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  • LAUREN ALAINA BECOMES A MEMBER OF THE GRAND OLE OPRY.

    Audio
    Lauren Alaina

    Multi-platinum-selling No. 1 singer/songwriter Lauren Alaina was officially inducted and welcomed as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry tonight by her friend/mentor Trisha Yearwood. The Opry was the first major stage Alaina played just a week after she was named runner-up on Season 10 of American Idol, making her Opry debut on June 10, 2011. She has appeared on the Opry more than 50 times since.

    “A lot of people love you,” said Yearwood before introducing a special video from another of Alaina’s musical heroes, Dolly Parton, welcoming her to the Opry family. “You and I have a lot in common,” said Parton via video. “We both started young, we love country music and we love the Grand Ole Opry and I’d give a million dollars if I could be there with Trisha and Garth and everyone who loves you to get you inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. I just want to wish you the best in your whole career.”

    Yearwood continued “What I have gotten to observe in knowing you for the couple of years I have known you is how genuine you are. I think country music is in good hands. You are exactly the kind of artist that the Opry loves, and wants and looks for. Usually when someone gets inducted they say ‘it’s on behalf of all the members of the Grand Ole Opry,’ and I’m going to say that, but I also want to say every single person from the house band, to the crew, to who is parking cars, everybody tonight says how deserving you are and it’s about time. So on behalf of myself, all the members of the Opry, the crew and everyone who is associated with the Opry, you are now officially a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Miss Lauren Alaina.”

    https://twitter.com/opry/status/1492729291175571457

    A tearful and emotional Alaina stood in the circle, saying “Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of this moment. Both of my parents raised me with an appreciation for country music and all that it is, and all of the people who have come before me. I just want to say I promise to do everything I can to represent country music. I promise to represent this family well. I have felt like family here as long as I remember. Everyone at the Opry has always made me feel like family so for me to finally be officially in is the biggest dream come true of all time. Most little girls dreamed of their wedding; I dreamed of this. God Bless you guys and God bless country music.”

    Yearwood surprised Alaina before their performance of  Yearwood’s classic “Walkaway Joe” introducing her husband, Garth Brooks, to the stage to play guitar for them.

    “We’re all thrilled to add an artist of Lauren’s caliber and a personality we all love to the Opry’s ranks,” said Dan Rogers, Opry executive producer. “Anyone in the audience or tuned in tonight could easily see it’s going to be a great marriage for decades to come.”

    Alaina’s Opry induction was also seen on the Opry’s television broadcast home, Circle Network, and as part of its Saturday night Opry Live livestream on Circle All Access Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. It was heard on opry.com and wsmonline.com, SiriusXM: Willie’s Roadhouse, and the show’s flagship radio home, WSM Radio.  

    Artists scheduled to perform in the coming weeks include Clint Black, Priscilla Block, John Conlee, Sara Evans, Lady A, Ned LeDoux, Gary LeVox, Mac McAnally, Del McCoury Band, Jeannie Seely, Scotty McCreery, Carly Pearce, Sawyer Brown, The War And Treaty, Chris Young, and more.

    Tickets for 2022 Opry performances through August 30 and the 97th Opry Birthday Bash shows taking place October 7 and 8, 2022 are on sale now. Also on sale now are tickets for Thursday night Opry Country Classics shows, hosted by Larry Gatlin. Go to opry.com/2022shows to learn more or call 1-800-SEE-OPRY.

    Audio / Lauren Alaina talks about how important it is to her to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. he Grand

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    Lauren Alaina (becoming a member of the GOO) OC: …really proud. 1:15
    “I’ve been told since I was a little girl how important the Grand Ole Opry is to country music, and obviously, all I’ve ever wanted is to be a family member in the country music community. So, I remember the first time I stepped onto the stage like it was yesterday. I looked over and my dad was sobbing side stage and I was just out there, and I was so young, and I just remember thinking, ‘Whoa! This is, like a little kid going to Disneyland for the first time.’ And it just felt like a magical place that I would never get to go to, and then I found myself standing in the circle and making my dad proud and um (emotional pause) to fast forward to tonight, and my whole family is here and my whole team is here, and we worked really hard for this moment. It’s the highest honor in country music, and I’m just so excited. I don’t know that I ever, ever imagined this day would come. I dreamed for it, but it felt like something that was so out of reach and I’m just really proud.”

