Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

The feuds and disagreements hit the internet and went viral as the new panel of judges on American Idol were getting to know each other at the same time as they were choosing which unknown talents were going to Hollywood to compete on the 12th season of the popular FOX TV show. We all viewed the video, which featured Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj going at it with our own Keith Urban sandwiched between them. He often says when word of the disagreements between the two female superstars hit the news, he’s like the country of Switzerland and tries to remain neutral.

He said part of the reason that there were a few, shall we say, discussions early on during the audition process was because the four of them were basically thrown together and put to work. “You’ve got four very passionate artists all sort of thrown onto a dance floor, and they’re saying, ‘OK, dance together in perfect synchronized movements,’ and we stepped on a few toes at the beginning while we were getting our groove on; because we had no direction,” says Keith. “We all met [for the first time] the night before [we started auditions] in New York for dinner, and that’s the first time I ever met Nicki and Mariah. I’d met Randy [Jackson] and Ryan [Seacrest] before. So, we all had dinner that night, and then the next day showed up on set and saw the set, and they led us up to the desk and we sat behind the desk, and the next thing we know, they’re like, ‘OK, and off we go.’ And I thought, ‘Well, surely we’ll have some ‘fake’ contestants first, you know, coming through and then they’ll bring out the real artists.’ Nope! That was it. We were just diving into it.”

Keith adds that the way they were put together was probably a good thing. “I think that kind of anxiety and strange energy and uncertainty and all of that went into the mix. I think it makes for great viewing, but it certainly caught all of us off-guard.”

The new season of American Idol premieres Wednesday (January 16th) at 8pm ET on FOX.

Keith Urban (AI passionate lot) OC: …passionate lot. 1:23
“It took a little while. [laughs] I mean, look, you’ve got four very passionate artists all sort of thrown onto a dance floor, and they’re saying, ‘OK, dance together in perfect synchronized movements,’ and we stepped on a few toes at the beginning while we were getting our groove on; because we had no direction. Nothing. It was interesting that we all met [for the first time] the night before [we started auditions] in New York for dinner, and that’s the first time I ever met Nicki and Mariah. I’d met Randy and Ryan before. So, we all had dinner that night, and then the next day showed up on set and saw the set, and they led us up to the desk and we sat behind the desk, and the next thing we know, they’re like, ‘OK, and off we go.’ And I thought, ‘Well, surely we’ll have some ‘fake’ contestants first, you know, coming through and then they’ll bring out the real artists.’ Nope! That was it. We were just diving into it [laughs], so I think that kind of anxiety and strange energy and uncertainty and all of that went into the mix. I think it makes for great viewing, but it certainly caught all of us off-guard. Randy was the only one who knew what he was doing. So, the three of us are trying to figure it out and we finally got our groove on. We’re a passionate lot, no question.”

King of Country George Strait Soon to Saddle Up for The Cowboy Rides Away Tour

Tour dates commence Jan. 18 at the United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas

 NASHVILLE, Tenn. – George Strait announced the news of his two-year final U.S. tour last fall, and now the time has come to saddle up for the 2013 leg of The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, opening at the United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas this Friday, Jan. 18.  Joining the icon on tour will be special guest Martina McBride, who is not only a fan, but a longtime friend of Strait’s.

 The excitement surrounding this tour was evident when tickets in most markets sold out within mere minutes of going on sale.  Sharing in the fans’ enthusiasm, Strait reveals, “I’ve got over 30 years of great memories out on that road.  I’m sure these last two are going to be just as good or better. It’s going to be fun but at the same time sad. I can’t wait!”

With 59 No. 1 hit songs under his belt, concert-goers can expect to hear many of their Strait favorites plus new music including his latest single, “Give It All We Got Tonight,” one of the first releases from Strait’s forthcoming album due out later this year. “Give It All We Got Tonight” is currently available on iTunes.

For news, information, photos, and more on King George, please visit www.GeorgeStrait.com.  Updates can also be found on www.Facebook.com/GeorgeStrait and by following Strait on Twitter @GeorgeStrait.  

The Cowboy Rides Away – 2013 Tour Dates

Jan 18  |  United Spirit Arena   |   Lubbock, Texas

Jan 19  |  Chesapeake Energy Arena  |  Oklahoma City, Okla.

Jan 25  |  EnergySolutions Arena  |  Salt Lake City, Utah

Jan 26  |  Idaho Center  |  Nampa, Idaho

Jan 31  |  Sleep Train Arena  |  Sacramento, Calif.

Feb 1   |  SaveMart Center  |  Fresno, Calif.

Feb 2   |  MGM Grand Garden Arena  |  Las Vegas, Nev.

Feb 15 |  Xcel Energy Center  |  St. Paul, Minn.

Feb 16 |  Alerus Center  |  Grand Forks, N.D.

Feb 22 |  First Niagara Center  |  Buffalo, N.Y.

