Sarasota Herald Tribune (June 10th 2005)

Lady luck bestows good fortune on country music’s Blake Shelton

The chances of an unknown artist landing a No. 1 single off a debut album is equivalent to an average Joe winning the lottery.

At least, that's how country singer Blake Shelton views the unexpected success he experienced four years ago when his self- titled debut spawned the chart-topping "Austin" within the first month of its release.

"I didn't know how I was going to pay my rent from month to month, and three months later, I had the No. 1 song in the country," Shelton said in a phone interview from upstate New York.

"I don't think you can ever expect that kind of success. But be thankful if it happens."

And after the newbie artist escaped the sophomore jinx with the chart-topping album "The Dreamer" in 2003, Shelton said he could breathe a bit easier the third time around.

His latest effort, "Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill," showcases a considerable amount of musical growth since his debut, and will give fans a better picture of who he is as a person: A down-home guy who likes to have a beer while singing traditional country songs found in a jukebox at a local bar.

Shelton, 28, invites fans to let loose at his show, saying his music represents the laid-back country lifestyle.

"It's a state of mind that I've come to," said Shelton, whose first song off "Barn & Grill," "Some Beach," has been resting in the top spot on the Billboard Top Country Singles chart since it debuted in December.

Ten years ago, Shelton was grooming his talent in Nashville until someone took notice.

"The biggest change in my life was adjusting to being in the business," he said, "to be comfortable with the traveling and being in the public eye all the time."

The Oklahoma native said he had a hard time explaining to family and friends why he couldn't come home because he had an interview at a radio station.

"The first year or two, I didn't want it. I didn't understand why people stared at me," he said of his celebrity. "It's part of who I am now."

Shelton's nonchalant demeanor can't disguise his concern for needing to maintain a spot on the top of the music charts. He's been nominated for several awards, including an American Music Award, a Country Music Award and a Billboard Music Award.

"You're kidding yourself if you don't worry about being successful," said Shelton, who was a featured performer on NBC's "American Dreams" TV show. "But, by the same token, you have to figure out who you are as an artist."

Shelton doesn't mind losing himself in the recording studio, but fears losing his integrity while trying to measure up to the music industry's demanding standards.

"I feel the pressure, but I just try and ignore it as much as I can," he said. "It doesn't do anything but take the focus off what's important."