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Forbes Daily Briefing

Inside Blake Shelton’s New American Dream

Forbes Daily Briefing

Forbes

Business, Tech News, News

4.418 Ratings

🗓️ 15 April 2026

⏱️ 6 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Inside a century-old church in Pasa­dena, California, Blake Shelton sits alone on a faded wooden pew, praying. Smoke and lights are pumped into the darkened sanctuary as a camera circles, filming the video for his latest single, “Let Him In Anyway.” It’s a ballad about a recently deceased best friend whose eternal salvation is in doubt, but the director has an idea to inject some optimism into the song that is not suggested by the lyrics. He instructs two crew members to open the church doors as the song concludes, letting in streams of Cali­fornia sunshine that hint at an answered prayer.  “I try to make all my decisions by listening to what everyone else has to say,” Shelton tells Forbes. “We’ll go edit it—and if it works it works, and if it doesn’t, nobody besides you ever knows it happened.” The 49-year-old country music superstar describes all his ventures with similar aw-shucks humility. But those he works closest with say not to underestimate the business savvy of a man who has recorded 31 No. 1 country radio hits, opened a national chain of restaurants, launched a Hollywood production company and amassed a personal fortune that Forbes estimates at more than $200 million. By Matt Craig, Reporter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:30.6

Today on Forbes, inside Blake Shelton's New American Dream.

0:36.5

Blake Shelton, the 49-year-old country music superstar, describes all his ventures

0:41.9

with an aw shucks humility.

0:44.6

But those he works closest with say not to underestimate the business savvy of a man who

0:49.3

has recorded 31 number one country radio hits, opened a national chain of restaurants, launched a Hollywood

0:55.5

production company, and amassed the personal fortune that Forbes estimates at more than

1:00.3

$200 million. Colin Reed, Shelton's longtime friend and executive chairman of Nashville, Tennessee-based

1:08.5

Ryman Hospitality Properties, says, quote,

1:11.9

even though he plays this foxy good old boy, he's a smart dude.

1:17.1

In many ways, Shelton's career has been defined by the tug-of-war between show business

1:22.5

and the life of hunting, fishing, and farming he prefers in Tishamingo, Oklahoma, where he lives on a sprawling

1:29.1

ranch with his wife, pop star Gwen Stefani. Of his time spent there, he says, quote,

1:34.9

I don't even care if I miss an opportunity by not responding to a text or a phone call. It's really

1:40.8

the only way I can maintain some sanity.

1:51.2

Balancing his personal and professional lives was much easier before 2011, when Shelton was chosen as one of the coaches for a new singing competition show, The Voice, NBC's attempt

1:57.0

to unseat Fox's ratings juggernaut American Idol.

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