But For The Grace Of God

Buck Norris sings “But For The Grace Of God” by Keith Urban. Born in New Zealand, Keith Urban learned to play guitar as a six-year-old in Australia, after a young woman asked to place an ad in his dad’s shop window offering guitar lessons. His parents made a deal with her that they would advertise in return for lessons for their young son. The boy had natural ability. By the time he was eight, Urban was winning talent shows. He also was involved in a youth acting company that required him to sing, dance, and memorize lines, all of which led to the ease on-stage, which would serve him well in his music career. With his father deeply interested in American culture and country music, it was also natural that Urban would gravitate toward country music early on, when he was influenced by the singing of Glen Campbell, Dolly Parton, and Don Williams, and the songwriting of Jimmy Webb (“Galveston”). Urban added his own dimension to those influences when he discovered Dire Straits, and became interested in the guitar playing of Mark Knopfler and Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham, embarking on in-depth study and endless practice of their techniques. At the start of the ’90s, Australian country music was primed for a revolution. Keith Urban — young, brash, blonde, rock-ish — was part of that revolution. His first album saw him win several major awards. Throughout his rise Urban always had his eye on Nashville in the USA That’s where the music in his heart was born and still lived …
Video Rating: 5 / 5

(Gold) Huey Lewis and the American Express evolved out of the Monday Nite Live sessions in the winter of 1978. In May 1979 they attracted the attention of their later manager Bob Brown at their first actual gig as Huey Lewis and The American Express. Before this gig the band had been looking for other catchy band names. One of their choices being The Fools – a name they rapidly dropped when an English band with the same name released a single. Eventually they decided to call themselves Huey Lewis and (the) American Express. Under this name they recorded a demo at Different Fur Music in San Francisco (see Monday Nite Live entry) and released the single ‘Exodisco/Kick Back’ on Phonogram in the UK. The single was making fun of the Exodus movie theme (you might remember in ’78 disco was hip) and although it didn’t turn out to be a hit, it secured the band their first recording contract with Chrysalis which led to their first album as Huey Lewis and the News in 1980. Mark Karan was a member of “Huey Lewis and American Express” briefly when Chris left to play with his sister Bonnie in “The Punts”.
Video Rating: 5 / 5