Gretchen Wilson is an even bigger fan of Keith Urban after working with him on The Road. The reality TV talent show, which debuted on Sunday, October 19, stars Wilson as the tour manager, and Urban as the headlining act all of the contestants open for while on the road. Blake Shelton is the executive producer, along with Taylor Sheridan.
“Man, I was really in awe of him,” Wilson shares on Taste of Country. Wilson goes on to reveal what she admires so much in Urban, something that can often be rare with successful artists.
“The professionalism. He’s just so laser-focused when it comes to the work and the job and the schedule, and the way that he treated these musicians on set,” Wilson boasts. “He’s a super busy man but he gave them a lot of his time. He gave them a lot of his expertise, even when he didn’t have to be there during soundcheck he was there, helping me out.”
“I remember actually saying to him on set one day, I was like, ‘Just getting to know you kind of makes me want to be a better me. Your work ethic is incredible,'” she adds.
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Gretchen Wilson Defends Keith Urban Amid His Divorce From Nicole Kidman
Urban and his wife of 19 years, Nicole Kidman, recently split. The end of their marriage has been the subject of media outlets all around the world. According to Wilson, the attention to their personal lives is not only irrelevant, but also inappropriate.
“I think the people that ask those sorts of questions might maybe wanna turn the question inward, and figure out how much they’d like their own personal stuff being meddled with,” Wilson reflects. “I think it’s sort of a ridiculous thing for people to want to know.”
“I get it,” she adds. “We’re celebrities and people want to know what we’re doing behind closed doors and all the stuff that’s going on. But really, it’s an uncomfortable place to be, and it’s not what we do for a living.”
What Keith Urban Says About Gretchen Wilson
The admiration between Urban and Wilson goes both ways. It’s Shelton who hand-picked Wilson to be part of The Road, a job Urban says is perfect for her.
“She’s hilarious,” Urban tells Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “She’s the tour manager on the whole show. So her job is getting them in and out of hotels, and getting them to rehearsals.”
“She’s honest and tough as nails,” he continues. “She’s no bullsh– … Doesn’t care. Unfiltered. Perfect. That’s what you need in that role. And you live and die by their choices. No one’s telling them what to sing. They don’t have a stylist. They choose the cover. They have to do an original, and they gotta wow the crowd every night. It’s a lot of fun.”
The Road airs on Sunday nights at 9:00 PM ET on CBS.