The Voice is about to embark upon its second season without Blake Shelton as a coach — with Reba McEntire returning alongside John Legend, Chance the Rapper and first-timers Dan + Shay for Season 25 — but the cowboy’s imprint on the singing competition remains as strong as ever. Not only did Shelton serve on the panel for 23 seasons, he left a legacy of keeping in touch with his team members after they leave the show and continuing to help their music careers. Lana Scott from Season 21 confirmed as much when she recalled running into the country music legend, and his reaction just warms my heart.
Lana Scott made it to the Semifinals of The Voice Season 21, but her journey with her coach Blake Shelton didn’t end there. The artist told Country Now that she stayed in touch with the “Come Back as a Country Boy” singer when she moved to Nashville after appearing on the NBC competition. Shelton even helped her book some shows at his bar Ole Red, where the two had a Voice reunion when he was there filming Barmageddon. Scott explained:
He’s called in before while I was performing in Nashville. I also ran into him one time in Nashville where he was recording Barmageddon, but he stopped the recording when he saw me, ran up to me, hugged me, and that was really nice, especially because that wasn’t on The Voice set. It was just this genuine, sweet moment.
I’m sure none of The Voice coaches are under obligation to keep up with their team members after their respective seasons, especially with Blake Shelton having so many, so it’s really heart-warming to hear that he continued to give Lana Scott opportunities to play at his bar. And when they saw each other there, not only was the country star happy to see an old team member, he paused filming of Barmageddon — which he co-created with The Voice host Carson Daly — to spend a minute with her.
Lana Scott said she did not expect to maintain this kind of friendship with her coach, especially considering her appearance came toward the end of his run on The Voice, when he’d already begun to hint that he was leaving “sooner than later.” She told Country Now:
Blake Shelton did 23 seasons. I was season 21, and so for me, I never went into it expecting him to be my life coach. I’m just really thankful for him to be my coach on The Voice. He is the king of country music with a huge career and a family, so I’m super grateful for the opportunities he’s given me at Ole Red and around the country.
He certainly does have a lot going on, even without The Voice, so that makes it all the more meaningful that he continues to make time for up-and-coming singers. Lana Scott is still working hard for her career, too, and she said she’s grateful for the platform she was given, continuing:
The Voice totally changed my life in the first place. I auditioned six times until I made it, and so when I was finally there, I just soaked it all up and really savored every single moment… I knew that when the show was over, that was just going to be the start if I had anything to do with it, because I’d worked so hard to get there.
That’s a winning attitude, with or without the help of a country music legend. We’re only a few weeks away from seeing what kind of talent will emerge from the Season 25 contestants, as The Voice is set to return at 8 p.m. ET Monday, February 26, on NBC. See what other premieres are also around the corner by checking out our 2024 TV schedule.
