For seven years Keith Urban has helped raise awareness for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum with All For the Hall, a benefit concert for the museum’s education programs. The annual event has raised $4 million for various CMHOF programs including Words and Music, which resulted in 11,000 songs created last year by children visiting the museum.
Urban served as host during Monday evening’s (Feb. 10) concert at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, which raised more than $800,000. The country singer shared the stage alongside 10 other artists, each who donated their time to perform two songs for the sold-out audience. The theme of the evening was Under the Influence, and throughout the two-and-a-half-hour show each act would play a single of theirs as well as one that impacted them.
“We have a full lineup tonight of the most amazing talent,” Urban said at the start of the show. “Tonight, you guys are going to get a song by the artists you know and then they’re going to tell you about a song they’re gonna play that influenced them in some way.”
Urban kicked off All for the Hall: Under the Influence, performing his energetic previous single “Wasted Time” as well as a stirring cover of Linda Ronstadt’s version of “Blue Bayou.” He then took a backseat to assist each artist on guitar and harmonies throughout the remaining performances. Additional acts who took the stage for a two-song set included Carly Pearce, Morgan Wallen, Tenille Townes, Blake Shelton, Ingrid Andress, Brothers Osborne, Lauren Daigle, Chris Stapleton, Tanya Tucker and Luke Combs.
Below are the six best moments from Monday night’s All for the Hall: Under the Influence.
Artists share early musical influences inspired by their family
Urban, Townes and Wallen all shared that their song selection was inspired, in part, by the music they grew up listening to with their parents. Wallen prefaced a spellbinding cover of the Eagles’ “Take It Easy” by reminiscing of his childhood driving around with his dad listening to country and rock music. “I grew up listening to a lot of bluegrass and a lot of classic rock ‘n’ roll. This band that I’m going to sing tonight, this song embodies a little bit of everything,” he said.
Earlier, Urban shared the same sentiment before his emotive version of “Blue Bayou.” “For me, growing up listening to a lot of records that my dad had. He had records like Charlie Pride and Johnny Cash and Don Williams, Dolly Parton, Glen Campbell. All American country records," Urban said. "On the radio, I’m listening to Top 40, I’m listening to country. The artsits that I loved were people like Ronnie Milsap, Dr. Hook, and, of course, Linda Ronstadt. I decided I wanted to do a song from her. You might know it originally as a Roy Orbison song, but for me the definitive version is always going to be Linda’s.”
Later, Townes would quiet the sold-out crowd with a riveting rendition of a U2 classic. “This is one that I would drive around jamming out with my dad to. This is one of his all-time favorite songs. I love this whole record. I love how this whole record makes me feel,” Townes said before she played her inspiring cover of U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”
Urban + Brothers Osborne’s fiery guitar shredding
One of the most engaging performances of the evening went to Brothers Osborne for their one-two punch of Merle Haggard’s “The Bottle Let Me Down” and the rollicking “Ain’t My Fault.” While in the midst of their previous single, Urban stepped out alongside John Osborne for a minute-long mesmerizing guitar interlude that had both guitarists trading riffs. At one point brother T.J. urged the crowd to get up on its feet before the trio finished the song. “You just watched my brother and Keith Urban play guitar,” he said. “That’s not something you see every day.”
Tanya Tucker proves her deserving Grammy status with hit-laden medley
On the heels of her big Grammy win, Tucker took the stage for an engaging performance that included her now Grammy Award-winning song “Bring My Flowers Now” and a medley of her influences. She told the audience she couldn’t pick just one artist that influenced her, so she sang a four-song medley from country music’s esteemed catalog including George Jones’ “The Grand Tour,” Merle Haggard’s “Workin’ Man Blues,” Loretta Lynn’s “Blue Kentucky Girl” and Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man.” All the while, the lively performer showed off her best dance moves as she strutted around the stage demonstrating once again why she has been dubbed the female Elvis Presley.
Ingrid Andress quiets the room for a massive sing-along
Andress is leaving her mark on the country scene with her poignant debut single “More Hearts Than Mine,” currently sitting at No. 14 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. The piano-driven ballad soared in the live setting, something even Andress herself seemed surprised about.
“You ready for a sad song?” Andress asked the sold-out arena while taking a seat at the piano. “I’m here to bring the mood down.” A powerful story song, country fans lit their cell phones and held them high in the air while singing along throughout the entirety of "More Hearts Than Mine," a moment not lost on Andress. “That was sick,” she said at the close of the song before segueing into her cover of choice: John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”
Chris Stapleton stuns with wife Morgane
Stapleton captivated Bridgestone Arena with his stripped down performance. His two-song set of “Millionaire” and Wille Nelson’s “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” highlighted his whiskey soaked vocals alongside memorable harmonies with his “partner in crime,” wife Morgane. The couple decided against the full band’s assistance behind them and simply used their vocal power and acoustic guitar.
“It’s great to be here for the Hall of Fame. We’re going to play one of my favorite songs. I used to ride around in the car with my dad listening to Willie Nelson,” Stapleton said. He had a fan in Urban, who raved at the end of the set. "I can't believe my life sometimes," Urban said, in disbelief that he got to stand beside the Stapletons’ during their performance.
Luke Combs closes the night with rousing performance
No one other than Combs could close out a star-studded sold-out country show. As the rising star took the stage, chants of "Luke" could be heard throughout the arena as Urban praised him as having “an amazing voice" and being an "incredible songwriter." "He’s the real deal. This guy is all heart," Urban continued. Before Combs launched into the heartfelt “Even Though I’m Leaving,” his seventh consecutive chart topper and one of his favorite songs he’s ever written, Combs explained the power the song has had on him and others. “Sometimes you sit down to write a song and you don’t really understand what it’s going to mean to somebody else. If this song has meant anything to you, I’m sending it out to you tonight.”
He then thanked the crowd for "all that you’re doing for the Hall of Fame" before he closed the evening with “one of my favorite songs of all time” – a high-energy rendition of Brooks & Dunn’s "Brand New Man."
