• VINCE GILL WILL CELEBRATE HIS 25TH ANNIVERSARY AS A GRAND OLE OPRY MEMBER THIS YEAR.

    Multi-Grammy award winner and MCA Records Nashville recording artist Vince Gill announced today during a live Facebook chat at Ernest Tubb Record Shop in downtown Nashville with legendary Opry announcer and Country Music On-Air Personality Hall of Famer Eddie Stubbs that he will celebrate his 25th Anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry®with two special shows on Saturday, August 13th. Gill, one of the Opry’s most beloved and frequent players, was inducted as an Opry member on August 10, 1991.

    Gill will release his 18th album, Down To My Last Bad Habit, on February 12th on MCA Records Nashville. Beginning today, Opry fans can purchase autographed copies of the CD along with tickets to Gill’s 25th Opry anniversary show at opry.com.

    Gill is also scheduled to reunite with Lyle Lovett on February 17th for their 13-city “Songs and Stories” Tour. For a complete list of tour dates and more information go to www.VinceGill.com.

    “We’re excited both about Vince’s recording coming out next month and about celebrating his entire Opry career to date later this year,” said Opry Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher. “We’ve had a preview of some of Vince’s new music at the Opry over the past few months, and it has been a reminder of why he has been an award-winning artist and a favorite of fans and fellow artists alike for more than a quarter century.”

    Combining unequaled musicianship and creativity with a strong sense of tradition — and a personality that has won him a reputation as one of the nicest people in country music — Vince Gill is one of the most honored artists in the music’s history, and one of the youngest to earn membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

    A talented guitar picker by the time he was in his teens, Vince began his career playing with bluegrass bands — first in his native Oklahoma, then in Kentucky with the Bluegrass Alliance and, briefly, Ricky Skaggs’ Boone Creek. Moving to Los Angeles, he signed on with fiddler Byron Berline’s Sundance before joining the pop-country-rock Pure Prairie League. He followed that with a stint in the Cherry Bombs with Rodney Crowell and work backing Rosanne Cash. In 1984, he moved to Nashville and signed his first recording contract as a solo artist, occupying himself with work as a sideman in studios and onstage.

    Though several of his songs flirted with Top 10 status, Vince’s real breakthrough came in 1990 when “When I Call Your Name” reached No. 2. For the next decade, he was a steady presence in the Top 10, racking up several dozen hits that ranged from soulful country ballads (“I Still Believe in You,” “Tryin’ to Get Over You”) to feel-good country rockers (“Liza Jane” and “What the Cowgirls Do”).

    Rewarded by his peers with a long list of Country Music Association awards and Grammy trophies (the most for a male country artist), he’s sold more than 26 million albums while being hailed as a soulful singer, innovative instrumentalist, and creative force who showed a strong grasp of country traditions from bluegrass to honky tonk.

    In more recent years, Vince has settled into a unique role as one of country music’s youngest “elder statesmen.” An eloquent spokesman for the Grand Ole Opry and for the Country Music Foundation, he has headed all-star casts at prestigious venues around the country, hosted the CMA Awards for multiple years, made guest appearances onstage and on recordings with artists ranging from the world-famous to the obscure, and toured extensively.

    About the Grand Ole Opry: The Grand Ole Opry® is presented by Humana®.  Opry performances are held every Friday and Saturday of the year, with Tuesday Night Opry shows running February 16 – December 13.  To plan an Opry visit, call (800) SEE-OPRY or visit opry.com. The Opry presents the best in country music live every week from Nashville, Tenn.  Celebrating nine decades of entertainment, the Opry can be heard atopry.com and wsmonline.com, Opry and WSM mobile apps, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, and its flagship home, 650 AM-WSM. The Grand Ole Opry is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE: RHP).  For more information, visit opry.com.
  • DIERKS BENTLEY WILL ANNOUNCE THE NOMINEES IN SELECT CATEGORIES FOR THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Dierks Bentley is set to reveal the nominees in six categories for this year’s ACM Awards Monday (February 1st) on CBS This Morning during the 8am hour. He’ll announce nominees for Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Female Vocalist, Vocal Duo, Vocal Group and Album of the Year. Nancy O’Dell will announce the rest of the nominees immediately following on ETOnline.com.

