Music Row (February 2003)

On The Cover: Blake Shelton

Label: Warner Bros.

Current Single: "The Baby”
Current Album: The Dreamer (coming Feb. 4)
Current Video: “The Baby"
Current Producer: Bobby Braddock

Hometown: Ada, Okla.

Management: Hallmark Direction
Booking: William Morris Agency

Recent Hits: "Austin,"“Ol' Red" and "The Baby"
Awards: Music Row's 2001 Critic’s Pick, R&R's 2001 Breakthrough Artist, Billboard's New Country Artist 2001
RIAA Certs: self-titled debut (Gold)

Birthdate:June 18, 1976

Outside Interests: Hunting

Musical Influences: Earl Thomas Conley, Travis Tritt, Hank Williams Jr, Dan Seal

Favorite Record: Earl Thomas Conley’s Greatest Hits (1985)

Blake Shelton's new album, The Dreamer, has already spawned the hit “The Baby”. Shelton says of The Dreamer, “I certainly can hear a difference when I listen to the first record and then this one. I’ve got a lot more confidence in my singing than I did the first time around. Plus, I've been on the road non-stop for a couple of years, and the more you work on a muscle, the stronger it gets.”

He adds, “When people buy my album or buy a concert ticket, I want them to think that they got their money's worth. I owe that to the kids who are out there driving around getting excited about country music.That's all."