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24 JAN 2008. KEITH URBAN CONFIRMS A SECOND SYDNEY SHOW!
Chugg Entertainment is thrilled to confirm that due to overwhelming demand, Keith Urban will play a second show at Sydney�s Hordern Pavilion on Saturday 29th March.

Keith Urban; home grown hero, recent ARIA Award winner and 2008 Grammy nominee for �Best Male Country Vocal Performance�, has confirmed that he will rock the socks off Sydney audiences not once, but twice.

With tickets for the first show now completely sold out and tickets for the newly announced show at WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong selling just as fast this is great news for Urban fans.

Keith couldn�t resist adding one more show in Sydney, which will be his only performances aside from appearances at the East Coast Blues & Roots Festival, Point Nepean: A Musical Experience and the Southern Roots Festival in Tasmania.

Michael Chugg, long time promoter of Keith Urban says, �it�s no surprise to me, this boy can play! I�m glad the Sydney people are taking notice � I�ve always said this would be one hell of a show � and now we�ve got two! If you missed out on the first show Sydney, don�t make the same mistake twice!.�

Keith Urban�s second Hordern Pavilion show on Saturday 29th March goes on sale on Friday 25th January through Ticketek. Tickets for the March 28 show at WIN Entertainment Centre are selling fast.

Keith Urban�s latest album Keith Urban Greatest Hits: 18 Kids is out now through Capitol.

SYDNEY - HORDERN PAVILION
WEDNESDAY 26th MARCH - SOLD OUT!

WOLLONGONG - WIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
FRIDAY 28th MARCH
Tickets through Ticketek: www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849

SYDNEY - HORDERN PAVILION
SATURDAY 29th MARCH � JUST ANNOUNCED!
Tickets through Ticketek: www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849

ON SALE 9AM, FRIDAY 25th JANUARY

Keith Urban also plays East Coast Blues and Roots Byron Bay, Point Nepean: A Music Experience & Southern Roots Festival in March 2008.

�KEITH URBAN GREATEST HITS : 18 KIDS� Standard & DVD version available now

Keith Urban Supporters Clam Up

January 23, 2008 � The long-held notion about country music fans is that they're extremely loyal to their favorite artists, and Keith Urban has discovered that firsthand.

"I know a lot of them are very, very � not just supportive, but fiercely loyal," he tells Dial-Global. In particular, he cites someone from his hometown in Australia who was approached by a gossip TV show that was trying to dig up some dirt on Keith.

"The guy says, 'Ah, mate, we'll never talk about him to anybody,'" Keith reports. "It was just fantastic. I don't even know that guy, but that kind of protectiveness was really lovely."

Keith's fan base in the northern hemisphere is just as loyal. In fact, he recently expanded his upcoming U.S. tour with Carrie Underwood by adding two more cities to the agenda: Peoria and Sacramento.
from gac

Keith Urban's song also awaits birth of Nicole Kidman's baby
Article from: The Daily Telegraph
By Kathy McCabe, Music
January 31, 2008

