• CAYLEE HAMMACK WILL HIT THE ROAD WITH REBA McENTIRE IN 2020.

    Caylee Hammack is getting ready to hit the road with another feisty redhead…none other than superstar Reba McEntire. The tour, which will hit a dozen cities, kicks off March 20th in Evansville, Indiana and is set to wrap May 9th in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

     

    Tickets for Evansville, IN; Huntsville, AL; Toledo, OH; Rosemont, IL; Green Bay, WI; Biloxi, MS and Grand Rapids, MI go on sale this Friday (November 22nd) with presales beginning Tuesday (November 18th).

    “I have always loved to entertain and to be entertained so I couldn’t be more thrilled to head back out on the road and sing for the fans every night,” shared Reba. “We have so many talented females creating new music and having Caylee join us will be a lot of fun!”

    REBA: LIVE IN CONCERT 2020 Tour Dates:
    3/20 – Evansville, IN: Ford Center
    3/21 – Huntsville, AL: Von Braun Center Arena
    3/26 – Pittsburgh, PA: PPG Paints Arena
    3/28 – Toledo, OH: Huntington Center *
    4/24 – Rosemont, IL: Allstate Arena
    4/25 – Green Bay, WI: Resch Center *
    4/26 – Sioux Falls, SD: Denny Sanford Premier Center *
    5/1 – Biloxi, MS: Mississippi Coast Coliseum
    5/2 – Duluth, GA: Infinite Energy Center
    5/7 – St. Paul, MN: Xcel Energy Center
    5/8 – Peoria, IL: Peoria Civic Center
    5/9 – Grand Rapids, MI: Van Andel Arena

    * Support act to be announced

  • THANKSGIVING 2019: Liners

    Audio / LINER Adam Hambrick (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey I’m Adam Hambrick, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

     

    Audio / LINER AJ (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hi! This is Alan Jackson. I hope y’all have a very happy Thanksgiving out there.”

    Audio / LINER Billy Currington (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey Guys, I’m Billy Currington. Have a great Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Brandon Lay (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey y’all! This is Brandon Lay. Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey! This is TJ, and this is John, and we’re wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!”

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Thanksgiving)

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

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Thanksgiving)

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    Hey y’all This is Caylee Hammack, wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Clare Dunn (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey! This is Clare Dunn, wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!”

    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Thanksgiving)

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

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey! It’s Dierks Bentley! Happy Thanksgiving!”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey folks! It’s Eric Church, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Gary Allan (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey guys! Gary Allan here. I just want to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving, and have a Happy Holidays and make sure you’re safe out there. Drive safe. Party your butts off, but do it safe.”

    Audio / LINER George Strait (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hi! This is George Strait, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Hootie & the Blowfish (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey everybody, what’s up? We’re Hootie & the Blowfish, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Langston (Thanksgiving)

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    Hey y’all, I’m Jon Langston, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey! It’s Jon Pardi, wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey I’m Jordan Davis. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey y’all I’m Josh Turner, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Kacey Musgraves (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey! It’s Kacey Musgraves, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Thanksgiving)

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    “Happy Thanksgiving everybody. It’s Keith Urban here. I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all of you listening for your incredible love and support that I’ve received over the last year, and to wish you and all of your family all the very best for this holiday.”

    Audio / LINER Kip Moore (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey what’s up guys, this is Kip Moore wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Lauren Alaina (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey! This is Lauren Alaina, wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!”

    Audio / LINER LBT (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey, we’re Little Big Town. Happy Thanksgiving!”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey! It’s Luke Bryan, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!”

    Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey everybody! I’m Maddie, and I’m Tae, and we’re Maddie & Tae, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Mickey Guyton (Happy Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey! It’s Mickey Guyton here, and I want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey everybody. I’m Parker McCollum, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey everybody! This is Sam Hunt, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / LINER Travis Denning (Thanksgiving)

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    “Hey y’all! It’s Travis Denning, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

     

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK OFFERS AN INTIMATE LOOK INTO HER JOURNEY SO FAR AS PART OF ROLLING STONE’S ORIGINAL SERIES “GIGS TO GLORY.”

