Stars Welcoming the New Year

Many of them are working to help fans celebrate. Several artists have taken the time off around the holidays and will hit it hard when they return to the road in mid-January. Some artists have resolutions, and some are very helpful with their own hangover cures for those who imbibe too much on New Year’s Eve.

Lady Antebellum will perform live on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest as cameras will cut away to their headlining concert during Music City’s New Year’s Eve Bash on Broadway. The ABC show will also feature performances by Taylor Swift, One Direction, Elton John, Gavin DeGraw, Florida Georgia Line, Meghan Trainor, Fergie, Idina Menzel, Iggy Azaela, Jason Derulo, Train, Snoop Dogg and Nashville star Charles Esten, among others. Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest airs at 8pm ET on ABC.

By the way, more than 100,000 people are expected to attend the big New Year’s Eve concert in downtown Nashville. It will be one of the largest crowds Lady Antebellum has performed for in their career, and they are so excited. “It’s such a way to celebrate the end of what was one of the greatest years of our career. It’s fun — rewarding in every sense of the word,” Lady A’s Hillary Scott tells the Tennessean.

Keith Urban will spend New Year’s Eve (along with his family) in Niagara Falls, Canada headlining a free show. Nick Jonas and Shawn Mendes will also perform.

Kelleigh Bannen will be wrapping her stint as opening act on Cole Swindell’s Down Home Tour on New Year’s Eve at Wild Bill’s in Duluth, Georgia.

Sam Hunt will ring in the New Year at Boondocks in Springfield, Illinois.

Keith Urban Back To Judge For American Idol

It will be his third season, which begins airing after the first of the year.

Urban, along with Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and Ryan Seacrest (as host), are currently crisscrossing the country for the audition process. Last year’s judges’ panel seemed to really click and they all became friends, and Keith says it feels like no time has passed since they were behind the desks. The “Somewhere in My Car” singer has also noticed some great talent coming through this year.

“This season, I think we’re finding some really strong talent,” says Keith. “It’s all [in] the journey. You find these diamonds in the rough, or sometimes you just find straight-out [snaps] diamonds, and I love watching the journey of them.”

Keith is nominated for four CMA Awards this year, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Album of the Year for Fuse and Musical Event of the Year for “We Were Us” with Miranda Lambert. The 48th Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 4th at 8pm ET

NEWS AND NOTES: Keith, Little Big Town, Strait, Lady A, Kacey, Luke, Dierks

Keith Urban picked up two ARIA Award nominations (Australia’s version of The Grammy Awards). He’s up for Best Country Album (for Fuse) and Best Live Act (for his Light The Fuse Tour). In the States, he’s nominated for several CMA Awards, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Album of the Year (for Fuse) and Musical Event of the Year for “We Were Us” with Miranda Lambert.

You can cruise the high seas with Little Big Town during the 2015 Carnival LIVE concert series. The band will perform three times on the “Fun Ships” in Nassau (March 30th, 31st and April 1st). Visit www.carnival.com/CarnivalLIVE for more information.

George Strait is featured cover-to-cover in a new commemorative “bookazine” that was just released by the Academy of Country Music. The collector’s edition celebrates the Country Music Hall of Famer’s career, life (including exclusive photos from his Texas ranch), behind-the scenes and much more. The “bookazine” is on newsstands now.

Lady Antebellum and Kacey Musgraves will be among the artists performing on the new ABC TV Special, Countdown to the CMA Awards: 15 Songs That Changed Country Music next month. The special, which is hosted by Robin Roberts and also features Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Florida Georgia Line, Hunter Hayes, Rascal Flatts and Martina McBride, will air Monday, November 3rd at 10pm ET on ABC.

Lady Antebellum are together again with Stevie Nicks. They appear on the song “Blue Water” from the legendary performer’s new album, 24 Karat Gold.

  -- Universal Music/Nashville

Keith Urban Is "Faithful" To His Fans

He created this karaoke video:

"The Raise 'Em Up Tour may have come to a close, but Keith Urban, his band and crew, as well as opening acts Jerrod Niemann and Brett Eldredge, are forever yours, faithfully," he says.

Jerrod Niemann Broadens His Base

Niemann is out on the road with Keith Urban, and Jerrod is looking forward to gelling with Keith’s fans.

Everyone Is Back For Amercian Idol Season 14

Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick, Jr. are all returning next season as judges on "American Idol," according to a statement from Fox.

Ryan Seacrest is also coming back as host for season 14. 

"Jennifer, Keith, Harry and Ryan are the very best in the business at what they do, and I’m absolutely ecstatic that they are returning to AMERICAN IDOL for another season. Each brings unique qualities and expertise to the team, but they all share the same passion for helping undiscovered singers achieve the American dream,” said David Hill, senior executive VP of 21st Century Fox. 

Auditions for the singing competition are underway and continue in New Orleans this week before moving to New York in July. The show's ratings have sagged in recent years to the lowest since the inaugural season and less than half that of its top years from 2005-2009.

Keith Urban Organizes Another "All For The Hall" Success

A tidy sum of $600,000 was raised last night for the Country Music Hall of Fame, thanks to the efforts of Urban and a star-studded who's-who of volunteers.

As always, Keith and Vince Gill hosted a memorable evening filled with country stars. “We never know what we’re going to do,” Urban said at the outset, emphasizing the improvisational nature of the evening. “We never have on any of the past years, and we’ve always had the best time.”
Urban has put together all five We’re All for the Hall concerts in Nashville, hand-picking and personally inviting each artist who appears. The guests who answered his call this year, all volunteering their time, ranged from Country Music Hall of Fame members Gill, Reba McEntire and soon-to-be-inducted Ronnie Milsap to veterans Mary Chapin Carpenter, Deana Carter and Lee Ann Womack to several of today’s hottest stars, including Brantley Gilbert, Kacey Musgraves and Carrie Underwood.

“Five years ago, I was sitting up there,” said newcomer Brett Eldredge, as he pointed toward a section of raised seats to the right of the stage, where he saw the first We’re All for the Hall concert in 2009. “I was thinking how cool it would be to play this show someday. And here I am.”
The evening’s theme encouraged performers and songwriters to talk about the inspiration behind the songs. The motivation for the hits included heartbreak, headaches, lost love, first dates, cars, breaking the law, spiritual conflict, TV shows, forgetting a potential paramour’s last name, pigs who swim and, more than once, Dolly Parton.

Keith Urban: Behind The Scenes At American Idol

You’ve wanted to know what happens behind-the scenes and behind the cameras at American Idol, and now’s your chance!

Here’s a link for the second installment of Keith Urban’s new video series, Idle Chatter.

The American Idol judge and award-winning entertainer takes fans behind the cameras for an informative and humorous look at what happens backstage at the popular FOX-TV show.

Keith Urban Set To "Raise 'Em Up"

Keith is excited to return to the stage with his tour this summer. The trek, which will feature Jerrod Niemann and special guest, Brett Eldredge, will feature an all-new stage production and some music that wasn’t performed during his previous Light the Fuse Tour.

“Whatever my vision may be, it’ll keep moving and changing as we actually start to put the tour together, but I want to be able to create a different experience for everybody than what we’ve done in the past,” says Urban. “There’s a lot of anthemic quality to the record and a lot of energy to the record. So, to expand upon songs from that album in the set, but also to bring in some sort of album track rarities from Be Here, potentially Golden Road, Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing, some of those records, because we get fans coming to multiple shows. I like the fact that so many of ‘em, they’re really, really knowledgeable of my whole catalog, and this would be a good opportunity to pull out some songs we’ve never even done in concert before.”

The Raise ‘Em Up Tour kicks off July 12th north of the border at the Calgary Stampede, before opening in the U.S. July 17th in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The tour is currently scheduled to wrap September 13th at the Washington State Fair.

On Sunday, Keith will be performing at the ACM Awards, where he’s up for six awards including Male Vocalist of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year for both “We Were Us” (with Miranda Lambert) and “The Highway Don’t Care” (with Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift).

