Blake Shelton Deserves Credit For Success of “Friends & Heroes” Tour
Yes, Captain Old Farts & Jackasses has given traditional country fans plenty of reasons to give him a hairy eyeball over the years or curse his name under their breath (anyone remember the tractor rapping of “Boys ‘Round Here”?) But I’ll be damned if Blake Shelton hasn’t been on some prolonged traditional country kick lately, and it can’t be a bad thing with the audience he commands.
After releasing a run of traditional country covers in late 2018 including “The King Is Gone (And So Are You)” popularized by George Jones, “Tequila Sheila” made famous by Bobby Bare, and “Every Which Way But Loose” sung by Eddie Rabbit, Blake Shelton announced his “Friends and Heroes” tour where he took The Bellamy Brothers and John Anderson, along with Trace Adkins and Lauren Alaina out with him on the road.
Blake Shelton doesn’t tour much these days due to his two-season-per-year commitment to NBC’s The Voice. But by all accounts, the 17-date “Friends and Heroes” tour that just wrapped up Saturday evening (3-23) at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY was a big success, and most importantly, country.
The tour started off in Oklahoma City, with NewsOK raving, “Blake Shelton is taking hero worship to a new level with his new tour … The Tishomingo resident promised ‘a celebration of country music,’ and for 2 1/2hours, he delivered, with some delightful help … Some of the best moments of Shelton’s new show took place when he yielded the stage to his special guests. ‘I feel like sometimes especially the younger people need to be reminded what country music is,’ Shelton said.”
The Buffalo News said Blake Shelton ‘Paid Tribute to His Country Influences‘ in their review, saying “John Anderson, the Bellamy Brothers, and Trace Adkins—three country acts from decades past—played mini-sets of their own during the show. Shelton credited their influence multiple times throughout the night as being the reason he wanted to get into country music, and his genuine admiration of them and joy at getting to share a stage with his idols was obvious … The most special part of the night came near the end, when Shelton and all his guests gathered at the end of the catwalk extending from the main stage armed with just microphones and guitars to perform an acoustic set.”
Speaking to the Indy Star ahead of his concert in Indianapolis, Blake Shelton said, “I think it’s important for not only country music artists to know what their heritage is, but also for the fan base to know who the people are that influenced us current country singers and why we do things the way we do.”
But possibly more importantly than what Blake Shelton has done or said, is how the “Friends and Heroes” tour has sold. Though it was a short run, and fueled by pent-up buying power since he tours so seldomly, it has also been the most successful tour of Blake Shelton’s career, grossing over $1.03 million in ticket sales each night, beating his previous best in 2018 with $997,000. That means Blake Shelton took a bunch of Old Farts and Jackasses with him out on tour (and Lauren Alaina to represent the ladies of country), and had his most successful run so far, underscoring the commercial resurgence of old school country we’ve been seeing lately.
It’s tough to know exactly what the trigonometry behind all of this is for Blake Shelton. Perhaps he’s seeing the erosion in interest in bands such as Florida Georgia Line, and the swell of interest in artists like Luke Combs who are more traditional. Or maybe Shelton’s motivation is not some sinister scheme, and he simply wants to reconnect with his roots. Plenty flush with all that money from The Voice, and not needing radio or awards shows to command a national platform, he can do whatever the hell he wants as opposed to whatever his record label is advising him to do. And when Blake Shelton first started his career, he was pretty damn country. His move towards a more traditional sound was also evidenced on his last record, 2017’s Texoma Shore.
Viewers of The Voice will swear to you that Blake Shelton regularly stands up for traditional country music on the show, and of course classic country songs are often covered during your average season. But talk is one thing, and action is another. For some traditional country fans, covering an old Bobby Bare song and taking John Anderson out on tour will never be enough to atone for all the atrocities they believe Blake Shelton has perpetrated during his career. And for sure, he’s done some pretty dumb things during his career. Let’s also not forget that even though Blake is a member of the Grand Ole Opry, he performed all of two times in 2018.
But the reason we get up in arms when mainstream country artists abandon their roots is in hopes they will hear our voices saying that we still love the more authentic and true versions of country music, and still want to hear it on the radio, and see it on big stages. Regardless of the motivations and calculus, Blake Shelton listened. And most importantly, it paid off for him, at least when it came to the “Friends and Heroes” tour.
