Keith Urban Returns to Headline Nashville’s New Year’s Eve Celebration

Lineup for Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park Includes Maren Morris, Cheap Trick, Carly Pearce, Jonny P and Fisk Jubilee Singers

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – GRAMMY-winner Keith Urban will headline Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville (#NashvilleNYE) for a second year in a row.

Urban will lead a lineup that includes CMA New Artist of the Year Maren Morris, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Cheap Trick, 2017 country music breakout artist Carly Pearce, R&B artist Jonny P and the Fisk Jubilee Singers. The event at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park is free and open to the public.

Gates will open at 4 p.m. on Dec. 31, and the raising of the Music Note will take place at 6:15 p.m. with the concert to follow. The event will include the traditional Music Note Drop and accompanying fireworks display to ring in the New Year against the backdrop of the iconic State Capitol building and unique view of the Nashville skyline. Storme Warren and Kelly Sutton will serve as emcees.

Nashville is scheduled to be a featured location as part of CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.”

New for 2017 are exclusive party and celebration packages with three different options to choose from. Details can be found at www.visitmusiccity.com/nyepackages. 

•             Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville Celebration Package: Choice of hotel, commemorative event t-shirt and Music City Midnight Party Pack.

•             Music City Gold Circle Party – Ticket: Ticket only to the Exclusive Party, Viewing Area and special amenities.

•             Music City Gold Circle Party Package: Choice of hotel plus ticket to the Exclusive Party, Private Viewing Area and special amenities.

Limited Gold Circle Party tickets are available so purchase early before they sell out. All ticket and hotel package options available for purchase by calling 1-800-657-6910 or purchase online at www.visitmusiccity.com/nyepackages.

Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville is produced by the NCVC for the city of Nashville and presented by Jack Daniel’s. Partners include Advance Financial, Tennessee Highway Safety Office: Booze It & Lose It, Carl Black Chevrolet, Anderson Benson Insurance, Dr Pepper Cherry, Korbel, Budweiser, Bud Light, Fetzer and Uber.

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Keith Urban

2017 has proven to be a successful year for Keith Urban and his album RIPCORD, which was released in 2016 and continued its incredible run this year. He has earned five nominations for the 2017 CMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Single of the Year, and was the most awarded artist at the 2017 CMT Music Awards with four wins. A groundbreaking album for Urban, RIPCORD marked the second time that one of his albums debuted simultaneously atop the all-genre charts in the United States, Canada and Australia. He is the only male country artist to achieve this mark. RIPCORD produced five No. 1 songs including “Wasted Time,” “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” and “The Fighter,” which is Urban’s 23rd No. 1 song and his seventh consecutive. It continued his streak as the artist with the most consecutive Top 10 songs on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart (38) -- a streak that started in August, 2000. Following the breakthrough success of RIPCORD, which has continued worldwide, Urban took to the road for his “ripCORD WORLD TOUR 2016.”  The tour played more than 70 shows on four continents in front of more than 1 million people, further solidifying Urban’s already established reputation as one of the most electrifying and dynamic live performers. In 2001, the Country Music Association honored Urban with its Horizon Award. He was the first in history to go on to win the CMA’s Male Vocalist of the Year, a title he’s captured three times, and the coveted Entertainer of the Year. Since then, Urban’s career has seen a long list of groundbreaking firsts and accomplishments reserved for the music industry’s elite. The 2015 CMA Awards brought Urban his third win for Vocal Event of the Year (“Raise ‘Em Up” featuring Eric Church) that marked the first time in history that any artist has received the award in three consecutive years. Besides his four GRAMMY Awards, Urban has won 10 Country Music Association Awards, 11 Academy of Country Music Awards, a People’s Choice and an American Music Award.  He is a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Urban’s reputation as a premier songwriter, vocalist, musician and virtuoso guitarist has afforded him the opportunity to collaborate with the likes of The Rolling Stones, John Mayer, Steven Tyler, Miranda Lambert, John Mellencamp, Alicia Keys, Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift, Vince Gill and Eric Church. Urban has long supported numerous charities. His “All For The Hall” benefit concerts for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum© have raised more than $3.4 million.  He is the first Ambassador of the CMA Foundation, is an advisory board member at the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and is a longtime supporter of The Mr. Holland’s Opus Fund and The GRAMMY Foundation. KeithUrban.net

Maren Morris

Twenty-seven year old singer/songwriter Maren Morris has quickly established herself with vocal stylings that reflect her country, folk and pop influences. Armed with sheer talent, honest lyrics and a completely magnetic presence, Morris’ label-debut album, the Gold-certified Hero, released via Columbia Nashville on June 3, 2016. One week after it was available, Hero entered the Billboard Country Albums chart at No. 1 and No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart, which spans across all genres. With this, the Arlington, Texas native became the first artist in the history of Columbia Nashville to open at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Charts with a debut album in the Soundscan era. Morris’ debut single from Hero, “My Church,” set a record at country radio by having the most chart reporting stations to play a debut single by a country artist with 107 stations the week it hit the airwaves, in addition to being certified Platinum by the RIAA. Later in 2016 Morris tied for the most nominations with five at the 50th CMA Awards, including Album of the Year (Hero), Female Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year (“My Church”), Song of the Year (“My Church”) and New Artist of the Year, which she won, marking her first CMA Award. She was tapped by Billboard Magazine to receive the Billboard Breakthrough Artist Award at the 11th annual Billboard Women in Music Gala, as well as being awarded the Breakthrough Artist Award by the Music Business Association at Music Biz 2017. Kicking off 2017 Morris took home the GRAMMY for Best Country Solo Performance for “My Church” at the 59th GRAMMY Awards, in addition to having the most nominations for a country music artist with four to her credit, including Best New Artist, Best Country Album (Hero) and Best Country Song (“My Church”). She received six nominations at the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards, including Female Vocalist of the Year, New Female Vocalist of the Year, which she took home the trophy for, Album of the Year (as artist and producer) for Hero, and Single Record of the Year (as artist and producer) for “My Church.” Morris was also named Radio Disney’s Best New Country Artist at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards. Morris recently wrapped the first leg of her first-ever, sold out, headlining tour, The HERO Tour 2017, with the second leg to continue in October and November. Next year Maren joins Niall Horan on the Flicker World Tour 2018 with dates in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States. MarenMorris.com

Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick is an indisputable American institution, beloved around the globe since 1974 for its instantly identifiable, hugely influential, brand of pop rock ‘n’ roll. The band – Robin Zander (vocals, rhythm guitar), Rick Nielsen (lead guitar), Tom Petersson (bass guitar), and Daxx Nielsen (drums) – are true pioneers with an unparalleled streak of certifiably classic tunes, from “He’s A Whore,” “California Man” and “Dream Police” to “Surrender,” “I Want You To Want Me” and the worldwide No. 1 hit single, “The Flame.” 2016 saw Cheap Trick’s long awaited induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The induction honored both the band and the pioneering sound that has earned them total record sales well in excess of 20 million featured appearances and more than 40 international Gold and Platinum certifications. Bang Zoom Crazy … Hello made a spectacular chart entry following its release on April 1, 2016 – officially designated “Cheap Trick Day” in their beloved hometown of Rockford, IL. The collection arrived at No. 3 on Billboard’s “Top Rock Albums” chart while also entering the overall SoundScan/Billboard 200 at No. 30. “When I Wake Up Tomorrow,” the album’s powerful first single/video, also proved a multi-format smash, spending more than 15 consecutive days at the top of the Classic Rock airplay chart. As if that weren’t enough, Cheap Trick ruled the Classic Rock chart in the weeks preceding Bang Zoom Crazy … Hello with a stunning 11 tracks in the format’s top 15, including material recorded at a special iHeartRadio ICONS concert in New York City. cheaptrick.com

Carly Pearce

Born into the bluegrass brawn of Kentucky, Carly Pearce has never known a moment that country music wasn’t her destined path. At the young age of 11 she began touring with a local band and by 16 quit high school for a job performing at Dollywood while being homeschooled before moving to Nashville, working odd jobs and playing songwriter rounds for the last eight years. Life experiences and strong will are reflected in her debut album Every Little Thing, out now on Big Machine Records. Aligned with sought-after producer/songwriter busbee (Katy Perry, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Maren Morris, Kelly Clarkson), the 13-track album emphasizes Carly’s textured vocals and emotive songwriting prowess. Hailed by Uproxx as “the best country debut of 2017,” fans and critics continue fueling her momentum making it clear this is destined to be Carly’s breakout year. As the only solo female with a hit currently in the Top 10 at country radio with her soul-bearing title track, SiriusXM first dubbed “Every Little Thing” a Highway Find before a three-week run at No. 1 with “If My Name Was Whiskey” also propelled to the top spot. The CMT Next Women of Country alum has been honored by People on their annual Ones To Watch list, touting her as “the new voice of Country.” Carly has been blazing her own trail with the depth of her sensibilities, nearly 50 invitations to play the Grand Ole Opry and a sultry Top 40 collaboration with Josh Abbott Band called “Wasn’t That Drunk.” Previously joining the bill alongside Eric Church, Kelsea Ballerini, Martina McBride, Kip Moore, Hunter Hayes, Lucy Hale of Pretty Little Liars, Carly is currently on the road as direct support for Brett Young’s CALIVILLE TOUR.  CarlyPearce.com

Jonny P

Jonny P is a soul visionary. In just a few years, the Bronx-born, Nashville-based singer- songwriter has served up some truly delicious tunes rooted in the sounds of the past but anchored firmly and irrevocably in the present, defined by disarmingly direct arrangements, a superlatively smooth vocal style, and an undying belief in the power of soul. In addition to wrapping his first role in the upcoming film by Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty) and screenwriter Mark Boal, he has released his second EP, Good To You, this past April. The EP was produced by his guitarist Goffrey Moore, working in tandem with Jonny P, and was mixed by Tom Elmhirst (Adele, Frank Ocean, Jamie XX, Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson) and features James Gadson (Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, Herbie Hancock, Beck, BB King, Jamie Lidell) on drums. Jonny P has crafted a set of songs that showcase his superlatively silky vocals, his declarative melodies, and his less- is-much-more arrangements. imjonnyp.com

Fisk Jubilee Singers®

Fisk Jubilee Singers® is comprised of Fisk University students, who are selected annually through an audition process. The ensemble has received numerous awards, including induction into the Music City Walk of Fame and the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. The Fisk Jubilee Singers® were also awarded the National Medal of Arts, the nation’s highest artistic honor, in 2008. They perform around the world representing Fisk University and Music City. fiskjubileesingers.org