Keith Urban - by Jeff Apter

Book Synopsis

How did Keith Urban go from Australian smalltown singer to Nashville superstar? The Grammy Award winner's astonishing trajectory is meticulously told in this biography of the modern country legend every fan should have on their bookshelf.

Keith Urban came from humble origins. His father worked at the local landfill and Keith was a high school dropout. But Keith had a plan: conquer Nashville. "It's my destiny," he said. And Keith was hell-bent on scaling that musical Everest. Whatever it took.

It didn't come easy. Keith served his apprenticeship in the beer barns of Australia, and his early trips to America were disastrous. But he never gave up, settling in Nashville in the 1990s and forming The Ranch. When the band fell apart, so did Keith, ending up in rehab (not for the last time). But Keith did eventually reach the top, through a combination of talent, charisma, sex appeal, dogged perseverance--and skin thick enough for a rhino. And along the way he married Nicole Kidman.

As Keith has said, "All those detours, the really dark ones, got me to where I am now. I would not want to change one leaf on any tree in the whole journey."

Keith Urban is the definitive biography of an international superstar.

Review Quotes

Praise for Keith Urban

"Apter meticulously captures the music industry hurdles Urban overcame on his way to success, and gives credit to his 'single-channeled drive and stickability.' Urban's fans will devour this deep dive." --Publishers Weekly

"Keith Urban has done just about everything in country music that anyone could ever imagine. This biography by Jeff Apter reveals the highlights and struggles in getting there. I loved looking at the pictures, not just the celebrations that he's had, but the pictures of his youth really caught my attention. The look in his eyes had the look of destiny. To use one of Keith's quotes, 'Nashville's not my dream. It's my destiny.'" --Ricky Skaggs, 15-time Grammy Award-winning musician

"Jeff Apter's Keith Urban had dreamed of Nashville stardom ever since he was a young, guitar-pickin' boy from a working class home in Australia. It didn't happen easily or quickly, but came through hard work and tenaciousness. In lively prose, Apter takes us on every happy twist and frustrating turn that Urban faced on his way to the top." --Elizabeth J. Rosenthal, author of His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John and The Master of Drums: Gene Krupa and the Music He Gave the World

"He ain't just that Aussie cowboy with the golden locks and godly good looks who seemingly came out of nowhere in the early 2000s, set the country and pop charts ablaze with his honey-sweet songs, and married a movie star. No, ma'am. There's more than that to Keith Urban--much more. From his humble beginnings in blue-collar Brisbane to crooning for swooning swarms in rhinestone-studded Nashville, overcoming addiction, and filling stadiums and tabloid covers around the world, Urban has ridden a long, rocky road to the top, a road full of breathtaking highs, heartbreaking lows, and everything in between. Jeff Apter's long-awaited biography of this beloved modern troubadour is a riveting read that no music fan will want to miss." --Peter Aaron, author of The Band FAQ and co-author of Richie Ramone's autobiography, I Know Better Now: My Life Before, During and After the Ramones

"Jeff Apter's perceptive biography is an ideal homage to one of our era's most seminal country musicians. It tells a tale much like the wild and free genre of country music, and the land down under that Keith Urban came from: natural and raw, full of true spirit, and steeped in authenticity." --Jude Warne, author of America, the Band: An Authorized Biography and Lowdown: The Music of Boz Scaggs

"A celebratory portrait of Urban's life and career--the perseverance required, even for a natural, as Urban was described early in the piece--while also taking in such key moments as meeting future wife Nicole Kidman at an LA bash, whom he described as floating across the room. Informed, engagingly written, this is one for Urban fans--and there's a lot of them out there." --The Sydney Morning Herald

"A detailed chronicle of the multi-decade, winding path that has made Keith Urban a Nashville superstar and household name . . . A veritable who's who of Australian and international Country music names, specifying those who contributed and collaborated with Keith to ensure his dream was made reality." --GLAM Adelaide

