JD-Picking “I Ain’t Sayin'” (AUDIO): “I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve had to go write an album now looking at a show, like looking at a tour. And you know, I love the moments in the show where we get to break down Dirt and Next Thing and talk about those songs. But I did, I was missing those Singles and the Take It From Me. And I wanted to get back to that. And to be honest with you, I think one of my favorite, I try not to look at too many comments on socials…But one of the first comments after we released I Ain’t Sayin’ was somebody had said, I was missing this. And truthfully, I was missing it too. So it feels good to kind of be back in that vibe and the style of music that me and Paul [DiGiovanni] started making in his spare bedroom, you know, seven years ago. So that was kind of the reasoning behind going with I Ain’t Sayin’.”

Josh Turner – Down In Georgia (AUDIO) – “

TURNER: So ‘Down in Georgia’ was one of the first songs that I had pitched to me for this record. And it was actually surprisingly, pitched to me by my brother. My brother’s in the publishing industry there in Nashville. And he’s pitched me a lot of songs over the years, but you know, I’ve never cut any of them until now. So that’s an interesting connection. And I think it’s kind of cool that that’s actually you know, leading the record off. And not only that, I think the writers of this song, who I’m not familiar with, Tyler Booth, Anthony Olympia and Brent Rupert, I think they’ve been reading my mail because I married a girl from Georgia and we actually moved to Georgia last- last year. So it’s kind of a special song in that aspect.  

INTERVIEWER:  That is cool. And I think it’s a great one to start off because you get that real low bass note.It comes in real early, right? Was that part of the idea there? 

TURNER: Yeah, and you know, and that was kind of the way the song was written, but obviously, my voice is lower than the guy who sang it on the demo. And I feel like my version of it on this record has a lot more texture than the demo had. And that was one thing that I was a little concerned about. I felt like the song was really thin when I first heard it, but I like I said, I never know how a song is really going to turn out when you go in and make a record on it. When I first heard ‘Your Man’, I didn’t know if it was going to be right for me, but it’s been one of the, if not the biggest hit of my career.”

Josh Turner – If You Ain’t With Me (AUDIO) –

TURNER: So, ‘If You Ain’t With Me’ was, it just was kind of a straightforward country song that, that I liked. I love the simplicity of it. And, you know, like I was saying earlier, a lot of these songs on this record were pretty challenging vocally. And this one kind of allowed me to kind of sit back and have a little bit of fun and not have to worry about killing myself. So, you know, this was one of those songs that was written by Marv Green and Jimmy Urie and Lance Miller and it, you know, like I say, just a straightforward country song that I had a lot of fun with. 

Josh Turner – I Just Wanna Kiss You (AUDIO) –

TURNER: So Jeff Hyde and I have become really good friends over the years and I’ve actually written with John Knight too. John and I actually went to Belmont together and Jeff, I’d been begging for songs from Jeff and we’ve had a lot of his songs on hold for this record making process. And this was the one that kind of surprised us. This was literally pitched to me the night before the first tracking session. So it was like the last song that, that we heard that ended up on this record. And so it just had that, it had a laid back kind of feel and it told a story, but melodically and musically, once you thought it was going one place, it went another. And I think that was the most intriguing and interesting part of this song was that it wasn’t predictable. 

And so it was a really fun song. And like I said, it was super laid back and kind of mellow. But then Gordon gets to playin’ on that little, that organ part in the solo, and it just kind of took it to a whole new level. It’s like, you know, you’re already visualizing what’s going on in the song, but when he did that, it was like you were there, you know? And it was, you were at the fair with that young couple. It was pretty cool.” 

Josh Turner – Heatin’ Things Up (AUDIO) – 

TURNER: “So, ‘Heatin’ Things Up’ was one of the first songs that we cut, and that was the one that we were most excited about early on because I think from what I’ve heard, Marv said that they actually sat down to try to write a song for me. And I don’t hear that very often, but I was flattered by that. That’s not why I cut it, but they did a great job with this melodically, and it was, it was, kind of in the same vein as ‘Your Man’.” 

“Um, but, uh, musically it’s like I say, it’s just very interesting. It’s got a very unique chord progression. And when I went into to track this, I’m, I’m standing in the big room there at the castle and so it’s like, you know, me and Glenn Wharf and, uh, you know, Kenny and a couple of other guys and we do that first pass and when it’s over, Glenn says, my God, he was like, that first note, you know, it felt like you just had a load of gravel dumped on you- in a good way. He was talking about that first low note in the song and he was just like floored by that. But so that’s always fun. I can’t wait to see, you know, how fans react to that live.” 

