Keith Urban Biography
The following biography
is from
Wikipedia.org
“The
Free Encyclopedia.”
Keith Lionel Urban (born October 26, 1967
in Whangarei, New Zealand) is an Australian country singer. He was
raised in rural Caboolture, Australia before relocating to Nashville.
Urban began to learn the guitar at age 6
and began winning talent contests at age 8. By twelve, he was booking
his band in local clubs, and at fifteen, he quit school to hit the road.
In 1990, Urban signed with EMI in Australia and recorded his first solo
album, which charted four No. 1 country hits in Australia. In 1992,
Urban moved to Nashville to pursue the largest country music market in
the world. Originally the frontman for The Ranch, a three-piece group
that released one album in 1997 to critical acclaim, Urban disbanded the
group to pursue a solo career.
Urban released his self-titled American
debut in 2000, achieving three top 5 hits and securing the title of Top
New Male Vocalist Award at the 2001 Academy of Country Music Awards.
During this same developmental time period, Urban succumbed to addiction
problems. After reaching a personal rock bottom, he checked into rehab
and cleaned up.
Keith, openly regarded as a modern day
guitar virtuoso, has performed as a session musician on albums such as
Garth Brooks' Double Live and Dixie Chicks' Fly.
Urban released Golden Road in 2002 and the
success of the single Somebody Like You sent his career into high gear.
The single spent eight consecutive weeks at the top of the charts,
remaining at #1 longer than any other country artist in 2002. The album
went platinum in every country where it has been released and is triple
platinum in the U.S.
In 2004 Be Here was released and nominated
for best country album at the Grammy Awards and at the Academy of
Country Music Awards. Urban has also released Days Go By, a greatest
hits collection, in Europe.
Touring as a supporting act for reknowned
country acts Brooks and Dunn and Kenny Chesney honed Urban's skills and
stage-craft. Country video channel CMT signed on as the title sponsor of
Keith Urban's first headlining arena tour titled Keith Urban Be Here
'04.
Urban continues his meteoric rise to fame
in 2005 with the very successful Alive in '05 tour. He performed in the
Live 8 Philadelphia concert on July 2nd 2005 and has been chosen by The
Gap to appear alongside seven other bright musical stars in their
"Favorites" campaign. He released a DVD in late September entitled Livin'
Right Now, recorded in California.
****
Discography
Albums
1991 Keith Urban (1991)
1997 The Ranch (with The Ranch)
1999 Keith Urban (1999) #145 US (Billboard
200)
2002 Golden Road #11 US (BB 200) - #2 US BB
Top County Albums (108 wks on chart)
2004 In the Ranch (reissue of The Ranch but
with added songs)
2004 Be Here #3 US (Billboard 200) - #1 US
Billboard Top Country Albums
2005 Days Go By (UK) #40 UK
****
Awards and Achievements
Awards
1983 - CCMA Junior Male Vocalist
1990 - CMAA Star Maker Award
1991 - CMAA Golden Guitar/Best New Talent
1992 - CMAA Golden Guitar Male Vocalist
1992 - CMAA Golden Guitar Instrumentalist
1997 - CMAA Golden Guitar Instrumentalist
1998 - CMAA Golden Guitar Instrumentalist
2001 - CMAA Golden Guitar Instrumentalist
2001 - ACM Top New Male Vocalist
2001 - CMA Horizon Award
2001 - ARIA Outstanding Achievement Award
2001 - VMA Male Vocalist Award
2001 - Mo Australian Show Business
Ambassador of the Year
2003 - ARIA Country Album of the Year
(Golden Road)
2003 - Country Weekly Fan Favorite Award
for Favorite New Artist
2003 - BMI Song of the Year Category for
"Somebody Like You"
2003 - TCMA Video Clip of the Year -
"Somebody Like You"
2004 - CMA Male Vocalist of the Year
2004 - FCMA Best Foreign Music
2005 - CMT Music Awards Video of the Year -
"Days Go By"
2005 - ACM Album of the Year - "Be Here"
2005 - ACM Top Male Vocalist
2005 - French Association of County Music
Artist of the Year
2005 - ARIA Country Album of the Year (Be
Here)
2005 - CMA International Artist of the
Year!
2005 - CMA Male Vocalist of the Year
2005 - CMA Entertainer of the Year
Gold/Platinum Albums
1999 - Self-Titled Keith Urban 1999
certified Platinum in 2003
2002 - Golden Road certified Triple
Platinum in 2005
2004 - Be Here certified Double Platinum in
2005
2005 - Video Hits DVD certified Platinum
2005 - Livin' Right Now DVD certified
Platinum
Albums Keith has performed on
Garth Brooks Double Live (1998) Guitar
(Electric)
Glen Campbell Legacy 1961-2002 (2003)
Author
Charlie Daniels Fiddle Fire: 25 Years of
the... (1998) Guitar
Charlie Daniels Tailgate Party (1999)
Guitar
Dixie Chicks Fly (1999) Guitar (Electric),
Performer
INXS Live Baby Live (1991) Vocals (bckgr)
INXS Definitive INXS (2002) Vocals (bckgr)
Paul Jefferson Paul Jefferson (1996) Guitar
(Electric)
Carolyn Dawn Johnson Dress Rehearsal (2004)
Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals (bckgr), Soloist
Neal McCoy Luckiest Man in the World (2003)
Guitar (Electric)
John Mohead Mary's Porch (1998) Guitar
(Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
Olivia Newton-John 2 (2002) Guitar -
co-wrote and sang "Sunburned Country"
Ranch (1997) Ganjo, Guitar, Keyboards,
Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
Sons of the Desert Change (2000) Banjo
Tim Wilson Gettin' My Mind Right (1999)
Guitar
Original Soundtrack How to Lose a Guy in 10
Days (2003) Producer
Various Artists Twang!: A Tribute to Hank
Marvin & (1996) Guitar, Performer
Various Artists Not So Dusty (1998)
Producer, Mixing
Various Artists New Country, Vol. 7 (2000)
Performer
Various Artists Country Goes Raffi (2001)
Multi Instruments, Producer
Various Artists Totally Country (2002)
Performer
Various Artists Totally Country, Vol. 2
(2002) Producer
Various Artists Kids' Country Hits (2003)
Guitar
1991 Keith Urban guitarist, writer,
co-producer
1999 Keith Urban: guitarist, writer and
co-producer
2002 Golden Road: guitarist, cardboard box,
writer, and co-producer.
2004 Be Here: guitarist, writer, and
co-producer
****
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URL of Original Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Urban
Date Article Copied:
November 16, 2005
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