Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

Reba McEntire performed her new song, “Seven Minutes In Heaven,” on NBC’s The Voice on Tuesday night (December 5th).

Jon Pardi just released the official music video for his holiday tune, “Beer For Santa,” from his new Merry Christmas From Jon Pardi album. The clip features Santa, Jon and his beer-slugging faithful dog, Cowboy, in animated form.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – DECEMBER 05: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (Front Row) Ernest, Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter of The War And Treaty, Brenda Lee, Patty Loveless, Mickey Guyton, HARDY (Back Row) CEO of Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum, Kyle Young, Matthew Ramsey, Geoff Sprung, Trevor Rosen and Brad Tursi of Old Dominion, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Riley Green and Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum Board Chair, Mary Ann McCready attend All for the Hall, a concert benefiting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum at Bridgestone Arena on December 05, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum)

Keith Urban and Vince Gill returned as co-hosts and bandmembers for this year’s benefit show, All for the Hall, with all proceeds going to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The show raised over $900,000 for the Hall of Fame.  The theme of the night was “The Song Remembers When,” and artists performed one of their own songs and a song that influenced them. Trisha Yearwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Brenda Lee, Brooks & Dunn, Mickey Guyton, The War And Treaty, Riley Green, Patty Loveless, Old Dominion, HARDY and Ernest also performed.

Mickey Guyton‘s song “Heaven Down Here” inspired a Hallmark Christmas movie of the same name, which will premiere December 14th. The movie, which stars Phylicia Rashad, Tina Lifford and Richard Harmon, takes place in a diner in which four people are trapped inside on Christmas Eve.

Priscilla Block covered Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe” during CMT’s Campfire Sessions: Christmas Version earlier this week. Backing her up was Tenille Townes, Brittney Spencer and Caitlyn Smith.

(Left photo: L-R) UMGN’s Sarah Bertrand, Modern Management’s Kelsey McMahan, UMGN’s Alex Heimerman, SiriusXM Pandora’s Bekah Digby Bekah Digby, Josh Turner, UMGN’s Vipin Reddy and Modern Management’s
Renee Behrman-Greiman and Ted Greene

Photo credit: © Grand Ole Opry, photos by Chris Hollo

MCA Nashville recording artist Josh Turner heads into the holidays with two very special gifts. Last night while on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, Turner was awarded with a Pandora Billionaires Plaque presented to him by SiriusXM Pandora’s Bekah Digby, Associate Director, Artist & Industry Relations – Country & Christian and UMG Nashville’s Vipin Reddy and Alex Heimerman. The plaque commemorates Turner’s music having been streamed over 2 billion times on Pandora. Turner was also surprised last week (11/29) at a fundraising event in South Carolina by Governor Henry McMaster with The Order of the Palmetto, a prestigious award for the South Carolina native in recognition of his career achievements and philanthropic work.

You can listen to Pandora’s Country Billionaires station here.

Established by Governor John C. West in 1971, the Order of the Palmetto is the State of South Carolina’s highest civilian honor. It is presented in recognition of a lifetime of extraordinary achievement, service, and contributions on a national or statewide scale. The Order of the Palmetto recognizes individuals who have selflessly given of their time, resources and goodwill through a variety of different causes and pursuits to the benefit of their neighbors, fellow citizens and the fabric and prosperity of South Carolina. Business, political or personal accomplishment may be important factors, but noble works for others mark the true purpose. Turner joins the ranks of fellow recipients Chubby Checker, James Brown, Lou Holtz, Hootie and the Blowfish and more.

“I’m totally blown away by being presented the Billionaire plaque from Pandora for over 2 billion streams,” said Turner. “So grateful to all of you fans who stream my music and make it a part of your life. Thank you!”

Adds Turner, “Receiving The Order of the Palmetto is something I never expected, but I am beyond honored and thrilled to be the recipient of it. My thanks to Governor McMaster and everyone else that played a part in receiving it.”

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwqaN2oGVYA

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.

https://twitter.com/CMT/status/1731791231355703669

https://twitter.com/CMT/status/1732083323093066182

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.

https://twitter.com/JonPardi/status/1732108445967319162

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.

Rock and Roll Hall and Country Music Hall of Famer Brenda Lee’s iconic holiday hit “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” tops the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time ever, 65 years after the song’s debut. By hitting the No.1 spot, Lee breaks several records, many of which were held by Mariah Carey and “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” whom Lee beat out for the top spot this week. Lee claims just the third holiday No.1 ever on the Hot 100.

This is also Lee’s third No. 1. She now holds the record for the longest gap between an artist’s first and most recent week at No.1 on the Hot 100, as her first No.1 was her single “I’m Sorry” in 1960, 63 years ago. Lee and “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” now also hold the record for the longest climb to the top of the Hot 100, as the Johnny Marks-written hit was released 65 years ago, when Lee was just 13 years old. Now, at almost 79-years-old, Lee is also the oldest woman to top the Hot 100, surpassing previous record-holders Cher (“Believe,” age 52) and Carey (“All I Want for Christmas is You,” age 53).

“This is amazing! I cannot believe that ‘Rockin’’ has hit No. 1 65 years after it was released, this is just so special! Thank you to the team at UMG/UMe who worked so hard to celebrate the song’s anniversary this year. But most importantly, thank you to the fans who keep listening. The song came out when I was a young teenager and now to know that it has resonated with multiple generations and continues to resonate – it is one of the best gifts I have ever received. Keep on Rockin’ and Merry Christmas!” – Brenda Lee

This year for the song’s 65^th anniversary, Lee released the first ever music video for “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” featuring cameos by country stars Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood. She also released a new EP, A Rockin’ Christmas with Brenda Lee, featuring “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” and other holiday favorites including “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” “Jingle Bell Rock” “A Marshmallow World” and “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” reimagined by Filous.

LISTEN TO A ROCKIN’ CHRISTMAS WITH BRENDA LEE | HERE

Lee will perform “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” on the upcoming NBC television special “Christmas at the Opry” which airs Thursday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and streams next day on Peacock.

About Brenda Lee:Brenda Lee signed with the legendary Decca Records label before her 12th birthday and went on to record such landmark hits as “Sweet Nothin’s,” “All Alone Am I,” “Break it to Me Gently” and “I’m Sorry.” Though she had success in multiple genres including rockabilly, pop and rock, Lee found her home in country music. Lee’s best-loved hit, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” is celebrating its 65^th anniversary and continues to top the charts year after year. Not only has Lee sold more than 100 million albums globally, throughout her career she shared stages and earned the respect of the world’s most revered performers. The Beatles opened for her and the lads from Liverpool became good friends with the Southern belle from Atlanta, and Elvis Presley and Lee made their Grand Ole Opry debut on the same night. Lee had nine consecutive top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits from 1960 to 1962 and set a record for a female solo artist that was unequaled until over two decades later. Lee churned out country hits such as “Sunday Sunrise” and “Big Four Poster Bed” and continued to have country hits into the 80s, including “I Love Her So,” a duet with George Jones. Lee was the first woman inducted into both the Rock and Roll and Country Music Hall of Fames and she is a recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement award. Her hit song “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” was certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA.

Parker McCollum grew up in Conroe, Texas and he and all of his family and extended family would go to his grandmother’s house on Christmas. One of his favorite childhood memories on Christmas Day was playing football in the front yard. “Every year, we would all play football in my Grandma’s front yard probably until the time I was 15 or 16 years old, every Christmas morning,” he says.

Some of his favorite Christmas movies growing up would have to include Christmas Vacation and surprisingly, Annabelle’s Wish. “This is gonna sound kind of goofy, but one of them is definitely Annabelle’s Wish, because Randy Travis narrates it. I used to watch that when I was really little with my mom, but I mean, Christmas Vacation is a phenomenal movie,” Parker says. “And I always really liked the Santa Clause series with Tim Allen. I always thought those were really good, even the newer ones.”

One of his favorite Christmas gifts as a kid would have to be a deer rifle he received when he was around 11 or 12 years old. “It would be a Browning 270 Deer rifle I got when I was 13? So, I wanted it so bad, and I’d always had to use my older brothers’ or my Dad’s gun, you know? They wouldn’t even let me shoot anything then. So, I was probably 11 or 12 years old and a Browning 270 Deer rifle…bad son of a gun.”

Parker is climbing the country charts with his latest single, “Burn It Down.”

Chris Stapleton earned three new heavy metal certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (R.I.A.A.). His latest single “White Horse” and “The Devil Always Made Me Think Twice” from his Starting Over was certified Gold, while “I Was Wrong” on his 2017 From A Room: Volume 2 has been certified Platinum.

Little Big Town‘s “Boondocks” is now three-times Platinum. The foursome co-wrote the song with Wayne Kirkpatrick and released it in 2005 as the first single from their second album, The Road To Here, and it became their first Top 10 hit.

Sam Hunt‘s current single, “Outskirts,” is certified Gold. The Georgia native co-wrote the song with Zach Crowell, Josh Osborne and Jerry Flowers.

Kacey Musgraves‘ “Rainbow,” “High Horse” and “Butterflies” have all been certified Platinum.

Maddie & Tae just released the Extended Version of their We Need Christmas EP earlier this year with three new songs, including “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas,” “The Christmas Song” and “White Christmas.” These three new songs round out the track list for the nine-song project, that features both holiday favorites and festive original songs.

