Keith Urban Recalls His First Thanksgiving: ‘I Couldn’t Believe the Volume of Food’

"I remember going to this family’s home, they invited me to Thanksgiving, and I couldn’t believe the volume of food. It was insane," he said.

Written by Kelly Brickey
Keith Urban Recalls His First Thanksgiving: ‘I Couldn’t Believe the Volume of Food’
Keith Urban; Photo by Noam Galai/WireImage

As a native Australian, Keith Urban didn’t really understand the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. But his first experience was enough to set him on the pilgrim path for the long run.

The country singer didn’t grow up with the American celebration, making him surprised by the massive feast that comes along with the grateful spirit felt throughout a family’s household. But Urban definitely didn’t complain about the variety of dishes when it came time to dig in and enjoy the meal.

“The first Thanksgiving I ever had here, which was 25 years ago, ‘cause I’ve been here a long time now. But the first one I ever had, I remember going to this family’s home, they invited me to Thanksgiving, and I couldn’t believe the volume of food. It was insane. I’ve never seen so much food in my life,” the superstar recalls. “Then after the food, there was like 12 desserts. I was like, ‘Why are there so many desserts?’ They said, ‘Well, because every Aunt and every Grandma, everybody brought their thing, their special dessert, and you have to try every one of ‘em.’ I’m like, ‘There’s like THREE apple cobblers.’ And they’re like, ‘Yeah, but they’re made by different people and they’re all watching, so you have to make sure you try everything up there.’”

Despite being a bit overwhelmed, the “Female” singer instantly became fond of Turkey Day. “I was in love with Thanksgiving immediately,” Urban says with a laugh.

This year, the recent American Music Award winner plans to spend the holiday with his loved ones at home in Nashville with his mother flying in from Down Under to get acquainted with the festive customs. While he may not plan for 12 desserts this year, he’ll surely enjoy the downtime with his family.