It’s been another great year in country music…and as we get ready for 2011, we’re looking back at some of the highlights of 2010.
IN AUGUST…
• Kenny Chesney‘s video for “The Boys of Fall” made its world premiere on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
• Brad Paisley played the first stadium show of his career, playing to a sold-out crowd at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Jerrod Niemann hit number-one with “Lover, Lover,” from his album, Judge Jerrod & The Hung Jury. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Brad Paisley’s digital single “Letter to Me” is certified Gold.
• Chris Young’s digital single “Gettin’ You Home” is certified Gold.
• Jerrod Niemann’s digital single “Lover, Lover” is certified Gold.
• Brad Paisley and Little Jimmy Dickens returned the sacred circle to its home at the Opry House. The Opry House was devastated by floods in May and the circle, cut from the original Ryman stage, was the first thing salvaged. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Kenny Chesney’s football documentary Boys of Fall premieres on ESPN. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
010 HIGHLIGHTS: August" width="16" height="14" /> Brad Paisley admitted it was hard to believe his career allowed him to perform to a sold-out stadium. (:52)
“My dreams as far as my lifetime goal, early on, was to get to what I call the level of tour musician. Which was to have a tour bus to pile onto it to go play a show somewhere, other than where I lived, and then pile off of it, do the show, get back on it, and go to another town. And really stop there, that was what I wanted to do, and have hit songs that people knew. That was really it. I really felt like if I ever reach that league, that league of person, that has a hit song that people know their name, and go see them sing, I would be fine. That was the goal. I’m so far past where I planned to be that I’m here without a road map of any kind. I didn’t necessarily ask for directions on the way. So, I’m certainly in more shock today than anybody.”
010 HIGHLIGHTS: August" width="16" height="14" /> Jerrod Niemann looked to an old favorite when he recorded “Lover, Lover.” (:38)
“Well, ‘Lover, Lover’ is a song that I heard when I was a kid, and man, just from the first moment I heard it, it always made me feel good. I don’t know, I found myself singin’ it over the years, and my sister brought up the song a couple years ago. And once again, it was stuck in my head. So whenever we went in to record this album, I loved how it was so acoustic driven, and also relied a lot on harmonies. And so we went in, recorded it, and although the subject matter is about a guy leavin’ a girl, it still feels good. And so I guess if you’re gonna be sad, you might as well be tappin’ your foot while you’re cryin’.”
010 HIGHLIGHTS: August" width="16" height="14" /> Brad Paisley talks about the importance of the Grand Ole Opry to country music. (:14)
“I don’t think any other form of music, necessarily has this. This place where the past and the future sort of collide, and I think keeping this bond with the past is something that separates the Opry from almost all other musical institutions.”
010 HIGHLIGHTS: August" width="16" height="14" /> A clip from Kenny Chesney’s football documentary Boys of Fall. (:18)