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Dierks Bentley gets muddy with 4×4-lovers in “5-1-5-0″ video. Carrie Underwood shines a light on Blown Away‘s darkness. Lee Ann Womack offers details on a new album and tribute. The Civil Wars make “Sour Times” sweeter on VH1 Unplugged. Wade Bowen tees off with Texas country favorites for charity. Sheryl [...]
(CMT Offstage keeps a 24/7 watch on everything that’s happening with country music artists behind the scenes and out of the spotlight.) This is my favorite new word — hockeytonking. I have no idea who made it up, but it blends two of my favorite things: hockey (I have kissed [...]
Dierks Bentley‘s fans would follow him anywhere, whether it’s free and easy down the road or up on the ridge. And wherever he’s playing, he makes the crowd feel right at home. Here are 10 of his prime hits, chosen by the CMT.com staff. “Come a Little Closer” Does anybody [...]
Vinyl record lovers and rare-release hunters alike will celebrate Record Store Day on Saturday (April 21) by lining up at their favorite local shops. Held each year since 2008, the day is meant to call attention to independent music retailers and the wealth of resources they provide for fans and [...]
(CMT Offstage keeps a 24/7 watch on everything that’s happening with country music artists behind the scenes and out of the spotlight.) If you see Wayne Newton and Kiss walking down a red carpet together, your first thought has to be “Only in Vegas.” Right? So why not keep that [...]
Biography
Growing up in a nonmusical family in Phoenix, AZ, country singer Dierks Bentley got his country music education on his own, listening to recordings. A love of the music inspired him to move to Nashville at the age of 19, but he quickly grew discouraged by the lack of public and professional interest coming his way. It all changed when he walked into the Station Inn, a bar where the bluegrass faithful hang out. An all-night jam session recharged his batteries and he restarted pursuing gigs. He landed a job at the TNN television network doing research on classic country music and by night he worked on his demos. Capitol Records heard the artist, signed him, and released his self-titled debut, Dierks Bentley, in 2003, which yielded the impossibly catchy single “What Was I Thinkin’”. Bringing his love of Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings more to the forefront, Modern Day Drifter followed two years later and became a Top Ten hit. In 2006 he returned with Long Trip Alone, a more polished effort that was commercial but not crass. Greatest Hits: Every Mile a Memory arrived in 2008, a bit early in his career for that, perhaps, but it did contain his key charting singles and added in fan-selected live tracks as a bonus, making it a nice summation of Bentley’s work to date. A new album, Feel That Fire, was released in early 2009, followed by Up on the Ridge in 2010. ~ David Jeffries & Steve Leggett, Rovi