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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks, Jon, Travis, Kacey

    Press
    Dierks Bentley / Jon Langston / Kacey Musgraves / Travis Denning

    Dierks Bentley and Jon Pardi are among the country artists celebrating the late Troy Gentry (Montgomery Gentry) at the Grand Ole Opry House on Wednesday night (January 9th). The event, C’Ya on the Flipside, will also feature performances from Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, Dustin Lynch, Justin Moore, Tracy Lawrence, Lee Brice, Craig Morgan, Darryl Worley, Chris Janson, Ray Scott and many others, including Troy’s bandmate Eddie Montgomery. The sold-out show will benefit the Troy Gentry Foundation, as well as the Opry Trust Fund, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and a handful of other charities. Troy was killed in a helicopter crash in 2017.

    Travis Denning performs at Ole Red in downtown Nashville on Tuesday (January 8th) as part of the Opry Next Stage Launch Concert. Tenille Townes, Riley Green and Teagan Marie will also perform.

    Kacey Musgraves is set to play this year’s Bonnaroo Festival on Saturday, June 15th. The four-day event kicks off Thursday, June 13th and runs through Sunday, June 16th in Manchester, Tennessee. Some of the other acts performing over the weekend include Maren Morris, Kacey’s husband, singer-songwriter Ruston Kelly, Post Malone, Childish Gambino, Hozier, The Lumineers and Cardi B, among others. Tickets go on sale Thursday (January 10th).

  • NEW YEAR’S EVE 2018

    Audio
    Brothers Osborne / Clare Dunn / Dierks Bentley / Eric Church / Jon Pardi / Kacey Musgraves / Keith Urban / Kip Moore / Lauren Alaina / Luke Bryan / Travis Denning

    What are some of your favorite stars doing to welcome in the New Year? A few 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.

    Keith Urban is set to headline Music City on New Year’s Eve for the third consecutive year. He’ll perform at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park as part of the Jack Daniels Music City Midnight bash. Peter Frampton, Judah & the Lion, Caitlyn Smith, Devon Gilfillian and the Fisk Jubliee Singers are also on the bill. Keith will be featured on “NBC’s New Year’s Eve,” which will be hosted by Carson Daly and Chrissy Teigen. The special will air Monday, December 31st from 10-11pm ET/PT and return 11:30pm – 12:30am ET/PT.

    Lauren Alaina will perform during the West Coast celebration of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019.” She joins Kane Brown, Bazzi, Kelsea Ballerini, Camila Cabello, Ciara, Halsey, Shawn Mendes, Weezer, The Chainsmokers, Foster the People, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai and Charlie Puth, as well as a performance by Macklemore with Skylar Grey. Airing just after midnight, Post Malone will perform from a stop on his current tour in Brooklyn, New York. The televised celebration takes place Monday, December 31st beginning at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Dierks Bentley will perform on the FOX Network’s New Year’s Eve with Steve Harvey. The special begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

    Audio / Brothers Osborne talk about how people spend the last moments of the year, and the first moments of the new year.

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    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]

    Audio / John Osborne of Brothers Osborne says a little hair of the dog is definitely the cure for a hangover.

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    Brothers Osborne (hangover cure) OC: …of the year. :07
    “Usually drinking more. I mean, a little hair of the dog never hurt anybody. Plus, it’s the first of the year.”

    Audio / Clare Dunn suggests a good hangover cure.

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    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.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley says there’s not really a cure for a hangover.

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    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.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley says you don't want to have a hangover around children.

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    Dierks Bentley (New Year’s) OC: …in stride. 1:11
    “New Year’s is rough. New Year’s hurts no matter what’s going o n. I’ve played a lot of New Year’s shows, you know, but I’ve honestly found that it’s not my favorite night to throw down. Look, for a living, that’s what I do. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, I host a big party; not only on stage, but I’ve got friends backstage. It starts before the concert sometimes, [and] it goes long after the concert, so a lot of times on New Year’s, I’m looking for a really mellow hang – a good party, good friends, pretty chill. Some of my best New Year’s – it doesn’t make for great radio – but some of my best New Year’s have been just like actually hearing fireworks go off while I’m in bed, [laughs] and know I’m gonna wake up the next morning for the first day of the New Year feeling great, feeling recharged and I’m ready to go ad go into the New Year feeling good as opposed to going into it with a giant Jagerbomb hangover, which I’ve done many, many times. So, the goal this year is to go into it feeling pretty good and the kids help with that, because you really just don’t want to be hungover with children. It’s not a good feeling. You would probably admit to any crime to get them, just feel better, and get them leave you alone. So, [I’m] gonna try to hit New Year’s this year in stride.”

    Audio / Eric Church has a couple of hangover cures for those times (especially on New Year’s Eve) when you might imbibe a little too much.

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    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.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi gives his own hangover cure.

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    Jon Pardi (hangover cure) OC: …deal with it. :20
    “My hangover cure is Bloody Marys, but be careful – because once you have a couple, don’t go to beer, because if you go to beer, you’re gonna start drinking again and you’ll end up a morning drunk. OR if you want to go the non-alcoholic route, there’s nothing you can do for hangovers. [laughs] You just go deal with it.”

    Audio / Kacey Musgraves has her own hangover cure.

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    Kacey Musgraves (hangover cure) 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!”

    Audio / Kip Moore gives advice on how to avoid a hangover on New Year’s Eve.

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    Kip Moore (avoiding hangovers on NYE) OC: …yourself. :03
    “Pace yourself on New Year’s – that’s the remedy. Pace yourself.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan’s favorite New Year’s Eve has to be when he and his now wife Caroline reunited.

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    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.”

    Audio / Travis Denning recalls his favorite New Year’s Eve party.

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    Travis Denning (favorite New Year’s Eve party) OC: …it was good. :41
    “I think my favorite New Year’s Eve party ever was when my sister got married, and my sister’s party got done at 10:30, 10:45 and she got married right behind a little club that I played a lot in Macon, Georgia called the Crazy Bull and love the owner. We’re boys, you know? So, we just literally walked right over and burned the house down. That was one of my favorite New Year’s Eve memories, ‘cause I got to see my sister and brother-in-law get married and that was such a great, great time, and then me and my older cousin and best friend, we ended up at Waffle House that night, so it was good.”

    Audio / Travis Denning talks about getting dressed up for New Year’s Eve.

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    Travis Denning (wants to get dressed up for New Year’s Eve) OC: …good for it. :13
    “No matter what I do for New Year’s Eve, I want to get dressed up. I want to wear a suit. I want to get real snazzied up, and I don’t care if I’m just going to a bar. Like, it’s New Year’s Eve, let’s look good for it.”

    Audio / Travis Denning talks about his hangover cures.

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    Travis Denning (hangover cure) OC: …me better. :17
    “You know, I think my hangover cure is just sitting on my butt, [laughs] not doing anything. Drink some water, a cup of coffee, but usually anything greasy or just some big ole Mexican food that’ll get me at least to a nap, which will get me better.”

  • NEW YEAR’S LINERS 2018

    Audio
    Adam Hambrick / Brandon Lay / Brothers Osborne / Carrie Underwood / Clare Dunn / Darius Rucker / Dierks Bentley / Eric Church / Gary Allan / Jon Langston / Jon Pardi / Jordan Davis / Josh Turner / Kacey Musgraves / Kassi Ashton / Keith Urban / Kip Moore / Lauren Alaina / Little Big Town / Luke Bryan / Maddie & Tae / Mickey Guyton / Sam Hunt / Shania Twain / Travis Denning

    Audio / LINER Adam Hambrick (New Year) 1

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    “Hey Everybody! I’m Adam Hambrick, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

    Audio / LINER Adam Hambrick (New Year) 2

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    “Hey Everybody! I’m Adam Hambrick. Happy New Year.”

     

    Audio / LINER Brandon Lay (New Year)

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    “What’s up everybody? This is Brandon Lay, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (New Year)

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    “Hey! This is TJ, and I’m John, and we are Brothers Osborne. Happy New Year.”

     

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (New Year)

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

    Audio / LINER Clare Dunn (Happy New Year)

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    “Hey! I’m Clare Dunn, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

     

    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Happy New Year)

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

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Happy New Year)

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    “Hey, it’s Dierks Bentley. Happy New Year!”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (10 COUNTDOWN)

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    “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!”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Happy New Year)

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    “Hey! It’s Eric Church, hoping you have a Happy New Year.”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Hand your keys to a friend)

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    “Hey! Eric Church here…This New Year’s Eve, if you put a drink in your hand…hand your keys to a friend. Trust me guys, don’t drink and drive.”

    Audio / LINER Gary Allan (New Year)

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    “Hey everybody! I’m Gary Allan. Happy New Year!”

