Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Keith Urban is ready to sing again. He will make his first performance since undergoing successful throat surgery tomorrow, February 3, on the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Not only is it a special night for Keith, it is also the final performance on the current Ryman stage before it undergoes renovations.

“I’m really looking forward to being back onstage, and more specifically on the Opry stage,” Keith said. “When I was told earlier this week that the Ryman was going to start renovations on the stage after our show I thought, ‘You know, when we say we’re really gonna tear it up tonight, maybe they’re worried I mean it literally?”

Later this month, Keith will head to Sydney for a week of filming the Australian version of The Voice. Keith will travel back and forth to Australia over the next few months to film for the show, while keeping a busy schedule in the United States that includes another show on the Opry and his annual All For The Hall benefit concert.

“It’ll be a blast spending a little time in Australia working on The Voice, getting the opportunity to try and help some killer raw talent blossom,” Keith said. “And 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 is planning to spend a lot of time at home in Nashville this year working on writing and finding songs for his next album. His current single, “You Gonna Fly,” is at No. 5 on the charts this week.

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Photo courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

When the Encyclopedia of Country Music was first published in 1998, it became an instant reference and definitive source on country music. Now, the second edition of the book has been released by Oxford University Press and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The new edition, compiled by museum staff, features new entries on artists who have profoundly influenced country music in recent years, including Kenny Chesney, Dixie Chicks, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and more.

More new entries in the book focus on the most important studio musicians, songwriters and music executives in the last decade. It also explores the latest and most critical industry trends, such as the digital revolution, the shifting politics of country music, and the impact of American Idol. The importance of Nashville to country music and even the stage costumes worn by country stars are also featured in the new edition.

“I’ve loved country music all my life, and it still amazes me how much more I can learn about it,” Reba McEntire said. “The Encyclopedia of Country Music will be a reference book for the next generation of country music lovers to learn about the folks I was blessed enough to get to know and work with. I will enjoy reading it and getting reacquainted with our history.”

“The Encyclopedia is not just a dry compendium of names and facts, but a rich archive of our shared history of the most American of art forms: country music,” Rosanne Cash said. “The second edition of the Encyclopedia of Country Music is also a point of great pride for me, as so many of my extended family members are included in these pages.”

Vince Gill wrote the foreword in the second edition. The book includes more than 1,200 entries and a vivid photographic insert featuring classic, provocative and recent country music album art. The Encyclopedia of Country Music is available for order at www.countrymusichalloffame.org.

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Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Relativity Music Group will release the Act of Valor soundtrack on February 21, featuring original songs written and inspired by the Navy SEAL action-thriller. It will include “For You,” a song written by Keith Urban that is featured in the film’s end credits, as well as music from Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, Trace Adkins, Wynonna Judd, Montgomery Gentry, and more. In theaters February 24, Act of Valor stars a group of active-duty Navy Seals along with actors Roselyn Sanchez, Alex Veadov, Jason Cottle and Nestor Serrano.

Produced and directed by Mike “Mouse” McCoy and Scott Waugh and written by Kurt Johnstad, Act of Valor takes audiences into the secretive world of the most elite, highly-trained force in the modern world as the rescue of a kidnapped CIA operative leads to the discovery of a deadly terrorist plot against the U.S. Inspired by true events, the film combines combat sequences, battlefield technology and heart-pounding emotion.

The track listing for the soundtrack includes Keith’s “For You,” “Guide You Home” (Sugarland), “I Was Here” (Lady Antebellum), “If the Sun Comes Up” (Trace Adkins), “Two Soldiers Coming Home” (Lori McKenna), “The Best I Can” (Jake Owen), “What It Takes”(Montgomery Gentry), “The Best of Me” (Josh Kelley), “Where We Left Off” (Hunter Hayes) and “Whatever Brings You Back” (Wynonna Judd).

The Act of Valor soundtrack is available for pre-order on iTunes now.

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Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Keith Urban celebrated “Long Hot Summer,” his 13 No. 1 single, with a summer-themed party in Nashville on Wednesday. Attendees were asked to wear their best summer clothes and were treated to a special performance by Keith and his co-writer on the song, Richard Marx. Keith also invited two YouTube fans, Patrick Woolam and Leslie Strong, after he saw their performances of “Long Hot Summer” on YouTube.

“I started playing guitar when I was about 14 years old,” Leslie said. “Music is everything for me – my release, my comfort, my communication. The thing I like the most about Keith is, of course, his guitar playing. I’ve never heard anyone else in country music that plays the way he does.”

“I’ve been a musician for fourteen years and Keith has been a huge influence of mine, not only as a guitarist but as a vocalist,” Patrick said. “I have followed the videos on KeithUrban.net for quite a while and you can see through many of those videos what a genuinely great guy he is. He truly loves and cares about his fans.”

See the No. 1 party performance!

