CMT Blog: Keith Urban

Let me preface this entry by saying that I love, love, love country concerts. I do wish, however, that an artist would ask me for advice just once on making the perfect set list. I know these artists have to do their big hits -- the ones everybody is paying big bucks to hear. And I know they need to promote their newest album with songs they have on the radio now, or ones they might want on the radio later. And then there are the covers that give everybody a little something unorthodox to remember them by: "Oh my God! You should have heard Keith Urban on 'Material Girl.' He was better than Madonna!"

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Remember how on the CMA Awards red carpet, all the country stars were autographing a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS? Well that car can be yours for the low, low price of $30,500 -- or more, assuming the bidding stays active until it closes tomorrow evening. But it's for a good cause. Whatever you pay for the car (100 percent of it) will go to the USO. The USO serves the religious, spiritual, social, welfare, educational and entertainment needs of service members and their families around the world. And you don't have to worry about driving in inclement weather in a car covered with autographs. You actually get the car AND the hood full of about 100 signatures from celebs and artists like Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Faith Hill, Billy Currington, Vince Gill, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw and Lady Antebellum. It may be a little hard to showcase such a large piece of country music memorabilia but I'm guessing anyone who can afford the car can afford a proper display.

Photo credit: Theresa Montgomery/CMA

I've always liked a man with a good sense of humor, and if Bucky Covington's engaging personality is any indication of what to expect from his upcoming album, I'm Alright, due out next spring, it's surely a must-hear. Since he and his twin brother recently turned "32 years good," as he likes to call it, I asked him how they celebrated their birthday. He informed me that the two sat around a campfire at his new 80-acre farm and came up with the great idea of riding dirt bikes. "So, safety first, we took flashlights and duct-taped them to the front fenders," he laughed. Unfortunately, that wasn't quite enough light because Bucky crashed and hurt his left knee. Thinking on his feet, so to speak, he grabbed his nearest resource. "So I duct taped a ShamWow to my knee. It worked great, but by the time I got home, I was a pint low," he laughed. "ShamWow!"

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If you can only read, afford or rationalize one magazine this month and you love reading about lifestyles of the rich and down-to-earth country stars, you will have to make a very tough choice. On newsstands right now are two tempting reads. There's the People Country "I Count My Blessings" issue with Alan Jackson and his wife, Denise, on the cover, as well as the December InStyle with Taylor Swift.

People is typically a lifestyle read and not so much about the music, so I was pleased to see sections on the 10 songs that changed Keith Urban's life, the music teacher who gave Carrie Underwood the courage to sing, the song that makes Martina McBride happy (Bach's "Air on a G String") and the story behind Dierks Bentley's "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes."

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Here's the first thing Brad Paisley told reporters backstage last night at the CMA Awards: "I had the best time I've ever had at an awards show." That's big praise, considering he's won 13 CMA Awards in all. Paisley picked up his third consecutive male vocalist award and also accepted his fourth CMA Award in the musical event category for "Start a Band," his upbeat collaboration with Keith Urban. "Any time you can streak in a category - careful! - it's not only some pressure but it's a rare, rare sort of honor," he said. "I'm really proud to carry that badge another year."

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Even being nominated, they say, is an honor. But after years of watching country awards shows, I have to say it that it felt so strange to NOT have Kenny Chesney accepting anything at last night's CMA Awards with a heartfelt speech about being from East Tennessee. Or Rascal Flatts NOT joking around on stage, awards in hand, while they thanked God and their wives. And there was a big fat void without Keith Urban doing some charming Australian-accented thing (although he did win musical event of the year prior to the telecast) or Carrie Underwood trying to stop the tears welling up in her eyes while she thanked fans, country radio and her mom. I'm not saying I disagree with the decisions of the voters this year. I love that country seems to be ushering in a new era of artists. But it feels like that journey from yesterday's winners to today's went by way too fast.

Here's a list of the winners at the 43rd annual CMA Awards taking place Wednesday (Nov. 11) in Nashville:

Entertainer of the Year: Taylor Swift

Female Vocalist: Taylor Swift

Male Vocalist: Brad Paisley

New Artist: Darius Rucker

Vocal Group: Lady Antebellum

Vocal Duo: Sugarland

Musician of the Year: Mac McAnally

Song of the Year: "In Color," written by Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller and James Otto

Single of the Year: "I Run to You," Lady Antebellum

Album of the Year: Fearless, Taylor Swift

Musical Event: "Start a Band," Brad Paisley (duet with Keith Urban)

Music Video: "Love Story," Taylor Swift

The CMA Awards are always entertaining, and this year's event was no different. I do want to say that Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood infusing their hosting duties Wednesday night (Nov. 11) with some music was a welcome addition. Taylor Swift's opening performance was rockin' -- even for Taylor. I admit I'm a little speechless. Congrats to Lady Antebellum for their wins for single and vocal group of the year and to Jamey Johnson for his song of the year win ("In Color"). The Zac Brown Band's performance of Charlie Daniels' "Devil Went Down to Georgia" was probably the most fun to watch  -- especially since he did the version with the "old lyrics" -- and how about that fiddle solo?

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I was a red carpet virgin. I only saw what everyone else saw on television. But last night (Nov. 10), I was able to be part (a quiet, out-of-the-way part) of the BMI Country Awards. And since BMI represents something like 400,000 songwriters, composers and publishers, that was an invitation I was not about to turn down.

So as the country stars were walking up the carpet, being interviewed by what seemed like an endless stream of television cameras, I just watched them in all their charming glory. And I really mean that. There wasn't a diva in the bunch.

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Everyone has been so focused on who the CMA entertainer of the year award will go to tonight (Nov. 11), but what about who it's coming from? It's an important job to bestow that award on a fellow artist. And I can't think of a better couple than Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. McGraw himself knows a thing or two about being an EOTY. He won it back in 2001, along with countless other CMA Awards. And while Hill has never been named EOTY by the CMA, she has been honored enough times to deserve the right to stand up there with McGraw and hand it to the lucky winner. Now the only question is, who? Kenny Chesney? Brad Paisley? Keith Urban? Taylor Swift? Or George Strait? We won't know until just before 11 p.m. ET/PT. But feel free to leave you best guess here.