Florida Georgia Line Welcomed into Country Music Fold Thanks to "Cruise"

Florida Georgia Line star is definitely on the rise, and their fellow country stars are taking note. Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, and Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles have all tweeted about their love for Florida Georgia Line's debut hit, "Cruise," and that makes the duo's Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley very happy.
"It's super neat to see in country music, I mean, the encouragement and the camaraderie, the sense of family that there is," Tyler tells ABC News Radio. " I don't know if it's just in this genre or what, but it's just cool. Everybody lifts everybody up and encourages each other." Florida Georgia Line has also becoming buddies with their tourmates this fall Jake Owen and Love and Theft. Jake even featured Florida Georgia Line on his recently released Endless Summer EP too. As they  continue making music, Florida Georgia Line plans to extend that same welcoming attitude. Tyler says, "[We] look forward to being able to do that down the road for whoever's up and coming next." Florida Georgia Line's debut album, Here's to the Good Times, comes out December 4.

Jennifer Nettles Announces Lineup and Charity Component for This Year's CMA Country Christmas.

Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland returns as host of the CMA Country Christmas special again this year.  The show will tape November 3 in Nashville and air this holiday season on ABC. Along with performances from Jennifer, the show lineup also includes Dierks Bentley, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery, The Band Perry and Keith Urban. Pop star Colbie Caillat, R&B singer John Legend and Welsh soprano Katherine Jenkins are also on the bill. Fans attending the show taping are encouraged to bring unwrapped toys for underprivileged children in the Nashville area this holiday season too. Jennifer says, "It is such a joy to watch this holiday special grow -- in not only its talent roster, but moreover in its charitable celebration of the season." Jennifer will also be very pregnant when the show tapes November. She's expecting her first child later that month, so don't expect her to dance like she did on last year's CMA Country Christmas. "It will be slower this year," Jennifer says with a laugh, "but you know what, it will be just as celebratory and just as fun for me." Jennifer's also thinking about her on camera wardrobe for the show. "You think, 'Alright, what am I going to be able to move in?' What's going to look halfway flattering, you hope, especially on television." If anything, this year's CMA Country Christmas will give Jennifer a chance to really document the time she was pregnant as part of a highly-produced TV special. She says, "When else is the timing, who knows if it will ever coincide in the same way again, and I think that's obviously, personally, I'm saying that's very special." We'll let you know once ABC announces an airdate for the CMA Country Christmas special.

Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum and More Join Celebs Singing ‘Hey Jude’ to Help the Children of St. Jude

Some of country music’s most beloved stars have joined their fellow celebrities from the world of entertainment in recording a new version of the Beatles classic ‘Hey Jude’ to help raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. A new clip released online shows Alabama front man Randy Owen, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Big and Rich and Darius Rucker all contributing lines to the new track, which is encouraging fans to donate money to help fight childhood disease. The verses culminate with comic actor Robin Williams delivering the song’s climactic scream before the children of St. Jude and members of the staff are joined for the chorus by a host of stars from TV and film, including Betty White, Jimmy Kimmel, Ellen DeGeneres and Marlo Thomas, whose father Danny Thomas founded St. Jude.

Thomas’s son Tony Thomas produced the ‘Hey St. Jude’ video, which was created to highlight September as National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. St. Jude is one of the most important children’s charities in the world, providing free treatment to children suffering from catastrophic disease and leading the scientific world in research into cures and prevention. For a donation of $35, you can not only support the needs of sick children, you will also receive a t-shirt like the one in the ‘Hey Jude’ clip. For more information, visit this link.

(Taste Of Country)

Keith Urban Was On a Singing Competition As a Nine-Year-Old...And One of the Judges "Crucified" Him

KEITH URBAN is NOT going to be a hard-a** judge on "American Idol". The reason is because he competed on a singing show in Australia as a kid and one of the judges brutalized him. Keith said, quote, "I did a show when I was 9. I actually did a show in Australia, one of these kinds of shows with three judges, and one of them just completely crucified me. "He also said to me, 'I encourage you to get out of country music, just get rid of that nonsense [and] get into some real music.' I obviously took it to heart." As for what Keith DID learn from that judge,  he says, quote, "I know that I'll never be THAT guy."