INTERVIEWER: “I’ve never heard that one before. (inaudible) That one’s got a bit of swagger too, which is nice and fits in well here.” 

TURNER: “And that’s one, this is one of the songs too, you know, that is not easy to sing. You know, I won’t be singing this one, right as I get out of bed every morning. This is gonna be one that I’m gonna have to warm up good for.”

Josh Turner – This Country Music Thing (AUDIO)

TURNER: “Yeah, This Country Music Thing, I think it’s an appropriate title for the record. It’s uh, it kind of, you know, encapsulates my story in a nutshell where I grew up, you know, dreaming about singing for a living and ended up moving to Nashville, leaving everything that I knew and loved for a dream that wasn’t guaranteed to me. And it worked out,  and I’ve had success doing this as, as a career. And so I’ve had a lot of fun doing it. So it’s not only that, I’ve been able to become friends with, you know, a lot of my heroes. And so that’s been a dream come true too. So it’s a, you know, small snapshot of my musical life.” 

Josh Turner – My Side (AUDIO)

TURNER: “Yeah, you know, this song kind of stands alone on this record because it, it’s kind of got that bluegrassy thing. It’s got that folk thing. It’s, it’s kind of, it kind of harkens back to like the band and you know, the, you know, Bob Dylan and, and just that kind of era. And it, it just, it’s a cool love song that I felt like was, was written in a way that I’ve never really heard a song written before. And, and there’s these little interludes musically that happen at the end of the verses that, you know, kind of catch you by surprise. You know, we were talking about the unpredictability and it definitely, this song definitely has that element to it. And so having Brian Sutton play in the banjo on this and, and just that whole thing with him and Joe Spivey on the fiddle, it’s just, it just adds for a cool moment on the record, um, because there’s not a lot of songs, you know, no other songs on this record like that.” 

Josh Turner – Two Steppin’ On The Moon (AUDIO)

TURNER: “So this song was very similar to a lot of songs that we heard in preparation for this record. There’s a lot of that kind of just hip hop-y, dance-y kind of thing that gets pitched to you nowadays. And a lot of them just fell flat. But this one just had a different kind of vibe to it. It felt like it had potential. It felt like it had some depth.It was fun to sing. We just kind of had to get it out of that more dance club kind of feel and get to where it was like you were– you were in that honky tonk and you were in a country kind of setting. And so it was fun to sing. You know, the band played great on it. I think Matt Dragstrom, actually, I think Kenny got him to kind of help us do a little bit of the tracks on this. But uh yeah, it kind of provides a little, you know, newness and freshness, you know, compared to some of the more traditional songs on the record.“

Josh Turner – Somewhere With Her (AUDIO)

TURNER: “Rhett Akins and I are really good friends and we’ve written together a lot, but we’ve never, you know, had a cut together, but I’ve always been interested in what he’s doing and what he’s writing. And so, he pitched me a ton of songs as we were making this record. And this was the one that really just kind of stuck with us. It just kept coming back over and over again every time we- Kenny and I would talk about our list of favorites and it kind of talks about how, you know, this guy is in this conversation with another guy, but his mind keeps drifting off to being with her and whether it’s in California or Alabama or Tennessee or Mississippi or, or wherever it doesn’t really matter as long as he’s with her. And so it’s like, he’s, he’s there supposedly having this conversation with this other guy, but he’s really somewhere else. Um, and so it was a fun song to sing. It’s kind of got that more, it’s honestly kind of more of like a 90s country kind of feel to it as far as the way it was written and all that. But like I say, Rhett and I, we’re like, I always tell people that we’re brothers that were separated at birth because we’re so much alike and we have so many common interests that, I always want to hear you know what he’s writing, just to make sure that I’m not missing anything.”

Josh Turner- Whirlwind (AUDIO)

INTERVIEWER: “It’s got that barn burner feel and I love the production on it, but where, where did that come from when you guys wrote that?” 

TURNER: “So for me, anytime I write a song, um, especially by myself, but even a lot of times when I’ve, when I’m co-writing with somebody, you know, it always comes from a title. The title always comes first with me, uh, predominantly anyway. Uh, and so Whirlwind was a title that I had written down and I knew kind of what I wanted to write, but then when I sat down with Mark, it’s so funny, you know, we were talking about the evolution of this record and how it starts out one way and ends up another. 

