In Tulsa, Oklahoma...
I can feel
a whole lot of fight coming from everybody.
...Cassidy returned to the top spot.
Good job.
And while Jenny had
her best performance yet...
♪ I do... ♪
...she still lost her seat on the bus.
You've been in the bottom three times.
We have to let you go tonight.
Now, the remaining six musicians
will face their next challenge
by going unplugged.
Let's go.
Oh, here we go.
♪ Hey, baby... ♪
The first thing I do is pull an ear out.
It was a rookie move.
- I was pretty mad. - ♪ But he's my... ♪
- Did you write that? - I did write that.
- It's beautiful. - Thank you very much.
One of you is going to be the next
- country star. - Hopefully.
It's so hard letting anybody go.
♪ dramatic music ♪
♪ slow, atmospheric music ♪
Six shows into the tour,
and everybody's exhausted.
For most of these musicians,
it's already two or three times longer
than any tour they've ever been on.
The grind of playing shows and living out of suitcases
in the close quarters of the tour bus is pushing
everyone to the brink.
I mean, nobody wants to go home, but it's harder
- and harder, you know? - Yeah.
And you're getting deeper into your catalog.
You know, it's like, you got to go out there
and win them over, you're gonna play your best song.
And now we're six deep, you know?
- Yeah. - We're six deep
in our catalog now, so...
They still have a long way to go
before the tour ends in Nashville.
But this is what they signed up for.
This is life on The Road.
♪ "Stay Country or Die Tryin'" by Blake Shelton playing ♪
♪ From the born in the cut till the day that I'm dust ♪
♪ I'm-a stay country or die tryin'♪
♪ fast, exciting music ♪
Hey, it's Jess Jennings. Now, we are gearing up
for a big week here in Little Rock,
and I'm super excited to have you all.
Thank you so much for taking the time to visit with me.
Now, there's a brand-new singing competition.
It's called The Road, and they're looking to find
the next country star.
We are here promoting our show
and I'm so excited. I love radio.
I've gone everywhere from Texas up to New York,
uh, doing radio stops, so this is right up my alley.
You're gonna be playing at The Hall
here in Little Rock.
Can you tell me what we can expect?
Yeah, this one's actually gonna be a pretty special show,
having veterans around us and sponsored by Crown Royal.
You know, they have their Crown Royal Purple Bag Project.
They send bags
of, like, just comforts from home
to active-duty soldiers and veterans.
And they've sent over one million Purple Bags
all over the world,
just helping out our soldiers and our troops.
I grew up an Army brat.
My dad was 82nd Airborne Special Forces for 27 years.
So, to actually lay my hands on Purple Bags
and fill them with necessities
that veterans and active duty need,
it's full circle for me, because I remember those bags,
you know, growing up on post.
I love that y'all are finding a way to give back.
I mean, you have taken everything
that country music stands for and condensed it into one thing.
I mean, God, family, country,
- right? - Mm-hmm.
Now, tell me a little bit more
about the show here in Little Rock.
It's our first acoustic show of the tour.
- "Unplugged," as they call it. - Unplugged.
This week, we're doing
a stripped-down acoustic show.
I think it's a little bit of an advantage for me
'cause I am a storyteller.
I've done a bunch of intimate shows, and so,
I'm excited about it.
I really, really appreciate the time today,
and I'm really looking forward to seeing
who our next big country star is.
One of you is going to be it, yes?
Hopefully.
♪ fast, upbeat music ♪
Blake's not here, so in his place,
Jordan Davis.
How are y'all doing?
Oh, that's so cool.
When Jordan walked in the room, I, like, internally,
was freaking out.
He's an incredible songwriter
and just has had such a successful career.
♪ Throw a little money in the plate at church ♪
♪ Send your prayers up and your roots down deep...♪
Having his feedback is gonna be
super awesome. I love him.
Thank y'all for letting me be a part of this.
This is a really good setting for a lot
- of you guys. - I'm excited.
Like, I love my full-band shows, but acoustic shows are
my favorite type of performance.
And it's interesting, 'cause, I mean,
you've got nowhere to hide up there.
Uh-uh.
You know, there's nothing fancy.
No one's running around the stage, you know.
I know probably Keith,
who plays stadiums all over the world,
probably still misses being able to get up there
with just a guitar and truly let the song speak for itself.
So I'm super excited to hear everybody.
It's gonna be good tonight.