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  • NEWS AND NOTES: Priscilla Block, Taylor Swift, Eric Church and more

    Press
    Brothers Osborne / Eric Church / Jordan Davis / Lauren Alaina / Priscilla Block / Taylor Swift

    Priscilla Block has released the official music video for her new single, “My Bar,” from her debut album, Welcome To The Block Party.

     

    Taylor Swift, who is making her way up the country charts with “I Bet You Think About Me” with Chris Stapleton, joins forces for a beautifully reimagined version of Ed Sheeran’s “The Joker And The Queen.”  Sharing a friendship that spans well over a decade, today marks Ed and Taylor’s fourth official collaboration to date, following “Everything Has Changed” (2012), “End Game” (2017) and “Run (Taylor’s Version)” (2021).

    The accompanying Emil Nava-directed official video brims with nostalgia as continues the storyline from the iconic “Everything Has Changed” video – Taylor and Ed’s previous collaboration, released in 2012. Ten years on, the video – featuring the original actors – captures the coming-of-age story of the now 18-year-olds, Ava and Jack, as they head to college and embark on new adventures.

     

    Eric Churchhas been announced as a headliner for the Faster Horses Festival later this year, along with Tim McGraw and Morgan Wallen. The three-day concert event, taking place in Brooklyn, Michigan July 22nd – 24th, will also feature performances from Brothers Osborne, Jordan Davis, Lauren Alaina, Ashley McBryde, Cole Swindell, Jake Owen, Chris Janson, Michael Ray and many others. In addition, Priscilla Block is among the artists performing on the Next From Nashville stage. Passes for the three-day festival go on sale March 11th.

  • LAUREN ALAINA IS SET TO APPEAR IN NEW CBS REALITY SERIES “BEYOND THE EDGE.”

    Press
    Lauren Alaina

    CBS today announced the new reality series BEYOND THE EDGE, which features nine celebrities trading their worlds of luxury to live in the dangerous jungles of Panama, where they face off in epic adventures and endure the most brutal conditions, as they push themselves to go far beyond their comfort zone. From the producers of “Naked and Afraid” comes the most intense celebrity adventure ever attempted, where only teamwork, perseverance and finding the inner strength they never knew they possessed can get them through another day and raise money for their chosen charities. BEYOND THE EDGE will premiere Wednesday, March 16th (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*. Showtime sports announcer Mauro Ranallo hosts.

    The nine celebrities who will brave the Panama jungle in BEYOND THE EDGE are country superstar Lauren Alaina, Super Bowl MVP Ray Lewis, country superstar Craig Morgan, NBA champion Metta World Peace, supermodel Paulina Porizkova, NFL legend Mike Singletary, actress Jodie Sweetin (“Full House,” “Fuller House”) and television personalities Colton Underwood (“The Bachelor”) and Eboni K. Williams (“The Real Housewives of New York City”).

    For two weeks, the celebrities will see if they have the grit to withstand torrential downpours, scorching heat and deadly wildlife while living in the exotic Panama jungle. There won’t be any judges or eliminations – instead, each celebrity must rely on their inner fortitude, physical ability, and courage, and have faith in their teammates to endure in the wild. For each day they last, and every grueling adventure challenge they win with their team, the celebrities will raise more money for their charities. If a player reaches their breaking point, they can ring a bell to signal that they are ready to go home. At the end of the 14 days, the top two earners will go head to head in one final adventure, to see who can become the BEYOND THE EDGE champion and take home the most money for their charity.

    “BEYOND THE EDGE is the most extreme celebrity format ever attempted,” said executive producer Greg Goldman. “The day before we started principal photography, all of the producers looked at each other with the sinking feeling that this celebrity cast might see where they were living for up to two weeks – the harsh jungles of Panama – and just bolt. To the contrary, we were amazed by how these icons pushed themselves to their breaking points, showing incredible mental fortitude and physical tenacity. And all for an incredible cause: to raise money for charities that are near and dear to their hearts.”

