Keith Urban appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, marking his 20th appearance on her wildly popular daytime talk show, his first being in 2004. He also gave an intimate performance of his No. 1 song, “Blue Ain’t Your Color.” Following his performance, his gave her the guitar on which he wrote a long note thanking her for her friendship and support over the years. Keith’s wife Nicole Kidman also signed the guitar, as well.
Keith is making his way to the top of the country charts with his latest song, “Wild Hearts.”
Keith Urban paid tribute to Naomi Judd during a show in Manchester, England this week by performing a portion of The Judds’ “Love Can Build A Bridge,” while the audience sang along. It was announced on Saturday that Naomi had passed away on Saturday (April 30th).
Naomi Judd sowed so many important seeds in her precious time here. Here’s one of the many. On the other side of the world in Manchester tonight they were all singing "Love Can Build A Bridge." Thank you Naomi. We love you. pic.twitter.com/05mFav07W7
Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 8th, and some of your favorite country artists are celebrating the mothers in their lives this weekend. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother’s Day, held on the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers.
Audio / Alan Jackson lost his sweet Mama several years ago, and he wrote a song for her funeral, “Where Her Heart Has Always Been,” which is now included on his album Where Have You Gone.
Alan Jackson (song for mother)…really, really sweet. :51 “I think one song on there, especially I wrote my mama died three or four years ago, four years ago maybe. I don’t remember now. But I wrote it for her funeral, that’s “Where Her Heart Has Always Been.” And I really love that track. It’s just really – I tried to write it in a way that I know she would appreciate it. And then after we had cut it and we were just about to finalize the record, my sister sent a recording of mama reading from the Bible for a Christmas story or something from a few years ago that I hadn’t heard, or I don’t remember if I had ever heard it. And I thought that would be cool to put that on there. So, we tried to pick a little piece of that that didn’t sound so Christmasy and put on there on the front end and that made it really, really sweet.”
Audio / Carrie Underwood says she doesn’t really have any Mother’s Day traditions.
Carrie Underwood (Mother’s Day traditions) OC: …even more so. :38 “We don’t really have like any Mother’s Day traditions. I feel like I remember me and Dad making breakfast for Mom like once as a kid. I’m pretty sure we just made a giant mess in the kitchen and we never did that again, so. Being on the other side of things, I obviously don’t expect anything, but my husband’s really good at getting presents from quote unquote Isaiah. It’s really sweet, because he likes to bring me things. He’s such a sweet little guy, and anytime he’s outside, he’ll pick me flowers and things. So, I’m like, ‘You’re learning. You’ve already got me wrapped around your finger, and then you do stuff like that, and it’s even more so.’”
Audio / Caylee Hammack describes the qualities she most admires in her mother.
Caylee Hammack (Mother’s Day) 1 OC: …love fully. :53 “I love that my Mom is a no-nonsense woman. I love that she always speaks her mind and she’s super stubborn, because she handed it down to me and it’s come in handy, to be honest. She’s a great cook. I wish I was half the cook that she is. She’s obsessive about Tupperware and plates, which I used to hate, but now as an adult whenever I break a dish or something, I just call her, and I know that I have one on standby. I love that she loves random things so that I can squirrel them away and take them to Nashville sometimes. And I love that she loves big. She either gives all of her heart or nothing at all; she always gives all of her heart. She loves, you know, she has a bleeding heart, and I think that’s just one of the most beautiful traits in the world is to love fully.”
Audio / Darius Rucker recalls one of his favorite memories of his mother.
Darius Rucker (favorite memory of his mother) OC: …my Mom’s song. :34 “Oh goodness! A lot of great memories of her, but probably one of my favorite memories, I was a young kid, probably eight or nine, and she was in the kitchen cooking and listening to the gospel station and Shirley Caesar’s ‘No Charge’ came on and she was singing ‘No Charge.’ I just remember I ran into our living room which was adjoined to our kitchen and I just sat there and I just listened to her sing that song, and I remember thinking, ‘Wow! What an amazing voice.’ That’s just always a memory I’ve always had, and that song still to this day when I hear it just moves me because that was my mom’s song.”
Audio / Darius Rucker talks about the unwavering support he felt from his mother (who passed away several years ago).
Darius Rucker (Mother) OC: …in my corner. :44 “My mom was just always great. She worked a lot. She was a nurse and she worked a lot. She took a lot of overtime and stuff to make sure we could live basically, but she always just so supportive, ever since I was a kid. I was always a music kid. Growing up in an African-American neighborhood, I was never that guy who was gonna be pigeonholed to let people say I could only listen to this and I could only do this, because I was African-American. She always supported whatever I wanted to do, whatever I wanted to listen to, wherever I wanted to go, she always had my back. Going to college and everything, she was my biggest supporter and never let my brothers and sisters knock me down or try to tell me I can’t do this or that. All of my success comes because my mother was always in my corner.”
Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about Mother’s Day in regards to his wife, Cassidy.
Dierks (Mother’s Day) OC: …for sure. :20 “When it’s your actual mom, you know, there’s some slack there, but when with your wife – any touring husband, anyone who tours who has kids and a wife back home, it’s tough man. It’s a lot of work. So, I definitely need to step up to think of something great to do this Sunday, for sure.”
Audio / Eric Church says he’s learned quite a bit from his mom.
Eric Church (Mother’s Day) OC: …as a man. :57 “My mom, even though my dad won’t like this, my mom is by far the toughest person that I’ve met. She’s tough. One of those people that’s been through a lot in her life, adversity wise and never complains, always really resilient with anything that’s happened to her. And it’s just that attitude, the positive attitude, regardless of what has happened that I think is the one thing that I got from her. With career, she’s always been a person that’s been really positive through times that I couldn’t find a positive streak, [laughs] and she was always really positive, and very much believes in tough it out, keep working hard, and that’s her motto with stuff like that. I’ve always been impressed with that stuff. Then musically, she’s where I get my talent from, musically. She sings great, always has, her mom sang great. I owe my musical chops to her. And she still sings some. So, career-wise, I owe her everything. And just in life-wise she’s given me a lot of the qualities that it has taken for me to get me where I am. Not only as a musician, but as a man.”
Audio / Jon Pardi says his mother, Shelly, is an angel.
Jon Pardi (Mother’s Day) OC: …worrying about me. :29 “My mom’s always been there for me. First of all, she’s a great mom. She’s an angel. She takes care of people that aren’t even in the family. She’s always been like that, and she’s a great mother. She’s always proud, and she’s always there supporting and being a great mom. She’s just a good human being. There’s not one mean bone in her body. And she cries about every time I talk to her. She always worries about me. I have to tell her, ‘Stop worrying about me.’”
Audio / JORDAN DAVIS SAYS HE’S A “MAMA’S BOY” AND HOPES HE HAS HER KINDNESS AND POSITIVE OUTLOOK.
Jordan Davis (Mother’s Day) OC: …Mother’s Day. :30 [laughs] “I’m a Mama’s Boy. I love my Mom, and it’s the way she finds the good in everything. With my Mom, as opposed to finding anything negative, she’s gonna find something positive first. That’s something I really hope I can be more like her on; one of the many things I wish I could be more like my mom on. My mom, she loves flowers, so we’ll get her flowers or take her to, we’re slowly getting her into sushi, so we love to take Mom out to sushi spots on Mother’s Day.” [laughs]
Audio / Keith Urban explains why his wife Nicole Kidman is an extraordinary mother to their two children, Sunday and Faith.
Keith Urban (Nicole is extraordinary mother) OC: …to see. :45 “She’s an extraordinary mum, she really, really is. Those girls are very, very lucky, and I feel very lucky that the children I should have in this world happen to be with Nic. I don’t know anything about raising kids and Nic does, and that comes in extremely, um, it’s really made for an experience I wouldn’t have had without that. Her patience, her recognizing them as people and not just little kids is really extraordinary. Her attention to honoring their feelings and listening to them right from day one – really being attentive to that is not how I was raised at all, so it’s really beautiful to see.”
