Urban cowboy: Kidman's hubby loves fans at CMA fest

Keith Urban is married to Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, but he knows he has another important relationship to maintain: the one with his fans.

Still at the forefront of country music stars, Kidman's spouse gets a big opportunity to please his followers each June, when artists and listeners converge on Nashville for a Country Music Association-sponsored event. The four-day gathering is captured for a television special, and ABC airs this year's edition of "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" airing Wednesday night at 8.

The three-hour show not only features the New Zealand-born and Australia-raised Urban, but showcases such talents as Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Trace Adkins, and engaged couple Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton.

We recently spoke with Urban.

Did you enjoy performing at this year's festival as much as it appears?

Yeah, I really did. There's something about that crowd, and probably that little bit of extra mojo about performing in that stadium - not long after it was under water - was a euphoric feeling as well.

How have you personally experienced the growth of the festival, which used to be known as Fan Fair, over the years?

It's astounding to see how big it's gotten, particularly this year. I couldn't see an empty seat anywhere. It's such a win-win; what a magnificent thing that this festival is based on the genre and not on the specific artists. So many people come to celebrate their love of country music, and within three or four days, you've seen everybody.

Is being the father of Sunday, your 2-year-old daughter with Nicole, having an impact on your music?

Yeah, for sure. I'm not out there working all the time, and from being home, it's important to have something to take out onstage. I think everything benefits from it.

I think the performances have more purpose for me. If we're going to go out and connect with everybody, what are we communicating? I have enormous gratitude for having found somebody and found my center . . . then to be able to plug into that through my music, if I can.