Keith Urban Proves the Haters Wrong in Throwback Talent Show Video
Debra L. Rothenberg/Wireimage Reading Time: 2 minutes
Keith Urban shared an Instagram video this week that throws it back to his teen years, when he auditioned for an Australian talent show and received some negative feedback from one of the judges.
As Urban shows in the clip, he went on to prove that judge wrong. In fact, he ended up becoming a talent show judge himself, first on American Idol and then on The Voice Australia.
Keith Urban Posts Throwback Talent Show Video
In 1983, when he was 16 years old, Urban appeared on the Australian talent show New Faces. He played guitar and performed “All Out of Love” by Air Supply. Urban highlighted one of the judges’ comments in his Instagram video.
“At 16, I’d have thought, for instance, you’d be pretty keen on forming a group,” the judge said. “You’re a little… I think, as a solo performer, not enough strength.”
Urban set the video to his recent single “Wild Hearts,” which is all about chasing your dreams. As he sings on the track, “Has anyone ever told you, you’ll never amount to anything? / You’re just wasting your time chasing the tail of a dragon kind of dream.”
Following the talent show clip, Urban included the message, “Sometimes … you’ve just gotta prove ’em wrong.” The video then cuts to shots of Urban performing his concerts in huge arenas with crowds of screaming fans.
SEE ALSO: KEITH URBAN RETURNS TO COACH ‘THE VOICE AUSTRALIA’ AFTER A DECADE
Urban Is Now a Talent Show Judge Himself
Not only did Urban go on to become a huge star, but he himself has judged talent shows. He was on the American Idol judging panel for four seasons, from 2012 to 2016. Before that, he was a coach on The Voice Australia for one season in 2011.
Earlier this year, Urban returned to The Voice for his second season as a coach. As he said of the return, “The stars have finally aligned again! Ten years after spinning in the first season, and just before getting back on stage around the world, I’ve been invited back alongside a very cool and musically diverse panel.”
Urban’s journey as a performer proves that artists shouldn’t give up on their dreams just because a few people questioned them. As we’ve seen time and time again, some of the biggest stars didn’t make it very far on talent shows.
