks about one of her favorite Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Mickey Guyton (Thanksgiving traditions) OC: …Thanksgiving traditions. :17
    “One of my Thanksgiving traditions is playing charades after Thanksgiving dinner. I’m not the most competitive person in the world, but as soon as you put some Charades in the picture, I am crazy, and you will definitely want to be on my team if we’re playing Charades. I’m just saying. So, that’s one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton reveals her favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    Mickey Guyton (favorite Thanksgiving dish) OC: …both so much! :39
    “My favorite Thanksgiving dish that has to, has to, has to be at Thanksgiving dinner is dessert. Dessert is my favorite Thanksgiving dish. I mean, it doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it’s sweet. My mom actually makes an Italian cream cake that’s absolutely awesome. It’s homemade, and the entire family, that’s the first thing to go at Thanksgiving dinner. And my Grandma D, she makes a pecan pie that is awesome. She taught me how to make them when I was little, and I just love them, and that’s the other thing that I look forward to at Thanksgiving dinner, and I love them both so much!”

    Audio / Parker McCollum talks about his family’s Thanksgiving tradition.

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    Parker McCollum (Thanksgiving tradition) OC: …go there. :27
    “I mean, my parents have been split up for a long time, but they’re all from the same town. My mom and dad went to high school together and all that stuff and all the family still lives back there on both sides. So, we kind of do a Thanksgiving with my dad’s side of the family, but all my life, we’ve always gone to my mom’s parents’ house on Thanksgiving, and they got a big ole house and a bunch of property and it’s really where I grew up is right there. That’s kind of home for me, so that’s kind of our thing. We always go there.”

    Audio / One of Parker McCollum’s favorite dishes at Thanksgiving is his Aunt’s creamed corn.

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    Parker McCollum (Thanksgiving eats) OC: …creamed corn. Mmm hmmm. :04
    “My Aunt’s creamed corn is pretty bomb. I love creamed corn. Mmm hmmm.”

    Audio / Priscilla Block describes a typical Thanksgiving holiday with her family.

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    Priscilla Block (Thanksgiving) OC: …so much. :34
    “Thanksgiving has always been chaos, actually any holiday that my entire family is there is straight chaos. But for Thanksgiving, we all try so hard to be together and it’s such a fun holiday to, my family’s a little cheesy. Like, we actually still go around the table and being like, ‘What are you thankful for?’ ‘What are you thankful for?’ So, that means a lot where it’s not about presents, it’s not about anything else. It’s just about truly being thankful, and that’s why I love Thanksgiving so much.”

    Audio / Reba McEntire shows gratitude for her life every day.

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    Reba McEntire (Thankful) OC: …happy camper. :39
    “Omigosh I wake up in the morning grateful that I can, that I’m alive, I can breathe, I can move, I can get out of bed on my own. (I’m) very grateful for the lifestyle that I have and if anybody needs help, please Lord please, direct me in what you want me to do. Just grateful for getting Rex in my life, my family being healthy and happy, my friends being healthy and happy. I’ve got a great job and people I love and get to work with, and I’ve got a huge faith. So, no matter what happens to me, I know where I’m going, so I’m a happy camper.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about his favorite Thanksgiving eats.

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    Sam Hunt (Thanksgiving eats) OC: …disappears. :12
    “When I pile my plate up, it’s mostly turkey and then I’ll put a little dressing on the side, and I’ll usually go ahead and grab my dessert on the first run [laughs] and have it ready before it all disappears.”

    Audio / Travis Denning talks about a typical Thanksgiving holiday growing up.

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    Travis Denning (typical Thanksgiving holiday) OC: …a lot of people. :22
    “A typical Thanksgiving growing up was essentially and the men of the family – Dad and Uncle Mike and my granddaddy — watching football, while grandmama and my mom pretty much yelled at each other in the kitchen the whole day. But they threw down and made the best food you could ever imagine, which you know is kind of how it is for a lot of people.”

    Audio / Travis Denning lists his Thanksgiving must-haves.

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    Travis Denning (Thanksgiving menu) OC: …then beer. :17
    “The ideal Thanksgiving menu to me is a little bit of turkey, but definitely prioritizing ham. I’m a firm believer in ham at Thanksgiving. Squash casserole, broccoli casserole, stuffing and then beer.”

    Audio / Tyler Hubbard explains why he’s so grateful this Thanksgiving.