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Long Hot Summer” wasn’t just another song for Keith and Richard. It was also about healing their relationship. “We had an ‘issue’ with each other and I learned a lot about the importance of friendship,”  Keith said. “[The song] wasn’t born of a quota to write a song. It was born of a want for us to reconnect, and the song was a by-product of that desire.”

You can see a couple of photos from Keith’s No. 1 party HERE. Keith recently released his fourth single from his Get Closer album, “You Gonna Fly.” Watch the “You Gonna Fly” video >> 

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Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Keith Urban’s latest video, “You Gonna Fly,” is for the fans. Directed by Brad Belanger, the video highlights memorable moments from Keith’s Get Closer World Tour, including shots from his live stage show and backstage moments like Keith zipping around the arena on a scooter and hanging out in his tour bus.

“We had cameras rolling every night on tour, which is a great way for us to capture all of those unpredictable things that seem to happen at our shows,” Keith said. “In a way, the video is also a huge thank you to everyone that came out and made it so insanely fun night after night.”

Watch the video!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Keith’s Get Closer Tour played to more than a half a million fans throughout the United States, Canada and Australia.

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Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Keith Urban will return to the stage for the first time since undergoing successful vocal cord surgery late last year with a performance on the Grand Ole Opry February 3. Keith’s performance will take place as the Opry wraps its winter run at the historic Ryman Auditorium. The Opry returns to the Grand Ole Opry House the next day.

Other artists scheduled to appear on the Opry with Keith are Charley Pride and the Oak Ridge Boys, with more artists to be added. Keith is also scheduled to perform on the Opry on March 9 at the Opry House. Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Del McCoury, Craig Morgan, Ricky Skaggs, Josh Turner and more will appear on the Opry stage in coming weeks.

Fans can purchase tickets at opry.com or by calling 1-(800) SEE-OPRY. The Opry can be heard live on 650 WSM-AM, SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio, and opry.com. You can also catch re-airs of Opry Live on GAC! Check Air Times >>

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Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Keith Urban has co-written and recorded a song for the upcoming Navy SEAL action-thriller Act of Valor. “For You,” co-written by Keith and Monty Powell, is the first time Keith has written and recorded a song specifically for a motion picture. The track will be featured during the film’s ending credits.

“I loved the challenge of writing for a film,” Keith said. “I’ve never done that before. After seeing Act Of Valor, my co-writer and I wanted to capture the essence of not only what these men and women do so extraordinarily, but how that relates to all of us.  ’Valor’ shows us what they are willing to give their all for, which made me wonder, ‘what am I willing to give my life for?’  ‘For You’ is intended to allow the listener to define who that is for them.”

Act of Valor hits theaters February 24 and stars a group of active-duty Navy SEALs along with Roselyn Sanchez, Alex Veadov, Jason Cottle and Nestor Serrano. The film takes audiences into the secretive world of the most elite, highly trained force in the modern world as the rescue of a kidnapped CIA operative leads to the discovery of a deadly terrorist plot against the U.S. Inspired by true events, the film combines combat sequences, battlefield technology and heart-pounding emotion.

The Act of Valor soundtrack will be released February 21. In addition to Keith’s “For You,” the album will also feature original songs inspired by the film from several country artists, who will be announced at a later date.

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Blake Shelton photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.

Each year GAC asks fans to help us choose the best of the best country music videos released during the prior 12 months for our year end Top 50 Videos of the Year countdown. Here are the voting results for 2011 based on videos released and added to the GAC playlist from Nov. 1, 2010 to Oct. 31, 2011.

