• Anne Wilson Rain in the Rearview
  • Chris Stapleton Think I'm In Love With You
  • Chris Stapleton Think I'm In Love With You
  • Keith Urban Messed Up As Me
  • Darius Rucker Never Been Over
  • Brothers Osborne Break Mine
  • Priscilla Block Good On You
  • Dalton Dover Bury Me In This Bar

News

LUKE GRIMES RELEASES COVER OF BLAZE FOLEY’S “CLAY PIGEONS.”

Mercury Nashville / Range Music recording artist Luke Grimes today released the song “Clay Pigeons,” a cover of famed Texas artist, Blaze Foley’s song “Clay Pigeons,” which originally was released in February of 1989.

LISTEN TO “CLAY PIGEONS” | HERE

“In my opinion, Blaze Foley is one of the more underrated singer songwriters in the history books of country music,” said Grimes. “He truly was outlaw country in every sense, and he practiced what he preached. Clay Pigeons is not only my favorite song from Blaze, but one of my favorite songs of all time. The structure, melody, and lyrics are all so simple, yet they come together to say something so profound. The songwriting is masterful. There has always been something so comforting to me about the melancholy feel of this song.”

Grimes is currently on tour and has more dates throughout the end of the year.

 

Upcoming Show Dates:

12/1 Rosemont, IL Joe’s Live
12/7 Dallas, TX The Factory in Deep Ellum
12/9 Austin, TX Emo’s
12/15 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
12/16 Boston, MA Royale

Tickets Available HERE

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CHRISTMAS 2023: Brenda Lee

Rock and Roll and Country Music Hall of Famer Brenda Lee is our own Queen of Christmas, as she celebrates the 65th Anniversary of her signature holiday classic, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree.” She recorded and released the song in 1958 when she was just 13 years old. The song, which received a huge resurgence in the ‘90s film Home Alone, has been at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the holidays since 2019, and it could take over the top spot in the coming weeks.

Songwriter Johnny Marks (Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty The Snowman) wrote the song and Brenda was his first choice to record it. Brenda asked Marks how he came up with the idea of the song, and it was just by watching pine trees sway in the wind on a beach in New York. “It was written by a gentleman who has written just about every Christmas standard,” she says. “His name is Johnny Marks, and I asked him one time, I said, ‘How in the world did you write ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree?’ And he said, ‘Well, I was laying on the beach (in New York) and I went to sleep,’ and he said, ‘I woke up and the pine trees were kind of swaying in the breeze.’ And he said, ‘All of a sudden, I thought about Christmas, and I watched them begin and they were kind of rockin’ and I thought about rockin’.’ And he said, ‘I just thought about a rockin’ Christmas, and then I changed it to where people might want to rock around the Christmas tree.’ And that’s kind of how it was born, and I’m lucky, so lucky that I was able to get that song.”

We asked her what it feels like to have one of the biggest holiday songs ever recorded, and she said, “I don’t know how to answer the question of what’s it like to have one of the biggest holiday songs ever. I’ll tell you what it’s like. It’s a feeling that’s indescribable. It’s a thankful feeling to the writers, to the musicians, to the producers and most of all, to the audience that went out and bought that song and still go out and buy that song, and you all have made it what it is. I sang it, but I had to have you to help me make it what it become, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Brenda has always been drawn to Christmas music, which dates back to when she was a little girl. “I guess what drew me to creating holiday music was when I was a little girl, that was the time that we got candy,” she says. “I was from a very poor background and my daddy would always bring home these little taffy things with four little things in it called kits, and we loved it, and then we decorated our tree with pictures out of the Sears catalog. And boy, did we have fun, and we played the radio and we listened to the music, and I just thought we were in Heaven.”

Besides her own Christmas recordings, her favorite holiday tunes include those by Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby. “I love to listen to Christmas music, and I’m so fortunate that I was able to have a Christmas song myself. But I love to listen to the classics, like Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby and those people that were first and foremost in having the Christmas hits, so I feel lucky that I’m somewhat in their company.”

Some of her holiday traditions include making new memories and reminiscing about previous Christmases with her husband and daughters…but does NOT include her cooking in the kitchen. “My girls always say, ‘Mom, what are we doing for Christmas? Please don’t cook.’ So… (laughs) And they don’t mean it kindly. They mean, ‘Mom, please don’t,’” she says. “I’m not your greatest cook in the world, but we all get together and we sing, and we talk about our prior Christmases. We talk about people that we’ve lost and loved, and we wished that they were here, and we give thanks to our Lord. It’s a wonderful time. The gifts are secondary. It’s the getting together, and even though you get together the rest of the year, something magic happens at Christmas. And it’s just like, I don’t know what it is because I can’t explain magic, but I can tell you it is magic.”

Her favorite Christmas gifts are her family and friends, but she did say her engagement ring was probably her favorite present, even though she hid the fact she was engaged for several months. “My favorite Christmas gift, I think it was my engagement ring that I carried around in my purse for six months, because I didn’t want my mom (laughs) to know I was thinking about getting married, but it all wound up good. But I’ll tell you what – I think my favorite Christmas gift are my children, my husband, my friends, but most of all my God.”

