If there’s a silver lining to the brutal impact of the coronavirus pandemic in Nashville, Keith Urban has found it. The New Zealand-born star has made Nashville his home for almost 30 years, and is more optimistic than ever about the future of Music City.
“I’m so looking forward to Nashville being able to return to what it does best, which is to be this big, live, wide awake, colorful, vibrant throbbing music and entertainment center,” Keith told Nashville Lifestyles. “Nashville is full of so much everything, and the potential for it is just beginning. I think this is the start of a whole new era and we’re going to see a new Nashville emerging out of all of this.”
Keith and his wife, actress Nicole Kidman, are the proud parents of daughters Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret, and spend part of their time in Australia, where both Keith and Nicole were raised. Still, it’s middle Tennessee that has captured Keith’s heart.
“Nashville has been my home longer than anywhere I’ve ever lived in the world. My two girls are both born and raised in Nashville. It holds such a strong place in my heart,” Keith said. “There’s a big combination of all sorts of ideologies, and that’s what makes the city so vibrant.”
Keith will celebrate his home away from home on Wednesday night, September 16, when he hosts the 2020 ACM Awards, which will take place this time from the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium and the Bluebird Cafe, due to COVID-19.
“It’s a first on every level, isn’t it?,” Keith reflected. “First time in Nashville in the ACM history, and we’ll be at the Grand Ole Opry House, and Ryman Auditorium, and Bluebird Café.”
“I’m really glad that it’s going ahead because I think it’s going to be a great year,” he added. “It’s always a great show, and we will definitely be making sure it is this time around, too.”
It’s a big week for the 52-year-old. Only two days after the ACM Awards, Keith will release his 11th studio album, The Speed of Now Part 1. The record includes collaborations with BRELAND, Pink and Eric Church. Pre-order the record at KeithUrban.net.
The 2020 ACM Awards will air live at 8:00 PM ET on CBS.