• THE 2022 CMA NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED; CHRIS STAPLETON AMONG THE MOST NOMINATED.

    The nominations for the 56th Annual CMA Awards have been announced. Lainey Wilson leads the list of nominees with six nods.

    Chris Stapleton has five nominations including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Music Video of the Year (“I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”), Single and Song of the Year for “You Should Probably Leave.”

    With this year’s five nods, Stapleton has amassed 39 career nominations. He is a six-time nominee for Entertainer of the Year and an eight-time nominee for Male Vocalist, a category he has won five times. “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” collects Stapleton his third nomination for Music Video, a category he won in 2016. The video is directed by Lively and is performed with 27-time nominee Taylor Swift. “You Should Probably Leave” marks Stapleton’s fifth nomination for Single of the Year and third nomination for Song. He is a two-time winner in both categories, claiming both trophies in 2018 and 2021. Stapleton co-produced the single with Dave Cobb and it was mixed by Vance Powell. He co-wrote the song with Chris DuBois and Ashley Gorley.

    Carrie Underwood earned three nominations including Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year for “If I Didn’t Love You” with Jason Aldean.

    With this year’s nominations, Underwood has garnered 40 career nods since 2006. This year marks her 16th nomination for Female Vocalist, a trophy she’s claimed five times. She is a four-time nominee for Musical Event, earning a nod this year for “If I Didn’t Love You,” a duet with Jason Aldean produced by Michael Knox. She collects her fifth nomination for the night’s most coveted trophy, Entertainer of the Year.

    Jordan Davis picked up two CMA nominations for Single of the Year for the multi-week No. 1 single “Buy Dirt” featuring Luke Bryan (who is also nominated); and for Song of the Year for “Buy Dirt,” which he wrote with his brother Jacob Davis (who earned his first CMA nomination), along with Matt and Josh Jenkins.

    Jon Pardi also picked up a pair of nominations for his collaboration with Midland on “Longneck Way To Go” for Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year. The song also appears on Jon’s brand new album, Mr. Saturday Night.

    2020’s Entertainer of the Year Eric Church earned a nod for Male Vocalist of the Year, while Little Big Town earned a nomination for Vocal Group of the Year, a category which they’ve won SIX times!

    Reigning CMA Vocal Duo of the Year Brothers Osborne and Maddie & Tae pick up nods for Vocal Duo of the Year.

    Dierks Bentley is nominated along with BRELAND and HARDY for Musical Event of the Year for the trio’s chart-topping tune, “Beers On Me.”

    Parker McCollum earns his first CMA nomination for New Artist of the Year

    The 56th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, will broadcast LIVE from Nashville November 9th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

    • Luke Combs
    • Miranda Lambert
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Carrie Underwood
    • Morgan Wallen

    SINGLE OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer  

    • “Buy Dirt” – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan
      Producer: Paul DiGiovanni
      Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
    • “half of my hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini (feat. Kenny Chesney)
      Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Ross Copperman, Jimmy Robbins
      Mix Engineer: Dan Grech-Marguerat
    • “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
      Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
      Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore
    • “’Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson
      Producer: Trent Willmon
      Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke
    • “You Should Probably Leave” – Chris Stapleton
      Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
      Mix Engineer: Vance Powell

    ALBUM OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s) 

    • Growin’ Up – Luke Combs
      Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton
      Mix Engineers: Jim Cooley, Chip Matthews
    • Humble Quest – Maren Morris
      Producer: Greg Kurstin
      Mix Engineer: Serban Ghenea
    • Palomino – Miranda Lambert
      Producers: Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, Mikey Reaves
      Mix Engineer: Jason Lehning
    • Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ – Lainey Wilson
      Producer: Jay Joyce
      Mix Engineer: F. Reid Shippen
    • Time, Tequila & Therapy – Old Dominion
      Producers: Shane McAnally, Old Dominion
      Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank

    SONG OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Songwriter(s) 

    • “Buy Dirt”
      Songwriters: Jacob Davis, Jordan Davis, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins
    • “Never Wanted To Be That Girl”
      Songwriters: Shane McAnally, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce
    • “Sand In My Boots”
      Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Josh Osborne
    • “Things A Man Oughta Know”
      Songwriters: Jason Nix, Jonathan Singleton, Lainey Wilson
    • “You Should Probably Leave”
      Songwriters: Chris DuBois, Ashley Gorley, Chris Stapleton

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

    • Miranda Lambert
    • Ashley McBryde
    • Carly Pearce
    • Carrie Underwood
    • Lainey Wilson

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

    • Eric Church
    • Luke Combs
    • Cody Johnson
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Morgan Wallen

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

    • Lady A
    • Little Big Town
    • Midland
    • Old Dominion
    • Zac Brown Band

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

    • Brooks & Dunn
    • Brothers Osborne
    • Dan + Shay
    • LOCASH
    • Maddie & Tae

    MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Artist(s) and Producer(s)  

    • “Beers On Me” – Dierks Bentley with BRELAND & HARDY
      Producers: Dierks Bentley, Ross Copperman
    • “If I Didn’t Love You” – Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood
      Producer: Michael Knox
    • “Longneck Way To Go” – Midland (featuring Jon Pardi)
      Producers: Dann Huff, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
    • “Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell (with Lainey Wilson)
      Producer: Zach Crowell
    • “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
      Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

    MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

    • Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle
    • Paul Franklin, Steel guitar
    • Brent Mason, Guitar
    • Ilya Toshinskiy, Banjo
    • Derek Wells, Guitar

    MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    Award goes to Artist(s) and Director(s)  

    • “I Bet You Think About Me” (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) – Taylor Swift (featuring Chris Stapleton)
      Director: Blake Lively
    • “Longneck Way To Go” – Midland (featuring Jon Pardi)
      Director: Harper Smith
    • “Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell (with Lainey Wilson)
      Director: Michael Monaco
    • “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
      Director: Alexa Campbell
    • “’Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson
      Director: Dustin Haney

    NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

    • HARDY
    • Walker Hayes
    • Cody Johnson
    • Parker McCollum
    • Lainey Wilson

    https://twitter.com/carrieunderwood/status/1567550562119417856

     

    https://twitter.com/JordanCWDavis/status/1567543539105468419

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Audio / JORDAN DAVIS SAYS THE SUCCESS "BUY DIRT" IS HAVING IS VERY SPECIAL.

    Download

    Jordan Davis (Buy Dirt success is special) OC: …more special. :13
    “It just means a lot more. I wrote it with my brother (Jacob) and two my best friends (Josh and Matt Jenkins) in town and just the content of it. It comes from a really, really honest place. So, when you have songs that mean that much and you get to see them have success like ‘Buy Dirt’ is having, it’s a little bit more special.”

  • LABOR DAY LINERS 2022

    Audio / LINER Billy Currington (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hey y’all! It’s Billy Currington, wishing you a very happy Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Labor Day)

    Download

    This is TJ, and I’m John, and we are Brothers Osborne, wishing you a happy and work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Labor Day Weekend)

    Download

    Hey everyone! I’m Carrie Underwood, hoping you have a happy Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hey everybody! This is Catie Offerman, wishing you a fun and work-free Labor Day Weekend.

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hey y’all! This is Caylee Hammack. I’m wishing you a fun and work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hey! It’s Darius Rucker, and I hope you have a have a happy work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hey! It’s Eric Church, and I hope you have a have a happy Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Jon Langston (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hey! I’m Jon Langston. Hope you have a Happy Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Labor Day weekend)

    Download

    Hey! It’s Jon Pardi, and I hope you have a happy and work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hey! I’m Jordan Davis, wishing you a happy and work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Kacey Musgraves (Labor Day weekend)

    Download

    Hey! It’s Kacey Musgraves, hoping you have a happy Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Labor Day weekend)

    Download

    Hi everybody! This is Keith Urban, wishing you a very happy Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Kip Moore (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hey—what’s happening guys? This is Kip Moore, wishing you a happy and work-free Labor Day Weekend.

    Audio / LINER Kylie Morgan (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hey, it’s Kylie Morgan, wishing you a fun and work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER LBT (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hi! We’re Little Big Town, hoping you have a work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hey! It’s Luke Bryan, and I hope you have a have a happy Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hey everybody! I’m Maddie, and I’m Tae, and we’re Maddie & Tae, hoping you have a happy and work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hey everybody, I’m Parker McCollum, wishing you a work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Priscilla Block (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hey, it’s Priscilla Block, wishing you a fun and work-free Labor Day Weekend.

    Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hey everybody, this is Reba McEntire, wishing you and your family and all your friends a Happy Labor Day Weekend.

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hey everybody! I’m Sam Hunt. Have a great and work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Travis Denning (Labor Day)

    Download

    Hey y’all. It’s Travis Denning, hoping you have a happy and work-free Labor Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Tyler Hubbard (Labor Day)

    Download

    “Hey y’all, it’s Tyler Hubbard, wishing you a fun and work-free Labor Day Weekend.

     

  • PARKER McCOLLUM RELEASES HIS NEW SINGLE, “HANDLE ON YOU.”

    One of Nashville’s brightest new stars, Parker McCollum, has released his latest single, “Handle On You,” available now. Written by Parker and Monty Criswell, the woeful track about reeling from a doomed relationship captures the all-too relatable emotions of grappling with trying to let go of someone you loved.

    “‘Handle On You’ is a song I wrote with my buddy Monty Criswell before Hallie and I were back together, and I was really going through it and I was drinking quite a bit and staying up all night trying to write sad country songs,” says Parker. “I wasn’t really writing anything at the time and woke up real late one day and Monty came over and he had this title called ‘Handle On You,’ and I said, ‘Man, I’ve kind of been trying to get a handle on her,’ and I was really kind of living that at the time. It’s a super honest song, and it really means a lot to me when I listen to it and think back on that time on what I was going through. You know, I was drinking to try to get out of a bad spot which is never gonna work, but I don’t regret it at all because we wrote ‘Handle On You’ from literally living exactly what that song’s about.”

    The song is the follow-up to his two chart-topping hits, “Pretty Heart” and “To Be Loved By You.”

    Recently, McCollum made another childhood dream come true by opening for Country music legend, George Strait, at his show in Kansas City, MO on July 30th. Alongside Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town, McCollum fired up the crowd for one unforgettable show with “The King” of Country.

    Since exploding onto the Country music scene in 2020 with his critically acclaimed and top-selling debut Country EP of the year, Hollywood Gold EP, McCollum has achieved two #1 singles (the Double-Platinum selling, “Pretty Heart,” and its follow-up single, “To Be Loved By You,”) made his Grand Ole Opry debut, broke records at the iconic Texas venue Whitewater Amphitheater – selling out a three-night engagement, performed for a sold-out crowd for his debut at RODEOHOUSTON and earned his first ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year and his first CMT Award for “Breakthrough Video of the Year.”

    Audio / Parker McCollum talks about his new single, "Handle On You."

    Download

    Parker McCollum (Handle On You) OC: …song’s about. :53
    “‘Handle On You’ is a song I wrote with my buddy Monty Criswell before Hallie and I were back together, and I was really going through it and I was drinking quite a bit and staying up all night trying to write sad country songs. I wasn’t really writing anything at the time and woke up real late one day and Monty came over and he had this title called ‘Handle On You,’ and I said, ‘Man, I’ve kind of been trying to get a handle on her,’ and I was really kind of living that at the time. It’s a super honest song, and it really means a lot to me when I listen to it and think back on that time on what I was going through. You know, I was drinking to try to get out of a bad spot which is never gonna work, but I don’t regret it at all because we wrote ‘Handle On You’ from literally living exactly what that song’s about.”

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Handle On You) 1

    Download

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Handle On You) 2

    Download

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Handle On You) 3

    Download

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Handle On You) 4 1

    Download

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Handle On You) 5

    Download

    Video /

    View
  • DIERKS BENTLEY, LUKE BRYAN, DARIUS RUCKER, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, BROTHERS OSBORNE, PARKER McCOLLUM AND MORE ARE FEATURED IN THE ABC-TV SPECIAL CMA FEST ON WEDNESDAY.

    This year’s CMA Fest, dubbed “The Music Event of the Summer,” returns for a three-hour ABC-TV special featuring once in a lifetime collaborations and performances this Wednesday (August 3rd). Dierks Bentley and Elle King will host the show, which was filmed at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium (home of the Tennessee Titans) during the 49th CMA Fest this past June.

    The performances include Dierks’ smash hit “Drunk On a Plane,” as well as a cool collaboration with the iconic Billy Ray Cyrus on his debut single and ’90s classic, “Achy Breaky Heart.”

    Carrie Underwood performs both her latest single, “Ghost Story,” as well as her hit single “Good Girl,” while Brothers Osborne turn in a performance of their fan favorite, “Skeletons.”

    Luke Bryan performs is No. 1 hit, “Kick The Dust Up,” while Darius Rucker turns in “Wagon Wheel,” as well as a collaboration with the Zac Brown Band on “Chicken Fried.”

    Parker McCollum makes his dynamic debut performing “To Be Loved By You.”

    Other performers include Luke Combs, Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett, Kelsea Ballerini, Cole Swindell, Carly Pearce, Wynonna, Dustin Lynch, Lady A and others.

    Catch all the action on Wednesday (August 3rd) at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Audio / Dierks Bentley is co-hosting this year's ABC-TV special, CMA Fest, with buddy Elle King, and he's so happy that the festival was back in person after two years.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (CMA Fest 2022) OC: …host it. :22
    “It was so great to be back (in person) at CMA Fest especially hosting it. After two years of CMA being away, CMA Fest being gone, those fans came back with a vengeance, so excited to party and hang out, so loud. So, for me to get a chance to not only play the show, but actually host it with my buddy Elle King, that is just, I just feel so lucky. That was so much fun and so looking forward to seeing the show air on ABC in August, and just so truly lucky to have a chance to host it.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about the "rowdy" experience he had during this year's CMA Music Fest.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (CMA Fest 2022) OC: …experience. :56
    “It was crazy. To leave the stadium and over 80,000 people and go straight to Blake’s bar for the Spotify event. And I got a little carried away. I never get to play rowdy bars anymore, so after I kinda got to roast Blake, I attempted to sing ‘Some Beach,’ and I did not know any of the words-sorry, Blake. Anyway, just being in his bar, I got in front of the crowd and I really kind of got caught up in the moment and played for maybe a little too long. But then, after I got done there, I ran across the street to my bar. I bought my whole bar a Two Lane (beer) and it was just a wild night and so good being in the mix in CMA Music Fest with all the fans doing a concert, bar hopping to Blake’s bar (and) my bar. It was a pretty crazy experience.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about CMA Fest 2022.

    Download

    Carrie Underwood (CMA Fest 2022) OC: …good time. :24
    “Everybody is super-excited to be back at CMA Fest. It’s a staple in country music. It’s been going on for so many decades. I just feel like not having a proper CMA Fest was just kind of gut-wrenching. But people are excited-the fans are excited, the performers are excited, I’m excited, so it’s gonna be a good time.”

  • PARKER MCCOLLUM MAKES CHILDHOOD DREAM COME TRUE OPENING FOR “THE KING” OF COUNTRY MUSIC, GEORGE STRAIT.

    One of Country music’s biggest newcomers, Parker McCollum, just wrapped up his weekend by bringing a childhood dream to life – opening for one of his personal idols and Country music legend, George Strait. Hitting the stage at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO on Saturday, July 30th, McCollum, alongside Country superstars Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town, fired up the crowd for one unforgettable show.

    “Regardless of what anyone thinks of me or my music, I strive to do my absolute best on my terms – but honestly, I’ve always had this secret hope that ‘The King’ approves of what I’m doing. He is the standard and it’s an honor to share the stage with him,” says McCollum.

    The show marks yet another impressive accomplishment in Parker’s young career. Since exploding onto the Country music scene in 2020 with his critically acclaimed and top-selling debut Country EP of the year, Hollywood Gold EP, McCollum has achieved two #1 singles, the Double-Platinum selling, “Pretty Heart,” and its follow-up single, “To Be Loved By You,” made is Grand Ole Opry debut, broke records at the iconic Texas venue Whitewater Amphitheater – selling out a three-night engagement, performed for a sold-out crowd for his debut at RODEOHOUSTON and earned his first ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year and his first CMT Award for “Breakthrough Video of the Year.”

    This Friday, August 5th, McCollum will be releasing his latest single, “Handle On You.” 

    Pre-save “Handle On YouHERE

    For a list of McCollum’s upcoming tour dates, visit HERE.

  • PARKER MCCOLLUM TEAMS WITH ICONIC BRAND LUCCHESE BOOTMAKER FOR AN ON-GOING PARTNERSHIP.

    One of Country music’s biggest breakout stars of the past year, Parker McCollum, has partnered with the legendary Lucchese Bootmaker brand for an exciting multi-year deal that will spotlight the high-caliber artistry and 140+ year heritage of Lucchese as well as McCollum’s authentic resonance with his devoted fanbase. As a Texas native, McCollum has grown-up admiring Lucchese’s legacy in their detailed attention to the quality and integrity of their products and mirrors that same work-ethic in his own career, both on-stage and in the studio.

    “Lucchese has always been the boots that I wanted when I was a kid,” says Parker. “I can remember several years ago saying to the band and kind of saying to myself quite a bit, how much I would love to sign a deal with Lucchese one day and be able to represent them with what I do, since I just love their product so much. It quite literally gives me chills to think about the fact that we’re actually signing a deal with Lucchese and it’s a big deal and means something. It’s going to give both of us a platform to collaborate on, which is literally one of my dreams that I had a couple of years ago. So to manifest that and speak it and actually come to fruition, is what dreams are all about, man. You can never shoot too high, and you can never dream too big. You just never know what you may end up actually getting in life. So the Lucchese deal is a prime example of that, and I’m just so excited to start this relationship and build on it and show the world what we can do.”

    “We are truly excited to announce our long-term partnership with Parker McCollum. Here at Lucchese, we view the craftsmanship and intent that goes into handmaking our boots akin to that of the curation of a new song. The output of the artistry may be different, but its process and dedication to the craft remain the same. Throughout our relationship, it has become evident that Parker understands our world just as we do his- he is a true ambassador and steward of the Lucchese brand, and we can’t wait to share what we have in store for both of our fanbases.” – Doug Kindy, President – Lucchese.

    For a list of McCollum’s upcoming tour dates, visit HERE.

    For more information, visit ParkerMcCollum.com

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Parker McCollum, Travis Denning, Kacey Musgraves

    Reba McEntire will star in the new Lifetime movie, “The Hammer,” along with boyfriend Rex Linn (CSI: Miami, Better Call Saul) and her Reba show co-star and close friend, Melissa Peterman. Reba also serves as executive producer on the film, which is inspired by the life of traveling circuit judge Kim Wanker. This is not the only place you’ll be able to catch the country superstar on the small screen. She’s also joining the of the ABC series, Big Sky, this coming season.

    Parker McCollum sold out three nights in a row at the Whitewater Amphitheatre in New Braunsfels, Texas recently. He said it was “absolutely electric every night. My favorite venue in the world.”

     

    Travis Denning releases a new song, “Buy A Girl A Drink,” on Friday (July 8th). He says he “fell in love with this song the moment we wrote it. So much of me and (fiancee) Madison’s story is in it, and I know so many others are in it as well.”

    Kacey Musgraves recently performed the Elvis cover “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (from The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ELVIS) at Hampton Court Palace in England as part of her star-crossed tour.

     

     

  • FOURTH OF JULY AUDIO 2022

    Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain and tyranny.

    The Declaration of Independence, which is on public display in the Rotunda of the National Archives in Washington, D.C., was primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson, however, he worked with Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to come up with the final document. The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4th, 1776, but the actual signing of the document took place August 2nd, 1776.

    Now, the Fourth of July holiday is commonly associated with fireworks displays, parades, barbecues and concerts. Some of your favorite country stars take time to remember their Fourth of July traditions, memories and what the holiday really means to them.

    Mickey Guyton will host and perform during A Capitol Fourth on the Fourth of July on PBS beginning at 8pm ET. Country star Jake Owen, Grammy Award-winning gospel artist Yolanda Adams, Tony Award winner and Broadway icon Chita Rivera, Grammy Award-winning musician and actor Gloria Gaynor, Blues musician Keb’ Mo’ and many others are also among the stars performing during the special.

     

    To access Fourth of July liners, click here.

     

    Audio / Alan Jackson recalls one of the coolest Fourth of July memories he’s ever enjoyed.

    Download

    AJ (fave 4th of July memory) OC: …very cool. :58
    Well, this one is hard to beat. A couple of years ago, maybe longer than that now, I had an old boat in Florida. It’s like an old antique motor yacht, and it was kind of a cool old boat. I had taken that boat, I’ve always wanted to take it up north like to New York and up in that area, up in the northeast where it’s so pretty. So, we took the boat up there and Denise and the girls, we all went up. They like going to New York City, which I don’t really care about going to the city. So, I got to stay in my boat there at the harbor tied up, which was cool anyway. So they spent time in the city a few days and then that was Fourth of July, and we went out in the Hudson River that night and they shot the fireworks off and we were anchored out in front of the Statue of Liberty and New York City was behind us, and the Statue of Liberty and the fireworks were going off sitting on that boat. That was the coolest thing and my girls still talk about that. I mean, that was the coolest thing on Fourth of July I can ever remember. I can’t top that one probably. It was emotional sitting there watching the Statue of Liberty and thinking about all that. It was very cool.”

     

    Audio / Billy Currington talks about his favorite Fourth of July memories.

    Download

    Billy Currington (4th of July) OC: …of my life. :16
    “My best memories would be hanging out with my mom, brother and sister on the beach on Tybee Island right off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. We’d go there every year, and we’d light our own fireworks and watch the ones that they had for us. They were the best times, some of the best times of my life.”

     

    Audio / Carrie Underwood recalls one of her favorite Fourth of July memories.

    Download

    Carrie Underwood (favorite Fourth of July memory) OC: …work out. :51
    “I think my favorite Fourth of July memory would be going to the fireworks stand and picking out which fireworks I wanted to do. I must’ve been like 7 or 8, and I came home and made a list of what order I wanted to do them in, because I wanted to put a show on for Mom and Dad, and of course I couldn’t wait until it was dark outside (laughs). So, I made my Mom and Dad get the lawn chairs and come out to the backyard and watch some not very dramatic fireworks at like six o’clock in the evening, but I was so proud of myself, and I was so proud of the show that I put on. So, I feel like that was a little training for what I do now – putting on shows, figuring out how it’s all going to work out.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker enjoys setting off fireworks.

    Download

    Darius Rucker (fireworks) OC: …off once. :15
    “Oh, I love fireworks. We had the bottle rocket fights and all that good stuff. I was the typical little crazy kid, you know. In South Carolina, it was always legal, so we shot fireworks when it was legal. We did all that sort of stuff. I almost blew my hand off once.”

    Audio / Eric Church recalls his family activities on the Fourth of July holiday.

    Download

    Eric Church (4th of July) OC: …freedoms. 1:17
    “The Fourth of July for me, growing up we would always go to the lake, we didn’t live on the lake but we would all go to the lake. Had a buddy who had a pontoon and we would always get on the pontoon and you go out and you’d tie all the pontoons together and just have a big time. This was before, I was younger then, the adults were having more fun than we were, you know it was just to go swim in the water and shoot off fireworks. Basically, water tailgating is what it was. And then as we got older, same thing…we would just, us younger kids had our own boat and we had as much fun as the adults.”