THERE are no lullabies written yet but Keith Urban said marriage and impending fatherhood had given his career a "whole new feeling".
Urban said he wanted to wait until his first child with wife Nicole Kidman arrived in July before writing a song dedicated to their baby.
But Kidman and their family-to-be are having as great an impact on him when he is on stage performing as when he is by her side.
"Performing in general has taken on a whole new feeling for me, certainly in light of fatherhood and so on," he said from Los Angeles yesterday.
"It has been a beautiful journey, really since that record Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy Thing came out.
"Over the moon is literally how I feel; I'm very, very grateful."
Urban returned to Los Angeles on the weekend to record a duet with pop princess Nelly Furtado.
The unlikely pairing of the country superstar, who is also up for another Grammy award on February 10, and the chart-topping pop artist came at Furtado's invitation.
"It was a blast getting to sing on the track; it's a great song and I hope it pans out," he said.
After another American run of concerts, he returns home for his first tour of Australia's annual bluesfests at Easter and two gigs at the Hordern Pavilion in March.
Urban said he was looking forward to hooking up with festival regular and new mate John Butler during the Byron Bay East Coast Blues and Roots event.
While the guitar virtuosos have not planned to recreate their triumphant ARIA awards duel at one of the upcoming festivals, Urban isn't ruling it out.
"I think those things are best when they are spontaneous," he said.
In between concerts here and America before Kidman gives birth, Urban hopes to start working on new songs for his next studio album.
"I'm going to be doing quite a bit more songwriting and bringing some people down to Sydney actually," he said.
"I'll also be doing some more work in Nashville and here in Los Angeles."
As for his chances of picking up another Grammy Award, the ever-modest Urban said it hadn't crossed his mind.
"I hadn't even thought about the Grammys, Thanks, now I'm nervous," he laughed.
Keith Urban performs at the Hordern Pavilion on March 26 and 29, Wollongong Entertainment Centre on March 28 and the East Coast Blues And Roots Festival in Byron Bay during Easter.

Keith & Nicole Get Fashionable
January 29, 2008 � Lots of couples have pet names for each other, but Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman are likely to make theirs become a source of income.
Playing on the private names they use, "Hank" and "Evie," Keith has trademarked the name Hank Evie as a fashion label in both the U.S. and Australia, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. The clothing line has previously been used to sell T-shirts, but until a press conference a few days ago, it was not public knowledge that the fashion label was owned by Keith and Nicole. Now, the Herald reports, the line is likely to expand to shoes, clothing, belt buckles, pajamas and boxer shorts.

2008 GRAMMY AWARDS ....

KEITH NOMINATED BEST COUNTRY PERFORMANCE..
GRAMMYS ARE SHOWN IN AUSTRALIA ON MONDAY 11TH FEB

This year's Grammys will not only celebrate today's stars - the leading contenders are Kanye West with seven nominations and Amy Winehouse with six - but also the past as it marks its 50th year. Among this year's performers are Beyonce, nominated for record of the year for "Irreplaceable," with her precursor, the rock goddess Tina Turner. Another record of the year nominee, Rihanna for "Umbrella," will perform with The Time, and the Foo Fighters, up for album of the year among their five nods, will perform with three unknown instrumentalists who are contenders to win this year's "My Grammy Moment" contest.

FROM
http://countrymusic.about.com/od/2008grammyawards/a/GrammyPredict08.htm

PREDICTIONS
Best Male Country Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)
The nominees are: Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, George Strait and Keith Urban.

Who I want to win: I would like to see King George win this award. Why? Believe it or not, he has NEVER won a Grammy award. Amazing!

Who will win: This is tough. I think it's between Tim McGraw and Keith Urban. I'm really suprised that Vince Gill isn't nominated in the Male category. He was the winner in this category last year, but Keith won it the previous year, so I'm going to go with Keith Urban again this year.

Keith Urban is nominated for 2 CMT Music Awards!

These awards are based only on FAN VOTES so we need you to represent for Keith! Here's how:

1. Click here to vote right now: http://www.cmt.com/cmt-music-awards
2. REGISTER. It's FREE and it only takes a minute to do.
3. Click on "Vote" and select your 4 favorites in each category. Vote for Keith for "Male Video Of The Year" and "Performance Of The Year"
4. Click VOTE NOW.

...and you're done!

Thanks for voting and supporting Keith!

Smoky gets in Keith Urban's eyes
February 16, 2008 12:00am
http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,23220727-5013560,00.html
Treasured memory ... litlle Keith Urban with Smoky Dawson in 1978.
HE was smoking when he performed at Madison Square Garden in New York this week, but it was his old mate and mentor Smoky Dawson who was on Keith Urban's mind.
The country crooner revealed one of his most precious possessions is a photo taken with the Aussie legend, who died on Wednesday, when he was just starting out on the country music circuit.

