Since stepping on stage back in 2001, Blake Shelton quickly climbed to the top of country music as he released 12 studio albums. But that was just the start as he also helmed 10 tours throughout his time in country music. While sharing hits like “Ol’ Red”, “God’s Country”, and “Some Beach”, there was one song that was so emotional that he stopped playing it at concerts. Released on his 2003 album, The Dreamer, “The Baby” focused on a son’s relationship with his mother. Striking a chord with countless fans, Shelton recently decided to play it for the first time in years.
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Kicking off his Back To The Honky Tonk Tour, Shelton performed in Hershey, PA on February 22. While fans enjoyed hearing the singer perform several of his hit songs, many were surprised when he decided to sing “The Baby.” Discussing his reasoning for not playing the song for years, Shelton told the crowd, “There’s a song that I quit doing years and years ago because the song is just so heavy that sometimes I would do it and look out into the crowd and literally see people crying and running to the bathroom.”
Believing it was a mistake to stop playing the song, Shelton added, “I decided to bring it back and do it on this tour because now that 20 years later, since it came out, I realized that it was a mistake to stop doing it back in the day because that’s just the power of country music when a song connects with people.”
Fans Can’t Get Enough Of Blake Shelton Or “The Baby”
Hitting every note as if he never stopped performing it, Shelton gained high praise from fans. “This one and ‘Austin’ give me chills every time. Old school Blake Shelton was so good.” Another person insisted, “This era/time frame of his music was his best. I don’t care for any of his recent stuff. But this was some of his best work.” And one comment read, “This was my mom’s ring tone for me as long as she could have a ring tone. She passed away in 2021. I tear up every time I hear it.”
With fans sharing their love for “The Baby”, it seems Shelton picked the perfect time to return it to his lineup.
(Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Big Barrel)
