• 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

JOSH TURNER ANNOUNCES GREATEST HITS ALBUM COMING SEPTEMBER 8th.

With his deep bass voice, Josh Turner has sold more than six and a half million records, reached five and a half billion global streams, and has become an unforgettable hitmaker on country radio. For the first time, MCA Nashville recording artist Josh Turner will release a collection of his top tracks and fan favorites, Greatest Hits, on September 8. The album features 11 of Turner’s biggest songs from seven of his studio albums. The project includes his five No. 1 hits – “Your Man,” certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA; “Would You Go With Me,” certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA; “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” certified double-Platinum by the RIAA; “All Over Me,” certified Gold by the RIAA; and “Hometown Girl,” certified double-Platinum by the RIAA. No Greatest Hits album would be complete without Turner’s self-penned signature song, “Long Black Train,” which has over 315 million streams and is certified Platinum by the RIAA.

PRE-ORDER JOSH TURNER’S GREATEST HITS | HERE

“When you start out in this business, you’re never guaranteed longevity,” said Turner. “I’m humbled and thankful that I’m still around making music and that I’ve done well enough for long enough to warrant releasing a Greatest Hits album.”

GREATEST HITS TRACK LIST:

  1. “Would You Go With Me” (From the album Your Man)
    Written by Shawn Camp and John Scott Sherrill
    Produced by Frank Rogers
  2. “Firecracker” (From the album Everything Is Fine)
    Written by Josh Turner, Pat McLaughlin and Shawn Camp
    Produced by Frank Rogers

 

  1. “Hometown Girl” (From the album Deep South)
    Written by Marc Beeson and Daniel Tashian
    Produced by Frank Rogers

 

  1. “Long Black Train” (From the album Long Black Train)
    Written by Josh Turner
    Produced by Mark Wright and Frank Rogers

 

  1. Why Don’t We Just Dance (From the album Haywire)
    Written by Jim Beavers, Jonathan Singleton and Darrell Brown
    Produced by Frank Rogers

 

  1. All Over Me (From the album Haywire)
    Written by Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson and Rhett Akins
    Produced by Frank Rogers

 

  1. “Your Man” (From the album Your Man)
    Written by Chris Stapleton, Chris DuBois and Jace Everett
    Produced by Frank Rogers

 

  1. “Time Is Love” (From the album Punching Bag)
    Written by Tony Martin, Mark Nesler and Tom Shapiro
    Produced by Frank Rogers

 

  1. “I Wouldn’t Be A Man” (From the album Haywire)
    Written by Rory Bourke and Mike Reid
    Produced by Frank Rogers

 

  1. “Me And God” (featuring Dr. Ralph Stanley and Marty Roe, Gene Johnson and Dana Williams
    of Diamond Rio) (From the album Your Man)
    Written by Josh Turner
    Produced by Frank Rogers

 

  1. “I Serve A Savior” (From the album I Serve A Savior)
    Written by Josh Turner and Mark Narmore
    Produced by Kenny Greenberg

Turner is currently on the “Long Black Train 20th Anniversary Tour,” in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Turner’s hit album, Long Black Train and the album’s second single of the same name, which were both also certified Platinum by the RIAA. Tickets for Turner’s tour are available now at joshturner.com.

 

Audio / Josh Turner is overwhelmed that he has a Greatest Hits package coming out.

Download

Josh Turner (Greatest Hits collection) OC: …enjoy it. :52
“A Greatest Hits package is not something you see a whole lot nowadays days. There’s a variety of reasons for that, but to be able to have something like that come out for my fans to buy is just one of those things you never really dreamt about. I don’t know. It’s hard to put into words. I’m very, very thankful, very blessed that I have enough songs that I can call hits to put into a collection like that and that the fans and radio and the industry has continued to support me throughout my career. It’s surreal. It’s a blessing, and I hope people enjoy it.”

JORDAN DAVIS EARNS MULTI-WEEK #1 WITH SIXTH CAREER CHART-TOPPING HIT, “NEXT THING YOU KNOW.”

Jordan Davis continues to dominate the country scene with his sixth career No. 1 single and 3rd multi-week career No. 1 with “Next Thing You Know” on the Mediabase/Country Aircheck chart. Written by Davis with Greylan James, Chase McGill and Josh Osborne, “Next Thing You Know” earns Davis a second week at No. 1 and his third consecutive multi-week No. 1 off of his GOLD-certified sophomore album, Bluebird Days.  His previous two singles from Bluebird Days – “What My World Spins Around” and “Buy Dirt” ft. Luke Bryan – were 3-week and 2-week  No. 1s, respectively. The full 17-track album, Bluebird Days, is available here.

Released in February 2023, Bluebird Days earned rave reviews and continues to resonate with industry and fans. Featured by The Tennessean, American Songwriter, and more, Bluebird Days earned critical acclaim with Billboard noting “Davis soars on ‘Bluebird Days’” and Entertainment Focus echoing, “Jordan Davis comes of age on new album ‘Bluebird Days’ and shows the world the type of mature, meaningful and melodic songwriter he is.”

Davis is one of only 5 artists to spend multiple weeks at #1 on the Mediabase/Country Aircheck radio charts in 2023 and earns his fastest rising single to date with “Next Thing You Know.” “Next Thing You Know” follows Davis’ Platinum-selling multi-week #1 “What My World Spins Around” as well as his 2022 CMA Song of the Year winning hit, the 2X Platinum Multi-week #1 single “Buy Dirt” (feat. Luke Bryan).

This year, Davis has tallied multiple awards nominations and wins, including his first ACM Male Vocalist of the Year nomination. He was a finalist for Top Country Song at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards and earned a nomination for Musical Event of the Year at the 55th CMA Awards, as well as nominations for Music Event, Single, and Song of the Year at the 57th ACM Awards, and American Music Award and iHeart Award nominations. He is the reigning winner for (2022) CMA Song of Year and earned a win for NSAI Song of the Year . His upcoming headlining tour, the DAMN GOOD TIME TOUR, follows his direct support slots this year opening for Luke Combs and Dierks Bentley as well as performances on TODAY, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, ACMs, and more. Davis is scheduled to kick off his headlining run of the DAMN GOOD TIME TOUR in Atlanta this summer, including stops in Nashville, New York, Boston, Philadelphia and more. For tickets and additional information, visit www.jordandavisofficial.com.

 

“Next Thing You Know” Lyrics:

Swear that you’re staying single next thing you know

You meet a girl at a bar and next thing you know

You get her laughin’, its two a.m.

You’re tellin your buddies three months in

That she ain’t moving in but next thing you know

There’s a Uhaul trailer next thing you know

Your old apartment is y’all’s new place

There goes the carpet but the deer head stays

 

Next thing you know saving money like never before

Just to spend it all at a jewelry store

Getting down on one knee on her momma’s porch Just pray she don’t say no

Next thing you know your best man gives a half drunk speech

And your sunburn on a honeymoon beach

And your left hand is getting used to that ring

There the next two or three years ago

Next thing you know

 

Weren’t really trying next thing you know

There’s a test on the counter next thing you know

She’s standing there crying nodding her head yes

Your half excited half scared to death

Cause next thing you know

You’re wearing scrubs and a funny white hat

And the doctor’s sayin how you doing there dad and

Nobody’s ever called you that

And you take the drive home slow

Next thing you know its first steps, first date, first car

Its 11:01 wondering where they are

You sayin’ that USC’s too far

Its amazing how fast seventeen years go

Next thing you know, Next thing you know

 

Next thing you know you get to know your wife again

And you’re more in love than you’ve ever been

With a lot of years of remember whens and still some down the road

‘Cause next thing you know you got a yard full of your kids’ kids

And you take them to church, teach em to fish and ya

Tell them stories every chance you get

‘Bout how fast this life down here can go

Next thing you know, Next thing you know

 

DAMN GOOD TIME TOUR Dates:

Thu Aug 31, 2023 | Atlanta | Roxy

Fri Sep 1, 2023 | Nashville | Ascend

Thu Sep 7, 2023 | Columbus | Kemba Live! Outdoor

Fri Sep 8, 2023 | Sandwich | Sandwich Fair

Sat Sep 9, 2023 | Green Bay | Resch Center

Fri Sep 15, 2023 | Des Moines | Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park

Sat Sep 16, 2023 | Kansas City | The Midland Theatre

Thu Sep 21, 2023 | Columbia | Township Auditorium

Fri Sep 22, 2023 | Baltimore | Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena

Sat Sep 23, 2023 | Mashantucket            | The Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino

Thu Sep 28, 2023 | Omaha | Liberty First Credit Union Arena

Fri Sep 29, 2023 | OKC | The Criterion

Sat Sep 30, 2023 | St. Louis | The Factory

Thu Oct 5, 2023 | Philadelphia | The Met

Fri Oct 6, 2023  | NYC | Terminal 5

Sat Oct 7, 2023 | Boston | Roadrunner

Thu Oct 19, 2023 | Mesa | Mesa Ampitheatre

Fri Oct 20, 2023 | Bakersfield | Mechanics Bank Arena

Sat Oct 21, 2023 | Las Vegas | The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas

 

Audio / Jordan Davis talks about writing his two-week No. 1 smash, "Next Thing You Know."

