Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

On September 11, 2001, the world changed forever with the devastating attacks on both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” embodied the thoughts and feelings of millions in the wake of the events that took place 10 years ago. We offer up these thoughts, memories and comments:

AUDIO: Darius Rucker recalls where he was on September 11th, 2001. 

[NOTE: Extreme background noise.]

Darius Rucker (9-11) OC: …vicious day. :24

“[On] 9-11, I was playing golf with a friend early in the morning. Had an apartment in New York, and I lived in New York kind of at the time. If you looked out my bedroom window, we saw the World Trade Center. I was on my way back home. I was playing a 7 o’clock round of golf, and then I was catching a noon flight, and when I was finishing up, we stopped in to get a drink and I looked and we saw the second tower come down. It was a vicious day.”

AUDIO: Eric Church was on his way to work when he heard the news of the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2011.

Eric Church (9-11) OC: …that feeling. :23

“I was driving into work, the Shop-At-Home Network, I was listening to Gerry House, I remember that, and the news broke. [I] really couldn’t grasp what had happened until I got to work and saw it for myself on television. I remember I watched the second plane hit the tower in real time. I had just moved to Nashville earlier that year, and all I remember is wanting to go home and be with those I loved. I’ll never, I’ll never forget that feeling.”

AUDIO: Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley – whose birthday is September 11^th – recalls where he was on September 11, 2001.  

Lady A (9-11 Charles) OC: …everybody. :30

CK: “It was my birthday believe it or not. Yeah. 9/11. So, I was in college, and yeah, it was wild. I mean, woke up, was getting ready to go to class. And I had a roommate come in and say, ‘Man, turn on the TV. Classes are canceled. You won’t believe…’ He had had an earlier class, and he comes in and says, ‘Turn on the TV.’ And we all got up and watched it. It was just wild. So, it’s hard to put into words. But it is funny, that it’s still and I can remember it and everybody can. It had such a huge Effect on everybody.”

AUDIO: Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott explains she was in high school when she and her fellow classmates heard about the tragic events of 9-11.

Lady A (9-11 Hillary) OC: …we’re protected. 1:19

HS: “I was in 10th grade, which is weird to think that I was in 10th grade and Charles and Dave were in college. But I was actually on my way to history class, interestingly enough, and so we got to that class and turned the TV on, and we’re just watching the footage and then our, we ended up having an assembly that day where the whole school went into the gym and our headmaster got up and explained kind of everything that was going on and what happened. And it is. It’s one of those things that’s forever ingrained in your memory. And I actually had a close friend of mine, it’s actually my God sister’s dad has been in the military and he’s retired now. But he was on his way to the Pentagon and didn’t get there. But so luckily before everything happened but it’s just, I think everyone has that personal connection to it no matter if you knew someone there or not. It’s just … and I think too not only is it a time to reflect on those lost in that tragedy, I think it’s a time to really celebrate our military. And just another way of bringing praise to them and thanking them for what they do, which is protect us and protect our freedom on a daily basis. And thankfully nothing like that has happened since. And I think that that’s a testament to how well we’re protected.”

AUDIO: Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood says he will never forget the lives that were lost during the tragic events of 9-11.

Lady A (9-11 Dave) OC: …were lost. :27

DH: “Gosh, I mean as a human, it just completely breaks your heart. And as an American, it was such a devastating tragedy. Gosh, I mean that it still affects us 10 years later, and it will for the rest of our lives. I mean, there’s no doubt that it will. But I think as people and as a country, we’re stronger for it and going to keep pushing forward. And our goal is to get rid of people that would do evil like that in the world. So it’s tough to have that happen to us but we’ll always remember those that were lost.”

Luke Bryan recently wrapped his run with Tim McGraw’s Emotional Traffic tour, and the performer is going to miss the friends he made while on the road. According to Luke, being on a tour like he just finished, is like moving away from your hometown in a way. “It’s like you don’t get to hang with them much anymore, and you miss all the crew guys, you know,” the “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” singer explains. “It’s like you don’t get to hang with them much anymore, and you miss all the crew guys, you know? You get to become friends with guys out on the road with him, and it’s almost like the moving city just becomes closer and closer.”

