Although shows like American Idol and The Voice offered contestants a chance at stardom, the new CBS show, The Road, presented singers with a new challenge. Instead of spending weeks on a stage, getting mentored by Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie, The Road would take contestants on tour alongside country star Keith Urban. Having the chance to open for the country singer, The Road also included Gretchen Wilson and Blake Shelton. Throwing contestants into a life on the road, the show recently announced the prize up for grabs.
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While getting a chance to travel the country with Urban, Shelton, and Wilson might sound like a prize in itself, CBS wanted to raise the stakes. For 12 singers, they will compete to open for Urban at numerous venues around the United States. With the number of contestants dwindling each week, the winner will walk away with more than a record deal. Again, Urban and a record deal sounded like a great prize, but adding in some cash wouldn’t hurt. That’s why the network added $250,000.
Blake Shelton Calls Touring “Greatest Feeling In The World”
With the pressure at an all-time high for the contestants, Shelton promised that the main challenge would come on the stage. “Touring is hard to get right. When you do, it is the greatest feeling in the world.” Having carved his own path in country music, Shelton saw the opportunity to learn from Urban as completely priceless. “There is not a musician in Nashville that wouldn’t want the opportunity to have the stage before a superstar like Keith Urban.”
As for Wilson, she noticed a great deal of talent among the 12 contestants. But that talent would be put to the ultimate test when facing Urban’s fans. Expecting a performance like no other, she insisted, “We have some very talented people that came to compete, but out here opening for Keith’s audiences is not for the faint of heart.”
While making their way throughout the United States, The Road will come to an end in Nashville. Considered the heart of country music, there seemed no better place to crown the winner than at the Ryman Auditorium. Don’t miss the season premiere of The Road on October 19th, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
(Photo by Terry Wyatt/WireImage)
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