Blake Tollison Shelton is an American country singer and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single “Austin.” The lead-off single from his self-titled debut album “Austin,” spent five weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Take a look below for 31 more fun and interesting facts about Blake Shelton.

1. Although his “Austin” album was released on Giant Records Nashville, he was transferred to Warner Bros. Records Nashville after Giant closed in late 2001.

2. His second and third albums, 2003’s “The Dreamer” and 2004’s “Blake Shelton’s Barn & Grill,” are gold and platinum, respectively.

3. His fourth album, “Pure BS,” was re-issued in 2008 with a cover of Michael Bublé’s pop hit “Home” as one of the bonus tracks.

4. His fifth album, Startin’ Fires was released in November 2008.

5. It was followed by the extended plays “Hillbilly Bone” and “All About Tonight” in 2010, and the albums “Red River Blue” in 2011, “Based on a True Story… ” in 2013, “Bringing Back the Sunshine” in 2014, and “If I’m Honest” in 2016.

6. As of June 2017, Shelton has charted 33 singles, including 24 number ones, 17 of which were consecutive.

7. The 11th No. 1, “Doin’ What She Likes”, broke, “the record for the most consecutive No. 1 singles in the Country Airplay chart’s 24-year history”.

8. He is a seven-time Grammy Award nominee.

9. Shelton is also known for his role as a judge on the televised singing competitions “Nashville Star,” “Clash of the Choirs,” and “The Voice.”

10. He has been on “The Voice” since its inception, and in six of sixteen seasons, a member of his team has won.

11. From 2011 to 2015, Shelton was married to singer Miranda Lambert.

12. Shelton was born in Ada, Oklahoma, to Dorothy, a beauty salon owner, and Richard Shelton, a used car salesman.

13. Shelton began singing at an early age and by the age of 12, he was taught how to play the guitar by his uncle.

14. By age 15, he had written his first song.

15. By age 16, he had received a Denbo Diamond Award in his home state.

16. On November 13, 1990, his older brother Richie Shelton, who was 24, was killed in an automobile accident.

17. After graduating from high school at 17, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a singing career.

18. There he got a job at a music publishing company and, in 1997, he was aided by Bobby Braddock to obtain a production contract with Sony Music.

19. Shelton owns a franchise of restaurants and entertainment complexes called Ole Red.

20. The first Ole Red opened in Shelton’s hometown of Tishomingo, Oklahoma, in September 2017. A Nashville location opened in May 2018. A third location in Gatlinburg is expected to open in 2019.

21. Since his debut in 2001, Shelton has received positive reviews from musicians and critics. The New York Times described Shelton as “the most important and visible ambassador from Nashville to the American mainstream.”

22. Rolling Stone referred to him as “one of country music’s biggest stars over the past decade.”

23. In “Backstory: Blake Shelton,” a GAC television special broadcast in 2012, country stars Miranda Lambert and Trace Adkins respectively gave their kudos to Shelton. Lambert stated she “respect[s] him so much as a vocalist,” while Adkins said he “is going to be as relevant in this business as he wants to be for as long as he wants to be.”

24. Country Music Hall of Fame member Brenda Lee has commended both his vocals and songwriting.

25. Singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow credits Shelton with inspiring her musically.

26. Shelton was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2014, and made a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2010.

27. Shelton has been the recipient of nine Country Music Association Awards, five Academy of Country Music Awards, one CMT Artist of the Year award, and seven CMT Music Awards. He has also received eight American Country Awards, three People’s Choice Awards, two American Music Awards, one Billboard Music Award, and one iHeartRadio Music Awards, among others.

28. Shelton married long time girlfriend Kaynette Gern on November 17, 2003. They divorced in 2006.

29. On May 9, 2010, after dating for four years, Shelton proposed to Lambert, after seeking (and receiving) her father’s blessing. Shelton and Lambert were married on May 14, 2011, in Boerne, Texas.

30. On January 17, 2012, Shelton’s father, Dick, 71, died in Oklahoma, following a period of declining health.

31. In 2015, Forbes estimated Shelton’s annual income at $28.5 million.