Keith Urban

[Freypower]

When he sings you don't hear the accent. I had to listen to him talk to know he was from Australia. Then they made such a big deal out of it when he started dating Nicole Kidman because she was from Australia too.

Australians don't sing songs in Australian accents unless it's a novelty song or a bush ballad (though there are exceptions such as Redgum's anti Vietnam war song, I Was Only 19). How far do you think Urban would have got if he had sung the way he talks?

(I always enjoy hearing English singers like Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins and Kate Bush sing words like 'can't' and 'last' the English way. When Robert Plant sings 'the truth will come to you at last' the English way in Stairway To Heaven it's the way it should be).

Australian dates Australian -well well! It's a small country in terms of population and 'celebrities' are thin on the ground.

[eaglesvet]

It actually always surprises me how any 'foreigner' (from just about any country I have heard a well-known singer from) can sing a song in (American) English and hide their native accent so well while they are singing...and then when they speak, you hear the accent right on through. It must take a lot of training.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

The first time I remember wondering about this was when, of course, The Beatles came out and the subsequent "British Invasion" of music. I never could understand how they sang without their accents.

As far as Keith - congrats to him on his award. He is well-deserving, IMHO. I remember I had never heard any of his music until a couple of years ago. I credit EasyFeeling and Brooke for turning me into a fan.

[Brooke]

We just had to share the Keith love with you, Dreamer! He wears those jeans quite well!

I love hearing him talk in his interviews. I recently saw Nicole on Oprah promoting her newest movie which is a musical. Makes me wonder if she and Keith might team up on a country song? Interesting thought!

[Freypower]

It actually always surprises me how any 'foreigner' (from just about any country I have heard a well-known singer from) can sing a song in (American) English and hide their native accent so well while they are singing...and then when they speak, you hear the accent right on through. It must take a lot of training.

But does it take training to sing without your 'spoken' accent? Opera singers are trained. Rock singers generally are not. You open your mouth and the voice comes out normally in a sort of mid-Atlantic tinge. It seems to be natural to sing that way and when you do try to sing with a pronounced accent (a good example is Phil Collins' Cockney in his song Like China) you really have to try harder.

ETA: I am in no way suggesting that Keith Urban should sing with an Australian accent - merely commenting that on occasion it is refreshing to hear a song sung in an accent that you are more familiar with.

It just doesn't happen in reverse - and anyone who has ever listened to Glenn's first band the Mushrooms try to do an English accent in Such A Lovely Child might understand why not.

[Maleah]

Check out Keith's version of "Boys of Summer"

http://www.keithurban.net/kutube.htm...&mc_id=604&p=1

How cool is it to hear the crowd singing along to one of Don's songs at someone else's concert? I think that is so awesome to hear

[Prettymaid]

Interesting accoustic version of BOS.

[Brooke]

Keith won Favorite Male Artist at the People's Choice Awards last night! He was up against Tim McGraw, John Mayer, Eminem, and Jason Mraz. No contest for me!

I thought his acceptance speech was so cute. He also mentioned something to the effect that he didn't care how people got the songs, even if they illegally downloaded them, as long as they got out there! Hope Don didn't hear that!

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Congratulations Keith!!!

I agree, Brooke - no contest to me either. And yeah ... sounds like to me that Keith and Don would probably have to just agree to disagree on this one.

[Brooke]

Found a pic of the lovely couple:



I think I glimpse a rather large tat inside that open shirt! I know he has several (don't ask how ), but hadn't noticed this one before! I really would like to see the whole thing.