1. Blake Shelton — “God Gave Me You”
2. Jason Aldean w/Kelly Clarkson — “Don’t You Wanna Stay”
3. Keith Urban — “Without You”
4. Jason Aldean — “Dirt Road Anthem”
5. Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood — “Remind Me”
6. Blake Shelton — “Honey Bee”
7. Lady Antebellum — “Just A Kiss”
8. Alan Jackson — “Long Way To Go”
9. Scotty McCreery — “I Love You This Big”
10. Trace Adkins — “Just Fishin’”
11. Brad Paisley w/Alabama — “Old Alabama”
12. Toby Keith — “Made In America”
13. Martina McBride — “I’m Gonna Love You Through It”
14. Chris Young — “Tomorrow”
15. Taylor Swift — “Mean”
16. Brad Paisley — “This Is Country Music”
17. Blake Shelton — “Footloose”
18. Lady Antebellum — “We Owned The Night”
19. Keith Urban — “Long Hot Summer”
20. Kenny Chesney w/Grace Potter — “You And Tequila”
21. Jason Aldean — “Tattoos On This Town”
22. Scotty McCreery — “The Trouble With Girls”
23. Taylor Swift — “Back To December”
24. Tim McGraw — “Felt Good On My Lips”
25. Taylor Swift — “Sparks Fly”
26. Shania Twain — “Today Is Your Day”
27. Kellie Pickler — “Tough”
28. Jake Owen — “Barefoot Blue Jean Night”
29. Billy Currington — “Let Me Down Easy”
30. Lauren Alaina — “Like My Mother Does”
31. Justin Moore — “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away”
32. Loretta Lynn/Sheryl Crow/Miranda Lambert — “Coal Miner’s Daughter”
33. Rascal Flatts — “I Won’t Let Go”
34. Zac Brown Band — “Knee Deep”
35. Zac Brown Band — “Colder Weather”
36. Reba McEntire — “When Love Gets A Hold Of You”
37. Alison Krauss + Union Station — “Paper Airplane”
38. Reba McEntire — “Somebody’s Chelsea”
39. Josh Turner — “I Wouldn’t Be A Man”
40. Sugarland — “Tonight”
41. Billy Currington — “Love Done Gone”
42. Martina McBride — “Teenage Daughters”
43. Reba McEntire — “If I Were A Boy”
44. Ashton Shepherd — “Look It Up”
45. Rascal Flatts w/Natasha Bedingfield — “Easy”
46. Pistol Annies — “Hell On Heels”
47. Gloriana — “Wanna Take You Home”
48. Luke Bryan — “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)”
49. Toby Keith — “Red Solo Cup”
50. The Band Perry — “You Lie”

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Taylor Swift's Speak Now CD. Photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.

Billboard.com has compiled their list of the Top 200 Albums of 2011. Adele’s 21 was named the No. 1 album of the year, but Taylor Swift’s Speak Now album came in at No. 2. Jason Aldean’s My Kinda Party was also in the Top 5, coming in at No. 4. Rascal Flatts‘ Nothing Like This album took the No. 17 spot and Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now came in at No. 19.

Other country albums in the Top 50 include Zac Brown Band’s You Get What You Give at No. 23, Lady Antebellum’s Own The Night at No. 25, The Band Perry’s self-titled debut at No. 30, Sugarland’s The Incredible Machine at No. 33, Keith Urban’s Get Closer at No. 36, Kenny Chesney’s Hemingway’s Whiskey at No. 42, and Brad Paisley’s This Is Country Music at No. 46.

The Year-End top-selling albums are ranked by sales data as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan.

Top 20 Albums of 2011:

1. 21 – Adele
2. Speak Now – Taylor Swift
3. Born This Way – Lady Gaga
4. My Kinda Party – Jason Aldean
5. The Gift – Susan Boyle
6. Tha Carter IV – Lil Wayne
7. Pink Friday – Nicki Minaj
8. Sigh No More – Mumford & Sons
9. Loud – Rihanna
10. Teenage Dream – Katy Perry
11. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West
12. Doo-wops & Hooligans – Bruno Mars
13. Recovery – Eminem
14. Watch The Throne – Jay-Z & Kanye West
15. O Holy Night – Jackie Evancho
16. Born Free – Kid Rock
17. Nothing Like This – Rascal Flatts
18. My World 2.0 – Justin Bieber
19. Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
20. Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Soundtrack – Various Artists

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Taylor Swift photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.

Billboard.com has released their list of the Top Country Artists of 2011. Artists are ranked based on album sales, song downloads and airplay, touring revenue, Social 50 chart action, ringtone sales and streaming data provided by Nielsen BDS. Congratulations to Taylor Swift for being named the Top Country Artist of 2011! What do you think of this ranking? Who’d top YOUR Top 50 list? Leave us a comment below!

1. Taylor Swift
2. Jason Aldean
3. Lady Antebellum
4. Zac Brown Band
5. Blake Shelton
6. The Band Perry
7. Rascal Flatts
8. Kenny Chesney
9. Brad Paisley
10. Luke Bryan
11. Keith Urban
12. Miranda Lambert
13. Sugarland
14. Eric Church
15. Scotty McCreery
16. Toby Keith
17. Thompson Square
18. Chris Young
19. Billy Currington
20. Tim McGraw
21. Sara Evans
22. Darius Rucker
23. George Strait
24. Carrie Underwood
25. Jerrod Niemann
26. Jake Owen
27. Eli Young Band
28. Justin Moore
29. Trace Adkins
30. Rodney Atkins
31. Brantley Gilbert
32. Ronnie Dunn
33. Alan Jackson
34. Reba McEntire
35. Dierks Bentley
36. Lauren Alaina
37. Easton Corbin
38. Josh Turner
39. Craig Campbell
40. Martina McBride
41. Joe Nichols
42. Sunny Sweeney
43. the JaneDear girls
44. Steel Magnolia
45. Steve Holy
46. David Nail
47. Jamey Johnson
48. Randy Travis
49. Ashton Shepherd
50. Uncle Kracker

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