Keith Urban is speaking out about his recent performance with Miranda Lambert at a Dierks Bentley concert. The two superstars surprised fans by joining Bentley for his Feb. 22 Nashville show, held at the Bridgestone Arena.
“Last night was everything I’ve always loved about our town-songs, music, crazy humor, spirit, love, collaboration, friendship, family, and community,” Urban wrote on social media. “Thank you Dierks, your band and crew, Miranda, and EVERYONE WHO CAME- it was magical!!!!!!!”
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Urban first joined Bentley to sing “The Mountain,” the title track of Bentley’s latest album, before Lambert also took the stage. Together, the threesome sang a medley of country classics, including Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” Merle Haggard’s “The Bottle Let Me Down,” Loretta Lynn’s “Blue Kentucky Girl” and the Dixie Chicks’ “Cowboy Take Me Away.”
Lambert’s performance marked her first appearance since announcing her surprise wedding to New York City police officer Brendan McLoughlin.
“In honor of Valentine’s Day I wanted to share some news,” Lambert wrote on social media. “I met the love of my life. And we got hitched! My heart is full. Thank you Brendan McLoughlin for loving me for…. me,” Lambert wrote, using a heart emoji and the hashtag “the one.”
Bentley is nominated for four ACM Awards, including Music Event of the Year, for “Burning Man” featuring Brothers Osborne, a category he shares with Lambert for her Jason Aldean collaboration on “Drowns the Whiskey.” Bentley is also nominated for Male Artist of the Year, along with Urban, but says it’s the Album of the Year category, for The Mountain, which means the most to him.
“The album, to me is the biggest nomination ever,” Bentley told PopCulture.com at a recent media event. “That’s one of the tangible results you get to see of spending time in the making of the year and a half in the making of that stuff.”
Since 2003, Bentley has won four ACM Awards, with 28 nominations. While he’s grateful for each nod, he admits that their significance changes as his career progresses.
“I think when you’re a new artist it’s so important,” Bentley conceded. “It’s like being on a first date. Every little thing matters so much. Did he open the car door for you?… I think as a new artist, it carries so much more weight, I would think.
“There’s so much more gratitude now,” he acknowledged, speaking of the Male Vocalist of the Year category. “I look at that list of artists, and there’s Luke Combs, who’s probably going to be a staple on there now. Thomas Rhett’s probably going to be on there every year. There’s less space. There’s only five guys on there. To be one of those, I think I appreciate it now more than ever.”
Lambert is also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year, a category she has won every year since 2009. Urban is also in the running for the night’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year.
The 2019 ACM Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, April 7, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
Photo Credit: Getty images/Christopher Polk
