Luke Bryan gave ET an exclusive look at some of the behind-the-scenes of his new video for “What Makes You Country,” which will premiere Thursday (December 13th) at 11am CT. The video features his two sons, Bo and Tate, as well as his nephew Til, their dog Choc and a handful of friends.
Check out the clip below to find out some of the things that make Luke and his boys “country.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrTCXogHlZn/
Kip Moore and his brothers would go on fishing trips with their dad around Christmas before the elder Moore passed away a few years ago, and it was always one of his favorite traditions. Another one of his favorite traditions was watching movies with his family on Christmas Eve.
“The night before Christmas, we would rent a bunch of movies,” says Kip. “My dad would take us to the store, the video store and we would rent a bunch of movies and we’d watch them all through the night. That was always a thing that we’d look forward to was all hanging out together and laugh until 3 or 4 or 5 in the morning, then waking up two hours later for the presents.”
With five brothers and sister and their expanding families back home in Georgia, Kip is having a lot of fun with all of his nieces and nephews around Christmas. “All my brothers and sisters started having kids around the same time a few years ago, so it’s like a house full of little five-year-olds and under just going nuts. So, it’s brought a lot of joy to the house.”
The Georgia native will take some time off after the holidays and then launch the 2019 leg of his Room to Spare Acoustic Tour March 7th in Chicago.
Kip Moore (Christmas) OC: …fishing trips. [laughs] 1:06
“Growing up, the night before Christmas, we would rent a bunch of movies. My dad would take us to the store, the video store and we would rent a bunch of movies and we’d watch them all through the night. That was always a thing that we’d look forward to was all hanging out together and laugh until 3 or 4 or 5 in the morning, then waking up two hours later for the presents. I hope that I can carry that out when I have a family – I’m still a little ways away from that. [laughs] But, I hope, there comes a time for that when I can, you know, I think all of the video stores will be gone by then, so I guess that’ll be a Netflix night, but hopefully I can do that kind of stuff. I really miss it bad going on the fishing trips. I grew up going on tons of fishing trips with my dad and brothers, and usually the holidays were a time to get to do that again, and I hope I can be half as awesome as my dad was with us, and knowing how much he worked taking the time to take us on those fishing trips. I hope I can get the chance to do that with, I might even include my future wife on the fishing trips.” [laughs heartily]
Kip Moore (Christmas kids) OC: …joy to the house. :12
“All my brothers and sisters started having kids around the same time a few years ago, so it’s like a house full of little five-year-olds and under just going nuts. So, it’s brought a lot of joy to the house.”
MCA Nashville’s hot newcomer Jordan Davis has been named Billboard’s Top New Country Artist of 2018. Spurred by the massive success of Jordan’s No.1 Platinum-Certified debut single, “Singles You Up,” Billboard cites impressive streaming numbers along with radio chart success as the criteria for the top honor. Jordan was also recently named the Country Aircheck/Mediabase Most Heard New Artist of 2018 at country radio.
Since its release, “Singles You Up” has accumulated almost 300 Million streams worldwide after sitting on the Spotify US Viral chart for over a month (peaking at No.2) in addition to hitting the Spotify Global Viral chart. “Singles You Up” is featured on the Louisiana native’s debut albumHome State which also includes his current infectious Top 15 single “Take It From Me.”
2018 has been a whirlwind year for the singer/songwriter with highlights including national TV appearances on TODAY as well as Late Night With Seth Meyers, making his Grand Ole Opry debut, charting his first No.1 hit on country radio and embarking on his first headlining “White Wine and Whiskey Tour”.
Critics and audiences alike continue to praise Jordan’s unique blend of classic lyric-writing melded with tech-tinged production. All Accessnotes, “Davis is one of those artists that has a distinctive voice that pairs perfectly with his ability to say things in a new, fashionable way.”Rolling Stone praises Jordan for “melding the songcraft of artists like John Prine and Jim Croce with the genre’s pop progressiveness.”
Jordan recently wrapped touring with Kip Moore as part of the “After The Sunburn Tour” and will next hit the road with Old Dominion on the “Make It Sweet Tour” kicking off in Chicago on January 18. For additional information please visit, www.jordandavisofficial.com
Fans can click HERE to listen to Home State.
The members of Little Big Town have their own traditions, but one they’ve all seemed to have adopted is Kimberly Schlapman’s annual holiday tradition.
“My favorite holiday tradition is, it’s happened every year that I can remember that I’ve been alive,” she says. “We would go over to my grandmother’s house and have Christmas over there, and everybody would come home to Mama and Daddy’s house. We’d sit down and Mama hands out everybody a gift, and we act like we don’t what it is, but we do ’cause it’s always Christmas pajamas. So, everybody opens their Christmas pajamas and goes and puts ’em on, and we come back to the living room and we sit around Daddy and he reads ‘The Christmas Story,’ and we tuck ourselves in until Santa comes.”
For Jimi Westbrook, nothing says Christmas like Elvis Presley. “My favorite Christmas song is this song I start with every year Thanksgiving drive, my first Christmas song to play is Elvis Presley, ‘Santa Claus is Back in Town.’ Sexy. Rockin’. Love it.”
One of Karen Fairchild’s traditions include making candy. “Christmases at our house usually included making candy with my mother and my grandmother,” says Karen. “We did everything from potato candy to chocolate dipped peanut butter (JIMI: “That all sounds amazing.”) and fudge. My mom’s fudge recipe is amazing.” KIMBERLY: “What is potato candy?” KAREN: “It does use a potato, but it’s rolled and it has peanut butter inside.”
Phillip Sweet and his wife Rebecca start early with their gift-giving for daughter Penelopi. “We do a little Christmas tradition in our house,” he says. “We do, you know the little tree in the countdown to Christmas? We put little treats in each little doorway. [Penelopi] opens the countdown to Christmas. (KIMBERLY: “Cuuuute.”) She gets a new little treat every day leading up to Christmas.”
LBT (Christmas tradition) OC: …Santa comes. :28
“My favorite holiday tradition is, it’s happened very year that I can remember that I’ve been alive. We would go over to my grandmother’s house and have Christmas over there, and everybody would come home to Mama and Daddy’s house. We’d sit down and Mama hands out everybody a gift, and we act like we don’t what it is, but we do ’cause it’s always Christmas pajamas. So, everybody opens their Christmas pajamas and goes and puts ’em on, and we come back to the living room and we sit around Daddy and he reads The Christmas Story. And we tuck ourselves in until Santa comes.”
LBT (Holiday movies) OC: (Phillip) …whatever I touch. [LAUGHS] :38
KAREN: “One of our favorite Christmas traditions is gathering around the television to watch holiday movies. And I know [for] Kimberly, it starts with [KIMBERLY: “It’s a Wonderful Life.”] It’s a Wonderful Life. Ours is holiday movies and records, like certain records have to be played in order for Jimi.” JIMI: “You have to start out the season right with Elvis, a little Elvis Presley.” KAREN: “I like the Charlie Brown Christmas movie.” KIMBERLY: “It’s sweet.” KAREN: “Yeah, it is sweet.” JIMI: “I like all those classic ones like the Rudolph and what is the one with the Abominable Snowman?” KIMBERLY: “Frosty, the Snowman?” PHILLIP: [sings] “I’m Mister Heat Miser/whatever I touch…” [LAUGHS] (The song is from the Claymation special ‘A Year Without a Santa Claus.’)
LBT (Karen-candy making) OC: …peanut butter inside. :19
“Christmases at our house usually included making candy with my mother and my grandmother. We did everything from potato candy to chocolate dipped peanut butter (JIMI: “That all sounds amazing.”) and fudge. My mom’s fudge recipe is amazing.” KIMBERLY: “What is potato candy?” KAREN: “It does use a potato, but it’s rolled and it has peanut butter inside.”
LBT (Phillip-tradition) OC: …to Christmas. :13
“We do a little Christmas tradition in our house. We do, you know the little tree in the countdown to Christmas? We put little treats in each little doorway. [Penelopi] opens the countdown to Christmas. (KIMBERLY: “Cuuuute.”) She gets a new little treat every day leading up to Christmas.”
Alan Jackson is the patriarch of a family of five, including his wife Denise and his three daughters Mattie, Ali and Dani. Even though his children are grown, his family usually still stick to their Christmas traditions.
“Christmas is pretty traditional. We don’t let anybody open any presents until Christmas morning,” says Alan. “We don’t let them get up on their own and take off, you know, everybody has to wait and kind of get situated, and maybe have a cup of coffee, and then we start all of the regular Christmas morning activities, opening presents, taking pictures and video. We have music going, you know, I try to keep Christmas music going in the background. I like to turn that on before I let them come down to the tree and everything.”
Alan released his second holiday album, Let It Go, in 2002.
Having four sons now (Hampton, Colby, Marion, Hawke), Josh Turner and his wife Jennifer say it’s easier for their extended families to come to them rather than traveling during the holidays. However, since the boys are used to being on the road throughout the year, it wouldn’t be a huge burden to travel during the holidays either.
“We have kind of made it a point to be at home at Christmas, ‘cause we want the boys to grow up with memories of being at home for Christmas, instead of traveling around going to this place and that place,” says Josh. “It’s definitely a lot easier when people come to us, but we have no problem going somewhere too.”
