Jackson, Rucker, Murray + More Share Thanksgiving Memories

Thanksgiving is a time to gather with the family and take a moment to appreciate those who make our lives so special. It's also a time to indulge in our favorite foods!

Alan Jackson says his favorite Thanksgiving dish is homemade dressing. "I mean the cornbread-based kind of dressin' that we always have with turkey. That recipe is a kind of a combination of my mama, and my wife Denise has taken it and perfected it over the years, so that me and my children really enjoy it."

Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry have favorite dishes, too. For Eddie, it's chicken and dumplings; Troy tends to like it all! Eddie says "I reckon the big thing with us was always chicken and dumplin's. It's probably the most unhealthiest thing in the world but I just love it." Troy says his family doesn't have a traditional menu but his wife has a special green been recipe that they do. "It just kind of depends on the mood, you know, except that we always have turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas."

Chuck Wicks skips the traditional fixins and goes straight for his favorite dish, homemade macaroni and cheese. "I skip the turkey, I skip the ham ... I skip all of that. Homemade macaroni and cheese. Without a doubt."

For Darius Rucker, Thanksgiving is about family and friends. "First of all I'm thankful for my kids and my lovely wife. Out of this whole country thing going on right now, the thing I'm most thankful is friendship with the people I've met over the last couple years, especially my songwriting partner Clay Mills and my producer Frank Rogers. I consider these guys some of my best friends in the world right now. I could have ten number ones and win Grammy's and those friendships would be the most imporant to me."

Josh Turner appreciates the holiday because it gives him some time off the road. This year he's going to go hunting in his home state of South Carolina. "I love being outside surrounded by nature, and the holidays serve as a great time for me to go and partake in that part of my life. The temperature starts to drop and the conditions get just right, for deer season in particular. It becomes a good time for me to get out in a deer stand and get away from everything - the noise, the lights and the diesel fumes; I can just relax and enjoy the peace and quiet."

Jason Michael Carroll remembers going hunting with his dad over Thanksgiving. "When I was a kid and probably six, seven years old, I remember early in the morning, my dad getting me up, getting me dressed, letting me go get in the pick-up truck with him, and we'd drive out to the hunting club, and he'd go hunting. And we'd be out there all day. We'd have ham sandwiches for lunch that he got from the little community store, and I remember getting back home to the smell of turkey in the house."

Crystal Shawanda and Anne Murray celebrate two Thanksgivings, Canada and the U.S. ""My husband's mom is an amazing cook, and she's from the South, so it's just a little bit different," Crystal says. "I love her dressing so I get the best of both worlds. I get to celebrate two Thanksgivings, and have two, you know, Thanksgiving dinners cooked in a different style, American and my native heritage. And it's awesome - I love it!"

Murray says over the years she probably spent 20 Thanksgivings in the U.S. because she would be on her Christmas tour by that time of year. "I can remember a ton of Thanksgivings in Las Vegas because I played there for years and years. We always celebrated by going out as a group and having dinner somewhere. If we were on the road we stopped to share dinner together. Most of my people have been with me for over 25 years, some over 30 years, so that was our tradition."

David Bellamy of the Bellamy Brothers has a different take on Thanksgiving. "Growing up in the Florida Sunshine, we're fortunate to be able to celebrate some of our Thanksgivings outdoors in beautiful weather. It isn't unusual for us to set up the Thanksgiving table under a big live oak tree in the cow pasture and haul the turkey with all it's trimmings to the site in the back of our ranch truck and eat dinner with our family and guests. We have about 25 people that eat with us almost every year and we build a campfire so the kids can roast marshmallows after dinner."

Randy Owen will have Thanksgiving dinner at home with his family, but there won't be much time to relax. He, his family and his Tennessee River Music Farms staff will be gearing up for their Seventh Annual Angus Dixieland Delight cattle sale, which will draw buyers from all over the country on Saturday.