KEITH URBAN COVERS ‘COUNTRY WEEKLY’… CHATS WITH ‘PARADE’
August 23rd, 2010 by John Cruz
Keith Urban covers the new issue of Country Weekly.
And in the 2nd part of a 4-part series on Country Stars Giving Back, Keith spoke to the magazine about the charities close to his heart, why he got involved, and how it makes him feel. He says, “I came from nothing, basically. Our family-very, very working class-really had nothing. [We had] a pretty rubbishy car and a pretty rubbishy house attached onto the back of the corner store my parents ran. My brother and I slept on little horsehair mattresses on the floor”.
Keith adds, “To come from that and to be in the strange, rarified air I find myself in these days, I can certainly feel a strong pull to want to give back. I’m immensely blessed with what I’ve been given in my life.”
Keith also has joined forces with his wife, Nicole Kidman, to bring awareness to causes. Nicole is the Goodwill Ambassador for UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women) where she often talks about and against violence against women. The two have also shared support for flood victims in Nashville and wildfire victims in Australia.
You can read more about how Keith Urban gives back in next week’s Country Weekly magazine.
ALSO: Keith in Parade… the Magazine
Keith Urban is also interviewed in Parade magazine. Some excerpts:
Combining two American loves — BBQ and country music.
“I always seem to be the guy providing the entertainment more than cooking. Grilling out and country music does seem to go hand-in-hand, and there’s certainly no shortage of tailgaters before our concerts. At home, I do a little bit of cooking. My wife and I share the cooking duties a little bit.”
How he balances home life while on tour.
“I don’t know if there’s any secret to it. Everybody sort of finds their own way to keep their life balanced. I know for me, family is first and I just make sure that I spread my time amongst the things that I love to do as well. Balance is never achieved, it’s just maintained. And so far I’ve been able to maintain it.”
Nicole is the perfect partner in crime.
“I’m fortunate to have a wife who understands about career as well. We’re very blessed to have each other, and you recognize the importance of all the facets of our lives. But family is very, very strong in our lives.”
What the future holds for country music.
“Right now, it’s just as strong as it’s ever been. What’s great about country is it’s quite a broad genre. If you say you’re country, you almost have to say what kind of country because it seems to encompass a lot. It’s got a great, rich history of always embracing current styles and trends within it in order to keep it relevant and keep moving forward.”