    Caylee Hammack is sharing more insight into her unique journey so far, as Rolling Stone’s original web series “Gigs To Glory” spotlights the singer/songwriter/producer as part of a three-episode feature. With Episode Two available to watch today here, the Georgia native opens up about some of the struggles she has faced along the way, including a house fire that destroyed almost all of her belongings bar a few significant items. The episode also sees Caylee performing as a part of Rolling Stone Live in Chicago during Lollapalooza.

    Episode One is also available to watch here, as Caylee discusses the early beginnings of her music career and moving to Nashville. The final installment of the special series, Episode Three, will be available to watch next Tuesday (November 5th) as she reflects on the path that has led to her current breakout single “Family Tree” nearing the Top 30 at Country radio.

  • HALLOWEEN LINERS 2019

    Audio / LINER Adam Hambrick (Halloween)

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    “Hey! This is Adam Hambrick. Happy Halloween.”

     

    Audio / LINER Billy Currington (Trick or Treat)

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    “Trick or Treat, baby.”

    Audio / LINER Brandon Lay (Halloween)

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    “Hey everybody! This is Brandon Lay, wishing you a Happy Halloween.”

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Halloween)

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

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Halloween)

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

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Halloween) 1

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    “Hey y’all, I’m Caylee Hammack, wishing all of y’all a Happy Halloween. Boo!”

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Halloween) 2

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    “Hey y’all! I’m Caylee Hammack, wishing all you goblins and gremlins out there a Happy Halloween.”

    Audio / LINER Clare Dunn (Halloween)

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    “Hey! This is Clare Dunn, wishing you a very Happy Halloween.”

     

    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Halloween)

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

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Halloween)

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    “Hey! It’s Dierks Bentley, wishing you a Happy Halloween.”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Halloween)

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    “Hey! This is Eric Church, wishing you a very Happy Halloween.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Langston (Halloween)

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    “Hey y’all! I’m Jon Langston. Happy Halloween.”

    Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (Halloween)

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    “Hey! I’m Jordan Davis, wishing you a Happy Halloween.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Halloween)

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    “Hey Y’all, I’m Josh Turner, wishing you a Happy Halloween.”

    Audio / LINER Kacey Musgraves (Halloween)

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    “Hey! It’s Kacey Musgraves, and I hope you have a Happy Halloween.”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Halloween)

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    “Hey! What’s up, y’all? I’m Luke Bryan, wishing you a very Happy Halloween. Boo!”

    Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Halloween)

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

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Halloween)

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    “Hey everybody, I’m Parker McCollum. Happy Halloween.”

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Halloween)

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    “Hey everybody! This is Sam Hunt. Happy Halloween!”

    Audio / LINER Travis Denning (Halloween)

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    “Hey y’all, it’s Travis Denning. Happy Halloween.”

  • THE STAGECOACH LINEUP FOR 2020 HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED.

    The lineup for next year’s Stagecoach Festival has been announced, and Carrie Underwood, Eric Church and Thomas Rhett will headline the three-night festival taking place April 24th – 26th in Indio, California. The 14th annual Stagecoach Festival will also feature performances by Alan Jackson, Jon Pardi, Caylee Hammack, Brett Young, Dustin Lynch, Dan + Shay, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lil Nas X and Bryan Adams, among others.

    Tickets go on sale Friday (October 18th).

     

     

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK CONNECTS TO MIRANDA LAMBERT.

    Caylee Hammack has enjoyed being out with Miranda Lambert and the rest of the ladies on the Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour 2019, not only because she gets to perform on stage every night, but because she gets to glean some wisdom and share stories of life and career with the other ladies as well.

    Prior to heading out, Caylee and Miranda spent some time together in the studio. “I got to hang out with Miranda in the studio a few weeks ago, and just getting to connect with a heart like hers, it’s something that I don’t feel like I get to often is to connect with another female artist that has went through everything that I’m about to go through and still see that humble heart inside of her and get to connect with her on a girlfriend level,” says Caylee. “It was really cool to have those moments with her, and it got me even more excited to go on the road with her.”

    Maren Morris, Elle King, Tenille Townes and the Pistol Annies are also part of the Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour 2019.

