Why superstar Keith Urban agreed to return to The Voice

As he returns to The Voice, Keith Urban recalls the time he was savaged by an infamous Australian on TV — when he was just nine years old.

Why did Keith Urban want to return to The Voice? Pic: Channel 7

COUNTRY superstar Keith Urban may be a regular coach on TV talent shows these days, but he knows what it’s like to be on the other side.

As a nine year old, Urban appeared on Pot of Gold, a talent hunt with pioneering nasty judge Bernard King.

King was famous for his brutal put-downs – the fact Urban was a kid didn’t see him hold back.

“It’s still burned in my mind,” Urban tells SMARTdaily.

“He said ‘I desperately encourage you to escape the mediocrity, get out of country and western and get into some real music.’ Then he said ‘Kindly learn to sing in tune because you’re intrinsically a good musician’.”

Decades later, Urban still remembers asking parents what ‘intrinsically’ meant, as well as the harsh critique.

“I mean, it was quite an experience to be on TV aged nine and get crushed by Bernard King. Welcome to the world of showbiz, kid!

The Voice coaches Keith Urban, Rita Ora, Jessica Mauboy and Guy Sebastian. Pic: Channel 7

“But when I think about that experience what I like about it is that my own journey has been that nobody can crush your dreams.

“I find a lot of fuel in the people who aren’t really supportive. I have that real ‘I’ll show you’ attitude, it’s driven me quite a bit.”

In 1983, a 15-year-old Urban would appear on New Faces with Bert Newton, singing Air Supply’s All Out of Love.

In 2021, he’s returned to The Voice after appearing in the original Australian series in 2012 (he left to join American Idol for three years).

With talent as young as 12 on the 2021 season of The Voice, Urban knows what the coaches say is very important.

“Criticism is a sandwich best served between two layers of praise, as cheesy as that sounds. We’re all sensitive artists. We’d like a compliment first, then the critique, then wrap it up with another nice compliment.

“I started playing guitar when I was six. You’re ready to go when you’re ready to go. I was anxious to start getting experience. I didn’t mind throwing myself into those environments where I was going to get criticised, I just wanted to learn and get better. That’s never stopped.”

Keith Urban was on the first season of The Voice. Pic: Channel 7

Keith Urban will resume his touring shortly. Pic: Supplied

Urban reveals he’s been asked to return to The Voice several times over the years.

“They were always shooting the show when I was touring in America. Always. This was a freakish year when there was so touring. And they shortened the shoot time quite a bit. It was something I always hoped I could return to one day and the timing was just perfect.”

Finding a “sweet spot” earlier this year when they could film with an unmasked audience, they recorded multiple endings with multiple winners, with one to be selected before the final airs from a public vote.

Urban said his time on The Voice is guided by feel.

“Something grabs my attention. It’s like when any of us hear a song for the first time, at a club or on the radio or on a commercial, it’s like “What’s that’ and you Shazam it. I feel like I’m sitting there with the Shazam app, waiting to spin around and tag this person to find out who it is and what the song is.”

There’s a scene in this year’s Voice where his fellow coaches Guy Sebastian, Rita Ora and Jessica Mauboy all admit they’d go on Team Keith if they were contestants.

“I mean, beyond him being phenomenal musically, he cares,” Sebastian says.

“He’s a massive international star, but when you talk to him he’s genuinely listening to you and then he remembers what you spoke about. He’s very humble, that’s a quality his team love most about him. He really cares. That’s why I’d go on his team, I believe him.”

After wrapping The Voice, Urban went back to Nashville and recorded a new single, Wild Hearts, out this month.

He’s also got a song on the Nine Perfect Strangers soundtrack – the miniseries his wife Nicole Kidman has filmed in Australia (dropping on Amazon Prime on August 20).

He’ll head back to America shortly to resume touring again, including shows in Vegas.

“A lot of my contemporaries are all back touring (the US) right now, sending me photos of gigs.”

Keith Urban, Jessica Mauboy, Guy Sebastian. and Rita Ora on The Voice. Pic: Supplied

He has a full Australian tour planned for December – despite fears our botched vaccination roll out will make large indoor shows tricky, Urban is hopeful.

“You have to act like it’s going to happen right? The last 15 or so months has been a bit of an Etch-a-Sketch. When can we start using permanent markers on our calendars again versus pencils? I’m looking forward to getting the texta back out, have a bit of permanency!”

The Voice, Channel 7, Sunday 8pm, continues 7.30pm Monday and Tuesday.

Keith Urban’s The Speed of Now tour starts December 1 at Newcastle Entertainment Centre, full details at keithurban.com