There is a rich history behind the 2005 CMA Entertainer of the Year, Keith Urban. Urban is a country music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer.
Urban began to learn the guitar at age 6 and began winning talent contests at age 8. By twelve, he was booking his band in local clubs, and at fifteen, he quit school to hit the road. In 1990, Urban signed with EMI in Australia and recorded his first solo album, which charted four No. 1 country hits in Australia. In 1992, Urban moved to Nashville to pursue the largest country music market in the world. Originally the front man for The Ranch, a three-piece group that released one album in 1997 to critical acclaim, Urban disbanded the group to pursue a solo career.
Urban released his self-titled American debut in 2000, achieving three top 5 hits and securing the title of Top New Male Vocalist Award at the 2001 Academy of Country Music Awards. During this same developmental time period, Urban succumbed to addiction problems. After reaching a personal rock bottom, he checked into rehab and cleaned up.
Keith, openly regarded as a modern day guitar virtuoso, has performed as a session musician on albums such as Garth Brooks' Double Live and Dixie Chicks' Fly.
Urban released Golden Road in 2002 and the success of the single Somebody Like You sent his career into high gear. The single spent eight consecutive weeks at the top of the charts, remaining at #1 longer than any other country artist in 2002. The album went platinum in every country where it has been released and is triple platinum in the U.S.
In 2004 Be Here was released and nominated for best country album at the Grammy Awards and at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Urban has also released Days Go By, a greatest hits collection, in Europe.
Touring as a supporting act for renowned country acts Brooks and Dunn and Kenny Chesney honed Urban's skills and stage-craft. Country video channel CMT signed on as the title sponsor of Keith Urban's first headlining arena tour titled Keith Urban Be Here '04.
Urban continued his meteoric rise to fame in 2005 with the very successful Alive in '05 tour. He performed in the Live 8 Philadelphia concert on July 2nd 2005 and has been chosen by The Gap to appear alongside seven other bright musical stars in their "Favorites" campaign. He released a DVD in late September entitled Livin' Right Now, recorded in California.
Keith Urban has recently performed "Better Life" on the CMA Awards and "You'll Think of Me" on the American Music Awards.
--Wikipedia
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