Dierks and Del, A Front Row Look

For DB Congress members, the name Del McCoury is a familiar one. A long-time friend and inspiration for Dierks, bluegrass legend Del has made numerous appearances in support our DBC President--like the time they performed Rovin' Gambler, and when Del appeared on the Up on the Ridge album for "Pride (In the Name of Love)," or even as recently as last year when they sang the National Anthem.

This time, it was Dierks' turn to show up to honor Del; he did so by helping celebrate Del's 80th birthday. Surrounded by family and friends, Del celebrated the best way a musician can--on stage at the Grand Ole Opry. Entitled the "Grand Del Opry," the Feb. 13 event hosted artists such as Sam Bush, Vince Gill, the Travelin' McCourys and more. It felt natural when Dierks' name showed up on the set list.

Just like it felt natural to know we had DBC reps in the audience! Mary Lou Greene, DBC rep from N.C., immediately knew she needed to make the trek to Tennessee. After seeing her photos, it was clear her story needed to be shared! Here's an interview about her Dierks and Del adventure.

How did you hear about the Grand Del Opry event? 
I follow Grand Ole Opry on all the socials, so I saw it as soon as it was announced. Dierks was not on the initial list of artists. My immediate thought was, “Wow, I would love to go,” but saw it was a Wednesday night PLUS I already had plans to fly to Nashville the next Wednesday, Feb. 20, for Dierks’ show at Bridgestone. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking about it.

You scored the front row! How did you manage that? 
When the announcement came out that they had added Dierks to the show, on Jan. 23, I immediately went to check for tickets. And there it was--a single seat in Section 4, Row BB, Seat 9. Front row. It was kismet. And that ticket was mine!

What was the most memorable part of the night? 
There were so many. I have a photo of Dierks and Del that captured it. The photo isn’t great but I will always remember it. Everyone came back out for the final number, "I Saw The Light." If you grew up in a Southern Baptist church like I did, you knew the words to this song by the time you were four, so that was incredibly special. And to look around at the talent on that stage, it was absolutely mind blowing. I had goosebumps from the minute the show started.

Have you always been a Del fan? 
I hate to admit this, but no. Just like I wasn’t always a huge Dierks fan (gasp). I grew up on country music. I was card-carrying member of the Loretta Lynn fan club when I was four. My mom took me to tons of country shows. In my teen years, I was a die-hard Alabama fan. Then I sort of lost my love of country music, not completely, but I just sort of became disillusioned with the plethora of music that all sounded the same. The story of me finding Dierks’ music is a long one, but let’s just say, when I fell, I fell hard. I saw the videos of him with Del McCoury and the Travelin’ McCourys, so when they were scheduled to play a show at a tiny venue in Mt. Airy, N.C. (about 45 minutes from me), I knew I had to see what this was all about. Growing up in rural North Carolina and Virginia, bluegrass music was all around; I clearly just never appreciated it. That show, though, at The Earle in Mt. Airy, made me a believer! I also met both Del and Ronnie McCoury before the show and got my picture with them. I have seen them three times since then and am always blown away at the music. There is nothing smoother than Del McCoury’s voice.

What was the most special Dierks and Del moment of the evening? 
Just seeing the way they respect each other. I mean, there was like joy oozing from the stage that night on all parts. Dierks, especially, seemed so happy and at ease playing up there next to all of the McCourys and Sam Bush. Dierks said he would not be doing what he is doing without Del, so we Dierks fans owe Mr. McCoury a huge thank you.

What is something you saw from the front row that others further back might have missed? 
I was so grateful to have snagged that front row seat, and as it turns out, the seats on each side of me were sold as singles as well, each to huge Del fans, both from W.Va. The guy to my right, Heath, has seen Del about 60 times and is the epitome of a Del-head. ... They come out before the curtain goes up to sort of warm up the audience ... Heath won a signed Hatch Show Print before the curtain went up by answering the trivia question: “When did Del McCoury first play the Grand Ole Opry?” Answer: 1963. ... I actually got to sing in the microphone (apologies to anyone who might have heard it!) and they announced my name and state. My 30 seconds of fame at the Opry.

The other moments I saw and tried to capture were when they were all on the stage for the final number. At one point, Dierks was in the back row with Sam Bush and they were interacting and laughing. Again, pure joy.

Are there any other special moments that took place that night that you’d like to share? 
Dierks said when he walked into the Opry that night [that the co-writer of Up On the Ridge, Angelo Petraglia, was in the house] so he had him come out for UOTR; [Dierks] took his guitar off and gave it to Angelo to play. That was pretty special. I don’t think I have ever heard UOTR without Dierks playing his guitar, though. I found it is incredibly difficult to stay in your seat for UOTR! I was dancing IN my seat! You know there is protocol and proper demeanor expected at an Opry show!