Carrie Underwood Says "American Idol" Would Be Wise to Finally Have A Country Star As Judge

Last we heard "American Idol" was trying to work out a deal for either KEITH URBAN or BRAD PAISLEY to be a judge for this season. CARRIE UNDERWOOD says that's a good move, simply because the audience seems to want it. She said, quote, "I do think it would be wise to have a country person be a judge. You look at the track record of 'American Idol', and there's me and SCOTTY [MCCREERY] and LAUREN [ALAINA] who were the final two. "There's obviously a want for it from the audience because that's who they are voting for. So, it makes sense they would have somebody they know and love in as a judge."

Keith Urban Is Excited That His Music is Finally Getting Played in . . . Australia?!?

KEITH URBAN is from Australia, so obviously, his music is played nonstop Down Under, right? Nope.  And according to Keith, it has to do with outdated stereotypes that his Aussie mates have about country music. But the good news is that's changed now that he's a star on the Australian version of "The Voice".  (--He's one of the four "coaches" . . . along with Seal, Delta Goodrem, and Joel Madden from Good Charlotte.) Keith talked about it in an interview in the Australian edition of "GQ".  He said, quote, "The best thing about ['The Voice'] has been the chance for people [here] to get to know me. "My music doesn't really get played here despite it having a lot of appeal elsewhere, so I've found myself without an outlet for my songs because of various narrow stereotypes and perceptions about me. That's been a challenge. "But [the show] has offered an opportunity to connect in a different way and I hope now people check out the gigs because that’s the real show for me . . . and it ain't played on a planet of 10-gallon hats."

Eric Church Ruffles Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert's Feathers with Reality TV Comments...

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert aren't very happy with Eric Church. In a new interview in Rolling Stone, Eric bluntly shares his feelings on artists that get their start on musical competition shows like The Voice and American Idol.

He says, "Honestly, if Blake Shelton and Cee Lo Green ----ing turn around in a red chair, you got a deal? That's crazy. I don't know what would make an artist do that. You're not an artist." The Rolling Stone writer notes that Eric raises his voice and becomes angry as he continues saying, "If I was concerned about my legacy, there's no ----ing way I would ever sit there [and be a reality-show judge]. Once your career becomes something other than the music, then that's what it is. I'll never make that mistake. I don't care if I ----ing starve."

Eric's Rolling Stone interview appears in the latest print issue only and has not been published online yet. Blake Shelton responded to Eric's comments with a tweet, "I wish I misunderstood this…"

Miranda wasn't so kind with her response though. She got her start on the TV talent competition Nashville Star and tweeted Monday, "Thanks Eric Church for saying I'm not a real artist. Or @kellyclarkson, @carrieunderwood & @keithurban. Your welcome from the tour in 2010."

Eric did serve as the opening act for Miranda on the road for part of 2010. Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood are both American Idol winners, and Keith Urban is currently serving as a mentor on Australia's version of The Voice. Eric released a statement late Monday clarifying the comments in Rolling Stone. He says they were "part of a larger commentary on these types of reality shows and the perception they create, not the artists involved with the shows themselves."

He goes on to explain that shows like The Voice and American Idol make it seem like artists can take a shortcut to success and don't show the hard work that goes into making a music career successful once the cameras stop rolling. "Every artist has to follow up television appearances with dedication towards their craft, but these shows tend to gloss over that part and make it seem like you can be ordained into stardom," says Eric. "I have a problem with those perceived shortcuts, not just in the music industry." Responding directly to Miranda's tweet, Eric adds, "I have a lot of respect for what artists like Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, and my friend Miranda Lambert have gone on to accomplish. This piece was never intended to tear down any individual and I apologize to anybody I offended in trying to shed light on this issue. " Eric expresses gratitude to the artists and fans that have helped him so far, and says he didn't mean for his "comments to undermine their talent and achievements."

Keith Urban's Surgically Repaired Voice is "Extraordinary"

KEITH URBAN knew last year's vocal cord surgery was the right thing to do . . . but he had no idea his voice would come back as strong as it has. He says, quote, "I think if a footballer in their 40s was given their knees back like they were in their early 20s, that’s kind of how I feel right now. It's an extraordinary feeling of freedom." A big test came when Keith did a 90-minute set at the Houston Rodeo. He pushed himself as hard as possible and there were no problems afterwards. The surgery has also changed Keith's approach to songwriting. He no longer has to worry about writing something that would actually be painful to sing. He explains, quote, "So I think getting my voice back has sort of been a metaphor for finding my voice more so as well as an artist, broadening it, really, to the things that I want to write about and I feel ready to write about that I guess I haven't in recent years."

Keith Urban Starts Role as Judge on Australian Version of The Voice Later This Month.

Keith Urban will begin flying back and forth to Sydney later this month to fulfill his role as a judge on the Australian version of The Voice. He's looking forward to "getting the opportunity to try and help some killer raw talent blossom." Keith says, "I have a feeling that being immersed in that new kind of 'everything is possible' energy, will have a real inspiring and liberating effect on creating new music for my new album!"
Keith plans to spend a lot of time in Nashville working on that new album. He's already started writing and finding songs for that project, but no release date has been set yet.

Keith Urban Celebrates #1 Hit and Renewed Friendship with Richard Marx.

Keith Urban celebrated his #1 hit "Long Hot Summer" with his co-writer, pop star Richard Marx, Wednesday in Nashville, but it wasn't your typical music industry event. After accepting their trophies from different organizations, Keith and Richard invited two young artists they found on YouTube to perform the song with them. Teenage guitarist Leslie Strong from Kentucky and singer Patrick Woolam of Kansas City had uploaded videos of themselves performing "Long Hot Summer" online, and Keith contacted them and brought them to Nashville for the event.
The inspiration didn't stop there. It turns out Keith and Richard had some kind of issue between them after writing Keith's hits "Better Life" and "Everybody" in the past few years. They wouldn't go into detail, but Keith said Richard really taught him a lot about friendship through this experience. "I wanted to really make it up to Richard and show him that our friendship really means something to me," Keith explains. That's when they arranged to get together again and write a song. Keith says of "Long Hot Summer," "It wasn't born of a quota to write a song. It was born of a want for us to reconnect. The song was just a byproduct of that desire."
For those of you wondering, Keith's voice sounded great Wednesday following his vocal cord surgery last month. Keith's first official performance after his surgery is coming up February 3 at the Grand Ole Opry.

Country Stars Share Their Favorite Christmas Memories...

One of the interesting segments of last night's "CMA Country Christmas" was when the artists shared their favorite holiday memories. Here are a few of them...

VINCE GILL remembered how his sister would open gifts before Christmas Day and then re-wrap them without getting caught. He said, quote, "She was good at acting surprised at what she got." Vince's wife AMY GRANT talked about when her cat found her gift live gerbils. Quote, "We're sitting around, all fuzzy feeling, then all of a sudden, I'm going, 'What is that crunching sound under the tree?' It was my big present . . .the gerbils!"

One of KELLIE PICKLER'S favorite holiday memories was visiting the troops in Iraq. She said, quote, "There are so many things we take for granted. We don't realize it until it's not there anymore . . . until that luxury, that freedom, is not there."

KEITH URBAN is from Australia, where it's currently summer. He said, quote, "Christmas was always about going to the beach. And my fondest Christmas memory is about getting in the station wagon with my mom, dad, my brother, and me, and going to the beach for the day."

Keith Urban Is Having Throat Surgery to Remove a Polyp From His Vocal Chords

KEITH URBAN has scheduled throat surgery later this month to remove a polyp on his vocal chords. It's a minor, outpatient procedure but he still has to shut things down and recuperate afterwards. Keith will be honoring SOME of his appearances between now and the surgery. Unfortunately, he's postponing January's "We're All For The Hall" benefit concert. No word when that'll be rescheduled.

Read The Statement On keithurban.net

Keith Urban Pitched One of His Songs to Scotty McCreery

This year's "American Idol" champ SCOTTY MCCREERY was planning to put all original material on his debut country album and then KEITH URBAN dusted off one of his old songs and offered it up. That changed the plan.
Scotty explains, quote, "There's technically going to be one cover. Keith Urban pitched a song my way, and it's one he did way back when he was part of the band THE RANCH. "He's on tour right now so we don't know, but he said he might play guitar on the track." As far as the sound of Scotty's debut album well, I'll let him explain. He says, quote, "It's not going to be poppy. That's one thing we stayed away from. I grew up with the old-school stuff, so I didn't want to completely stray from that. "We've got the rocker songs, the up-tempo stuff. But when we slow it down, the songs get more intimate, and you can definitely hear some of the more classic elements." (--Scotty's album "Clear As Day" is due out October 4th.)
One more thing about Scotty McCreery PeopleTV.com asked if any of the big-time artists he's met have left him star-struck. He mentioned CARRIE UNDERWOOD and TIM MCGRAW.

Keith Urban Will Be Reacting With the Crowd Even More Than Usual on his "Get Closer" Tour

If you've always wanted to get super close to KEITH URBAN, then I suggest you spring for main floor seats to his "Get Closer" tour. Keith is setting up FIVE different stages at each show so he can be close to as many fans as possible. And get this, one of the stages will be set up in a different part of the crowd each night. Keith explains, quote, "I figured out the idea of the moving stage and it will never be in the same place twice. One that's tiny and moveable every night and it allows me to go anywhere in the arena from night to night. It's always different." As you may recall, Keith hates the notion of security guards getting between him and the audience. He says, quote, "I want the (fans) to feel liberated, that they can do whatever they want to do. If they want to dance and scream and cheer, they should be able to do that and not feel like someone's going to come and tell them to sit down. "I'm just trying to make sure that everybody no matter where they're sitting feels connected to what we're doing. I want to play with everybody; I don't want to play at them. The audience reaction is a huge part of our show."

Keith Urban Is Not Bothered When His Fans Scratch Him or Rip His Clothes

KEITH URBAN is known for running into the crowd during his concerts and mixing it up with his adoring fans. And he's actually going to take that up a notch for the next leg of his "Get Closer" world tour, which kicks off June 16th in Biloxi, Mississippi. Keith explains, quote, "This tour is not just called 'Get Closer', it's literally gonna be that, too. I'm going into the crowd on several occasions." I've seen video of Keith going into the crowd and it always seems like a lot of fun. Maybe it is, but it's also more dangerous than it looks. Keith explains, quote, "Maybe from the outside it looks very different, but the lost buttons and ripped sleeves testify to something very different. "I've come home a few times with scratches on my chest and on my back, and my wife's gone, 'What is that?' And I'm like, 'Well, I'll show you,' and we've filmed the audience. "She's like, 'Oh my god!' It can be a bit treacherous out there sometimes, but it's always different, always unpredictable, and I love it."

Keith Urban Hates the "Prison Ward Security" Mentality from the Guards at His Concerts.

We've seen video of KEITH URBAN calling out security guards who the hassle fans at his concerts. But I've never really understood why he hates them so much . . . until now. Keith believes too much security makes the crowd afraid to let loose. And that means they end up sitting on their hands looking bored. Keith tells Australia's "The Telegraph", quote, "It's the prison warden security. "God forbid that everyone can have a good time. A concert is supposed to be two hours of unbridled freedom to be in the moment, to have the best night. You should be allowed to do that."

The First Round of Performers for This Summer's CMA Fest

They just announced the first round of performers and I can honestly say, they didn't hold back.

The performers are . . . Trace Adkins, Sheryl Crow, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton and Keith Urban.

And yes, more names will be announced in the coming weeks. The CMA Fest runs June 9th through June 12th in Nashville.

Click Here To Follow The Schedule!

Keith Urban On NBC’s ‘Today Show’

Keith Urban made an appearance on NBC’s Today Show yesterday morning. Keith is promoting his brand new album, Get Closer, which is in stores now. Check out his performance of his latest single, “Put You In A Song,” below.

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