    Dierks and Luke Bryan will co-host the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards, which will broadcast live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 3rd at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

  • SAM HUNT IS A BIG PEYTON MANNING FAN.

    Many of your favorite country stars will be watching Super Bowl 50 to see the match up between veteran quarterback Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos take on the most likely NFL MVP Cam Newton and his Carolina Panthers. Sam Hunt, a former University of Alabama Birmingham quarterback, will be among those, and the main thing for him will be just “to see a good game.” That being said, the Georgia native will most likely be pulling for Peyton, even though one of his friends plays for the Panthers.

    “I’m a big Peyton Manning fan, and I always have been,” says Sam. “But I have a good friend that I played ball with in college; he’s playing with the Panthers, and their season’s been unbelievable. Just to watch the energy of that team grow throughout the year made it hard not to pull for ‘em, but I guess when it comes down to it, I’m gonna have to go with Peyton, because it could be his last go at it. He deserves it more than anybody. He’s one of the best that’s ever played.”

    Sam does have a personal connection to the future NFL Hall of Famer. “When I was in high school, I went to a camp called the Manning Academy, and it’s a quarterback camp down in Louisiana. And I got to spend some time with Peyton and Eli, and they have another brother [Cooper]. I’ve followed [Peyton’s] career for a long time,” he says. “Actually, a couple of years ago, I was at a concert of Kenny Chesney’s in Denver, and I was standing there side stage and Jake Owen was there. He had opened up for [Kenny], and I’ve been a friend of his for a little while, and he turned and introduced me to the guy behind us, who I wasn’t aware of at the time, but it turned out to be Peyton Manning. He was just a really nice guy, and it was just pretty cool to be on the stage with two people who inspired me in two different arenas, with Peyton with football and Kenny with music.”

    Sam, who is nominated for a pair of Grammy Awards, is currently nearing the top of the country charts with “Break Up in a Small Town,” the fourth single from his album, Montevallo.

    Audio / While one of Sam Hunt’s good friends plays for the Carolina Panthers, the former college quarterback says he’ll be pulling for Peyton Manning, the Denver Broncos QB, in the Super Bowl (the Big Game).

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    Sam Hunt (Super Bowl 2016) OC: …ever played. :33
    “First off, I’d like to see a really good game. I’m a big Peyton Manning fan, and I always have been. But I have a good friend that I played ball with in college; he’s playing with the Panthers, and their season’s been unbelievable. Just to watch the energy of that team grow throughout the year made it hard not to pull for ‘em, but I guess when it comes down to it, I’m gonna have to go with Peyton, because it could be his last go at it. He deserves it more than anybody. He’s one of the best that’s ever played.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt recalls meeting Denver Broncos’ quarterback, Peyton Manning.

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    Sam Hunt (Peyton Manning) OC: …with music. :39
    “When I was in high school, I went to a camp called the Manning Academy, and it’s a quarterback camp down in Louisiana. And I got to spend some time with Peyton and Eli, and they have another brother [Cooper]. I’ve followed [Peyton’s] career for a long time. Actually, a couple of years ago, I was at a concert of Kenny Chesney’s in Denver, and I was standing there side stage and Jake Owen was there. He had opened up for [Kenny], and I’ve been a friend of his for a little while, and he turned and introduced me to the guy behind us, who I wasn’t aware of at the time, but it turned out to be Peyton Manning. He was just a really nice guy, and it was just pretty cool to be on the stage with two people who inspired me in two different arenas, with Peyton with football and Kenny with music.”

  • ERIC PASLAY TREATS CROWD TO A FIRST LISTEN OF NEW MUSIC.

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    Grammy nominee and EMI Records Nashville artist Eric Paslay performed to a sold-out standing room only crowd tonight at Marathon Music Works in Nashville. Eric entertained the fans and music industry guests with an energetic performance and debuted some new music from his upcoming sophomore album due out later this year.

    “It’s so fun getting to play new songs for all the friendly faces I see tonight,” shared Eric. “Thank y’all for letting us be dreamers.”

    During his set, preceded by label mate Mickey Guyton, Eric welcomed Jake Owen to perform “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” sharing he was grateful for Jake’s guts to be his first artist cut. And later in the evening Eric performed “Taking My Heartbeat Higher” with Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town with whom he has collaborated. Eric Paslay, delivers a powerful punch as a renowned, Platinum-selling, hit songwriter and dynamic performer.

    Paslay has celebrated five No. 1 hits including “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” (Eli Young Band), “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” (Jake Owen), “Angel Eyes” (Love & Theft), “Rewind” (Rascal Flatts) and “Friday Night,” the smash lead single from his critically acclaimed self-titled debut album. The Temple, Texas native recently received his second GRAMMY nomination (first as a recording artist) in the Best Country Duo/Group category for “The Driver,” performed by Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley, featuring Eric and Dierks Bentley. A true artist’s artist, USA Today calls Paslay “flat out-brilliant” and American Songwriter names him an influencer of country music. Paslay recently wrapped the Chris Young tour and takes the stage on tour with Brad Paisley this winter. He just released his back beat-driven groove “High Class,” the lead single from his highly-anticipated sophomore album due out later this year.

    For the latest information on Eric go to:

    www.ericpaslay.com

    https://twitter.com/ericpaslay

    https://www.facebook.com/ericpaslay

    http://instagram.com/ericpaslay

  • LUKE BRYAN’S CRASH MY PLAYA WRAPS IN MEXICO.

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    Reigning CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan wrapped the second annual sold-out, four-night concert event, Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa, in Riviera Maya, Mexico on Monday night. The concert destination weekend featured two headline shows by Luke as well as headline concerts by Dierks Bentley and Cole Swindell. Additional performers included Craig Campbell, Brett Eldredge, Sam Hunt, Dustin Lynch, Chris Stapleton and DJ Rock.

    “The band and I really look forward to Mexico and these Playa shows,” shared Luke. “We like our tradition of launching into the new year this way.”

    Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa musical vacation delivered a special setting for an unforgettable fan experience. The four-night tropical getaway and concert experience was designed and produced by CID Presents as the ultimate all-inclusive Caribbean concert vacation. Guests were treated to nightly beachfront concerts at The Barecló Maya Beach Resort, airport transportation, 24-hour concierge, optional daily activities and off-site adventures. The event was self-produced by the production arm of CID Entertainment, the premier music travel and fan-focused experiential agency. Having developed and implemented VIP and travel packages for Luke’s tours for years, CID was the perfect partner for Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa, designing a country music festival where fans could see their favorite artists on stage and enjoy the sun, beach, food and adventures with their friends.

  • SAM HUNT’S ‘BREAK UP IN A SMALL TOWN’ NEARING THE TOP OF THE COUNTRY CHARTS.

    Sam Hunt is closing in at the top of the country charts with his latest single, “Break Up in a Small Town.” It’s the follow-up to his three previous No. 1 singles – “Leave the Night On,” “Take Your Time” and “House Party,” and it was one of the last songs he wrote before finishing his debut album, Montevallo.

    “The title explains everything you would expect about the song. It’s just about growing up in a small town and you break up with a guy or a girl, and you think you’re not gonna see ‘em again,” says Sam. “You think they’re long gone, but then you realize there’s just so many streets and so many lights. You hang out with all the same people. They’re the first person you see when you leave the house, so it’s kind of hard to get away from ‘em. That’s what this whole song’s about.”

    • Sam will perform at Bonnaroo this year, along with Chris Stapleton, Pearl Jam, Ellie Goulding, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Death Cab for Cutie, Jason Isbell and Grace Potter. The 15th anniversary of the event will take place June 9th – 12th with tickets going on sale Friday (January 22nd).
    • Sam is nominated for two Grammy Awards, including the overall Best New Artist, as well as Best Country Album for his debut album, This year’s Grammy Awards will be handed out February 15th.

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about writing the song, “Breakup in a Small Town.”