Keith Urban Kicks Off New Tour In Canada

“The Raise Em Up Tour will be a complete build from the sky down,” said Urban. “New staging, new production, a lot more songs from FUSE that the fans have been requesting, a different mix of previous hits, and some rarities from past albums that we haven't played in a while if ever!! And we'll be sharing the stage with Brett (Eldredge) and Jerrod (Niemann) both with killer new albums!!!!!”

The “Raise ‘Em Up” Tour kicks off on July 12th in Canada at the Calgary Stampede and will debut in the United States on Thursday, July 17th.  The 21-city Summer Tour crosses the country with concerts in cities including Boston, Hartford, St. Louis, Atlanta, Denver, and Sacramento before its close at the Washington State Fair on September 13th.

The six-time 2014 Academy of Country Music nominee, who will perform on the show on April 6th, has been in Los Angeles filming the 13th season of American Idol.  He will headline The iTunes Music Festival in Austin this Saturday, March 15th.

The Week Las Vegas Goes Country Keeps Growing

EVENT: Join us during The Week Vegas Goes Country® for the 2^nd annual ACM PARTY FOR A CAUSE FESTIVAL being held April 4^th and 5^th in Las Vegas at The LINQ, Caesars Entertainment’s new open-air retail, dining and entertainment district at the heart of the famous Las Vegas Strip. The two-day, ticketed outdoor music festival will feature multiple stages for ongoing LIVE country music performances, interactive games, a country marketplace, and more.

Headliners Rascal Flatts will kick off the ACM PARTY FOR A CAUSE FESTIVAL on Friday, April 4^th with Thomas Rhett, The Cadillac Three, and special guests to be announced. Keith Urban headlines Saturday, April 5^th with Joe Nichols, Jerrod Niemann, Chris Young, and more yet to be announced including the ACM New Artist of the Year nominees! 

A portion of proceeds from all tickets sales from the ACM PARTY FOR A CAUSE FESTIVAL will benefit worthy charities selected by the performers and our partners. You’ll be helping to raise awareness and funds while watching your favorite stars perform! This is truly the “feel good party of the year!”

To purchase tickets, please visit www.ticketmaster.com and search keywords “Academy of Country Music” or “ACM.”

General Admission two-day ticket packages are available for $65 each. The ticket gives you access to the festival grounds and performances on both Friday and Saturday from Noon until 12:00 a.m.

Less Than A Month To The CMA Awards

In addition to celebrating the Country genre by honoring the best in the format with industry voted awards, the CMA Awards are also home to some of the most memorable performances and collaborations in music.

The first round of performers hitting the stage this year include Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban.

Keith Urban Gives Away His Royalties

Urban donated $300,000 in artist and publishing royalties from his single "For You" to the Navy SEAL Foundation before his show in San Diego.

Funds from the song, written for the Act Of Valor movie soundtrack, help Navy SEALs and their families with support, education, legacy preservation and tragedy assistance.

"I have a deep appreciation for the special bond that all of these families feel towards each other and for the commitment that they have made to all of us," says Urban. "The NSF reminds us to acknowledge the importance and sacrifice that is made each and every day by those serving 'down range,' as well as their loving families." 

Keith Urban Will Be In Cleveland Sunday!

Severe weather in New York City grounded Urban's flight to Cleveland, causing him to miss his concert date last night (9/12). The show at Blossom Music Center went on with openers Dustin Lynch and Little Big Town. 

Urban sent his apologies via YouTube and promised a raincheck for ticket holders this Sunday (9/15).   -- Country Aircheck

Keith Urban Lights Fuse

The Tennessean reports that Keith Urban fans will want to be hanging around Music City this Friday.  He'll return to Bridgestone Arena next year, but first, country music star Keith Urban will play three much smaller establishments on Lower Broadway this Friday night.

In celebration of his new album "Fuse," Urban plans to take the stage at Legends Corner, Tootsies and The Stage starting at 9:30 p.m. Fri. September 6.

