“Some of the best times are had right at last call, and this is one last call that you don’t want to miss!”
With those words, Country Music Hall of Famer Alan Jackson is announcing the continuation of LAST CALL: ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD, a tour that played to standing room only crowds in sold-out arenas coast-to-coast in 2022. Jackson’s 2024 – 2025 tour will hit an initial list of 10 arenas across America…each marking the last time he’ll ever perform his more-than-30 years of hits in that city and surrounding areas.
“Fans know when they come to my shows, they’re going to hear the songs that made me who I am – the ones they love,” Jackson says. The Last Call: One More for the Road Tour – presented by Silverbelly Whiskey and promoted by Peachtree Entertainment and Doussan Music Group – will find the three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year thrilling audiences as fans relive hits like “Chattahoochee” and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” night-after-night.
“I’ve been touring for over 30 years – my daughters are all grown, we have one grandchild and one on the way…and I’m enjoying spending more time at home. But my fans always show up to have a good time, and I’m going to give them the best show I can for this Last Call,” he says.
Jackson’s upcoming performances come as he continues to live with CMT (Charcot-Marie-Tooth), a chronic neuropathy condition that he first revealed in 2021. The Last Call: One More for the Road Tour serves as just that – one final chance for people to see and hear the iconic singer-songwriter perform his best-loved songs – music that’s been the soundtrack of their lives – in concert.
Tickets, tour information and fan club presale for Alan Jackson’s Last Call: One More for the Road Tour are available at alanjackson.com. All cities go on sale Friday, June 7. VIP experiences will be offered – top-tier packages include a pre-show party presented by AJ’s Good Time Bar, the Nashville honky-tonk owned and operated by the entertainer in the heart of Music City. A dollar from every ticket sold for the Last Call: One More for the Road Tour will be donated to the CMT Research Foundation, a 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt organization that funds research, and each dollar will be matched by a generous group of CMTRF donors.
Alan Jackson’s music and performances have gained him worldwide acclaim. In 2024 – 2025, he’ll continue his long-running tradition of “keepin’ it country” as he brings over 30 years of hits to a city near you one final time. Raise a glass – it’sLAST CALL: ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD!
Brothers Osborne (Father’s Day-John) OC: …It’s the best. :37 “Father’s Day is funny because I look back and think about what Father’s Days, what we did with our dad, and I think he probably just wanted to play outside and be goofy. It’s the same thing that I want to do with my kids. Like for Father’s Day, I don’t want a trophy or anything like that. I just want to hang out with my kids. I want every day to be Father’s Day. If anything, I personally believe as a father, now celebrating my second Father’s Day, Mother’s Day is 100 times more important. They are like superheroes. We just get to join along for the ride. So, it’s a treat for us just to be allowed in the party as far as I’m concerned, but I’ve never been more proud to be a dad, and it’s the best.”
Audio / John Osborne from Brothers Osborne talks about their dad's choice in music and how music permeated their lives.
Brothers Osborne (Dad’s music) OC: (John) …anything else. :34 “Our dad listened to everything from Hank Williams to Willie Nelson to even pop music like Mariah Carey and Tom Petty to Bob Seger. You name it and he listened to it, so we really didn’t think about specific genres. We really just kind of soaked it all in, so we listened to it all at one time. It was just music to us. There wasn’t a day in our house without the radio on or there wasn’t a weekend at our house that there wasn’t a party and people had their guitars out, so music to us is like eating and breathing. It’s just as essential as anything else.”
Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about the two incredible fathers in her life.
Carrie Underwood (Father’s Day) OC: …guy all around. 1:18 “Well, I am very lucky in my life to have two incredible fathers – my own father and then I get to watch my husband be a father to our boys – strong, amazing men, I am very lucky to be around them. Mike as a dad is just super involved in our boys’ lives, very hands on. It takes a team, definitely, to be able to support my crazy life and Mike’s always running around doing a lot of charity things and he’s always meeting with people and he’s on different boards and stuff like that, so we’re very much switching off duties as far as taking boys here and there to school and sports and to all the extra-curricular activities. I just love that I feel like we’re such a great team. I love it that he gets to now work with Isaiah on sports and things like that, and I know he loves it too. So, I think that’s one of my favorite qualities about Mike is just how hands on of a father he is and very willing to pick up the slack when I’m crazy busy. Obviously, he’s just a very Godly father, as well. He keeps God as the center of our family and gets to teach our boys all about that, as well. So, he’s just a great guy all around.”
Audio / Caylee Hammack says her father is a good man.
Caylee Hammack (Dad) OC: …forget that. 1:19 “My dad has this really unnerving ability to be able to build anything at all just by thinking of it. He can look at something and build it in his mind and build it by hand, and it always works. I’ve always respected him for that. He’s a very hard worker. He’s worked every day of his life. He’s also kind, even when he doesn’t have to be. He’s the type of guy who always gives money at the light to whoever it is on the street. One of my favorite moments with my dad was when we were driving to Macon, Georgia. I was playing a show that night, and we were driving up and we saw this dog and I could tell she was a mama dog. I could tell she had babies somewhere that she was trying to nurse, and she was so skinny. And I’m a bleeding heart. I get it from my Mama, and I just start crying, and I’m like, ‘That poor dog. She’s starving trying to feed her babies.’ I thought, ‘Poor dog.” And my dad doesn’t say anything, goes up two more blocks and pulls into the McDonalds. And he goes through and he asks me if I wanted anything, and I say no. I just think he’s hungry. He goes and he buys three or four burgers, and then he goes back to that block and he drives around until we find that dog to feed it to ‘em. I just remember looking at him, being like this is what a man is; this is what a good man does, and I’ll never forget that.”
Audio / Dalton Dover wants to be a good father to his children.
