• Parker McCollum Burn It Down
  • Tyler Hubbard Back Then Right Now
  • Jordan Davis Tucson Too Late
  • Sam Hunt Outskirts
  • Anne Wilson Rain in the Rearview
  • Chris Stapleton Think I'm In Love With You

News

JENNIFER NETTLES IS ALL ABOUT ‘ME WITHOUT YOU.’ (AUDIO)

“Me Without You” is Jennifer Nettles’ new song from her solo album, That Girl, which debuted at the top of the country album chart a few weeks ago. It’s one of the Georgia native’s favorite tunes from the project. Jennifer says the song has its roots in “the fear and loss of a relationship.” As she explains, “It’s about those co-existing emotions and having been afraid and thinking like, ‘Oh, man – what’s going to happen?’ And then realizing, ‘Wait a minute! This ain’t so bad!’”

Jennifer is currently making her way across the country on her That Girl Tour, which makes a stop in Nashville at the historic Ryman Auditorium on Thursday (February 20th).

AUDIO: Jennifer Nettles talks about “Me Without You,” the brand new single from her chart-topping album, That Girl.

Jennifer Nettles (Me Without You) OC: …so bad. :25
“One of the things that I love about the song ‘Me Without You’ is that it is about the joy within both the fear and loss of a relationship. It’s about those co-existing emotions and [about] having been afraid and thinking like, ‘Oh, man – what’s going to happen?’ And then realizing, ‘Wait a minute! This ain’t so bad!’”

SCOTTY McCREERY HAS LEARNED A LOT IN THE LAST THREE YEARS. (AUDIO)

With a new season of American Idol underway, it’s hard to believe that three years have passed since we first saw Scotty McCreery auditioning for the show…and that it’s been two-and-a-half years since he was crowned the tenth season winner on the show. “I’ve grown up a heck of a lot in the last couple years,” Scotty admits, pointing out that he was just 17 when he first landed on the world’s radar. “I did a lot of growing up because I’m in an adult world now,” he explains. “I’m out there on the road, hanging with my band, and hanging with my managers…and different artists.” That maturity can be heard in Scotty’s music…and seen in his outlook. “I’ve learned a lot about myself…and [about] what’s out there – what the world has to offer,” he acknowledges, adding, “And that’ll be showing in my music.”

Scotty’s climbing the charts with “See You Tonight,” the Top 10 title track from his current album. It’s one of five songs he co-wrote for the collection.

Audio / Scotty McCreery (grown as a person)

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AUDIO: Scotty McCreery admits he’s grown a lot since we first “met” him on American Idol…and says his music reflects that. 

Scotty McCreery (grown as a person) OC: …my music. :27
“Well, I’ve grown up a heck of a lot in the last couple years. You know, I did a lot of growing up because I’m in an adult world now, you know? I’m not just hanging out with the kids anymore, going to the pool. I’m out there on the road, and hanging with my band, and hanging with my managers…and different artists. And I’ve really learned a lot about the world. I’ve learned a lot about myself…and [about] what’s out there – what the world has to offer. So, I’ve done a lot of growing up, and that’ll be showing in my music.”

 

VALENTINE’S DAY: AJ, Billy, Darius, David, Dierks, Eric, Josh, Keith, LBT, Luke (AUDIO)

Each year on February 14th, many people exchange cards, candy, gifts or flowers with their special someone. The day of romance we call Valentine’s Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the 5th century, but has origins in the Roman holiday Lupercalia.

141 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion. (This total excludes packaged kids valentines for classroom exchanges.) (Source: Hallmark research)

2.2 million marriages take place in the United States annually, which breaks down to more than 6,000 a day.

Friday is Valentine’s Day (February 14th), and we’ve got some thoughts and feelings more about love, romance and marriage from several of your favorite country artists. Some are new and some have become our favorites over the years. Which country stars are romantic? Which ones aren’t? Which ones have a good reason to celebrate the holiday that’s all about love?

Audio / AJ (Valentine's Day)

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AUDIO: Alan Jackson talks about his love for wife, Denise, over the years.

AJ (Valentine’s Day) OC: …continue to. :24
“We got a lot of history together now, and we’re happier than we’ve ever been. So, she’s still beautiful, and she’s always inspired songs. I mean, one of my early hits was a song called ‘I’d Love You All Over Again,’ I wrote for her for our 10th anniversary. I mean, there’s been a zillion songs that have pieces of our good days and bad days inspired, and they continue to.”

Audio / Billy Currington (first Valentine memory)

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AUDIO: Billy Currington recalls his first real Valentine’s Day.

Billy Currington (Valentine’s Day memory) OC: …took off running. :21
“Yeah, I remember my first girlfriend. I was in first or second grade, but anyway, I remember it was Valentine’s Day and your mom going, ‘You’ve got to give your girlfriend something, and you’ve got to go give it to her.’ I’ll never forget — we got her a box of chocolates or whatever it was. I remember going down to her classroom and knocking on the door, getting her to come to the door. I remember handing it to her, and then I took off running.”

Audio / Darius Rucker (wife)

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AUDIO: Darius Rucker knew he would marry his wife, Beth, on their first date.

Darius Rucker (wife) OC: …her and country music saved my life. :43
“I don’t know what it was about her. I mean, it was EVERYTHING about her. I knew, I told her I was going to marry her on our first date, [laughs] yeah. Beth’s a strong woman. It takes a strong woman to be married to a musician, especially a musician who was drinking and partying as hard as I was, and I think life for us is where we are now. It took a long time for us to get to where we are now, and we say to each other all the time, ‘I love us. I love our family. I love us.’ And I thank her every day for staying with me and being the strong woman she is, because with Hootie & the Blowfish, I could be gone for three months and then I’d come home for two days and then I’d be gone again for a month, and she put up with all that crap. You know, her and country music saved my life.”

Audio / David Nail (Valentine's 2014)

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AUDIO: David Nail says his songwriting abilities sometimes work against him with his wife, Catherine, especially around Valentine’s Day.

David Nail (Valentine’s Day 2014) OC: …line for me. :47
“Very early on when we first started dating, the fact that I was a songwriter actually worked against me, because anytime I would say anything or write a letter, it was ‘Oh, you’re a songwriter. This just comes natural.’ So, I’ve always had to really watch what I say and how I say it and try to make it sound as genuine and regular Joe as possible. So, I definitely think as a creative person I have that romantic side that most creative people do. Sometimes I can get a little carried away and head into cheesy land a little too far, so I try to keep it as regular as possible. [Valentine’s Day] pretty traditional with us. She’s a big chocolate person, so you obviously can’t go wrong there, and a nice dinner. It’s pretty straight down the line for me.”

Audio / Dierks Bentley (Valentine's Day realities)

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AUDIO: Dierks Bentley explains the realities of Valentine’s Day. 

Dierks Bentley (Valentine’s Day realities) OC: …that’s awesome. :53
“I’m gonna be the voice of truth and honesty for Valentine’s Day for a lot of the guys out there listening and for some of the girls listening, as well too. You may like this; you may not, but Valentine’s Day is a really difficult day for guys. When you’re single, it’s stressful for like a month leading up to it, and inevitably, you do something wrong. You don’t get the wrong thing or you say too much, and she’s wanting to get engaged faster than you want to get engaged. I don’t know. It’s just a very stressful holiday. I’m at a time in my life where I got a five-year-old, a three-year-old and a zero-year-old, and we’re just really trying to survive on a day-to-day basis. I mean, we get about four hours of sleep, and we’re literally in survival mode. So, I think there should be a hall pass for guys in that phase of their life. It doesn’t take much at this stage for us to get excited. A dinner alone is heaven. I mean, if we can just have a dinner and a glass of wine, that’s awesome.”

Audio / Dierks Bentley (Valentine's peaks)

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AUDIO: Dierks Bentley says so far his ultimate romantic gesture was when he proposed to his wife, Cassady, and now with three children in the house, it’s a little hard to get away together.

Dierks Bentley (Valentine’s peak) OC: …48-hour party, you know? [chuckles]
“I kind of peaked when I dropped the engagement ring on her and surprised her with that and took her to Mexico and eloped. I spiked early. I peaked early. Now we’re in our eighth year. I need to find something special to do, but we keep having kids. It’s like, we can’t be away from them. We’re gonna find a week when they’re all in school and everything is set and we’ve got somebody. We have no family in town. We just have some folks that we really count on. When we get everyone locked in place, we’re gonna go somewhere for like two days and get away and have like a two-day, 48-hour party, you know?” [chuckles]

Audio / Eric Church (Valentine's Day)

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AUDIO: Eric Church says his wife, Katherine, loves him “Like Jesus Does.”

Eric Church (Valentine’s Day) OC: …love song is. :48
“True love to me is when you love a person in spite of all their fallibilities, and for me, I have a lot of ‘em. I’m definitely at times hard to love, and that’s what’s great about Katherine and the way she loves me. She loves me in spite of those things and really for those things. That’s what’s so neat about the song is it’s not getting around those things, that’s a part of who the person is and it can be challenging at times, and that’s what the song talks about, but it’s what true love is. I think if you ask Katherine, I mean her favorite song on the record is ‘Like Jesus Does.’ Wonder why that is? [chuckles] But it’s something that I’m proud that it’s on the record. And again, I just think it’s a great, realistic version of what a true love song is.”

Audio / Josh Turner (Romantic)

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AUDIO: Josh Turner says his wife would call him a romantic, but now that they have three children, it takes a bit of work to make time for each other.

Josh Turner (Romantic) OC: …long time to come. :26
“If you ask my wife Jennifer if I was a romantic, she would definitely say, ‘Yes.’ but she knows that sometimes my hectic schedule and our busy lifestyles can kind of interfere with the romantic side of things. But we do try to make efforts towards being together and having adult conversations and taking time away from the children and doing things that husbands and wives do, so we’ll definitely try to continue that for a long time to come.”

Audio / Keith Urban (Valentine's Day)

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AUDIO: Keith Urban says love means being aware of each other even as the newness of the relationship wears off.

Keith Urban (Valentine’s Day) OC: …just me or… [laughs] :60
“I mean for me, I think a lot of it has to do with just staying present, because you know, when we start relationships, we’re so capable of honoring each other at the beginning off a relationship with cards and flowers and chocolates and attention and affection and priority. And then all of that all too many times starts to drift away, and it drifts away because it’s easy at the beginning. It just happens naturally. You’re almost overdoing it sometimes in the beginning. I was listening to the radio, [and] they’re talking about when is a relationship too soon to give Valentine’s gifts? [laughs] If you’ve been dating a guy six days, and it just started before the 14th…[laughs] and some woman said, ‘I was dating this guy three weeks and it was Valentine’s Day, and he gave me an iPad for Valentine’s Day.’ [laughs] That’s a ridiculous gift for Valentine’s Day. Is it just me, or…[laughs]”

Audio / Little Big Town (Kimberly falling in love)

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AUDIO: Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman says falling in love with her husband, Stephen Schlapman, came as a big surprise. The band’s current single, “Sober,” is a tribute to their love.

Little Big Town (Kimberly falling in love) OC: …healed me. 1:20
KIMBERLY: “Well, I wasn’t planning on falling in love, at all. I didn’t want to…I wasn’t sure that I ever would.  So, my husband now and I were just really good friends, and after my late husband died all my friends were calling me, all the time. Just checking up on me. He was just an old friends. We had known each other for about six years, and he started calling me just like everybody else did.  But, he started calling me more than everybody else did [laughs]. We had both been through similar losses, he hadn’t lost a mate but he had lost a close friend, so we kind of bonded over that. I grieved, kind of, at him a lot. He took my grief, I had a lot of grief left, and he just took it and listened and accepted it and was so understanding and let me talk about my late husband all the time. We still talk about him a lot, and he’s totally fine with it. He says that, that made me who he fell in love with and he never minds if I bring anything from the past up which is just really sweet. I was shocked, I remember when I first realized that I was having feelings. I just thought, OK, this is so weird.  What is this?  I haven’t felt this in a long, long, time. This is weird. But, eventually I allowed myself and it’s been the most beautiful gift of my life. It pulled me out of the deepest hole that I’ve ever been in and healed me.”

Audio / Little Big Town (Jimi & Karen fell in love)

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AUDIO: Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook had a chemistry performing together, but it wasn’t until they each found themselves single…at the same time…that sparks flew romantically. The pair, who wed in 2006, have a son, Elijah, who turns four March 5th. 
         
Little Big Town (Jimi & Karen fell in love) OC: (Kimberly) …to be together. :48
JIMI: “We were in the band a long time before there was ever anything which is interesting. I think there was always something underlying there that we were kind of trying to ignore. And then when the opportunity came, when all of us, ended up single kind of at the same time, a very strange turn of events for the band in a lot of different ways. And those feelings, you were able to come out with them finally. It was like, we’re single. Let’s get together. And, you know, she has a beautiful heart and she’s absolutely gorgeous and I just love her dearly.” PHILLIP: “Get a room!” [laughs] KIMBERLY: “They’re a perfect match. They really are. They were meant to be together.”

Audio / Luke Bryan (Valentine's Day 2014)

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AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about his and his wife’s plans for this Valentine’s Day.

Luke Bryan (Valentine’s Day 2014) OC: …so romantic. :24
“Caroline’s gonna fly out to Wilkes Barre, P-A, so she’s flying in to Scranton/Wilkes Barre. I’m never home on Valentine’s, so we always try to have some fun. We’ll go have a dinner or something like that, have a little fun for Valentines. I’ll light some scented candles on the bus. It’ll be so romantic.”

VALENTINE’S DAY LINERS: Brothers Osborne, Darius, David, Dierks, Eric Church, Eric Paslay, Gary, George, Jennifer, Jon, Josh, Kacey, Keith, Kelleigh, LBT, Luke

Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Valentine's Day)

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LINER Brothers Osborne (Valentine’s Day)
“Hey, this is T.J., and I’m John, and we’re Brothers Osborne. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Valentine's Day)

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LINER Darius Rucker (Valentine’s Day)
“What’s up y’all? This is Darius Rucker, hoping you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Audio / LINER David Nail (Valentine's Day)

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LINER David Nail (Valentine’s Day)
“Hey, this is David Nail, wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Valentine's Day)

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LINER Dierks Bentley (Valentine’s Day)
“Hey, it’s Dierks Bentley, hoping you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Audio / LINER Eric Church (Valentine's Day)

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LINER Eric Church (Valentine’s Day)
“Hey! This is Eric Church, hoping you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Audio / LINER Eric Paslay (Valentine's Day)

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LINER Eric Paslay (Valentine’s Day)
“Hi! This is Eric Paslay, hoping you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Audio / LINER Gary Allan (Valentine's Day)

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LINER Gary Allan (Valentine’s Day)
“Hey, this is Gary Allan, wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Audio / LINER George Strait (Valentine's Day)

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LINER George Strait (Valentine’s Day)
“This is George Strait, wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Audio / LINER Jennifer Nettles (Valentine's Day)

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LINER Jennifer Nettles (Valentine’s Day)
“Hey! This is Jennifer Nettles, hoping you have a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Valentine's Day)

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LINER Jon Pardi (Valentine’s Day)
“Hi! It’s Jon Pardi, hoping you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Valentine's Day)

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LINER Josh Turner (Valentine’s Day)
“Hey! This is Josh Turner, and I want to wish you and your sweetheart a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Audio / LINER Kacey Musgraves (Valentine's Day)

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LINER Kacey Musgraves (Valentine’s Day)
“Hi, this is Kacey Musgraves, and I hope you have a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Valentine's Day)

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LINER Keith Urban (Valentine’s Day)
“Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone. This is Keith Urban. Make the day special for your ‘Once in a Lifetime’ love.”

Audio / LINER Kelleigh Bannen (Valentine's Day)

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LINER Kelleigh Bannen (Valentine’s Day)
“Hey y’all, it’s Kelleigh Bannen, hoping you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Audio / LINER LBT (Valentine's Day)

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LINER LBT (Valentine’s Day)
“Hey! We’re Little Big Town. Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Valentine's Day) 1

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LINER Luke Bryan (Valentine’s Day)
“Hey y’all, it’s Luke Bryan. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Valentine's Day) 2

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LINER Luke Bryan (Valentine’s Day) 2
“Hey y’all. It’s Luke Bryan. Happy Valentine’s Day. Make sweet love to your other.”

LITTLE BIG TOWN RELEASE THE VIDEO FOR ‘SOBER.’ (NEWS & VIDEO)

from people.com:

There’s been no time off for Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet of award-winning country music group Little Big Town, who spent the better part of 2013 on tour with Keith Urban and are now opening for George Strait this coming weekend. 