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    Tyler Hubbard (Thanksgiving 2022) OC: …blessing for sure. 1:13
    “I’m just super thankful to kind of be in a place of, I guess I feel like we’ve made it through the thick—we kept calling it, ‘Man, we’re in the thick of it.’ We had a rough last couple of years, you know, my wife and I and family, getting through the pandemic, injuries, we had our third baby, the big transition career-wise – so everything at once, it felt like our world was somewhat collapsing. So now we’re in this stage of the rebuild, and not only can we see the light at the end of the tunnel, it almost feels like we’re there. So, I just look around every day lately and I’m just so grateful to be able to be back on tour, able to play shows, my kids are healthy, we’re all happy and in a good place and getting into a rhythm and having a good balance in our life between work and family and just feeling really good. So, as I’m approaching Thanksgiving here, I’m just really kind of looking back and reflecting on this last year and how different it was last year and even the year before that, and just how grateful I am to be able to be making music and doing what I love and also being really present as a dad and getting to watch these kids grow up. It’s really a cool blessing for sure.”

    Audio / Tyler Hubbard talks about his favorite Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Tyler Hubbard (Thanksgiving) OC: …I love it. :22
    “Favorite Thanksgiving tradition for me is probably just getting together with family, having a big meal and watching a little football and taking a nice long nap. I mean, we didn’t reinvent the wheel with Thanksgiving by any means. But my Nanny (grandmother) does make a pretty mean sweet potato casserole, so that’s one of my favorites that I look forward to and I don’t know if that’s a tradition or not, but in my head it is. I love it.”

  • COUNTRY STARS ALAN JACKSON, GEORGE STRAIT, JON PARDI, JORDAN DAVIS, KACEY MUSGRAVES, KEITH URBAN, LITTLE BIG TOWN, LUKE BRYAN, MADDIE & TAE, REBA MCENTIRE, SAM HUNT AND TYLER HUBBARD JOIN FORCES FOR FIRST RESPONDERS CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION.

    As part of Gaylord Opryland Resort’s 39th annual A Country Christmas event, Universal Music Group Nashville is hosting Parade of Trees, a display where their world-renowned artists have come together to showcase Christmas trees decorated by Grand Ole Opry members Alan Jackson, Keith Urban, Little Big Town and Reba McEntire, along with George Strait, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Kacey Musgraves, Luke Bryan, Maddie & Tae, Sam Hunt and Tyler Hubbard.

    Along with their trees, country music’s biggest stars have each donated “Once in a Lifetime” VIP experiences (fly-aways, VIP concert experiences, exclusive merchandise and more) all to benefit First Responders Children’s Foundation. Proceeds raised will provide scholarships and mental health services to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty including a new collaboration with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® for the local Monroe Carell Jr Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

    “The holidays are a special time when people come together to celebrate and be thankful for their blessings,” said Reba McEntire. “This holiday season, I’m thankful I can help raise awareness for the First Responders Children’s Foundation, which supports the children and families of first responders who risk their lives every day to serve our communities. I hope everyone will go to charitystars.com/paradeoftrees to enter to win and support the families of this wonderful organization.”

    The Parade of Trees is on display in the resort’s Garden Conservatory and Cascades Atrium now until January 10, 2023, as a self-guided tour of the Christmas trees decorated specifically to the artist’s style or album theme. Each VIP experience will be available for bid online at www.CharityStars.com/ParadeOfTrees until January 10, 2023. Some of the themes and experiences this year include Reba McEntire’s red, green, and gold tree celebrating her Christmas album, The Ultimate Christmas Collection, paired with a VIP trip to New York City to see her live at Madison Square Garden; Keith Urban’s tree representing his song “Wild Hearts” (and Live In Las Vegas flyaway, including travel and accommodations, a meet and greet, and hand-signed personalized guitar); Maddie & Tae’s “Every Night Every Morning” themed tree (and Disney World Weekend Getaway including flights, hotel, passes, and signed merch), and Luke Bryan’s “Country On” themed tree (and Las Vegas VIP Experience including flights, hotel, VIP entrance, preshow toast with Luke, and signed memorabilia). Other artist packages include VIP festival experiences, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade getaways, stadium flyaways, exclusive numbered prints, signed guitars, custom toy packages from Mattel, and more. The complete listings can be viewed at www.charitystars.com/paradeoftrees.  Guests visiting Gaylord Opryland Resort can scan QR codes at each tree location to donate and gain access to win the designated artist’s VIP prize package, and fans can also bid on the sweepstakes online.