    Audio / LINER Jon Langston (New Year) 1

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    “Hey y’all! I’m Jon Langston, wishing you a very Happy New Year.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Langston (New Year) 2

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    “Hey y’all, I’m Jon Langston. Happy New Year.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (New Year)

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    “Hi! I’m Jon Pardi, wishing you a Happy New Year!”

    Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (New Year)

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    “Hey! I’m Jordan Davis, wishing you a Happy New Year!”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (New Year)

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    “Hey! I’m Josh Turner. Happy New Year!”

    Audio / LINER Kacey Musgraves (New Year)

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    “Hey! It’s Kacey Musgraves, hoping you have a safe and Happy New Year!”

    Audio / LINER Kassi Ashton

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    “Hey! It’s Kassi Ashton. I’d love to wish everyone a safe and happy New Year.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (New Year)

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    “Hey everyone! This is Keith Urban. Have a safe and happy New Year.”

    Audio / LINER Kip Moore (New Year)

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    “It’s Kip Moore, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

    Audio / LINER Lauren Alaina (New Year)

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    “This is Lauren Alaina, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

    Audio / LINER LBT (New Year)

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    “Hey! We’re Little Big Town. Happy New Year!”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (New Year)

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    “Hey! This is Luke Bryan, hoping you have a Happy New Year.”

    Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (New Year)

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    “Hi! We’re Maddie & Tae, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

    Audio / LINER Mickey Guyton (New Year)

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    “Hey! This is Mickey Guyton, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Happy New Year)

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    “Hey everybody! I’m Sam Hunt. Happy New Year!”

    Audio / LINER Shania Twain (Happy New Year)

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    “Hi! This is Shania Twain. Happy New Year!”

    Audio / LINER Travis Denning (New Year)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Travis Denning, wishing you a Happy New Year.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Kacey, Keith, Travis

    Press
    Kacey Musgraves / Keith Urban / Travis Denning

    Kacey Musgraves is set to appear on RuPaul’s Drag Race AllStars 4 on Friday (December 21st) beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on VH1.

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/1075514958996217856

    Keith Urban, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, will headline the Allstate Championship Tailgate prior to the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship on January 7th. The game will take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Keith, who is making his way up the country charts with “Never Coming Down,” will follow his performance at Allstate Championship Tailgate by kicking off the Australian leg of his Graffiti U World Tour in January 2019 and before his first European tour in nearly a decade.

    Travis Denning is a huge fan of George Strait, and he pays tribute to him with thoughts and an acoustic version of “Troubadour.”

     

  • CHRISTMAS 2018: Travis Denning

    Audio
    Travis Denning

    Travis Denning grew up in Warner Robins, Georgia with his parents and sister. One of the family’s Christmas traditions was to open presents on Christmas Eve, which actually gives them more time to spend together.

    “My favorite Christmas tradition is we always open presents the night before and used to, I always thought it was ‘cause me and my sister ragged on my parents until they let us. But now the older I get, and to me it really does make a difference. I wake up on Christmas Day and think about what it really means instead,” says Travis. “My parents always do a big breakfast; mimosas on Christmas morning. It’s just such a great family affair, and I just think ultimately in opening presents on Christmas Eve versus Christmas Day, we get to spend time reflecting on what it really means.”

    What Christmas means to Travis goes beyond exchanging gifts. “The older I got, as cliché as it sounds, I mean it really isn’t about the gifts. It’s more about drinking some whiskey with dad while the little nephew or whatever open presents or my little cousins,” he says. “It turns into sentimental things and what matters. For me one year, that was a shotgun and then it was a, just a Stranger Things coffee mug that my mom got me, which I drink [out of] every morning. Those things that are just more like, ‘Hey-I thought about you and I put a lot of you in this gift,’ you know, and that’s what I love about it.”

    The Georgia native was recently announced as part of both the CMA Kixstart and Opry Nextstage programs.

    Audio / Travis Denning talks about his Christmas traditions.

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    Travis Denning (Christmas tradition) OC: …it really means. :41
    “My favorite Christmas tradition is we always open presents the night before and used to, I always thought it was ‘cause me and my sister ragged on my parents until they let us. But now the older I get, and to me it really does make a difference. I wake up on Christmas Day and think about what it really means instead. Now I think about it all the times anyways. I think about the birth of my Savior, and it’s like it just makes Christmas morning awesome. My parents always do a big breakfast – mimosas on Christmas morning. It’s just such a great family affair, and I just think ultimately in opening presents on Christmas Eve versus Christmas Day, we get to spend time reflecting on what it really means.”

