• NEWS AND NOTES: George Strait, Jon Pardi, Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, The War And Treaty, Mickey Guyton

    George Strait and Jon Pardi will take part in a tribute show celebrating the late singer-songwriter-musician-producer Keith Gattis at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl on Tuesday (November 28th). Sheryl Crow, Wade Bowen, Randy Houser, Dean Dillon, Jack Ingram and Kendell Marvel, among others will also perform.

    During a recent television taping, Jon Pardi‘s Aunt Shane got to meet her idol, Wynonna, and she couldn’t have been more excited.

    https://twitter.com/CMT/status/1728882036830605398

    Reba McEntire joined Willie Geist for his TODAY Show Sunday Sitdown on NBC on Sunday (November 26th) to share details on her emotional moment at Madison Square Garden concert and her first big break in music. She also talked about her new book “Not That Fancy,” which is chock-full of stories about family, friends and parties with Solo cups.

     

    Sam Hunt and his wife Hannah Lee Fowler welcomed their second child earlier this month. Sam revealed Baby Hunt No. 2 had arrived with a social post, writing, “Thank you, Lord.”

    The War And Treaty (Michael and Tanya Trotter) performed a stunning rendition of the National Anthem on Thanksgiving Day ahead of the Detroit Lions versus Green Bay Packers game.

     

    Mickey Guyton is set to host the National Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington, D.C. on Thursday (November 30th). This year’s special holiday event will feature performances by Darren Criss, Samara Joy, Ledisi, Reneé Rapp, St. Vincent, Joe Walsh and Dionne Warwick, as well as performances by the United States Coast Guard’s Guardians Big Band. CBS will broadcast the event on December 15th and you can stream it live on Paramount+.

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD HAS ALREADY DECKED THE HALLS WITH CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS.

    There have been many debates about this topic — when is too early to decorate for Christmas? For those in the States, some people like to decorate before Thanksgiving and some feel you need to wait until after Thanksgiving. For Carrie, she likes to decorate the weekend after Thanksgiving, however, this year out of necessity, she decked the halls BEFORE the day of giving thanks.

    “My Christmas decorating schedule honestly depends on my schedule (laughs), so this year, I decorated before Thanksgiving which is not really something that I would like to do,” says Carrie. “I think the ideal time to decorate for Christmas is the weekend right after Thanksgiving. It’s like Thanksgiving’s over, you just bust out all of the Christmas stuff. That’s when it really kinda starts getting chilly outside, and you get to start making fires in the fireplace and really start putting the Christmas presents under the tree. There’s nothing sadder than a Christmas tree up with no presents underneath it, so I don’t really think that you want to get your Christmas tree up too early, but this year I was a little earlier than normal because we had Thanksgiving and then head out to Vegas for my Reflection shows and I had to get everything up before I left.”

    Carrie, who is making her way up the country charts with “Out Of That Truck,” returns to her Reflection residency at Resorts World in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

    Audio / Carrie Underwood said she actually decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving this year, due to her busy schedule.

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    Carrie Underwood (decorating for Christmas 2023) OC: …before I left. :51
    “My Christmas decorating schedule honestly depends on my schedule (laughs), so this year, I decorated before Thanksgiving which is not really something that I would like to do. I think the ideal time to decorate for Christmas is the weekend right after Thanksgiving. It’s like Thanksgiving’s over, you just bust out all of the Christmas stuff. That’s when it really kinda starts getting chilly outside, and you get to start making fires in the fireplace and really start putting the Christmas presents under the tree. There’s nothing sadder than a Christmas tree up with no presents underneath it, so I don’t really think that you want to get your Christmas tree up too early, but this year I was a little earlier than normal because we had Thanksgiving and then head out to Vegas for my Reflection shows and I had to get everything up before I left.”

  • CHRISTMAS LINERS 2023

     

    Audio / LINER AJ (Christmas)

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    “Hi! This is Alan Jackson, and I’m wishing y’all a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Billy Currington (Happy Holiday Season)

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    “Hi! Billy Currington here, wishing you and your family a safe and Happy Holiday Season.”

    Audio / LINER Brad Paisley (Seasons Greetings)

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    “Season’s Greetings, folks, it’s Brad Paisley, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Brad Paisley (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey everybody, it’s Brad Paisley. Happy Holidays.”

    Audio / LINER Brad Paisley (Happy Holidays) 2

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    “Brad Paisley here. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Brad Paisley (12 Days of Christmas would include)

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    “Hey everybody, it’s Brad Paisley. If I were to re-write the ’12 Days of Christmas,’ I would include things like chocolate, Bourbon, guitars and maybe not French Hens or Geese a’laying.”

    Audio / LINER Brad Paisley (Penguin James Penguin)

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    “Hi, this is Brad Paisley. Make sure you’re good this Christmas, ‘cause Santa’s got a secret agent bird. Penguin James Penguin is watching.”

    Audio / LINER Brenda Lee (Seasons Greetings)

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    “Season’s Greetings. This is Brenda Lee, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Brenda Lee (Merry Christmas)

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    “Hi, I’m Brenda Lee with wishes for a very Merry Christmas.”

