Dierks Bentley's Top Highlights of 2013

Birthing a bar and a new baby boy (Knox) are just a few of Dierks Bentley's accomplishments in 2013. Raising money for worthy causes,and giving back to the fans and "Home" country were all huge themes as well.  Check out our list (in no particular order) and let us know if there's any we missed!

1. Performing on The Grammy's: Miranda Lambert brought her tourmate and our DB Congress president to The Grammys back in February. They performed their #1s "Over You" and "Home." Dierks said, "To perform on the Grammys will be one of the coolest things ever. I am thrilled beyond belief." We were thrilled to see him on our televisions at an awards show! Watch here.
2. Opening Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row:  Opening a bar was something that Dierks always wanted to do.  So, on July 4th the bar with his namesake opened in Scottsdale, AZ. The bar has a 1920's feel with a modern country vibe, warm wood surroundings and a 360-degree stage. It prides itself on being a technologically advanced bar as well as having taps at every table. The menu is American Gastropub with a twist. Dierks has been known to frequent his own bar several times since the opening, so it definitely needs to be a part of a DRT.  Check it out here!
   
   
3. CMA Fest: Ah Lenny Kravitz, not sure what he was doing at CMA Fest, but if you witnessed that fiasco, you know what came afterwards. Dierks knew he totally had to get the crowd back after that, and boy did he deliver! His performance was killer, even jumping into the crowd. Storme Warren even said that Dierks Bentley had the most applause of anyone at the fest! “I don’t have a hometown, I have a home country,” he said. “This song is called ‘Home’ and I’m sending it out to all the guys and girls that keep this country safe. This song is for them.”
4. Country Cares Benefit Concert honoring the fallen firefighters in his home state of Arizona! It was an emotional, joyous and sad, but successful evening in Arizona at the Country Cares Concert. The event, headlined by AZ native Dierks Bentley, who brought in Randy Houser, The Band Perry and David Nail to play, raised more than $476,000 for the Granite Mountain Hot Shots' families. Dierks introduced a new song, "Here On Earth" - a tribute to his dad and all 19 firefighter heroes who perished in the Yarnell Hill wildfires near Prescott.
5. ACM Party For A Cause in Vegas: Day two of the outdoor music and philanthropic event was headlined by Dierks himself. He brought the party as well as Sheryl Crow, who came out and sang, and Tim McGraw who  presented a military family with a new home.
6. Finding Jake: Severe thunderstorms aren't liked by many dogs and Jake is no exception. On January 13th, Dierks beloved companion jumped a fence at the house and ran off. Dierks took to social media to rally fans and friends to help find Jake.  In just a few hours, Dierks' wife, Cassidy, notified him that someone posted on Facebook that Jake had been found. Jake was almost hit by a car but was saved by Anna Belle. Dierks was no doubt elated. He tweeted "One of the happiest days of my life. Grown men don't cry.....yeah right."
   
   
7. Record Breaking MM4K:  Because of Dierks Bentley, kids have hope.  Raising over $307,000 for Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in the Miles and Music For Kids event, Dierks broke all previous years' records!  Guest appearances by Luke Bryan, Jake Owen, Brett Eldredge, Easton Corbin and Chase Rice made 2013 a huge success!
8. His baby boy Knox: Dierks announced at LCB9 that he and Cass were expecting a baby boy. Already having two girls, he was thrilled. Well, Baby Boy Bentley arrived on October 9th. Dierks tweeted his admiration for his wife "well...our boy knox is here! about to have the best tasting cold beer of my life! so proud of my wife. she rocked it. crazy stuff. #beerme"
9. Spends Labor Day Running:  With a killer time of 21:38 in the 5k Franklin Classic, Dierks was a little worried about his competition. "These girls look hard core!" he tweeted, referring to daughters Evie and Jordan.
   
   
   
10. Hosting the ACM Honors:  For the second consecutive year, Dierks hosted and performed with Ricky Skaggs.  He "blending informality and irreverence made possible by the lack of network television cameras with a genuine appreciation of the night's award winners," according to USA Today.
    