    Audio / Travis Denning explains what he loves about Christmas.

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    Travis Denning (Christmas) OC: …love about it. :47
    “You know, my parents, they took it very seriously. I mean, we had four Christmas trees up in the house all over the place. The older I got, as cliché as it sounds, I mean it really isn’t about the gifts. It’s more about drinking some whiskey with dad while the little nephew or whatever open presents or my little cousins. It turns into sentimental things and what matters. For me one year, that was a shotgun and then it was a, just a Stranger Things coffee mug that my mom got me, which I drink [out of] every morning. Those things that are just more like, ‘Hey-I thought about you and I put a lot of you in this gift,’ you know, and that’s what I love about it.”

    Audio / Travis Denning says he loves “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” as well as Kacey Musgraves’ A Very Kacey Christmas.

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    Travis Denning (Christmas songs) OC: …Christmas music. :21
    “I love hearing singers that I love sing Christmas music. That’s what makes it for me. I mean, I’ll sing ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ on karaoke in the middle of August. I love that song that much, and ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree?’ I love it. I’ve listened to Kacey Musgraves’ Christmas record a thousand times. It’s so good. So, yeah, I’m very pro-Christmas music.”

  • TRAVIS DENNING ANNOUCES 2019 HEARTBEAT OF A SMALL TOWN TOUR.

    Press
    Travis Denning

    Mercury Nashville’s Travis Denning announced his 2019 “Heartbeat Of A Small Town Tour” today (December 13th). The rising country star kicks off his first-ever headlining tour in Rome, GA on February 1 and fans can purchase tickets beginning tomorrow at www.travisdenning.com.

    “2018 was an unbelievable year that showed me just how many amazing country music fans are out there,” says Travis. “Seeing them singing along to ‘David Ashley Parker From Powder Springs’ was surreal, so I can’t think of a better way to kick off 2019 than to go right back and see them all again.”

    Spurred by his debut single “David Ashley Parker From Powder Springs” which Taste of Country describes as “one of the most unique songs to come out of country music in 2018,” Travis has recently been named an Artist To Watch by Rolling Stone, HITS Daily Double, NY Country Swag, Pandora, Taste of Country and more. Travis was also just selected as a CMA Kixstart Artist Scholarship recipient and will receive unique opportunities to participate in CMA-related events as well as connect with industry professionals as part of the inaugural program. Additionally, Travis was tapped to be part of Opry NextStage alongside Riley Green, Tegan Marie, and Tenille Townes. The collaboration will include live performances, strategic marketing support and short-form documentary style storytelling created by Opry Entertainment’s award-winning content team.

     

    HEARTBEAT OF A SMALL TOWN TOUR:

    February 1, 2019: Rome, GA – Brewhouse

    February 2, 2019: Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club

    February 7, 2019: Raleigh, NC – City Limits Saloon

    February 8, 2019: Charlotte, NC – Coyote Joe’s

    February 9, 2019: Greenville, SC – Blind Horse Saloon

    February 16, 2019: Birmingham, AL – Zydeco

    February 21, 2019: Auburn, AL – Bourbon Street

    February 22, 2019: Tifton, GA – Terminal South

    February 23, 2019: Valdosta, GA – Bluewater Bar

    March 21, 2019: Pittsburgh, PA – Tequila Cowboy

    March 22, 2019: Indianapolis, IN – 8 Seconds Saloon

    March 23, 2019: Columbus, OH – Tequila Cowboy

    March 29, 2019: Statesboro, GA – The Blue Room

    March 30, 2019: Macon, GA – Cherry Blossom Festival

     

    The Georgia native has previously toured with Cole Swindell, Alan Jackson, Chase Rice, Justine Moore, and most recently LANCO. For a full list of tour dates, news, images and more, visit www.travisdenning.com

     

  • TRAVIS DENNING WILL TAKE PART IN THE CMA SONGWRITERS SERIES IN LONDON DURING THE C2C FESTIVAL IN MARCH.

