Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

Dierks Bentley earns his 18th No. 1 single with “Burning Man” (featuring Brothers Osborne) today as the fiery-but-reflective track tops the Mediabase/Country Aircheck singles charts this week. Serving as the second consecutive chart topper from Bentley’s ninth studio album THE MOUNTAIN, “his most affecting song” (Rolling Stone) inspired his 2019 BURNING MAN TOUR that will continue with shows this week in Canada, before returning stateside for the kickoff of the US leg on Thursday (1/31) in Spokane, WA.

“I felt an authentic connection to this song the first time I heard and my attachment to it has only strengthened night after night as I watch our fans connect with it. It is as much their song as it is mine…we all face that push and pull of who we are as people. As always, I’m very grateful to Country Radio for continuing to help share this journey.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtKaaT1lwEs/

“I’m a huge fan of those guys. They’re friends. We play in a side band together, a ‘90s country cover band called the Hot Country Knights with a K for anyone who wants to look us up,” says Dierks says of John and TJ Osborne. “So, we’re just pals, and it’s like this song feels like something that they would sing, you know? It feels like if they’d got this one before I did, they probably would’ve cut it. It was so easy. I just called ‘em up and sent the song and got a huge ‘Yes’ back from both of them right away. They came into the studio like two days later.”

https://twitter.com/brothersosborne/status/1089915157881462784

Dierks continues his Burning Man Tour this week with stops in Kelowna, BC (January 28th) and Vancouver (January 29th), followed by shows in Spokane and Tacoma, Washington, as well as Eugene (Oregon) later this week. He’s joined on the trek by Jon Pardi, Tenille Townes and Hot Country Knights.

Rising country artist Brandon Lay wrapped up an impressive 2018, making it a year of many firsts for the newcomer. Over the Summer, Brandon joined Kenny Chesney on his Trip Around The Sun stadium tour, garnering impressive remarks from critics for his energetic live show and his songwriting. The official recap video from the 19 stadium dates can be seen HERE.

This Fall, Brandon and his wife welcomed their son Ryder Knox Lay two days before Lay made his Grand Ole Opry debut. To make the evening even more memorable, Brandon left the Opry stage that night and headed to the hospital to bring home his new family. Capping off the year and celebrating their first holidays together, he released a cover of “Tennessee Christmas”, which was recorded with wife Nicole and their newborn son.

Kicking off the new year, Brandon was named a 2019 Artist to Watch by The Tennessean, PopCulture.com, The Boot, and Country Music Tattle Tale. The news follows the end-of-year announcement that Brandon was tapped to be part of the Vevo DSCVR Class of 2019, the only country music artist represented in the class, and CMT’s Listen Up Artists of 2019. Brandon’s single “Yada Yada Yada” is currently No. 37 and climbing the country radio charts. Brandon is in the studio writing and recording for his debut album.

Kassi Ashton, one of the most compelling rising stars in Nashville, has released her highly-anticipated new song “Violins” today. Produced by Luke Dick and Luke Laird, and co-written by Kassi, Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby, the empowering anthem seesaws between her dynamic delivery, raucous twang, and wailing guitars.

Kassi’s undeniably authentic lyrics are on full display, as she shuts down deceitful former lovers with a chantable hook that almost everyone can relate to, “I can’t hear the violins you’re playin, there’s no symphony inside my head.  I’ve got my own marching band, guess I lost my give a damn.” “Violins” is available now on all digital streaming platforms, and the accompanying lyric video can be seen HERE.

“We (Natalie Hemby, Luke Dick and I) were sitting in Luke’s studio one morning. We got on the subject of my exes and how all of them had been unfaithful to me,” Kassi said about the initial inspiration for the track. “We were discussing the steps of getting over it and how they usually all come running back, whining, begging for a second chance. That’s when I rolled my eyes, raised two fingers to my ear and mimicked what my dad used to call ‘the world’s smallest violin’ to accompany their take-me-back tears. I started joking, saying that for most, I didn’t even care to serenade their second chance efforts. I didn’t have time for that because I have better shit to do. It was Natalie’s idea to call it ‘Violins’ and Luke brought the funk. I just had to bring the attitude and experience.”

