Ahead of tonight’s ACM Awards, Russell Dickerson caught up with Audacy’s Katie Neal to talk new music, that viral moment of his son and Thomas Rhett's daughter, and more.

“I just dropped a little piece called ‘Good Day to Have A Great Day,’" Russell noted, “it's my life motto, obviously,” he added, before going on to recall the first time he had the idea for the song.

“I had the idea and I was like, this could be really dumb. You know what I mean?” Katie didn’t, countering that it turned out “dope.” Which Russell agreed with. “Yeah, it turned out dope and yeah, I was just like, why not just drop this song?” And so he did.

Pulling a parent go-to by pulling out his phone to show Katie some pics of kiddos while he gushed about Remington and Radford, Dickerson also discussed that viral moment of his son and Thomas Rhett's daughter holding hands, and how he cant wait for TR to "pay for the wedding.”

“I think there's going to be this wild moment in 15 years when all of them are in high school together,” Russell said. “Because we live literally two minutes from TR, and so they'll probably go to the same school. They'll probably all be in the same class, They’ll probably fall in love, and then Thomas Rhett will have to pay for the wedding.”

When asked who he’s most excited to see and try to find during commercial breaks during tonight's show, Dickerson shouted out his possible future brother-in-law Rhett. “Probably TR honestly,” she replied, “Just find him and Lauren,” before adding the game plan might include finding “everybody,” noting “I’m friends with everybody.”

As for any after parties, that’s gonna be a no go for Mr and Mrs Dickerson. “We have no kids. So that means trying to catch some Zs, mega Zs… The only after party that I'm going to is betwixt my sheets. Do you know what I'm saying?”

Making sure to ask about his plans for more music, Russell shared that he doesn’t know exact dates, but did reveal that “it's getting mixed probably today or this week sometime.”

“So mix, and then we got a master, then we gotta tweak and then we gotta do, and then we gotta eat,” he joked. "That's, all those pro industry terms that you guys don't really understand.”

To hear all that and more, check the entire interview above, and don't miss the ACM Awards on Amazon Prime.

Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Katie Neal

Ahead of tonight’s ACM Awards, Russell Dickerson caught up with Audacy’s Katie Neal to talk new music, that viral moment of his son and Thomas Rhett's daughter, and more.
“I just dropped a little piece called ‘Good Day to Have A Great Day,’" Russell noted, “it's my life motto, obviously,” he added, before going on to recall the first time he had the idea for the song.
“I had the idea and I was like, this could be really dumb. You know what I mean?” Katie didn’t, countering that it turned out “dope.” Which Russell agreed with. “Yeah, it turned out dope and yeah, I was just like, why not just drop this song?” And so he did.
Pulling a parent go-to by pulling out his phone to show Katie some pics of kiddos while he gushed about Remington and Radford, Dickerson also discussed that viral moment of his son and Thomas Rhett's daughter holding hands, and how he cant wait for TR to "pay for the wedding.”
“I think there's going to be this wild moment in 15 years when all of them are in high school together,” Russell said. “Because we live literally two minutes from TR, and so they'll probably go to the same school. They'll probably all be in the same class, They’ll probably fall in love, and then Thomas Rhett will have to pay for the wedding.”
When asked who he’s most excited to see and try to find during commercial breaks during tonight's show, Dickerson shouted out his possible future brother-in-law Rhett. “Probably TR honestly,” she replied, “Just find him and Lauren,” before adding the game plan might include finding “everybody,” noting “I’m friends with everybody.”
As for any after parties, that’s gonna be a no go for Mr and Mrs Dickerson. “We have no kids. So that means trying to catch some Zs, mega Zs… The only after party that I'm going to is betwixt my sheets. Do you know what I'm saying?”
Making sure to ask about his plans for more music, Russell shared that he doesn’t know exact dates, but did reveal that “it's getting mixed probably today or this week sometime.”
“So mix, and then we got a master, then we gotta tweak and then we gotta do, and then we gotta eat,” he joked. "That's, all those pro industry terms that you guys don't really understand.”
To hear all that and more, check the entire interview above, and don't miss the ACM Awards on <a href="https://www.audacy.com/topic/2024-acm-awards">Amazon Prime</a>.
Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Katie Neal

ACM-nominated Katie Neal is here to get you through the workday and keep you in the know with all things Country music. She’s always looking for a good laugh and a great deal. When Katie’s not on your radio, she’s probably binging her favorite TV shows, attending a wedding or planning a trip somewhere! Katie was recently recognized by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation and won a Gracie Award.

ACM-nominated Katie Neal is here to get you through&nbsp;the workday and keep you in the know with all things Country music. She&rsquo;s always looking for a good laugh and a great deal.&nbsp;When Katie&rsquo;s not on your radio, she&rsquo;s probably binging her favorite TV shows, attending a wedding or planning a trip somewhere! Katie was recently recognized by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation and won a Gracie Award.

Katie & Company

Russell Dickerson at the 2024 ACM Awards

BaileyZimmerman bared all last month when he stripped down to his underwear at Stagecoach music festival in Indio, CA. Now, the 24-year-old is sharing exactly what was going through his mind as he unbuttoned and unzipped in front of thousands with freshly spray-tanned skin.

“People buy a ticket and they expect to see a show, so I was like, ‘Take your clothes off, man. Do it!’” Bailey said of what went through his mind when he was told he had to end his set early due to severe weather. Determined to “Give them a freakin’ show,” in any way he could to make up for the shortened set, Zimmerman started to strip, and has absolutely no regrets in his efforts to make people smile in an unfortunate situation.

“I’ve never been scared to be that guy,” he shared of doing something goofy. “I just want to have fun, I just want to make sure everybody is happy, everybody was goin’ home at least goin’ ‘We might not have been able to hear the songs we wanted to, but I got his pants.’”

The confidence to bare all in front of thousands is next level and for Bailey, a large part of that confidence was knowing he had sun-kissed skin to show off underneath his clothes.

“I’m tired of hiding it, I get freakin’ spray tans and that’s fine cause I’m human and I was born with like, the whitest skin, I am like a ghost,” he stated. “Sometimes, I wanna be tan with everybody else and it’s fun to be tan, OK?”

He continued, “Quit thinking it’s weird to get a spray tan. Everybody looks better with a spray tan, you look better with a spray tan and it’s fun. Ernest has been saying, ‘Legalize Country music,’ I say, ‘Legalize men’s spray tans and quit judging me, bro!’”

His spray tan secret hasn’t been the only thing under wraps for Zimmerman, who also shared new music is in the works, but he’s not ready to share it quite yet.

Teasing fans with the first new taste of what’s to come with his new release, “Holy Smokes,” Zimmerman promises when it does come it’ll be fresh, yet familiar to his fans worldwide.

“’Holy Smokes’ for me, was something fresh, that sounded a little different, but also, was still me,” he said of the song, before sharing he’s aiming to release more new music in the fall.  “2024 is a time for me to try things that I haven’t tried before [but] also stick on the same things and write… that’s what I’m chasin’ with this new album that’s hopefully coming in the fall. I don’t know yet though, I won’t turn it in if it’s not perfect.”

Hear all about what Zimmerman is working on, his near-naked on-stage appearance and so much more by checking out his entire conversation on the Superstar Power Hour with Audacy’s Katie Neal above.

Bailey Zimmerman bared all last month when he stripped down to his underwear at Stagecoach music festival in Indio, CA. Now, the 24-year-old is sharing exactly what was going through his mind as he unbuttoned and unzipped in front of thousands with freshly spray-tanned skin.
“People buy a ticket and they expect to see a show, so I was like, ‘Take your clothes off, man. Do it!’” Bailey said of what went through his mind when he was told he had to end his set early due to severe weather. Determined to “Give them a freakin’ show,” in any way he could to make up for the shortened set, Zimmerman started to strip, and has absolutely no regrets in his efforts to make people smile in an unfortunate situation.
“I’ve never been scared to be that guy,” he shared of doing something goofy. “I just want to have fun, I just want to make sure everybody is happy, everybody was goin’ home at least goin’ ‘We might not have been able to hear the songs we wanted to, but I got his pants.’”
The confidence to bare all in front of thousands is next level and for Bailey, a large part of that confidence was knowing he had sun-kissed skin to show off underneath his clothes.
“I’m tired of hiding it, I get freakin’ spray tans and that’s fine cause I’m human and I was born with like, the whitest skin, I am like a ghost,” he stated. “Sometimes, I wanna be tan with everybody else and it’s fun to be tan, OK?”
He continued, “Quit thinking it’s weird to get a spray tan. Everybody looks better with a spray tan, you look better with a spray tan and it’s fun. Ernest has been saying, ‘Legalize Country music,’ I say, ‘Legalize men’s spray tans and quit judging me, bro!’”
His spray tan secret hasn’t been the only thing under wraps for Zimmerman, who also shared new music is in the works, but he’s not ready to share it quite yet.
Teasing fans with the first new taste of what’s to come with his new release, “Holy Smokes,” Zimmerman promises when it does come it’ll be fresh, yet familiar to his fans worldwide.
“’Holy Smokes’ for me, was something fresh, that sounded a little different, but also, was still me,” he said of the song, before sharing he’s aiming to release more new music in the fall.  “2024 is a time for me to try things that I haven’t tried before [but] also stick on the same things and write… that’s what I’m chasin’ with this new album that’s hopefully coming in the fall. I don’t know yet though, I won’t turn it in if it’s not perfect.”
Hear all about what Zimmerman is working on, his near-naked on-stage appearance and so much more by checking out his entire conversation on the Superstar Power Hour with Audacy’s Katie Neal above.

Bailey Zimmerman | Superstar Power Hour

Following the recent release of his new single, “Drinkin’ Buddies,” LeeBrice is excited to share even more new music with a brand new album.

“I say this about every record, but it is the most ‘me’ record, songs, music all of it, that I’ve ever done,” Lee told Audacy’s KatieNeal of the forthcoming record during his time on the Superstar Power Hour.

Nearing the 14th anniversary of releasing his debut album, Love Like Crazy, Lee is reflecting on the new-found freedom he feels while making music.

“[I’m] just kinda at a point in my life where I want to do the music that I want to do and I don’t wanna necessarily feel like there’s boundaries or walls or genres,” he said. “Country music is truth, it’s who I am, so whatever comes out of me — I’ve got everything from Soul to Pop to Rock to Blues to very Country, Country, Country all the way down to the roots, Gospel — but this thing has a lot of all that.”

While it has a little bit of everything, the 44-year-old shared he is most excited about a Gospel-rooted song, "When the Kingdom Comes," that he says represents not only his favorite song on the whole project, but also represents who he is.

“If I had to play you one song from the whole record, it’d probably be this one gospel sort-of song [‘When the Kingdom Comes’] It wouldn’t be the single, just because I care what people know about me and what they think about where I’m at in my life and that’s where I’m at in my life.”

Don’t let the couple of Gospel songs throw you, Lee promises plenty of good time anthems, quick-witted and playful tunes as well. “We have some really, really, really fun stuff [like] ‘Said No Country Boy Ever,’ ‘Drinkin’ Buddies’ is amazing.”

He concluded, “It’s very diverse, I’ve always had kind of diverse records, but it’s got a thread through it.”

Hear more about the new music, family updates and the story behind his tackiest taxidermy by checking out his entire conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal above.

Following the recent release of his new single, “Drinkin’ Buddies,” Lee Brice is excited to share even more new music with a brand new album.
“I say this about every record, but it is the most ‘me’ record, songs, music all of it, that I’ve ever done,” Lee told Audacy’s Katie Neal of the forthcoming record during his time on the Superstar Power Hour.
Nearing the 14th anniversary of releasing his debut album, Love Like Crazy, Lee is reflecting on the new-found freedom he feels while making music.
“[I’m] just kinda at a point in my life where I want to do the music that I want to do and I don’t wanna necessarily feel like there’s boundaries or walls or genres,” he said. “Country music is truth, it’s who I am, so whatever comes out of me — I’ve got everything from Soul to Pop to Rock to Blues to very Country, Country, Country all the way down to the roots, Gospel — but this thing has a lot of all that.”
While it has a little bit of everything, the 44-year-old shared he is most excited about a Gospel-rooted song, "When the Kingdom Comes," that he says represents not only his favorite song on the whole project, but also represents who he is.
“If I had to play you one song from the whole record, it’d probably be this one gospel sort-of song [‘When the Kingdom Comes’] It wouldn’t be the single, just because I care what people know about me and what they think about where I’m at in my life and that’s where I’m at in my life.”
Don’t let the couple of Gospel songs throw you, Lee promises plenty of good time anthems, quick-witted and playful tunes as well. “We have some really, really, really fun stuff [like] ‘Said No Country Boy Ever,’ ‘Drinkin’ Buddies’ is amazing.”
He concluded, “It’s very diverse, I’ve always had kind of diverse records, but it’s got a thread through it.”
Hear more about the new music, family updates and the story behind his tackiest taxidermy by checking out his entire conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal above.

Lee Brice | Superstar Power Hour

CodyJohnson is walking into tonight’s ACM Awards with five nominations and every intention of trying to land a spot on Reba’s new television show.

While excited to be up for one of the night’s biggest awards, Entertainer of the Year, COJO is even more excited to be surrounded by his childhood heroes whom he grew up watching on the ACM Awards. That includes tonight’s host, RebaMcEntire, who Johnson said he connected with while at various ACM events earlier in the week.

“I was talking to her earlier this week, she’s so sweet,” Johnson said of McEntire. After inviting her to one of his shows in Arlington, TX this November, Johnson said he also took the opportunity to offer himself up as an extra on her new sitcom. “I was like, ‘Hey! If you need any extras, let me know.’” He laughed.

“It’s always great to have people like Reba or like RonnieDunn that you can pick up the phone and call and let them mentor you a little bit,” he said on a more serious note. “They were here for the first time too. They know how it feels. I’m doing this all for the very first time — this is all brand new to me... I remember being a kid and watching Reba and AlanJackson, GeorgeStrait, GarthBrooks and all my heroes that were nominated in this category [Entertainer of the Year].”

In addition to catching up with all his mentors and fellow Country pals, Johnson is also set to take the stage to perform his current single, “Dirt Cheap,” a song he said was almost recorded by LukeCombs. “I’ll tell ya what, Luke Combs had this song,” Cody revealed. “He had it in his phone and never clicked on it. So, thank you, Luke!” he laughed. Expressing his gratitude for the tune that he believes will bring him his next number 1 hit.

Catch Cody’s performance of “Dirt Cheap,” on the ACM Awards tonight via Amazon Prime and hear his entire conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Cody Johnson is walking into tonight’s ACM Awards with five nominations and every intention of trying to land a spot on Reba’s new television show.
While excited to be up for one of the night’s biggest awards, Entertainer of the Year, COJO is even more excited to be surrounded by his childhood heroes whom he grew up watching on the ACM Awards. That includes tonight’s host, Reba McEntire, who Johnson said he connected with while at various ACM events earlier in the week.
“I was talking to her earlier this week, she’s so sweet,” Johnson said of McEntire. After inviting her to one of his shows in Arlington, TX this November, Johnson said he also took the opportunity to offer himself up as an extra on her new sitcom. “I was like, ‘Hey! If you need any extras, let me know.’” He laughed.
“It’s always great to have people like Reba or like Ronnie Dunn that you can pick up the phone and call and let them mentor you a little bit,” he said on a more serious note. “They were here for the first time too. They know how it feels. I’m doing this all for the very first time — this is all brand new to me... I remember being a kid and watching Reba and Alan Jackson, George Strait, Garth Brooks and all my heroes that were nominated in this category [Entertainer of the Year].”
In addition to catching up with all his mentors and fellow Country pals, Johnson is also set to take the stage to perform his current single, “Dirt Cheap,” a song he said was almost recorded by Luke Combs. “I’ll tell ya what, Luke Combs had this song,” Cody revealed. “He had it in his phone and never clicked on it. So, thank you, Luke!” he laughed. Expressing his gratitude for the tune that he believes will bring him his next number 1 hit.
Catch Cody’s performance of “Dirt Cheap,” on the ACM Awards tonight via Amazon Prime and hear his entire conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal above.
Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Russell Dickerson at the 2024 ACM Awards

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