Keith Urban has recorded a Public Service Announcement (PSA) for the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, which keeps music alive by donating musical instruments to disadvantaged schools. The program feels children thrive with music education programs, helping them to be better students and inspiring creativity and expression through playing music.

Mr. Holland’s Opus began with a movie, based on a true story, of composer and reluctant music teacher, Glenn Holland (played by Oscar-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss), who, over the course of his career, touched the lives of generations of students, while struggling with shrinking budgets and shifting priorities to keep music as part of their education.

(photo from local8now.com)

Even with his arm in a sling, Luke Bryan says the show must go on, and it did. The Farm Tour 2016 got its start in Greenback (near Knoxville), Tennessee on Thursday night, even after Luke Bryan broke his clavicle in a biking accident earlier in the day. He posted a photo of his X-ray on his Twitter  (see below).

Yep. pic.twitter.com/0CHrd0nxe9

— Luke Bryan (@LukeBryanOnline) October 7, 2016

Broken clavicle. All good. Show is a go. I'll just have my arm in a sling.

— Luke Bryan (@LukeBryanOnline) October 6, 2016

According to the ABC affiliate WATE, Luken kicked up the dust up before more than 16,000 people at Maple Lane Farms Thursday night and paid tribute to its late founder, Bob Schmidt, who is also honored at the end of Luke’s video for “Here’s to the Farmer,” the title track from his new Farm Tour EP.

This marks the country superstar’s third stop in Greenback, but it’s the first year without Farmer Bob, who passed away earlier this year after suffering two strokes.

The Greenback show comes one day after Luke had to cancel the first Farm Tour date in Gaston, South Carolina, due to Hurricane Matthew.

Luke Bryan is set to release his first Farm Tour EP, Here’s to the Farmer, this week. Coinciding with his eighth annual Farm Tour, the collection features five new songs, including the title track. He says the EP, which takes the place of his annual Spring Break releases, is a way for him to get new music to fans.

“The reason why I wanted to do this Farm Tour EP is hey, we’ve been doing Farm Tours for eight years, and I just wanted the opportunity to kinda put a little soundtrack out there, kind of the same way we did Spring Break, but now we got Farm Tours,” says Luke. “And hey, I’m a studio junkie. I love being in the studio trying to make more music and give fans another take and another aspect of what I want to tell ‘em. So, Farm Tour was the perfect reason to get in there and write some new music, and we hope the fans love it.”

The Farm Tour kicks off October 5^th in Gaston, South Carolina and wraps October 15^th in Effingham, Illinois. At each tour stop, a portion of ticket proceeds provide college scholarships

At each stop, a portion of ticket proceeds provide college scholarships to students from the communities in which he plays who either come from a farming family or plans to major in agriculture.

Luke has “moved” into the Top 10 on the country charts with his latest single, “Move.”

Bayer Presents Luke Bryan Farm Tour 2016:
Oct. 5 – Gaston, South Carolina, Culler Farms
Oct. 6 – Greenback, Tennessee, Maple Lane Farms
Oct. 7 – Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Highland Farms
Oct. 8 – Monroeville, Indiana, Spangler Farms
Oct. 12 – Batesville, Mississippi, FT Farms
Oct. 13 – Prairie Grove, Arkansas, Ogden Ranch
Oct. 14 – Centralia, Missouri, Stowers Farm
Oct. 15 – Effingham, Illinois, Mid America Motorworks

Keith Urban will ring in the new year in Nashville. He’s set to headline the Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville (#NashvilleNYE). Keith, who’s making his way up the country charts with “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” will lead a cool night of music which will also include rock band Styx, A Thousand Horses, Charlie Worsham and the Fisk Jubilee Singers. The event is free and open to the public.

“What could be better than New Year’s Eve in downtown Nashville,” said Keith. “It’s an awesome way to ring in 2017, and I can’t wait for the party!”