    Caylee is currently making her way up the country charts with “Family Tree.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack is excited about being on the road with Miranda Lambert.

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    Caylee Hammack (on the road with Miranda) OC: …road with her. :25
    “I got to hang out with Miranda in the studio a few weeks ago, and just getting to connect with a heart like hers, it’s something that I don’t feel like I get to often is to connect with another female artist that has went through everything that I’m about to go through and still see that humble heart inside of her and get to connect with her on a girlfriend level. It was really cool to have those moments with her, and it got me even more excited to go on the road with her.”

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  • CAYLEE HAMMACK WILL BE A DILIGENT STUDENT WHEN SHE HITS THE ROAD WITH DIERKS THIS WEEKEND.

    Caylee Hammack is heading out on the road with Dierks Bentley for a few dates on his Burning Man Tour, along with Jon Pardi. She tells us she cannot wait to learn from him.

    “It will be my first true major tour, and I know that there’s so much that Dierks can teach me on the road,” says Caylee. “I’ve heard he’s a wonderful mentor, so I’m very excited to get to step in underneath him and learn how he puts on a show; how he treats his crew. I’ve always heard that he’s really good to people that work with him, and I aspire to learn something from that.”

    She just joined Dierks at his second annual Seven Peaks Festival over the weekend where she performed her own set, but she also stepped into the role of Reba for the headliner’s Hot Country Knights’ set on Friday night (August 30th).

    Caylee, who recently made her debut on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, is climbing the country charts with her song, “Family Tree.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack says she cannot wait to learn from Dierks Bentley when she heads out on the road with him this week.

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    Caylee Hammack (on the road with Dierks) OC: …something from that. :29
    “I reacted like a kid when I was told I was going on the road with Dierks. I guess I haven’t changed much from that. I’m still childishly excited. It will be my first true major tour, and I know that there’s so much that Dierks can teach me on the road. I’ve heard he’s a wonderful mentor, so I’m very excited to get to step in underneath him and learn how he puts on a show, how he treats his crew. I’ve always heard that he’s really good to people that work with him, and I aspire to learn something from that.”

  • CAYLEE HAMMACK DELIVERS NEW INFECTIOUS GROOVE “PRECIATCHA” AVAILABLE NOW.

    “One of the most exciting new talents coming out of Nashville’s country scene” (Rolling Stone), Capitol Records Nashville’s Caylee Hammack released more new music for fans today, sharing the reflective new track “Preciatcha,” available to listen here. Starting out with a smooth intro reminiscing on a past love, the singer/songwriter/producer reveals her gratitude for lessons from a broken relationship. Co-written and co-produced by Hammack with Laura Veltz and Jordan Schmidt, “Preciatcha” has a fiery, groove-driven chorus showcasing her subtle word play, singular imagery and wide set of stylistic influences that make her unique. Critics have been quick to spotlight Hammack’s craft with HITS Magazine declaring “she has created a kind of country music that’s larger—and brighter—than real life.”

    “My mother once told me that every hand you hold is a lesson or a blessing,” shared Hammack. “If you find good love, you hold on to it. If you find something else by accident, learn what you must from that experience and move on. ‘Preciatcha’ is about searching for a silver lining in a storm. It’s my song for the broken hearts that deserved better but didn’t get it.”

    “Preciatcha” joins Hammack’s breakout single “Family Tree,” also co-written and co-produced by Hammack, that is known for its “soulful vocals and descriptive lyrics [that] shine” (Billboard) and has been praised by CMT as “the first of many signature songs to come from Hammack.” “Family Tree” was the most-added single at Country radio by a female artist in over three years. Hammack also recently shared “Just Friends” with fans, a new track heralded by Variety as “boldly aflame” and an “amusingly feisty single that uses traditional country and distorted alt-rock as twin fuels for the fire.” Hammack is set to bring her firebrand live set to Seven Peaks Music Festival this weekend, from there she will join opening slots for Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert.