Dalton Dover (Father’s Day) OC: …is a virtue. :24f “So, like growing up, my grandpa was the closest thing to a dad to me, so I want to show my kids the love that I was never, I never got to call anybody Daddy. So I want to be able to show my kids a better life than what I had, which my life was great, but I want to be able to give my children more. I mean, I just want them to know you’re gonna make mistakes, but learn from ‘em, and like my mama taught me, patience is a virtue.”
Audio / Dalton Dover says his grandfather taught him to be a man.
Dalton Dover (Father’s Day-grandpa) OC: …I am today. :12 “My grandfather taught me to be a man. He taught me that handshakes matter. He taught me so much that I could’ve never taught myself, you know? (He) definitely taught me to be a man, the man I am today.”
Audio / Darius Rucker says his mother made him a good father to his three children.
Darius Rucker (mother’s qualities makes him a great father) OC: …my mom. :45 “She had a lot great qualities, but she was always, family was first for her. She was always a rock and making sure she took care of us and making sure we had things we needed to have to survive – food and clothes and a home – and seeing that and seeing how hard she worked and all the things she did just really made me the father that I am today. I mean, I’m so crazy and hands-on with my kids. I think it all comes from watching my mom have to struggle so much to support us. And so now, I don’t want me or my wife to ever have to struggle, and I don’t want my kids to ever want or wonder where I am or where there mom is. I want them to always know where we are and always be taken care of, and that all comes from my mom.”
Audio / Dierks Bentley enjoys being both dad – to daughters Evie and Jordan and son Knox – and country music performer.
Dierks Bentley (dad & performer) OC: …to do both. :28 “When I get home, it’s a totally different reality that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. Just hanging with my girls and doing the things we do and seeing life through their eyes, it’s incredible. It takes a man to do it. It’s not a boys’ game. It takes a man to do it. I love the juxtaposition to be able to be that man and to also go on the road and act like I’m 13 years old and play video games all afternoon waiting for the fans to show up. So, it’s really a blessing to be able to do both.”
Audio / Dierks Bentley, the father of three, is very grateful to his own dad for turning him on to country music as a kid.
Dierks (Father’s Day) OC: …that’s for sure. :10 “My dad was my biggest influence in country music because my dad loved country radio. So, we always drove around listening to country radio and George Strait, Hank Williams and Randy Travis and all these guys, so. Without him, I wouldn’t be doing this, that’s for sure.”
Audio / Eric Church describes his father and the qualities he admires in him.
Eric Church (Father’s Day) OC: …always admired. :29 “My dad is a, I’m trying to find the right words to describe him. My dad is a great guy, honest guy, very call it like he sees it, which is where I get a lot of that. No BS. I’m gonna tell you how I feel whether you like it or not. I’m that guy, I’m me…My dad’s that way, so I get a lot of that from him. There’s also an honesty and an integrity that my dad carries himself with that I’ve always admired.”
Audio / Jon Langston looks up to his father and hopes to become just like him.
Jon Langston (Father’s Day) OC: …just fine. :16 “My Dad has been my hero all my life. He’s the man I want to be one day when I grow up. I’m thankful for all he’s done for me and the sacrifices he’s made for our family. If I’m half the man he is one day, I’ll be just fine.”
Audio / Jordan Davis talks about his children and how they light up his world.
Jordan Davis (thing he most enjoys about being a dad) OC: …in the world. :24 “Coming home, having like just a kid excited to see you. It’s like the bad day fixer times 10, you know. I think it makes you realize what’s really important, no matter what it is. You come home from a write where you’re tired or you come home from the road and you’re worn out and you just want to take a nap, but you see the kids and you’re like, ‘Alright. Never mind. I wanna go play wiffle ball in the backyard.’ I don’t know. Seeing them light up when they see you – there’s no better feeling in the world.”
Audio / JORDAN DAVIS TALKS ABOUT HIS FAVORITE QUALITIES OF HIS DAD.
Jordan Davis (Father’s Day) OC: …my music. :45 “The thing I love most about my Dad is just his overall love of life. He’s a guy that’s worked hard and is now at a point where he can enjoy it, and he’s living every day to the fullest. That’s something that I’m very thankful that I’ve seen my Dad do and something to learn from. So, that’s probably my favorite quality about the old man, and just the hard work too. My dad ran a furniture business in Shreveport for a long time with his Dad. It was great to grow up and see a guy work hard and helped his Dad build a business from the ground up to a very successful business, and that’s something that I even try to carry over into my music.”
Audio / Jordan Davis talks about getting his kids outside, which is something his father did for him.
Jordan Davis (what he wants to pass on to his kids) OC: …is special. :31 “My dad got us outside; he got us outdoors early, you know? We didn’t have to like to hunt and fish, but you were going to the camp. You didn’t have to hunt if you didn’t want to, but you were going to the camp and be outside, and I really want to continue that with them. We’ve got a hunting camp in Arkansas, and you know just getting them around the fire and just getting them to small town living in Arkansas is special.”
Audio / PROUD DAD OF FOUR (HAMPTON, COLBY, MARION, HAWKE), JOSH TURNER TALKS ABOUT HOW HIS THREE OLDEST SONS ARE LEARNING THE FAMILY TRADE.
Josh Turner (Father’s Day) OC: …one of ‘em. 1:05 “As far as talent and potential, my oldest three, especially, they could do anything they wanted to do if they put their mind to it and their heart was there. My oldest [Hampton] is incredible at playing mandolin. Colby, we kind of noticed him turn the corner lately with the fiddle, and Marion is actually playing a ukulele that’s tuned like the top four strings on a guitar, so in essence, he’s learning how to play guitar. They’ve just kind of started incorporating some singing into some playing, so they’re starting the whole singing and playing at the same time kind of thing, and not only that, they’re even learning to play songs together on their individual instruments. So, it’s amazing to see how much they can learn in such a short amount of time. It makes me realize how much I missed out on when I was that age, ‘cause I did take some music lessons growing up and everything, but I think they feed off of each other honestly. I think that’s why they’re getting so good is because they’re all doing it, not just one of ‘em.”
