Fortunate Son: The Unlikely Rise of Keith Urban – Bookreview

15 years ago Liv Carter 8


Fortunate Son: The Unlikely Rise of Keith Urban
Jeff Apter, 2009
William Heinneman: Australia
ISBN# 9781741668087

The title and cover of this book were perfectly chosen; Keith Urban is indeed ‘fortunate’. He was blessed with an insane amount of talent, a supportive family, he met the right people at the right time and was supported while dealing with addiction not once but twice. The picture on the cover is not of one of his trademark smiles in a photoshoot but him, alone, under one spotlight focusing on nothing but his guitar.

When I first heard about this project I was very sceptical. When someone manages to turn his life around I feel they should be allowed to move on from their mistakes so let me start by making clear what this book is not. This is not a rundown of the juicy tabloid stories or a lengthy expose on his not inconsiderable list of mistakes. Instead, it provides a detailed account of the insular and closed-mindedness of Tamworth, the equally unforgiving and judgemental attitude of Nashville, and Keith’s long struggle to conquer the former only as the means to the end of success in the latter. It is an interesting study of the Australian country music scene in the 1970s and 1980s and, through the words of those who were there at the time, an effective analysis of the way Nashville works. If you adapt and conform to the desired sound and look of the time you have a chance and having actual talent is just a nice bonus. Conversely, many very talented musicians never get a look in because they want to stick to their own style rather than “sell out”. This explains how the edgy country-rock from The Ranch turned into the country-pop of the keith urban album with such saccharine hyperglycemia-inducing songs as ‘Your Everything’ and ‘You’re the Only One’. This sacrifice of musical credibility was a way to get public recognition and success but I did start wondering how big The Ranch would be now had narrow-minded Nashville not starved the project to death for being a little bit too much this and not enough that.

‘Fortunate Son’ documents everything from Keith’s very humble musical beginnings in Caboolture, busking on the streets of just about every Australian city, entering and winning Tamworth’s Star Maker Quest (think American Idol or Nashville Star), first tentative trips to Nashville, the move there and how dramatically that went wrong and finally the long slow climb to the career he has now. It shows how Keith could at times put business before music, how success at (quite literally) any cost was the aim even if it meant changing direction to get it, how having people (such as Ansel Davis and Gary Borman) who can see you as a business client first and friend second are essential guides past the many traps of the music industry , how sometimes, sadly, talented artists cannot break into Nashville because they do not want to sacrifice their identity (step forward, James Blundell) and a lot more than my 800 word limit allows me to list.

This biography is written in a lucid and never-pretentious style and though in parts it feels a little rushed, this actually adds to the author’s credibility. He is not out to dazzle the reader with a vocabulary of obscure words or witty turns of phrase, this is just about telling the life story of an artist he obviously cares about and has nothing but the highest respect for.

I did have some problems with this book. There is an apparent contempt for every other American country act (just a reflection of the author’s own prejudice against non-Tamworth material?) which is entirely justified when describing how Garth Brooks bullied his way past many music industry execs, but referring to Reba McEntire and Alabama as “bloodless crossover acts” is just a bit harsh.

Another problem is the shift in focus in the last chapter. After play-by-play accounts of every previous album, what a shame that LPATWCT becomes almost an aside while talk about Nicole takes over. Especially after the author just finished telling off magazines for ignoring Keith’s music in favor of his personal life. ‘Crazy Thing’ is an in parts quite clunky and uncomfortable album which by Keith’s own admission did not turn out as intended so it would have been interesting to find out more about it.

Those who are fans of Keith just because he’s cute will probably find the dry facts of this book very boring but actually this is essential reading for KU fans who are interested in the long, arduous road he traveled down to get to where he is today. Anyone reading this, KU fan or not, cannot help but have enormous respect for what Keith has achieved. And long may it last.

‘Fortunate Son: The Unlikely Rise of Keith Urban’ will be released to Australian bookstores on January 5, 2009 but it can be ordered online via Amazon UK or here.

Thanks to Jeff Apter and Random House for sending me a copy for review.

Liv Carter

Liv Carter

Liv is a career coach for creatives, and the people who work with them.
She holds several certificates from Berklee College of Music, and a certificate in Positive Psychology from UC Berkeley.
Her main influences are coffee, cats, and Alexander Hamilton.
Liv Carter

Latest posts by Liv Carter (see all)