• MOTHER’S DAY AUDIO 2022

    Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 8th, and some of your favorite country artists are celebrating the mothers in their lives this weekend. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother’s Day, held on the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers.

    Audio / Alan Jackson lost his sweet Mama several years ago, and he wrote a song for her funeral, “Where Her Heart Has Always Been,” which is now included on his album Where Have You Gone.

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    Alan Jackson (song for mother)…really, really sweet. :51
    “I think one song on there, especially I wrote my mama died three or four years ago, four years ago maybe.  I don’t remember now. But I wrote it for her funeral, that’s “Where Her Heart Has Always Been.”  And I really love that track.  It’s just really – I tried to write it in a way that I know she would appreciate it. And then after we had cut it and we were just about to finalize the record, my sister sent a recording of mama reading from the Bible for a Christmas story or something from a few years ago that I hadn’t heard, or I don’t remember if I had ever heard it.  And I thought that would be cool to put that on there.  So, we tried to pick a little piece of that that didn’t sound so Christmasy and put on there on the front end and that made it really, really sweet.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood says she doesn’t really have any Mother’s Day traditions.

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    Carrie Underwood (Mother’s Day traditions) OC: …even more so. :38
    “We don’t really have like any Mother’s Day traditions. I feel like I remember me and Dad making breakfast for Mom like once as a kid. I’m pretty sure we just made a giant mess in the kitchen and we never did that again, so. Being on the other side of things, I obviously don’t expect anything, but my husband’s really good at getting presents from quote unquote Isaiah. It’s really sweet, because he likes to bring me things. He’s such a sweet little guy, and anytime he’s outside, he’ll pick me flowers and things. So, I’m like, ‘You’re learning. You’ve already got me wrapped around your finger, and then you do stuff like that, and it’s even more so.’”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack describes the qualities she most admires in her mother.

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    Caylee Hammack (Mother’s Day) 1 OC: …love fully. :53
    “I love that my Mom is a no-nonsense woman. I love that she always speaks her mind and she’s super stubborn, because she handed it down to me and it’s come in handy, to be honest. She’s a great cook. I wish I was half the cook that she is. She’s obsessive about Tupperware and plates, which I used to hate, but now as an adult whenever I break a dish or something, I just call her, and I know that I have one on standby. I love that she loves random things so that I can squirrel them away and take them to Nashville sometimes. And I love that she loves big. She either gives all of her heart or nothing at all; she always gives all of her heart. She loves, you know, she has a bleeding heart, and I think that’s just one of the most beautiful traits in the world is to love fully.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker recalls one of his favorite memories of his mother.

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    Darius Rucker (favorite memory of his mother) OC: …my Mom’s song. :34
    “Oh goodness! A lot of great memories of her, but probably one of my favorite memories, I was a young kid, probably eight or nine, and she was in the kitchen cooking and listening to the gospel station and Shirley Caesar’s ‘No Charge’ came on and she was singing ‘No Charge.’ I just remember I ran into our living room which was adjoined to our kitchen and I just sat there and I just listened to her sing that song, and I remember thinking, ‘Wow! What an amazing voice.’ That’s just always a memory I’ve always had, and that song still to this day when I hear it just moves me because that was my mom’s song.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about the unwavering support he felt from his mother (who passed away several years ago).

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    Darius Rucker (Mother) OC: …in my corner. :44
    “My mom was just always great. She worked a lot. She was a nurse and she worked a lot. She took a lot of overtime and stuff to make sure we could live basically, but she always just so supportive, ever since I was a kid. I was always a music kid. Growing up in an African-American neighborhood, I was never that guy who was gonna be pigeonholed to let people say I could only listen to this and I could only do this, because I was African-American. She always supported whatever I wanted to do, whatever I wanted to listen to, wherever I wanted to go, she always had my back. Going to college and everything, she was my biggest supporter and never let my brothers and sisters knock me down or try to tell me I can’t do this or that. All of my success comes because my mother was always in my corner.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about Mother’s Day in regards to his wife, Cassidy.

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    Dierks (Mother’s Day) OC: …for sure. :20
    “When it’s your actual mom, you know, there’s some slack there, but when with your wife – any touring husband, anyone who tours who has kids and a wife back home, it’s tough man. It’s a lot of work. So, I definitely need to step up to think of something great to do this Sunday, for sure.”

    Audio / Eric Church says he’s learned quite a bit from his mom.

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    Eric Church (Mother’s Day) OC: …as a man. :57
    “My mom, even though my dad won’t like this, my mom is by far the toughest person that I’ve met. She’s tough. One of those people that’s been through a lot in her life, adversity wise and never complains, always really resilient with anything that’s happened to her. And it’s just that attitude, the positive attitude, regardless of what has happened that I think is the one thing that I got from her. With career, she’s always been a person that’s been really positive through times that I couldn’t find a positive streak, [laughs] and she was always really positive, and very much believes in tough it out, keep working hard, and that’s her motto with stuff like that. I’ve always been impressed with that stuff. Then musically, she’s where I get my talent from, musically. She sings great, always has, her mom sang great. I owe my musical chops to her. And she still sings some. So, career-wise, I owe her everything. And just in life-wise she’s given me a lot of the qualities that it has taken for me to get me where I am. Not only as a musician, but as a man.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi says his mother, Shelly, is an angel.

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    Jon Pardi (Mother’s Day) OC: …worrying about me. :29
    “My mom’s always been there for me. First of all, she’s a great mom. She’s an angel. She takes care of people that aren’t even in the family. She’s always been like that, and she’s a great mother. She’s always proud, and she’s always there supporting and being a great mom. She’s just a good human being. There’s not one mean bone in her body. And she cries about every time I talk to her. She always worries about me. I have to tell her, ‘Stop worrying about me.’”

    Audio / JORDAN DAVIS SAYS HE’S A “MAMA’S BOY” AND HOPES HE HAS HER KINDNESS AND POSITIVE OUTLOOK.

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    Jordan Davis (Mother’s Day) OC: …Mother’s Day. :30 [laughs]
    “I’m a Mama’s Boy. I love my Mom, and it’s the way she finds the good in everything. With my Mom, as opposed to finding anything negative, she’s gonna find something positive first. That’s something I really hope I can be more like her on; one of the many things I wish I could be more like my mom on. My mom, she loves flowers, so we’ll get her flowers or take her to, we’re slowly getting her into sushi, so we love to take Mom out to sushi spots on Mother’s Day.” [laughs]

    Audio / Keith Urban explains why his wife Nicole Kidman is an extraordinary mother to their two children, Sunday and Faith.

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    Keith Urban (Nicole is extraordinary mother) OC: …to see. :45
    “She’s an extraordinary mum, she really, really is. Those girls are very, very lucky, and I feel very lucky that the children I should have in this world happen to be with Nic. I don’t know anything about raising kids and Nic does, and that comes in extremely, um, it’s really made for an experience I wouldn’t have had without that. Her patience, her recognizing them as people and not just little kids is really extraordinary. Her attention to honoring their feelings and listening to them right from day one – really being attentive to that is not how I was raised at all, so it’s really beautiful to see.”

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman says she always dreamed of being a mother…and her dream came true nearly 15 years ago when she gave birth to daughter, Daisy (July 27, 2007). In 2017, she and her family welcomed daughter Dolly Grace.

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    LBT (Mother’s Day) OC: …for my mother. :34
    “Being a mother is a life-long dream for me. When I was a kid, that’s what I wanted to be is a mama. It took a long time. I wasn’t ever sure that I would be, but I am now, and it’s the greatest gift of my life. And as I’m a mother now, I see what my mother gave up and her sacrifices and her love and how she made us the most important thing in her life, and that’s what I strive to do for my little girl. It’s the most important job I have, and it’s the most responsibility that I have, and I try to live up to a great example that I had for my mother.”

    Audio / MADDIE & TAE’S TAE DYE SAID SHE PULLED OFF A GREAT MOTHER’S DAY SURPRISE A FEW YEARS AGO.

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    Maddie & Tae (Mother’s Day-Tae) OC: …was so fun. :25
    TAE: “To this day one of the best surprises I’ve ever pulled off was on Mother’s Day three years ago. ‘Cause my mom’s birthday always tends to fall on Mother’s Day Weekend – it’s coming up – and my mom and dad were coming into Nashville and I was like, ‘Okay-this has got to be a big weekend. It’s Mother’s Day, her birthday and the weather was going to be beautiful, so I planned this awesome surprise where we would drive first – she wouldn’t know where we were going, and then we ended up going canoeing down the Harpeth River [located south of Nashville], and it was so fun.”

