• VINCE GILL AND PAUL FRANKLIN ANNOUNCE RELEASE OF SWEET MEMORIES: THE MUSIC OF RAY PRICE & THE CHEROKEE COWBOYS – STREET DATE: AUGUST 4th.

    Ten years following the release of the critically-acclaimed Bakersfield album, country music icon Vince Gill and legendary musician Paul Franklin, have joined forces again for their latest project, Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys. The 11-track album is set for release on August 4, 2023 on MCA Nashville and pre-orders for the much-anticipated project launch today.

    PRE-ORDER ALBUM | HERE

    LISTEN TO “KISSING YOUR PICTURE (IS SO COLD)” | HERE

    Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys contains material that might be surprising to even the most die-hard of Price’s fans. Gill explains, “When we originally started thinking about doing this record, we were going to do half and half, focusing on two different artists like we did with Bakersfield, recording songs of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. But we got to liking so many of Ray’s songs, that it became ‘Let’s do all Ray’ and ‘Well, Okay!””

    Franklin adds, “We had such a great time doing Bakersfield. It felt good introducing that music to a new generation. This time, it was a no-brainer to pick Ray Price. Once we locked in on Ray, we started looking through the sheer volume of his material. We looked for obscure songs, ones even Ray’s fans might not know as well.”

    “We kind of shopped for the unfamiliar,” Gill continues. “Eddie Stubbs [the former Grand Ole Opry announcer, WSM disc jockey and music scholar] was part of this process, although he didn’t know it at the time. I’d listen to him at night and call him up and say, ‘Play something for me I’ve never heard before.’ He’d often play something that knocked me out, and I’d take note of all the songs. I had maybe 30 different ones for Paul to listen to—some so outside the box that I didn’t know them, and Paul didn’t either.”

    In addition to choosing material that was less than predictable, as co-producers of Sweet Memories, Gill and Franklin approached the recording from a different angle as well.

    Gill explains, “This isn’t a sound-alike record. I never wanted to do that. I don’t think any of these songs sound comparable to the original.”

    The final component was their take on the musicians, from the original The Cherokee Cowboys band to the stellar lineup of players contributing to Sweet Memories.

    Gill acknowledges, “There were some unbelievably gifted musicians who were such a part of those original records. We were drawn to them probably as much as we were drawn to Ray.”

    The musicians contributing to Sweet Memories include: Tom Bukovac (electric guitar), Dennis Crouch (bass), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Steve Gibson (electric guitar), John Jarvis (piano), Greg Morrow (drums), Wendy Moten (harmony vocals), the late Michael Rhodes (electric bass), Jerry Roe (drums), Derek Wells (electric guitar), and Andrea Zonn (harmony vocals).

    “I’m excited this music is getting out there in a way we feel brings new life and new ideas to it,” Franklin notes. “And hopefully will expose a younger generation to Ray’s music.”

    Track Listing – Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys

    1. “One More Time”

    Written by Mel Tillis

    1. “I’d Fight The World”

    Written by Hank Cochran and Joe Allison

    1. “You Wouldn’t Know Love”

    Written by Hank Cochran and Dave Kirby

    1. “Walkin’ Slow (And Thinking ‘Bout Her)”

    Written by Bobby Bare and Lance Guynes

    1. “The Same Two Lips”

    Written by Marty Robbins

    1. “Weary Blues From Waitin’”

    Written by Hank Williams Sr.

    1. “Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)”

    Written by Mel Tillis, Ray Price and Wayne Walker

    1. “Sweet Memories”

    Written by Mickey Newbury

    1. “Danny Boy”

    Written by Fred E. Weatherly

    1. “Your Old Love Letters”

    Written by Ray Price

    1. “Healing Hands Of Time”

    Written by Willie Nelson

     

    ABOUT VINCE GILL:
    One of the most popular artists in modern country music, Vince Gill is famous for his top-notch songwriting, world-class guitar playing and warm, soaring tenor, all wrapped up in a quick and easy wit. Gill achieved his big breakthrough in 1990 with “When I Call Your Name,” which won both the Country Music Association’s (CMA) Single and Song of the Year awards as well as a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male. In total, Gill has won 18 CMA Awards, 22 Grammy Awards, and 8 Academy of Country Music Awards. In 1991, Gill was invited to become a member of The Grand Ole Opry, and in 2007 was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2012 he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A gifted songwriter, Gill’s compositions earned him entry into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and was awarded the prestigious BMI Icon award in 2014. Throughout his career he has released 20 albums, sold over 30 million albums, and charted 45 singles. Always considering himself a musician above all else, Gill has over the years been a part of some iconic bands including Pure Prairie League, The Notorious Cherry Bombs, and The Time Jumpers. In 2022, Gill was inducted into the Musician’s Hall of Fame.  In 2017 Gill was asked to join the Eagles on the road and continues to be a part of that historic band’s tour.