Praise for Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly

"As portrayed in Jeff Apter's Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly, Perkins certainly earns the claim in the book's subtitle. A music writer from Australia, Mr. Apter is an unabashed fan, and his quote-studded account . . . captures the thrills of Perkins's music and his down-to-earth personality. It also serves as a lively primer for the uninitiated and a go-to source of arcana for rockabilly cultists. Mr. Apter gives Perkins his due as the genre's first auteur--songwriter, singer and guitarist's guitarist who influenced generations of musicians, from the Beatles to revivalists like the Stray Cats. Ironically, Perkins's many gifts were often overshadowed by his signature song, 'Blue Suede Shoes, ' the rockabilly anthem that became more famous than its creator." --The Wall Street Journal

"Suited to ardent rockabilly fans." --Publishers Weekly

"Australian music and popular culture writer Apter adds to his shelf of music biographies with this affectionate look into the life of rockabilly legend Carl Perkins. Apter adopts a fairly strict chronology, from Perkins's childhood days picking cotton in rural Tennessee through his signing with Sun Records, his Million Dollar Quartet sessions, and his rise to international fame while rubbing shoulders and singing or playing guitar with a veritable who's-who of the popular music world. From Johnny Cash to the Beatles, Perkins counted almost all the greats as friends. But he may be best remembered for writing songs covered by others, such as Elvis Presley's rendition of 'Blue Suede Shoes.' Poignant episodes dealing with Perkins's overcoming alcohol-use disorder and family tragedies are juxtaposed with joyful tours in Britain and beyond. Apter also details Perkins's social justice efforts, including establishing a child-abuse prevention center in Jackson, TN. An extensive bibliography and helpful epilogue are included, bringing readers up to date on developments since Perkins's death. Other than Perkins's own 1996 autobiography, little has been published about him, and Apter admirably fills the gap with this detailed and emotionally charged biography." --Library Journal

"Apter's narrative is rich with insider details, exploring not only Perkins' musical achievements but also his personal battles and humanitarian efforts. This biography offers readers a comprehensive look at the man who, as Paul McCartney famously said, played a pivotal role in the birth of rock 'n' roll. For those interested in the history of Rock 'n' Roll Highway 67, Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly is a must-read. The book's in-depth exploration of Perkins' career and life provides valuable insight into the legacy of a man whose influence helped shape the sound of rock 'n' roll. Perkins' story is not just a tale of music; it's a testament to the enduring spirit of an artist who, despite the odds, left an indelible mark on the world." --Rock 'n' Roll Highway

"A worthy chronicle of the Sun Records trailblazer. In the absence of your classic arc to glory, perdition and redemption, the author finds virtue instead in Stoic consistency as he pursues a meticulous six-decade chronology of the rockabilly cat's road, every flop album just a pothole en route to, er, another shot of Blue Suede Shoes.' --The Sydney Morning Herald

"An overdue remembrance of a pioneer of American music." --Lincoln Journal Star

"If you are a fan of Carl Perkins, of 'Blue Suede Shoes' days, Jeff Apter's new biography, Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly, is a loving and detailed look at his life, focusing on the deep affection that McCartney, Harrison, and other rock stars had for this gifted and modest man." --Robert Hilburn, author of Johnny Cash: The Life, Paul Simon: The Life, and A Few Words in Defense of Our Country: The Biography of Randy Newman

"This fine biography really does justice to Mr. Blue Suede Shoes!" --Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats

"Carl Perkins was above all else my friend for over twenty-five years. I'm thankful that he is not forgotten. I very much enjoyed the book, which brought back so many memories." --Wes Henley, bandmate and friend of Carl Perkins

"Jeff Apter has succeeded in bringing Carl Perkins to life--not only as a rock and roll pioneer, but as a father, brother, friend, and colleague. In moving prose, Apter tells us about Carl's dirt-poor childhood, his struggle for fame, and his close friendships with Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and, especially, Johnny Cash. Apter practically brings us to tears as we see the Beatles, Carl's biggest fans, introduce him to a new generation of listeners. This is an essential book for fans of rock and its history." --Elizabeth J. Rosenthal, author of His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John and The Master of Drums: Gene Krupa and the Music He Gave the World