March 24, 2019 @ 8:44 am
My husband and I went to one of these tour stops and it was an awesome concert! You could tell Blake was in awe of John Anderson and the Bellamy Brothers.
March 24, 2019 @ 8:03 pm
BLAKE SHELTON BEST COUNTRY SINGER
BLAKE SHELTON SEXIEST MAN ALIVE.
March 25, 2019 @ 4:33 pm
Blake Shelton,
If you’re going to Stan for yourself, at least turn the caps lock off.
March 24, 2019 @ 8:59 am
Even though his missteps are extremely cringe inducing, I do like Shelton’s voice and his more traditional country tracks. Texoma Shore was more good than bad, and hopefully the beginning of larger return to his roots.
March 24, 2019 @ 9:04 am
What is this puff piece before the release of his new single? Bizarre.
March 24, 2019 @ 9:20 am
He’s releasing a new single? News to me.
Maybe it’s just an article giving him credit for taking a couple of oltimers out on tour with him.
March 24, 2019 @ 12:42 pm
Read somewhere that he’s releasing a single written by hardy and devIn dawson.
March 24, 2019 @ 5:41 pm
Check out Brandon fulsons song old farts and jackasses on you tube
March 24, 2019 @ 9:09 am
Thanks for sharing this! I did not know about these concerts. He is so obnoxious on the Voice I can rarely watch!
March 24, 2019 @ 9:20 am
Blake is a better singer than most of his peers, but he’s still always felt extremely overrated to me, which speaks volumes about his peers. He’s sort of like Garth Brooks in that his success has far exceeded his talent. Plus, he’s an a$$.
The old saying, “The cream rises to the top.”, has never truly applied to Country Music, where good marketing and timing can make dreams come true, with disregard to sheer talent.
In a fair world, people like Josh Turner, Daryle Singletary, Mo Pitney, Joe Nichols, Kevin Denney, and the like, would be the megastars, and Blake would be struggling to keep a record deal.
I said all that to say that I just don’t care enough about listening to Blake sing, to care what he’s singing or who he’s associating himself with.
March 24, 2019 @ 7:05 pm
Blake’s voice is milquetoast at best.
March 24, 2019 @ 10:08 pm
”In a fair world, people like Josh Turner, Daryle Singletary, Mo Pitney, Joe Nichols, Kevin Denney, and the like, would be the megastars, and Blake would be struggling to keep a record deal.”
I agree 100% King H.
But if he’s ‘seen the light ‘ and his influence brings guys like this to a contemporary ‘country’ listener when he certainly doesn’t have to ( doesn’t need the money or publicity ) ,I’ll give him the credit he deserves for doing so . Better than hearing he took Kane Brown or Walker Hayes of Little Big Town out with him ….
March 24, 2019 @ 9:38 am
Blake has always been on of those artists who frustrate me. Decent voice, great when he chooses to do something country, horrible when he goes full on Bro or AC.
But, give him credit. He is exposing his fans to real country music and artists that they otherwise would have never heard of. Good for him.
I don’t think he will ever be a true ambassador of real country music, but major props to him for trying.
March 24, 2019 @ 10:10 am
Not a huge Blake fan but his early stuff was good and to give John Anderson and the Bellamy Brothers a big stage and exposure to a younger audience is a good thing. He needs redemption for his old farts and jackasses comments!
March 24, 2019 @ 10:24 am
Blake Shelton may be an overgrown frat bro, but I’ll give him credit. John Anderson, Bobby Bare, and the Bellamy Brothers are great. The more people get reminded of that the better.
March 24, 2019 @ 10:28 am
I went to one stop and it was a great concert from beginning to end. He showcased his heroes in the middle of the show, which was admirable. He didn’t stick them at the beginning or end. It was clear he was in awe of them and that they adored him as well. I liked his Texoma Shore album a lot, which the exception Money. Wish it had more success but applaud him for trying. I don’t he cares anymore about pleasing people and is going to do whatever he wants. Good for him.
March 24, 2019 @ 10:45 am
I went to the show in Green Bay and it was amazing! I had invited my friend who is not a country music big fan but after losing her mom a few months back was just up for a night out so she didn’t really pay attention to the lineup. When John Anderson came up from the floor she literally screamed JOHN ANDERSON is here!!! For me it was a opportunity to see great artists and I hope that it continues.
March 24, 2019 @ 11:52 am
Well,Blake will turn 44 June 18,and sees Country’s latest hot studs shunting him aside.Thus,he likely wants to return to true (and less looks-oriented ) Country before he becomes a parody of his earlier self .
March 24, 2019 @ 11:57 am
Never been a Blake Shelton fan per se but he foes have some good songs in his catalog. My favorite part of seeing a show is usually the “openers” I could take or leave the headliner most of the time. Good on Blake for this decision even if it was a bit of a PR move given the direction country music might be taking.
March 24, 2019 @ 12:02 pm
Didn’t his last tour sell out every date as well? I thought I read something about that.
Like him or not he seems to do a lot for other country artists on his show and then taking contestants out on the road or setting them up with gigs. He promotes female country singers and actually puts his money where his mouth is by taking them on tour. Same with older artists starting back with the Oak Ridge Boys.
March 24, 2019 @ 12:12 pm
Trig you grudgingly pointed out a year ago that Blake isn’t trying to act 20 something. He dresses his age. He doesn’t Song about spring break. He does grease his arms so they glisten before a show (really Luke?). He’s not wearing skinny jeans. I saw him on this tour. It was outstanding. Beginning to end. He did this because, despite what’s said, loves Country Music. Go read the review from the concert in Hartford. That explains it better than I can. A music critic who knew nothing about Country Music left a fan-of all of them.
April 17, 2019 @ 3:06 am
A link for the Hartford review please. Hartford CT?
March 24, 2019 @ 1:05 pm
You couldn’t convince me to listen to this blowhard covering Bob Wills if he handed me a signed apology for his “Old Farts” comments, donated me a thousand dollars and promised to retire after I listened to him do it
I like Country Music, dislike Rap, and don’t like being told that I’m the problem
You either like Country Music or you don’t, but you can’t waffle on both sides of the fence.
anybody who isn’t totally on one side might as well be on the other
in this case you either love Country Music or you might as well not even bother,
and this doofus might as well not even bother
March 24, 2019 @ 2:24 pm
Ok. I just don’t get the whining about the old farts comment from 6 years ago. He wasn’t speaking about artists. He was referring to those who complain about what’s current in country music. And there have been complaints about that every decade it seems. And one sees it on this blog every day. Shelton promotes country music-new and old. I never knew who Ricky Skaggs was until he was on the Voice. He pulls from current artists but prefers older artists who aren’t known on a larger platform on that show. Look Fuzzy every time you post something you reinforce that statement. Man who cares anymore.
March 25, 2019 @ 10:32 am
have you ever owned fish?
You can’t just plop them into new water, you have to ease them into it
Same with ducks, chicks, peacocks, etc
They don’t just handle shock well
Same with putting a frog in a pot of water and slowly turning the heat up bit by bit
by the time the frog realizes he’s boiling to death he’s pert near dead
and that’s what happened to Country Music
the outside influences creeped in bit by bit, a song here, a verse there, a single over there
and every time I’ve been the last man standing saying “you can’t fool me”
but nobody sees it
and now there’s no Country Music on the charts, hasn’t been for almost a decade
and y’all are standing around dumbstruck asking “what happened?”
You happened, that’s what happened.
Because if everybody had paid attention we wouldn’t be here, but nobody bothered to turn the heat down until they were past scalded to death
So yea, I’m going to complain about everything new and current in Country Music until the day I die or until the next big thing in Country Music is Country Music
March 25, 2019 @ 10:43 am
You’re going to die a sad and bitter man if you continue down the path of hating everything other people like.
If you can’t find country music out there that appeals to you in this age where we have access to millions of artist at our finger tips, then the problem isn’t them, it’s you.
Don’t like what you hear on the radio, you have a phone, a computer a home stereo system. There is no excuse other than just enjoying being that old man who yells at clouds.
March 25, 2019 @ 12:00 pm
That’s a bunch of hippie dippie vegan b.s.
No matter what I can find on my phone, unless I can go outside and say “I like Country Music” and everybody out there knows exactly what the hell I mean by that statement, then we’ve got work to do
it’s not just about me, it’s about Country Music as an art form
The problem isn’t me, the problem is people calling a lemon a ham sandwich when it ain’t.
if it’s not Country Music, don’t say it is
March 25, 2019 @ 1:24 pm
Why do you think anybody cares about what kind of music you like? Do you need some kind of validation from strangers like a teenager on tumblr?