     

    Audio / LINER Brenda Lee (Here's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree)

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    “Hi, this is Brenda Lee, and here’s my favorite holiday song, ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is T.J., and I’m John, and we are Brothers Osborne, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Christmas)

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    “Hi! I’m Carrie Underwood, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Christmas) 2

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    “Hey, it’s Carrie Underwood. From our house to yours – Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Seasons Greetings)

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    “Season’s Greetings! I’m Carrie Underwood, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

     

    Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Christmas)

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    “Hey everybody, this is Catie Offerman, wishing you a very Merry Christmas, y’all.”

    Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Christmas) 2

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    “Hey everybody, this is Catie Offerman. Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey everybody, this is Catie Offerman. Happy Holidays.”

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Christmas) 2

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    “Hey y’all, this is Caylee Hammack. Merry Christmas!”

    Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Caylee Hammack. Happy Holidays, everybody!”

    Audio / LINER Chrissy Metz (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! This is Chrissy Metz, wishing you Happy Holidays.”

    Audio / LINER Dalton Dover (Christmas)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Dalton Dover. Merry Christmas.”

     

    Audio / LINER Dalton Dover (Christmas) 2

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    Hey y’all, this is Dalton Dover, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.

    Audio / LINER Dalton Dover (Season's Greetings)

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    “Season’s Greetings. I’m Dalton Dover.”

    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Christmas)

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

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Dierks Bentley, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

     

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey everybody! It’s Dierks Bentley, wishing you a very Happy Holiday season.”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Christmas)

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    “Hey everybody! It’s Eric Church, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER George Strait (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey everybody! This is George Strait, wishing you and your family a Happy Holiday season.”

    Audio / LINER Hootie & The Blowfish (Christmas)

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    “Hey Everybody, we’re Hootie & The Blowfish, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Langston (Christmas)

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    “Hey y’all this is Jon Langston, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Langston (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Jon Langston. Happy Holidays.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Merry Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Jon Pardi, wishing you a Merry Christmas!”

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Season’s Greetings)

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    “Season’s Greetings, everybody! I’m Jon Pardi, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Merry Christmas) 2

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    “Hey! This is Jon Pardi. Merry Christmas!”

    Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (Christmas)

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    “Hey! I’m Jordan Davis, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (Happy Holidays)

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    “Happy, Happy, Happy Holidays, everybody. I’m Jordan Davis.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Ross (Christmas)

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    “Hey, y’all, this is Josh Ross, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Ross (Season’s Greetings)

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    “Season’s Greetings, I’m Josh Ross.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! I’m Josh Turner, wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Seasons Greetings)

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    “Season’s Greetings—I’m Josh Turner, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Merry Christmas)

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    “Hi, I’m Josh Turner with wishes for a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Happy Holidays) 2

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    “Hey everybody, this is Josh Turner. May your days be merry and bright. Happy holidays from my family to yours!”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Holidays)

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    “Hey y’all, I’m Josh Turner. Wishing you peace, love and joy this holiday season.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Christmas sweater)

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    “Hey y’all, I’m Josh Turner. May all your sweaters be ugly and bright!”

    Audio / LINER Kacey Musgraves (Christmas)

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    “Hey! This is Kacey Musgraves, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Kassi Ashton (Christmas)

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    “Hey, it’s Kassi Ashton. I’d love to wish everyone listening a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Christmas)

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    “Hi folks, this is Keith Urban, wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Holiday season)

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    “Hi everyone, this is Keith Urban, wishing you and all your family the very best this holiday season.”

    Audio / LINER Kip Moore (Christmas)

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    “Hey guys, this is Kip Moore, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Kip Moore (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey y’all, it’s Kip Moore. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Kylie Morgan (Christmas)

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    “Hey y’all, this is Kylie Morgan, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER LBT (Christmas)

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    “Hey! We’re Little Big Town, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER LBT (Very Merry Christmas)

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    “Hey! We’re Little Big Town, and we just want to say Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER LBT (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! We’re Little Big Town. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Christmas)

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    “Hey! It’s Luke Bryan, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! It’s Luke Bryan. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Season's Greetings)

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    “Seasons Greetings, I’m Luke Bryan. Hope your holidays are filled with joy and happiness.”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (eggnog)

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    “It’s Luke Bryan, and may your eggnog be spiked with plenty of rum to get you through this holiday season!”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (gifts of the season)

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    “Hey y’all, it’s Luke Bryan, wishing you the gifts of the season — Peace, Joy, and a case of beer.”

    Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Christmas)

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    “Hi! We’re Maddie & Tae, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Happy Holidays)

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

    Audio / LINER Mickey Guyton (Christmas)

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    “Hey! It’s Mickey Guyton, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey, I’m Parker McCollum, and I’m wishing you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.”

    Audio / LINER Priscilla Block (Christmas)

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    “Hi! This is Priscilla Block wishing you a very Merry Christmas.

     

    Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (Christmas)

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    “Hey-Reba here-hoping you have a very Merry Christmas. Ho, Ho, Ho.”

     

    Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey, this is Reba, wishing you a Happy Holiday Season.”

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Christmas)

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    “Hey everybody! This is Sam Hunt, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey everybody! I’m Sam Hunt. Happy Holidays!”