Audio / Kylie Morgan says she got her work ethic from her father.
Kylie Morgan (Father’s Day) OC: …work for it. :29 “I think what I most admire about my dad is the fact of how hard he works. He’s definitely given me that from the beginning. I’ve seen the struggles and the ups and the downs and the late nights and the early mornings that he’s done my whole life to support our family, and that’s truly given me a sense of accomplishment, even from a young age that I knew I was going to be a hard worker. And he told me even from when I was little, he said, ‘Baby, you can have anything you want. You’ve just got to work for it.’”
Audio / Luke Bryan talks about the life lessons his father taught him.
Luke Bryan (Father’s Day-life lessons) OC: …live by that. :46 “Well, my dad was, I always just go back to the life lessons that always started either in a fishing boat or hunting somewhere, and that’s why I’ve always kind of been a champion of those types of behaviors certainly with your boys and your children because you get to spend time and hand down values. My dad was always big on just hard work and being good to people and a handshake is the contract. A handshake is your bond, your word. His famous saying always was, ‘Do something right the first time and you won’t have to go back and do it over again.’ I won’t say I batted a thousand perfectly on that, but I’ve kind of tried to live by that.”
Audio / MADDIE MARLOW TALKS ABOUT HER FATHER’S FAVORITE GIFT SHE’S EVER GIVEN HIM FOR FATHER’S DAY.
Maddie & Tae (Father’s Day) OC: …for Father’s Day. :26 “So, for Father’s Day, I made my Dad – I think it was right before I moved to Nashville – I made my Dad this little photo book where it had like his quotes that have stuck with me my whole life and then some pictures, and it was really funky. It looks horrible. It’s not put together, but that’s one of his favorite gifts that he’s ever gotten, and I cherish that ugly photo book thing that I made for him for Father’s Day.”
Audio / Mickey Guyton says her husband Grant is a very present father to their son, Grayson.
Mickey Guyton (husband Grant as a dad) OC: …hands-on dad. :33 “The quality I most admire about my husband as a father is he is a very hands-on dad, and he’s been a hands-on dad since the very beginning since I found out I was pregnant. And like he would go and get me a fresh juice and ginger every single day, and then once my son Grayson was born, it’s crazy, like he just wants to be there every step of the way. Like we are a very equal household when it comes to taking care of our son, and I think that is the best thing ever is to watch him be such a hands-on dad.”
Audio / Parker McCollum and his wife Hallie Ray are so excited to become parents.
Parker McCollum (feeling about becoming a dad) OC: …over the moon. :28 “Heck, right now it’s real quiet and sleep good and real rested, and all that stuff. It probably won’t be that way for much longer. Man, we are so blessed. Hallie Ray’s like a prodigy mom. She was born to be a mother, like that is her calling. She wants to do that so bad. That’s all she’s ever talked about she wants to be a mama. The fact that it’s going so well, and God’s been so good to us, and he’s healthy, I’m just excited about it and she is too. She’s over the moon.”
Audio / PARKER MCCOLLUM CREDITS HIS FATHER AND GRANDFATHER WITH HIS WORK ETHIC AND DRIVE TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
Parker McCollum (male influences) OC: …a good place. :50 “As far as my Dad, he’s like a real-life superhero. I mean the most incredible, self-disciplined, work ethic. I get my entire work ethic, I think, from him and my granddad, who’s actually my mom’s dad. I’m so lucky the kind of people that I come from, like I had no choice to go out and work hard and try to be successful. My brother definitely – that creative, artistic side of my brain I think it really was…he kind of catered to that when I was a kid. He really put a lot of emphasis on me showing that some love and some attention in trying to be creative and write songs and stuff. But I just think my work ethic and kind of drive to do things the right way come from my dad and my granddad, for sure. Just lucky to have that. I always say if everybody had a granddad like I had, the world would be a really good place.”
Priscilla Block (father) OC: …from my dad. :49 “So, my dad has honestly been my rock star, my whole life. He was the one to bring me to Nashville when I was 15, once I wrote my first song. He’s just really supported me. He was the one driving me to all of my try-outs for every single show I tried out for. And my dad’s taught me a lot. He’s a hard worker, and that’s where my work ethic comes from is my dad. You know, I’m one of five kids, and he always found a way…there was a lot of rough times growing up, and he always found a way to pull through and just keep going, and I think that’s why I stayed in Nashville as long as I have – it comes from my dad.”
Audio / Sam Hunt says his favorite time of the day with his family of four.
Sam Hunt (his two kids) OC: …bit of it. :20 “I still just sit there and look at ‘em sometimes in the morning at breakfast like, ‘how did this happen?’ It feels like overnight. We’ve got two now. There are four of us sitting here, or four of us in the car when we’re driving down the road. Two years ago, it was just Hannah and I. But it’s going great. I think breakfast is my favorite time of the day. We get up and sit around the table we’re having a blast. I’m loving every bit of it.”
Audio / Sam Hunt says his father taught him a lot about being a man and knowing the right thing.
Sam Hunt (Father’s Day) OC: …he’s great. :27 “I’m obviously biased about my parents, but I’ve been around a lot of great men of integrity, but he is by far the best man that I know. He’s just taught me so much about being a man, doing the right thing, knowing the difference between right and wrong. And even though I don’t always follow his lead, I definitely know better because of him, and that means a whole lot to me. I was just really fortunate to have him as a dad, and he’s great.”
Audio / Travis Denning says his father is his best friend.
Travis Denning (Father’s Day) OC: …for sure. :43 “My dad – I call him ‘Diamond Dave’ and a lot of other people do too. Honestly, I don’t know if I drink more with anybody else more than my Dad. I think a super cool thing now is getting older and knowing that I’m starting to get more and more sustained as a human that it’s like my parents get to be friends now with me and my sister, which is such a cool thing. And so, yeah, me and my Dad – we love music and we love heavy metal and we love all that. We get to go to concerts and football games and drink beer and just enjoy that cool part of a father and a son and a mother and a son where now we get to be friends and it’s really cool. My Dad is my best friend, for sure.”
Audio / Tyler Hubbard says being a father to his three children is a huge gift to him.
Tyler Hubbard (Father’s Day) OC: …just so special. 1:01 “Well, I think being a dad is one of the most special gifts in the world. I’m getting to watch kids grow up – a big responsibility, but also a lot of joy. I mean, so much fun, and to have three little kids, man, it’s a house full of energy. It’s a whole lot of fun. And one of the coolest things about it that I’ve found is it helps me kind of channel my inner child. It takes me back to being a kid and how much fun just jumping on the trampoline and playing basketball and playing outside and all that really is and how good it is for us. I’ve lost that for quite a few years, getting wrapped up in my career and working hard and just prioritizing that over being a kid and just playing. So, it’s been really healthy and helpful to me to have these kids running around to just kind of channel that little boy inside of me and the person that I want to be and it’s been really healthy and really fun and kind of re-energized me creatively as well as a songwriter and as an artist. So, I’m really thankful to be a dad. Love those three little kids more than anything in the world, and it’s just so special.”
Audio / Vince Gill talks about the qualities he hopes for his children.
Vince Gill (Father’s Day) OC: …feels like. :33 “Kindness-hopefully make them kind and that’s all we got. Five great kids, a couple of grandkids. Those grandkids are the complete light of my life. You know, they just show up and the rest of the world can kiss my you-know-what. (laughs) I say, ‘We’re just gonna go swing in the backyard; we’re gonna wrestle on the bed; we’re gonna eat those Goldfish (crackers), you know? And nothing else kind of seems to matter. And then I think what I love seeing, more than anything, for my kid to finally understand what it means to love, and it’s awesome to see my kid finally get it what that unconditional love really looks like and feels like.”
“Hey everybody, this is Bryce Leatherwood. This is to all the Dads out there, I’m wishing you a Happy Father’s Day. Thank y’all for what y’all do, and God bless.”
“Hey! It’s Jon Pardi, wishing all the fathers out there a very Happy Father’s Day. Here’s to you, Senior. Insert beer can opening sample (sound effect). (laughs)
Hootie & the Blowfish are ready to return to the road for their Summer Camp with Trucks Tour with special guests Collective Soul and Edwin McCain.
They’ll will visit 43 cities across the U.S. and Canada. This marks the first full tour since 2019 for the band whose chart-topping, GRAMMY-award winning career has featured more than 25 million albums sold, including their 2x Diamond-certified debut album Cracked Rear View – which remains among the top 10 best-selling albums in all of music history – plus 17 Billboard-charting songs to date.
“We decided to go out this year, just ‘cause it’s the 30th anniversary of Cracked Rear View, and that was the subliminal moment of our career, so we just wanted to go out and honor that record by playing some shows this year,” says Darius Rucker.
Darius says the name of the tour actually came from Edwin McCain. “We were on our first headline tour and we took Edwin McCain out opening up and he was talking to a DJ, and the DJ was trying to get him to talk trash about Hootie & The Blowfish, saying it must be tough touring with us and everything. Edwin looked at the guy and said, ‘Man, touring with Hootie & The Blowfish is like summer camp with trucks,’ and that’s where the name came from.”
The trek kicks off on Thursday (May 30th) in Dallas and runs through September 28th in West Palm Beach, visiting arenas, amphitheaters and select stadiums such as Boston’s iconic Fenway Park (with special guests Barenaked Ladies) along the way, including a homecoming to Columbia, S.C.’s Colonial Life Arena for the Gamecock alumni.
Audio / Darius Rucker talks about the decision for Hootie & The Blowfish to tour this year.
Darius Rucker (decision to tour with Hootie this year) OC: …shows this year. :17 “You know, it’s been five years since we’ve been out, but the last time we toured, it’d been 14 years since we’d gone out or something. We decided to go out this year, just ‘cause it’s the 30th anniversary of Cracked Rear View, and that was the subliminal moment of our career, so we just wanted to go out and honor that record by playing some shows this year.”
Audio / Darius Rucker explains how the name came about for this year's Hootie & The Blowfish Summer Camp With Trucks Tour.
Darius Rucker (Hootie Tour name) OC: …name came from. :22 “In ’94, 5 or 6 or something – it might’ve been ’95 – we were on our first headline tour and we took Edwin McCain out opening up and he was talking to a DJ, and the DJ was trying to get him to talk trash about Hootie & The Blowfish, saying it must be tough touring with us and everything. Edwin looked at the guy and said, ‘Man, touring with Hootie & The Blowfish is like summer camp with trucks,’ and that’s where the name came from.”
Nearly forty years after the band’s formation, Darius Rucker tells his remarkable story through the lens of the songs that shaped him—from Al Green, Stevie Wonder, and KISS to Lou Reed, Billy Joel, Nanci Griffith, and so many more.
Set against the soundtrack of his life, Darius recounts his childhood as the son of a single mother in Charleston, South Carolina. He traces the unlikely ascent of his band and shares wild tales of life on the road—but he also faces his missteps, defeats, and demons. As moving as it is entertaining, Life’s Too Short is a timeless book about a man and his music.
As he prepares to embark on the first tour in five years with his Hootie & the Blowfish bandmates this week, frontman and Country music star in his own right Darius Rucker looks back across his multi-faceted career with raw, heartfelt memoir “Life’s Too Short” available everywhere today, May 28, via Dey Street Books. Order HERE.
Now multiple decades into his illustrious career, the three-time Grammy Award–winning, multi-Diamond-selling artist tells the story of his life through the lens of the music that made him, including songs by everyone from Frank Sinatra and Stevie Wonder to R.E.M., KISS, Prince and, of course, his own music both with Hootie and as a solo artist. He recounts the unlikely ascent of his band and wild tales of his road-hardened life—one filled with stumbles, missteps and battles with demons, but ultimately resulting in triumph. Candid, entertaining, and moving, “Life’s Too Short” is a classic story of a man and his music.
Rucker appeared on NBC’s “TODAY” this morning to discuss the memoir, noting “The Nanci Griffith chapter that I wrote about my mom when she was in a coma and when she died,” when asked which chapter was the most meaningful to write about. “Reading that back brought me to tears. That was very meaningful to me. That was most meaningful of all of them.”
The book has also earned early critical praise, with Entertainment Weekly noting, “Rucker’s memoir reads like he’s telling you his life story over a beer, with voicey asides and wisecracks strewn throughout… But between anecdotes about Woody Harrelson saving his life and dunking on teens at the YMCA while on tour, a pure, unabashed love for music permeates every page.”
The Washington Post adds, “While anecdotes about the band’s penchant for drinking and drug use are a small part of the book, Rucker’s decision to include such details upfront sends a message: There’s a lot more to the Hootie & the Blowfish story than the massive success that made them both Grammy winners and a cultural punchline,” and USA Today explains of the memoir’s musical through line, “Rucker’s memories – the painful and the ecstatic – are recounted in chapters introduced by song titles: Billy Joel’s ‘Honesty’ for his eventual pairing with guitarist Mark Bryan and their discussions about forming a band; ‘Ships’ from Barry Manilow about his passing-in-the-night relationship with his father; ‘So. Central Rain’ from one of Hootie & the Blowfish’s biggest inspirations, R.E.M., in the chapter about Rucker meeting bassist Dean Felber, who became a soulmate as well as a bandmate.”
Following this week’s kickoff of the Hootie & the Blowfish Summer Camp with Trucks Tour (tickets available here), Rucker returns to Nashville for his annual “Darius & Friends” benefit concert in support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital which has raised $3.6 million to date.
For more information on all projects and upcoming events, visit DariusRucker.com and follow on social media @DariusRucker.
“Life’s Too Short”
A Memoir
by Darius Rucker
with Alan Eisenstock
Dey Street Books
Hardcover ISBN: 9780063238749 | $29.99
E-book ISBN: 9780063238763 | $14.99
About Darius Rucker
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 have 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 No. 1 albums on the Billboard Country chart 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. His brand-new album Carolyn’s Boy (featuring current single “Never Been Over”) is available everywhere now and his first book, a memoir titled “Learn to Live” is available now via Dey Street Books.
As a lifelong philanthropist, Rucker co-chaired the capital campaign that generated $150 million to help build the new MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital in his hometown of Charleston, S.C. and has raised over $3.6 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through his annual Darius & Friends benefit concert and golf tournament. In addition, Rucker has advocated for over 200 charitable causes supporting public education and junior golf programs in South Carolina through the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation and serves as a National Chair for the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tenn. Rucker is also an avid sports fan, with his Darius Rucker Collection by Fanatics line of NFL, MLB and NCAA apparel available at Fanatics.com, and he is part of the Music City Baseball investment group working to bring an MLB team to Tennessee in addition to serving as a partner at the MGC Sports & Entertainment agency.
For more information, visit www.dariusrucker.com and follow on social media @DariusRucker.
Audio / Darius Rucker talks about the songs and artists that influenced his new memoir.
Darius Rucker (songs that influenced book) OC: …the story. :34
“Those songs that we chose for the book, you know, from ‘Beth’ from KISS, which was an enormous song for me as a kid. The REM songs we chose, Nanci Griffith, those songs were moments of my life where I listened to those songs every day, multiple times a day. So, you know, when we decided to name the chapters after songs that meant something to me, that was perfect for me, because music is, brings back all the memories I have coming back with music, so that was a good way to tell it, tell the story.”
Announced earlier this week, Vincent Mason signed a record deal with Interscope Records/UMG Nashville/Music Soup and releases his debut EP Can’t Just Be Me available everywhere today. The six-song project includes previously released tracks “Hell is a Dance Floor”, “Livin’ Proof”, and “May Be.” Entirely penned and co-produced by Mason, the EP encapsulates his relatable journey to finding love and the fun he’s having along the way. Using emotionally vulnerable lyrics and catchy melodies, the Georgia native “is off to a commanding start to his career” (Country Central) and showcases the past few years of his life and the lessons he has learned thus far.
“This EP is a great representation of everything that’s happened from when I first started writing songs up until now. I’m thankful to have the opportunity to co-produce for the first time alongside Brett Truitt,” Mason explains. “The music sounds exactly how I envisioned and I’m excited to mark this moment in time and have it to look back on one day.”
“I’m so grateful to have Interscope, Universal Nashville, and Music Soup help bring our vision to life and keep building on what we’ve started,” Mason says of his recent signing. “I couldn’t feel better about the team around me and I’m excited to get to work.”
His break-out single “Hell is a Dance Floor,” which has amassed over 17 million combined global streams, introduced his ability to use “soul-stirring lyrics and infectious energy” (All Country News). Mason was one of only 12 unsigned country artists to rack up over 1 million U.S. On-Demand first-week streams on a track since 2021.
Mason toured alongside Ashley Cooke in 2023 and closed out the year with shows opening for Parker McCollum and Niko Moon. As he continues to share his music on stage, he will open for Miranda Lambert in July then Gavin Adcock on his entire fall leg tour. He is also on the bill for festivals this summer including CMA Fest. For full tour dates head to his website.
Can’t Just Be Me Tracklist
May Be (Vincent Mason, Jared Scott, and Brett Truitt)
Hell is a Dance Floor (Vincent Mason and Chase McDaniel)
Livin’ Proof (Vincent Mason, Forrest Finn, Joe Whelan, and Brett Truitt)
Take Too Much (Vincent Mason and Bobby Hambrick)
Can’t Just Be Me (Vincent Mason)
Really Don’t Love Me (Vincent Mason, Forrest Finn, and Jack Hummel)
ABOUT VINCENT MASON:
Growing up right outside of Atlanta in Roswell, Georgia, Vincent Mason was inspired early by movie soundtracks and how each song perfectly fit into the storyline. These core memories of listening to music as a child all led this rising artist to grab a guitar in college and start to realize his true potential.
Fusing his influences like Parker McCollum and John Mayer, his southern country side blends perfectly with the singer-songwriter’s pop sensibilities – creating a fresh new sound that’s becoming incredibly popular in the genre. The 23-year-old taps into his life experiences to curate a narrative true to country storytelling. His latest release, “Hell is a Dance Floor” has amassed over 17 million streams since its release at the end of February, making this his biggest breakout moment so far. The song has been supported by major editorial playlists including Spotify’s New Boots, Breakout Country, and Next From Nashville as well as Apple Music’s Country Risers and New In Country.
Now growing his team, Vincent has recently inked deals with Interscope Records/UMG Nashville/Music Soup as well as a worldwide publishing deal with Concord Music Publishing/Hang Your Hat Music.
He toured alongside Ashley Cooke in 2023 and closed out the year with shows opening for Parker McCollum, Niko Moon, and Gavin Adcock – with much more to come in the summer months. He’s on the bill at Headwaters Country Jam as well as Redwest Festival. With more music on the way, this passionate writer and artist sets out to stay true to his influences as well as his story to deliver a powerful message through his music to his growing audience.
Nashville, TN – May 20, 2024 – ACM and CMA Award-winning Singer/Songwriter/Producer Jon Pardi today announced the extension of his first official headlining run across the globe, the Mr. Saturday Night Tour, produced by Live Nation. The sixteen additional tour dates kick off September 5th in Baltimore, MD and will run through October. Added markets include Wilmington, NC, Charleston, SC, Toronto, Canada, a hometown show in Bakersfield, California, and more. Tickets will be available for purchase starting May 24th at 10am local time. Artists Priscilla Block, Larry Fleet, and Meghan Patrick serve as support. Named after his latest critically acclaimed album, Mr. Saturday Night, the tour recently returned from its 10 date sold-out UK and European run, with Pardi bringing his signature sound and “state-of-the-art blend of traditional instrumentation and progressive grooves that point to country’s future” (Rolling Stone).
Fans can purchase VIP Packages, which may include premium tickets, invitations to the VIP Lounge including a pre-show acoustic performance by Jon Pardi, VIP-exclusive gift items & more. VIP package contents vary based on offer selected. For more information on VIP packages, visit vipnation.com.
A portion of ticket sale proceeds from the tour will benefit the newly established Starlight Fund. Founded by Jon and Summer Pardi, the Starlight Fund supports organizations dedicated to providing opportunities and resources specific to young people in need that are pursuing a path in the trades, agriculture, and construction. To learn more about the Starlight Foundation, visit www.cfmt.org/starlight.
Since first hitting the country landscape, Jon Pardi has long since separated himself from the pack, carving a lane that was all his own by producing, writing, and singing songs he created from the melodies up, and earning praise for it. “Jon Pardi cut a path through modern country’s embrace of pop, hip-hop and EDM” (The New York Times) with “an emboldened work… a distilling of his sound into a more potent form that draws both vitality and assurance from his anything-but-sterile relationship to his tradition’s modern era” (NPR). Pardi is “a leader among a growing number of artists bringing back fiddle, steel and twang” (People). “Even when he’s singing sad songs, he wants people to have a good time” (Associated Press).
Featured by NPR, Paste, Billboard, The Tennessean and more, Pardi’s album Mr. Saturday Night proved Pardi has “blazed his own trail over the past decade” (Billboard), with Taste of Country noting, his “refusal to chase sets Mr. Saturday Night apart” and Nash News raving, Mr. Saturday Night “proves he might be the most successful at combining the old-school sound with today’s need for hooks.” Mr. Saturday Night followed his critically acclaimed album-Heartache Medication-Pardi’s CMA and ACM Album of the Year nominated project. Heartache Medication debuted among the top albums on Billboard’s Country Albums chart and was named in 2019 Rolling Stone’s “Best Album of the Year” and by the Los Angeles Times as one of the (Top 10) “Best Albums of the Year.” Prior to Heartache Medication, Pardi released his breakthrough Platinum-selling album, California Sunrise, which featured the multi-platinum, chart-topping hits “Dirt On My Boots,” “Head Over Boots,” “Heartache On The Dance Floor” and “Night Shift.” Named a “hero in the making” (Variety), Pardi has earned several No. 1s on country radio and is noted for his “long-lasting mark on the genre” (MusicRow) and his impressive ability to carve out his own path creating “the kind of country music multiple generations came to know, and love can still wok on a mass scale” (Variety). Filled with fiddle, twang and steel guitar, Pardi continues to “apply new ideas to country’s old sounds” (Los Angeles Times) and “bring authenticity back into Country music” (People).