“I wrote this song, I don’t even know, it was like 2015, something like that. I mean it’s an older song and I had wanted to cut this, I don’t even know, like probably, you know, seven years ago, something like that, but it just never happened. But the first time that I had played it for Kenny, he had kind of come up with a different chord progression on one or two of the lines in the chorus, which kind of gave it a little bit of a lift. And at the end of every verse and chorus, I would always kind of go down, but he wanted me to go up. And so it was just kind of messing with my head and then it just kind of got swept under the rug for a lot of years as I was making a lot of passion projects and everything. And so this record comes along and I bring it back up and we really felt like it kind of had that potential of like, if you remember the fiddle intro on Kenny Chesney, ‘She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.” 

“We were trying to find like that signature musical lick that you know, that could really make this song kind of come to life. And so we had Stuart Duncan come in and just play around with it on the fiddle. And he, I think he did a great job, but as far as writing this song, Mark Normore and I have written more songs than I can count. And this was one of those songs that is classic Josh Turner and Mark Normore cleverness. There’s a lot of funny lines in this song. It even starts off with one where it says, “I was out standing in my field”. And then in the chorus, it’s like, I remember Kenny’s first reaction to it. He was like, oh my gosh, he’s like, this rhyme’s been here forever and you’re the first one to discover it. Where it’s like, you know, it’s like “I’m in a whirlwind, she’s a mighty strong girlfriend”. And so it just, it goes from there and it’s just, it uses all these metaphors of like, you know, a tornado just kind of ripping through a, a neighborhood or whatever and just leaving a path of destruction. But it just kind of talks about how strong this girl’s love is.” 

Interviewer: “Yeah, it’s a fun one. And you mentioned earlier, I mean, do you think part of the reason that it came back around right now is just because of the whirlwind that your life has been the last couple of years?”  

Turner: “Well, that and, you know, I’ve always believed in this song. You know, there’s a lot of songs that, you know, I’ve believed in over the years that didn’t make it on a record, but that doesn’t, you know, keep me from believing in those songs. There’s still probably a lot of songs that I’ve written in years past that will probably end up on a future record. I don’t know. Just kind of depends on what kind of vibe the record is, you know, becoming. And so, but yeah, I think it, you know, as far as my life and everything, it’s definitely been a whirlwind, but I’m still here to… It’s like George Jones, I live to tell it all.” 

Josh Turner – Pretty Please (AUDIO)

TURNER: “Yeah, so I was excited to get this song pitched to me because Wyatt’s actually opened for me on the road several times and he’s obviously pretty talented. And you know, Gordy and John, you know they’re seasoned writers. And so it was obviously a great song. It was a very interesting ballad. You don’t hear ballads like this very often. It’s just kind of, it’s got a really cool feel to it, kind of got that slow dancing kind of thing about it. And production wise, it turned out great. And my wife, Jennifer, actually sang one of the harmony vocals on this song, and so, you know, that makes it even more meaningful and personal to me. So yeah, I was excited about cutting this song. And this is one of those songs, it’s like, it’s more laid back and more of a ballad, but it was still fairly challenging to sing, because you have to be in that kind of sweet spot for this song.”  

INTERVIEWER: “Absolutely, for sure. Has she ever done that before? I mean, what was that conversation like asking her to jump in?”

TURNER: “Well, I actually wasn’t the one that asked her. Kenny was the one that wanted her on this song. But, and she’s been on my records before, but not in this capacity where it was just her doing a strict background vocal part. And so she was super excited about that. And I think she was more excited about the fact that it wasn’t me that asked her.”