Feb 23 |  XL Center  |  Hartford, Conn.

Mar 1   |  Thompson-Boling Arena  |  Knoxville, Tenn.

Mar 2   |  Rupp Arena  |  Lexington, Ky.

Mar 17 |  Reliant Stadium  |  Houston, Texas

Mar 22 |  Bi-Lo Center  |  Greenville, S.C.

Mar 23 |  Greensboro Coliseum  |  Greensboro, N.C.

Apr 5   |  The Pit  |  Albuquerque, N.M.

Apr 6   |  Pan American Center  |  Las Cruces, N.M.

Apr 12 |  Verizon Arena  |  N. Little Rock, Ark.

Apr 13 |  New Orleans Arena  |  New Orleans, La.

Jun 1    |  Alamodome  |  San Antonio, Texas*

* On sale date March 9, 2013

AUDIO: George Strait talks about touring with Martina McBride.

George Strait (on touring with Martina) OC: …about that. :13
“Martina’s certainly one of the greatest female artists out there, and she’s just an incredible, incredible singer and a great person. We have a lot of fun out there with her, so we’re happy about that.”

Jake’s back home and makes an appearance during Dierks’ rehearsals in DBTV Ep. 92. Also, Dierks preps to go all out for the Locked & Reloaded Tour. Take a look at a brand new feature of the stage.

It was a sleepless night for Dierks Bentley and his family. During the severe storms Middle Tennessee was having, his beloved dog, Jake, went missing after he jumped a fence during the thunderstorms. Dierks took to Facebook and Twitter to see if he could be located. “Praying someone found him. A cold, wet, white dog. Red collar,” he first wrote, setting off a frenzy of tweets and re-posts on Facebook, as well as launching a search party in the cold and wet weather. “The President of my record label, Mike Dungan, and many other friends decided to drive around as well in the middle of the night. Means a lot.”

While they seemed to call off the search in the wee hours of the morning, the thousands of posts online worked wonders—Jake was returned. “OMG. My wife just told me someone found Jake on Facebook and is bringing him to our house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!,” the ecstatic singer wrote on Monday morning. “One of the happiest days of my life. Grown men don’t cry…yeah, right. Thank you to everyone on Facebook and Twitter that spread the word.”

Dierks then posted a photo of the happy reunion, which included Jake’s rescuer, a young lady named Anna Belle. “And here he is!!! Thank you, Anna Belle!! She swooped in and picked Jake up after he was almost hit by another car…” (see the photo below)

Jake is famous in his own right, having appeared in numerous Dierks’ videos, “What Was I Thinkin’,” “Feel That Fire” and “Up on the Ridge.” Dierks rescued Jake from the pound more than 10 years ago and has been the singer’s constant companion at home, in the studio, at the lake and on the road.

Keith Urban was drawn to the role as a judge on American Idol not only because he enjoyed the show, but mainly because he could bring something different to the panel…and the other judges – Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and the returning Randy Jackson – do as well. “The diversity is the thing I was most interested in because there’s four people that come from very, very different places that have very, very different views,” says Keith. “When we stumble upon somebody who all four of us unanimously agree upon, it’s an extraordinary moment, because more often than not, we’re a 180 from each other on some of the artists that we hear.”

The two-hour premiere of American Idol airs on Wednesday (January 16th) at 8pm ET on FOX.

Keith Urban (diversity in judges) OC: …for that day. :44
“I think first and foremost is the diversity of [the panel]. I mean, the diversity is the thing I was most interested in because there’s four people that come from very, very different places that have very, very different views, and when we stumble upon somebody who all four of us unanimously agree upon, it’s an extraordinary moment, because more often than not, we’re a 180 from each other on some of the artists that we hear. So, it’s made for an interesting audition process as well, because we had to incorporate this thing someone in every city where somebody was chosen as a tie-breaker, because a lot of times it was two-and-two – two of us wanted it and two of ‘em didn’t, and we would just single one of us in each city to be the tie-breaker just for that day.”

Luke Bryan is in the final days of rehearsals for his upcoming Dirt Road Diaries Tour, which kicks off Thursday (January 17th) in Evansville, Indiana. The Georgia native will be taking a few more bells and whistles on tour, along with his ever-present upbeat personality and numerous hit songs. As he headlines his own (pretty much sold-out) tour, he says he learned a lot from some of the other artists he toured with previously, especially to deliver the best show he can. “You always learn from the big pros – they go out there and deliver it night in and night out, and you just want to conduct yourself in that fashion too,” says Luke. “Go in and be ready to put on a show night in and night out, and don’t take any second on stage ever for granted, and take your audience on rides, and let ‘em enjoy it and be a part of it. You kind of learn that by watching the guys that have been so successful doing that.”

The first leg of the tour will hit 20 markets through March, and features Thompson Square and Florida-Georgia Line.