Download

Jordan Davis (writing Next Thing You Know) OC: …song is today. :59
“There’s a saying that says ‘raising kids – the days are long, the years are short,’ and that’s what this song is to me. I kind of came in wanting to write something like that, you know kind of a slow down time song, and Greylan had this idea. The idea initially was about going to a bar or going somewhere and meeting somebody and then just the progression of a relationship. I kind of hijacked the title and said, ‘Hey man. I love that title, but we’re going to write it in the sense of having kids, watching ‘em grow up and hopefully becoming a grandparent, you know? Chase McGill and Josh Osborne both have kiddos, and I think they kind of grabbed on it. Greylan, hats off to him. He’s the single kid of the group, so he was like, ‘Man, I’ll go there. I don’t know how much input I can be able to say in this, but I’ll go there with you.’ I mean, he’s a great writer, and it was fun to kind of see the title that he threw out evolve into what the song is today.”

BILLY CURRINGTON HAS RELEASED A NEW SONG, “CITY DON’T.”

Billy Currington is sharing his slow-rolling ode to small towns and country living, “City Don’t,” out everywhere today. Written by Scooter Carusoe, Joshua Miller and Chris LaCorte, the song is produced by Carson Chamberlain. Evoking the breezy summer feeling of his biggest chart-topping hits, Currington sings:

They got five stars, we got millions

They got nice bars, we got sippin’ straight out of a can

On somebody’s land with a homegrown girl

And a God-made tan singin’, “Goodbye Earl”

Got everything I need, everything I could want

‘Cause the country does something for me the city don’t

 

Fans can catch Currington on the road this summer with headline shows coast-to-coast, and high-profile festival appearances. For tickets and a full list of tour dates, visit www.billycurrington.com.

About Billy Currington:
Billy Currington has spent nearly two decades topping the country charts, parlaying his rich, emotion-laden tenor and unerring song sense into some of the format’s most memorable hits. The Georgia native has tallied 12 No. 1 singles to his name, including 4X Platinum hit “People Are Crazy,” 3X Platinum “Good Directions,” 3X Platinum “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right,” plus Platinum hits “Do I Make You Wanna,” “We Are Tonight,” “Don’t It” and more. Equally skilled at delivering upbeat summertime anthems as well as exploring the complexities of life and love with a poignant ballad, Currington also joined Jessie James Decker on the wistful, slow-burning duet “I Still Love You.” His brand-new song “City Don’t” is out now, with more new music on the way. For more information and upcoming tour dates, visit www.billycurrington.com.

 

 

 

Audio / Billy Currington talks about his new song, "City Don't."

Download

Billy Currington (City Don’t) OC: …city don’t. :12
“My brand-new song, it’s called ‘City Don’t,’ and it’s simply about, you know I love the city and I love the country, but there’s something about the country that does something to me that the city don’t.”

Audio / LINER Billy Currington (City Don't) 1

Download

Audio / LINER Billy Currington (City Don't) 2

Download

 

Video /

View

BROTHERS OSBORNE WILL PERFORM AT THE PRESIDENT’S FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION.

Brothers Osborne have been tapped to perform at President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden’s Fourth of July celebration on the South Lawn. Ne-Yo, the United States Marine Band, U.S. Army Band, U.S. Navy Band, U.S. Air Force Band and DJ D-Nice will also perform during the event.

John and TJ Osborne are climbing the country charts with their latest single, “Nobody’s Nobody.”

VINCE GILL & PAUL FRANKLIN RELEASE “DANNY BOY.”

The internationally recognizable song “Danny Boy,” is the second track to be released from the upcoming album Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys, the latest project from country music icon Vince Gill and legendary musician Paul Franklin, due out August 4.

Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys contains material that might be surprising to even the most die-hard of Price’s fans. Franklin and Gill chose particularly obscure songs for this collection, selecting from the less familiar of Price’s catalog, but the iconic “Danny Boy” was a leap of faith.

“This was a daunting and challenging choice, and we had to consider if it was the right one,” Gill explains. “It’s the one song on this whole collection that I would have been most skeptical about because it is so iconic. Paul and I decided that it could be incredibly beautiful if done the right way, for example if it was treated like Ray’s version of “Night Life,” so we decided to make the steel guitar predominant like it is in that particular song.”

