The Road is a new TV show, airing on CBS this fall. The reality TV talent show finds aspiring talent all over the country, with the singers vying to win over fan bases by opening for Urban.
Keep reading to find out everything to know about the new TV show.
Who Is Producing ‘The Road’
Blake Shelton is producing The Road, alongside Yellowstone producer, Taylor Sheridan, plus Lee Metzger and David Glasser.
“I’m a big fan of Taylor’s incredible work, and I’m excited to team with him and my long-time collaborator, Lee, on The Road,” Shelton says. “I know a thing or two about singing competitions and what it’s like to chase a music dream and live life on tour. I’m looking forward to discovering new talent and giving them this platform.”
Who Is On ‘The Road’
Both Keith Urban and Gretchen Wilson are on The Road. The aspiring singers will open for Urban, with Wilson serving as the tour manager for the TV show.
“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.”
Wilson was already a fan of Urban, but became an even bigger fan after filming The Road together.
“Keith performed at every one of these shows,” Wilson tells Taste of Country. “Just aces. This guy is just — he’s got it together. All I could think every time I was watching him on stage was, ‘I wanna be Keith when I grow up.’”
Why Are Keith Urban and Gretchen Wilson on ‘The Road’
It was Shelton who had the idea for both Urban and Wilson to be part of The Road. But perhaps no one is a bigger fan of Wilson than Urban, especially after being on The Road together.
“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.”
When Will ‘The Road’ Air
The Road premieres on CBS on Sunday, October 19. It will also stream on Paramount+.
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Who Are The Contestants On ‘The Road’
Adam Sanders, 36, from Lake City, Florida
Billie Jo Jones, 34, from Emory, Texas
Blaine Bailey, 23, from Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Briana Adams, 30, from Winchester, Texas
Britnee Kellogg, 40, from Anthem, Arizona
Cassidy Daniels, 25, from Marion, North Carolina
Channing Wilson, 49, from Lafayette, Georgia
Cody Hibbard, 32, from Adair, Oklahoma
Forrest McCurren, 35, from Jefferson City, Missouri
Jenny Tolman, 29, from Nashville, Tennessee
Jon Wood, 28, from Wake Forest, North Carolina
Olivia Harms, 29, from Canby, Oregon
Why Keith Urban Is On ‘The Road’
Urban doesn’t need to add anything else to his superstar career. But for Urban, the premise of The Road was so enticing, he knew was soon as he was asked that he wanted to be a part of it.
“They’re real clubs,” Urban reveals. “They’re not TV studios. We go to a club in Oklahoma and Texas and Arkansas, Nashville. We go to these clubs and basically, I’m the headliner for the night. I’m going to do half an hour with the house band, by the way. And all of these people competing are going to get to do two songs each with the house band. A cover, and then they have to do an original. And then they live or die that night by the audience’s vote.”
“Someone’s kicked off every night,” he adds. “And it’s amazing, because you can be winning the crowd over, night after night. And then you go to another state, and those people just don’t like you, and you’re off. It’s crazy.”
What Does Gretchen Wilson Say About ‘The Road’
Wilson, already on a high after winning the latest season of The Masked Singer, feels like being tour manager on The Road is a perfect fit for her.
“Stepping into the role of ‘tour manager’ for The Road has allowed me to take everything I’ve learned over all of my years of touring and pour it right back into these emerging musicians,” Wilson says. “Helping them sharpen their talents to capture the attention of these crowds across America, and guiding them through the real and raw grind of life on the road, has been a highlight of my career.”