Keith Urban Biography

news-detailsKeith Lionel Urban was born in Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand on October 26, 1967. He married actress Nicole Kidman on June 25, 2006 and has two daughters with her; Sunday Rose Kidman Urban (b. 2008) and Faith Margaret Kidman Urban (b. 2010 via surrogate).

Starting off his professional singing career in Australia, Urban had released a self titled debut album in 1991 before leaving for US the following year with the hope for a better luck in the industry. There, he began working as a session guitarist and subsequently forming a band called The Ranch. Signed to Capitol Nashville, the group ousted a debut album that spawned two hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Under the same recording company, Urban then released his debut album, which was a self titled, in 1999. It was quite a success kickoff, being certified Platinum while also earning him his first Number One on Hot Country Songs with "But for the Grace of God". An eponymous set, "Golden Road", was issued in 2002 and successfully produced single "Somebody Like You" which Billboard dubbed as the biggest country hit of the 2000 - 2010 decade. Greater than that, the album's fourth single "You'll Think of Me" won him the 2005 Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.

Urban's career breakthrough came through his third album "Be Here" (2004), which in addition to spawning three number 1 singles also became his highest-selling album with 4� Platinum certifications. In 2006, he released a follow-up set dubbed "Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing" and won another Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance, thanks to its song "Stupid Boy". The following year, he ousted the "Greatest Hits: 18 Kids". The record was followed by "Defying Gravity" (2009), which won him another Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance through its single "Sweet Thing".

Already achieving success, Urban kept releasing two more records, namely "Get Closer" in 2010 and "Fuse" in 2013. Besides, he also served as a judge on "American Idol" and as a coach on the Australian version of the reality singing competition "The Voice".