Keith Urban Opens Up About Vocal Struggles
It may have taken years for Urban to get a check on his vocal cords, but the experience boosted his confidence within his singing.
Although Keith Urban may be known as one of the most unique vocalists in country music during this generation, it took a lot of work and recovery to keep his voice alive throughout his time in the business.
Years of strain and lack of a healthy lifestyle led Urban to go under the knife for surgery to remove a polyp. Just like any medical procedure, the singer rested his cords for weeks and needed to regain strength in order to sing ever again.
At first, Urban resisted any look at his vocal cords out of fear that his career would come to an end. Nicole Kidman urged him to at least talk to a friend going through the same ordeal, so the country star reached out to John Mayer for guidance. After hearing Mayer’s story of recovery after surgery, Urban felt his confidence go up.
“I didn’t realize how much low-grade depression I was really living with. My voice was vulnerable, so it made me insecure and made everything in my life vulnerable. When you healed it and fixed it the way you did, I felt my entire spirit and life lift. I got stressed way less, I didn’t have anxiety. It had such a profound effect on my whole being and world. That’s how important my voice is to me,” Urban admitted to his doctor, Dr. Steven Zeitels, during The Voice Health Institute’s Raise Your Voice Gala (quote via Billboard).
Right after Urban took the initiative to take care of his voice, he felt a huge wave of freedom and continues to listen to the doctor’s orders to better himself.
Thankfully, Urban’s vocals are up to par enough to head out on the road with Kelsea Ballerini this summer for the Graffiti U Tour. Dates and tickets are available through Urban’s website.
