Luke Bryan is set to perform a two-song medley during Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest. He’ll perform his No. 1 hit, “That’s My Kind of Night” and “Move” from his latest album, Kill the Lights.
Sam Hunt is scheduled to perform on NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers January 6th.
Keith Urban‘s official lyric video for his latest single, “Break On Me,” has been released. Check it out here.
Kip Moore has been spending his holiday surfing in Costa Rica.
What are some of your favorite stars doing to welcome in the New Year? Many of them are working to help fans celebrate. Several artists have taken the time off around the holidays and will hit it hard when they return to the road in January. Some artists have resolutions and some are very helpful with their own hangover cures for those who imbibe too much on New Year’s Eve.
Chris Stapleton is set to entertain folks who are in Music City on New Year’s Eve. He’ll perform downtown as part of the Jack Daniels Bash. Kings of Leon and Kelsea Ballerini are also on the bill.
Little Big Town will ring in the New Year at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Brothers Osborne (New Year) OC: (TJ) …next month. :44
JOHN: “I think it’s kind of funny how we spend literally the last moment and the very first moment of every year being extremely intoxicated, extremely, because you don’t want to wait until like 12:30 to get your buzz on. You’ve got to do it before midnight, and then once midnight happens, you’re like, ‘Omigod! Now it’s time to celebrate even more.’ Debauchery is the literally bookending your entire year.” TJ: “I love how everyone starts the year off with diets and then we end the year with like excessive amounts of food. And then you get to the end of the year, you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m going to start a diet on the 1st, so I’m going to eat everything that’s in front of me.’ I love it.” JOHN: “And come February 1st, ‘what diet?’” [laughs] TJ: “What diet? I’ll start it next month.” [laughs]
Canaan Smith (no hangover cure) OC: …long, you know? :32
“There is no hangover cure. The older I get I’m like, ‘Oh God! What am I thinking?’ It’s terrible. Hangovers are awful. Tequila’s the worst. I try to stay away from Tequila, because it hurts me bad. I used to be a whiskey guy. I still am every now and then, but of late, I’m domestic, American beer, just something light and tasty. Shots are my worst enemy. When I start working shots into the picture, that’s when I know I’m gonna hurt the next morning. I just try to keep it the same, whether it’s whiskey or beer or whatever, I just stick with that same drink the whole night long, you know?”
Clare Dunn (hangover cure) OC: …hangover cure. :10
“Greasy food is always kind of a, you can let it go for one day before you start all your resolutions [laughs] after that. So, that’s probably my best hangover cure.”
Dierks (NYE) OC: …for that. :10
“I think January first is universally accepted as a dog. So I mean, a little hair of the dog, I guess. But just…water and stay on the couch, I guess. There’s no real sure-fire cure for that.”
Eric Church (hangover cure) OC: …every time. :17
“The best hangover cure – I’ve got two. One is 5-hour Energy [bottles], because of all the B-vitamins that are in it. You can start pounding those, and it’s either gonna work, or it’s gonna keep you up and prolong your misery. But the other one I have is just take two Advil and a beer in the morning. Hair of the dog, man – that works every time.”
Kacey Musgraves (NYE) OC: …water. Yup! :32
“Coconut water is a major help with hangovers and also, a lot of times we go and eat Vietnamese fuh. It’s a soup, and it’s got this awesome broth. You can get different things in it or whatever, but for some reason, it’s just like…it’s almost like a chicken noodle soup kind of an idea, you know, but it’s good. That’s good for hangovers too. That, sleep, Tylenol, coconut water and just water, in general. And when you’re drinking, have your alcohol, drink a little bit of water, drink some more alcohol, drink some water. Yup!”
Kip Moore (avoiding hangovers on NYE) OC: …yourself. :03
“Pace yourself on New Year’s – that’s the remedy. Pace yourself.”
Luke Bryan (New Years-best) OC: …great night. :17
“My best New Year’s Eve is definitely when my wife and I started back dating. We started back dating right before Christmas, and we went on a trip down to Florida and met some friends. And her birthday is New Year’s Eve. We celebrated it that night. It was just a great night.”
“Hey! This is TJ, and I’m John, and we are Brothers Osborne. Happy New Year.”
“Hey, what’s up guys? I’m Canaan Smith, wishing you a Happy New Year.”
“Hey! I’m Clare Dunn, wishing you a Happy New Year.”
“Hey y’all! What’s up? This is Darius Rucker, wishing you a Happy New Year!
“This is David Nail, wishing you a Happy New Year’s Day.”
“Hey, it’s Dierks Bentley. Happy New Year!”
“Hey everybody! I’m Easton Corbin, wishing you a Happy New Year!”
“Hey! It’s Eric Church, hoping you have a Happy New Year.”
“10-9-8-7—6-54321, Happy New Year, y’all. It’s Eric Church, and it’s time to put a drink in MY hand!”
“Hi! I’m Eric Paslay, wishing you a Happy New Year!”
“Hey everybody! I’m Gary Allan. Happy New Year!”
“Hi! I’m Jon Pardi, wishing you a Happy New Year!”
“Hey! I’m Josh Turner. Happy New Year!”
“Hey! It’s Kacey Musgraves, hoping you have a safe and Happy New Year!”
“Hey everyone! This is Keith Urban. Have a safe and happy New Year.”
“Hey there! It’s Kelleigh Bannen, wishing you a very Happy New Year.”
“It’s Kip Moore, wishing you a Happy New Year.”
“This is Lauren Alaina, wishing you a Happy New Year.”
“Hey! We’re Little Big Town. Happy New Year!”
“Hey! This is Luke Bryan, hoping you have a Happy New Year.”
“Hey! This is Mickey Guyton, wishing you a Happy New Year.”
“Hey everybody! I’m Sam Hunt. Happy New Year!”
“Hi! This is Shania Twain. Happy New Year!”
Clare Dunn usually heads home to southeast Colorado for Christmas to celebrate with her parents and sister. When she has time to watch a Christmas classic, it’s usually either White Christmas or Christmas Vacation. When she and her family sit down for Christmas dinner, it’s not your usual turkey or ham. “I’m a steak girl, so I always talk my parents into grilling steak at Christmas,” she laughs. “So, that’s usually my favorite thing about Christmas, food-wise.”
Clare Dunn (Christmas movie) OC: …favorites. :11
“My favorite Christmas movie is probably either White Christmas or National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase. So, those are my two [laughs] favorites.”
Clare Dunn (Christmas food) OC: …food-wise. [laughs] :08
“I’m a steak girl, so I always talk my parents into grilling steak at Christmas. So, that’s usually my favorite thing about Christmas, food-wise.” [laughs]
Luke Bryan reveals his favorite Christmas gift as a child, favorite Christmas movie and song, as well as a strange Christmas Eve tradition and what the holiday is like in the Bryan household.
While Christmas will be a relaxed holiday for the family, Luke, whose single “Home Alone Tonight” featuring Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild, will travel to New York City for New Year’s Eve. He’s set to perform a medley of hitson Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest. Carrie Underwood, Demi Lovato, 5 Seconds of Summer, One Direction and many more. The show will kick off beginning at 8pm ET/PT on ABC.
Luke Bryan (Christmas gift) OC: …walked out. :15
“My favorite Christmas gift is definitely my first Honda 50 motorcycle that I got back in 1984. It was just an amazing gift to have under the tree, and I never will forget seeing that as I walked out.”
Luke Bryan (Christmas tradition) OC: …the kids. :09
“Our main Christmas tradition is we like to do chili dogs on Christmas Eve and then wake up and just open presents with all the kids.”
Luke Bryan (favorite Christmas song) OC: …’White Christmas.’ :03
“Favorite Christmas song is definitely ‘White Christmas.’”
Luke Bryan (Christmas movie) OC: …Vacation. :06
“Hey, it’s Luke Bryan! My favorite Christmas movie is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman continued her Cracker Barrel appearances Saturday, December 12th in Dayton, Ohio, surprising fans and diners with some gifts to celebrate the holiday season. Items from her 50-piece home goods and kitchenware collection, Oh Gussie!, were handed out and included the Emmy Dog, ceramic birds, Paw Paw Pottery coffee mugs, and The Daisy Doll. The visit was complete with an unexpected appearance from Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. Check out the video below.
Eric Church and his family have a long history of Christmas traditions, but one of his favorites was their Christmas breakfast.