  • LAUREN ALAINA TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE GRAND OLE OPRY FEBRUARY 12th.

    Press
    Lauren Alaina

    Multi-platinum-selling No. 1 singer/songwriter Lauren Alaina will officially become part of the Grand Ole Opry family on Saturday, February 12. Opry member and Alaina’s friend/mentor Trisha Yearwood, who surprised her onstage in December with the Opry invitation, will return to be part of Alaina’s induction.

    The Opry was the first major stage Alaina played just a week after she was named runner-up on Season 10 of American Idol, making her Opry debut on June 10, 2011. She marked her 50th appearance on the Opry last Fall.

    Alaina’s Opry induction can be seen on the Opry’s television broadcast home, Circle Network, and as part of its Saturday night Opry Live livestream on Circle All Access Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. It can also be heard onopry.com and wsmonline.com, SiriusXM: Willie’s Roadhouse, and its flagship home, 650 AM-WSM. 

    Yearwood duets with Alaina on her Gold-certified song “Getting Good” from her recent album Sitting Pretty On Top of the World and also wrote the foreword to her just-released Amazon best-selling inspirational book Getting Good At Being You.

    Also scheduled to perform on Saturday, February 12 are Breland, The Isaacs, Riders In The Sky, and more to be announced.

    Tickets for 2022 Opry performances through June 11 and the 97th Opry Birthday Bash shows taking place October 7 and 8, 2022 are on sale now. Also on sale now are tickets for Thursday night Opry Country Classics shows, hosted by Larry Gatlin. Go to opry.com/2022shows to learn more or call 1-800-SEE-OPRY.

    About Lauren Alaina
    Multi-Platinum-selling singer/songwriter Lauren Alaina has earned three No. 1 hit singles in just under three years with her smash “Road Less Traveled” (2017), the now 6x Platinum “What Ifs” (2018) with her childhood friend and superstar Kane Brown (his first career No. 1), and “One Beer” (2020) with friend and rising star HARDY (also his first career No. 1). Her No. 1 debuting album Sitting Pretty On Top of The World, which includes her current single “Getting Over Him” featuring Jon Pardi, as well as her recently RIAA-certified Gold-selling “Getting Good.” Alaina recently released her inspirational book “Getting Good At Being You.”

    Sitting Pretty on Top of the World follows on the heels of the Georgia native’s two EPs, Getting Over Him EP and the previous Getting Good EP, which were evidence of her evolution as a songwriter. Her album Road Less Traveled was the most-streamed album of the year for a female artist in 2017 and landed on multiple “Best Of” lists including Billboard,Rolling Stone and Amazon. The album included her first No. 1 smash “Road Less Traveled” as well “Doin’ Fine,” and the inspiring, “Three.”

    Alaina has shared the stage with superstars including Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Martina McBride and Jason Aldean, sold out her own, first-ever headlining, That Girl Was Me Tour, and has performed on some of the highest-profile stages in the world including national television performances on PBS’s A Capitol Fourth, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, TODAY, ABC’s Good Morning America, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, ABC’s CMA Fest specials, CMA and ACM Awards, Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day halftime performance, MLB’s World Series national anthem (Game 5, 2021) and more including a performance at the White House for President Obama for a PBS special.

    For more information and tour dates, please visit http://laurenalainaofficial.com/ and follow Lauren at @Lauren_Alaina on Twitter, @laurenalaina on Instagram and on Facebook. For videos go to her YouTube (@LaurenAlainaAIVEVO)

  • MAURICES NAMES COUNTRY MUSIC ARTIST LAUREN ALAINA AS FIRST-EVER CELEBRITY BRAND AMBASSADOR.

    Press
    Lauren Alaina

    Today, leading women’s fashion brand Maurices announced country music rising superstar Lauren Alaina as its celebrity brand ambassador. After over 90 years as a leader in women’s retail, and a staple in hometowns across the country, Maurices joins forces with Alaina for a year-long partnership.

    Known for its fun, friendly service, and trusted stylists, Maurices offers a warm welcoming experience in its 900 stores across the U.S and Canada and is guided by its greater purpose of making a positive difference in the lives of women who are the heart of its hometowns.

    “Lauren Alaina represents the essence of feel good fashion for real life,” says David Kornberg, CEO of Maurices. “Through this partnership, we are excited to build brand awareness and recognition with existing customers while introducing Lauren’s strong fanbase who aren’t aware of Maurices to their new favorite clothing brand. We are thrilled to partner with Lauren, who uses country music, faith, family, community and resilience to inspire women – all of which embody the Maurices customer.”

    The partnership will feature tentpole content opportunities inclusive of the upcoming ‘Top of the World’ tour presented by Maurices, the “Hometown Heroes” program, and more

    “Partnering with Lauren is the perfect match for Maurices,” says Laura Sieger, Chief Marketing Officer of Maurices. “She encompasses the DNA of our brand, and our core customer shares similar values of style, service, and community. As a small-town Georgia native, Lauren is the right fit to support our core purpose of making a positive difference in the lives of women who are the heart of our hometowns.”

    “I am beyond excited and honored to be able to partner with Maurices as I kick off my 2022 ‘Top of the World’ tour presented by Maurices and inspire a new generation of women to look and feel their best in everything they do while shining a light on deserving women through the Hometown Heroes sweepstakes,” says Lauren Alaina.

    Throughout her 2022 headlining tour, Alaina will be styled in some of her favorite Maurices looks. As part of the upcoming tour and brand partnership, Maurices and Alaina will shed light on and support deserving women with unique moments during the tour through the Maurices “Hometown Heroes” sweepstakes. The program will spotlight women who are hometown heroes, such as healthcare workers, educators, first responders, and military members, who give back to their communities across the country. The winners will be rewarded with a special experience inclusive of tickets to Alaina’s headlining concert near their hometown and the ultimate Maurices shopping spree to help them look and feel their best. The “Hometown Heroes” program will be offered in the following cities: Minneapolis, MN; Rosemont, IL; Milwaukee, WI; Columbus, OH; Indianapolis, IN; Tulsa, OK; Cedar Park, TX; Little Rock, AR; and Nashville, TN.

    The partnership will continue throughout 2022 with various activations and tentpole moments including a CMA Fest sweepstakes prize package and an exclusive Maurices t-shirt design collaboration that will highlight Alaina’s love of puns and sassy phrases.

    To learn more about Maurices and the partnership with Lauren Alaina, visit www.maurices.com/LaurenAlaina.

    Lauren is making her way up the country charts with “Getting Over Him” featuring Jon Pardi.

  • NEW YEAR’S 2021: Dierks, Eric, Kip, Jon, Jordan, Lauren, Luke, Priscilla, Travis and more

    Audio
    Brothers Osborne / Darius Rucker / Dierks Bentley / Eric Church / Jon Pardi / Jordan Davis / Kacey Musgraves / Kip Moore / Lauren Alaina / Luke Bryan / Priscilla Block / 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 2022. Some artists have resolutions, some artists look ahead to 2022 and some are very helpful with their own hangover cures for those who imbibe too much on New Year’s Eve.

    For several country stars, they’ll be ringing in the new year with Dierks Bentley in Nashville on New Year’s Eve as CBS presents NEW YEAR’S EVE LIVE: NASHVILLE’S BIG BASH on Friday (December 31st) at 8-11pm ET/PT and 11:30pm-1:30am ET/PT. The special programming will air on CBS and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. Originating from downtown Nashville across multiple locations, the star-studded special will be packed with high-energy performances celebrating the excitement and anticipation of a new year. In addition to Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Sam Hunt, Jon Pardi, BRELAND, Jason Aldean, Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Brooks & Dunn, Dan + Shay, Elle King, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Cole Swindell and Zac Brown Band, among others will perform.

