Fortunate Son - Q and A

Describe the evolution of the book?
I first met Keith Urban, briefly, backstage at Nashville’s Fan Fair in 1996, so in some ways I was a latecomer to his world. To some Australians, he was a veteran by then. At the time, someone mentioned to me: ‘Keith’s done it tough.’ So the idea for the book sprang from there, because I was immediately interested in his struggle. The more I found out about him — and I interviewed him several times in the ensuing years, and saw him play many, many shows — the more interested I became in documenting his career.

When did you start writing the book?
I had some preliminary talks with my publisher, Random House, back in 2005, but began actually writing the book in late 2007. I spent about six months interviewing, listening, writing and researching.

Did you approach Keith about going on the record?
Absolutely. In fact, even before I committed to the book, I reached out to his former manager, Greg Shaw, and contacted his American manager, Gary Borman, regarding my plans. I also contacted Keith’s family, via an uncle in New Zealand. At no point did I really expect Keith to contribute — authorised books require more money than this book had in its budget — but nor did I attempt to keep Keith, or his ‘people’, out of the loop. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of people who had played alongside Keith, or had been involved with him either personally or professionally, who were willing to speak with me.

What did you learn about Keith during the project?
His stone-cold conviction, his absolute steely-eyed determination to reach the top was stronger than any other musician I have ever written about. Keith has often spoken about his will to succeed at Nashville as being his ‘destiny’, and after discovering what he has endured to get there — the kind of setbacks that would kill most careers — I came away with nothing but respect for his tenacity. Admittedly, I’m not always sold on his music — I think the Ranch record remains his creative peak — but the guy’s drive is stronger than any of the Harleys that he likes getting around on.

Will readers be surprised by what is revealed in the book?
I sure hope so: part of my job is to dig deep enough to uncover things that were not known before and to explain how Keith rose to the top. I was surprised by his broad tastes — he may be known as a country-pop star, but he was raised on a musical diet of heavy metal, Oz rock, west coast singer / songwriters, plus such slick twangy staples as Glen Campbell. Keith has always been very open and frank regarding his personal demons, but I think readers and fans will be interested by not only learning how low he sunk, but how he recovered from these dramas and then used them as source material for some of his best songs — ‘But for the Grace of God’ is a perfect example of that.

How do you Keith will respond to the book?
I’d like to think that he would respect the book as an honest and realistic portrayal of his long, slow rise to the top in Music City. He strikes me as the kind of guy who doesn’t take too kindly to bullshit: and I think this book is short on hype and strong on fact. I’d also like to think it’s an enjoyable read; it’s not called ‘The Unlikely Rise of Keith Urban’ for nothing. The fact that a kid from suburban Queensland (via New Zealand) should strike gold in one of the toughest music markets in the world is about as likely as selling ice to the Eskimos. Many others have tried and failed; there’s plenty of blood on those tracks. But he endured and thrived.

What’s your take on Keith’s 'celebrity marriage'?
Firstly, I have to emphasise that I was keen to write a book on Keith well before he married Nicole Kidman and became one half of the ‘Kurbans’. It’d be a mistake, obviously, to ignore the changes that union has brought to his world, but I also wanted to document Keith’s life in its entirety, from his birth in New Zealand, his early days in Queensland and his struggles to succeed in Nashville, and beyond. Anyway, I’d like to think it’s a love match; I’ve certainly been told that by enough people who’ve spent time with them, or played a role in their relationship, to believe that’s the case. And I’m sure their little girl is gorgeous. But it would be foolish to deny that the marriage also has clear benefits to both their careers, something I do chew over in the book.

Where to next, career wise, for Keith?
I think he’s in a position now, having sold so many records, that he could do just about anything musically that he fancies: instrumentals, bluegrass, country rock, whatever. And a lot of people I spoke with for the book really hope he goes down that path. But the key question, and one I think Keith isn’t quite ready to address, is whether he’s willing to risk alienating his massive fanbase. Only time will tell. As Radney Foster told me, who wrote ‘Raining on Sunday’, constant touring and recording is ‘country’s Social Security, so to speak’: to potentially derail that gravy train is a big call. Heaven knows, though, that Keith doesn’t need any more money!

Copyright Jeff Apter 2008