Luke is set to co-host this year’s ACM Awards with buddy Blake Shelton. The 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas April 7th on CBS.

AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about taking all he’s learned from other artists on the road and applying it to his own headline tour.

Luke Bryan (learning from other artists) OC: …doing that. :32
“You just kind of have to take all that knowledge and wrap it up into performing. And you always learn from the big pros – they go out there and deliver it night in and night out, and you just want to conduct yourself in that fashion too. Go in and be ready to put on a show night in and night out, and don’t take any second on stage ever for granted, and take your audience on rides, and let ‘em enjoy it and be a part of it. You kind of learn that by watching the guys that have been so successful doing that.”

Jennifer Nettles has been getting ready and writing for her solo album, That Girl, for about four years, and the time is here for the rest of the world to take a listen. She wrote or co-wrote 10 of the 11 songs on the project, which arrives in stores and online Tuesday (January 14th).

“I really didn’t put any boundaries on myself on how I wanted to write. I just let that happen and I didn’t know what direction it was going to go,” says Jennifer. “I sat down at my piano, and I called old friends, and I made new friends, and all those things just to see from a writing perspective what would come together, and what kind of collection I would make. It got to a point where I decided ‘Alright, it’s time.’”

Fans have gotten a taste of what the new album might hold with the release of the title track, and Jennifer’s wish for her fans is simple. “I hope that fans hear this album and from an ego perspective for me, from an artist also perspective, I hope that they listen to it and go, ‘Wow! She’s a way better songwriter and a better singer than I would’ve ever thought!’ I feel like the work that I’ve done with Sugarland, I’m super proud of it, and yet there are things that I wanted to prove to myself and to my fans and that I still want to.”

This week, you’ll have multiple ways to catch her on the tube. On Tuesday, Jennifer will appear on NBC’s Today Show and CBS’s Late Show With David Letterman. Later in the week, She’ll appear on The View, Yahoo Ram Country and The Chew!

Jennifer Nettles (what she hopes fans take away) OC: …this record. 1:21
“I hope that fans hear this album and from an ego perspective for me, from an artist also perspective I hope that they listen to it and go ‘Wow she’s a way better songwriter and a better singer than I would’ve ever thought!’ I feel like the work that I’ve done with Sugarland, I’m super proud of it and yet there are things that I wanted to prove to myself and to my fans and that I still want to. So I hope that they listen to that and they get to hear a side of me that they hadn’t before and it makes them like what I do as a performer that much more. I hope too that they listen to it and they hear the rawness of that emotion and they hear the humanness of that storytelling and that they connect with themselves and either remember something that they’ve been through that makes them feel empowered to have survived it, or that they allow themselves to connect with a vulnerable place for something that they might be experiencing now that they want strength to move through. Or that they are able to connect with a part of themselves that maybe they don’t like so much but they want to have fun with, and that they want to accept and say ‘Okay yeah we’re all human’ and sometimes you just got to laugh it off and go ‘I’m not perfect’ you know, and I think there are moments of all of that on this record.”

Jennifer Nettles (time for solo album) OC: …May of 2013. :37
“In terms of my art, it was much more open, and I really didn’t put any boundaries on myself on how I wanted to write. I just let that happen and I didn’t know what direction it was going to go, and I sat down at my piano, and I called old friends, and I made new friends, and all those things just to see from a writing perspective what would come together, and what kind of collection I would make. It got to a point where I decided ‘Alright, it’s time.’ I’m starting to amass this, and it’s time to actually record it. That’s what happened last year then, in May of 2013.”

Jon Pardi is finally seeing his dream of releasing his debut album come true on Tuesday (January 14th). Write You a Song features Pardi’s hit single, “Up All Night,” and his high-energy approach, perfected on stages throughout his native California and all over the nation, has its stamp all over his Capitol Records Nashville debut. 

The collection also features his previous Top 25 tune, “Missin’ You Crazy,” plus nine more previously unreleased tracks. Pardi co-produced the album, as well as co-wrote all but one of the 11 tracks on Write You A Song, making this release especially meaningful for the up-and-coming star. 

“It’s country. It’s rock and roll. It’s love songs. It’s beer drinkin’ songs,” says Jon. “We had a lot of songs we wanted on the album, but we just didn’t have enough room and these ones just made more sense. It was tough, but I’m so excited it’s coming out.”

Jon Pardi (excited for album to come out) OC: …coming out. :17
“It’s been four years of playing these songs and just playing ‘em and writing ‘em, and you know, picking what songs come on this album and it’s a big process. We had a lot of songs we wanted on the album, but we just didn’t have enough room and these ones just made more sense. It was tough, but I’m so excited it’s coming out.”

Jon Pardi (album) OC: …drinkin’ songs. :10
“That it’s awesome. They love it – that’s what I want them to go away with, but who knows? It’s country. It’s rock and roll. It’s love songs. It’s beer drinkin’ songs.”