Audio / Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman says she always dreamed of being a mother…and her dream came true nearly 15 years ago when she gave birth to daughter, Daisy (July 27, 2007). In 2017, she and her family welcomed daughter Dolly Grace.
LBT (Mother’s Day) OC: …for my mother. :34 “Being a mother is a life-long dream for me. When I was a kid, that’s what I wanted to be is a mama. It took a long time. I wasn’t ever sure that I would be, but I am now, and it’s the greatest gift of my life. And as I’m a mother now, I see what my mother gave up and her sacrifices and her love and how she made us the most important thing in her life, and that’s what I strive to do for my little girl. It’s the most important job I have, and it’s the most responsibility that I have, and I try to live up to a great example that I had for my mother.”
Audio / MADDIE & TAE’S TAE DYE SAID SHE PULLED OFF A GREAT MOTHER’S DAY SURPRISE A FEW YEARS AGO.
Maddie & Tae (Mother’s Day-Tae) OC: …was so fun. :25 TAE: “To this day one of the best surprises I’ve ever pulled off was on Mother’s Day three years ago. ‘Cause my mom’s birthday always tends to fall on Mother’s Day Weekend – it’s coming up – and my mom and dad were coming into Nashville and I was like, ‘Okay-this has got to be a big weekend. It’s Mother’s Day, her birthday and the weather was going to be beautiful, so I planned this awesome surprise where we would drive first – she wouldn’t know where we were going, and then we ended up going canoeing down the Harpeth River [located south of Nashville], and it was so fun.”
Audio / Maddie & Tae’s Maddie Marlow says her mother is great at balancing life and that a hug from her mother can fix almost anything.
Maddie & Tae (Mother’s Day-Maddie) OC: (Maddie) …everything’s okay. :51 MADDIE: “She is so good at balancing is what I’m trying to say. My Mom is such a great balancer, but as I’m coming into our adulthood, and all that kind of stuff, she’s very conscious about when I’m trying to be perfect and have everything in order with everything. And she’s like, you can’t. You can’t do that. Life, you have to figure out how you’re going to deal with the curveballs that are thrown out you. Are you going to catch them and whine out about it or are you going to catch them and move on? Like you have to just go with what’s thrown at you. And my Dad’s been a really, really good supporter on just not letting life’s trials bring you down and letting them just be learning tools and all of that. But, most of the time, a Mama hug can really fix anything.” TAE: “Ahh…it’s the best.” MADDIE: “If my Mom hugs me while I’m crying, everything’s okay. There’s just something about it. I’m grown, but, my Mom, if she hugs me, everything’s okay.”
Audio / Parker McCollum talks about his mother's great qualities.
Parker McCollum (Mother’s Day) OC: …those from her. :20 “I mean, she’s just a fantastic woman who went above and beyond for us as kids to always make sure, probably even when we weren’t able to have things, she still made those happen. Everybody says I look like her. She’s just an incredibly caring and very, very sincere person, so I would hope I got those from her.”
Sam Hunt (Mother’s Day) OC: …with my mom. 1:10 “I knew I had a great mother, and I was blessed and lucky to be born into my family, but until I got out into the real world, I didn’t realize how unique and rare and how much I really hit the lottery with her. She’s raised in the South, and she is all the things that a lot of Southern women are, the good things, but selfless is the word that comes to mind right off the bat. Her life has been devoted to me, my brothers and our family for as long as I can remember her. So, her life revolved around us and that was something that the love that she showed us through those sacrifices has been, I know, a huge part of my ability to go out into the world and cope with all the things that come my way. I’m standing on firm ground, I know, because I grew up in a loving household and that started with my mom.”
Audio / Shania Twain says it’s such a joy to be a parent.
Shania Twain (joy to be a parent) OC: …means everything. :14 “It’s such a joy to be a parent. So, I relate to all the mums out there who are getting all their love and appreciation from their kids, and I hope, when you’re a kid, a child of somebody, show your mum you love her, because it means everything.”
Audio / TRAVIS DENNING TALKS ABOUT WHAT HE AND HIS MOM HAVE IN COMMON.
