Dierks & the Guys Surprise Nick Malloy in Macon

Thursday night in Macon Georgia was not just a typical stop on the Locked and Reloaded tour. Of course the show was amazing, the guys were high energy, Dierks gave away a guitar, but Dierks and the guys ended with a surprise; for both the audience and a certain member in it. See, Nick Malloy, a long time friend of  DB's lead guitarist, Brian Layson (from Macon, like Nick) and Dierks was there at the concert that night with his father. As Nick told WMAZ in Macon:      

"I was sitting side stage last night, and Dierks tour manager, came and unlocked my wheel chair and wheels me out there."

Before he knew it, Nick was out there playing and singing along with Miranda and Dierks to Bad Angel. Unfortunately, Brian was ill and unable to play that night, but sent his love along in a tweet:

“@NickMalloy You deserved it bro. Sure hate I missed it. Much love to ya”

Dierks tweeted the above photo adding:

"meant alot to me and @mirandalambert to close the show with @nickmalloy on stage."

Nick said that his father, Frank, who had met Dierks for the first time that evening, knew of the plan but kept mum. The icing on the cake was that Dierks and the guys were all wearing Nick Malloy Band t-shirts for the encore, which made Nick’s father tear up.

Frank Malloy has worked at WMAZ for 30 years. He was first sports director and then in 1993 went on to anchor the evening news, a position which he still holds today. He said, "I know how much Dierks and the band mean to him (Nick), but to find out last night how much he means to them, and then for them to go out of their way to do this. It was just a neat moment. It gave me a sense of peace. That we’re going to get through this thing."

Almost a year ago, Nick Malloy was in a very serious one-car accident in Macon. He was driving home on little sleep after a gig in Macon around midnight. He fell asleep at the wheel, hit a tree and crashed into a ditch. He was there trapped in his car for six hours until daylight came and a father and son saw the wrecked vehicle and called 911. His injuries were serious: an incomplete fracture of T8 spinal cord injury along with much damage to his left hand and arm and paralysis of his legs. This happened on Nick’s 23rd birthday, March 28, 2012. He spent months at the Shepherd Center and graduated from day treatment rehab this past August.

Nick got his first guitar at 13 and started playing bars at 15. He had a promising country career with an EP (available on cdbaby.com) produced by Brian Layson with lots of gigs lined up through 2012. But the “physical and emotional toll of the accident” halted his promising career. Hopefully being up on stage this past week will help to change that. Nick himself said,

"I gotta find the spark again. Hopefully it will be soon. Last night was a major help." "It's humbling, and it makes me want to get back out there." 

Frank also hopes the moment motivates his son. 

"They want something in exchange. I think Dierks and guys, they're doing this but I think they think Nick, you can do it, and we want you to do it. You gotta just get out there and wade in, and just get back on that path."

We are all rooting for you Nick. You are incredibly brave and resilient. We hope you resume making music again, there are alot of us out there who want to hear what you have to play.

You can find the Nick Malloy Band here.

And thank you Dierks and the guys for being so generous and having such huge hearts. Time and time again you give us all more reason to love ya.

~Tara DBC Rep NY

Bad Angel on the Top Ten List of "Not a single...yet"

The Boot picked ten tracks that are not singles...yet, and Dierks Bentley's 'Bad Angel' featuring Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson is #2!  Wouldn't that be great if the song was a single?!  But unless DB adds the song to his new upcoming August album, it's not likely to happen.  Too bad, because it has the potential to be a number one hit!

"Dierks took a trip 'Up on The Ridge,' veering away from mainstream country in favor of a bluegrass-inspired sound. 'Bad Angel' with Miranda and Jamey is arguably the most intriguing track on the Grammy-nominated project. The featured voices give the song a modern-day Buddy & Julie Miller feel, and offers more than enough star power to catch radio's attention."

Read the entire story, "Top 10 Country Songs That Aren't Singles ... Yet," here.

Dierks Bentley Remembers 10 Grammy Winning Country Classics

Reposted from CMT.com:

Dierks Bentley is up for three Grammy Awards in recognition of Up on the Ridge, the bluegrass-influenced project he released last year. Along with a nod for best country album, Bentley is rooted in two slots in the category of best country collaboration with vocals: one for "Bad Angel," featuring Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson, and the other for "Pride (In the Name of Love)," featuring Del McCoury and the Punch Brothers.


