International superstar Keith Urban began his stellar career in a somewhat subdued setting: playing before an appreciative audience of friends and family in his native Australia. Urban relates the story to GAC's Nan Kelley during a segment of her exclusive conversation, Stage Left with Keith Urban & the Love, Pain and The Whole Crazy World Tour, airing July 14 at 9 p.m. ET on Great American Country television network.


After picking up his first guitar at age 6, Urban tells Kelley he would trek over to a local dog racing park to gather used betting tickets.


"I would collect a bunch of those and give them out to my family to come and see me play in the bedroom, and I would stand up in this old closet and do a few songs," Urban says with a sheepish grin.


Keith Urban now plays before millions of adoring fans worldwide. He recently opened the North American leg of his "Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy World Tour" in Phoenix, Ariz., where Kelley caught up with him.


An accomplished guitarist himself, Urban picks many of his hits on an aging Fender Telecaster he calls "Clarence."


"It is named after the angel in that movie 'It's a Wonderful Life,'" Urban says. "I always intended on naming [my other guitars], but I never got around to it."


While Urban is considered one of the top guitarists in country music today, he concedes he can always get better and tells Kelley he would like to tap the fingers of one particular colleague.


"Brad Paisley is probably the finest guitarist in Nashville. He's insane. He does things I just can't figure out, and he is so underrated," Urban says.


Keith Urban is GAC's Artist of the Month. A special section at GACTV.com includes additional information on the show, video interview clips, a Keith Urban trivia challenge, tour dates and more exclusive content.


Stage Left with Keith Urban & the Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy World Tour premieres on GAC Saturday, July 14 at 9 p.m.