Without his late father, Keith Urban never would have made it to Nashville.
During a visit to "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that will air Wednesday, Urban gave full credit to his dad — who died in December after a battle with cancer — for shaping his love of country music.
"Our record collection was all American country music, and that's really what pointed me in the direction of Nashville," he explained.
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Urban has given props to his father throughout his career. "Song for Dad" on his 2009 album "Golden Road" includes these lyrics: "The older I get the more I can see / How much he loved my mother and my brother and me / And he did the best that he could / And I only hope when I have my own family / That every day I see / A little more of my father in me."
And last February, Urban shared a photo of himself and his dad on Facebook:
At his father's funeral, the 48-year-old musician and "American Idol" judge drove his father's beloved Lincoln Continental while another guest rode a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, acknowledging Robert's delight in motorcycles.
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Urban also told DeGeneres he would be going out on a worldwide tour. He invited the entire studio audience to come see him play in Los Angeles, which of course led to widespread screaming.
Dad would definitely be proud.
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