    
    
11. Locked and Re-loaded Tour with Miranda Lambert. Dierks has said that some of the best times he has had out on the road have been with Miranda and her crew. Well, the two friends joined up to tour together again in 2013 and gave fans all across the country a night to remember at every tour stop. Dierks' set list closed out with a patriotic, cell phones in the night sky, "Home."  Collaborations included "Bad Angel," Goyte's "Someone That I Used To Know" and "King of the Road."
12. The NEW DB Congress T-Shirts now available exclusively to congress members in the dierks.com store.  The design was personally approved by Dierks himself!
    
    
    
13. Giving away guitars and experiences:  Dierks found a way to give back to the fans in a big way.  During each show, he pulled a fan on stage to play his guitar during, "Lot of Leaving Left To Do" and signed and handed a brand new Fender to a fan at the end! Many DB Congress reps were happy recipients!
    
    
    
14. Dierks is featured on other artists' albums...The David Mayfield Parade (Tempted), Brad Paisley (Outstanding In Our Field), Terri Clark (Golden Ring) and The Cadillac Three (The South).
15. Bourbon In Kentucky, debuts on radio and gets fans fired up, but was quickly replaced with the lead single from upcoming Riser album  after high demand for "I Hold On." Watch live from the Grand Ole Opry:
    
    
16. I Hold On: Dierks' latest emotional and personal single received national television exposure when he and the band were able to perform it on both The View and America's Got Talent. Country radio got behind the song, pushing it to #21 on the Billboard Airplay charts (#20 as of Jan 5th charts), and fans organically posted what they hold on to.
17. Last Call Ball 9:   Having to cancel LCB8 due to his dad's death in June 2012, Dierks shared his personal feelings with his fan club, with a acoustic set featuring new music, and lots of heartfelt conversation.
18. In memory of George Jones: Country music icon and Dierks' friend George Jones passed away this year. The Possum's final concert turned into a tribute on November 22nd in which many country artists performed, including Dierks who sang "I Always Get Lucky With You."
    
    
19. Dierks announced the title for his next album, "Riser." An initial Fall release date was pushed back and we are all waiting with excitement for an announcement soon for a 2014 release date.  Get caught up on all our exclusive DB Congress interviews with Riser songwriters and producers here.

Leave a comment and we will draw a winner for a 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame calendar featuring Dierks on September!  Drawing to be held January 1, so post your thoughts now!

VIDEO: Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, Hunter Hayes Perform on The 2013 ACM Awards

Dierks Bentley performed on the ACM Awards last night with Brad Paisley and Hunter Hayes.  Singing, "Outstanding In Our Field" that they recorded on Brad's new album, the trio tore up the stage with the fast-paced, party song.

We ain't nothin' special, we ain't no big deal
But if you wanna throw a party in the middle of nowhere, 
we're outstanding in our field.



We'd say Dierks is very special and he's a very big deal!  Although not nominated for any  ACM Awards last night, the CBS cameras found him front row in the audience smiling and giving standing ovations after performances by Miranda Lambert and several others. Outstanding!

Dierks will perform again with Tim McGraw tonight on ACM PRESENTS: TIM McGRAW'S SUPERSTAR SUMMER NIGHT" taping at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.  The special will air on CBS on Sunday, May 19 at 9 pm (ET).

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

New Tour, New Look ... New Music!

As you all know, the Locked & Reloaded Tour kicked off last week in Columbia, SC. Lots of DB Congress members were able to make it to shows during the kickoff weekend between Columbia, Knoxville, TN; and Roanoke, VA.

I went to the show in Roanoke on Saturday night, and had heard a few "spoilers" about what to expect in the show. By now you've heard that they're using video elements (which I really, really liked - they enhanced the show, rather than distracting from it), a larger stage (I'm 95% sure that Dierks will fall on those stairs at some point...) and perhaps about Dierks giving away a guitar every night.

As usual, Dierks and the band gave a high-energy performance, that kept the sold-out crowd on hand dancing in their seats and on their feet. The set kicked off with Am I The Only One and included new hits like 5-1-5-0 and current single Tip it on Back, as well as old favorites such as Lot of Leavin' Left to Do, Every Mile a Memory, and Come a Little Closer. Up on the Ridge is always a crowd favorite, and on the new stage with the awesome full-moon-and-woods backdrop it really transported the crowd to the ridge with Dierks and the band.

However, the highlight for me, and for the fellow DBC reps I was with, was the addition of a new song, "I Hold On." I had heard rumblings of a new song being performed and had my camera locked and loaded (pun intended!) and ready to record the new song. Dierks introduced the song by saying that after his dad passed away last year, he wanted to write a song. He went on to say that if there was a song he'd written that he could play for anybody to tell them what he's all about, this would be that song. The song is, in a word, fantastic. Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments!



Another favorite moment for me was during "Home" with all of the cell phones lit up.

If you go to any of the shows on the Locked & Reloaded tour, make sure you stay all the way through Miranda's set, because you'll see some familiar faces during the encore - the show closes with a rousing rendition of "Bad Angel" and includes Miranda's full band as well as Dierks' full band. In the pic below, you can see that Steve, normally our favorite drummer, was "playing" the banjo. Hmmm...

All in all, the show was great. Dierks and Miranda compliment each other well and they work well together as performers - and they both seem like they are genuinely enjoying themselves. My only complaint? Not enough Dierks! But I guess that's how it always goes...

Carrie S.
DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC

Dierks & Miranda Unleash Locked & Reloaded Tour!

Bad Angel buddies, Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert unleashed dozens of tour dates to their fans yesterday.  The two are teaming up again, co-headlining what promises to be a "must see" show!

From Dierks.com:

We're excited to announce that Dierks and Miranda Lambert will be heading out on tour together next year for the Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley: Locked & Reloaded Tour, which will kick-off on January 17th. Stay tuned to Dierks.com for all of the latest info on tickets and tour dates.

“Making music for our fans is the best job in the world,” said Miranda. “It’s especially great being able to take to that music on the road with someone I respect as an artist and human being. This will be a tour of ‘epic badassery,’” she laughed.

Dierks added, “Some of my favorite times on tour over the years were with Miranda and her crew. We have a lot in common musically and our fans do too. It's going to be a killer year.”

Dierks and Miranda last toured together in 2007!

We hope you're as pumped as we are!




Miranda posted cities on her website:

2013 Headline Tour Kicks-off January 17
Columbia, SC
Knoxville, TN
Roanoke, VA
Baltimore, MD
Reading, PA
Atlantic City, NJ (AC Boardwalk Hall) Jan. 26, 2013
Dekalb, IL
Dayton, OH
Huntington, WV
Ames, IA
Champaign, IL
E Lansing, MI
Rochester, NY
Albany, NY
Portland, ME
Wichita Falls, TX
Oklahoma City, OK
Kansas City, MO
Macon, GA
Jacksonville, FL
Estero, FL
Bossier City, LA
Springfield, MO
Tulsa, OK
Syracuse, NY
Hershey, PA
Uniondale, NY
San Diego, CA
Irvine, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Phoenix, AZ
Albuquerque, NM
Denver, CO

Stay tuned for dates and venues!  Pre sale for Atlantic City, NJ are today, October 24, 2012, on mirandalambert.com at 10 am eastern and on dierks.com at 11 am eastern.

Dierks Bentley Included in the 2013 Country Music Hall of Fame Calendar

Finally!  I've been waiting 8 years for this! Dierks Bentley is now included in my favorite calendar, the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum annual calendar!  This is a momentous ocassion, congress!  It's the first year ever Dierks has made the cut! With only 12 months of calendar pages and dozens of artists, this recognition is a testament to Dierks' success over the last few years!

Want to know what happened in country music history on your birthday? The 2013 Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum calendar is packed with historical facts for every day of the year! This year’s spectacular lineup of popular stars includes Dierks, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Zac Brown Band, Brad Paisley and Toby Keith.

You can choose your cover as the “Museum” edition, adorned with a lovely photograph of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, or the Artists cover.

 These will sell out fast, so get yours now!

~Ronna

DB Congress Chair (FL)

Is "Home" Dierks' "House?"

As you know, "Home," the second single off Dierks Bentley's upcoming sixth studio release, went to radio yesterday for immediate airplay, and early reviews are entirely positive. The song was picked up by 4 stations last week, and looks to get many more adds this week, and likely be the Chart's "Hot Shot Debut." 

Roughstock gave the song 5-stars, saying it's perhaps one of the best-written songs Dierks has ever written, and describes the production (by Jon Randall Stewart) as "epic." They liken the song to a U2 or Coldplay epic ballad. 

But what really made me happy - and have a "yes!" moment - was when I was reading Billboard Country Update (unfortunately I don't have a link) this morning, and they likened "Home" to Miranda Lambert's "House That Built Me:" 

Music is primarily a form of entertainment, a way for the listener to enhance or even escape the tedium of everyday life. 

But on occasion, an artist latches onto a song that helps define who we are. Miranda Lambert did that profoundly in her association with “The House That Built Me,” a fact she reinforced during a Sept. 21 rehearsal for her fall tour. Dierks Bentley has done it on a national scale with “Home,” a song that was sent digitally to radio Sept. 26 through PlayMPE.
 
In both cases, the material creates an emotional experience even after repeated listens. And the impact is likely heightened by the songs’ contrast with the artists’ larger body of work. Both Lambert and Bentley have earned a reputation for gritty, edgy material.

Even in rehearsal, “The House That Built Me” continues to stand as a monumental match of artist and song. So likely will Bentley’s “Home.” Where “House” sifted through an individual’s identity, “Home” grapples with the makeup of an entire nation. Bentley wrote it with Brett Beavers and Semisonic founder Dan Wilson after the shooting of Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, attempting to make sense of the senseless. The writers ably captured the principles and enormous sacrifices that led to the founding of America while avoiding bumper-sticker patriotism. “Home,” with its simple chordal riff and thoughtful vocal performance, perfectly captures the mood of many Americans, desperate for unity in a difficult time. In that regard, it bears some similarity to Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” written 10 years ago this week, on Sept. 28, 2001. In the context of Bentley’s good-time, party singles—“Sideways,” “How Am I Doin’” and recent No. 1 “Am I the Only One”—“Home” could be even more powerful in concert.
 
Like Lambert’s “The House That Built Me,” “Home” aids listeners in sorting out who we are—and holds out hope that we can be even greater.

I'm so excited to hear this song on the radio, and to continue to hear such great things about it. Let's move this up the charts! 

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

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 at The Troubadour: DB Congress Rep Review by Beth

"Dierks Bentley and Hollywood seem to be synonymous with a great show and this year was no exception. Hearing about this show I recalled what a great time I had at the 2008 pre-Grammy show [at the Knitting Factory] and was excited to find out what would be in store for us this time around.

The Troubadour is, to me, the essence of a vintage, Hollywood music venue -- intimate, it’s got a good vibe and it holds a fun history. With maybe 20 feet between the stage and the bar at the back of the room we knew it would be a cozy show and a set list packed with great music.

The show started off with a few of Dierks’ own songs but then he began mixing things up for the night with only one rule -- “one for the fans, one for the legends.” Shows like this are always a fun departure from the ‘normal’ show as there are no rules or set lists. With each special guest strolling out on stage, some had a plan and some, like Zac Brown, figured it out once they were out there but that’s what made it fun and kept it interesting. ‘Crossroads’ with Sam Bush was a definite highlight to the night along with the humorous ‘Diamonds Make Babies.’

Zac Brown, Dierks, Miranda Lambert

Brian Layson, Dierks, Sam Bush

I don’t like to sound clichéd; however, Dierks’ guest choice is a testament to the fact that you can bring artists from different genres and not just make it work but make it spectacular. Where else on earth would you find Dierks Bentley on stage with Del McCoury, the Travelin’ McCourys and Dan Auerbach from the Black Keys? It’s a kind of unique thing that only Dierks can seem to pull off and I enjoy it immensely.

Travelin' McCourys and Dierks

Dierks and Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys

Blake Shelton and Dierks: Should Miranda be worried? 

Miranda and Dierks



I will always love these shows because they are random, eclectic and fun. I am grateful Dierks still enjoys doing things like this because they are, in my opinion, some of his best shows and I’d like to think the fans enjoy them just as much as he does."

Blog and Photos by:

~Elizabeth Longnecker

DB Congress Rep, Washington

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 Is Enjoying CMA Album Nod

When I went in to make the record (Up On The Ridge), I put away all my expectations for any sort of [awards or accolades], country radio airplay, anything. I went into it with no expectations," Dierks tells The Boot. "That's what freed me up to make the kind of record we wanted to make. So, the back side of that to have country radio play the song, see the video on CMT and GAC, and then to be recognized by the CMA for making a record that leans on the bluegrass side of things, there's not a lot of words for it. I'm still taking it all in, and the Album of the Year [nomination],

I'll be enjoying that right up until the moment they announce Miranda Lambert's name. [laughs]."

"That's the main thing for me -- Album of the Year -- because every record, I go in there hoping to make a record that is recognized by folks for the songwriting and the production, but this one was special," adds Dierks, who took home the CMA Horizon Award in 2005. "I knew that when we started working on it. I'm elated, and I just feel real happy for the small group of people who believed in it in the very beginning and encouraged me to make it."

Photo credit from Twitter (Amanda Eckhard):
@DierksBentley tapes an interview for the #CMAs. Is it getting hot in here or is it just him?

Watch the CMA Awards Wednesday night, November 10 on ABC.

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.

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's Miles & Music For Kids Nashville - Bigger and Better

Two weeks from today, Dierks Bentley will host his fifth annual Miles & Music for Kids event in Nashville, and it's sure to take the total dollars raised for children's hospitals to the $1.5 million mark!

"Every year it gets to be a little bigger and better," he tells The Boot. "This year Miranda Lambert and Luke Bryan are coming out, and Jerrod Niemann's gonna be there."

"It started awhile back as a way to give back to the community," he says. "For all the fans you build up, to find a way to use that to raise money for a good cause and raise awareness is important."

We, the fan club members, of the Dierks Bentley Congress, are looking forward to supporting Dierks and this worthy cause! Many of us will be in Nashville for this event!

If you plan to be there Saturday prior to the event on Sunday, please check out the thread in the dierks.com forum and join us for a special gathering of the fan club in downtown Nashville to celebrate everything Dierks and meet your fellow DBC reps!

~Ronna
DB Congress Chair

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

Bentley Clinches 3 CMA Award Nominations!

Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert said each other's name a total of seven times yesterday during announcement of five CMA Award nominations on ABC's Good Morning America. Although they feigned surprise, Miranda was nominated in four categories, Dierks in three, including a combined nod for the pair of pals for Musical Event Of The Year for "Bad Angel" with Jamey Johnson from Bentley's Up On The Ridge album.

When reading Album of the Year nominees, Dierks leaned over to Miranda and asked, "Can you read that one?" Miranda played along, "Oh that says...Up On The Ridge," and they both blurted out, "Dierks Bentley!" Miranda was also nominated for her album, Revolution.

Miranda announced Musical Event of the Year, and first up was Dierks/Miranda/Jamey and the crowd laughed along with their exaggerated surprise. They go up against her 'financy" (fiance) Blake Shelton's Hillbilly Bone.

Dierks read the Female Vocalist list and the crowd went wild when he said "Miranda Lambert!" Three for three so far for her!

Up next, Male Vocalist. Dierks joked, "You better return the favor I mean seriously...I cheated, you weren't actually on there."

Miranda coyly read four of the five Male Vocalist names, skipping over Bentley's name until the end, even though his face appeared on the screen. Trying to not seem worried, Dierks said, "I saw my picture up there you better have my name on there..." "I did it out of order," she admitted smiling. Three out of four ain't bad!

For Entertainer of the Year, Miranda picks up her fourth nomination. Added to the five from the day before gives her a total of nine--the most for any female artist ever!

"I just want to thank my mom, my family, my wife...," Dierks began. GMA host, Robin Roberts reminded him, "You don't have the award yet." "Oh, sorry I thought this was...got carried away," in typical Dierks humor.

DB Congress is beyond excited and thankful to the CMA for our president's three nominations! We are so proud of you, dude! Crossing fingers for the same number of wins! You truly deserve them all!

Here's the list of nominees:

Entertainer of the Year:
Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and Zac Brown Band

Female Vocalist of the Year:
Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist of the Year:
Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, George Strait and Keith Urban

Album of the Year:
"Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum
"Play On" by Carrie Underwood
"Revolution" by Miranda Lambert
"Twang" by George Strait
"Up On the Ridge" by Dierks Bentley

Musical Event of the Year:
"Bad Angel" Dierks Bentley featuring Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson
"Can't You See" Zac Brown Band featuring Kid Rock
"Hillbilly Bone" Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins
"I'm Alive" Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews
"Till The End" Alan Jackson with Lee Ann Womack

See the rest of the nominee categories here.

Here are the video of Dierks and Miranda's announcements, reaction and Q&A:



The 44th annual CMA Awards will take place Nov. 10 at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena.

Photo Credit: Ida Mae Astute/ABC

Dierks Can't Tell The Truth on 'The Thread'

Dierks Bentley's focus this week is highlighting the lying songs of country music. His weekly radio show, The Thread on The Legend, 650 AM WSM, originally aired on Monday, August 16, 2010 titled, "Can't Tell The Truth." Listen here.

Partial Play List:

~Blame It On Your Heart - Patty Loveless



~Your Lyin' Eyes - The Eagles
~I'd Lie To You For Your Love - The Bellamy Brothers
~I Lied - Trisha Yearwood
~A Tender Lie - Restless Heart

"Doesn't matter what age you are, or what generation you're from or what kind of country music you sing, everyone's got a song about not being able to tell the truth," Dierks tells his listeners.

~Beautiful Lie - Jean Shepard (The song is from 1955, the same year Jean was inducted into The Grand Ole Opry--50 years before Bentley would become a Member, October 1, 2005. If that's not a 'thread' connecting past to present, how about the fact that Jean's birthday--November 21 is one day after Dierks', November 20.

~White Liar - Miranda Lambert
~It's Lying Time Again - Mel Tillis

"What a great stretch of songs...Jean Shepard, Miranda Lambert, Mel Tillis...really running the guantlet of country music stars and history. Mel's a funny guy...his true stories are funnier than any joke he could make up to stretch or lie about...his life in general the stories he's made just being out there on the road make for some of the funniest stories I've ever heard."

~Lying In Love With You - Jim Ed Brown
~Baby I Lied - Deborah Allen
~You Lied - Reba McIntire

"Doesn't it seem like in country music somebody's always lying?" asked Dierks.

"There's been some great songwriters in country music, but Bill Anderson is one of the greatest, has had hits in so many different decades now...and continues to be such a powerful force...and the reason for that is he knows what country music is all about, he just records the truth and writes a simple lyric that says so much. I think he does that in this song":

~The Truth Is, I Lied - Bill Anderson

Listen to Dierks every Monday at 2 pm central on WSM 650 AM or online at wsmonline.com.

Will Dierks Announce His Own CMA Nod?

With a critically acclaimed new album, Dierks Bentley just may finally get the recognition he deserves at the CMA Awards November 10th. But first he's got to be nominated.

Maybe he'll announce himself when Dierks and Miranda Lambert announce the final nominees on Wednesday, September 1, in five CMA Awards categories live from ABC’s Good Morning America studios in New York City’s Times Square. The announcement will air in the 8:30 AM/ET half-hour segment of the morning news program.

But “Country Music’s Biggest Morning” is too big for one day! The CMA announced today that the final nominees for The 44th Annual CMA Awards will be announced over two mornings, from two cities.

Or, maybe, Justin Moore and Chris Young will announce Dierks as an Album of the Year nominee, when they read the finalists in seven CMA Awards categories from Nashville at a press conference at the historic Ryman Auditorium on Tuesday, August 31.

CMT Insider Special Edition: 2010 CMA Awards Nominations featuring in-depth coverage of all the nominations, artist interviews, and more, will premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 1 (11:00 AM/ET).

“The CMA Awards final nominations are the most anticipated annual announcements in Country Music,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chairman of the Board. “By making the announcements over two days, we hope to focus even more attention on all the deserving nominees and their accomplishments.”

The 44th Annual CMA Awards known as “Country Music’s Biggest Night,” will be broadcast live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 10 (8:00-11:00 PM ET) on ABC.

Dierks' 5-Year Anniversary in Cheyenne

Five years ago, DBC Colorado Rep, Janet, experienced her first Meet and Greet with Dierks Bentley in Cheyenne, Wyoming. So Frontier Days 2010 was 'kind of like our anniversary," says Janet. "He signed the picture we took 5 years ago: 'Meet and Greet #1,' but we were rushed out so fast there was no time to really talk.

Dierks in Cheyenne - 2005:

Back to 2010. "His duet with Miranda was cute. He kept saying Blake was gonna kill him! The one thing I think I noticed was how mature his voice is becoming," Janet shared.


Dierks back stage - 2010

Janet and Dierks - 2010:

Monica (Janet's daughter) and Dierks - 2010: