Keith Urban To Headline CBS Music Competition Series ‘The Road’

Blake Shelton and Taylor Sheridan’s CBS music competition series The Road has found its headliner.

Keith Urban will lead the series, which was revealed by Deadline in November, a search to discover the next big musician.

It comes after Urban released his last studio album, High, in September, ahead of his High and Alive World Tour kicks off in May.

The Road trails a headlining superstar on their journey to discover the next big artist with singers joining the headliner to perform as opening acts in venues across the country. They will compete to win over local fanbases to secure a spot in the next city and remain on the tour.

That headliner is Urban and he will perform across Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee in March and April (dates below). At each location, emerging musicians will support him.

Urban is no stranger to reality television, having previously been a judge on American Idol and a coach on the Australian version of The Voice.

The Road premieres in the fall.

The series is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, David Glasser’s 101 Studios and Lucky Horseshoe Productions, the production company founded by Shelton and Lee Metzger, who was an exec producer on The Voice. Exec producers include Sheridan, Glasser, Shelton and Metzger.

“I spent a lot of my underage life playing in some seedy pubs, sometimes just for the bartender. So I love the idea of throwing artists into a real-world environment to find out if they are artists,” said Urban. “Paying your dues sucks, but there are things in this business that can’t be taught, like how to put together a set list, whether to extend or cut a song during your performance or how to work the crowd. For me, touring has always been my first love. It’s where the rubber meets the road. But it’s the only road to take if you want to be a performer.” 

SPECIAL PERFORMANCES:

March 2 – Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall in Fort Worth, Texas 

March 5 – The Factory in Deep Ellum in Dallas, Texas

March 9 – Oklahoma Ranch in Oklahoma City, Okla.

March 12 – Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Okla.

March 24 – Minglewood Hall in Memphis, Tenn.

March 28 – Marathon Music Works in Nashville, Tenn.

April 2 – Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn.