Blake Shelton Ditched Nashville For Oklahoma Almost Two Decades Ago And Hasn’t Looked Back
Many of country music’s biggest stars live in or near Nashville, but not Blake Shelton. The “Stay Country Or Die Tryin'” singer ditched “Music City” nearly 20 years ago to live full-time in his home state of Oklahoma.
Shelton was born in Ada, Oklahoma, in 1976. He moved to Nashville at age 17, right after graduating from high school.
Shelton lived in Nashville for 12 years while chasing his country music dreams. He finally caught his big break in 2001, when his debut single, “Austin,” reached #1.
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More hits followed in those first few years, including “Ol’ Red,” “The Baby,” and “Some Beach.”
As Shelton recently told radio host Bobby Bones, once he had a few hits, he felt like he didn’t need to live in Nashville any longer. He shared why he moved out of the city in 2006 to return home to Oklahoma, telling Bones:
“I lived in Nashville for 12 years and I just never felt like it was home. I just always wanted to be back in Oklahoma. So I think at the time that I moved back to Oklahoma, I’d had, four or five hits, you know, enough that I felt like I had my foot in the door and I could get away with not living there.“
Shelton doesn’t regret the move. He enjoys working on his land and driving his farming equipment around. He and his wife, Gwen Stefani, even held their wedding on his property in 2021.
Watch the video below to hear Shelton talk about his decision to move from Nashville to Oklahoma.
Blake Will Temporarily Take Up In Las Vegas For New Residency Dates At Caesars Palace
Of course, Shelton still travels a lot on tour and for other commitments, such as his new singing competition series, The Road. Early next year (2026), he’ll temporarily take up in Las Vegas to perform a series of shows.
Shelton started his Live In Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in February of this year (2025). His first run only included six shows, so fans were thrilled when he recently announced eight new performances for 2026.
“We had so much fun earlier this year, I figured—why not do it again,” said Shelton in a press release on his official website. “This time we’re gonna do it more country, with more cocktails, and probably make a few more questionable decisions. Let’s go, Vegas.“
All of Shelton’s shows are scheduled for January, with the specific dates being January 15, 18, 21, 23, 24, 28, 30, and 31. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Thursday, August 28.
See the announcement about Shelton’s new Vegas residency shows below!