"With this record in particular, it seems fitting to be a part of the Grammys because it's an album that encapsulates a lot of different types of music under the country music umbrella," Bentley tells CMT.com. "For me, personally, it's really exciting. It's exciting for my producer, the musicians and all the writers and collaborators on this album. I think it's a fitting way to end this album, just being nominated. It's nice to come back and have one last chance to visit Up on the Ridge and do it in the setting of the Grammys."
With the Grammy Awards scheduled to air Sunday night (Feb. 13) on CBS, Bentley shares his personal thoughts about 10 Grammy-winning country classics.

"El Paso," Marty Robbins

1960, Best Country & Western Performance

A great storytelling song by one of the greatest voices of all time in country music. It's a lost art, to have a song that really pulls you in like that.



"Foggy Mountain Breakdown," Flatt & Scruggs

1968, Best Country Performance, Duo or Group -- Vocal or Instrumental

Earl Scruggs invented the three-finger style of banjo picking that was never better played than on a song like "Foggy Mountain Breakdown." That three-finger roll is on great display there. It probably blew people's minds when they first heard that. It's not every day that somebody invents a style of playing like Earl did. It's a very deserving song.



"Folsom Prison Blues," Johnny Cash

1968, Best Country Vocal Performance, Male

That's one of the most-played songs of any bar or state fair in America. (laughs) It took me a long time to get that one out of my set list. We played it so many times. It's probably the most recognizable Johnny Cash song there is out there. It encapsulates what is so great about country songs, which is storytelling. It has that dark element to it, which draws people in.



"Forever and Ever, Amen," Randy Travis

1987, Best Country Song (Songwriters: Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet)

What a great country voice singing a great country song. In the love song category, that's a song about never-ending devotion. You hear that pure country sound coming out at a time when country had been popped up a little bit. Here comes a guy that's a real traditional country singer with a great country love song. It was a turning point in country music.



"From the Bottle to the Bottom," Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge

1973, Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group

A total innovator -- Kris Kristofferson and his writing. To think about the kind of country songs that were out in the 1970s, no one was writing the way Kristofferson was writing. The alliteration and the poetic style of writing ... but also the realness of it. It's about a real down-and-outer. It's a style of writing that he unleashed upon Nashville that nobody else had done before.



"Gentle on My Mind," Glen Campbell

1967, Best Country & Western Solo Vocal Performance, Male

1967, Best Country & Western Recording

1967, Best Country & Western Song (Songwriter: John Hartford)

1967, Best Folk Performance (for Hartford's version)

It's a great John Hartford song. I love that song so much because it allowed Hartford the financial freedom to be [himself] the rest of his life. How do you write something like that? It's so out there as a writing style. He definitely wasn't trying to write a hit. He was just writing a great song. You can tell when you listen to it, it's a song that came from his heart. It has a little bit of that left-fieldness that makes it one-of-a-kind.



"He Stopped Loving Her Today," George Jones

1980, Best Country Vocal Performance, Male

It's a song that a lot of people consider to be one of the greatest songs of all time. When it comes to great country songwriting, the best songs always leave a little twist in there for you, that you don't expect to see coming. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" is the example of the best twist, the best turn, that you can do. He did that punch you're not expecting, and he does it better than anybody. You take a great song and mix the greatest voice with it, you're going to get a Grammy.



"High Lonesome Sound," Vince Gill and Alison Krauss & Union Station

1996, Best Country Collaboration With Vocals

What a great collaboration. The harmony in that song touches anybody in any genre of music. Whether they're a country or bluegrass fan, or a rock and pop fan, you hear that and you can't help but be moved by the hauntingness of the vocals and the content of the song.



"O Death," Ralph Stanley

2001, Best Male Country Vocal Performance

Dr. Ralph represents that mountain music, that unpolished version of bluegrass. To hear someone sing so starkly like that, it's a really cool thing. And it talks about a subject matter that we all try to avoid. And he takes it straight on and talks about it! (laughs) It's a one-of-a-kind song.



"On the Road Again," Willie Nelson

1980, Best Country Song (Songwriter: Willie Nelson)

Willie Nelson at his best. It's very personal. It's about Willie and it's about his lifestyle. You wonder if other people would be able to connect with it, but people really do. They get to wear Willie's shoes a little bit and feel the vibe of the road through that song. I see myself in that song a lot. Even before I was traveling around, I just loved that song.

Source

Dierks Bentley Gears Up for Grammy Awards and Concert at The Troubadour

Dierks Bentley Gears Up for Grammy Awards and Concert at The Troubadour

Dierks Bentley has three Grammy nominations at this Sunday's ceremony in Los Angeles including two mentions in the Best Country Collaboration with Vocal category: "Bad Angel" with Jamey Johnson and Miranda Lambert and "Pride (In the Name of Love)" with Del McCoury and The Punch Brothers. "I'm gonna split the votes and have no chance of winning," Dierks jokes. "No, it's really cool. You know, I voted and to go down and see your name twice and to kind of have to choose between one of your two collaborations is really cool."

Dierks is also playing a pre-Grammy show at The Troubadour in Los Angeles on Saturday night, February 12th, with a few special guests. Members of Lady Antebellum are expected to be on hand, and Dierks is reaching out to artists beyond country music as well. He says, "Just trying to get some different people out from different genres and see what happens and give my fans out there a unique kind of show that will never happen again. So, we're working on collaborations and making it a lot of fun."


Source

Video/Audio From Dierks Bentley's Live Studio Stream - Part 2

More videos of Dierks Bentley's live studio stream from Janet are below. But first, here's the post on dierks.com today:

30,000 Fans Log On To Watch Dierks Record 15 Songs In Five Days

Dierks was not alone while recording his 6th studio album. Over 30,000 fans joined him in the studio via 24hr. webcam! Dierks just wrapped his marathon studio session this past Friday in Ashville and recorded 15 songs in five days.

“This entire recording process was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had as a singer or a musician...it was definitely intense and at times a roller coaster emotionally as we worked through the arrangements of these songs,” said Dierks. “I guess I’m still a little old school in the way I like to record..and as a fan, the way I like to listen to music. I still enjoy the process of making an album and not just a collection of singles. Letting the fans be part of that process was a total bonding experience...it was 24 hours a day, and they probably know more about me than they ever wanted to now!”

Dierks is scheduled to travel to Los Angeles to present at the Grammy Awards LIVE on CBS. He's nominated for 'Best Country Album' for Up On The Ridge and 'Best Country Collaboration With Vocals' for the album's "Bad Angel" and "Pride (In The Name Of Love)". The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will take place on February 13, 2011 at 8pm ET/PT.

"Producer Guy":


"The Pretzels have been very important":



"What do you want to know about Skinny Jeans?":


"Guitar Guy, Bobble Head Guy, Phone Guy or Mr. Clean--102 Songs?":



"Wolf-Pack Forever - Alpha Dog - MVP - FROBEE":


Part Three coming up soon!  Check back later!

~Ronna

February of Firsts For Dierks

After an emotional week long live video (and sometimes audio) feed from the recording studio in Asheville, NC, Dierks Bentley has a February full of firsts ahead of him.  Not only has no other artist ever invited fans into the recording process as they were working on an album, but modern technology allowed him to interact with fans through the U-Stream chat as well, throughout the week.  It was an awe inspiring experience to say the least!

As if that wasn't enough, Dierks will perform along with Jack Ingram at the "Bud Light Hotel," dubbed the biggest tailgate party in Dallas, prior to Super Bowl XLV on Sunday (Feb. 6). The performance will air online here.

That takes us to Feb 12, where Bentley will travel to Los Angeles for a Dierks Bentley & Friends pre-GRAMMY show at the Troubadour before presenting on February 13 at the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards live on CBS. Bentley is nominated for Best Country Album for his critically acclaimed "Up On The Ridge," and Best Country Collaboration With Vocals for the album’s “Bad Angel” featuring Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson and “Pride (In The Name Of Love)” featuring Del McCoury and Punch Brothers. *Fingers crossed for the10-time Grammy nominee to bring home a trophy!

Another first for Dierks includes a commission by NASCAR to record a special version of his Number One hit, "Sideways," for Fox Sports in 2011. The song will be the theme song and air prior to all races throughout the season. Bentley will debut the song live from the Daytona 500 on February 20.  FOX is the exclusive television home to the Daytona 500 along with 12 other point races during the year.

We are so proud of our DB Congress President and wish him luck on all his "firsts" in February 2011!

