• NEWS AND NOTES: Alan Jackson, Mickey Guyton, Brothers Osborne, Kylie Morgan

    Alan Jackson is set to headline the benefit concert, “Where I Come From,” on Saturday (June 26th) to help raise funds for his hometown, which was impacted by spring tornadoes. The show will help citizens of Newnan, Georgia, which was devastated by a powerful EF-4 tornado on March 26th. Alan and his wife Denise were born and raised in Newnan. His portion of the show will stream live on his Facebook page beginning at 8:30pm ET.

     

    Alan Jackson and Mickey Guyton are set to perform during A Capitol Fourth on the Fourth of July on PBS beginning at 8pm ET. Vanessa Williams, Gladys Knight, Jimmy Buffett, Jimmie Allen and Train are also among the stars performing during the special.

     

    Mickey Guyton, Brothers Osborne and Kane Brown are on the cover of Billboard’s Country Power Players issue. The accompanying article talks with all three acts about Country Music’s more inclusive future. Check out the article here.

    Kylie Morgan is taking part in Cracker Barrel’s Care It Forward initiative in which she is mentored by hit songwriter and producer Shane McAnallyCeCe Winans, Jennifer Nettles and Christian singer Tauren Wells are also taking part.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSOY6IEN1z0

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Keith Urban, Brothers Osborne, Reba McEntire, Priscilla Block, Lauren Alaina, Sam Hunt and more

    Keith Urban has returned as a coach to The Voice Australia, and the first look at the new season has arrived. He’ll be joined by Rita Ora, Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy. The four coaches turn in a stellar, colorful performance of Justin Timberlake’s global hit “Can’t Stop The Feeling!” The video was directed by ARIA Award-winning James Chappell, who has previously worked with Keith and Guy. The Voice Australia will premiere on the Seven Network following the Olympics.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akwwsHDG0Nw

     

     

    Brothers Osborne are featured on CMT’s Campfire Sessions show, which is set to air on Thursday (July 17th) at 9pm ET.

     

    Reba McEntire is set to perform at this year’s Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular. The special, which will also feature performances by the Black Pumas, Coldplay and One Republic, will air Sunday, July 4th from 8-10pm ET with an hour-long encore presentation at 10pm ET.

     

    Priscilla Block will perform during Nashville’s Fourth of July celebration, Let Freedom Sing!. The free event will take place in downtown Nashville on lower Broadway and will also feature performances by Lilly Hiatt, Regi Wooten and Friends, the Nashville Symphony and headliner Brad Paisley.

    Lauren Alaina will appear on CBS’ new home makeover series, Secret Celebrity Renovation, a one-hour series featuring celebrities in sports, music, film and other entertainment fields the chance to give a surprise home renovation to a meaningful and influential person who helped guide them to success. The show, which also features other famous faces such as Paula Abdul, Wayne Brady, Boomer Esiason, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Emmitt Smith and Anthony Ramos, among others, will premiere Friday, July 9th at 8pm ET/PT. No word yet on when Lauren’s appearance will air.

    Sam Hunt has been added to the list of performers at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival this fall. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, Sam will be joined during the two-day festival by Maroon 5, Billie Eilish, Florida Georgia Line, Khalid, Journey, Coldplay, Nelly and Weezer, among others. The two-day event will take place September 17th-18th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The CW Network will exclusively livestream both nights via the CW app and CWTV.com, while iHeartMedia radio stations will also broadcast the festival live across more than 150 markets. The CW will also broadcast the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival as a two-part television special October 2nd-3rd 8 to 10pm ET.

  • SAM WILLIAMS REVEALS VIDEO FOR “10-4.”

    Sam Williams and Zelly Dugan (Photo Credit: Tristan Cusick)

     

    Today, Nashville singer/songwriter Sam Williams shares the video for “10-4.” Directed by Kwaku Ospinto and shot in the remote woods of Joelton, Tenn. and at Marrowbone Lake in Nashville, Tenn., the video captures the feeling of idealizing a perfect love that can seem so pure and simple, but in reality, is a lot more complex.

    Watch the video for “10-4” now HERE.

     

    Listening to ‘10-4’ as a song, you may not think of it as idealistic or wishful, it may just sound feel-good,” says Williams. “With this video, I wanted to explore the complexity of relationships and the idea that things are not always as they seem. It’s not clear if the relationship portrayed is real or was all a dream of what love could be like. I love the abstractness of the video and hope it’s not what the listener would expect.

