Go inside the laugh-out-loud, thoroughly entertaining No. 1 party for Keith Urban‘s ‘You Gonna Fly,’ which topped the country charts for two weeks during this week’s episode of Urban Developments. ‘You Gonna Fly’ written by Chris Lucas, Jaren Johnston and Preston Brust.
Keith is currently hitting the airwaves with his new single, ‘For You.’ The singer-songwriter is donated all of his proceeds to the Navy SEAL Foundation. For more information on the organization, go to nswfoundation.org.
SOLD-OUT CROWD AT NASHVILLE’S BRIDGESTONE ARENA
WITNESSES LANDMARK CONCERT FEATURING URBAN, COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME MEMBERS GILL, ALABAMA, MERLE HAGGARD AND DON WILLIAMS, AND THE BAND PERRY, BLUE SKY RIDERS, DIAMOND RIO, LADY ANTEBELLUM, LITTLE BIG TOWN, THE OAK RIDGE BOYS, PISTOL ANNIES, RASCAL FLATTS AND THOMPSON SQUARE
NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 16, 2012 – According to information released today by the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, Keith Urban’s April 10 We’re All for the Hall benefit concert raised $465,000, bringing the event’s three-year total to approximately $1.5 million. Nearly 14,000 fans packed Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to enjoy the one-of-a-kind show.
“This museum, and country music in general, could not ask for greater ambassadors and caretakers than Vince Gill and Keith Urban,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “They have such a reverence for this music’s history, and are passionate about its future. The first We’re All for the Hall benefit, in 2009, was a game changer for this museum in terms of both fundraising and awareness, and this year’s show, the third, has again helped take this institution to another level.
“With this year’s show, and its spotlight on duos and groups,” Young continued, “Keith and Vince put together a concert lineup that showcased the breadth and depth of country music. From Merle Haggard to the Band Perry, last night’s performances were an aural tour of where this art form has been, and where it’s going. I’m proud to say that with Keith and Vince, it couldn’t be in better hands.”
“The support that All for the Hall has continued to receive truly validates the importance of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and its place at the epicenter of country music,” said Urban. “To all of the fans that have come out to the shows, the artists that have given so generously of their time and to the commitment of dollars, equipment and products that our corporate partners have given us, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. We’ll see you again next year.”
Proceeds from We’re All for the Hall will be invested in the care of the institution’s rare and unduplicated collection, in its vigorous schedule of school and public programs, and in enhancements for its core exhibition.
We’re All for the Hall 2012 was sponsored by City National Bank, with additional support from SunTrust and Ford Motor Company Fund. Nearly 80 corporate and individual partners, listed below, played a role in the benefit by contributing products, time or funds.
Jon Pardi is hitting the airwaves with his debut single, “Missin’ You Crazy.” We’ve assembled a dry intro with song (3:30); an intro and song with music bed, and just a regular, dry intro to his debut single. Use one, two or all three!
When Dierks Bentley hit the road last fall on his Country & Cold Cans Tour, a HUGE Boot was part of the stage show. In the latest episode of DBTV (reminiscent of the VH1 series, Behind the Music), Dierks and his bandmembers go “Behind the Boot” to take a look at the rise and tragic demise of The Boot. Will The Boot will make an appearance now that the Country & Cold Cans Tour has kicked off its spring leg? You never can tell!
Dierks Bentley will be featured in an upcoming episode of MTV’s renovated Unplugged series. An airdate for Dierks’ installment has yet to be announced.
Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild will appear on the new episode of GAC-TV’s Day Jobs on Wednesday (April 18th) at 10pm ET.
Lady Antebellum have been nominated for a People’s Voice award in the ‘Websites: Celebrity/Fan’ category for the 2012 Webby Awards. They honor the best content on the web each year. The band’s website LadyAntebellum.com has already been selected as an official honoree in the ‘Music’ category. Voting ends Thursday, April 26th.
Keith Urban and Alan Jackson are among 18 top country artists taking part in the charitable song, “The Choice,” to benefit Soles4Souls. The song was co-written by Billy Gilman, best known for the 2000 hit “One Voice.” One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to the organization, which provides shoes for the less fortunate. Reba, Kenny Rogers, Craig Morgan and many more have also contributed their voices to the song.
Eric Church has been tapped to perform at this year’s Sturgis Bike Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota later this summer. He’ll take to the Buffalo Chip main stage August 8th.
Luke Bryan is set to take part in the Artist Development Case Study at this year’s Billboard Country Music Summit, taking place June 4th-5th in Nashville. The panel will be an in-depth discussion with Luke and other key players in his career to talk about his current growth as an artist and how they plan to grow his career over the long-term.
Luke Bryan’s tailgates & tanlines album has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (R-I-A-A) for selling more than one-million copies. The Georgia native’s third album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart (and No. 2 overall) with 145,000 copies sold. The collection has produced two back-to-back platinum singles – “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” and “I Don’t Want This Night to End.” Luke’s current single, “Drunk on You,” is sitting inside the Top 15 and flying up the country charts. Luke wrote or co-wrote eight of the 13 songs for the record, but says that’s a little bit less than his previous two albums. “I just try to write the best song and…so, more and more you know I’m weaning myself off my own albums, but it’s fun to get great songs from the town, from Nashville and the songwriting community,” says Luke. “So, as long as I’m able to do that and find great songs, I’ll always continue to do that. And also, I’m going to always work hard to try to put my stamp in the album as a songwriter too, because I feel like that’s as important as anything.”
Luke recently debuted last month’s EP release, “Spring Break 4…Suntan City,” in the #2 spot on the Billboard Country Albums chart with sales near 30,000 units in its first week and his fourth annual spring break shows at Spinnaker’s in Panama City Beach brought a crowd of 80,000 to the beach. Earlier this month, he performed on the Academy of Country Music Awards and participated in the “ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends- In Concert” taping, which aired this past Friday, April 13 on the CBS Television Network.
In addition to headlining his own dates, Luke is currently on the road with Jason Aldean on the 2012 leg of his My Kinda Party Tour. For more information, visit www.lukebryan.com.
AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about writing songs for his albums, including his new album, tailates & tanlines. He co-wrote 8 of the 13 songs on the collection.
Luke Bryan (writing songs for t&t) OC: … as anything. :40
“With this album, I’ve never gone into a writing appointment going, ‘Oh, well we need a song that does this because the album doesn’t have it.’ I mean, I just try to write the best song and then, if you know, Nashville, like I said we were talking about how I had 8 of the 13. My first album had like 10 of 11. My second had like 9 of 11. So, more and more you know I’m weaning myself off my own albums, but it’s fun to get great songs from the town, from Nashville and the songwriting community. So, as long as I’m able to do that and find great songs, I’ll always continue to do that. And also, I’m going to always work hard to try to put my stamp in the album as a songwriter too, because I feel like that’s as important as anything.”
Dierks Bentley kicked off the spring leg of his Country & Cold Cans Tour at the Nokia Theater in L.A., and he had a couple of special guests crash the stage, in addition to his opening acts, the Eli Young Band and singer-songwriter Will Hoge. Chris Schifflet of the Foo Fighters joined Dierks for a Gram Parsons’ song, and actor Garrett Hedlund (Friday Night Lights) also showed up on stage to sing with Dierks…Garrett, as you may know, sang in the film Country Strong as character “Beau Hutton.”
The trek will hit more than 20 cities, including Monday night’s (April 16th) date in Anchorage, Alaska. “Country & Cold Cans was such a great tour last fall…it’s just way too much fun to stop and we knew we had to continue it into the spring and make another run across the U.S. when we get home from Canada and Australia. We’re even going to Alaska…giving new meaning to COLD cans,” laughed Bentley.
NOTE: The opening slot on the Country & Cold Cans Tour will feature Will Hoge and The Cadillac Black at alternating shows.
Dierks is currently scaling the country charts with “5-1-5-0,” the follow-up to back-to-back No. 1 songs, “Am I The Only One” and “Home.”
AUDIO: Dierks Bentley talks about the Eli Young Band, who are featured on the 2012 leg of his Country & Cold Cans Tour.
Dierks (Country & Cold Cans Tour) OC: …great time. :29
“Eli Young Band’s done some benefits, some Miles & Music stuff for me in the past , and they like to have fun. When they’re putting on a show, it’s not just go up there and entertain and go back to the bus and go back to what you’re doing. They really give it their all and get into it. I like shows and tours and other artists that really invest everything they have into it, and get dirty. You know, I have a torn ACL from jumping around on stage. I don’t go up there just to fake it. I want it to be a real, down-and-dirty, fun country tour. And these guys are the right people to bring along for it.”
Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood is off the market! He tied the knot with Kelli Cashiola during an intimate ceremony on a private farm outside of Nashville on Saturday night.
Check out the story from People.com below:
The sun was setting over a breathtaking view from a hill as family, friends and Haywood’s bandmates, Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott, gathered around the couple at Front Porch Farms in Ashland City.
Singer/songwriter Dave Barnes provided the music for the intimate outdoor ceremony, which was followed by dinner and dancing. Guests were shuttled into the secret location.
The couple, who have been friends for nearly six years, publicly revealed their romance on November 9th when Cashiola walked the CMA Red Carpet with him.
On December 19th, Dave surprised her with an early Christmas present when he spelled out “Will you marry me?” on the side of her house in Christmas lights. As he put the engagement ring on her finger, Cashiola said “Yes!”
The bride, 30, an executive with Warner Bros. Records in Nashville, wore a lacy white dress with a sash tied at the small of her back and a white flower in her hair. The groom, 29, wore a suit and tie.
Dave was the remaining single member of Lady A, until Saturday, that is. Hillary married drummer Chris Tyrrell on January 7th of this year, while Charles has been married to wife Cassie McConnell since 2009.
AUDIO: Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood talks about wedding planning with his bandmates, backstage at this month’s ACM Awards.
Lady A (Dave-wedding plans) OC: (Dave) …play a couple songs. [Hillary laughs] :26
DAVE: “[Hillary] just got married, so I actually have asked her a couple of things. I’m like, ‘What did you do for the flowers for this part,’ ‘cause she just went through it, and Charles has been married for a couple of years, so he’s the veteran.” CHARLES: “He has two perspectives.” DAVE: “I do get female and male perspectives on wedding planning. So, it’s all encompassing. I think I got it knocked out.” HILLARY: “We’re definitely going to crash the band at some point.” CHARLES: “I told him if he has live music, they have to know ‘Mustang Sally’ and ‘Let’s Stay Together.’” DAVE: “Because in the rider, you have to let us play a couple of songs.” [Hillary laughs]
Keith Urban was certainly surprised when a duffle bag was brought out on stage with a “present” for him during his All for the Hall concert this week. He got an even bigger shock when he was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry. Not even his beautiful wife, Nicole Kidman, breathed a word of the news to him, even though that goes against their promise to each other to not withhold any secrets in their relationship. “My wife and I have a very strict rule that we don’t keep secrets and we’re not into surprises. You know, my wife’s like, ‘I don’t like surprises. Don’t ever have a surprise. Always tell me if there’s going to be a surprise party,’ that sort of thing,” explains Keith. “We’ve never surprised each other with anything, or kept any secret about anything, and this is the rare exception.” So, does he wish she would’ve told him about the invitation? Well, yeah AND no. “On the one hand, yeah, in the sense that I might’ve felt a little more prepared, but no, in the sense of genuine shock. [I’m] grateful that she didn’t.”
Keith’s induction into the Grand Ole Opry will take place Saturday, April 21st. He’s getting ready to hit the airwaves with his new single, “For You.”
AUDIO: Keith Urban says his wife, Nicole Kidman, kept mum about his surprise Grand Ole Opry membership invitation, even though they don’t keep secrets from each other.
Keith Urban (wife kept Opry secret) OC: …she didn’t. :30
“[It’s] not every day that you get a duffle bag brought up on stage. I had no clue what it was, and it’s funny, because my wife and I have a very strict rule that we don’t keep secrets and we’re not into surprises. You know, my wife’s like, ‘I don’t like surprises. Don’t ever have a surprise. Always tell me if there’s going to be a surprise party,’ that sort of thing. And so we’ve never surprised each other with anything, or kept any secret about anything and this is the rare exception. When we got home, she said, ‘Do you wished I would’ve told you?’ And I said, ‘No.’ On the one hand, yeah, in the sense that I might’ve felt a little more prepared, but no in the sense of genuine shock. [I’m] grateful that she didn’t.”
