Words by Blake Shelton is one of country music’s most successful stars of the 21st century and one of television’s most familiar personalities. His string of No. 1 hits and his long run on NBC’s “The Voice” made him a household name far beyond Nashville.
Early life
Blake Tollison Shelton was born on June 18, 1976, in Ada, Oklahoma. He began singing as a child and won Oklahoma’s Denbo Diamond Award for young entertainers as a teenager. At 17, he moved to Nashville to pursue a music career, working as a songwriter while waiting for his break.
Breakthrough
Shelton’s debut single, “Austin,” spent five weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s country chart in 2001 and launched his career. His early albums produced more hits, including “The Baby” and “Some Beach.”
A run of No. 1s
Shelton’s career reached new heights in the late 2000s and 2010s. Songs such as “Home,” “Hillbilly Bone” with Trace Adkins, “Honey Bee,” “God Gave Me You,” “Drink on It,” “Boys ‘Round Here,” “Sangria,” “Came Here to Forget,” “God’s Country” and “Nobody But You,” a duet with Gwen Stefani, topped the charts. In all he has collected more than two dozen country No. 1 singles.
He won the Country Music Association’s male vocalist of the year award five years in a row, from 2010 to 2014, and its entertainer of the year award in 2012. He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2010.
The Voice
Shelton was one of the four original coaches when “The Voice” premiered on NBC in 2011, alongside Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera and CeeLo Green. His dry humor, self-deprecating jokes and good-natured feud with Levine became central to the show’s appeal.
Over 23 seasons, Shelton won a record nine times, more than any other coach. He left the show in 2023, ending a 12-year run that had made him one of the most recognizable faces on network television.
Other television
Shelton has hosted the competition series “Barmageddon” and appeared in animated films such as “The Angry Birds Movie” and “UglyDolls,” the latter alongside Gwen Stefani.
Ole Red
In partnership with Ryman Hospitality Properties, Shelton opened the first Ole Red restaurant and music venue in his adopted hometown of Tishomingo, Oklahoma, in 2017. The brand, named after one of his songs, expanded to Nashville’s Lower Broadway and other locations, offering live country music and Southern food.
Personal life
Shelton married Gwen Stefani in 2021 at his ranch in Oklahoma. The two met as coaches on “The Voice” and have recorded several duets. He was previously married to fellow country singer Miranda Lambert.
Giving back
Shelton has hosted benefit concerts for tornado victims in Oklahoma, including a 2013 telethon after the Moore tornado, and has supported veterans’ groups and children’s charities.
Style and persona
Shelton’s onstage persona, a laid-back, joking Oklahoman who loves fishing and hunting, has been central to his appeal. He has said he never set out to change himself for television, and fans responded to his willingness to poke fun at himself and at the music business.
Songwriting roots
Before he became a star, Shelton spent years in Nashville learning the craft of songwriting, mentored by veteran songwriter Bobby Braddock, who later produced his early records. That apprenticeship shaped his respect for traditional country songs, and he has often spoken about the importance of the writers behind the hits, even as his own sound grew more contemporary and radio-friendly.
Legacy
With dozens of hits, numerous industry awards and a record-setting television run, Shelton has bridged country music and mainstream entertainment. His success on “The Voice” brought country music to millions of viewers who might not otherwise have tuned in.