    Audio / Maddie & Tae’s Maddie Marlow says her mother is great at balancing life and that a hug from her mother can fix almost anything.

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    Maddie & Tae (Mother’s Day-Maddie) OC: (Maddie) …everything’s okay. :51
    MADDIE: “She is so good at balancing is what I’m trying to say. My Mom is such a great balancer, but as I’m coming into our adulthood, and all that kind of stuff, she’s very conscious about when I’m trying to be perfect and have everything in order with everything. And she’s like, you can’t. You can’t do that. Life, you have to figure out how you’re going to deal with the curveballs that are thrown out you. Are you going to catch them and whine out about it or are you going to catch them and move on? Like you have to just go with what’s thrown at you. And my Dad’s been a really, really good supporter on just not letting life’s trials bring you down and letting them just be learning tools and all of that. But, most of the time, a Mama hug can really fix anything.” TAE: “Ahh…it’s the best.” MADDIE: “If my Mom hugs me while I’m crying, everything’s okay. There’s just something about it. I’m grown, but, my Mom, if she hugs me, everything’s okay.”

    Audio / Parker McCollum talks about his mother's great qualities.

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    Parker McCollum (Mother’s Day) OC: …those from her. :20
    “I mean, she’s just a fantastic woman who went above and beyond for us as kids to always make sure, probably even when we weren’t able to have things, she still made those happen. Everybody says I look like her. She’s just an incredibly caring and very, very sincere person, so I would hope I got those from her.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about his mother.

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    Sam Hunt (Mother’s Day) OC: … with my mom. 1:10
    “I knew I had a great mother, and I was blessed and lucky to be born into my family, but until I got out into the real world, I didn’t realize how unique and rare and how much I really hit the lottery with her. She’s raised in the South, and she is all the things that a lot of Southern women are, the good things, but selfless is the word that comes to mind right off the bat. Her life has been devoted to me, my brothers and our family for as long as I can remember her. So, her life revolved around us and that was something that the love that she showed us through those sacrifices has been, I know, a huge part of my ability to go out into the world and cope with all the things that come my way. I’m standing on firm ground, I know, because I grew up in a loving household and that started with my mom.”

    Audio / Shania Twain says it’s such a joy to be a parent.

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    Shania Twain (joy to be a parent) OC: …means everything. :14
    “It’s such a joy to be a parent. So, I relate to all the mums out there who are getting all their love and appreciation from their kids, and I hope, when you’re a kid, a child of somebody, show your mum you love her, because it means everything.”

    Audio / TRAVIS DENNING TALKS ABOUT WHAT HE AND HIS MOM HAVE IN COMMON.

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    Travis Denning (Mother’s Day) OC: …like crazy. :29
    “You know, my favorite thing about my mom, especially as I get older, is realizing how much me and her have in common. I just love that she’s passionate about music. She loves it. I mean, she’s turned me on to a lot of artists, but at the core like she’s still Mom. She reminds me to do things and does these things which that I couldn’t live without. I love that we get to be friends, we get to be best friends, but at the same time, she’s still Mom and she still loves me and my sister like crazy.”

     

     

    Video / Mickey Guyton talks to ABC's Good Morning America about being a mother to son Grayson.

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  • MOTHER’S DAY LINERS 2022

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hey! What’s up guys! We’re Brothers Osborne, wishing all you mothers out there a very Happy Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hey everyone. I’m Carrie Underwood, wishing all you mothers out there a very, very Happy Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Catie Offerman, wishing all of you mothers out there a very Happy Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Caylee Hammack, sending this out to my mom and all the other mothers out there – I hope all of you have a wonderful Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Chrissy Metz (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hi! It’s Chrissy Metz, wishing you a very Happy Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Darius (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hey y’all, what’s up? This is Darius Rucker, hoping you have a Happy Mother’s Day.

    Audio / LINER Dierks (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hey, y’all! This is Dierks Bentley, wishing all you mothers out there a Happy Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Mother’s Day) 1

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    “Hey everybody! This is Eric Church, wishing you a very Happy Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Mother’s Day) 2

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    “Hey everybody! This is Eric Church, hoping you have a Happy Mother’s Day. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.”

