When I first met Keith Urban it was July 20th, 2000 at the Ice Palace in Tampa as it was called back then. He was opening for Tim McGraw And Faith Hill. He had just gone solo after leaving his band The Ranch and was still not in a good place. When I met him backstage he did not seem happy and was not smiling at all. I made a joke about vegemite sandwich’s from Australia and he basically snarled at me and took the obligatory backstage picture. But when he went on stage he wow’d everybody with his amazing guitar skills and stole the show from Tim & Faith in my opinion. But it haunted me how sad and unhappy he seemed backstage. Fast forward nearly 20 years later. He has met Nicole Kidman his wife. He no longer did drugs and I was at his show in Tampa at the Amphitheatre and went backstage to see him. This time it was a brand new man! Smiling. Loving. So sweet and kind and gentle and the ultimate host. He had fancy food backstage, asked how I was doing and even took this selfie of us together. It was the complete opposite of the first time I met him. People really can change and Keith Urban sure has. What an amazing man he is! Good Day Mates!
Lewis Stokes