Keith Urban and Glen Campbell are two of the biggest names in country, the former a contemporary Australian-American artist who has had hits including ‘Somebody Like You’ and ‘Blue Ain’t Your Colour’, and the latter a legend of the genre whose track ‘Wichita Lineman’ is widely credited as being “the first existential country song.” It was no surprise then, that when the duo got together to perform live in 2009, the subsequent performance marked a truly significant moment in country history.

The performance happened at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, as part of Keith’s Escape Together world tour. “Please welcome to the stage to do a little turn with me…Glen Campbell!”, he announced, sending the audience into a frenzy of cheers and screams as the country icon took to the stage. After chatting to the audience for a few minutes, the dynamic duo began to perform an acoustic version of ‘Wichita Lineman’, with Glen on vocals and lead guitar and Keith adding some rhythm.

 

 

As is to be expected of two experienced musicians, the performance itself is incredible, recreating the yearning feel of Glen’s original with a little added live magic. Also adding to the sparkle of the performance, however, is just how in awe Keith is of Glen, clearly having the time of his life playing with the country superstar who he has previously referred to as one of his idols. Glen himself was also clearly a fan of Urban, calling him “the best in the world” before they started playing.

Of course, Glen isn’t the only star who Keith has previously duetted with. In 2013 he played with US rock legend John Mayer at the Crossroads Guitar Festival (which itself was established by guitar god Eric Clapton). The pair gave a guitar-heavy rendition of The Beatles’ track ‘Don’t Let Me Down’, sharing vocal duties and each giving an impressive guitar solo. “They made this song their own,” commented one fan, whilst others described the cover as being even better than The Beatles’ original.

 

 

Both of these videos showcase what a talented musician Keith Urban is, as well as his capacity to collaborate with other artists who operate both inside and outside of his usual genre. His performance with Glen Campbell in 2009 in particular represents this, with his clear respect for his collaborator shining through the entire performance. “Keith Urban isn’t only a talented singer and musician, he’s a fine human being,” reads the video’s top comment from Patricia Guth – and we couldn’t agree more.