Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood & Chris Young
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In the latest issue of Billboard — featuring cover star Miranda Lambert — we rounded up the most influential power players in Nashville, the movers and shakers who run the country music business. Below, everyone from Carrie Underwood to Randy Travis to Scotty McCreery talk about Nashville itself, and what makes them love Music City so much.
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From Preds Fever to Guitar Shops to Food: Why Stars Love Nashville
Image Credit: Getty Images In the latest issue of Billboard — featuring cover star Miranda Lambert — we rounded up the most influential power players in Nashville, the movers and shakers who run the country music business. Below, everyone from Carrie Underwood to Randy Travis to Scotty McCreery talk about Nashville itself, and what makes them love Music City so much.
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Maren Morris
Image Credit: Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images Maren Morris
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Russell Dickerson
Image Credit: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for CMT "Growing up in Nashville, I've seen this town change so much. One of the things I'm most proud of is how Nashville has become a foodie town. So many incredible restaurants have popped up all over this city. I love to go out for a nice date night to places like The Southern, MOTO, and 5th & Taylor. Bon appétit, y'all!"
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Kelsea Ballerini
Image Credit: John Shearer/WireImage Kelsea Ballerini
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Hunter Hayes
Image Credit: Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic “I’m always excited about new artists and how they do things in a new way. One of the most impressive to me has been Bailey Bryan. Luckily, we share a label and because of that I’ve been able to see so much of the cool stuff she’s doing.”
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Randy Travis
Image Credit: Frederick Breedon IV/WireImage Randy Travis
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Danielle Bradbery
Image Credit: Brad Barket/Getty Images for TIDAL “It feels like there’s a rising awareness for women in our format and I love it. There are more platforms for female artists and songwriters in Nashville than ever before.”
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Carrie Underwood
Image Credit: Neilson Barnard/NBCUniversal/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images Carrie Underwood
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Chris Young
Image Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for ACM Chris Young
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Rodney Atkins
Image Credit: Erika Goldring/Getty Images Rodney Atkins
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Rhonda Vincent
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Rhonda Vincent
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Kane Brown
Image Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images Portrait Kane Brown
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John Osborne
Image Credit: Terry Wyatt/FilmMagic “One of my favorite new hangs in Nashville is Carter Vintage Guitars. It’s a who’s-who of musicians in there at any given time yet they treat everyone the same. Their open door policy embodies what’s great about the Nashville experience.”
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Chase Rice
Image Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images “The addition of the rooftops on the bars downtown. I’m not home enough to enjoy them often, but I was home for some of the playoff games and it took cheering for the Preds to a whole other level Nashville hadn’t seen before.”
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Haley & Michaels
Image Credit: Terry Wyatt/FilmMagic “John Marks has brought a new level of excitement and opportunity to Nashville with his position at Spotify. John takes the time to listen to music without any preconceived ideas and he is not afraid to champion any artist if he believes in their music. He’s also one of the kindest and most sincere people in the business. If you’re having a bad day, there’s nothing like seeing John for a drink or a hug to lift your spirits.”
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Darius Rucker
Image Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for Essential Broadcast Media Darius Rucker
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Trisha Yearwood
Image Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images Trisha Yearwood
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Brandy Clark
Image Credit: Pamela Littky Brandy Clark
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Scotty McCreery
Image Credit: Maarten de Boer/Getty Images Portraits Scotty McCreery
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Zac Brown
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Zac Brown Band