ACM Tempo Winter 2020 by Academy of Country Music

TEMPO ACM

WINTER 2020

Setting records with ACM Decade Award Winners

Florida Georgia Line COUNTRY COOKIN’ WITH TRISHA, KIMBERLY & MARTINA s MEET OUR NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS s REMEMBERING RADIO LEGEND BOB KINGSLEY

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Contents 4

Editor’s Note

ACM News

In Memory

ACM Moment 20

6 | CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ Los Angeles native Damon Whiteside is tapped as new ACM Chief Executive Officer

8 | MEET THE BOARD New members join returning directors for both ACM® and ACM Lifting Lives® boards

12 | JUST 3 LITTLE QUESTIONS We quizzed a few of country’s brightest stars when they stopped by the ACM office to get to know them a bit better

On the Cover The Academy of Country Music® celebrates songs and artists that made an impact over the past 10 years with the new ACM DECADE AWARDS, including three-time winners Florida Georgia Line

30 | HEY GOOD LOOKIN’ WHAT YOU GOT COOKIN’? Find out what Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride and Kimberly Schlapman have sizzling in the kitchen

PAGE 20 FLIP

FLIP | BOB KINGSLEY He was a legend among legends. Flip the magazine for a special tribute section to ACM Board Member Bob Kingsley ON THE COVER: ACM Decade Award winners Florida Georgia Line

photographed by John Shearer at Arizona’s Lost Dutchman State Park. Makeup by Kristen Carbine and styling by Krista Roser.

acmcountry.com

ACM

TEMPO

E D ITO R ’ S N OTE

E ditor

Lisa Lee A ssistant E ditor

Libby Gardner C ontributors

Tricia Despres, Libby Gardner, Melissa Moldovan, Craig Shelburne

New Beginnings

D esign

Randi Karabin, Karabin Creative P rinting

Layton Printing P hotos

ever a dull moment around here at

ACM, Michel Bourquard, Food Network, Getty Images, Chris Hollo, Daniel Miller, Grand Ole Opry

the ACM office! We’re excited to be

ACADEMY STAFF

starting out a brand new year with a

CEO

brand new CEO. Longtime marketing and programming executive (and Southern California native) Damon Whiteside will take the reins of

Damon Whiteside E xecutive Vice P resident/ Finance & O perations

Tom Torii

S enior Vice P resident/ C reative & C ontent

Lisa Lee

the Academy’s L.A.-based office in

S enior Vice P resident/Events

January. Read our news story on P. 6

S enior Vice P resident/M arketing

to get more details about our new coach. Welcome, Damon! In addition to a new leader, we were also proud to introduce the

Erick Long

Brooke Primero

E xecutive D irector/ACM L ifting L ives

Lyndsay Cruz

ACM Decade Awards — seven new ACM trophies to recognize incredible

Vice P resident/Awards & M embership

music and artists over the past decade. Check out P. 20 to see which

Vice P resident/Finance & O perations

artists took home the trophies. They are faces you know and love, including the two creative guys on the cover. All these winners have made an indelible mark on country music in their own unique ways. Also making a huge mark on all of us was our longtime ACM Board Member Bob Kingsley. Bob’s wonderful voice was silenced in October 2019 and we miss him dearly. Please flip this issue of ACM Tempo® for a special tribute to Bob and his legacy. And finally, the country music community lost executive Jay Frank in October. He was a great friend to all of us, especially to the Academy of Country Music®, where he served faithfully as a board member for many years. To his wife, Linda, and daughter, Alex, we send our biggest hugs during this hard time. We hope you know how much Jay was loved. Read more on P. 36.

Nick Di Fruscia Alexa Fasheh

Vice P resident/A rtist & I ndustry R elations , B oard A dministration & G overnance

Tommy Moore

D irector/Strategic Partnerships

Jen Heaton

S enior Video M anager/ C reative & C ontent

Brandon Campbell

S enior M anager/M arketing

Melissa Moldovan

M anager/M arketing

Jessica Curtis

M anager/Finance & O perations

Mary Pambukyan

M anager/A rtist & I ndustry R elations , B oard A dministration & G overnance

Maddy Stessman M anager/Events

Lanni Gagnon

M anager/Awards & M embership

Sincerely,

Carrie Tekautz

C oordinator/M arketing

Bridget Cirone

C oordinator/Strategic Partnerships

Jenny Dunn

Lisa Lee Editor

C oordinator/C reative & C ontent

Libby Gardner

C oordinator/L ifting L ives

Taylor Wolf

A ssistant/Events

Danielle Bardier A ssistant/ Finance & O perations

Gloria Chavez

A ssistant/M arketing

Dayna Poskanzer

acmcountry.com

Damon Whiteside Academy of Country Music welcomes seasoned entertainment executive as new CEO ®

Longtime entertainment executive Damon

the organization’s mission, rejuvenate its

Whiteside has been named the Academy of

influence and redefine its purpose to benefit

Country Music’s new chief executive officer.

the entire Country Music ecosystem.”

Whiteside’s appointment to the Academy comes after 23 years in the music and

as the Academy’s new CEO,” shares Ed

entertainment industries, most recently

Warm, chairman of the ACM Board of

serving six years at the Country Music

Directors. “His experience, commitment and

Association in Nashville. He began as senior

enthusiasm in the country music world are

vice president of marketing and strategic

well documented and we are confident that

partnerships and was later elevated to his

he will enhance the Academy’s ability to

current role of chief marketing officer.

bring together fans, artists and the industry

“I am honored and humbled to now be

while enabling the organization’s charitable

given the responsibility to shape the future of

arm, ACM Lifting Lives®, to impact more lives

the Academy,” Whiteside says. “I am excited

than ever before.”

to draw upon my deep passion, unique

acmcountry.com

“We are fortunate to welcome Damon

Whiteside will take the helm beginning

experience and important relationships

Monday, January 6, 2020, splitting time

across the country music and mainstream

between Nashville and the Academy’s office

entertainment media industries to reinforce

in Encino, Calif.

acmcountry.com

N E WS

The Academy of Country Music Welcomes New Board Members ®

he Academy of Country Music has announced the newly elected ACM Board of Directors for the 2019–2020 term. This year, seven of the 13 qualifying professional categories were elected by the Academy’s membership. In addition to those elected, director-at-large positions have been appointed by Chairman Ed Warm, President Lori Badgett and Vice President Chuck Aly. Directors are elected from each category based on the number of members izzzzn that category. Each director serves staggered twoyear terms, with half the board membership changing each year. “We are excited for the Academy to have such a powerful and talented group of leaders, committed to not only sharing their time and energy with the organization, but to providing their expertise and industry knowledge,” says ACM Chairman Ed Warm. Newly elected members of the Board of Directors include Chuck Ainlay, Jimmie Allen, Enzo DeVincenzo (377 Management), Crystal Dishmon (Shopkeeper Management), Ryan Dokke (Curb | Word Entertainment), Kerri Edwards (kpentertainment), Rusty Gaston (Sony ATV Music Publishing), Roger Gearhart (Graham Brothers

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Entertainment), Ben Kline (Warner Music Nashville), Cris Lacy (Warner Music Nashville), Steve Lassiter (APA), Kelly Rich* (Amazon), Brittany Schaffer (Spotify), Reid Shippen, Troy Vollhoffer (Premier Global Production), and Derek Wells. *Elected to fill one-year term which was previously vacated. Newly appointed director-at-large members of the Board of Directors include Randy Bernard (Bob Doyle & Associates), RAC Clark (Lion’s Heart Entertainment), John Dennis (Dennis Entertainment), Seth England (Big Loud), Greg Hill (Hill Entertainment Group), Will Hitchcock (Morris Higham Management), Mason Hunter (BMI), Andrew Kautz (BMLG), Jeff Krones (CAA), Beth Laird (Creative Nation), Daniel Miller (Fusion Music), Lynn Oliver-Cline (River House Artists), Tree Paine (Premium PR), Chris Parr (MAVERICK), Jennie Smythe (Girlilla Marketing) and Brian Wright (Universal Music Group Nashville). Previously announced officers include Chairman Ed Warm, President Lori Badgett, Vice President Chuck Aly, Treasurer Carmen Romano, Sergeant-atArms Gayle Holcomb, Parliamentarian Paul Moore and Secretary Tommy Moore.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Ed Warm; Lori Badgett; Chuck Aly; Carmen Romano; Gayle Holcomb; Paul Moore; Tommy Moore

Academy of Country Music Board of Directors 2019–2020 OFFICERS Chairman, Ed Warm, Joe’s Live President, Lori Badgett, City National Bank Vice President, Chuck Aly, Country Aircheck Treasurer, Carmen Romano, FBMM Sergeant-at-Arms, Gayle Holcomb, WME Parliamentarian, Paul Moore, PGM Connections, LLC. Secretary, Tommy Moore, Academy of Country Music AFFILIATED Jackie Campbell, 615 Leverage Beville Dunkerley, Pandora Kelly Rich, Amazon Brittany Schaffer, Spotify Sally Seitz, Apple Music ARTIST/ENTERTAINER/MBI Chuck Ainlay Jimmie Allen Reid Shippen Derek Wells Trisha Yearwood CLUB/CASINO/CONCERT-VENUE OPERATOR Roger Gearhart, Graham Brothers Entertainment Troy Vollhoffer, Premier Global Production COMPOSER Lee Thomas Miller MANAGER Enzo DeVincenzo, 377 Management Crystal Dishmon, Shopkeeper Management Kerri Edwards, kpentertainment

