ABC/Image Group LAFor the past three years, Keith Urban’s headlined the annual Music City Midnight celebration in Nashville, and each New Year’s Eve, he’s also crafted a marathon medley remembering the musicians we lost in the past twelve months.
To mark 2018, the CMA Entertainer of the Year did an eight-minute mash-up paying tribute to five different artists, starting with “Zombie,” in honor of The Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan, who died suddenly last January in London.
Keith then segued into Aretha Franklin’s classic, “Respect,” marking the passing of the Queen of Soul last August of pancreatic cancer. “Rolling In My Sweet Baby’s Arms” was a tip of the hat to Country Music Hall of Famer Roy Clark, who died the day after this year’s CMA Awards in November.
“Wake Me Up” remembered EDM superstar Avicii, who passed in April, while rock legend Peter Frampton joined Keith for “Sweet Home Alabama.” Ed King, who co-wrote and played the opening guitar riff on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s signature song, died in August of complications from lung cancer.
You can watch Keith’s New Year’s Eve Tribute in its entirety on YouTube.
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