“Sober” is the fourth single off Tornado, which is the group’s fifth studio album and has already delivered the hits “Tornado” and “Pontoon.” It was the latter that led to the band’s first Grammy award, in 2013. 

The “Sober” video, shot throughout their tour last year, includes intimate behind-the-scenes footage of the group, and the song hits especially close to home for Schlapman, whose first husband died of a heart attack in 2005. 

“I have experienced what it means to lose the love of your life,” Schlapman tells PEOPLE. “And I’ve experience what it feels like to love again after great loss, so this song touches me so deeply in my heart.” 

Fairchild, who is married to bandmate Westbrook says, ” ‘Sober’ reminds of me when Jimi and I first fell in love.” 

Little Big Town – who’ve already started working on their next album – are the reigning ACM Vocal Group of the Year. They are also again nominated for the honor at this year’s ACM Awards, to be held April 6th in Las Vegas. 

Check out the video below!

DIERKS, LUKE AND KEITH INCLUDED IN BACKSTAGE AT THE GRAND OLE OPRY BOOK. (PRESS RELEASE)

The Grand Ole Opry is set to release BACKSTAGE at the Grand Ole Opry, a new book treating fans to an all-access, behind the scenes look at country music’s most famous show, on March 15. The release coincides with the Opry’s 40th Anniversary celebration of its permanent home, the Grand Ole Opry House.  Throughout the book, some of country music’s most popular stars share their stories from backstage, colorfully illustrated by more than 250 exclusive photos. The book is co-authored by Brenda Colladay and Dan Rogers, who together have over thirty years of experience working behind the scenes at the Opry. Photos include dozens contributed by long-time Opry photographer Chris Hollo as well as vintage shots mined from the show’s large archive.
 
As Opry member Garth Brooks says in the book’s pages: “No offense at all to the people sitting in the seats, but the real show is backstage. That’s the Opry.” The story of Brooks’ nerve-rattling first night at the Opry is shared in the book as well as tales of Carrie Underwood’s improbable first encounter with the legendary Loretta Lynn and Vince Gill’s treasured time spent backstage with Opry patriarch Roy Acuff.
 
Opry member Dierks Bentley can be seen on the book’s cover standing backstage in the moments before a performance. “This book tells the story of one of my favorite places—backstage at the Opry—like never before,” Bentley said. “The Opry and its fans deserve this.”
 
BACKSTAGE at the Grand Ole Opry celebrates each of the one-of-a-kind dressing rooms found backstage at the Grand Ole Opry House and includes the history behind portraits of Opry stars who embody the spirit of each room. Among the portraits featured: Trace Adkins, Charlie Daniels, Jimmy Dickens, and Rascal Flatts.
 
Additional exclusives include on-stage performance shots and candid backstage photos featuring Bill Anderson, Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and dozens of others stars. Notables from the world of media and entertainment are featured celebrating their own “Opry Moments,” including Anderson Cooper, Kevin Costner, Lester Holt, Paul McCartney, Charles Osgood, Robin Roberts, and Bob Schieffer.
 
BACKSTAGE at the Grand Ole Opry will be available at opry.com as well as all Opry Nashville retail locations.
 
The authors are scheduled to sign copies of the book in The Opry Shop at the Grand Ole Opry House at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 15 and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 16. The weekend marks the 40th Anniversary of the Opry House and is scheduled to include star-packed Opry performances and special events.
 
Nashville visitors can get their own personal look backstage during Opry House Backstage Tours, January – October. Three tour opportunities are available: a daytime tour featuring Opry member Blake Shelton as video host, a VIP Behind The Opry Curtain Tour, and a Post-Show Tour featuring 2012 Opry inductee and Capitol recording artist Darius Rucker. Tickets and information are available at opry.com, 800-SEE-OPRY, and at the Opry House Box Office.
 
Dan Rogers has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry staff since 1998. Serving as Director of Marketing and Communication, he shares the Opry’s rich stories via print, digital, and broadcast media. His first trip backstage at the Opry was during a family vacation when he was in kindergarten, and his personal favorite Opry backstage memories are watching Loretta Lynn prepare to take the stage, introducing radio and television personality Charles Osgood to the backstage goings-on at the Opry, and eavesdropping on Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis during their photo shoot for BACKSTAGE at the Grand Ole Opry. His other Opry title is Tune Town Trivia: The Grand Ole Opry’s Ultimate Country Music Quiz Book.
 
