Tae Dye of Maddie & Tae says one of her favorite and most personal Christmas memories was last year (2017), and it involves a new family member making her appearance right before the holiday.

“This is gonna be a personal one for me. Christmas 2017 was right around the time my niece was born,” says Tae. “She was born on December 11th, so right before Christmas, she was like the best Christmas gift ever, so basically I got to spend the whole month of December with her and my sister-in-law and brother, just holding that baby.So, that’s probably going to be one of my favorite Christmas memories ever.”

The ladies are making their way up the country charts with “Friends Don’t.”

Keith Urban and his family, including wife Nicole Kidman and daughters Sunday and Faith, are enjoying their annual holiday Down Under, visiting family and hitting the beach, which is what he did on Christmas when he was a kid.

“We had great Christmases growing up. I really, really enjoyed them,” says Keith. “Mostly, we’d go to the beach, you know, ’cause there it’s summertime. Load up the station wagon and head off to the beach.”

He’s expected to return following Christmas to get ready for his third headlining gig on New Year’s Eve in Nashville.

Keith is making his way up the country charts with his latest single, “Never Coming Down.”

Last month, he took home the CMA Award for Entertainer of the Year.

Kacey Musgraves is set to appear on RuPaul’s Drag Race AllStars 4 on Friday (December 21st) beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on VH1.

https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/1075514958996217856

Keith Urban, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, will headline the Allstate Championship Tailgate prior to the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship on January 7^th. The game will take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Keith, who is making his way up the country charts with “Never Coming Down,” will follow his performance at Allstate Championship Tailgate by kicking off the Australian leg of his Graffiti U World Tour in January 2019 and before his first European tour in nearly a decade.

Travis Denning is a huge fan of George Strait, and he pays tribute to him with thoughts and an acoustic version of “Troubadour.”

The King is BACK, and you won’t find anyone more excited than me. Everything I love about country music can be found in @GeorgeStrait. pic.twitter.com/CBi8car595

— Travis Denning (@Travis_Denning) December 12, 2018

Jon Pardi likes a good holiday movie. One of his favorite Christmas films is Bad Santa, starring Billy Bob Thornton, but for the PG crowd, it would have to be Elf.

“Bad Santa’s pretty good,” he says. “But I have to say if you’re gonna watch it with little cousins, I would have to say Elf is pretty much probably one of the funniest Christmas movies to ever be that new and beat out all of the old Christmas movies. It is definitely up there.”

After the holidays, Jon will join his buddy Dierks Bentley on the 2019 Burning Man Tour, which kicks off January 17th in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Jon Langston’s father tried to pull a fast one on Christmas. Jon kept pestering his parents for a green bicycle when he was a young child, but something seemed a little off when Jon came downstairs on Christmas morning.

“When I was like five or six, I had a red bike, and all I wanted was a green bike. I wanted a cool, green, long goose bike. So, I came downstairs to see what Santa brought me, and I see a green bike down next to the tree, and I come rushing to it and I’m looking at it, and I’m like, ‘Hold up. Something’s not right.’ It’s the SAME bike. My dad just spray painted it green,” laughs Jon. “I was like, ‘This is the same bike!’ I’m like picking at it, looking at the paint under it. Oh yeah, that’s one of my favorite Christmas memories is dogging on my dad, because it’s just funny.”

Jon can’t really pick out one Christmas movie, because he loves them all, but if he had to watch just one, it would have to be The Christmas Story. “My favorite holiday movie would have to be Elf, The Grinch, Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation. I could go on,” says the Georgia native. “I love Christmas movies, but I think I would have to say my favorite is probably The Christmas Story ‘cause I just grew up watching it.”

Kassi Ashton grew up in a rural town called California, Missouri, and she took ballet and other dance classes for many years. So, one of her favorite Christmas memories include being in The Nutcracker every year. “One of my favorite Christmas traditions growing up was always being a part of The Nutcracker,” says Kassi. “[I took] ballet my entire life, and now that I’ve graduated and moved on, I go see The Nutcracker at the Nashville Ballet every year. I can’t wait to have a little girl some day and put her in ballet class.”