    Originally released in May, “10-4” was co-written by Sam and Daniel Tashian (Kacey Musgraves, Lee Ann Womack), and produced by Jaren Johnston (Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett).

    Earlier this month, Williams announced that his debut album, Glasshouse Children, is set to arrive August 20 via Mercury Nashville. Ahead of the release, he shared a brand-new song, “Kids (Feat. Keith Urban).” “Kids” was written by Hank Compton, Boots Ottestad (Robbie Williams, Tim McGraw) and Eric Arejes (Tim McGraw, Thompson Square, Rachel Wammack), produced by Jaren Johnston (Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett) and features Keith Urban on electric guitar. Listen to “Kids (Feat. Keith Urban)” now HERE.

    To date, Sam has shared five songs as a taste of what’s to come from Glasshouse Children — “Kids (Feat. Keith Urban)” was preceded by “10-4,” ”Can’t Fool Your Own Blood,” “SHUTEYE” and “The World: Alone,” a song he released in honor of his late sister Katie Williams’ 28th birthday. The tracks have received critical acclaim from the likes of American Songwriter, Billboard, NPR and Rolling Stone who praised “Can’t Fool Your Own Blood” as “a haunting performance worthy of his surname.”

  • MADDIE & TAE SCORE DOUBLE PLATINUM WITH “DIE FROM A BROKEN HEART.”

    Award-winning duo Maddie & Tae recently earned RIAA Double Platinum status on their record-breaking No. 1 smash hit “Die From A Broken Heart.” On hand to help celebrate and present the plaques to Maddie Font and Taylor Kerr were their longtime friends and bandmates Colton Thomas, Jeremy Little, Shane Smith and Dave Lapsley.

    It was especially a treat to be able to share this success with the band. “These guys have been on this wild ride with us and they believed in us even when we may have doubted ourselves,” says Tae. “We are a family!”

    “Die From A Broken Heart” resonated with audiences immediately, and when it topped the country airplay charts, Maddie & Tae became the first and only female twosome with multiple No. 1s. The exquisite tune was named one of Billboard’s Top 10 Country Songs of 2020 and was a standout track on the pair’s critically acclaimed sophomore album The Way It Feels.

    Maddie & Tae’s brand-new song “Woman You Got” is “clever, upbeat and summer-ready” (Sounds Like Nashville). Revealing their “imperfections” using humor and charm while still showcasing their often-celebrated signature harmonies, “Woman You Got” is playing now on country radio.

     

    Audio / MADDIE MARLOW FROM MADDIE & TAE TALKS ABOUT THE OVERWHELMING REACTION THE DUO HAS RECEIVED FROM FANS FOR THEIR SONG, "DIE FROM A BROKEN HEART."

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    Maddie & Tae (reaction to DFABH) OC: …they’re there. :51
    “The reaction to ‘Die From A Broken Heart’ was completely unexpected. We didn’t even realize that song was gonna have the life that it is having. It excites me. I can’t even tell you how much it excites me to hear our fans relate to this because it’s so our story and so real and true of what we’ve been through. Like for example, there was a mom that said, ‘My daughter’s going through her first heartbreak, and he wasn’t good for her anyways. She doesn’t realize that now, but that song is getting her through it.’ And that just gives us so much purpose and just like keeps us going just knowing that we’re doing something for people. Just being a Mom and listening to that song, you are right there with your kid, and that’s what the goal is with writing. You want to put people right in that song and make them feel like they’re there.”

  • TRAVIS DENNING IS LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING “HIS SHREDDING ON” AS HE HITS THE ROAD WITH BROTHERS OSBORNE.

    Travis Denning hits the road on Brothers Osborne‘s “We Not For Everyone Tour” Thursday (July 29th) in Philadelphia, and he cannot wait to hit the stage. He does say he’s going to have to bring it night after night as Brothers O’s John Osborne is also an incredible guitar player. (SIDENOTE: I’m looking forward to a guitar duel between the two.)

    “The thing I’m most looking forward to with Brothers is just leaning in harder musically than I ever have, ‘cause we are at risk at getting our butts whupped out there every night,” says Travis. “I mean, you’re talking about one of the best touring bands in this genre, but ultimately that’s what I’m most excited about. John told me a couple of months ago, he said, ‘Don’t worry. Our fan base loves guitar solos. They love it. Lean into it.’ So, having an opportunity to really do the thing that I love so much and that made me want to even be in music, which is playing guitar, and knowing that the fans are gonna be into it. I can’t wait for that. It’s gonna be fun to get my shredding on, you know.”