Urban, a four-time GRAMMY winner, has released five No. 1 albums, including his most recent Ripcord, and recorded 21 No. 1 songs. He ranks No. 8 on Billboard’s All-time Country Airplay Chart and has the most consecutive top 10 songs on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart (36). He is a Country Music Association Horizon Award winner and the first to go on to win the CMA’s Male Vocalist of the Year, a title he’s captured three times, and the coveted Entertainer of the Year. He is the first and only country artist to have served as an American Idol judge.

The event will take place at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park for the first time to accommodate growth and enhance security. Last year’s New Year’s event on Lower Broadway attracted a record 150,000 to downtown, generating $22.2 million in direct visitor spending.

Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville event site will open at 4pm with a DJ. The raising of the Music Note by Mayor Megan Barry and the Fisk Jubilee Singers® will follow at approximately 6:15pm.

Follow the NCVC on social media for event updates, information and answers to your #NashvilleNYE questions:
Twitter: @VisitMusicCity – http://twitter.com/visitmusiccity
Instagram: @VisitMusicCity – http://instagram.com/visitmusiccity
Facebook: Visit Music City – http://facebook.com/nashvillemusiccity

“Forever Country” made its international premiere on radio stations across the world Friday morning (September 16^th). The star-studded single is now available for download.

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the CMA Awards, the song and biggest music video in Country Music history includes the following CMA Award winners: Alabama, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Brett Eldredge, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Ronnie Milsap, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Randy Travis, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Trisha Yearwood.

“Forever Country” is a fresh take on three Country classics: John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”

As part of the U.S. radio roadblock, CMA’s radio partners (except for CBS) launched a “Forever Country” sweepstakes allowing fans to enter for their chance to win the “Ultimate CMA Awards Experience.”

The winner of the sweepstakes will be granted two tickets to “The 50th Annual CMA Awards,” round trip coach airfare to Nashville, two nights of hotel accommodations, the opportunity to walk the CMA Awards Red Carpet, sit in the Red Carpet fan section, present an official CMA Broadcast Award at the pre-broadcast Awards ceremony, and more. Fans can get additional information and enter to win at ForeverCountry50.com.

In other news, a portion of the video will premiere in an exclusive sneak peek during ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” Tuesday, September 20^th. “Good Morning America” debuted a 90 second behind-the-scenes video teaser that will live exclusively on GoodMorningAmerica.com on Yahoo for 24 hours.

Immediately following the sneak peek on “Dancing with the Stars,” fans will be directed to ForeverCountry50.com to see the full-length YouTube version of the music video.

“Forever Country,” the single was produced by CMA Award winner and CMA Board member Shane McAnally and the video was directed by Grammy Award-winning director Joseph Kahn.

The 50th Annual CMA Awards will be hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and broadcast live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, November 2nd (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC.

For more information on “Forever Country” visit ForeverCountry50.com.

A radio special about the song, hosted by Luke Bryan (as well as an unhosted version), is available to download on ForeverCountry50.com. A second radio special about the video will be available in the coming days.

Current four-time CMA nominee Dierks Bentley celebrated his 15th career No. One “Different For Girls” on Tuesday (10/4) during an intimate sit-down lunch at Nashville’s Moto’s with close friends and family alongside collaborator and friend Elle King. After celebrating the chart-topper with co-writers JT Harding (ASCAP) and Shane McAnally (GMR), Bentley and King performed the CMA nominated song at the Grand Ole Opry, where King made her Opry debut. Paying homage to legendary collaborations, the pair gave the audience a bluesy performance of “Jackson.”

To watch Bentley and King perform “Jackson” on the Grand Ole Opry and backstage here: http://bit.ly/2cV7dRj

Known for “traveling his own path…Country music’s most relatable star” (Esquire) shows his depth and diversity as an artist with four CMA nominations in the Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of The Year, Vocal Event of the Year and Video of the Year categories. “The  bluegrass  picker,  the  love  song  singer  and  the stadium rocker all packaged together” (Associated Press) has been a Grand Ole Opry member for over a decade and is currently set to head into the second leg of his headlining 2016 SOMEWHERE ON A BEACH TOUR on October 13. Recently announced Bentley will embark on his 2017 WHAT THE HELL WORLD TOUR launching Jan. 19 in Dayton, OH, with Cole Swindell and Jon Pardi. For more information and a full list of tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.

