April 5, 2008
Who is Keith Urban's New Duet Partner?
Now that Keith Urban has made his mark in country music, he's attracting the attention of some of pop music's top artists. That includes Nelly Furtado, who asked Keith to record with her over the weekend.
"It was a blast getting to sing on the track," Keith told The Daily Telegraph, based in Sydney, Australia. "It's a great song, and I hope it pans out."
Hope is a word Keith relates to quite a bit these days. He and wife Nicole Kidman are expecting a baby, and the news has him reinvigorated.
"Performing in general has taken on a whole new feeling for me, certainly in light of fatherhood and so on," he said. "It has been a beautiful journey, really since that record Love, Pain And The Whole Crazy Thing came out. Over the moon is literally how I feel. I'm very, very grateful."
Keith hopes he'll be over the moon when the envelopes are opened at the Grammy Awards as well. He's in the running for Best Country Male Vocal, for "Stupid Boy."
You can purchase Keith's new duet with Nelly Furtado, "In God's Hands" now at iTunes!
April 14, 2008
2008 CMT Music Awards Coverage
The 2008 CMT Music Awards aired live on CMT tonight. Keith performed a rocking performance of "Raise the Barn" with Brooks & Dunn! Keith and Nicole were there to walk the red carpet tonight! Make sure to log in to our photo gallery to view photos from the red carpet tonight! Unfortunately, Keith did not win for his "Male Video of the Year" nomination. Great performance Keith!
All photos will be posted in our photo gallery, here.
March 20, 2008
Urban Thrills to Musical Ride
For the dozens of adoring Keith Urban fanciers stealing a glance at their idol, it was a moment that made them green with envy.
About halfway through The Police concert in January, a beaming Urban turned to his pregnant wife, Nicole Kidman, and sang the chorus of Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.
The country music superstar was just another fan having a great night out with his wife and mates. Except for the fact he is a country music superstar and checking out a concert tends to become accidental research.
"I'm just taking it in from all angles," he says about a week after the concert.
"A few weeks ago, we went to see the Kings Of Leon at the Hordern Pavilion, which I'm glad I did. Mostly I lose myself, I just become one of the audience and go on the ride – when a band does their job right, everyone goes on the same ride.
"But you also find yourself picking up the things not to do or stealing good ideas.
"Someone said if you take too much from one person, you're stealing but if you take a bit from a lot of people, it's research."
Urban also admits to the occasional bit of research on YouTube. It's the only time he gets to see himself in action as frontman and chief guitar slinger in the Keith Urban band. "YouTube is great because you get the actual fan point of view on some crap lo-fi phone," he laughs.
Read more...
March 19, 2008
Sweet Spot on a Country Road
They're not exactly a double act, but Australian country music superstar Keith Urban and American rock'n'roll legend John Fogerty could be trading guitar licks and more during the Easter weekend.
Fogerty and Urban are among the many local and overseas artists performing at the blues and roots festivals in Byron Bay, NSW, in Point Nepean, Victoria, and in Hobart in the coming days.
Urban begins a short Australian tour at the Byron Bay festival tonight, while Fogerty is on the bill there next Monday. At the other two festivals, however, Fogerty follows Urban on the main stage and there is a good chance, according to the Aussie star, that the two guitarists will perform together.
"He called me yesterday but I missed the call, but I'm guessing that's what it would be about, to see if we could do something together," Urban says.
It wouldn't be the first time the two men have collaborated. They worked together a couple of years ago on an American television show called Crossroads, "where they put a country and a rock artist together. It worked well," Urban says.
Urban returned to Australia this week to play at a corporate function in Sydney and added other dates, including the festivals, to the itinerary to make the trip more worthwhile. The Nashville-based singer has had more homecomings in the past year than in the rest of his career put together. He reckons he has made 15 return trips to Australia since his tour last April, about the time wife Nicole Kidman began filming Baz Luhrmann's film Australia here.
Now that the couple are expecting their first child in July, Urban will be stripping back his tour schedule for the rest of the year, but he says commitments in the US will keep him plane-hopping at least some of the time.
Read more...
March 16, 2008
Keith Receives Two ACM Nominations
Keith has been honored with two nominations at the 2008 ACM Awards! He is up for Male Vocalist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year, which will be the first time ever that the Entertainer of the Year catefory is fan voted! More details to come on how to vote for Keith for Entertainer of the Year!
Be sure to tune in to the live show on Sunday, May 18th on CBS!
February 18, 2008
Smoky Gets in Keith Urban's Eyes
He was smoking when he performed at Madison Square Garden in New York this week, but it was his old mate and mentor Smoky Dawson who was on Keith Urban's mind.
The country crooner revealed one of his most precious possessions is a photo taken with the Aussie legend, who died on Wednesday, when he was just starting out on the country music circuit.
"I feel so fortunate to have met and spent time over the years with one of the few true country gentleman, Smoky Dawson," he told music editor Kathy McCabe.
Read more...
February 10, 2008
Keith Wins Grammy Award!
Keith was honored tonight as the winner in the category for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "Stupid Boy" at the 2008 Grammy Awards!
"Winning this particular Grammy in light of the crazy way last year started is all the more sweet. I am so grateful that I can hardly put it into words. It's especially moving to be recognized among such a mighty group of fellow nominees this year."
January 7, 2008
Nicole & Keith Expecting a Baby - Confirmed!
Nicole Kidman and Keith confirmed today that they are expecting a baby! The couple are thrilled. Congratulations Keith and Nicole!
December 6, 2007
Keith Nominated at the 2008 Grammy Awards
Keith has been nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "Stupid Boy" at the 2008 Grammy's! Tune in to the Grammy's on February 10, 2008 at 8pm EST live on CBS!
November 13, 2007
GAC's Top 50 Videos of the Year - Vote Keith!
Great American Country wants YOU, the fans, to decide the outcome of our Top 50 Videos of 2007. There are well over 100 videos to pick from, but only 50 will make it into our year end countdown. It's up to you, vote for up to 10 of your favorites each day and help determine which videos make it to the big show!
Keith's videos for "I Told You" and "Stupid Boy" are among the vidoes that are nominated. Make sure to log on to GAC's website and vote for Keith! Click here to vote now!
Catch Keith on Good Morning America Tomorrow Morning
Keith will be performing on Good Morning America tomorrow morning, Wednesday, November 14. Tune into Good Morning America on ABC to catch Keith! Don't miss it!
November 12, 2007
Keith & Carrie Underwood Confirm the "Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Carnival Ride" Tour!
Grammy Award winners Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood are set to hit the road together in '08, a 24-city tour that combines the music of two of the music industry's most powerful performers. "Love, Pain & the whole crazy Carnival Ride Tour," a name that combines the titles of each artist's most recent album; Keith's double platinum #1 debuting Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing and Carrie's recent #1 debut second album Carnival Ride," will feature 12 #1 songs (7 for Urban and 5 from Underwood). Tickets are set to go on sale as of December 1st.
"I'm looking forward to hitting the road with Carrie, and to bringing our audiences together for what I think will be a magical night of sights, sounds, songs and solos," said Urban.
"I can't think of a better person to begin 2008 with than Keith," shares Underwood. "He is an amazing entertainer and a well-respected musician, singer and songwriter."
Urban, who will release Greatest Hits: 18 Kids on November 20th, has been on the road since April in support of his #1 album Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing. In that time, he's performed shows on three continents, to packed houses, frantic crowds and widespread critical praise. Electrifying performances and world-class production combine with songs that have helped define a career; "Somebody Like You," "Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me," "Better Life," "Days Go By," "You'll Think Of Me," "Once In A Lifetime," as well as his latest single "Everybody," and more.
Underwood's new album Carnival Ride recently debuted at #1 selling over half a million copies in its first week, immediately becoming the best-selling debut of any female artist in 2007. Earning the highest debut-week sales of any sophomore country album in over a decade, the album contains four Underwood co-penned songs including its first hit single, "So Small."
In 2001, the Country Music Association honored Keith with its Horizon Award. That same year, The Academy of Country Music named him Top New Male Vocalist. Six years and more than 10 million albums sold later, Urban is a Grammy Award winner, who to this day remains the only Horizon Award winner in history to go on to win the CMA's Entertainer of The Year and Male Vocalist of the Year, a title he's captured three times. He's had seven #1s, as well as another seven Top 5 hits and 2 consecutive #1 albums.
American Idol's 2005 champion, Underwood is now a two-time Grammy winner and the reigning Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music Female Vocalist of The Year. In addition to her 2 Grammys, 4 CMA Awards and 5 ACM awards, her trophy mantle includes 8 Billboard Music Awards, 4 CMT Awards, 2 People's Choice Awards, an American Music Award, and more. Her debut album, Some Hearts, sold over 6 million copies, spawned 5 #1 singles and became the best-selling, single-disc country album by a solo female in the new millennium, with sales topping 1.3 million copies this year alone. Some Hearts is also the best selling female country album of 2005, 2006 and 2007.
November 3, 2007
Keith Covers People Magazine
As he begins another leg of his U.S. tour and releases his first greatest hits album, the country superstar opens up about his road back after rehab, the devotion of his wife, Nicole Kidman–who stuck by him–and how he's getting it right this time.
Sweat glistens off Keith Urban's dirty-blond hair as he rips through 2½ hours of blistering guitar solos and power ballads during his Sept. 16 show in Vancouver. Near the end of the set, the country superstar slows the pace, moves center stage and sits down at the piano. His face beams as he makes a very public confession to an enthusiastic crowd of 15,000. "I would not be here tonight playing for you guys if it...
To read the rest of the article, pick up this week's People magazine!
October 28, 2007
Keith Wins Best Country Album at the Australian ARIA Awards
Keith Urban has dedicated his Aria award for best Country album to wife Nicole Kidman - "his inspiration".
Picking up the gong for his album Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing, Urban paid special thanks to his Oscar winning wife.
"It (the album) would not exist without my wife, she was the inspiration for it," he said from the stage as Kidman blew him a kiss from their table.
Later he told reporters he recorded the album at their Nashville home.
"She is very prevalent in most of the songs," Urban said.
But he said fans shouldn't expect a duet from the couple any time soon.
"I promise not to act as well, so it's a fair deal," he joked.
Urban was keen to perform with the John Butler Trio, who picked up the Aria award for best Blues And Roots Album and best Independent Release for Brand National.
The pair played the John Butler Trio hit Funky Tonight and were both full of praise for one another.
"It was what I have been looking forward to more than anything. It was a blast," Urban said of the collaboration.
"I hope I get to play with him more than just tonight."
Butler extended Urban and open invitation to join the band.
"He is more than welcome to be in the band any time he wants," he said.
"(We can call it) The John Butler Quadrangle."