    Audio / LINER Shania Twain (Christmas)

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    “Hi! This is Shania Twain, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Taylor Swift (Happy Holiday Season)

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    “Hey, this is Taylor Swift, wishing you a very Happy Holiday Season.”

    Audio / LINER Travis Denning (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey! I’m Travis Denning. Happy Holidays.”

    Audio / LINER Travis Denning (Seasons Greetings)

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    “Season’s Greetings. This is Travis Denning, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Tyler Hubbard (Christmas) 1

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    “Hey y’all, it’s Tyler Hubbard. Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Tyler Hubbard (Christmas) 2

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    “Hey y’all, it’s Tyler Hubbard, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”

    Audio / LINER Tyler Hubbard (Happy Holidays)

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    “Hey y’all, it’s Tyler Hubbard. Happy Holidays.”

     

     

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Mickey Guyton, Chrissy Metz

    ABC’s American Idol Season 7 (Season 22 in total) will premiere February 18th with Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie as judges and Ryan Seacrest as host. They have bee doing auditions for the past few months including some in Nashville last week.

    Luke Bryan performed a benefit show at Jupiter Pointe Club and Marina in Palm Beach, Florida on Saturday (November 18th) to raise money for local music students pursuing a career in the arts and giving some of those students the opportunity to open for him. Proceeds went to the Bak Middle School of the Arts and Dreyfoos School of the Arts.

    Foy Vance’s “Guiding Light (Anniversary Edition)” featuring Keith Urban, Elton John and Ed Sheeran, is out now.  Keith took to socials to perform a snippet of “Guiding Light,” and wrote, “When @foyvance  called and asked if I wanted to be a part of the ten-year anniversary version of ‘Guiding Light’ alongside @eltonofficial  and Ed Sheeran, I was IN!! It’s such an extraordinary song – almost more of a hymn. It so beautifully captures the struggle, pain, grace and beauty of being human – and knowing you can’t do it alone. The first time I heard ‘Guiding Light’ I was riding around on a bike in London and it literally stopped me in my tracks. I couldn’t listen to anything after it…I just quietly rode home. I’m honored to be your mate Foy and to be with you, Elton, and Ed on this gorgeous track. “

     

    Mickey Guyton and Chrissy Metz will perform during ABC’s “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration” on Sunday (November 26th) beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT. Mickey will not only perform “Jingle Bell Rock,” but also her duet with Michael Bolton “Christmas Isn’t Christmas” from his new holiday album. Chrissy is set to perform “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” for the two-hour special. Chris Janson, Robin Thicke, Tori Kelly and many more will also perform.  But wait, that’s not all–Chrissy will also perform “Silver Bells” during the “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade” on ABC on Christmas Day, December 25th, from 10am-Noon ET/9am-11am CT.  Mickey will co-host alongside Derek and Julianne Hough and Jesse Palmer.

  • ANNE WILSON HONORED WITH BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARD FOR TOP CHRISTIAN ALBUM.

    Last night at the Billboard Music Awards, GRAMMY-nominated artist and songwriter Anne Wilson claimed the prestigious honor of Top Christian Album for her debut album, My Jesus. Released on April 22, 2022, the 15-song album was the biggest debut album by a CCMG artist in over 15 years – it reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Christian & Gospel Albums and the Top 200 Christian and Gospel charts, culminating in over 800M total global streams.

    https://twitter.com/Annewilsonmusic/status/1726425679065985047

    “These songs have impacted so many lives across the world and I’m so grateful that the world has used this record to bring glory and honor to his name,” Wilson shared in her acceptance speech. “Thank you guys so much, thank you Billboard, I love y’all!”

    The song that started it all, “My Jesus,” was recently certified PLATINUM by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The “deeply personal breakout ballad” (Billboard) has continued to fuel Wilson’s unstoppable career, notching over one million units sold and counting with numerous awards and accolades to its name. “My Jesus” hit No.1 on Billboard‘s Christian Airplay chart, making her the first debut female Christian artist in chart history to reach No.1 and was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for Top Christian Song. The single also went on to be named ASCAP’s 2022 Christian Music Awards Song of the Year, reaching Spotify’s Viral 50, the Shazam Top 200 and Rolling Stone’s Top 25 Trending charts.

    As Wilson closes out the year on a high note, her eyes-to-the-sky Country anthem “Rain In The Rearview” continues to gain traction at Country radio. Painting a vivid picture of emotions gathering like a distant storm, “Rain In The Rearview” finds Wilson determined to leave the past behind and chase a fresh start. Already garnering immense support from critics, Country Now acknowledges she “puts her spirited vocals on full display” and Billboard hails her sound as “rootsy and soulful” with “ceiling-scraping vocal capabilities.” “The crashing, echoey production of this anthem sounds like ’70s rock, which means she should fit right in,” adds MusicRow. Released as part of her new chapter of music titled REBEL (The Beginning) which fuses the Christian and Country genres, Holler noted that this three-pack of songs “clearly outlines Wilson’s new country-leaning mission statement,” as two of the songs simultaneously makes waves at Christian radio (“Strong”) and Country radio (“Rain In The Rearview”).