About Kassi Ashton
Kassi Ashton brought a whole new attitude of her own to country music upon arrival in 2017. The California, Missouri singer and songwriter initially touched down with a string of critically acclaimed tracks. Released by UMG Nashville in conjunction with Interscope, her introductory release “California, Missouri” stirred up widespread critical acclaim from Taste of Country, CMT, The Boot, and many more. As her profile grew, she lent her voice to the standout “Drop Top” on Keith Urban’s chart-topping 2018 album, Graffiti U. He went on to describe her as “such a unique, original creature.” Expanding on her confessional and catchy storytelling, she maintained momentum on the summer solo song “Taxidermy.”  Named “Who to Watch” by Huffington Post and The Tennessean, radio personality Bobby Bones included her among his Class of 2018. Rolling Stone lauded her as “a devilish songwriter who isn’t afraid to flip convention on its head,” and Refinery29 also claimed, “she blends pop aesthetics with a presence doused in no-fucks-left-to-give authenticity.” She continues to defy convention and define a signature style on the 2019 single “Violins”—and a whole lot more to come.

Dierks Bentley is a very, very busy man, and he’s always got something new going on in his life and career. Not only is he a singer-songwriter-entertainer, but he’s a bar owner (Whiskey Row) with several locations, a husband, father and so much more. He’s also an Executive Producer of a new Fox TV project he describes as “Cheers meets Nashville” that he hopes gets picked up by the network.

“Looking at the first script, it’s funny. You could see it being on TV. It looks like a really funny show,” says Dierks. “Nashville’s changed so much, and everyone has an idea of what Nashville is, and this kind of goes back, it’s Nashville now, but also it plays off of the Nashville that exists in people’s minds, you know, singers walking down the street with a guitar, busking and moving here to get a dream. That still happens. People move here every day with a guitar hoping to make a dream happen. You don’t see it as much ‘cause the city’s gotten so big, but it still exists. So, this kind of examines this whole side of Nashville. The bar owner, she’s been there for a long time — seen ‘em all come, seen ‘em all go. Nothing fazes her. Kind of rough on the outside, but the inside is a teddy bear; all these characters in the bar, and obviously, there’s gonna be a live music component to it. So, it felt like something that was the right time for me and I could get excited about and have the energy to get fully involved in.”

For Dierks, something really needs to grab his attention and creativity if he’s going to say yes and take time away from his family and his music.

“I think I’ve learned over the years and having kids and being busy this life comes down to a really big YES or it’s just a no. Unless something’s a really big YES, you just say no, and it just helps simplifies all of your answers,” he says. “I’ve been presented with a lot of reality TV opportunities and commercials and stuff, and through that basis of yes and no and searching for the big YES in life, I’ve been able to make those decisions pretty clearly, usually no. But this came along, and I love the idea of it. It’s kind of like Cheers TV show meets Nashville. What I saw initially was so funny, and Executive Producer is a great role for me because I don’t have to be on camera and I don’t have to go to L.A. every weekend.”

In addition, CMT’s Cody Alan reports Dierks may also be at the helm of a reality television show based on his feisty ’90s cover band, Hot Country Knights.

Dierks is poised to enter the top of the country charts with his latest hit, “Burning Man,” featuring Brothers Osborne.

The Arizona native is also headlining his current Burning Man Tour, which makes stops in Edmonton (January 24^th), Calgary (January 26^th), Kelowna (January 28^th) and Vancouver (January 29^th).

Alan Jackson’s has been thrilling lovers of real country music for nearly three decades…and he’s about to continue that tradition as he embarks on another year of concert performances with this weekend’s start of his 2019 tour!

The country music icon opens his new tour with shows Friday in Louisville, Kentucky and Saturday in Greenville, South Carolina. Several weekends of concerts will follow through the spring, summer and into the fall as the three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year headlines arena concerts and amphitheater shows (detailed listing below, with more dates still to be added) in city-after-city.

Tickets and information for all Alan Jackson 2019 Tour dates are available at alanjackson.com/tour, where you can find information about Alan, his tour schedule, music and more. Jackson is again teaming up with CID Entertainment to offer fans VIP experiences at many of his 2019 shows.

Alan Jackson has been celebrating and telling real-life stories in his music since arriving on the scene in 1989. His concerts are filled with three decades of hits that have gained him legions of longtime fans – songs that draw added crowds as a younger generation discovers his music. Jackson’s repertoire stands the test of time; it has impacted a field of artists who cite him an influence…and his music has earned him a place alongside music’s greatest names, cementing his place in its history with membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Fans will hear the songs they love from the man who wrote and made them famous – his debut hit “Here in The Real World”…signature songs “Chattahoochee,” “Drive” and “Gone Country”…party anthems “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” and “Good Time”…and many more.

The country superstar brings exciting talent on the road with him in 2019. Newcomer William Michael Morgan will be Jackson’s special guest on most shows; hitmaker Randy Houser will play the role on selected dates (see listing below). Jackson has a long history of giving new and rising stars their first chances to perform in front of arena-size crowds – artists who’ve been on one of their “first big tours” with Alan include Brad Paisley, LeAnn Rimes, Sara Evans, Chris Young and, more recently, Jon Pardi and Lauren Alaina.

In addition to Morgan and Houser, many of Jackson’s shows will include a brief performance by an aspiring singer-songwriter who currently performs at AJ’s Good Time Bar, his self-owned honky-tonk on downtown Nashville’s famed “Lower Broadway.” The rotating list of newcomers (see listing below) taking the stage includes James Carothers, Amanda Daughtry and Jay Bragg along with two artists that are to-be-determined by a fan-voted “Wild Card” contest (https://www.ajsgoodtimebar.com/vote) that runs through February 8.

Alan Jackson’s touring history has taken him across America and to places far beyond, and his music has gained him fans around the globe. Beginning this weekend, he continues his tradition of “keepin’ it country” for people far and wide as he brings nearly 30 years of hits to a city near you!

ALAN JACKSON’S 2019 TOUR
(Dates Already On Sale, Unless Otherwise Noted)

Fri., January 25           Louisville, KY (KFC Yum! Center)*                                    with William Michael Morgan

Sat., January 26          Greenville, SC (Bon Secours Wellness Arena)*               with William Michael Morgan

Fri., February 22         Madison, WI (Alliant Energy Center)***                             with William Michael Morgan

Sat., February 23        Grand Rapids, MI (Van Andel Arena)***                           with William Michael Morgan

Sun., March 10           Bossier City, LA (CenturyLink Center)****                         with William Michael Morgan

Fri., April 12                Oklahoma City, OK (Chesapeake Energy Arena) ++ ***  with William Michael Morgan

Sat., April 13               Omaha, NE (CHI Health Center)***                                   with Randy Houser

Fri., April 26                Fort Wayne, IN (War Memorial Coliseum)****                  with William Michael Morgan

Fri., May 10                 Columbus, OH (Schottenstein Center)****                        with William Michael Morgan

Sat., May 11                Roanoke, VA (Berglund Center) ~~                                  with William Michael Morgan

Fri., May 17                 Winston-Salem, NC (Veterans Mem. Coliseum)**            with William Michael Morgan

Sat., May 18                Hershey, PA (Giant Center)**                                            with William Michael Morgan

Fri., August 9              Rogers, AR (Walmart AMP)*                                             with William Michael Morgan

Sat., August 10           Wichita, KS (Intrust Bank Arena) ++ *                               with William Michael Morgan

Fri., August 23            N. Charleston, SC (N. Charleston Coliseum)                    with Randy Houser

Sat., August 24           Charlotte, NC (Spectrum Center)                                      with Randy Houser

Fri., September 20      Orlando, FL (Amway Arena) ^^ **                                      with William Michael Morgan

Sat., September 21     Jacksonville, FL (Veterans Memorial Coliseum) ++ **      with William Michael Morgan

^^   Tickets on sale Friday, February 1

++  Tickets on sale Friday, February 8

~~  Tickets on sale on TBD

*     featuring AJ’s Good Time Bar artist James Carothers
**   featuring AJ’s Good Time Bar artist Amanda Daughtry
***  featuring AJ’s Good Time Bar artist Jay Bragg

**** featuring AJ’s Good Time Bar artist to-be-determined

More Shows to Be Added!!

The trailer for Shania Twain’s film with John Travolta, “Trading Paint,” has been released. The movie which features Shania playing “Becca,” the love interest of John Travolta’s character, is set to arrive in theaters nationwide February 22nd.