    Travis is making his way up the country charts with his latest song, “ABBY.”

     

    Audio / Travis Denning talks about hitting the road with Brothers Osborne on their We Aren't For Everyone Tour.

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    Travis Denning (going on the road with Brothers Osborne) OC: …shredding on, you know. :38
    “The thing I’m most looking forward to with Brothers is just leaning in harder musically than I ever have, ‘cause we are at risk at getting our butts whupped out there every night. I mean, you’re talking about one of the best touring bands in this genre, but ultimately that’s what I’m most excited about. John told me a couple of months ago, he said, ‘Don’t worry. Our fan base loves guitar solos. They love it. Lean into it.’ So, having an opportunity to really do the thing that I love so much and that made me want to even be in music, which is playing guitar, and knowing that the fans are gonna be into it. I can’t wait for that. It’s gonna be fun to get my shredding on, you know.”

     

  • ERIC CHURCH’S CHIEF IS CELEBRATING ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY.

    Eric Church celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the release of his third studio album, Chief. The collection, which he says “changed his life,” produced five singles, including Eric’s first two No. 1 hits on the country charts, including “Drink In My Hand” and “Springsteen,” as well as the Top 10 tunes “Creepin’” and “Like Jesus Does” and the Top 20 “Homeboy.”

    The title of the album was a combination of his nickname on the road, as well as his grandfather’s title as he was the Chief of Police in Granite Falls, North Carolina. “The initial inception was, my contacts would fall out, pop out on stage, and I would be blind for half the show, so I started wearing sunglasses. Then I put on a hat to stop the sweat and it just became this thing, and we got in bigger venues, I tried to adjust that, but people in the crowds would have on hats and sunglasses and wouldn’t let me adjust that, so it just became this thing naturally. So, that was show time, it was kind of my uniform. The band started joking with me, when I put the hat and sunglasses on, they go ‘Alright, its Chief time, Chief’s here.’ But I laughed about it, it was a joke,” says Eric. “But what they didn’t know, the really cool part of the story, my grandpa was the chief of police in Granite Falls, North Carolina, and everybody called him Chief. Everybody, my dad called him chief as his son-in-law, so it was just very neat to me, that across generations, it became my nickname naturally and nobody knew about it being my grandpa’s nickname, nobody. When it came time to title the record, because it felt live, and because it was something I wanted to show — a part of the live show, Chief was the right title from my point of view, but also because of my grandfather and what he meant to me.”

    When it came time to record the album, Church had a sound that felt different from his first two releases, Sinners Like Me and the gold-certified Carolina. “This record, more than anything else I’ve done, is breathing and alive,” he says. “There’s a wildness to it. It’s untamed and not very harnessed.”

    Chief  Track List:

    1. “Creepin” (Eric Church, Marv Green)
      2. “Drink In My Hand” (Eric Church, Michael P. Heeney, Luke Laird)
      3. “Keep On” (Eric Church, Ryan Tyndell)
      4. “Like Jesus Does” (Casey Beathard ,Monty Criswell)
      5. “Hungover & Hard Up” (Eric Church, Luke Laird)
      6. “Homeboy” (Eric Church, Casey Beathard)
      7. “Country Music Jesus” (Eric Church, Jeremy Spillman)
      8. “Jack Daniels” (Eric Church, Jeff Hyde, Lynn Hutton)
      9. “Springsteen” (Eric Church, Jeff Hyde, Ryan Tyndell)
      10. “I’m Gettin’ Stoned” (Eric Church, Jeff Hyde, Casey Beathard, Jeremy Cradey)
      11. “Over When It’s Over” (Eric Church, Luke Laird)

     

     

     

    Eric is currently making his way up the country charts with his new single, “Heart On Fire.”

     

    Audio / Eric Church talks about how he came up with the title of his album, Chief.

