Keith Urban is back in the U.S. and straight from his clothes closet, the superstar gives fans a quick update in-between writing sessions with David Lee Murphy and Luke Laird.

Luke Bryan will perform the National Anthem at Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game in Kansas City next week. The “Drunk on You” singer is looking forward to being there, for both professional and personal reasons. “To have the opportunity to perform the National Anthem at the All-Star game is really special for me. I have a lot of dear friends in Major League Baseball and a lot of people I’ve met over the years and so many little connections, and some of those guys will be there rooting me on to sing the National Anthem,” says Luke, adding, “Certainly it’s nice to have guys like Chipper Jones (Atlanta Braves) and Adam LaRoche (Washington Nationals) to ask hitting tips to pass along to my kids. So, my boys love baseball, and we’re gonna enjoy going and doing the anthem and catching the game.”

The Georgia native, who is currently spending his second consecutive week at the top of the country charts with “Drunk on You,” played baseball as a child. “I was the catcher for most of my Little League years, and in high school, I was a left-fielder.”

Luke’s performance, as well as those of American Idol winner Phillip Phillips and Kellie Pickler (who will sing “God Bless America” during the 7th inning stretch), will air Tuesday (July 10th) – along with the game – on FOX beginning at 8pm ET.

AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about performing the National Anthem at the upcoming MLB All-Star Game next week.

Luke Bryan (All-Star Game) OC: ….and kids. :36
“To have the opportunity to perform the National Anthem at the All-Star game is really special for me. I have a lot of dear friends in Major League Baseball and a lot of people I’ve met over the years and so many little connections, and some of those guys will be there rooting me on to sing the National Anthem. You know, the Anthem is always pretty tough thing to sing, and you never want to mess it up, and it’s always a really personal thing to me…I’m going to really enjoy being up there, being at the All-Star game, taking the family and kids.”

Luke Bryan (baseball) OC: …catching the game. :29
“Baseball for me was really my sport. If I excelled at a sport, I probably excelled the most at baseball and enjoyed that the most. And certainly spend a lot of time with my boys teaching them the game, and certainly it’s nice to have guys like Chipper Jones and Adam La Roche to ask hitting tips to pass along to my kids. So, my boys love baseball, and we’re gonna enjoy going and doing the anthem and catching the game.”

AUDIO: Luke Bryan, who will perform the National Anthem at next week’s MLB All-Star Game, reveals what positions he played in baseball.

Luke Bryan (baseball positions) OC: …left-fielder. :06

“I was the catcher for most of my Little League years, and in high school, I was a left-fielder.”

Dierks Bentley is getting a new guitar. It’s not just any old run-of-the-mill guitar, but his own Custom Signature Edition from Martin Guitars. He even helped design the instrument, as well. “It’s kind of based on the song ‘Home,’ the record ‘Home,’ so there’s the herring bone right on the outside that’s red, white and blue. But it’s, you know, a little of Buck Owen’s influence there as well, because I’m a huge Buck fan,” explains Dierks. “There’s a phoenix on there says where I’m from and just the specs on the guitar, are kinda custom to how I like them.” Each guitar will also feature a special sticker with the singer’s signature.

Dierks is poised to enter the top of the country charts in the coming weeks with his smash hit, ‘5-1-5-0.’

AUDIO: Last month at this year’s CMA Music Festival, Dierks Bentley explained why he’s such a fan of Martin guitars, and how he’s now getting his own Signature model.

Dierks Bentley (Martin 1) OC: …own Martin. :60

“I’m a huge fan of this certain kind of guitar, a Martin guitar. For me, it’s the official bluegrass guitar, but it’s used for a lot of different styles of music other than just bluegrass. But all the guys I love from Del McCoury  back to Lester Flatts, and guys like Dwight Yoakam too, Marty Stuart, they use this guitar. And I moved here and I couldn’t afford one and I, you know, always wanted one, and…I got a 1971 D18 and I still have it. And I discovered that one, as I discovered with any of those Martin guitars, that they really retain their value and if not even go up. But I always wanted one just because all those guys I looked up to played one, and it happened. So I got my signature model coming out actually, I think, later this month, or July. And it’s pretty cool. I mean, to a lot of people it won’t mean anything but to me it’s a personal thing. It means a lot because there’s, you know. I’m not, you know, when it comes to the guitar I have such respect for musicians. The people I hang out with the most are musicians and I wish I was a great guitar player. I really use it to, you know, I concentrate just on trying to strum well and write songs with it, but I’m really honored to have one, to be in that group of people that have their own Martin.”

AUDIO: Dierks Bentley describes how he designed his own Signature Martin guitar.

Dierks Bentley (Martin 2) OC: … pretty soon [laughs]. :37

“It’s kind of based on the song ‘Home,’ the record ‘Home,’ so there’s the herring bone right on the outside that’s red, white and blue. But it’s, you know, a little of Buck Owen’s influence there as well, because I’m a huge Buck fan and I always loved his…I think I got the very last red, white and blue guitar from Buck before he passed away, so I have that at the house. And so that’s kind of incorporated in there a little bit. There’s a phoenix on there says where I’m from and just the specs on the guitar, are kinda custom to how I like them so pretty cool. ‘Cause it doesn’t feel like, it feels, now the guitar I have that I play all the time has a big hole in it from playing it so much, so it’s kind of weird. Everything I have is kind of beat up a little bit, so it’s weird to have this nice, shiny guitar. It’s kind of freaking me out a little bit, but I’m going to do my best to get it all beat up here pretty soon [laughs].”