Dierks Inspires From Big White to Bad Angel

In August 2007, DB Congress rep Shelly, was seven months pregnant, "...sweating my booty off at an outdoor Dierks Bentley concert in Texas--anything for Dierks!"  She met Dierks that day and shared her photo with us.

Shelly had a girl and named her Kinley.  "I used to put headphones over my belly and let her listen to Dierks (and Miranda).  And now when we get in the car she usually requests Dierks...these days it’s, 'Mommy, I want Bad Angel.'  So cute coming from a three-year-old!"  "Dierks is the best!", Shelly says.

Thanks for sharing, Shelly!

Bentley's 'Ridge' Gets 3 Grammy Nods & Best Album on iTunes, Amazon

This blog was posted on Dierks Bentley's MySpace and Facebook pages today.

DIERKS BENTLEY CAPS 2010 WITH THREE GRAMMY NOMINATIONS FOR UP ON THE RIDGE

iTunes and Amazon Both Handpick UP ON THE RIDGE For Their
“Best Albums Of The Year” Lists

Dierks Bentley & Friends UP ON THE RIDGE Show Planned For Feb. 12, 2011

Nashville, TN – December 15, 2010 – As 2010 comes to a close, country music maverick Dierks Bentley capped off a daring year with three GRAMMY nominations for Best Country Album for his critically acclaimed UP ON THE RIDGE and two nominations in the Best Country Collaboration With Vocals for the album’s “Bad Angel” featuring Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson and “Pride (In The Name Of Love)” featuring Del McCoury and Punch Brothers.

Since announcing this Spring that his fifth Capitol Nashville studio project would be steeped in the bluegrass and roots music that moved him to become a country musician in the first place, Bentley has garnered the support of fans, media and industry peers alike. UP ON THE RIDGE has been named one of iTunes “Best Albums Of the Year” and one of Amazon’s “Top 10 Country Albums of the Year.” It also earned glowing praise from critics who said the album was “the best country recording we’ll hear in 2010” (Washington Post), “timeless” (NPR) and “shocking in its freshness” (Boston Globe).

Bentley will close out his year UP ON THE RIDGE with a revival of his intimate Dierks Bentley and Friends pre-GRAMMY bash at the Troubador in Los Angeles on Feb. 12. The last edition of this event featured surprise guests including members of Pearl Jam, Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Dwight Yoakam and more.

Vote Double Dierks on GAC Top 50 Videos!

Great American Country wants YOU, the fans, to decide GAC’s Top 50 Videos of 2010, and Dierks Bentley has been nominated--twice! “Up On The Ridge” and "Bad Angel" are among the 130 videos nominated. Voting runs now through Nov. 30 and you can vote once a day for up to 10 of your favorite videos.

When voting simply drag both of Bentley's videos to the #1 and #2 spots! Remember to cast your vote for Dierks each and every day until voting ends! Oh, and even though you can vote for 8 other videos, fight the urge! It will give both videos a better chance to make the list--without that added competition!

GAC's Top 50 Videos of 2010 on-air countdown kicks off on Monday, Dec. 27 at 8/7c.

VOTE FOR DIERKS DAILY!

Vote for Dierks' Bad Angel Video!

Bad Angel, the video for track #6 from Dierks Bentley's Up On The Ridge album, featuring Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson, was nominated for the 2010 CMA's Musical Event of the Year award. You can watch the video and vote for it on CMT's Pure 12-Pack countdown. The tempted trio performed the song live in Nashville, and the video landed at #12 this week! Keep voting, 'congrass'!

Miranda will join Dierks at Miles and Music For Kids next week in Nashville (October 17) as they perform to raise money for the Children's Hospital!

Dierks Bentley To Perform at the 44th Annual CMA Awards Nov. 10th!

The star-packed lineup for “The 44th Annual CMA Awards” launches with today’s announcement that Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, and the pairing of Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson are the first group of performers confirmed for “Country Music’s Biggest Night™.” “The 44th Annual CMA Awards,” hosted by Paisley and Underwood, airs live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 10 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Bentley is nominated in three categories this year, including Male Vocalist, Album for Up On The Ridge, and Musical Event of the Year for “Bad Angel,” featuring Lambert and Jamey Johnson. Bentley won the Horizon Award in 2005. He also received the 2008 CMA International Artist Achievement Award.

