Blake Shelton is an American country music singer, songwriter, and TV personality. He started his music career with the hit song “Austin” in 2001 which topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for five weeks. His first album ‘Blake Shelton’ went platinum and featured other popular songs like “All Over Me” and “Ol’ Red”.
Following this success Shelton released several more albums including ‘The Dreamer (2003) and ‘Blake Shelton’s Barn & Grill’ (2004) which achieved gold and platinum status respectively. His fourth album ‘Pure BS’ (2007) was later re-released with a cover of Michael Bublé’s “Home”. He continued to release more albums and EPs over the years such as ‘Startin’ Fires’ (2008), ‘Red River Blue’ (2011) and ‘Texoma Shore’ (2017).
By December 2020, Blake Shelton had an impressive record of 40 singles on the charts, with 28 reaching number one. He holds the record for the most consecutive number-one singles on the Country Airplay chart with 17 in a row including hits like “Doin’ What She Likes”.
Apart from music, Shelton is well-known for his role as a judge on TV shows like Nashville Star and Clash of the Choirs and as a coach on NBC’s The Voice from 2011 to 2023. He coached winning contestants in nine out of twenty-three seasons of the show. Throughout his career, Shelton has earned nine Grammy Award nominations highlighting his influence and success in country music and television.
| Full Name | Blake Tollison Shelton |
| Date of Birth | June 18, 1976 |
| Place of Birth | Ada, Oklahoma, USA |
| Occupation | Country Singer, TV Personality |
| Height | 6 feet 5 inches (196 cm) |
| Spouse | Kaynette Gern (m. 2003–2006) Miranda Lambert (m. 2011–2015) Gwen Stefani (m. 2021-present) |
| Children | Kingston, Zuma, and Apollo |
| Net Worth | $130 million |
Blake Shelton’s Early life
Blake Tollison Shelton was born in Ada, Oklahoma. His mom ran a beauty salon, and his dad sold cars. He started singing when he was young, and his uncle taught him to play guitar when he was 12. By the time he was 15, he wrote his first song. At 16, he won an award in his home state. Sadly, when he was 20, his brother Richie died in a car crash.
After finishing high school at 17, Blake moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to become a singer. He worked at a music company, and in 1997, Bobby Braddock helped him get a record deal with Sony Music.
Music career
Several years later in Nashville, Blake Shelton signed with Giant Records. By 2001 he was set to release a song called “I Wanna Talk About Me” as a single. However, the label’s staff felt it wasn’t suitable as the lead single so Toby Keith recorded it instead and it became a number 1 hit.
Instead of “I Wanna Talk About Me” Giant Records released Shelton’s debut single “Austin.” Soon after its release Giant Records shut down and Shelton moved to its parent company Warner Bros. Records. “Austin” became Shelton’s first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart holding that spot for five weeks. Warner Bros. then released Shelton’s self-titled debut album produced by Bobby Braddock. It included hits like “All Over Me” which Shelton co-wrote and “Ol’ Red” which Shelton considers his signature song.
Blake Shelton’s debut album earned a platinum certification from the RIAA for selling one million copies. Critics had mixed reviews: Maria Konicki Dinoia praised its creativity while Scott Homewood felt it was tailored to capitalize on the alternative country trend.
His second album “The Dreamer” came out in 2003 and included the chart-topping single “The Baby.” Despite subsequent singles not performing as well “The Dreamer” still earned a gold certification. Shelton also collaborated with other artists during this period contributing vocals to Tracy Byrd’s song “The Truth About Men.”
Next Shelton released “Blake Shelton’s Barn & Grill” in 2004. The album featured hits like “Some Beach” another number-one single for him. His cover of Conway Twitty’s “Goodbye Time” also made waves. This album like his debut achieved platinum status.
In 2005, Shelton appeared in the TV movie “The Christmas Blessing” performing his song “Nobody but Me” at a charity event.
Moving to his fourth studio album “Pure BS” released in 2007 Shelton worked with different producers and saw success with singles like “Don’t Make Me” and “The More I Drink” both reaching the Top 20 on country charts. He also ventured into television as a judge on “Nashville Star” and later on “Clash of the Choirs.”
The re-release of “Pure BS” in 2008 included a cover of Michael Bublé’s “Home” which became Shelton’s fourth number-one hit. This success continued with “She Wouldn’t Be Gone” his fifth number-one single.
Shelton’s fifth studio album “Startin’ Fires” produced hits like “I’ll Just Hold On” and collaborations such as “Bare Skin Rug” with Lambert. He also released successful singles like “Hillbilly Bone” and “All About Tonight” through EPs leading up to his first greatest hits album in 2010.
In 2010, Shelton was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry and later became a judge on the reality TV show “The Voice” in 2011.
Blake Shelton’s album “Red River Blue” came out on July 12, 2011, with the hit song “Honey Bee”. It quickly became popular selling 138000 downloads in its first week and achieving gold certification in just seven weeks setting a record for the fastest by a male country singer. “Honey Bee” also topped the Hot Country Songs chart in its tenth week. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 selling about 116000 copies. Shelton’s cover of “God Gave Me You” and “Drink on It” also reached No. 1 on the charts making him a hit machine.
In 2011, Blake Shelton joined NBC’s “The Voice” as a coach. His contestant Dia Frampton finished second in the first season and they collaborated on the song “I Will”. In season two Jermaine Paul won under Shelton’s guidance. Season three saw Cassadee Pope winning with another of Shelton’s team members Terry McDermott as runner-up.
Blake Shelton performed with Miranda Lambert at Super Bowl XLVI in February 2012 their first TV performance since their marriage in May 2011. He released a Christmas album “Cheers It’s Christmas” which topped holiday and country charts in 2012.
In 2013, Shelton released “Based on a True Story…” which debuted at No. 1 on the country chart and No. 3 overall. Singles like “Sure Be Cool If You Did” “Boys ‘Round Here” “Mine Would Be You” and “Doin’ What She Likes” all hit No. 1 on the charts.
Shelton continued his success on “The Voice” winning seasons four and seven. His ninth studio album “Bringing Back the Sunshine” released in 2014 spawned multiple No. 1 hits. Shelton’s achievements were recognized in 2014 when he was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
He also contributed a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” to the soundtrack of “Max” in 2015 and released his second greatest hits album “Reloaded: 20#1 Hits” later that year.
Blake Shelton’s tenth album “If I’m Honest” came out in May 2016. The first song “Came Here to Forget” debuted on country radio on March 8, 2016. Nickelodeon announced on November 9, 2015, that Shelton would host the 2016 Kids’ Choice Awards. Another song from the album “Savior’s Shadow” was released on April 8, 2016, and played on Christian radio starting April 12, 2016.
In June 2016, Blake Shelton released “She’s Got a Way with Words” as the album’s third single and second country hit. It reached number 7 on the Country Airplay chart breaking Shelton’s streak of 17 consecutive number-one singles. “A Guy with a Girl” the fourth single and third country song promoted from the album topped the charts in early January marking Shelton’s 23rd career number-one hit.
The album’s tenth track “Friends” served as the theme song for The Angry Birds Movie released in the US on May 20, 2016. Shelton also voiced the character Earl a pig.
In June 2016, Shelton launched his exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum called “Blake Shelton: Based on a True Story.” It showcases his journey from Oklahoma to Nashville and his rise to fame including his role as a coach on The Voice.
In September 2016, Blake Shelton was one of 30 artists selected to perform on “Forever Country” a mash-up celebrating 50 years of the CMA Awards. The song debuted at number one on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. In The Voice season eleven Shelton’s contestant Sundance Head won giving Shelton his fifth victory on the show.
In March 2017, Madame Tussauds Nashville unveiled a wax figure of Shelton. In April he was honored at the Oklahoma Creativity Ambassadors Gala. In season thirteen of The Voice Chloe Kohanski won marking Shelton’s sixth victory on the show. On September 11 2017 Shelton released “I’ll Name the Dogs” as the lead single from his eleventh album “Texoma Shore” which came out on November 3, 2017. The second single “I Lived It” was released to country radio on January 29, 2018.
From 2019 onwards Shelton released the album “Fully Loaded: God’s Country” featuring the hit single “God’s Country.” In 2020 Todd Tilghman won season eighteen of The Voice under Shelton’s coaching and in 2021 Cam Anthony secured Shelton’s eighth win in season twenty.
Shelton released his twelfth album “Body Language” on May 21, 2021, after a four-year hiatus. The singles “Happy Anywhere” and “Minimum Wage” preceded its release. On September 7 2022 Shelton announced his Back to the Honky Tonk Tour.
On October 4, 2022, Shelton sold the rights to his master recordings from 2001 to 2019 to Influence Media Partners. In December 2022, Bryce Leatherwood won season 22 of The Voice marking Shelton’s ninth and final victory before retiring from the show after the next season.
Net Worth
Blake Shelton has an estimated net worth of $130 Million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Blake Shelton’s net worth comes from his career in music, including earnings from albums, concerts, and endorsements.
Personal life
Blake Shelton married his longtime girlfriend Kaynette Gern on November 17, 2003, but they divorced in 2006.
In 2005, Blake Shelton met Miranda Lambert at the CMT’s 100 Greatest Duets Concert. Lambert sang backup on his cover of Michael Bublé’s song “Home” which became a hit. After dating for four years Shelton proposed to Lambert on May 9, 2010, and they got married on May 14, 2011, in Boerne Texas.
Sadly Shelton’s father passed away on January 17, 2012, after a period of declining health. His brother had died earlier in a car crash when Blake was 14 and Lambert later wrote a song about him called “Over You” which won several awards.
In July 2015, Shelton and Lambert announced their divorce which was finalized the same day. Later that year Shelton started dating Gwen Stefani a fellow judge on The Voice after bonding over their divorces.
Stefani and Shelton have since collaborated on music including the songs “Go Ahead and Break My Heart” “Nobody But You” and “Happy Anywhere” which all topped the country music charts.
Shelton and Stefani got engaged in October 2020 and married on July 3, 2021, at a chapel on Shelton’s Oklahoma property. Through their marriage, Shelton became stepfather to Stefani’s three sons.
Blake Shelton’s success extends beyond music as he was estimated to earn $28.5 million annually in 2015. He also discovered a surprising family connection in 2017 when it was revealed he is fourth cousins with HLN host Robin Meade.
Philanthropy
In October 2013, Blake Shelton gave $20000 to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation after a concert in Tulsa. The money supported programs that teach kids about the outdoors which Shelton finds important.
In September 2016, he donated $600000 to the Jimmy Everest Center a hospital in Oklahoma City for children with blood cancer and disorders. This came from funds raised at his concerts there. Shelton’s connection to the hospital is personal as his cousin’s daughter Aspen was treated there for cancer. He also started the Blake Shelton Cancer Research Program at the same hospital.
In February 2018, Blake Shelton donated $50000 to his hometown of Tishomingo Oklahoma raised from ticket sales at his restaurant Ole Red.
In March 2019, he held a private concert at his Ole Red Gatlinburg location raising $54214 from ticket sales which he donated to Gatlinburg-Pittman High School’s music programs with additional support from Ryman Hospitality Properties.
In early 2020, Shelton reduced prices on his merchandise and gave a portion of the sales to the MusiCares COVID-19 relief fund.
In April 2020, he donated $150000 to the “Give from Home Day” fundraiser in Oklahoma City. He partnered with KOCO 5 and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma to help feed people during the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.