Nobody lies awake at night worried that country isn’t Fuzzy enough. I say again if you can’t find country music from a living artist that appeals to you in 2019, the problem is you, not them.
March 25, 2019 @ 3:17 pm
I care about facts
If we start letting just anybody decide what is and isn’t Country Music, why stop there?
Pretty soon people will be deciding what is and isn’t factual history
and why stop there?
We’d end up in short order living in a world in which facts don’t exist and people’s opinions are the governing force.
and then how would anybody go about doing anything?
If they encroached on the first definition of Country Music, what’s stopping people from encroaching on/appropriating the next definition?
It starts by calling Pop Country
Then they call Pop Americana
and pretty soon there’s no genres left anymore because they all got washed out
and why is the burden on me to find music I like?
Pretty sure the musicians WANT ME to buy THEIR product
and it’s to the benefit of Country artists to have their art on the appropriate station where it will draw potential consumers
and if it isn’t how about another angle
Why do I have to go through extra work to find music I like when every other style of music is correctly labelled?
Am I to believe that Country Music is inherently less valuable and that therefore not worth the effort of correctly sorting and presenting it to potential consumers
This is about a whole lot more than what I like, this is about boundaries, reason, preventative exclusion, and gatekeeping.
March 25, 2019 @ 4:10 pm
“And why is it a burden on me to find music I like.”
God forbid you put any effort into finding entertainment like normal people. It’s all Me Me Me. You really sound just like one of the younger people/millennials you treat with such disdain in the Maddie and Tae post.
March 26, 2019 @ 6:03 am
Pop fans get served Pop music on Pop Radio
Jazz fans get Jazz served on Jazz Radio
as a Country fan, Country Radio is obligated to serve the product that I the consumer want
for the same reason that Home Depot can’t just start selling office supplies.
Because the customers expect a certain type of product.
And yes, I feel that I should have equal opportunity as a music fan and not be forced to exert more effort than fans of other genres trying to find what I like
March 26, 2019 @ 7:31 am
Country fans get served pop country, traditional country on SiriusXM outlaw country, willie’s roadhouse, y2k country, The Highway, Kenny Chesney, Garth Brooks Dwight Yoakam all have their own channels playing different styles of country, Bluegrass channels….
Still unhappy because there’s not a channel called Fuzzy Favorites? Set your entitlement aside for a while a create your very own radio channel on the myriad of streaming services just like millions of other people do each day.
March 26, 2019 @ 8:27 am
See, that’s just it
Jazz fans get free Jazz stations on terrestrial radio
Rock fans get the same
But if I want Country Music I have to pay for Sirius?
Does that mean I should trade in my 1994 custom conversion van with a tv for a dime a dozen consumer model Equinox?
see, not all of us go down and by whatever clunker the snake-oil car salesmen trick us into
Some of us are a little less Wal-mart and pedestrian in our choice of vehicles
and why exactly should I be expected to pay the money to upgrade my radio, THEN pay more money for a subscription to some service
when fans of other genres get what they like on terrestrial radio for free?
is the implication here that Country Music is relegated to the underbelly of music?
You still keep dodging the issue of why Country Music isn’t marketed and presented equally to the other genres
almost as if you don’t actually have a rebuttal for that key point
March 26, 2019 @ 4:07 pm
Good news for you fuzzy, just like other genres country music is also free on terrestrial radio.
If we believe Statista,Country radio has fallen behind Rap/Hip Hop, Rock, Pop, R&B and Latin music with just 8% of music consumed in 2018. Break country as a genre down even further and what you deem to be not country outsold and out streamed whatever it is you like. Maybe that has something to do with why the type of country you want on radio doesn’t get played much on the radio?
But I have more good news, you can sit down by the river in your van and listen to your Spotify user curated playlists for free or just keep hating on everything and everyone.
March 26, 2019 @ 5:33 pm
“What I deem to be Country”
Hang on, back up.
My opinions aren’t the issue here
Reiterating my earlier point, if we just let people start deciding what is and isn’t something, I can call a liquor store a hardware store, or call a Boing 707 a Ford Trimotor
if it’s not Country Music, it isn’t.
and while some of that is subjective (certain rhythms or strumming patterns, certain arrangements, etc) MOST of these things can be empirically measured by compiling information on trends in Country Music for let’s say the forties through nineties, fifty years worth of data, and then comparing all entrants against that database and remove the outliers
April 17, 2019 @ 3:11 am
The problem is real country music is leaving the broadcast culture. As someone said, soon it’ll be only in the realms of professors and historians.
March 26, 2019 @ 10:36 am
fuzzy …gotta say ….you nailed it with your initial comment above .
BUT ……labels , radio , award shows AND PARTICULARLY the REAL country acts that didn’t publicly stand up are all to blame ….not just listeners .
March 24, 2019 @ 6:18 pm
Curious, are you saying that someone can’t like both country music and rap?
March 24, 2019 @ 8:44 pm
That’s music for those other people.
March 25, 2019 @ 10:27 am
You absolutely CAN love Country Music and Rap,
BUT
Country Music isn’t like Voltage Mountain Dew
you don’t just “feel like it” one day or any other day
REAL Country Music is almost cultural, and folks who love Country Music embrace it as a part of their lifestyle, self-identity, and worldview
Many people, myself included, can switch CDs from Charlie Craig to the Kingston Trio to Art Tatum to Guns’N’Roses to Sinatra to Vernon Dalhart then Bill Anderson and back again
but if you actually dig into the people who have loved Country Music over the years, a recurring trend will be that most diehard Country Music fans listen to Country Music first and foremost, most frequently, and soak up accompanying media at a higher rate than fans of other genres
Because for whatever reason true Country and Bluegrass music especially seem to play a bigger role in the lives and identities of their fans than most other genres of music
March 25, 2019 @ 4:04 pm
Cool, thanks for clarifying, I wasn’t sure where you were going. I appreciate it.
March 24, 2019 @ 5:07 pm
Bringing up the old farts joke is getting old. II wouldn’t know who Earl Thomas Conley is if it weren’t for Blake praising him.
March 24, 2019 @ 7:12 pm
Damn, I had a chance to see him a couple of months ago here in Pittsburgh but opted not to because the set list of his songs just looked god awful. I didn’t want to sit through a dozen of his radio hits of the past decade just to hear Austin and Ole’ Red, and some micro sets by the other artists. Now I kind of regret that.
Cool gesture of him, hopefully he does it again.
April 17, 2019 @ 3:14 am
Austin and Ole Red are some great songs. He was country at one point.
March 24, 2019 @ 10:26 pm
as an artist blake has recorded mostly forgettable , pandering , trendy , weak , adult-contemporary kind of ‘ country ‘ . yes …he’s recorded some good ones ……but mostly his ‘hits’ and his albums are un-listenable and safe . saying that , it may well be that HE knows that better than anyone and wishes it was 3 decades ago when he could’ve recorded material he AND real country fans may have related to . today i heard TREE WOODEN CROSSES on the radio and nearly cried …..not just for how good that writing and Randy’s performance was ….but for a time long gone when these songs would see the light of day far more often . I don’t think Blake with all of his $$$$ and access to great music has recorded anything close to Three Wooden Crosses . Why ???
thing is ….with boatloads of $$$$$ now , he should be recording whatever the hell he wants every time out now ….he should be tapping into the best of the best songwriters and it should be as COUNTRY as it can possibly be with NO sign of trendy productions, if he really feels that strongly about keeping those traditions alive . let’s see what his next effort holds .
March 25, 2019 @ 6:11 am
This guy could easily win the ‘Biggest Douche In The Universe Award’….
He ain’t no country singer though he was once married to one…
I had the misfortune to listen to about 60 seconds of ‘Them Boys Round Here’ once
and I’ll never forgive him for it.
March 25, 2019 @ 9:40 am
Austin sure as hell was country and a great song. He was country star when her highness met him.
April 6, 2019 @ 10:29 am
And now his new queen has helped him go all out Hollywood…..
I think he is trying to dig more into country again because he realizes he will be known more as a judge on The Voice than a country singer…
Shame. But he chose that show above all else.
March 25, 2019 @ 4:51 pm
Blake actually is a wonderful artist when he wants to be and has a beautiful country voice when he uses it. What he does do every single time he sings though, is performs! He’s one of the best performers and entertainers of the last decade. He’s always idolized the artists that came before as you call tell when you listen to even his earliest, more serious interviews. He’s a genuine man with a great voice! Trigger surely you can agree that his voice can be amazing in tone and pitch and especially, emotive.
March 25, 2019 @ 4:53 pm
What atrocities exactly are you speaking of?
March 26, 2019 @ 6:34 am
Poor Blake….damn if you do….damn if you don’t.