    Last month, Wilson concluded her first-ever headlining My Jesus Tour with special guest Josh Baldwin. The 20-stop tour sold out in every market across the country including stops in major cities such as Austin, Atlanta, Charlotte, Indianapolis and Chicago. Come January, Wilson will embark on tour with Scotty McCreery for his Cab In A Solo Tour. For dates and more information, visit www.annewilsonofficial.com and keep up with her on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

  • BROTHERS OSBORNE’S JOHN OSBORNE REVEALS SYMBOLIC TATTOO.

    John and TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne have become more of their true selves over the past few years, and much of that awareness and confidence of self is transparent in their new self-titled album. TJ, of course, came out and John has been pretty honest about his struggle with his mental health. One way John has showcased his personal work is through a massive chest tattoo, even though that started off as something to do during a rare day off.

    “Kids were on the way and I’m like, I’ve got to cling on to my youth (TJ LAUGHS), so I’m just gonna do something really crazy and get a massive chest tattoo. I had a day off, like an actual day off, not a normal day off for us, which is running errands, going and picking up things where you actually work all day. It was like I had nothing to do, and I was like, ‘You know what? I’m just gonna go get a big tattoo on my chest,’” John said backstage in the CMA Awards press room after winning their sixth CMA Vocal Duo of the Year award. “And in a way, symbolically—not to get to philosophical about it, I guess, but it is a sailor ship and I’ve been very vocal about my mental health and a lot of struggles I’ve had over the years. And he (TJ) actually told me this quote after I’d gotten the sailor ship tattoo was ‘Smooth waters don’t make good sailors,’ and it’s an amazing philosophy, and it’s something I’ll carry with me forever. I feel like I’ve become my best self in the most trying times of my life.”

    The guys don’t have anymore dates on the books until March of 2024 when they head over to the UK for the massive C2C Festival. Brothers Osborne are currently making their way up the country charts with their latest single, “Nobody’s Nobody.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne's John Osborne talks about his recent sailor ship tattoo.

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    Brothers Osborne (John’s sailor ship tattoo) OC: …my life. :51
    “Kids were on the way and I’m like, I’ve got to cling on to my youth (TJ LAUGHS), so I’m just gonna do something really crazy and get a massive chest tattoo. I had a day off, like an actual day off, not a normal day off for us, which is running errands, going and picking up things where you actually work all day. It was like I had nothing to do, and I was like, ‘You know what? I’m just gonna go get a big tattoo on my chest.’ And in a way, symbolically—not to get to philosophical about it, I guess, but it is a sailor ship and I’ve been very vocal about my mental health and a lot of struggles I’ve had over the years. And he (TJ) actually told me this quote after I’d gotten the sailor ship tattoo was ‘Smooth waters don’t make good sailors,’ and it’s an amazing philosophy, and it’s something I’ll carry with me forever. I feel like I’ve become my best self in the most trying times of my life.”

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  • THANKSGIVING 2023 SOUNDBITES

    The Thanksgiving holiday tradition traces its origins to a 1621 celebration at Plymouth, in the state that’s now known as Massachusetts. The 1621 Plymouth feast and thanksgiving was prompted by a good harvest. While initially, the Plymouth colony did not have enough food to feed half of the 102 colonists, the Wampanoag Native Americans helped the Pilgrims by providing seeds and teaching them to fish. The practice of holding an annual harvest festival like this did not become a regular affair in New England until the late 1660s. People now celebrate the holiday by giving thanks for their blessings over the past year, as well as feasting on turkey and other festive goodies.

    Some festive fun facts about Thanksgiving:

    • President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday on October 3rd, 1863.
    • Harry Truman is often credited with being the first president to pardon a turkey, but that’s not quite true. He was the first to receive a ceremonial turkey from the National Turkey Federation – and he had it for dinner. John F. Kennedy was the first to let a Thanksgiving turkey go, followed by Richard Nixon who sent his turkey to a petting zoo. George H.W. Bush is the president who formalized the turkey pardoning tradition in 1989.
    • The average number of calories consumed on Thanksgiving is 4,500.
    • Butterball answers more than 100,000 turkey-cooking questions via their Butterball Turkey Hotline each November and December.
    • The tradition of football on Thanksgiving began in 1876 with a game between Yale and Princeton. The first NFL games were played on Thanksgiving in 1920.
    • The Wednesday before Thanksgiving has become known as “Drinksgiving.” Bars experience a huge boom the night before the holiday.

    Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 23rd, and most people might be enjoying time with a group of their friends and families, including some of your favorite country stars, such as Alan Jackson, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Catie Offerman, Caylee Hammack, Dalton Dover, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley,  Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, Travis Denning, Tyler Hubbard and more. They share their thoughts of thanks this year, their lessons in gratitude, memories and favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

    Audio / Alan Jackson talks about his favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    AJ (Thanksgiving) OC: …enjoy it. :19
    “My favorite Thanksgiving dish would be the homemade dressin’ that we, cornbread-based kind of dressin’ that we always have with turkey. That recipe is a kind of a combination of my mama, and Denise has taken it and perfected it over the years, so that me and my children really enjoy it.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne talk about their favorite Thanksgiving tradition – a Misfits Thanksgiving -- that they started when they moved to Nashville because they couldn’t afford to go home for the holiday.

