Keith Urban Talks ‘Strange’ Frustrations of Vocal Rest

Keith Urban is getting ready to return to the stage on Feb. 3 with a performance at the Grand Ole Opry, after being on voice rest for several weeks following surgery to remove a polyp on his vocal cord. While the superstar is thrilled to have the operation behind him, he admits it was a bit more challenging than he anticipated to have to stay silent for so long.

"You have to [go] three weeks [with] no talking, no uttering a sound, and you can't cry, you can't sneeze, you can't cough, you can't clear your throat," he explains to Access Hollywood. "It was a strange three weeks, but I had a dream one night -- it was the strangest thing because I thought, 'What's my voice gonna sound like when I hear it the first time again?'"

Keith was determined to follow doctor's orders but worried that he might unintentionally break the rules, after the particularly vivid dream that had him belting out high notes. "I woke up the next morning and I called the doctor and [asked], 'Would it be possible that I could sing in my sleep?' he questioned. "Because you can't, you're not allowed to, and I was terrified that I was singing in my sleep, singing Leo Sayer songs!"

While the 'You Gonna Fly' singer had the complete support of his wife, movie star Nicole Kidman, he found it challenging to communicate with his two little girls, especially 3-year-old Sunday Rose. "She can't read, so I had that issue too," he explained. "Mum had to communicate."

With his voice back stronger than ever, the entertainer looks ahead to several shows in 2012, including his All for the Hall benefit, which was postponed from its original Jan. 18 date to accommodate his vocal rest.

"My goal for the concert, is really the same as the Hall's," he notes. "To help country fans connect the dots -– to find out where their music came from, how it's evolved (and is still evolving) and to discover the artists that have influenced their favorite artists. Country music is like a big beautiful strange family tree, and nowhere is that more honored than at the Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum."

Joining Keith for the benefit will be Vince Gill, Alabama, Alison Krauss, Rascal Flatts, the Band Perry, Lady Antebellum, Diamond Rio, Little Big Town and the Oak Ridge Boys. Tickets go on sale Jan. 27, and can be purchased here.

#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-384461{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-384461, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-384461{width:570px;height:411px;display:block;}