Dierks Bentley & Friends Give Tom Petty’s “American Girl” A Bluegrass Twist
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Country Stars Honor Tom Petty With Release Of New Tribute Album
Earlier this year (2024), Dierks Bentley joined a group of other country stars in honoring Tom Petty on a new tribute album.
Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty debuted on June 21. It features country singers’ covers of some of Petty’s most iconic songs.
George Strait, Dolly Parton, Jamey Johnson, and Chris Stapleton are among the artists who contributed to the record. Bentley recorded Petty’s “American Girl” for the project.
Petty originally released “American Girl” in 1977. Following a reissue in 1994, it reached the 68th spot on the U.S. Cash Box Top 100 chart. Then, following Petty’s death in 2017, the song peaked at the ninth spot on the Billboard Rock Digital Song Sales chart.
Bentley also experienced success with his version of “American Girl.” His recording reached the 22nd spot on the Country Airplay chart.
According to a press release from Big Machine Label Group, Bentley intentionally recorded a “bluegrass-tinged” version of “American Girl.” Bentley had this to say about the song and his cover:
“Petty’s southern roots shined through across his songwriting and storytelling. He might not have ever been considered as Country, but you can’t go into a bar in Nashville without hearing this song. It is one of the greatest songs in a life’s work of great American songs. The spirit of this woman, the idea of such relentless hope – and disappointment – ignites such a spark.”
Dierks Bentley, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, And Bronwyn Keith-Hynes Sing Tom Petty’s “American Girl” At The 2024 CMA Awards
Bentley took his version of “American Girl” to the 2024 CMA Awards…but wasn’t alone. His friends Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes joined him for the performance. They performed together near the end of the ceremony, right before the winner of Entertainer of the Year was announced.
Tuttle, Hull, and Keith-Hynes are all extraordinarily accomplished bluegrass artists. So their contributions further enhanced Bentley’s version of “American Girl” when they performed with him at the CMA Awards on November 20. They showcased their talents during a lengthy instrumental break in the middle of the song, and it was spectacular!
Watch Bentley, Tuttle, Hull, and Keith-Hynes deliver their bluegrass rendition of “American Girl” below. This is one CMA Awards performance fans won’t forget anytime soon!