It looks like you ran into Dierks on Valentine’s Day! What did he say? 
Seeing Dierks on Valentine’s Day was the icing on the cake for that trip to Nashville. I knew he was playing a UMG show for Country Radio Seminar that Thursday morning at The Ryman Auditorium and I also knew he had a show in Ontario, Calif., that night. The show started at 11:30 a.m. so I kind of figured he would be one of the first ones to perform. My son, his girlfriend and I had just Ubered downtown to get a Valentine’s special latte at The Well Coffeehouse (chocolate strawberry – yum!), which is like one block up from the Ryman, then they wanted to go boot shopping. The timing just happened to work. We were walking by the parking alley next to the Ryman and he was coming out, white guitar case in hand and all. So I stopped on the sidewalk and he stopped as he was pulling out. He was like, “What are you doing here?” and to be honest, I have no idea what I said. He didn’t have long as he was headed to the airport to head to Calif. I told him we would see him next week at Bridgestone. He was super sweet and nice, like always. And he was off, in a hurry to get to the airport! And I realized immediately I forgot to wish him a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine's Day wishes or not, what a perfect weekend at the Opry!

Thank you for sharing your story and photos, Mary Lou!

Jessica Borrelli
DB Congress Rep, WA
@AllTheWayToMe

Dierks Bentley's Historic Ryman "Home" Show

The Same. No it wasn't the same set list full of the usual hits that you may have experienced at a recent Dierks Bentley concert.  No. The Ryman Auditorium, in Nashville, Tennessee, with it's rich history of being the mother church complete with 60 years of legendary artists crossing it's scarred floor boards, was stronger than ever Thursday night, as Dierks presented his new "Home" CD, complete with tons of special guests, to a sold out crowd.

An unlike the normally reverent 'sit and listen' crowd, we the fans in the audience were free to stand up and sing along to every song. Not only were we treated to most of the songs from the new album, but old favorites and hits like "Every Mile A Memory," "Free and Easy," "Feel That Fire," "Sideways," "How Am I Doin'?" and a "Your Cheatin' Heart" intro to "Lot Of Leavin' Left To Do"--where Tim Sergent's steel guitar never sounded sweeter.  "Trying To Stop Your Leaving" was played with a new acoustic guitar vs. the normal red, electric guitar.

DB Congress (fan club members) from 14 states (FL, NC, TN, WI, IN, MS, DE, AL, MO, KY, CA, GA, PA, & MI) gathered at Jack's BBQ on Broadway before the show to hug old friends, meet new ones, compete in a Dierks trivia contest, share DB goodies and most importantly take turns "alley watching" for Dierks and/or the band as they wandered in and out the back door of The Ryman.

In the 1880s, when prominent businessman and steamboat captain Thomas G. Ryman found salvation in the words of fiery evangelist Reverend Sam Jones, he vowed to build a great tabernacle that would project Rev. Jones’s voice clearly and powerfully for all to hear.  The result - The Ryman Auditorium with arguably the best acoustic sound without need for a microphone.

In fact, opener Will Hoge at one point stepped stage right - far away from all the mics - motioned for his band to lower the volume of their instruments and proceeded to belt out not just one line, but the entire song - "When I Get My Wings" acoustically.  Can you say Standing Ovation? His vocal was incredible.  As if his voice wasn't enough to win me over as a new fan, the couple sitting next to me (Donna, DB Congress rep from Kentucky) told me about his background and how he had been in a terrible accident that crushed his lungs and broke nearly every bone, and he was in the hospital for weeks. And that he wasn't a newcomer--but on album "Number 7."

Will Hoge

Dierks surprised the audience with a stunning segment with The Travelin McCoury's performed only with acoustics and vocals on "Fiddlin' Around," and "Draw Me A Map" from the Grammy-nominated "Up On The Ridge" album.  The crowd went wild when Del McCoury stepped on stage to sing U2's "Pride (In The Name of Love)" also from "Ridge," and and old favorite of many die-hard DB fans, "Good Man Like Me," from the "Modern Day Drifter" album before wrapping it up with "Roll On, Buddy." Nobody could have wiped the smile off of Dierks' face.

Dierks and the band performed 7 of the 12 songs from the "Home" album, due out Tuesday, February 7, including  "Tip It On Back", his 8th number one single--"Am I The Only One?," "5-1-5-0 (somebody call the popo)," and "Heart Of A Lonely Girl," which he dedicated to his wife Cassidy explaining she and his daughters had been sick and they knew he had to perform The Ryman in a few days so sent him off to a hotel so he wouldn't get sick.  Dierks joked that here he was, getting ready to release an album called, "Home," and checking into a hotel with a backpack, guitar and a bottle of wine. Yeah, right!

