| Keith Urban Joined Onstage by 8-year-old Guitarist |
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 When Keith Urban played Louisville, Kentucky's Freedom Hall, Matthew Pinkham came prepared. The eight-year-old, accompanied by his mother, brought his guitar and a sign that read "i want to play 'kiss a girl' w/u."“When Matthew was 4, he was diagnosed with a rare bone disease called Perthes," said Matthew's mother, Betty Pinkham. "His doctors [told him] no sports, no running, no walking or playing.” That wasn't enough to stop Matthew. “I would catch him bouncing on my furniture playing ‘air guitar’ to Dierks Bentley and Keith Urban," she said. The two reached a bargain: Becky would buy Matthew a guitar if he would sit still and learn to play it. “At this time, Matthew’s legs didn’t even dangle off of the chair at lessons—they just shot straight out in front of him,” Pinkham remembers. “He’s reaching the floor now, I believe.” Matthew, who is now fully mobile, had been playing along with Urban's "Defying Gravity" when he got the chance to see the country singer perform live. “A nice gentleman kept holding Matthew up and I believe Keith saw his sign a few time," Pinkham said. “Then, all of a sudden, ‘Kiss a Girl’ began. I kept telling him it was too late.” But Urban had a surprise for them. "Keith started motioning for Matthew to come up. I’m sure Keith was initially thinking, ‘Sure, kiddo, bring your little toy guitar up here and stand beside me . . .’ But Matthew walked up and started picking his six-string like he had been performing in front of thousands of people for years,” she said. “Matthew was 100% at ease. He said he wasn’t a bit nervous.” |