Blake Shelton Biography
Summary
"Blake Tollison Shelton" (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music artist. In 2001, he made his debut with the single 'Austin'. Released as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, 'Austin' went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the "Billboard" Hot Country Songs charts. This song was the first single from his gold-certified debut album, which also produced two more Top 20 hits. Although the album was released on Giant Records Nashville, Shelton was transferred to Warner Bros. Records Nashville after Giant closed in late 2001.
His second and third albums, 2003's "The Dreamer" (his first for Warner Bros. proper) and 2004's "Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill", were each certified gold as well. Shelton's fourth album, "Pure BS", was issued in 2007, and re-issued in 2008 with a cover of Michael Bublé's pop hit 'Home' as one of the bonus tracks. This cover was also that album's third single. A fifth album, "Startin' Fires", was released in November 2008. He is currently a vocal coach on the NBC reality talent show "The Voice" with Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Cee Lo Green.
Overall, Shelton has charted seventeen singles on the country charts, including eight Number One hits: 'Austin' (2001), 'The Baby' (2003), 'Some Beach' (2004-2005), 'Home' (2008), 'She Wouldn't Be Gone' (2009), 'Hillbilly Bone' (2010), a duet with Trace Adkins, 'All About Tonight' (2010), and 'Who Are You When I'm Not Looking' (2011). Additionally, three more of his singles have reached Top Ten: a cover version of Conway Twitty's 'Goodbye Time', 'Nobody but Me', and 'I'll Just Hold On.'
Early life
Shelton was born in Ada, Oklahoma to Dick, a used car dealer, and Dorothy, a beauty salon owner. He began singing at an early age and by age 12, he learned to play guitar. By age sixteen, Shelton had received a Denbo Diamond Award in his home state. On November 13, 1990, his older stepbrother Richie, who was 24 at the time, died in a car accident. He has an older sister, Endy.
At age 17, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee in pursuit of a recording career.
Musical career
Shelton performing at the Crawford City Fair in August 2005
1998-2002: "Blake Shelton"
After several years in Nashville, he signed to Giant Records in 1998. In 2001, he was slated to release a song entitled 'I Wanna Talk About Me' as a single. Staff at the label considered the song unsuitable for a lead-off single, however, and the song was eventually recorded by Toby Keith, whose version was a Number One hit.
Instead, Giant released 'Austin' as Shelton's debut single. Shortly after its release, however, Giant Records was dissolved, and Shelton was transferred to Warner Bros. Records, the parent company. 'Austin' went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. His self-titled debut album also produced the #18 'All Over Me' (which Shelton co-wrote with fellow country artist Earl Thomas Conley) and the #14 'Ol' Red', which was a cover version of a George Jones song. Although Shelton's rendition of 'Ol' Red' was not a major radio hit, he considers it his signature song, and it has become popular in concert. "Blake Shelton" is certified gold by the RIAA.
2002-2003: "The Dreamer"
Shelton's second album, "The Dreamer", was first released on February 4, 2003 on Warner Bros. Records. Its lead-off single, 'The Baby', reached Number One on the country charts, holding that position for three weeks. Although the second and third singles ('Heavy Liftin" and 'Playboys of the Southwestern World', respectively) only reached #32 and #24, "The Dreamer" earned gold certification as well. He, along with Andy Griggs and Montgomery Gentry, sang guest vocals on Tracy Byrd's mid-2003 single 'The Truth About Men'.
2004-2006: "Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill"
"Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill" was the title of Shelton's third studio album, released in 2004. Its lead-off single, the Harley Allen co-write 'When Somebody Knows You That Well', peaked at #37 on the country charts, while the follow-up 'Some Beach' became his third #1 hit, holding that position for four weeks. It was followed by a cover of Conway Twitty's 1988 single 'Goodbye Time'. Both this cover and its followup, 'Nobody but Me', reached Top Ten for Shelton as well. As with his first two albums, "Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill" was certified gold. Accompanying the album's release was a video collection entitled "Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill: A Video Collection".
On December 18, 2005, several of Shelton's songs, including 'Nobody but Me', appeared on the TV movie "The Christmas Blessing", starring Neil Patrick Harris, Rebecca Gayheart, Angus T. Jones, and Rob Lowe. Shelton had a small role at the end of the movie, playing himself at a benefit concert, singing 'Nobody but Me'.
