NASHVILLE, Tenn, June 20, (Agencies): Forget eHarmony. When it comes to pairing up musicians, “CMT Crossroads” is the ultimate matchmaker.
“I see them sort of as arranged marriages,” said pop star John Mayer of the series that pairs country music stars with artists from other genres.
Mayer is featured on a new episode with country singer Keith Urban that premiered on CMT Friday.
“I think at some point it would’ve been inevitable that we came together and played guitars together, so the only thing that’s missing is we didn’t just sit together and play guitars and say, ‘Hey, let’s do a ‘Crossroads.’ It was more like people who knew us and knew each other thought that would be something that made sense, and within seconds we both knew that it did.”
After just a day of rehearsing for the show, Mayer and Urban were already finishing each other’s sentences when describing how they put off preparing for the gig.
Mayer: “It is not our strong suits as musicians to ...”
“To be organized,” said Urban.
“Yeah, we’re not administrative creatures,” continued Mayer. “When people say, ‘Did you call Keith yet?’ or ‘Did Keith call you yet?’... I’m like, ‘No. We’re not going to call each other until we totally have to.’ It’s never a disrespect. It’s just really hard to cold call another artist and go, ‘Hey, it’s John here. Want to talk about these songs?’”
But finally, Urban phoned Mayer.
“I think I said to you, ‘I’m sitting at my house with a guitar and a bit of unexpected time, and I thought, well now is a good time to learn those John Mayer songs ó if I only knew which ones they were!’” said Urban.
The duo ended up collaborating on Urban’s hits “Til Summer Comes Around,” “Sweet Thing” and “If Ever I Could Love.” They sang Mayer’s songs “Perfectly Lonely” and “Gravity” as well as a cover of “Faith” by George Michael.
This is the first time that the series is bringing back “Crossroads” alumni. Mayer was featured with Brad Paisley in an episode that premiered in May 2004. Urban performed with John Fogerty on a show that aired in February 2005.
One reason the series is such a success is its appeal to fans and artists alike.
“When you’ve been playing these songs for months or years, it’s really great to hear another element on them,” said Mayer. “
Urban says he loves seeing the “collaborative mojo” during episodes of “Crossroads,” because “sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”
“I also think it’s important to find some musical common ground where it makes sense if you’re going to collaborate with someone,” added Urban. “I think in the case of John and I, we both play guitar. We both sing. We both write songs. I’m trying to find a lot of the commonality between us, where you can actually see the connection between his music and mine.”
The series started in January 2002 with Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello. Over eight years, it has featured artists including Hank Williams Jr. and Kid Rock, Brooks & Dunn and ZZ Top, Kenny Chesney and John Mellencamp, Sugarland and Bon Jovi, Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, Taylor Swift and Def Leppard, Zac Brown Band and Jimmy Buffett and many more.
Chesney returns to the “Crossroads” stage with The Steve Miller Band in a new episode premiering Friday, July 9.


Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil takes a look back on his third solo studio album — and first in 15 years — with the covers-heavy “Tattoos & Tequila,” due out June 22.
Ten of the set’s 12 songs include fresh takes on hits such as Elton John’s “The Bitch is Back,” Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas” (a tribute to Neil’s current residence), Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” and the Hollies’ “Long Cool Woman.” They are joined by deep cuts from the likes of Aerosmith (“Nobody’s Fault”) and the Scorpions (“Another Piece of Meat”).
“I wanted to make a really cool, rock ‘n’ roll party album with songs that mean a lot to me and give people a glimpse into my life,” Neil told Billboard.com. “These are from my favorite albums I grew up listening to.”
The Scorpions track, for instance, hails from the group’s “Lovedrive” album, which Neil says he and Crue drummer Tommy Lee listened to incessantly, while Aerosmith’s “Rocks” album was the soundtrack to the singer’s daily surfing trips.
“Tattoos & Tequila’s” title track — an homage to Neil’s own business ventures — was written and produced by Aerosmith collaborator Marti Frederiksen, while the other original song “Another Bad Day,” was written by bandmate Nikki Sixx and originally intended for Motley Crue’s 2000 album “New Tattoo.”
“Nikki had even forgotten about that song when I played it for him. I think it’s just a classic song with a cool message and a cool vibe to it,” he said.
Neil kicks off an eight-date solo tour on June 19 in Columbia, Md. He then hooks up with the Crue for a European run that starts July 31 at the U.K. Sonisphere Festival in Knebworth Park, returning to the U.S. to play at the Sturgis Rally on Aug. 11 in South Dakota and then the six OZZFest dates.
Meanwhile, Neil will be publish a memoir in September, also titled “Tattoos & Tequila,” which he says will both complement and update the Crue’s 2001 band autobiography “The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band.”
“There’s a lot of things I touched on in ‘The Dirt’ that I didn’t really go into a lot of detail,” Neil says. “This has more detail on me growing up, getting into rock ‘n’ roll, being in Motley Crue, the tragedies in my life. And ‘The Dirt’ is over 10 years old, so there’s a lot of stuff that’s happened in the last 10 years, good and bad.”


Like father, like daughter. British singer Amy Winehouse’s taxi-driving father Mitch has launched his own musical career with a jazz album made up mainly of cover versions but also four original tracks.
And the silver-haired London cabbie, who has appeared in the media commenting on his daughter’s troubled personal life, believes he may learn enough to pass on some tips.
“I mean, if I became a huge success I’d have a retinue of hangers-on and I’d be able to order people around and I’d show Amy how to really be a diva,” he told Reuters at a recent event to launch his debut album “Rush of Love.”
“You know, I’d really show her how to do it. I mean my dressing room that they’ve got for me here today is like a broom closet and there’s no Jack Daniels or champagne in there. I think it’s an absolute disgrace. I’ll show Amy how to do it big time,” he joked.

Winehouse senior admitted that his daughter’s fame had helped him start up in the business.
“As far as I’m concerned, there was no other way into the industry for me, because, you know, I wasn’t even a singer when I was younger. May be I’m giving a big up to the geriatrics of the world. Never too late.”
He also said he would not have been able to go ahead with his record if Amy, famed for her beehive hairstyle and husky singing voice, was still struggling to keep her personal life together.
She won five Grammy awards in 2008, and her album “Back to Black” has sold over 10 million copies. But she has had a series of brushes with the law and has battled drug addiction, which has overshadowed her recording success.
“Amy and I had been speaking about it for about five or six years and the timing wasn’t right,” Mitch said.
“She wasn’t particularly well and now she’s much better. You know, I couldn’t have done this album if she was ill. I wouldn’t have able to put my heart and soul into it.”
According to Mitch Winehouse’s website, Rush of Love is “no album of the usual Rat Pack standards — it is jazz, swing, crooning, if you like, but not pop.”