Dean Dillon | Hometown Country Music

This Date in Country Music History – November 21st

admin — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 11:22:28 +0000

This Date in Country Music History

2021 – Hank Williams Jr, Marty Stuart and Dean Dillon were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame
2020 – Jon Pardi got married to Summer Duncan
2019 – Sam Hunt was arrested for a DUI in Nashville
2016 – Kelsea Ballerini’s single “Peter Pan” was certified Platinum
1998 – Kevin Sharp made his Grand Ole Opry debut
1995 – Garth Brooks released his album Fresh Horses
1992 – Alabama scored a #1 hit with “I’m In A Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)”
1981 – Hank Williams Jr scored a #1 hit with “All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)”

HCM Content

The post This Date in Country Music History – November 21st first appeared on Hometown Country Music.

George Strait to Play Texas Hill Country Flood Benefit Concert

admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 23:45:44 +0000

In the wake of the catastrophic flooding that has impacted so many lives across Texas’ Hill Country, it is impossible to watch the news without feeling the heartbreak of this disaster. Entire communities have been devastated, and families are mourning the loss of their children and loved ones.

In response, Texan George Strait alongside businessman and Vaqueros del Mar partner of 15-years, Tom Cusick, are organizing a special benefit dinner and concert in Boerne, Texas, “Strait To The Heart,” at Estancia at Thunder Valley indoor arena.

“The destruction and loss in our community from the recent flood is hard to wrap your head around,” shares Strait. “Our hearts and prayers are with you all. The goal with this event is to raise meaningful, immediate support that can be put directly into the hands of flood victims without delay, while also honoring the first responders that work tirelessly to save lives.

Special thanks to our friends and fellow troubadours—William Beckman, Ray Benson, Wade Bowen, Dean Dillon, Riley Green, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, Kyle Park, Hudson Westbrook and members of my Ace in the Hole Band—for joining me on stage to lend their talent and their hearts to this mission.”

Cusick adds, “The road ahead will be a long one, however the immediate need is so great that we didn’t want to wait. Together, we can show our neighbors that when hardship strikes, Texas and our Country stand strong, and we stand together.”

Due to the intimate setting, the event is limited to 1,000 guests. Tickets and tables are available for purchase (price points vary and begin at $1,000). Complimentary tickets will be provided to local area first-responders. Donations will be made to 501c3 Vaqueros del Mar Texas Flood Relief Fund and distributed directly to affected families as well as established Hill Country funds.

If you’re interested in purchasing a table or tickets to Vaqueros del Mar’s “Strait To The Heart” Intimate Donor Dinner & Concert on Sunday, July 27, or simply would like to make a contribution to Vaqueros del Mar Texas Flood Relief Fund, please email Vaquerosdm@gmail.com.

The post George Strait to Play Texas Hill Country Flood Benefit Concert first appeared on Hometown Country Music.