    Press
    Travis Denning

    Travis Denning has been tapped to take part in the CMA Songwriters Series at The O2 in London during the C2C: Country to Country Festival next year. The event will kick off C2C March 7th and will also include Ross Copperman (Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Brett Eldredge), Jimmie Allen, Cam and newcomer Laura Veltz. The performance follows October’s successful second annual CMA Songwriters Series tours in Europe and the U.K., while also marking the sixth London appearance and third consecutive sold-out CMA Songwriters Series during C2C. Tickets go on sale Friday (December 7th) at 9:00 AM/GMT at AXS.com and gigsandtours.com.

    CMA Songwriters Series introduces new artists and songwriters through its intimate storytelling format. Audiences get to know the performers, their journey and the stories behind their songs throughout the two-hour seated show, as artists take turns performing their songs acoustically. Each CMA Songwriters Series is unique—the one-off performances are unrehearsed, uplifting and heartwarming, leaving audiences feeling closer to the artists and the music.

    A native of Warner Robins, Georgia, Mercury Nashville’s Travis Denning vividly remembers the moment he realized he wanted to pursue music for a living. He was seven years old sitting in his Dad’s truck and heard AC/DC for the first time. From then on, he was hooked and devoured all types of music from Country, pop, rock and heavy metal. Denning started playing local bars at the age of 16 and built a solid following from his distinctive songs and raucous guitar licks. He moved to Nashville in 2014 and within a year signed a publishing deal with Jeremy Stover’s RED Creative Group. After securing outside cuts by Jason Aldean, Justin Moore, Michael Ray and Chase Rice he caught the attention of Universal Music Group where he eventually signed a record deal in 2017. Denning just released his debut single “David Ashley Parker From Powder Springs,” an upbeat coming-of-age song that paints a picture of a young man reminiscing on his carefree college memories. The singer/songwriter has previously opened shows for Alan Jackson, Moore, Rice and Cole Swindell and is currently on the road with LANCO on the Hallelujah Nights Tour. When he’s not touring, he is in the studio working on his debut album.

    Travis was recently named one of three recipients of the first-ever CMA KixStart Artist Scholarship, which provides educational and professional support to rising artists throughout the course of a year.

  • TRAVIS DENNING GETS SUPPORT FROM THE GRAND OLE OPRY AS ONE OF THE ORGANIZATION’S NEW NEXTSTAGE STARS.

    Press
    Travis Denning

    Travis Denning is among a handful of new artists who have signed on to Opry NextStage, a yearlong collaboration which includes live performances, strategic marketing support and short-form documentaries.

     

    The primary goal of Opry NextStage is to create a meaningful connection between this group of exciting, talented and diverse young artists – Travis, Riley Green, Tegan Marie and Tenille Townes — and the Opry’s passionate audience. Throughout the year, Opry Entertainment will work closely with artist teams to amplify their initiatives using assets from across the company’s brands, venues and channels.

    Each Opry NextStage artist will perform on the Grand Ole Opry at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in December. Tenille Townes will perform both shows at Opry at the Ryman on December 7th. Tegan Marie is scheduled for December 8th. Riley Green will make his Opry debut on December 11th, and Travis, who just made his Grand Ole Opry debut last week, will return to Opry at the Ryman on December 15th. More Opry appearances will be scheduled in 2019. Tenille Townes’ My Opry Debut video is available now HERE on the Opry’s YouTube channel. Additional Opry NextStage artist videos will be produced and released throughout 2019.

    Opry NextStage will officially launch with a kickoff party and concert featuring performances by the inaugural class at Ole Red Nashville on January 8th, 2019. Tickets go on sale Thursday (November 29th) at 10am CT. To purchase tickets, go to https://www.opry.com/nextstage.

    For over nine decades, the Grand Ole Opry has created opportunities for artists throughout the country music spectrum to make strong connections with fans and fellow artists – on its stages and across its channels – from terrestrial radio to network television to the digital universe. Audiences throughout the world look to the Opry to showcase the very best in country music. Opry NextStage presents four diverse artists making incredible music at the forefront of their careers. Through the Opry’s marketing platforms, Opry Entertainment will partner with Opry NextStage artists to tell their stories and expand their audiences.

    Opportunities for each Opry NextStage artist include but are not limited to:

    • Performances on the Grand Ole Opry at the Grand Ole Opry House and Ryman Auditorium

     

    • Performances at Ole Red locations in Nashville and Gatlinburg, TN.

