Those are the words of Country music superstar Blake Shelton who’s on the cover of the latest issue of Radio Ink magazine. Shelton, who’s also become a huge TV star on The Voice, has 28 number one songs. And, unlike the chatter we’re hearing in Washington, radio is still very important to stars like Shelton.
Here’s an excerpt from our interview with Shelton
Radio Ink: What does hearing your music on Country radio mean to you? Is it still a big deal?
Shelton: Yeah, it means everything. All I ever wanted to do was to move to Nashville and hear myself on the radio. It was like seven years after I moved to Nashville that it finally happened, but I was driving on 440 and “Austin” came on, and I kept looking to both sides, trying to see if other drivers were singing along. I was like, “That’s my song!” That was always my dream, and it’s still hard for me to believe now I have 28 number one songs.
Radio Ink: What’s the value of Country radio to a new artist’s career? Is radio still the path to becoming a star?
Shelton: Radio absolutely is a path to stardom. Every new artist I work with on The Voice says the same thing — that hearing themselves on Country radio is their dream. They know Country radio is the best way to reach the most people, and that’s still how these kids know they made it, when they hear their song on Country radio. That’s how I knew I made it!
Subscribe to Radio Ink Magazine in time to receive our special Country Radio Seminar issue which includes our interview with Blake Shelton and the Top Program Director’s in Country Radio list.
Radio Ink will present its “Top Country PDs” awards on Thursday night, February 24th at Bob Kingsley’s Acoustic Alley. The awards have been presented at the Country Radio Seminar for over 20 years and are recognized as a hallmark of excellence by country radio program directors and country radio stations around the country. Radio Ink would like to thank Sony Music Nashville for sponsoring our Best Country PD List.