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    Eric Church (title of Chief) OC: …title to me. 1:25
    “Well, Chief became my nickname on the road, really as a joke, um, for the last couple years, maybe 3 years now, we have been playing a lot of little bars and clubs and honkytonks where the lights are about a foot from your face. And I wore contacts, where this all started, the initial inception was, my contacts would fall out, pop out on stage, and I would be blind for half the show, so I started wearing sunglasses, then I put on a hat to stop the sweat and it just became this thing, and we got in bigger venues, I tried to adjust that, but people in the crowds would have on hats and sunglasses and wouldn’t let me adjust that, so it just became this thing naturally. So, that was show time, it was kind of my uniform. The band starting joking with me, when I put the hat and sunglasses on, they go ‘Alright, its Chief time, Chief’s here.’ But I laughed about it, it was a joke. But what they didn’t know, the really cool part of the story, my grandpa was the chief of police in Granite Falls, North Carolina, and everybody called him Chief. Everybody, my dad called him chief as his son-in-law, so it was just very neat to me, that across generations, it became my nickname naturally and nobody knew about it being my grandpa’s nickname, nobody. When it came time to title the record, because it felt live, and because it was something I wanted to show — a part of the live show, Chief was the right title from my point of view, but also because of my grandfather and what he meant to me. And I just thought it was the right title, and you know it happened so naturally, it happened so not thought out, you know. When I said the title of the record, I had to explain to everyone why, you know. They were going, ‘What’s chief?’ ‘Well, Chief’s a nickname.’ Then it became a cool thing when they heard about it being my grandfather’s nickname, too. It just felt like the perfect title to me.”

    Audio / Before Chief was released, Eric Church explained how his first No. 1 song, "Drink In My Hand," was inspired by his fan

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    Eric Church (Drink in my Hand) OC: …play that one. :42

    “‘Drink in My Hand’ is absolutely, when we wrote this song …we were on tour, this is a song that was written after the cabin, and we were out on tour. I think we were on tour with Miranda at the time, and I was on the bus with a couple of co-writers of mine, and we had just walked offstage and saw the crowd, saw our fans and saw ‘em put their beers in the air. You could just tell that they had worked all week and this was their moment to let all that wash away. And that was where the title was born from really. ‘Everything’s OK now, I’ve got a drink in my hand, and I’m relaxing and I’m chilling.’ That just became a really good song born from our fans. They’re the ones that inspired that, and it was on tour. It was on a tour bus, and I’ll never forget it. I’m happy it turned out the way it did, and I think our fans are gonna love putting their beer, or whatever they’re drinking, up in the air when we play that one.”

    Video /

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  • FATHER’S DAY 2021

    Father’s Day is Sunday (June 20th), and we have audio with many of your favorite country stars! Download the soundbites below.

     

    For 2021 Father’s Day liners, click here.

     

    Audio / Adam Hambrick explains what he most admires about his father.

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    Adam Hambrick (Father’s Day-Dad) OC: …about my dad. :45“When I was a kid, my dad always included me on what he was doing. I feel like I learned a lot from watching go about life and watching him treat people well and with kindness. My dad is a pastor and I watched, my whole growing up, I just watched him serve other people, like put other people’s needs in front of himself and show up in the hospital when Sister Jeanette had surgery or whatever that thing was like any given day, it could be anything. I watched him tile floors in a new Sunday School building. I watched him do literally everything for a ton of different people in a really selfless way. That’s one of the things I admire most about my dad.”

    Audio / Brandon Lay is a father of two – Ryder and Lara June – and it was a bit of transition from one to two kids.

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    Brandon Lay (father of two) OC: …embrace. :26
    “Oh man! Now that I’m a father of two, it’s really it goes from more than just keeping one little guy alive and still having more me and Nicole time to wow, I’m actually a father. We’ve got a party of four now, not that I wasn’t before a father, but you know what I mean. I’m reaching real dad status. It’s a weird feeling, but it’s one I embrace.”

    Audio / BROTHERS OSBORNE GREW UP IN A MUSICAL FAMILY – BOTH THEIR PARENTS WROTE AND PERFORMED MUSIC. THEIR FATHER LISTENED TO A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT ARTISTS WHICH GAVE THEM THEIR OWN FOUNDATION.

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    Brothers Osborne (Dad’s music) OC: (John) …anything else. :34
    “Our dad listened to everything from Hank Williams to Willie Nelson to even pop music like Mariah Carey and Tom Petty to Bob Seger. You name it and he listened to it, so we really didn’t think about specific genres. We really just kind of soaked it all in, so we listened to it all at one time. It was just music to us. Th ere wasn’t a day in our house without the radio on or there wasn’t a weekend at our house that there wasn’t a party and people had their guitars out, so music to us is like eating and breathing. It’s just as essential as anything else.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about her own father and her husband Mike Fisher, who's a father to two young boys.