MEDIA/PUBLIC RELATIONS Ebie McFarland, Essential Broadcast Media MUSIC PUBLISHER/PRO Frank Liddell, Carnival Music Rusty Gaston, Sony ATV Music Publishing RADIO Jackie Stevens, EMI Records Nashville RECORD COMPANY Ryan Dokke, Curb | Word Entertainment Ben Kline, Warner Music Nashville Cris Lacy, Warner Music Nashville Cindy Mabe, Universal Music Group Nashville TALENT AGENT Becky Gardenhire, WME Steve Lassiter, APA TALENT BUYER/PROMOTER Ali Harnell, Live Nation Stacy Vee, Goldenvoice TV/MOTION PICTURE Tom Forrest, taillight DIRECTORS AT LARGE Randy Bernard, Bob Doyle & Associates Bobby Bones, The Bobby Bones Show RAC Clark, Lion’s Heart Entertainment Leslie Cohea, Sandbox Entertainment Charlie Cook, Cumulus George Couri, Triple 8 Management Kele Currier, ASCAP John Dennis, Dennis Entertainment Seth England, Big Loud Chris Farren, Combustion Music Leslie Fram, CMT Nick Hartley, Fitzgerald Hartley

Greg Hill, Hill Entertainment Group Will Hitchcock, Morris Higham Management Mason Hunter, BMI Andrew Kautz, BMLG Jeff Krones, CAA Beth Laird, Creative Nation Jon Loba, Broken Bow Music Group Michael McAnally Baum, SMACK Shawn McSpadden, Red Light Management Daniel Miller, Fusion Music Curt Motley, UTA Brian O’Connell, Live Nation Lynn Oliver-Cline, River House Artists Tree Paine, Premium PR Chris Parr, MAVERICK Rod Phillips, iHeart Media Tim Roberts, Entercom Jennie Smythe, Girlilla Marketing Clarence Spalding, MAVERICK Brian Wright, Universal Music Group Nashville PAST CHAIRS Duane Clark Ben Vaughn Ken Tucker Ken Robold Darin Murphy Paul Barnabee Bill Mayne Sarah Trahern John Grady Gayle Holcomb Bob Romeo EX OFFICIO PAST CHAIRS Rod Essig, CAA Mark Hartley, Fitzgerald Hartley Butch Waugh, Studio2bee

acmcountry.com

N E WS

ACM Lifting Lives Names New Board Members

CM Lifting Lives® has announced its board of directors for the 2019–2020 term. This year, there were six representative director positions elected, five public director positions elected and one public director position appointed by the ACM Lifting Lives Board of Directors. “I am thrilled to be a part of this compelling organization that supports the influence of music to lift the spirits of our community and friends in a time of need,” says ACM Lifting Lives Chairman Paul Barnabee. “We’re fortunate to have such generous artists and an incredible board ready and willing to continue to join us in improving lives though the power of music.” Newly elected representative directors include Duane Clark (FBMM), RAC Clark (Lion’s Heart Entertainment), Ryan Dokke (Curb | Word Entertainment), Becky Gardenhire (WME), Shawn McSpadden (Red Light Management) and Darin Murphy (CAA). Newly elected public directors include Dan Berkowitz (CID Entertainment), Tiffany Brush (Topgolf), Ross Copperman, John Hickman (Dallas Cowboys) and Beth Moore (Vanderbilt University Medical Center). The newly appointed public director is Kathleen Flaherty (K21 Communications). Previously announced Lifting Lives officers include Chairman Paul Barnabee, Vice Chairman Troy Vollhoffer, Vice President Lorie Lytle, Treasurer Dwight Wiles and Secretary Taylor Wolf. The ACM Lifting Lives Board of Directors is made up of an equal number of ACM Board Members, referred to as representative directors, as well as leaders in non-profit and corporate affairs who aren’t ACM Board Members, referred to as public directors.

TOP, LEFT TO RIGHT: Paul Barnabee; Troy Vollhoffer; Lorie Lytle BOTTOM, LEFT TO RIGHT: Dwight Wiles; Taylor Wolf

ACM Lifting Lives Board of Directors 2019-2020 OFFICERS Chairman, Paul Barnabee, FBMM Vice Chairman, Troy Vollhoffer, Premier Global Production Vice President, Lorie Lytle, Fridrich & Clark Realty Treasurer, Dwight Wiles, Wiles + Taylor & Co., PC Secretary, Taylor Wolf, ACM Lifting Lives REPRESENTATIVE DIRECTORS Paul Barnabee, FBMM Duane Clark, FBMM RAC Clark, Lion’s Heart Entertainment Ryan Dokke, Curb | Word Entertainment Rod Essig, CAA Chris Farren, Combustion Music Fletcher Foster, F2 Entertainment Becky Gardenhire, WME Gayle Holcomb, WME Michael McAnally Baum, SMACK Ebie McFarland, Essential Broadcast Media Shawn McSpadden, Red Light Management Daniel Miller, Fusion Music Darin Murphy, CAA Troy Vollhoffer, Premier Global Production Butch Waugh, Studio2bee PUBLIC DIRECTORS Dan Berkowitz, CID Entertainment Tiffany Brush, Topgolf Mark Bloom, UBS Financial Services, Inc. Ross Copperman Kathleen Flaherty, K21 Communications John Hickman, Dallas Cowboys Ricky Kelley, Harley-Davidson of Columbia Ellen Lehman, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Lorie Lytle, Fridrich & Clark Realty Beth Moore, Vanderbilt University Medical Center Lisa Paulsen, Stand Up To Cancer Kimberly Schlapman Meredith Seacrest, Ryan Seacrest Foundation Dwight Wiles, Wiles + Taylor & Co., PC Jay Williams, WME Judee Ann Williams, CAA PAST CHAIRS Lori Badgett, City National Bank Debbie Carroll, MusiCares Bill Mayne Tree Paine, Premium PR Ed Warm, Joe’s Live EX OFFICIO PAST CHAIR Bruce Bowman, Kaboom! Mark Hartley, Fitzgerald Hartley

acmcountry.com

ACM AWARDS 2020

VOTING TIMELINE

The ballot timeline for professional members:

SUN APR 5

55th ACM Awards Voting Period FIRST ROUND

January 21, 2020 (opens 9 am PST) — January 27, 2020 (closes 5 pm PST) SECOND ROUND

55 ACM AWARDS SET FOR APRIL 5 TH

February 4, 2020 (opens 9 am PST) — February 10, 2020 (closes 5 pm PST) ®

FINAL ROUND

March 3, 2020 (opens 9 am PST) — March 9, 2020 (closes 5 pm PST)

n a few short months, the 55th ACM Awards® will

55th ACM Awards Eligibility Periods

return to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

MAIN AWARDS

Set for Sunday, April 5, Country Music’s Party of the

January 1, 2019 — December 31, 2019

Year® will be sure to entertain fans with electrifying

INDUSTRY AWARDS

performances, unique collaborations, and noteworthy

January 1, 2019 — December 31, 2019

moments. Tune in on CBS starting at 8 pm ET/PT, 7 pm CT.

STUDIO RECORDING AWARDS

January 1, 2019 — December 31, 2019 RADIO AWARDS

Tickets to the 55th ACM Awards

January 1, 2019 — December 31, 2019

are on sale now at ACMawards.com.

VIDEO AWARD

January 1, 2019 — December 31, 2019

acmcountry.com

3 Q U E S TI O N S WITH

During their recent visits to the ACM’s Los Angeles-based office, we played 3 questions with some of country’s brightest stars. BY L I B BY G A R D N E R

JAMESON RODGERS Q: You really kicked off your career in songwriting. Is that something you were always passionate about? JAMESON: No. I grew up playing baseball. I played baseball for forever. I played through junior college. When that road kind of came to an end, I went down to Southern Miss to finish school, and that’s when I first picked a guitar up. I was a late bloomer with music. I had a roommate down at Southern Miss that was a good writer. He wrote spoken word poetry, and he could write good lyrics. So, I started playing guitar, and we started writing together. The writing did come at the same time as the playing and singing. I always sang my whole life but never took it seriously. I always joked around and said I’m going to move to Nashville one day.

GABBY BARRETT

Q: Who or what inspired you to pursue the country music path? JAMESON: The very first Eric Church record was really what

Q: Did you always know you wanted to pursue music as a career? GABBY: I knew at a very young age that I wanted to entertain and do music, and that was going to be plan A, B and C. I was very fortunate to have a dad that was on the same page and agreed. We sat down and looked at each other and we were like, “You’re not going to college. You’re not doing any of that. You’re going to make something of yourself with music.”

Q: Who are your country music influences? GABBY: There’s a few females that I really like — Shania Twain, Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Lauren Alaina, Carrie Underwood. All these women have done so much in country music and have formed such a strong bond for women in country music. Q: What’s the story behind “I Hope”? GABBY: “I Hope” was written on Halloween of 2018. I wrote it with two friends of mine, Zach Hale and Jon Nite. They had come into the room in a writing session and had mentioned writing a song about a breakup where a guy did the girl wrong, but the girl still wishes the guy well in the end. I was like, “Yeah that’s not going to work. We are going to have to do something different because I just really don’t recall women being like that.” So I wanted to write a song for anybody who’s been in a bad relationship and didn’t get to say what they truly wanted to or what they truly felt toward something.

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made me think I could write songs. When I heard that album, I was like, “I feel like I could write songs like that. He’s writing songs that speak to my heart.” But before Eric, I grew up on ’90s country like Garth, Travis Tritt, Alan Jackson. All those good guys. I call it baseball music. The stuff they play in between innings. AC/DC, Mellencamp, Springsteen. That kind of stuff.

Q: How did “Some Girls” come about? JAMESON: “Some Girls” is a song I fell in love with four years ago. It’s a song I didn’t even write, which is rare … it’s is a song that three of my best buddies wrote. I was like, “Man, if nobody ever cuts this song, please let me have it.” I think every artist in Nashville had this song on hold at some point, but luckily it fell through the cracks and I got to record it.

acmcountry.com

3 Q U E S TI O N S WITH

CRAIG MORGAN Q: What led you to pursuing country music? CRAIG: Money! (laughs) Money led me to pursue music. That and the love of music. I love music. But I’m going to be honest. Nobody else is going to be that honest with you when you ask them that question. Most of them tell you it’s what they dreamed of as a kid and they want to be a star. I knew if I was successful, I would make good money for my family. And that’s the truth. Fortunately for me, I do love writing songs. Q: What music did you grow up listening to? CRAIG: Everything. I listened to everything growing up. Country. Pop. Rock. R&B. I’m a big fan of R&B. For me it was never about the particular genre, it was always about the song. If the song told a story that I could relate to or that I found something in the song that was attractive, whether it be the melody or the lyric … For me, it was always about the song. Q: Your latest single “The Father, My Son, and the Holy Ghost” is extremely special. What do you hope people get from it? CRAIG: I hope people get from “The Father, My Son, and the Holy Ghost” whatever they’re supposed to. I always hoped that the things that I do in this business motivated and inspired people. But when I’m writing, I generally just try to write a great song. This one is completely different than anything I’ve ever done because it is so personal and such an emotional song. It’s still very difficult to sing. So, I hope when people hear it or when the person that needs to hear it hears it, that it inspires them or motivates them, increases their faith. Maybe stops them and takes them out of a dark spot. That’s what music does.

RILEY GREEN Q: How did you find your voice as an artist? RILEY: I certainly had a lot of influences growing up. I’m sure I took some of that from some of the artists. I really didn’t have a whole lot of knowledge about what was working in the industry. I never spent a lot of time in Nashville. I think what helped me as a songwriter, at least to get my own style of writing and creating my sound, was from just playing and seeing what people in the crowd liked. Q: I know your grandfather played a huge part in your life in wanting to pursue music. Who else are some of your country music influences? RILEY: I was a big Merle Haggard fan growing up. My granddaddy was a huge Merle Haggard fan. He used to sing a bunch of Roy Acuff songs, and that was way before my time. So, for me to even hear some of the stuff that he came up with … I heard a lot of music that a lot of people my age didn’t hear. I think that probably helped to make me sound a little bit different than everybody else.

Q; You’re first album, Different Round Here, just came out. Tell us about it. RILEY: This is my first complete album. I wrote a lot of songs on my own, but having an album and a complete body of work seemed like a big deal to me. What I’m most excited about is it’s got a lot of diff erent types of songs. I’ve never co-written, and then I came to Nashville to write with some really great writers. From that, not only did my songs get a little bit better, but I got some different styles mixed in.

acmcountry.com

JIMMIE ALLEN “JIMMIE ALLEN IS A SELF-MADE MAN, AND HIS STORY IS ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRING TALES TO COME OUT OF MUSIC ROW IN THE LAST DECADE.” - CMT

OVER 323M ON-DEMAND STREAMS! DEBUT SINGLE “BEST SHOT”

HISTORIC 3 WEEK #1 #1 CANADIAN SINGLE #1 SHAZAM COUNTRY SONG 8 WEEKS IN A ROW

NEW SINGLE “MAKE ME WANT TO” TOP 10 AND CLIMBING! 1.7M ON-DEMAND STREAMS A WEEK!

NATIONAL PRESS APPEARANCES STEVE HARVEY SHOW, TODAY SHOW (7 APPEARANCES), GMA, BILLBOARD, PEOPLE, THE NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, ROLLING STONE, FORBES, NFL, FOX, E!, & MORE! HOST OF THE ACM AWARDS RADIO WINNER RECEPTION, GRAMMY’S 20TH ANNUAL NASHVILLE BLOCK PARTY & GUEST CO-HOST ON NBC’S TODAY SHOW, E!’S DAILY POP AND LIVE FROM E!

COMING 2020 Q1 A MONSTER COLLABORATION! acmcountry.com

3 Q U E S TI O N S WITH

TRAVIS DENNING Q: What’s the Travis Denning story? TRAVIS: The Travis Denning story goes way far back. I was born in Georgia. Really I’ve been passionate and on fire for music as early as I can remember. I grew up loving AC/DC and The Allman Brothers Band and southern rock as a whole. When I was like 7 years old, I knew at some point I wanted to take that love for music and turn that into actually playing an instrument, whatever it was. I started playing guitar when I was 11 years old and really just never stopped. Q: You mentioned you grew up listening to AC/DC

TEDDY ROBB Q: You have a unique story about getting involved in country music. Tell us about it. TEDDY: I got into country when I was about 16 or 17. I actually grew up listening to classic rock. It wasn’t until I started hearing some Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw and George Strait, that I finally felt like I found my genre because they were telling stories that really related to my life. After college, I got an internship at a radio station, a country station in my hometown of Akron, Ohio. I actually saw Thomas Rhett come through on his first promo tour. I thought, “Man, I would like to pursue that someday.” So, I packed up and moved to Nashville. I started playing the honkytonks, and I did that for about a year. Then, I got an opportunity to move out to Colorado and play music in a ski town. That’s where I actually met a guy named Evan Green. He connected me back in Nashville, and that’s kind of when I got in the industry. That’s the CliffsNotes of it.

Q: Who are your musical inspirations? TEDDY: I would have to put George Strait right at the top, and then Brooks & Dunn, Tim McGraw, Kenney Chesney, The Eagles. Q: You’re also a songwriter and have worked with a lot of today’s songwriters. Do you have a preference between performing and songwriting? TEDDY: I would say I’m an artist first. That’s what I’ve always dreamed about … that’s where I feel most comfortable. But I started writing songs professionally a couple years ago, and I love writing. It really gives me an opportunity to find out what I love to write and sing about. But that doesn’t mean I’m only going to record my songs. I love telling other people’s stories and making them my own as an artist. That’s really what I’m most passionate about.

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and more rock bands. So, why country music? TRAVIS: Country music was really the one thing that spoke to me on as deep of a level as “this is something I really want to be a part of.” I’m pretty all over the board with music I love … I just fell in love with the songs and the stories [of country music]. You really can’t get that in any other genre of music. That’s what grabbed me at 16 years old, honestly, was really when I fell head over heels in love with country music.

Q: What inspired the creation of “After A Few?” TRAVIS: “After A Few” has been one of my favorites ever since I wrote it. It kind of has a piece of everything I want to say and do as an artist forever. It’s fast. It’s rockin’. You got a lot of loud guitars, which I’m a guitar player by heart and so it has that, but it’s still a story. It’s about a guy and girl and we’ve all lived that kind of spot and struggle with someone before, where you know you need to walk away, but for whatever reason you keep getting pulled back. And I think it’s a song that I can play acoustic and sell it just as a well, which I think is important with country music.

L AS VEG AS #ACMawards

#ACMparty

SUN APR 5

SAT APR 4

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT

ACMawards.com acmcountry.com

3 Q U E S TI O N S WITH

Watch these artists and more at youtube.com/ acmcountry.

TEMECULA ROAD Q: How did “Temecula Road” come about? EMMA: Maddy and I are sisters, so we’ve been singing together our entire lives, and started taking vocal lessons when we were about 9 and 10. And Dawson’s originally from North Carolina, and he moved to Temecula, which is the city where we are from in Southern California about maybe … DAWSON: …like five or five and a half years ago. EMMA: Yeah, that’s when we met … about five and

a half years ago. DAWSON: Yeah, we met through a vocal coach,

and pretty much the rest is history. I mean we started singing around town together locally, and then we got into writing and into the studio a little bit, and that’s when things started to click for us. We kind of wanted to take it and do this full time.

Q: Did you guys know you always wanted to pursue music? EMMA: 100% MADDY: Yes, when I was 4 years old and Carrie was

on American Idol, I remember looking at the

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TV and telling my mom, “I want to do what she does … I want to be just like her when I grow up.” EMMA: And I always sang harmonies to what

Maddy was singing. I found out that I could do that when I was maybe 7 or 8. And I was like, “Wow this is really cool. I love this.” DAWSON: Yes! I’ve been playing guitar almost my

whole life, and got into singing years after that. And that was just kind of the start of this.

Q: What’s the story behind “Maybe Not”? MADDY: When Dawson played me the demo about a year and a half ago, I was obsessed from the start. It’s my favorite one that we’ve done. DAWSON: The life that the song has taken … We’ve

been singing it on the road for over a year. So, it’s really cool to watch where it started to where it is now. It used to be a ballad. It was going to be a lot slower. We sped it up, changed some things around and flipped verses. EMMA: Trial and error for sure with this song. DAWSON: But it’s cool because it’s one that we’ve

loved for a long time.

what happens in vegas... goes on tour...

See Keifer Thompson his las vegas comedy debut at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club at Caesars acm awards week thursday-sunday Details At ThompsonSquare.com

I M P R OV I N G

LIVES THROUGH THE

POWE R

MUSIC

W W W. ACMLIF TINGLIVES .ORG

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THAT'S HOW THEY

ROLL

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE among the first to receive ACM Decade Awards BY LISA LEE

n our crazy 24/7 digital world, it’s really hard to surprise anybody with anything these days. But somehow the Academy

of Country Music® was able to pull a fast one on Florida Georgia Line during a recent tour stop in California. FGL were among the first to receive the new ACM Decade Awards, which were ratified by the ACM Board of Directors. Like the ACM Dick Clark Artist of the Decade honor recognizing Jason Aldean in April, these awards will be presented only every 10 years.

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he duo was honored for ACM Breakout Artist of the Decade and ACM Single of the Decade for “Cruise” backstage at a show at FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, Calif. Plus, the pair also shares ACM Music Event of the Decade honors with Bebe Rexha for “Meant to Be,” which she received at the Hollywood Bowl in October. The ACM Breakout Artist of the Decade Award acknowledges an artist that first impacted country music in the decade and has contributed to the country music format in an impactful way. Factors considered include success at radio, commercial media, sales and streaming; creative integrity; touring statistics; artistic merit; and ACM Award recognition. The Single of the Decade award recognizes a recording performed by artists who do not regularly perform together. The factors considered include success at radio, commercial media, sales and streaming; artistic merit; and ACM Award recognition. “Cruise” remains one of country’s most enduring hits, holding the longest reign on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart (50 straight weeks) and hitting 11-times platinum. Florida Georgia Line won three out of seven of the Academy’s new Decade Awards. We caught up with FGL’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley recently on a rare morning off in Nashville.

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TEMPO: I understand they pulled a big surprise on you. TYLER: They did. They sure did. BK and I had no idea. I think it was the last show of the tour. All the media outlets were there and it was a big surprise and very humbling. We had our families there, and it was just really cool. Q: You guys won three out of seven Decade Awards. Winning the majority of them is pretty amazing. BRIAN: To piggyback off what Tyler said, it came at a really cool time of the year, kind of ending the tour. Yeah, it’s really hard to wrap our brains around that, but I know that we’re about to go back in the studio and, so it’s definitely inspiring and feels good. We feel like through the ACM awards, since we got going, we have been along for a great ride and we’re super thankful.

Q: I think an ACM award was one of the first you won in your career? TYLER: You know what, it’s been special to us since the beginning. Some of our best memories at award shows have been at the ACMs, and some of our biggest moments

ACM BREAKOUT ARTIST OF THE DECADE AWARD in our career have been there. I think it’s just given us a platform and leverage and confidence to go and have another great year — a year on the road, a year in the writing room, a year in the studio and everything that our career encompasses. It’s kind of been a tip of the old hat, if you will, from the industry and from our peers. I guess it always feels good to be accepted. It always feels good to be acknowledged and the ACMs have always done that for us. And it just feels good. So we’re — again, like BK said, we’re just so honored to continue to be a part of the ACMs and especially on such a large scale with these Decade Awards. It’s a big part of country music history. We grew up watching the ACMs, and so to be a part of them now and to be — to now be able to say we’ve been a part of them for eight years or so it’s been really surreal and it kind of never gets old to be honest. Every time we get an award we still get nervous. We still get sweaty just sitting there waiting to hear our name or not hear our name. And it’s a cool moment. So the ACMs do it right for sure and we’re proud to be a part of it.

Q: Your writing has been a big part of what has gotten you guys to where you are, and “Cruise” and “Meant to Be” were two of the biggest songs that won these awards. When you’re in the room and you’re writing a “Cruise” or a “Meant To Be,” do you know it’s special in that moment? TYLER: I think so, to be honest. I’ll speak for both of us because we’ve both been a part of big songs. I feel like you do know. You have a feeling, but at the same time a lot of other things after the songwriting process happen and sort of have to play out in order for a big song to become a big song. I would venture to say that we’ve written — that we have quite a few songs in our catalog and in our cell phones that we’ve written — that could very well be big songs, huge songs, career songs, and they’ve never even got out of our cell phone. We do get those feelings in the writing room, but, then again, it takes an amazing team after the fact — it takes an amazing producer and it takes

ACM SINGLE OF THE DECADE AWARD ACM MUSIC EVENT OF THE DECADE AWARD

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE kind of the stars to align, for it all to play out the way it’s supposed to be.

Q: You came out of the gate with such high-energy songs and I think people sometimes overlook what great songwriters you guys are. Was this Acoustic Sessions album an effort to strip down these songs and show that a good song is a good song? BRIAN: You know that’s an interesting thought. I think maybe that wasn’t the intention, but I know as we began to share it with family and friends, that was kind of the feedback they were giving us: “Hey, it’s really cool reliving these songs.” Yeah, it’s just a whole other world for our fans to explore and just offer something in the meantime to keep it fresh for us and for them.

Q: Another thing that was different for you this year was your Vegas residency. Was it what you expected? TYLER: I think so. It was a pleasant surprise. We had high expectations, and I think Vegas met all of our expectations and our fans met all of our expectations — enough for us to come back. It was just a really memorable time for us and we look forward to making more memories this year.

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A DECADE IN THE MAKING

he Academy of Country Music® has created seven new awards to recognize outstanding country music from the past decade. The ACM Decade Awards were ratified by the ACM Board of Directors

following a process by more than 20 board members and the ACM Special Awards Committee, co-chaired by board members Kelly Rich and Chuck Aly. “The Academy is committed to celebrating the best of

Q: Do you guys get to bring your families out when you’re there for more than a couple of days? BRIAN: Yeah, we’re planning on it. That’s going to be a super cool experience. I think we both think there’s nothing like having family at shows, no matter [if it’s] Vegas or on the road. It’s very special to look over and see the fam and watch Tyler and Hailey and watch their family grow. I mean it’s spiritual how cool that is. So they’ll be out there with us. I think maybe some extended family and friends are hopping out. We’ve got some songwriters, some Tree Vibez songwriters and Round Here Records artists that are going to be out there and trying to stay creative. I know we’ll probably hit the dunes and maybe do a little dune buggy session. We did that last time and that was amazing.

Q: That gets the juices flowing, right? BRIAN: If I have one takeaway in some form,

if I were to write a song about — Toby Keith had that song “I’ll Never Smoke Weed With Willie Again.” I would write “I’ll Never Drink Tequila with the Chainsmokers Again.”

Q: There seems like there’s a good story there. BRIAN: It is what it says.

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country music, and we will continue to be expansive and thoughtful in doing that,” says Special Awards Committee Co-Chair Kelly Rich. “We hope artists and everyone who works in the business recognizes that this organization — in its membership and represented by the board — IS them. At every turn, we work to take awards processes seriously … then we have a whole bunch of fun handing them out. That’s the goal.” Like the ACM Dick Clark Artist of the Decade honor presented to Jason Aldean last April on the 54th ACM Awards, these awards will be presented only every 10 years. “Artist of the Decade has been an impactful award since the ’60s, but it’s only one way of marking music’s impact over a 10-year period,” says ACM Vice President Co-Chair Chuck Aly. “Extending that to additional categories presents a more developed picture of the art form and the artists making it. And that’s central to the Academy’s mission.”

ACM ALBUM OF THE DECADE AWARD

LUKE BRYAN Luke Bryan received the ACM Album of the Decade Award for Crash My Party in a surprise presentation during his October 22 performance at the 11th annual “Opry Goes Pink,” to help support the fight against breast cancer. The ACM Album of the Decade Award recognizes an album that has impacted country music over the past decade. The factors considered are: success at radio of singles released from album, album concept, commercial media, sales and streaming, artistic merit and ACM Award recognition. Bryan’s four-time platinum album Crash My Party, produced by Jeff Stevens, was released in 2013 and firmly cemented Bryan’s career as a superstar entertainer. Crash My Party was the largest sales debut for a country male artist since 2004, selling nearly 530,000 albums its first week and debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 and the country sales chart. The album went on to sell more than 4 million copies and included six consecutive No.1 singles, “Crash My Party,” “That’s My Kind of Night,” Drink A Beer,” “Play It Again,” “Roller Coaster” and “I See You.” Bryan has won nine ACM Awards® including two for Entertainer of the Year. Trophies for ACM Album of Decade also went to record producer Jeff Stephens and Capitol Records Nashville.

From left to right: Kerri Edwards; Lori Badgett; Chuck Aly; Luke Bryan; Jeff Stevens; Cindy Mabe; Mike Dungan; RAC Clark

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ACM ARTISTSONGWRITER OF THE DECADE AWARD

CHRIS STAPLETON

From left to right: Clay Hunt; Kelly Rich; Chris Stapleton; Zach Peters; Chuck Aly

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The first ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Decade Award goes to Chris Stapleton, who was awarded in a surprise presentation recently at the Berry Hill Studios in Nashville. The ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Decade is defined as an artist who has commercially released material, written in whole or in part, by the artist. This award recognizes a songwriter whose creative works and performance have impacted country music over the decade. The factors to be considered are success at radio, commercial media, sales and streaming; artistic merit; and ACM Award recognition. A Kentucky native, Stapleton made his move to Nashville in 2001 to pursue a career as a songwriter. In the years since, he has penned more than 170 album cuts with seven No. 1 songs, including 2017’s “Broken Halos.” Following his quadruple platinum solo debut album Traveller (2015), Stapleton released two No. 1 albums in 2017: From A Room: Volume 1 (certified Platinum) and From A Room: Volume 2 (certified Gold). Most recently, Stapleton recorded the Randy Newman-penned song, “Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy,” for the Toy Story 4 soundtrack. To date, he has won 10 ACM Awards.

ACM SONG OF THE DECADE AWARD Artist MIRANDA LAMBERT and songwriters TOM DOUGLAS & ALLEN SHAMBLIN for “THE HOUSE THAT BUILT ME” Songwriters Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin, crafted “The House That Built Me,” one of the most universally poignant songs ever written. ACM Award winner Miranda Lambert took the longing and sadness and made it her own, making you feel every note and every word about the house where her handprints are on the front steps and she learned to play guitar in her bedroom upstairs. “The House That Built Me” was the third single from Lambert’s album Revolution. In addition to ACM Song of the Decade, the tune was also named ACM Song of the Year for 2010. To date, Lambert has won 34 ACM Awards. The trio received their trophies backstage at the Ryman Auditorium after the 13th Annual ACM Honors™. From left to right: Chuck Aly; RAC Clark; Allen Shamblin; Miranda Lambert; Tom Douglas; Lori Badgett; Ed Warm

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ACM SONGWRITER OF THE DECADE AWARD

RHETT AKINS Above, from left to right: Ed Warm; RAC Clark; Sonya Mansfield; Rhett Akins; Lauren Akins; Willa Gray Akins; Ada James Akins; Thomas Rhett

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Rhett Akins, was awarded the ACM Songwriter of the Decade Award in a surprise presentation recently backstage at son Thomas Rhett’s tour stop at the United Center in Chicago. Akins won ACM Songwriter of the Year in 2017 and was nominated in the same category in 2011 and 2013. Additionally, Akins received his first-ever ACM nomination for 1997 ACM Top New Male Vocalist. Akins has written a number of chart toppers over 24 years. He currently has had 30 No.1 singles and 36 BMI Awards. The ACM Songwriter of the Decade Award recognizes a songwriter whose creative works have impacted country music over the decade. The factors considered include, but not limited to, success of body of work at radio, commercial media, sales and streaming; creative integrity; artistic merit; and ACM Award recognition.

From left to right: Bebe Rexha; RAC Clark

ACM MUSIC EVENT OF THE DECADE AWARD

BEBE REXHA Warner Records artist Bebe Rexha is an additional recipient of the ACM Music Event of the Decade Award for “Meant to Be,” featuring Florida Georgia Line. Rexha received her award in a surprise backstage presentation October 20 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. while on tour with the Jonas Brothers. The ACM Music Event of the Decade Award recognizes a recording performed by artists who do not regularly perform together that has impacted country music over the decade. The factors considered include success at radio, commercial media, sales and streaming; artistic merit; and ACM Award recognition. “Bebe’s an artist who proves that music has no limitations. Artist collaborations are one of the biggest creative forces in all genres of music today. When you put two artists like Bebe and FGL together, you’re going to get a great hit song,” said RAC Clark, ACM Awards executive producer. Singer/songwriter Rexha has accumulated more than 12 million overall single sales, 6 billion total global streams and a radio audience of more than 10 billion. The eight-times platinum No. 1 collaboration “Meant to Be,” featuring Florida Georgia Line, topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for 50 weeks straight. Rexha received her first-ever ACM nominations in 2018, with a total of four nods for ACM Song of the Year, ACM Single of the Year and ACM Music Event of the Year. With this recognition, Rexha receives her first-ever ACM Award.

ACM DICK CLARK ARTIST OF THE DECADE AWARD

JASON ALDEAN

As previously announced, the ACM Dick Clark Artist of the Decade Award was presented to Jason Aldean in April 2019 on the 54th Annual ACM Awards. The 14-time ACM Award winner has dominated country music over the decade, through success at radio, digital media, sales and streaming, distinguishing events, touring, television appearances, and artistic merit. He joins only five other honorees who have received the Artist of the Decade Award: Marty Robbins for 1960s, Loretta Lynn for 1970s, Alabama for 1980s, Garth Brooks for 1990s and George Strait for 2000s. This Award was renamed the ACM Dick Clark Artist of the Decade Award after Clark passed away in 2012, in recognition of his many years as the ACM Awards producer and early host. ●

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Trisha Yearwood, Kimberly Schlapman and Martina McBride show their skills offstage

Country

BY TAYLOR PAYNE

COOKIN'

ew things go together better than good music, great friends and delicious food — so it seems only natural that some of country music’s biggest stars have taken their talents from the stage to the kitchen. From cookbooks to cooking

shows and everything in between, they have been putting their signature spice on both traditional and one-of-a-kind recipes for years, making an impressive mark in the world of culinary professionals. While at first it may have been a surprise to see artists like

Q: It’s safe to say your show, “Trisha’s Southern Kitchen,” is now a staple part of the Food Network. What inspired you to start this show? TRISHA: When I realized that Food Network was interested in telling the stories of my first cookbook (written with my mom and my sister,) I thought it could be so fun to have family and friends on the show with me, and be able to share my family stories with the viewers.

ACM and Lifting Lives® Board members Trisha Yearwood

Q: Did you ever imagine it growing into

and Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman cooking up

what it is today? TRISHA: I had no idea! I just knew we were laughing a lot, telling family stories, and showing our true selves, mistakes and all. Luckily, this seemed to be relatable to other people! It’s been so much fun to do this show.

homemade meals on television or to find Martina McBride’s cookbooks at the local bookstore, country fans have nevertheless latched on quick. It makes sense when you realize that country music songs tell a story, and some of life’s best stories are told around the family dinner table. ACM Tempo® sat down with the multi-talented superstars, Yearwood, Schlapman and McBride to find out what sparked their love of cooking and to chat about the stories behind their many cooking endeavors.

TRISHA

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Q: What episode (or episodes) have been your favorite to shoot? Any memorable guests? TRISHA: So many favorites, from dressing up like KISS for a Halloween episode, to singing on the porch with Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White. It’s been such an adventure. I am always so grateful that people agree to do the show. I have loved when I have gotten to sing with

guests. In addition to Ricky and Sharon, people like Reba, Kelly Clarkson, and it’s especially meaningful when I get to sing with my family on the show.

Q: Where did you get your love of cooking? TRISHA: From my mom and my dad. They were both excellent home cooks. My mom taught me all the basics and how to fix things that go wrong in the kitchen. My dad taught me how to have fun in the kitchen and not to stress out if things don’t go perfectly.

Q: Which recipes are your favorites? TRISHA: I think my favorite recipes are the ones passed down from generation to generation. The ones that still taste the same when I make them as they did

when my grandma made them. Things like cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving, and my mom’s Sunday roast beef, rice and gravy. Food evokes those memories of people we’ve loved and keeps them with us long after they’re gone.

Q: With everything that you have accomplished in your career, is there anything you have not yet done or any goals that you have not yet accomplished that are still on your list? TRISHA: I just got to sing to honor Linda Ronstadt, who recently was given the Kennedy Center Honor. I think I could retire now and be happy. Linda is my biggest musical influence, hands down. Getting to be a part of honoring her was a huge career moment for me. Whatever happens after this in my career is gravy. (No food pun intended!)

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KIMBERLY Q: Where did you get your love of cooking? KIMBERLY: My first memories are of

standing on a stool in the kitchen next to my mother, watching her cook and helping her. She would let me help her make biscuits, and I have vivid memories of that. And then my grandmothers were also both incredible cooks. Also, as a child I pretended that I had my own cooking show. I would stand on that same stool in the kitchen with a wooden spoon and an empty bowl, and I would just stir and talk to an invisible crowd of people.

Q: Well, little did you know, I’m sure at that time at least, that you would eventually have your own cooking show. KIMBERLY: Yes! Oh my goodness. Of course, I never even thought of it being a real possibility. I remember the day that our manager called me, and he said, “I need you to sit down.” And I was at my house, and I was like, “Oh dear. OK, I’m sitting down.” Then he says, “How would you like to have your own cooking show?” And I flipped out. I mean, I was so excited. It was literally more than I had ever dreamed. Even though I pretended it as a child, I never thought it would be reality. And oh, I loved that so much. I want it back! I want to put the word out. If anybody wants somebody to do a cooking show, call me! I’m ready to do it again, I loved it so much.

Q: Not only did you have a show, but you’ve also put out your own cookbook. Looking back on that experience, what was your favorite part about putting that book together? KIMBERLY: That cookbook was a labor of love. I’m so grateful that I got to do it because it’s also a memoir. I got to tell the

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stories of the recipes and the stories of my family and my grandmothers who I learned so much from. In my family, all of our family activities and functions really revolve around food. They always did [when I was] growing up and they still do. We got together for fellowship and to celebrate and to grieve, and every time we were together was around food. When I cook, it always evokes those feelings of family and taking care of each other. My mother taught me that without even saying it. By watching her, I learned how to take care of people that I love by cooking for them. One of the things that took so long with that book is the recipe testing because when you take an old recipe written out by your grandmother, you know it might say a “pinch” of salt and a “dash” of something, and you’re like, “Wait a minute. You can’t put a pinch and a dash and just a little bit more. You can’t put those phrases in a cookbook.” So I would have to test and test and test the same recipe over and over until I got this precise measurement for all these recipes so that I would be able to write the instructions properly.

Q: Well I’m sure that your family is so grateful to have that book. Do you think your daughters will share the same love of cooking that you have? KIMBERLY: My 12-year-old, Daisy, loves to cook and she’s really, really good at it. I love it when she cooks for us. She loves to bake, I would say, mostly. And she’s super good at that too. I’m so grateful that she has the passion for it like I do. She’s been baking since she was probably 3 or 4. Back then she wouldn’t really work with a recipe, she just threw ingredients in and you didn’t really know what was gonna come out. She did a lot of experimenting and her daddy, my husband, would always taste everything. But I told her recently that I didn’t always taste everything. Some of it was pretty bad. (laughs) She had a heavy hand with the baking soda — she had realized at some point that if she added enough baking soda, whatever she was making would rise. And that didn’t taste too good. And then little Dolly, who’s only 2, loves to bake with Daisy. They’ve just kind of started baking together, and Dolly loves that. You know, so much of our lives revolve around cooking and eating, so I’m hoping that Dolly’s gonna fall right in there with us.

Q: Speaking of learning, what is your best cooking advice for a beginner? KIMBERLY: To start simple and not try to take on too much. There are recipes that literally if you start at 9 a.m., you’re probably gonna serve it at 9 p.m. because there’s so much to do, so much work and so many ingredients. But if you’re just a beginner, just take a very simple recipe and read the whole recipe first so you know what step is coming next. And then don’t go with too many different ingredients. Find a recipe that’s simple and easy and start there. Perfect that and then move into more complicated recipes with more ingredients. I have a few recipes in my cookbook — there’s a soup recipe that my grandmother sent me when I was newly married as a very young 21-year-old. My grandmother sent me in a letter a recipe for this soup, which I call the “New Brides Soup,” and she said, “Try this.” So I tried it, and it was a hit the first time because it was simple and easy and my late husband loved it. It was one of his favorite things for me to make for him. And it’s one of my family’s favorites still today. That recipe is super special. I still have the handwritten letter and recipe that my grandmother sent me.

Q: Over the years, you have put together several collections of kitchenware and other fun household items, and you have a line at Cracker Barrel. Can you tell us about what inspires you when putting together collections like this? KIMBERLY: Well, my daddy gave me my first set of dishes when I was about eight or nine years old. I fell in love with how pretty they were, and I mean, he bought them at the grocery store. But when I was a little girl, the grocery stores would sometimes have deals where if you spent so much money, you could get a special on dishes. And so, he bought this set of china for me at the grocery store, and I fell in love with dishes at that point. I still have those dishes in my china cabinet today, they’re so special to me. So, from that point I just started collecting dishes. I love to go to flea markets and antique stores and estate sales and yard sales just to see what dishes they have. And I have a really big collection of vintage dishes, but not all of them are vintage, some of them are newer and I love to mix and match them together. But what inspires all of those collections that I have done is my love of cooking and serving the food. I like to put our food on beautiful dishes. In our home, every night that we’re home we eat together and always take time to set the table really pretty because it just means a lot to me. So, all those collections come from a true passion in my heart for loving beautiful dishes and beautiful things in the home. I like things that are cozy and make you feel welcome and warm.

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MARTINA Q: When did you first develop

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a love for cooking? MARTINA: I can remember taking cooking in 4-H. I was always around it, and my grandma was a great cook, but I think I really got more of an interest in it when I got married because my mother-in-law was a fantastic cook. They lived in the city and she would set out appetizers before dinner, and I was like, “What is that? That’s so nice!” So, she influenced me as far as wanting to cook more and to entertain more. And then through the years, I would cook for friends and family and they would say, “You need to write a cookbook,” but I didn’t think anyone would want to read that. Then somebody came along and said, “Want to write a cookbook?” and I was like “Oh! Sure, I’ll write a cookbook!” So I just fell into that kinda thing, but I’ve always loved to cook. It’s very therapeutic for me. It’s kinda how I take care of people, and it’s calming.

thought it would be. Some of the recipes in the new cookbook have been handed down from my family, some of them are recipes that I’ve just cooked for my family for years, and then I find new recipes the same way everybody finds recipes. I’ll make something from Pinterest or from a magazine and then inevitably, as I’ve gotten more confident as a cook, I end up changing things. Like I’m making chicken enchiladas tonight. Once I read through the recipe and I’m like, “This sounds delicious, but I would do this different and I would add this.” So, you just get more confident and you change the recipe. I mean, I’ve developed recipes and made up recipes on the spot, but most of them come from family members or from eating something at someone’s house and saying, “I love this recipe. How did you make this?” And then you make it your own.

Q: Last year you released your second cookbook

Q: What was your goal for this second cookbook

Martina’s Kitchen Mix: My Recipe Playlist for Real Life. What has been your favorite part about putting these cookbooks together? MARTINA: I feel like it’s really creative — I do sit down and write the cookbooks, which is more time consuming than I

versus your first one? What did you want to accomplish with this new book? MARTINA: The first cookbook was more about parties. Each chapter was a different party scene, and it was scaled for 10 to 12 people. There were decorating tips,

there were do-ahead timelines. It was like a how-to handbook for throwing a dinner party or a cocktail party. This new one is a regular old cookbook. See, I’m a home cook, I’m not a trained chef. Even with as much experience as I’ve had, if I read a term in a recipe that I’m not familiar with or there’s an ingredient that I can’t easily find or it’s too hard, I just skip it. So, my goal for this book was to have a book where nobody had to skip any recipes. It’s totally doable. I wanted a book that people could actually use. My favorite thing is when people will post a picture on social media of something that they actually made from the book.

martina’s kitchen mix

O My Recipe Playlist for Real Life O

Q: I’m sure that you’re inspiring a lot of people to explore their own cooking. Are there any professional chefs or people that you’ve looked to who’ve been inspiring to you as far as cooking goes? MM: We all look to Martha Stewart for tips and all that. And Emeril. You know, I remember going on Emeril Lagasse’s show — he was like the original cooking show on The Food Network. He was always so inspiring because he cooked with a lot of flavor, and he was so passionate about what he was making.

Q: Speaking of cooking shows, you had your first foray into the world of cooking shows just last year. What was that experience like for you? What was the most surprising thing about filming that show? MARTINA: It’s kinda hard. Meaning, the hardest thing for me was to smile while I was cooking. It’s like it’s a performance. And for me, cooking is usually a solitary, quiet endeavor. It’s therapeutic, I get in the kitchen and I like to be by myself. And all of a sudden, I’m cooking with like 30 people in the room, and I have to smile while I’m cooking and I’m like “Are you kidding me right now?” That’s so hard! We had a great team, and it looked really pretty. It was well shot and well edited, and I was really happy with the way it turned out. I think there’s a formula, you know, that is followed that didn’t feel constricting to me because it was the first time I had done it. I was just like, “I don’t know how to do a cooking show, I’ll do whatever you tell me. I’m just happy to be here.”

Q: What advice would you give to someone who is new to cooking? MARTINA: Well, I think everybody should know how to make a few simple things. Like everybody should know how to make a red sauce. If you can make a red sauce and you’ve got a box of pasta, you’re not gonna go hungry, right? I think everyone should know how to make a grilled cheese. I think everyone should know how to scramble an egg. You know, there are some basics that anybody can do and should know how to do so you can cook for yourself. I also feel like it’s really important to know how to read a recipe correctly and to read through the recipe first to make sure you have everything.

Martina M cBride

Because let me tell you something, as much as I preach that, still I’ll find myself saying “I know that recipe, I’ve made it like 25 times” and then I’ll get halfway through the recipe and realize I don’t have any oregano or whatever it is and have to make a trip to the grocery store. So I always tell my girls, read through the recipe, make sure you have everything, prep everything first before you put it together so that you’re not having to put something on hold in the middle because you have to chop something. Get that all done first.

Q: On a similar note, you just launched your new podcast “Vocal Point.” Can you tell us a little bit about what inspired that and what you’re planning for that podcast? MARTINA: I wanted it to be very conversational. Having been on the other end of interviews for 25 years, I find that we are usually doing interviews when we are promoting something, and the person is given talking points. We start to formulate the answer, the good, “right” sounding answer like a soundbite. And we start giving that answer over and over again, not because it’s not true, just because that’s a really good answer. So, I wanted to get people when they were out of their promotion cycle, when they’re not promoting anything and they’re just coming in to hang out.

Q: With everything that you’ve accomplished in your career so far, is there anything that you haven’t done yet or any goals that you have that you haven’t accomplished that are still on your list? MARTINA: I don’t think so, because I’m not really a goal-setter anyway. Like, I never had a goal to do a podcast. I never had a goal to write a cookbook. I never had a goal to have a cooking show. I did have a goal to be successful as a singer. And these things just come up, probably because of my success in the country music industry. Now I’m just able to be way more open to things that come up, like a podcast. I never thought I’d want to do a podcast, but I thought, “‘Why not? Let’s see what happens!”

Q: You do so much, and it seems like you are always so busy with your cooking and other endeavors. How do you balance that with your music career? Is that difficult for you? MARTINA: I don’t usually do it all at once. I find that the cooking stuff is time consuming and probably does keep me from focusing on music more than I used to. But I really love it. And at this stage in my life and my career, it’s really fulfilling for me. I’m so lucky and grateful that I’ve found something else that I’m as passionate about as music, and that I get to do it in a big way. ●

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I N M E M O RY

ACM Board Member Jay Frank: A Great Mind, a Greater Friend

nnovator. Iconoclast. Author. Programmer. Husband. Father. Friend. Lover of questionable music. Jay Frank was all those things, and so much more. A brilliant mind, a dark sense of humor, the ability to hold contrary opinions — without ever disparaging those who didn’t see what his future-forward vision clearly recognized — defined the man, who passed in October at the age of 47, after a suddenly accelerating battle with cancer. The devoted husband of Linda and loving father of daughter Alex, Jay had spent his last few months close to home, with family and friends. As senior vice president of Global Streaming Marketing for UMG, the Livingston, N.J.-born executive was renowned throughout the industry for his eclecticism, insight and trendsensing, combined with an ability to harness algorithms. Jay — who had previously founded the singles-driven music-subscription service DigSin — helped create what has become the standard for curated music discovery. His books, Futurehit.DNA and Hack Your Hit, incrementally broke down the formulas and strategies to maximize hit potential, explaining how to market across social media platforms for the greatest possible impact. Yet, for all his measurable success, what truly marked Jay’s time in the music business was his ability to bring out the best in others, recognize previously unseen opportunities and build on innovations already in place. Spotted by Les Garland, he was tapped as senior music director at The Box before moving to Yahoo Music

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as vice president of Music Strategy and Label Relations, where he would eventually grow the site’s monthly numbers by 25 million. Veteran programming executive Brian Philips, recognizing Jay’s ability to color beyond the lines, tapped him as senior vice president of Music Strategy for CMT: Country Music Television/MTV Networks in 2007. That job brought Jay to Nashville, where he became a quiet force who preferred to facilitate the music rather than posing for photo ops. During Jay’s years in Nashville, his expertise attracted global attention. He spoke on music technology, coming shifts in music delivery and consumer trends at the New Music Seminar, MIDEM, South by Southwest, the S.F. Music Tech Summit, Canadian Music Week, ASCAP Expo, the Digital Music Forum, MusExpo, CMJ and the Mobile Entertainment Summit. A recognized industry leader, he served on the board of directors of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Leadership Music and the Academy of Country Music. His breadth of knowledge and curiosity, sense of global connectedness and recognition of future trends made Jay the perfect choice to head UMG’s streaming offensive. Spotlighting playlisting years before it became ubiquitous, with a deep understanding of the power of curation, Jay expanded Universal’s reach, building its platforms while influencing key playlisters around the world. Sir Lucian Grainge acknowledged as much in his tribute. “Jay leaves an immense legacy,” the UMG chief offered. “He was a creative and tireless leader who made significant contributions to the evolution of our global marketing efforts. Many of

LEFT TO RIGHT: Linda, Alex and Jay Frank

the ways we market our artists and their music in the streaming era stems from Jay’s innovative work. But more than anything else, Jay was a loving father and husband. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends. We will miss him dearly.” “Jay knew,” said Philips. “He had a mind unlike any I’ve ever encountered. He told me years ago the day was coming where we would send written messages on our phones, and that music sampling would supersede every other means of discovery. His incredible curiosity showed him things the rest of us wouldn’t dream of.” The Wall Street Journal concurred, noting that this visionary “mapped out shifts wrought by the digital age and offered songwriters advice on everything from tempos to titles that might make their tunes more bankable.” Just as importantly, Jay applied his deep thinking to the people he worked with. His mentorship challenged and inspired many, allowing people to recognize their unseen strengths and tap into them. Jay was always happier on the edges, and his own taste leaned toward music most wouldn’t consider cool — the first dance at his wedding was to Air Supply. But at the same time, he was a highly sophisticated individual whose inventive social strategy broke countless songs and artists through the logjam during the course of his singular career. For a man who eschewed attention, the love Jay showed others was profound — and in his final weeks, it was quietly returned. — HOLLY GLEASON

CLUB BENEFIT SHOW RUN AC M LIF TIN G LIVE S is par tnering with concer t venue s acros s the countr y to host b enefit shows and continue our mis sion of improving live s through the p ower of music. Through par tnerships with ar tists, agents, managers and venue ownerop erators, more than $10 0,0 0 0 has b e en raise d through Lif ting Live s B enefit Shows to supp or t wor thy c ause s. It ’s e asy to par ticipate…

BOOK AN ARTIST to play a Lifting Lives show or DESIGNATE ONE OF YOUR EXISTING SHOWS as a Lifting Lives benefit!

Add a SMALL AMOUNT EARMARKED FOR ACM LIFTING LIVES to your existing ticket price, and voila! A charitable donation goes to Lifting Lives at no cost to you or to the artist.

Promote the show as an “ACM Lifting Lives Club Benefit Show,” and then FEEL GOOD writing a check to ACM Lifting Lives when it’s over!

T H AT ’ S I T ! It’s that easy to be a part of the great work that ACM Lifting Lives is doing from coast to coast to improve lives through the power of music. To join us, contact LY N D SAY C RUZ at lyndsay@acmcountry.com

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I N M E M O RY

Ed Cherney

Sonny Curtis

Kenny Dixon

1950 – 2019

1936 – 2019

1992 – 2019

Grammy- and Emmy-winning producer and engineer Ed Cherney, 69, passed away in October in California after a battle with cancer. Through the years, Cherney, who was born in Chicago in 1950, would also work with legends such as Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, Jackson Browne, Elton John, Etta James and Willie Nelson. “I engineer, mix and produce records for a living,” Cherney himself wrote in his official bio. “I get to work with genuine artists, making music, sometimes all night. Occasionally, there’s gushing: I’ve won Grammys and TEC Awards — I actually recently won my first Emmy. What success I’ve had owes much to the musical greats I’ve sat behind over the years — giants like Quincy Jones and Bruce Swedien, Don Was and Phil Ramone — listening through their ears, learning how they make great music.”

Famed pedal steel guitar player Sonny Curtis died October 11 at the age of 83 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Through the years, Curtis would play for the likes of legendary artists such as George Jones, Tammy Wynette and Conway Twitty. Born in Chillicothe, Ohio, Curtis was one of three children. It is said that it took him well into high school before he became interested in playing the pedal steel guitar. “Frankly, it took listening to the instrument live to capture my interest,” Curtis said. “I was fascinated by the use of the bar, the fact that the instrument wasn’t fretted and the player’s ability to make the proper notes by positioning the bar.” Curtis joined George Jones’ famed Jones Boys in 1964 and travelled alongside Jones from 1964 to 1969. When Jones married Tammy Wynette in 1969, Curtis went on to back the couple at their shows. When the couple divorced in 1975, Curtis went on to play with Wynette’s band until 1980. Other artists that Curtis played with included Conway Twitty, Charley Pride, Minnie Pearl, Roy Clark and Jean Shepherd. In 2002, Curtis returned to the music scene with his own album called “Reflections.” Sonny is survived by his wife, Barbara Curtis; his son, Rick Curtis and grandson, Chris Curtis, and two great-grandchildren; also two stepdaughters, Ronda Drake and Sondra Brumlow; as well as 11 step-grandchildren and 13 step-great-grandchildren.

Musician Kenneth Michael “Kenny” Dixon passed away October 12 at the age of 27 at the Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville as a result of a single-vehicle accident. At the time of his death, Dixon was the drummer for country star Kane Brown. “It is with profound sadness and disbelief that we confirm we lost our drummer Kenny this weekend in a tragic car accident,” read a statement from Brown’s team shortly after Dixon’s passing. “Kenny was a member of our family from the very beginning and our hearts are with his fiancé Sarah, his son, and everyone who knew and loved him. He was truly one of the greatest and kindest people on and off stage we’ve ever known.” Shortly after his death, Brown appeared on the CMT Artists of the Year event to accept an award, but instead used the time to honor his cherished friend. “Thank you all so much,” he said before starting to cry. “I want to dedicate this to our drummer Kenny. He started with me coming out of Chattanooga off Facebook. People didn’t think we would make it. He was with me the whole time. He was so supportive of me.” Dixon is survived by family members including his fiancé, Sarah Hedrick, and his 3-year-old son, Levi James Dixon of Dalton, Ga.; father, Michael Dixon of Rocky Face, Ga.; grandparents, Sandra Raby of Ringgold, Ga., Arnold Dixon of Tennessee, Richard and Jennifer Kames of Aurora, Ill.; and brothers, Sean Hughes, Brandon Smith and Kadon Johnson all of Dalton, Ga.

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BY T R I C I A D E S P R E S

Dennis Johnson

Kelley Looney

Joe Mansfield

1956 – 2019

1958 – 2019

1942 – 2019

Dennis Johnson, the beloved spouse of artist manager Fletcher Foster, passed away October 7 after a longfought battle with multiple myeloma. He was 62. Johnson was born on November 24, 1956, and attended Arcadia High School, where he took up the clarinet in the marching band. After graduation, he attended Pasadena City College and received an associates of arts degree in design. He also attended Cal Poly in Pomona, Calif., earning a bachelor of science degree in marketing with an emphasis in sdvertising. Johnson’s professional dreams came true when he landed a job with the Walt Disney Company. In 1995, Johnson moved to Nashville where he worked at Universal Studios Entertainment complex in Orlando, Fla., as vice president of Brand Development. He would leave that job to build his own home décor, design, manufacturing and distribution company. Throughout the years, he would create products found at Target, Belk, Coldwater Creek and boutique shops. He also went on to have quite a successful career in residential real estate starting in 2009. In August of 2019, Johnson married his longtime love, Foster. Johnson is preceded in death by his parents, Garnes and Phyllis Johnson. He is survived by his husband Fletcher, his siblings Jerry Johnson (Linda) and Judy Hopkins (Dale), and his nieces Deanna, Kimi, Britney, Ashley and Nicole.

Bass player Kelley Looney passed away at his home in Nashville on November 4. For nearly 31 years, Looney played and performed as part of Steve Earle & the Dukes band. He was 61 years old at the time of his death. Born and raised in Nashville, Looney’s father was a bass player who played with Eddy Arnold, the Owen Bradley Orchestra and Claude Thornhill, among others. “The turntable at our house was democratic and always playing something,” Looney wrote back in 2015. “In addition to what my folks fancied, my siblings and I added to the mix American pop, the British Invasion, Motown and Stax records. All this provided the soundtrack of our youth growing up in the ’60s South. Looney had played with Steve Earle & The Dukes since 1996, his talents showcased on albums such as “Copperhead Road,” “The Hard Way,” “Shut Up And Die Like An Aviator,” “I Feel Alright,” “El Corazón,” “Transcendental Blues” and “Jerusalem.” In addition to touring with Earle, Looney toured throughout the years with Deana Carter. He also played for Connie Smith on the Grand Ole Opry from 1982 to 1987.

Music industry veteran Joe Mansfield, 77, passed away in his Brentwood, Tenn., home October 31. He played a crucial part in the careers of a number of country music’s most iconic artists, including Garth Brooks, Tanya Tucker and Willie Nelson. Born in Providence, R.I., Mansfield’s career originally started in radio when he took a job as a disc jockey at San Antonio radio station KMAC/KISS in 1962. From there, he landed a sales job in San Antonio at CBS Records, and then relocated to Atlanta and Los Angeles in the mid-1970s. Eventually, Mansfield would make the move to New York in 1977 and hold a number of roles at both CBS Records and Capitol Records, where he worked with artists such as Journey, Chicago, Bruce Springsteen and Aerosmith. In the early ’90s, Mansfield worked as vice president, Marketing and Sales for Capitol Nashville/Liberty Nashville and became a part of a team that went on to launch the career of Garth Brooks. His position also had him overseeing an artist roster that included Tanya Tucker, Billy Dean and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Later in his career, Mansfield would become a partner in MansfieldMartinovich Associates, which provided consulting services for artists including Brooks, Wynonna and Willie Nelson. After then being named president/ CEO of Asylum Records in Nashville, Mansfield closed out his career with Brooks in various marketing roles. Survivors include his brother, Ed Mansfield, PhD, and his wife, Lynne, of Tuscaloosa, Ala.; his sister, Betty Mansfield of San Antonio, Texas; son Joe Mansfield and his wife, Sue Villemaire, of East Taunton, Mass.; and daughter Lisa Mansfield Goodwin and her husband, Jeff, of Hilton Head, S.C.

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I N M E M O RY

Raeanne Rubenstein

Joe Sun

1945 – 2019

1943 – 2019

Celebrity photographer Raeanne Rubenstein, 74, died in Nashville on November 30 of cardiac arrest. For more than five decades, Rubenstein found herself perched behind the lens of her camera, capturing images of everyone from Mick Jagger to Johnny Cash to Dolly Parton. “I’ve always had a deep-seated fascination with interesting people,” Rubenstein once said. “I figured if I got to know them in a visual way, other people could get to know them too.” Born in Staten Island, N.Y., Rubenstein graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Soon after, she began studying photography at the Annenberg School before moving to London. In the ’60s, Rubenstein would call New York home once again, this time working with the iconic Andy Warhol and photographing a string of stars that would come into his Factory venue. At the same time, she was on hand at The Fillmore East concert venue where she photographed legends such as Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and Joe Cocker. In 1975, Rubenstein made a trip to Nashville, and subsequently fell in love. She began photographing country music’s finest, including Garth Brooks, Loretta Lynn and Merle Haggard … just to name a few. Then, in 1998, this visionary would make Nashville her home. In addition to her photography work, Rubenstein would also serve as Founder of Dish magazine and write 10 books, including 1999’s Gone Country: Portraits of Country Music’s New Stars. In 2009, she enrolled in the Watkins Film School and would go on to produce, direct and shoot 10 short movies. Most recently, in 2019, a number of her images were used in the Ken Burns Country Music documentary miniseries on PBS.

Country music singer/songwriter James Joseph Paulsen, 76, (aka Joe Sun) passed away of natural causes at the Williams Child Hospice House in Palm Bay, Fla., on October 25. He was best known for his classic hit “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You.” “Be true to yourself and beware of crossing a line that puts your scruples in question,” reads his motto on his website. Born in Rochester, Minn., in 1943, Sun graduated from John Marshall High School in 1961 and went on to serve in the U.S. Air Force. After a brief stint as a radio DJ, he moved to Nashville in 1975. Once in Music City, Sun got busy, taking a total of 15 songs to the country charts from 1978 to 1985. His first single, “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You” ended up being the biggest hit of his career, and through the years, artists such as Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard and Kesha all have recorded their own versions of the song. Other songs Sun is known for include “On Business for the King,” “Blue Ribbon Blues,” “I’d Rather Go on Hurtin,’” “Out of Your Mind,” “What I Had with You” and “Holed Up in Some Honky Tonk,” just to name a few. He also saw much sales success in Europe throughout the ’80s and ’90s. Later in life, Sun was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of fame. Sun is survived by his sister, Karen Gonzagowski of Merritt Island, Fla.; his sister, Judy Erickson of Boca Raton, Fla.; and his brother, Charlie Paulsen of Stewartville, Minn.

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I M P R OV I N G

LIVES THROUGH THE

POWE R

MUSIC

WWW. ACMLIFTINGLIVES.ORG

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2/29/16 8:58 PM

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ACM M O M E NT

Bob Kingsley 11th Annual ACM Honors

™

Nashville | August 23, 2017 ACM Mae Boren Axton Award winner Bob Kingsley, center, spends time backstage at the Ryman Auditorium with ACM Award winners Thomas Rhett, left, and Bobby Bones at the 11th Annual ACM Honors. Flip the magazine for a special tribute section to Bob Kingsley and his legendary career.

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THANK YOU

COUNTRY RADIO FOR AN AMAZING 2O19!

3 OF THE TOP 10 MOST PLAYED SONGS OF THE YEAR #3

“GIRL LIKE YOU”

“EYES ON YOU”

JASON ALDEAN CHASE RICE

JIMMIE ALLEN “BEST SHOT”

MOST PLAYED ARTISTS OVERALL

MEN

#2 JASON ALDEAN #8 JIMMIE ALLEN

#2 JASON ALDEAN #7 JIMMIE ALLEN

WOMEN

DUO GROUP OR

#4 LINDSAY ELL

#5 RUNAWAY JUNE #9 LOCASH

NEW ARTIST #2 LINDSAY ELL #3 RUNAWAY JUNE

PLUS…

BILLBOARD TOP NEW COUNTRY ARTIST

BLANCO BROWN

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TEMPO ACM

WINTER 2020

Remembering

Bob Kingsley

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He had us at

HELLO. Before he even said his name, BOB KINGSLEY reeled us all in with his smooth and friendly voice — something he would continue to do for generations to come. There was a heavy silence when Kingsley died on October 17, 2019, after a fight with bladder cancer. Here we honor the imprint he left behind after 50 years in radio and on the Academy of Country Music.

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A Lasting Legacy BOB KINGSLEY mesmerized generations through the airwaves BY C R A I G S H E L B U R N E

ward-winning radio host and longtime ACM board member Bob Kingsley, whose weekly countdown shows endeared him to generations of country fans and artists, died October 17, 2019, at home in Weatherford, Texas. He had been diagnosed with bladder cancer. Kingsley was 80. A member of the National Radio Hall of Fame, Kingsley was first elected to the Academy of Country Music’s Board of Directors in 1967, and continued to serve until his passing. With more than 50 years of counting down the hits, he enjoyed a reputation as one of the most recognizable and respected voices in country music. Kingsley was born on March 19, 1939, and grew up in Van Nuys, Calif. At 7, he spent nearly a year isolated in bed after he contracted polio. He became intrigued by the evening programs, like The Shadow and The Lone Ranger. Southern California radio station KFWB also broadcasted a weekly rock ‘n’ roll countdown show in the late 1950s that caught Kingsley’s attention. That concept would follow him throughout his distinguished career.

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1 1. ACM Radio Personality of the Year Bob Kingsley with his parents, Don and Lillian Kingsley on March 4, 1968, at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, California. 2. Kingsley in the studio circa 1950s. 3. Kingsley with wife, Nan, and Keith Urban. 4. Bob travels the country in style in the 1980s. 5. Kingsley with friend, George Strait. 6. Kingsley and country legend Waylon Jennings. 7. Kingsley with a new artist named Taylor Swift. 8. Kingsley and breakout star Luke Combs. 8. Kingsley with wife, Nan, Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks

At 18, he joined the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Iceland. Although he had no experience, he landed a job as a radio announcer. Upon leaving the Air Force, he returned to Southern California and started working in radio, landing in Oxnard, San Jose and, finally, Los Angeles. Kingsley became a West Coast champion of country music and received the ACM trophy for Radio Personality of the Year for 1966 and 1967. He helped flip KLAC, a powerhouse AM station, from adult contemporary to country music in 1970. In the 1970s, he could be heard on KFI as well as Drake-Chenault’s Great American Country automated show. But his big break came when he landed a job with Watermark, a pioneer in syndicated radio. In 1974, he was hired to produce American Country Countdown. Four years later, after periodically filling in, he assumed the role of host. Under his tenure, the show grew from about a dozen affiliates to more than a thousand around the world, according to Billboard.

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From 1978 to 2006, Kingsley introduced thousands of songs, often incorporating his own interview segments or anecdotes. Usually heard on Sunday mornings, the show radiated with Kingsley’s warmth, knowledge and enthusiasm for the artists, whether they were superstars or new to the scene. ABC acquired Watermark in 1983, but Kingsley stayed on to record the countdown, which was based in Los Angeles at the time. American Country Countdown was named Billboard’s Network/Syndicated Program of the Year for 16 years straight, starting in 1987. By 1990, Kingsley also voiced a daily two-minute package called America’s Music Makers, which was heard on hundreds of ACC affiliates. Kingsley was named to the Country Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1998. On a personal note, Kingsley met his future wife, Nan, at a 1983 radio convention in San Francisco. They married in 1989 and moved to Texas in 1995 to pursue their interest in cutting horses.

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Over time, American Country Countdown expanded to include holiday shows and albumrelease specials. Kingsley and ABC parted ways in 2005. A year later, Bob and Nan Kingsley launched their own company with the syndicated show, Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40. He received the ACM Award for On-Air Personality of the Year for 2006 and his series could be heard on 320 stations worldwide. He recorded most of the shows from his studio on his ranch in Weatherford.

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Kingsley was surprised with the first-ever Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award in 2014 during an all-star show at the Grand Ole Opry. The honor has since been presented annually with proceeds from the event donated to the Opry Trust Fund. In 2017, he also received the ACM Mae Boren Axton Award for his service to the Academy. That same year he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. ●

Remembering Bob Kingsley Artists pay tribute to their good friend Adam Hambrick @adamhambrick Prayers for Bob Kingsley’s family and friends today. Country music has lost a true treasure. Big D and Bubba @bigdandbubba Brokenhearted to hear of this radio legend’s passing. Bob Kingsley was someone to look up to. A man to learn from, a host we respected. He was someone to listen to as well as someone to talk to. We are incredibly grateful that we have been blessed to have called Bob a friend. Clint Black @Clint_Black Bob Kingsley was a favorite in our radio world, both as a professional and as a person. We are wishing his family and friends comfort and peace of mind in their time of loss. Jack Ingram @jackingram My friend, Bob Kingsley, @countrytop40, passed away. That hurts. He was as passionate about music as anybody I’ve met and shared that with the world! He took care of us and our songs. I have a good feeling that will continue where he’s headed. Godspeed, Bob. #ComingInThisWeekAtNumberOne Jillian Jacqueline @jillianjmusic The voice of my childhood! So sad to hear the news of Bob Kingsley passing. John Michael Montgomery @JM2Squared I will never forget hearing Bob Kingsley say my name the 1st time I broke Top 40 in #AmericanCountryCountdown with “Life’s A Dance.” That’s when I knew I had made it! As a kid, I couldn’t wait to listen to him every weekend. Thank you for the memories. Rest in peace.

Keith Urban @KeithUrban Today I lost a longtime great friend and we lost a beautiful human named Bob Kingsley. Every memory I have of being with Bob (and Nan) is one of rare warmth and grace. I will miss you dearly Bob — peace be with your spirit and blessings & peace be with your family today. —KU Levi Hummon @levihummon RIP to #BobKingsley. It was such an honor to meet you and spend a day at your Texas ranch. You will be missed. locash @locash The voice, the man, the friend. #BobKingsley… from day 1 you’ve been in our corner. We truly lost 1 of the good 1’s big prayers to Nan, rest easy brother…til we meet again!! @bobkingsleyct40 Radney Foster @RadneyFoster I am so sad at the loss this morning of my friend Bob Kingsley. He was a giant in country music, a good friend and a father figure to my wife. Praying for Nan and the rest of his family. Toby Keith @tobykeith RIP Bob Kingsley. THE VOICE. Genuine professional and a giver. I never met a nicer guy in my life. Rest well cowboy. —T Travis Denning @Travis_Denning Damn man. RIP to Bob Kingsley. Absolutely country radio legend. I remember getting to interview with him and was 10 minutes late to my next one. Such an amazing guy.

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