Luke will headline his own trek this fall. CMT ON TOUR: Luke Bryan Tailgates & Tanlines, with special guests Lee Brice, Josh Thompson and Matt Mason. It will launch September 15th in Huntington, W.V. Luke will play 22 shows before the tour is scheduled to wrap November 19^th in Monroe, La.

AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about what he’s missing from his time on Tim McGraw’s Emotional Traffic tour.

Luke Bryan (miss on Tim Tour) OC: …else going. :36

“The main thing you’ll miss about any time you leave a tour – you know, you miss seeing the artists that you’re touring with. It’s like you don’t get to hang with them much anymore, and you miss all the crew guys, you know? You get to become friends with guys out on the road with him, and it’s almost like the moving city just becomes closer and closer. So, whenever the tour’s over, you just hate, you know the people you’ve kinda gotten close with, you’re not gonna get to see them as much anymore, and that’s just kind of the way this business is designed, you know, you can tour with somebody, and then it’s time to pack it up and move it on down the road and get something else going.”

Luke Bryan heads out on the road with his buddy Jason Aldean on Friday (January 20^th) on the My Kinda Party Tour. The Georgia native, his band and crew took rehearsals pretty seriously, rehearsing in a couple of different ways. “We did a separate rehearsal just in our own space, and then we took all of our stuff and set it up on his big stage with all the big lights,” says Luke. “We kinda spent the day…getting our footing on all of the tracks, so we don’t slip and fall and look pretty stupid up there.” The tour, which is expected to run through the summer, also features opening act and American Idol finalist Lauren Alaina.

AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about rehearsing for the My Kinda Party 2012 Tour, which kicks off Friday night (January 20th) in Greenville, South Carolina.

Luke Bryan (Party tour rehearsals) OC: …up there. :26

“We’ve been rehearsing a couple of times getting ready to gear it up and get out on the My Kinda Party Tour with Jason Aldean. We did a separate rehearsal just in our own space, and then we took all of our stuff and set it up on his big stage with all the big lights. And we kinda spent the day running, you know, kinda getting our footing on all of the tracks, so we don’t slip and fall and look pretty stupid up there.”

AUDIO: Luke Bryan is thrilled that tickets for the My Kinda Party Tour are selling out quickly.

Luke Bryan (Party tour tickets) OC: …very soon. :07

“If you haven’t got tickets already, sorry, you may not get a chance to get ‘em. They’re going fast. But hope to be coming to a town near you very soon.”

Luke Bryan‘s “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” topped the list of dance club hits in 2011, according to the Marco Club Connection’s 8th annual ranking of Country Dance Favorites. Dierks Bentley‘s “Am I The Only One” came in at No. 8. Also on the list were Blake Shelton‘s “Footloose” (No. 2) and “Honey Bee” (No. 4), Billy Currington‘s “Love Done Gone” (No. 6) and Jason Aldean‘s “Dirt Road Anthem” (No. 7)

Lady Antebellum, Alan Jackson and Luke Bryan are among the artists scheduled to perform at this year’s Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which will take place February 28th thru March 18th at Reliant Stadium. Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Kid Rock, Reba, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Alabama and the Zac Brown Band are also set to play the annual event.

Eric Church’s “Drink in My Hand” and Lady Antebellum’s “Just a Kiss” are featured on the 2012 Grammy nominees CD, which hits stores and online retailers January 24th. Proceeds from the sale of the compilation, also featuring songs by Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift and The Band Perry, will benefit the Grammy Foundation and the MusiCares Foundation.

RECORD-BREAKING TICKET SALES INSPIRE EMI RECORDS NASHVILLE’S ERIC CHURCH TO ANNOUNCE SECOND LEG OF 2012 HEADLINING TOUR: THE BLOOD, SWEAT & BEERS TOUR

“Drink In My Hand” Marks Church’s First-Ever Top 5 and Climbing Single on Country Billboard Charts

Few albums demanded attention in 2011 like Eric Church’s CHIEF, and subsequently ticket sales for his headlining tour are smoldering with the plea. Having broken Jason Aldean’s record for the highest number of tickets ever sold for a live event at the Landers Center in Southaven, MS, and experiencing near sell-outs in additional markets, Church will now bring his “delightfully overemphatic outlaw aspirations and snarling power chords,” as SPIN describes them, to fans in Atlantic City, New York City, Orlando, Nashville, Minneapolis and more,  (full list below). Meanwhile, the Best Country Album of the Year 2012 GRAMMY nominee is celebrating  his first-ever top five and climbing single on the Country Billboard charts, “Drink In My Hand.”

Due to overwhelming demand, Church will now headline several coveted venues including Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO for the first time in his career. “Every good artist reaches a watershed moment and Eric Church has arrived at his with CHIEF,” wrote The Boston Globe; and there’s no challenging their prediction now as Church garnered placement on numerous “Best Of” lists for 2011.

Tickets for upcoming dates are on-sale now and fans also have the option to purchase a special “VIP Package” where they’ll be treated to an exclusive VIP pre-concert party and intimate acoustic performance from Church backstage. For more information and to purchase, visit www.ericchurch.com.

The full list of Church’s upcoming tour dates is below, with an asterisk (*) denoting a new addition.

Eric Church The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour Dates:

1/19      Fort Smith, AR- Fort Smith Convention Center

1/20      Cape Girardeau, MO- Show Me Center

1/21      Southaven, MS- Landers Center

1/26      Madison, WI – The Alliant Energy Center

1/27      Saginaw, MI- The Dow Event Center

1/28      Terre Haute, IN- The ISU Hulman Center

2/2        Savannah, GA-Savannah Civic Center

2/3        Knoxville, TN-Thompson Boling Arena

2/4        Norfolk, VA-Ted Constant Center

2/16      Greenville, SC-Bi-Lo Center

2/17      Salisbury, MD- Wicomico Civic Center

2/18      Greensboro, NC-Greensboro Coliseum

2/23      Battle Creek, MI-Kellogg Arena

2/24      Cleveland, OH-Wolstein Center at CSU

2/25      Ft. Wayne, IN- Allen County War Memorial Col.

3/1        Portland, ME- Cumberland Country Civic Center

3/2        Lowell, MA- Tsongas Center at UMASS Lowell

3/3        Indiana, PA- Kocalchick Center

3/8        Oklahoma City, OK- Chesapeake Energy Center

3/9        Jonesboro, AR – ASU Convocation Center*

3/10      Orange Beach, AL- Amphitheater at The Wharf

3/14      New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom*

3/15      Binghampton, NY – Broome County Arena*

3/16      Reading, PA – Sovereign Center*

3/17      Atlantic City, NJ – Etess Arena*

3/22      Estero, FL – Germain Arena*

3/23      Orlando, FL – UCF Arena*

3/24      Tallahassee, FL – Tallahassee Civic Center*

4/12      Tupelo, MS – BancorpSouth Arena*

4/13      Bossier City, LA – Centurylink Center*

4/14      Auburn, AL – Alpha Psi Rodeo*

4/19      Evansville, IN – Ford Center*

4/20      St Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena*

4/21      Pikeville, KY – Eastern KY Expo Center*

4/26      Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena*

4/27      Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena*

4/28      Bloomington, IL – US Cellular Coliseum*

5/3        Springfield, MO – JQH Arena*

5/5        Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena*

5/10      Toledo, OH – Huntington Center*

5/11      Hoffman Estates, IL – Sears Centre*

5/12      Youngstown, OH – Covelli Center*

5/17      Minneapolis, MN – Target Center*

5/18      Topeka, KS – Landon Arena*

5/19      Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre*

Opening acts for various dates include Brantley Gilbert, Sonia Leigh, Blackberry Smoke, Jon Pardi, The Cadillac Black and Drake White. 

AUDIO: Eric Church talks about rehearsing for his upcoming Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour.

Eric Church (tour rehearsals) OC: … translate to the show.

“I think this is the first time we’ve ever really had to rehearse for a headline arena tour, or any other kind of tour, because it’s such a big tour. I mean, it’s the first time that we’ve really had control of the stage, it’s the first time we’ve had this size set, this size of production. And it’s gonna be neat to go in, and you can kind of feel the energy already, even though we’re a couple of weeks away. You can feel it building. I mean, every day gets ya a little closer. It’s like a distant drum that gets louder and louder, and I’m excited. Usually, in touring season, I’m dreading starting again, because I don’t feel like we had enough time off. Every year, it gets shorter and shorter. This is the first year that I mean, I’m chomping at the bit. My band’s been chomping at the bit. We’re ready to get out there and play, and we’re as excited as we’ve ever been, and I think it’ll translate to the show.”

Eric Church and his wife, Katherine, enjoyed their first Christmas as new parents. As you know, they welcomed Boone McCoy into the world on October 3^rd, 2011, and wouldn’t you guess, Boone already has his first guitar. The instrument was a gift from his doting dad. “I wanted to buy a guitar that was from the year he was born,” explains the “Drink in My Hand” singer. “I mean, as a guitar fan, one of the things you always ask about any guitar, you say, ‘What year is that?’ I wanted it to be something I could put up, and when the time came…I wanted to tell him the significance of it.” Eric promises he won’t be a stage dad and push guitar-playing or music in general on the young tyke, but he just wanted to be able to give Boone a cool memento of his first year in the world.

• “Drink in My Hand” is hovering close to the top of the country charts, which would make this Eric’s FIRST No. 1 single…EVER!

Eric Church (gave Boone 1^st guitar) OC: …to your kid. :33

“I wanted to buy a guitar that was from the year he was born. I mean, as a guitar fan, one of the things you always ask about any guitar, you say, ‘What year is that?’ I wanted it to be something I could put up, and when the time came – it’s a really nice guitar, and when the time came, I wanted to tell him the significance of it. It’s just neat to have a moment like that, and whether he plays guitar or not. I mean it’s not something I’m gonna push on, but it’s something that was important to me to be able to say, ‘This was from the year you were born, and from right after you were born – your first Christmas.’ So, I just think that’s a neat thing – as a musician – to have something like that to be able to give to your kid.”

Lady Antebellum‘s Own the Night remains the No. 1 country album again this week. The collection sold nearly 54,000 copies to land at No. 1 on the country album chart and at No. 4 overall.

When Keith Urban launches the first leg of his 2013 North American Tour this summer, he’s taking along Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch. This isn’t the first time he’s toured with Little Big Town – they have hit the road together several years ago and they’ve collaborated together on a few different projects, as well. “We’ve toured with Little Big Town before, and I love them. I’ve always loved them. I love the record they made, and I just felt like if they wanted to come out, it’d be a great time to collaborate together,” says Keith. “I feel it’s more collaborative when anybody comes out with us. All of us are putting on a show for the audience, ‘cause it starts the minute they walk into the arena.”

In the meantime, catch Keith on American Idol on FOX on Wednesdays and Thursdays [check local listings for times].

Keith Urban 2013 Tour Dates:
July 18 – Cincinnati, OH
July 19 – Twin Lakes, WI
July 20 – Monticello, IA
July 25 – Charlotte, NC
July 26 – Raleigh, NC
July 27 – Atlanta, GA
August 4 – Detroit, MI
August 8 – Washington, DC
August 9 – Canandaigua, NY
August 10 – Boston, MA
August 16 – Houston, TX
August 17 – Dallas, TX
August 22 – Birmingham, AL
August 23 – St. Louis, MO
August 24 – Indianapolis, IN
September 12 – Cleveland, OH
September 13 – Pittsburgh, PA
September 14 – Philadelphia, PA
September 21 – Mountain View, CA
September 22 – Sacramento, CA
September 27 – Los Angeles, CA
September 28 – San Diego, CA
September 29 – Phoenix, AZ
October 4 – Tampa, FL
October 5 – West Palm Beach, FL

Keith Urban (LBT on tour) OC: …the arena. :17
“We’ve toured with Little Big Town before, and I love them. I’ve always loved them. I love the record they made, and I just felt like if they wanted to come out, it’d be a great time to collaborate together, ‘cause I feel it’s more collaborative when anybody comes out with us. All of us are putting on a show for the audience, ‘cause it starts the minute they walk into the arena.”