  • THANKSGIVING 2022 LINERS

    Audio / LINER AJ (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hi! This is Alan Jackson. I hope y’all have a very happy Thanksgiving out there.”

    Audio / LINER Billy Currington (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey Guys, I’m Billy Currington. Have a great Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey! This is TJ, and this is John, and we’re wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!”

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hi! I’m Carrie Underwood, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey y’all, it’s Catie Offerman, wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Thanksgiving)

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    :Hey y’all This is Caylee Hammack, wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Chrissy Metz (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey, This is Chrissy Metz, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey y’all! What’s up? This is Darius Rucker, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!”

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Thanksgiving) 1

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    “Hey! It’s Dierks Bentley! Happy Thanksgiving!”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey folks! It’s Eric Church, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER George Strait (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hi! This is George Strait, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Hootie & the Blowfish (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey everybody, what’s up? We’re Hootie & the Blowfish, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Langston (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey y’all, I’m Jon Langston, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey! It’s Jon Pardi, wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey I’m Jordan Davis. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey y’all I’m Josh Turner, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Kacey Musgraves (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey! It’s Kacey Musgraves, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Thanksgiving)

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    “Happy Thanksgiving everybody. It’s Keith Urban here. I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all of you listening for your incredible love and support that I’ve received over the last year, and to wish you and all of your family all the very best for this holiday.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Thanksgiving) 2

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    “Hey everyone, this is Keith Urban, wanting to wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Kip Moore (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey what’s up guys, this is Kip Moore wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER LBT (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey, we’re Little Big Town. Happy Thanksgiving!”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey! It’s Luke Bryan, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Happy Thanksgiving)

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

    Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey everybody! I’m Maddie, and I’m Tae, and we’re Maddie & Tae, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Mickey Guyton (Happy Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey! It’s Mickey Guyton here, and I want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey everybody. I’m Parker McCollum, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Priscilla Block (Thanksgiving)

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    “ Hi! This is Priscilla Block, wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey everybody! This is Reba McEntire, wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey everybody! This is Sam Hunt, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Travis Denning (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey y’all! It’s Travis Denning, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Travis Denning, Little Big Town

    Travis Denning will perform during Tracy Lawrence’s 17th Annual “Mission: Possible Turkey Fry” benefit concert November 22nd at Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon. This year’s annual turkey fry, which happens earlier that day, has moved to the Nashville Fairgrounds where Tracy is estimating they’ll serve a record-breaking 9,600 meals.

    Little Big Town will perform during the 24th Annual Home For The Holidays At The Grove adoption special. Hosted by Gloria Estefan, the special features stories of adoption from foster care in hopes of raising awareness about the issue. The broadcast shines a light on the thousands of American children in foster care and has helped inspire tens of thousands of adoptions. David Foster, Katherine McPhee and Andy Grammar will also perform during A Home For The Holidays At The Grove special, airing December 23rd at 8pm ET on CBS (also available to stream on Paramount +).

     

  • GEORGE STRAIT TO HEADLINE BUCKEYE COUNTRY SUPERFEST WITH CHRIS STAPLETON AND SPECIAL GUESTS LITTLE BIG TOWN.

    Buckeye Country Superfest has announced a top-tier lineup for 2023, with George Strait headlining the annual event at Ohio Stadium on May 27th, 2023. Appearing alongside the King of Country is one of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians, Chris Stapleton, plus special guests, Grammy Award-winning band Little Big Town and rising star Warren Zeiders. 2023 will mark the sixth year for Buckeye Country Superfest at Ohio Stadium, following a record-setting attendance of over 63,000 fans in 2022.

    Tickets go on sale this Saturday, Nov. 19, at 10 a.m. ET at BuckeyeCountrySuperfest.com. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 10 a.m. ET through Friday, Nov. 18 at 10 p.m. ET.

    The festival announcement follows the recent news that Strait and Stapleton will team up for one-off stadium shows in only six markets next summer, with Little Big Town also joining them for those dates. Tickets to the 2023 concerts in Phoenix, Milwaukee, Seattle, Denver, Nashville (two nights) and Tampa are on sale now via GeorgeStrait.com.

    “When I walk through those curtains and see those smiling faces, my feet don’t touch the ground again ‘til I walk back out and get on that bus that got me there. That’s from a song I wrote called ‘I’ll Always Remember You.’ It’s a true statement,” Strait shared exclusively with Billboard of the recent announcement.