"If Elvis Presley was the voice, Carl Perkins was the sound. Not since Nick Tosches's Hellfire has a book on rock 'n' roll's wildest ancestors been laid as bare or with as much impassioned scholarship. With a fresh take on the genre's earliest roots, Jeff Apter's chronicle of rockabilly's favorite son is the real deal--blazing, rocking vignettes and firsthand accounts offer us a front-row seat to the life and art of the guitarist who unabashedly shaped the American rock sound and once gave another king a real run for his money. Apter masterfully reminds us that there would be no rock 'n' roll without the blazing guitar of this great innovator. A must for music fans and crucial for those whose hearts beat rockabilly. Long live Carl Perkins--the original king!" --C. M. Kushins, author of Beast: John Bonham and the Rise of Led Zeppelin

"The first updated biography in decades of one of rockabilly's most important artists has been unveiled. Boasting a foreword by Stray Cats' Slim Jim Phantom, Carl Perkins: The King Of Rockabilly promises new details about the star's private battles, humanitarian work and personal inspirations. . . . Designed to serve as a primer for the uninitiated as well as a go-to source of arcana for rockabilly cultists." --Vintage Rock

"If there's an old-time music lover on your list, check out Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly. Like most good biographies, this book takes readers back to Perkins' childhood and his earliest influences, moving through to the start of his career and his pioneering work, as well as the people he played with, onstage and off. This is the book to give someone who remembers the music of the '50s or the one who wasn't 'there' but still loves those tunes." --The Bookworm Sez

"'Well, it's one for the money, two for the show/three to get ready, now go, cat, go.' That's just what Australian music writer Jeff Apter does in his affectionate, straight-ahead biography Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly. While 'Blue Suede Shoes' became the hit that propelled Carl Perkins to the top of the charts, selling 250,000 copies just one month after its release in January 1956, and became the song with which he became most associated, Perkins went on to write songs such as 'Daddy Sang Bass, ' 'Honey, Don't, ' and 'Dixie Fried' that were cut by many other artists, including Johnny Cash, the Beatles, and Elvis. . . . Will appeal primarily to fans of Perkins, but the book's short and well-paced chapters also serve as a useful introduction to Perkins and his music." --No Depression

"The most impressive part of Apter's biography is not Perkins' career. It is the revelation that Perkins was a genuinely decent man, a faithful husband, devoted father, and loyal friend. Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly shows that while nice guys may not always become the biggest stars, they can nevertheless finish first. It is a biography worth reading." --Ricochet

"Where Apter really excels is putting Perkins' music in perspective. . . . Apter succeeds in showing how much more there was to Perkins than 'Blue Suede Shoes.' Perkins is sometimes labeled a one-hit wonder; Apter easily shows the ridiculousness of that opinion. . . . If you want to know about the rock 'n' roll revolution that came storming out of Sun Records in the 1950s, you can't overlook Carl Perkins. His music was as exciting as any of his peers. . . . Apter delivers the quieter story of this under-celebrated musical hero crisply and succinctly, much like a Carl Perkins song." --Chapter 16

"Apter is clearly a Perkins fan and has undertaken an exhaustive exploration of the life of an innovative guitarist, songwriter and singer who learned his craft by working alongside Black sharecroppers who sang blues and rhythm-and-blues in the fields and listening to the spirituals and country music that surrounded him in Tennessee. No one individual did more to bring about the fusion of these elements to form a new music, rock 'n' roll, than Perkins." --NOLA.com

"I've played Carl Perkins in six productions of Million Dollar Quartet. I wanted to say a sincere thank-you to Jeff Apter for writing Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly. Carl means the world to me, and his book was informative, insightful, and truly touching. I learned a lot and will carry the experience of this book with me in all of my future Million Dollar Quartet and Carl endeavors." --Cason Day, actor, Million Dollar Quartet

About the Author

Jeff Apter is the author of more than 30 books about music and musicians, and his work has been published all around the world. His subjects include Keith Urban, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, AC/DC's Bon Scott and the Young brothers, the Bee Gees, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Cure, and Dave Grohl. He was on staff at Australian Rolling Stone for several years. He lives on the NSW South Coast with his wife and two children, and enough pets to fill a small zoo. Visit him online at JeffApter.com.au.