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    Brothers Osborne (Misfits Thanksgiving) OC: (TJ) …Happy holidays, y’all. 1:02
    “What’s up, y’all? It’s Brothers Osborne here. And a Thanksgiving tradition that we did for so many years. John and I would host what we would call a Misfits Thanksgiving, and we would have everyone, I mean we must’ve done this for 15 years or so and it really started because we didn’t have enough money to go back home to see our family, so we would hang out in Nashville. And so everyone that was kind of in our same shoes, we’d all end up at our house, and it really turned into really blossoming some of our most cherished relationships. We would be there with Kacey Musgraves. It was the first time I really got to hang out with Mickey Guyton (JOHN: “Maren Morris.”) Maren Morris. They would come over and we just became like family to each other because we couldn’t get home to see our own families. And that’s a Thanksgiving tradition that we still to this day try to keep, and it’s a revolving door of who’s there or who’s not there, but yeah, it’s a wonderful tradition. And let me tell you, spending it with our friends in Nashville, there’s a little less arguing than back home. (laughs)” JOHN: “We’re still arguing, but we get over it faster.” (laughs) TJ: “Anyways, Happy Holidays, y’all.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood says she’s grateful for her family.

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    Carrie Underwood (Thanksgiving 2023) OC: …we all are. :30
    “I am grateful for so many things this Thanksgiving. I think the thing I’m most grateful for, though, is family. I mean, that’s what it’s all about, and that’s what this life is all about. I’m blessed to have two incredible boys that I get to take care of and that love on me daily, and they’re just giant blessings in my life, and of course, my extended family, as well. That’s what this time of year’s all about – getting together and just realizing how blessed we all are.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood says she and her family don’t have too many Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Carrie Underwood (Thanksgiving) OC: …the other one. :34
    “We don’t have too many set-in-stone Thanksgiving traditions. I find myself a lot of times working on or around Thanksgiving or unable to get home or whatever. We try to be together, but sometimes that just doesn’t work out. But yeah, I mean, I think it’s just about we eat. I eat a lot every year on Thanksgiving. [laughs] I never skip THAT tradition. But yeah, that’s the gist of it, and I’m kind of lucky. I get two Thanksgivings, because I also get to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with my husband’s family, so if I don’t hit one, I’ll definitely be able to get the other one.”

    Audio / Catie Offerman

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    Catie Offerman (Thanksgiving) OC: …what I do. :17
    “I am so thankful for a lot of things. I think my family, the gift of being able to put music out this year has been huge for me. I think that’s something I’ve waited on for a really long time, and I’m so thankful for that. I’m thankful for my health and just being able to keep playing music and doing what I do.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack says Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday, because she gets to just spend time with her family.

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    Caylee Hammack (Thanksgiving) OC: …favorite holiday. :27
    “Thanksgiving is the one holiday where we stay at home. We stay at my family’s house, and it’s just me, my mom and dad, my brother and sister and their families. We all sit around and just eat all day. And I love Thanksgiving because you don’t have to worry about getting gifts for people; you don’t have to worry about wrapping them. You just show up and you eat all day with the people you love. So, I absolutely love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday.”

    Audio / Caylee Hammack talks about her favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    Caylee Hammack (Thanksgiving eats) OC: …cranberry jelly. :15
    “My favorite Thanksgiving meal (dish) is definitely cornbread dressing. My mom makes the best, er, some people call it stuffing, but I’ve always called it dressing for some reason. But I love that with canned cranberry jelly.”

    Audio / Dalton Dover says this one dish HAS to be on the dinner table at Thanksgiving.

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    Dalton Dover (Thanksgiving eats) 1 OC: …at Thanksgiving. :04
    “Like I’m a big deviled eggs guy, so they got to be on the dinner table at Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / We asked Dalton Dover who makes the deviled eggs at Thanksgiving.

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    Dalton Dover (Thanksgiving eats) 2 OC: …best. :02
    “My grandma, and she makes the absolute best (deviled eggs).”

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about his favorite part of Thanksgiving.

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    Darius Rucker (favorite part of Thanksgiving) OC: …my family. :17
    “My favorite part of Thanksgiving is easy – it’s food. It’s eating. It’s hanging out with family and getting some great food, ‘cause that’s really what Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for all of the great things you’ve got, and I always give thanks for the greatest thing I’ve got and that’s my family.”

     

    Audio / Zealous football fan Darius Rucker says Thanksgiving is his favorite sporting day of the year.

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    Darius Rucker (Thanksgiving Day favorite sporting day) OC: …big for me. :10
    “Thanksgiving Day is my favorite sports day of the year. It’s crazy how much football you get to watch (laughs) on Thanksgiving Day, so I really like that a lot. Thanksgiving is big for me.”

     

    Audio / Dierks Bentley, who is thankful for his wife, two daughters and son, talks about his Thanksgiving must-have! It’s an oldie, but a goodie!