    “I love doing these shows with George about as much as I like doing anything. There’s nothing to compare it to,” added Stapleton. “So many of his songs are in the ethos of what country music is. Playing these shows together is a great experience all the way around.”

     

     

  • THE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION AND ABC CELEBRATE COUNTRY MUSIC’S BIGGEST NIGHT™ WITH SPECIAL PROGRAMMING LEADING INTO “THE 56th ANNUAL CMA AWARDS.”

    With just a few days to go until Country Music’s Biggest Night™, the Country Music Association and ABC will celebrate with a variety of special programming leading into “The 56th Annual CMA Awards,” airing Wednesday, November 9th (8:00-11:00 PM/EST), on ABC. Country Music fans will have a front-row seat to the lives of Country stars around the world.

     

     

    “ON THE RED CARPET: COUNTDOWN TO THE CMA AWARDS” – SATURDAY, NOV. 5,
    AND SUNDAY, NOV. 6
    (check local listings)
    On Saturday, Nov. 5, and Sunday, Nov. 6, ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles’ entertainment reporter George Pennacchio hosts “On The Red Carpet: Countdown to the CMA Awards,” a 30-minute special from Nashville featuring exclusive interviews with CMA Awards nominees Miranda Lambert, LOCASH, Maddie & Tae and Lainey Wilson.

    “ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY” – SATURDAY, NOV. 5 (9:00 AM-12:00 PM/EDT, ESPN)
    CMA Awards host Luke Bryan joins ESPN’s “College GameDay” as Celebrity Guest Picker on Saturday, Nov. 5. “College GameDay” visits Athens, GA, for the Tennessee vs. Georgia game.

    “MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL WITH PEYTON AND ELI” – MONDAY, NOV. 7 (8:15 PM/EST)
    On Monday, Nov. 7, ESPN2 and ESPN+ present “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli” as Peyton Manning welcomes his CMA Awards co-host Luke Bryan as a special guest.

    “ON THE ROAD TO THE CMA AWARDS” – MONDAY, NOV. 7 (10:00-11:00 PM/EST)
    On Monday, Nov. 7, ABC News’ annual special is hosted by Country Music superstar Luke Bryan. ABC News teams travel across the globe to three different continents—Australia, Europe and North America—for a behind-the-scenes look at some of today’s top Country Music stars. “On the Road to the CMA Awards” explores the highs and lows of life on tour, including the more private offstage moments, while meeting artists’ most passionate and loyal fans. Featured artists include Kane Brown, Russell Dickerson, Wynonna Judd, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Carly Pearce and Lainey Wilson.

    “JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!” – TUESDAY, NOV. 8 AND WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9 (11:35 PM/EST)
    Don’t miss Country Music acts joining “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for very special performances. CMA Award nominee BRELAND visits the show on Tuesday, Nov. 8, to perform. And this year’s CMA Awards top-nominated artist with six nods, Lainey Wilson, takes the stage to perform on Wednesday, Nov. 9.

    “GOOD MORNING AMERICA” – WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9 AND THURSDAY, NOV. 10 (7:00-9:00 AM/EST) 
    “Good Morning America” returns to Nashville for special CMA Awards coverage with Will Reeve on Wednesday, Nov. 9 and with Lara Spencer on Thursday, Nov. 10. Reeve will be with Country Music superstar and 13-time CMA Awards winner Keith Urban as he takes the Bridgestone Plaza stage bright and early on Wednesday, Nov. 9. Plus, CMA Awards hosts Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning will share a behind-the-scenes look at rehearsals ahead of Country Music’s Biggest Night. Fans can also catch an early reveal of the CMA Awards winners for Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year during GMA’s broadcast. The next morning, join Lara Spencer for behind-the-scenes interviews with the night’s CMA Award winners.

    “ON THE RED CARPET LIVE AT THE CMA AWARDS” – WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9 (6:30-8:00 PM/EST – streaming on Hulu/check local listings)
    On Wednesday, Nov. 9, “On The Red Carpet” will feature live pre-show coverage of this year’s CMA Awards outside of Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Streaming on OnTheRedCarpet.com, beginning at 6:30 PM/ET.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Eric Church, Kylie Morgan, Little Big Town, Priscilla Block, Mickey Guyton

    Eric Church shared a fast action, first look video of a banner going up in front of his bar on Broadway in downtown Nashville. Chiefs is set to open some time next year.