    Audio / Jon Langston talks about what he usually does on the Fourth of July,

    Download

    Jon Langston (Fourth of July) OC: …either way. :17
    “The Fourth of July is usually different every year. We’re usually playing shows, or we’re out on the lake or at the beach, or sometimes I’ve said, ‘I’m staying at home,’ shooting fireworks off the back porch or something. That’s probably not the safest thing, but we have a good time either way.”

    Audio / JORDAN DAVIS TALKS ABOUT SOME OF HIS FAVORITE CHILDHOOD FOURTH OF JULY MEMORIES.

    Download

    Jordan Davis (Fourth of July) 2 OC: …really cool. :17
    “Probably baseball games, firework shows at baseball games. We’d go to Shreveport Captains games, so yeah, we’d do that or barbecues and fireworks. I can remember being on the lake for a couple of Fourth of Julys. We’d take the boat out and we’d watch the downtown fireworks show from the boat, which was really cool.”

    Audio / Josh Turner talks about the fireworks “wars” his family would have when he was growing up.

    Download

    Josh Turner (fireworks) OC: …of money. [laughs] :20
    “Yeah, we had fireworks around, especially my Daddy’s family. All the individual families had a lot of competition with each other and tried to outdo each other to try to see who had the biggest and baddest fireworks and all that. [laughs] My daddy, I think, was the smartest one. He just went out and bought maybe $25 worth of fireworks and let everybody else put on the big show, so he saved a lot of money.” [laughs]

    Audio / Keith Urban recalls coming over to America for the first time.

    Download

    Keith Urban (coming to America 1st time) OC: …as I could. :39
    “1989 was the first year I came to the States, and it had always been my goal, but I had no plan on how to get here. It was just a case of keep playing, keep getting better at what you do, and then hopefully, somehow, some way I’ll end up over here. The guy who was managing me at the time, we just planned a trip over here – it was actually for the New Music Seminar in New York. And we came over for that, and then we did a trip down to Nashville, and I was shopping my little demo around. I think I humored everybody more than anything else [laughs] with my tragic, ill-fitting demo for the time. So, I left there, but I was just so committed to coming back as quick as I could.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan recalls one of his favorite Fourth of July memories.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (4th of July memories) OC: …we used to. :21
    “Some of my favorite Fourth of July memories were spent on Lake Blackshear down in Georgia with my family. I was always kind of in charge of driving home from Tennessee and picking up all the fireworks and my nieces and nephews always got excited when I rolled in because they knew I had all the fireworks. But, it was always a great memory, and I miss not getting to do that as much as we used to.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about his Fourth of July plans.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (Fourth of July plans) OC: …on the fourth. :15
    “My plans for the Fourth are always to be on the boat somewhere in the water, and buy a few fireworks, send ‘em up in the sky for the boys, but it’s always a boat and water, whether it’s in the Gulf of Mexico, whether it’s in Georgia…we don’t have a total plan yet, but we’ll be having a good time on the fourth.”

    Audio / MADDIE & TAE TALK ABOUT THEIR FOURTH OF JULY TRADITIONS.

    Download

    Maddie & Tae (Fourth of July) OC: …it’s perfect. :29
    TAE: “One of my favorite Fourth of July traditions – I’d say it’s a tradition ‘cause it happens every year, but I’m not always able to make it – is that we go to my grandparents in Oklahoma, and we all line up lawn chairs right in front of their garage and we just light fireworks. We always do it far away and then we light it, and we always run back and watch the fireworks, but that’s probably one of my favorite memories.” MADDIE: “My birthday is July 7th, so I always get built-in fireworks for my birthday, and sometimes we actually celebrate it on the 4th, because there’s fireworks everywhere, so it’s perfect.”

    Audio / PARKER MCCOLLUM TALKS ABOUT HIS FAVORITE FOURTH OF JULY MEMORIES. NOTE: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.

    Download

    Parker McCollum (Fourth of July) OC: …days of my life. :23
    “My favorite Fourth of July memories growing up are actually kind of dangerous now that I think about it, but we used to have fireworks wars where we’d shoot like roman candles and bottle rockets. We’d always go to my grandma’s house, pop fireworks and we’d end up shooting ’em at each other and having wars; no eye protection, no nothing, just shooting bottle rockets at each other’s faces. But it was so fun; some of the best days of my life.”

    Audio / Priscilla Block says the Fourth of July is one of her favorite holidays.

    Download

    Priscilla Block (Fourth of July) OC: …we get crazy. :26
    “I love Fourth of July. I usually always have a Fourth of July party. It is known that there is a slip-n-slide at my house on Fourth of July. You know, it’s such a great holiday to just bring friends together and, I don’t know, we get wild on the Fourth. We get crazy.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about what he and his family did over the Fourth of July holiday when he was growing up in Georgia.