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    Dierks Bentley (Thanksgiving must-have) OC: …for Thanksgiving. :34
    “You gotta have a big turkey. Thanksgiving is not possible without a turkey. We cook it traditionally, but when we’re in, a couple of Thanksgivings ago, we were here in Nashville, we did the whole fry the turkey up, and it was great. It just tasted so good; all those juices get locked in there, and I love that too. You really can’t, to me, cook a turkey wrong. I’m gonna eat it any way, and I have over the years. Trust me, I’ve played a lot of county and state fairs, where I’ve seen gigantic turkey legs, you know, I’ve had the flat meat. I’ve done turkey every way you could do it. I’m pretty good any way you want to cook it up, but you’ve got to have a turkey for Thanksgiving.”

    Audio / Jon Langston talks about his Thanksgiving tradition.

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    Jon Langston (Thanksgiving) OC: …pretty cool. :21
    “We always watch football on Thanksgiving. It was pretty cool in high school. It was a big deal in high school if you had practice on Thanksgiving Day because you made third round of the playoffs. So, in high school we always had practice on Thanksgiving, so I guess that was pretty cool. Everybody’s waking up on a cold Thanksgiving morning going to football practice, but yeah, pretty cool.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about his childhood Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving) OC: …lot of football. :12
    “When I was growing up at Thanksgiving, we just got all the family together. You know, did the traditional turkey, ham, all the sides, but it was always at either one of my grandparents’ house. Just a lot of family, a lot of food and a lot of football.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis says his favorite Thanksgiving side dish makes him happy all year round.

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    Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving side dish) 2 OC: …Cheese guy. :09
    “My favorite Thanksgiving side dish – Macaroni and Cheese – anytime. Thanksgiving, a random Tuesday. I don’t care. I’m a Macaroni and Cheese guy.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis says one of his new favorite Thanksgiving traditions is frying a turkey.

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    Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving turkey) OC: …most forward to. :11
    “Favorite Thanksgiving tradition for me? I just recently got into frying the turkey, so I’m the turkey-frying guy, and I’m getting pretty good at it. So, I would have to say that’s my thing that I look most forward to.”

     

    Audio / Jordan Davis talks about the Davis family Thanksgiving.

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    Jordan Davis (Thanksgiving memory) OC: …really special. :17
    “A typical Thanksgiving in the Davis household growing up – we would always go to East Texas to my grandparents’ house. You know, during the day, me and my grandfather would always go fish. My grandma would always have a huge spread, and just get to spend time around a lot of family members I don’t get to see a lot of, so they were always really special.”

    Audio / Josh Turner shares his favorite Thanksgiving side dish.

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    Josh Turner (fave side dish) OC: …’em myself. [laughs] :24
    “Uh, deviled eggs! [laughs] Where I’m from in South Carolina, I don’t think I’ve tasted a bad deviled egg. It’s like everybody has their own twist on it, but they’re all good, but I always loved it when my mama made ‘em. I’m learning as I get older, making deviled eggs is no easy task. It’s more complicated than it looks, and so that’s probably why I never made ‘em myself.” [laughs]

    Audio / Josh Turner explains what he enjoys about the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

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    Josh Turner (holidays) OC: …the peace and quiet. :38
    “I love being outside in nature and the outdoors, and the holidays is a great time for me to go and partake in that part of my life. A lot of times, Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s a little cold to go fishing, but when it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s a great time to go hunting, especially in South Carolina, that’s when the temperatures are starting to drop and the conditions are getting right, and especially in November, kind of the tail end of the rut, as far as deer season. So, it’s a good time to get in the deer stand whether you kill anything or not, it’s just a great time to just get away from everything and get away from the noise and the lights and the diesel fumes [laughs] and just relax and just enjoy the peace and quiet.”

    Audio / Keith Urban gives thanks for many things, including his wife and two daughters.

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    Keith (Thanksgiving) OC: …for me. :21
    “Thankful that, well, my marriage is just, it’s life-giving, not just life-changing, it’s been life-giving for me. And from there, we created life, and that’s just beautiful, absolutely beautiful. And the effect that all of that has had in my work, has given life to it too, given it a sense of purpose and really deepened the experience for me.”

    Audio / The members of Little Big Town love Thanksgiving since they get time off to be with their families.

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    LBT (Thanksgiving) 2 OC: (Kimberly) …and eat. :31
    KIMBERLY: “Thanksgiving—we love Thanksgiving, ‘cause we get to be with our families and we don’t often get to spend time with our families, our extended families, until the holidays. I love being around the table with my family and talking and laughing and cooking and eating…” JIMI: “And eating and eating and eating and eating…” PHILLIP: “The laughter around the eating, the good cheer, the celebration, the music…” JIMI: “The eating, going taking a nap, then coming back and eating.” KIMBERLY: “Go to bed with a full belly, take a nap, and then get up and eat.”

    Audio / Maddie & Tae talk about their Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Maddie & Tae (Thanksgiving) OC: (TAE) …I do. :41
    MADDIE: “I love Thanksgiving because I get to see my family, and it’s not as much pressure as Christmas I feel like because there are no gifts exchanged. It’s just all about quality time and I love quality time. My favorite dish is some broccoli-cheese casserole and Tae’s favorite dish, I know, is cranberry sauce, just plain. Just plain ole cranberry sauce, no turkey, just cranberry sauce.” TAE: “She knows.” MADDIE: “That’s it.” TAE: “I genuinely feel there’s something wrong with me. (MADDIE: “Out of the can.”) out of the can. My parents know just to have cranberry sauce for me, like no one else can touch it. There’s a home video where my brother Mason tries to eat it, and I’m like, ‘What are you doing? This is mine.’” MADDIE: “She eats it out of the can.” TAE: “I do.”

    Audio / Mickey Guyton talks about one of her favorite Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Mickey Guyton (Thanksgiving traditions) OC: …Thanksgiving traditions. :17
    “One of my Thanksgiving traditions is playing charades after Thanksgiving dinner. I’m not the most competitive person in the world, but as soon as you put some Charades in the picture, I am crazy, and you will definitely want to be on my team if we’re playing Charades. I’m just saying. So, that’s one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions.”

     

    Audio / Mickey Guyton reveals her favorite Thanksgiving dish.

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    Mickey Guyton (favorite Thanksgiving dish) OC: …both so much! :39
    “My favorite Thanksgiving dish that has to, has to, has to be at Thanksgiving dinner is dessert. Dessert is my favorite Thanksgiving dish. I mean, it doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it’s sweet. My mom actually makes an Italian cream cake that’s absolutely awesome. It’s homemade, and the entire family, that’s the first thing to go at Thanksgiving dinner. And my Grandma D, she makes a pecan pie that is awesome. She taught me how to make them when I was little, and I just love them, and that’s the other thing that I look forward to at Thanksgiving dinner, and I love them both so much!”

    Audio / Parker McCollum talks about his family’s Thanksgiving tradition.

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    Parker McCollum (Thanksgiving tradition) OC: …go there. :27
    “I mean, my parents have been split up for a long time, but they’re all from the same town. My mom and dad went to high school together and all that stuff and all the family still lives back there on both sides. So, we kind of do a Thanksgiving with my dad’s side of the family, but all my life, we’ve always gone to my mom’s parents’ house on Thanksgiving, and they got a big ole house and a bunch of property and it’s really where I grew up is right there. That’s kind of home for me, so that’s kind of our thing. We always go there.”

    Audio / One of Parker McCollum’s favorite dishes at Thanksgiving is his Aunt’s creamed corn.

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    Parker McCollum (Thanksgiving eats) OC: …creamed corn. Mmm hmmm. :04
    “My Aunt’s creamed corn is pretty bomb. I love creamed corn. Mmm hmmm.”

    Audio / Priscilla Block describes a typical Thanksgiving holiday with her family.

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    Priscilla Block (Thanksgiving) OC: …so much. :34
    “Thanksgiving has always been chaos, actually any holiday that my entire family is there is straight chaos. But for Thanksgiving, we all try so hard to be together and it’s such a fun holiday to, my family’s a little cheesy. Like, we actually still go around the table and being like, ‘What are you thankful for?’ ‘What are you thankful for?’ So, that means a lot where it’s not about presents, it’s not about anything else. It’s just about truly being thankful, and that’s why I love Thanksgiving so much.”

     

    Audio / Reba McEntire explains what she's most thankful for this year.

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    Reba McEntire (Thankful) OC: …happy camper. :39
    “Omigosh I wake up in the morning grateful that I can, that I’m alive, I can breathe, I can move, I can get out of bed on my own. (I’m) very grateful for the lifestyle that I have and if anybody needs help, please Lord please, direct me in what you want me to do. Just grateful for getting Rex in my life, my family being healthy and happy, my friends being healthy and happy. I’ve got a great job and people I love and get to work with, and I’ve got a huge faith. So, no matter what happens to me, I know where I’m going, so I’m a happy camper.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about his favorite Thanksgiving eats.

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    Sam Hunt (Thanksgiving eats) OC: …disappears. :12
    “When I pile my plate up, it’s mostly turkey and then I’ll put a little dressing on the side, and I’ll usually go ahead and grab my dessert on the first run [laughs] and have it ready before it all disappears.”

    Audio / Travis Denning talks about a typical Thanksgiving holiday growing up.

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    Travis Denning (typical Thanksgiving holiday) OC: …a lot of people. :22
    “A typical Thanksgiving growing up was essentially and the men of the family – Dad and Uncle Mike and my granddaddy — watching football, while grandmama and my mom pretty much yelled at each other in the kitchen the whole day. But they threw down and made the best food you could ever imagine, which you know is kind of how it is for a lot of people.”

    Audio / Travis Denning talks about his ideal Thanksgiving menu.

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    Travis Denning (Thanksgiving menu) OC: …then beer. :17
    “The ideal Thanksgiving menu to me is a little bit of turkey, but definitely prioritizing ham. I’m a firm believer in ham at Thanksgiving. Squash casserole, broccoli casserole, stuffing and then beer.”

    Audio / Tyler Hubbard talks about his favorite Thanksgiving traditions.