♪ upbeat, exciting music ♪
Hey, everybody.
We have an incredible show for you tonight.
This is a really special show for a couple of reasons.
One reason is because our audience
is full of active duty and veterans.
Did you guys, uh, have a chance to say hello to Keith Urban
and Jordan Davis?
These, uh, musicians will be out here
showing you everything they've got right here.
You can almost reach out and touch 'em.
There's nowhere to hide.
Well, let's get this thing kicked off.
We have our first musician ready to come up here,
the always energetic Adam Sanders.
Hey, everybody.
Oh, Little Rock, how we feeling?
This is a real contrast for him.
He normally is just like...
- All over... - He's like a jackrabbit.
All over the stage, whipping everybody into a frenzy.
...being here tonight. This song is a song
I want to send out to all the men and women
in the military that are here tonight,
because I know there's a lot of people in this room
that won't back down, and I need you guys to help me.
Here we go.
Let's go.
Good setup.
♪ Well, I won't back down ♪
♪ No, I won't back down... ♪
Being a North Florida boy,
I'm a big fan of Tom Petty.
So, my cover song for Little Rock
is, uh, Tom Petty, "Won't Back Down."
It just feels like the ultimate ready-for-battle chant.
And so, even though this song isn't necessarily
on the nose for the military,
I know that there's gonna be people in that room
that really resonate with the message of that song.
When you go to a Florida football game,
they do this little "Ooh, ah," thing
after the first "won't back down,"
and I feel like it will work great
for, like, the military thing.
It's kind of like a hoorah.
♪ Hey ♪
♪ Baby, ooh, ah, there ain't no way...♪
You know, the acoustic show is definitely challenging
for a guy like me that performs with as much energy as I do.
I think the trick to it is let the lyrics
speak for themselves.
You know, I'm gonna rely on the crowd to sing this back,
because I know that they're gonna know the-the lyrics.
♪ And I won't back down... ♪
Oh, here we go.
♪ Hey, baby ♪
♪ Ooh, ah, there ain't no easy way out ♪
♪ Hey, I ♪
♪ Will stand my ground ♪
- ♪ Hey, baby ♪ - ♪ Ooh, ah ♪
♪ There ain't no easy way out ♪
♪ Hey, I ♪
♪ Will stand my ground ♪
♪ And I won't back down ♪
♪ No, I won't back down ♪
Oh, we ain't backing down tonight.
He's gonna throw the pick out.
- The pick, gone. - Come on, now.
Thank y'all so much. Um...
This next song is, uh, a song
that I have never, ever performed bef--
in front of a crowd before.
You know, I got to thinking about what songs
to play for this show, and, um,
I know that if I had to walk in your shoes,
I would understand why you, each and every one of you,
chose to do this for a profession.
And that's exactly what this song talks about.
It's called "Get It If You Did It."
♪ slow, gentle music
Hey. Just calling to check in with y'all,
see how everything's going.
We good, man. How you holding up?
I'm still in it, so, yeah,
- I mean, we're, uh... - Yeah.
We're in Little Rock, we're actually playing
- for the military. - Awesome, awesome.
We got all the faith in the world in you, son.
Thank you. Well, I love you and, uh,
I'll ke... I'll keep up with you, and let you know
how everything's going.
Love you. Bye.
My dad has been a huge supporter of mine
my whole life.
You want to see my most prized possession?
Check this out, this was my first guitar that I ever got.
My dad got me this guitar. Um...
This was where it all started.
That just really set this vision in my mind
to one day be in country music.
And I remember my dad taking me
to talent shows and festivals and fairs
all over north central Florida where I'm from.
I just continued on that path and continued to perform.
And I don't think I was that great,
you know, starting out-- I just had such a love for it.
Family members and friends and teachers always told me,
"Adam, never give up on your dreams."
And I don't know if they were sort of telling me that
'cause they were like, "This guy isn't that good."
But I think that they just saw the passion that I had for it.
You ready to have a good time tonight?
I am where I am because of those voices,
always seeing that light at the end of the tunnel.
