Keith Urban Celebrates His ‘Long Hot Summer’ at No. 1 With Performance in Nashville

Even though the temperatures in Nashville were a bit chilly on Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 25), Keith Urban brought some warmth to the Cabana restaurant, where he gathered friends, family and industry peers to celebrate his chart-topping hit 'Long Hot Summer.'

Urban and his co-writer on the song, Richard Marx, were given more trophies and plaques to add to the others they have acquired over time, including one for another No. 1 tune the two wrote for Urban, 'Better Life.'

"I get great joy out of this particular song," Marx told Taste of Country of 'Long Hot Summer' at the party. "They're all special, but this one's really kind of fun to celebrate. This was a really special No. 1 song for me, for personal reasons between me and Keith. This song is a great testament to our friendship."

"We had an issue with each other, I'm just going to say it," added Urban. "I learned a lot about the importance of friendship. I learned a lot about what it takes to be a true friend. I wanted to really make it up to Richard and show him how much our friendship meant to me. I said, 'Please, I want to write together again.' We talked about it for a long time. We eventually did it, and I'm so glad that we not only got to write this song, but for this song to take us to this point. It wasn't born out of a quota to write a song; it was born of us wanting to reconnect. This song was a byproduct of that desire."

After the business was tended to, partygoers were in for an extra treat as Urban took the stage inside the restaurant's back room to perform 'Long Hot Summer,' along with Marx and contest winners Leslie Strong and Patrick Woolam, who created the best YouTube cover of the hit song. The performance marked the first time Urban has sang in public since undergoing his vocal surgery back in November.

Urban will likely be back at the podium in just a matter of weeks, as his latest release, 'You Gonna Fly,' inches its way into the Top 5 on Billboard's country singles chart. The tune was penned by the LoCash Cowboys' Preston Brust and Chris Lucas, along with Jaren Johnston.

Watch Keith Urban and Richard Marx Perform 'Long Hot Summer' at This Week's No. 1 Party