Keith Urban

Keith Urban, renowned for his dynamic guitar work and emotive vocals, was born Keith Lionel Urban (originally Urbahn) on 26 October 1967 in Whangārei, New Zealand, before his family relocated to Caboolture, Queensland, when he was two years old. From a young age he displayed a prodigious musical talent, receiving a ukulele at four and a guitar at six, and he soon began taking lessons that shaped his distinctive style. After winning a Golden Guitar award early in his career, Urban signed with EMI Australia in 1990 and released his self‑titled debut, laying the groundwork for his eventual move to Nashville in 1992 where he formed the band The Ranch. His American breakthrough arrived with the 1999 album Keith Urban, which produced his first U.S. number‑one hit “But for the Grace of God” and earned him the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Male Vocalist award. Over the next two decades he amassed a catalogue of eleven studio albums, including multi‑platinum releases such as Golden Road, Be Here, and Ripcord, and amassed 18 U.S. chart‑topping singles, collaborating with artists across genres from Pink to Dolly Parton. Urban’s contributions have been recognized with four Grammy Awards, thirteen CMA Awards, fifteen ACM Awards, and six ARIA Awards, and he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2012. Beyond music, he served as a vocal coach on The Voice Australia and a judge on American Idol, and he launched a successful signature line of guitars in 2013. In his personal life, he married actress Nicole Kidman in 2006, and the couple share two daughters, balancing a high‑profile career with family commitments while holding dual citizenship in Australia and the United States.