     

    ABOUT PAUL FRANKLIN:
    A native of Detroit, Paul Franklin moved to Nashville in 1972. He immediately began touring with some of country’s most legendary artists of the time including Barbara Mandrell, Jerry Reed and Mel Tillis. In the early 80’s, after so many years of being on the road, Franklin decided to take a hiatus from touring to focus primarily on recording session work. He has become one of the most iconic pedal steel players in the world playing behind such legendary artists as Sting, Mark Knopfler, Vince Gill, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Shania Twain, Barbra Streisand and Megadeth. Franklin is a member of the Grammy Award-winning band The Time Jumpers. His ability to create music outside of the country field has taken him well beyond the stereotype by which the pedal steel guitar has often been limited. His soulful playing on this uniquely voiced instrument is clearly from the heart and makes him one of the most in-demand musicians in Nashville. Franklin is currently touring with Chris Stapleton.

     

    Audio / Vince Gill talks about his upcoming project with Paul Franklin, Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys.

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    Vince Gill (Ray Price record) OC: …a soundalike. :42
    “With Ray, this Ray record, I knew my job to honor Ray would be much more as a singer. The Ray Price records never had hardly any guitar featured.  It was always twin fiddles and steel guitar was predominant on all those records. So, this was a record for me to really focus on the singing and not emulate Ray in the way that he sang but just to honor it and the way that these songs are phrased is way different than the way I would have phrased a Buck Owens song or a Merle Haggard. There’s elements of what they did that I would use but not to the point of where it was a soundalike.”

    Audio / Vince Gill talks about the way Ray Price sang, and how he phrased his songs.

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    Vince Gill (Ray Price record) 2 OC: …what people think. :58
    “You often think what is it that made Ray Price such a great singer and it’s very simple. It’s the way that he phrased. You say the same thing about Ray Charles. He was a great soulful singer, but nobody phrased like Ray Charles. Jerry Lee Lewis when he would make country records was one of the greatest phrasers. All time Willie has gone on. Everybody goes oh it’s so odd he back phrases. No, he front phrases more than he back phrases. And it’s because he can have that call and response with himself. He can sing and then play, sing and then play. And it makes so much sense when you look at it logically. And so we took off on this record and we thought about doing half and half like we did with Bakersfield but we wound up liking so many songs I said hell, let’s just do all Ray songs on this one. And it made a lot of sense and took a long time to finish because of Covid and all that mess but pretty grateful that it’s finally out there and see what people think.”

    Video /

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Mickey Guyton

    Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban are among the artists participating in the new documentary, “CMA Fest: 50 Years of Fan Fair,” which tells the story of country music’s longest-running festival. Premiering June 5th on Hulu, the 75-minute special features exclusive one-on-one interviews, never-before-seen archival content and CMA Fest Performances from the last 50 years. “CMA Fest: 50 Years of Fan Fair” will also feature Bill Anderson, Kelsea Ballerini, BRELAND, Brooks & Dunn, Shy Carter, Luke Combs, Wynonna Judd, Miranda Lambert, Patty Loveless, Mark Miller of Sawyer Brown, Craig Morgan, Lorrie Morgan, Dolly Parton, Carly Pearce, Jeannie Seely, Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Lainey Wilson, Trisha Yearwood and Chris Young, among others. CMA Fest will celebrate its milestone 50th anniversary June 8-11, 2023, in downtown Nashville, featuring hundreds of artists performing across multiple stages.

     

    Brad Paisley will perform at the second annual Beachlife Ranch festival, taking place in Redondo Beach, California, September 22nd – 24th. The Doobie Brothers, Jack Johnson, Wynonna Judd, Midland and Shooter Jennings will also perform.

