We now know what the winner of The Road will receive. The new reality TV talent show, produced by Blake Shelton and Taylor Sheridan, will receive an impressive $250,000, along with a recording contract.
For Shelton, it’s money well-earned.
“Touring, it’s hard to get right,” Shelton says in a trailer for the TV show. “But when you do, it’s the greatest feeling in the world.”
The Road also stars Keith Urban, whose crowd the 12 aspiring singers have to win over before he takes the stage, night after night.
“There’s not a musician in Nashville that wouldn’t want the opportunity to have the stage before a superstar like Keith Urban,” Shelton says.
It was Shelton’s idea to start The Road, after seeing what happens after artists appear on shows like The Voice, where he was for 23 seasons.
“They’re going to show people what these artists go through,” he says.
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Keith Urban On Being On ‘The Road’
Urban knew right away he wanted to be part of The Road, giving the artists valuable experience while performing directly in front of him.
“12 musicians on tour with me,” Urban says. “They’re going to have to win over the audience to get to the next city.”
Earlier, Urban said he wanted to be part of The Road as soon as Shelton pitched the idea to him.
“It’s a concept that Blake was one of the people behind it,” Urban says (via Coyote Country). “I loved the idea, and I loved that Taylor Sheridan was going to be involved in it, just from a visual standpoint and the style of the show. The concept of putting artists in a real-world environment versus a TV studio was really appealing to me, because I had not seen that before where there’s no vocal coach backstage, there’s no A & R’ing of their songs. They have to choose a cover, and they have to choose an original, and they’ve got to go out and make that work in front of an audience that isn’t there to see them.”
Gretchen Wilson Praises Contestants On ‘The Road’
Gretchen Wilson is also on The Road, serving as tour manager for the dozen contestants. She admits being on The Road is a grueling task, especially ahead of a superstar like Urban.
“We have some very talented people that came to compete,” she says. “But when you get out here, opening for Keith’s audiences, is not for the faint of heart.”
Urban is also praising Wilson for her role on The Road, and the way she handles all of the contestants.
“She’s hilarious,” Urban tells Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “She’s the tour manager on the whole show. So her job is getting them in and out of hotels, and getting them to rehearsals.”
“She’s honest and tough as nails,” he continues. “She’s no bullsh– … Doesn’t care. Unfiltered. Perfect. That’s what you need in that role. And you live and die by their choices. No one’s telling them what to sing. They don’t have a stylist. They choose the cover. They have to do an original, and they gotta wow the crowd every night. It’s a lot of fun.”
The Road premieres on CBS on Sunday, October 17. It will also stream on Paramount+.