In the latest episode of Keith Urban‘s Idle Chatter, Episode 4, he gets a little, perhaps unwanted, advice from Randy Jackson.

Scotty McCreery and some of his friends were victims of a home-invasion robbery late Sunday night/early Monday morning (May 5th) in Raleigh, North Carolina. Apparently, three men entered the apartment located near the North Carolina State college campus around 2am, according to ABC affiliate WTVD-TV. The robbers took cash, wallets and electronic items before fleeing the scene, however no one was hurt. One of Scotty’s friends were able to call 911 and told the operator, “They took everything we have. They were like, ‘Get down. Get on the floor and give us everything you got.’” The caller said the robbers told the group to count down from 100 before they were allowed to get up.

The “Feelin’ It” singer released a statement on his Facebook account:

“Yes, it was definitely a very scary night. Luckily, my friends and I are safe and the Raleigh PD is on the case. I will share more when the time is right, but as of now we do not want to do or say anything that could hinder the investigation. Thanks to everyone for the prayers and support. A huge thank you to the Raleigh PD for their quick response and hard work in solving this case.”

We’ll keep you updated on developments as they happen.

Keith Urban’s fifth annual All 4 The Hall show to benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville has quite the lineup and theme this year. With co-host Vince Gill, they’ll welcome performances from  Darius Rucker, David Nail, Kacey Musgraves, Kip Moore,  Brantley Gilbert, Brett Eldredge, Carrie Underwood, Deana Carter, Lee Ann Womack with Buddy Miller, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Reba McEntire and Ronnie Milsap. The theme of Tuesday night’s (May 6th) show, Songtellers (A LARGE Intimate Evening) will have each artist perform songs they’ve recorded and/or written, or a classic, and they’ll tell a story about the song – why they wrote it, why they recorded it and what it means to them.

“I chose to have song tellers, because some of the artists like Reba [McEntire], Ronnie [Milsap] aren’t traditionally known as songwriters, they’re more song interpreters,” says Keith. “I thought well, they’ve got their own stories to probably tell us about why they chose certain songs. I was curious to know – as some of the fans probably are – did they have to fight other artists to get that song, and that sort of stuff as well. So, I wanted to know a bit of a story about the song, not just the writing necessarily.”

Funds raised through the All 4 The All concerts have collectively raised more than $2 million in support of the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum’s preservation efforts, exhibitions and educational programs that teach audiences about the enduring beauty and cultural importance of country music. In addition, Urban has teamed up again with Rally.org to help fans raise funds for the Country Music Hall of Fame and to compete for prizes including VIP tickets. For more information go to all4thehall.keithurban.net.

Keith Urban (A4TH 2014) OC: …to hear some stories. :30
“I chose to have song tellers, because some of the artists like Reba [McEntire], Ronnie [Milsap] aren’t traditionally known as songwriters, they’re more song interpreters. I thought well, they’ve got their own stories to probably tell us about why they chose certain songs. I was curious to know – as some of the fans probably are – did they have to fight other artists to get that song, and that sort of stuff as well. So, I wanted to know a bit of a story about the song, not just the writing necessarily. So, I think it’s going to be an interesting evening to hear some stories.”

Keith Urban (A4TH-performer list) OC: …I wanted. :41
“It’s a labor of love in the best way. It really is. If I say there’s only one challenge to it is condensing the guest list. Right from the beginning it was like putting a wedding  guest list together and which family member, you have to either invite everybody or elope. But we’ve opnly got limited time, and it’s very, very hard to have certain people who are very good friends of mine say, ‘What the? What the? Waiting on the call and nothing.’ So, I thought how do I get around this problem, and thenthe idea of themes came up, so at least there was some type of criteria to be able to put a guest list together. Otherwise, this show would be days and days long if I invited everybody I wanted.”

Nashville, TN – May 2, 2014 – In preparation for the launch of his headlining 2014 RISER TOUR next week, Dierks Bentley is giving fans the opportunity to “Rise Up Line Up” for upcoming tour dates. The interactive program will roll out in each tour market over the coming weeks on www.dierks.com andwww.facebook.com/dierksbentley, giving ticket holders the opportunity earn points and move to the front of a virtual line to win upgraded tickets.

“When I was in my 20’s, I could only afford a lawn ticket to the big shows because I had to save my money for beer once I got in the gate,” laughed Bentley.  “This is a cool way to give the fans an opportunity to get up closer to the stage and maybe even get them involved in the show.  I just can’t wait to get out there and get it going!”