     

    Mickey Guyton, Trisha Yearwood and CMT’s Leslie Fram will be honored by Save The Music and SongFarm.org for their contributions to the music industry and music education at Nashville’s 4th annual “Hometown to Hometown” event June 5th at City Winery. Caylee Hammack, Kelsea Ballerini, Brittney Spencer and more will perform. All proceeds will benefit music technology programs in Nashville, Georgia and Texas.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan, Vince Gill, Jon Langston

    Join Reba McEntire on Talk Shop Live on Monday (April 17th) to talk about her new book, Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating and Dusting Off Your Boots, with her buddy Garth Brooks beginning at 7pm ET/6pm CT. The collection of recipes, stories and lifestyle tips will be available October 10th. Reba revealed the cover of her book on NBC’s Today Show and on her socials Monday morning (April 17th). During her Today Show appearance, she talked about her boyfriend-actor Rex Linn and how they started dating and their shared love over Tater Tots, and she also shared a drink recipe from her new restaurant, Reba’s Place, in Atoka, Oklahoma.

     

    But wait, there’s more! Reba will join NBC’s The Voice as mega mentor beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on Monday night (April 17th).

    Luke Bryan will appear on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday (April 18th) beginning at 11:35pm ET/10:35pm CT.


    Vince Gill 
    is set to perform at Eric Clapton’s upcoming Crossroads Guitar Festival. The two-day event, taking place September 23rd and 24th at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, will also feature performances by Sheryl Crow, Jerry Douglas, Jakob Dylan, Gary Clark Jr., Albert Lee, Los Lobos, Taj Mahal, Del McCoury Band, Keb’ Mo’, H.E.R., Santana, ZZ Top, Marcus King and many others. Tickets to the festival go on sale this Friday (April 21st) at 10am thru Ticketmaster.

     

    Jon Langston will release a new song, “Ain’t No Cowboy,” on Friday (April 21st).

     

     

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Vince Gill, Little Big Town

    Carrie Underwood‘s “Hate My Heart” video has been chosen as one of the final Video of the Year nominees at this year’s CMT Music Awards. Blake Shelton’s “No Body,” Cody Johnson’s “Human,” HARDY and Lainey Wilson’s “Wait in the Truck,” Kane Brown and Katelyn Brown’s “Thank God” and Morgan Wallen’s “You Proof” are also in the running. The 2023 CMT Music Awards will air live from Austin, Texas on Sunday (April 2nd) at 8pm ET. You can also livestream the awards and catch it on demand on Paramount+.

    Luke Bryan appears on ABC’s Live With Kelly and Ryan on Tuesday (March 28th).

    Vince Gill and his wife Amy Grant return to Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in December for their annual “Christmas at the Ryman” residency. The dates are December 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22 and 23. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10am CT. For more information, go to https://www.ryman.com/events/detail/amy-grant-vince-gill-christmas.

    Little Big Town helped Ronnie Milsap celebrate his 80th birthday with a special show, Ronnie Milsap & Friends, at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night (March 25th). Trace Adkins, Mark Wills, Don Schlitz, Jeannie Seely and Mandy Barnett also performed. Portions of te show will air as a Saturday night Opry Live later this year on the Circle Network.

     

     

  • VINCE GILL CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIT ALBUM, NEXT BIG THING.

    This week marks the 20th anniversary of Vince Gill’s hit album, Next Big Thing, his 11th album for MCA Nashville, which released on February 11th, 2003. To mark the occasion, the music video from one of the album’s singles, “Someday,” was remastered in HD, and the video made its broadcast premiere on CMT, CMT Music and ViacomCBS Times Square Billboards.

    Next Big Thing was a collection of songs that I’m really proud of as a songwriter,” say Gill. “It was also the first record of my own I ever produced, and I was pleased to discover the process was still the same—great musicians, great engineers—all with a common goal, to serve a song. Adds Gill, “I was honored to have written ‘Someday’ with a dear old friend, Richard Marx, one of the most talented guys I’ve ever known.”

    WATCH REMASTERED VIDEO FOR “SOMEDAY.”

     

    The second single from Gill’s self-produced album, “Someday,” was written by Gill and Richard Marx. It reached the Top 30 on the R&R Top Country Top 50 chart.

    Gill’s performance on Next Big Thing earned Gill his 8th Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male for the album’s lead single, “Next Big Thing.” The album, on which Gill produced himself for the very first time, has garnered 11M global streams. Gill wrote or co-wrote all of the album’s 17-songs, and then he put together a stellar line-up of musicians, working them into a live band in the studio. The all-star band included such players as NRBQ guitarist Al Anderson, drummer Chad Cromwell, fiddle player Stuart Duncan, steel guitar player John Hughey, guitarists Mac McAnally and Dean Parks, piano-player Pete Wasner, bassist Willie Weeks, slide guitarist Tom Britt, harmonica/accordion player Jim Hoke and saxophonists Jim Horn and Kirk Whalum. Among the vocalists who guest on the record are wife Amy Grant, Emmylou Harris, Lee Ann Womack, Bekka Bramlett, Dawn Sears, Leslie Satcher and Michael McDonald.

