Keith Urban Reveals How He Convinced His Parents to Let Him Quit School at 15 to Pursue Music

Keith Urban’s parents were all for him taking an unlikely path. During a conversation with Russell Dickerson at CMA Fest, the country star revealed how he convinced his parents to let him quit school at 15 to pursue his dream of being a musician.

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When he was just 15, Urban revealed, he was failing every class—including music—while playing in a band four nights per week.

“I had to go to my mom and dad and say, ‘Can I quit school?’ They said, ‘Yeah,’ which is amazing,” Urban said. “I was playing in a band on the weekend. They would play without me during the week because I was going to school.”

As for how he approached the big ask, Urban recalled, “I said to my mom, ‘I’ve been playing guitar since I was six. I’m 15. Obviously, this is what I’m going to do. If I quit school, I could do four or five nights a week, earning good money, learning the craft.’”

Urban’s parents “saw clearly” what could come for him, and supported his choice to quit school. They didn’t, however, do so without conditions.

“It wasn’t like they said, ‘Yeah, you can quit school, sit on a couch and do nothing,’” Urban said.

Keith Urban’s Huge Career

Instead, Urban set off to start pursuing his dreams. In his teenage years, Urban played shows solo, as well as in duos, trios, and bands. He also served as a musical director and playing guitar for different acts.

It’s safe to say it all paid off for Urban, who’s won four Grammys, as well as multiple CMA and ACM Awards. He’s also had 21 No. 1 hits on country radio.

Next, up Urban will take the stage on night two of CMA Fest, alongside artists including Blake Shelton, Shaboozey, The Red Clay Strays, and Cody Johnson.

Later this month, Urban will release his latest album, Flow State. The LP, which is due out June 12, “started as a fun little project and somehow turned into a full-fledged album,” Urban revealed on Instagram.

Featuring 10 yacht rock covers—including collaborations with John Mayer and Little Big Town—the LP will also include one original track, “We Go Back,” with Michael McDonald.

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