It’s been another great year in country music…and as we get ready for 2010, we’re looking back at some of the highlights of 2009.
IN FEBRUARY…
• The Lost Trailers’ special customized Super Bowl version of their hit, “Holler Back,” kicked-off Westwood One’s exclusive radio coverage of the big game airing on more than 600 U-S stations and in 175 foreign countries. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Miranda Lambert appears on the cover of First magazine.
• Brad Paisley wins at the Grammy Awards — taking home the award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for “Letter to Me” from his 5th Gear CD and Best Country Instrumental Performance for “Cluster Pluck” from his Play CD. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Kenny Chesney and Mac McAnally hit number-one with their song, “Down the Road.” (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Jake Owen released his sophomore CD, Easy Does It, featuring “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You” and his current single, “Eight Second Ride.” (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Brooks & Dunn release “Cowgirls Don’t Cry” featuring Reba McEntire as a digital single (later in 2009, the same version would be included on Brooks & Dunn’s #1s … and then some collection). (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
009 HIGHLIGHTS: February" width="16" height="14" /> The Lost Trailers’ Ryder Lee talks about having the group’s music involved in the Super Bowl radio broadcast. (:30)
“All in high school, when we were teenagers, we all played football and just loved sports and music. We were all pretty well-rounded guys. You know, I was five-10, maybe a little shorter then, and a buck-80 soaking, soaking wet. So I don’t think it was ever an option for me to be playin’ in the thing. So to have the music, you know, part of it is great. And it still feels kind of crazy rollin’ off the tongue…The Lost Trailers’ music in, any way, shape or form, being part of the Super Bowl…pretty cool.”
009 HIGHLIGHTS: February" width="16" height="14" /> Brad Paisley talks about the song “Cluster Pluck,” from his Play CD, that features James Burton, Vince Gill, Albert Lee, John Jorgenson, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert and Steve Wariner. (:30)
“These are all guys I know very well and was heavily influenced by, so I wanted to have them on there. This is a glimpse into who I am. You want to know why I sound like me, it’s these seven guys… more than anybody. Not including the people outside of the country chicken pickin’ format. These seven chicken pickers. At one time or another, I bought a piece of gear thinking that’s what I need to be more like them. And now here they are on one song, and I’m really proud of it.”
009 HIGHLIGHTS: February" width="16" height="14" /> Kenny Chesney talks about Mac McAnally, who sings with him — and also wrote — their hit, “Down the Road.” (:39)
“You know, I wrote more songs on this record and it’s more of a, I don’t know, I don’t want to say it’s a singer/songwriter record, but it kind of is. And Mac McAnally is — my opinion — is one of the best, and he’s one of my favorite singer/songwriters. And he’s as real as this song is, and I don’t know of any songwriter in this town that doesn’t want to write something this simple, but say so much, and the fact that Mac did it with me was just icing on the cake. I mean, his voice is, you know, I listen to his music all the time, you know? I still think his version of ‘Back Where I Come From’ is the best, and I’m awfully honored that he did this song with me.”
009 HIGHLIGHTS: February" width="16" height="14" /> Jake Owen says his new album title really reflects his life. (:21)
“People always ask me, like, ‘Are you nervous when you go on stage,’ or ‘Are you nervous about the direction of your career,’ or ‘Are you nervous if you’ll get a chance to make another record,’ or ‘Are you…?’ It’s like, ‘No,’ I mean, ’cause I just pretty much take it easy all the time. I appreciate the day. I look forward to tomorrow, whether it comes or not. I just kind of take it easy.”
009 HIGHLIGHTS: February" width="16" height="14" /> Ronnie Dunn says Reba McEntire has always been at the heart of Brooks & Dunn’s duet with her on “Cowgirls Don’t Cry.” (:31)
“I was thinkin’ of Reba when I wrote it. I was thinkin’ about how rodeo-tough she is, and how she grew up…and I’d just spent time writin’ the song on Reba’s Duets record. I got a little insight into how she looked at her dad, you know? It’s kind of like when she refers to him, it’s like, ‘Hmm, yeah, he taught me to be tough.’ And I just took off and wrote the song. And I sent her the lyrics the night that I wrote this song, and I mean, I got a hundred e-mails going, ‘You gonna record that song? You gonna record that song?’ (laughs) I told her, I said, ‘I wrote it about you! You know?’”