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    Sam Hunt (Breakup in a Small Town) OC: …song’s about. :36
    “‘Breakup in a Small Town’ is one of the last songs I wrote before we finished the record. I wrote it with Zach Crowell and Shane McAnally, and it’s a song that, sort of the title explains everything you would expect about the song. It’s just about growing up in a small town and you break up with a guy or a girl, and you think you’re not gonna see ‘em again. You think they’re long gone, but then you realize there’s just so many streets and so many lights. You hang out with all the same people. They’re the first person you see when you leave the house, so it’s kind of hard to get away from ‘em. That’s what this whole song’s about.”

    Video / Sam Hunt Break Up in a Small Town video

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  • BROTHERS OSBORNE ARE GRATEFUL TO SCORE THEIR FIRST NO. 1 SINGLE.

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    Brothers Osborne scored their very first No. 1 single with “Stay a Little Longer” this week. The sibling duo wrote the RIAA Gold-certified single “Stay A Little Longer” with good friend Shane McAnally.

    “It’s crazy. Honestly, it’s beyond surreal,” says TJ Osborne. “It’s hard for me to describe it really. I just feel really just more grateful than anything.”  John Osborne agrees. “Yeah, it’s hard to explain because we spend so much time working and playing and performing and writing that we kind of lose perspective sometimes as to like actually progress is being made. And for this to happen for us, especially at this point in our careers, is one of the highest honors that we could ever ask for, and it’s definitely something that we’ll never forget for the rest of our lives.”

    The hit single, which is nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance at next month’s GRAMMY Awards, is featured on their debut album Pawn Shop which debuted at No.3 on Billboard’s Country Albums Chart and No.10 on the Billboard Top Albums Chart. Pawn Shop continues to garner critical acclaim with Rolling Stone calling it “one of the best rock records in a long while.” Produced by Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Little Big Town), Newsday gives the album an A- and SPIN notes the “lyrical thoughtfulness, character of the production, and the sheer quality of the playing are all exemplary.”

    Brothers Osborne recently made their national TV debut on NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and “TODAY.” They are currently touring with Jon Pardi on the All Time High Tour and will join Miranda Lambert in addition to Kip Moore as part of the Keeper Of The Flame Tour this summer. For a full list of tour dates, news, images and more, visit www.BrothersOsborne.com

    The guys will hit the road with Miranda Lambert and Kip Moore on the Keeper of the Flame Tour later this year.

    www.BrothersOsborne.com| facebook.com/BrothersOsborne| twitter.com/brothersosborne| instagram.com/brothersosborne


    Audio / TJ and John Osborne of Brothers Osborne talk about their first No. 1 with “Stay a Little Longer.”

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    Brothers Osborne (#1) OC: (John) …of our lives. :53
    TJ: “I mean it’s crazy! There’s so many different achievements that you want as an artist and as a writer. To have a No. 1, it’s one of those things that out of all of the work you put in to it, to be able to have it pay off and to work and have the fans out there and the radio stations out there support us, it’s crazy. It takes a lot of people to join in on this and to get a song up to No. 1. So, it’s crazy. Honestly, it’s beyond surreal. It’s hard for me to describe it really. I just feel really just more grateful than anything.” JOHN: “Yeah, it’s hard to explain because we spend so much time working and playing and performing and writing that we kind of lose perspective sometimes as to like actually progress is being made. And for this to happen for us, especially at this point in our careers, is one of the highest honors that we could ever ask for, and it’s definitely something that we’ll never forget for the rest of our lives.”

  • DIERKS BENTLEY’S ‘SOMEWHERE ON A BEACH’ IS MOST ADDED AND SITTING AT THE TOP OF iTUNES.

    NASHVILLE, TN – Jan. 25, 2016 – Fans across the country have found a little reprieve from winter in Dierks Bentley‘s “Somewhere On A Beach,” evident as the track immediately shot to the top of iTunes’ Country songs upon release. The salty track serves as the lead single from his forthcoming eighth studio album BLACK (Capitol Records Nashville) and is the most added song at Country radio this week, with the biggest add date of 2016 as 104 stations jumped on board.

    “I was ready to have fun, so it’s been really cool to see the fans immediately react to this song the way they have,” said Bentley. “As I literally sit on a beach right now in Cancun, I can’t remember ever being this excited about a new single.”

    The multi-PLATINUM entertainer has added rising singer/songwriter Tucker Beathard to the opening slot of his upcoming 2016 SOMEWHERE ON A BEACH TOUR, which is set to follow a string of UK shows together in April. The North American leg will begin on May 12 in Holmdel, NJ at the PNC Bank Arts Center with Randy Houser and special guest Cam. Fans can purchase tickets beginning Friday (1/29) for select cities as part of Live Nation’s Country Megaticket at www.Megaticket.com.

    Since moving from Phoenix to Nashville in the 1990s, Bentley has established his own artistic trail in country music. Instead of rehashing proven formulas, he’s doggedly reinvented his sound and subsequently developed an uncommon mix of commercial success and critical respect. RISER debuted at No. one on the Billboard country album chart, and its trio of chart-topping singles upped his career tally to 13 No one. songs as a songwriter and artist. He’s now amassed 13 GRAMMY nominations and dozens of other award show nominations. Additionally, Bentley has been a Grand Ole Opry member for over a decade and will co-host the 51st Annual ACM Awards this April on CBS. For more information on new music, upcoming tour dates and appearances, visit www.dierks.com.

    Check previous story for soundbite & liners here.

  • CHARLES KELLEY’S GRAMMY NOMINATION CAME AT THE PERFECT TIME.

    Charles Kelley’s “The Driver,” featuring Dierks Bentley and Eric Paslay, is nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, and he says the nod couldn’t have come at a better time.

    “There’s definitely been some ups and downs with it of just the realization that I am starting fresh again. You know, trying to connect the dots between Charles Kelley and that guy from Lady Antebellum has kind of been a funny experience and a humbling experience, but something that has been good for me. It gives me a lot of fight for wanting to get this music heard,” says Charles. “Right when maybe I was getting a little frustrated, I get this news of a Grammy nomination for ‘The Driver,’ and it just put everything in perspective for me. I made this project or recorded this music, because I just wanted to make music that I believed in and moved me. And to have that kind of recognition early was just, I guess, an encouragement.”

    • The 58th Annual Grammy Awards will broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles February 15th on CBS.
    • Charles is set to release his full-length album, The Driver, February 5th.

     

    Audio / Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum says his Grammy nod for “The Driver” came at the best time.

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    Charles Kelley (Grammy nomination 2016) OC: …artistically, for sure. 1:08
    “This Grammy nomination, it came at the perfect time for me. This project, there’s definitely been some ups and downs with it of just the realization that I am starting fresh again. You know, trying to connect the dots between Charles Kelley and that guy from Lady Antebellum has kind of been a funny experience and a humbling experience, but something that has been good for me. It gives me a lot of fight for wanting to get this music heard. Right when maybe I was getting a little frustrated, I get this news of a Grammy nomination for ‘The Driver,’ and it just put everything in perspective for me. I made this project or recorded this music, because I just wanted to make music that I believed in and moved me. And to have that kind of recognition early was just, I guess, an encouragement. Went back in the studio, of course, and finished out the project with just even more of a kind of confidence moving forward. With Dave and Hillary, as a band, there’s having someone else there to kind of, I guess, lean on has always been nice. With me, I’m in a little bit more of a vulnerable position, I guess, being all alone. And so, this Grammy meant, it meant a lot artistically, for sure.”

    Video / The Driver video

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  • DIERKS BENTLEY PERFORMS ‘SOMEWHERE ON A BEACH’ ON ELLEN.

    Watch Dierks Bentley perform his new single, “Somewhere on a Beach,” on the Ellen DeGeneres Show below. He also presents a fan with a once-in-a-lifetime present: flying on a private jet to the Crashh My Playa event his weekend.

    Video / Dierks Bentley debuts 'Somewhere on a Beach' on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and gives a lucky fan a trip of a lifetime.