Dierks on Free & Easy Road to No. 1

11/13/2007 Stephen L. Betts   Dierks Bentley has reached No. 1 on the R&R country singles chart this week with his smash hit single “Free & Easy (Down the Road I Go),” from the CMA-nominated album Long Trip Alone. The song is Dierks’ fifth No. 1 and his 8th Top 10 hit single (out of nine).   Dierks and bandmates Rod Janzen (guitar) and Robbie Harrington (bass) started writing the song in the back lounge of the tour bus, and then finished it in Nashville with Dierks’ longtime producer Brett Beavers. “This one is definitely special to me because the guys in the band were involved,” says Dierks.  “We’ve come a long way from the clubs and the bars, and as a band, this is definitely one of those moments that make me proud of what we’ve accomplished together so far.” After finishing up a four-day run on his Bud Light sponsored Throttle Wide Open tour with opening act Jack Ingram, Dierks jetted to Kansas City on his day off to catch a Garth Brooks show. “He is an iconic live performer, and there continues to be a lot to learn from him,” says Dierks. “But I mostly went because I wanted to complete a circle that began in 1992, when I was 17 and sitting so high up in the rafters at my first Garth show that I could touch the roof of the arena. Last night, I was backstage … with a No. 1 song. That’s a pretty amazing feeling.” The Throttle Wide Open tour continues this week with stops in Murray, KY, Springfield, IL, and Cincinnati, OH. For other upcoming tour dates and behind-the-scenes footage from the tour, visit www.dierks.com.