Pensacola News Journal (Oct. 12th 2007)

Road warrior Blake Shelton plans to keep on truckin’

Just call him the ramblin' man.

Country star Blake Shelton, on tour since June of 2001, said he wouldn't know what to do with himself if he stayed off the road.

"Most country artists do it this way, unless they're one of the two or three big stars," he said. "The rest of us play year round."

But does Shelton, scheduled to perform with Trace Adkins today at the Wharf in Orange Beach, Ala., ever tire of the always-revolving door of hotels, cities and concert venues?

"It's just what I do. I guess it will be over one of these days, so until then, I'm enjoying it," said Shelton, 31. "Maybe if I build a massive enough fan base one day, I'll build a stage at my house and have them come there."

Born in Ada, Okla., Shelton dreamed of being a country singer from an early age, and started writing songs as a teenager.

"I really wanted to do this, and I knew that songwriting was part of it. I would hear songs, and think, 'they don't sound that brilliant. I can do this,' " said the laid-back singer, who has since released several hit singles including "Some Beach," "The More I Drink" and "Don't Make Me."

Shelton's teenage efforts were about whatever happened to him that day - "from fishing to getting my heart broke," he said, laughing.

It wasn't until the aspiring singer moved to Nashville that he began writing songs "that I can stand to listen to now." As Shelton's career has grown, the singer has performed both as headliner and as opening act for country heavy hitters such as Toby Keith and George Jones. He said he enjoys both experiences as a performer, whether his name tops the bill or not.

"I like them both. When you're opening for another artist, it's the challenge to get up there and do a better show than they do. That's what you want people to say when they're leaving a show, 'Man, Blake Shelton blew that other guy away,' " he said.

And Shelton would rather delight audiences than spend time cooped up in a recording studio.

"Being in the studio is boring. Performing live is why I got started in this business," he said. "I still get a thrill every time I get up there on stage for new people every night. Live is what gets my heart going."

Shelton hopes to get his heart, and that of his loyal fans, going for years to come.

His ultimate career goal? Longevity.

"I want a career that's 30 years or more," he said. "Performers like George Strait or Reba McEntire, they've been around for years and they're still having hits. That's amazing to me, and I wonder how in the world they do it."

But unlike those two country music legends, he has no desire to expand his career into movies or television.

"I'm not really interested in acting," he said. "I love country music. That's what I want to do."

The direction of country music has swung back and forth between traditional and more pop-oriented, crossover-friendly styles, but Shelton, although admittedly more traditional in sound than some of his musical peers, doesn't consider himself a traditional artist.

"The best thing you can do is just be yourself and sing things that make sense to you," he said. "I'm not trying to be neo-traditional or pop. I just open my mouth and that's what comes out. Whatever that may be."