Keith Urban Biography

Guitarist Keith Urban made his name by mixing Nashville sounds with the scruffy rock-n-roll looks of Kurt Cobain. Urban was born in New Zealand and grew up in Australia; determined to be an entertainer, he quit school as a teenager and began singing and playing guitar professionally. A 1990 record deal with EMI produced his first album, Keith Urban. The album spawned several hit singles in Australia and prompted Urban’s 1992 move to Nashville, Tennessee, the hub of the country music industry. He found work as a session guitarist and had modest success with the band The Ranch, then went solo. His 1999 American debut album (also titled Keith Urban) yielded three top hits and won him the Academy of Country Music Award as Top New Male Vocalist. His 2002 release, Golden Road, was another hit and featured the single “Somebody Like You.” His 2004 album, Be Here, earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album. His album Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing was released in 2006.