Although there are currently no plans for Gill and Franklin to tour together in 2023, on August 3 they will make an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry followed by an exclusive event. The first 300 ticketholders that purchase Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys in the Opry shop that evening will receive access to an exclusive Q&A with Gill and Franklin in Studio A directly following the show.

Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys is an 11-track masterpiece of musicianship and arrives ten years after the release of Gill and Franklin’s critically acclaimed Bakersfield album, which paid tribute to Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.

MADDIE & TAE RELEASE NEW SONG, “HEART THEY DIDN’T BREAK.”

Maddie & Tae are sharing the brand-new track, “Heart They Didn’t Break,” out everywhere today. The song’s lyrics tell a story of true friendship in times of heartbreak, as the pair take turns on lead vocals and weave in their signature harmonies. Written by Benjy Davis, Anna Vaus and Ryan Beaver, the song is produced by Corey Crowder. Listen to “Heart They Didn’t Break” here.

“Our friendship has gotten us through so many phases of life,” said Maddie & Tae. “We feel like this song captures that sentiment so beautifully, and we are excited to share it.”

Maddie & Tae are currently on the road for headlining shows and festival appearances this summer, taking the stage in Sidney, NY (7/1) and Hampton Beach, NH (7/2) this weekend. Tune in on Tuesday, July 4 at 8:00 p.m. ET, as the multi-Platinum duo performs live from Washington, D.C. on PBS’ “A Capitol Fourth.”

For more information and a full list of tour dates, please visit www.maddieandtae.com.

 

Audio / Maddie Font of Maddie & Tae talks about their new song, "Heart They Didn't Break."

Download

Maddie & Tae (Heart They Didn’t Break) OC: …Broken Heart. :22
MADDIE: “We actually did not write this song. We normally written all of our songs, but the moment we heard this, we knew it was super special especially being best friends as long as we have and picking up the pieces for each other for the past 13 years. And Tae actually gets to sing lead on it for the first time which is so exciting. (TAE: “Whoo Hoo”) So, this is a really, really special song. I feel like it’s the soul sister of ‘Die From a Broken Heart.’”

Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Heart They Didn't Break) 1

Download

Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Heart They Didn't Break) 2

Download

Audio / LINER Maddie & Tae (Heart They Didn't Break) 3

Download

Video /

View

NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Little Big Town

Chris Stapleton has released his incredible version of “The Star Spangled Banner” that he performed at this year’s Super Bowl.

 

Luke Bryan will appear on CMT Hot 20 Countdown this weekend.  He talks about his new Country On Tour and much more. Catch all the action Saturday and Sunday at 9am ET/8am CT.

Little Big Town will open for pop superstar Ed Sheeran on Saturday (July 1st) at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachussetts.

 

Little Big Town will host and perform at the first-ever People’s Choice Country Awards. The two-hour ceremony will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House September 28th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on NBC and will be available to stream on Peacock.

 

https://twitter.com/peopleschoice/status/1674758706196774914

 

 

 

BRAD PAISLEY IS LOOKING FORWARD TO HEADLINING NASHVILLE’S FOURTH OF JULY EXTRAVAGANZA THIS YEAR.

Brad Paisley is set to headline “Let Freedom Sing! Music City’s 4th of July” celebration. Brad, who is headlining the show for the second time (his last appearance was in 2021), will be joined on the bill by The War And Treaty, Ben Rector, Tiera Kennedy and singer-songwriter Langhorne Slim. The event is partnering with The Store, a free referral-based grocery store founded by Brad and his wife, Kimberly Williams Paisley. One dollar from the sale of each event T-shirt will benefit The Store.

Brad, the only artist to headline Nashville’s Fourth of July show twice, says this year will be slightly different than in 2021 when the world seemed to open back up at the end of the global pandemic.

“I don’t know if it’ll mean more than that first time, because that was the reopening, that was the like the ‘welcome back’ moment. So, that was a really ridiculous feeling to walk out there and see people as far as you can see on Broadway, and nobody had a mask on and for the first time everything felt like, wow, I’ve missed this so much,” says Brad. “This year it should be just as fun, but at the same time a little more business as usual for all of us, which is that street is packed EVERY night, as you know, and I just hope to not take away from the party they’re already having. (laughs) on Broadway. But it’s worth sitting through my show for the fireworks that they do. I think it was the most ever done. They were proud of the fact that they had four or five more rockets than New York or something or D.C. It was bigger than—I don’t know what redneck thing we’re trying to win here with the fireworks, but we won it.” (laughs)

The event is partnering with The Store, a free referral-based grocery store founded by Brad and his wife, Kimberly Williams Paisley. One dollar from the sale of each event T-shirt will benefit The Store.