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    Carrie Underwood (Father’s Day) OC: …guy all around. 1:18
    “Well, I am very lucky in my life to have two incredible fathers – my own father and then I get to watch my husband be a father to our boys – strong, amazing men, I am very lucky to be around them. Mike as a dad is just super involved in our boys’ lives, very hands on. It takes a team, definitely, to be able to support my crazy life and Mike’s always running around doing a lot of charity things and he’s always meeting with people and he’s on different boards and stuff like that, so we’re very much switching off duties as far as taking boys here and there to school and  sports and to all the extra-curricular activities. I just love that I feel like we’re such a great team. I love it that he gets to now work with Isaiah on sports and things like that, and I know he loves it too. So, I think that’s one of my favorite qualities about Mike is just how hands on of a father he is and very willing to pick up the slack when I’m crazy busy. Obviously, he’s just a very Godly father, as well. He keeps God as the center of our family and gets to teach our boys all about that, as well. So, he’s just a great guy all around.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack says her father is a good man.

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    Caylee Hammack (Dad) OC: …forget that. 1:19
    “My dad has this really unnerving ability to be able to build anything at all just by thinking of it. He can look at something and build it in his mind and build it by hand, and it always works. I’ve always respected him for that. He’s a very hard worker.  He’s worked every day of his life. He’s also kind, even when he doesn’t have to be. He’s the type of guy who always gives money at the light to whoever it is on the street. One of my favorite moments with my dad was when we were driving to Macon, Georgia. I was playing a show that night, and we were driving up and we saw this dog and I could tell she was a mama dog. I could tell she had babies somewhere that she was trying to nurse, and she was so skinny. And I’m a bleeding heart. I get it from my Mama, and I just start crying, and I’m like, ‘That poor dog. She’s starving trying to feed her babies.’ I thought, ‘Poor dog.” And my dad doesn’t say anything, goes up two more blocks and pulls into the McDonalds. And he goes through and he asks me if I wanted anything, and I say no. I just think he’s hungry. He goes and he buys three or four burgers, and then he goes back to that block and he drives around until we find that dog to feed it to ‘em. I just remember looking at him, being like this is what a man is; this is what a good man does, and I’ll never forget that.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker says his kids would say he was a fun dad, unless they did something wrong.

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    Darius Rucker (Father’s Day) OC: …loving dad. :41
    “I think if you asked my kids what kind of Dad I was they would probably say…Dani would say that I was a fun Dad. My little daughter would say that I was a fun dad; she thinks I’m a lot of fun. I think if you caught them at the right moment they would say I was mean [laughs] because when I’m home I’m not afraid to discipline them. I’m all fun until it’s not fun anymore and then daddy’s not the fun guy. I think that they’d say that I was a fun Dad, I’m a loving Dad and I think they would say that. I’m gone so much that when I’m home, I just shower love upon my kids. I say ‘I love you’ probably fifty times a day. We hug, we kiss all the time. I’m always wanting them to know how much I love them. So I’d hope they’d say that I was a loving dad.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker says his mother made him a good father to his three children.

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    Darius Rucker (mother’s qualities makes him a great father) OC: …my mom. :45
    “She had a lot great qualities, but she was always, family was first for her. She was always a rock and making sure she took care of us and making sure we had things we needed to have to survive – food and clothes and a home – and seeing that and seeing how hard she worked and all the things she did just really made me the father that I am today. I mean, I’m so crazy and hands-on with my kids. I think it all comes from watching my mom have to struggle so much to support us. And so now, I don’t want me or my wife to ever have to struggle, and I don’t want my kids to ever want or wonder where I am or where there mom is. I want them to always know where we are and always be taken care of, and that all comes from my mom.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley enjoys being both dad – to daughters Evie and Jordan and son Knox – and country music performer.

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    Dierks Bentley (dad & performer) OC: …to do both. :28
    “When I get home, it’s a totally different reality that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. Just hanging with my girls and doing the things we do and seeing life through their eyes, it’s incredible. It takes a man to do it. It’s not a boys’ game. It takes a man to do it. I love the juxtaposition to be able to be that man and to also go on the road and act like I’m 13 years old and play video games all afternoon waiting for the fans to show up. So, it’s really a blessing to be able to do both.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley, the father of three, is very grateful to his own dad for turning him on to country music as a kid.

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    Dierks (Father’s Day) OC: …that’s for sure. :10
    “My dad was my biggest influence in country music because my dad loved country radio. So, we always drove around listening to country radio and George Strait, Hank Williams and Randy Travis and all these guys, so. Without him, I wouldn’t be doing this, that’s for sure.”

    Audio / Eric Church describes his father and the qualities he admires in him.

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    Eric Church (Father’s Day) OC: …always admired. :29
    “My dad is a, I’m trying to find the right words to describe him. My dad is a great guy, honest guy, very call it like he sees it, which is where I get a lot of that. No BS. I’m gonna tell you how I feel whether you like it or not. I’m that guy, I’m me…My dad’s that way, so I get a lot of that from him. There’s also an honesty and an integrity that my dad carries himself with that I’ve always admired.”

    Audio / ERIC CHURCH ADMIRES HIS FATHER, AND WILL PASS ALONG SOME OF THOSE QUALITIES HE’S LEARNED TO HIS OWN CHILDREN, SONS BOONE AND HAWK.

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    Eric Church (his father’s influence) OC: …same thing. :32
    “My daddy’s always preached, and it’s something that rung true, he’s always preached authenticity. He’s always preached being honest and being true. My daddy’s from a small town, you know it’s a blue collar town, and he’s just always been pretty even-keeled; never too high and never too low. He’s always been honest and authentic. I think it’s a good template. It has been for me thus far, especially with this industry, ‘cause it’s really easy to get high and low. So, I think just keeping everything in perspective and trying to be real, and I think people can sense that, and I certainly will tell my kids the same thing.”

    Audio / Jon Langston looks up to his father and hopes to become just like him.

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    Jon Langston (Father’s Day) OC: …just fine. :16
    “My Dad has been my hero all my life. He’s the man I want to be one day when I grow up. I’m thankful for all he’s done for me and the sacrifices he’s made for our family. If I’m half the man he is one day, I’ll be just fine.”

    Audio / JORDAN DAVIS SAYS HE LOVES GETTING HIS DAUGHTER UP IN THE MORNINGS.

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    Jordan Davis (fatherhood 2020) OC: …here myself. :46
    “Fatherhood is something, it really is tough to put into words, but one of my favorite things to do is to go in and get Eloise up in the mornings, and I just see this little bundle of joy. She is just so happy. She’s got a smile just like Kristen, and so it really is just crazy to go in in the morning. She could be crying, screaming and then you walk in, and the second she sees you, it’s all smiles and laughs. I don’t know. I think the coolest thing with a kid like her age is just the innocence. You see just how happy she is to be here, and I’m very happy she’s here myself.”

    Audio / JORDAN DAVIS TALKS ABOUT HIS FAVORITE QUALITIES OF HIS DAD.

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    Jordan Davis (Father’s Day) OC: …my music. :45
    “The thing I love most about my Dad is just his overall love of life. He’s a guy that’s worked hard and is now at a point where he can enjoy it, and he’s living every day to the fullest. That’s something that I’m very thankful that I’ve seen my Dad do and something to learn from. So, that’s probably my favorite quality about the old man, and just the hard work too. My dad ran a furniture business in Shreveport for a long time with his Dad. It was great to grow up and see a guy work hard and helped his Dad build a business from the ground up to a very successful business, and that’s something that I even try to carry over into my music.”

    Audio / JORDAN DAVIS TALKS ABOUT HOW HIS LIFE HAS CHANGED SINCE HE'S BECOME A FATHER.

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    Jordan Davis (fatherhood and impending fatherhood) OC: …ever happened to me. :30
    “I’m very blessed to have Eloise and to have another baby coming in September. It’s tough to put into words the change of becoming a dad. It really is an instant change in just your outlook on everything. I think it’s been amazing for me just to come home and see Eloise be so excited. It puts a lot of things into perspective. I think it’s helped with my music. It’s helped with every aspect of my life. Becoming a dad, it’s the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

    Audio / PROUD DAD OF FOUR (HAMPTON, COLBY, MARION, HAWKE), JOSH TURNER TALKS ABOUT HOW HIS THREE OLDEST SONS ARE LEARNING THE FAMILY TRADE.

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    Josh Turner (Father’s Day) OC: …one of ‘em.  1:05
    “As far as talent and potential, my oldest three, especially, they could do anything they wanted to do if they put their mind to it and their heart was there. My oldest [Hampton] is incredible at playing mandolin. Colby, we kind of noticed him turn the corner lately with the fiddle, and Marion is actually playing a ukulele that’s tuned like the top four strings on a guitar, so in essence, he’s learning how to play guitar. They’ve just kind of started incorporating some singing into some playing, so they’re starting the whole singing and playing at the same time kind of thing, and not only that, they’re even learning to play songs together on their individual instruments. So, it’s amazing to see how much they can learn in such a short amount of time. It makes me realize how much I missed out on when I was that age, ‘cause I did take some music lessons growing up and everything, but I think they feed off of each other honestly. I think that’s why they’re getting so good is because they’re all doing it, not just one of ‘em.”

    Audio / Keith Urban – father to daughters Sunday and Faith -- says there are a number of things that are at the top of the list of being a dad.

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    Keith Urban (Father’s Day) OC: …experience that. :36
    “The first thing is probably just having someone call you dad. I’m like, ‘Omigosh! I’m her dad! That’s amazing.’ That’s probably the first thing to me. I don’t know, I mean, the different personalities that our two daughters have, that’s amazing. It’s such a long list I think. I always say…I think for the people that haven’t had kids – which I hadn’t for a long, long time. I didn’t have kids ‘til later on, and being around it is not the same as having them, you know? I realize that it’s not something that can be explained until you actually sort of have it, so I’m glad I got to experience that.”

    Audio / Kip Moore talks about his late father’s influence on his music career, and how he’d play classics on their fishing trips.

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    Kip Moore (Father’s Day-dad’s influence) OC: …of us singin’ ‘em. :29
    “He would just play all those classic records – Little River Band, Jackson Brown, Springsteen, Seger, Willie Nelson, the Red-Headed Stranger, Kristofferson, Sam Cook – like classic music. He’d be singing the songs and telling us why it was such good music. And I looked up to him so much, that’s the music I gravitated towards and that’s what I continue to listen to. Whenever I think about those old fishing trips, that’s what I think about is on the way down there, him singing those songs and all of us singin’ ‘em.”

    Audio / Lauren Alaina enjoys Father's Day so she can celebrate, along with her brother, how much he means to her.

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    Lauren Alaina (Father’s Day best friend) OC: …my brother and I. :29
    “My dad is one of my best buds. I absolutely adore him. He is hilarious, and every bit of my personality came from my father directly. (laughs) He is awesome and I’m lucky to be his daughter, and I’m thankful for Father’s Day so that I can celebrate him and show him how much he means to my brother and I.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about the life lessons his father taught him.

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    Luke Bryan (Father’s Day-life lessons) OC: …live by that. :46
    “Well, my dad was, I always just go back to the life lessons that always started either in a fishing boat or hunting somewhere, and that’s why I’ve always kind of been a champion of those types of behaviors certainly with your boys and your children because you get to spend time and hand down values. My dad was always big on just hard work and being good to people and a handshake is the contract. A handshake is your bond, your word. His famous saying always was, ‘Do something right the first time and you won’t have to go back and do it over again.’ I won’t say I batted a thousand perfectly on that, but I’ve kind of tried to live by that.”

    Audio / MADDIE MARLOW TALKS ABOUT HER FATHER’S FAVORITE GIFT SHE’S EVER GIVEN HIM FOR FATHER’S DAY.

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    Maddie & Tae (Father’s Day) OC: …for Father’s Day. :26
    “So, for Father’s Day, I made my Dad – I think it was right before I moved to Nashville – I made my Dad this little photo book where it had like his quotes that have stuck with me my whole life and then some pictures, and it was really funky. It looks horrible. It’s not put together, but that’s one of his favorite gifts that he’s ever gotten, and I cherish that ugly photo book thing that I made for him for Father’s Day.”

    Audio / Travis Denning says his father is his best friend.

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    Travis Denning (Father’s Day) OC: …for sure. :43
    “My dad – I call him ‘Diamond Dave’ and a lot of other people do too. Honestly, I don’t know if I drink more with anybody else more than my Dad. I think a super cool thing now is getting older and knowing that I’m starting to get more and more sustained as a human that it’s like my parents get to be friends now with me and my sister, which is such a cool thing. And so, yeah, me and my Dad – we love music and we love heavy metal and we love all that. We get to go to concerts and football games and drink beer and just enjoy that cool part of a father and a son and a mother and a son where now we get to be friends and it’s really cool. My Dad is my best friend, for sure.”

    Audio / Vince Gill talks about the qualities he hopes for his children.

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    Vince Gill (Father’s Day) OC: …feels like. :33
    “Kindness-hopefully make them kind and that’s all we got. Five great kids, a couple of grandkids. Those grandkids are the complete light of my life. You know, they just show up and the rest of the world can kiss my you-know-what. (laughs)  I say, ‘We’re just gonna go swing in the backyard; we’re gonna wrestle on the bed; we’re gonna eat those Goldfish (crackers), you know? And nothing else kind of seems to matter. And then I think what I love seeing, more than anything, for my kid to finally understand what it means to love, and it’s awesome to see my kid finally get it what that unconditional love really looks like and feels like.”

     

  • TRAVIS DENNING COOKS UP SOME MAGIC WITH JORDAN DAVIS ON THE SEASON FINALE OF “TRAVIS DENNING AND FRIENDS DO STUFF.”

    On the season finale of “Travis Denning and Friends Do Stuff,” Travis heads on over to Jordan Davis’ house to grill up some ribs and gets a little “ribbing” about his precious Georgia Bulldogs in the process. Check out all the action below.

     

     

    Travis is currently making his way up the country charts with “ABBY.”

     

  • DIERKS BENTLEY RELEASES HIS NEW SINGLE, “BEERS ON ME,” FEATURING BRELAND AND HARDY.

    Multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley delivers his new single “Beers On Me” featuring Breland and HARDY today as the follow up to his recent 20th career No. One hit. The collaboration finds the three trading verses about brushing off a long week with good company. The song lends its name to Bentley’s upcoming BEERS ON ME TOUR that will guarantee “a night of great music, real fan connection and a lot of fun” (Music Row), with specials guests Riley Green and Parker McCollum launching August 13th at Salt Lake City, UT’s USANA Amphitheatre. The new summertime jam “Beers On Me” feat. Breland and HARDY is now available at Country Radio and all digital retailers here.

    “HARDY threw out this title and I remember immediately thinking, ‘I wish I could buy all my fans a beer.’ After the year we’ve all had, it would be nice to get the first round and say, ‘Hey, we all got some problems but we’re going to forget about them for a little while…the beers are on me,’” Bentley said. “I came back to Nashville to record the song and came across an article about Breland in the Nashville Scene. I got his number and he came in the next day and wrote and sang the third verse. It was truly an organic collaboration and I couldn’t be more proud to have him and HARDY on this song with me.”

    Known as a “one of Country music’s most adventurous artists” (Billboard), Bentley’s new single “Beers On Me” was started on a writers’ retreat in Telluride over quarantine and finished back in Nashville with both Breland and HARDY contributing as writers. The track was produced by Bentley and Ross Copperman. Fans can watch a live performance of “Beers On Me” feat. Breland and HARDY from Nashville’s Whiskey Row here:

    Bentley continues to be a dominant voice for the genre with over 6.4 billion streams and 20 No. One singles at Country radio. Reaching a new creative high while “making music designed to challenge” (New York Times), Bentley co-wrote 10 of 13 tracks on THE MOUNTAIN, which earned him the highest debut sales of his career and became his seventh chart-topping release. Most recently, Bentley’s surprise LIVE FROM TELLURIDE collection has been touted as “a gift that Country music fans didn’t know they needed,” (The Tennesseean). Having amassed countless nominations from the ACM‘s, CMA’s, Billboard Music Awards and more while also earning 14 GRAMMY nominations, Bentley also celebrated his 15 year anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He has also created professional endeavors outside of the music with his Flag & Anthem lifestyle collection Desert Son, along with his “Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row” franchise hosting five locations. For more information visit Dierks.com.

     

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about his new song, “Beers On Me.”

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    Dierks Bentley (BOM backstory) OC: …is all about. :30
    “I had so much fun writing this song ‘Beers On Me’ with my friends HARDY, Ashley Gorley, Ross Copperman and Luke Dick. It took five of us to write this song, and then I got in the studio with HARDY and then Breland came in and wrote a whole nother verse to it. So, there’s actually six guys writing this song, but we had so much fun doing it. One of my favorite songs I’ve written in a long time. I love the idea of just buying everybody a beer. We all have problems that we’re going through, but on a Saturday night or Thursday night or Friday night, whatever night I’m on the road, we’ve got no problems and that’s what this song is all about.”

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Beers On Me) 1

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    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Beers On Me) 2

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    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Beers On Me) 3

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    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Beers On Me) 4

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    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Beers On Me) 5

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    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Beers On Me) 6

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    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Beers On Me) 7

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  • KEITH URBAN TAKES PART IN OPENING CEREMONIES FOR THE TOKYO OLYMPICS.

    In a surprise pre-recorded virtual performance, Keith Urban joined artists from around the world in singing John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s song, “Imagine,” near the end of opening ceremonies at the Tokyo Olympics on Friday morning. The other artists included John Legend, Alejandro Sanz, Angélique Kidjo and the Suginami Junior Chorus in an arrangement by Hans Zimmer.

     

    The song played while a huge Earth made of drones rotated above the Olympic stadium while athletes representing each country gathered below on the opening ceremony stage.