The Band Perry’s ‘If I Die Young’ Reaches Diamond Status

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Pictured (L-R): RIAA’s Mitch Glazier, BMLG’s Scott Borchetta, The Band Perry’s Kimberly Perry, NHRE’s Jimmy Harnen and RIAA’s Erin Burr. Photo: Getty Images for Big Machine Label Group

The Band Perry’s breakout hit “If I Die Young” has achieved RIAA Diamond status, and TBP was honored with a special plaque commemorating the achievement on Wednesday night (Nov. 19) on stage following their performance at the Big Machine CMA after party at the Bell Tower in Nashville.

Big Machine Label Group executives Scott Borchetta and Jimmy Harnen joined RIAA’s Mitch Glazier and Erin Burr on stage to surprise Kimberly Perry with the official presentation of the prestigious Diamond Award, which marks 10 million in sales.

“From the very beginning, ‘If I Die Young’ was destined to make a mark: topping radio charts, earning countless accolades and enchanting fans with Kimberly Perry’s poignant lyrics and rich vocals,” says Glazier. “RIAA is now proud to celebrate a new milestone for The Band Perry—their first Diamond single—and congratulations to the Big Machine Label Group team on helping bring this one to 10 million new audiences.”

“Hearing ‘If I Die Young’ for the first time was one of those moments in my career that truly stopped me in my tracks,” shares Borchetta. “When Kimberly and the boys came into our conference room and dropped the song on us, immediately it was ‘we have to have them.’ To see the song reach #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 2010, become CMA’s Song of the Year in 2011, turning evergreen, and now attain RIAA Diamond certification is a tribute to the enduring impact of the song and Kimberly’s razor-sharp creativity. Huge congratulations are in order for this historic milestone! We look forward to sharing the next chapter of incredible music from The Band Perry soon.”

“I wrote ‘If I Die Young’ from a place of innocence, curiosity, and faith in the poetry of everyday life. Its journey to Diamond is a gift I’ll never take for granted,” Kimberly adds. “To everyone who has sung it at weddings, funerals, festivals, or alone in their car—you’ve made this song larger than me. Thank you for growing with us. The next era starts now.”

Penned by Kimberly and originally released on the Grammy winners’ self-titled debut album in 2010, the CMA Song and Single of the Year-winning smash was re-issued earlier this year via Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment in honor of its 15th anniversary. The feat makes Kimberly the only female artist to solo-write a Diamond-certified country song.

“If I Die Young” was named one of the “200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time” last year by Rolling Stone, and its memorable, CMT Award-winning video has been viewed over 265 million times on YouTube alone.

Lorie Hollabaugh
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