Travis Denning (Mother’s Day) OC: …like crazy. :29
“You know, my favorite thing about my mom, especially as I get older, is realizing how much me and her have in common. I just love that she’s passionate about music. She loves it. I mean, she’s turned me on to a lot of artists, but at the core like she’s still Mom. She reminds me to do things and does these things which that I couldn’t live without. I love that we get to be friends, we get to be best friends, but at the same time, she’s still Mom and she still loves me and my sister like crazy.”
Video / Mickey Guyton talks to ABC's Good Morning America about being a mother to son Grayson.
Keith Urban began his tour across the pond on Thursday (April 28th) in Birmingham, UK, and he brought an enthusiastic fan named Paul on stage to sing a portion of the star’s 2003 No. 1 hit, “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me” — and he did a great job!
from Birmingham to Tennessee….. Paul, you killed it mate ! Way to set the bar high for Newcastle on Sunday 💪💪💪
Keith’s next stop is Sunday (May 1st) in Newcastle, followed by shows in Manchester, Bournemouth, London (2x) and Edinburgh before returning to the States. He’s currently making his way to the top of the country charts with his latest song, “Wild Hearts.”
Keith Urban dedicated his latest Top 10 single, “Wild Hearts,” to the drifters, dreamers and born to be rock stars. The tune, which he wrote with Brad Tursi of Old Dominion, Eric Paslay and Jennifer Wayne, is quintessential Keith is so many ways, and which finds him singing about some of the people who tried to dash his dreams of being a musician and the first concert his dad took him to, which was the legendary Johnny Cash (aka Man in Black), and that moment changed his life forever.
Saw the man in black
Spotlight in the air
Heard a thousand screams
Saw my daddy stare
Feel like I’ve been runnin’
Since the day that I was born
Eagle on my back
Phoenix on my arm
“The first concert that my dad took my brother and I to was Johnny Cash, and that’s probably the most powerful first image that I have of watching someone perform,” says Keith. “I remember ‘cause it was very rowdy, you know, and I remember it was so noisy and at a certain point the spotlight hit the stage and Johnny walked out to the microphone, had a little chat, got his guitar on and then the entire place went dead silent. And I just remember this big white beam coming across the top of my head up to the stage, and from this roar – massive roar – to dead silence where you could hear a pin drop and this man and his guitar singing, I was just mesmerized.”
Keith is currently across the pond in the U-K playing shows through May 9th.
Audio / Keith Urban recalls certain details about going to see his first concert, which just so happened to be the late Johnny Cash.
Keith Urban (Johnny Cash concert) OC: …just mesmerized. :41 “The first concert that my dad took my brother and I to was Johnny Cash, and that’s probably the most powerful first image that I have of watching someone perform. I remember ‘cause it was very rowdy, you know, and I remember it was so noisy and at a certain point the spotlight hit the stage and Johnny walked out to the microphone, had a little chat, got his guitar on and then the entire place went dead silent. And I just remember this big white beam coming across the top of my head up to the stage, and from this roar – massive roar – to dead silence where you could hear a pin drop and this man and his guitar singing, I was just mesmerized.”
Chris Stapleton has been announced as one of the headliners at this year’s Pilgrimage Festival in Franklin, Tennessee. The Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival will return for its eighth year on September 24th and 25th at The Park at Harlinsdale Farm. Artists, including Brandi Carlile, The Avett Brothers, Jon Batiste, Elle King, Marty Stuart, Brittney Spencer and more, are scheduled to perform across five stages during the two-day festival.
Keith Urban joined wife Nicole Kidman at the L.A. premiere of The Northman at the TCL Chinese Theatre earlier this week. Nicole, who appears in the film, will also appear on ABC’s Good Morning America on Friday (April 22nd).
Brothers Osborne‘s TJ Osborne will serve as a Grand Marshal of this year’s Nashville Pride Parade. The parade kicks of June 25th at 10am on Broadway and 8th Ave. Other Grand Marshals include Leslie Jordan, Greg Cason and Alberta Hardison.
Brothers Osborne were among those recognized at the seventh annual AIMP (Association of Independent Music Publishers) Awards in Nashville earlier this week. Also honored were HARDY, Lee Brice, Tenille Arts and Morgan Wallen. Jordan Davis, Kassi Ashton, Jimmie Allen, Callista Clark, Lee Brice, Matt Stell and HARDY performed during the event.
Keith Urban opened Monday night’s (April 11th) CMT Music Awards with his inspirational, dream-big single, “Wild Hearts,” pumping up the crowd and the viewers at home for the show.
Carrie Underwood, who performed a dreamy, acrobatic performance of “Ghost Story” from her residency Reflections at Resorts World in Las Vegas, won big at the show with Jason Aldean and their duet “If I Didn’t Love You.” They took home both Collaborative Video of the Year and the night’s top honor, Video of the Year.
Parker McCollum, who sang his No. 1 “To Be Loved By You” on the Ram Stage, received his first-ever CMT Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year for the same song.
George Strait won CMT Performance of the Year at for his version of “Is Anybody Going to San Antone” from CMT Giants: Charley Pride…and it was King George’s first-ever CMT Music Award. He wasn’t in attendance, but sent a video message to accept the award.
Congratulations to George for winning his first @CMT Award tonight for Performance of the Year – “Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone (from CMT GIANTS: Charley Pride)”! #CMTAwardspic.twitter.com/EtEilmvqJI
Little Big Town performed twice during the show. The quartet delivered the debut performance of their new single, “Hell Yeah,” and also performed with Jimmie Allen and Monica on Jimmie’s song, “Pray.”
Mickey Guyton and Black Pumas perform an inspirational version of “Colors.”
Priscilla Block performed her latest single, “My Bar,” from her debut album Welcome To The Block Party.
Taylor Swift won for Trending Comeback Song of the Year for “Love Story (Taylor’s Version).”
Maddie Font gave a very emotional and heartfelt acceptance speech after she and Taylor Kerr picked up the award for CMT Group/Duo Video for “Woman You Got.” “I missed you. I missed you so much,” she told her duo partner, who appeared virtually at the awards show, holding her baby Leighton who was born nearly three months early. “I can’t do this without you. That’s my girl.”
Keith Urban has been added to Sunday night’s (April 3rd) GRAMMY Awards as a presenter. He’ll be joined by Megan Thee Stallion, Joni Mitchell, Questlove, Dua Lipa, Billy Porter, Bonnie Raitt, Kelsea Ballerini, Avril Lavigne, Jared Leto, Anthony Mackie and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez.
Previously announced GRAMMY performers include Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, J Balvin with Maria Becerra, Jon Batiste, BTS, Brandi Carlile, Billie Eilish, Cynthia Erivo, H.E.R., John Legend, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, Maverick City Music, Nas, Aymée Nuviola, Leslie Odom, Jr., Ben Platt, Olivia Rodrigo, Silk Sonic, Billy Strings and Rachel Zegler.
The 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards, hosted by Trevor Noah, will air live on Sunday (April 3rd) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CBS.
Kacey Musgraves will perform during the inaugural Palomino Festival at the Rose Bowl in Southern California July 9th. Willie Nelson, Jason Isbell, Turnpike Troubadours, Orville Peck, Morgan Wade and Old Crow Medicine Show will also perform. Tickets go on sale Friday (April 1st).
Mickey Guyton is among the special guests at BRELAND’s upcoming benefit for Nashville’s Oasis Center taking place at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium on April 12th. Kane Brown, Russell Dickerson and Charles Kelley are also part of the lineup.
Taylor Swift is set to receive an honorary doctorate for Fine Arts from New York University, and she will speak at the college’s commencement taking place at Yankee Stadium May 18th.
Caylee Hammack, who just wrapped up a tour with Darius Rucker, will head out on the road on Brad Paisley‘s World Tour 2022, along with Tracy Lawrence, Scotty McCreery and Tenille Townes. Tickets go on sale Friday (April 1st). The tour is set to kick off on May 27th at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. Guests will vary by market.