The honky-tonk "tour" was announced via a full-page advertisement that ran in Tuesday's edition of The Tennessean. The performances are open to the public, and fans were told to tune into three Nashville country radio stations to learn how to reserve a spot at one of the venues:

Legends Corner - WSIX "The Big 98"
Tootsies - WSM 95.5 FM
The Stage WKDF 103.3 FM

Urban is set to release his new album “Fuse” on Sept. 10.

Keith Urban and Little Big Town Are "Flying High"

Many collaborations are happening (click to watch one of them) on Keith Urban's Light the Fuse Tour 2013, but here's one that happened in Cincinnati between him and Little Big Town on his No. 1 hit, "You Gonna Fly."

Country Star Favorite Charities

“My Cause” artist and charities:

• Tim McGraw: Operation Homefront
• Jason Aldean: Susan G Komen
• The Band Perry: Notes for Notes
• Dierks Bentley: Miles & Music
• Luke Bryan: Shriners Hospital
• Florida Georgia Line: The Boot Campaign
• John Fogerty: Wounded Warrior Project
• Brantley Gilbert: Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)
• Faith Hill: Neighbor’s Keeper
• Lady Antebellum: LadyAID
• Nelly: Make-A-Wish Foundation (St. Louis Chapter)
• Ne-Yo: Compound Foundation
• Pitbull: Imagination Foundation
• Taylor Swift: MusiCares
• Keith Urban: MusiCares

Country artists are superstars with big hearts, and that was clearly displayed at this year’s ACM Presents: Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer Night, which airs this Sunday on CBS. It was a night of laughs and great music in addition to supporting the charitable arm of the Academy,  ACM Lifting Lives.

 

Each artist that performed on the show was given the opportunity to select a charity of their choice to receive a $10,000 donation from ACM Lifting Lives. Click on the links below to watch “My Cause” videos and find out more about these great organizations.

$ Two Million For The Hall

Last week's Keith Urban-hosted All 4 The Hall 2013 benefit concert netted nearly $650,000, according to figures released by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

The 2013 number brings the four-year total to more than $2 million.

Museum Director Kyle Young called this year's show at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, "The biggest and best ever."

Approximately 14,000 fans attended, with proceeds going toward care of the CMHoF's rare and unduplicated collection, its vigorous schedule of school and public programs, and enhancements for its core exhibition.

Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Kelly Clarkson, Florida Georgia Line, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, Keith Urban, and Zac Brown Band

Where can you find more CMA Award winners and nominees than at the annual CMA Awards? Try the 2013 CMA Music Festival!

The star-packed lineup is bursting at the seams with reigning trophy winners, former Award recipients, and nominees all performing for the most ardent, passionate fans in the world during CMA Music Festival, Thursday through Sunday, June 6-9, in Nashville.

“We have an amazing lineup of talent for this year’s Festival,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “I know our fans will be entertained and enthralled to see our annual family reunion of the best and brightest performers in the industry.”

More artists have just been announced including Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Kelly Clarkson, Florida Georgia Line, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, Keith Urban, and Zac Brown Band.

Previously announced performers for this one-of-a-kind, award-winning festival include Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, and Carrie Underwood (with more artists to be announced soon).