2006-2008: "Pure BS"
Shelton issued his fourth studio album, "Pure BS", in early 2007. Unlike with his first three albums, which were produced entirely by Bobby Braddock, Shelton worked with Braddock, Brent Rowan, and Paul Worley as producers for this album. Its first two singles - 'Don't Make Me' and 'The More I Drink' - were both Top 20 hits on the country charts, respectively reaching #12 and #19. Also in late 2007, Shelton made appearances on television shows: first as a judge on the talent competition "Nashville Star", and later on "Clash of the Choirs".
"Pure BS" was re-released in 2008 with three bonus tracks, including a cover of Michael Bublé's hit single 'Home'. This cover, released in early 2008 as the album's third single, became his fourth #1 hit in July.
2008-2009: "Startin' Fires"
'Home' was followed in August 2008 by the single 'She Wouldn't Be Gone', his 14th chart entry and his fifth No. 1 hit. It was the first time in his career that he had two consecutive Number Ones. 'She Wouldn't Be Gone' is the lead-off to Shelton's fifth studio album, "Startin' Fires," which has also produced the single 'I'll Just Hold On.' This album also includes 'Bare Skin Rug,' a duet with Lambert. It was produced by Scott Hendricks, except for one track which was produced by Brent Rowan, and another ('I Don't Care', which carried over from "Pure BS") was produced by Braddock.
2009-2011: "Hillbilly Bone" and "All About Tonight"
After 'I'll Just Hold On' fell off the chart in October 2009, Blake Shelton released a duet with Trace Adkins titled 'Hillbilly Bone.' It was the lead-off single on Shelton's EP, "Hillbilly Bone", released on March 2, 2010 through Reprise Records Nashville. After 'Hillbilly Bone' reached #1 in February, came the August release of 'All About Tonight', the lead-off single to his EP of the same name. In September, he released the second single from "All About Tonight", 'Who Are You When I'm Not Looking', his 18th single release. He released his first greatest hits album, "Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton" in November 2010.
Shelton was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry during the September 28, 2010 'Country Comes Home' concert celebrating reopening of the Grand Ole Opry House after the Cumberland River flooded the Opry House in May 2010. The formal invitation was extended on his Twitter account and was announced by Opry star Trace Adkins. He was formally inducted by Adkins at the Saturday, October 23, 2010 Opry performance.
Blake Shelton appeared on the 44th Annual Country Music Awards on November 10, 2010 where he performed 'All About Tonight' and won Male Vocalist of the Year.
Shelton will serve as a judge/coach to singers on the 2011 NBC reality television series "The Voice".
2011-present: "Honey Bee"
Blake Shelton will release an as of yet titled album on July 12, 2011, led by the single, 'Honey Bee'
Personal life
Shelton was married to longtime girlfriend Kaynette Williams on November 17, 2003. They were divorced in 2006. As of 2006, he began dating fellow country singer Miranda Lambert, whom he met at the CMT's 100 Greatest Duets Concert. They are now engaged, as he announced on June 9, 2010 at the CMT Video Awards. Lambert also sang background vocals on his cover of Michael Bublé's song, 'Home.' Shelton's version of the song was a No. 1 single on the Hot Country Songs chart. Blake proposed to Lambert after asking her father for his blessing on May 9, 2010.
He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on November 24, 2010.
Allegations of homophobia
Shelton faced allegations of homophobia and supporting violence against gays after tweeting 'Re-writing my fav Shania Twain song..Any man that tries Touching my behind He's gonna be a beaten, bleedin', heaving kind of guy'. He later apologized for the tweet, stating 'It honestly wasn't even meant that way...But when it comes to gay/lesbian rights or just feelings...I love everybody'.
Discography
;Studio albums
"Blake Shelton" (2001)
"The Dreamer" (2003)
"Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill" (2004)
"Pure BS" (2007)
"Startin' Fires" (2008)
;Extended plays
"Blake Shelton: Collector's Edition" (2008)
"Hillbilly Bone" (2010)
"All About Tonight" (2010)
;Compilation albums
"Blake Shelton - The Essentials" (2009)
"Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton" (2010)
External links
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Blake Shelton.