As announced this week (September 13th), in celebration of The 50th Annual CMA Awards, the CMA has created the biggest video in Country Music history. Titled “Forever Country,” the single and accompanying music video features 30 CMA Award-winning acts. The single was produced by CMA Award-winning Board member Shane McAnally and the video was directed by Grammy Award-winning director Joseph Kahn. In another historic move, the single will be unveiled to the public Friday, September 16th in a global roadblock across Country radio, premiering on hundreds of radio stations simultaneously at 8:30 AM/ET across the U.S., in addition to premiering in key international markets.

The song and music video weave a medley of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” together.

“The 50th Annual CMA Awards,”  hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, November 2nd at 8pm ET/PT on ABC.

For more information on “Forever Country” visit ForeverCountry50.com.

A radio special about the song, hosted by Luke Bryan (as well as an unhosted version), will be made available to download on ForeverCountry50.com. A second radio special about the video will be available in the coming days.

Chris Stapleton will receive the ASCAP Vanguard Award at the 54th annual ASCAP Country Music Awards this year. The singer-songwriter will be honored with the award, which pays tribute to songwriters and publishers of ASCAP’s most-performed country songs of 2015. Previous recipients include Third Day, The Civil Wards and Sara Bareilles, among others.

“Every so often, someone comes along with songwriting so masterful, a voice so powerful and a presence so captivating, that it stops you in your tracks,” said ASCAP President Paul Williams. “Chris Stapleton does just that. By distilling Southern sounds and themes into potent songs, he has brought raw soul back to the country charts, and established himself as one of the most respected and original artists in American music today. We are thrilled to honor him with the ASCAP Vanguard Award.”

The ASCAP Country Music Awards will take place at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium October 31st.
Chris is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year (“Nobody to Blame”), Male Vocalist of the Year and Music Video of the Year (“Fire Away”), as well as Musical Event of the Year with wife Morgane Stapleton, for their performance of “You Are My Sunshine” at the 50th annual CMA Awards which will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 2nd at 8pm ET on ABC.

Chris is currently making his way up the country charts with “Parachute” from his award-winning album, Traveller.

Vince Gill appears on wife Amy Grant’s new holiday album, Tennessee Christmas. The two pair up for “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” The new collection will be available October 21st.

Brothers Osborne and Kacey Musgraves are set to perform at the annual Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival in Franklin, Tennessee September 25th. Hall & Oates, Beck, Grace Potter, Lori McKenna, Margo Price and Anderson East, among others, will also perform during the two-day festival.

Kacey Musgraves and Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon have become friends over the past couple of years. Last year, Kacey (along with Reba and several other folks) attended the opening of Reese’s Draper James store in Nashville, then while on a photo shoot for her fall line on Nashville’s Broadway, Reese popped in her favorite boot store and picked up a pair of Kacey’s Lucchese “Golden Arrow” boots. Just this week, Reese missed Kacey’s performance at The Greek Theatre in L.A., but sent along a note and a bottle of pink champagne.

https://twitter.com/RWitherspoon/status/756898844420415490

https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/776390652200230913

Luke Bryan and his team have been forced to cancel the Farm Tour 2016 date at Culler Farms in Gaston, South Carolina, due to the Hurricane Matthew evacuation orders that begin on Wednesday in the coastal areas of South Carolina. The evacuation orders have impacted the traffic routes to the farm. Full refunds will be provided within the next 72 hours with notification being sent via email. Please check http://www.lukebryan.com/farm-tour.html for more information.

Luke will be in Knoxville on Thursday, and if you can’t make it to the show (or to the Farm Tour period), tune in to his Facebook page for a peek inside this year’s Farm Tour at Maple Lane Farms!