Check out the official music video for “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” below. She just released the clip, featuring Trisha Yearwood and Tanya Tucker, THIS year.

Audio / Brenda Lee explains what drew her to record Christmas music.

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Brenda Lee (drew her to Christmas music) OC: …in Heaven. :46
“Hey, I’m Brenda Lee, and I guess what drew me to creating holiday music was when I was a little girl, that was the time that we got candy. I was from a very poor background and my daddy would always bring home these little taffy things with four little things in it called kits, and we loved it, and then we decorated our tree with pictures out of the Sears catalog. And boy, did we have fun, and we played the radio and we listened to the music, and I just thought we were in Heaven.”

Audio / Brenda Lee, who is celebrating the 65th Anniversary of her holiday hit "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree," says she loves to listen to the classic artists like Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby during the holidays.

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Brenda Lee (Christmas music) OC: …their company. :29
“Hey, this is Brenda Lee, and when Christmastime comes around, I love to listen to Christmas music, and I’m so fortunate that I was able to have a Christmas song myself. But I love to listen to the classics, like Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby and those people that were first and foremost in having the Christmas hits, so I feel lucky that I’m somewhat in their company.”

Audio / BRENDA LEE EXPLAINS HOW "ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE" WAS WRITTEN.

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Brenda Lee (Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree) OC: …get that song. 1:04
“I’ll tell you a little bit about ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.’ (laughs) It was written by a gentleman who has written just about every Christmas standard. His name is Johnny Marx, and I asked him one time, I said, ‘How in the world did you write ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree?’ And he said, ‘Well, I was laying on the beach (in New York) and I went to sleep,’ and he said, ‘I woke up and the pine trees were kind of swaying in the breeze.’ And he said, ‘All of a sudden, I thought about Christmas, and I watched them begin and they were kind of rockin’ and I thought about rockin’.’ And he said, ‘I just thought about a rockin’ Christmas, and then I changed it to where people might want to rock around the Christmas tree.’ And that’s kind of how it was born, and I’m lucky, so lucky that I was able to get that song.”

Audio / BRENDA LEE GIVES HER THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS MADE "ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE" ONE OF THE BIGGEST HOLIDAY SONGS IN THE WORLD.

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Brenda Lee (having one of the biggest holiday songs) OC: …my heart. :44
“I don’t know how to answer the question of what’s it like to have one of the biggest holiday songs ever. I’ll tell you what it’s like. It’s a feeling that’s indescribable. It’s a thankful feeling to the writers, to the musicians, to the producers and most of all, to the audience that went out and bought that song and still go out and buy that song, and you all have made it what it is. I sang it, but I had to have you to help me make it what it become, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Audio / Brenda Lee talks about finding out her song, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," was featured in "Home Alone."

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Brenda Lee (Home Alone feat. Rockin’) OC: …hear it now. :28
“Somebody called me and said, ‘Hey Brenda, do you know there’s a movie out called ‘Home Alone?’ And did you know ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ is in it forever?’ And I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ They said, ‘No, it’s true!’ And I think that’s the catalyst that moved ‘Rockin’’ up and people all over the world hear it now.”

 

Audio / Brenda Lee talks about her favorite Christmas movies.

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Brenda Lee (favorite Christmas movies) OC: …loved that! :17
“My favorite Christmas movie, and I don’t even know if I’m saying it right, was the little boy in ‘Home Alone.’ That was my favorite Christmas movie, or ‘White Christmas’ with Bing Crosby. That’s a classic. I loved that!”

Audio / Brenda Lee talks about some of her Christmas traditions, which includes her NOT cooking.

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Brenda Lee (Christmas traditions) OC: …it is magic. :52
“My girls always say, ‘Mom, what are we doing for Christmas? Please don’t cook.’ So… (laughs) And they don’t mean it kindly. They mean, ‘Mom, please don’t.’ I’m not your greatest cook in the world, but we all get together and we sing, and we talk about our prior Christmases. We talk about people that we’ve lost and loved, and we wished that they were here, and we give thanks to our Lord. It’s a wonderful time. The gifts are secondary. It’s the getting together, and even though you get together the rest of the year, something magic happens at Christmas. And it’s just like, I don’t know what it is because I can’t explain magic, but I can tell you it is magic.”

Audio / Brenda Lee talks about her favorite Christmas gifts.

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Brenda Lee (favorite Christmas gift) OC: …my God. :26
“My favorite Christmas gift, I think it was my engagement ring that I carried around in my purse for six months, because I didn’t want my mom (laughs) to know I was thinking about getting married, but it all wound up good. But I’ll tell you what – I think my favorite Christmas gift are my children, my husband, my friends, but most of all my God.”

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NEWS AND NOTES: Mickey Guyton, Maddie & Tae, Kacey Musgraves, The War And Treaty, Alan Jackson, Chris Stapleton, Jordan Davis, Brothers Osborne

Mickey Guyton and Maddie & Tae performed during Thursday night’s (November 30th) National Christmas Tree Lighting on the Ellipse, on the grounds of the White House in Washington, D.C. Mickey, who hosted the ceremony, also helped President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden flip the switch to light the tree. The ceremony dates back to President Calvin Coolidge in 1923 to kick off Holiday celebrations in the Nation’s Capital.

Kacey Musgraves performed an achingly beautiful rendition of “Can’t Help Falling In Love” during the NBC special, Christmas at Graceland, in the first-ever live concert from Elvis Presley’s iconic home earlier this week. Other performers included Post Malone, Lainey Wilson, Kane Brown, John Legend and Lana del Ray, and also featured never-before-seen home movies and photos. Elvis’ granddaughter, Riley Keough, hosted the event.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiypVETI_50

The War And Treaty (Michael and Tanya Trotter) performed a powerfully stunning version of “If I Can Dream” during the special. Elvis performed the song at the end of his famous ’68 Special to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was killed in Memphis just a few months prior.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpboikuKQu4

Alan Jackson, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Jordan Davis and others have donated items to The ASCAP Foundation’s annual online auction. The charitable organization is dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their development through music education and talent development programs. Carly Pearce, Old Dominion, Kelsea Ballerini, Olivia Rodrigo, Selena Gomez, Travis Barker, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Chicago also donated items to the auction which runs through December 14th. Click HERE to make a bid.

 

NEWS AND NOTES: Carrie, Jon, Mickey

A handful of country artists will be in Las Vegas during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) next month, including Carrie Underwood who will continue her Reflection residency at Resorts World. The NFR returns to the Thomas & Mack enter December 7th – 16th for its 65th anniversary. Garth Brooks will perform seven shows at the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace beginning November 29th. Also performing in Vegas will be Jon Pardi (December 9th), Toby Keith (December 10th and 11th), Miranda Lambert, Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, Ryan Bingham and more.

Mickey Guyton has been added to the list of performers at this year’s All For The Hall benefit show next week. Hosts Keith Urban and Vince Gill will perform, as well as Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, The War And Treaty, Kelsea Ballerini, Brooks & Dunn, Riley Green and Hardy, among others. The theme for the show is “The Song Remembers When,” and each artist is expected to perform a song that is personal to them, as well as one of their own. The event takes place Tuesday (December 5th) at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

 

CHRISTMAS 2023: Luke Bryan

Luke Bryan and his family have a few different traditions for Christmas, but one of the most enduring one for the Bryan family is dressing up in holiday PJs and having chili dogs on Christmas Eve.

“We have a pajama night and we do chili dogs on Christmas Eve, and we’ve always done that,” says Luke. “My mother comes up and we go shop. She makes me go shop with her, so we have to pick out all the right stuff. We have to get the proper buns, the proper wieners. It’s very important.  All beef wieners for the chili dog cooking. It’s a ritual. So, we’re eating chili dogs in pajamas, and so it’s special anytime you can come up with fun traditions and hold true to them. Yeah, so cooking chili dogs in a onesie is pretty special.”

Luke and his wife Caroline used to pack up the boys and the presents in his tour bus and go back to Georgia for the holidays, but as the boys have gotten older and their family has expanded, they prefer to be at home in Nashville and play host to family and friends. “We used to load ‘em up on the tour bus and we used to take them to Georgia, and it was a lot to travel with kids, and I’m sure there’s a lot of people doing the same,” he says. “And so, now that we’re in Nashville, we’ve had a lot of Christmases here, the kids are getting a little older, but they still get excited about running down the stairs Christmas morning. We tape up a bunch of, in our hallway, we tape up a bunch of wrapping paper and they kind of run through the wrapping paper like a football team to see all the presents and stuff, so it’s fun. We still have a lot of the family come up, try to plan a few hunting trips the day before Christmas and have a big Christmas Eve and let some kids open the presents, but it’s still great to be with my family during the holidays. The kids just get a little older, but we cherish every holiday season together.”

For Luke, there’s nothing like seeing his house decorated for Christmas with the tree and lights to get him in the Christmas spirit. “I guess what gets me in the Christmas spirit is coming home and the house is decorated, and the tree is up and all the lights, all the lights are on,” he says. “The last couple of years doing American Idol, I spend about 10 days of December in L.A. taping, so when I leave L.A., get home, it’s like my time to really settle into Christmas and enjoy the holidays with family. So, yeah, nothing like seeing the tree in the house that gets you going and starting to hear Christmas carols on the radio and starting to see some of our favorite Christmas movies on TV.”

No word on what his wife Caroline will be getting him this year, but he does say her gift a few years ago was the most meaningful — she tracked down his late brother’s truck and presented it to him one Christmas. “By far the best Christmas present I have ever gotten and will ever get was when my wife Caroline went and found my brother’s old pickup truck from 1996 that they found the VIN number and it was down in Louisiana and it was still on the road.  And her and my dad went down, they picked it up, brought it to Nashville and Christmas Eve night pulled into the driveway with it, and let’s just say that yes, the tears were flowing, and it will never be topped. I don’t know how you’ll ever top it. What an amazing moment for me and my family and it was pretty special.  And that truck is where we do our turkey hunting; it’s the turkey hunting truck. So, all my turkey hunting gear stays in there, and when the boys see me pull up in my brother’s truck, they know we’re fixing to go turkey hunting.”

Also, one of his favorite Christmas gifts as a child had wheels and a motor, as well. “My favorite Christmas gift is definitely my first Honda 50 motorcycle that I got back in 1984. It was just an amazing gift to have under the tree, and I never will forget seeing that as I walked out.”

While he has a couple of Christmas tunes out — “Run, Run Rudolph” and “O Holy Night” — he says his very favorite holiday tune is “White Christmas.”

Luke is poised to climb to the top of the country charts with his latest single, “But I Got A Beer In My Hand.”


Audio / Luke Bryan reveals his family’s Christmas tradition.

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Luke Bryan (Bryan Christmas tradition) OC: …pretty special. :41
“We have a pajama night and we do chili dogs on Christmas Eve, and we’ve always done that.  My mother comes up and we go shop. She makes me go shop with her so we have to pick out all the right stuff. We have to get the proper buns, the proper wienersIt’s very important.  All beef wieners for the chili dog cooking. It’s a ritual. So, we’re eating chili dogs in pajamas, and so it’s special anytime you can come up with fun traditions and hold true to them. Yeah, so cooking chili dogs in a onesie is pretty special.

Audio / As his kids get a little older, Luke Bryan talks about what happens at Christmas at the Bryan household in Nashville.

Download

Luke Bryan (Christmas now) OC: …season together. :51
“Well, I think as the kids get older, we used to load ‘em up on the tour bus and we used to take them to Georgia, and it was a lot to travel with kids, and I’m sure there’s a lot of people doing the same. And so, now that we’re in Nashville, we’ve had a lot of Christmases here, the kids are getting a little older, but they still get excited about running down the stairs Christmas morning. We tape up a bunch of, in our hallway, we tape up a bunch of wrapping paper and they kind of run through the wrapping paper like a football team to see all the presents and stuff, so it’s fun. We still have a lot of the family come up, try to plan a few hunting trips the day before Christmas and have a big Christmas Eve and let some kids open the presents, but it’s still great to be with my family during the holidays. The kids just get a little older, but we cherish every holiday season together.”

Audio / Luke Bryan explains what gets him in the Christmas spirit.

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Luke Bryan (Christmas spirit) OC: …on TV. :36
“I guess what gets me in the Christmas spirit is coming home and the house is decorated, and the tree is up and all the lights, all the lights are on. The last couple of years doing American Idol, I spend about 10 days of December in L.A. taping, so when I leave L.A., get home, it’s like my time to really settle into Christmas and enjoy the holidays with family. So, yeah, nothing like seeing the tree in the house that gets you going and starting to hear Christmas carols on the radio and starting to see some of our favorite Christmas movies on TV.”

Audio / Luke Bryan recalls his most meaningful Christmas present.

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Luke Bryan (Most meaningful Christmas gift) OC: …turkey hunting. :55
“By far the best Christmas present I have ever gotten and will ever get was when my wife Caroline went and found my brother’s old pickup truck from 1996 that they found the VIN number and it was down in Louisiana and it was still on the road.  And her and my dad went down, they picked it up, brought it to Nashville and Christmas Eve night pulled into the driveway with it, and let’s just say that yes, the tears were flowing and it will never be topped. I don’t know how you’ll ever top it. What an amazing moment for me and my family and it was pretty special.  And that truck is when we do our turkey hunting; it’s the turkey hunting truck. So, all my turkey hunting gear stays in there, and when the boys see me pull up in my brother’s truck they know we’re fixing to go turkey hunting.”

Audio / LUKE BRYAN REVEALS HIS FAVORITE CHRISTMAS GIFT AS A CHILD.

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Luke Bryan (Christmas gift) OC: …walked out. :15
“My favorite Christmas gift is definitely my first Honda 50 motorcycle that I got back in 1984. It was just an amazing gift to have under the tree, and I never will forget seeing that as I walked out.”

Audio / LUKE BRYAN TALKS ABOUT HIS FAVORITE PART OF CHRISTMAS.

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Luke Bryan (favorite thing about Christmas) OC: …special time. :32
“My favorite part of the holidays obviously is watching the kids – watching the boys’ excitement for what they may or may not be getting and watching them tear open Christmas presents on Christmas morning. You got the fireplace going. You got Christmas music on the TV. You’ve got – you get up at 6am. You’re exhausted and you’ve got all your family there.  It doesn’t get any better than certainly waking up on Christmas mornings and just having that special time.”

Audio / Luke Bryan divulges his favorite Christmas song.

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Luke Bryan (favorite Christmas song) OC: …’White Christmas.’ :03
“Favorite Christmas song is definitely ‘White Christmas.’”

 

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DARIUS RUCKER TO RECEIVE STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME ON DECEMBER 4TH.

Darius Rucker will be honored with the 2,766th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday (December 4th) at 11:30am PT at 7065 Hollywood Boulevard. He’ll receive his star in the category of Recording.

Guest speakers for the ceremony have yet to be announced, but Access Hollywood and Access Daily with Mario + Kit Co-host Kit Hoover will emcee.

The event will be live-streamed exclusively at walkoffame.com.

