Keith Urban celebrates career milestone

…and a new Number One song: ‘Blue Ain’t Your Color’

Keith Urban celebrated his latest Number One, “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” with the songwriters of the hit at The Basement East in Nashville. At the press conference before the celebration, we (the media) had a chance to interview everyone involved. With Keith in the middle, the questions started.

Pictured (l-r): Producer Dann Huff, songwriter Steven Lee Olsen, Keith Urban, songwriters Hillary Lindsey and Clint Lagerberg.Photo Credit: Ed Rode, ASCAP

“The Idea (for Blue Ain’t Your Color) came to me when I was waking up and the TV was on and the word “Blue” was on the screen,” said Toronto native Steven Lee Olsen. “I brought it to Clint [Lagerburg] first then we knew Hillary needed to be a part of this.”

Hillary Lindsey said her thoughts on the creation of the song were, “It was all for the song. Making the song the best it could be.”

Then it was Keith’s turn. “It was just a feeling, the melody, where the words went. It was an immediately love,” said Keith of his first time hearing “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”

Keith was asked, “What are you most proud of?” Keith responded very quickly and with a big smile, “Marrying Nic,” he said, referring to his wife Nicole Kidman. He went on to brag about how they have an understanding and love in their marriage, that has brought them through the bad times and the good.

When Keith was asked about being on the front row at the Oscars, he laughed and said, “I don’t rate to get the good seats. I’m the grateful ‘plus one.’” Keith was then asked for his thoughts about the Oscar snafu. “The moment was surreal at the Oscars,” he said. “We were all in shock.”

Special ‘live’ performance

Pictured (l-r): (front) Producer Dann Huff, songwriter Steven Lee Olsen, Keith Urban, songwriters Hillary Lindsey and Clint Lagerberg; (back) ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, Cornman Music’s Nate Lowery, Warner/Chappell’s Ben Vaughn, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, Spirit Music’s Daniel Hill, Sea Gayle Music’s Marc Driskill, BMG’s Daniel Lee, XOMG/Get It Done’s Missi Gallimore, mix engineer Chris Lord-Alge, and UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan. Photo Credit: Ed Rode for ASCAP

Then it was party time. We went into the main room at The Basement East, where Music Row friends and family packed in to celebrate the team behind the ACM Awards Song of the Year nomination and Keith Urban’s hit single, “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”

The celebration kicked off in high gear with an incredible live performance of “Blue Ain’t Your Color” by Urban, the songwriters and producer/guitarist Dann Huff.

Then came the kudos from the music industry well-wishers who took to the mic to offer their congrats. These included Mike Dungan, president of Urban’s label home, Capitol/UMG Nashville. Then the music publishers followed suit, followed by the songwriters taking their turn on stage, giving us the true meaning of the ‘Stars lining up on that day.’

The tune marked the eighteenth chart-topper for songwriter Hillary Lindsey and the second for co-writer Clint Lagerberg, while songwriter-artist Steven Lee Olsen celebrated his very first #1 song.

From the stage Steven recalled a childhood memory. “I remember playing my guitar in my mom’s living room and I remember it was the first time it made me realize that I didn’t have to be anything I wasn’t. That being said, it gave me the courage to move to Nashville.” He also stated, that he is one of Keith’s biggest fans and the reason he moved to Nashville 11 years ago.

Keith Urban leads the field of ACM nominees

ACM NOTES: Lindsey is nominated for the ACM’s Songwriter of the Year award. Keith Urban leads the field of nominees with seven nominations in five categories for the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Urban is up for ACM awards in the categories: Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Album (for both artist and producer) Song Of The Year and Single of the Year.

Keith was signed to Capitol in 1997, the same year Hillary was signed to ASCAP. They will celebrate their 20-year anniversary with their respective companies. This is a perfect example of your music paths coming full circle.

“This song will live on through our lives for years to come,” said Capitol/UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan, referring to “Blue Ain’t Your Color.” The event was hosted by ASCAP’s Mike Sistad and Beth Brinker; the party was sponsored in part by First Tennessee Bank.

A scene from Keith Urban’s music video for “Blue Ain’t Your Color”

> Here are some of the amazing stats that were read from the stage. Keith has sold, 18 million records, 1.4 billion downloads and has had 22 number one singles and 37 Top Ten singles and is thus a record holder in country music. And there’s more… 4 consecutive number one singles from the album RIPCORD … 42 consecutive weeks in the Top 10 album charts… Most streamed country song in one week with 140 million streams… 2 billion on Pandora that means Keith has now outdone superstar band U2… Number 4 country album of 2016 and 2017… Some truly amazing numbers. And the official video for “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” directed in moody black-and-white by Carter Smith, has already been viewed 48,780,000+ times and counting. You can catch it on YouTube here.

Recording Artists’ Coalition Award

Additionally, The Recording Academy will honor Keith with the Recording Artists’ Coalition Award at the annual “Grammys On The Hill” Awards Apr. 5 in Washington, D.C., and his songs “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” and “Blue Ain’t Your Color” have each been awarded 1,000,000 singles downloaded certification. “Break On Me” and “Wasted Time” each have been certified gold (500,000 copies).

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