Downtown Nashville will present one of the country’s largest July 4th fireworks show, which will be synchronized to live music from the Nashville Symphony.

Brad just released his new song, “So Many Summers.”

 

Audio / Brad Paisley talks about headlining Nashville's July 4th extravaganza for the second time.

Download

Brad Paisley (Fourth of July 2023) OC: …we won it. (laughs) 1:01
“I don’t know if it’ll mean more than that first time, because that was the reopening, that was the like the ‘welcome back’ moment. So, that was a really ridiculous feeling to walk out there and see people as far as you can see on Broadway, and nobody had a mask on and for the first time everything felt like, wow, I’ve missed this so much. You know, again, this year it should be just as fun, but at the same time a little more business as usual for all of us, which is that street is packed EVERY night, as you know, and I just hope to not take away from the party they’re already having. (laughs) on Broadway. But it’s worth sitting through my show for the fireworks that they do. I think it was the most ever done. They were proud of the fact that they had four or five more rockets than New York or something or D.C. It was bigger than—I don’t know what redneck thing we’re trying to win here with the fireworks, but we won it.” (laughs)

NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Jordan Davis, Maddie & Tae, Anne Wilson, Darius Rucker

Chris Stapleton and Lucchese released a behind-the-scenes of their new boot collection. “Everything can be refined to an art and that’s what I love about Lucchese boots — they’ve taken boot making and refined it to an art.” — Chris Stapleton  “A lucchese boot is what a cowboy boot should be.”

Celebrating artistry through superior craftsmanship and vintage designs. Years in the making, Chris and Lucchese built a collection that reflects their mutual respect of tradition, quality, and timeless style. With every purchase, a portion of the proceeds supports Chris & Morgane Stapleton’s charitable fund Outlaw State of Kind.

 

Jordan Davis will take part in CMT’s new series, Summer Sessions, which will air Friday nights beginning July 7th. Ashley McBryde, Breland, Chris Janson, Lee Brice and Tanya Tucker will also be featured.

Maddie & Tae and Anne Wilson will perform as part of “A Covenant Knight at the Opry House” on August 7th, along with Jason Aldean, Morgan Wallen, Old Dominion, Lee Brice and many more. The event will benefit The Covenant School Community Fund to continue mental health support for healing, ease the transition back into the building and equip the school for a safe, successful new year together, following the tragedy that took place at the Nashville-area school earlier this year. Following the August 7th show, “A Covenant Knight at the Grand Ole Opry House” will air for six consecutive nights on Circle Network, starting August 19th.

 

 

Darius Rucker will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as part of the Class of 2024. He’ll be joined by Gwen Stefani, Def Leppard, Sammy Hagar, Toni Braxton and Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, among others in the Recording category. Other famous faces who will be inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame include Chadwick Boseman (posthumously), Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kerry Washington, Eugene Levy, Ken Jeong, Christina Ricci and more.

 

 

 

FOURTH OF JULY 2023 AUDIO

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain and tyranny.

The Declaration of Independence, which is on public display in the Rotunda of the National Archives in Washington, D.C., was primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson, however, he worked with Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to come up with the final document. The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4th, 1776, but the actual signing of the document took place August 2nd, 1776. Now, the Fourth of July holiday is commonly associated with fireworks displays, parades, barbecues and concerts.

Some of your favorite country stars take time to remember their Fourth of July traditions, memories and what the holiday really means to them.

 

Brad Paisley is set to headline “Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th” celebration. The downtown event in Nashville will present one of the country’s largest July 4th fireworks show, which will be synchronized to live music from the Nashville Symphony. Brad, who is headlining the show for the second time (his last appearance was in 2021), will be joined on the bill by The War And Treaty, Ben Rector, Tiera Kennedy and singer-songwriter Langhorne Slim. The event is partnering with The Store, a free referral-based grocery store founded by Brad and his wife, Kimberly Williams Paisley. One dollar from the sale of each event T-shirt will benefit The Store.

https://twitter.com/warandtreaty/status/1673428354714808321

 

Darius Rucker has been tapped to perform on CNN’s The Fourth In America on July 4th for the 247th anniversary of the United States’ independence. Other musical performances include Alanis MorrisetteThe All-American RejectsDemi LovatoDuran DuranFlo RidaLeon BridgesPost MaloneSheryl CrowSmash Mouth, Zac Brown BandThe Plain White T’s, and more. The special, which will feature performances and firework shows from around the country (including Nashville, New Orleans, Boston, Chicago, Houston, New York City and more), will air live from 7pm ET to 1am ET on CNN.

Maddie & Tae will celebrate Independence Day by performing “This Land Is Your Land” as part of the PBS TV specialA Capitol Fourth. Boyz II Men, Belinda Carlisle, Chicago, Babyface, Renee Fleming, Charles Esten and the Broadway cast of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, among others, will also perform. The live broadcast will air beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on Tuesday (July 4th) on PBS.

 

Audio / Alan Jackson recalls one of the coolest Fourth of July memories he’s ever enjoyed.

Download

Alan Jackson (fave 4th of July memory) OC: …very cool. :58
Well, this one is hard to beat. A couple of years ago, maybe longer than that now, I had an old boat in Florida. It’s like an old antique motor yacht, and it was kind of a cool old boat. I had taken that boat, I’ve always wanted to take it up north like to New York and up in that area, up in the northeast where it’s so pretty. So, we took the boat up there and Denise and the girls, we all went up. They like going to New York City, which I don’t really care about going to the city. So, I got to stay in my boat there at the harbor tied up, which was cool anyway. So they spent time in the city a few days and then that was Fourth of July, and we went out in the Hudson River that night and they shot the fireworks off and we were anchored out in front of the Statue of Liberty and New York City was behind us, and the Statue of Liberty and the fireworks were going off sitting on that boat. That was the coolest thing and my girls still talk about that. I mean, that was the coolest thing on Fourth of July I can ever remember. I can’t top that one probably. It was emotional sitting there watching the Statue of Liberty and thinking about all that. It was very cool.”

 

Audio / Billy Currington talks about his favorite Fourth of July memories.

Download

Billy Currington (4th of July) OC: …of my life. :16
“My best memories would be hanging out with my mom, brother and sister on the beach on Tybee Island right off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. We’d go there every year, and we’d light our own fireworks and watch the ones that they had for us. They were the best times, some of the best times of my life.”

 

Audio / Carrie Underwood recalls one of her favorite Fourth of July memories.

Download

Carrie Underwood (favorite Fourth of July memory) OC: …work out. :51
“I think my favorite Fourth of July memory would be going to the fireworks stand and picking out which fireworks I wanted to do. I must’ve been like 7 or 8, and I came home and made a list of what order I wanted to do them in, because I wanted to put a show on for Mom and Dad, and of course I couldn’t wait until it was dark outside (laughs). So, I made my Mom and Dad get the lawn chairs and come out to the backyard and watch some not very dramatic fireworks at like six o’clock in the evening, but I was so proud of myself, and I was so proud of the show that I put on. So, I feel like that was a little training for what I do now – putting on shows, figuring out how it’s all going to work out.”

Audio / Dalton Dover recalls memories of the Fourth of July when he was a young boy.

Download

Dalton Dover (Fourth of July) OC: …back then, you know? :17
“We would go out on the lake. We’d fish all day. I just remember my mom and my uncles and my grandpa, they would all go get fireworks across the Alabama line and we would all just be in the yard shooting ‘em. We’d have sparklers and all kinds of stuff. Even the littlest, cheapest fireworks, we thought were huge back then, you know?”

Audio / Darius Rucker talks about what the Fourth of July means to him.

Download

Darius Rucker (4th of July) 1 OC: …in the world. :24
“The Fourth of July to me is a day to celebrate freedom. We get to travel all over the world and see a lot of stuff, and I’ve been to a lot of countries that aren’t like ours and that’s when you really appreciate the fact that you can do whatever you want. As long as you’re willing to deal with the consequences, you can do whatever you want, you know?  [I] appreciate those soldiers who died for us to be sitting here doing this, and we live in the greatest country in the world.”

Audio / Darius Rucker enjoys setting off fireworks.

Download

Darius Rucker (fireworks) OC: …off once. :15
“Oh, I love fireworks. We had the bottle rocket fights and all that good stuff. I was the typical little crazy kid, you know. In South Carolina, it was always legal, so we shot fireworks when it was legal. We did all that sort of stuff. I almost blew my hand off once.”

Audio / Dierks Bentley says the people of this country are what define America.

Download

Dierks Bentley (people are America) OC: …all about. :17
“The definition of America to me, you know, getting a chance to travel across the country on a tour bus, stepping upon stages whether it be county fairs, state fairs, arenas, rock bars, the Opry stage, anywhere across the country and looking out at that crowd and seeing people. The people, to me, are what America’s all about.”

Audio / Eric Church recalls his family activities on the Fourth of July holiday.

