Blake Shelton Recalls Roofing Houses To Save Enough Money To Buy the Guitar of His Musical Hero

Blake Shelton is one of the biggest stars in country music and has been since early in his career. He has launched 14 singles to the top of the Billboard country charts including his 2001 debut outing “Austin.” Additionally, Shelton has released a dozen studio albums, all of which were top 10 hits. However, his career didn’t come out of nowhere. He followed in the footsteps of artists who came before him and inspired him to chase his dream.

Yesterday (September 19), Shelton appeared on The Pat McAfee Show to talk football, country music, elk hunting, and more. During their conversation, he revealed the artists he looked up to and talked about the people who truly shaped who he is today.

Blake Shelton on the Artists That Inspired Him

When asked who inspired him to be the artist he is today, Blake Shelton gave a two-part answer. First, he talked about the artists that he admired. Then, he revealed the people who helped make him the performer he is today.

“From a musical standpoint, I absolutely worshipped Travis Tritt and an artist named Paul Overstreet, and George Strait,” Shelton said. Many country fans will recognize Tritt and Strait but may not be familiar with Overstreet’s work. While he had a successful career as a performer, he is likely best known for his skill as a songwriter. His writing credits include the Randy Travis classics “On the Other Hand,” “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “Deeper Than the Holler,” and “Diggin’ Up Bones.”

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Shelton also revealed that a fellow Oklahoman inspired him at a young age. “I remember seeing Garth Brooks’ first television special. I guess I was probably a junior or sophomore in high school,” he said. “And I roofed houses that summer and saved money to go buy the exact guitar that Garth was playing. It was like this black Takamine with a cutaway on it. I wanted to be Garth,” he added.

However, it wasn’t just major country stars that inspired him. The “Ol’ Red” singer got much of his inspiration from his family. “Outside of that, my family. Growing up, I had a great bunch of people around me. I’ve always told people who think that I’m an entertainer, man if you could just meet my family, I’m the dullest one of the bunch,” he said, laughing. “They’re all comedians, they’re all funny, they have great senses of humor. Nobody takes themselves seriously in my family. I grew up with a bunch of people who tried to one-up each other all the time with being funny and not taking themselves seriously. Those were the people who shaped me,” he explained.

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