    Background on Caylee Hammack:
    Caylee Hammack constantly felt like a self-described “hippie in a hillbilly town” in her tiny hometown of Ellaville, Georgia. “I used to pray every night as a kid, ‘God, just please make me different. Don’t make me like everyone else,’” she remembers. Hammack is indeed refreshingly different. And at only 25, she has already packed a full life into just a few years, using fake IDs to get gigs around South Georgia, turning down a college scholarship for a love that burned out just a few months later, sleeping in her car when she arrived in Nashville and then losing her home in an electrical fire. “My dad has always said that the most beautiful and strongest things are forged in the fire,” she says. “Iron is nothing until you work it in a fire. Glass cannot be blown without intense heat. You can’t make anything beautiful or strong without a little heat.”

     

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Preciathcha)

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  • CAYLEE HAMMACK STUNS AT HER GRAND OLE OPRY DEBUT.

    Caylee Hammack made her Grand Ole Opry debut on Friday (8/23). The “dynamic singer” (Billboard) stepped onto the famed stage with an entrancing version of Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” a song she sang in Nashville for the first time when she was 13 at Ernest Tubb Record Shop. Hammack then performed “Family Tree,” with dozens of her family members front and center for the debut, who serve as inspiration for the breakout single.

    “When I was 13 growing up in South Georgia, I begged my parents to drive me 6 hours to Nashville,” shared Hammack. “One of our first stops was to the Ernest Tubb Record Shop and a little bar beside it, now long gone, where I sang ‘Crazy’ for my parents and maybe a handful of other people off of a lyric sheet. And 12 years later, I knew exactly what I wanted to sing once I stepped in the circle for my Grand Ole Opry debut. That was as close to Patsy as I’ll ever get. It meant the world to have all of my family in the audience right there with me.”

    Earlier in the week, Hammack paid tribute to another country powerhouse at the annual ACM Honors event at the Ryman Auditorium to help present the Cliffie Stone Icon Award to Martina McBride with her bluesy rendition of “A Broken Wing” that elicited a standing ovation. “She knows how to belt it, and belt it she did” (CMT).

    Watch a recap from Hammack’s debut here: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1opRxPhObJ/

    Hammack is set to bring her “confidence and swagger” (Rolling Stone) to Seven Peaks Music Festival this weekend, from there she will join opening slots for Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert. Her debut single “Family Tree,” co-written and produced by Hammack, is known for its “soulful vocals and descriptive lyrics [that] shine” (Billboard) instantly turned heads upon its release. The track was the most-added single at Country radio by a female artist in over three years.

    Background on Caylee Hammack:
    Caylee Hammack constantly felt like a self-described “hippie in a hillbilly town” in her tiny hometown of Ellaville, Georgia. “I used to pray every night as a kid, ‘God, just please make me different. Don’t make me like everyone else,’” she remembers. Hammack is indeed refreshingly different. And at only 25, she has already packed a full life into just a few years, using fake IDs to get gigs around South Georgia, turning down a college scholarship for a love that burned out just a few months later, sleeping in her car when she arrived in Nashville and then losing her home in an electrical fire. “My dad has always said that the most beautiful and strongest things are forged in the fire,” she says. “Iron is nothing until you work it in a fire. Glass cannot be blown without intense heat. You can’t make anything beautiful or strong without a little heat.”

    Tested by the fire, Caylee Hammack has been molded into an artist with incredible depth and a powerhouse voice that can effortlessly veer from fiery and demanding to quiet and vulnerable. Her life experience and relentless curiosity have coalesced into a country cocktail that’s rooted in tradition but expands with shards of modern pop and rock. Her self-penned songs tug on her own life story – bad decisions, secret affairs, broken hearts, a quirky family lineage – as she invariably turns the lemons of her daring life into sonic lemonade. Hammack has also been the noted as an “Artist To Watch” by outlets such as The Bobby Bones Show, Rolling Stone and HITS Magazine for her “voice to move mountains” alongside her “clever story telling that keeps it all in motion” (Rolling Stone). For additional information, visit cayleehammack.com.

    Top Photo and Bottom Right Photo: Credit – Kirsten Balani
    Bottom Left Photo: (L-R) Connie Smith, Caylee Hammack / Credit – Photo courtesy Grand Ole Opry, photographer Sanford Myers

  • LABOR DAY 2019 AUDIO

    For many decades, Labor Day was seen as a day for workers to voice their complaints and discuss better working conditions and pay.

    U.S. Congress declared Labor Day a national holiday in 1894, and on Monday, September 2nd, we will once again celebrate the people in every occupation whose work and dedication make this nation great. Labor Day in the United States is a holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It is a celebration of the American labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of workers.

    Labor Day weekend also signals the unofficial end to summer, and many of the hottest country stars are taking a look back at some of the toughest jobs they had prior to making their mark in music or their dream job now.

     

    Audio / Adam Hambrick talks about one of his summer jobs when he was growing up in Arkansas.

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    Adam Hambrick (Labor Day-jobs) OC: …that summer. :41
    “I don’t know if I’ve ever had a bad job. I don’t think I had a bad job, ‘cause I actually enjoyed this job ‘cause I was actually sitting in the air conditioning all day over the summer in Arkansas. It was very monotonous, because I was spending every summer day repairing old fallen-apart medical charts in a heart clinic in Little Rock. I would take all these photos of all these records and re-sort them page-by-page and put ‘em back in the manila folder and re-alphabetize ‘em. But I did bring my computer and watch movies while I did it, so I drank a lot of soda and watched a lot of movies that summer.”

    Audio / Alan Jackson says that working man values have always been a part of his music.

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    AJ (working people songs) OC: … appreciate that. :28
    “I’ve always written songs and recorded songs, other people’s songs, about workin’ people, and workin’, the workin’ life ’cause I mean, that’s where I’m from. I mean, I worked…I’d already had jobs and worked as a grown person before I ever even thought about bein’ in the music business, so I come from that background, and…although I hadn’t had a job in a long time (laughs), I still remember a lot about it, you know, and I remember what the lifestyle is, and I still appreciate that.”

    Audio / Billy Currington recalls some of the jobs he had before landing his record deal in 2003.

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    Billy Currington (Labor Day) OC: …record deal. :40
    “I started working like at [age] 12, landscaping. This was summer, every summers, and roofing. I started when I was about 16 roofing houses, and that was probably one of my toughest jobs because down there in South Georgia, it gets hot, so doing that every day all summer long. The pawn shop when I moved to Nashville was one of my favorites, even though it was one of my least favorites. The concrete job was my least favorite of all – six years of that, and I couldn’t take it no more. After that job, that was my turning point. Either I’m going to do something else for a living [laughs] or quit and try to really focus on music and get this record deal.”

    Audio / BRANDON LAY SAYS HE’S ALWAYS ENJOYED THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND.

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    Brandon Lay (Labor Day) OC: …a good one. :13
    “You know, I can’t complain too much about Labor Day, ‘cause usually doing landscaping and it had slowed down a little, but the water’s still warm enough to hit the river. I’ve gotten to spend some time out on the lake for Labor Day, so Labor Day’s a good one.”

    Audio / CARRIE UNDERWOOD TALKS ABOUT THE JOBS SHE HAD GROWING UP AND HER BEST JOB -- PERFORMING FOR HER FANS.

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    Carrie Underwood (Labor Day) OC: …born to do. :59
    “I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad job. I’ve had hard jobs. I’ve had jobs that worked random hours. My first job was at a gas station, and that was a lot of fun actually. While I was working at the gas station, I took another job at a hotel down the street. There was nobody else working there. I had one day of training and then the next day I came in, and the lady that had worked there the longest and was training me just didn’t show. So, the second day at work I was now in charge ‘cause I was now the senior member that was working at the hotel. So, I feel like that one was really challenging to figure my way through it, but I did. My best job is definitely what I do now. I really like being on stage. I really like performing for people and just having fun and singing, because that’s what I feel like I was born to do.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack says her worst job truly smelled bad.

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    Caylee Hammack (Labor Day-worst job) OC: …worst job. (laughs) :38
    “My worst job was working in a nursery, actually. I love kids so I thought I’d be really good at it, but wen you’re the new person coming in, you have to change all the diapers first. So, I was changing 45 diapers a day and it got to the point where everything smelled like baby poop. It literally drove me crazy. I would walk my dog and I would have to go to pick up her poop, and it would smell like baby poop, and I just couldn’t handle it, honestly. The smell of poop warded me away. The children were lovely, but the smell of poop lingered, and I couldn’t handle that job. That was my worst job.” (laughs)

    Audio / CLARE DUNN GETS EMOTIONAL WHEN TALKING ABOUT DRIVING A SILAGE TRUCK IN TEXAS TO MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO MOVE TO TENNESSEE TO FOLLOW HER DREAM.

