Hillbilly Bone

Background:

Country music singer and songwriter Blake Shelton first came to prominence with his No. 1 country hit single “Austin” (2001) from his debut album. He has since produced more No.1 hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, including “The Baby” (2003), “Some Beach” (2004), “Home” (2008), “She Wouldn't Be Gone” (2009), “Hillbilly Bone” (2010, a duet with Trace Adkins) and “All About Tonight” (2010). He won an Academy of Country Music Award, a CMT Music Award and a Country Music Association Award for “Hillbilly Bone.” In addition to “Blake Shelton,” other albums he has released are “The Dreamer” (2003), “Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill” (2004) and “Pure BS” (2007, re-released in 2008). Following the fifth studio album, “Startin' Fires” (2008), Blake launched the EPs “Hillbilly Bone” (2010) and “All About Tonight” (2010), as well as the greatest hits album “Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton,” all of which were under his new label, Reprise Records Nashville. Shelton was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on November 24, 2010.

Shelton was married to Kaynette Williams from 2003 to 2006. After the divorce, he began dating country music singer Miranda Lambert (born November 10, 1983). The couple became engaged on May 9, 2010.

Denbo Diamond

Childhood and Family:

Blake Tollison Shelton was born on June 18, 1976, in Ada, Oklahoma. He began singing at an early age and debuted at a beauty pageant when he was 8 years old. He learned to play guitar at age 12 and started writing songs. At age 16, the talented youth won the Denbo Diamond Award, the top award for young entertainers in Oklahoma. Just two weeks after graduating high school, Blake moved to Nashville to pursue a recording career.

On November 17, 2003, Blake married his high school sweetheart Kaynette Williams. They divorced in 2006.

Austin

Career:

Blake Shelton got his start in Nashville as a house painter. After struggling for several years, he signed a recording contract with Giant Records in 1998. On April 16, 2001, the label released his debut single, “Austin,” which was written by David Kent and Kristi Manna. However, Giant closed its doors when the single began climbing the charts and Shelton was transferred to Warner Bros. Records. “Austin” debuted at No. 58 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks but peaked at the No. 1 on August 11, 2001, where it stayed for five weeks. The song also went to No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Shelton's self titled debut album was launched on July 31, 2001. Produced by Bobby Braddock, the album rose to No. 3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums and No. 45 on the Billboard 200. His second single, “All Over Me,” which he co-wrote with Earl Thomas Conley and Mike Pyle, went to No. 18 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks and peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100. Released on March 18, 2002, the single “Ol' Red,” a cover version of a George Jones song, peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks and No. 1 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100. “Blake Shelton” was eventually certified gold by RIAA. Shelton was nominated for an Academy of Country Music Award for Top New Male Vocalist in 2001.

On February 4, 2003, Shelton resurfaced with “The Dreamer,” which rose to No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums and went gold in the United States. The album contained the No. 1 hit single “The Baby,” which was written by Harley Allen and Michael White. Released on October 28, 2002, the song spent three weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks and went to No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second and third singles, “Heavy Liftin'” and “Playboys of the Southwestern World,” peaked at No. 32 and No. 24 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks, respectively. Also in 2003, Shelton performed with Andy Griggs and Montgomery Gentry on Tracy Byrd's “The Truth About Men,” from his 2003 album of the same name. The collaboration received an Academy of Country Music nomination for Vocal Event of the Year and a Country Music Association in the same category. Still in 2003, Shelton was nominated for a Horizon Award at the Country Music Association Awards.

The third album, “Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill,” was released on October 26, 2004, on the Warner Bros. Nashville label. It went to No. 20 on the Billboard 200 and No. 3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums and became his third consecutive album to achieve gold status in the U.S. The lead single, “When Somebody Knows You That Well” (2004), peaked at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks. “Some Beach,” which was written by Rory Lee Feek and Paul Overstreet, was released on August 24, 2004. The single went to No. 1 on the Billboard Country chart and stayed there for four weeks. It also went to No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold by RIAA. Shelton then recorded a cover of Conway Twitty's “Goodbye Time,” which was released on January 24, 2005. Shelton's version peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot Country and No. 73 on the Billboard Hot 100. Released on August 30, 2005, the final single, “Nobody but Me,” which was produced by Shelton, debuted at No. 60 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs where it eventually peaked at No. 4. It also charted at No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100.

On December 18, 2005, several of Shelton's songs appeared on the TV film “The Christmas Blessing,” starring Neil Patrick Harris, Rebecca Gayheart and Angus T. Jones. Shelton also briefly appeared in the film. 2005 also saw Shelton appear in the music video of Craig Morgan's “Redneck Yacht Club.”

Shelton launched his fourth studio album, “Pure BS,” on May 1, 2007, which was produced by Braddock, Brent Rowan and Paul Worley. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums and No. 8 on the Billboard 200. The lead single “Don't Make Me,” released on November 21, 2006, peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and No. 79 on the Billboard Hot 100. The next single, “The More I Drink” (2007), went to No. 19 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and No. 2 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100. “Pure BS” was re-released in 2008 with three bonus tracks, including a cover of Michael Bublé's “Home.” The song, featuring backup vocals by his girlfriend Miranda Lambert, was released as a single on February 1, 2008, where it debuted at No. 60 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The song rose to No. 1 for the week of July 19, 2008. His rendition also peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100. Like its predecessors, “Pure BS” achieved RIAA gold certification.

The album “Startin' Fires,” which was primarily produced by Scott Hendricks, followed on November 18, 2008. It went to No. 7 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and No. 34 on the Billboard 200 and produced the singles “She Wouldn't Be Gone” and “I'll Just Hold On.” Written by Jennifer Adan and Corey Batten, “She Wouldn't Be Gone” became Shelton's fifth No. 1 hit single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and received gold certification. It also charted at No 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No.70 on the Canadian Hot 100. “I'll Just Hold On” peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Country Songs and No. 76 on the Billboard Hot 100. Shelton co-wrote the 12th track, “Bare Skin Rug,” with Lambert, who also sang on it.

On March 2, 2010, Shelton released an extended play called “Hillbilly Bone” under Reprise Nashville for producer Scott Hendricks. The title track, a duet with Trace Adkins, was released on October 24, 2009. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also became Shelton's third single to achieve gold status in the U.S. “Hillbilly Bone” won an Academy of Country Music for Vocal Event of the Year, a CMT Music for Collaborative Video of the Year and a Country Music Association for Vocal Event of the Year.

Shelton launched his next extended play, “All About Tonight,” on August 10, 2010, under his new label Reprise, as well as producer Scott Hendricks. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Country chart and No. 6 on the Billboard 200. The title track debuted at No. 45 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs in April 2010 and peaked at No. 1 for the week of August 28, 2010. The song also went to No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 63 on the Canadian Hot 100. The second single, a cover of Joe Nichols' “Who Are You When I'm Not Looking,” went to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs, No. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 72 on the Canadian Hot 100.

On November 9, 2010, Shelton released the greatest hits album “Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton” through the Reprise label. It rose to No. 10 on the Billboard Country Albums and No. 24 on the Billboard 200. Also in 2010, Shelton was awarded the Country Music Association Award for Male Vocalist of The Year.

Awards:

• Academy of Country Music: Vocal Event of the Year, “Hillbilly Bone” (with Trace Adkins), 2010

• CMT Music: Collaborative Video of the Year, “Hillbilly Bone” (with Trace Adkins), 2010

• Country Music Association: Male Vocalist of The Year, 2010

• Country Music Association: Vocal Event of the Year, “Hillbilly Bone (with Trace Adkins), 2010