"I feel so fortunate to have met and spent time over the years with one of the few true country gentleman, Smoky Dawson," he told music editor Kathy McCabe.

"I first met him in 1978 in Tamworth when I was 10 years old. He presented me with an award and we got a photo together that I cherish to this day."

The Grammy award-winning singer also praised Dawson for his tireless support of young talent and his enduring career.

"Never have I known a more positive and encouraging man as Smoky - always planning and looking ahead and always so gracious in his support of young Aussie talent," he said.

The singer, 40, who continues his US tour before heading back for the Easter bluesfests next month, also paid tribute to Dawson's wife of 64 years.

"My love and prayers are with you today Dot and I thank you for sharing your beautiful man with us for so long," he said. "We too loved him very much. God speed to you, sweet Smoky."

Keith Urban's Valentine song

Keith Urban dedicated a Valentine's Day (14.02.08) song to pregnant wife Nicole Kidman.

The country singer was playing in New York's Madison Square Garden when he performed his hit 'Got It Right This Time' in tribute to Nicole - who is currently in Australia.

He told the crowd on Wednesday (13.02.08): "It's Valentine's Day here tomorrow, but today it's already Valentine's Day in Australia."
The tribute ended a lively show for Keith, who at one point walked out into the crowd and played a song on his guitar before autographing the musical instrument and handing it to an audience member.

At the end of the show, Keith told the audience: "It won't take so long to come back this time. We'll be back in New York really soon."

Keith recently revealed he is planning on writing a song to dedicate to his first child when 'Moulin Rouge' star Nicole gives birth in July, adding: "It has been a really beautiful journey."

KEITH TALKS ABOUT UPCOMING SHOWS IN MARCH!

"Since jamming with John Butler and the boys at the ARIAS, the Greatest Hits has come out and we've been invited out to play some of the Blues Festivals. Given that we'll be in Sydney, I figured it would be a blast to do a couple nights at the Horden and a night in Woolongong. These will be far more stripped down then the arena tour we did last May (which we'll probably do again next year). In March, it will be just me, the band and a pretty spontaneous set list. Hell, I'm psyched."

Do you want to help Keith get votes for the 2008 CMT Awards? Here's how you can help...

Starting today, call 615-673-4425 and leave your best message to encourage fans to vote for Keith for the CMT Music Awards. The winning voice message will be used as the voice message sent out to all of Keith's fans that have signed up for his mobile club! So be creative with your message and show us what you've got! The most unique and innovative message will be chosen as the winner, so give it your best shot!

Keith is nominated for Male Video of the Year for "I Told You So" and Performance of the Year for "Gimme Shelter" from Live Earth (ABC) with Alicia Keys! The CMT Awards will be held live at Nashville's Curb Event Center on Monday, April 14 at 8PM ET/PT on CMT!

Keith Urban performs in concert at Madison Square Garden
. (Newsday / Robert Mecea / February 13, 2008)
BY GLENN GAMBOA | glenn.gamboa@newsday.com
3:42 PM EST, February 14, 2008
Keith Urban may drape his songs in mandolin and six-string banjo, but he's a rock star through and through, right down to the bangs in his face and the forearm tattoos.

And in case there was any doubt, he even roared through a medley of classic rock guitar riffs -- from "Sweet Home Alabama" to "You Shook Me All Night Long" to "Stairway to Heaven" to "Walk This Way."

Throughout his two-hour Madison Square Garden debut Wednesday night, Urban used rock guitar flourishes to punctuate his country songs. Where there were solos to begin with, such as the ones in the sweeping anthem "Somebody Like You" or the emotional "Stupid Boy," which landed him a Grammy Sunday, he extended them. If they weren't there originally, he dropped them in, as he did in the opening "Once in a Lifetime."
Between the rocking out and his charismatic stage presence, Urban is a prime example of how a powerful live performance can make good songs great and great songs unforgettable. Though Urban clearly stepped up his game on the 2006 album "Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing," on record, many of his songs seem more like parables than personal tales, songs offering a moral that he knows his audience wants to hear -- like the Country-life-rocks! theme of "Where the Blacktop Ends" or the everything-a-wife-wishes-her-husband-would-say ballad, "You're My Better Half."