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    Tyler Hubbard (Thanksgiving) OC: …I love it. :22
    “Favorite Thanksgiving tradition for me is probably just getting together with family, having a big meal and watching a little football and taking a nice long nap. I mean, we didn’t reinvent the wheel with Thanksgiving by any means. But my Nanny (grandmother) does make a pretty mean sweet potato casserole, so that’s one of my favorites that I look forward to and I don’t know if that’s a tradition or not, but in my head it is. I love it.”

     

     

     

  • DIERKS BENTLEY PARTNERS WITH WITHCO BEVERAGE COMPANY TO RAISE THE BAR FOR MIXED COCKTAILS.

    Dierks Bentley has joined forces with Nashville-based beverage company WithCo Cocktails to bring their non-alcoholic cocktail mixes made of only fresh juices and real botanicals to a bigger market nationwide. The collection includes nine signature blends: Bouquet, Espresso Martini, Ellis Old Fashioned, Agave Margarita, Hey Girl, Bloody Mary, Ginger Mule, Honey Sour and Paloma and can either be paired with a spirit or with soda water for a non-alcoholic option.  WithCo has consciously crafted each bottle  free of preservatives, additives and concentrates. WithCo products can be purchased at Target and Sprouts stores nationwide, as well online at WithCoCocktails.com.

    “Life is too short for a bad cocktail,” said Bentley. “When I first discovered WithCo during the pandemic, we kept it stocked at the house and then when we went back to work, I added it to my rider on the road too. We do a lot of entertaining, and I don’t want anyone to not enjoy their drink. WithCo totally takes the guesswork out of it.”

    “We started WithCo with a dual purpose in mind,” shared co-founder Joshua Ellis. “We were tired of mediocre cocktails packed with additives, concentrates and non-sense ingredients, so we set out to raise the bar. Secondly, we recognized that life is just better in good company. So we adopted the simple name “WithCo,’ short for ‘With Company.’ Our mission? To encourage people to gather around and build community, one cocktail at a time.”

    People magazine did a feature on Dierks and his new partnership.

    Mixers that can be used either with or without alcohol, WithCo mocktails became such a favorite with Dierks (the Agave Margarita mixed with Ritual non-alcoholic tequila is his go-to) that he had it written into his rider that his tour stops needed a WithCo supply. “If you’re not drinking, I lose the desire to socialize. I don’t want to go to a bar where it’s loud if I don’t have a drink in my hand,” he tells People. “So this made hosting the backstage bar fun. It made the shows fun.”

    When WithCo founders Joshua Ellis and Bradley Ryan, who started the company in Nashville in 2016, learned Bentley was a fan, they reached out. “When we found out that he was hosting and using WithCo in all these aspects, I’m like, ‘We need to hang out with this dude,'” Ellis says. “He’s a kindred spirit.” The singer has since become an investor and a strategic partner in the business.

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Tyler Hubbard, Mickey Guyton, The War And Treaty, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, Eric Church

    Tyler Hubbard released the official music video for his latest single, “Back Then Right Now,” on Wednesday (November 15th).

     

    Mickey Guyton performed “Simply The Best” in honor of Tina Turner during CMT’s Smashing Glass inaugural special, honoring such female musical icons, Tanya Tucker, Patti LaBelle and Tina Turner, among others.

    https://twitter.com/CMT/status/1724984493490974929

    The 90-minute show, planned as an annual event, is the network’s salute to iconic female artists who have contributed to shattering the glass ceiling for current and future musical artists. The War And Treaty performed Patti LaBelle’s “On My Own.”

    Clint Black, Chris Janson, Ledisi, Luci Silvas and more also performed.

    Chris Stapleton received new RIAA certifications this month. “Tennessee Whiskey,” from his Traveller album, has been certified 15-times Platinum, while “Starting Over” was certified 4-times Platinum.

    Kacey Musgraves and The War And Treaty will perform during the Christmas At Graceland television special, along with Post Malone, John Legend, Alainis Morissette, Lana Del Ray, Lainey Wilson and Kane Brown. Elvis’ granddaughter and Daisy Jones And The Six star Riley Keough, who is among the executive producers of the special, will also appear. Christmas At Graceland, the first televised concert from the estate featuring never-before-broadcast footage of Elvis, will air November 29th at 10pm ET/9pm CT on NBC.

    Eric Church, along with Lainey Wilson, Nickelback and Koe Wetzel, will headline Country Thunder Wisconsin July 18th-21st in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin. Kip Moore, Josh Ross, Randy Houser, Bailey Zimmerman and Ernest, among others, will also perform.

  • JON PARDI, JORDAN DAVIS AND THE WAR AND TREATY ARE AMONG THE ARTISTS PERFORMING DURING A “CMA COUNTRY CHRISTMAS.”

    Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis and The War And Treaty (Michael and Tanya Trotter) are among the artists spreading holiday cheer during the Country Music Association’s 14th annual special, “CMA Country Christmas.” The television special, hosted by Trisha Yearwood and Amy Grant, will also feature performances by Lainey Wilson, Ashley McBryde, Lady A, Lindsey Stirling and Zach Williams, as well as Trisha and Amy.

    Filmed in Nashville in front of a live audience, the holiday event will air December 14th at 8pm ET on ABC; next day on Hulu and Disney+.

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