CMT Blog: Archive

What do Reba McEntire, Faith Hill, Dolly Parton and Vince Gill have in common (other than being country music superstars)? They were all members of 4-H, and are now featured on a special compilation CD called Clover Country: Songs From Famous 4-H Alumni. Other former 4-H members who contributed songs to Clover Country include Sugarland, Johnny Cash, Alabama and Luke Bryan.

“Being that I was involved in some 4-H stuff back when I was younger, [doing the CD] seemed like a no brainer thing for me,” says Bryan. “I was involved in 4-H from like seventh grade through tenth grade. I did some poultry judging stuff, and I was really involved with the social aspects of it, if you get my drift — there were a lot of pretty girls around 4-H, so I was always hanging around.”

Bryan’s friend, songwriter Hillary Lindsey, brought the project to his attention and helped him decide on the song he would contribute. “Hillary kind of spearheaded the project,” says Bryan. “They told us to pick a song for the CD, and Hillary was always a big fan of ‘We Rode in Trucks.’ We’ve done some 4-H events, and that song just speaks to young people in such a good way, so ‘We Rode in Trucks’ just seemed like the thing to do.”

4-H is the nation’s largest youth development organization, designed to help young people learn leadership, citizenship and life skills. The club originally had a rural focus, so a number of country artists who grew up on farms and ranches are familiar with 4-H clubs. The organization’s symbol is a four-leaf clover (hence the album’s title). Clover Country is available online, at retail outlets and at state and county 4-H offices, and proceeds support 4-H programs nationwide.