AceShowbiz - Country star Keith Urban had to turn to the generosity of a stranger when he recently found himself short of cash at a New Jersey convenience store.

Ruth Reed was shopping at a Wawa store in Medford last week, ends August 03, when she stepped up to the checkout and offered to help the man in front of her after overhearing him ask a female companion if she had any spare change.

The teacher, who had made a three-year-old resolution to pay it forward to other Wawa shoppers, thought she was helping a down-and-out man, and only realised it was the Australian country singer after making a comment about how much he resembled Nicole Kidman's husband.

Recalling the incident in a post on Facebook, Ruth wrote: "He thanked me and asked my name. I asked him his and he told me it was Keith. I said that he did look like Keith Urban, he said he was."

"I didn't believe him, I asked where Nicole was and who was the lady," she continued. "He told me it was his sister. He finally said that I could ask his bodyguard (to confirm his identity). It was then I realized what an idiot I was."

My favorite story of the day is how my 3rd grade teacher thought @KeithUrban was down on his luck and couldn’t pay for his wawa snacks so she bought them for him. What an angel. pic.twitter.com/mJccVOQWtp

— Olivia Rose Prouse (@liverdiverz) August 4, 2018

Keith ended up taking a photo with Ruth, which she shared alongside the story of their chance meeting.

The singer, who has been married to actress Nicole since 2006, has yet to comment on the fan encounter, but he was passing through Medford en route to his Friday night, August 03 show in nearby Camden, New Jersey.