One thing he’s got to have on the table wherever he is celebrating Christmas is his father’s fried turkey. “My favorite food to eat at Christmas time is probably the fried turkey that my daddy makes every year,” He says. “He started that several years back, and it became a hit with our family, and so he ended up doing it.”
Josh recently released his first gospel collection, I Serve a Savior.
Josh Turner (Christmas kids) OC: …somewhere too. :19
“We have kind of made it a point to be at home at Christmas, ‘cause we want the boys to grow up with memories of being at home for Christmas, instead of traveling around going from this place to that place. It’s definitely a lot easier when people come to us, but we have no problem going somewhere too.”
Josh Turner (favorite Christmas food) OC: …favorite food. :15
“My favorite food to eat at Christmas time is probably the fried turkey that my daddy makes every year. He started that several years back, and it became a hit with our family, and so he ended up doing it. He’s been doing it every year since, so that’s always been my favorite food.”
Josh Turner (Christmas traditions) OC: …to beat that smell. [laughs] :18
“Since we started having children, we try to just stay at home for Christmas. We used to have a fake tree for several years, but we’ve kinda gone back to having a real tree, and it’s just, I don’t know, hard to beat that smell.” [laughs]
Lauren Alaina has been added to the list of performers for the West Coast celebration of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019.” She joins Kane Brown, Bazzi, Kelsea Ballerini, Camila Cabello, Ciara, Halsey, Shawn Mendes, Weezer, The Chainsmokers, Foster the People, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai and Charlie Puth, as well as a performance by Macklemore with Skylar Grey. Airing just after midnight, Post Malone will perform from a stop on his current tour in Brooklyn, New York.
The televised celebration takes place Monday, December 31st beginning at 8pm ET on ABC.
Lauren, the reigning ACM New Female Vocalist, has hit the airwaves with her latest song, “Ladies in the ‘90s.”
The nominations for 2019’s GRAMMY Awards have been announced, and Kacey Musgraves leads the list of UMG Nashville’s artists with four, including overall Album of the Year for Golden Hour, as well as Best Country Album. Her song “Butterflies” picks up a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance, while “Space Cowboy” earns a nod for Best Country Song.
Chris Stapleton is nominated for three awards, including Best Country Solo Performance (“Millionaire”); Best Country Album (From A Room: Volume 2) and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Justin Timberlake for “Say Something.”
Brothers Osborne has a pair of noms for Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“Shoot Me Straight”) and Best Country Album (Port St. Joe).
Little Big Town competes for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their song “When Someone Stops Loving You” – the song is also nominated for Best Country Song (award goes to the songwriters).
Keith Urban grabs a nod for Best Country Solo Performance for “Parallel Line,” which is from his latest album, Graffiti U.
Vince Gill gains a Grammy nomination in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category for the duet “Dear Hate” with Maren Morris.
And Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin captures a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance for Maren Morris’ version of “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.”
The 2019 Grammys will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles February 10th on CBS.
Album of the Year
Invasion of Privacy — Cardi B
By the Way I Forgive You — Brandi Carlile
Scorpion — Drake
beerbongs & bentleys — Post Malone
H.E.R. — H.E.R.
Dirty Computer — Janelle Monae
Golden Hour — Kacey Musgraves
Black Panther: The Album — Kendrick Lamar
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Fall In Line” — Christina Aguilera Featuring Demi Lovato
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” — Backstreet Boys
“‘S Wonderful” — Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
“Shallow” — Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
“Girls I Like You” — Maroon 5 Featuring Cardi B
“Say Something” — Justin Timberlake Featuring Chris Stapleton
“The Middle” — Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey
Best Country Solo Performance
“Wouldn’t It Be Great?” — Loretta Lynn
“Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” — Maren Morris
“Butterflies” — Kacey Musgraves
“Millionaire” — Chris Stapleton
“Parallel Line” — Keith Urban
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“Shoot Me Straight” — Brothers Osborne
“Tequila” — Dan + Shay
”When Someone Stops Loving You” — Little Big Town
“Dear Hate” — Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill
“Meant to Be” — Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line
Best Country Song
“Break Up in the End” — Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill & Jon Nite, songwriters (Cole Swindell)
“Dear Hate” — Tom Douglas, David Hodges & Maren Morris, songwriters (Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill)
“Space Cowboy” — Luke Laird, Shane McAnally & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
“Tequila” — Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds & Dan Smyers, songwriters (Dan + Shay)
“When Someone Stops Loving You” — Hillary Lindsey, Chase McGill & Lori McKenna, songwriters (Little Big Town)
Best Country Album
Unapologetically — Kelsea Ballerini
Port Saint Joe — Brothers Osborne
Girl Going Nowhere — Ashley McBryde
Golden Hour — Kacey Musgraves
From A Room: Volume 2 — Chris Stapleton
Multi-PLATINUM singer/songwriter Kip Moore announced the extension of his in-demand ROOM TO SPARE: ACOUSTIC TOUR today. The stacked run will kick off in Chicago, IL on 3/7 and will wrap with international shows in The U.K. and Canada. The newly revealed dates follow a limited fall run, which saw Moore playing all SOLD-OUT dates and audiences praising his stripped-down, intimate set. Charlie Worsham and vocal duo, Muscadine Bloodline are set to join Moore on select dates next year. Tickets will go on sale beginning Friday, December 14th at 10am local time, here.
