Keith Urban’s “Long Hot Summer” has climbed to the top of both Mediabase/Country Aircheck and Billboard country singles charts, marking the CMA Entertainer of the Year nominee’s 13th No. 1 song. The singer-songwriter co-wrote the song with Richard Marx, the same team behind Keith’s hits “Better Life” and “Everybody.” “I love writing with Richard [Marx]. We wrote a bit for the last record and nothing sort of eventuated from it, and it frustrated me. I thought, ‘We need to go at it again. I know we can write a song,’” recalls Keith. “And so, he came to Nashville and we had just under a few hours to try to come up with something, and lo and behold, this song came out of the session.”

• The guitar-slinger will tape an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show today (October 10th), for broadcast tomorrow (October 11th). He’s set to perform his new single, “You Gonna Fly,” as well as promote his new cologne, PHOENIX by Keith Urban.
• Keith will wrap up his Get Closer 2011 World Tour October 15th in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
• Keith is nominated for both Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year at next month’s CMA Awards.

AUDIO: Keith Urban talks about getting together with Richard Marx to write “Long Hot Summer.”

Keith Urban (Long Hot Summer) OC: …thank goodness. :23

“We hadn’t written together for a while, and I love writing with Richard [Marx]. We wrote a bit for the last record and nothing sort of eventuated from it, and it frustrated me. I thought, ‘We need to go at it again. I know we can write a song.’ And so, he came to Nashville and we had just under a few hours to try to come up with something, and lo and behold, this song came out of the session…fairly easily, thank goodness.”