In one month, 25-year -old country singer Blake Shelton went from being a nobody to being a somebody, and his footing is still a bit rocky.

Blake Shelton knows all about unusual twists of fate. If not for a couple of unexpected turns that proved particularly timely, he might not be looking promisingly toward the future as one of the biggest breakthrough country artists of 2001.

Shelton - whose first song, "Austin," stayed at No. 1 for five weeks - figures this might be the new crop.

Lonestar and Jamie O'Neal had already started their tour, but now Shelton is joining them. His first stop is at 8 p.m. today in the Breslin Center.

Blake Shelton had a simple goal when he released his debut single, "Austin," early this year: chart high enough to lay the foundation on which to build a career.

Singer Blake Shelton has learned how one song can turn a newcomer into a country music player.

Blake Shelton’s life reads like a made-for-TV movie. But it might be hard to convince him that he’s the star.

Blake Shelton’s debut smash sends him truckin’ in style to TV.

Blake Shelton thinks his newfound success is a harbinger for all of country music. “It’s about to bust wide open,” he predicted.

With help from some respected music industry veterans, Blake Shelton, a young country singer and songwriter from Ada, Okla., has gotten his big break.

Blake Shelton was only 17 when his attention was steered east from Oklahoma toward Nashville by legendary songwriter Mae Boren Axton.

While many of today's young country artists pay lip service to the legends, Warner Bros.' Blake Shelton has already worked with several of them.

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.

As we head into the summer of 2001 with Country’s official summer kick-off event Fan Fair, we asked several artists to share their fondest (or not) memories of summers pasts or to recall their visits to Fan Fair before they were country stars.

Country Weekly first sat down with then-newcomer Blake Shelton in the conference room at Warner Bros. Nashville on May 16, 2001, to interview him for the “Who’s New” profile that would run in the July 10 issue.