Kassi loves Christmas music, especially the holiday classics. “My favorite thing about Christmas hands down is Christmas music. I start playing eh, the day after Thanksgiving usually, if not a little sooner. I love the classics – Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, anything that you know by heart and you don’t have to really think about. Christmas songs are the best,” she says. “My favorite Christmas song is ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ by Judy Garland in the key of G, because that’s my key [laughs], and I can sing along perfectly.” [laughs]

Kassi is one of three recipients of the first-ever CMA KixStart Artist Scholarship. Throughout the next year, CMA and its staff will provide support for the artists, helping connect each with professionals within the industry as well as providing unique opportunities to participate in CMA-related events during CMA Fest, CMA Awards and C2C: Country 2 Country festival in the U.K.

Kip Moore answers five questions, including what he has to have on the road, his favorite food (when not being healthy) and what he would tell his 13-year-old self. Check it out below.

Another round of 5 questions coming up! @KipMooreMusic tells us his favorite food, his must-haves on the road and the advice he would give to his 13-year-old self! pic.twitter.com/Cw1Q8CWVyk

— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) December 18, 2018

Kip is currently sitting inside the Top 10 with his latest hit, “Last Shot.”

Mickey Guyton usually goes home to Texas for Christmas every year, and the thing that has to be on the dinner table is her mom’s Italian Cream Cake, which is also a staple at Thanksgiving.

“My mom makes this homemade, from scratch, Italian Cream Cake. It’s so freaking good, and every Christmas and every Thanksgiving, she makes this,” says Mickey. “Our families all come to my parents’ house, and we have a big dinner, and that’s the first thing that to go. That’s like the first thing that people eat the most.”

The songstress released her version of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman,” from the smash hit, Frozen, a few years ago. She says it, along with a classic, are her favorite holiday songs. “My favorite Christmas song is ‘O Holy Night,’ but I really love ‘Do You Want to Build a Snowman.’ So, both of those are like my all-time favorite.”

Some of UMG Nashville’s talented artists have recited the age-old holiday poem, “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” This year, we have Alan Jackson, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Little Big Town, Darius Rucker, TJ and John Osborne (Brothers Osborne), Jordan Davis and Brandon Lay doing the honors.

For your convenience, we’re offering a produced and a dry version of the holiday classic.

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.

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

TJ Osborne

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

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

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.

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

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!

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

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.

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

Carrie Underwood
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet

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!

Luke Bryan

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

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

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!”

Happy Holidays!

Chris Stapleton, Emmylou Harris, Eric Church, Jimmy Buffett, Bobby Bare, Jamey Johnson, Lukas Nelson, Margo Price, Micah Nelson, Nathaniel Rateliff, Ray Benson, and Steve Earle have been added to the all-star lineup of Willie: Life & Songs Of An American Outlaw, A Willie Nelson All-Star Concert Celebration. They join previously announced performers Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, The Avett Brothers, George Strait, Jack Johnson, John Mellencamp, Kris Kristofferson, Lee Ann Womack, Lyle Lovett,Norah Jones and The Little Willies, Sheryl Crow, Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks, and Vince Gill.

This once-in-a-lifetime concert event will take place Saturday, January 12th, 2019 at 7PM CT at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. This historic event will honor living legend Willie Nelson and feature his greatest hits performed by today’s biggest superstars.

The event will be filmed for a broadcast television special to premiere on A&E Network in 2019.

Additional tickets have just been released and are on sale now online at Livenation.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, and at the Bridgestone Arena box office. VIP packages including great seats and exclusive merchandise are also available.

In his 85th year, Willie Nelson is more prolific than ever. In 2018 alone, he’s released his 67th studio album (Last Man Standing), a stirring collection of his favorite Sinatra songs (My Way) and headlined the largest touring festival in North America (Outlaw Music Festival). Willie is America’s music hero. It’s hard to put into words what he means to singers, songwriters, musicians, and people all over the world. Through life’s ups and downs, heartbreaks and rewards, Willie and his songs have been a dear and constant friend to all of us. He’s a trusted father figure to millions of Americans by lifting them up through FARM AID and his annual JULY 4th PICNIC. He’s the clear inspiration for dozens of today’s biggest music stars
from all genres of music.