Warner Bros. / Warner Music Nashville country artist Chris Janson was inducted as the newest and youngest living member of the Grand Ole Opry on March 22, 2018 by Garth Brooks, an Opry member since 1990.
Addressing Janson on stage, Brooks said, “Driving in here tonight, I passed a billboard that says ‘Welcome To The Family.’ Family is a great name for this place. Another great name for this place is church. That’s what it’s all about. Because if any time you are at your lowest, these people are going to be here for you. And they’ll expect the same out of you, and they’ll get the same out of you.”
Handing Janson his Opry member award, Brooks added, “Chris, it is my honor to welcome you to the family. This will be – no matter how many times you look back on it – the greatest night of your music career.”
“How do you not cry on a night like this?” Janson began. “To know me is to know I really, truly love the Grand Ole Opry. … This will be a moment I will never forget. … Thanks for making my dreams come true, and thanks for buying a ticket to the Opry to see it happen! I hope you come back a million times! I’ll buy the ticket for ya. I don’t even care. I love you that much!”
Janson’s surprise membership invitation from Opry member Keith Urban occurred during his sold-out concert at the Ryman Auditorium in February.
“Chris Janson showed us all again tonight why we are so excited to welcome him into the Opry family,” said Opry General Manager Sally Williams. “Like he has during every Opry appearance he’s made, he exuded passion and enthusiasm for this iconic show he loves so much. Whether he’s playing his own hits, songs he’s written for fellow artists, or his all-time country favorites, he brings Opry audiences to their feet with his performances. Backstage, it’s amazing to watch him connect with both the artists who have come before him and those who are following in his footsteps. We could not be more thrilled about the excitement, loyalty, and great music he will bring to our Opry family for years to come.”
Today marks the release of a brand-new track, “Coming Home,” from Keith Urban’s forthcoming, highly anticipated album GRAFFITI U. “Coming Home” builds upon a musical exploration that was apparent on both his previous #1 albums FUSE and RIPCORD. In fact, “Coming Home” not only features the Grammy nominated, multi-platinum artist Julia Michaels, but credits Merle Haggard as a co-writer.
As Urban explains, “Coming Home” started with an idea I had of using the intro of one of my favorite Haggard songs “Mama Tried” – to build an entirely new song around it. Then, I took the idea to J.R. Rotem and he put some chords around it. I jotted down the first words that the music made me feel, jumped on a mic and sang the chorus.”
“Hearing that rolling Haggard guitar lick sparked memories of my childhood – and my dream to come to America.” added Urban. “I knew right then the story (of the song) was about the struggles of being in a city where your dreams have brought you, but far from your home – wherever, whomever and whatever that is for each of us.”
Of Julia Michaels Urban said, “Julia’s writing contribution extended into the idea of the need to want to physically be home. She summed up the whole story in one sentence. “Yeah, I know it’s only one call away, but it’s not the same.” For me, that simple phrase said so much, especially when she sang it!
Added Urban, “I called Theresa Haggard and Ben Haggard to play them what we’d been working on. It was important to me to have their blessing- and I’m so grateful that they love the song.”
“Coming Home” was written by Urban, J.R. Rotem, Julia Michaels, Merle Haggard and Nicolle Galyon and was co-produced by Rotem and Urban.
The 58-city “GRAFFIT U WORLD TOUR 2018,” kicks off on June 15th at St. Louis’s Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
For more official Keith Urban news and information go to www.keithurban.net.
The Country Music Association proudly reveals the initial artist lineup for this year’s CMA Fest. Now in its 47th year, CMA Fest boasts an exceptional bill of hundreds of artists performing on 11 stages throughout downtown Nashville Thursday through Sunday, June 7-10.
Billboard named CMA Fest its No. 1 Country Music festival in the U.S. in 2017, raving, “When it comes to great Country Music festivals, this one has been – and is – the gold standard.” Last year’s CMA Fest drew sold-out crowds and the largest fan engagement by Country Music fans in the event’s history from visitors from all 50 states and nearly 20 international countries. CMA Fest is the longest-running Country Music festival in the world with proceeds going directly to helping enrich and sustain music education programs across the country through CMA’s nonprofit arm, the CMA Foundation, thanks to every artist at the festival donating their time.
Photo Credit: CMA
Taking the nightly NISSAN STADIUM stage this year are Country Music superstars Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Charles Esten and Friends, Florida Georgia Line, Dustin Lynch, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Charley Pride, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Ricky Skaggs, Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Lee Ann Womack, and Brett Young. Several acts join this year’s Nissan Stadium lineup for the first time with full sets and special performances including Brown, Combs, Dan + Shay, Old Dominion, Pardi, Pearce and Young. In addition, Lauren Alaina and Bebe Rexha will make guest appearances. Stadium gates open daily at 6:00 PM with performances starting at 8:00 PM. A limited number of four-day tickets for the nightly performances at Nissan Stadium are still available at CMAfest.com/tickets or through the CMA Box Office at 1-800-CMA-FEST.
Always a fan favorite, RIVERFRONT STAGE returns once again with a lineup that will keep crowds rocking from 10:00 AM-5:15 PM each day. Reigning CMA New Artist of the Year Jon Pardi kicks things off Thursday, June 7 (10:00 AM). Additional artists scheduled include A Thousand Horses, Lauren Alaina, Frankie Ballard, Lee Brice, Chase Bryant, Cam, Craig Campbell, Easton Corbin, Jordan Davis, Devin Dawson, Gavin DeGraw, Russell Dickerson, Drake White and The Big Fire, Lindsay Ell, Tyler Farr, Hunter Hayes, Walker Hayes, High Valley, Home Free, LANCO, Chris Lane, LOCASH, Maddie & Tae, Scotty McCreery, William Michael Morgan, Parmalee, Eric Paslay, Carly Pearce, Cassadee Pope, RaeLynn, Michael Ray, Dylan Scott, Canaan Smith, Corey Smith, Granger Smith, The Cadillac Three, Morgan Wallen, and Aaron Watson.
Located in Walk of Fame Park, the BREAKOUT STAGE will entertain crowds daily from 10:30 AM-4:55 PM with performances by Jimmie Allen, Abby Anderson, Kassi Ashton, Drew Baldridge, Chris Bandi, Big Smo, Ashley Campbell, Crowder, Jacob Davis, Delta Rae, Cale Dodds, Adam Doleac, Clare Dunn, Brooke Eden, Riley Green, Trent Harmon, Sundance Head, James Barker Band, Jillian Jacqueline, Krystal Keith and Lance Carpenter, Jon Langston, Love and Theft, Ashley McBryde, Logan Mize, Steve Moakler, Muscadine Bloodline, Jerrod Niemann, Luke Pell, Josh Phillips, Radio Romance, Maggie Rose, Runaway June, Dylan Schneider, Sister Hazel, SmithField, The Wild Feathers, Michael Tyler, Walker McGuire, Waterloo Revival, and Charlie Worsham.
Returning for a second year, the BUDWEISER FOREVER COUNTRY STAGE will take place from 11:00 AM-4:45 PM daily. Featuring some of the biggest names in Country Music from recent decades, this year’s lineup includes Keith Anderson, David Ball, John Berry, BlackHawk, Terri Clark, Mark Collie, Billy Dean, Joe Diffie, Exile, “Forever Country, Never Forgotten: A Tribute to Those Lost from Country Music,” Andy Griggs, Wade Hayes, Ty Herndon, Honky Tonkin’ with Tracy Lawrence (and special guests), Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, Little Texas, Lonestar, Mila Mason, Terry McBride, Lorrie Morgan, Heidi Newfield, Jamie O’Neal, Lee Roy Parnell, Restless Heart, Shenandoah, Doug Supernaw, The Bellamy Brothers, Mark Wills, Darryl Worley, and Michelle Wright.
Outdoor daytime performances at Budweiser Forever Country, Riverfront and Breakout stages are free and open to the public. All artist lineups are subject to change.
Guided by the generosity of the Country Music community, proceeds from CMA Fest are used to drive the CMA Foundation’s mission of enriching and sustaining music education programs. Through strategic partnerships, professional development and grant distribution, the CMA Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), has invested over $20 million in 85 programs across the national public school system, after school programs, summer camps and with community outreach organizations.
Additional stage lineups, Fan Fair X activities, and more will be announced in the coming weeks. Don’t miss a beat—get connected with CMA on CMAfest.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and sign up for CMA Country Connection emails to receive the latest news as soon as it’s announced.
CMA Fest will once again be filmed for a three-hour national television special to air on the ABC Television Network. This is the 15th consecutive year the festival has been filmed for a broadcast event. “CMA Fest” is executive produced and written by Robert Deaton and directed by Gary Halvorson.
Northern California charmer Tyler Rich is quickly distinguishing himself as one of Country’s leading men and isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. With his new music video for “The Difference,” available now on Vevo + syndicators, Tyler genuinely embraces the song’s sentiment throughout scenes with his fiancée Sabina Gadecki. Watch below or click here.
Director Mason Dixon filmed scenes with the real-life couple and their dogs Abby and Charlie around his current home base of Nashville, TN. Strolling and snuggling on location in the Germantown and East Nashville neighborhoods, their on-screen courtship intensifies as Tyler demonstrates that she is more than casual fling. Going all in, he wants to make sure she knows – “There’s a difference between ‘miss ya’ and ‘I miss your face’ / There’s a difference in ‘what’s goin’ on’ and ‘baby, how was your day’ / Yeah, there’s a hell of a difference in sayin’ three words / Or kinda just meanin’ two / There’s a difference in ‘love ya’ and ‘I love you’ / And I wanna be the difference.”
Tyler immediately related to “The Difference” upon hearing the lyrics, which Rhett Akins, Ben Burgess, Devin Dawson and Jacob Durrett penned. “The phrases are so reflective of the relationship that I have with my fiancée,” expressed Tyler. “Soon after meeting her I knew she was the one. I would text her and say ‘love ya’ and she would respond with ‘you mean I love you?’ To me it was the same thing but now I know better!”
Officially impacting Country radio on April 2, “The Difference” (The Valory Music Co.) is available now through all digital partners and has already crossed over 1 million streams. Already finding better odds since giving up his Economics degree for music, Tyler has caught the attention of SiriusXM as a coveted Highway Find, a CMT Listen Up 2018 artist and will open for Justin Moore at Ryman Auditorium on May 2.
The Academy of Country Music® revealed that multi-ACM Award®-winning artists Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Blake Shelton and Keith Urban have been added to the stellar lineup of performers for the 53RD ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™, honoring country music’s superstars and hottest emerging talent. It was also announced that New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, “Entertainment Tonight” host Nancy O’Dell, actress Rebecca Romijn and Olympic Alpine Skier Lindsey Vonn have been added as presenters for the ceremony.
The 53rd ACM Awards®, hosted by Reba McEntire, will broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.
Previously announced ACM Awards performers include Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Bebe Rexha and Thomas Rhett. Additional acts and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.