     

    Kylie Morgan will celebrate the release of her new EP Songs to Say I Do by hosting a party at David’s Bridal in Franklin, Tennessee (south of Nashville) on Thursday (November 3rd). She will perform tracks from the Songs to Say I Do EP, including the viral TikTok hit, “Bridesmaids.”

    Little Big Town performed the National Anthem at Game 2 of Major League Baseball’s World Series between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies.

     

    Priscilla Block and Mickey Guyton are among the rotating list of artists opening select dates for Shania Twain‘s upcoming The Queen Of Me Tour, launching next April.  Kelsea Ballerini, Breland, Lindsey Ell, Hailey Whitters and Robyn Ottolini are also on the bill. The Queen Of Me Tour goes on sale Friday (November 4th), 10am local time.

     

    https://twitter.com/priscillablock/status/1586041473971400705

     

     

     

  • GEORGE STRAIT AND CHRIS STAPLETON TEAM UP TO PLAY ONLY SIX MARKETS, SUMMER 2023; FEATURING LITTLE BIG TOWN.

    Fans of George Strait will have six major opportunities to see the King of Country live in 2023, alongside one of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians, Chris Stapleton, for one-off stadium dates in Phoenix, Seattle, Denver, Milwaukee, Nashville and Tampa. Joining 89x Platinum music icon Strait and eight-time GRAMMY-winner Stapleton for all dates are special guests, Little Big Town.

    Tickets to all shows go on sale next Friday, November 4th at 10am local time at GeorgeStrait.com. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Wednesday, October 26th at 10am local time through Thursday, November 3rd at 10pm local time.

    “When I walk through those curtains and see those smiling faces, my feet don’t touch the ground again ‘til I walk back out and get on that bus that got me there. That’s from a song I wrote called ‘I’ll Always Remember You.’ It’s a true statement,” Strait shared exclusively with Billboard of the announcement. “When we talked about doing these six shows next year with Chris, it was a no brainer for me. I was all in.”

    “I love doing these shows with George about as much as I like doing anything. There’s nothing to compare it to,” adds Stapleton. “So many of his songs are in the ethos of what country music is. Playing these shows together is a great experience all the way around.”

    George Strait w/ Chris Stapleton & special guests Little Big Town 2023 Stadium Shows:
    May 6              Glendale, Ariz.  ||  State Farm Stadium
    June 3              Milwaukee, Wisc.  ||  American Family Field
    June 17            Seattle, Wash.  ||  Lumen Field
    June 24            Denver, Colo.  ||  Empower Field at Mile High Stadium
    July 29            Nashville, Tenn.  ||  Nissan Stadium
    Aug. 5             Tampa, Fla.  ||  Raymond James Stadium

    Since his record-breaking Cowboy Rides Away Tour wrapped in 2014, Strait has performed for limited engagements, including appearances in 2021 headlining both weekends of the Austin City Limits Music Festival as well as Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium. He also extended his Strait to Vegas series at T-Mobile Arena earlier this year along with headlining shows at Little Rock’s Simmons Bank Arena and Kansas City’s GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in addition to returning to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for his 31st performance at the event and headlining back-to-back nights in Austin for the Moody Center’s grand opening celebration.

    As previously announced, Strait will also perform in his home state of Texas this fall for a two-night stand at Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena on Friday, November 18th and Saturday, November 19th, 2022. The two shows sold out within just hours of going on sale to the public this spring. In addition, he will return to Las Vegas for his Strait to Vegas series once again, gracing the stage at his T-Mobile Arena home away from home for the 35th and 36th times on Friday, December 2nd and Saturday, December 3rd.

     

    Audio / Little Big Town lists their favorite George Strait songs.

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    LBT (Strait songs) OC: …Mmmm hmmmm. :39
    “We have so many George Strait songs we love that we literally cannot pick. ‘The Chair.’ Yes! ‘Sweet Adalina,’ ‘Give It Away,’ ‘Nobody in Her Right Mind Would’ve Left Her,’ ‘I Saw God Today,’ ‘Ocean Front Property,’ ‘All My Exes Live In Texas,’ ‘Love Without End, Amen,’ ‘Blue Clear Sky,’ ‘So Good in Love.’ ‘You Look So Good in Love’ (Jimi sings it). That’s a rolling in the haystack song. That was definitely on the ‘Rolling In The Haystack’ Mixtape.” KAREN: hmm mmmmm.