Blake Shelton gets his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
The 2,755th sidewalk star went down Friday on Hollywood's Walk of Fame – it was for Blake Shelton, the Oklahoma native who has 28 No. 1 country singles.
Aside from Shelton's success as a soulful country musician, selling 13 million albums, 52 million singles and raking in 11 billion global streams, he is also entering his final season on "The Voice" reality singing competition show.
"Blake Shelton is one of the music and television world's most popular entertainers. He keeps "The Voice" audiences in stitches with his witty banter and he has captured many fan's hearts with his soulful country voice. To think that he began his career at the age of 17 is amazing," said Ana Martinez, Hollywood Walk of Fame producer
Shelton's wife, Gwen Stefani, joined him at the ceremony with a congratulatory speech. "You are so deserving of this honor and the boys and I and all of your family, friends and colleagues could not be more proud," said Stefani.
Stefani described Shelton as a true nature boy, "... growing up in the tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny town in Oklahoma, the backdrop of his life was nature … there is no one more authentic than this guy, he lives and breathes country music," said Stefani.
During Shelton's Walk of Fame acceptance speech, sirens screeched by … "Oh my God, it's not that bad is it?" said Shelton as he waved to the first responders driving past.
"I had a dream of being a country singer and hearing myself on the radio one day and I never ever thought that path would lead me here," said Shelton.
Shelton recently donated $200,000 to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. In response to the devastating tornadoes of 2013, Shelton and NBC teamed up on the telethon "Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert." With the help of Reba McEntire, Usher, Rascal Flatts, Vince Gill and Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, the telethon raised more than $6 million for United Way of Central Oklahoma. He has donated $500,000 to the Jimmy Everest Center, an Oklahoma University hospital for children with blood cancer and blood disorders.
In association with Ryman Hospitality Properties, the Grand Ole Opry member has opened a string of entertainment-themed restaurants and bars called Ole Red. The first venue opened in 2017 in his hometown of Tishomingo, Oklahoma. He now has venues in Nashville and Gatlinburg, Tennessee, as well as in Orlando, Florida, and they recently broke ground on a new venue in Las Vegas.