Josh Turner – Unsung Hero (AUDIO)

TURNER: “So this song I had written years ago about my granddaddy and I had actually, I guess it was about a year or two ago, I had actually sung this song during three shows around July 4th weekend when I was out on the road. But the original way that I wrote it, it didn’t have any minor chords in it. It was pretty straight up kind of a marching military kind of feel. But Kenny and I started playing around with it. And we even brought in Brian Sutton at the tracking session to really try to figure out, you know, how this song was supposed to feel. And, you know, we were just, we literally had to, the three of us had to kind of gather up into a corner room and kind of map it out to where we knew that we were gonna be doing it right. And so we kind of turned it into this more mysterious kind of thing, because I was describing my granddaddy to Kenny one day. And he said that my description just wasn’t really fitting with the musical feel of the original way that I wrote it because he was saying, you know, this was a guy that was a man of few words. You didn’t really know a lot about him. He just, his actions spoke more than his words did. And he was kind of a badass and a hero and American hero and just…never really craved any adulation or praise. And so he said, you know, this song musically has to have some weight and some viability. And so we kind of did all of that. I love what Fred Elterham did on the drums, especially at the end when he brought out the mallets and it just kind of takes you to another place. And there’s only two songs in my career that I’ve ever shed a tear over in the studio. One was a song on my Haywire record called I’ll Be There. It’s about, you know, I didn’t write it, but it was singing it about my boys. And then this one, I literally went in, sang one pass of it, and everybody was in agreement. They were like, we got this track. So I went back into the control room while the guys were taking other passes and doing overdubs and stuff. And I… just sitting there listening to it. I’m looking out the window in the control room. I just, all I could think about was my granddaddy. It was like, man, like we just recorded this song about somebody who didn’t ask for attention, but he’s getting attention. And now, you know, hundreds, if not millions of people are gonna hear this and they’re gonna be able to relate to their granddaddy or grandmother, father or whoever it is, you know, that, uh, that served this country honorably and, um, and made sacrifices that they didn’t have to, but they did it, uh, because they love this country and they love their family and, and they love their freedom. So it’s, uh, it’s it’s something that I feel like a lot of people are going to be able to relate to and I hope they do.”  

INTERVIEWER: “Absolutely, man. Thank you for that. Yeah. It’s got some gravity for sure. And I guess in some ways it’s sort of also a good reminder that like that sacrifice is what allows people like you and me to get to do this thing, this country music thing, right?”  

TURNER: “Absolutely. And that’s once again, that’s something that I don’t take for granted. And you know, every chance that I get, I try to thank our men and women in uniform, you know, for doing that very thing, past and present. Because, you know, when people like you and I start taking for granted what we’re doing, and forgetting the sacrifice that people like that have made, we’ll be in a pretty bad place.”

Tucker Wetmore – Musical Inspirations and Upbringing (AUDIO) – “I was inspired by a lot of different artists and genres. I grew up kind of a mutt when it came to music. When it came to reggae, rock, pop, hip hop, country. I kinda just listened to it all. Anyone from people like Jay Bug, Otis Redding, or Chris Stapleton.”

Jordan Davis – Behind The Writing of “I Ain’t Sayin'” (AUDIO) – :46 – “This song was written on a writer’s retreat in Montana. That was this year, earlier this year. And it was cool because I was able to kind of talk to everybody and let them know like, hey guys, Next Thing You Know is great, Buy Dirt was great, the family stuff was great, but I think that I was missing it. I wanted to go back with something up tempo. So we kind of wrote that whole week, looking for a song like this. I was probably about 50 yards away from where this song was written. This is the first song I’ve ever put out as a single that I’m not a writer on. So, you know, Travis, Emily, Mark, and Steve, they had this and Travis had told me, man, I’ve got something started. I think it’s really cool. And they finished it and sent it over. And I was like, man, this song is done. Like I can’t add anything to it. There’s nothing I want to change.”

Josh Turner – New Production Perspective (AUDIO) – “One of the most exciting things about the last several records that I’ve done is the new production perspective that we have. And we’re continuing to try to just take these songs to a new current place without sacrificing integrity. And Kenny(Greenberg), so far, has been a master at that. He comes up with things that I think are super cool, but they stay in the vein of what the song is about. And so, like I say, you know, there’s times where I’ll throw out an idea and he’s like, oh man, why didn’t I think of that? And then he’ll come back with something or play a solo. And I’m like, oh yeah, that’s it right there. You know, just keep doing that. And, and, and so it was just, you know, he and I have just worked really well together and, and, you know, we kind of come from different places, but at the same time, you know, we’re on the same page and we’re working together towards a common goal. So it, I think the production kind of makes some of these more traditional songs kind of sound, you know, more current and fresh and new and intriguing.”

Luke Bryan – “Closing Time In California” (INTRO AUDIO) – “Hey y’all it’s Luke Bryan. Here’s my new song Closing Time In California.”

Luke Bryan – “Closing Time In California” (STORY AUDIO) – “Hey everybody, my new song is called Closing Time in California, and it’s about small town guy whose girl moves out west and kind of the time differences of them trying to keep their relationship together. And I do a little bit different singing in this thing. I’ve never really done a lot of falsetto, and I do it on this song, and I think the fans will love to hear the change.“

Jordan Davis – “I Ain’t Sayin'” (AUDIO INTRO): “Hey it’s Jordan Davis. Here’s my new song “I Ain’t Sayin’.”

Jordan Davis – “I Ain’t Sayin'” (AUDIO STORY): “I Ain’t Sayin’ is a song about a relationship that you see happening. I feel like I’ve kind of noticed this here in the past couple of years in some people that I’m close with. They’re in a relationship that maybe they’re in it, just to be in it. You know that who they’re with is not the right one. You don’t have a better option for them. You’re kind of just saying it’s not that guy.”

Tyler Hubbard (Park) OC: …about it. (laughs) 1:23
“I literally didn’t think of it until about halfway through the song, and I had a flashback to being 15 and riding around, and my girlfriend was 16. She had a Toyota Camry, and I remember us riding around and we had a little tradition where we would find a parking lot and stop on the way, usually on the way home from church we would stop somewhere and kill a little time in the parking lot, if you will. And so, yeah, we were coming home and we pulled off into this, actually another church parking lot, a lot of churches in small town Georgia, apparently. But, anyways, we pulled off into the parking lot and we were sitting there making out and next thing you know, there’s blue lights behind me. Man, I was kind of nervous and the cop comes up and he kind of makes a bigger deal than it should’ve been. I was only about a mile from my house, so he ended up escorting us home, walking me to the door, making a scene about it with my dad and saying you know, ‘Caught these two down here in this parking lot.’ So, my dad had to make a scene about it too, so he grounded me for about a month. At 15 years old, when you’re grounded for a month, especially from your girlfriend, I was like, ‘Wait, I can’t…’ She was my ride at that point. So, yeah, I was out of commission and lesson learned. I should’ve just went home and sat in the driveway and made out. But, so yeah, I had a nostalgic memory attached to this song. Every time I sing this song, I think about it.” (laughs)

Brothers Osborne (Father’s Day-John) OC: …It’s the best. :37
“Father’s Day is funny because I look back and think about what Father’s Days, what we did with our dad, and I think he probably just wanted to play outside and be goofy. It’s the same thing that I want to do with my kids. Like for Father’s Day, I don’t want a trophy or anything like that. I just want to hang out with my kids. I want every day to be Father’s Day. If anything, I personally believe as a father, now celebrating my second Father’s Day, Mother’s Day is 100 times more important. They are like superheroes. We just get to join along for the ride. So, it’s a treat for us just to be allowed in the party as far as I’m concerned, but I’ve never been more proud to be a dad, and it’s the best.”

Brothers Osborne (Dad’s music) OC: (John) …anything else. :34
“Our dad listened to everything from Hank Williams to Willie Nelson to even pop music like Mariah Carey and Tom Petty to Bob Seger. You name it and he listened to it, so we really didn’t think about specific genres. We really just kind of soaked it all in, so we listened to it all at one time. It was just music to us. There wasn’t a day in our house without the radio on or there wasn’t a weekend at our house that there wasn’t a party and people had their guitars out, so music to us is like eating and breathing. It’s just as essential as anything else.”

Carrie Underwood (Father’s Day) OC: …guy all around. 1:18
“Well, I am very lucky in my life to have two incredible fathers – my own father and then I get to watch my husband be a father to our boys – strong, amazing men, I am very lucky to be around them. Mike as a dad is just super involved in our boys’ lives, very hands on. It takes a team, definitely, to be able to support my crazy life and Mike’s always running around doing a lot of charity things and he’s always meeting with people and he’s on different boards and stuff like that, so we’re very much switching off duties as far as taking boys here and there to school and  sports and to all the extra-curricular activities. I just love that I feel like we’re such a great team. I love it that he gets to now work with Isaiah on sports and things like that, and I know he loves it too. So, I think that’s one of my favorite qualities about Mike is just how hands on of a father he is and very willing to pick up the slack when I’m crazy busy. Obviously, he’s just a very Godly father, as well. He keeps God as the center of our family and gets to teach our boys all about that, as well. So, he’s just a great guy all around.”