After the "Up on the Ridge" redux, Dan "The Hawk" Hochalter took the stage for the haunting opening of Dierks' Pink Floyd cover (and Congress favorite) "Wish You Were Here." Absolutely love that opening fiddle - and Dan rocks it! 

After that, he admitted  that wasn't much of a dedication to Cass, so he launched into his second #1 hit, "Come A Little Closer," much to the delight of the females in the audience, despite the fact that Dierks had cut off most of his curls.

The special guests kept coming.  Karen Fairchild, the soulful singer from Little Big Town, joined Dierks on stage to showcase the duet on the new album, "When You Gonna Come Around."  Watch:



But the star of the entire night was little 3-year-old Evie Bentley, making her debut with daddy on The Ryman stage.  After the first verse of  "Thinking Of You," sang by Dierks alone with his guitar and his thoughts--eyes closed, he opened his eyes and motioned for the bare-foot beauty to join him on a stool, where her own-microphone awaited.  Watch this emotional moment:

Although Dierks told us that was to be the last song of the evening, the show went on, because after all, the title song, "Home" had not been sung yet, nor the one that started it all - "What Was I Thinkin?"  Many of the DB Congress waved American Flags during "Home."

For the finale, Dierks brought all the performers of the evening back on stage to say good-bye, not only to the audience, but to the historic Ryman stage floor boards - which he knelt and kissed.  How appropriate the last song before the restoration begins was "I Saw The Light," an acoustic/audience sing-along.  Here's the DBTV episode to recap the evening:



Everyone left the stage except Dierks, who stayed for at least 10 minutes, walking along the front of the stage, signing autographs, smiling, and saying thank you to the fans!

The evening was special--altogether emotional, inspiring, historic and unforgettable.  Later I heard many Dierks fans say that even though they had seen him perform countless times over the last several years, they felt the night was in their top 2-3 as far as DB experiences go.

For me, it ranks as the top Dierks experience of the decade.

~Ronna
DB Congress Chair
Florida

DBTV - Episode 6 - Troubadour

Dierks Bentley hosted a special pre-Grammy bash with about a dozen of his musically talented friends at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, CA on February 12, 2011.  This week's DBTV includes Miranda Lambert, Lady A, Zac Brown, Hayley Williams of Paramore, Blake Shelton, Garett Hedlund (Country Strong) Del McCoury, Sam Bush  and more. 

Watch all the way to the end when Dierks grabs the camera and shoots the crowd.  You'll see DB Congress reps Michele, Beth, Janet, Tamra, Monica and Debbie all on the front row!  Check back in a few days to see blogs from their perspective of the evening!

A Retrospective Look at Dierks Bentley's 2010 in Pictures

A gallery of Dierks Bentley pictures from tasteofcountry.com serves as visual proof that, this past year, the bluegrass musician has been hugely successful while having a great time. Bentley released his album ‘Up on the Ridge’ in June 2010, and now the album is currently No. 1 on Billboard’s year-end bluegrass charts. This past year also found Bentley collaborating with bluegrass icons like Sam Bush, Ricky Skaggs and Del McCoury. To top off his amazing year in music, Bentley’s personal life is also stupendous, as he and his wife Cassidy Black are expecting their second daughter right around Christmas, 2010. Scroll through our gallery of Dierks Bentley pictures and take a peak at 2010 through the eyes of the bluegrass musician.

Click here to relive Dierks' 2010 in pictures.

Dierks in NYC Day 2: City Winery 10/19

Dierks Bentley and The Del McCoury Band formed a "Double D" team, performing at the City Winery in NYC on October 19. (Photo Credits: Stephanie Lanham)

As Kristin (PurdueCutie) would say, "Del, Yeah!" The DBC rep from Indiana promotes that phrase on a shirt at any Dierks show where Del or his boys are sure to play! She missed the NYC show, but two days before she was sporting the shirt when Del joined Dierks at Miles and Music For Kids, Nashville.

The most awarded band in Bluegrass history, The Grammy-winning Del McCoury Band, was also inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2003. Dierks and Del teamed up earlier this year on Bentley's own Bluegrass project, Up On The Ridge, to record a meticulous rendition of U2s, Pride (In The name of Love).

During the NYC City Winery show, Dierks joked about using the "delepromter" aka the lyrics taped to the top of his guitar. It appears Del got a kick out of that at his own expense!

(Photo Credit: Beth Longanecker)

(Photo Credit: Stephanie Lanham)

Delaware DBC rep, Becky, made her own "Double D" shirt and brought it to the City Winery. Even though the fan club Meet and Greets were cancelled, Becky was determined. She made contact with the City Winery management and gave them her shirt to take backstage to get Dierks and Del to sign it.

