Speaker

Although born in New Zealand and raised in nearby Australia, Keith Urban made his biggest splash in Nashville, where he helped rewrite the rules of contemporary country music. By embracing drum loops and elements of Top 40 pop, Urban wrote songs that appealed to a wide audience, effectively satisfying his Nashville fans without alienating those more accustomed to pop music. He also became a genuine celebrity, known for his good looks, marriage to actress Nicole Kidman, and outspoken battle with alcoholism. Even so, it was the music that maintained Urban's career, from his work with the Ranch during the late '90s to the acclaimed solo albums that followed.

Released in 1999, the self-titled "Keith Urban" spawned four hit singles and paved the way for his successful career in America. A tour in support of that album saw Urban opening for major acts like Dwight Yoakam, Faith Hill, and Tim McGraw, as well as headlining his own shows. Urban found more success with 2002's "Golden Road", which sent three singles to the top of the country charts and went triple platinum in the U.S., as well as 2004's "Be Here", which bested the feats of its predecessor by selling over four million copies. Keith Urban was now a contemporary country superstar, replete with Grammy nominations and paparazzi attention, and his label capitalized on that attention by reissuing the Ranch's debut album later that year. An anthology of Urban's work, "Days Go By", followed in 2005.

The album "Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing" was released in November 2006, though it failed to produce a number one hit (the first of Urban's solo albums to do so), but "Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing" still went double platinum in the U.S., aided in part by a successful tour with Carrie Underwood. Urban returned to the top of the charts in 2008 with a re-recorded version of "You Look Good in My Shirt," which had originally appeared on 2002's Golden Road. The new version appeared on his latest compilation record, "Greatest Hits", and its success helped pave the way for Urban's next solo album. Released in 2009, "Defying Gravity" found him singing about life with Nicole Kidman on songs like "Sweet Thing" and "Only You Can Love Me This Way," both of which peaked at No. 1. Meanwhile, "Kiss a Girl" became his highest-charting single to date on the pop charts, and two additional tunes -- "'Til Summer Comes Around" and "I'm In" -- both charted well in the country market, making "Defying Gravity" a crossover success.

Urban released "Get Closer" during the final months of 2010 and returned to the charts with its lead single, "Put You in a Song."

One ticket to the Keith Urban Tuesday night show is included in your conference registration.