Caylee Hammack (Dad) OC: …forget that. 1:19
“My dad has this really unnerving ability to be able to build anything at all just by thinking of it. He can look at something and build it in his mind and build it by hand, and it always works. I’ve always respected him for that. He’s a very hard worker.  He’s worked every day of his life. He’s also kind, even when he doesn’t have to be. He’s the type of guy who always gives money at the light to whoever it is on the street. One of my favorite moments with my dad was when we were driving to Macon, Georgia. I was playing a show that night, and we were driving up and we saw this dog and I could tell she was a mama dog. I could tell she had babies somewhere that she was trying to nurse, and she was so skinny. And I’m a bleeding heart. I get it from my Mama, and I just start crying, and I’m like, ‘That poor dog. She’s starving trying to feed her babies.’ I thought, ‘Poor dog.” And my dad doesn’t say anything, goes up two more blocks and pulls into the McDonalds. And he goes through and he asks me if I wanted anything, and I say no. I just think he’s hungry. He goes and he buys three or four burgers, and then he goes back to that block and he drives around until we find that dog to feed it to ‘em. I just remember looking at him, being like this is what a man is; this is what a good man does, and I’ll never forget that.”

Dalton Dover (Father’s Day) OC: …is a virtue. :24f
“So, like growing up, my grandpa was the closest thing to a dad to me, so I want to show my kids the love that I was never, I never got to call anybody Daddy. So I want to be able to show my kids a better life than what I had, which my life was great, but I want to be able to give my children more. I mean, I just want them to know you’re gonna make mistakes, but learn from ‘em, and like my mama taught me, patience is a virtue.”

Dalton Dover (Father’s Day-grandpa) OC: …I am today. :12
“My grandfather taught me to be a man. He taught me that handshakes matter. He taught me so much that I could’ve never taught myself, you know? (He) definitely taught me to be a man, the man I am today.”

Darius Rucker (mother’s qualities makes him a great father) OC: …my mom. :45
“She had a lot great qualities, but she was always, family was first for her. She was always a rock and making sure she took care of us and making sure we had things we needed to have to survive – food and clothes and a home – and seeing that and seeing how hard she worked and all the things she did just really made me the father that I am today. I mean, I’m so crazy and hands-on with my kids. I think it all comes from watching my mom have to struggle so much to support us. And so now, I don’t want me or my wife to ever have to struggle, and I don’t want my kids to ever want or wonder where I am or where there mom is. I want them to always know where we are and always be taken care of, and that all comes from my mom.”

Dierks Bentley (dad & performer) OC: …to do both. :28
“When I get home, it’s a totally different reality that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. Just hanging with my girls and doing the things we do and seeing life through their eyes, it’s incredible. It takes a man to do it. It’s not a boys’ game. It takes a man to do it. I love the juxtaposition to be able to be that man and to also go on the road and act like I’m 13 years old and play video games all afternoon waiting for the fans to show up. So, it’s really a blessing to be able to do both.”

Dierks (Father’s Day) OC: …that’s for sure. :10
“My dad was my biggest influence in country music because my dad loved country radio. So, we always drove around listening to country radio and George Strait, Hank Williams and Randy Travis and all these guys, so. Without him, I wouldn’t be doing this, that’s for sure.”

Eric Church (Father’s Day) OC: …always admired. :29
“My dad is a, I’m trying to find the right words to describe him. My dad is a great guy, honest guy, very call it like he sees it, which is where I get a lot of that. No BS. I’m gonna tell you how I feel whether you like it or not. I’m that guy, I’m me…My dad’s that way, so I get a lot of that from him. There’s also an honesty and an integrity that my dad carries himself with that I’ve always admired.”

Jon Langston (Father’s Day) OC: …just fine. :16
“My Dad has been my hero all my life. He’s the man I want to be one day when I grow up. I’m thankful for all he’s done for me and the sacrifices he’s made for our family. If I’m half the man he is one day, I’ll be just fine.”

Jordan Davis (thing he most enjoys about being a dad) OC: …in the world. :24
“Coming home, having like just a kid excited to see you. It’s like the bad day fixer times 10, you know. I think it makes you realize what’s really important, no matter what it is. You come home from a write where you’re tired or you come home from the road and you’re worn out and you just want to take a nap, but you see the kids and you’re like, ‘Alright. Never mind. I wanna go play wiffle ball in the backyard.’ I don’t know. Seeing them light up when they see you – there’s no better feeling in the world.”

