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Keith Urban Recalls Johnny Cash Concert with His Father That Inspired His New Song 'Wild Hearts'

Keith Urban Recalls Johnny Cash Concert with His Father That Inspired His New Song 'Wild Hearts'

Growing up, Keith Urban wanted his father to look at him the way he looked at Johnny Cash.

In an interview with PEOPLE (the TV Show!)'s special contributor Nancy O'Dell that aired Tuesday, the country singer, 53, opened up about his new autobiographical song "Wild Hearts," and addressed a lyric which recalls a Cash concert he and his late father Bob attended when he was 5 years old.

"Saw the Man in Black / Spotlight in the air / Heard a thousand screams / Saw my daddy stare," Urban sings on the track.

Keith Urban
Keith Urban

Rusty Russell/Getty Keith Urban with his parents Marienne and Bob in 2004

RELATED: Keith Urban Returns to the Stage After 18 Months Thanks to ACM Party for a Cause: 'Real People!'

When asked what it was about the moment that stuck with him, Urban said he was curious to know what special quality Cash had — because he wanted it too.

"Look I probably felt like I wasn't the type to get my dad's attention like that," Urban said. "How come? Like what's going on up there?"

Urban also went on to say that his dad "exposed him to music early on" — though he credits his mom Marienne for his success as well.

"But my mom as well — I mean, she drove me around to all of these singing talent shows," Urban said.

Urban began working on "Wild Hearts" during the lockdown — after a failed attempt at picking up cooking skills.

"I was gonna learn cooking and I said, 'I can't cook!' I think Nic was gonna learn a language and didn't. Yeah, we had all sorts of plans that just ... no," he said of himself and his wife Nicole Kidman, 54.

"That's not true actually, Nic got better at her Italian," he continued.

During the interview, he also discussed his new app called Urban Guitar by Yamaha — where he's nurturing young talent by giving virtual guitar lessons.

Keith Urban
Keith Urban

Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images Keith Urban

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Earlier this month, Urban shared a throwback video from when he was 16 years old and a talent show judge told him he wasn't solo artist material.

"At 16, I'd have thought, for instance, you'd be pretty keen on forming a group," the judge says. "You're a little, um, I think as a solo performer, not quite enough strength!"

Urban also added his own voiceover to the video: "Sometimes, you just gotta prove 'em wrong!"

In August, the "Blue Ain't Your Color" singer returned to the stage for the first time in 18 months at the ACM Party for a Cause concert. He walked out on stage without a guitar, dropped to his knees, soaked in the audience, tapped his heart and beamed.

"Real people!" he finally exclaimed. The sellout crowd, no doubt confirming his observation, responded with a roar.

"It's the most amazing feeling being back on the live stage," Urban added. "This is my first time since February last year."

He performed "Wild Hearts" at the concert.