2021 CMA Awards Play-By-Play

admin — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 01:15:03 +0000

Carly Pearce, Mickey Guyton and Gabby Barrett kicked off the show to introduce Miranda Lambert as the first performer.
Miranda Lambert performed a medley of “Kerosene,” “Mama’s Broken Heart,” “Bluebird,” “Little Red Wagon,” and “Gunpowder and Lead”
The announcer introduced the host for the evening, Luke Bryan
Luke Bryan talked about how he moved from Georgia to Nashville 20 years ago.
He pointed out that he’s not bitter even though he’s only nominated for one award tonight with Jordan Davis. He then asked Davis if they won (it was announced pre-show). They did not win.
He pointed out that he HAS won 2 Entertainer of the Year awards in the past and just might’ve been cheated out of a couple more.
In a foreshadowing of the diverse lineup ahead, he commented that “Whatever makes you country, you are welcomed here tonight.”
He then made an “immunized” joke, poking fun at Aaron Rodgers.
Jason Aldean is seated with Freddie Freeman, so Luke Bryan joked that Aldean used to look at him the way he’s looking at Freeman.
Luke Bryan then rattled off some of the performers and presenters that we’ll be seeing tonight.
He pointed out that Keith Urban’s “table game is strong, bro” after listing who was sitting at the same table.
Lionel Ritchie and Katy Perry came out to interrupt the monologue to offer help (his co-hosts on American Idol). Bryan noted that he’s hosted other awards shows before, and that he doesn’t need help. Perry said, “yeah – we’ve seen them.”
The 3 of them presented the first award of the night. The nominees for Song of the Year are “Forever After All” by Luke Combs, “The Good Ones” by Gabby Barrett, “Hell of a View” by Eric Church, “One Night Standards” by Ashley McBryde, and “Starting Over” by Chris Stapleton. And the 2021 CMA Award for Song of the Year goes to “Starting Over” by Chris Stapleton!
We come back from commercial break, and Luke Bryan noted that he opened for next performer back in 2008. Darius Rucker then interrupted him, first joking that he was trying to co-host for the free ticket. They then introduced Dierks Bentley, Breland, and Hardy for their performance of “Beers On Me”
The announcer then introduced Eric Church, who performed “Heart on Fire”
We come back from commercial with Luke Bryan introducing Ashley McBryde and Carly Pearce for their duet on “Never Wanted To Be That Girl”
The announcer introduced Ingrid Andress and Hayley Orrantia (from The Goldbergs) to give out the Duo of the Year Award. The nominees are Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, and Maddie & Tae. And the 2021 CMA Award for Vocal Duo of the Year goes to Brothers Osborne, their 4th win in this category!
Elle King came out to introduce the next performer, the Zac Brown Band who performed “Same Boat”
Lionel Ritchie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan came back from commercial to introduce Gabby Barrett, who they first “discovered” on American Idol. Barrett performed her hit single “The Good Ones”
The announcer introduced Dule Hill and Saycon Sengbloh from The Wonder Years. They were out to present the award for New Artist of the Year. The nominees are Jimmie Allen, Ingrid Andress, Gabby Barrett, Mickey Guyton, and Hardy. The 2021 CMA Award for New Artist of the Year goes to Jimmie Allen! He thanked his late father for introducing him to country music and noted that he was able to perform with Charley Pride.
The announcer introduced Scotty McCreery, who came out to introduce Kane Brown and Chris Young for their performance of “Famous Friends”
We come back from commercial break with the announcer introducing Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood’s duet of “If I Didn’t Love You”
Luke Bryan announced that the Musician of the Year was Jenee Fleenor
Luke Bryan introduced the next performer, Blake Shelton who performed “Come Back as a Country Boy”
The show came back from commercial to a voice over from Keith Urban talking about how so many come to Nashville to chase their dreams. It then lead to him taking the stage to perform “Wild Hearts”
Deana Carter and Lainey Wilson came out to present the award for Single of the Year. The nominees are “Famous Friends” by Chris Young & Kane Brown, “The Good Ones” by Gabby Barrett, “Hell of a View” by Eric Church, “One Night Standards” by Ashley McBryde, and “Starting Over” by Chris Stapleton. The 2021 CMA Award for Single of the Year goes to “Starting Over” by Chris Stapleton!
Faith Fennidy came out to introduce Mickey Guyton, Madeline Edwards, and Brittney Spencer, who performed a song that was inspired by Fennidy, “Love My Hair”
Luke Bryan gave a shameless plug for his bar “down the road” before introducing Old Dominion who performed “I Was On a Boat That Day”
Luke Bryan then introduced Chris Stapleton, who he noted wrote his hit single “Drink a Beer.” Stapleton performed “Cold” with a symphony of string instruments in the background
Russell Dickerson did a piece about donating a vehicle with Chevrolet to a disabled girl named Sarah as well as a trip to the CMA Awards for her. They then cut to a live shot of her on stage with him. She stated that she wants to be a teacher. Russell then announced that 30 music teachers were in attendance. To date, the CMA Foundation has donated $27 million to music education. Sarah then introduced Luke Bryan back to his hosting gig.
Luke joked that when tries to Google himself these days, “Luke” brings up Luke Combs instead of Luke Bryan. He then introduced Luke Combs, who performed a new song called “Doin’ This”
The announcer introduced Zachary Levi and Kurt Warner who came out to present the award for Group of the Year. The nominees are Lady A, Little Big Town, Midland, Old Dominion and the Zac Brown Band. The 2021 CMA Award for Group of the Year goes to Old Dominion!
Lady A came out with Luke Bryan, who asked if they also thought he needed help. They said no, we think you’re doing a great job. They then introduced Thomas Rhett, who performed “Country Again”
Susan Sarandon and Trace Adkins came out next. They will be co-starring in a new country music themed show on Fox called “Monarch.” They came out to present the award for Album of the Year. The nominees are 29 by Carly Pearce, Dangerous: The Double Album by Morgan Wallen, Heart by Eric Church, Skeletons by Brothers Osborne and Starting Over by Chris Stapleton. The 2021 CMA Award for Album of the Year goes to Starting Over by Chris Stapleton!
The announcer then introduced Dan + Shay who performed “I Should Probably Go To Bed”
Luke Bryan introduced Chris Young, who had a promo about how he and Crown Royale honored military veterans. They then introduced Trisha Yearwood, who came out to introduce Jennifer Hudson and Chris Stapleton, who were out to honor Aretha Franklin and her country/gospel roots. The medley included songs such as “Night Life” (written by Willie Nelson) and a song we couldn’t identify – possibly “Shine” or “Sunshine”?
Luke Bryan acknowledged that Marty Stuart was in the crowd, who will be joining the Country Music Hall of Fame along with Hank Williams Jr and Dean Dillon
Luke Bryan then introduced Jimmie Allen who performed “Freedom Was a Highway”
Amy Grant and Lauren Daigle came out to present the award for Female Vocalist of the Year. The nominees are Gabby Barrett, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris and Carly Pearce. The 2021 CMA Award for Female Vocalist of the Year goes to Carly Pearce! She was so hysterical that Ashley McBryde came out to assist her with her acceptance speech!
The announcer introduced Brothers Osborne. Before performing, TJ Osborne gave a speech about how he never thought he’d be up there due to his sexuality, and wishes his younger “me” could see “me” now. They then performed “Younger Me”
Florida Georgia Line came out to introduce Luke Bryan who performed his new single “Up”
Kelsea Ballerini and Freddie Freeman came out to present the award for Male Vocalist of the Year. The nominees were Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett, and Chris Stapleton. The CMA Award for Male Vocalist of the Year goes to Chris Stapleton!
The show is running late! The final award of the night is being presented by Alan Jackson! The nominees for Entertainer of the Year are Eric Church, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton and Carrie Underwood. The 2021 CMA Entertainer of the Year Award goes to Luke Combs!
Luke Bryan closed the show with a performance of “I Don’t Want This Night to End” as the credits rolled

The post 2021 CMA Awards Play-By-Play first appeared on Hometown Country Music.

Country Music Hall of Fame Class of 2020 Announced

admin — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 12:18:16 +0000

The 2020 inductees for the Country Music Hall of Fame have been announced! Congrats to the newest members, Dean Dillon, Marty Stuart and Hank Williams Jr.

Dillon will be inducted in the “Songwriter” category, which is awarded every third year in rotation with the “Recording and/or Touring Musician” and “Non-Performer” categories. Stuart will be inducted in the “Modern Era Artist” category and Williams will be inducted in the “Veterans Era Artist” category.“I couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Dean, Marty and Hank Jr. into the unbroken circle and honor this revered milestone,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “I’m sad we can’t toast this year’s class in person at the Country Music Hall of Fame, but I hope this news can bring some joy and cause for celebration during this time that our world has turned upside down. In particular, our hearts are with Hank and his family following the recent loss of his daughter, Katherine.”

“I was just speechless,” says Dillon. “Trying to soak in the words that I had just heard. My life flashed before my eyes. You could’ve knocked me over with a feather.”

“It is the ultimate honor in Country Music,” says Stuart. “I’m so honored to be included in this class and I’m honored to be included alongside Hank Jr. and Dean Dillon. I love those people. To be officially inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame is beyond words. I’m usually not at a loss for words.”

“Bocephus has been eyeing this one for awhile. It’s a bright spot during a difficult year,” says Williams. “I have been making Top 10 records for 56 years. I fell off a mountain and tried to reinvent myself as a truly individual artist and one who stepped out of the shadows of a very famous man…one of the greatest. I’ve got to thank all those rowdy friends who, year after year, still show up for me. It’s an honor to carry on this family tradition. It is much appreciated.”

“In this, the most exclusive of music halls of fame, we now have three new deserving members,” says Kyle Young, Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum Chief Executive Officer. “One is the son of one of American music’s greatest masters who became a self-made master of his own. One is a child of tough-town Mississippi who became a force for togetherness, inclusion and righteous musicality. And the third is an East Tennessee kid who triumphed over a hard youth to write words and melodies that have enriched us all. In a year of turmoil, strife and dissent, this announcement is something all of us can cheer.”

Historically, CMA hosts a press conference in the famed rotunda of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville to reveal the new class of inductees. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CMA traveled to Dillon and Stuart to capture their reaction.

Details regarding a formal induction ceremony for Dillon, Stuart and Williams will be released as information is available. Since 2007, the Museum’s Medallion Ceremony, an annual reunion of the Hall of Fame membership, has served as the official rite of induction for new members.

The post Country Music Hall of Fame Class of 2020 Announced first appeared on Hometown Country Music.

HCM Daily News – March 26th, 2020

admin — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 21:51:04 +0000

Thomas Rhett

Recent Country Music News Headlines

Recommended Viewing – Recent Country Music Videos

This Date in Country Music History

2016 – Cole Swindell topped the charts for the first of 4 weeks with “You Should Be Here”
2013 – Blake Shelton released his album Based On a True Story…
2013 – Thompson Square released their album Just Feels Good
2013 – Alan Jackson released his album Precious Memories: Volume II
2013 – Blake Shelton released his single “Boys ‘Round Here”
2005 – Craig Morgan topped the charts for the first of 4 weeks with “That’s What I Love About Sunday”
1996 – Jo Dee Messina released her self-titled debut album
1996 – Bryan White released his album Between Now And Forever
1983 – John Anderson topped the charts with “Swingin’”

Today’s Birthdays (See All Country Artist Birthdays)

Charly McClain
Dean Dillon
Kenny Chesney

Today’s New Albums (See All Album Release Dates)

None Today

Today’s New Singles (See All Single Release Dates)

None Today

Today’s Photo Flashback (See All Photos)

Contests

This Week’s Events (See All Upcoming Events)

None Listed

The post HCM Daily News – March 26th, 2020 first appeared on Hometown Country Music.