Brenda Colladay joined the Grand Ole Opry as its very first Museum and Photograph Curator in 1997, charged with collecting, organizing, caring for, and sharing the costumes, instruments, photographs, and memorabilia that illustrate the Opry’s colorful story and cast of unforgettable characters.  She often jokes that her job is “eighty-plus years of history versus me,” but enjoys creating museum exhibits for the Grand Ole Opry and historic Ryman Auditorium, assisting researchers, filmmakers, and authors, and discovering “new” stories about the Opry’s past.  Colladay previously served as photo editor for the book, The Grand Ole Opry: The Making of an American Icon.
 
Chris Hollo is a professional photographer who has been capturing images as the official photographer for the Grand Ole Opry since 2000. He also works for and travels frequently with a wide variety of corporate clients, magazines and music industry professionals.
 
About the Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry® is presented by Humana®.  Opry performances are held every weekend of the year and on Tuesdays through Dec. 9.  To plan an Opry visit, call (800) SEE-OPRY or visit opry.com. The Opry presents the best in country music live every week from Nashville, Tenn.  Celebrating 88 years of entertainment, the Opry can be heard on 650 WSM-AM, SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio, and opry.com. The syndicated weekly program,America’s Opry Weekend, airs on country radio stations across America. The Grand Ole Opry is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE: RHP).  For more information, visit opry.com.

ERIC CHURCH RELEASES ‘THE OUTSIDERS.’ (AUDIO)

Eric Church hits stores and all online retailers with his latest album, The Outsiders, on Tuesday (February 11th). Produced by Jay Joyce, his fourth studio collection features his latest hit, “Give Me Back My Hometown,” as well as the title track and much more.

The Outsiders is the follow-up to Church’s 2011 album, Chief, which has sold 1.5 million copies so far and produced five hit singles, two of which hit No. 1 (“Drink in My Hand” and “Springsteen”).

Eric says he made a “conscious effort” to challenge himself on this new project. “We were at a point in our career where I understand that we had two choices. I could’ve continued to do what ‘Drink in My Hand,’ ‘Springsteen,’ ‘Creepin’,’ I know how to do those things,” says Eric. “I know how to continue the career that way. I think we made a conscious effort to challenge ourselves artistically and to do something…that was artistic. That’s what we did…That’s what we chose on this album. We made it that way.”

Audio / Eric Church (conscious effort to challenge himself)

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AUDIO: Eric Church says he and his team made a ‘conscious effort’ to be creative on his new album.

Eric Church (conscious effort to challenge himself) OC: …it that way. :28
“We made a conscious effort when we started this album, we were at a point in our career where I understand that we had two choices. I could’ve continued to do what ‘Drink in My Hand,’ ‘Springsteen,’ ‘Creepin’,’ I know how to do those things. I know how to continue the career that way. I think we made a conscious effort to challenge ourselves artistically and to do something…that was artistic. That’s what we did…That’s what we chose on this album. We made it that way.”

Audio / Eric Church (played most of guitar)

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AUDIO: Eric Church says he and producer Jay Joyce played most of the guitar parts on his new album, The Outsiders.

Eric Church (played most of guitar) OC: …it’s different. :12
“Jay and I probably played, I know Jay did, but I mean, I did too, we played most of the guitar work on the album, and that’s never happened before, ever, and I think it sets it up as a different vibe and a different feel. Sonically, it’s different.”

LUKE BRYAN DRINKS A BEER TO CELEBRATE NINTH NO. 1. (AUDIO)

Reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan takes the top spot on the Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart and spends a second week at the top of the Billboard country chart with “Drink A Beer,” marking his ninth career No. 1 single.  The song, written by Chris Stapleton and Jim Beavers, has spent the last 11 weeks as a Top 5 download on Nielsen’s Country Digital Song chart, five of which were spent at No. 1. The multi-week chart topper is the third consecutive No. 1 single from Luke’s Crash My Party album which was certified Platinum in just six weeks.