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    Clare Dunn (Labor Day) OC: …had to do. 1:05
    “I was coming for school. I remember I was two weeks late for school [at Belmont], because I had stayed in Texas longer to drive a silage truck for harvest. Harvest was still going on and I needed the money, so I stayed down there. I called all my professors. I explained what I was doing. I said, ‘I’m not going to be there for the first two weeks.’ They all were very, I told them why, and they were all very accepting of that. So, I got home. I was worn out from driving this truck in Texas, and I remember getting home in like the morning or the night before and I left the next day. I literally just chucked as much stuff in a U-haul as I could, and my family was helping me get it all ready while I was on the truck. I remember, everybody cried. I’m probably gonna cry just talking about it, because it was so many unknowns, and I just drove myself out to Tennessee. It was very emotional for me, obviously, just seeing that Tennessee state line sign and being scared to death, but knowing that’s what I had to do.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker recalls one of his worst jobs before turning to music.

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    Darius Rucker (Labor Day) OC: …pizza. :15
    “I was fifteen, and I worked at a pizza place, and the guy decided that at fifteen, that I could not only clean the floors and wash the dishes, but I also had to make pizza. So, for two months, he taught me how to make pizza.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley makes a living performing for his fans, and he can’t say enough about them.

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    Dierks Bentley (Labor Day) OC: …generosity. :26
    “Personally, the fans give me amazement. That’s the only word to really sum it up. I look out in the crowd, you know, usually see a lot of faces and fans are cheering. I know each one of these like from the road-the signs are from California…Michelle and Kayla live up in the Ohio area. They’re all, I just see them, and I’m like, ‘Wow!,’ they’re all from different regions. You know when you’re in a different region of the country and you just see certain fans. These people are way more hard core than I am, and I’m just amazed by their generosity.”

    Audio / Eric Church talks about one of his worst job.

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    Eric Church (Labor Day-odd jobs) OC: …bought at 2am. 1:27
    “I had an awful job. I’ve had a lot of awful jobs…my worst one was when I first came to Nashville. I got a job at the Shop at Home Network. I worked midnight, graveyard, midnight to eight. That was bad enough but then I would work all night, go home, shower and then I had writing appointments all day because I was trying to get a career started. I’d go write songs and get meetings just trying to get signed. And end up getting done at 3 of 4 with all of that, I’d go home, take a shower or sleep for a little bit and then I had to be at work again at midnight. So the schedule was bad enough, however, what I had to do at the job…I sold knives from midnight to 7 or 8am. And, anytime somebody calls you at 3 or 4am and needs 200 knives for $19.95, it’s automatically an alarming situation. And I just, I was young and I’d been in a lot of these people’s shoes, I had done this…I knew they were drunk. I knew what they had done. They’d just come home from the bar, flipped on Shop at Home and said, ‘You know what? I need that.’ So the reason the job didn’t last long for me is that I was maybe the worst salesmen in history because I ended up talking a lot of these people out of it, I’d say, ‘I’ll tell you what man, go to bed, call me, I’ll be here in the morning. If you get up in the morning and want these knives you call me back.’ Because I knew what was going to happen, you know. They bought 200 knives for $19.95…first of all some of these people you didn’t know whether you should call the cops. What do you need 200 knives for? Even though I’m selling them…what do you need them for? So, it was awful doing that job. And then they got rid of me because, they were like, ‘You’re the worst. I can’t believe you’re talking people out of it.’ I was like, ‘Man I know…I’ve been there.’ [laughs] I’d want some to talk me out of buying some of the stuff I’ve bought at 2am.”

