NEWS2

Keith On Canadian Country Awards

from Capitol Records website

Sep 13, 2002

By Henderson

Keith Urban is fast building a reputation as one of country music's most dynamic live performers. Following his killer appearance at the Canadian Country Music Awards show, he was swamped by admirers at the official after-party. So many people came up to congratulate him that security had to be called in to escort him to a safer part of the room so the crowd wouldn't crush him.

From countrystars.com

After recently ending a relationship, keith urban is suddenly one of country music's most eligible bachelors. Question is, what is he looking for while looking for love?

"Availability, that's a good start," urban quipped wryly. "I think for me it's someone who can look you dead in the eye and say, 'What's going on, baby, what's happening?' you know? 'Let's talk about this, what's up? I'm here for you, you know, what's happening?' and then take your hand. You just feel that they're with you, you know, and they're genuinely concerned for you, about you." And, keith says there is a line in his current hit, "Somebody Like You."

"There's a good line in the song that says, 'When you put your arms around me you let me know there's nothing in this world I can't do.' That's the kind of love I think everybody is looking for and the kind of partner that everybody's looking for 'cause there are times when you completely derail, your self-esteem goes out the window and you need someone to just wrap themselves around you and go 'It's all going to be good, just get back up there and go again 'cause you're rocking,' you know. 'It's all going to be fine, you can do anything,"'that's what I'm looking for." Ladies, take note.

URBAN'S MAJOR MOVES INCLUDING #1 R&R

In a perfect world, an artist releases the debut single from a new album that peaks at #1 about the time the album is to appear. And that's how it is for keith urban's latest single,"Somebody Like You," that will be at #1 on R&R's Country Top 50 next Tues.,Oct. 8th when his album GOLDEN ROAD hits the streets. (The song rolled into #2 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart). To further promote GOLDEN ROAD, watch for urban to make upcoming appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "The View," and "The Wayne Brady Show."

ALSO, watch for a contest to debut on Keith's release date of Oct. 8th at CountryStars.com! Until then, you can still take advantage of their opportunity to reserve an AUTOGRAPHED copy of GOLDEN ROAD (while supplies last).

URBAN STEPS AWAY from self-promotion October 14th when he'll perform at a benefit concert on behalf of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at the Chicago area Star Plaza Theatre on October 14th. All ticket proceeds from the benefit concert, which completely sold out in only three hours, will go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

(Note: WUSN/US.99, Chicago is so hot to support urban's Golden Road album they recently painted their entire office gold in support of the new CD.)

from countrystars.com 10/3/02

KEITH URBAN TOPS ANOTHER CHART Oct 9

Keith Urban's current single, "Somebody Like You," has captured the Number One spot on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The song, which is the debut single from Urban's brand-new album, Golden Road, already claimed the same spot on the Radio & Records chart last week. "I'm as proud as a parent with a newborn," said Urban. "Right now, this song has 11 very jealous siblings." Golden Road was released Tuesday (October 8). The singer is scheduled to make upcoming appearances on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (October 16), The View (October 22), and The Wayne Brady Show (October 30). In other Urban news, the singer will host a fundraiser concert for meningitis research October 19 in Nashville. Urban has recruited fellow singers Richard Marx and newcomers Shannon Lawson and James Otto to perform that evening as well. Tickets to the event are $100. The evening includes cocktails, dinner, a silent auction, and the concert. For more information, call 615-506-0158 or log on to keithurban.net.

A Musical Journey

Keith Urban couldn't have asked for a better launch for his new CD, Golden Road (Capitol Nashville). A week before the album's release, the disc's first single, "Somebody Like You," hit No. 1 on the country charts.Golden Road, the follow-up to Keith's self-titled solo debut, is a collection of personal songs that Keith hopes will offer insight into his personality. He wrote or co-wrote eight of the 12 tunes, and produced half of the tracks solo and half with Dann Huff.Selections include "You're Not Alone Tonight," which reveals Keith's thoughts about spirituality; "Song for Dad," which Keith wrote about his father; and "You're Not My God," a tune that deals with Keith's feelings about his drug addiction and recovery. "If there's a positive tone to this record, it's because I feel so grateful to still be on my journey," says Keith. "I haven't found what I'm looking for, but I feel really blessed to continue down the path to discovery."

countrynow.com

from Amazon.com

Album 2 for the Aussie transplant and former member of the Ranch kicks harder than his debut and fulfills Keith Urban's goal of capturing the elusive "band feel." The solid arrangements are particularly well tailored to Darryl Brown's ruptured romance ballad "You Think of Me" and the swampy "You Look Good in My Shirt." Urban catches fire lyrically on the moving "Song for Dad" and "What About Me," a cautionary view of selflessness he cowrote with Rodney Crowell. That, unfortunately, is as good as it gets. While the Ranch enjoyed a cult following, Urban, who should bring an idiosyncratic side to his music, is clearly out to play Nashville's game. Proof? A preponderance of bland material aimed at pleasing radio consultants and programmers. Consider his original "You're Not Alone Tonight," replete with harmonies used on countless country hits of recent past. True, a banjo occasionally surfaces throughout the album. Nonetheless, reviving David Dunda's 1976 Top 20 pop hit "Jeans On" reveals much about Urban's true musical roots. --Rich Kienzle

Keith Urban Says Leap To Number One Is A 'Good Surprise'

