Keith Urban Hugs Oklahoma Army Wife Over Poster

Lacie Lowry, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- An Oklahoma army wife can't stop smiling after country music star Keith Urban hugged her on stage.

It happened last week at his Tulsa concert, and the reason she got picked out of the entire crowd, were the words she wrote on a poster.

Leslie Hagelberg has a full-time job and is taking care of three kids while her husband serves our country.

Last Thursday, Urban was reading different posters in the Tulsa audience when he read Leslie's. It said, "My better half is in Afghanistan, I need a hug."

"I was just like in shock obviously and so instantly I gave my poster to my friend when he said come up and I hopped over a row of seats and made my way through people," said Leslie Hagelberg, 45th Infantry Brigade Wife.

She was in such a rush, she lost a shoe. The fan's fairytale moment hit a crescendo when she mentioned her husband's brigade.

"The crowd just started standing up and clapping and it was overwhelming. I was really proud at that moment for my husband and his soldiers that he's with and also it made me feel good just to know that all these people were thinking about our troops," she said.

Her husband, Terry, is on his third tour, this time to eastern Afghanistan. He's with his unit based out of Alva. Terry and Leslie have been married nine years and have three kids.

"I really needed a hug, I did, and I needed a hug. You know, when you're spouse or somebody you depend on is not here to help you through rough times, it's hard," Terry said.

Especially when her stepdad, Perry firefighter Kyle King, collapsed while fighting a fire on July 29th. He died August 7th. The funeral was the week before the concert.

"It was just a rough month, I felt kind of beat up and really, getting the hug, really did help out," she said.

Leslie just found out some great news. Her husband gets to come home on a two-week leave from Afghanistan and could arrive in less than a week.