Pictured (L-R): Producer Arturo Buenahora, Co-Writer/Producer Ross Copperman, Dierks Bentley, Co-Writer Josh Kear, Co-producer Jon Randall
On Thursday (Aug. 16), friends and family joined Dierks Bentley to celebrate his 17th career No. 1, “Woman, Amen,” which is the lead track to his ninth studio album, The Mountain. The party, hosted by ASCAP, BMI, Pinnacle and First Tennessee Bank, was held at Bentley’s very own Whiskey Row venue in downtown Nashville. The single was co-written by Bentley, Josh Kear, and Ross Copperman. Copperman co-produced the single with Jon Randall.
Cindy Mabe of Universal Music Group praised Brentley’s single by stating, “At a time when the world seems to want to take everything it can, people are at odds with each other for differences of opinions, and our brains are so full that we can’t see the road in front of us, ‘Woman, Amen’ cut through the noise and clutter, and it took us back to what matters most. It all starts with family.”
Family was the main theme surrounding the party. Copperman thanked his wife, his co-writers, his co-producer Randall, and mixer/engineer Reid Shippen. Kear echoed this message by thanking his wife for being his inspiration, his publisher Big Yellow Dog, Bentley, Copperman and everybody involved in the project from playing on it to those who promoted the single to radio.
Kear added, “These things never happen by themselves by any far stretch of the imagination. So thank you to everyone along the chain that enjoyed it or fought for it.”
Bentley took the industry crowd on a trip down memory lane to the title track from his second studio album, 2005’s Modern Day Drifter. He described himself as a drifter always being on the road before he met his wife, Cassidy, who gave the drifter’s heart a home, as stated in the first verse of “Woman, Amen.”
“When Josh threw this song title out, I felt like I needed this song in my life,” Bentley said. “One of the few times in my life where I had really just known, like when I [knew I] wanted to be a country singer. A very special song, a very special day; one of those days that comes along very infrequently. As much as this song is about my wife, [“Woman, Amen”] can be applied to so many different women in my life. That’s why I love this song; it recognizes how many women it takes for one male country singer to have success.”
Among those celebrating with Bentley were producer Arturo Buenahora, ASCAP’s Evyn Mustoe Johnston, ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, BMI’s Josh Tomlinson, Rezonant’s Tim Wipperman, Big Yellow Dog’s Carla Wallace and Sony/ATV’s Josh Van Valkenburg.
In addition to his No. 1 celebration, Bentley will be honored with the Merle Haggard Spirit Award at the upcoming 12th Annual ACM Honors.
Pictured (L-R): Rezonant’s Tim Wipperman, UMG’s Cindy Mabe, Arturo Buenahora, BMI’s Josh Tomlinson, Ross Copperman, Sony/ATV’s Josh Van Valkenburg, Dierks Bentley, ASCAP’s Evyn Mustoe Johnston, Josh Kear, Jon Randall, Big Yellow Dog’s Carla Wallace.
