How Africa News
Blake Shelton, who was born in 1976 in Ada, Oklahoma, traveled to Nashville at the age of 17 in order to pursue a career as a country music songwriter. By 2001, he had achieved success on his own with the No. 1 hit “Austin.” Shelton enjoyed years of success, which led to his appointment in 2011 to the coaching and judging panel of The Voice on television. Shelton, who has won several accolades, released his 11th studio album, Texoma Shore, in 2017.
Early Years
On June 18, 1976, Blake Tollison Shelton was born in Ada, Oklahoma. At the age of 16, Shelton began performing on the bar circuit, receiving statewide notice and winning Oklahoma’s top prize for young performers, the Denbo Diamond Award. He moved to Nashville two weeks after receiving his high school diploma in 1994 in order to begin a songwriting career.
Albums & Songs
‘Austin,’ ‘All Over Me,’ ‘Ol’ Red’
Once in Nashville, Shelton sold the songs he had written to various music publishers, and he eventually signed a recording deal with Giant Records as a solo artist. He soon topped the country music charts with the song “Austin,” which maintained the top spot for five weeks. His music was a conventional blend of blue-collar rock tunes and country ballads. After Giant Records went out of business, Warner Bros. published his self-titled first album in 2002, and the hits “All Over Me” and “Ol’ Red” helped the record reach gold status.
‘The Dreamer,’ ‘Pure BS’
Shelton’s The Dreamer was released in February 2003, and its lead hit, “The Baby,” spent three weeks at the top of the country music charts. The Dreamer achieved gold status after the album’s second and third singles, “Heavy Liftin'” and “Playboys of the Southwestern World,” both charted in the top 50. Blake Shelton started publishing a series of successful albums in 2004, starting with Blake Shelton’s Barn & Grill. His third No. 1 success, “Some Beach,” the album’s second single, plus the top-10 hits “Goodbye Time” and “Nobody but Me” helped the album earn gold status.
Blake Shelton’s Barn & Grill: A Video Collection, a companion video collection to the record, was also released by Shelton.Early in 2007, Pure BS was released, and its opening two songs, “Don’t Make Me” and “The More I Drink,” both peaked in the top 20 of the country charts. Shelton made his reality television debut in the same year, first participating as a judge on Nashville Star and subsequently on Clash of the Choirs.
‘Startin’ Fires,’ ‘Loaded’
Hillbilly Bone and All About Tonight were released by Shelton in 2010, while Startin’ Fires, a full-length album, was released by Shelton in 2009. Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton, his debut greatest hits album, was published in the same year. At the 2010 Grand Ole Opry, he went on to receive a number of honors, including those from the Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Association, and CMT Music.
‘Red River Blue’ and Becoming a Judge on ‘The Voice’
Shelton presented his new album, Red River Blue, in 2011 and also joined the panel of judges for the reality singing competition The Voice. It was his first Billboard 200 No. 1 album and debuted at the top. Three No. 1 singles from the album, “Honey Bee,” “God Gave Me You,” and “Drink on It,” were also produced.
Shelton joined up for The Voice’s third season in 2012. In October 2012, he also made available the festive CD Cheers, It’s Christmas.
‘Based on a True Story’
Shelton completed his fourth season as a judge/coach on the popular reality television program The Voice in 2013 and released his eighth studio album, Based on a True Story… On the program, he shared the stage with Usher, Shakira, and Adam Levine. In 2013, Shakira and Usher took over as the series’ judges and coaches in place of Christina Aguilera and Cee-Lo Green. Shelton coached the victor for the third time on the show. Texan teen Danielle Bradbery won The Voice’s fourth season with the highest score.
In November of that year, Shelton won two significant CMA awards. The Based on a True Story… album won Album of the Year from the Country Music Association, and he was voted Male Vocalist of the Year.
‘Bringing Back the Sunshine’
Following Based on a True Story…, Shelton released Bringing Back the Sunshine (2014), which was well received by lovers of country music. “Neon Light,” a song from the album, peaked at number one on both the country and pop charts. In 2014, he further received a CMA Award for Male Vocalist of the Year.
‘If I’m Honest,’ ‘Texoma Shore,’ ‘God’s Country’
Shelton released the well-received studio albums If I’m Honest (2016) and Texoma Shore (2017), continuing to persuade people with top-notch music. He released Fully Loaded: God’s Country in late 2019, which included “God’s Country,” the 2019 CMA Single of the Year.
Personal Life
In 2003, Shelton wed Kaynette Williams, although their relationship was short-lived. The couple separated in 2006. Shelton wed Miranda Lambert, a famous country music singer, in 2011. Shelton and Miranda shared the stage at Super Bowl XLVI in 2012.
After four years of marriage, Shelton and Lambert announced their divorce in July 2015. In a statement, the pair stated, “This is not the future we imagined. We proceed separately as we do so with troubled hearts. We are actual people with actual lives, actual families, actual friends, and actual coworkers. As a result, we respectfully request discretion and understanding in relation to this extremely private situation.
Shelton and fellow musician and The Voice judge Gwen Stefani quickly rekindled their affair.
The country singer expanded his trophy case at the end of 2017 when he was named “Sexiest Man Alive” by People magazine. He joked in response to the news, “I can’t wait to shove this up Adam’s a**,” expressing his sense of humor and his friendly competition with Levine on The Voice.
In October 2020, Shelton and Stefani made their engagement public.
