Urban pays tribute to wife Kidman

Country singer Keith Urban

Country singer Keith Urban paid tribute to his wife, Australian actress Nicole Kidman, on Friday for the support she gave him as he was treated for alcohol dependency last year.

Urban checked into the Betty Ford Clinic for alcohol abuse last October, just four months after a lavish, beach-side wedding to the Hollywood star.

Urban, 39, who had spent time in rehabilitation 1998 after battling drug and alcohol problems, said he knew he was spiraling out of control again and needed help.

"It is nothing to do with contentedness and happiness because I had all of that," Urban told NBC television's "Today" show in what was billed as his first television interview since ending his three-month stint in rehab.

"I wasn't doing what I should be doing to maintain the road that I was on previously. ... It just became time. I could see where it was going."

The Grammy-winning music star, who won the best male vocalist of 2006 at the Country Music Association awards in Nashville, said he was "really grateful" for all the support he received, especially from Kidman.

"We've gone through a lot. She's been extraordinary," said New Zealand-born Urban.

He said they learned a lot about each other during this time. "It's not really a sound bite what was learned but it is very profound," he said.

While in rehab, Urban's latest album "Love, Pain and the whole crazy thing" was released and soared to the top of the Billboard Country Albums Chart -- even though he personally was unable to promote the album.

"I'm just going to skip promotion from now on," joked Urban who is embarking on a world tour in April.