Crash My Party debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Country sales charts with 527,783 units sold, making it the biggest sales debut for a Country male artist since 2004. 

Luke’s “That’s My Kind of Night Tour,” which has sold out all dates on its first leg this year, will also include his first-ever headline stadium shows this summer- June 21 in Pittsburgh, Penn. at Heinz Field,  Lincoln Financial Field on August 15 in Philadelphia, Penn. and on August 31 in Chicago, Ill. at Soldier Field.

Luke currently has three ACM Award nominations, Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for Crash My Party.  Luke will co-host the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards with Blake Shelton on Sunday, April 6th at 8pm live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. 

Audio / Luke Bryan (9th No. 1)

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AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about hitting the top of the country charts with his ninth No. 1 single, “Drink a Beer.”

Luke Bryan (9th No. 1) OC: …never get tired of it. :43
“It’s very humbling, and I’m so proud of this song, because I know it’s affecting people in a really, really amazing way out there, and anytime that you can have a song that goes No. 1 and has that type of an impact, it’s a bonus on all levels. To realize that, I came to this town just with dreams and now that I’ve had 9 No. 1’s, it’s amazing. It’s flown by…still having a blast with it. Still love getting up every morning and getting on stage and writing songs and still trying to figure this crazy business out. So, it’s a huge honor to keep having No. 1’s. You never get tired of it.”

DIERKS BENTLEY IS RISING TO THE TASK. (AUDIO)

Dierks Bentley takes his music seriously, as a songwriter and a singer. How seriously? “My job is to be a poet for the common man. That’s what Merle Haggard is,” he says. “He sings [and] does things in ways that [make] you [think], ‘Man, I wish I could say that same thing to someone that means something.’” Dierks aspired to do the same in his current Top 10 hit, “I Hold On.” “I think on this song, I was able to really use some common images…in explaining why I’m never going to walk out…never going to leave…that’s just not who I am as a person.”

Hear more of Dierks’ musical poetry when his new album, Riser, is released at the end of the month (February 25th).

AUDIO: Dierks Bentley says he aimed high with the imagery and message of his latest hit, “I Hold On” (from his soon-to-be-released album, Riser).

Dierks Bentley (poetry in song) OC: …a person. :33
“My job is to be a poet for, you know, the common man. That’s what Merle Haggard is, you know? He sings [and] does things in ways that [make] you [think], ‘Man, I wish I could say that same thing to someone that means something.’ You know, to my girlfriend, my wife. He just has such a great way of singing that feels so…like it just rolled off his tongue, but it’s like really poetry. I think on this song, I was able to really use some common images of a truck and a guitar…and faith, love and freedom to wrap that all in explaining why, you know, I’m never going to walk out on you, never going to leave you. You know, that’s just not who I am as a person.”

GARY ALLAN IS COUNTRY TO THE CORE. (AUDIO)

Anyone who’s a fan of Gary Allan’s music can hear that it’s rooted in tradition…but you can also hear a bit of an edge that sets him apart. And that may be traced – in part – to the concert that he says “changed” his life. It was a performance by the mid-‘80s lineup, The Highwaymen – a sort of “supergroup” made up of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson. “I’d seen lots of shows…but it was so ‘hard core,’” he remembers. And Gary really was no stranger to country concerts – his music-loving father had taken him to plenty. But this one was different. “They were just up there with guitars, just singing songs. And it was so cutting to me,” he explains. To this day, Gary admits, “I’ve always loved the deep, deep songs…I love all those guys, and I just love powerful music.”

Gary’s latest hit is “It Ain’t the Whiskey” – a powerful song in its own right – from his Set Your Free album.

AUDIO: Gary Allan recalls a concert that “changed” him – a performance by the legendary group, The Highwaymen. 

Gary Allan (Highwaymen concert) OC: …powerful music. :26
“It was the first one that really ‘changed’ me. I mean, I had been to lots of country – my dad was a huge fan of Ernest Tubb and people like that, and I’d seen lots of shows. But that’s the first one that I went to and it was…like…I don’t want to say punk rock, but it was so ‘hard core.’ And all it was was words. I mean, they were just up there with guitars, just singing songs. And it was so cutting to me. And I’ve always loved the deep, deep songs…and I love all those guys, and I just love powerful music.”

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Photos

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