Jordan Davis (Father’s Day) OC: …my music. :45
“The thing I love most about my Dad is just his overall love of life. He’s a guy that’s worked hard and is now at a point where he can enjoy it, and he’s living every day to the fullest. That’s something that I’m very thankful that I’ve seen my Dad do and something to learn from. So, that’s probably my favorite quality about the old man, and just the hard work too. My dad ran a furniture business in Shreveport for a long time with his Dad. It was great to grow up and see a guy work hard and helped his Dad build a business from the ground up to a very successful business, and that’s something that I even try to carry over into my music.”

Jordan Davis (what he wants to pass on to his kids) OC: …is special. :31
“My dad got us outside; he got us outdoors early, you know? We didn’t have to like to hunt and fish, but you were going to the camp. You didn’t have to hunt if you didn’t want to, but you were going to the camp and be outside, and I really want to continue that with them. We’ve got a hunting camp in Arkansas, and you know just getting them around the fire and just getting them to small town living in Arkansas is special.”

Josh Turner (Father’s Day) OC: …one of ‘em.  1:05
“As far as talent and potential, my oldest three, especially, they could do anything they wanted to do if they put their mind to it and their heart was there. My oldest [Hampton] is incredible at playing mandolin. Colby, we kind of noticed him turn the corner lately with the fiddle, and Marion is actually playing a ukulele that’s tuned like the top four strings on a guitar, so in essence, he’s learning how to play guitar. They’ve just kind of started incorporating some singing into some playing, so they’re starting the whole singing and playing at the same time kind of thing, and not only that, they’re even learning to play songs together on their individual instruments. So, it’s amazing to see how much they can learn in such a short amount of time. It makes me realize how much I missed out on when I was that age, ‘cause I did take some music lessons growing up and everything, but I think they feed off of each other honestly. I think that’s why they’re getting so good is because they’re all doing it, not just one of ‘em.”

Kylie Morgan (Father’s Day) OC: …work for it. :29
“I think what I most admire about my dad is the fact of how hard he works. He’s definitely given me that from the beginning. I’ve seen the struggles and the ups and the downs and the late nights and the early mornings that he’s done my whole life to support our family, and that’s truly given me a sense of accomplishment, even from a young age that I knew I was going to be a hard worker. And he told me even from when I was little, he said, ‘Baby, you can have anything you want. You’ve just got to work for it.’”

Luke Bryan (Father’s Day-life lessons) OC: …live by that. :46
“Well, my dad was, I always just go back to the life lessons that always started either in a fishing boat or hunting somewhere, and that’s why I’ve always kind of been a champion of those types of behaviors certainly with your boys and your children because you get to spend time and hand down values. My dad was always big on just hard work and being good to people and a handshake is the contract. A handshake is your bond, your word. His famous saying always was, ‘Do something right the first time and you won’t have to go back and do it over again.’ I won’t say I batted a thousand perfectly on that, but I’ve kind of tried to live by that.”

Maddie & Tae (Father’s Day) OC: …for Father’s Day. :26
“So, for Father’s Day, I made my Dad – I think it was right before I moved to Nashville – I made my Dad this little photo book where it had like his quotes that have stuck with me my whole life and then some pictures, and it was really funky. It looks horrible. It’s not put together, but that’s one of his favorite gifts that he’s ever gotten, and I cherish that ugly photo book thing that I made for him for Father’s Day.”

Mickey Guyton (husband Grant as a dad) OC: …hands-on dad. :33
“The quality I most admire about my husband as a father is he is a very hands-on dad, and he’s been a hands-on dad since the very beginning since I found out I was pregnant. And like he would go and get me a fresh juice and ginger every single day, and then once my son Grayson was born, it’s crazy, like he just wants to be there every step of the way. Like we are a very equal household when it comes to taking care of our son, and I think that is the best thing ever is to watch him be such a hands-on dad.”

Parker McCollum (feeling about becoming a dad) OC: …over the moon. :28
“Heck, right now it’s real quiet and sleep good and real rested, and all that stuff. It probably won’t be that way for much longer. Man, we are so blessed. Hallie Ray’s like a prodigy mom. She was born to be a mother, like that is her calling. She wants to do that so bad. That’s all she’s ever talked about she wants to be a mama. The fact that it’s going so well, and God’s been so good to us, and he’s healthy, I’m just excited about it and she is too. She’s over the moon.”