♪ You can't replace the dreams we chase ♪
♪ So, no, ain't no way we can quit it ♪
♪ You might not love it like we love it ♪
♪ Or live it like we live it ♪
♪ But you'd get it if you did it ♪
♪ Yeah, you'd get it if you did it ♪
♪ No, there ain't no doubt about it ♪
♪ Just a day in the life and you'd see why ♪
♪ We just can't live without it ♪
♪ If you did it ♪
♪ I bet you wouldn't knock it ♪
♪ If you dug your boots down in it ♪
♪ You'd know why we can't stop it ♪
♪ You can't replace the dreams we chase ♪
♪ So, naw, ain't no way we can quit it ♪
♪ You might not love it like we love it ♪
♪ Or live it like we live it ♪
♪ But you'd get it if you did it ♪
Little Rock, thank y'all so much.
My name is Adam Sanders, we love you guys.
Y'all have a great rest of your night.
He's such a big-energy performer.
I was worried he might come out and try and whip
- everybody into a frenzy... - Get everybody on their feet.
- ...when they don't want to be. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
He gave just enough to where it still felt like
a listening crowd, but...
- Yeah. - ...but brought energy.
Playing my original song tonight, you know,
when I hit the hook of the song,
I heard a-a roar from the crowd,
so I feel like it went over pretty well.
Dadgum. I might want to cut that song, Keith.
- Sticks in your head, huh? - Hell yeah.
Man, uh, these intimate crowds scare the [bleep] out of me.
You know, we're getting down
to the nitty-gritty here, as they say.
You know, we're at the top six now.
Everybody's so... just so damn good.
Oh, I think I have to go introduce you.
I ought to be able to remember your last name, right?
Adam had a good night.
I've had good shows up until this point.
You know, there's no weekend karaoke singers here.
Like, these are all A-class singer-songwriters.
So, you can't slip.
It's working, boys.
Y'all ready for some country music?
This is Channing Wilson.
When I found out about this show, I was excited.
I just want to take a second and say thank you
to all the people who are public servants.
It's what makes this country move, you know, is the service
that people put in and the work that people put into it.
My dad served in the Air Force.
My papaw was a World War II veteran
and ended up becoming the fire chief in my hometown.
He was one of those old-school guys
that would ride the back of the fire truck, you know?
I mean, he was just crazy like that, you know?
♪ I've been to Mississippi ♪
♪ Down through New Orleans... ♪
When I was thinking of cover songs, I thought
of someone who's been gone.
'Cause I know a thing or two about being gone from home,
but these men and women, they are gone for months at a time.
You can't be more traveling than "Ramblin' Man," you know?
♪ I'm a ramblin' man... ♪
Channing comes out
of these rowdy clubs and he just,
he's so built for that.
Listening to him do "Ramblin' Man,"
it's gonna be interesting to see tonight
how that connects with the audience.
♪ You better move away ♪
♪ You're standing too close ♪
♪ To the flame ♪
♪ Once I mess with the ol' mind ♪
♪ Your little heart won't be the same ♪
♪ I'm a ramblin' man ♪
♪ Don't mess around ♪
♪ With any ol' ramblin' man ♪
Hey. There we go.
- All right. - He's wailin'.
- He turned it into a honky-tonk. - He did, man.
He's been tearing up the clubs, man.
He's been killing it.
This right here's what I'm all about right here.
♪ Well, Lord, it's an everyday battle ♪
♪ Trying to get up out the bed...♪
My original song is a new one.
It's a, uh, pretty
autobiographical song,
which kind of goes out to God a little bit.
♪ How many times do I got to pray?♪
In September, I wasn't feeling right.
And the doctor, he says,
"Doesn't look good, you got something going on,"
and, um, that's a scary feeling, man.
There's an artery that runs down your heart.
If it gets blocked, it gets you.
And they call it the widowmaker for a reason.
And, uh, mine was 100% blocked.
♪ slow, somber music ♪
It was scary times.
I mean, I was saying goodbyes to my family.
I was telling my wife where the bones were buried,
giving her passwords to everything.
I canceled every show I had.
My dreams, the stuff I've been
working hard for my whole life, you know,
was in jeopardy.
It really didn't matter much to me in that moment,
'cause all I could think about was my-my kids,
you know, not being there for them.
I only had two options: it was to try to do a stent
or to do an open-heart bypass.
We decided to do the stent, and it worked, you know?
I'm grateful to be here.
I 100% believe that was God
sparing me, because He...
I know He's not done with me yet.
♪ Well, Lord, it's an everyday battle ♪
♪ Trying to get up out the bed ♪
♪ Hell, I can't see straight ♪
♪ With last night's whiskey pounding in my head ♪
♪ I got a wicked limp that won't quit, Lord ♪
♪ And a stack of bills that need paid ♪
♪ I got a heartbeat rhythm like a kung fu chicken ♪
♪ I got too much on my plate ♪
♪ Well, I hit my knees ♪
♪ Same time every day ♪
♪ Lord, please ♪
♪ How many times do I got to pray?♪
♪ I've been digging the ground ♪
♪ Like an old hound ♪
♪ All I found is a muddy hole ♪
♪ I hope you pick up the phone before you call me home ♪
♪ Lord, throw your ol' dog a bone ♪
Thank y'all very much.
My name's Channing Wilson. Thanks for listening to me.
Every song he's written
- is in that... - That kind of bl--
He knows, he knows his lane really well.
That was fun.
I knew I wanted to do something up-tempo
tonight for this crowd
because, you know, these are people that deal with
real-life issues on a daily basis,
and I chose to take them away from that
and just try to get 'em
boot-stomping, and it looked like it worked, so...
I'm happy about it.
- That's what you call a slaying. - Oh, boy.
♪ tense, suspenseful music ♪
I am a little worried about following Channing.
Hey, hey, everybody.
My original song is just very personal.
There is a lot of pressure to get it right.
Put your hands together for Britnee Kellogg.
♪ Black velvet in that ♪
♪ Little boy's smile ♪
♪ Black velvet in that ♪
♪ Slow, Southern style ♪
♪ A new religion ♪
♪ That'll bring you to your knees ♪
♪ Black velvet, if you please ♪
♪ Every word of every song ♪
♪ That he sang was for you ♪
♪ In a flash, he was gone ♪
♪ It happened so soon ♪
♪ What would you do? ♪
♪ Black velvet in that ♪
♪ Little boy's smile ♪
♪ Black velvet in that slow, Southern style ♪
♪ New religion ♪
♪ That'll bring you to your knees ♪
♪ Black velvet, if you please ♪
- That was a good choice for her. - Yeah.
Thank you so much.
I'm a mom of three, and my oldest,
he is autistic
and colorblind and has epilepsy,
and his dream
is to be a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force.
And, obviously, that is very unlikely, considering
what, uh, his disabilities are.
But when he was little, he would come home
from school and he would be so overwhelmed--
you know, uh, having autism, a lot of things overwhelm him--
and he would go to his room
and he would sit and he would build Legos,
and that was his escape.
I could actually see the-the stress
melt away and I felt like he could control
his environment by building Legos.
This is my song, "King of Legoland."
♪ Don't take much to know ♪
♪ He's different ♪
♪ He don't think or act like you ♪
♪ There's a whole lot he may not be good at ♪
♪ But it's amazing the things he can do...♪
- I miss you. - I miss you more.
What songs are you singing tonight?
I'm gonna sing "King of Legoland."
Yes.
- Yes. - Exciting.
I am a storyteller, and I write songs
about things I've been through personally.
Stories about my kids or my family or my divorce.
♪ Inside of his busy head ♪
♪ There's a magic... ♪
Having the opportunity to play an unplugged,
intimate show
was just, like, perfect for this song.
♪ A whole world in the palm of his hand ♪
♪ It's wild, it's divine ♪
♪ I love watching ♪
♪ The king of Legoland ♪
- Did you write that? - I did write that.
- It's beautiful. - Thank you very much.
- Good Lord. - Thank you.
Her original,
it's such a good spot for her vocal.
Such a gorgeous capturing
of that feeling that she has as a mother.
The audience is gonna love it.
♪ And he flies like a bird ♪
♪ He gets lost in his words ♪
♪ Steps on my last nerve ♪
♪ Once in a while ♪
♪ But he's my ♪
♪ Little man ♪
♪ So be patient, understand ♪
♪ He's the king ♪
♪ He's the king of ♪
♪ Legoland ♪
♪ He's the king, he's the king ♪
♪ Of Legoland... ♪
Mm.
♪ Hmm ♪
Thank y'all so much.
Thank you so much. My name is Britnee Kellogg.
Thank you so much.
♪ fast, upbeat music ♪
That's a special song.
It's an incredibly personal song.
Yeah.
But this is the perfect place
- for a song like that. - That's it, that's like...
- you know. - That's really also
reading the room.
- Yeah. No one-- - Great.
She couldn't have done that in the clubs.
Because it is his dream
to be a fighter pilot, it was just
so special to be able to have,
uh, that opportunity to sing about Caiden
for active duty military, first responders, is an honor.
I feel great.
We're halfway through tonight's show,
and we've had some big voices
throw down some incredible performances.
Still to come, we've got Billie Jo,
Cody and Cassidy.
The bar is set very high.
Hopefully, they can deliver.
My goal is to not be bottom two tonight. That's the goal.
Just don't let it be you.
It ain't gonna be me.
How we doing tonight?
I hope that y'all love
my rendition of a little "Travelin' Soldier" for y'all.
♪ One Friday night ♪
♪ At a football game ♪
♪ The Lord's Prayer said and the anthem sang ♪
♪ A man said, "Folks ♪
♪ Would you bow your heads ♪
♪ For a list of local Vietnam dead?"♪
"Travelin' Soldier" is one of my all-time favorite songs.
It's a really heartfelt song for our soldiers.
♪ Was a piccolo player ♪
♪ In the marching band ♪
♪ And one name read, and nobody...♪
I think it's a good song choice for this crowd.
It's a good song, anyway.
It'd be great to hear you guys a cappella
on one of those choruses, 'cause it's such a good...
- Okay. Okay. - ...vocal blend.
♪ I cried ♪
♪ Never gonna hold the hand ♪
♪ Of another guy ♪
♪ "Too young for him," they told her ♪
♪ Waiting for the love of a travelin' soldier ♪
♪ Our love will never end ♪
♪ Waiting for the soldier to come back again ♪
♪ Nevermore to be alone ♪
♪ When the letter said ♪
♪ "A soldier's coming ♪
♪ Home" ♪
That was good, doing "Travelin' Soldier."
I know, I love it.
- That was good. - Man. Dude.
Do we have any Keith Whitley fans in the house?
Good deal.
Keith Whitley is a, is a legend.
He is someone that I have looked up to my entire career,
and, uh, I decided I wanted to write a song about it.
This song is called "Can't Take Keith Whitley Tonight."
♪ I'm the whole damn ♪
♪ Flame ♪
Last week, I felt great about my performance.
But being in the bottom two a couple times now,
and then seeing who I was in the bottom two with,
- broke my heart. - Jenny, you've been
in the bottom three times, and because of that,
we have to let you go tonight.
And now I'm in the same place that she was in.
So, it's a pretty scary situation.
I get very frustrated
just because I'm not in control.
But I have to keep telling myself that
I'm still here. S-Somehow,
I'm still pushing through.
Every week is a new week.
Ugh, I don't need you.
- No, I'm just kidding. - Oh, damn.
I'm sorry.
I-I feel better, guys.
Can't you tell that I'm just
- a little more sassier? - Yeah, I think we liked you
- when you were sick. - Oh, damn.
I am not
going home this week, and I...
I firmly believe that with everything in me.
♪ I'd rather listen to a stranger talk ♪
♪ About the things that he's done wrong...♪
My original is one of my all-time favorites.
I am a huge Keith Whitley fan.
He's known for heartbreaking love songs.
♪ I'd rather shoot another game of pool...♪
I love them, but sometimes I want to hear a fast song.
I don't want to hear about, you know,
you leaving or anything like that, you know,
I just can't take Keith Whitley tonight.
- Yeah. Good, girl. - I like it.
I'm singing for my life right now, boys.
I feel like this is my week to really
show people what I can do.
♪ What I see ♪
♪ When I don't close my eyes ♪
♪ Is I can't take ♪
♪ Keith Whitley tonight... ♪
Hey!
♪ I need my tab ♪
♪ And I mean now ♪
♪ Before he sings the next verse ♪
♪ And I start crying ♪
♪ Out loud ♪
♪ What I need ♪
♪ Is a fast song ♪
♪ I'm not over you ♪
♪ He got that part wrong ♪
♪ What I see ♪
♪ When I don't close my eyes ♪
♪ Is I can't take Keith Whitley ♪
♪ Tonight ♪
♪ Oh, tonight ♪
Thank you so much, y'all.
♪ gentle, upbeat music ♪
That's a great title. I wish I would have thought
about writing a song called...
"Really Can't Take Keith Whitley Tonight"?
- Yeah. - I really feel like
this performance was my best yet, so...
I sure hope I'm on the bus.
I really do feel like, um, that I deserve that spot,
uh, and that chance to-to show America what I've got.
Every club we've done, they're rowdy and...
- Yeah. Whole thing. - ...you know, P.A. rock
and the whole thing.
- Yeah. - It's so... polar opposite
of every night we've done
- in the rowdy clubs. - Yeah.
Well, you got a different voice
than anybody else in this competition.
You know, you've got that warmth,
- you've got that thing. - Yeah.
You just got to win them over with it.
- Make sure you smile. - I will.
These are people that save our lives
- every day. - Exactly.
Give them love. Give them love.
Yeah. For sure.
I couldn't think of a better crowd
to play for than active duty, veterans
and-and first responders.
I'm proud I got in the Naval Academy.
Both my grandpas served and I got buddies
that-that, that went overseas and-and did tours.
I got some that got hurt.
And so, ever-ever since this show was announced,
I think this is the one I was looking forward to the most.
All the way
from Oklahoma: Cody Hibbard.
I want to try
something different for this and bring out a song
that's a little bit more
sing-alongy and-and fun.
What's up, Little Rock? Y'all feeling good tonight?
My name's Cody Hibbard.
I am from Adair, Oklahoma, but, uh,
I got an ex-wife from Arkansas. Tell me that's country, right?
You guys want to sing one with me? Can I hear y'all?
Sing it if you know. Here we go.
♪ I got the rice cooking ♪
♪ In the microwave ♪
♪ I got a three-day beard ♪
♪ I don't plan to shave ♪
♪ And it's a goofy thing, but I just got to say, hey ♪
♪ I been doing all right ♪
♪ And it's a great day to be alive ♪
♪ I know the sun's still shining when I close my eyes ♪
♪ There's some hard times ♪
♪ In the neighborhood ♪
♪ But why can't every day ♪
♪ Be just this good? ♪
Y'all sound so good out there.
I tried to do my best,
and of course the first thing I did when I got out there
is pull an ear out.
♪ New tattoo... ♪
It was a rookie move to just panic.
I-I know better.
I was pretty mad. I was, I was mad at myself.
There was a little bit of panic setting in.
I couldn't find it.
Uh, it got buried in my shirt somewhere.
♪ Ah, and it's a great day ♪
♪ To be alive... ♪
Watching him not being able to find his in-ear,
we just want to, like, run up there and help him.
He's such a talented performer. It was just terrible luck.
♪ But why can't every day be just this good?♪
Y'all sound good out there tonight.
My heart goes out to Cody.
That was tough to see.
It's gonna be rough for him to come back from that.
Y'all give it up for the band, come on.
Yeah, I wasn't proud of
my cover, and when you know you're playing for
active duty and veterans, first responders,
and, uh...
it's got to be perfect. I mean, it really does.
It's never gonna be there, but it's got to be as close
as you can prepare it to be.
Luckily, I've sung that original song
a million times, and that band's
so good that we'll find a middle spot somewhere.
You know, I could keep throwing a pity party, but...
I need to get my head back in it.
And this, uh, show right here is special for me.
My two grandpas served-- one was in the Korean War,
one was in Vietnam-- and, uh, I had aspirations
to be just like them when I grew up.
Somehow or another,
I got into the United States Naval Academy
when I graduated high school, and, um...
Thank you.
I had a shoulder injury and soaked
in my own bull for a long, long time.
But, uh, we took a ride one night.
My dad was telling me jokes and talking to me,
and I was like, "Man,
if I just went back home and talked to my dad
a little bit more, maybe I wouldn't have had
some problems with addiction
and-and certain things like that."
I wrote this song right here for him,
and, uh, it's called "Long Ride in a Short Bed."
Here we go.
♪ Somewhere in the panhandle ♪
♪ Of Texas ♪
♪ On a midnight ride, just me ♪
♪ And my old man ♪
♪ We finally found a few long-lost connections ♪
♪ And we learned sometimes ♪
♪ The bridge you burn still stands ♪
Coming out of the Academy, being 18 and naive,
and I didn't really realize that prescription pills
were something that people get hooked on.
So, I sat back for a lot of years
and just didn't want to go home,
I didn't want to, I guess, face my family.
I grew up in a really good household, to great parents.
My dad's one of the best guys you could, uh,
could ever come across.
Maybe wouldn't have been so pissed off and jaded
if I had just called my dad,
and, uh, here I am regretting it.
♪ When the future's too far ♪
♪ For the headlights ♪
♪ And the rearview's too dark ♪
♪ For looking back ♪
♪ And all you've got in your eyes ♪
♪ Is the glow of those dashboard lights ♪
♪ And whoever's riding with you in that cab ♪
♪ You really get to know what's going on ♪
♪ In someone's head on a long ride ♪
♪ In a short bed ♪
My name's Cody, everybody.
Thank y'all so much.
Y'all give me a vote. Thank y'all!
That's a great lyric on that original song.
Yeah, I thought so, too.
His military background really connected...
- Yeah. - ...with this audience tonight.
I didn't know that about him.
- I'm learning stuff every show. - Yeah.
♪ tense music ♪
Pretty hard on myself,
and pretty pissed off.
These people out here are the real heroes,
and they deserve more than what I just gave them, so...
Up next,
the amazing Cassidy Daniels.
♪ upbeat music ♪
- This girl can sing. - Really?
Yeah. Her voice is fantastic.
Hey, y'all. How we feeling?
I'm an Army brat, um...
My dad spent 27 years in SF and 82nd Airborne,
and, uh, my mom was a detective,
so ask me how my dating life's going.
But I'm-a do a song by a feller
that was in the Air Force, uh, he's also from Arkansas.
His name is Johnny Cash.
Hey.
You know what our show is this week?
We're playing in Little Rock, um, for a bunch of troops.
Love that. Brings back some good memories.
- I know. - You've been doing this
for so many years, you cut your teeth
with these military bases
and been around this military stuff, so that's...
You should be in your home field there for sure.
I-I just lit up when I found out
we were gonna be performing for the troops,
'cause that's my childhood,
you know, that's the life that I grew up in.
My dad was post-9/11 active-duty military,
so he did multiple tours of duty overseas,
and what I would do to kind of cope with him being gone
is I learned how to play music and I wrote songs.
Do you have any advice for me for the next show?
Yeah, no cussing, no drinking, no fighting.
Every time that phone rings,
I think I'm gonna have to bring bail money or something.
I'll come get you, oh, no.
No, we're proud of you, honey.
Just be you, Cassidy, as we know you will be.
Aww, thanks, Dad.
I really want to win this competition,
but, like, for this show,
I'm not getting on stage to win this thing,
I'm getting on stage to entertain the people.
♪ I shot a man in Reno ♪
♪ Just to watch him die... ♪
Cassidy's gonna do "Folsom Prison"
...with her mandolin.
I mean, that's typically a pretty deep song.
At first, I was like, "Mm, I'm not sure about this,"
but her vocals are so good.
She just makes it work.
♪ Well, if they freed me from this prison ♪
♪ If that railroad train was mine ♪
♪ I bet I'd move it on ♪
♪ A little further down the line ♪
♪ Far from Folsom Prison, honey ♪
♪ That's where I want to stay, hey ♪
♪ Yeah, I'd let that lonesome whistle ♪
♪ Blow my blues away ♪
Thank y'all so much.
Where are my ladies at?
I'm-a do a little sassy song for y'all.
The girlies are girlin' tonight, so this one's for y'all.
♪ Calling me up past midnight ♪
♪ Hey, honey, you alone? ♪
My original song is called
"Ain't No Jukebox," and it's just a sassy little number
about how people ask me to play stuff all the time,
and if I don't know it, they get mad
and I say, "I ain't no jukebox."
♪ You got the rhythm all wrong ♪
♪ Can't just turn me on ♪
♪ Whenever you want to play me ♪
♪ I ain't no jukebox, baby ♪
Oh, my gosh. That's great.
Thank you.
Oh, thank you.
I write what I live.
I've worked really hard for a very long time
playing in these little bars, but...
I'm pretty surprised that I'm doing so well
in this competition.
♪ Can't just turn me on ♪
♪ Whenever you want to play me...♪
I got top slot
last week for the fourth time in a row.
I was, like, really thankful.
But I think all the contestants are very talented.
Why I'm resonating, I don't know.
Sometimes I wish I could hear myself
the way other people do
because I kind of just have imposter syndrome.
Surely people can't be freaking out this much over me.
♪ I ain't no jukebox, baby ♪
♪ Oh, boy, I know you want ♪
♪ This song tonight ♪
♪ But this red-haired record ♪
♪ Don't spin all the time ♪
♪ Can't just turn me on ♪
♪ Whenever you want to play me ♪
♪ 'Cause I ain't no jukebox ♪
♪ Baby ♪
♪ Oh, boy, I know you want this song tonight ♪
♪ But this red-haired record ♪
♪ Don't spin all the time ♪
♪ You can't just turn me on ♪
♪ Whenever you want to play me ♪
♪ 'Cause I ain't no jukebox, baby ♪
- Wow, man. - Hey. All right.
Thank y'all so much. I'm Cassidy Daniels.
Help this Army brat keep on going on The Road. Thank y'all.
- That was good. - Man. Dude.
That girl's played a lot of shows.
She's, like, 25.
I mean, she's doing exactly what
- she's supposed to be doing. - Yeah.
Great song, too.
What did you think, seeing everybody
- for the first time? - It was awesome.
- Yeah? - I mean, like, seriously,
- that's a tough pick. - Yeah, it's gonna be hard
to see somebody go.
You got a hard job up here, man.
- Not me. They do. - They do, yeah.
That's Keith's job.
♪ When you get mad ♪
♪ You stay that way ♪
♪ And you always say ♪
♪ You're doing okay ♪
♪ But we both know ♪
♪ It's probably a lie ♪
♪ And you're falling to pieces ♪
♪ On the inside ♪
♪ And you're out tonight like you always are ♪
♪ You're dressed to kill and your lips are red ♪
♪ And misery still loves company ♪
♪ Are you as messed up as me? ♪
♪ All alone? ♪
♪ All of your friends ♪
♪ Have all gone home ♪
♪ And you hate that the truth ♪
♪ Is nobody leaves your head ♪
♪ And your heart ♪
♪ And your bed and your sheets ♪
♪ As messed up as me ♪
♪ And you know it's true, baby ♪
♪ Yeah, you know it's true, baby ♪
♪ Are you as messed up as me? ♪
♪ tense, suspenseful music ♪
'Cause we've seen you guys play in rowdy club
after rowdy club, and tonight,
what a different environment, watching you all
come out one after the other to play
in front of this audience that was
way more quiet than we've seen...
- Very subdued. Yeah. - ...on this entire run, right?
- Mm-hmm. - Acoustic shows
are definitely some of my favorite shows,
and I feel like my performance
was probably my best one yet.
But we've seen a couple people go home that we were all,
you know, jaw-dropping shocked.
So, um, everyone is scared at this point.
I mean, anything can happen.
Overall, I felt like
you were all really suited tonight.
You know? I-I really thought
it was a great job overall and...
The originals were good, cover choices were really good.
Um, so...
it's so hard letting anybody go.
♪ slow, dramatic music ♪
Um...
I don't want to go home, uh, by any means.
Uh, you know, I want to win this thing, but...
at the same time, I-I'm... I'm at peace
knowing that, uh, I made it this far.
W-We were thinking,
because you guys all did good tonight,
we're not gonna send anyone home.
There you go.
Happy with that.
All right.
- And well-deserved stay. - Yeah.
- Great night. - Yeah.
But what's gonna happen with that is,
next week, we have to say goodbye to two people.
We'll see who brings it,
but congratulations tonight on everything.
Awesome night, y'all.
I really don't feel like anybody is safe.
See you in Memphis.
We're headed to the finale in a couple weeks,
and I kind of have the weight of the world on my shoulders
because I'm trying so hard to do this for myself,
but I'm also trying to do this for my babies at home.
I'm just happy that we didn't let anybody go tonight.
- We didn't let anybody go! - I know, man. That was--
We didn't let anybody go tonight.
No, no, that's good.
- That was hard-- - Two next week, though.
- I know. It's gonna be rough. - Yikes.
I'm glad I picked this one to be a part of and not next week's.
Yeah. Yeah, you got out easy, man.
I know, right?
I'm ready to show everyone
that I do have what it takes,
and I'm gonna go down swinging.
Next week's gonna be a doozy.
- Two? - Well,
- live to fight another day. - That's right.
We ain't done yet, baby, let's go.
Golly.
♪ On the road! ♪
This week, we're putting the competition aside
for a bit of charity.
You know, we do a lot of really cool things,
but these are the moments that mean the most.
- Hi, Angel. - Words can't express
how special it was.
Welcome, Memphis.
Put your hands together for
Karen Fairchild from Little Big Town.
Two people are going home tonight,
and my original is definitely a make it or break it.
Top four is just one show away.
- It's terrifying. - One slip,
one wrong decision,
could get you sent home.