Jordan Davis started a Christmas tradition when he moved to Nashville a few years ago. He goes to the historic Belcourt Theatre to catch a viewing of the classic It’s a Wonderful Life. “They play it at a theater here in town, and it’s something that I really look forward to going and seeing that movie,” he says.

As a young man, he and his brother Jacob asked for a specific present together. “Me and my brother asked for go-karts together, and I was actually worried that we weren’t going to get ‘em, because I knew my mom probably thought we were going to kill ourselves,” says the Louisiana native. “We woke up Christmas morning and me and Jacob, we run into the living room and don’t see a go-kart. I remember being like sad opening presents, and then my dad tells me he thought he heard some reindeer in the backyard. So, we jet to the back of the house and there’s two blue-and-white go-karts in the backyard. So, that’s the one I always remember. That was a great present.”

Another favorite Christmas present Jordan received had two wheels and a peg. “My favorite Christmas present growing up is one I received, I don’t know, I was probably, I don’t know, 7 or 8 years old – it was my first-ever bike with pegs on it. You remember the pegs where you used to be able to carry people on the back of your bike? It was a Dyno GT, it had black wheels, it was silver. I will never forget that gift. It was a special one.”

Jordan says the music that signals the Christmas season is anything by Nat King Cole. “My favorite Christmas song is Nat King Cole’s ‘Buon Natale.’ I don’t know the record it’s on it, [but] we would just play that song over and over and over. So, that’s by far my favorite, but anything by Nat King Cole. I mean Nat King Cole is Christmas to me, always playing, always having some type of Christmas music on. I remember growing up, my mom, she would start on Thanksgiving. We would start listening to Christmas music and anytime you’d walk into the house if Mom was home, there was Christmas music playing.”

So, how soon is too soon to start decorating for Christmas? “My wife Kristen likes us to start around July 15th. No, I’m kidding. If it was up to her, I think we would have Christmas decorations up all year, but you better believe when October ends and November 1 hits, I start seeing a lot more green and red things around the house,” says Jordan. “So, I think it’s totally acceptable to have Christmas decorations out around Thanksgiving. To be honest with you, I think Thanksgiving is the most underrated holidays. It’s one of my favorites, and I like the decorations of Christmas. So, underrated holiday, awesome decorations of Christmas – boom, marry ‘em together. I don’t like to see a Christmas tree around Thanksgiving, though. I think the day after Thanksgiving, you can throw a Christmas tree up, totally acceptable. But, what do I know? All I do is sing songs.”

One of his favorite holiday traditions is pretty simple, but absolutely perfect. “Some of my favorite things at the holiday—every night me, Kristen, the kiddos, we pick a Christmas movie, watch it, or try to watch it, from start to finish. We usually start that right at the beginning of December. I know it’s something really small, but when you spend 120 to 150 a year gone on the road, I truly cherish those times where all five of us are on the couch, hanging out, watching a movie. As small as that is, that is truly my favorite thing about the holidays.”

Also, since both he and his family and his brother, Jacob, and his family live in Nashville, they’ve developed a joint Christmas tradition. “Now we’re in a spot where we have our kids and my brother has his kids, and we’re kind of moving on from the traditions that we had growing up to now we’re kind of creating our own. For us, we do Christmas morning at separate houses. My brother does his at his, you know, we do ours at ours, and then we come together in the afternoon. You know, we have a big lunch, and all the kids play in the backyard or play with the new toys, and then we sit around and cook and watch football and just hang out. So, the afternoon of Christmas day and then the day after when the family is still in town, and there’s not much going on and you’re just really getting to spend some time with family is becoming really special.”

There are a few reasons why this year is pretty special — this will be baby Elijah’s very first Christmas, and it will be the first Christmas that big sister Eloise will truly feel and experience the magic of Christmas…and not to mention another holiday tradition Jordan and his family take in, especially for son Lochlan.

“What I love most about having kids at Christmas is being able to start the new traditions,” he says. “For me, being in Nashville, Nashville does a great job of really getting into the holiday spirit, so taking ‘em out to Opryland Hotel and letting them see the lights, letting ‘em see the trees. My son, Lochlan, he’s obsessed with trains and trucks, so there’s a spot just south of Nashville that we go to, they do Christmas lights and have a train running throughout this big garden thing. It’s really cool. So, being able to do that stuff with them and just really kind of start our own Christmas traditions. We still kind of keep some of those that I’ve had growing up that my Mom and Dad did for me and my brother and my sister, but what’s really cool is me and Kristen get to create our own kind of thing with the kiddos.”

“Christmas is going to be a lot of fun and maybe a little chaotic, but what I am most looking forward to during the holidays is this is my youngest son Elijah’s first Christmas. So, he’s not going to remember it because he’s a baby, but I’m excited to have him here and to celebrate our first Christmas as a family of five.”

“Christmas at my house this year is going to be a special one. This is really the first year that Eloise is kind of truly getting the spirit of Christmas, realizing a little bit more about Santa and kind of getting really, really excited for it. So, it’s cool to see her experience this for kind of the first time. It makes Christmas a lot more fun.”

Jordan is closing in on the Top 25 with his latest hit, “Tucson Too Late.”

Brad Paisley performed “The Medicine Will” from his upcoming album Son of The Mountains on NBC’s TODAY Show on Monday (December 4th).  See performance below.

Brad also performed  “Son of the Mountains” on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Both songs are featured on his recent release, Son of the Mountains: The First Four Tracks.

On Tuesday (December 5th), Brad Paisley is set to appear on the MLB Draft Lottery Special at 5:30p ET/4:30p CT on the MLB Network.

Priscilla Block, along with Brittney Spencer, Caitlyn Smith and Tenille Townes, will perform during the CMT Campfire Sessions: Christmas Edition on Wednesday (December 6th) at 9pm ET/8pm CT on CMT.

.@tenilletownes, @BrittNicx, @priscillablock and @caitlynsmith are bringing all the holiday spirit 🎄🥰

Don't miss a Christmas edition of #CMTCampfireSessions — this Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 9/8c on CMT! pic.twitter.com/3iKOwNfvvR

— CMT (@CMT) December 4, 2023

Holiday-themed "What's In The Box?" with @priscillablock, @tenilletownes, @caitlynsmith and @BrittNicx was … chaos 😂🎄🎅

Don't miss a Christmas edition of #CMTCampfireSessions — Tomorrow, Dec. 6 at 9/8c on CMT! pic.twitter.com/6kmATEFUjq

— CMT (@CMT) December 5, 2023

Little Big Town and Mickey Guyton were among the guests at this year’s Kennedy Center Honors that took place on Sunday (December 3^rd) in Washington, D.C. Billy Crystal, Queen Latifah, Dionne Warwick, the Bee Gees’ Barry Gibb and opera singer Renée Fleming were recognized for their achievements in the performing arts. Other guests included Rob Reiner, Jay Leno, Ariana DeBose, Christine Baranski, Kerry Washington, Michael Buble, Ben Platt and Nancy Pelosi, among others. The 2023 Kennedy Center Honors was filmed for an upcoming television special for CBS and Paramount+. An airdate will be announced in the coming weeks.

Jon Pardi will perform “Beer For Santa” from his new holiday album, Merry Christmas From Jon Pardi, on the CMA Country Christmas Special airing next Thursday, December 14th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC. Jordan Davis will perform “O Come All Ye Faithful,” while The War And Treaty will sing “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” Amy Grant, Trisha Yearwood, Ashley McBryde, Lainey Wilson and Lady A will also perform.

I can’t wait to perform “Beer For Santa” on #CMAchristmas next Thursday, Dec. 14th 8/7c on ABC! Watch for a night full of festive performances 🎄 @CountryMusic pic.twitter.com/DcICGmALHq

— Jon Pardi (@JonPardi) December 5, 2023

Catch the iconic Brenda Lee, along with Wynonna, Mickey Guyton, Chrissy Metz, Trace Adkins, Kelly Clarkson and more, perform during the NBC television special, “Christmas at The Opry,” on Thursday (December 7th) at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

https://twitter.com/BrendaLeeMusic_/status/1731849100344066135

Luke Bryan is set to headline The American Western Weekend in Arlington, Texas next March.

Three-time GRAMMY Award-winner Darius Rucker was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday (December 4th).

Rucker’s star is the 2,766th since the completion of the Walk of Fame in 1961, and it will be just a few feet away from the star belonging to his mentor and friend Charley Pride.

After being introduced by former Universal Music Group Nashville Chairman/CEO Mike Dungan, Rucker shared, “This is stuff you don’t even dream about when you’re from South Carolina…all I ever wanted was to be a singer, but you never dream that this stuff is going to happen.”

“Usually, you’re going record to record or tour to tour, and when this happens, you get to sit down and think about the whole thing,” Rucker shared with Variety as he reflected ahead of receiving the Hollywood Walk of Fame honor. “You think about when the band started, in a dorm at University of South Carolina, and then all the hard work, playing for seven years before you got a record deal. You think about going to Nashville and being told it was never going to work. You think about the first No. 1 [record] you ever had.

“You think about all that stuff, and you have to believe in fate, because one step to the left or one step to the right, and I’m not here talking to you. So you just thank God everything happened the way it did.”

Praised by People for having “never left his humble roots in the rear view,” Rucker recently released his latest album Carolyn’s Boy, an homage to his late mother, a woman he celebrates as the sole reason for “who I am, how I am, what I am.”

Hootie & the Blowfish will hit the road in 2024 for the Summer Camp with Trucks Tour. It will feature special guests Collective Soul and Edwin McCain. It’s slated to start on May 30th and continue until September 28th.