Blake Shelton Happy to Live Life as an ‘Open Book’

Blake Shelton was a successful country music artist for almost 10 years before he earned millions of new fans thanks to role as a celebrity coach on the hit NBC TV show, 'The Voice.' But while he now is a fixture in the news media and the tabloids, the Oklahoma native says he is more than happy to live his life in the spotlight.

"My life has been an open book, for better or for worse," he tells Parade magazine. "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."

Blake may be a bona fide superstar these days, but that doesn't mean he is immune to criticism -- especially when it comes to his frequent tweets about being drunk. But the 35-year-old is quick to defend his alcohol habits. "It's just a way to say something ridiculous. Yeah, I drink a lot," he says, "but I'm not drunk every night."

The husband of Miranda Lambert served his famous cocktail, Bacardi Rum mixed with Crystal Light, at his May nuptials, as well as another drink that he stayed far away from: moonshine. "Back when I was younger, that was a funny thing to do -- take a shot of moonshine," he admits. "I don't do it anymore. It will rot your insides out. But people who hadn't done it were trying it -- and I'm sure they were regretting it the next day."

The newlywed dated his bride for more than five years before finally tying the knot. It was a wait that may have seemed long to some people, but was exactly what the 'Honey Bee' singer needed, after weathering a painful divorce from first wife Kaynette Williams after three years of marriage. "It was the worst experience of my life," he says of the split. "Nothing was worth risking that again. I wanted to be really sure this time, and I wanted Miranda to be really sure."

The tunesmith just saw his latest album, 'Red River Blue,' land in the No. 1 spot on the charts. From a guy who has made a living with songs like 'Hillbilly Bone' and 'All About Tonight,' his new single, 'God Gave Me You,' is a surprisingly tender, faith-based tune that may seem like a sharp departure for the reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year. But he says the song was a crucial addition for his latest CD.

"'God Gave Me You' is an important song for me for this record," Blake explains to The Boot. "I had flown into Dallas, Texas and got into my truck and was driving back to Oklahoma ... It's no secret, Miranda and I have had our ups and downs over the years and this was definitely at a low point at our relationship. But I heard that song come on the radio -- for whatever reason I was flipping through stations and landed on a contemporary Christian station, and that song came on and I almost had to pull the truck over. It was one of those moments for me where I felt like I was hearing that song at that moment for a reason."

Blake is currently spending most of his time on the road, serving as opening act for Brad Paisley on his H20 II: Wetter & Wilder tour, as well as performing several solo dates. Keep track of his concert schedule here.

%VIRTUAL-globalVideoEmbed-{"videoIds":"517720585","width":"476","height":"357"}%