Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

Alan Jackson is among the new stars set to be added to the Music City Walk of Fame on Sunday, November 6th. Kix Brooks, famed fashion designer Manuel, gospel music star Dr. Bobby Jones will also be inducted, as well as posthumous honors for electric guitar pioneer Les Paul, gospel singer/songwriter Dottie Rambo and Nashville broadcaster Dan Miller.  The stars will be unveiled during a ceremony at Walk of Fame Park in downtown Nashville. The ceremony starts at 12 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

KEITH URBAN TO DONATE ONE OF A KIND SIGNED FENDER GUITAR FOR AUCTION TO BENEFIT

SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE

CMA Entertainer of the Year nominee Keith Urban will donate a one of a kind Fender guitar that will be up for auction beginning today to benefit the Susan G. Komen For the Cure. The guitar, customized for Urban and played during his Get Closer 2011 World Tour, was specially requested as a way to acknowledge National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) and will be personally signed to the winner. Bids will be accepted through November 2nd here. Go here to check out a video of Urban playing the guitar during the tour.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (N BCAM) has been promoting awareness of breast cancer issues for over twenty five years recognizing that, although many great improvements have been made in breast cancer awareness and treatment, there is still much to accomplish. NBCAM remains dedicated to educating and empowering women to take charge of their health. Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the global leader of the breast cancer movement and the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors activists. For more information on breast health and other ways you can support breast cancer education and research, please visit www.komen.org and www.nbcam.org.

For more official Keith Urban auction information go to www.keithurban.net.

As we previously mentioned, Eric Church made a surprise appearance during one of the last stops on Keith Urban’s Get Closer 2011 World Tour in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The two performed “Springsteen” from Eric’s latest album, Chief. While Eric surprised the crowd, he was surprised as well backstage with a plaque presented by Keith commemorating the gold status of his album, Chief. “ I’m a big fan of Keith and a big fan of what he does and the kind of artist he is and the records that he makes,” says Eric. “So, there’s nobody I would’ve rather gotten that record from anywhere than Keith Urban. It meant a lot, and I told him that. I said, ‘It’s real special and it always will be that I got this album’s particular gold certification from you.’ And then to have that done and get that thing in what, 9 or 10 weeks is unbelievable, you know? Unbelievable. It’s been a crazy, crazy few months.”

AUDIO: Eric Church recalls how he and Keith Urban got together in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to perform together, as well as the surprise that awaited him backstage.

Eric Church (perf with Keith) OC: …surprising me. 1:20

“Keith had called me about [it]. He’d been soundchecking with the Chief record some, which I think is a great honor and blew me away when I heard he was doing that and said he loved the record a lot. He said, ‘Man, when you have an off day or you’re not touring and it corresponds in the right way with our tour, I’d love , instead of me out here doing these all the time, I’d love for you to come out and do a song with me off the record.’ I was blown away, and I said, ‘I’d love to.’ So, we found one day that we were both open, I was open and it was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I went up there, and he said, ‘Man, let’s do ‘Springsteen.’’ And we walked out, we soundchecked and we did ‘Springsteen.’ His band’s incredible. I was very humbled with how well they knew it, and not only that, but they knew other songs on the record. Had a great soundcheck, and he said, ‘Man, we’ll do it tonight. Look forward to it.’ I went back to the bus, got a shower, got ready for the show. And I got a call, and they said – I got to hang out with Keith a little bit – but they said, ‘Hey, at six o’clock on the dot, you’ve got to be show ready’ – which is two hours before show time – ‘you’ve got to be show ready. We’ve got to do a trade shot. You have to be there, on time’…which I’m never on time. So, I said, ‘Okay.’ So, I got ready, and kind of trying to figure out why we’re doing a trade shot. It’s supposed to be a surprise. And we get to the trade shot and all these cameras are there, and Keith walks in. I’m just gonna do the picture and we’re done, and he starts telling me how much he loves the record, and he said, ‘You know how much a fan I am.’ He said, ‘It’s only fitting for me to give you this,’ and he reaches behind the curtain and he pulls out the gold record, and I was stunned. I had a few choice words for all of ‘em for surprising me.”

AUDIO: Eric Church explains how humbled and blown away he was when Keith Urban presented him a gold plaque for his Chief album.

Eric Church (Chief gold) OC: …few months. :23

“I was just blown away. I’m a big fan of Keith and a big fan of what he does and the kind of artist he is and the records that he makes. So, there’s nobody I would’ve rather gotten that record from anywhere than Keith Urban. It meant a lot, and I told him that. I said, ‘It’s real special and it always will be that I got this album’s particular gold certification from you.’ And then to have that done and get that thing in what, 9 or 10 weeks is unbelievable, you know? Unbelievable. It’s been a crazy, crazy few months.”

Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum and Eric Church are among the early nominees for next year’s People’s Choice Awards.

Keith is nominated for Favorite Male Artist, Country Artist and Favorite Tour Headliner; while Lady A is up for Favorite Country Artist and Favorite Album for Own the Night. Eric Church’s Chief is also up for Favorite Album, as well.

The People’s Choice Awards are the only awards show where fans determine the nominees and winners across categories of music, movies and television. The top five in each category will be announced November 8th, and write-in candidates for the final nominees are accepted, as well.

The People’s Choice Awards 2012 will take place Wednesday, January 11th at 9pm ET/PT on CBS.

South Carolina native and current resident Darius Rucker has issued an apology to Cam Newton, who was the first-round draft pick for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. You see, Darius is a huge Gamecock fan, even attending the University of South Carolina, and when football star and Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton helped to blast the singer’s beloved Gamecocks 56-17 in 2010, Darius said the player would never cut it in the NFL. He was way off the mark , and he has since apologized to the rookie quarterback.