10/03/2002

(10/3/02, 7 a.m. ET) -- Keith Urban's latest single, "Somebody Like You," has jumped three slots to take the Number One spot on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart this week. Urban couldn't be happier with his latest success.He told LAUNCH, "Number One, good Lord, it's a lot better than Number Two and I wish there was a number higher than Number One... we're looking for it," he said with a laugh. "I'm just completely blown away at how much people have gravitated towards this song and probably as quickly as they have. I think it was a good sort of welcoming presentation to what you can expect on the rest of the record, but I never expected it to take off like it did. It's a very good surprise.""Somebody Like You" is the first release from Urban's new Golden Road album which will be in stores on Tuesday (October 8).-- Nancy Brooks, Nashville Launch.com

Keith Urban joins concert

By Kathy McCabe

October 13, 2002

AUSTRALIAN country music superstar Keith Urban will interrupt his triumphant US tour to perform for the Farmhand Concert For Drought Relief. Urban, who topped the US country singles charts for the second time this week, said he had been struck by the overwhelming impact of the drought crisis.

The 34-year-old singer songwriter, who is also racing up the Billboard Hot 100 chart with his single Somebody Like You, grew up on his parents' farm at Caboolture in southeast Queensland.

"I talk to my folks regularly and I have seeen some recent reports about how the drought is worsening it's astounding," he told The Sunday Telegraph.

"I lived on a self-sufficient farm with my family for 10 years and while we certainly never suffered to the extent farmers today are suffering, you are always reminded of how harsh Australia can be."

Urban and his band have booked the famous House Of Blues in Los Angeles for their performance which will be broadcast live by satellite on October 26 during the concert and telethon.

"When I started to see how bad things were I assumed someone would be organising a concert and we started looking at the concert schedule so we could be a part of it," he said.

"It's important to me after living here for so long to also let the people of America know that I am constantly proud of the Australian spirit and grit it's legendary."

The charismatic performer joins a star-studded lineup of artists for the concert including INXS, Olivia Newton John, Jimmy Barnes, Lee Kernaghan, Slim Dusty, Taxiride, John Williamson, Tim Finn, Shakaya and Selwyn.

The Sydney Superdome extravaganza will be broadcast live on October 26 from 7.30pm on the Nine Network and tickets are available from Ticketek.

Sunday Telegraph

Urban to join Chesney Concert

Keith Urban and Montgomery Gentry will join Kenny Chesney at his

second annual New Year's Eve concert in Nashville, industry sources

report. The big event takes place at Music City's Gaylord

Entertainment Center. Meanwhile, Keith's "Somebody Like You" is No. 1

for a fifth straight week on Billboard's country singles chart.

Billboard.com

countrynow

KEITH HAS THE BEST HAIR! Nov 13

Following Keith's performance on the CMA Awards Show, People Magazine votes for Keith for the best hair!

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URBAN COWBOY

Keith Urban, country music has been waiting for "Somebody Like You"! That soft, silky-looking shag hit just the right note as the singer performed and presented at the CMA Awards show.

KEITH IS COUNTRY'S MOST COMPLETE ARTIST Nov 14

By Chuck Aly, Music Row Magazine

Five years a go, Capitol Nashville released and promptly ignored the

triumphant debut album of a band called The Ranch. Despite being

stillborn, this eminently entertaining and marketable record

developed a small cult following within the industry, the consensus

being that if this was the direction country was headed, then

hallelujia. But shunned by radio and label alike, The Ranch broke up

and country headed in a different direction. Mostly down. Capitol

held onto Ranch frontman Keith Urban, however, pushing his self-

titled debut album to gold certification on the strength of the

ballad, "But For The Grace of God". Success at radio not withstanding,

Urban pulled most of his punches on the album, backing away from the

gritty, energetic edge of The Ranch. Probably a smart move. Now, with

Horizon award in hand and firmly established as one of the format's

fatest-rising stars, Keith Urban has returned. And this time he's

bringing the whole package. First single and chart rocket "Somebody

Like You" hints at Golden Road's tone, but the album is far from one-

dimensional. It unfolds with repeated listenings, exploring Urban's

familar wanderlust ("Who Wouldn't Want To Be Me", "Jeans On") and his

faith ("You're Not Alone Tonight") while speaking frankly of his

battle with addiction ("You Won", "You're Not My God"). Urban wrote

or co-wrote 8 of the 12 tracks, produced the entire album (Dann Huff

co-produced 6 cuts) and his signature guitar sound is all over the

disc. In short, Keith Urban has emerged as country music's most

complete artist, bar none. As such, he's created the most complete

album to come out of Nashville in years. And I can't shake the

feeling his best work is still ahead of him. Hallelujia.

KEITH URBAN'S AUSSIE FAN, RUSSELL CROWE

Not long ago Aurstralian acting superstar, Russell Crowe, asked his

way backstage in Nashville to meet Keith Urban. It surprised Keith a

bit to meet Crowe. But, it surprised him more to know that Crowe had

been a longtime fan of Urban. "I actually met him in Nashville and he

actually -- somebody came up to me and said "You know, Russell wants

to come up and meet you," and I thought they were kidding," Keith

admits. "And it turned out that he'd been to see me play quite a few

times back in the mid '80s and so he knew who I was and I'd

definitely heard of him!"