Keith Urban on Have A Go Show, 1980

Before he became a global country music star, Keith Urban was a young talent honing his skills on Aussie TV. In 1983, he stepped onto Bert Newton’s New Faces, but even earlier, he wowed audiences on Jimmy Hannan’s Have a Go Show. 

Urban appeared on the program twice, approaching the judges with charm and humility. Credited onscreen as 'Urbahn', he holds the stage with a commanding performance of a recent country hit, 'Dancing the Night Away'. The 13-year-old Urban sells the more grown-up song lyrics with his confident delivery. 

His first performance on the show survived a sharp critique by judge Bernard King. King even gave Urban a backhanded compliment on his second appearance, praising his talent but warning him not to fall into the 'mediocrity of country music'. 

With a career that’s taken him from Australia to the world stage, we’d say Urban made the right call (and there’s nothing mediocre about it).

See more Australian stars before they were famous