Dierks Bentley Handwrites Thank You Letters To His Entire Crew
Dierks Bentley likes to share his gratitude for those who work for him and are close to his life through words and handwritten notes. As Dierks shared on Instagram, he…
Dierks Bentley likes to share his gratitude for those who work for him and are close to his life through words and handwritten notes. As Dierks shared on Instagram, he did just that for the many people who work for him in his band and crew on the road each year.
Bentley posted a video to Instagram showing over fifty handwritten letters on "Station Inn" (a club he worked at when he started out in Nashville) letterhead, many of them two pages long, from him to members of his crew lined up on the ground in his home. As he walked the house in his black socks, following his pages of notes, he said to his dog, "I know it's kind of a weird thing to do." He then gets to the end and speaks into the camera, "Wow, I can't feel my hand."
Fans were touched by his thoughtfulness for his crew, with one responding, "I love that you do this! You have the biggest heart and the best crew! Love you, Dierks! Merry Christmas." Another fan wrote, "Handwritten notes are a lost art. Kudos for taking the time to do this; it will mean so much!" One more fan gushed, "So amazing you spent the time to handwrite a thank you note to them. What a thoughtful gift."
, Dierks and his partner TV's Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan, who played in Stephen Colbert's Pickleball Tournament that aired on CBS, were the event's champions.
Bentley and Phil appeared together on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to discuss their victory. Bentley told Colbert, "Our plan was just to win; you know this is show business, but it's not called 'show friends,' it's called 'show business.' We were there to take care of business." Phil said that Harry Potter actress Emma Watson, whose partner was boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard, was the most competitive and tried to intimidate them by having a coach. Bentley joked that he still has nightmares about Emma's evil eye. He said, of Watson, "Emma Watson like method acted her way through the whole thing; I don't think she played pickleball at all. She was scary."
Dierks Bentley has been solid in country music since his debut over fifteen years ago, and to date, he has scored 17 number-one songs. Coming out with new and unique music each year, Dierks has dazzled his audiences with hit after hit.
As we celebrate his 47th birthday today (11/20), we rank his 17 number-one songs.
17. "Woman, Amen" (2018)
UMGA song Dierks co-wrote; his wife inspired it. But as he notes, "I've come back from so many writing appointments over the past 12 years like 'I wrote this song about you,' and she's like, 'Just because it's a love song doesn't mean it's about me.'"
16. "Am I the Only One" (2011)
UMGBentley told Billboard at the time, that following his bluegrass album 'Up on the Ridge,' he wanted to "be back on the radio, and I wanted my fans to hear our stuff. I wanted to come back with a song that was fun for fans." And this was definitely a fun song.
15. "I Hold On" (2013)
UMGThis song describes the singer staying true to what he enjoys and is comfortable with, including an old truck, an old guitar, and his lover. The truck referenced is his 1994 Chevy Silverado that he and his late father drove to Nashville. He still drives it today.
14. "Somewhere on a Beach" (2015)
UMGDierks sings to his ex-girlfriend about his life after they broke up in this song. He tells her he has a new girlfriend and adds that she and he are together having fun together "somewhere on a beach."
13. "Come a Little Closer" (2005)
UMGThis was one of Bentley's early hits, and Billboard compared the sexiness of the tune to that of the late Conway Twitty.
12. "Sideways" (2009)
UMGThe song is about the male character's attempt to talk to a female in a bar. Despite not being able to hear her name because of the loud noise, he still tries to come on to her, saying that he wants to "get a little sideways" with her.
11. "Home" (2011)
UMGA native Arizonian, Dierks says he was inspired by the Tucson, Arizona shooting that killed six people and critically injured U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords in January 2011.
10. "Feel That Fire" (2008)
UMGTo promote the single, Bentley shipped more than 2000 boxes of Cracker Jacks to various radio stations (a reference to "she wants the toy in the Cracker Jack," a line from the song).
9. "Settle for a Slowdown" (2005)
UMGOne more of Dierks' early chart-toppers, this song's music video paints a picture of a woman leaving him and their trailer in the desert for Hollywood. Bentley eventually shows up in Hollywood at a mansion and sings the chorus.
8. "Say You Do" (2014)
UMGDierks said at the time of this song's release that "Say You Do" was the song on his album 'Riser' that he loved from the very beginning. He added that he and his camp knew it would be a single; they just had to find the right time for it.
7. "5-1-5-0" (2012)
UMGThis is a fun song about just going crazy. The title references the 5150 "involuntary psychiatric hold" in the California Welfare and Institutions Code.
6. "Different for Girls" (featuring Elle King) (2016)
UMGElle King was the perfect choice for a duet partner on this song. This song gave Bentley a win for "Vocal Event of the Year" at the 2016 CMA Awards. It was also nominated for the 2017 Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
5. "Living" (2019)
UMGSomething we should all do more of, "Living," is right on the mark. The song's official video features Dierks and his then 5-year-old son Knox playing together in the backyard, a water park, a go-kart track, and a laser tag arena.
4. "Drunk on a Plane" (2014)
UMGAn up-tempo gem from Bentley. The song is about a man who is left behind at the altar and takes a trip to Cancún alone after he cannot obtain a refund for the airplane tickets he had purchased for a honeymoon.
3. "Every Mile a Memory" (2006)
UMGQuite an emotional ride, the song tells the story of a man missing a woman and how everything he sees and hears evokes her memory. Great song to listen to if you are feeling heartbreak.
2. "What Was I Thinkin'" (2003)
UMGBentley's very first radio single, and he scored a chart-topper right out of the box. The fun lyrics reference 1980's TV show 'Dukes Of Hazard' and sparked a friendship with actor John Schneider, whose character is referenced in the lyrics "like Bo Duke sliding over the hood."
1. "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)" (2007)
UMGThe song was made available as downloadable content for the "Rock Band" video game on December 16, 2008; it's a favorite of many of his fans.