In concert, though, he shows a connection to them, and none better than on the ballads like "Raining on Sunday," a massive singalong, or "You'll Think of Me," an acoustic gem delivered on a small stage in the center of the arena, or the final encore "Everybody."

A pair of hardworking idols
By Sam Adams

For The Inquirer

No matter how big country stars get, they can never forget where they came from. Or, in Keith Urban's case, where his paycheck comes from.
After 16 years in Nashville, Urban's native Australian accent comes and goes. But despite the platinum records hanging on his wall, Urban still comports himself like a polite outsider.

As the clock neared 11 Friday night at Boardwalk Hall, Urban thanked the crowd for staying up late. "I know a lot of you have baby-sitters waiting at home," he said. "We're grateful for every person who's still with us at the end of the show."

He needn't have worried. Reports from Madison Square Garden had chunks of the crowd departing after the opening set from American Idol champion Carrie Underwood. But in Atlantic City, their fortunes were reversed: Underwood took the stage to a half-empty arena, but by the time Urban made his entrance, the place was packed, and stayed that way.

Urban, by contrast, couldn't get enough of the crowd. The dominant feature of his stage set is an enormous high-definition screen big enough to let viewers in the cheap seats count the hairs in his beard.

His give-'em-what-they-want set, drawn almost entirely from his new greatest-hits collection, was interrupted by thank-you's and a brief but credible sing-along of "Blister in the Sun."

After the encores, Urban spent several minutes on the catwalk shaking hands. The show was over, but he wasn't yet ready to leave.

Walk of Fame
February 27, 2008 - Keith Urban is one of the inaugural 10 entries in a music Walk of Fame being established today in Brisbane, Australia. Keith is being added along with pop acts the Bee Gees and Savage Garden, plus a few Aussie acts unknown to most American fans, including the Saints, the Go-Betweens and Railroad Gin.

According to The Melbourne Herald Sun, the final 10 were determined by a vote among readers of The Brisbane Courier-Mail.

In the meantime, Keith has some financial decisions to make concerning the baby he and wife Nicole Kidman are expecting. Magazines in the U.S., the United Kingdom and Australia are preparing for a bidding war for pictures of the child, The Sydney Morning Herald reports, with offers expected to reach multi-millions of dollars. The paper indicated the couple wants to handle the issue "with dignity." One possibility is they may accept a bid and give the money to charity.
http://www.gactv.com/gac/nw_headlines/article/0,3034,GAC_26063_5815528_,00.html

Urban up for two country music awards
Posted Wed Mar 5, 2008

Award nominee: Australia's own Keith Urban (file photo). (Getty Images: Scott Gries)
Australian singer Keith Urban has snagged two nominations for this year's Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards.

Urban, husband to Australian actress Nicole Kidman, is up for entertainer of the year and top male vocalist.

Other nominees for entertainer of the year are Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, George Strait and the duo Rascal Flatts. For the first time, fans will choose the winner of the award.

Top male vocalist nominations also went to Chesney, Paisley, Strait and Rodney Atkins.

Chesney is the leading contender with 11 nominations. Atkins, who has had four straight number one singles in the US, is second with six.