• Allan made his first appearance at Fan Fair in 1997. In 2003, he received his first CMA Awards nomination for the Horizon Award (now known as the New Artist of the Year). He last played LP Field in 2006 and he opened the concerts at Riverfront Park in 2011.
• Bentley made his first Festival appearance in 2003 at Riverfront Park. He has performed at LP Field seven times and has 10 CMA nominations to his credit including a win in 2005 for the Horizon Award.
• Reigning CMA Album of the Year winner for Chief, Church will be making his second, consecutive appearance at LP Field in 2013. He played Riverfront from 2006-2009. Church was the top CMA Awards nominee in 2012.
• Clarkson is no stranger to the LP Field stage having played the Nightly Concerts in 2007 and 2011. She has four CMA Award nominations to her credit and one win for Musical Event of the Year with Jason Aldean in 2011 for “Don’t You Wanna Stay.”
• What a difference a huge hit (“Cruise”) and a year make for Florida Georgia Line. In 2012, the duo performed on one of the events numerous free stages downtown, and now they will have their first LP Field performance in 2013.
• Reigning New Artist of the Year Hayes made his first Festival appearance in one of the free areas in 2011. In 2012, he was invited to LP Field, and he will be making his return appearance in 2013.
• Reigning CMA Female Vocalist and Song of the Year winner Lambert first played Riverfront in 2004 and has performed at LP Field every year since (2005-2012). She has 22 CMA Awards nominations and has won six times, including three for Female Vocalist of the Year (2010-2012).
• Owen has played Riverfront four times (2005, 2006, 2010, 2011) and LP Field three times (2008, 2009, 2012). Owen has two CMA Awards nominations including Musical Event of the Year (2008) and New Artist of the Year (2009).
• Paisley, who has hosted the CMA Awards with Underwood for the past five years, made his first Fan Fair appearance in 1998. Since then, he has performed on the LP Field stage 10 times (2001-2004, 2006, 2007, 2009-2012). He has 58 CMA Awards nominations and 14 wins including three for Male Vocalist of the Year (2007-2009) and one for Entertainer of the Year (2010).
• The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Shelton performed at Riverfront for the first time in 2001. Since then, he has played at LP Field six times (2002, 2005, 2006, 2010-2012). He has 15 CMA Awards nominations and five wins including three for Male Vocalist of the Year (2010-2012) and Song of the Year with wife Lambert for “Over You” (2012).
• Swift first played Riverfront in 2006 and has played LP Field four times (2007-2009, 2011). She has 15 CMA Awards nominations and seven wins including her first for the Horizon Award in 2007 and two for Entertainer of the Year (2009, 2011), which ties her with Barbara Mandrell for wins in that category by a female artist.
• The Band Perry’s first CMA Music Festival performance was at Riverfront in 2010. They performed at LP Field in 2011 and 2012. The sibling trio has garnered six CMA Awards nominations and two wins including New Artist of the Year in 2011 and Single and Song of the Year (for composer Kimberly Perry) for “If I Die Young” in 2011.
• Urban has played LP Field seven times. He has collected 25 career CMA Awards nominations and won six trophies from the Horizon Award in 2001 to Entertainer of the Year in 2005. He has been named CMA Male Vocalist of the Year three times (2004-2006).
• Zac Brown Band has appeared at CMA Music Festival every year since 2008 when they performed at Riverfront and have played LP Field every year since (2009-2012). The band has 12 CMA Awards nominations and one win for New Artist of the Year in 2010. Zac Brown has six solo CMA Awards nominations to his credit.

Now is the time to experience CMA Music Festival. According to Budget Travel Magazine, Nashville is one of the Top 10 Best Budget Destinations and CMA Music Festival is “the” time to visit. And Conde Nast Traveler selected Nashville as one of the Best Places to Go in 2013 citing easy access to “incredible live music.”

Fans can purchase tickets to 2013 CMA Music Festival through Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com or 1(800)745-3000. They can also purchase them by calling 1(800)CMA-FEST (262-3378). Ticket prices are based on the level of seating at LP Field for the Nightly Concerts, and range from $135 to $350 plus handling fees. A limited number of four-day parking passes for LP Field are also available (parking is not included in the Festival ticket price), ranging from $60 for Cars to $140 for an RV/Motorcoach, plus handling fees.

Keith Urban, Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, Rosanne Cash, Eric Church, Brantley Gilbert, Vince Gill, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, Tim McGraw, Montgomery Gentry, Willie Nelson, Kid Rock, Hank Williams Jr. "ALL For The Hall"

2005 CMA Entertainer of the Year and four-time Grammy Award winner Keith Urban and Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill will return to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on April 16 for a concert benefiting the Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum.

The show, themed “Rebels and Renegades, The Outlaws are IN” will feature an all-star line-up.

Reserved seating tickets are priced at $35 and $50 and will go on sale to Museum members on next Tuesday, February 26 at 10:00 a.m. CST.