    Download

    Sam Hunt (Fourth of July) OC: …good time. :39
    “My granddad on the other side of my family, he would always take a lot of pride…fireworks were actually, I’m from Georgia, and most of them were illegal, I’m pretty sure, growing up. But over in Alabama, that’s where all the firework stands were, and we only had to drive 10, 15 minutes to get to the Alabama line, so we could go get a bundle of fireworks pretty easy. But he would always take a lot of pride in going and finding all the good stuff and coming back with a big pile. He’d have his torch out there at the end of the driveway and we’d all eat homemade ice cream and put down towels on the driveway and he’d shoot off fireworks for 30-45 minutes. Such a good time.”

    Audio / TRAVIS DENNING TALKS ABOUT THE FOURTH OF JULY EVENTS HIS HOMETOWN OF WARNER ROBINS, GEORGIA WOULD THROW EVERY YEAR.

    Download

    Travis Denning (Fourth of July) OC: …will love. :51
    “Fourth of July in Warner Robins, Georgia is an event. It’s something else. In fact, forever they’ve thrown an Independence Day concert, and back in the day, it was huge. It was the biggest thing they did all year. They would actually have the concert in the MAC (McConnell-Talbert Stadium), which was the high school football stadium that Warner Robins and Northside and Houston County shared. I mean, one year they had Wynonna play and then they had Josh Turner one year, Darius Rucker. I mean it was like a big deal, and there’d be 15,000, 20,000 people there, and I think it’s so cool that there’s a little bit of a legacy of people coming together in that town and making something happen, you know? I’ll never forget going to those shows and thinking, I was more proud of what the city had done. I was like, ‘That’s just so cool that they could put together a show like this, an event that everybody will love.”

    Audio / Tyler Hubbard talks about his Fourth of July plans with his family.

    Download

    Tyler Hubbard (Fourth of July) OC: …that freedom. :43

     

  • FOURTH OF JULY LINERS 2022

    Audio / LINER AJ (4th of July)

    Download

    “Hey! This is Alan Jackson, wishing you a happy and safe Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Billy Currington (4th of July)

    Download

    “Hey guys! I’m Billy Currington, wishing you a Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Bros Osborne (Fourth of July)

    Download

    “Hey y’all! I’m John, and I’m TJ, and we are Brothers Osborne, wish you a very Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Fourth of July)

    Download

    “Hi! This is Carrie Underwood wishing you a Happy Fourth of July.”

     

    Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Fourth of July)

    Download

    “Hey everybody, this is Catie Offerman, wishing you a safe and Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Independence Day)

    Download

    “Hey everybody, this is Catie Offerman. Happy Independence Day, y’all.”

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Fourth of July)

    Download

    “Hey y’all! This is Caylee Hammack wishing you a safe and Happy Fourth of July.”

     

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Independence Day)

    Download

    “Hey y’all! This is Caylee Hammack. Happy Independence Day, everybody!”

     

    Audio / LINER Chrissy Metz (Fourth of July)

    Download

    “Hey! This is Chrissy Metz, wishing you a safe and Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Darius (4th of July)

    Download

    “Hey y’all, what’s up? This is Darius Rucker, wishing you a very, very happy Fourth of July!”

    Audio / LINER Darius (Happy Birthday, America)

    Download

    “Hey y’all, what’s up? This is Darius Rucker. Happy Birthday, America!”

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (4th of July)

    Download

    “Hey everybody! This is Dierks Bentley, wishing you a Happy and safe Fourth of July.

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (4th of July)

    Download

    “Hey this is Eric Church, wishing you a very happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Langston (Fourth of July)

    Download

    “Hey y’all, this is Jon Langston wishing you a safe and Happy Fourth of July.”

     

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (4th of July)

    Download

    “Hi, it’s Jon Pardi, wishing you a happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (Fourth of July)

    Download

    “Hey! I’m Jordan Davis, wishing you a Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (summer)

    Download

    Hey everybody, Keith Urban here, wanting to wish you all a fantastic and safe summer. Enjoy the sunshine. Hopefully, you’ll get to spend some time with the ones you love, and hopefully, we’ll also get to see you out on the road.”

    Audio / LINER Kylie Morgan (Fourth of July)

    Download

    “Hey y’all. This is Kylie Morgan, wishing you a safe and Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER LBT (4th of July)

    Download

    “Hey! We’re Little Big Town. Happy Fourth of July!”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (4th of July)

    Download

    “Hey! This is Luke Bryan, wishing you a very happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (4th of July) 2

    Download

    “Hey y’all, this is Luke Bryan, celebrating the land of the free, the home of the brave and country music.”

    Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Fourth of July)

    Download

    “Hey everybody! I’m Maddie, and I’m Tae and we’re Maddie & Tae, wishing you a safe and happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Mickey Guyton (4th of July)

    Download

    “Hey! This is Mickey Guyton, wishing you a Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Fourth of July)

    Download

    “Hey everybody. I’m Parker McCollum, wishing you a Happy and safe Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Priscilla Block (Fourth of July)

    Download

    “Hey, it’s Priscilla Block, wishing you a safe and Happy Fourth of July.”

     

    Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (Fourth of July)

    Download

    “Hey everybody, this is Reba McEntire, wishing you a safe and Happy Fourth of July.”

     

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Fourth of July)

    Download

    “Hey everybody! This is Sam Hunt, wishing you a safe and Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Travis Denning (Fourth of July)

    Download

    “Hey y’all! It’s Travis Denning, wishing you a safe and Happy Fourth of July.”

    Audio / LINER Tyler Hubbard (Fourth of July)

    Download

    “Hey y’all, this is Tyler Hubbard, wishing you a safe and Happy Fourth of July.”

     

  • FATHER’S DAY 2022 AUDIO

    Father’s Day is Sunday (June 19th), and we have audio with several of your favorite country stars! See and download below.

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about the incredible fathers in her life.

    Download

    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.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack says her father is a good man.

    Download

    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.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker says his mother made him a good father to his three children.

    Download

    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.”

     

    Audio / Dierks Bentley, the father of three, is very grateful to his own dad for turning him on to country music as a kid.

    Download

    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.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley explains how being a father (to three children) has changed him.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (how fatherhood has changed him) OC: …different. :07
    “There’s a whole kind of different universe that has opened up that I never knew existed, and I’m not the center of it, which is really cool. It just makes you look at things totally different.”

    Audio / Eric Church describes his father and the qualities he admires in him.

    Download

    Eric Church (Father’s Day) OC: …always admired. :29
    “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.”

    Audio / Jon Langston looks up to his father and hopes to become just like him.

    Download

    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.”

    Audio / FATHER OF TWO JORDAN DAVIS TALKS ABOUT HIS FAVORITE QUALITIES OF HIS DAD.

    Download

    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.”

    Audio / PROUD DAD OF FOUR (HAMPTON, COLBY, MARION, HAWKE), JOSH TURNER TALKS ABOUT HOW HIS THREE OLDEST SONS ARE LEARNING THE FAMILY TRADE.

    Download

    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.”

    Audio / Keith Urban – father to daughters Sunday and Faith -- says there are a number of things that are at the top of the list of being a dad.

    Download

    Keith Urban (Father’s Day) OC: …experience that. :36
    “The first thing is probably just having someone call you dad. I’m like, ‘Omigosh! I’m her dad! That’s amazing.’ That’s probably the first thing to me. I don’t know, I mean, the different personalities that our two daughters have, that’s amazing. It’s such a long list I think. I always say…I think for the people that haven’t had kids – which I hadn’t for a long, long time. I didn’t have kids ‘til later on, and being around it is not the same as having them, you know? I realize that it’s not something that can be explained until you actually sort of have it, so I’m glad I got to experience that.”

    Audio / Keith Urban talks about the qualities he inherited from both of his parents.

    Download

    Keith Urban (parents qualities) OC: …both of those. :23
    “He was very artistic and creative, my dad, and very detailed, and I think his attention to detail I definitely inherited from him. And my mom was very much a people person, very social. My dad was a bit more shy and quiet, but my mom was very social. I think those two really wonderful attributes, I was lucky enough to inherit both of those.t

    Audio / Kip Moore talks about his late father’s influence on his music career, and how he’d play classics on their fishing trips.

    Download

    Kip Moore (Father’s Day-dad’s influence) OC: …of us singin’ ‘em. :29
    “He would just play all those classic records – Little River Band, Jackson Brown, Springsteen, Seeger, Willie Nelson, the Red-Headed Stranger, Kristofferson, Sam Cook – like classic music. He’d be singing the songs and telling us why it was such good music. And I looked up to him so much, that’s the music I gravitated towards and that’s what I continue to listen to. Whenever I think about those old fishing trips, that’s what I think about is on the way down there, him singing those songs and all of us singin’ ‘em.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about the life lessons his own father taught him.

    Download

    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.”

    Audio / MADDIE MARLOW TALKS ABOUT HER FATHER’S FAVORITE GIFT SHE’S EVER GIVEN HIM FOR FATHER’S DAY.

    Download

    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.”

     

    Audio / Parker McCollum credits his father and grandfather with his work ethic and drive to be successful.

    Download

    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.”

    Audio / Priscilla Block talks about her father.

    Download

    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.”

    Audio / Travis Denning says his father is his best friend.

    Download

    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.”

    Audio / Tyler Hubbard says his children have re-energized him and have channeled the little boy inside of him.

    Download

    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.”

    Audio / Vince Gill talks about the qualities he hopes for his children.

    Download

    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.”