Music Row Breakout Awards Presented During CRS-39
KDXY/Jonesboro, AR's Christie Matthews Named Reporter Of The Year
Music Row Magazine gathered reporters, labels and artists together at Nashville's Second Fiddle for the 6th Annual Music Row CountryBreakout� Meet & Greet yesterday (3/4).
The magazine recognized Christie Matthews, PD at KDXY/Jonesboro, AR as Country Breakout Reporter of the Year. She is pictured here with Music Row's Chart Director Jon Freeman.
The airplay awards are calculated based on spins from the previous year.
Major Labels

Breakout Artist of the Year: Bucky Covington
Artist of the Year: Keith Urban
Label of the Year: Capitol Records Nashville
Mid-size Labels
Breakout Artist of the Year: Whiskey Falls
Artist of the Year: Emerson Drive
Label of the Year: Broken Bow Records
Small Labels
Breakout Artist of the Year: Cody McCarver
Artist of the Year: Cody McCarver
Label of the Year: Aspirion Records

GIG FOR SAM HAWKSLEY
As many know, Sam had his home broken into and just about everything he owned was taken .
Many of the music community , are banding together for a benifit night to raise some greatly needed funds for Sam and his wife.
As they truly did loose everything,
If you would like to support this function, I believe the entry fee $20-00 at the door..

Tuesday 25th March is Sams benefit gig at
Bridge Hotel at Rozelle.

MORE INFORMATION WILL BE POSTED ABOUT THIS NIGHT
AS IT COMES TO HAND, SO BE WATCHING FOR UPDATES AND DETAILS

Dedicated To Providing Support And Guidance
The Country Cares Advisory Board for St. Jude Children�s Research Hospital� has elected seven new members to the board. The St. Jude Country Cares Advisory Board is a group of professionals from the radio and music industries, dedicated to providing support and guidance to the Country Cares for St. Jude Kids� program and enhancing the fundraising efforts of the country music industry. New members include:
�Keith Urban, Award winning country artist/ songwriter Keith Urban joins as the first honorary artist board member, and his input and creative insight will provide great benefit and perspective to the Country Cares program.
Urban recognized the importance of involving his fans and others to support the hospital. He helped start the Fans Care for St. Jude Kids fundraising program by reaching out to his fans during the 2002 CMA Music Festival. His fans answered back by raising funds in many different ways - one of them through the sale of the Keith Urban Calendar that has raised thousands for the kids of St. Jude.

Keith Urban on song for BluesfestAndrew MacDonald

21Mar08
OMINOUS rain clouds were ignored. The fans had come for one thing and nothing was going to rain on their parade.
The chant went up 'Keith! Keith! Keith!'
And Queensland-bred country music superstar Keith Urban burst on stage and into song, delighting the thousands who packed the area in front of the Mojo stage last night -- the first night of the five-day East Coast Blues and Roots music festival at Byron Bay.
Flanked by a full band, including a banjo player, the consummate performer ripped into a noisy set of modern country numbers.
Urban spoke of his gratitude at being asked to perform at Bluesfest. "It's unbelievable to be playing here tonight," he said. "Thanks so much for having us."
The crowd loved him.

POINT NEPEAN
By Tania Rowan
We've just returned from Point Nepean. We attended the festival yesterday and spent the rest of the time with friends. Portsea and the surrounding area is truly magnificent. That was my 3rd trip there in the past 3 months and each time I love it a little more.

Keith's performance was one of the most relaxed performances I've seen him do. He was grateful to be there,
What was great to see was how he changed the set when he realised everyone was in a singing mood and instead of doing another one of his songs, did a(nother) kick-arse version (with all the band joining in) of The Joker. Great song choice for a festival with fans of so many genres. (I'm sure even his own fans didn't mind that he didn't sing one of his own songs... the band was right into it and helped pump the crowd up even more).

As I looked around at all the different people watching and singing it really hit me how his fan base has expanded in the past 10 years. A few scattered cowboy hats were seen in the crowd, hippies were singing and dancing, kids were on parents shoulders, men and women from all different backgrounds were into Keith... he really has crossed genres and spread his 'musicablilty'.

The Blues and Roots festivals were one of the best things he could have done, in my opinion.
I was hoping that he and John Fogarty would do something together. I heard people next to us say 'Wow, wonder how they know each other!' They obviously have no idea about Crossroads! lol
When JF brought Keith back out it was fantastic. The roar from the crowd was GREAT!