     

    • Short form documentary video series produced by Opry Entertainment’s award-winning content team

     

    • Customized digital activations utilizing Opry web and social assets including Opry.com, OleRed.com, WSMOnline.com as well as Opry Entertainment’s millions of combined social followers

     

    • Other opportunities include outdoor advertising, special event performances, 650 WSM-AM /wsmonline.com podcasts and radio specials

     

    For more information about Opry NextStage and its first class, visit opry.com/nextstage.

    Travis is on the country charts with his debut single “David Ashley Parker From Powder Springs,” an upbeat coming-of-age song that paints a picture of a young man reminiscing on his carefree college memories. The singer/songwriter has previously opened shows for Cole Swindell, Alan Jackson, Chase Rice as well as Justin Moore and is currently on the road with LANCO as part of the “Hallelujah Nights” tour. He’s currently in the studio working on his debut album.

  • CHRISTMAS LINERS 2018

    Adam Hambrick / Alan Jackson / Billy Currington / Brandon Lay / Brothers Osborne / Carrie Underwood / Clare Dunn / Darius Rucker / Dierks Bentley / Eric Church / Gary Allan / George Strait / Jon Langston / Jon Pardi / Jordan Davis / Josh Turner / Kacey Musgraves / Keith Urban / Kip Moore / Lauren Alaina / Little Big Town / Luke Bryan / Maddie & Tae / Mickey Guyton / Sam Hunt / Shania Twain / Travis Denning

    Here are some holiday liners from UMG Nashville artists, including Adam Hambrick, Alan Jackson, Billy Currington, Brandon Lay, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Clare Dunn, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Gary Allan, George Strait, Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Lauren Alaina, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Travis Denning and more!

    Audio / LINER Adam Hambrick (Christmas)

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    “Hey everybody! I’m Adam Hambrick, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

     

    Audio / LINER Adam Hambrick (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey everybody! I’m Adam Hambrick. Happy Holidays.”

     

    Audio / LINER AJ (Christmas)

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    “Hi! This is Alan Jackson, and I’m wishing y’all a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Billy Currington (Happy Holiday Season)

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    “Hi! Billy Currington here, wishing you and your family a safe and Happy Holiday Season.”

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is T.J., and I’m John, and we are Brothers Osborne, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Christmas)

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    “Hi! I’m Carrie Underwood, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Clare Dunn (Christmas)

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    “Hey! What’s up? This is Clare Dunn, hoping you have a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Christmas)

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    “Hey y’all! What’s up? This is Darius Rucker, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Dierks Bentley, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

     

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey everybody! It’s Dierks Bentley, wishing you a very Happy Holiday season.”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Christmas)

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    “Hey everybody! It’s Eric Church, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Gary Allan (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Gary Allan. Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER George Strait (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey everybody! This is George Strait, wishing you and your family a Happy Holiday season.”



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    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Merry Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Jon Pardi, wishing you a Merry Christmas!”

    Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (Christmas)

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    “Hey! I’m Jordan Davis, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! I’m Josh Turner, wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season.”

    Audio / LINER Kacey Musgraves (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Kacey Musgraves, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Christmas)

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    “Hi folks, this is Keith Urban, wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Holiday season)

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    “Hi everyone, this is Keith Urban, wishing you and all your family the very best this holiday season.”

    Audio / LINER Kip Moore (Christmas)

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    “Hey guys, this is Kip Moore, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Kip Moore (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey y’all, it’s Kip Moore. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Lauren Alaina (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Lauren Alaina, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER LBT (Christmas)

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    “Hey! We’re Little Big Town, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER LBT (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! We’re Little Big Town. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Christmas)

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    “Hey! It’s Luke Bryan, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! It’s Luke Bryan. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Christmas)

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    “Hi! We’re Maddie & Tae, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hi! We’re Maddie & Tae. Happy Holidays.”

    Audio / LINER Mickey Guyton (Christmas)

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    “Hey! It’s Mickey Guyton, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Christmas)

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    “Hey everybody! This is Sam Hunt, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey everybody! I’m Sam Hunt. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Shania Twain (Christmas)

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    “Hi! This is Shania Twain, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Travis Denning (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! I’m Travis Denning. Happy Holidays.”

  • THANKSGIVING 2018:

    Audio
    Adam Hambrick / Alan Jackson / Brothers Osborne / Carrie Underwood / Clare Dunn / Darius Rucker / Dierks Bentley / Eric Church / Jon Langston / Josh Turner / Keith Urban / Kip Moore / Little Big Town / Maddie & Tae / Mickey Guyton / Travis Denning

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

    Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 22nd, and most people will be enjoying time with their friends and families, including some of your favorite country stars, such as Adam Hambrick, Alan Jackson, Brothers Osborne, Clare Dunn, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Eric Paslay, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Sam Hunt, Travis Denning and more. They share their thoughts, memories and favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

    Audio / Adam Hambrick says he’s very thankful to his family.

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    Adam Hambrick (Thanksgiving) OC: …I was raised. :32
    “I know this sounds very cheesy, but I am very thankful for my family. A lot of the good things that have happened in my life are just a result of being raised in a family with two parents that love each other, with sisters that I love and being raised in a community of people, even outside of my family, that’s just a lot of love and a lot of care. Those are the things that raise a person up to be successful, and I am a success because of the way I was raised.”

    Audio / Adam Hambrick says his Grandfather’s turkey and dressing and a special side dish signals Thanksgiving.

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    Adam Hambrick (Thanksgiving food) OC: …Thanksgiving. :21
    “Oh man. Give me Granddaddy’s turkey and dressing and just the friggin’ canned cranberry sauce, [laughs] like I’ll suck it down like a champ. There’s just something about the canned cranberry sauce with my Granddaddy’s turkey and dressing that will always taste like Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / Alan Jackson talks about his favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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

    Audio / Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne talks about their annual Misfits Thanksgiving dinner.

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    Brothers Osborne (misfits Thanksgiving) OC: …going home. :45
    “What we’ve done the past several years is because it’s so hard to go home, we would have what we call the Misfit Thanksgiving dinner, and all the people in Nashville who aren’t able to go home to their families, we would just invite them over to our house and have a big potluck style Thanksgiving dinner. We’ll take like a couple of tables and throw them together and throw some sheets on it just to make it look nice. It’s a very redneck display of like tableware, because all the plates don’t match an d the forks and knives don’t match, but we don’t care. People will bring wine, and at the end of the day, we’ll probably have 12-15 people all sitting at dinner together that weren’t able to go home with their families, and just enjoy it with friends. It’s been really fun. Definitely a lot less stress than going home.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood says she’s thankful for her family this year, including her second child on the way.

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    Carrie Underwood (Thanksgiving 2018) OC: …with them. :15
    “I am thankful for definitely my family. I just have the best kid in the world [and] another on the way, and I’m excited that my busy season is about to slow down and I’m going to really get to spend some time with them.”

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

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

    Audio / Clare Dunn talks about her favorite Thanksgiving side dish.

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    Clare Dunn (Thanksgiving dish) OC: …like hers. :21
    “I think my favorite Thanksgiving dish [is] my mom makes the best mashed potatoes in the world. I mean, they’re crazy. They’re like garlic and butter and all the good stuff, so that’s probably my favorite Thanksgiving dish. Oh, and she makes great stuffing too, and I’m not a stuffing person, but I like hers.”

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

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

     

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about what he's thankful for at Thanksgiving.

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    Darius Rucker (Thanksgiving) OC: …alive. :17
    “The main thing I’m thankful for is my family, no doubt about that. Thanksgiving is about family first, you know either getting together going to New Jersey and getting together with family or in Charleston and getting together with my family and just cooking and eating and sitting around talking and remembering and being thankful for where we are and that we’re all still alive.”

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

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

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

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

    Audio / Jon Langston talks about his Thanksgiving tradition.

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

     

    Audio / Josh Turner shares his favorite Thanksgiving side dish.

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

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

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

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

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

    Audio / Kip Moore talks about his annual Thanksgiving plans to go home to visit with his family.

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

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

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

    Audio / Maddie & Tae talk about their Thanksgiving traditions.

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

    Audio / Mickey Guyton reveals her favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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

    Audio / Travis Denning says Thanksgiving is one of his favorite times of the year.

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    Travis Denning (Thanksgiving) OC: …love Thanksgiving. :43
    “Thanksgiving actually is probably one of my favorite moments of the year, and the reason is actually because just about every Friday after Thanksgiving, I would play a small acoustic show at this bar in my hometown and it’s always so much fun. So many of my old friends come and it’s packed and it’s super loose and super fun and everybody’s just enjoying it. I might play three of my songs, and then I just try to figure out how many old country songs I can sing. That’s so fun, because you’re coming off spending so much time with your family and then you get this little time to go spend with your friends. I think it’s just great because you get to knock out so much like reconnecting and fellowship. I love Thanksgiving.”