Download

Eric Church (4th of July) OC: …freedoms. 1:17
“The Fourth of July for me, growing up we would always go to the lake, we didn’t live on the lake but we would all go to the lake. Had a buddy who had a pontoon and we would always get on the pontoon and you go out and you’d tie all the pontoons together and just have a big time. This was before, I was younger then, the adults were having more fun than we were, you know it was just to go swim in the water and shoot off fireworks. Basically, water tailgating is what it was. And then as we got older, same thing…we would just, us younger kids had our own boat and we had as much fun as the adults.”

Audio / Jon Langston says his plans for Fourth of July are always different.

Download

Jon Langston (Fourth of July) OC: …either way. :17
“The Fourth of July is usually different every year. We’re usually playing shows, or we’re out on the lake or at the beach, or sometimes I’ve said, ‘I’m staying at home,’ shooting fireworks off the back porch or something. That’s probably not the safest thing, but we have a good time either way.”

Audio / JORDAN DAVIS TALKS ABOUT SOME OF HIS FAVORITE CHILDHOOD FOURTH OF JULY MEMORIES.

Download

Jordan Davis (Fourth of July) 2 OC: …really cool. :17
“Probably baseball games, firework shows at baseball games. We’d go to Shreveport Captains games, so yeah, we’d do that or barbecues and fireworks. I can remember being on the lake for a couple of Fourth of Julys. We’d take the boat out and we’d watch the downtown fireworks show from the boat, which was really cool.”

Audio / Jordan Davis has a few days off from the Gravel & Gold Tour, so he plans to cookout for family and friends for the Fourth of July holiday.

Download

Jordan Davis (Fourth of July cooking out) OC: …a bunch of food. :29
“I love cooking for people. I love having people over to the house, grilling hot dogs, cooking/making brisket, just being around the people you want to be around with – drinking beer, watching baseball. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just getting old, but like my idea of having fun now is having people over to the house and just playing host, and so that’s exactly what we’re going to do this year; have some friends and family over and hang out with the kids, let ‘em run around the sprinklers and cook a bunch of food.”

Audio / Josh Turner talks about the fireworks “wars” his family would have when he was growing up.

Download

Josh Turner (fireworks) OC: …of money. [laughs] :20
“Yeah, we had fireworks around, especially my Daddy’s family. All the individual families had a lot of competition with each other and tried to outdo each other to try to see who had the biggest and baddest fireworks and all that. [laughs] My daddy, I think, was the smartest one. He just went out and bought maybe $25 worth of fireworks and let everybody else put on the big show, so he saved a lot of money.” [laughs]

Audio / Keith Urban recalls coming over to America for the first time.

Download

Keith Urban (coming to America 1st time) OC: …as I could. :39
“1989 was the first year I came to the States, and it had always been my goal, but I had no plan on how to get here. It was just a case of keep playing, keep getting better at what you do, and then hopefully, somehow, some way I’ll end up over here. The guy who was managing me at the time, we just planned a trip over here – it was actually for the New Music Seminar in New York. And we came over for that, and then we did a trip down to Nashville, and I shopping my little demo around. I think I humored everybody more than anything else [laughs] with my tragic, ill-fitting demo for the time. So, I left there, but I was just so committed to coming back as quick as I could.”

Audio / Kip Moore says he’s very proud of the U.S. military and can’t imagine having to do what they do to protect the United States.

Download

Kip Moore (Fourth of July-soldier) OC: …every day. :32
“I’m a very, very patriotic person, proud of the country that I live in, and I’m very proud of what those guys do for us each and every day, and I don’t take it for granted one bit. My grandparents were in the military, fought wars, and I’ve seen the battle that they go through, just the horror of remember things. When I start to think that I’m half-way tough, I realize how I’m not one bit when I talk to soldiers when I’m out and realize the things that they go through. I can’t imagine facing what those guys face every day.”

Audio / Luke Bryan recalls one of his favorite Fourth of July memories.

Download

Luke Bryan (4th of July memories) OC: …we used to. :21
“Some of my favorite Fourth of July memories were spent on Lake Blackshear down in Georgia with my family. I was always kind of in charge of driving home from Tennessee and picking up all the fireworks and my nieces and nephews always got excited when I rolled in because they knew I had all the fireworks. But, it was always a great memory, and I miss not getting to do that as much as we used to.”

Audio / Luke Bryan says every year his plans for the Fourth of July include water and fireworks.

Download

Luke Bryan (Fourth of July plans) OC: …on the fourth. :15
“My plans for the Fourth are always to be on the boat somewhere in the water, and buy a few fireworks, send ‘em up in the sky for the boys, but it’s always a boat and water, whether it’s in the Gulf of Mexico, whether it’s in Georgia…we don’t have a total plan yet, but we’ll be having a good time on the fourth.”

