You’ll think of him often from here on out, right until summer comes around. Four-time Grammy winner Keith Urban has once again achieved another career milestone, as he is up for induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame announced on Thursday that Urban would be among its class of 2023 inductees this autumn. The foundation describes itself as “a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring and preserving the songwriting legacy that is uniquely associated with the Nashville music community.” For Urban, who has called Nashville home for some time, this is an especially meaningful honor.
Keith Urban readies for induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
It was to Nashville that Australia-born Urban headed when he wanted to make a name for himself in the music industry back in 1989. Speaking with The Associated Press, Urban admitted that if someone told him then he would be an inductee in the city’s Songwriters Hall of Fame, “I just wouldn’t have believed it.”
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The city and its importance in his career remain highly meaningful to Urban. “I still drive down 16th and into Music Row and it’s like time evaporates,” he shared. “And I’m right back, driving down the exact same avenue to go to a songwriting session.”
What this honor means to Urban and many more
Urban calls this honor “truly surreal,” especially given the culture of music and collaboration that defines Nashville. It’s also particularly meaningful for Urban because of his passion for the artform.
“To be recognized as a writer is extraordinary because I’ve always loved songwriting,” said Urban. “When I started really writing poetry in school, and I started writing songs just out of a desire to not be stuck, always singing somebody else’s song, playing in cover bands, and realizing ‘This is going nowhere for me. I want to write my own songs.'” For Urban, his impending induction validates those age-old dreams of his.
The induction ceremony will take place on October 11, seeing Urban brought into the fold under the category of Contemporary Songwriter/Artist. Other past inductees – in varying categories – include Garth Brooks, Loretta Lynn, Kris Kristofferson, Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and many more.
On top of all this exciting news, Urban is also working on a new studio album due out in 2024! Most of the album is finished and Urban is, by time of writing, in the process of choosing between three songs to release as a single very soon.
