Blake Shelton: LP Field Press Conference CMA Music Festival 2010

Blake Shelton LP Field Press Conference CMA Music Festival 2010

Q: Talk about this week. You have a very contentious relationship with your fans and non-fans through Twitter.

BS: What was the word you used to describe it?

Q: Contentious, you can look it up later.

BS: How am I supposed to answer it?

Q: You always seem to be amazed at those people who say they don’t like you or are mad at you or offended by what you say yet continue to follow you on twitter. Have any of these people found you here this week?

BS: It is funny, you nailed it. People will email me on Twitter and tell me I am a “jacka$$”, I don’t believe you shoot animals and yet they are hanging on every word I say, every day. It blows me away that they follow me on there. I think most of that is just people trying to get me to reply to them. I can’t believe I am even standing up here talking about Twitter because to me it is such a goof-off deal. It is just fun, that is all it is. It is fun for me to interact with my fans and then the next thing you know, there are haters out there getting involved, especially all my friends at PETA. It is nothing more than kindergarten; all that does is egg me on to be more ornery. The truth is as that stuff is coming across the internet, I am sitting on my bus in black socks and white underwear watching ESPN, probably still drunk from the night before and just having fun. I love to entertain, whether it is through Twitter or Youtube, on stage or whatever, that is what I love to do.

Q: I want to talk about “It’s All About Tonight” which we know it is going to be the next release from your second upcoming album.

BS: “It’s All About Tonight” is the first single off the second six-pack. If I could go back to that first six-pack, the only thing I would have done different is release two singles off of it. When I say “It’s All About Tonight” is the first single off the second six-pack, I am saying there is going to be a second single off this set. We are still up in the air about what it is going to be. We are still up in the air about what the last couple of songs are going to be. We know about four of them and we have cut a bunch. That is the thing I love about doing six-packs is how often you get in there and record. You are constantly being sent brand new music from the best writers in Nashville. It is exciting.

Q: Can you talk about the shot in the arm that this CD got?

BS: It doesn’t surprise me about the support Nashville has received through the flood relief efforts. Most all of you probably live here but I don’t; I live in Oklahoma. Nashville is a special place to people all across the country. If they haven’t been here, they want to come here someday. They want to see the Grand Ole Opry. People always ask what it is like and then the next thing they see is the Grand Ole Opry with eight or ten feet of water in it. It is devastating to people that don’t live here because that is a special place to them either way. It doesn’t surprise me at all to see not only this community come together and do great things to rebuild the city and get it back on its feet but to see the entire country get involved because this is the place that creates their favorite music.

Q: With Father’s Day coming up, what is the best advice your Father gave you?

BS: My Dad was real good about teaching me patience. He has always been a very patient guy whether in business or with women or whatever. I have watched him over the years and he picks the right battles.

Q: Has he succeeded in that?

BS: My Dad? Yes, he has. My Dad has been a rock for my family since my beginning. Even with my parents being divorced, he still is that rock even though my parents have been divorced over 20 years, both are remarried, he is still the person that holds the entire circle together. I think that comes with being patient.

Q: Could you give career advice for aspiring music professionals?

BS: Not really. When people come up to me on the road and they have their son that they are excited about that wants to be a singer or it is someone that wants to be a singer and they ask me what they should do, it’s a hard question to answer. Everyone has to find their own path. I don’t think my story is like anyone else’s and neither is Miranda Lambert’s. Everyone has to find that path. I think that as long as you are doing something that is different enough or you are just talented, as long as you are in Nashville and you are patient, you will find your way. It will come to you eventually, you will figure out how this community works and the politics and the things you have to do. If you wait it out and have a little luck on your side, I think that is the way to get it done.

Q: At the CMT Music Awards, Trace Adkins said that he thinks someone should give you a reality show. Surely someone has pushed that to you before. Would you ever do anything like that? How much would you let people into your life?

BS: I think I do a pretty good job of that already, letting people into my life. I probably wouldn’t do that though. There has to be a limit on how much you can take. I am touring most of the year and especially with Miranda and I being together and now that we are engaged, it comes up all the time, reality show ideas. It is just not worth it. I don’t care if it means a billion dollars will come our way or sell two million more albums; it is just not worth it to sacrifice any more of my personal life than I do because I am already in the public eye.

Q: Have you two talked about having kids or raising a family?

BS: We say things every now and then about kids or what we would name a kid but we have never had a serious conversation about having kids. We have had serious conversations about not having kids. I think it will be awhile before we would try something like that. Especially right now with Miranda’s career exploding and I am finally getting to that place I have always wanted to be. It would be hard to stop that train once you get it going, especially if you are not ready yet. Miranda would want to stop everything to do that right.

For additional photos of CMA Music Festival LP Field Backstage visit http://MomentsByMoser.zenfolio.com/lpbackstage

Transcribed by Pam Stadel for Digital Rodeo