Bentley’s RISER TOUR kicks off in Charlotte, North Carolina Friday (May 9th) and Raleigh, North Carolina on Saturday (May 10th) with special guests Chris Young, Chase Rice and Jon Pardi.  For a full list of upcoming tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.

Dierks Bentley (Riser Tour rehearsals) OC: …everything at it. :52
“We’re over in this abandoned kind of steel mill that’s being used these days for tour rehearsals. It’s great, and it’s a little north of town, and we’ve got all the stuff up. I’ve had a talk with my business manager about our production, him just saying ‘I just want you to know what to expect at the end of the year, because you’re kinda overdoing it here.’ But I kinda told everyone that this is our first chance at headlining. After all those years of doing this, this is our first amphitheater headlining tour. I’ve spent years walking through amphitheaters and seeing everyone’s picture that’s headlined. Headlining amphitheater, catering usually, on the walls in the back, there’s usually a picture of the person that’s headlined. I’ve bene support. I’ve been co-headlines, and I’ve always, I’m like, ‘I just want the picture on the wall, you know?’ by the toilet. I don’t care. Over the toilet, in the toilet, maybe in the toilet. I want to be represented in that particular amphitheater. And I’ve said I just want to tour like this is the last tour we’re ever gonna do, so I’m gonna throw everything at it.”

Kip Moore co-wrote his current single, “Dirt Road,” with close friends and bandmates, Dan Couch and Westin Davis. We’ve provided a lyric video to the song below. Check it out!

NASHVILLE – The 2014 CMA Music Festival will have fans rockin’ on the Riverfront with today’s announcement of performers for the Chevrolet™ Riverfront Stage. The lineup for the free daily concerts is packed with more than 50 artists, from Country Music legends to the brightest up-and-coming stars.

CMA Award nominees Big & Rich will officially kick off the Festival when they take the stage on Thursday, June 5 (10:00 AM/CT).  This will mark the first time the duo will hit the Riverfront stage together, setting the pace for the music-filled days to follow.

“Big & Rich will bring a great energy to the official start of the Festival, and I know our fans will not want to miss their performance,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer.

Performers scheduled to hit the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage include Frankie Ballard, Big & Rich, Danielle Bradbery, Kristian Bush, Craig Campbell, Jason Michael Carroll, Terri Clark, Billy Ray Cyrus, Dan + Shay, Tyler Farr, Colt Ford, Gloriana, LoCash Cowboys, Lonestar, Love and Theft, Dustin Lynch, Craig Morgan, Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis, David Nail, Jon Pardi, Parmalee, Eric Paslay, Kellie Pickler, Cassadee Pope, Collin Raye, Chase Rice, Maggie Rose, Corey Smith, Cole Swindell, The Cadillac Three, The Swon Brothers, Uncle Kracker, Clay Walker, Darryl Worley, Charlie Worsham, and Wynonna.

The official lineup was announced via CMA social networks this morning, with a video directed by Ben Boutwell showing Chevrolet vehicles taking Country Music fans to historic locations in downtown Nashville for the reveal. Fans can follow the conversation and share their thoughts on the lineup with #ChevyCMA and view the video here.

2014’s lineup includes six CMA Award winners and 15 CMA Award nominees. Twelve artists will be making their Riverfront debut, including four Festival newcomers, making the daily shows a must-see for attendees during the four-day event, happening Thursday through Sunday, June 5-8, in downtown Nashville.

“This outstanding lineup, paired with the artists performing at the Nightly Concerts at LP Field, represent the best in Country Music from past to present to future,” said Trahern. “The Riverfront shows are always a highlight of CMA Music Festival, and with the caliber of talent, this year is sure to be no exception.”

The Chevrolet Riverfront Stage has long been a CMA Music Festival fan favorite, with concerts beginning each day at 10:00 AM/CT in Riverfront Park on the sloping bank of the Cumberland River. The shows are free and open to the public, and one of the most popular attractions at the Festival. Four-day ticket holders are able to enter 45 minutes before the general public. Fans do not need to have tickets to the Nightly Concerts at LP Field to attend concerts at Chevrolet Riverfront Stage.

While tickets to the Nightly Concerts at LP Field are sold out, the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage is among the numerous other entertainment and music stages, special events, and activities throughout downtown Nashville to enjoy during CMA Music Festival.

CMA Music Festival’s newest attraction, AT&T U-verse^® Fan Fair X at the Music City Center, features artist performances, celebrity Q&A sessions, and more. Fans can play paparazzi and snap photos of the stars, shop the Fan Fair X Marketplace, and more. Fan Fair X tickets are $10 a day or $25 for four days. Children eight and under are admitted free. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com or the CMA Music Festival Box Office by calling 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378) (price includes handling fees). Visit CMAfest.com for details.