    Audio / LINER George Strait (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hi! This is George Strait, wishing you a Happy Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Langston (Mother’s Day)

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    Hi, I’m Jon Langston, wishing all the mothers a very Happy Mother’s Day. Love ya, Mom.

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hey y’all, it’s Jon Pardi. I want to wish all the mamas out there a very Happy Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hey! I’m Jordan Davis, wishing all the mothers out there a very Happy Mother’s Day. Love ya, Mom.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hi! This is Josh Turner, wishing you a Happy Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Kacey Musgraves (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hey! It’s Kacey Musgraves. To all you mothers out there, Happy Mother’s Day!”

     

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hi everyone, it’s Keith Urban. Hoping all the mothers out there have a very, very Happy Mother’s Day. Love ya, Mom!”

    Audio / LINER Kylie Morgan (Mother’s Day)

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    Hey y’all, this is Kylie Morgan, wishing all of you mothers out there a very Happy Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER LBT (Mother’s Day)

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    “(ALL) Hi! This is Little Big Town. (KIMBERLY) We want to wish all you mothers out there a Happy Mother’s Day. I love ya, Mama!”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hey! It’s Luke Bryan, hoping all you mothers out there have a Happy Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hey everybody. I’m Maddie & I’m Tae and we’re Maddie & Tae, wishing all you mothers out there a very Happy Mother’s Day. I love ya, Mom.”

    Audio / LINER Mickey Guyton (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hey, this is Mickey Guyton, wishing all you mothers out there a Happy Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hey everybody, I’m Parker McCollum, wishing you a Happy Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Priscilla Block (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hey, it’s Priscilla Block wishing all you mothers out there a very Happy Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hey! This is Sam Hunt, wishing you a very Happy Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Shania Twain (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hi! This is Shania Twain. Happy Mother’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Travis Denning (Mother’s Day)

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    “Hey y’all, it’s Travis Denning, wishing all the mothers a very Happy Mother’s Day. Love you, Mom.”

  • TRAVIS DENNING DROPS DRIVING NEW TRACK “SHE’S ON IT” – OUT TODAY (April 22nd).

    Travis Denning delivered a new track to fans today, releasing “She’s On It,” available to listen here. Co-written by Denning with Jamie Paulin, Paul DiGiovanni and co-produced by Paul DiGiovanni and Jeremy Stover, the song is a reflective track that builds to an anthemic chorus, tailored made for Denning’s live set. Known for his high-energy live show, Denning just wrapped a stint opening for Cole Swindell and recently took the Main Stage at Tortuga Music Festival.  It was also just announced Denning has been tapped to join Dierks Bentley out on the road this summer, and will also perform at upcoming major festivals including Stagecoach, CMA Fest, TidalWave Music Festival and more.

    “We recently played ’She’s On It’ at a live show and the reaction felt instantaneous,” shared Denning. “This track has been a favorite of mine and the team’s for a little while and so we felt like now was the time to put it out there to a wider audience. Hopefully listeners dig it. I can’t wait to get out there and play it at more shows.”

    A native of Warner Robins, Georgia, singer/songwriter and Mercury Nashville recording artist Travis Denning celebrated his first No. One and recently certified PLATINUM single with the “shadowy” (Rolling Stone) “After A Few.” Accelerating his ascend from a chart-topping single, the song was taken from his debut EP BEER’S BETTER COLD that debuted in the Top 20 of Billboard’s Country Albums chart. Denning first made waves with the release of his Top 40 debut single “David Ashley Parker From Powder Springs.” Denning has previously toured with Dustin Lynch, Alan Jackson, Riley Green and headlined his own “Heartbeat Of A Small Town Tour.” With over 500 million streams worldwide, Denning has been spotlighted for his head-turning sound and was previously selected as one of CRS New Faces, an Opry NextStage recipient and a CMA KixStart Artist, as he makes his mark within the industry. For more information, visit travisdenning.com.

     

     

    Audio / LINER Travis Denning (She's On It)

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  • EASTER LINERS 2022

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Easter)

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    LINER Brothers Osborne (Easter)
    Hey, we’re Brothers Osborne. Happy Easter.

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Easter)

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    Hey everybody, this is Carrie Underwood, wishing you a very Happy Easter.

    Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Easter)

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    Hey everybody, this is Catie Offerman, wishing you a very Happy Easter.

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Easter)

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    Hey y’all, this is Caylee Hammack, wishing you a Happy Easter.

    Audio / LINER Chrissy Metz (Easter)

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    Hi, it’s Chrissy Metz, and I’m wishing you a very Happy Easter.

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Easter)

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    Hey, it’s Dierks Bentley, wishing you a very Happy Easter.

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Easter)

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    Hey Everybody, it’s Eric Church, wishing you a very Happy Easter.

    Audio / LINER Jon Langston (Easter)

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    Hi, I’m Jon Langston, wishing you a Happy Easter.

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Easter)

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    Hi, it’s Jon Pardi. Happy Easter.

    Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (Easter)

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    Hey, I’m Jordan Davis. Happy Easter.

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about his Easter holidays when he was growing up in Louisiana.

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    Jordan Davis (Easter) OC: …that holiday was. :53
    “We would always have the Easter Egg Hunt before church. You know, my mom, she would dress us in these ridiculous, pastel-colored, gosh, good Lord, I’m sorry for saying this, but the worst part about Easter for me is some of the photos I have of what my mom dressed us in. It was hideous! But yeah, that was it growing up. We would have our Easter Egg Hunt, and I think for me early on, and probably like a lot of kids, Easter was another Sunday where it was a very mini, mini Christmas. We’d get some candy, every once in a while, we’d get a present, something that we wanted, we’d go to church, and everybody looked great. It was like the day to wear the new dress or the guys had these crazy ties on or something like that. And it really wasn’t until, I think, I was able to kinda hit my high school years and kind of start to strengthen my faith that I realized how special that holiday was.”

    Audio / LINER Kylie Morgan (Easter)

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    Hey y’all, this is Kylie Morgan, wishing you a very Happy Easter.

    Audio / LINER LBT (Easter)

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    Hey! We’re Little Big Town. Happy Easter!

    Audio / LINER Maddie and Tae (Easter)

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    Hey, it’s Maddie and Tae, wishing you a very Happy Easter.

    Audio / MADDIE & TAE TALK ABOUT EASTERS WHEN THEY WERE KIDS.

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    Maddie & Tae (Easter) OC: (Maddie) …hope and joy. :51
    TAE: “Easters growing up for the Dye fam, my side, is  when I was younger, we’d go to my grandparents a lot and we’d do the whole Easter egg hunt and we’d go to church. My parents would always dress us up in these really cute springy outfits. But, yeah, Easter with family is always so much fun.” MADDIE: “Our Easter was very similar. My grandma would always get us this white chocolate cross with little flowers on it. It was so delicious. And me and my sister typically had matching dresses, which annoyed me at the time, but looking back it was precious. But Easter for us, Tae and I love us some Jesus! That is our favorite dude ever! (TAE: “That’s what Easter means.”) And so Easter is all about praising Jesus for his sacrifice so that we can know God and Him and just live a life full of purpose and hope and joy.”

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Easter)

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    Hey, this is Parker McCollum. Happy Easter, everyone.

    Audio / LINER Priscilla Block (Easter)

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    Hey, it’s Priscilla Block, wishing you a very Happy Easter.

    Audio / LINER Travis Denning (Easter)

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    Hey y’all—I’m Travis Denning. Happy Easter.

     

  • TRAVIS DENNING RELEASES A MUSIC VIDEO FOR “DIRT ROAD DOWN.”

    Travis Denning just released the official music video for his song, “Dirt Road Down,” which is featured on his latest EP, Dirt Road Down. The song has become a fan favorite ever since the release of his EP.

     

    Travis is currently featured on Cole Swindell’s Down to the Bar Tour. Go to travisdenning.com/tour for more information.

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Taylor Swift, Eric Church, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Travis Denning

    Taylor Swift has been announced as the official ambassador for Record Store Day this year. The 15th Anniversary of Record Store Day will be celebrated April 23rd.

    At his show in Detroit, Michigan on Saturday (January 21st), Eric Church paid tribute rock legend Meat Loaf who passed away over the weekend with a cover of “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” with the crowd of fans singing along. After part of the song, he launched into the fan-favorite, “Springsteen.”

