The Oklahoman (July 27th 2001)

Oklahoman celebrates release of first album

When Warner Brothers released his debut single to radio, Blake Shelton was stressed. His musical aspirations hinged on the success of one song. If it fizzled, his career might have been next.

But now that "Austin" is in the Top 5 on the country charts, the release of Blake Shelton's self-titled debut album July 31 is more of a celebration, he said.

"With the single, you're really throwing yourself out there," Shelton, 24, said. "But the release of the album will be easier. This is why I moved to Nashville seven years ago. For this moment. And the single's done well, so it'll create a little bit of demand."

The single "Austin," a song co-written by Shelton about two estranged lovers who communicate via answering machine messages, has skyrocketed up the country charts and perched atop the Texas Music Chart for several weeks. Lines formed at his Fan Fair booth in Nashville, Tenn., and the music industry began buzzing about the lanky Oklahoman with the powerful voice. Success had finally come.

But it almost didn't happen.

Giant Records signed Shelton to a record deal in June 1998. Shelton recorded an album, but a week before the single came out, Warner Brothers bought out Giant. Shelton heard the rumors that Giant would close. He knew established Giant artists like Neal McCoy and Clay Walker would probably find a home at another label, but he figured it would be tougher for a newcomer.

"I almost developed an ulcer," Shelton said. "When one label buys out another, they usually drop a lot of artists. Luckily, there was enough buzz around my single, they kept me around."

For Shelton, the success was affirmation he made the right decision moving to Nashville seven years ago. Shelton, who hails from Ada, couldn't even vote when he packed his bags and moved to Music City in 1994. Just 17 years old, Shelton left his friends and family two weeks after graduating high school with dreams of becoming a country star.

"I think my family thought I was crazy, but they never let me know that," Shelton said. "They knew how badly I wanted this. Sometimes I thought I was crazy until about a month ago."

Dorothy Shackleford, Shelton's mother, supported her son in following his dream but admits she called him about every night those first few years.

"I worried all the time," she said. "I thought 'What if something happened? What if he got sick? No one would know.'"

Shelton's older sister Endy moved to Nashville a few years after and lived with him to provide a little family support. Meanwhile, Shelton made the rounds of Music City, shaking hands, writing songs and singing whenever he got the chance.

"I knew he'd make it and, honestly, I didn't think it would take this long," Shackleford said. "But every time something would fall through, I wanted him to come home."

The only person Shelton knew when he moved to Nashville was Mae Boren Axton. Axton heard Shelton sing at the McSwain Theater one night in Ada and encouraged him to pursue his music career.

Axton, who co-wrote Elvis Presley's hit "Heartbreak Hotel," offered Shelton his first job in Nashville - painting her house. There Shelton met Axton's son, singer and actor Hoyt Axton, who was living in his tour bus in Mae Axton's driveway.

During breaks, Hoyt Axton would invite Shelton on his tour bus and give him tips on how to make it in music. Soon, Shelton was playing Writer's Nights all over town and finally landed a publishing deal.

Shelton's self-titled album is an eclectic mix of styles and themes, from the rockabilly sound to heartfelt ballads. But Shelton said the variety of songs wasn't intentional.

"We talked about what we wanted to do on this album, and we decided we'd just make the best album we could," Shelton said. "I've always been about the song rather than the image."

Shelton's style is different, he said, because his influences are different. Not too many of today's country stars list Paul Overstreet and Earl Thomas Conley as musical heroes. Shelton co-wrote what is likely to be his next single with Conley, a ballad called "All Over Me."

He also recorded two songs by Bobby Braddock, the tunesmith who wrote classics such as George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today" and Tammy Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E."

"When choosing songs for this album, I went for a lot that maybe somebody else wouldn't record," Shelton said. "I've always been a little different than everybody else."