Tickets for the 2010 CMA Awards are on saleand can be purchased by logging on to www.ticketmaster.com; calling (800) 745-3000; or in person at the Bridgestone Arena box office, 501 Broadway (corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway), Nashville. Ticket prices begin at $110 for Upper Level. All ticket prices include sales tax, but exclude applicable service/handling fees. Purchase tickets early for best available seats. In 2009, the CMA Awards sold out in advance.

Bad Angel Live Performance Video, Featuring Dierks, Miranda and Jamey

Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson are nominated for the 2010 CMA "Musical Event of the Year" Award. See why by watching the trio's "Bad Angel" performance in June at a downtown Nashville venue, as shown on the ABC special, "CMA Music Fest: Country's Night To Rock," and as posted on CMT.com.

Dierks Bentley More CMT Music More CMT Music Videos

DIERKS, MIRANDA, JAMEY: THREE WISHES GRANTED

Dierks Bentley's version of "Bad Angel" is one of my favorite songs on the new "Up On The Ridge" CD. I found this article from way back in April! I am really hoping this song becomes one of the many singles that gets released to radio from this album!

"Suzi Ragsdale, whose latest two-CD set, Best Regards/Less of the Same, continues to garner airplay at Americana radio, will have one of her songs featured on multi-platinum singer Dierks Bentley's upcoming CD, Up on the Ridge, set for release on June 8 by Capitol Nashville.

Ragsdale's track (co-written by Verlon Thompson), "Bad Angel," features Dierks Bentley joined by special guest vocalists Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson, two other powerhouses of country music. The song originally appeared on the Ragsdale/Thompson album, Out of Our Hands.

"I feel like I've found the proverbial magic lamp and the genie has granted my three wishes: Dierks, Miranda and Jamey," said Ragsdale upon hearing her song for the first time as it was performed on the new CD.

At a recent advance listening party for the new CD on Nashville's Music Row, celebrated music journalist Robert Oermann declared: "The bluesy 'Bad Angel,' featuring hair-raising, triple-whammy vocals by Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson, is already a contender for Vocal Collaboration of the Year, in my opinion. I never wanted it to end."

Source


~Ronna
DB Congress Chair

WATCH DIERKS & JAMEY MAKE BAD ANGEL

Dierks Bentley shares a little peak into the making of "Bad Angel", one of the songs on the new Up On The Ridge album. Jamey Johnson and Miranda Lambert each sing a verse in the fully-recorded song:

DIERKS ALBUM GOOD, ANGELS BAD

Dierks Bentley Sends a Pair of 'Bad Angels' to the Ridge, according to The Boot's Donna Hughes.

For his new bluegrass-inspired album, 'Up on the Ridge,' Dierks Bentley has roped in several special guests, including Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson on a song called 'Bad Angel,' written by Verlon Thompson and Suzi Ragsdale. While every single song on the project is his favorite, having Miranda and Jamey take part was extra special for the singer because of their close ties.

"I've toured with both of them. They're both good friends," Dierks tells The Boot. "Miranda likes that kind of music. She cuts Buddy and Julie Miller songs. It really started with that song ... It's such a fun track. I thought of two people who would be perfect on it, whose voices who would all complement each other. They were the first two names that came up, and it was really easy to get them on there. They're excited about it ... they're two people I know I can call and they'll do it before they have to ask anybody. Miranda's voice has never sounded better. She was definitely inspired.

"Jamey was great [too]. We toured together before he went through his transformation kind of thing. When we toured together, it was wild and crazy. I remember he was wearing a hat this big," Dierks continues, holding his arms out to demonstrate just how big. "I don't know what the hell he was doing backstage before they went onstage, but they were amped up. We had a lot of fun on that tour, and then he lost his deal and went through his thing, so we've known each other a long time."

The singer-songwriter even brought cameras into the studio to capture the memories of making the record. "We documented this whole thing," he says. "And it's always awkward having a camera right on you, but it was great. I remember us being in the studio and we were doing some stuff and the camera was right on [Jamey's] face. He goes, 'Yeah, it's sounding good, but I'd love to do a couple of passes without this damn camera in my face.' And my cameraman was like, 'OK, time to go!' [He] packed up and walked right out of the room. I think he was a little scared."

The new album is due out in 24 days-June 8!