Country Countdown USA (April 25th 2020)
This week, an experiment in social distancing as Lon’s co-host is Blake Shelton from his ranch in Tishomingo, Oklahoma. Lon pointed out, “You’re 568 miles away!” Blake said, “I’m certain that even you don’t have a sneeze that can reach me from that far away.”
So describe where you are: “Gwen & I are in the process of building a home here, but I’ve had my hunting & fishing lodge here on my ranch. What it looks like is a main lodge, and around it there’s a compound of cabins. Who knew how handy it would work out for us, because Gwen’s family is here, they have their own room, and we have dinner in the lodge. It’s worked out incredibly.”
I imagine you’ll do something like this for The Voice when it goes live next month: “Yeah in fact we start that next week. I have no clue how it’s gonna work, but they’ve tested it. Not that many years ago, if this had happened, we’d have to cancel the show. Now because of technology, the show can go on!”
A couple weeks ago, you had a special mentor: James Taylor: “I’ve met a lot of people on that show who were heroes, but James Taylor is the kindest, really cool guy to be around, and it’s hard not to geek out around him. You can’t help it in those situations. Everybody knows at least one James Taylor song. So it was cool seeing him get that kind of reaction from the kids on the show.”
One year ago, Luke Bryan visited Blake at his ranch. He brought his two sons Bo & Tate. “I remember a couple times I heard Luke go, ‘Bo! No! Don’t do that!’ And I asked what happened, and Luke said, ‘Bo asked Gwen to make him a sandwich!’ I said What’s wrong with that? ‘That’s Gwen Stefani! He can’t do that!’ But she was fine, she loved it.”
Morgan Wallen has been getting a lot of attention for his mullet. That has caught Blake’s attention: “He struck a jealous bone with me. How come he gets to keep his mullet and I had to cut mine off. And the thing I love about his mullet is he did kind of take it to that extra mullet place. There is no confusing what that haircut is. It is a mullet.”
Have you enjoyed your time off? “I have been dreaming of two months of vacation for 20 years. Lo & behold it happened, and I have been able to get so many things done. Everywhere I look, there could be a garden. I love to farm. I put in 15-20 acres of corn. That’s what I do: Garden, fish, it’s turkey season, and of course I drink. I drank today Lon. It doesn’t matter. I have the day off, just like the rest of the month.”
Blake also has great stories this week about Garth Brooks, Chris Janson, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, Trace Adkins, and Old Dominion.