Darius Rucker first achieved multi-Platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the GRAMMY Award-winning band Hootie & the Blowfish, who has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide including their Double Diamond-certified (21x Platinum) debut Cracked Rear View, which remains among the top 10 best-selling studio albums of all time. Since releasing his first Country album in 2008, Rucker has earned a whole new legion of fans with four number #1 albums on the Billboard Country chart, including RIAA Platinum-certified Learn to Live and True Believers, plus 10 No. 1 singles at Country Radio and 11 Gold, Platinum or multi-Platinum certified hits.

Rucker was inducted as a Grand Ole Opry member in 2012 and in 2014 he won his third career GRAMMY Award for Best Solo Country Performance with his Diamond-certified (11x Platinum) version of “Wagon Wheel,” one of the top five best-selling Country songs of all time. He topped the charts at Country radio once again with “Beers And Sunshine” in 2021 and his latest single “Fires Don’t Start Themselves” off his brand-new album Carolyn’s Boy , now available everywhere. The project features recent-release “Have A Good Time,” his cover of Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, plus co-written songs with Ed Sheeran, HARDY and more.

Hootie & the Blowfish will return to the road in 2024, as the foursome sets out on the Summer Camp with Trucks Tour produced by Live Nation featuring special guests Collective Soul and Edwin McCain, scheduled to tour May 30th through September 28th.

BRAD PAISLEY TO APPEAR ON THE TODAY SHOW AND THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON MONDAY, DECEMBER 4th.

Country music superstar Brad Paisley is set to appear on both the Today Show and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this coming Monday (December 4th).

Brad will perform “The Medicine Will” on NBC’s Today and “Son Of The Mountains” on NBC’s Tonight Show. Both songs appear on his Son Of The Mountains: The First Four Tracks released earlier this fall. The new music is available now and also includes previously released tracks “Same Here,” featuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and “So Many Summers.” Watch the music videos HERE.

Brad’s Son Of The Mountains studio album is anticipated for release in 2024.

About BRAD PAISLEY:
Brad Paisley has earned his place in country music history as one of the genre’s most talented and decorated male solo artists. For more than 20 years, his songwriting and unmatched showmanship have won him numerous awards, including three GRAMMYs, two American Music Awards, 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, and 14 Country Music Association Awards including a highly coveted Entertainer of the Year honor and recognition as the most successful CMA Award co-host in history, alongside Carrie Underwood, for 11 consecutive years. A member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2001, Paisley has written 21 of his 25 No. 1 hits, and in 2008 became the first artist to achieve 10 consecutive Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 singles. The superstar’s past works have amassed nearly 5 billion career streams.

Paisley’s additional endeavors include his “American Highway” Bourbon, his collaborations with Peyton Manning on the national Nationwide insurance ad campaigns, and his partnership with Boot Barn® to develop “Moonshine Spirit by Brad Paisley,” an exclusive line of jeans, hats, T-shirts, jewelry, belts, and woven shirts.

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CHRISTMAS 2023: Carrie Underwood

Christmas for Carrie Underwood hasn’t changed that much from when she was a young girl. She usually still gets together with her family, which includes her parents, two sisters and their families…as well as her own husband, Mike Fisher, and sons Isaiah and Jacob.

Carrie says some of her Christmas traditions include a lot of traveling to visit her family and her husband Mike Fisher’s family…but also cooking and celebrating the season. “My perfect Christmas, generally we do a lot of traveling around Christmas. We’ll go see either my family or my husband’s family,” says Carrie. “I’ll spend all day cooking. I’ll make a small turkey, even though I don’t eat turkey. I’ll make myself some tofurkey; cranberry sauce, of course. Of course, sweet potato casserole. You have to have that. That’s one of my favorites because it’s a side dish and dessert, but I’ll just make a ridiculous amount of food. Just celebrate, have a fire, we wait for Santa and open our presents, then we’re off to see the next group of family. It’s all about watching it through my sons’ eyes and just getting to spend time with family.”

She continues: “For me growing up, Christmas was always just comforting. We always had the same stockings and the same tree and the same decorations, and we would always decorate the weekend right after Thanksgiving. You know, flip the Christmas switch, put the tree up. Now that we’re adults and have kids, we can go to the Christmas tree farm and we can walk around, and we can pick out which one and ask Isaiah, ‘Which one do you think?’ Just things like that, making those memories. It’s just a joyful time of year.”

One of the traditions she enjoys with her own family is picking out a Christmas tree with her husband and two sons. “We were an artificial tree family growing up. It was easier, you know, but now in our own home, we do the real tree thing, and we kind of try to make that a little bit of a tradition. We go and we pick it out. The boys have some say in which one we get, and they feel some ownership and we all decorate it together and of course, have Christmas music playing in the house. I make cookies that were my husband’s grandmother that my kids call Gigi. It’s her recipe, her ginger snap cookies, and we make those and it’s super sweet. Isaiah loves makes Gigi’s cookies, because he still remembers her a little bit. So, it’s something special we get to do.”