“I was one of those who, when he was coming out of college, me being a Gamecock fan and knowing what he did to us and the SEC last year, I was a hater,” Darius told the Charlotte Observer. “I’ll never forget his first [regular-season] game. I told a buddy that Cam is going to get blown up. I would like to apologize to Cam Newton. I was dead wrong.”

“His football IQ is off the charts,” Darius continues. “I love his body language. I love the way he walks down the field. You know he’s a leader. Every day I’m becoming more and more of a Cam Newton fan. If you’d told me last year I’d be saying that, I’d have said you’re crazy.”

Darius, who’s climbing the country charts with his latest single, “I Got Nothin’,’ is a huge football fan, but you won’t catch him wearing a favored jersey on game day. “No, I’m not that guy. Anybody over 30 who wears a jersey is a dork,” he says jokingly. “My brother-in-law is 40-something and he wears a Steelers jersey. Every time I see him in it I make fun of him.” He may not wear a jersey, but he does have the emblem of his favorite NFL team — the Miami Dolphins — tattooed on his body.

Halloween is right around the corner, and the holiday has some of your favorite country stars getting into costumes, and recalling memories of Halloweens past.

As a child, Dierks Bentley says Halloween was all about fireworks and blowing up stuff around his home. “Growing up in Arizona, we couldn’t get ’em, so we’d have ’em shipped in illegally. We were all about M-80s in the mailboxes and bottle-rocket wars.” As a father of two girls, he now takes costume pointers from his daughter Evie.

Audio:  Dierks Bentley talks about the Halloweens of his childhood.

Dierks Bentley (Halloween) OC: … …around home. [laughs]  :23

“Oh, when I was a kid, I was all into fireworks. Growing up in Arizona, we couldn’t get ’em, so we’d have ’em shipped in illegally. I still remember the name of the guy we’d call. His name was Joe, and he’d bring in, ship ’em in a package with no writing on ’em. We were all about M-80s in the mailboxes and bottle rocket wars. To me, as a kid, Halloween was fireworks, was blowing up stuff around home. [laughs]”

Audio: Dierks Bentley reveals what he and the rest of his family will be dressing up as this Halloween.

Dierks Bentley (2011 Halloween) OC: …know about. :45

“Evie’s got, uh, yeah, she’s already got her Halloween costume picked out. She’s decided what everyone’s gonna be this year in our family. So, she’s gonna be The Little Mermaid, and then her younger sister’s gonna be a crab. I think his name is Sebastian. I don’t know The Little Mermaid that well, but she’s decided Jordan’s gonna be the crab. And she wants me to be Swiper, who’s a character from a TV show called Dora, The Explorer. So, I don’t think they make mid-30-year-old male Swiper costumes, so if any fans want to submit one, or if you see me in Joanne’s fabric store putting together like a superhero kind of costume, that’s because I love my daughter and that’s who she wants me to be. She’s in charge. I think she has Cassie going as Dora. So, maybe there’s something secretive thing going on between Dora and Swiper that we don’t know about.”

FYI: Swiper’s description is “a sneaky fox with a blue mask and gloves, who is the antagonist of the TV series and appears in nearly every episode.As his name implies, Swiper steals or attempts to steal key items that help Dora on her adventures. Clever as he is, Swiper never manages to take Dora completely by surprise; an ominous ‘whisking’ sound is always audible just prior to his appearances…he is also considered a master of disguises.”

Little Big Town‘s Kimberly Schlapman has an innovative place to hide goodies for the rest of her bandmates. Check out the latest episode of Little Big Town TV to find out her secret!

Dierks Bentley takes to the hills of Tennessee to shoot the video for his latest single, “Home.” In the new episode of DBTV, fans can get a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of the clip.

Most people know Darius Rucker’s passion for watching football, but not the lengths he goes to to watch every single game he can during his spare time, while hanging out in his “man cave.”  “I got six TVs in there,” he reveals. “I’ve got a 65 [inch], and on top of that, I have two 48s and then under that, I’ve got two 36s, I think, and then I’ve got another 65 [inch] on another wall. Football Sunday and Saturday is pretty huge for me. I watch every game [laughs] I’m a TV guy. I love TV! I mean I’ve got a TV in pretty much every room…I think I got 12 or 13 TVs in my house.”

• Darius is currently climbing the country charts with his latest single, “I Got Nothin’.”
• Darius is set to join his labelmates Lady Antebellum on the second leg of their Own the Night 2012 World Tour, kicking off January 27th in Tulsa, Oklahoma and running through June 2012. Fans can purchase tickets to the first dates on sale beginning October 28th.

Darius (TV) OC: …in my house. :35 [NOTE: background noise]

“For me, my man cave is all about sports. I got six TVs in there. I’ve got a 65 [inch], and on top of that, I have two 48s and then under that, I’ve got two 36s, I think, and then I’ve got another 65 [inch] on another wall. Football Sunday and Saturday is pretty huge for me. I watch every game [laughs] I’m a TV guy. I love TV! I mean I’ve got a TV in pretty much every room. I mean, my wife’s not a TV person. Thank God she let me actually put a TV in all the rooms I want. I think I got 12 or 13 TVs in my house.”

Darius (wife &TV) OC: …400 through. :15  [NOTE: background noise]

“Still to this day, I’ll walk into my bedroom and my wife’ll be watching TV and I’ll have to pick up the remote control and turn it to the HD channel whien she’s watching and go, ‘Honey, doesn’t that look a lot better?’ [laughs] And she’s like, ‘Yeah, but I don’t know those channels.’ I’m like, ‘They’re 400! How many times do I have to tell you that? They’re 400 through.”

Luke Bryan takes fans behind-the-scenes of his recent Farm Tour in the latest episode of LBTV!