Parker McCollum (male influences) OC: …a good place. :50
“As far as my Dad, he’s like a real-life superhero. I mean the most incredible, self-disciplined, work ethic. I get my entire work ethic, I think, from him and my granddad, who’s actually my mom’s dad. I’m so lucky the kind of people that I come from, like I had no choice to go out and work hard and try to be successful. My brother definitely – that creative, artistic side of my brain I think it really was…he kind of catered to that when I was a kid. He really put a lot of emphasis on me showing that some love and some attention in trying to be creative and write songs and stuff. But I just think my work ethic and kind of drive to do things the right way come from my dad and my granddad, for sure. Just lucky to have that. I always say if everybody had a granddad like I had, the world would be a really good place.”

Priscilla Block (father) OC: …from my dad. :49
“So, my dad has honestly been my rock star, my whole life. He was the one to bring me to Nashville when I was 15, once I wrote my first song. He’s just really supported me. He was the one driving me to all of my try-outs for every single show I tried out for. And my dad’s taught me a lot. He’s a hard worker, and that’s where my work ethic comes from is my dad. You know, I’m one of five kids, and he always found a way…there was a lot of rough times growing up, and he always found a way to pull through and just keep going, and I think that’s why I stayed in Nashville as long as I have – it comes from my dad.”

Sam Hunt (his two kids) OC: …bit of it. :20
“I still just sit there and look at ‘em sometimes in the morning at breakfast like, ‘how did this happen?’ It feels like overnight. We’ve got two now. There are four of us sitting here, or four of us in the car when we’re driving down the road. Two years ago, it was just Hannah and I. But it’s going great. I think breakfast is my favorite time of the day. We get up and sit around the table we’re having a blast. I’m loving every bit of it.”

Sam Hunt (Father’s Day) OC: …he’s great. :27
“I’m obviously biased about my parents, but I’ve been around a lot of great men of integrity, but he is by far the best man that I know. He’s just taught me so much about being a man, doing the right thing, knowing the difference between right and wrong. And even though I don’t always follow his lead, I definitely know better because of him, and that means a whole lot to me. I was just really fortunate to have him as a dad, and he’s great.”

Travis Denning (Father’s Day) OC: …for sure. :43
“My dad – I call him ‘Diamond Dave’ and a lot of other people do too. Honestly, I don’t know if I drink more with anybody else more than my Dad. I think a super cool thing now is getting older and knowing that I’m starting to get more and more sustained as a human that it’s like my parents get to be friends now with me and my sister, which is such a cool thing. And so, yeah, me and my Dad – we love music and we love heavy metal and we love all that. We get to go to concerts and football games and drink beer and just enjoy that cool part of a father and a son and a mother and a son where now we get to be friends and it’s really cool. My Dad is my best friend, for sure.”

Tyler Hubbard (Father’s Day) OC: …just so special. 1:01
“Well, I think being a dad is one of the most special gifts in the world. I’m getting to watch kids grow up – a big responsibility, but also a lot of joy. I mean, so much fun, and to have three little kids, man, it’s a house full of energy. It’s a whole lot of fun. And one of the coolest things about it that I’ve found is it helps me kind of channel my inner child. It takes me back to being a kid and how much fun just jumping on the trampoline and playing basketball and playing outside and all that really is and how good it is for us. I’ve lost that for quite a few years, getting wrapped up in my career and working hard and just prioritizing that over being a kid and just playing. So, it’s been really healthy and helpful to me to have these kids running around to just kind of channel that little boy inside of me and the person that I want to be and it’s been really healthy and really fun and kind of re-energized me creatively as well as a songwriter and as an artist. So, I’m really thankful to be a dad. Love those three little kids more than anything in the world, and it’s just so special.”

Vince Gill (Father’s Day) OC: …feels like. :33
“Kindness-hopefully make them kind and that’s all we got. Five great kids, a couple of grandkids. Those grandkids are the complete light of my life. You know, they just show up and the rest of the world can kiss my you-know-what. (laughs)  I say, ‘We’re just gonna go swing in the backyard; we’re gonna wrestle on the bed; we’re gonna eat those Goldfish (crackers), you know? And nothing else kind of seems to matter. And then I think what I love seeing, more than anything, for my kid to finally understand what it means to love, and it’s awesome to see my kid finally get it what that unconditional love really looks like and feels like.”