Friday, August 20, 2010

Keith Urban Covers Country Weekly


 Keith Urban covers the new issue of Country Weekly. In the 2nd part of a 4-part series on Country Stars Giving Back, Keith Urban spoke to the magazine about the charities close to his heart, why he got involved, and how it makes him feel.

“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 allows. “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.”

Since music is his love and livelihood, it’s also a cause he holds near and dear to his heart. Keith was the honorary dean at this year’s Grammy camp.

“Getting instruments into kids’ hands is something that been really important to me all my life,” Keith says. “I started so young—I was six when I started playing guitar. I was fortunate to a) have parents that could afford to buy me a guitar and pay for lessons and b) fortunate that I went to public schools and they had music in schools and that was pretty basic, pretty standard curriculum, but it seems more and more that that’s one of the programs they’re taking out of schools for budgetary reasons. That’s a huge, huge mistake. Things like the Grammy Camp correct that and give these kids the opportunity to get instruments in their hands where they might not otherwise get that.”

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 violence against women. The two have also shared support for flood victims in Nashville and wildfire victims in Australia.

“My wife has become involved with women’s rights and so I’ve found myself involved in that, and very gladly so, too. Not only violence against women, but women’s rights in countries where they are not being honored".

“I don’t know that there’s a common thread other than just people in need and, in certain cases, where there seems to be an extreme lack of justice—we certainly like to get involved in that,” Keith explains of the causes he and Nicole support. “There’s absolutely limitless causes on a daily basis for everybody to be involved in, it’s just looking to the ones that for me and Nic, that we feel strongly about and feel that we can actually do something about as well.”

“It’s not in Nic or I to do things for our own benefit, so we’ve shied away from more of the public stuff in the past, but it was pointed out to us by certain people that if we were to take a bit more of a public face with some of these that it might actually be more help than just the financial aid,” Keith says.

You can read more about how Keith Urban gives back in next weeks Country Weekly magazine.

The end of the interview didn't make the magazine, but Urban Myths uncovered it:

"My baby girl and I have just bought a rubbishy apartment in New York, for a measly $10 million. Nic wanted to spend more like $20 million, but I said "Babygirl, I'm OK living in a dump like this; even if we do have to use a lift to get our Bentley up to the apartment. It only has three bedrooms, so one for me and one for Nic, and of course Sunday will share with the Nanny. The chauffeur has to sleep in the servant’s quarters on the lower level. It's a hardship but we pride ourselves on living a simple life."

11 comments:

smorgas91 said...

(on his comment at the end) how tasteless, simply tasteless...actually there is no humor, shows his true class and sophistication level though. Truly a moron...and so apropos having a high-school dropout mate

blue sky said...

I am in complete agreement with everything smorgas91 says up above, but I have to add to that. How do you think Marienne and Bob will feel when they read that their son considers the home they provided to him as "rubbishy"? Keith is so out of touch with the real world. It makes me sick to think I valued his talents. What a waste!

maclen said...

Well, as I mentioned in my last post in the previous thread...the orb HAS officially joined in the lame ass charitable opportunism of the limo ambassador kidman.

“It’s not in Nic or I to do things for our own benefit,

Oh yeah, NONE of the causes they have attached themselves to recently...were ever ANNOUNCED publicly!" His "benefit for KEITH URBAN"...which was first "ANNOUNCED" would be ANNOUNCED at a orb live gig...and then held only a few weeks before an awards show voting ended...and the online concert feed itself was shilled to try and sell his fansie site merchandise crap for sale on that fansie site...was in NO WAY at all for any personal gain!

...so we’ve shied away from more of the public stuff in the past, but it was pointed out to us by certain people that if we were to take a bit more of a public face with some of these that it might actually be more help than just the financial aid,” Keith says.

OH yes, HE is NOW only going PUBLIC because OTHER people pointed out he SHOULD go PUBLIC....you know, putting a so called "PUBLIC FACE" might help more people...orb could never have thought of that excuse himself? Oh yeah, orb is getting PULLED into going public with his charity! What a bunch of self serving drivel! Becoming a far more attention monger WILL SOOOOOO help out his "PUBLIC" philanthropic image...I mean...it has SOOO helped kidman in her public image!


“There’s absolutely limitless causes on a daily basis for everybody to be involved in, it’s just looking to the ones that for me and Nic,

So, expect the newly established "co-limo ambassador" to be trolling for opportune "causes" to put a more "PUBLIC FACE" to...as if wasnt already announced in PUBLIC that they are doing oh so much good...for their PUBLIC image!

ponytail said...

love love love Keith Urban!

Tara said...

why why why- he is being a complete schuck.

A440 said...

Methinks the lad is tap dancing. He mentioned in several old interviews how he used to practice guitar in his bedroom. Not the room he shared with Shane, but HIS bedroom. So we're talking a 3-bedroom house at some point.

Funny how THAT didn't get into the interview.

On the one hand, they were dirt poor. On the other, Mom and Dad paid for instruments and lessons. So which is it?

Maybe the horsehair mattresses were a result of the house fire at the farm (not behind the store in the city), but that was hardly a permanent situation. It was a temporary setback.

Keith has taken on one of Nicole's worst traits: he's talking out of his ass again.

hoosierlady said...

That was my question. Is the horse hair matress true, or is this a try for "Abraham Lincoln studied by the fireplace light" thing. Thus, my post on the last thread.

This is getting to PR ridiculous, no one is going to buy this bullshit. In other words, "this won't sell in Peoria".

Has he always been this stupid, or is this her PR machine?

Anonymous said...

Its the new PR strategy from the new manager, Geyer Kosinski, hoosierlady. The similarities to "Branglina" are obvious. For the private image: family first, the 3 day rule, and back off the photo ops to appear like a "normal" family. For the professional image: Show NK as a serious star with articles about upcoming films, her charity work, and her participation in industry events/awards shows. Show her success using her real estate purchases around the world. Keep all the PR "positive". And now we bring Keith into her charity work to sell it, and them as a normal caring couple.

And I don't even follow Branglina! Thats how obvious it all is.

hoosierlady said...

I don't follow anyone, but come on, horsehair mattresses? He was born in what? 196? next it will be that he had to pander for cream of wheat every morning. No wonder you never see his parents, how much of this crap could you endure?

No, No, I've got it! Next we will hear that it was hard being raised by those dingos, he was just so blessed because his parents found him right before his sixth birthday and he grew and grew until fate brought him to the point when he met baby girl and then the planets aligned and God nodded, all was well.

Anonymous said...

hoosierlady, look up "rarified air" for a little insight into his thinking. (Who talks like that??)

hoosierlady said...

The Rarefied Air Cavalry was Virujansi's most elite starfighter squadron. When Separatist forces attempted to capture Unparala during the Clone Wars, the Rarefied Air Cavalry assisted Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Among their number was future Rebel Alliance pilot Garven Dreis, who served as Red Leader during the Battle of Yavin.

I know, this isn't where he got it.

Yoda knew what rarified air was.