    About Vince Gill:
    One of the most popular artists in modern country music, Vince Gill is famous for his top-notch songwriting, world-class guitar playing and warm, soaring tenor, all wrapped up in a quick and easy wit. Gill achieved his big breakthrough in 1990 with “When I Call Your Name,” which won both the Country Music Association’s (CMA) Single and Song of the Year awards as well as a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male. Since then, Gill has won 17 additional CMA Awards, 22 Grammy Awards, and eight Academy of Country Music Awards. In 1991, Gill was invited to become a member of The Grand Ole Opry, and in 2007 was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2012 he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A gifted songwriter, Gill’s compositions earned him entry into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and was awarded the prestigious BMI Icon award in 2014. Throughout his career he has released 20 albums, sold over 30 million albums, and charted 45 singles. Always considering himself a musician above all else, Gill has over the years been a part of some iconic bands including Pure Prairie League, The Notorious Cherry Bombs, and The Time Jumpers. In 2022, Gill was inducted into the Musician’s Hall of Fame.  In 2017 Vince was asked to join the Eagles on the road and continues to be a part of that historic band’s tour.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Mickey Guyton, Vince Gill

    Carrie Underwood is set to perform “Crazy Angels” from her new album, Denim & Rhinestones, at this year’s American Music Awards. The awards show takes place November 20th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.

    Carrie Underwood was announced as the first performer at next year’s CMT Awards, which will be held in Austin, Texas for the first time. Hosted by Kelsea Ballerini, the CMT Awards will take place at the Moody Center in Austin on April 2nd on CBS.

    https://twitter.com/CMT/status/1588176674591543296

    The video for Carrie Underwood‘s new single, “Hate My Heart,” is available exclusively on Facebook right now.

    Dierks Bentley is getting “pickled.” He’s set to take part in the two-hour pickleball special, titled Pickled, airing Thursday, November 17th, beginning at 9pm ET on CBS and Paramount +. The “Pickled” tournament will be hosted by late-night personality Stephen Colbert and include appearances from Jimmie Allen, Will Ferrell, boxer Sugar Ray Leonard and many other famous faces.

    Mickey Guyton is featured on the new episode of Sesame Street.  Joined by Elmo, Big Bird, Abby, Cookie Monster, and more, Mickey performed a song about the importance of community. Catch the full episode on HBO.

     

    Vince Gill will be inducted in the Musicians Hall of Fame later this month. He’s part of the 2022 class, which also includes Marty Stuart (and his band The Fabulous Superlatives), Ray Stevens, singer-songwriter Don McLean, producer Jim Guercio and recording engineer George Massenburg. They’ll be inducted during a special ceremony at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium on November. 22nd.

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves, Taylor Swift, Brothers Osborne

    Vince Gill is the subject of a new 90-minute special celebrating his extraordinary career and music. The special features performances and special appearances by some of the biggest names in country music such as Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Maren Morris, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Luke Combs and Sting, among others. “CMT GIANTS: Vince Gill,” premieres Friday (September 16th) at 9pm ET/8pm CT on CMT.

    We’re just one week away for the premiere of Season 3 of ABC’s Big Sky, which features Reba McEntire (and her boyfriend Rex Linn). Tune in Wednesday (September 21st) at 10pm ET/9pm CT.

     

    Kacey Musgraves has released a new behind-the-scenes documentary of the making of her 2021 album, star-crossed.

     

    Taylor Swift will hit the big screen in the star-studded crime drama, Amsterdam, which also stars Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Robert DeNiro, Mike Myers, Timothy Olyphant, Chris Rock, Zoe Saldana, Rami Malek and more. The film hits theaters nationwide October 7th.

    Brothers Osborne are nominated for the International Artist Achievement Award at the 2022 CMA International Awards! Winners will be announced later this year.

     

     

  • VINCE GILL CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF AWARD-WINNING ALBUM “I STILL BELIEVE IN YOU.”

    For over four decades, Vince Gill has been one of the most popular and most recorded writers and singers in modern country music.  This month, Gill’s album I Still Believe in You celebrates its 30th Anniversary, having made its debut in September of 1992. The album produced five singles, four of which went to number one, including “I Still Believe In You,” “No Future In The Past,” as well as “Tryin’ To Get Over You,” and “One More Last Chance.” The fifth single, “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away,” peaked at No.2 on the charts.  The album is certified five times platinum.

