Luke Bryan + Dierks Bentley Talk ACMs, Gush Over Keith Urban on ‘This Morning’
Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley are gearing up to co-host the ACM Awards for the second consecutive year, and ahead of Sunday's (April 2) show, the two longtime friends sat down with CBS This Morning to discuss their favorite parts of being hosts.
“With me, I always like to look at the list of the new young country artists that are getting their first chance,” Bryan explains. “Dierks has a song out with Cole Swindell. It's Cole's first big performance. It’s always fun seeing how they handle their first big ... ‘cause when you’re a country artist and you get these big time television award moments, it’s a big thing for your career."
When asked if Bryan remembers the first time he performed on live television, he cringed. "I remember a panic attack," he confesses. "I just remember huge amounts of anxiety."
Bentley also recalls his first moment in the spotlight, and how it didn't go over exactly like he had imagined. "My first time ever doing major TV was about 28 seconds to perform and we're playing to tracks. My drummer carried his snare drum out on stage pretending to play drums," he recalls. "We're all faking it and I look down and there's Tim McGraw and Faith Hill looking back up at us. I was like, 'Wow, this is crazy!'"
The CBS This Morning hosts predict a big night for Keith Urban, who has the most nominations at this year's awards show with seven nods, including the coveted Entertainer of the Year category. Bryan and Bentley are on the same record label as Urban, and apparently are pretty big fans.
"He's the best. He's such a great entertainer," Bentley says of his fellow star. "I've never heard anyone play guitar like Keith, in any genre of music. Keith is hands down the best. He's so tasteful."
"He's the complete package," Bryan adds. "When you're around Keith ... it's almost like there's 15 people playing guitar. It's truly a sight to behold."
The 2017 ACM Awards air on Sunday (April 2) on CBS.
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