Dierks Bentley
Bio
GRAVEL & GOLD Bio
There comes a time in any climb up one of Colorado’s famous 14,000 foot peaks when, after a few hours of striving, you pause on a ledge, turn around, and marvel at the vista and the ground you’ve covered. That’s where Dierks Bentley finds himself, 20 years into an exceptional career in 21st century country music. The view is breathtaking for sure, but this is a multi-platinum artist in peak shape, his eyes fixed on the summit.
The 2020 pandemic gave Bentley a moment to breathe and think about his journey to this point and the possibilities for the heights that lay ahead. The break led to a new burst of creativity. With one foot in Nashville and one in his beloved second home of Colorado, he worked harder than he ever had on an album – his landmark tenth, Gravel & Gold.
It’s a diverse, 14-track album – written almost entirely by Dierks with his closest collaborators – about perspective and self-awareness at many levels from the personal to the professional. It’s also a testament to the many strains of country music Bentley has mastered and cultivated in his career, from the arena shaker to the barroom weeper to the bluegrass fireballer. In its opening track “Same Old Me,” Bentley recognizes that midlife demands adjustments and adaptations – as well as nurturing the inner fire of the 18-year-old country music fanatic who first arrived in Nashville in the 1990s. Fifty minutes later, we’re in an intimate circle with Music City’s greatest pickers, trading licks and laughs on a witty song about getting high. It was no easy thing to encompass in one record the values and sounds that have defined Bentley across two decades of hits and millions of touring miles, but he’s pulled it off. The story of Gravel & Gold is one of renewal, family, persistence and devotion to making the music as authentic and lasting as it can possibly be.
“I was in Colorado and I was definitely kind of pushing music away for a little bit,” says Bentley about the limbo of 2020. “I put the guitar in a case, I didn’t even get it out.” Playing outdoors “was just the greatest feeling of all time. I could never get enough bike rides and never get enough skiing and never get enough hikes or walks with my family.” It was the break from touring he (and his colleagues) dream about but dare not take. The home that Bentley, wife Cassidy and their three kids have had in Telluride for the past few years, a relatively modest manifestation of multi-platinum success, went from being a fun getaway to a sanctuary during a tough time for the country. Bentley hails from the West after all, and his passion for its landscapes and its “Rocky Mountain freedom” sparkles on track two of Gravel & Gold, “Sunsets In Colorado.”
Under such ideal circumstances for rest and revitalization, it was just a matter of time before the guitar came back out and songs began to flow, initially on Zoom sessions and visits to Telluride by some country music buddies. Bentley could feel the industry stirring 1,500 miles away, and he hadn’t released a new album since The Mountain in the summer of 2018. “I started doing writer’s retreats and got a bunch of songs. We came back to Nashville and cut 15 songs at the Sound Emporium with my band,” he says. But when he sat with the results, Bentley realized it was not going to be so simple. Take two involved working with an old co-writing friend who shifted to the producer role. They cut five songs and took stock, and Bentley still wasn’t satisfied. The next mix of collaborators hit the target: a combination of Ross Copperman, Red Shippen, Jon Randall and Brett Beavers. Bentley stepped into the producer role for the first time. Some of the songs on Gravel & Gold were recorded three times by the time the process was over, but you only get one chance to make a tenth album. Bentley had never had quite so much freedom to make sure every line, every instrumental part, every vocal harmony, every texture, was up to par.
“All you can do is try to make something that you don’t have any regrets about. You know you put all the time you could into it. It wasn’t rushed. It’s as good as I can make it – as good as we can make it. I can look at it for the rest of my life and be like, yeah, that was harder than I thought it would be, but it worked out.”
