Urban back on stage after surgery (From The Oxford Times)

Urban back on stage after surgery

6:16am Saturday 4th February 2012 in Entertainment News © Press Association 2011

Keith Urban has turned to the stage during The Grand Ole Opry on Friday night, his first public appearance since vocal surgery late last year.

He played three songs and an encore. He was joined by a string quartet on Long Hot Summer, then sang Making Memories of Us microphone-free with the audience.

The 44-year-old Australian had a polyp removed from a vocal cord last November.

His last public performance was at a taping for the CMA Country Christmas television special in mid-November.

The surgery forced Urban to postpone the tail end of his 2011 tour and his All For The Hall benefit for the Country Music Hall of Fame.