Keith Urban’s Stunning Rendition Of ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ Moves Stadium Of Sports Fans

Apr 06, 2023 by apost team

Country music singer Keith Urban is a legend in his own right. Originally born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, Urban has been making waves internationally ever since he landed in Nashville, Tennessee, in the early 1990s. Beloved for his music, he’s also shown himself to be a kind and generous person who seems to always have a positive attitude, which has made him incredibly popular with his fans.

His parents supported his early interest in the art form, and they even let him try the ukulele and play the guitar at 6 years old. Notably, his father, who owned a convenience store at the time, put up a poster to scour the neighborhood for a guitar teacher to help his son.

On top of his stellar music career, Urban is also married to iconic Australian actress Nicole Kidman, making them one of Hollywood’s most beloved Australian couples. The couple met at G'Day LA, which is an event to honor Australians living in Los Angeles, and later married in 2006 in Sydney, Australia. Together, they have two daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret. The family splits their time between their homes in Sydney, Australia, and Los Angeles, New York City and Nashville, Tennessee.

Urban is considered a fixture in country and country rock music, which is why he is widely considered an inspiration by younger generations of artists in the music industry.

In 2017, Urban was asked to perform the US national anthem during the NHL Western Conference finals, when the Nashville Predators took on the Anaheim Ducks, and it was nothing short of spectacular.

While Urban is mostly known for being a huge star, he also has a huge heart. This has led him to make some incredibly kind gestures during his career, such as bringing fans onstage. But in 2016, he even bested his previous good deeds.

At the time, budding musician Rob Joyce was living in Boston, Massachusetts. He loved playing the guitar, and he dreamed of being a professional musician. Country music was one of his favorite genres. He was a huge fan of Urban, the country star from down under who is famously married to Kidman. Meanwhile, Joyce’s girlfriend, Lex, was a big fan of Carrie Underwood. In fact, they went to their first Urban concert back in 2008 because Underwood was the opener. From that moment on, Joyce was hooked.

In July 2016, the couple went to another Urban show together. It was Joyce’s birthday, and they were feeling bold. They wrote messages on their tickets and hoped they'd get noticed. Joyce asked to play Urban's guitar while Lex trumpeted the fact that it was his birthday. They were pleasantly surprised when Urban pulled Joyce up on the stage.

Luckily for the crowd at Urban's concert, Joyce was ready for his moment! Urban handed him the guitar and seemed surprised by how proficient he was on the instrument. Together, they duetted the song “Good Thing” from Urban’s 2013 album “Fuse.” Joyce even nailed the tricky guitar solo on the song! When he handed the guitar back and made his way from the stage, he knew that he'd really done himself proud. The incredible moment led Joyce to act on his dream of being a musician, and he moved to Nashville soon after.

This is just one of the many kind deeds that Urban is known for. Meanwhile, the following year, Urban got the chance to fulfill a dream of his own.

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For game three of the NHL Western Conference finals in 2017, Urban was honored with the task of singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the game. It was his first time performing the US national anthem.

The New Zealand-born, Australian-raised singer tweeted (with his wife, Kidman, by his side) that although he'd lived in the United States for 25 years by then he had never been asked to sing the national anthem until the Nashville Predators offered him the opportunity. 

In the end, fans got to hear Urban sing live, the star was thrilled to check off a career first, and the Predators went up 2-1 against the Anaheim Ducks in the series.

Decked in the Nashville Predators jersey, Urban had been the latest country music star at the time to sing the national anthem before the team played at home. Underwood, Vince Gill, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan and Lady A all performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Bridgestone Arena during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. And while fans were pumped to hear Urban, the privilege was all his.

One commenter wrote, "Well done by Keith. Awesome to see some of the popular Singers from Nashville contribute to Hockey." Meanwhile, another said:

"That was beautiful, Keith. Your sincerity and passion really come across, as in everything you sing. You have a real connection with your audience. It's as if your heart is singing directly to our hearts. My heart is touched every time I hear you sing. Your love for America, the place where you have made your home, and have found longed-for success and fulfillment is palpable. God bless you, Keith Urban."

Are you a fan of Keith Urban? What do you think of his rendition of the national anthem? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family!