HOUSTON — Country superstar Blake Shelton never misses a chance to sing. He greeted me backstage at NBC’s “The Voice,” playfully singing a line from “Lady Marmalade.”
NBC’s “The Voice”
With “The Voice’s” blind auditions and battle-rounds over, I asked Shelton what he was looking forward to seeing in the live shows.
“You’re going to see these artists that you’ve been watching along the way put through awkward situations of the blind auditions and the battle rounds. It’s totally unnatural for music,” he said. “But from that, you get to see them now be themselves and that’s something we haven’t seen yet.”
And when it comes to coaching for a live show compared to a battle round?
“Man, all you can really do is prepare them for what to expect from a television show and that’s kind of what I hit them with,” said Shelton.
Whether it’s the flashy lights, the pyrotechnics or the dance routines, Shelton said performing live is more than putting on a big show. It’s about matching the performer with the right performance.
“I feel like it’s my responsibility to protect what they truly are as artists,” said Shelton. “Some of them really want dancers and they love that part of it. It’s just figuring out who they really are as artists and protecting that for them.”
Of course, we couldn’t leave the set without asking the country music superstar about our local “Voice” — Jones Creek native Jeff Jenkins.
“Man, I tried to get Jeff Jenkins on my team,” said Shelton. “He’s a great singer. I think he’s one of those guys this show exists for. When you hear that voice, it’s amazing. He sure doesn’t look the part of a big rock star up there. You turn around and see this guy you want to go give a big hug to. And that’s what’s cool about this show, is people that have amazing voices get their chance.”
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