The World Debut of Curtis Grimes’ New Single ‘Smile’ + More [AUDIO]

I'll give you two guesses what we did when Curtis Grimes dropped by Radio Texas, LIVE! recently -- give up? We debuted his next single "Smile" and made an on-air bet, perhaps our best on-air bet yet.

Radio Texas, LIVE! is the only place in the world where you can hear new music from Curtis Grimes, first. The star of NBC's The Voice, season one and I started doing it a couple years ago and whether or not it's for the best, we ain't gonna stop doin' it now. Something else we do, make on-air bets. While the latter may or may not be frowned upon, we ain't gonna stop doin' that either.

First things first, earlier this summer Curtis recorded his first live album at The Parish in Austin, and he gave us the scoop on it.

We are trying to get it out by August 28th or as soon as possible in September. It'll have "Smile," our new single and another newer song "Love is to Blame." And the DVD will also have the live cuts of both of those as well.

So, all your Curits Grimes favs plus a couple new cuts. And it's official release date now is September 18. Next, Curt treated us to a live acoustic version of a new song called "Home to Me," a song he wrote while in Nashville,

It was my first trip out there and that night I was in the hotel, and getting kinda homesick -- so I wrote "Home to Me." It's one of my favorites actually.

Next, it was time to debut the new song. "Smile" was co-written with Josh Abbott, who we all know turns out No. 1 songs about Texas and love like Kevin Fowler does about beer. And while Curt asked me not to include the complete song here until it is officially released to radio (next week), I've got a taste of it up for you, and I do believe this song will be a game changer for the Gilmer native.

How'd the song come to be? Here's what Curt told us,

Josh [Abbott] has a song writing retreat at Champion Ranch... the first day he wanted to write with me cause he had an idea he [thought would be go well with my voice]... I think we were in there maybe an hour, tops and we were done with this song. This was my first co-write with Josh and it turned out well.

If you listen to the show regularly you know of the bets Curtis and I make. Last July, I let him pick any baseball team to win the World Series. He chose the Rangers, in July mind you, and as we all know Curt barely missed winning that one.

Buddy- 1 Curtis- 0.

Back in May we were at it again, this time we bet whether or not David Allan Coe would flip off the crowd at an upcoming concert "Party in the Dirt."  Curt said he would, I said he wouldn't. Well, he did not. I won again.

Buddy-  2, Curtis- 0.

But this bet is easily our best one yet. I bet Curtis that he's new single "Smile" will be his first No. 1. If it is I have to sing it with him at his concert in November at Electric Cowboy.

If it doesn't get to the top, I will be picking any song -- ever written, and he and his band will have to learn and perform it at the same show. Upon revision of this bet, it doesn't exactly give me any incentive to spin it, right?

We'll see how it turns out come November.

Be on the lookout for the new Live at The Parish, now set for release on Sept. 18th. And be sure to follow Curtis on Twitter and Facebook.