Moore, who is “quickly becoming one of country music’s most tireless and powerful live draws, and not just within the Unites States,” continues to impress fans and critics alike as his fan base is continually “expanding exponentially, especially internationally and in traditionally unconventional U.S. markets,” (Rolling Stone). “Moore is part of a groundswell of rising country artists with a focus on building their international presence, and with good reason,” (Music Row).
ROOM TO SPARE: ACOUSTIC TOUR DATES
3/7/19 Chicago, IL – Copernicus Center**
3/8/19 Carmel, IN – The Palladium**
3/9/19 Bowling Green, KY – SKYPAC**
3/14/19 Minneapolis, MN – The State Theatre*
3/15/19 Ottumwa, IA – Bridge View Events Center*
3/16/19 Springfield, MO – Gillioz Theatre*
3/21/19 Morgantown, WV – The Metropolitan Theatre**
3/22/19 Athens, OH – Memorial Auditorium**
3/23/19 Richmond, VA – The National**
3/28/19 Sacramento, CA – Crest Theatre**
3/29/19 Santa Rosa, CA – Luther Burbank Center for the Arts**
3/30/19 Hanford, CA – Fox Theatre**
4/18/19 Moncton, NB – Capitol Theater
4/19/19 Halifax, NS – Casino Nova Scotia
4/20/19 Charlottetown, PEI – Confederation Centre of the Arts
4/25/19 Atlanta, GA – The Buckhead Theatre**
4/26/19 Macon, GA – The Grand Opera House**
4/27/19 McMinnville, TN – Cumberland Caverns**
5/2/19 Boston, MA – Wilbur Theatre**
5/3/19 New Brunswick, NJ – State Theatre**
5/4/19 Burlington, VT – Flynn Center**
5/9/19 Ridgefield, CT – Ridgefield Playhouse**
5/10/19 Portland, ME – The State Theatre**
5/11/19 Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre**
5/26/19 Manchester, UK – Academy 2
5/27/19 Glasgow, UK – Fruitmarket
5/29/19 Birmingham, UK – Town Hall
5/30/19 London, UK – Cadogan Hall
*Dates with Charlie Worsham
**Dates with Muscadine Bloodline
Kip Moore’s current Top 10 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.
George Strait releases brand new track “Código” today – available HERE – ahead of sold out shows at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena this weekend. Strait, a partner in and longtime fan of Código tequila, wrote the song with his son Bubba Strait and longtime collaborator Dean Dillon. With its accordion and fiddle, the lighthearted track transports the listener to carefree days where the tequila flows. “Código” celebrates its namesake tequila melding the sounds of southwest Mexico and southwest Texas and as the lyrics suggest, “A little sip and you’re ready to roll… I’m talkin’ ‘bout Código.”
“Código” is the first new music following his 2015 album release, Cold Beer Conversation – Strait’s 29th studio album and 26th No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart – and 2016’s Strait Out of the Box: Part 2. Strait is currently working on new music due out in the new year.
With an unmatched 60 singles hitting the top of the charts – more than any other artist in any genre – during the span of his 30-year career, Strait is the undeniable “King of Country Music.” He has collected 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums, more than any country artist and third across all genres behind only The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Strait is the only act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades and has sold nearly 70 million albums and earned more than 60 major entertainment industry awards, including induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.
This weekend, the Country Music Hall of Famer will play his 19th and 20th sold-out shows at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The “Strait to Vegas” series began with six shows in 2016 and extended with 10 more in 2017. In 2018, Strait headlined Bayou Country Superfest to a sold-out Mercedes-Benz Superdome crowd in New Orleans, Louisiana, two nights in Tulsa, Oklahoma and one night in Austin, Texas. Select dates have already been announced for 2019 including T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ohio Stadium in Columbus (Ohio), and Dickies Arena in Ft. Worth. Tickets and VIP Packages are available now. For more information, visit www.GeorgeStrait.com.
