Keith Urban has proven that professionalism comes first, even amid personal turmoil.
Despite his recent divorce from Nicole Kidman, the country star remained focused and composed while filming his new reality competition series, The Road.
Contestant Billie Jo Jones shared with The Daily Mail that Urban, 57, stayed completely dedicated to his work while dealing with his private life behind the scenes.
“You wouldn’t even know that he was going through anything because he definitely pushed personal stuff aside and was business professional the entire time, which is what a true artist should be and should be doing,” she said.
Jones described working with Urban as “a dream come true,” adding that he’s “one of those people that really wants the best for you and really pushes you to be your best self.”
The Road, produced by Blake Shelton and Taylor Sheridan, follows 12 up-and-coming artists competing for the chance to be Urban’s opening act.
During the premiere episode on October 19, Urban spoke candidly about his dedication to music and the sacrifices that come with it.
“It’s a calling, and you’re going to do it or you’re not going to make it,” he said.
“When you wake up on a tour bus at 3:30 in the morning and you’re sick as a dog, you’re in the middle of nowhere and you’ve got to play your fifth show later that night… and you say to yourself, ‘Why am I doing this?’ The only answer can be: ‘Because this is what I’m born to do.’”
According to an insider, Urban’s High and Alive World Tour kept him on the move in the months leading up to his split from Kidman, 58.
“He is all over the place, all the time,” the source told Us Weekly, explaining that his busy touring schedule—spanning the U.S. and Australia—left little time at home.
“They had both been spending a lot of time apart due to work commitments and have been living separate lives. Her and Keith were not on the same page.”
Kidman filed for divorce on September 30 after nearly 20 years of marriage.
The former couple, who share daughters Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14, have since agreed on a parenting plan in which the girls will spend 306 days a year with their mother and 59 days with their father.
Urban later addressed speculation surrounding his personal life during a recent stop on his High and Alive World Tour at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
He told the audience that fans had been reading too much into his onstage lyric changes, which many believed reflected his separation.
During his performance, he altered lines from his hit But You’ll Think of Me, singing, “But I betcha think about me!” and swapping “Take your space and take your reasons” for “all your bulls— reasons.”
After his first concert following Kidman’s divorce filing, Urban also dedicated his song The Fighter to his guitarist, Maggie Baugh, which led to a wave of online rumours about their relationship.
The singer has not responded to the speculation, instead keeping the spotlight on his music and his work on The Road.
Even through one of the most difficult periods of his life, Urban continues to show the same resilience and dedication that have defined his decades-long career in country music.