    Last night, backstage at the taping of CMT GIANTS: Vince Gill, which premieres Friday, September 16 at 9p/8c on CMT, Gill was presented with a plaque in honor of the album’s 30-year milestone.

    The album I Still Believe In You was produced by Tony Brown, and the title track “I Still Believe In You” was written by Gill and John Jarvis. Billboard once called the song “a pristine ballad embraced by one of country’s most finely refined vocalists.”  Gill earned two 1992 Grammy Awards for Best Country Song and Best Country Vocal Performance, Male for “I Still Believe In You.” At the 1993 CMA Awards, Gill took home Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year and Entertainer of the Year.

    Of the music videos created from songs off the album I Still Believe In You, four have now been remastered.  “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away” and “One More Last Chance” are freshly remastered for the album’s anniversary, and “Tryin’ To Get Over You” and “I Still Believe In You” have been previously remastered in HD.

     

    WATCH ALL REMASTERED VIDEOS | HERE

     

    CMT GIANTS: Vince Gill,” an all-new 90-minute special celebrating the extraordinary career and music of country music titan Vince Gill premieres Friday, September 16th at 9p/8c exclusively on CMT. The special brings together Gill’s superstar friends, collaborators, and some of the biggest names in music to honor him with performances of his most legendary hits, including Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Ricky Skaggs, Sting and more.  Emmylou Harris, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Rodney Crowell will also appear as special guests to share personal stories, reflect on their time working with Gill and speak to his forever impact on country music. The special will additionally feature an all-new sit-down interview with Gill as he reflects personally on his career, his classic songwriting, musical influences, and his future plans, all blended alongside rare photos, performance footage and interviews from the vault.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Mickey Guyton, Jon Pardi, Keith Urban, Vince Gill, Shania Twain

    Mickey Guyton appears on NBC’s Today Show on Friday (August 26th), the same day she releases her new song “Somethin’ Bout You,” which she co-wrote with Tyler Hubbard and David Garcia.

    Jon Pardi stars in this week’s episode of “CMT Campfire Sessions,” premiering this Friday (August 26th) at 10p ET/9p CT exclusively on CMT. Joined fireside by his longtime band The All-Nighters, Pardi leads a feel-good jam session, swapping stories and acoustic versions of his biggest hits, including “Head Over Boots,” “Tequila Little Time,” “Heartache on The Dance Floor” and “Dirt on My Boots,” plus new music from his upcoming albumin Mr. Saturday Night, including his latest chart-rising single “Last Night Lonely.” Encores of this week’s episode will air Sunday, September 4th at 11a/10c (CMT), Friday, September 16th at 1a/12c (CMT Music) and Saturday, September 17th at 10a/9c and 6p/5c (CMT Music).

     

    Keith Urban and Darius Rucker will be featured on this weekend’s edition of CMT Hot 20 on Saturday (August 27th) at 9a ET and Sunday (August 28th) at 8a ET.

     

    Keith Urban and Vince Gill will appear on actor-singer Rita Wilson’s upcoming duets album, titled Rita Wilson Now and Forever: Duets. The collection, which will also feature Jimmie Allen, Tim McGraw and Willie Nelson, among others, will be released September 27th.

    Shania Twain was honored with the ACM Poet’s Award during Wednesday night’s (August 24th) ACM Honors.

     

  • VINCE GILL WILL BE HONORED WITH “CMT GIANTS: VINCE GILL” NEXT MONTH.

    CMT announced “CMT GIANTS: Vince Gill,” an all-new 90-minute special celebrating the extraordinary career and music of country music titan Vince Gill. The star-packed event premieres Friday, September 16th at 9p/8c exclusively on CMT.

    “CMT GIANTS: Vince Gill” brings together Gill’s superstar friends, collaborators and some of the biggest names in music to honor him with performances of his most legendary hits, including Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Luke Combs, Maren Morris and Ricky Skaggs, with more to be announced. Emmylou Harris, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Rodney Crowell and Sting will also appear as special guests to share personal stories, reflect on their time working with Gill and speak to his forever impact on country music. The special will additionally feature an all-new sit down interview with Gill as he reflects personally on his career, his classic songwriting, musical influences and his future plans, all blended alongside rare photos, performance footage and interviews from the vault.

    CMT’s new music special will mark the first-ever televised performance from Belmont University’s new Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville.