KEITH BIO @keithurban
Keith Urban began work as a coach on Australia's THE VOICE, the Nine Network reality series that searches for the nation's best voice, while enjoying his third consecutive #1 on the US charts with the single You Gonna Fly from his recent Get Closer album.
With album sales of more than 15.5 million, along with four Grammy Awards and three ARIA Awards, Keith Urban is a singer who needs little introduction.
New Zealand-born and raised in Australia, Urban moved to Nashville in 1992. His first album came as a member of The Ranch (1997), followed by an increasingly accomplished series of multi-platinum-selling solo albums: Keith Urban (1999), Golden Road (2002), Be Here (2004) and Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing (2006). The compilation Greatest Hits: 19 Kids (2008) included such number one hits as But For The Grace Of God, Somebody Like You (named #1 Country Song of the Decade), Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me, You'll Think Of Me, Days Go By, Making Memories Of Us, Better Life and You Look Good In My Shirt.
For Urban's sixth studio album, Get Closer, the singer-songwriter dives even deeper into the explorations of love and relationships that have established him as one of the world's biggest country music stars, while extending his rock 'n' roll side as his hard-charging guitar work reaches new heights.
Get Closer follows his fifth consecutive platinum or multi-platinum release in both Australia and the US. He was nominated for three ARIA Awards for Get Closer: Best Country Album, Highest Selling Album and Most Popular Australian Artist. He recently won Male Artist of the Year and Top Selling Album of the Year at the Country Music Awards of Australia. In the US, Get Closer has produced three consecutive #1s with Long Hot Summer, Without You and You Gonna Fly.
Get Closer is the follow-up to 2009's Grammy-winning and platinum-selling Defying Gravity, which entered Billboard's Pop and Country charts at #1 and spun off five US Top 10 hits, including the chart-toppers Sweet Thing and Only You Can Love Me This Way. In the US, Urban has won a People's Choice Award, an American Music Award, five Academy of Country Music Awards, had 14 #1s and 28 Top 5 hits.
Urban's reputation as an elite songwriter, musician, vocalist and virtuoso guitarist is no more evident than when he is onstage. His electrifying concerts have played to sold-out venues from Australia to Germany, England, Canada and the United States, while receiving high praise from critics. Last year Urban's Get Closer 2011 World Tour solidified him as one of the music industry's best live performers. The 2009 Escape Together World Tour, as well as 2007's Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy World Tour, were both, according to Pollstar, among the top grossing tours for their respective years. As one accredited journalist put it, "Urban is one of the best reasons in the world to attend a live concert."
Urban joined THE VOICE for the opportunity to help others on their musical journey. He hopes to teach them things he has learnt along the way to help aspiring artists get where they are going quicker. Urban is looking for the voice that has the "IT Factor", the tone that appeals to his ear and his heart in a way that no other voice does.
