Travis Tritt and Tracy Lawrence have known each other since the ‘90s. Over the last three decades, the country singers built a friendship on making memories – and keeping secrets.
“We don’t have any stories we can tell,” Lawrence quipped. “Not enough people have died. His wife would run me off if I tell stories on him.”
“I have him sworn to secrecy,” Tritt adds. “He gets a paycheck.”
Dubbed “Travis Tritt, Tracy Lawrence: ’90s coming back ‘like a rocket ship,” Country Mile Episode 5 was recorded in Buena Vista, Colorado, at Dierks Bentley’s Seven Peaks Festival. And while Tritt and Lawrence aren’t up for sharing the details of their youthful heyday, they are more than happy to share G-rated touring stories and are also pretty impressed with atmosphere Bentley created in in the mountain town three-to-four hours outside of Denver.
“There’s an old expression: Dance with the one that brought you. I believe in that 100 percent.”
– Travis Tritt
Written by Constance Dunn for JohnWayne.com
Country music deals in some of the most elemental—and enduring—states of the human condition. It chronicles the joy of love and the pain of loss; feelings of loneliness; having faith; reminiscing about one’s hometown or love of one’s country. Such emotions, experienced by everyone at some point, are the mother tongue of this special brand of music that kicked off its commercial start in the early 20th-century and has continued to garner new fans over the decades, particularly the last couple, when an increasing number of new listeners have been lured by the pop-friendly sounds of modern country.
At 16, Blake Shelton chose a black Takamine cutaway for his first guitar after seeing fellow Oklahoman Garth Brooks play one on TV. Seven-year-old Chris Young bellowed Alan Jackson’s “Don’t Rock the Jukebox” from the aisles of BI-LO in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, so his mother could find him between the cereal boxes and comic books. Dierks Bentley is convinced that Clint Black’s first five songs topped country radio airplay charts because of the frequency he called local country stations around his hometown of Phoenix to request them.
Thirty years ago, country music’s storied “Class of 1989” — led by the meteoric rise of Brooks, Jackson, Black and Travis Tritt — changed the face of one of America’s truest art forms, propelling country music to unprecedented commercial success and worldwide popularity. Jackson’s traditionalism, Tritt’s Southern rock swagger, Black’s refined twang and Brooks’ everyman storytelling combined for a string of hits that would dominate charts for years to follow. Their distinctive voices and nuanced music — at once undeniably modern and deeply rooted in the genre’s past — showed the world there was more to country music than overalls and tobacco spit.
These men challenged the very standards by which country music was viewed, both within and beyond rural America. A generation later, they are the standard. Their legacy is still being written by a new crop of stars whose own music is directly influenced by the foursome.
Country music icon, Travis Tritt, is scheduled to appear on this weekend’s edition of “Huckabee,” airing on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN)thisSaturday, July 20 at 7 pm CT/8 pm ET and Sunday, July 21 at 7 pm CT/8 pm ET. To learn how you can watch TBN in your area, check your local listings here.
Then, on July 23, a re-broadcast of Travis’ interview with Dan Rather for “The Big Interview” will air on AXS TV. During the interview, Rather catches up with Tritt at the world-famous Country Music Hall Of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee, where the Outlaw Country hero opens up about his favorite artists, his faith, his introduction to singing, his friendship with fellow icon Marty Stuart, and what sets Country apart from other genres. For a list of providers, visit axs.tv/subscribe.
Three decades after Travis Trittlaunched his music career, the Grammy award-winning artist continues to sell out shows and stay true and relevant to Country music fans across the globe. A Marietta, Ga. native, Travis Tritt is dubbed one of “The Class of ‘89,” which included Country music superstars Garth Brooks, Clint Black, and Alan Jackson; all of whom dominated the charts in the early ‘90s. Among his eleven studio albums and numerous charted singles are nineteen Top 10 hits, including “Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde,” “Here’s A Quarter” and “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive.” His career has produced millions in album sales, two Grammy award wins and multiple No. 1 singles on the Country radio charts. He is also a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Outlaw Country Icon Travis Tritt Unleashes A Career-Spanning Set of Enduring Classics In The Premiere of Travis Tritt: Homegrown, Airing Sunday, June 2 at 9 p.m. ET
Then, Tritt Opens Up about His Life and Legacy in Music on an All-New Episode of The Big Interview with Dan Rather, Airing Tuesday, June 4 at 8 p.m. ET
(NASHVILLE, Tenn – May 29, 2019) – Get ready for a double dose of “T-R-O-U-B-L-E,” as AXS TV puts the spotlight on GRAMMY-winning Country star Travis Tritt with the premiere of the unforgettable concert event Travis Tritt: Homegrown on Sunday, June 2 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT; followed by Tritt’s candid conversation with Dan Rather in an all-new episode of The Big Interview on Tuesday, June 4 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Filmed live last year at Bell Auditorium in Augusta, Georgia, Travis Tritt: Homegrown finds the beloved chart-topper performing in his home state and rocking to a packed house with some of his most enduring hits. During the night, Tritt entertains the audience with his thoughts on songwriting, his life-long respect for veterans, and his experience with the legendary Waylon Jennings, and delivers an impressive career-spanning set featuring a wide range of classics such as “Put Some Drive In Your Country,” “I’m Gonna Be Somebody,” “Whisky On Ice,” “Country Club,” “Here’s A Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares),” “T-R-O-U-B-L-E,” and “Lonesome, On’ry And Mean,” among many others. Tritt sings “It’s a Great Day to be Alive,” in this first-look clip.
One particular area of criticism revolved around his distinct lack of a cowboy hat. On his decision to forego the Country staple, Tritt explains, “I was tryin’ to set myself apart. Second reason, and the more practical, was I had all this hair back then… I was not tryin’ to make any kind of statements against cowboy hats.” Tritt’s style choice even caught the attention of the great Waylon Jennings, who famously aired his opinion on the matter in the pair’s duet “Old Outlaws Like Us.” As Tritt recalls, “At the very end of it, as the song was trailin’ off, Waylon says in a clear voice, ‘Travis, you may be the best. But I think you need a hat.’” Watch it here in this first-look clip.
Then, on June 4, Dan Rather catches up with Tritt at the world-famous Country Music Hall Of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee, where the Outlaw Country hero opens up about his favorite artists, his faith, his introduction to singing, his friendship with fellow icon Marty Stuart, and what sets Country apart from other genres. In this exclusive preview, Tritt talks about his life’s proudest accomplishment—becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry—and reveals why he never thought he’d get in. “I looked different than all the rest of the guys,” Tritt says. “They were clean cut… They starched and pressed their blue jeans… Meanwhile I was wearin’ a lotta leather. I had hair down to here… and I was very heavily influenced by Blues as a kid. When I tried to bring that extra stuff in… I got a lotta pushback from the Nashville establishment.
About AXS TV: Launched in 2012 by visionary entrepreneur CEO Mark Cuban in conjunction with AEG, Ryan Seacrest Media, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and CBS, AXS TV has established itself as the premier destination for music and entertainment programming. The network delivers an eclectic programming roster that includes original series such as The Big Interview With Dan Rather, Rock & Roll Road Trip With Sammy Hagar, and Real Money, as well as hard-hitting mixed martial arts events, and a slate of acclaimed documentaries and iconic concerts from some of music’s most influential artists. AXS TV is also the U.S. home of the popular New Japan Pro Wrestling and WOW-Women Of Wrestling promotions and Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA). AXS TV is currently available nationally in the United States and parts of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. For a list of providers, visit axs.tv/subscribe. For more information, see www.axs.tv. Follow AXS TV on Facebook,Twitter @axstv; Instagram; and YouTube. Press information is available at axstvmediacenter.com.
The Voice finalist Andrew Sevener got an assist from country icon Travis Tritt during part two of the show’s season finale on Tuesday (May 21), as the pair took the stage to duet on Tritt’s 1992 barn-burner, “T-R-O-U-B-L-E.”
The two performers appeared decked out in black, with Sevener donning a black cowboy hat. Tritt took the song’s first verse, kicking off a high-energy rendition of the classic song. Sevener handily pulled his share of the weight on the second verse before the song gave way to a flashy keys solo. Press play above to get in on the fun for yourself!
“Andrew’s a really funny guy. He actually makes you laugh without even trying to, a lot,” coach Blake Shelton said in a clip dedicated to Sevener’s role in the show. “Andrew literally says whatever comes to his mind. [He’s] about as country as it gets.
“But he needs to figure a few things out,” Shelton deadpans, before pointing out to Sevener that his cowboy hat is on backwards.
Sevener, who is on Shelton’s team, has been praised throughout the season for his searing blend of country and good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. The show finalist learned he would be getting the chance to share the stage with Tritt during part one of the finale on Monday (May 20,) following his duet with Shelton on rock group Free’s “All Right Now.”
When Shelton announced the pairing, Sevener expressed that the prospect of singing alongside Tritt just might make him throw up from nerves and excitement. The Texas native has a strong background in country, rock ‘n’ roll and southern rock, as evidenced by his dazzling “Instant Save” performance of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man” on May 14.
“You guys, listen, Andrew is the real deal,” Shelton said of that performance. “He is country to the core. He’s an incredible vocalist. He’s a great guy. Please, America. Please, America.”
