Newcomer Josh Ross has had a helluva 2023 with signing with UMG Nashville, releasing new songs, hitting the road with Nickelback, Bailey Zimmerman and many other shows. Since he’s been touring so much this year, he’s barely spent any time at home with his family back in Canada, so he’s looking forward to having several days with his family.

“This year’s been a really exciting year with touring and releasing new music and being on the road,” says Josh. “I haven’t really got to spend a lot of days at home especially in a row, so I get to go home home, which will be Ontario, Canada, and spend time with Mom, Dad, grandparents, brother and sisters and nieces and nephews and just kind of catch up on all of the things that I kind of got to miss this year. Luckily, I have Facetime and stuff like that, but actually being there with them is going to be great.”

Josh says one of the main things that would get him in the Christmas spirit growing up was cutting down the family Christmas tree. “The thing for me that would always solidify that Christmas is happening is we’d go and cut a tree down,” he says. “So, my mom, dad, myself and we used to take the dog that I had as a child, we’d all go out and cut a tree down, and that’s just like a Canadian thing. I think here we import the Northern trees, so the ornaments stay on them, but up there that’s what we got to do, so that’s something I’ll always remember as a kid year after year would get me in the spirit.”

One year, he was all into asking Santa for a PlayStation 2, but the fact was, he was never truly into playing video games, but he’d rather be playing outdoors. “All my friends had video games, and I was never very, very big into video games,” he says. “I was more like the go outside and play type, and honestly, this is really what speaks to me as a person now with different things in life, but I really wanted a PlayStation 2 and I remember like that was the big thing that I wanted. And I got a PlayStation 2, and I bet you I only played it for like a couple of weeks and then I was back to outside playing, and really just wasn’t super interested in it. I think that kind of still speaks to me today is I’d much rather be in the outdoors and not necessarily in front of a screen.”

One of Josh’s favorite holiday memories is when his older sister would come home from college. “So, my sister is 12 years older than myself, so she moved out West to go to school when I was like six-years-old,” he says. “She used to always come home during Christmas. I never knew when because I was young and didn’t really understand how the calendar worked, but I always remembered that my sister would fly home and come wake me up and like would always surprise me. So, that’s definitely one of my favorite Christmas memories is when my sister would come home from out West.”

Josh hasn’t watched a lot of Christmas movies, since he’s mostly a guy who likes to spend his time outdoors or on the road. However, he did finally watch the classic Elf all the way through for the first time this past week. “We were talking about Christmas movies, and I think I said I watched Elf all the way through. Now I understand what the World’s Best Coffee Shop means and all this kind of stuff and people have all these jokes around Christmas time.”

He has watched The Grinch several times, and in fact, it was one of his favorite movies growing up. There’s a little twist–he has a pretty cool connection to the film’s main star, actor Jim Carrey. He recently revealed that “fun fact,” and the reactions were priceless. “It’s funny, The Grinch was one of my favorite movies, and that was one that I watched, and I got to fill people in, I was like, ‘Well, my mom used to date ‘The Grinch.’’ And everybody was like, ‘Wait! What do you mean?’ And my mom’s boyfriend in high school was Jim Carrey. So, it’s kind of a cool, I guess, fun fact that most people would not know is he grew up in Burlington, Ontario and went to Aldershot High School, and he was my mom’s ninth grade, or freshman year, boyfriend.”

Josh will kick off his headlining trek, The Trouble Tour, on January 12th in Winnipeg, Canada and will continue throughout the year, interspersed between dates on the Bailey Zimmerman Religiously The Tour.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), today announced that The War And Treaty will perform God Bless America at the 21^st annual Tribute to the Troops, which airs Friday, December 8 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. The event will take place in Providence, R.I. at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.

GRAMMY nominated duo The War And Treaty are husband-and-wife pair Michael and Tanya Trotter. Michael served in the US Army from 2003 to 2007, where he was stationed in Iraq from 2004 to 2007 and won “Military Idol” during his term.

Since its inception in 2003, WWE’s Tribute to the Troops has honored our U.S. service members, veterans and their families for their continued sacrifice and commitment to our country and is widely considered one of television’s most patriotic and heartwarming shows of the year.

WWE has a multi-decade commitment to the U.S. Armed Forces, which includes visiting nearly 400 military installations throughout the world, offering all U.S. military personnel free tickets to WWE live events, and has partnered with military organizations, such as Hire Heroes USA. WWE currently supports the USO and tells stories of heroism and valor of our nation’s bravest through the company’s partnership with National Medal of Honor Museum to make an impact in the community.

The War And Treaty has emerged as one of the most electrifying new acts in American music. Recently earning their first ever GRAMMY nominations for Best New Artist and Best American Roots Song, plus nominations and recognition from the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Americana Music Association including earning their second straight AMA Duo/Group of the Year honor. The War And Treaty has captivated audiences across the globe and next year, the celebrated pair hits the road with Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan, and more.

Kassi Ashton grew up in a rural town called California, Missouri, and she took ballet and other dance classes for many years. So, one of her favorite Christmas memories include being in The Nutcracker every year. “One of my favorite Christmas traditions growing up was always being a part of The Nutcracker,” says Kassi. “[I took] ballet my entire life, and now that I’ve graduated and moved on, I go see The Nutcracker at the Nashville Ballet every year. I can’t wait to have a little girl some day and put her in ballet class.”

Kassi loves Christmas music, especially the holiday classics. “My favorite thing about Christmas hands down is Christmas music. I start playing eh, the day after Thanksgiving usually, if not a little sooner. I love the classics – Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, anything that you know by heart and you don’t have to really think about. Christmas songs are the best,” she says. “My favorite Christmas song is ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ by Judy Garland in the key of G, because that’s my key [laughs], and I can sing along perfectly.” [laughs]

In 2020, Kassi mixed melancholy and hope beautifully to deliver a stirring rendition of the Dolly Parton classic “Hard Candy Christmas.” Written by Carol Hall for the Broadway musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which later became a movie starring Parton, “Hard Candy Christmas” serves as testimony that while things may be tough right now, it will get better.

Keith Urban and his family, including wife Nicole Kidman and daughters Sunday and Faith, usually head Down Under for the holiday, visiting family and hitting the beach, which is what he did on Christmas Day when he was a kid.

“We had great Christmases growing up. I really, really enjoyed them,” says Keith. “Mostly, we’d go to the beach, you know, ’cause there it’s summertime. Load up the station wagon and head off to the beach.”

He and his family still love to do that when they’re in Australia since it’s summer there. “We still love going to the beach at Christmas time, as long as we’re in Australia, because it’s like the Fourth of July. It’s huge. Everybody’s out. It feels very celebratory. It’s in the ‘90s. It’s crazy, but having grown up with that, it feels very natural to me. Albeit it, we still had all of the same Christmas songs, so we’re in like 90-degree heat with shorts and tank tops singing ‘Walking in a Winter Wonderland,’ and I remember getting Christmas cards of like Santa on a surfboard, so that probably explains a lot.”

Keith also enjoys a holiday movie or two. “I love A Christmas Story, that’s a good one, and It’s a Wonderful Life, of course. I have one of my main guitars is called Clarence, and it’s named after the angel (in It’s a Wonderful Life), and then for some reason, I swear, no matter what you’re doing flicking around the TV, but you’re gonna land on Charlie Brown (Christmas). I don’t know how that happens, but it happens every year.”

One of his favorite Christmas gifts as a child was a toy that was not easy to tear up. “I got a yellow Tonka truck when I was about 6, I think, and it’s probably still (one of) my favorite Christmas gift ever. Those things last forever, too.”

Keith released his first Christmas song, “I’ll Be Your Santa Tonight,” a few years ago (see video below).

Luke Bryan is still having a great time as a judge on his seventh season on ABC’s American Idol, along with his fellow co-stars, host Ryan Seacrest and judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. He truly wants to make the show a great experience for those in the competition, as well as those watching at home.

“I think when you look at we’re on our seventh year of American Idol, with, obviously, Ryan and Katy and Lionel,” says Luke. “I mean, we all know each other. We’re comfortable with each other. There’s no worry about where we’re going with this. We just go and really focus on making the show great for the kids and the people watching at home. I think it’s one of the few shows left out there that you can sit down with your family and really enjoy it and not have to stress about the content. It feels good. It feels great. It’s the American Dream happening in front of these kids, and it’s just a pleasure showing up and working my crew. From the people on camera to the people behind the scenes, it’s just a great show from top to bottom.”

The 22nd season and seventh on ABC is set to premiere on Sunday, February 18th.

Luke is currently poised to climb to the top of the country charts with his latest single, “But I Got A Beer In My Hand.”

Reba McEntire has graced us with a couple of Christmas collections, including 1995’s Merry Christmas to You and 2006’s Secret of Giving: A Christmas Collection, as well as last year’s compilation, Ultimate Christmas Collection.

She recalls one of her favorite Christmas memories when she was a young girl in Oklahoma. “The funniest thing I can always remember about Christmastime is my older brother Pake, when we were kids at home, he’d always be the first one to jump out of bed and run down the hall, and he’d just run down the hall with his underwear on,” she says. “And he’d say, ‘If y’all don’t hurry up and get up and get in here, I’m opening all the presents by myself.’ But he knew it was a standing rule we all had to be in there before anybody could open up a present, but I can still see Pake running down the hall.”

When her son Shelby was just a little boy, she recalls one Christmas morning when he was so excited about what “Santy Claus” brought him. “I’ll never forget one (Christmas) morning I woke up and I was laying on my left side and I felt something, and I opened up my eyes, and Shelby was three inches away from my face. He said, ‘Mom, you’re not gonna beweive what Santy Claus weft for me.’ And so, he said you’ve got to come here. I got up out of bed and went in there and there was this little tractor trailer set that he had just fallen in love with at the store. He’s seen it, and he said, ‘I can’t beweive he bought this for me.’ He was so cute.”

Even though she grew up with a real tree, these days Reba prefers to put up an artificial tree. “I definitely have an artificial tree, because when we were growing up, we’d all go out on the ranch and cut down a Christmas tree, bring it in and then we had to water it every other day – make sure the coffee can was full of water – and the cedar needles got everywhere, so nowadays I just go with an artificial tree…and two, I can leave it with the lights on half the year.”

The Country Music superstar likes to leave her Christmas tree up long after the presents have been unwrapped and put away. “How long do I leave my Christmas tree and decorations up? Well, after Christmas I am so in tune with the sparkly lights, I leave the lights on and take the Christmas ornaments off. It keeps it really festive.”

In 2013, Kelly Clarkson asked her buddies Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood to join her on “Silent Night” during her NBC Christmas special. Reba said it was her favorite holiday song to sing. “I love ‘Silent Night.’ I love it, mainly because I got to sing it with my two buddies, Kelly Clarkson and Trisha Yearwood.”

Reba reveals her favorite holiday movie stars Chevy Chase. “It has to be Christmas Vacation. I absolutely love it. We always watched it on Christmas Eve, and the kids would just sit there and watch it over and over and over. Sometimes, we even watch it in July.”

Catch Reba as coach on NBC’s The Voice, which  airs Mondays at 8pm ET/PT and Tuesdays at 9pm ET/PT.

Reba McEntire performed her new song, “Seven Minutes In Heaven,” on NBC’s The Voice on Tuesday night (December 5th).

Jon Pardi just released the official music video for his holiday tune, “Beer For Santa,” from his new Merry Christmas From Jon Pardi album. The clip features Santa, Jon and his beer-slugging faithful dog, Cowboy, in animated form.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – DECEMBER 05: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (Front Row) Ernest, Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter of The War And Treaty, Brenda Lee, Patty Loveless, Mickey Guyton, HARDY (Back Row) CEO of Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum, Kyle Young, Matthew Ramsey, Geoff Sprung, Trevor Rosen and Brad Tursi of Old Dominion, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Riley Green and Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum Board Chair, Mary Ann McCready attend All for the Hall, a concert benefiting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum at Bridgestone Arena on December 05, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum)

Keith Urban and Vince Gill returned as co-hosts and bandmembers for this year’s benefit show, All for the Hall, with all proceeds going to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The show raised over $900,000 for the Hall of Fame.  The theme of the night was “The Song Remembers When,” and artists performed one of their own songs and a song that influenced them. Trisha Yearwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Brenda Lee, Brooks & Dunn, Mickey Guyton, The War And Treaty, Riley Green, Patty Loveless, Old Dominion, HARDY and Ernest also performed.

Mickey Guyton‘s song “Heaven Down Here” inspired a Hallmark Christmas movie of the same name, which will premiere December 14th. The movie, which stars Phylicia Rashad, Tina Lifford and Richard Harmon, takes place in a diner in which four people are trapped inside on Christmas Eve.

Priscilla Block covered Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe” during CMT’s Campfire Sessions: Christmas Version earlier this week. Backing her up was Tenille Townes, Brittney Spencer and Caitlyn Smith.

(Left photo: L-R) UMGN’s Sarah Bertrand, Modern Management’s Kelsey McMahan, UMGN’s Alex Heimerman, SiriusXM Pandora’s Bekah Digby Bekah Digby, Josh Turner, UMGN’s Vipin Reddy and Modern Management’s
Renee Behrman-Greiman and Ted Greene

Photo credit: © Grand Ole Opry, photos by Chris Hollo

MCA Nashville recording artist Josh Turner heads into the holidays with two very special gifts. Last night while on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, Turner was awarded with a Pandora Billionaires Plaque presented to him by SiriusXM Pandora’s Bekah Digby, Associate Director, Artist & Industry Relations – Country & Christian and UMG Nashville’s Vipin Reddy and Alex Heimerman. The plaque commemorates Turner’s music having been streamed over 2 billion times on Pandora. Turner was also surprised last week (11/29) at a fundraising event in South Carolina by Governor Henry McMaster with The Order of the Palmetto, a prestigious award for the South Carolina native in recognition of his career achievements and philanthropic work.

You can listen to Pandora’s Country Billionaires station here.

Established by Governor John C. West in 1971, the Order of the Palmetto is the State of South Carolina’s highest civilian honor. It is presented in recognition of a lifetime of extraordinary achievement, service, and contributions on a national or statewide scale. The Order of the Palmetto recognizes individuals who have selflessly given of their time, resources and goodwill through a variety of different causes and pursuits to the benefit of their neighbors, fellow citizens and the fabric and prosperity of South Carolina. Business, political or personal accomplishment may be important factors, but noble works for others mark the true purpose. Turner joins the ranks of fellow recipients Chubby Checker, James Brown, Lou Holtz, Hootie and the Blowfish and more.

“I’m totally blown away by being presented the Billionaire plaque from Pandora for over 2 billion streams,” said Turner. “So grateful to all of you fans who stream my music and make it a part of your life. Thank you!”

Adds Turner, “Receiving The Order of the Palmetto is something I never expected, but I am beyond honored and thrilled to be the recipient of it. My thanks to Governor McMaster and everyone else that played a part in receiving it.”

Jordan Davis started a Christmas tradition when he moved to Nashville a few years ago. He goes to the historic Belcourt Theatre to catch a viewing of the classic It’s a Wonderful Life. “They play it at a theater here in town, and it’s something that I really look forward to going and seeing that movie,” he says.

As a young man, he and his brother Jacob asked for a specific present together. “Me and my brother asked for go-karts together, and I was actually worried that we weren’t going to get ‘em, because I knew my mom probably thought we were going to kill ourselves,” says the Louisiana native. “We woke up Christmas morning and me and Jacob, we run into the living room and don’t see a go-kart. I remember being like sad opening presents, and then my dad tells me he thought he heard some reindeer in the backyard. So, we jet to the back of the house and there’s two blue-and-white go-karts in the backyard. So, that’s the one I always remember. That was a great present.”

Another favorite Christmas present Jordan received had two wheels and a peg. “My favorite Christmas present growing up is one I received, I don’t know, I was probably, I don’t know, 7 or 8 years old – it was my first-ever bike with pegs on it. You remember the pegs where you used to be able to carry people on the back of your bike? It was a Dyno GT, it had black wheels, it was silver. I will never forget that gift. It was a special one.”

Jordan says the music that signals the Christmas season is anything by Nat King Cole. “My favorite Christmas song is Nat King Cole’s ‘Buon Natale.’ I don’t know the record it’s on it, [but] we would just play that song over and over and over. So, that’s by far my favorite, but anything by Nat King Cole. I mean Nat King Cole is Christmas to me, always playing, always having some type of Christmas music on. I remember growing up, my mom, she would start on Thanksgiving. We would start listening to Christmas music and anytime you’d walk into the house if Mom was home, there was Christmas music playing.”

So, how soon is too soon to start decorating for Christmas? “My wife Kristen likes us to start around July 15th. No, I’m kidding. If it was up to her, I think we would have Christmas decorations up all year, but you better believe when October ends and November 1 hits, I start seeing a lot more green and red things around the house,” says Jordan. “So, I think it’s totally acceptable to have Christmas decorations out around Thanksgiving. To be honest with you, I think Thanksgiving is the most underrated holidays. It’s one of my favorites, and I like the decorations of Christmas. So, underrated holiday, awesome decorations of Christmas – boom, marry ‘em together. I don’t like to see a Christmas tree around Thanksgiving, though. I think the day after Thanksgiving, you can throw a Christmas tree up, totally acceptable. But, what do I know? All I do is sing songs.”

One of his favorite holiday traditions is pretty simple, but absolutely perfect. “Some of my favorite things at the holiday—every night me, Kristen, the kiddos, we pick a Christmas movie, watch it, or try to watch it, from start to finish. We usually start that right at the beginning of December. I know it’s something really small, but when you spend 120 to 150 a year gone on the road, I truly cherish those times where all five of us are on the couch, hanging out, watching a movie. As small as that is, that is truly my favorite thing about the holidays.”

Also, since both he and his family and his brother, Jacob, and his family live in Nashville, they’ve developed a joint Christmas tradition. “Now we’re in a spot where we have our kids and my brother has his kids, and we’re kind of moving on from the traditions that we had growing up to now we’re kind of creating our own. For us, we do Christmas morning at separate houses. My brother does his at his, you know, we do ours at ours, and then we come together in the afternoon. You know, we have a big lunch, and all the kids play in the backyard or play with the new toys, and then we sit around and cook and watch football and just hang out. So, the afternoon of Christmas day and then the day after when the family is still in town, and there’s not much going on and you’re just really getting to spend some time with family is becoming really special.”

There are a few reasons why this year is pretty special — this will be baby Elijah’s very first Christmas, and it will be the first Christmas that big sister Eloise will truly feel and experience the magic of Christmas…and not to mention another holiday tradition Jordan and his family take in, especially for son Lochlan.

“What I love most about having kids at Christmas is being able to start the new traditions,” he says. “For me, being in Nashville, Nashville does a great job of really getting into the holiday spirit, so taking ‘em out to Opryland Hotel and letting them see the lights, letting ‘em see the trees. My son, Lochlan, he’s obsessed with trains and trucks, so there’s a spot just south of Nashville that we go to, they do Christmas lights and have a train running throughout this big garden thing. It’s really cool. So, being able to do that stuff with them and just really kind of start our own Christmas traditions. We still kind of keep some of those that I’ve had growing up that my Mom and Dad did for me and my brother and my sister, but what’s really cool is me and Kristen get to create our own kind of thing with the kiddos.”

“Christmas is going to be a lot of fun and maybe a little chaotic, but what I am most looking forward to during the holidays is this is my youngest son Elijah’s first Christmas. So, he’s not going to remember it because he’s a baby, but I’m excited to have him here and to celebrate our first Christmas as a family of five.”

“Christmas at my house this year is going to be a special one. This is really the first year that Eloise is kind of truly getting the spirit of Christmas, realizing a little bit more about Santa and kind of getting really, really excited for it. So, it’s cool to see her experience this for kind of the first time. It makes Christmas a lot more fun.”

Jordan is closing in on the Top 25 with his latest hit, “Tucson Too Late.”