If you were watching college football over the Labor Day weekend—and who wasn’t?—Blake Shelton was all over your TV screen during breaks in the action. Blake, who signed an endorsement partnership with Gildan Activewear in February 2015, was featured in a pair of underwear commercials throughout the football-heavy weekend.
Carrie Underwood is back at work as she kicked off the fall leg of her Storyteller Tour: Stories in the Round last week (Aug. 30).
The leggy blonde began the tour—ranked the No. 1 country tour for the first half of 2016 by Billboard—in Anchorage, Alaska, and by the looks of her Twitter page, she’s having a blast. Carrie even brought her son, Isaiah, along for the trip. “So beautiful! (As you can see, Isaiah has a blast, too!),” she posted along with a picture of her snoozing son. Apparently he wasn’t too impressed by the enormous glaciers.
During the first leg of her Storyteller Tour, Carrie played for nearly 600,000 screaming fans, and she plans to add more to that total as she goes from coast to coast playing No. 1 hits such as “Church Bells,” “Heartbeat,” and “Blown Away.”
The tour will include stops in Los Angeles, Nashville and New York. Tonight (Sept. 6) Carrie will be hitting the stage in Boise, Idaho. But that’s not all, once the tour wraps in November, Carrie will head Down Under as she joins Keith Urban for the Australian and New Zealand leg of his Ripcord Tour.
On Nov. 2, don’t expect to see Carrie on the road. You’ll see her on your television sets as she takes time out to co-host the 50th annual CMA Awards along with her good pal, Brad Paisley. Carrie is also nominated for the CMA Entertainer of the Year award—her first nod—along with Album of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event with Keith Urban.
You can catch Carrie on the road for the Storyteller Tour in these cities:
On the Today show this morning (Sept. 6), Rory Feek says it’s been six months and two days since his wife, Joey, lost her battle with cancer. While a day doesn’t go by that Rory isn’t inspired by his beautiful bride and duet partner, he’s hoping their story of love, faith and hope can inspire others in his new documentary, To Joey, With Love.
“It was amazing, actually, when Joey passed away in March and we came home to our farm, I couldn’t remember my wife [being] healthy—all those years of marriage and all that life that she had—until I started going through the footage and then I saw her come back to life and I was able, in making the film, to watch her life happen in real time again. And it was amazing,” says Rory about the making of the documentary.
To Joey, With Love will we debut in select theaters across the country on Sept. 20 and Oct. 6. Check local listings for times and venues. In addition to the film, Rory will release a book, This Life I Live, on Valentine’s Day 2017.
The country music industry can be a fickle business, so to have a career that lasts 10, 20 or 30 years is a huge accomplishment. But 50 years? That’s almost unheard of, but Charley Pride is doing just that. The legendary singer is celebrating 50 years in country music.
Charley started his career in 1966 with his debut single, “The Snakes Crawl at Night,” and he continues to put out new music today.
“I’m working on a new album right now,” Charley tells Nash Country Daily. “I’m trying to get ready to go in the studio and do a brand-new album—maybe two, hopefully, if I can.”
Along with a new album, Charley is currently on tour crisscrossing the globe, and he continues to follow Major League Baseball as part owner of the Texas Rangers.
“I’m part owner of the Texas Rangers and I’m very proud of that,” says Charley. “I’m going to go out on a limb. If everybody stays well and everybody does what they are capable of doing, we going to go all the way this year. I’m making that statement.”
Watch as Charley sits down with Nash Country Daily to talk about his 50 years in the music business, being the first African-American country singer and his 60-year marriage to wife Rozene.
From Sublime and Steve Miller Band to Jimmy Buffet and Johnny Paycheck, Jerrod Niemann’s musical influences are as diverse as his catalogue of country singles, which include No. 1 hits “Lover, Lover” and “Drink to That All Night.” As his current single with Lee Brice, “A Little More Love,” climbs the charts, the Kansas native sat down with Nash Country Daily to build a Labor Day Playlist that both works hard and plays hard.
Listen to eight of Jerrod’s handpicked tunes on our Spotify playlist and check out the reason behind each of his selections. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend.
1. “Girl” – Beck
Beck is great for late-summer music. His stuff always makes me enjoy being outside on a pool, lake or ocean.
2. “Take This Job and Shove It” – Johnny Paycheck
Everyone has been working all year and is ready for a break. Hopefully after a three-day weekend this won’t hit as close to home for some folks out there.
3. “Drinking Class” – Lee Brice
My good buddy Lee Brice says it all perfectly with this tune. It makes me proud to be raised in a hardworking home. This one goes out to my parents.
4. “A Pirate Looks at 40” – Jimmy Buffett
You can NEVER go wrong with Buffett when it’s nice outside and you have a few days to chill. This is one of my very favorites of his.
5. “Doin’ Time” – Sublime
This song takes me right to California. I have a lot of family on the West Coast and this makes me think of them and enjoying Cali days on the water.
6. “Watch the Wind Blow By” – Tim McGraw
I like hanging out with my lovely wife when listening to this one. If there’s a nice breeze and some sunshine, it’s almost impossible not to be in a great mood.
7. “Is This Love” – Bob Marley
I spent some time in Jamaica with some of our amazing Marines that had returned from overseas. Anytime I hear Bob Marley, it reminds me to be thankful for those brave men and women. It takes me back to those great memories and I hope they are getting to spend some time with their families over the holiday weekend.
8. “Take the Money and Run” – Steve Miller Band
When you’ve worked hard, it’s time to finally spend a little cash on yourself. It’s easy to do when you crank up this one from Steve Miller.
Forget the media, Luke Bryan is going directly to his fans. The “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” singer decided to announce the track list for his first-ever Farm Tour EP—Farm Tour…Here’s To The Farmer—on his new Luke Bryan Fan App as well as his Facebook page. Check out the video message to his fans:
The EP is due to drop on Sept. 23, right before Luke kicks off the Bayer Presents Luke Bryan Farm Tour 2016, which opens in Gaston, S.C., on Oct. 5. A portion of the ticket proceeds go toward the Luke Bryan Farm Tour Scholarship, which helps students from farming families or a student who is an agriculture major within the communities the tour plays.
Farm Tour…Here’s To The Farmer EP is a first for Luke. Although this will be his eighth annual Farm Tour and Luke has generated many EPs for his Spring Break tours, he has never released an EP to accompany his Farm Tour until now.
For information on how to get tickets for the Bayer Presents Luke Bryan Farm Tour 2016, go to lukebryan.com
Farm Tour…Here’s To The Farmer Track List
“I Do All My Dreamin’ There” (Craig Wiseman, Jim McCormick)
“Here’s to the Farmer” (Luke Bryan, Michael Carter, Chase McGill)
“Love Me in a Field” (Luke Bryan, Rodney Clawson, Matt Dragstrem)
“You Look Like Rain” (Tony Lane, Bobby Hamrick, Marti Dodson)
“Southern Gentleman” (Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Ashley Gorley)
Bayer Presents Luke Bryan Farm Tour 2016
October 5 / Gaston, S.C. / Culler Farms October 6 / Greenback, Tenn. / Maple Lane Farms October 7 / Elizabethtown, Ky. / Highland Farms October 8 / Monroeville, Ind. / Spangler Farms October 12 / Batesville, Miss. / FT Farms October 13 / Prairie Grove, Ark. / Ogden Ranch October 14 / Centralia, Mo. / Stowers Farm October 15 / Effingham, Ill. / Mid America Motorworks
The weather in Nashville started to cool down last night (Sept. 1), but the heat in Ronnie Dunn’s barn began to rise when the legendary singer invited industry friends over for cocktails and a sampling of his upcoming album, Tattooed Heart.
Due out Oct. 21, Tattooed Heart is the singer’s third solo album, following the 2011 release of his self-titled debut album and the 2014 release of Peace, Love and Country Music.
The night kicked off with a modest Ronnie Dunn addressing the intimate crowd. “You don’t have to stand her and just listen, you can walk around and enjoy the food,” he told the guests as he played songs from the album over the speakers.
Not wanting to “bore” the crowd, as if that was even remotely possible, Ronnie sampled a handful of songs, including his current single, “Damn Drunk,” “I Worship the Woman You Walked On,” “Young Buck” and the Ariana Grande song and title track, “Tattooed Heart.” With a laugh, he told partygoers to grab a CD on their way out and listen to the whole thing in their cars.
The event, held in Ronnie Dunn’s barn—when I say barn, I mean a gorgeous decked-out structure nicer than most people’s homes complete with antler chandelier—saw industry insiders noshing on corn fritters, tequila-lime shrimp, egg rolls and the pièce de résistance, chocolate avocado pudding cups.
Be sure and pick up a copy of Tattooed Heart on Oct. 21, but for now enjoy Ronnie’s current single, “Damn Drunk,” featuring his former duo partner, Kix Brooks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQfB4z0vMBY
Tattooed Heart Tracklisting with songwriters:
1. “Ain’t No Trucks in Texas” | Tony Martin, Wendell Mobley, Neil Thrasher 2. “Damn Drunk” with Kix Brooks | Liz Hengber, Alex Kline, Ben Stennis 3. “I Worship the Woman You Walked On” | Bob DiPiero, Mitzi Dawn Jenkins, Tony Mullins 4. “That’s Why They Make Jack Daniels” | Jim Collins, Tom Hambridge, Tony Martin 5. “I Put That There” | Deric Ruttan, Jonathan Singleton 6. “Young Buck” | Jaren Johnston, Jeremy Stover 7. “I Wanna Love Like That Again” | Ronnie Dunn 8 .“Still Feels Like Mexico” featuring Reba McEntire | Tommy Lee James, Jon Randall 9. “Tattooed Heart” | Antonio Dixon, Kenneth Edmonds, Sean Forman, Ariana Grande, Matt Squire, Leon Thomas, Khristopher Van Riddick Tynes 10. “This Old Heart” | Jim Beavers, Jonathan Singleton 11. “Only Broken Heart in San Antone” | Steve Bogard, Jeff Stevens 12. “She Don’t Honky Tonk No More” | Ronnie Dunn, Nikki Fernandez, Andrew Rollin
It’s time to clock in—we’ve got the 40 Hardest Working Songs in Country Music.
