Blake Shelton’s Road to Wedded Bliss

Country singer Blake Shelton gained millions of new fans this year thanks to his coaching job on NBC's hit show "The Voice" and his wedding in May to singer Miranda Lambert, 27. In this Sunday's issue of Parade, Shelton, 35, opens up to Leah Rozen about wedded bliss, his latest hit album, his comical tweets and more. "My life has been an open book, for better or for worse," he laughs.



On his near daily "I'm so drunk" Tweets. "It's just a way to say something ridiculous. Yeah, I drink a lot," says the singer, whose beverage of choice is Bacardi rum mixed with Crystal Light, "but I'm not drunk every night."

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On having great success later on in his career. "Ten years into my career, it's starting to bust wide open. I'm glad it's happening this way, because if it had happened earlier, I don't know that I would appreciate it like I do now."

On the divorce from his first wife in 2006. "It was the worst experience of my life. Nothing was worth risking that again. I wanted to be really sure this time, and I wanted Miranda to be really sure."

Miranda Lambert says Blake's foot-dragging frustrated her at times. "It took me a while to realize, why push him to get married if he doesn't want to?" Lambert tells Parade. "When I finally told myself I'm just going to love him and see what happens, that's when he bought the ring."

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Shelton recalls the pivotal moment for him: They'd had a doozy of a fight, and he was driving in his truck thinking maybe it was over for good. A contemporary Christian song, "God Gave Me You," came on the radio. As he listened, his doubts eased. He proposed soon after and refashioned "God Gave Me You" into a heartfelt love song on his new album. "For me, that's like our song," he smiles. "I don't just love Miranda -- I'm in love with her."

He and Lambert live on 1,200 acres in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, in a former hunting lodge they share with seven dogs, all rescue mutts. In a few years, when their schedules calm down, the couple plan to build a home on a nearby site. Ditto for starting a family, though Shelton says Lambert talks about it more than he does. When told about his remark, she laughs. "The dogs are a good training ground," she says, "but every time we get a new puppy, I think maybe we're not ready yet."

Thanks to "The Voice," Lambert says, others are learning what she has long known. "Blake is a very funny guy, but there's a side to him that's very sweet and caring."

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Initially, Shelton wasn't convinced he should join "The Voice." Then he watched the original Dutch version of the show, and learned who else would be coaching. "I said, 'I'd be stupid not to do this.'" The deciding factor? The chance to ensconce himself in one of the show's distinctive revolving chairs. "They're goofy, but I thought that would be fun, sitting in those big red chairs like you're the king of the mountain," he says.

Be sure to check out this weekend's issue of Parade magazine in your local newspaper for the full interview with Blake Shelton.

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