Keith Urban is proud to be part of the country music community, even amid some trials and tribulations. The 55-year-old has been in Nashville for 30 years, and has seen the highs and lows in the last three decades, which is why he is hopeful that the division that seems prevalent right now among some artists, likely based largely on differing political beliefs, will eventually come to an end.
“It feels like a tribe, and we’re really a tight family, and we all need each other,” Urban says (via WKLB). “At the end of the day, we’ve all got something to offer each other, and that communal fabric is really important to maintain.”
“It’s getting ripped apart right now for multitudes of reasons, and I think keeping it strong and keeping it together is really important,” he adds.
Urban is not immune to struggles. The Grand Ole Opry member has had his own share of trials, including becoming sober for good — after other failed attempts — 16 years ago. Because of his own sometimes troubled past, Urban has learned a lot about overcoming — lessons he hopes his fellow artists can learn as well.
“All I know is my life has, like a lot of people’s lives, contrasted from a lot of self-destruction and struggle in my life that I was able to get through with a strong faith and strong support of friends and family,” Urban shares. “That contrast gives me real gratitude for what I get to do musically, as a husband, as a father, as a part of this community, part of the tribe of us artists here.”
Urban just announced a 2023 Las Vegas residency, kicking off on March 23 at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
“I resisted a residency in Vegas for a few years. We got asked to come there quite a few years ago,” Urban tells Billboard. “I just didn’t think I would like it because in my head, it just seemed like the word residency just felt like, ‘Oh, you just doing the same show in the same place night after night after night,’ and that just sounded like an episode of Severance to me. But when we saw the Colosseum, I was ‘Oh my God, I think we’ll have a blast in here.’ I was surprised how much I loved it.”
Find all of Urban’s music and tour dates at KeithUrban.com.