Keith Urban is honoring his musical hero, Dolly Parton. Urban and Parton were both recently inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame, where Urban praised Parton, and her influence on his life.
“She’s just … fearless and a trailblazer and just such a one of one,” Urban tells People. “And I think she continues to remind every artist that it’s just about expression and following your creative path and being fearless in it.”
“She is a perfect prime example of always trying something different,” he adds. “I never think of her as pushing the envelope. I think about her not letting anything get in the way of the envelope.”
Parton received the Industry Icon Award. Other honorees include Dann Huff, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, John Boylan, Leland Sklar, Michael McDonald, and Nicky Hopkins (posthumously).
Posted by The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum on Friday, May 1, 2026
Keith Urban Announces New Yacht Rock Album, ‘Flow State’
Urban just announced his new yacht rock album, Flow State. The record will be available on June 12. Urban didn’t plan on making an album of yacht rock music. But after spending nine months working on his new Nashville studio, Urban wanted to record something in the new space before he went on tour.
“There was no big preconceived idea,” Urban reveals on SiriusXM‘s The Highway. “We recorded two songs, and the session band came in, and we all looked at each other, and we went, ‘These sound really good.’ And [producer] Dann Huff looks at me, he goes, ‘You got any more?’ And I’m like, ‘There’s a lot of them. I mean, let’s do a couple more.’ So I went on tour, and a few weeks later, we reassembled the band. We did a couple more, and I thought, ‘Well, maybe we’ve got an EP. That’d be fun. Just something fun.’ And then it just kept growing and growing over the course of four, five, six months, and we ended up with a whole album.”
What Keith Urban Said About Moving In a New Musical Direction
The Grand Ole Opry member hinted earlier this year that he was working on a new project, one that wasn’t country.
“I’ve sort of rediscovered a big love for songs that would fit into the yacht rock category,” Urban reveals on Apple Music 1. “All that music I really, really love. That might be a little precursor to something I’ve got coming out down the track – just FYI. Some of my own music might have something to do with that.”
Urban listens all kinds of music, which is what influenced his decision to create Flow State.
“People ask me a lot [about] what I listen to, and I listen to everything,” Urban says. “I love all kinds of music, all kinds of artists. I like to defy the algorithms. I like unexpected artists – someone I would not have expected to like. That’s the thing about word of mouth, someone hipping you to an artist. Discovering new artists I absolutely love.”
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