Since Maddie Font has been together with new husband Jonah Font, whom she started dating in high school, the pair have a handful of Christmas traditions already. “We always get a real tree every year, because Jonah’s a stickler for a real tree thing. We always shave off a little part of the bottom of the tree and make an ornament out of the little thing, so we’ll put the year on all of them and collect them,” says Maddie. “We’ve actually just started collecting nutcrackers, which is super weird, but we name them all. Oh, and White Elephant. We play White Elephant on the Font side of things, and I always end up with the best gift somehow, because Jonah and I tag team White Elephant.”

Taylor Kerr (Tae) says her parents – especially her father – would make Christmas so special for her and her two brothers. “My family has always done Christmas to the nines. My dad is a very big Christmas decorator. He would have the entire house decorated. We had this like life-sized, giant nutcracker, and at one point, we had like a talking Santa at our front door that my dad would talk through,” says Tae. “But the decorations were always just like so much fun, really got us all in the Christmas spirit. And every Christmas, one of our traditions was the kids – me and my two brothers – we would all stay in the same room on Christmas Eve and then we’d wake up when it was time to wake up, and we’d go down the stairs my parents would have a sheet at the bottom of the stairs so we couldn’t see all the presents; not that we weren’t going to see them in two seconds, but to them it was just the magic of the big reveal, them showing us all the gifts that Santa had gotten us. I’m just so thankful that my parents really kept that magic alive. And for me, I’m already thinking about Elf on the Shelf. I’m going to do all of the fun stuff.”

Tae is also very excited to see the magic of Christmas through her daughter Leighton’s eyes. “Leighton is such a happy, energetic, like cheerful child, and so just to even think about her at Christmastime, it’s going to be so special to see it through her just wonderment eyes, that new lens of life through her,” she says. “I’m excited to experience that, and you know, just to wake up and have a Christmas with us as a family. This is our second Christmas as a family, but this is the first Christmas that Leighton is really like aware and she’ll be able to help open her presents, she’ll get to play with her toys and really understand what’s going on. It brings a whole new level of excitement for me and my husband.”

Especially with the release of the Extended Version of their We Need Christmas EP, Christmas music has always played a big part in their lives. “Christmas music is so joyful without even trying,” says Tae. “I think, for me, listening to it personally, it reminds me of sitting around the piano at my Nanny and Papa’s house and my Nanny would play on the piano and sing Christmas carols and all of us grandkids would sing along, and my Papa was a fantastic singer, as well. So, it really just brings up a lot of great nostalgic memories and makes me think of my family. And with the very busy, crazy, chaotic life that we lead, Christmas is always a place for home, for rest, for those traditions, and it feels so good.”

Both Maddie and Tae have their favorite Christmas movies, and they are planning a Christmas movie night sometime soon, so Tae can see one of Maddie’s favorites. MADDIE: “Favorite Christmas movie? I know Tae’s.” TAE: “What?” MADDIE: “Polar Express!” TAE: “I do love me some Polar Express. Every time the kids do the duet, my heart breaks.” MADDIE: “I would say my favorite Christmas movie – I love Polar Express. I love Arthur Christmas.” TAE: “Arthur Christmas is great. People sleep on that one.” MADDIE: “And The Holiday! Ahhhhhh.” TAE: “I’ve never seen that one.” MADDIE: “Jude Law-It’s a rom-com, but it’s so heartwarming.” TAE: “Christmas movie night.” MADDIE: “YES!”

If Maddie could play one character in a holiday film, it would be Clark Griswold’s wife Ellen (played by Beverly D’Angelo) from “Christmas Vacation.”  “If we could be any movie character, who would we be? I think I would want to be a part of Clark Griswold’s vibe. Like, he’s so funny. I don’t know. I’d want to be Clark Griswold’s wife ‘cause I feel like Jonah is Clark Griswold, and that would be really funny, and she just allows his Christmas chaos happen and just embraces it.” Tae pipes up and agrees. “And you would totally do the fork thing where ‘Oh, this is so yummy.’ (laughs) It’s so you.” (both laugh)

Check out their favorite Christmas gifts growing up and their must-haves at their holiday meals below.

The duo is climbing the country charts with their smash hit “Heart They Didn’t Break.”

Sam Hunt revealed to PEOPLE Magazine the identity of his second-born child. He and his wife Hannah Lee Fowler welcomed a baby boy named Lowry Lee on October 24th. His name comes from his parents’ middle names — Lowry is Sam’s, while Lee is Hannah’s.

Lowry Lee joined 18-month-old big sister Lucy Louise (Lu).

Sam is making his way up the country charts with his latest single, “Outskirts.”