KEITH URBAN CELEBRATES HIS FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF BEING A GRAND OLE OPRY MEMBER.

Artist: Keith Urban

Keith Urban just celebrated his fifth anniversary of being an official member of the Grand Ole Opry on Friday (April 21st). On that night five years ago, he showed the fans in the audience, the ones watching it on TV or hearing it on the radio, just why he’s been such a great ambassador for country music and for Nashville and how deserving he is of Opry membership. He performed a handful of his hits, including “Days Go By,” an acoustic version of “Without You” before Opry members Trace Adkins and Josh Turner and helped to present Keith with his Opry award, a 14-inch replica of the Grand Ole Opry microphone stand with a base made from wood from the Ryman Auditorium.

After Trace officially welcomed him into the family, Keith said “Thank you very much! Yee Haw!” After thanking Pete Fisher, the General Manager of the Opry, as well as other Opry members, his parents who gave him his love of country music, his wife and two daughters and his fans, among others, the superstar said. “I just want to thank the Opry for this honor, but also this responsibility,” says Keith. “I take this responsibility very seriously.” The superstar born in New Zealand and raised in Australia continued, “it’s a long way from Caboolture [Queensland, Australia] to the stage here at the Grand Ole Opry … and to stand in this circle is the most phenomenal thing. I just want to thank the Opry for this honor, but also the responsibility. This is a responsibility that I take deep to the heart of me. …This once and for all shows the global popularity and reach of country music. … I honor the history of country music, but I absolutely fully dedicate myself to the future of country music, as well. God bless you all.” He wrapped it up with “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me.”

“I was thinking what it means to me to be inducted into the Opry is probably no more than just a feeling of they know where my heart is – that’s what it means to me to get this induction,” said Keith. “And the foundation was always country, so to get this induction…this is exactly where my heart is; always has been.”

Keith is currently making his way up the country charts with his latest single, “The Fighter,” featuring Carrie Underwood. For more information on Keith including tour dates, go to keithurban.net.

Keith Urban (Opry knows his heart) OC: …always has been. :57
“I was thinking what it means to me to be inducted into the Opry is probably no more than just a feeling of they know where my heart is – that’s what it means to me to get this induction. My whole childhood is predominantly immersed in traveling around to country festivals and performing and competing in these talent quests. And you know, I was in this heavy metal band for like two weeks, and I got fired for playing these chicken-picking guitar solos ‘cause it’s a band that plays all this Judas Priest and Whitesnake and everything, but I’m totally immersed in Ricky Skaggs at the time. I bought Highways and Heartaches, and I just discovered Ray Flack and I’m like, ‘This is fantastic.’ And I’m like, [sings guitar picking] every time they throw me a solo, and I got fired from the band. You know, I was 15, and that to me, that sums up what my conundrum was at the time was sort of like, ‘Well, what do I do? What sort of music should I be making?’…And the foundation was always country, so to get this induction…this is exactly where my heart is; always has been.”