Dierks Bentley’s Hot Country Knights Ink Deal With UMG Nashville

Pictured (Front Row, L-R): Cindy Mabe (UMG Nashville President), Douglas “Doug” Douglason, Mike Dungan (UMG Nashville Chairman/CEO); (Back Row, L-R): Brian Wright (UMG Nashville Exec. VP of A&R), Mary Hilliard Harrington (Red Light Management), Terotej “Terry” Dvoraczekynski, Marty Ray “Rayro” Roburn, Barry Van Ricky, Monte Montgomery, Royce Risser (UMG Nashville Exec. VP of Promotions), Trevor Travis, Jay Williams (WME Nashville Co-Head). Photo: Zach Belcher

Dierks Bentley‘s incognito band, the ’90s-inspired Hot Country Knights, have inked a deal with Bentley’s label home, Universal Music Group Nashville.

The group includes lead singer Douglas “Doug” Douglason (a.k.a. Bentley), as well as lead bass player Trevor Travis, lead guitarist Marty Ray (“Rayro”) Roburn, keytar/fiddle player Terotej (“Terry”) Dvoraczekynski, steel guitarist Barry Van Ricky and percussionist Monte Montgomery. 

“Some artists out there tried to put the ‘O’ back in country, that was a thing for a while…. but what it’s really missing is the ‘T,’” band leader Douglas (“Doug”) Douglason said. “Country music has Low-T right now…it could use a pick me up, if you know what I mean. Those record label people over at Universal finally realized that only the Knights could be up to a task this big and hard.”

The group debuted in 2015 with a performance at Nashville’s Country Radio Seminar and has since opened for Bentley’s own concerts, offering cover versions of ’90s country classics from Alan Jackson, Tracy Lawrence, and more. Hot Country Knights recently made a stop at the Universal Music Group Nashville offices to celebrate the signing.

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Jessica Nicholson

Jessica Nicholson serves as the Managing Editor for MusicRow magazine. Her previous music journalism experience includes work with Country Weekly magazine and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine. She holds a BBA degree in Music Business and Marketing from Belmont University. She welcomes your feedback at jnicholson@musicrow.com.

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