Tour Marks Attendance Milestone of More Than One Million Fans While Prepping for Europe and Australia  

Nashville, TN – July 2, 2012 – As the North American leg of Lady Antebellum’s headlining OWN THE NIGHT WORLD TOUR sponsored by GAC with special guests Darius Rucker and Thompson Square comes to a close, the 85 city run that has incited fan hysteria and massive critical acclaim also marks an attendance milestone with over one million fans as they continue into Europe and Australia this summer.

“I remember how exciting and special it was to hear we sold out the first weekend of the tour back in the Fall,” said Charles Kelley.  “I seriously had no idea that so many others would follow, especially places like LA and Chicago, or that we would be sitting here eight months later saying we played to a million fans.  It doesn’t even register.”
 
“What I love is the connection we made with all of those fans,” added Hillary Scott.  “It truly felt like we got to know everyone in the arena every night, which was one of our biggest goals when we started brainstorming on a paper plate last summer in Lake Tahoe.  We invited fans up on stage most nights and just tried to get as close as possible to them…it was one giant sing-along each night.   As a songwriter, it’s so cool to hear the lyrics you wrote with your best friends in the back of a bus echoing back to you by so many people.”
 
“We’ve definitely become closer as a band – musically and personally – over this tour too,” noted Dave Haywood. “We are really proud of our show and how much we’ve grown on stage.  Moments like selling out two nights in our hometown of Augusta, GA with all our friends and family around are really going to make us miss being on the road this Fall, but we’re looking forward to working on new music and getting back into the studio.”
 
A tour concept that started with a simple production sketch on a paper plate, the OWN THE NIGHT WORLD TOUR kicked off in Knoxville, TN on 11/11/11 with an entourage of more than 100 people in 10 buses and eight trucks who travelled more than 46,000 miles across the continent, hitting arenas and amphitheatres in 34 states and six Canadian provinces. Along the way, the trio has earned praise from critics for their spirited live show and proved that Lady Antebellum has long-term staying power as one of the biggest touring groups in country music.

“Nashville’s Lady Antebellum, on its first arena headlining tour, has become such a crowd-pleasing phenomenon that there is arguably no other country band on the planet right now that can steal the trio’s ever-brightening spotlight.” – Salt Lake Tribune

“Lady Antebellum certainly pushes all the right buttons in concert –backdrops dominated by shooting stars

and bucolic scenery, a careful placement of the hits — but there’s more to their appeal than just that. Their

palette is broader, more forcefully colored than most of their peers, and the soulfulness that results is

unmistakable.” – Variety

“The Grammy-winning group has claimed its spot among the elite headliners, moving up from playing theaters to selling out massive arenas.” – San Jose Mercury News

“Its performance erased all doubts that the act’s seemingly meteoric ascendance to the top of the contemporary country world is undeserved…its celebrated vocal harmonies were terrific.”  – Kansas City Star

“While it can be hard to take the studio sound to the live stage, Lady Antebellum proved it can be done. But

more than that, the group’s playfulness, youthful exuberance and unending energy was evident fromstart

to finish.” – Virginian Pilot

Upcoming stops on the OWN THE NIGHT 2012 WORLD TOUR include shows in the UK where they will also open for Bruce Springsteen in Hyde Park, and headline in Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden before they head to Australia in September. For a full list of upcoming tour dates, visit www.ladyantebellum.com.

Luke Bryan is spending a second week at No. 1 with his single, “Drunk on You.” It’s the third release from his platinum-plus certified album, tailgates & tanlines, and his fifth chart-topper. He says he couldn’t be having more fun right now, even if he tried. “From the bus drivers to the intern we just hired, everybody’s out there having a great time…nothing makes that time more fun than to look out over an audience and see fans having really the time of their life too,” says Luke. “It’s totally the ride of a lifetime.”

Luke returns from vacation this week and is scheduled to hit the road on Friday in St. Leonard, Maryland, followed by a couple of shows and an appearance on Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series on July 13th.

AUDIO: Luke Bryan says he’s blessed to have five No. 1 singles, much less being part of just one. He says everyone around him is having a great time with his success.

Luke Bryan (Drunk on You No. 1) 2  OC: …life too. :41

“Who’d have ever thought I would have had a half of one, so it’s amazing. You know, some of my heroes had 8 and 10 No. ones, you, and so the fact that I’ve been so blessed to have had five early in my career is pretty amazing. We’re loving it, man. My guys out on the road and everybody, we’re having a blast. From the bus drivers to the intern we just hired, everybody’s out there having a great time…nothing makes that time more fun than to look out over an audience and see fans having really the time of their life too.”

AUDIO: Luke Bryan says he’s having the time of his life, especially with his latest single going to No. 1 for two weeks.

Luke Bryan (Ride of a Lifetime) OC: …so blessed. :09

“It’s totally the ride of a lifetime, you know. To have No. ones and things like this going on in my life, we’re certainly so blessed.”

NASHVILLE, TENN. (July 2, 2012) – “I was going to find a way to make it work,” Eric Church says of his career plans in Origins: Eric Church, premiering Sunday, July 8, 9:00 pm ET on Great American Country (GAC). “And if it didn’t work, I was still going to be able to sleep at night. I stuck to my guns, right or not.“  After a slow, steady, focused build over more than seven years, it most certainly did work for the chart-topping singer/songwriter. 

Church’s story begins in Granite Falls, NC, and is told in this special by his parents, sister, wife, producer, manager, agent and former label president.  Upon moving to Nashville, there were struggles to get heard followed by countless rejections before landing a record deal with Capitol Records Nashville.  “It’s always been about him and the music,” said Mike Dungan, former CEO/president of Capitol Records Nashville.  “He’s just an incredible craftsman and comes to the table with maybe 40, 50 songs for every record he makes.” 

He chose an unconventional path, opting to tirelessly hit the road and perform more than 200 dates per year in an effort to build a fan base.  “You go out and you build it on the road before you get any of that other success.  I mean, I still feel like all acts should have to do that,” he notes.  One particular show that stands out in his memory is Amarillo, TX, where eight people – including the wait staff – were in attendance.  “Our plan’s always been different,” says Church.  “It was along the way that I think I found myself as a performer because I had to.  We planted seeds with the music that turned to passion, which ended up turning into these crops down the line.”  Defying the norm became his norm. 

Viewers will also enjoy live performances of several of Church’s hits including “Drink In My Hand,” (a recent No. 1), “Springsteen,” (a two-week No. 1) “Smoke a Little Smoke,” “Homeboy,” “These Boots,” and “Like Jesus Does.”  “Because he’s believed in something different and stayed on that path, he’s brought people to him,” longtime producer Jay Joyce says. “Instead of pandering to them and losing himself in the process.”

AUDIO: Eric Church says he’s worked hard to be successful.

Eric Church (worked hard) OC: …stayed hungry. :40

“It’s never been about awards, and it’s not about money either, because I would have done it differently. There are ways, I understand, you can make easier money, you can put out safer songs. You can run songs up and down the chart. I just don’t think people are going to know who you are in 10 years doing it that way. So, it’s been a longer path. You know, when you make the decision to go play clubs and honky tonks for a whole 500-600 people, two-hour shows, 100 degrees in there…you’re workin’ at that and it’s a long hard road. Somebody asked me the other day, would I do it again? And the answer is always, ‘Yes, absolutely!’ But, boy…it’s a tough road. It’s a hard road, you have to be younger. You have to really be hungry and we stayed hungry.”

CMT TO DEBUT MINI-MOVIE “MIXTAPE,” INSPIRED BY ERIC CHURCH’S HIT SONG “SPRINGSTEEN”
ON SATURDAY, JULY 7

Short Film to Air Commercial-Free on CMT and Reveals the Backstory to “Springsteen”

Church to Host Watch and Win Contest at www.ericchurch.com

             NASHVILLE – July 2, 2012 – Eric Church will reveal the emotional backstory to his hit song and video “Springsteen” with the premiere of MIXTAPE on CMT Saturday, July 7 at 10:15 a.m., ET/PT (repeats Sunday, July 8 at 8:15 a.m. ET/PT).  The 30-minute short film will air commercial-free and was the basis for his video of the two-week #1 hit single, “Springsteen.”  Fans can watch MIXTAPE on demand at CMT.com following the network premiere.

            “I am very excited to share MIXTAPE with everyone.  I’ve gotten a lot of questions about the music video, asking about the actors, where did the scenes come from, what did they pertain to?  Well, this movie will clear everything up,” said Church.  “Peter Zavadil crafted an art representation that adds a whole new emotional element to the song and video.  In fact, it essentially inspired the video.  I’m honored to show it on CMT.”

            “We were thrilled when Eric approached us to air his mini-movie,” said Leslie Fram, SVP of Music Strategy, CMT.  “He essentially created a movie first and then captured that story into a video.  Like Eric, we want to push the boundaries so we jumped at the opportunity to share this with CMT fans.  Eric Church WILL be one of the big music stories of 2012!”

            In conjunction with the premiere, Church will host an online contest for one lucky fan to win two tickets to see and meet him live on his BLOOD, SWEAT & BEERS tour.  Fans must watch to win, making note of the full list of songs and instrumental tracks in order as they appear in MIXTAPE.  For rules and details on how to enter, visit Church’s website at www.ericchurch.com or his Facebook page.  (Hint: fans will hear a never-before-released track).

            MIXTAPE was written by Peter Zavadil and Roger Vaughn, and produced by Taillight TV.  Zavadil has worked with Church on numerous videos in addition to “Springsteen,” including “Drink In My Hand,” “Homeboy,” “Smoke A Little Smoke” and “Two Pink Lines.”

            Eric Church co-wrote his two-week #1 hit “Springsteen,” which is the third single and second #1 from his Platinum-certified album CHIEF.