The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience began in 1972 as Fan Fair®, bringing 5,000 fans to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. More than 40 years later, the now legendary Festival has become the city’s signature music event. In 2014, CMA Music Festival will host visitors from every state and 21 foreign countries.

For all the latest info on CMA Music Festival visit CMAfest.com. To stay connected with CMA visit Facebook.com/CMA, Twitter.com/CountryMusic, and Instagram.com/CMA or text FESTIVAL to 66937.

CMA Music Festival will once again be filmed for a national television special to air on the ABC Television Network. This is the 11^th consecutive year that the event has been filmed for a network television special, a feat no other music festival has achieved. “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” will be executive-produced by Robert Deaton.  

Nashville, TN – April 29, 2014 – Award-winning singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley’s driving “I Hold On” has officially been certified GOLD in the US by the RIAA for digital sales of over 500,000 downloads and simultaneously received GOLD certification by the CRIA in Canada. Released on Capitol Records Nashville, RISER’s lead track set the pace recently topping both radio charts, becoming Bentley’s 11th career No. 1 single as both a singer and songwriter.
 
Bentley is following up RISER’s GOLD single with “Nashville’s Freshest, Funniest Party Song” (Star Tribune), “Drunk On A Plane.” Fans can catch Bentley out on his headlining 2014 RISER TOUR for opening weekend in Charlotte, NC (5/9) and Raleigh, NC (5/10) next week. For a full list of tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.

Eric Church is closing in on the top of the country charts with his latest single, “Give Me Back My Hometown,” which he co-wrote with Luke Laird (“Drink in My Hand,” “Pontoon,” “Downtown,” “Keep It To Yourself”). He says the the tune fascinates him as a songwriter because of the opposition the main character feels — he’s supposed to feel safe in his hometown, but his former lover left her mark all over it and he can’t erase those memories from his mind.

“It’s about a guy that’s still in his hometown. He’s in the most familiar place, the place he knows better than anything, but because his female lover left him there, all those places that he knows so well, become so haunting and foreign to him,” says Eric. “To be at the place that you grow up at that is your home, and the person that left you there took that from you, there’s nothing lonelier than that. So, I love that dichotomy of ‘Give Me Back My Hometown,’ when the person’s in it, they’re standing in it, and that appealed to me as a songwriter.”

“Give Me Back My Hometown” is from the Boone, North Carolina native’s latest album, The Outsiders.

Eric will hit the road with The Outsiders World Tour September 11th in Bossier City, Louisiana.

Eric Church (Give Me Back My Hometown) OC: …songwriter. :41
“I love that it’s about ‘Give Me Back My Hometown,’ but it’s about a guy that’s still in his hometown. He’s in the most familiar place, the place he knows better than anything, but because his female lover left him there, all those places that he knows so well, become so haunting and foreign to him. The loneliness and sadness of it, it’s one of the sadder songs we’ve ever done. To be at the place that you grow up at that is your home, and the person that left you there took that from you, there’s nothing lonelier than that. So, I love that dichotomy of ‘Give Me Back My Hometown,’ when the person’s in it, they’re standing in it, and that appealed to me as a songwriter.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 29, 2014) –Alan Jackson has recorded “A Million Ways to Die,” the title track from Universal Pictures and MRC’s upcoming comedy, A Million Ways to Die in the West, on the forthcoming Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for the film. The movie features a score by Emmy Award-winning composer and conductor Joel McNeely, along with the new song sung by Jackson and written by McNeely and Seth MacFarlane, the film’s director, producer, co-writer and co-star. MacFarlane, the creative force behind the 2012 blockbuster Ted and TV’s Family Guy, personally approached Jackson to record the song for the film and its soundtrack. “A Million Ways to Die” debuted yesterday exclusively on www.ew.com and is available digitally today on Back Lot Music, with the album’s release to follow on May 27th, both physically and digitally. The film arrives in theaters on May 30th.

MacFarlane plays the role of the cowardly sheep farmer Albert in A Million Ways to Die in the West. After Albert backs out of a gunfight, his fickle girlfriend leaves him for another man. When a mysterious and beautiful woman rides into town, she helps him find his courage and they begin to fall in love. But when her husband, a notorious outlaw, arrives seeking revenge, the farmer must put his newfound courage to the test. Starring alongside MacFarlane in the film are Oscar® winner Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman and Neil Patrick Harris.

www.amillionways.com

Hear the song: http://music-mix.ew.com/2014/04/28/seth-macfarlane-alan-jackson-a-million-ways-to-die-song/

Buy the song: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/a-million-ways-to-die-single/id869217990