Country singer Keith Urban had to leave 'American Idol' temporarily earlier this summer following the death of his wife Nicole Kidman's father and vocal powerhouse Adam Lambert stepped in to replace him.

Now, Urban has opened up about how grateful he is to have such a talented and wise artist fill his shoes and told Billboard that the 'Trespassing' sensation did an amazing job: 

“Adam Lambert stepped up and filled in for me. It was an amazing thing to see that support. I am very grateful, and I don’t take those things for granted. You would think people would have a heart. When I saw it in action with all of the network at FOX and all of the people involved with Idol, and then of course my fan base, it was an extraordinary thing.”

Referring to Kidman's father's death, Urban added: "The loss of Nic’s dad was huge. I can’t even describe what that moment was like for our family. I was very, very close to Nic’s dad.”

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Watch a clip of Lambert judging on 'American Idol' here: