Blake Shelton

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 nine 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), "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking" (2011), and "Honey Bee" (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."


Blake Shelton - Who Are You When I'm Not Looking music video

Blake Shelton - Honey Bee (Video) music video

The Voice : Blake Shelton and Dia Frampton - I Won't Back Down [STUDIO VERSION]





Early life

Shelton was born in Milburn, Oklahoma to Richard, 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.[2] On November 13, 1990, his older brother 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.
[edit]Musical career



Shelton performing at the Crawford City Fair in August 2005
[edit]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.[3]
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 No.18 "All Over Me" (which Shelton co-wrote with fellow country artist Earl Thomas Conley) and the No.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.[4] Blake Shelton is certified gold by the RIAA.[2]
[edit]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 No.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".
[edit]2004–2006: Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill
Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill was the title of Shelton's third studio album, released in 2004.[2] Its lead-off single, the Harley Allen co-write "When Somebody Knows You That Well", peaked at No.37 on the country charts, while the follow-up "Some Beach" became his third No.1 hit, holding that position for four weeks. It was followed by a cover of Conway Twitty's 1988 single "Goodbye Time".[5] 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.[2]
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".
[edit]2006–2008: Pure BS
Shelton issued his fourth studio album, Pure BS, in early 2007.[2] 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 No.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 No.1 hit in July.[6]
[edit]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.[7] 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.[8]
[edit]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 No.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.[9] 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.[10]
Shelton will serve as a judge/coach to singers on the 2011 NBC reality television series The Voice.[11]
[edit]2011–present: Red River Blue
Blake Shelton will release an album entitled 'Red River Blue' on July 12, 2011, led by the single, "Honey Bee". The song received 138,000 downloads in its first week and was certified gold in its seventh week, setting a new record for the fastest gold certification by a male country singer.[12] on June 13, 2011, in the 10th chart week, "Honey Bee" went No.1 on the billboard hot country songs chart. This was Shelton's quickest song to go number one and "Honey Bee" is his 9th number one country single. Blake is currently a coach on the hit NBC show The Voice.
[edit]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.[13] 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. On May 9, 2010, after dating for four years,[14] Shelton proposed to fellow singer Miranda Lambert, after seeking (and receiving) her father's blessing.[14][15] The two got married on May 14, 2011 at Don Strange Ranch in Boerne, Texas.[14] Five hundred fifty people were in attendance, including many celebrities, such as Reba McEntire, Cee Lo Green, Martina McBride, Kelly Clarkson, Dierks Bentley, Charles Kelley, and the Bellamy Brothers. After the wedding, Shelton expressed his joy stating, "I wanted to be married to Miranda the day I proposed. Finally, it's official!"[16]
[edit]Allegations of homophobia
In 2011, 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".[17][18][19] Clarifying that he was writing under Twain's perspective, 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".[20]
[edit]Discography

Main article: Blake Shelton discography
Studio albums
Blake Shelton (2001)
The Dreamer (2003)
Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill (2004)
Pure BS (2007)
Startin' Fires (2008)
Red River Blue (2011)
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)
[edit]Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Result
2001 Academy of Country Music Top New Male Vocalist Won
2002 Won
2003 Vocal Event of the Year – "The Truth About Men" (with Tracy Byrd, Andy Griggs and Montgomery Gentry) Won
2003 Country Music Association Horizon Award Won
Vocal Event of the Year – "The Truth About Men" (with Tracy Byrd, Andy Griggs and Montgomery Gentry) Won
2010 Academy of Country Music Vocal Event of the Year – "Hillbilly Bone" (with Trace Adkins) Won
CMT Music Awards Collaborative Video of the Year – "Hillbilly Bone" (with Trace Adkins) Won
Country Music Association Male Vocalist of The Year Won
Vocal Event of the Year – "Hillbilly Bone" (with Trace Adkins) Won
2011 CMT Music Awards Male Video of the Year – "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking" Won
Best Web Video of the Year – "Kiss My Country Ass" Won
Teen Choice Awards Choice Music: Male Country Artist – "Blake Shelton" Pending
Choice Music: Country Single – "Honey Bee" Pending
Reference from Wikipedia.com