    The Darius Rucker Intercollegiate presented by PXG will make its television debut on the GOLF Channel this spring, marking the first all-women’s regular-season collegiate golf tournament to be presented live on the network. The annual event, hosted by Darius Rucker, will be held at Long Cove Club in Hilton Head, South Carolina over three days February 28th-March 2nd at Long Cove Club in Hilton Head Island, and features a 54-hole stroke play competition for individual and team honors.

    George Strait’s two December dates at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena place him at the top of Pollstar’s latest LIVE75 chart. The couple of December shows grossed an average of $2.04 million, Eric Church lands at No. 5, the only other country act in the Top 10.

    Travis Denning releases an acoustic video version of his song “Jack and Coke” from his Dirt Road Down EP.

     

  • DIERKS BENTLEY AND TRAVIS DENNING ENJOY THEIR “SNOW DAY” IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

    Dierks Bentley enjoyed the snow day on Thursday as Mother Nature dumped 5-7-inches of powdery flakes on Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Not only did he and some buddies ride their bikes on worn paths through the woods, but he and his kids built a snow fort in their front yard (see below and click here on his Instastories). Dierks even enjoyed the snow fort Friday morning (January 7th) while drinking his am java.

     

    Travis Denning went in a different direction: enjoying a frothy cocktail (margarita?) on his deck outside wearing shorts, boots, sleeveless shirt and a cowboy hat.

     

     

     

     

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

    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: Josh Turner, Chris Stapleton, Travis Denning, Parker McCollum, Taylor Swift

    Josh Turner is set to hang with two talented ladies — Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager — on NBC’s Today Show on Wednesday (December 8th) to chat about his new Christmas album, King Size Manger, and his Christmas tour, Holiday and the Hits.


    Chris Stapleton 
    and H.E.R. appeared on CBS’ National Tree Lighting television special to perform “This Christmas” together.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh3p-bnCf2U&t=132s

    It was announced earlier this week that Travis Denning will hit the road with pal and fellow Georgia native, Cole Swindell beginning February 17th in Peoria, Illinois.

    https://twitter.com/Travis_Denning/status/1467887846929448966

    Parker McCollum has teamed with MusicFX, a digital community platform connecting artists to their fans through NFTs, to launch the Gold Chain Cowboy Club. “I’m thrilled to be the first artist to partner with MusicFX,” said Parker. “Without my amazing fans, I would not be where I am today. MusicFX is really going to allow us to support one another as we continue this incredible journey.” The NFT fan club is set to go live on Christmas Day.

    Taylor Swift is No. 78 on the Forbes list of the Most Powerful Women In Entertainment for 2021. Other amazing women on the list include Vice President Kamala Harris, Oprah Winfrey, Rhianna, Beyonce, Reese Witherspoon, Queen Elizabeth and at No. 1 is billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

  • CHRISTMAS 2021: Travis Denning

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

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

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

    The Georgia native says his favorite Christmas memory and favorite Christmas gift were both musical. “My favorite holiday memory as a child was when I got my first guitar for a million obvious reasons, but I felt like I finally got something I was really passionate about and dove head-first into it.”

    “I think the best gift I’ve ever received during the holidays to this day is still probably the mandolin my dad got me when I was 19 years old,” he says. “It was just super awesome, and I’d been wanting one for a while, and it was a really touching and special gift.”

    When Travis is celebrating the holidays, he is dancing around to “Jingle Bell Rock” or Kacey Musgraves‘ A Very Kacey Christmas album.

    Audio / Travis Denning explains what he loves about Christmas.

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

    Audio / Travis Denning talks about his Christmas traditions.

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

    Audio / Travis Denning talks about his favorite Christmas memory, which really kicked off his musical journey.

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    Travis Denning (Christmas memory) OC: …into it. :14
    “My favorite holiday memory as a child was when I got my first guitar for a million obvious reasons, but I felt like I finally got something I was really passionate about and dove headfirst into it.”

    Audio / Travis Denning recalls his favorite Christmas gift.

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    Travis Denning (favorite Christmas gift) OC: …special gift. :14
    “I think the best gift I’ve ever received during the holidays to this day i s still probably the mandolin my dad got me when I was 19 years old. It was just super awesome, and I’d been wanting one for a while, and it was a really touching and special gift.”

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

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