Blake Shelton Reveals He Learned To Be A Good Mentor From Trace Adkins
Blake Shelton is gearing up for the season nine premiere of The Voice. With four wins under his belt, Shelton is more confident than ever that he will once again take a member of Team Blake to the top.
As he prepares to mentor a new team, the Oklahoma native is reflecting on his career mentor, who happens to be a fellow country music star.
“Trace Adkins was that guy for me …. unfortunately, because he’s a grumpy, old bastard,” Shelton joked. “But he was always that guy for me who would set me down and say, ‘Listen,’ and he would get on to me about stuff. Especially because back in the day, I was way worse than I am now.”
The reasons Shelton took Adkins’ advice may surprise you though. “He was about the only guy I would listen to because I was intimidated by him,” he shared. “Looking back, I am so glad that he was around for me.”
Shelton is more than happy to share his knowledge with his team members from The Voice, however, not every contestant takes up his offer to help.
“It’s not all of them. There are some people who have been on my teams over the years that I never see or talk to again,” he explained. “There are some people you have a connection with and some you don’t, but the ones I’ve had a connection with, I feel a responsibility to them — just on a friendship level. Since I am in a position to help them, I am damn sure going to at least try.”
The Voice returns to NBC on September 21.