“My grandmother, when she was alive, would always come over, and every year she would bring this Christmas story, and some of them were gut-wrenching. I’m not going to lie to you. They were just heart tugging stories about people who had had…about a Christmas miracle, who had something happen to them; something magical for Christmas that had turned life around…whether it was a homeless person, or just anything,” says Eric. “She would always look all year long and find this story, and then we would have breakfast and she would read it, and it was just our family and we’ve carried that on. My mom does that now and she’s kind of taken it and she finds the story, and that’s something I’m going to do with my family. And Katherine and I have talked about it. It’ll be her turn to find that, and we have a big Christmas breakfast and we sit around and we share that. It’s just a neat thing, family-wise, to have that and to always wonder what that story is going to be and what it’s going to be about, and sometimes they’re brutal. I mean it can be hard, you know. You get up on Christmas morning and you’re in a good mood and they’re just gut-wrenching, you know, but it’s fun to put things in perspective, and it makes you think about people that aren’t as fortunate.”
Christmas for the North Carolina native’s fans came early last month when he surprised them with a brand new album and single – both titled “Mr. Misunderstood.” The song is currently sitting in the Top 20 on the country charts.
Eric Church (Christmas tradition) OC: …as fortunate. :58
“It’s breakfast for me. My grandmother, when she was alive, would always come over, and every year she would bring this Christmas story, and some of them were gut-wrenching. I’m not going to lie to you. They were just heart tugging stories about people who had had…about a Christmas miracle, who had something happen to them; something magical for Christmas that had turned life around…whether it was a homeless person, or just anything. And she would always look all year long and find this story, and then we would have breakfast and she would read it, and it was just our family and we’ve carried that on. My mom does that now and she’s kind of taken it and she finds the story, and that’s something I’m going to do with my family. And Katherine and I have talked about it. It’ll be her turn to find that and we have a big Christmas breakfast and we sit around and we share that. It’s just a neat thing, family-wise, to have that and to always wonder what that story is going to be and what it’s going to be about, and sometimes they’re brutal. I mean it can be hard, you know. You get up on Christmas morning and you’re in a good mood and they’re just gut-wrenching, you know, but it’s fun to put things in perspective, and it makes you think about people that aren’t as fortunate.”
Alan Jackson is the patriarch of a family of five, including his wife Denise and his three daughters Mattie, Ali and Dani. Even though his daughters are grown, his family still stick to their Christmas traditions.
“Christmas is pretty traditional. We don’t let anybody open any presents until Christmas morning,” says Alan. “We don’t let them get up on their own and take off, you know, everybody has to wait and kind of get situated, and maybe have a cup of coffee, and then we start all of the regular Christmas morning activities, opening presents, taking pictures and video. We have music going, you know, I try to keep Christmas music going in the background. I like to turn that on before I let them come down to the tree and everything.”
Alan has partnered with Ply Gem Industries as the ambassador for their “Home for Good Project” to build more than 300 homes across the U.S. with Habitat for Humanity. As ambassador, Alan will help raise awareness through his fan base, social media following and support in a local Builders Blitz event in Nashville, scheduled to coincide with the 2016 CMA Music Festival in June 2016.
AJ (Christmas traditions) OC: …and everything. :30
“Christmas is pretty traditional. We don’t let anybody open any presents until Christmas morning, after Santa Claus comes. We don’t let them get up on their own and take off, you know, everybody has to wait and kind of get situated, and maybe have a cup of coffee, and then we start all of the regular Christmas morning activities, opening presents, taking pictures and video. We have music going, you know, I try to keep Christmas music going in the background. I like to turn that on before I let them come down to the tree and everything.”
AJ (meaning of Christmas) OC: …lovely Christmas. :21
“Always try to remember Jesus’ birthday, and just the whole thing and just have a wonderful big meal, almost like Thanksgiving four weeks later. We have the same pretty much turkey, dressing, all the same kind of things. Sometimes we have family members in Tennessee, and sometimes just us or friends, and we always go home to Georgia prior to that, so pretty standard, lovely Christmas.”
Kacey Musgraves has a couple of favorite Christmas traditions that her family does every year.
“My grandpa has a scavenger hunt puzzle that he does every year. Even though I’m like too old for the puzzle, he’s like, ‘You’re still gonna do it.’ So, every year we do that, and it’s funny ‘cause sometimes you’ll find your present in the bathroom or in a tree or out behind the shed,” says Kacey. “He does a little trail of like either corn or a string to it. It’s very imaginative, and it’s something I look forward to every year.”
Another one of her beloved traditions is the Christmas stocking. “They’re kinda my favorite, ‘cause it’s like all the little goodies in there just are fun.”
Kacey has an idea for a great Christmas present for the women in your life – a pair of cowboy boots from her own line. She partnered with the classic cowboy boot maker Lucchese for a four-piece collection.
Kacey Musgraves (Christmas puzzle tradition) OC: …a little tradition. :28
“My grandpa has a scavenger hunt puzzle that he does every year. Even though I’m like too old for the puzzle, he’s like, ‘You’re still gonna do it.’ So, every year we do that, and it’s funny ‘cause sometimes you’ll find your present in the bathroom or in a tree or out behind the shed. He does a little trail of like either corn or a string to it. It’s very imaginative, and it’s something I look forward to every year. It’s a little tradition.”
Kacey Musgraves (Christmas stockings) OC: …are fun. :07
“Stockings. I love stockings. They’re kinda my favorite, ‘cause it’s like all the little goodies in there just are fun.”
The members of Little Big Town have several traditions at Christmas. One includes Christmas pajamas; others include potato candy, Charlie Brown and Elvis.
“My favorite holiday tradition is, it’s happened very year that I can remember that I’ve been alive. We would go over to my grandmother’s house and have Christmas over there, and everybody would come home to Mama and Daddy’s house. We’d sit down and Mama hands out everybody a gift, and we act like we don’t what it is, but we do ’cause it’s always Christmas pajamas,” says Kimberly Schlapman. “So, everybody opens their Christmas pajamas and goes and puts ’em on, and we come back to the living room and we sit around Daddy and he reads The Christmas Story. And we tuck ourselves in until Santa comes.”
“Christmases at our house usually included making candy with my mother and my grandmother,” says Karen Fairchild. “We did everything from potato candy to chocolate dipped peanut butter and fudge. My mom’s fudge recipe is amazing.”
Little Big Town, who are heading up the country charts with “Pain Killer,” are up for four Grammy nominations, including all-genre Song of the Year for “Girl Crush,” as well as Best Country Album, Best Country Song and Best Country Duo or Group. The 2016 Grammy Awards air February 15th at 8pm ET on CBS.
LBT (Christmas) OC: …Santa comes. :28
“My favorite holiday tradition is, it’s happened very year that I can remember that I’ve been alive. We would go over to my grandmother’s house and have Christmas over there, and everybody would come home to Mama and Daddy’s house. We’d sit down and Mama hands out everybody a gift, and we act like we don’t what it is, but we do ’cause it’s always Christmas pajamas. So, everybody opens their Christmas pajamas and goes and puts ’em on, and we come back to the living room and we sit around Daddy and he reads The Christmas Story. And we tuck ourselves in until Santa comes.”
LBT (Holiday movies) OC: (Phillip) …whatever I touch. [LAUGHS] :38
KAREN: “One of our favorite Christmas traditions is gathering around the television to watch holiday movies. And I know [for] Kimberly, it starts with [KIMBERLY: “It’s a Wonderful Life.”] It’s a Wonderful Life. Ours is holiday movies and records, like certain records have to be played in order for Jimi.” JIMI: “You have to start out the season right with Elvis, a little Elvis Presley.” KAREN: “I like the Charlie Brown Christmas movie.” KIMBERLY: “It’s sweet.” KAREN: “Yeah, it is sweet.” JIMI: “I like all those classic ones like the Rudolph and what is the one with the Abominable Snowman?” KIMBERLY: “Frosty, the Snowman?” PHILLIP: [sings] “I’m Mister Heat Miser/whatever I touch…” [LAUGHS] (The song is from the Claymation special ‘A Year Without a Santa Claus.’)
LBT (Karen-candy making) OC: …peanut butter inside. :19
“Christmases at our house usually included making candy with my mother and my grandmother. We did everything from potato candy to chocolate dipped peanut butter (JIMI: “That all sounds amazing.”) and fudge. My mom’s fudge recipe is amazing.” KIMBERLY: “What is potato candy?” KAREN: “It does use a potato, but it’s rolled and it has peanut butter inside.”
LBT (Phillip-tradition) OC: …to Christmas. :13
“We do a little Christmas tradition in our house. We do, you know the little tree in the countdown to Christmas? We put little treats in each little doorway. [Penelopi] opens the countdown to Christmas. (KIMBERLY: “Cuuuute.”) She gets a new little treat every day leading up to Christmas.”