Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

Kacey Musgraves is set to appear on RuPaul’s Drag Race AllStars 4 on Friday (December 21st) beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on VH1.

https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/1075514958996217856

Keith Urban, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, will headline the Allstate Championship Tailgate prior to the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship on January 7^th. The game will take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Keith, who is making his way up the country charts with “Never Coming Down,” will follow his performance at Allstate Championship Tailgate by kicking off the Australian leg of his Graffiti U World Tour in January 2019 and before his first European tour in nearly a decade.

Travis Denning is a huge fan of George Strait, and he pays tribute to him with thoughts and an acoustic version of “Troubadour.”

The King is BACK, and you won’t find anyone more excited than me. Everything I love about country music can be found in @GeorgeStrait. pic.twitter.com/CBi8car595

— Travis Denning (@Travis_Denning) December 12, 2018

Jon Pardi likes a good holiday movie. One of his favorite Christmas films is Bad Santa, starring Billy Bob Thornton, but for the PG crowd, it would have to be Elf.

“Bad Santa’s pretty good,” he says. “But I have to say if you’re gonna watch it with little cousins, I would have to say Elf is pretty much probably one of the funniest Christmas movies to ever be that new and beat out all of the old Christmas movies. It is definitely up there.”

After the holidays, Jon will join his buddy Dierks Bentley on the 2019 Burning Man Tour, which kicks off January 17th in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Jon Langston’s father tried to pull a fast one on Christmas. Jon kept pestering his parents for a green bicycle when he was a young child, but something seemed a little off when Jon came downstairs on Christmas morning.

“When I was like five or six, I had a red bike, and all I wanted was a green bike. I wanted a cool, green, long goose bike. So, I came downstairs to see what Santa brought me, and I see a green bike down next to the tree, and I come rushing to it and I’m looking at it, and I’m like, ‘Hold up. Something’s not right.’ It’s the SAME bike. My dad just spray painted it green,” laughs Jon. “I was like, ‘This is the same bike!’ I’m like picking at it, looking at the paint under it. Oh yeah, that’s one of my favorite Christmas memories is dogging on my dad, because it’s just funny.”

Jon can’t really pick out one Christmas movie, because he loves them all, but if he had to watch just one, it would have to be The Christmas Story. “My favorite holiday movie would have to be Elf, The Grinch, Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation. I could go on,” says the Georgia native. “I love Christmas movies, but I think I would have to say my favorite is probably The Christmas Story ‘cause I just grew up watching it.”

Kassi Ashton grew up in a rural town called California, Missouri, and she took ballet and other dance classes for many years. So, one of her favorite Christmas memories include being in The Nutcracker every year. “One of my favorite Christmas traditions growing up was always being a part of The Nutcracker,” says Kassi. “[I took] ballet my entire life, and now that I’ve graduated and moved on, I go see The Nutcracker at the Nashville Ballet every year. I can’t wait to have a little girl some day and put her in ballet class.”

Kassi loves Christmas music, especially the holiday classics. “My favorite thing about Christmas hands down is Christmas music. I start playing eh, the day after Thanksgiving usually, if not a little sooner. I love the classics – Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, anything that you know by heart and you don’t have to really think about. Christmas songs are the best,” she says. “My favorite Christmas song is ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ by Judy Garland in the key of G, because that’s my key [laughs], and I can sing along perfectly.” [laughs]

Kassi is one of three recipients of the first-ever CMA KixStart Artist Scholarship. Throughout the next year, CMA and its staff will provide support for the artists, helping connect each with professionals within the industry as well as providing unique opportunities to participate in CMA-related events during CMA Fest, CMA Awards and C2C: Country 2 Country festival in the U.K.

Kip Moore answers five questions, including what he has to have on the road, his favorite food (when not being healthy) and what he would tell his 13-year-old self. Check it out below.

Another round of 5 questions coming up! @KipMooreMusic tells us his favorite food, his must-haves on the road and the advice he would give to his 13-year-old self! pic.twitter.com/Cw1Q8CWVyk

— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) December 18, 2018

Kip is currently sitting inside the Top 10 with his latest hit, “Last Shot.”

Mickey Guyton usually goes home to Texas for Christmas every year, and the thing that has to be on the dinner table is her mom’s Italian Cream Cake, which is also a staple at Thanksgiving.

“My mom makes this homemade, from scratch, Italian Cream Cake. It’s so freaking good, and every Christmas and every Thanksgiving, she makes this,” says Mickey. “Our families all come to my parents’ house, and we have a big dinner, and that’s the first thing that to go. That’s like the first thing that people eat the most.”

The songstress released her version of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman,” from the smash hit, Frozen, a few years ago. She says it, along with a classic, are her favorite holiday songs. “My favorite Christmas song is ‘O Holy Night,’ but I really love ‘Do You Want to Build a Snowman.’ So, both of those are like my all-time favorite.”

Chris Stapleton, Emmylou Harris, Eric Church, Jimmy Buffett, Bobby Bare, Jamey Johnson, Lukas Nelson, Margo Price, Micah Nelson, Nathaniel Rateliff, Ray Benson, and Steve Earle have been added to the all-star lineup of Willie: Life & Songs Of An American Outlaw, A Willie Nelson All-Star Concert Celebration. They join previously announced performers Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, The Avett Brothers, George Strait, Jack Johnson, John Mellencamp, Kris Kristofferson, Lee Ann Womack, Lyle Lovett,Norah Jones and The Little Willies, Sheryl Crow, Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks, and Vince Gill.

This once-in-a-lifetime concert event will take place Saturday, January 12th, 2019 at 7PM CT at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. This historic event will honor living legend Willie Nelson and feature his greatest hits performed by today’s biggest superstars.

The event will be filmed for a broadcast television special to premiere on A&E Network in 2019.

Additional tickets have just been released and are on sale now online at Livenation.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, and at the Bridgestone Arena box office. VIP packages including great seats and exclusive merchandise are also available.

In his 85th year, Willie Nelson is more prolific than ever. In 2018 alone, he’s released his 67th studio album (Last Man Standing), a stirring collection of his favorite Sinatra songs (My Way) and headlined the largest touring festival in North America (Outlaw Music Festival). Willie is America’s music hero. It’s hard to put into words what he means to singers, songwriters, musicians, and people all over the world. Through life’s ups and downs, heartbreaks and rewards, Willie and his songs have been a dear and constant friend to all of us. He’s a trusted father figure to millions of Americans by lifting them up through FARM AID and his annual JULY 4th PICNIC. He’s the clear inspiration for dozens of today’s biggest music stars
from all genres of music.

Little Big Town will be featured on NBC’s Today Show on Wednesday (December 19th). The segment was shot during their annual Christmas program at Blackberry Farm this past weekend.

Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour album, which was named CMA Album of the Year last month, has made it onto several Best of 2018 album lists. The latest include AP (Associated Press) and GQ.

Maddie & Tae have been added to the Country Thunder lineup in Kissimmee, Florida March 22nd – March 24th.

Kip Moore took to the stage for a sold-out “Evening with Kip Moore at the GRAMMY Museum”on Friday night (December 14th) in Los Angeles. Hosted by Executive Director Scott Goldman, Moore offered insight into his career path so far and played a powerful solo acoustic set for the packed audience at the GRAMMY Museum’s Clive Davis Theater.

During the evening, Moore answered questions from the audience, and his performance included a moving rendition of his current Top 10 single “Last Shot” and the fitting “It Ain’t California” for the LA crowd, taken from his recently released ROOM TO SPARE: THE ACOUSTIC SESSIONS EP. 

Moore recently announced the extension of his Room To Spare: Acoustic Tour, following a sold-out run this fall. Moore will head out on a stacked tour with shows scheduled in the U.S., Canada and The U.K. Tickets to all four dates of Moore’s upcoming U.K. shows in London, Glasgow, Birmingham, and Manchester sold out within minutes of going on sale on Friday.

Kip Moore’s current single “Last Shot” is the second taken from his revered third studio album SLOWHEART and follows his fourth No. One hit “More Girls Like You.” Moore’s third studio album SLOWHEART garnered instant praise from critics as his “most complete, cohesive declaration of his artistic sensibilities yet” (NPR,) as well landing on multiple “Best Of” lists including Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, UpRoxx, Bobby Bones Show, Taste Of Country, Sounds Like Nashville, The Boot, PopMatters and Whiskey Riff. SLOWHEART follows the acclaim that surrounded Moore’s sophomore album WILD ONES and his PLATINUM debut album UP ALL NIGHT that spawned three No. One hit singles, including GOLD certified “Beer Money,” PLATINUM certified “Hey Pretty Girl,” and the DOUBLE PLATINUM breakout hit “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck.” For more information, visit kipmoore.net.

Photo credit: Courtesy of the Recording Academy™/photo by Rebecca Sapp, Getty Images © 2018
Right Photo: Kip Moore pictured with Executive Director of the GRAMMY Museum, Scott Goldman

Clare Dunn is headed home to southeast Colorado for Christmas to celebrate with her parents and sister. When she has time to watch a Christmas classic, it’s usually either White Christmas or Christmas Vacation.

When she and her family sit down for Christmas dinner, it’s not your usual turkey or ham. “I’m a steak girl, so I always talk my parents into grilling steak at Christmas,” she laughs. “So, that’s usually my favorite thing about Christmas, food-wise.”

You can see Clare perform a pair of songs during The 87th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade. While it premiered on the CW Network on December 14th, American Forces Network and the Hallmark Channel will air on December 19th and December 22nd, respectively. (Check local listings for times in your area.)