Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

Keith Urban will be honored by the Recording Academy with the Recording Artists’ Coalition Award at the annual GRAMMYS on the Hill Awards in Washington, D.C. on April 5th.

Keith’s continued commitment to numerous music education programs has not only served to inspire young musicians, it has provided thousands of greatly needed musical instruments to underserved programs across the country. Urban’s contributions to music education date back nearly a decade and have remained consistent ever since. Underscoring the need to support education-based initiatives that attract young people toward music and encourage their creative pursuits, Urban has volunteered for The Academy’s GRAMMY Camp ® music program, which offers high school students an interactive summer music experience. He has supported The Recording Academy’s grant-based education initiatives, which provide necessary funds to America’s public schools, helping to sustain local music education programs for youth. In addition, Urban has participated in the GRAMMY U Soundchecks ® program on multiple occasions.

“Through music education programs, Keith Urban has encouraged aspiring musicians by giving them the opportunity to perform and achieve their dreams,” said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. “An engaged member of the music community and The Recording Academy for many years, Keith is an outstanding music citizen and supporter of the future of music, so it is our great pleasure to honor and recognize his dedication at GRAMMYs on the Hill.”
“The opportunity to work with aspiring musicians and kids, who are just discovering music for the first time, really inspires me,” said Keith. “Creativity is at the heart of an innovative society – it brings people together and teaches children self-expression, creative confidence, and improvisational skills which are essential to their development. Being honored by The Academy, especially given the fact that they’re the ones that have given me the chance to be part of their work in this area, is humbling. It’s an incredible honor.”

Uniting the worlds of music and politics, GRAMMYs on the Hill also recognizes legislators who have improved the environment for music by advocating for music creators’ rights. Previously honored legislators include former Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), and John McCain (R-Ariz.), and House Leaders Kevin McCarthy and Nancy Pelosi.

The awards take place at the Hamilton Live in Washington D.C., and will feature unique live performances and musical surprises. The GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards are sponsored by music rights GRAMMYs on the Hill organization SESAC.

The following day, April 6th, The Recording Academy will host the music community’s largest annual Washington, D.C. gathering, GRAMMYs on the Hill Advocacy Day, which sees hundreds of music professionals from across the country visiting lawmakers to discuss important issues facing today’s music creators.

Luke Bryan is set to release the video for his latest single, “Fast,” on Friday (March 3rd). Today, he released a portion of the clip showing him talking to his son Bo, who finally worked up the courage to ask out a girl.

Sixty seconds now feels more like thirty
Tick-tock, won’t stop, around it goes
Sand through the glass sure falls in a hurry
And all you keep trying to do is slow it down, soak it in
Keep trying to make the good times last as long as you can
But you can’t, man
It just goes too fast

The actual video will premiere on VEVO at midnight.

“Fast” follows five No. 1 hits on Luke’s current album, Kill the Lights.

From The Tennesean:

Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley have a plan to prevent an Oscars-style mishap at the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards, which the men will co-host at 7 p.m. April 2 on CBS.

The country singers, who filmed promo spots for the ACM Awards in Nashville on Monday, said if they feel the show starting to go south, they’ll create a diversion.

“We have a plan,” Bentley joked. “Luke’s going to have a wardrobe malfunction. At least that way everyone talks about that and not the show.”

“It’s sad nobody is talking about what happened at the Oscars,” Bryan quipped. “That’s our approach, Dierks — train wreck the show.”

On a more serious note, Bryan added: “What a debacle, but it gets a lot of press.”

And, Bentley thinks Jimmy Kimmel “was a great host.”

“We played it so loose last year at the top, we could have had our own Oscar moment,” Bentley said.

For those who missed it, Sunday night Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were given the wrong envelope before announcing Best Picture at the 89th Academy Awards. Because of the mix-up, the wrong movie was initially awarded the trophy before the mistake was rectified on stage a few seconds later.

Bryan and Bentley, who are returning to co-host the ACM Awards a second time, will have some screen time of their own at the end of the week. The silent black-and-white commercials the men shot in Nashville on Monday are scheduled to start airing Friday night on CBS.

Kip Moore is back from his much-needed break. After his Me & My Kind Tour stop in Chicago December 10th, he took time off the road for basically the first time since he started his musical journey.

“I just said I was going to take a little break. I never meant that I was going to go away for a long, long time, but I mean I had only had more than seven of eight days off for about six years. I mean, that was the maximum I had in between tours. So, when you’re doing 200 shows a year for six years straight, you know, a week just doesn’t quite cut it,” says Kip. “And, three months off is a pretty long time for me. You know, I didn’t know exactly know how long I was gonna take, but I pretty much had finished the record before I left and so I was able to completely disconnect from it. And, I went to Maui first, then went to Costa Rica, then went to Park City, and now I’m back. Now I’m ready to go.”

Kip, who’s making his way up the country charts with “More Girls Like You,” returns to the road Friday (March 3rd) in Plant City, Florida.

Eric Church is selling out shows on his Holdin’ My Own Tour, and with the 37 – 39 songs that he performs each night, he’s able to get in all of his hits and fan-favorites. One of those fan-favorites is “These Boots” from his Sinners Like Me album. If you’ve ever seen his show – if you haven’t, you should – during this particular song, the fans take off their boots and hold them up high. A few lucky ones toss their boots to the North Carolina native to sign, and then he tosses them back to the ecstatic fans. He’s never been hit in the head with a boot…that is, until he performed in Boston recently.

“I will tell you for the first time in my career, I took one to the head in Boston. I lost it in the light, and this guy, I mean the guy felt so bad, ‘cause he was like a really big fan,” recalls Eric. “I could see him and everything was fine, but when he threw the boot, I lost it in one of the spotlights. I completely lost it and didn’t know which way to go, so I hunkered a little bit and tried to cover and I moved right into it. A lot of people saw it better than I did, and it clocked me. I mean, it was so good. It knocked my sunglasses off. They went flying, and the [laughing] thing, and you look up and this guy is so mortified. It’s like he’s killed his guy. [laughs] He told me to throw it, but he was mortified. He really was, but it was fine. I put the sunglasses back on and shook it off. My vision was blurred for three days, but it was…[laughs]”

Church, who’s sitting inside the Top 10 on the country charts with “Kill a Word,” will continue his Holdin’ My Own Tour through May with stops in Toronto on Thursday (March 2nd), Ottawa on Friday (March 3rd) and Montreal on Saturday (March 4th).

Little Big Town will perform on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Wednesday (March 1st), followed by The Talk on March 14th.

Luke Bryan will perform on The Tonight  Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday (March 2nd).

Eric Church and Sam Hunt, along with Jason Aldean, will headline the 4th Annual Route 91 Harvest Festival September 29th – October 1st at Nevada’s Las Vegas Village. Tickets go on sale Friday (March 3rd).

Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Chris Stapleton and Alan Jackson are scheduled to perform during this year’s Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The three-day concert event will take place April 7th – 9th and will also feature such artists as Brett Eldredge, Kenny Chesney, Maren Morris, Dustin Lynch, Brett Young, Chris Lane and many more.

Last week, the members of Little Big Town were joined by actress Susan Sarandon and actor Elijah Wood for a round of “Musical Beers” during their appearance on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Check it out below.

Jon Pardi has released the music video for “Dirt on My Boots,” which is currently sitting inside the Top 5. Check it out below.

The family of Merle Haggard, Blackbird Presents and Willie Nelson are proud to announce Sing Me Back Home: The Music Of Merle Haggard, an all-star concert event taping at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday, April 6, 2017 at 7:00 P.M. CT in honor of what would have been Merle’s 80^th birthday and the one-year anniversary of his passing.

This one night-only concert event taping will bring together fans, friends and music icons to honor the life and songs of music legend Merle Haggard. Sing Me Back Home: The Music Of Merle Haggard will feature performances by Willie Nelson, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, John Mellencamp, Dierks Bentley, Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams Jr., The Avett Brothers, Alison Krauss, Ronnie Dunn, Warren Haynes, Jamey Johnson, Kacey Musgraves, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lucinda Williams, Ben Haggard, John Anderson, Connie Smith and Bobby Bare. Additional performers to be announced in the coming weeks.

In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Merle Haggard racked up an astounding 38 No. 1 country hits and every major award imaginable. Songs like “Mama Tried,” “Okie From Muskogee,” “I’m A Lonesome Fugitive” and “The Fightin’ Side Of Me” continue to inspire new generations of artists and fans alike, and as we approach what would have been a major milestone, the time has come to celebrate his truly remarkable career. He was an iconoclast who refused to bend to country music convention and helped create the indelible Bakersfield sound. He gave voice to outlaws and outsiders and in a way that few, if any, have ever equaled. 

Tickets on sale Friday, March 3, 2017 at 11 A.M. CT online at ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, all Ticketmaster locations and the Bridgestone Arena box office.

Keith Wortman, Mark Rothbaum and Theresa Haggard are the creators and executive producers of the show. Don Was, Ben Haggard and Buddy Cannon will serve as music directors and preside over a stellar house band backing the performers at this historic concert event taping. The event will be filmed and recorded for multi-platform distribution throughout traditional media (worldwide broadcast, music, and digital). A portion of the proceeds will benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation. 

“I am so very thankful for this tribute to my husband, Merle Haggard.  Please come join me and my family at this fantastic show that Merle would be so proud of,” said Theresa Haggard.

“I am honored to produce a show that celebrates the life and music of Merle Haggard,” says Wortman. “His music and lyrics continue to shape the lives of musicians and millions of fans. I can’t think of any better way to celebrate his 80th birthday than to honor his legacy with this extraordinary event. It’s going to be an unforgettable evening.”

FOR COMPLETE SHOW DETAILS AND OFFICIAL CONCERT WEBSITE, VISIT: http://musicofmerle.com  #musicofmerle

About Blackbird Presents: 
Blackbird Presents is a global media company that produces premium content via a range of strategies including large-scale concert events and festivals, broadcast series and specials and music releases featuring major music stars across all genres and demographics. http://blackbirdpresents.com 

Blackbird’s other recent concerts, broadcast specials, and releases include Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert, Dear Jerry: Celebrating The Music of Jerry Garcia, The Life & Songs of Kris Kristofferson, Outlaw: Celebrating The Music of Waylon Jennings, and All My Friends: Celebrating The Songs and Voice of Gregg Allman, the latter of which earned a 2014 GRAMMY® Award nomination for Gregg Allman and Taj Mahal’s awe-inspiring performance of “Statesboro Blues.”