Keith Urban & Nicole Kidman Updates 08/26/10

Urban development: Keith plays CMA Music Festival

By Jay Bobbin

Keith Urban is married to an Oscar-winning actress, but he knows he has another important relationship to maintain: the one with his fans.

Still at the forefront of country music stars, Nicole Kidman's spouse gets a big opportunity to please his followers each June, when artists and listeners converge on Nashville for a Country Music Association-sponsored event. The four-day gathering is captured for a television special, and ABC airs this year's edition of "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" Wednesday, Sept. 1.

A preview disc indicated the three-hour show offers a generous dose of the New Zealand-born and Australia-raised Urban, whose virtual greatest-hits set includes "Kiss a Girl" and "Days Go By." Among the many other talents showcased: Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Trace Adkins, and engaged couple Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton.

Though he's had a busy summer concert schedule, as have so many of his country music peers, Urban recognizes that playing the CMA Music Festival is still a prime gig.

Q: Did you enjoy performing at this year's festival as much as it appears?

A: Yeah, I really did. There's something about that crowd, and probably that little bit of extra mojo about performing in that stadium -- not long after it was under water (from the flooding in Nashville) -- was a euphoric feeling as well.


Q: Have you intentionally stocked your catalog with tunes that practically invite the audience to sing along?

A: I hoped that one day, I would have a set list where people know the majority of the songs. It's a blast to look out there and see people singing along with every song; it's incredible. I'm always happy to let my voice take a break and let the audience carry it!

Q: How have you personally experienced the growth of the festival, which used to be known as Fan Fair, over the years?

A: It's astounding to see how big it's gotten, particularly this year. I couldn't see an empty seat anywhere. It's such a win-win; what a magnificent thing that this festival is based on the genre and not on the specific artists. So many people come to celebrate their love of country music, and within three or four days, you've seen everybody.

Q: You made a point of saying in the show, "Nashville is alive and well and open for business." How are you finding it there now?

A: Certainly, it takes a little while, and it's been difficult with Opryland out of commission. I think people know we're back up and running, though, and Tennessee isn't called the Volunteer State for nothing. Everybody pulled together, and here we are.

Q: Is being the father of Sunday, your two-year-old daughter with Nicole, having an impact on your music?

A: Yeah, for sure. I'm not out there working all the time, and from being home, it's important to have something to take out onstage. I think everything benefits from it. I think the performances have more purpose for me. If we're going to go out and connect with everybody, what are we communicating? I have enormous gratitude for having found somebody and found my center ... then to be able to plug into that through my music, if I can.

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Keith plays for Target along with Taylor Swift and Enrique Iglesias
Target Center, Minneapolis MN
August25, 2010


http://twitpic.com/2i3g87



Keith in Target's red and khaki
http://twitpic.com/2i3nao




Taylor Swift: Performing at the Target National Meeting in Minneapolis has it's perks. :)

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Keith in the studio jamming on Santana's "Winning".

KeithUrban.net



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Ever wondered what an Aussie commercial for Keith on tour looks like? Here's an advertisement for the Escape Together tour from 2009.



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Living legend Bill Anderson has a great new cd entitled "Songwriter". He was a guest on WGN radio and gave a 30 minute interview, talking about a variety of things including the Nashville flood, when he took country to disco, and tidbits on the new album. He also mentioned Keith as one of the "stars of today" being played on modern country radio.

Click HERE for the interview.

And don't forget to check out his MySpace page. You can listen to some of the new tracks including our favorite "Wherever She Is".

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Are you a Keith fan that's wondered whatever happened to his songwriting partner Vernon Rust? Well Vernon is now on Facebook! You can visit his page HERE. Be sure to check out the classic photo of him with the Ranch gang!


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CMA Noms TO Be Revealed Over 2 Days

Final nominees for The 44th Annual CMA Awards will be announced over two mornings, on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.

On Wednesday, Sept. 1, Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert will announce the final nominees in five CMA Awards categories live from the Good Morning America studios in New York City on ABC. The announcement will air in the 8:30 AM/ET half-hour segment of the morning news program.

On Tuesday, Aug. 31, Justin Moore and Chris Young will announce the finalists in seven CMA Awards categories from Nashville at a press conference at the historic Ryman Auditorium.

In Nashville, Steel Magnolia will announce the finalists for the 2010 CMA Broadcast Award Personality and Radio Station of the Year in four categories (small, medium, large, and major markets), as well as the finalists for the CMA National Broadcast Personality.

The 44th Annual CMA Awards, known as “Country Music’s Biggest Night(TM),” will be broadcast live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 10 (8:00-11:00 PM ET) on ABC.

CMT Insider Special Edition: 2010 CMA Awards Nominations, featuring in-depth coverage of the nominations, artist interviews, and more, will premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 1 (11:00 AM/ET), with several re-airings scheduled.

CMA’s official radio partner, Premiere Radio Networks, will carry the Awards and Broadcast Award nominations live to Country Radio as they are announced each day.

And don’t forget, the CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock special will air Wednesday, Sept. 1 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC.

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Twitter Updates!

eLIZabeth4315: so i was just standing next to nicole kidman & keith urban at whole foods. made my day...

CMLudwick: Walked into whole foods and of course keith urban and nicole kidman are getting dinner too! :)

GBurn: Keith and Nicole just left Starbucks as I was going in...clearly we have shared interests and should be friends.

emlamkin: Getting food at whole foodswith keith and nicole!

...and now they are sitting by us. josh is beside himself!

NateThacker: Just walk right by Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban. Crazy!

brennanward: Well, I just made a fool of myself.... In front of Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman.

I saw Keith Urban / Nicole Kidman, ate Pei Wei, watched Toy Story/Enchanted, and saw Taylor Swift's house. I'd call that a successful night.

ehalvey: #NicoleKidman & #KeithUrban at @WFM_Nashville getting dinner from the hot bar. She IS really tall!

bentonc02: Just sat behind nicole kidman and Keith urban in church ....no big deal.

banban0615: Just saw Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban in Cooper Kettle. Thankfully I didn't do anything too embarassing.

bubbabadgett: Keith urban and Nicole kidman within 15 ft of me. Kind odd.

plumb_artist: So Keith Urban just got his groceries in front of me. I didn't say hi. What would I have said? "hey, we're the same height!" uh..........no.

He was still cute. Even my hubby agreed. :)

VanGronigen: A lil' Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman at Whole Foods.

KaleeSorey: Selling my 2 tickets to Brooks & Dunn's LAST SHOW Nashville 9/2 I wonder if Keith Nicole Brad or Kenny will show up? http://alturl.com/n4svn

kristenwatson: @Rue_La_La Must have a glass of champagne at The Hassler Hotel in Rome! Top of Spanish Steps. Saw Nicole K & Keith U last time I was there!


kickyfeet: @krinjas Keith & Nicole are like Kris & Katy's big sis & bro. This pic is so adorbs http://bit.ly/bcUBV3

@dy7764 I'm not sure I've seen that. Nicole Keith Kris and Katy all in 1 pic? Too much pretty!

@dy7764 I'm hoping for pics of Keith & Nicole and Kris & Katy on a double date somewhere in the future! :)






From Minneapolis....

DamicoKitchen: Keith Urban visited us on the Eden patio last night! Hope he comes back tonight! Prince just ordered his dinner to go...

sank: Just saw Keith Urban no sign of Nicole.

Keith Urban On Stage; Nicole Kidman and Sunday in Sydney

Keith Urban: CMA Fest Cheerleader
By Tom Roland

When fans look back on the 2010 CMA Music Festival, one of the sonic moments they’re likely to remember collectively will be the close of Keith Urban's Friday-night set at Nashville’s LP Field, where he put together an all-star ensemble for a Beatles cover.