She expected to get the shirt back after the show, but got a surprise instead.

"This concert has got to be the best I have ever been to. The music was incredible. They had the City Winery jumping all night. I was lucky enough to have my t-shirt signed by both Dierks and Del because of a very kind employee, Schlmo, at the City Winery. He took the t-shirt to them for me before the show.

Right after they sang Free and Easy, to my surprise, Dierks held up the shirt and asked if there was a DB Congress Delaware Rep in the house. On the front I had Double "D" Concert with a picture of Dierks and one of Del. They signed above each picture and it made my year!

I want everyone to know just what a great guy Dierks is. The guy from City Winery said it was Dierks' idea to give me the shirt during the concert.

I thank you Dierks and Del from the bottom of my heart. As always, you gave it your all. I cannot say enough fine words to describe this concert. We laughed, we clapped, we stomped our feet. If you missed it, you missed THE BEST show.

Every member of The Del McCoury Band is extremely talented. I believe the bass player (Alan Bartram) blew us all away with his voice. Oh my, what a great, great night of entertainment--bluegrass style. I have to thank my fellow DB Congress member, Janet Lowe from New Jersey for being my partner in crime for the evening. We both had a blast.

Dierks and Alan (Photo Credit: Stephanie Lanham)

Dierks, you have to do another concert with Del! That was just more than I could have ever imagined. Hands down the best ever!"



I'd say your shirt was a "Triple-D", Becky! Dierks, Del and Delaware (on the back)!

Janet (DB Congress rep from New Jersey) joined Becky on this DRT (Dierks Road Trip), but almost didn't go!

"When I first heard about Dierks doing four shows in NYC, I debated whether or not to go. I had already scheduled a week's vacation in the beginning of October. My fellow DB Congress member from Delaware, Becky, really wanted to go but would rather go with someone else than alone. Finally I decided I was in. Becky went ahead and got the tickets for 10/19. Great seats: Table #2, seats 5 and 6. We decided it would be more affordable to stay in Secaucus, NJ then in NYC. After speaking with a few people, Becky realized it would not be a great idea to drive into the city and use a parking garage as she first planned to do.

I drove to Delaware on Tuesday morning and off on our Dierks adventure we went.

We followed the advice she was given. We took a bus from the hotel, then the subway to about one block from the City Winery. Of course the bus ride from the hotel was not as easy as we thought because two blocks away, Becky yells out: "Stop the Bus I forgot my tickets for a concert we are going to in NYC!" We got off the bus, walked back to the hotel, got the tickets and went back to the bus stop again! Becky had to tell the new bus driver the whole "forgot the tickets story" and he let us on without paying again. It was very funny! Our plan after the concert was to return to our hotel via a cab. Not cheap, but safe and comfortable.

When we first got to the City Winery we saw another DB congress member out front, Jane who let us know that they were not seating ticket holders just yet so we took a walk around for a bit. We went in and got our seats a little before 6:00 pm. A great venue for a concert, small and cozy.

The concert itself was great from beginning to end. It had a little bit of everything with Dierks joking around with Del and the other fellows and telling stories. Dierks gave each member of the Traveling McCourys some "song" time. I was truly blown away when Alan Bartram stepped up to the mic and began to sing. What a voice he has! (Instant crush on him.) The crowd went crazy after he sang. Del says to all of us "...and poor Dierks has to follow that!" We all laughed. Dierks and Del really interacted with the audience.


(Photo Credits: Beth Longanecker)

I think Becky's favorite part was when we saw Dierks hold up her T-shirt that her son had made and read it to Del. Del liked the idea of the name Double "D" Concert. Dierks then turned the shirt around and asked where was the DB Congress Rep from Delaware. He then reached over and threw the shirt to Becky...who gladly caught it and thanked them.

Every Dierks Bentley concert I attend gets better and better. Dierks is an awesome singer/songwriter. The only thing I missed was a meet and greet but I did get to talk with his tour manager, Chris, on my way to the Ladies room. I told Chris to tell Dierks the show was awesome.

Later on, while Becky and I were talking with other fans, Chris came upstairs to mingle. Myself, Becky and Chris had a picture taken. He seemed very happy that we enjoyed the show so much. We waited around for awhile longer hoping that maybe Dierks may change his mind and wander out. Eventually we hailed our cab back to the hotel with our memories of one fantastic concert! Another successful road trip to see Dierks and certainly not my last!

(Janet, Chris, and Becky)
~Dierks Bentley Concert Ticket 46.00
~Bus Ticket to NY 7.90
~Hearing you friend Yell Stop the Bus when realizing she forget the ticket information in the hotel room....

Priceless! "

Thanks Becky and Janet for sharing your stories! Next up, Joe's Pub--Songwriters Night!

Dierks Sells Out 4 Nights of New York City!

Dierks Bentley will take New York City “UP ON THE RIDGE” with four SOLD OUT nights of his first-ever residency (Oct. 18-21) and a performance on Live! with Regis and Kelly airing, Oct. 21 where he’ll perform his latest single, “Draw Me A Map.”

Each consecutive night of the intimate residency will showcase a different aspect of Bentley’s award-winning career in four different venues across the city:

10.18.10 Bowery Ballroom
10.19.10 City Winery - Featuring the Del McCoury Band
10.20.10 Joe's Pub - Songwriter Night
10.21.10 Brooklyn-South Paw - Featuring the Punch Brothers

(Dierks and Del McCoury Band)

Although the run is sold out, Sirius/XM will give fans across the country the opportunity to listen in as they stream each show on both The Highway and Bluegrass Junction channels.

Fan Clubbers may remember an exclusive fan club video on dierks.com of Dierks busking on the streets of NYC, singing "Ramblin' Fever," posted a few months ago.

I know a few DB Congress reps setting up residency in NYC themselves to see our president! Are you one of them?

~Ronna
DB Congress Chair

Dierks Adds Artists & Auction for 5th Anniv. of Miles & Music For Kids Nashville

Dierks Bentley announced more artists for his fifth annual “Miles & Music for Kids” celebrity motorcycle ride and benefit concert on Oct. 17 in Nashville. Joining already announced Miranda Lambert and Jerrod Niemann are Luke Bryan, Heidi Newfield, Del McCoury and Laura Bell Bundy.

The hour-long motorcycle ride will kick off at the Harley-Davidson of Columbia (1616 Harley Davidson Blvd., Columbia, TN), and end at Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville with the star-studded concert.

Tickets for the family-friendly event are on sale now through Ticketmaster. Tickets for the ride, concert and commemorative T-shirt are $50, or those looking to attend the concert only can purchase tickets for $20. Special VIP packages are also available. Sponsored by Nationwide Insurance, proceeds from the Nashville event will benefit the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.

Special Miles & Music For Kids Nashville Ebay Auction
Don't miss this special Miles & Music for Kids Nashville eBay auction! 100% of the final sale price will support Miles & Music and the package includes two VIP passes and a meet & greet opportunity at the Nashville event on October 17! Click HERE to check it out, and help us spread the word! The current bid is $550.

This experience has been generously donated by Dierks Bentley and is being auctioned off through his very own Miles & Music Foundation a charity he set up to raise money for children's hospitals within the Children's Miracle Network. Dierks will donate the proceeds of this auction will to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt located in Nashville, TN.

Dierks To Open The International Bluegrass Music Awards Show

Since March 31st was the cut-off, Dierks Bentley just missed being considered for the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Awards) Album of the Year Award by 9 weeks. His bluegrass album, "Up On The Ridge" released June 8, has been sitting at the top of the Bluegrass charts ever since--14 consecutive weeks!

But the Bluegrass community definitely took notice, inviting Bentley to kick off the most anticipated night of the bluegrass year! The International Bluegrass Music Awards Show will be held Thursday, September 30, 2010, 7:30 PM Central at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.

The event is a salute to the year's outstanding achievements, featuring a fast paced evening of fabulous performances and the music's major awards. Dierks will perform with a band of current and past nominees. Other performers include Allison Krauss, Dan Tyminski, co-hosts Jerry Douglas and Sharon and Cheryl White, Blue Highway with Darrell Scott, Sam Bush, Dailey & Vincent, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Claire Lynch, the Del McCoury Band and Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out.

While Dierks didn't get a nomination, many of his Bluegrass friends and UOTR contributing singers and musicians did!

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR:
The Del McCoury Band (Del McCoury vocals on Pride)

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR:
Sam Bush Band (Love Grows Wild)
The Infamous Stringdusters (Dierks sings "17 Cents" on the IS album)

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR:
Tim O’Brien (You're Dead To Me, Down In The Mine)

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR:
Sonya Isaacs (Down In The Mine)
Alison Krauss (Up On The Ridge, Draw Me A Map)

FIDDLE
Jason Carter (You're Dead To Me, Down In The Mine)
Stuart Duncan (Up On The Ridge, Fallin' For You, Draw Me A Map, Bad Angel, Fiddlin' Around, You're Dead To Me, Bottle To The Bottom, Down In The Mine)

DOBRO:
Randy Kohrs (Draw Me A Map, Bad Angel, Down In The Mine)

GUITAR:
Bryan Sutton (Up On The Ridge, Fallin' For You, Draw Me A Map, Bad Angel, Fiddlin' Around, You're Dead To Me, Love Grows Wild, Bottle To The Bottom, Down In The Mine)

MANDOLIN: Sam Bush (Up On The Ridge)
Ronnie McCoury (Up On The Ridge, Fallin' For You, Draw Me A Map, Bad Angel, Fiddlin' Around, Bottle To The Bottom)

Tickets for the International Bluegrass Music Awards Show can be purchased by calling the Ryman Auditorium Box Office at 615-889-3060. The show will also be broadcast live on Sirius XM Satellite Radio (Bluegrass Junction, Channel 14).

Since the eligibility period for IBMA's is from April 1st through March 31st, Up On The Ridge is sure to be nominated and provide a win in 2011 for our DB Congress president--Dierks Bentley! It's gonna be hard to wait that long!

~Ronna
DB Congress Chair

Country Weekly Includes Dierks Bentley In Every August Issue

Country Weekly magazine featured Dierks Bentley on their June 21, 2010 cover. Recently, CW found a way to weave a little Dierks Bentley into every August 2010 issue! It's true! Check it out! Just another reason to subscribe so you don't miss one iota of DB!

August 2
Page 6 - Letters. More Dierks! Letter from DBC rep, Molly Vasey, NY
Page 23 - Dierks is mentioned in the guest list of Miranda and Blake's engagement party.
Page 57 - Dierks is picturd in the CW full page ad
Page 60 - Charts. UOTR is #6 on the Album and #22 on the Singles chart

August 9
Page 7 - Dierks' House of Bluegrass - pictured with Jason Sturgeon
Page 11 - Dierks's Boots - "I like old things."
Page 54 - VP/GM of the Opry, Pete Fisher mentions Dierks "...The Opry has inducted new members and woven itself into the fabric of younger artists' careers..."
Page 60 - Charts. UOTR is #6 on the Album and #21 on the Singles chart

August 16
Page 60 - Charts. UOTR is #7 on the Album and #23 on the Singles chart

August 23
Page 9 - Dierks Listened to Mom - "Follow Your Bliss."
Page 26 - Guilty Pleasures. "I'm not really big on chocolate...the guys and I play video games."
Page 56 - Stars Up Close. Carmon Sololowski, Michigan DBC rep pictured w/Dierks.
Page 60 - Charts. UOTR is the #7 Album, the #23 Single & #7/photo on CMT Videos chart

August 30
Page 9 - Dierks Gets An 80s Fix w/Bon Jovi; Twitter Talk: "letterman done...I can check that one off my mom's "list" for me..."
Page 10 - Babies On Board. Dierks and wife expecting baby #2
Page 21 - Mary Stuart article; "The Marty Stuart Show, which airs on RFD-TV, provides an outlet for a diverse lineup of artists including John Anderson, Ricky Scaggs, Ronnie Milsap and Dierks Bentley."
Page 46 - The Musician's Musician-Del McCoury story; Dierks, Up On The Ridge, Pride (In The Name of Love) is mentioned throughout the article and Dierks and Del's photo spreads 2-pages.
Page 60 - Charts. UOTR is #7 on the Album & #9 on CMT Videos chart.

THE THREAD FEATURES THE RIDGE

Dierks's Bentley said his radio show, 'The Thread' was special this week, "since I'm gonna be talking about ME--the whole hour! So if you don't like "me" you might want to tune out."

The radio show is called the thread and this album is called up on the ridge but it might as well be called the thread too because this album really goes back and connects me with the roots of my education in Nashville and the music that really got me excited about being in Nashville and that would be bluegrass acoustic and country music and that's what this record's is all about.

Dierks kicked off the show with the produce of the Up On The Ridge - Jon Randall Stewart. Some know him as Randy or Whispers. One of Dierks' best friends, "nobody knows more about bluegrass music, country music or whiskey and he's one of the great singers and songwriters in this town," Dierks says matter-of-factly.

The first song of the show, "Are You Teasing Me, featured Jon Randall and Patty Loveless.

I'm humbled to have my songs played this entire hour. I hope you hear something you like. He played all the songs from Up On The Ridge in the order they were recorded on the album. Dierks invited listeners to call in if they had any suggestions.

~Up On The Ridge - this song has gotten some airplay - means a lot to me, to hear Sam Bush's slide mandolin and Stuart Duncan's fiddle on the radio

~Fallin' For You - Gave it all I had to try and keep up with Chris Stapleton's powerful voice

~Senor' - I'm a Bob Dylan fan because of Tim O'Brien, and sang it with him at Telluride and recorded with Chris Thile and The Punch Brothers (along with the next song 'Rovin' Gambler'); I think we found a way to make it our own

~Draw Me A Map - one of my 12 favorite songs on this album, Alison Krauss in the background

~Bad Angel - Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson helped me on this Verlon Thompson Suzi Ragsdale tune

~Fiddlin' Around - written by Shawn Camp

~You're Dead To Me - really wanted to have a chance to write with Tim O'Brien on this record - it's a good murder ballad theme

~Pride - special song for me by U2 - only did it once live at The Ryman - hard to replicate live - picking cover songs is hard - bold and brave to take on but bringing in the musicianship of The Punch brothers and Del's voice - so much fun. Del nailed it! I'm really proud of that song.

~Love Grows Wild - One of my favorite singer/songwriters is Buddy Miller - I cut one of his songs on my first album, My Love Will Follow You; I wanted to get back to cut one of his on this album.

~Bottle To The Bottom - I am always amazed I had a chance to sing with Kris Kristofferson; hearing him sing some lines on his own song is one of the coolest thing that ever happened in my career. The song won a Grammy in 1970.

~Down In The Mine - If you're driving your car, you might want to pull over. This is a sad song. Special folks, amazing lifestyle, brave people - we'll send this song out to anyone who's lost a loved one down in the mine tragedies recently.

The podcast is available at wsmonline.com.

DEL MCCOURY HONORED WITH NAT'L HERITAGE FELLOWSHIP

If you're like me, until Dierks Bentley introduced me to Del McCoury way back with "Train Travelin'"--the last cut on Dierks' first album, I would have never known about this great talent!

Now, Del McCoury is on my radar. So when I read about him winning National awards, I feel compelled to share this article from thetennessean.com:

Del McCoury gets national heritage fellowship: Famed bluegrass musician and Grand Ole Opry member Del McCoury is among this year's recipients of the nation's highest folk and traditional arts honor, the National Endowment for the Arts' NEA National Heritage Fellowship.

McCoury first came to bluegrass attention in the early 1960s as a member of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys band. At 71, he remains a leader in the field: His Grammy-winning Del McCoury Band is a headlining act and he contributes other-worldly high harmonies on Dierks Bentley's revamp of U2's "Pride (In the Name of Love)."

As one of the nine Heritage Fellowship recipients, McCoury will receive an award of $25,000.

*Special thanks to Meg for finding the story!

~Ronna
DB Congress Chair

WATCH DIERKS & DEL'S 'PRIDE'

Dierks Bentley has three idols, George Jones, George Strait and Del McCoury. Watch as he gets an autograph from Del and they record U2's "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" for the new Up On the Ridge album:

THE FINAL STOP FOR UOTR TOUR

As you may have known, Saturday night was the last tour stop for Dierks' "Up On The Ridge" Tour with The Travelin' McCoury's. It was also being taped for PBS and GAC, and will more than likely air in a few more months. As soon as they hit the stage, everyone was on their feet....clapping and cheering for Dierks, Tim, Steve, and the Travelin' McCoury's. They started off with "Train 45", then "Free and Easy", and that broke out into a great rendition of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown".

Dierks mentioned that his wife, Cass, was "somewhere out there" in the building watching, and that his mother had flown from Arizona to be there. He told us how he had the set list worked out just right, and his mother told him before the show that he needs to do #10. He showed us how his set list had been scribbled on to make changes and work the song in.

During his set, Dierks said:

"I never want this tour to end...so many amazing nights," says Bentley. "I'm not sure what memory I will hold closest...playing that first night in Portland, seeing New York City going absolutely nuts over bluegrass music or getting to play at the Ryman this weekend with some of my best friends and biggest musical influences. It has been a once-in-a-career type of tour!"

Other familiar hits with a bluegrass edge included: "Feel That Fire", "Lot of Leavin' Left To Do", "Settle For A Slowdown", "Sideways", "Come A Little Closer", "How Am I Doin' ", and "What Was I Thinkin' ". The fiddle, banjo, mandolin and the voices of the McCoury's didn't take away, yet added so much more to the many top hits. Several new songs from the upcoming album where performed, and "Up On The Ridge" was of course one of those.


Dierks brought out special guests, the Punch Brothers, to do a few songs with them. Now, you may be familiar with one member of the band, Chris Thile. Chris was a part of the group, Nickel Creek a few years ago. Dierks, Travelin' McCoury's, and the Punch Brothers did a Bob Dylan song "Senor", which is a cut included on the new album. Dierks even let the Punch Brothers do a couple of their own as he sat to the side watching and clapping along.

Then, Dierks sure enough brought out yet another special guest. It was none other than Del McCoury. You may recognize him from singing on track number 13, "Train Travelin' ", which is on Dierks' self titled album. No, they did not sing that. Although I did hear someone in the crowd shout that soon after Del was introduced. They sang "Pride (In The Name Of Love)", which was written by U2's Bono. They also sang another song, "Good Man Like Me", which is on the album, Modern Day Drifter.

Dierks joked around with Alan, upright bass player of Travelin' McCoury's, by saying that any one could play the upright bass, and Dierks plucked a few strings on it. Alan said something like, "Yes Dierks. You just proved to me that any one can play." Then, Dierks kind of challenged Alan to throw picks into the crowd. Dierks went first, and the guitar pick went to about 7th row area, but Alan's fell short to about 2nd row.

The show wrapped up with "How Am I Doin'" and Dierks mentioned something about exes and then moved into George Strait's "All My Exes Live In Texas". Dierks stopped singing for a couple of lines, and the whole auditorium kept on singing without missing a beat. "What Was I Thinkin' " and "East Bound And Down" were the final songs of the night. The Smokey and the Bandit movie theme song had everyone up on their feet clapping and singing along.

Via Twitter from Dierks: "thx nashville. magical night for all of us and hopefully you too. perfect way to end the RIDGE tour. will miss those @trvlnmccourys #fb"

A crowd of people fled to the stage and Dierks stayed and signed from the stage for a good 20 minutes signing tickets, posters, album covers, hats, etc. There were many DBC reps at the show and he recognized that way before the end of the night and thanked us for coming when he saw us.

It was so great meeting so many familiar faces for the first time! See you all again very soon, and hope to meet many more reps at the LCB in a couple more weeks...I'm finally attending my first LCB and CMA Fest!! And I guarantee it's not the last either!

Speaking of LCB, be sure to keep an eye on your mail this week....my tickets just came in today!!!



-Amanda
DBC MS Rep
DBC Secretary

DIERKS GETS TO BE "DEL" FOR PRE-RELEASE TOUR

Dierks Bentley played in Boulder, Colorado last night, and hits the stage in Colorado Springs tonight. My good friend and fellow DB Congress rep, Janet lives there and called me from the concert last night! Free and Easy, bluegrass style, is still a real toe-tapper.

When talking about his pre-release tour for the upcoming, Up On The Ridge album in stores June 8, Dierks had this to say:

"As soon as I started thinking about doing [U2 song] 'Pride' with Del McCoury and the Punch Brothers, I was like OK, we're not making a traditional bluegrass record," says Bentley. "This isn't going to be side project. It's going to be a career record for me," Dierks told the Colorado Springs Independent.

"We're calling this a pre-release tour. It's just a chance for me to go out and have fun. I'm going to have so much fun on this tour I'll be grinning from ear to ear, because I just can't believe I get the chance to hang out with my best friends and play, and I get to be the Del of the Del McCoury Band, which are impossible shoes to fill."

Read the whole article here.

Watch as Dierks and Del rehearse for Delfest in 2008:

EARLY DEBUT FOR UP ON THE RIDGE

I know it's hard to read those quotes (taken from this week's Billboard Country Update -- front page!), so allow me to share them with you:

Travis Daily, WFUS, Tampa, FL - "I know people were skeptical when they heard 'Bluegrass lean' on the next CD. This is not sitting on a front porch with a Jug and a Washboard. It's taking one of the key roots of this format and making it cool to a generation that has no idea who Del McCoury is ... but will want to after hearing this CD."

John Sebastian, WWQM, Madison, WI - "What a refreshing change for Dierks. I love the feel of this song and it has hooks coming at you from several directions!"

Dave Taft, WBCT, Grand Rapids, MI - "Not only are listeners asking for it ... my DJs are requesting it."

"Up on the Ridge," the debut single from the upcoming album of the same name, was sent to radio stations across the US last Monday, April 12th. Its official "add" date is not until next Monday, the 26th, however enough Program and/or Music Directors liked what they heard to get the song an early debut at #59 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart this week! Not only that, but it was the 4th most-added song at radio this week, and has been in the top 5 for downloads at Country Radio every day since last Tuesday.

So there you go, Congress, we've got a head start for this one. Keep on calling, texting, emailing, and tweeting your radio stations -- the faster the song goes Top 40, the faster more of us will get to hear it, too! Let's prove to everybody that good ole' Country-roots music still has a place on Country radio!

And congrats and good luck to our Prez, Mr. Bentley himself, on the start of his Up on the Ridge Tour tomorrow in Portland! I can't wait to hear the stories from these shows, and will be definitely sharing my own next week after I see him in Greenville, SC!

I'll talk to y'all next week with the next chart update! It's good to be back. :)

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)