One of her favorite memories from childhood was singing Christmas carols for folks in nursing homes. “Christmas was always just about family,” she says. “One thing that we always did growing up that was one of my favorite memories, we would on Christmas Eve we would go to my grandparents’ house. Us kids were always responsible for putting oranges and apples and bananas in little paper bags and we would go down to the nursing home and sing Christmas carols.”

Carrie released a special deluxe edition of her Christmas album, My Gift, in 2021, and she says there’s nothing like Christmas music that gets you in the spirit of the season. “There is no other like part of the year that gets its own music, like exclusively. When you think about it, like entire radio stations switch over to play Christmas music around Christmas time. So, I feel like it just puts you in the mood for Christmas. Christmas is something that everybody looks forward to and to have Christmas music start playing way before Christmas. It usually does because people just can’t wait to get there. It puts you in a mood. It changes your state of mind. It gets you ready for it and it just makes you feel a certain way.”

Audio / CARRIE UNDERWOOD SAYS HER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS USUALLY INCLUDE COOKING AND TRAVELING, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, FAMILY.

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Carrie Underwood (perfect Christmas) OC: …with family. :40
“My perfect Christmas, generally we do a lot of traveling around Christmas. We’ll go see either my family or my husband’s family. I’ll spend all day cooking. I’ll make a small turkey, even though I don’t eat turkey. I’ll make myself some tofurkey; cranberry sauce, of course. Of course, sweet potato casserole. You have to have that. That’s one of my favorites because it’s a side dish and dessert, but I’ll just make a ridiculous amount of food. Just celebrate, have a fire, we wait for Santa and open our presents, then we’re off to see the next group of family. It’s all about watching it through my sons’ eyes and just getting to spend time with family.”

Audio / CARRIE UNDERWOOD RECALLS MEMORIES OF PAST CHRISTMASES.

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Carrie Underwood (Christmas memory) OC: …Christmas carols. :18
“Christmas was always just about family. One thing that we always did growing up that was one of my favorite memories, we would on Christmas Eve we would go to my grandparents’ house. Us kids were always responsible for putting oranges and apples and bananas in little paper bags and we would go down to the nursing home and sing Christmas carols.”

Audio / Carrie Underwood says one of her family’s traditions is to go pick out a real Christmas tree and put it up together.

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Carrie Underwood (Christmas trees) OC: …get to do. :43
“We were an artificial tree family growing up. It was easier, you know, but now in our own home, we do the real tree thing, and we kind of try to make that a little bit of a tradition. We go and we pick it out. The boys have some say in which one we get, and they feel some ownership and we all decorate it together and of course, have Christmas music playing in the house. I make cookies that were my husband’s grandmother that my kids call Gigi. It’s her recipe, her ginger snap cookies, and we make those and it’s super sweet. Isaiah loves makes Gigi’s cookies, because he still remembers her a little bit. So, it’s something special we get to do.”

Audio / Carrie Underwood says she and her family wear matching Christmas PJs...even the dogs.

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Carrie Underwood (Christmas PJs) OC: …tell you that.
“For the past few years, we all get matching PJs. Either we get them or somebody else gifts them to us, and we all match – my husband, myself, my sons and our dogs. And getting my german shepherd into a Christmas sweater is no easy feat, I will tell you that.”

Audio / CARRIE UNDERWOOD TALKS ABOUT HER CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS.

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Carrie Underwood (Christmas traditions) OC: …time of year. :35
“For me growing up, Christmas was always just comforting. We always had the same stockings and the same tree and the same decorations, and we would always decorate the weekend right after Thanksgiving. You know, flip the Christmas switch, put the tree up. Now that we’re adults and have kids, we can go to the Christmas tree farm and we can walk around, and we can pick out which one and ask Isaiah, ‘Which one do you think?’ Just things like that, making those memories. It’s just a joyful time of year.”

 

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CHRISTMAS 2023: Jon Pardi

Jon Pardi and his wife Summer will enjoy their daughter Presley’s first Christmas, probably more than her since she’s only almost 10 months old.

“My daughter will not know what the hell’s going on,” Jon says laughingly. “She’s gonna love the lights. She’s gonna try to eat everything, but it’ll be very magical for me and Summer. I think I’m most excited to pick out what she’s wearing, spending a little time, make her laugh, love making her laugh, and I think she’ll just, she’ll slowly learn to love Christmas, and I’m glad that I have an album now I can play it for her. So, I have full control of what Christmas music we’re listening to, ‘cause it’s my album. We’re just gonna listen to that, ‘cause it’s great!”

Jon does like 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.”

He says, even though Elvis Presley is his favorite Christmas album (other than his own, of course), the song that gets him in the holiday spirit is the Eagles’ “Please Come Home For Christmas.” He even included his own version on his Christmas album, Merry Christmas From Jon Pardi.

“When I hear the chime of the piano on ‘Please Come Home For Christmas,’ it puts me right at Christmastime,” he says. “I don’t know, maybe because that song has been in so many movies or it’s just such a special song; it’s a legendary Christmas song. The Eagles wrote it. They killed it, and I’m glad that I have a version of it. On mine, it sticks out like a sore thumb. It’s very different, but it’s the same feeling and it sounds the same, but it’s got this new special kind of rendition of it, and I’m real happy to have that ‘cause that definitely puts me in it’s December and it’s Christmastime.”

Jon just released his first holiday album, the 12-track Merry Christmas From Jon Pardi, featuring “Beer For Santa,” “All I Want For Christmas is You,” “Please Come Home for Christmas” and “400 Horsepower Sleigh.”

The California native is featured in the new holiday special, “CMA Country Christmas.” Filmed in Nashville in front of a live audience, the holiday event will air December 14th at 8pm ET on ABC; next day on Hulu and Disney+.

Audio / Jon Pardi talks about what he’s most excited for during his daughter Presley’s first Christmas.

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Jon Pardi (daughter’s first Christmas) OC: …it’s great! :32
“My daughter will not know what the hell’s going on. (laughs) She’s gonna love the lights. She’s gonna try to eat everything, but it’ll be very magical for me and Summer. I think I’m most excited to pick out what she’s wearing, spending a little time, make her laugh, love making her laugh, and I think she’ll just, she’ll slowly learn to love Christmas, and I’m glad that I have an album now I can play it for her. So, I have full control of what Christmas music we’re listening to, ‘cause it’s my album. We’re just gonna listen to that, ‘cause it’s great!”

Audio / JON PARDI SAYS IF YOU’RE AN ADULT, BAD SANTA, IS A GREAT HOLIDAY MOVIE, BUT IF YOU’RE A KID, ELF IS THE ONE TO BEAT.

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Jon Pardi (favorite Christmas movie) OC: …up there. :15
“Bad Santa’s pretty good. 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.”

Audio / Jon Pardi says the song "Please Come Home For Christmas" gets him into the holiday spirit.

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Jon Pardi (Please Come Home For Christmas gets him in the spirit) OC: …Christmastime. :40
“When I hear the chime of the piano on ‘Please Come Home For Christmas,’ it puts me right at Christmastime. I don’t know, maybe because that song has been in so many movies or it’s just such a special song; it’s a legendary Christmas song. The Eagles wrote it. They killed it, and I’m glad that I have a version of it. On mine, it sticks out like a sore thumb. It’s very different, but it’s the same feeling and it sounds the same, but it’s got this new special kind of rendition of it, and I’m real happy to have that ‘cause that definitely puts me in it’s December and it’s Christmastime.”

Audio / JON PARDI REVEALS ONE OF HIS FAVORITE HOLIDAY SONGS, WHICH HE DIDN'T RECORD FOR HIS NEW CHRISTMAS ALBUM.

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Jon Pardi (favorite Christmas song…not on his Christmas album) OC: …around Christmastime.” :28
“One of my favorite Christmas songs of all time is ‘Blue Christmas’ by Elvis, because Elvis’ Christmas record is one of my favorite Christmas records AND ‘Blue Christmas’ has been recorded so much, that’s why I didn’t record it. A lot of people were like, ‘Why didn’t you record ‘Blue Christmas?’ You love ‘Blue Christmas.’ I was like, ‘Well, everybody records ‘Blue Christmas.’ I was trying to make a new Christmas record that’s a little fresh, so that’s why I didn’t record ‘Blue Christmas.’ But it is literally one of my favorites. It reminds me of my grandmother around Christmastime.”

BROTHERS OSBORNE ANNOUNCE 35-DATE 2024 “MIGHT AS WELL BE US TOUR” IN CITIES INCLUDING ATLANTA, NEW ORLEANS, PHILADELPHIA, LAS VEGAS, CHICAGO AND MORE.

Today, following their nomination for Best Country Album and Best Country Duo/ Group Performance at the 2024 Grammys, and winning this year’s CMA Vocal Duo of the Year, Brothers Osborne announce their 35-date “Might As Well Be Us Tour” with dates throughout 2024. The Grammy-winning duo will perform in cities including Atlanta, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Chicago and more (full dates below) with support from Stephen Wilson Jr., The Cadillac Three, Zach Top, Jackson Dean, Madeline Edwards, and Caylee Hammack. Members of the band’s The Family Fan Club can unlock exclusive pre-sale access to shows by logging into the official website at www.brothersosborne.com. Brothers Osborne fan-club presale will begin on Wednesday (November 29th) at 10am local time, with select presales that week ahead of general on -sale which will begin on Friday (December 1st) 10am local time here.

Recently, Brothers Osborne were nominated for Best Country Album for Brothers Osborne and Best Country Duo/ Group Performance for “Nobody’s Nobody”at the 66th annual GRAMMY Awards. The siblings took home their first GRAMMY in 2022, winning Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their song “Younger Me” and have been nominated for 12 GRAMMYs overall. Additionally, the band won the CMA Vocal Duo of the Year at this year’s 57th Annual CMA Awards. The duo are the reigning champions in this category and this marks the sixth time they have taken home this award.

This month, the duo made their debut appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! for a special performance of their song ““Goodbye’s Kickin’ In” with a string quartet and backing vocals. Watch their performance of “Goodbye’s Kickin’ In,” off their self-titled fourth studio album, on Jimmy Kimmel Live! here. The band also appeared on CBS Mornings, joined by Anthony Mason at their homes in Nashville as they open up about the creative process behind their recent self-titled album, and their upcoming tour. John Osborne spoke candidly about his previous struggles with mental health and TJ touched on his journey since coming out. Watch the full interview here.

Brothers Osborne, the band’s self-titled fourth studio album is out now via EMI Records Nashville. The album was named one of the most anticipated albums of the year by The Los Angeles Times who call it “a lively self-titled” album which adds “fresh sounds and textures to the Osbornes’ solidly built songs” and the duo recently appeared on the cover of American Songwriter who say a “sense of comfortable confidence echoes through all eleven tracks on Brothers Osborne, which builds off the duo’s trademark meld of classic Southern rock and polished modern country.” Brothers Osborne is available on all formats here.

For their self-titled release, the brothers enlisted Mike Elizondo (Sheryl Crow, Turnstile, Dr. Dre, Twenty One Pilots, Lin-Manuel Miranda) to produce, entrusting him with curating his own band of studio musicians, including Paul McCartney’s drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. behind the kit. Miranda Lambert provides the LP’s sole guest vocals on “We Ain’t Good at Breaking Up,” after co-writing the song with Brothers Osborne and Jesse Frasure.

The brothers co-wrote every song on the album, including their chart-climbing current single “Nobody’s Nobody,” penned with Elizondo and Kendell Marvel, capturing a message of inclusion and acceptance.

Brothers Osborne are one of music’s most consistently adventurous bands, a duo connected by not just blood, but also a lifetime of performing together, and a shared working class upbringing in Deale, Maryland. The reigning CMA and ACM Duo of the Year winners are leaders of a progressive and still classic school of country music, and the faces of the new generation of Nashville. Anchored by TJ’s baritone and John’s guitar, every one of the album’s 11 tracks are distinctly Brothers Osborne songs – the album is also their most musically diverse yet, along with a new producer’s direction, it features synthesizers, and a piano ballad.

“We are always pushing ourselves, always evolving and not afraid to change,” John says. “But at the end of the day, we are also who we are.”

“This is a defining record at this point in our career, where we needed to put it all on our shoulders,” TJ says. “And we did. Like it was when we were growing up, it’s just John and me.”

Brothers Osborne “Might As Well Be Us Tour” Dates
Thu, March 28 // Milwaukee, WI // The Rave – Eagles Ballroom*
Fri, March 29 // Omaha, NE // Steelhouse Omaha*
Sat, March 30 // Waukee, IA // Vibrant Music Hall*
Wed, April 03 // Atlanta, GA // Coca-Cola Roxy+
Thu, April 04 // Spartanburg, SC // Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium+
Fri, April 05 // Chattanooga, TN // Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium+
Thu, April 11 // Cincinnati, OH // The Andrew J Brady Music Center^
Fri, April 12 // Birmingham, AL // Avondale Brewing Company^
Sat, April 13 // New Orleans, LA // Saenger Theatre^
Thu, April 18 // Boston, MA // MGM Music Hall at Fenway$
Fri, April 19 // Philadelphia, PA // The Metropolitan Opera House (“The Met”)$
Sat, April 20 // Wallingford, CT // Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre$
Thu, April 25// Saint Augustine, FL // The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre+
Fri, April 26 // Orlando, FL // Hard Rock Live Orlando+
Sat, April 27 // Hollywood, FL // Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood.+#
Sat, May 18 // Idaho Falls, ID // Mountain America Center%
Sun, May 19 // Sandy, UT // Sandy Amphitheater%
Tue, May 21 // Portland, OR // Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall%
Wed, May 22 // Abbotsford, BC // Abbotsford Centre%
Fri, May 24 // Modesto, CA // The Fruityard%
Sat, May 25 // Oakland, CA //Fox Theater%
Wed, May 29 // San Diego, CA // Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre%
Fri, May 31 // Santa Barbara, CA // Santa Barbara Bowl%
Sun, June 02 // Las Vegas, NV // The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas%
Fri, June 07 // Charlotte, NC // Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre@
Sat, June 08 // Raleigh, NC // Red Hat Amphitheater@
Thu, June 13 // Columbus, OH // KEMBA Live! Outdoor Amphitheatre*
Fri, June 14 // Buffalo, NY // Terminal B at The Outer Harbor*
Sat, June 15 // Sterling Heights, MI // Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill*
Thu, June 20 //Pittsburgh, PA // Stage AE – Outdoors+
Fri, June 21 // Indianapolis, IN // Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park+
Sat, June 22 // Chicago, IL // The Salt Shed+
Thu, June 27 // LaFayette, NY // Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards Summer Concert Series*
Fr,i June 28 // Newark, NJ // New Jersey Performing Arts Center – Prudential Hall*
Sat, June 29 // Cleveland, OH // Jacobs Pavilion*

*Stephen Wilson Jr.
+ The Cadillac Three
^ Zach Top
$ Jackson Dean
% Madeline Edwards
@ Caylee Hammack
# on-sale Dec 8th at 10am Local Time

John and TJ are making their way up the country charts with their latest single, “Nobody’s Nobody.”

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  • Alan Jackson with WUSN/Chicago’s Jeff Kapugi and Marci Braun, as well as UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan and Steve Hodges.