Keith brought out a horn section led byKenny Chesney sideman Jim Horn, keyboard players Tony Brown and Tim Akers and a group of background vocalists that included Sarah Buxton and Little Big Town members Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman for a version of “With A Little Help From My Friends.” Footage of last month’s Tennessee flood — and of neighbors helping each other through it — ran across the video screen in the back, underscoring the song’s communal theme.

Keith did the song twice for a film crew that was taping the stadium shows for the Sept. 1 ABC special “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night To Rock.” Nashville’s recovery from the disaster is likely to be an undercurrent in the special, in part because it’s an example of a city that pulled together to help itself.

“It feels a little bit like the jazz festival did when we played down in New Orleans after Katrina,” Keith observed backstage. “It gives a different celebratory essence to the festival this year. For me, it’s all about community. Country music is hard to define musically because it ebbs and it flows in and around, just like it always has done, but I think the one constant is the communal feeling in country music and it’s never been more apparent than recently.”

In addition to “With A Little Help From My Friends,” Keith played five more songs for the throng of 40,000, sticking to good-time material. He essentially took the role of Dr. Feelgood as he unleashed “Kiss A Girl,” “Days Go By,” “Sweet Thing,” “I’m In” and “Somebody Like You.” That upbeat set list reflected his feelings about the festival, which brings fans from around the world to hear a stunning volume of music and get a chance to meet some of their favorite stars.

The ticket buyers love it, but so does Keith, who was buoyed by “the random sort of happenings of fans being able to run up to your car at traffic lights and throw CDs in the window, things like that. I just like the energy that happens in town during this week. There’s a place in Australia called Tamworth, which is like a small version of this, but it’s the country music center of Australia, and they have a festival every year in January and it’s that same feeling. [CMA Fest is] much, much bigger, but it’s the same feeling, sort of like a huge family gathering. So I love it.”

The weekend worked out incredibly for Keith, who played three NFL stadiums in three days. In addition to Friday’s gig at LP Field, the home of the Tennessee Titans, he appeared with the Eagles and the Dixie Chicks Thursday at the New Meadowlands Stadium, which hosts the New York Jets and New York Giants. Saturday, he rejoined the Eagles and the Chicks at Gillette Stadium, the home turf for the New England Patriots.






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Sister Antonia and mother Janelle on their way to visit Nicole and Sunday























Janelle and Nicole talk while Sunday plays




















Nicole visits her parents' home

Keith Urban At Meadowlands And CMA Fest 2010

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Tennesseean Blog

Act 4: There are a few moments over the history of Fan Fair/CMA Music Festival that fans and industry folks talk about years later — Garth Brooks’ 23-hour autograph signing marathon might one. Keith Urban’s Friday night LP Field show will be another. Urban ended his set with a show-stopping version of “With a Little Help from My Friends.”

“Much has been said and written, expressed … about the recent flood in Nashville,” Urban said leading up to the song. “We want to take this moment to show our gratitude to not only the organizations that come to everyone’s rescue but to the countless men and women and children that helped out … it was unbelievable to see it happen here in Nashville. The Volunteer State spirit has never been more alive and well.”

Urban brought out Kimberly Schlapman and Karen Fairchild from Little Big Town and Sarah Buxton as back-up singers and Tony Brown to play keyboard. Along with a beefed-up horn section, Urban and his band pulled of an enraptured version of “With a Little Help From My Friends” that had the crowd mesmerized. Urban littered the song with a host of inspired guitar solos and the background vocals soared before the Aussie wrapped the song and brought the entire band out to take a bow.

“That was the most magical thing I have ever seen on the CMA Fest stage,” host Storme Warren said following the song. Then, for purposes of the night’s television taping, Urban and band came out and performed the song again before leaving the stage for good. Aside from “With a Little Help from My Friends,” Urban also played “Kiss A Girl,” “Days Go By,” “Sweet Thing,” “I’m In” and “Somebody Like You,” which at the time got the biggest applause of the night.