Audio / MADDIE & TAE TALK ABOUT THEIR FOURTH OF JULY TRADITIONS.

Download

Maddie & Tae (Fourth of July) OC: …it’s perfect. :29
TAE: “One of my favorite Fourth of July traditions – I’d say it’s a tradition ‘cause it happens every year, but I’m not always able to make it – is that we go to my grandparents in Oklahoma, and we all line up lawn chairs right in front of their garage and we just light fireworks. We always do it far away and then we light it, and we always run back and watch the fireworks, but that’s probably one of my favorite memories.” MADDIE: “My birthday is July 7th, so I always get built-in fireworks for my birthday, and sometimes we actually celebrate it on the 4th, because there’s fireworks everywhere, so it’s perfect.”

Audio / PARKER MCCOLLUM TALKS ABOUT HIS FAVORITE FOURTH OF JULY MEMORIES. NOTE: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.

Download

Parker McCollum (Fourth of July) OC: …days of my life. :23
“My favorite Fourth of July memories growing up are actually kind of dangerous now that I think about it, but we used to have fireworks wars where we’d shoot like roman candles and bottle rockets. We’d always go to my grandma’s house, pop fireworks and we’d end up shooting ’em at each other and having wars; no eye protection, no nothing, just shooting bottle rockets at each other’s faces. But it was so fun; some of the best days of my life.”

Audio / PRISCILLA BLOCK SAYS THE FOURTH OF JULY IS ONE OF HER FAVORITE HOLIDAYS.

Download

Priscilla Block (Fourth of July) OC: …we get crazy. :26
“I love Fourth of July. I usually always have a Fourth of July party. It is known that there is a slip-n-slide at my house on Fourth of July. You know, it’s such a great holiday to just bring friends together and, I don’t know, we get wild on the Fourth. We get crazy.”

Audio / Sam Hunt talks about what he and his family did over the Fourth of July holiday when he was growing up in Georgia.

Download

Sam Hunt (Fourth of July) OC: …good time. :39
“My granddad on the other side of my family, he would always take a lot of pride…fireworks were actually, I’m from Georgia, and most of them were illegal, I’m pretty sure, growing up. But over in Alabama, that’s where all the firework stands were, and we only had to drive 10, 15 minutes to get to the Alabama line, so we could go get a bundle of fireworks pretty easy. But he would always take a lot of pride in going and finding all the good stuff, and coming back with a  big pile. He’d have his torch out there at the end of the driveway and we’d all eat homemade ice cream and put down towels on the driveway and he’d shoot off fireworks for 30-45 minutes. Such a good time.”

Audio / TRAVIS DENNING TALKS ABOUT THE FOURTH OF JULY EVENTS HIS HOMETOWN OF WARNER ROBINS, GEORGIA WOULD THROW EVERY YEAR.

Download

Travis Denning (Fourth of July) OC: …will love. :51
“Fourth of July in Warner Robins, Georgia is an event. It’s something else. In fact, forever they’ve thrown an Independence Day concert, and back in the day, it was huge. It was the biggest thing they did all year. They would actually have the concert in the MAC (McConnell-Talbert Stadium), which was the high school football stadium that Warner Robins and Northside and Houston County shared. I mean, one year they had Wynonna play and then they had Josh Turner one year, Darius Rucker. I mean it was like a big deal, and there’d be 15,000, 20,000 people there, and I think it’s so cool that there’s a little bit of a legacy of people coming together in that town and making something happen, you know? I’ll never forget going to those shows and thinking, I was more proud of what the city had done. I was like, ‘That’s just so cool that they could put together a show like this, an event that everybody will love.”

Audio / TYLER HUBBARD TALKS ABOUT HIS FOURTH OF JULY PLANS WITH HIS FAMILY.

Download

Tyler Hubbard (Fourth of July) OC: …that freedom. :43
“Yeah, I love the Fourth of July. A lot of great memories growing up, watching fireworks, being with family, hanging out. And even to this day we have a tradition where we try to go to Sun Valley where my wife is from and hang out in the mountains and take the kids and just spend a week out there just kind of enjoying life and taking it all in, and obviously, we still love to do the fireworks and hang out, but also just kind of reflect and be thankful for the country we live in, the sacrifices made so that we can live here and be free and it’s just a special, special holiday. We’re always so grateful and thankful for the people who served this country and the sacrifice that’s made with their families and everything else, and pay honor and tribute to those who fight so hard for that freedom.”

 

Social

Photos

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