"2008 is all about the fans," says Dierks Bentley. "I can't think of a better way to get my fans involved than to have them actually act as executive producers of this record. I hope the end result will be the perfect album for the hard-core fan and also a really cool abridged version for the casual fan who wants to know more about what we've been up to the last five years."
Bentley gave music fans creative control of his Greatest Hits album by allowing them to handpick special content, their favorite live recordings, cover art and and they even named the album through the first-of-its-kind DB Hits/Fan Project program. The results debuted at an online town hall meeting on April 1. The first 3,000 fans participating have their name listed as executive producers in the final album's liner notes, and a donation to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital WAS also made in their honor.
Often referred to as the "hardest working man in country music," Bentley has spent the last five years connecting with fans one at a time through his energetic live show played in every nook and cranny of the U.S. and Canada.
With a touring schedule that topped off at 300 dates a year at its busiest, it's hard to imagine the country music star having any time to stop and enjoy all of the career milestones he's achieved in such a short time.
"Putting this album out is a way for us to mark the first five years with something special for the fans without spending too much time looking back," said Bentley. "We've got a lot of big things in store in 2008 and 2009 and plenty of work to do out on the road!"