    Audio / Jon Langston talks about working

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    Jon Langston (Labor Day) OC: …is the bomb. :45
    “The worst job – it wasn’t bad – I could just say growing up and stuff and in high school, I was working for my dad. It was a great job, working at the shop. One day I got tired of working for my dad. I thought it’d be smart to go work for somebody else and so I went to work at Chik-fil-a for a family friend, and I’m just not made for cooking chicken. But, I told my dad, ‘Hey, can I come back to work?’ (laughs) So, yeah, I mean, Chik-fil-a a great place to work if you’re into that kind of thing, but not me. But Chik-fil-a is m favorite fast food restaurant of all time. I mean, I will go to war for Chik-fil-a. I eat there probably three or four times a week. Chik-fil-a is the bomb.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi talks about his worst job, which was at a grocery store.

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    Jon Pardi (Labor Day) OC: …so bored! :17
    “The worst job I ever had was at Hometown Grocery Store. I didn’t want to work, I was 15, and I did not want to work at the grocery store. Bagging was fun, but they sent me down the aisles to pull up cans and turn ‘em around and face ‘em, and I would just get so bored!”

    Audio / JORDAN DAVIS, WHOSE DEBUT SINGLE IS MAKING ITS WAY UP THE COUNTRY CHARTS, TALKS ABOUT HIS WORST JOB.

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    Jordan Davis (Labor Day) OC: …worst job. :41
    “[My] worst job was probably whenever I got out of school I started working for an environmental group in Baton Rouge, and I was doing actual environmental work at first. I went to my boss probably about four months in and told him that I was going to move to Nashville and write songs. Luckily enough, he let me stay on, but I became the weedeater guy for the landscaping side of the business. I seriously weedeated eight hours a day. The only break I would get would be in-between yard to yard. So, like we would be in the car and I would try to doze off for like 10 minutes. I was covered in grass in the middle of the summer in Baton Rouge. It was awful. That was definitely the worst job.”

    Audio / KEITH URBAN TALKS ABOUT PERFORMING FOR FANS.

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    Keith Urban (Labor Day) OC: …amazing. :22
    “Seeing people connect to the music is absolutely, hands-down the biggest reward for me, especially when you go to a place you’ve never been to before and it’s all these people, I mean lots of people out there. You’ve never met a single one of ‘em and they’re singing every word, and you realize that it’s not just a pretty melody and everything, but they get the songs. It’s amazing.”

    Audio / Kip Moore recalls his worst job...ever.

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    Kip Moore (Labor Day-worst job) OC: …than that. :21
    “I’d have to say my worst job ever was laying sod in the south Georgia heat. There’s nothing than that, especially when somebody would think that you’re waiting for the next sod patch to be thrown to you and you got your back turned, and all of a sudden, that big ole piece of sod hits you right on the back. You got nowhere to clean up, and you’re just stuck with dirt on your back for the rest of the day. It doesn’t get any worse than that.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about the different jobs he worked in and around Leesburg, Georgia, before heading to Nashville to pursue a career in music.

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    Luke Bryan (Labor Day-jobs) OC: …Nashville… 1:07
    “At age 12 thru 13, I worked at Rubos IGA Supermarket in Leesburg, GA. I worked during the summers on Monday and Tuesday. I stocked and cleaned up the produce.  They paid me under the table…I peeled off all of the brown lettuce. Let’s see, when I was 15, I was a cashier at K-Mart for two months. I worked at K-Mart for two months, and then I reverted back to Rubos because it didn’t really make sense for me to drive all the way into Albany and work for K-Mart. The benefits were great though-you’d get an hour-long on the blue light special. So I started back at Rubos, and then I quit Rubos and worked for my Dad-just awful just driving tractors through cotton all day, and spraying pesticides that eventually would turn your hair green. And then at some point, I started playing guitar. And well, after college I went back and worked for my dad and continued to spray and haul fertilizer around. And then I moved to Nashville…”

    Audio / TRAVIS DENNING HAS NEVER HAD ANOTHER JOB OTHER THAN PLAYING MUSIC.

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    Travis Denning (Labor Day) OC: …right for it. :13
    “I’ve always played music. I mean, my first gig was when I was 16-years-old. That was what I did. And as soon as I found out I could make money doing it, I thought I’d much rather make money doing this than anything else, so I went right for it.”