Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

Packed houses and unanimous rave reviews made Keith Urban’s “ripCORD WORLD TOUR 2016” one of the hottest tours of the summer.  Now, following his performance in front of 80,000 at the Australian “Super Bowl” and the announcement that he will perform in downtown Nashville on New Year’s Eve, Urban returns to the States for the launch of the arena leg of his “ripCORD WORLD TOUR 2016.”

Urban’s arena tour, which kicked off last Thursday in Bismarck, North Dakota’s Civic Arena, debuted after his free concert before more than 10,000 in Nashville’s Bridgestone Plaza, has since added shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Toronto, Holmdel, Lake Tahoe and Gilford.  The tour now stands at more than 70 performances globally.

Before it’s conclusion in Australia in December, “ripCORD WORLD TOUR 2016” will have played to more than a million people, in four countries on three continents, included first ever performances at G.I.O. Stadium in Canberra, Australia and in New Zealand at The Westpac Stadium.

Last month Urban was nominated for four CMA Awards, including the coveted Entertainer of The Year Award, his #1 Album of the Year (an award that he has never won), Male Vocalist and Vocal Event of the Year (with Carrie Underwood for “The Fighter”), an award that he’s won a CMA record four years in a row.

Longtime Atlanta Braves fan Josh Turner joined the organization Friday night as Braves Nation continued its ceremonial countdown of the few remaining home games at Turner Field.

“It was such an honor for me to go the Braves game this past Friday and to pull down the number nine commemorating the nine home games left at Turner Field,” shares Turner. “I’ve had so many good memories there – I’ve introduced all my boys to Braves baseball there. We’ve witnessed some great games and we’ve had a lot of fun times.”

“Turner Field will always be special to me,” continues the country star. “I never got to go to Fulton County Stadium, so ‘The Ted’ is where I made my first Braves memories. I don’t remember the first game I went to there, but all of my children have had their first experiences there too.”

Turner is currently on the road in support of his latest radio single, “Hometown Girl,” which Rolling Stone Country notes, “pairs the South Carolina native’s unmistakable, country-to-the-core baritone with a modern, rollicking beat.” Radio programmers across the country are weighing in saying “it’s a GREAT country song” (WNCY Green Bay), “Josh has hit a home run with this tune” (KJKE Oklahoma City) and “the unmistakable voice is back with a fantastic song” (WUBE Cincinnati). Fans can find Turner at his upcoming tour dates in Ky., Ill., Texas and Okla. Preview “Hometown Girl” HERE and hear over an hour of Turner’s biggest hits HERE.

For more information, images, music and tour dates, visit www.JoshTurner.com.

Luke Bryan went in for surgery for his broken clavicle on Sunday. He tweeted that he was on his way to the doctor on Sunday morning.

Heading to surgery. Ugh. pic.twitter.com/PmseTuB3Nu

— Luke Bryan (@LukeBryanOnline) October 9, 2016

He then followed it up with the X-ray following his surgery, where they had to put some metal in to fuse his bones together.

All good. Got me some metal. pic.twitter.com/ZjQ5Q2mWK3

— Luke Bryan (@LukeBryanOnline) October 10, 2016

His clavicle, though, wasn’t the only injury he suffered during a bicycle accident in Greenback, Tennessee last week.

Landed on my hip too. Damn pic.twitter.com/y3zX3nxioE

— Luke Bryan (@LukeBryanOnline) October 8, 2016

Fans worried about his upcoming Farm Tour shows need not fret…he will be in Batesville, Mississippi on Wednesday (October 12th), followed by shows in Prairie Grove, Arkansas (October 13th), Centralia, Missouri (October 14th) and Effingham, Illinois (October 15th).

Luke is making his way up the country charts with his latest smash, “Move.”

Dierks Bentley climbed to the top of the country charts with his 15th No. 1 single, “Different for Girls,” from his latest album, Black.

“’Different for Girls’ just looks at the different ways guys and girls both handle breakups and what they do to manage the heartbreak and the pain, and just one perspective on how it looks from my perspective,” he says.

Dierks, who will continue his 2016 Somewhere on a Beach Tour on Wednesday in Spokane, Washington, has four CMA nominations, including Male Vocalist, Album of the Year for Black, Musical Event for “Different for Girls” with Elle King and Music Video of the Year for “Somewhere on a Beach.” The 50th Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 2nd at 8pm ET/PT on ABC.

The Band Perry will perform their single, “Comeback Kid,” on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on Monday (October 10th).

The Band Perry are set to perform at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship November 20th. Before the race begins at the Ford EcoBoost 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, the trio will perform a live show. The championship race will be broadcast on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 2:30pm ET.

Chris Stapleton’s Traveller album has been certified double-platinum for two-million albums by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Luke Bryan’s “Strip It Down” and “Kick the Dust Up” and Jon Pardi’s “Head Over Boots” have been certified platinum by the RIAA. Dierks Bentley’s “Different for Girls” featuring Elle King goes gold.

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.