Keith Urban Biography

Singer, songwriter, musician. Born Keith Lionel Urban on October 26, 1967 in Whangarei, North Island, New Zealand. As a child raised in Australia, Urban inherited a passion for American country music from his parents.

By the time he was a teenager, the guitarist had won several talent shows and joined a country band. His signature style, a mix of rock guitar and country sound, emerged during those formative years. In 1988, he debuted his first album, which enjoyed success in his native Australia. It was time to cut his teeth in Nashville.

Urban's first Nashville band, The Ranch, made a huge splash, and the group released an acclaimed self-titled debut album in 1997. Shortly after, Urban decided to leave the band to pursue a solo career. His talents were quickly recruited by some of the biggest names in country music, including Garth Brooks and the Dixie Chicks.

In 2000, Urban released his first self-titled solo album, which featured the No. 1 hit "But for the Grace of God." His second album, 2002's Golden Road, included two more No. 1 singles: "Somebody Like You" and "Who Wouldn't Want to Be Me." In 2001, he was named Top New Male Vocalist at the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards.

After touring with the likes of Brooks & Dunn and Kenny Chesney, Urban headlined his own tour in 2004. He was named CMA's Entertainer of the Year the following year. In early 2006, Urban won his first Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "You'll Think of Me." Urban married actress Nicole Kidman in their native Australia that June.

His latest studio album, Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing (2006), came out that fall. Around the time of the album's release, Urban voluntarily checked himself into a rehabilitation facility. "I deeply regret the hurt this has caused Nicole and the ones that love and support me," Urban said in the statement, according to People magazine. "One can never let one's guard down on recovery and I'm afraid that I have. With the strength and unwavering support I am blessed to have from my wife, family and friends, I am determined and resolved to a positive outcome." While struggling personally, Urban continued to thrive professionally. The new album has spawned several hits, including "Once in a Lifetime" and "Stupid Boy," which won Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 2007.

In 2008, Urban released a greatest hits collection and toured extensively. That summer, however, he took a break from his hectic schedule to celebrate a joyous event. He and his wife welcomed a baby girl on July 7, 2008, and named her Sunday Rose Kidman Urban. "We want to thank everybody that has kept us in their thoughts and prayers," Urban wrote on his Website shortly after the birth announcement was made. "We feel very blessed and grateful that we can share this joy with all of you today."

In September 2008, Urban was nominated for Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association. Urban continued his string of hits with his new album Defying Gravity, which was released in March 2009. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming his first album to do so. The lead single off the album, "Sweet Thing," immediately hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts. The album's second single, "Kiss a Girl" was performed during the finale of season 8 of the reality competition, American Idol as a duet with the show's winner, Kris Allen.

In the fall of 2009, Urban announced that he would be performing at the CMAs, and was nominated for four separate awards, including Entertainer Of The Year and Male Vocalist Of The Year. This is his fourth consecutive year of nominations.