Keith Urban Reflects on the First Time He Met Dolly Parton: ‘It Was Surreal’
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Keith Urban was thinking back during his his final visit to the Ellen show Tuesday (May 17). More specifically, he reflected on his first time singing with Dolly Parton, who was recently announced as part of the Rock Hall’s Class of 2022. During the interview, host Ellen DeGeneres noted Urban has now appeared on the show 20 times.
During the chat, host Ellen DeGeneres mentioned that Urban has appeared on her show — which is ending later this month — 20 times, and also brought up a recent interview with Parton in which she named Urban as a performer she would love to sing a duet with, with the country icon saying that Urban reminded her of her brothers.
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“It’s so sweet,” Urban commented. “I come from working-class parents and a rural kind of background in Australia, and the first time I met Dolly — she’s sung with me a few times — and the first time I met her it was surreal, because, I mean, I grew up singing her songs. As a matter of fact, I sang her songs because I was nine years old, and my voice hadn’t broken yet, and I sounded like her — I could sing in her key.”
Urban also obliged a request from DeGeneres to sing a song, offering up a rendition of his 2016 hit “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”
Later in the show, Urban gifted Ellen with the guitar he was playing. “This is a 1960 Gibson Les Paul Jr. that I’ve had for a long time. It’s on a lot of records, shout-out to all my family at the Opry in Nashville,” he said, revealing that he wrote a message to the comedian on the guitar.
The message read, “Dearest darling Ellen, you’ve been a believer in me and my music since 2004, when I first came on your show. Today is the 20th time you’ve invited me to be here. I’m deeply grateful for all the years of laughs, conversations, weird a– cologne commercials and your passionate support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I wish you the love and light on your journey ahead. Your friend, always, Keith Urban.”
Nicole Kidman, Urban’s wife, also signed the guitar.
Watch the interview below:
