See Keith Urban’s Intimate Acoustic Tribute to George Michael, Bowie
With 2016 now in the rearview mirror, there is, no doubt, a collective hope that 2017 will not be as heartbreaking a year when it comes to losing our cherished musicians. As last year drew to a close, Keith Urban took the stage on December 31st at Nashville’s Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park for a rain-soaked New Year’s Eve concert that included a six-minute performance paying homage to the music legends who died in 2016. (Watch the video below).
Hours later, Urban, who had been accompanied onstage by wife Nicole Kidman, filmed an intimate, solo acoustic performance of the medley from the comfort of his own home. (Watch the clip above.) The medley incorporates George Michael’s “Careless Whisper,” Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and the Eagles’ “Take It Easy,” co-written by the group’s Glenn Frey, who died last January. Urban also reinvents David Bowie’s “Heroes,” Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried” and Prince’s epic “Purple Rain.”
Urban is nominated for three awards at the February 12th Grammys: Best Country Album (Ripcord) and Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song (“Blue Ain’t Your Color”). The singer-guitarist currently has a number of festival appearances booked for the spring.