CMT Review

As much fun as it is to see McEntire perform, Urban might be the hardest act to follow in country music. Charismatic and obviously talented, which you can notice even from the cheapest seats, it would be wise to tap him as the finale next year. Maybe he'll have new music by then, but in the meantime, he treated fans to upbeat tunes like "Kiss a Girl," "Days Go By," "Sweet Thing," "I'm In" and "Somebody Like You."

Urban concluded his set with an impassioned cover of Joe Cocker's arrangement of "With a Little Help From My Friends" that included a small horn section, famed producer Tony Brown on piano and Sarah Buxton and Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman on soulful harmonies. Urban dedicated the classic tune to Nashville's volunteers -- he called them "angels" -- who stepped in for flood recovery efforts in the area last month, noting, "The Volunteer State spirit has never been more alive or more evident."

Keith Urban Blew The Roof Off The Joint At 2010 CMA Fest

Thanks to Stocky32


Keith Urban, in tribute to the Tennessee flood victims, performed "With A Little Help Form My Friends" with Sarah Buxton, the two gals from Little Big Town, producer Tony Brown, a choir, and horn section. A highlight for sure. Don't worry. The performance will be part of the tv special CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock airing on ABC, September 1st.

Word is it was an amazing performance. And yes skeptics Nicole was there.

Keith Urban To Particiapte In Marty Stuart's Nashville Flood Relief Benefit

Keith Urban has joined long-time pal Marty Stuart for what is we're sure just one of many more benefit concerts to aid flood victims.



MARTY STUART’S 9TH ANNUAL LATE NIGHT JAM SLATED FOR JUNE 9 AT NASHVILLE’S RYMAN AUDITORIUM

Inspired by THE MARTY STUART SHOW, 2010 Lineup Will Highlight Traditional Country Music With Multi-Award Winning Surprise Guests

Proceeds To Benefit MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief

NASHVILLE, TN – May 7, 2010 – Country Music Icon Marty Stuart will once again help kick off CMA Music Fest with his annual LATE NIGHT JAM on June 9 beginning at 10:00 PM at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium. This year’s concert is inspired by Stuart’s highly rated TV show, The Marty Stuart Show and will benefit the MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief Fund.

“Bringing traditional country music into homes across America is something I am honored and proud to be a part of…and to be able to recreate the styles and themes of our show on the Ryman stage, the epicenter of our country music heritage, is a dream,” says Stuart. “I created the Late Night Jam in order to kick off country music’s biggest week with a show unlike anything else that the fans would be able to see while they were in Nashville, and the results have been legendary. That’s the musical side of the event. At the heart of the show Is my love and respect for MusiCares. This year of all years MusiCares is needed after the flood the city just experienced. I know of musicians who’ve lost their homes, vehicles, instruments, and in a couple of instances, families. With that in mind, me and my friends are going to play our hearts out for our friends who are hurting and in need. I’ve called lots of numbers in my phone book and invited wonderful people to come and participate in the Late Night Jam. It’s actually quite staggering who is coming.”

Joining Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives for this year’s marathon of live music are Superstar Keith Urban, Songwriter Hall of Fame members Dallas Frazier and Cowboy Jack Clement, Ronnie Milsap, Steel Guitar Hall of Fame member Ralph Mooney, Connie Smith, the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band and a few very special surprise guests representing the Country Music and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame

To date, Marty Stuart’s Late Night Jam has raised over $150,000 for MusiCares, the philanthropic arm of The Recording Academy. The organization provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need.

The Marty Stuart Show is RDF-TV’s highest rated show and adds a new chapter each week to the tradition of simple, electrifying country TV with varied live sounds, and top level artists. Upcoming guests include Merle Haggard, Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Patty Loveless and Kitty Wells.

Tickets for the Late Night Jam are available now at www.ryman.com

For more information, visit www.martystuart.net