    Music City has built an outstanding reputation for hosting the most musical New Year’s celebration and country’s biggest party. The five-hour celebration will feature nearly 50 performances from locations across the city, including the main stage in Nashville’s Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park anchored by headliners Dierks Bentley, Zac Brown Band and Dan + Shay. The broadcast will cross multiple time zones, with the traditional countdown at midnight ET, culminating with the renowned Nashville music note drop and fireworks at midnight 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 / Dierks Bentley talks about the big New Year’s Eve special from Nashville he’s headlining.

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    Dierks Bentley (New Year’s Eve 2021) OC: …on CBS. 1:07
    “I haven’t played a New Year’s Eve show in a really long time. Somewhere along the way, I just decided I wanted to be a regular fan of New Year’s Eve and just be doing the stuff with my kids and watching the ball, the countdown in New York or in Colorado, I think we had a pair of skis that came down instead of a ball. But I just kind of enjoy being off and just doing all that, but when I found out that this big CBS special is happening in my adopted hometown of Nashville where I’ve lived for almost 30 years, I really wanted to be a part of it, because it’s a special moment for the city, it’s a special moment for country music. I love our town and I love country music, and I watch the stuff out of New York and some of the other networks that do New Year’s Eve Countdowns, and there’s no reason why Nashville shouldn’t, why Country Music shouldn’t be the No. 1 thing everyone’s watching on New Year’s Eve. We have all the artists and they’re all great to work with and they’re just gonna put on great performances and I think it’ll be a big moment for the city and a big moment for Country Music. So, I asked the powers that be if I could be a part of it, and they said yes, and I’m really excited to showcase our city on CBS.”

     

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about special guests for this year's New Year's Eve TV special.

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    Dierks Bentley (New Year’s Eve Special guests) OC: …one-time event. :31
    “There’s so many artists down there, so many people involved. I think they had maybe 50 different artists performing at this event, so definitely would love to have some collaborations. I’ve looked around to see who else is also performing on the stage with me and there’s some great artists there, so if they’re hanging around, we’ll definitely be pulling people up and trying to make it great.’ Cause it’s not just about the people watching on CBS, I think we’ll have over 100-thousand people in the Bicentennial Mall, so really want to make it special for all of the Nashville people and the people who traveled to Nashville for this one-time event.”

     

    Audio / Dierks Bentley says he's not making any resolutions for 2022 other than to enjoy every moment and have gratitude for what he does get to do, especially after the past two years.

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    Dierks Bentley (2022) OC: …you know. :30
    “Just like everyone coming out of 2020 and coming back into this year, it’s been such a great year for us to be back out on the road and readjusting life in Nashville. I can’t say I have any 2022 resolutions other than just enjoying every day and enjoying every show and getting a chance to make a record right now; it kind of feels like starting all over again because of what we’ve been through the last two years. So, no, I’m just looking for another great year and again, it’s a lot of gratitude for what I get to do moreso than ever just because 2020 and…you know.”

    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 says he's looking forward to new music in 2022.

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    Jon Pardi (2022) OC: …this album. :20
    “What I’m looking forward to the most for 2022 is a brand new album. We haven’t had no time to work on it because I’ve (only) been home about two or three days for the past three months, it seems like, and I haven’t been writing. I’ve been doing nothing but touring. So, I’m gonna get some songwriting in and finish this album.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi says Bloody Marys are the way to go to cure a hangover.

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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 / Jordan Davis takes a look back at 2021.

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    Jordan Davis (reflecting back on 2021) OC: …of 2021. :18
    “Reflecting back on 2021, man, we released the EP Buy Dirt, and that’s been really special for us, so seeing that EP really connect with the fans, and the son in general, you know, ‘Buy Dirt’ with me and Luke has been really, really cool to see people gravitate towards that one. So, that’s been one of the coolest things of 2021.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis says the biggest thing he's looking forward to in 2022 is playing for the fans.

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    Jordan Davis (2022) OC: …the fans. :15
    “Looking ahead to 2022, just getting back on the road playing shows. We’re going out with Dierks early in the year, and then just gonna stay busy for the rest of the year playing shows. So, really the thing I’m most looking forward to is just getting back on the road and playing for the fans.”

    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 pho. 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 / Lauren Alaina reflects back on 2021.

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    Lauren Alaina (reflecting back on 2021) OC: …normalcy. :23
    “When I reflect back on 2021, I think the thing that stands out most to me is how much I’ve realized that we’re all in this together. Even though we’re all separated, and it’s been such a rough couple of years, I have felt overwhelming love and support from people, and I hope that everyone is feeling that and that we’re all feeling like we’re getting back to some sort of normalcy.”

    Audio / Lauren Alaina talks about her hopes for 2022.

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    Lauren Alaina (2022) OC: …as I can. :19
    “My hopes for 2022 are normalcy (laughs). As much as we can get back to our lives, I’m looking forwarding to touring. I’m looking forward to celebrating my new album, Sitting Pretty On Top Of The World, and getting to play that music in front of my fans and just connecting with people as much as I can.”

    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 / Priscilla Block is looking forward to 2022 for more music, more shows and meeting more fans.

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    Priscilla Block (2022) OC: …awesome year. :33
    “I cannot believe that 2021 is almost over. This has been seriously one of the best years of my life. And I’m just so thankful I’ve been able to put out new music, meet new fans. I am so excited for 2022. I feel like it’s just gonna be bigger and badder. I cannot wait for y’all to hear new music, me get out on the road and meet all of y’all, and I think it’s gonna be a really, really awesome year.”

    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 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.”

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Mickey Guyton, Jon Pardi, Lauren Alaina, Maddie & Tae

    Press
    Carrie Underwood / Eric Church / Jon Pardi / Lauren Alaina / Maddie & Tae / Mickey Guyton / Reba McEntire / Vince Gill

    Watch Carrie Underwood on NBC’s Today Show on Friday (December 24th) for an all-new holiday performance.

    https://twitter.com/carrieunderwood/status/1474051545041932290

    Reba McEntire performed “I Needed Christmas” from her Lifetime holiday movie, Christmas In Tune, on ABC’s Good Morning America earlier this week.

    https://twitter.com/GMA/status/1473294281561493508

    Vince Gill and Mickey Guyton recorded the song “Love Changes Everything” for the soundtrack of the feature film, American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story. The movie, based on Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner’s life story, stars Zachary Levi, Anna Paquin and Dennis Quaid and is set to open nationwide on Christmas Day. The soundtrack will be released on Christmas Eve (December 24th).

    Mickey Guyton is among the performers set for the 31st Annual MusiCares Person of the Year Concert honoring the legendary Joni Mitchell. Also performing are Graham Nash, James Taylor, Brandi Carlile, Pentatonix, Jon Batiste, Herbie Hancock and Leon Bridges, among others. The event will be held January 29th at the Los Angeles Convention Center, two nights before the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

    Reba McEntire, Jon Pardi, Lauren Alaina and Maddie & Tae are among the artists joining Musicians On Call for “Hope for the Holidays” virtual concert. The artists, which also includes Brett Eldredge, Caitlyn Smith and Cassadee Pope, perform holiday favorites and deliver messages to hospital patients and caregivers at over 5,000 hospitals nationwide.

    Eric Church performed “Joy To The World” during In Performance At The White House: Spirit of the Season on PBS earlier this week. The special, hosted by actress Jennifer Garner, also featured performances by the Jonas Brothers, Pentatonix, Norah Jones, Camilla Cabelo, Billy Porter and many others. If you missed it, you can stream it now — see below.

    Video /

  • RISING SUPERSTAR LAUREN ALAINA WRAPS A DREAM DEFINING YEAR.

    Press
    Lauren Alaina

    As 2021 comes to a close, multi-Platinum-selling No. 1 singer-songwriter Lauren Alaina marks and celebrates a DECADE in country music. She wraps a dream-defining year with her biggest career dream come true Saturday night when she was invited by her friend/mentor Trisha Yearwood inviting her to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry after first stepping on to the stage 10 years ago for her debut in June 2011.

    Alaina looks ahead to even more career-defining moments in 2022 after announcing her second headlining tour, making more music, songwriting, exciting and yet-to-be announced partnerships and projects and of course, looking ahead to the night she becomes a member of the Opry family.

    “When I look back at all that my team and I accomplished in the past year, my heart could explode,” said Alaina. “I am so grateful and excited for all the projects I have been blessed to be a part of. And PS, I AM GOING TO BE THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE GRAND OLE OPRY!”

    2021 career highlights for Alaina included:

    • Surprised by Trisha Yearwood onstage at the Grand Ole Opry Saturday night (12/18) with invitation to become an official member of the Opry family
    • Lauren’s uplifting new Thomas Nelson/HarperCollins book, Getting Good at Being You: Learning to Love Who God Made You to Be has been a smash with readers, and was the #1 New Release on two of Amazon’s sales charts in its first week of release in December. The first-time author discussed her new book – where she encourages readers to embrace how “perfectly imperfect they are” – at “America’s Newsroom”, The Christian Post, CBNNews.com and many other outlets.
    • Announced her second career headlining tour, On Top Of The World Tour Presented By Maurices, kicking off in February 2022
    • Released third album Sitting Pretty On Top of the World in September
    • Her duet, “Getting Good,” with her idol/mentor Trisha Yearwood was certified GOLD by the RIAA
    • Georgia native starred in her first Hallmark Channel movie “Roadhouse Romance” which premiered to rave reviews and became the #1 most-watched entertainment cable program of the day and week.
    • Alaina and her No. 1 debuting album Sitting Pretty On Top of the World were featured on Entertainment Tonight, Billboard, FORBES, PEOPLE, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, CMT Hot 20, Holler Country, Music Row, EverythingNash.com, Country Now, RIFF Magazine, Sounds Like Nashville, Taste of Country, The Boot, Outsider.com and more.
    • The CMA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Country Music Association, invited Alaina as the non-profit’s newest Artist Ambassador, further expanding its support and advocation for equitable music education opportunities across the U.S.
    • Invited by the Atlanta Braves to perform that National Anthem at Game 5 of the MLB World Series 
    • She was invited back in October to perform and flip the switch on the Grand Ole Opry’s popular Opry Goes Pink to help raise awareness for breast cancer research
    • Invited to perform at the 14th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors to honor her friend/co-writer/songwriter Hilary Lindsey

    About Lauren Alaina:
    Multi-Platinum-selling singer/songwriter Lauren Alaina has earned three No. 1 hit singles in just under three years with her smash “Road Less Traveled” (2017), the now 6x Platinum “What Ifs” (2018) with her childhood friend and superstar Kane Brown (his first career No. 1), and “One Beer” (2020) with friend and rising star HARDY (also his first career No. 1). Her No. 1 debuting album Sitting Pretty On Top of The World, which includes her current single “Getting Over Him” featuring Jon Pardi, as well as her recently RIAA-certified Gold-selling “Getting Good.” Alaina recently released her inspirational book “Getting Good At Being You.”

    Sitting Pretty on Top of the World follows on the heels of the Georgia native’s two EPs, Getting Over Him EP and the previous Getting Good EP, which were evidence of her evolution as a songwriter. Her album Road Less Traveled was the most-streamed album of the year for a female artist in 2017 and landed on multiple “Best Of” lists including Billboard,Rolling Stone and Amazon. The album included her first No. 1 smash “Road Less Traveled” as well “Doin’ Fine,” and the inspiring, “Three.

    Alaina has shared the stage with superstars including Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Martina McBride and Jason Aldean, sold out her own, first-ever headlining, That Girl Was Me Tour, and has performed on some of the highest-profile stages in the world including national television performances on PBS’s A Capitol Fourth, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, TODAY, ABC’s Good Morning America, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, ABC’s CMA Fest specials, CMA and ACM Awards, Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day halftime performance, MLB’s World Series national anthem (Game 5, 2021) and more including a performance at the White House for President Obama for a PBS special.

  • LAUREN ALAINA INVITED TO BECOME MEMBER OF THE GRAND OLE OPRY.

    Press
    Lauren Alaina

     

    Lauren Alaina was invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry Saturday night (December 18th). The Opry was the first major stage Alaina played just a week after she was named runner-up on Season 10 of American Idol, making her Opry debut on June 10th, 2011. Earlier this fall she marked her 50th appearance on the Opry.

    Opry member and friend/mentor Trisha Yearwood surprised Alaina on stage with the invitation. Throughout the evening, the Opry played video greetings from artists sharing their 2021 Christmas wishes. When Yearwood appeared to share her wish via video on the Opry House screens during a break in Alaina’s set, she ended with, “Hey… is that Lauren Alaina?” Yearwood then made her way on stage. “Junior (her nickname for Alaina), I have a present for you. And I have some surprises for you too. I know your Mom is here and I know your Dad is as well. He’s super proud of you right now because I have the honor of asking you on behalf of the Grand Ole Opry if you will please accept our invitation of becoming our newest member.”

    An emotionally overcome Alaina dropped to her knees and finally uttered a winded, “Yes!” Holding Yearwood’s hand after many minutes catching her breath, “I did not expect this. You are my hero. I could not have picked a more perfect person to ask me. She calls me Junior- ya’ll I’m in her phone as Junior which is the coolest thing to have happened to me besides this!”

    “You are the real deal,” Yearwood went on to say. “You’ve played over 50 times. It’s obvious what this means to you. This is a very special club to be in so you have to understand what the Opry means to be asked. It’s such an honor. Country music is in good hands with you. Soak up every second!”

    Yearwood duets with Alaina on her Gold-certified song “Getting Good” from her recent album Sitting Pretty On Top of the World and also wrote the foreword to her just-released inspirational book Getting Good At Being You.

    Alaina will be formally inducted into the Opry family on an early 2022 date to be announced soon.

    “Lauren has been visiting us for 10 years, yet she still brings youthful exuberance and excitement with her every single time she plays the Opry,” said Dan Rogers, Opry vice president and executive producer. “We are thrilled that her name will be added to the Opry member roster next year.”

    Lauren is currently making her way up the country charts with “Getting Over Him,” featuring Jon Pardi.

    Tickets for 2022 Opry performances January 1 – June 11 and the 97th Opry Birthday Bash shows taking place October 7 and 8, 2022 are on sale now. Go to opry.com/2022shows to learn more or call 1-800-SEE-OPRY.

  • ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2021

    Audio
    Alan Jackson / Brothers Osborne / Carrie Underwood / Caylee Hammack / Darius Rucker / Dierks Bentley / Jon Pardi / Jordan Davis / Josh Turner / Keith Urban / Lauren Alaina / Little Big Town / Luke Bryan / Maddie & Tae

    Keith Urban
    Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
    Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

    The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
    In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

    Carrie Underwood
    The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
    While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

    And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
    Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap

    Kimberly from Little Big Town
    When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
    I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

    TJ Osborne
    Away to the window I flew like a flash,
    Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

    John Osborne
    The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
    Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

    Tae from Maddie & Tae
    When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
    But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

    Jimi from Little Big Town
    With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
    I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

    Lauren Alaina
    More rapid than eagles his reindeer they came,
    And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

    “Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
    On, Comet! On, Cupid! On Donner and Blitzen!

    Caylee Hammack
    To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
    Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

    Dierks Bentley
    So up to the house-top the reindeer they flew,
    With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too

    Darius Rucker
    And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
    The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

    As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
    Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

    Jordan Davis
    He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
    And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

    Maddie from Maddie & Tae
    A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
    And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

    Karen from Little Big Town
    His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
    His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

    Jon Pardi
    His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
    And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

    The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
    And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

    Brandon Lay
    He had a broad face and a little round belly,
    That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

    He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
    And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

    Phillip from Little Big Town
    A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
    Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

    Josh Turner
    He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
    And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

    Luke Bryan
    And laying his finger aside of his nose,
    And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

    He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
    And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

    Alan Jackson
    But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,
    “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

     

     

    Audio / Twas The Night Before Christmas (produced)

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    Audio / Twas The Night Before Christmas (dry, no music bed)

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