After “Same Old Me” and “Sunsets In Colorado” establish key themes close to Bentley’s personal story, “Heartbreak Drinking Tour” calls on country music’s capacity for telling stories of others, and of all of us. In this blue-lit classic that could have been on the radio in any of the past four decades, a guy moves to the west coast for love, and when it comes crashing down, he makes his way homeward, drowning his sorrows and crashing in every town along the way, set to some clever wordplay. “Something Real” reasserts the importance of holding on to integrity and self in a world of pressures, while “Still,” one of Bentley’s favorite tracks, is a spacious and lovely meditation on staying spiritually grounded, largely through the power and freshness of nature, whether the titanic Rockies or the shady trails of Nashville’s parks. “Cowboy Boots” features sharp writing about a timeless but humble subject, while “Beer At My Funeral” gives the album a jab of Roger Miller humor at 21st century arena scale.
“Gold,” the album’s first single, falls in the middle of the project, refreshing its core theme of perspective with a road-trip vibe and wisdom that can only be earned by putting in the years and the work. “They say heaven is somewhere on the other side,” sings Bentley. “But I ain’t waitin’, Hell I’m thinkin’ it’s a state of mind.” A similar gratitude for connection and life’s gentle gifts can be found in “Walking Each Other Home.” And to round out the generous collection, we get “High Note,” a song that taps Bentley’s passion for and experience with bluegrass music, not to mention his friends. The witty track about Colorado’s now-legal intoxicant concludes with a super jam featuring Billy Strings and Jerry Douglas on dobro, Sam Bush on mandolin, Charlie Worsham on guitar along with Bryan Sutton on guitar and banjo.
This final track carries Bentley full circle to his formative years in Nashville. He arrived from his native Phoenix with a hunger for all kinds of country music, a love of classic WSM-AM and the Grand Ole Opry, and a willingness to seek out knowledge and greatness wherever it could be found. So when Bentley first discovered Nashville’s Station Inn, the venerable bluegrass bar in a then decrepit part of downtown, he felt like he found a second home and family. Meanwhile, he filled notebooks with classic country songs and played them at bars downtown well before the Lower Broadway boom. He landed a song publishing deal in 2001 and a record deal followed with Capitol, his career home, two years later. Bentley saw his first single “What Was I Thinkin’” climb to No. 1 on the Billboard country chart. In the remarkable year of 2005, he released his sophomore project Modern Day Drifter, secured the CMA Horizon Award as best new artist and was asked to join the Opry.
In the years since, Bentley has built a vast fan community and performed consistently at the top tiers of his industry without chasing trends or making music that wasn’t satisfying to himself. While other artists came and went, he has cultivated longevity and legacy, with nine albums reaching platinum or gold status, 21 No. 1 hits, three CMA Awards and 14 Grammy Award nominations. He’s launched the annual Seven Peaks Music Festival in Colorado and Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row franchise of bars with four locations. He’s also back playing bluegrass at his beloved Station Inn on a regular basis featuring an acoustic version of the road band he’s valued for so many years, plus special guests from the elite of acoustic music. Nobody can say at this point that his professed love for timeless country music and the soul of Nashville was anything but genuine and lifelong.
“Selfishly I’ve always wanted to have my cake and eat it too,” says Bentley. “I’m in the bluegrass space. I’m in the traditional country space. It’s always been important to me to have the love and support of this community in Nashville, particularly the older establishment and the Opry – and to know that I’m part of the scene at the bigger venues, you know? It’s fun to be out there on the big stage and swing for the whole deal and have that as well.”
It’s a track record of versatility and success that’s unmatched in country music in the past 20 years. More gold undoubtedly lies ahead.
News
View all news on Dierks BentleyCHRISTMAS LINERS 2023
Audio / LINER AJ (Christmas)
Download“Hi! This is Alan Jackson, and I’m wishing y’all a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Billy Currington (Happy Holiday Season)
Download“Hi! Billy Currington here, wishing you and your family a safe and Happy Holiday Season.”
Audio / LINER Brad Paisley (Seasons Greetings)
Download“Season’s Greetings, folks, it’s Brad Paisley, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Brad Paisley (Happy Holidays)
Download“Hey everybody, it’s Brad Paisley. Happy Holidays.”
Audio / LINER Brad Paisley (Happy Holidays) 2
Download“Brad Paisley here. Happy Holidays!”
Audio / LINER Brad Paisley (12 Days of Christmas would include)
Download“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)
Download“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)
Download“Season’s Greetings. This is Brenda Lee, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Brenda Lee (Merry Christmas)
Download“Hi, I’m Brenda Lee with wishes for a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Brenda Lee (Here's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree)
Download“Hi, this is Brenda Lee, and here’s my favorite holiday song, ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”
Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Christmas)
Download“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)
Download“Hi! I’m Carrie Underwood, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Christmas) 2
Download“Hey, it’s Carrie Underwood. From our house to yours – Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (Seasons Greetings)
Download“Season’s Greetings! I’m Carrie Underwood, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Christmas)
Download“Hey everybody, this is Catie Offerman, wishing you a very Merry Christmas, y’all.”
Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Christmas) 2
Download“Hey everybody, this is Catie Offerman. Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Happy Holidays)
Download“Hey everybody, this is Catie Offerman. Happy Holidays.”
Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Christmas) 2
Download“Hey y’all, this is Caylee Hammack. Merry Christmas!”
Audio / LINER Caylee Hammack (Happy Holidays)
Download“Hey y’all, this is Caylee Hammack. Happy Holidays, everybody!”
Audio / LINER Chrissy Metz (Happy Holidays)
Download“Hey! This is Chrissy Metz, wishing you Happy Holidays.”
Audio / LINER Dalton Dover (Christmas)
Download“Hey y’all, this is Dalton Dover. Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Dalton Dover (Christmas) 2
Download“Hey y’all, this is Dalton Dover, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.
Audio / LINER Dalton Dover (Season's Greetings)
Download“Season’s Greetings. I’m Dalton Dover.”
Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Christmas)
Download“Hey y’all! What’s up? This is Darius Rucker, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Christmas)
Download“Hey! This is Dierks Bentley, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Happy Holidays)
Download“Hey everybody! It’s Dierks Bentley, wishing you a very Happy Holiday season.”
Audio / LINER Eric Church (Christmas)
Download“Hey everybody! It’s Eric Church, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER George Strait (Happy Holidays)
Download“Hey everybody! This is George Strait, wishing you and your family a Happy Holiday season.”
Audio / LINER Hootie & The Blowfish (Christmas)
Download“Hey Everybody, we’re Hootie & The Blowfish, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Jon Langston (Christmas)
Download“Hey y’all this is Jon Langston, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Jon Langston (Happy Holidays)
Download“Hey y’all, this is Jon Langston. Happy Holidays.”
Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Merry Christmas)
Download“Hey! This is Jon Pardi, wishing you a Merry Christmas!”
Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Season’s Greetings)
Download“Season’s Greetings, everybody! I’m Jon Pardi, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Merry Christmas) 2
Download“Hey! This is Jon Pardi. Merry Christmas!”
Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (Christmas)
Download“Hey! I’m Jordan Davis, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Jordan Davis (Happy Holidays)
Download“Happy, Happy, Happy Holidays, everybody. I’m Jordan Davis.”
Audio / LINER Josh Ross (Christmas)
Download“Hey, y’all, this is Josh Ross, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Josh Ross (Season’s Greetings)
Download“Season’s Greetings, I’m Josh Ross.”
Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Happy Holidays)
Download“Hey! I’m Josh Turner, wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season.”
Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Seasons Greetings)
Download“Season’s Greetings—I’m Josh Turner, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Merry Christmas)
Download“Hi, I’m Josh Turner with wishes for a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Happy Holidays) 2
Download“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)
Download“Hey y’all, I’m Josh Turner. Wishing you peace, love and joy this holiday season.”
Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Christmas sweater)
Download“Hey y’all, I’m Josh Turner. May all your sweaters be ugly and bright!”
Audio / LINER Kacey Musgraves (Christmas)
Download“Hey! This is Kacey Musgraves, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Kassi Ashton (Christmas)
Download“Hey, it’s Kassi Ashton. I’d love to wish everyone listening a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Christmas)
Download“Hi folks, this is Keith Urban, wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Holiday season)
Download“Hi everyone, this is Keith Urban, wishing you and all your family the very best this holiday season.”
Audio / LINER Kip Moore (Christmas)
Download“Hey guys, this is Kip Moore, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Kip Moore (Happy Holidays)
Download“Hey y’all, it’s Kip Moore. Happy Holidays!”
Audio / LINER Kylie Morgan (Christmas)
Download“Hey y’all, this is Kylie Morgan, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER LBT (Christmas)
Download“Hey! We’re Little Big Town, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER LBT (Very Merry Christmas)
Download“Hey! We’re Little Big Town, and we just want to say Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER LBT (Happy Holidays)
Download“Hey! We’re Little Big Town. Happy Holidays!”
Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Christmas)
Download“Hey! It’s Luke Bryan, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Happy Holidays)
Download“Hey! It’s Luke Bryan. Happy Holidays!”
Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Christmas)
Download“Hi! We’re Maddie & Tae, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Happy Holidays)
Download“Hi! We’re Maddie & Tae. Happy Holidays.”
Audio / LINER Mickey Guyton (Christmas)
Download“Hey! It’s Mickey Guyton, wishing you a Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Parker McCollum (Happy Holidays)
Download“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)
Download“Hi! This is Priscilla Block wishing you a very Merry Christmas.
Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (Christmas)
Download“Hey-Reba here-hoping you have a very Merry Christmas. Ho, Ho, Ho.”
Audio / LINER Reba McEntire (Happy Holidays)
Download“Hey, this is Reba, wishing you a Happy Holiday Season.”
Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Christmas)
Download“Hey everybody! This is Sam Hunt, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Happy Holidays)
Download“Hey everybody! I’m Sam Hunt. Happy Holidays!”
Audio / LINER Shania Twain (Christmas)
Download“Hi! This is Shania Twain, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Taylor Swift (Happy Holiday Season)
Download“Hey, this is Taylor Swift, wishing you a very Happy Holiday Season.”
Audio / LINER Travis Denning (Happy Holidays)
Download“Hey! I’m Travis Denning. Happy Holidays.”
Audio / LINER Travis Denning (Seasons Greetings)
Download“Season’s Greetings. This is Travis Denning, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Tyler Hubbard (Christmas) 1
Download“Hey y’all, it’s Tyler Hubbard. Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Tyler Hubbard (Christmas) 2
Download“Hey y’all, it’s Tyler Hubbard, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
Audio / LINER Tyler Hubbard (Happy Holidays)
Download“Hey y’all, it’s Tyler Hubbard. Happy Holidays.”
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.
DownloadAJ (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.
DownloadBrothers 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.
DownloadCarrie 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.
DownloadCarrie 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
DownloadCatie 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.
DownloadCaylee 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.
DownloadCaylee 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.
DownloadDalton 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.
DownloadDalton 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.
DownloadDarius 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.
DownloadDarius 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!
DownloadDierks 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.
DownloadJon 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.
DownloadJordan 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.
DownloadJordan 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.
DownloadJordan 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.
DownloadJordan 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.
DownloadJosh 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.
DownloadJosh 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.
DownloadKeith (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.
DownloadLBT (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.
DownloadMaddie & 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.
DownloadMickey 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.
DownloadMickey 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.
DownloadParker 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.
DownloadParker 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.
DownloadPriscilla 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.
DownloadReba 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.
DownloadSam 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.
DownloadTravis 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.
DownloadTravis 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.
DownloadTyler 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.