Today, Sept. 2, we’re featuring #1–10.
Country music throughout the decades has not only embraced its working class roots, it’s made a point to praise them. Yes, work is tough, as Merle Haggard wrote in “Workin’ Man’s Blues” or as George Strait sang in “Amarillo by Morning.” But to the hardcore country fan, hard work and sticking to it also represents a badge of pride. That’s why so many country songs are devoted to the working class—after all, it’s the core audience.
As we observe Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 5, we’ve picked 40—in honor of the 40-hour workweek—country songs that truly get to the heart of the working man and woman.
So, take a little time from your stressful day, kick back and savor these 40 songs—only one from each artist—about what all of you do every day: namely, keep this country moving with your work and dedication.
#10. “Six Days on the Road” Dave Dudley
1963
The life of a long-haul trucker is lonely and exhausting, white lines stretching on to infinity with nothing but coffee to keep you going and your loved ones miles away for days at a time. Dave Dudley perfectly captured that in this classic trucking tune, which has been covered by George Jones, Sawyer Brown, Steve Earle, George Thorogood and many others.
#9. “Workin’ Man’s PhD” Aaron Tippin
1993
Aaron surely knew about blue-collar life, having worked at an aluminum company while he was trying to make it as an artist. In this hit, he pays sincere tribute to the men and women who get up early and put in long hours to build America and keep it running. It’s not something you learn in a college course—you earn those credits in sweat.
#8. “Coal Miner’s Daughter” Loretta Lynn
1970
This iconic tune was pure biography for Loretta—born into a family of eight kids in Appalachia, Loretta witnessed her coal mining father breaking his back to put food on the table. Her mother’s hands bled from the washboard she used on the clothes. Luxuries for the kids were few and life was hard, but Loretta remains defiantly proud of how she grew up.
#7. “Forty Hour Week (For a Livin’)”
Alabama
1985
About the time this was released in the mid-1980s, the American industrial worker was being given the boot by the government and society in general. So along came this song that paid proper respect to the Detroit auto worker, the folks in the Pittsburgh steel mills and the Kansas wheat field farmer, all name-checked in the lyrics, by the way. A great big thank-you to a deserving group of people.
#6. “Hard Workin’ Man” Brooks & Dunn
1993
It’s good to take pride in your work, which is exactly what Brooks & Dunn say in the title track of their sophomore album. The people they describe end each day with calloused hands and sweat on their brows, but still look forward to getting up the next day just to do it again.
#5. “Amarillo by Morning” George Strait
1983
It’s the definitive ode to the traveling rodeo cowboy, but those who toil in any occupation could make it their own. What makes this tune a little different is the plaintive joy it evokes, even in the midst of the cowboy’s broken bones and endless miles of travel. As the third verse sums up, I ain’t got a dime, but what I got is mine/ I ain’t rich, but Lord I’m free. Surprisingly, this never hit the top spot for George, even though some consider it his signature song.
#4. “Sixteen Tons” Tennessee Ernie Ford
1955
There is a bucket load of coalmining songs on this list but none of them are as heartbreaking—or backbreaking—as Tennessee Ernie Ford’s forlorn tale of wasting away down in the mines. You load sixteen tons, what do you get? / Another day older and deeper in debt sounds depressing enough, but when you factor in the debt bondage of owing you soul to the company store, it makes you thankful that labor unions put and end to the truck system.
#3. ‘Take This Job and Shove It”
Johnny Paycheck
1977
Who hasn’t wanted to walk up to the boss at least once in their lives and declare this working man’s manifesto? And who better to serve as spokesman than the gritty Mr. Paycheck himself? But even Johnny has to admit that it’s a fantasy at best, as the lyrics declare, I’d give the shirt right off of my back/If I had the guts to say/Take this job and shove it. Still, as fantasies go, it’s pretty kicking. This classic spent two weeks at No. 1 in 1978.
#2. “Workin’ Man’s Blues”
Merle Haggard
1969
Merle wrote this as a tribute to the folks that largely made up his core audience: the blue-collar working class. It’s part lament and part declaration of pride, as Merle brilliantly describes the can’t-get-out-from-under existence of the average working guy. But because our main character works so diligently, he’s “never been on welfare” and furthermore, never will be. That’s the working man to a “T.
#1. “9 to 5″ Dolly Parton
1980
Even in the corporate world, anyone not at the top of the food chain is drained of valuable resources and slowly ground down one day at a time. Dolly masterfully illustrated that in her Grammy-winning classic from the film of same name: they use your mind and they never give you credit, she says, but the workers keep showing up. But in keeping with the buoyant, danceable disco beat of the tune, there’s a sliver of hope in Dolly’s message. The boss can’t take away your dreams, and one of these days the tide is going to turn for the better. It almost sounds like she’s talking about revolution.
Farm Tour…Here’s To The Farmer Track List
