Country singer Gretchen Wilson says she has fellow artist Blake Shelton to thank for helping get her career back on track.
Wilson told Taste of Country that Blake was instrumental in helping her get her new role as road manager in the upcoming CBS reality series “The Road” starring Keith Urban.
The singer says thanks to Shelton, she didn’t audition for the role. Instead, Shelton, who is executive producer, suggested her for it.
“Blake said if you want somebody who isn’t going to take any crap, who’s going to tell it like it is, and who also has the heart to deal with these people and their emotions, it’s Gretchen Wilson that you want to get,” Wilson told Taste of Country.
According to a press release, Wilson will be “providing support and guidance to the emerging musicians as they make their way across America, ensuring the tour’s success while sharing her expertise and experiences on the road as a touring artist.”
And Wilson agrees. “Stepping into the role of ‘tour manager’ for ‘The Road’ has allowed me to take everything I’ve learned over all my years of touring and pour it right back into these emerging musicians,” said Wilson in the press release. “Helping them sharpen their talents to capture the attention of these crowds across America, and guiding them through the real and raw grind of life on the road, has been a highlight of my career.”
‘The Road’ Puts a Twist on the Standard Talent Competition
Unlike shows like “American Idol” and “The Voice,” the new CBS reality series doesn’t bring contestants to just one stage to perform. Instead, the competition will put 12 competitors to the test as they perform as Keith Urban’s opening acts on tour.
And Urban’s star power isn’t just impacting the hopeful contestants.
Gretchen Wilson says it had a huge effect on her as well. “Keith performed at every one of these shows,” Wilson says. “Just aces. This guy is just — he’s got it together. All I could think every time I was watching him on stage was, ‘I wanna be Keith when I grow up.'”
In fact, Wilson says she told Urban that watching him work made her want to be a better version of herself, calling it a profound experience that will stick with her.
In a new trailer for “The Road,” Keith Urban says, “This show is all about being on the road. I don’t think it’s a job, I think it’s a calling.”
Gretchen Wilson Says Joining ‘The Road’ Was an Easy Decision
Joining the cast of “The Road” was an easy decision for Gretchen Wilson.
The singer says she had just come through a years-long health battle, during which she says she considered quitting country music altogether.
Instead, she fought back, making a triumphant return to last year’s CMA Fest, singing “Redneck Woman” alongside Ashley McBryde. Wilson went on to compete in and win this season of “The Masked Singer.” She says after that, she wanted to keep her new momentum going, so joining “The Road” was an easy “yes.”
How to Watch ‘The Road’ on CBS
“The Road” will air this Fall on CBS. No debut date has been announced yet.
Comments
Blake Shelton Gets Gretchen Wilson Back on ‘The Road’