IMDB.com describes the film as a “veteran race car driver and his son, a fellow driver from a small town overcome family and professional conflicts, balancing competition, ego, resentment and a racing nemesis to come out stronger on the other side.”

The film also stars Michael Madsen, Barry Corbin and Kevin Dunn. This is Shania’s first non-cameo role in a movie.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZO1GF7nyMW/

Keith Urban kicked off his Grafitti U World Tour 2019 Down Under in Newcastle, Australia this week, and his “Coming Home” co-writer and duet partner Julia Michaels is along for the ride.

NEWCASTLE • 1.23.19 • #GraffitiUWorldTour Australia pic.twitter.com/lDA5wmaRaM

— Keith Urban (@KeithUrban) January 23, 2019

He will take the trek to Sydney for a two-night stand on Friday (January 25th), followed by stops in Canberra, Brisband and Melbourne. He will then have a couple of weeks off before he heads to Europe for five shows during the C2C Festival beginning March 3rd in Berlin. For more tour date information, go to keithurban.net.

Keith is currently making his way up the U.S. country charts with his latest hit, “Never Comin’ Down.”

Chris Stapleton announced the 2019 leg of his All-American Road Show Tour this week, as well as a date at the Hollywood Palladium in L.A. February 10th and a handful of dates during the C2C Festival in the U-K next month. He’ll be joined by a variety of opening acts, including Brothers Osborne, Margo Price, Brent Cobb, Kendell Marvel and the Marcus King Band. He’ll also play a show with George Strait in Atlanta at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium March 30th.

The actual tour kicks off July 9th in Allentown, Pennsylvania and will span through November 2nd in Louisville.

Check out the dates below.

In the meantime, Chris, who is making his way up the country charts with “Millionaire,” is nominated for three GRAMMY Awards, including Best Country Album (From A Room: Volume 2) and Best Country Solo Performance (“Millionaire”) as well as Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for his performance on Justin Timberlake’s “Say Something.” The 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards will broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles February 10th at 8pm ET on CBS.

Carrie Underwood and husband Mike Fisher welcomed a bouncing baby boy – Jacob Bryan Fisher – on Monday (January 21st).

Carrie made the announcement on her socials on Wednesday (January 23^rd), including photos of her holding Jacob; Mike holding his newborn son and big brother four-year-old Isaiah holding him, propped up by a big fluffy pillow.

The mom of two wrote, “Jacob Bryan Fisher entered the world in the wee hours of the morning on Monday…his mom, dad and big brother couldn’t be happier for God to trust them with taking care of this little miracle! Our hearts are full, our eyes are tired and our lives are forever changed. Life is good…”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs_U3ooAyrJ/

Carrie, who’s currently riding high on the country charts with “Love Wins,” will get to spend some time with her newborn son and the rest of the family before she kicks off her Cry Pretty Tour 360 on May 1st in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Brothers Osborne is set to perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon tonight, January 22, airing at 11:35/10:35c on NBC. Marking their Tonight Show debut, the reigning ACM and CMA Vocal Duo of the Year will perform their current single “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)” which they cowrote with Shane McAnally and Matt Dragstrem. “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)” is featured on the duo’s critically-acclaimed sophomore album, Port Saint Joe, and continues to garner praise from critics with Rolling Stone calling it, “a stunner of a love song.”

Brothers Osborne now stands as five-time GRAMMY nominees as they are currently nominated for Best Country Album (Port Saint Joe) in addition to Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their “earth-scorching” (All Access) Top 30 single “Shoot Me Straight.”  These nominations join their previously nominated performances for their No.1 Platinum smash hit “Stay A Little Longer,” rowdy Top 10 Platinum hit “It Ain’t My Fault” and the nostalgic “21 Summer.”

The Maryland Natives are currently on the road as part of their headlining world tour which started in the UK and Canada and kicked off the US portion in front of a sold-out crowd in Chicago earlier this month. The duo continues to sell out every venue they’ve played so far with notable cities including London, Glasgow, Toronto and Detroit. The duo will hit over 40 additional markets through April including three sold-out dates at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium as well as upcoming sold-out shows in New York, Boston and Philadelphia.

For a full list of tour dates, news, images and more, visit: www.BrothersOsborne.com