Keith Urban's Life in Pictures, in Celebration of His 55th Birthday (2024)

Entertainment
Music
Country

The country superstar looks back on his musical childhood — and explains those bad hair years

Danielle Anderson

Danielle Anderson is a former writer/reporter at PEOPLE. She left PEOPLE in 2017.

People Editorial Guidelines

Updated on October 26, 2022 01:05PM EDT

01of 12

The Story of His Life

Keith Urban's Life in Pictures, in Celebration of His 55th Birthday (1)

"Life has had in store for me way more than I ever imagined," Keith Urban told PEOPLE in 2016 as he reflected back on a series of snapshots from his life and career while promoting his album Ripcord. The pervading thought that came to mind while chatting about the photos? "Gratitude," he said. "For all of it — even the lean years — because all of it was going somewhere."

02of 12

A Guitarist Is Born

Keith Urban's Life in Pictures, in Celebration of His 55th Birthday (2)

"It felt so right in my hands," Urban said of getting his first guitar at age 6. "My mum and dad bought it for me, I remember it so clearly. I was lucky to have parents who recognized my passion for music early on. I was committed to playing."

03of 12

An Early Mentor

Keith Urban's Life in Pictures, in Celebration of His 55th Birthday (3)

"I feel really lucky that I had a great guitar teacher that just taught me basic chords so I could play songs," said Urban of his first guitar teacher, Sue McCarthy. "I didn't want to learn theory or how to read music, I didn't want to get overwhelmed by that."

04of 12

Blond Ambition

Keith Urban's Life in Pictures, in Celebration of His 55th Birthday (4)

"WTF?" asked Urban with a laugh at this 1994 photo. "No wonder it was a struggle to get accepted in Nashville! My publisher suggested I tweak the way I looked so that I could fit in more. But I was like, 'This is my identity. This is who I am!'"

05of 12

Paying His Dues, Again

Keith Urban's Life in Pictures, in Celebration of His 55th Birthday (5)

Said Urban of this 1997 album cover with his then band The Ranch, "I remember it being the strangest time. I paid my dues in Australia all through the '80s and got signed to a record deal in 1990, had a band, a crew and audience and was doing great. But I wanted to go to America and I had to start all over again. We were right back into a little van, the three of us, with our sound man driving all over America. It was grueling."

Family Affair

Keith Urban's Life in Pictures, in Celebration of His 55th Birthday (6)

"I was incredibly lucky to have parents who recognized my passion for music early on," said Urban, in a photo with his mom Marienne and his dad, Robert, who died in 2015 from cancer. "My mom is a very personable, social person. My dad was incredibly introverted, but very artistic. Those two personality traits were really important to me because I need both."

07of 12

Country Crowns a New Prince

Keith Urban's Life in Pictures, in Celebration of His 55th Birthday (7)

"It was the first year I was nominated and I was shocked to win," said Urban of snagging a CMA for Entertainer of the Year in 2005. "I told everybody I voted for Kenny Chesney. Well, Kenny goes on to win the next three years in a row and I was like, 'Why did I say that?' "

08of 12

Beyond His Dreams

Keith Urban's Life in Pictures, in Celebration of His 55th Birthday (8)

"Winning a Grammy wasn't on my list of goals," said Urban of his first win for the ballad "You'll Think of Me" in 2006. "I'm a very ambitious person, but sometimes I set my goals way too low because I just wanted to get a song on the radio and tour, but winning a Grammy was extraordinary."

09of 12

Welcome to the Club

Keith Urban's Life in Pictures, in Celebration of His 55th Birthday (9)

In 2012, Urban was invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. "This is a hallowed family institution at the deepest core of country music in its entire history," said Urban. "So to be asked into that family was just an extraordinary honor."

10of 12

Hands-On Approach

Keith Urban's Life in Pictures, in Celebration of His 55th Birthday (10)

"It's a short life and I'm going to be tactile with my wife," said Urban of his PDA with wife Nicole Kidman, here in Cannes in 2013. "She's my best friend," he continued. "I've never had anybody on the planet that knows me as well as she does."

11of 12

Guitar Heroes

Keith Urban's Life in Pictures, in Celebration of His 55th Birthday (11)

For his 2016 album Ripcord, Urban collaborated with lauded musician Nile Rodgers. "When I got the chance to make a connection with Nile, I just went after it," said Urban. "Nile and me, it's all about the guitar. His guitar playing is just iconic. He's the guy."

12of 12

Girls' Club

Keith Urban's Life in Pictures, in Celebration of His 55th Birthday (12)

Though Urban and Kidman keep daughters Sunday and Faith out of the spotlight, they had them at their sides for the virtual 2021 Golden Globe Awards. One year later, Urban opened up about his girls, saying Faith is showing interest in music and Sunday, filmmaking.