(JUST ADDED) JON PARDI 2024 MR. SATURDAY NIGHT TOUR EXTENDED DATES:
9/5/2024 – Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Pavilion*
9/6/2024 – Wilmington, NC – Live Oak Bank Pavilion*
9/7/2024 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium*
9/12/2024 – Youngstown, OH – Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre*
9/13/2024 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre*
9/14/2024 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage*
9/20/2024 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheater^ – TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, 6/14 AT 10AM
9/21/2024 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre^
9/27/2024 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre^ – TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, 6/14 AT 10AM
9/28/2024 – Bakersfield, CA – Mechanics Bank Arena^
10/3/2024 – Huntsville, AL – Orion Amphitheater#
10/4/2024 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre#
10/5/2024 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater# – TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, 5/31 AT 10AM
10/10/2024 – Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater^ – TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, 5/31 AT 10AM
10/11/2024 – Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman^
10/12/2024 – Corpus Christi, TX – AmericanBank Center^
* Priscilla Block and Meghan Patrick as support
^ Priscilla Block (direct) and Larry Fleet (opener) as support
# Larry Fleet (direct) and Priscilla Block (opener) as support
Two of music’s most beloved and acclaimed artists, Chris Stapleton and Dua Lipa, have collaborated to release “Think I’m In Love With You (with Dua Lipa) (Live from the 59th ACM Awards).”
Recorded live at this year’s ACM Awards in Frisco, Texas, the surprise duet features Stapleton and Dua Lipa alongside Stapleton’s band, The Honchos, as well as a 13-piece string section.
Chris says that it was actually Dua’s idea to team up together on the awards show. “She reached out to the ACMs and suggested that we do something, and then we got on the phone with her and she was just a wonderful person to talk to and collaborate with and we knew that was going to work pretty much immediately from one phone call,” says Chris. “It was very exciting and a very fun way to get to collaborate with somebody, and she’s a wonderful collaborator and a wonderful creative spirit and talent and feel very lucky.”
“stunning…That the performance was so damn good only made the subterfuge all the more worth it.” —Rolling Stone
“the best performance of the night”—Vulture
“The sultry performance paired his grizzled vocal with her soaring, polished tones, making for what was surely one of the most talked about performances.”—Billboard
“electric and soulful”—American Songwriter
About Chris Stapleton:
Kentucky-born Chris Stapleton is a 10x Grammy, 16x CMA and 19x ACM Award-winner and one of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians. In the midst of yet another triumphant year, Stapleton recently won four awards at 59th ACM Awards as well as two more trophies at the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
These accomplishments celebrate Stapleton’s new album, Higher, which was released this past fall to overwhelming critical acclaim. Produced by Dave Cobb, Morgane Stapleton and Chris Stapleton and recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, the record landed on several “Best of” lists including Billboard,Esquire, Los Angeles Times, Vulture and Rolling Stone, who praises, “dazzling…the best evidence yet for the way one man’s voice has become synonymous with the very idea of a musical genre.” Additionally, The New Yorker declares, “Stapleton is the rare country star with both traditional bona fides and broad commercial appeal. He has an outlaw soul and a pop star’s capacity for inescapable hooks,” while GQ proclaims, “In an age rife with division, he’s maybe the only thing Americans all agree on.”
Known for his electric live performances, Stapleton recently returned to NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” as musical guest for the third time and will continue his extensive “All-American Road Show” through this fall. In addition to teaming up with Dua Lipa, Stapleton has new collaborations with Slash (“Oh Well”) and George Strait (“Honky Tonk Hall of Fame”) in addition to recording a version of “I Should Have Known It” for new Tom Petty tribute album.
Stapleton and his wife, Morgane, are founders of the Outlaw State of Kind charitable fund, which supports a variety of causes that are close to their heart. Stapleton also recently unveiled his new Traveller Whiskey, created in partnership with Buffalo Trace Distillery’s Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley.
About Dua Lipa:
3x GRAMMY and 7x BRIT Award-winning global pop powerhouse Dua Lipa continues to be one of pop music’s leading forces with the release of her third album, Radical Optimism. Upon release, the album went straight to No. 1 in 12 countries, including the UK where it became the biggest album debut of 2024 in the UK and garnered the largest UK female No. 1 volume since 2021. In the US, the album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart and No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking Dua’s biggest sales week yet. The New York Times named it a Critic’s Pick and hailed it as “an album of nonstop ear candy,” along with Variety, who declared it “a joyous blast of pop savvy,” The New Yorker, who praised, “the instrumentation is a gleaming and impenetrable expanse, and the main attraction is Lipa,” and Vogue, who raved it’s “a summery, self-assured slice of pop brilliance…[and] catchy as hell.”
Dua’s certified platinum sophomore album Future Nostalgia solidified her position as both a critical success and top radio performer. The GRAMMY Award-winning album was the longest running top 10 album by a female artist on the Billboard 200 in 2021 and spawned multiple worldwide hit singles, with “Levitating” earning certified diamond status and the title of Billboard’s No. 1 Hot 100 Song of 2021.
Dua has found superstar status on stage and off, thanks to her many passions outside of music. 2022 saw Dua launch Service95, a global style, culture and society editorial platform that now comprises a weekly newsletter, the Service95 book club and the Dua Lipa: At Your Service podcast, which has been lauded by The Sunday Times and The Guardian, and was named one of the Best Podcasts of 2022 by Spotify. Having graced every major fashion magazine worldwide from Vogue and Elle to W and Dazed, Dua added “designer” to her resume in 2023 when she co-designed Versace’s “La Vacanza” collection alongside Donatella Versace herself, which Vogue deemed “the hottest collaboration of the summer.”
Dua’s eponymous 2017 debut album is certified platinum, spawned six platinum tracks, and made her the first female artist in BRIT Awards history to pick up five nominations in a single year. Dua has a total of 10 GRAMMY nominations, with three wins for Best Pop Vocal Album, Best New Artist and Best Dance Recording. Additionally, she earned nominations at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards for her hit song “Dance The Night” from the box office sensation Barbie. Across platforms globally, she has amassed over 42 billion streams and holds the record for being the first female artist to have two albums with over 10 billion streams each on Spotify.
Audio / Backstage at this year's ACM Awards, Chris Stapleton talks about how the collaboration with Dua Lipa came about.
Chris Stapleton (Dua Lipa ACM collab) OC: …very lucky. :29 “As far as I know, it was Dua’s idea (laughs) (MORGANE: “It was. She reached out.”)…and she reached out to the ACMs and suggested that we do something, and then we got on the phone with her and she was just a wonderful person to talk to and collaborate with and we knew that was going to work pretty much immediately from one phone call. It was very exciting and a very fun way to get to collaborate with somebody, and she’s a wonderful collaborator and a wonderful creative spirit and talent and feel very lucky.”
CarrieUnderwood returned to the stage for another sold-out run for the first night of the May run of her ongoing REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency at Resorts World Theatre on May 22nd.
Photo Credit: Jeff Johnson
Guitarist: Ed Eason
The global superstar has a few days off before returning to her Reflection show on Wednesday (May 29th).
She says the show is designed “to reflect upon all the things that we’ve been so blessed to be able to have accomplished over the past few years and that I’ve been lucky enough to do this, and then obviously when you think about a staging standpoint, Reflection is, you can do a lot with that visually. So, it just seemed like a great concept as far as what we could do with it on stage and also having that kind of personal reflection being able to look back on all of the things that we’ve been able to do. We’re just looking forward to playing, getting to be there. We’re looking forward to the crowds. We love to be on stage, so I think that’s what we always look forward to most whenever we are ever getting to play. It’s gonna be super fun.”
Audio / CARRIE UNDERWOOOD EXPLAINS WHAT "REFLECTION," THE TITLE OF HER LAS VEGAS RESIDENCY, IS ALL ABOUT.
Carrie Underwood (Reflection) OC: …super fun. :48 “Reflection is just kind of all about, you know obviously we want to get there. We want to do our hits. We want to reflect upon all the things that we’ve been so blessed to be able to have accomplished over the past few years and that I’ve been lucky enough to do this, and then obviously when you think about a staging standpoint, Reflection is, you can do a lot with that visually. So, it just seemed like a great concept as far as what we could do with it on stage and also having that kind of personal reflection being able to look back on all of the things that we’ve been able to do. We’re just looking forward to playing, getting to be there. We’re looking forward to the crowds. We love to be on stage, so I think that’s what we always look forward to most whenever we are ever getting to play. It’s gonna be super fun.”
The second annual UMG Nashville Takeover returns to Skydeck on Broadway June 6-9, 2024. This year’s star-studded lineup at the rooftop event at Fifth + Broadway includes Anne Wilson, Bryce Leatherwood, Catie Offerman, Caylee Hammack, Dalton Dover, Josh Ross, Josh Turner, Kassi Ashton, Kylie Morgan, Lee Greenwood, Louie TheSinger, Maddie & Tae, Mark Wills, Mickey Guyton, Sam Williams, Terri Clark, The War And Treaty, Travis Denning, Tyler Hubbard, Vincent Mason, and more to be announced. Fans can enjoy performances, artist photo & signing opportunities, fan club parties, listening events, plus a special performance by Cirque du Soleil. Rising talents Dillon James, Hueston, Timothy Wayne, Belle Frantz, Owen Riegling and Colt Graves are also set to perform as part of a new artist showcase, presented by Whiskey Jam. The four-day event is free to the public, open to fans of all ages, and is ADA accessible. A new canopy roof and cooling fans allow this event to proceed rain or shine.
A full schedule of events and additional information to follow. Please visit UMGNLive.com for updates.
UMG Nash Takeover is made possible with thanks to sponsors including Cornerstone Building Brands, hi Seltzer, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Jockey Outdoors, and Justin Boots.
Please note, the Skydeck on Broadway will implement a bag policy for the extent of the event. Approved bags include medical bags, parenting bags, CLEAR 12” x 12” bags, and NON-CLEAR 6.5” x 4.5” bags will be permitted following screening. Backpacks of any kind are NOT permitted. Registration and queuing for all UMG Nashville events will occur on street level at Fifth + Broadway prior to Skydeck entry.
Universal Music Group Nashville consists of Capitol Records Nashville, Capitol Comedy Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Silver Wings Records, and Sing Me Back Home Productions. Reading like a “who’s who” of Music Row, the combined rosters include Alan Jackson, Anne Wilson, Billy Currington, Brad Paisley, Brothers Osborne, Bryce Leatherwood, Carrie Underwood, Catie Offerman, Caylee Hammack, Chris Stapleton, Dalton Dover, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Dillon James, Eric Church, George Strait, Hootie & The Blowfish, Hueston, Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Josh Turner, Kacey Musgraves, Kassi Ashton, Keith Urban, Kylie Morgan, Little Big Town, Louie TheSinger, Luke Bryan, Luke Grimes, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, Sam Williams, The War And Treaty, Timothy Wayne, Travis Denning, Tyler Hubbard, Vince Gill, and comedian Nate Bargatze. For additional information, visit www.umgnashville.com.
