Photo and video: Blake Shelton and Kenny Loggins open the 2011 CMA Awards with “Footloose”
Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton and Kenny Loggins open the 2011 CMA Awards playing "Footloose." (AP photo)
The Country Music Association hosted its 45th Annual CMA Awards Wednesday night in Nashville. Tishomingo country star Blake Shelton and ’80s soundtrack guru Kenny Loggins opened the show performing “Footloose.” Loggins cut the iconic theme song for the original 1984 film, while Shelton covered it for the recent remake.
For more on the CMA Awards, read my live blog by clicking here.
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Wednesday Video Spotlight: Behind the scenes of Blake Shelton’s “Footloose” video
Check out this behind-the-scenes look at Tishomingo country music star Blake Shelton’s music video for his “Footloose” cover.
Shelton, who is in the midst of a breakout year, will compete for five trophies, including the top prize, entertainer of the year, tonight during the 45th CMA Awards. The Ada native tied Paisley, Jason Aldean and Taylor Swift as all received five nominations each and all are nominated in the entertainer of the year category, along with Keith Urban.
Along with his entertainer nomination, Shelton, who lives in Tishomingo, will defend his title as reigning CMA male vocalist of the year and contend for album of the year for “All About Tonight” and single of the year for “Honey Bee,” both produced by Clinton native Scott Hendricks. In addition, Shelton, a celebrity coach on the hit reality TV show “The Voice,” is nominated for video of the year for “Honey Bee,” directed by Trey Fanjoy.
“To be honest, I secretly hoped that I’d get this nomination one day, but I never thought I actually would,” Shelton said on his website after he received his first entertainer of the year nomination.
Shelton will open the CMA Awards by performing “Footloose,” which he covered for the recent remake of the 1984 film, and he will be joined by ‘80s soundtrack guru Kenny Loggins, who cut the famous original version of the movie theme.
The 45th Annual CMA Awards air live from 7 to 10 tonight on ABC, with Checotah native Carrie Underwood and Paisley co-hosting. helton, his wife Miranda Lambert, Thompson Square, Rascal Flatts and Underwood, who all have Oklahoma ties, are all nominated for awards and have been invited to join the star-studded lineup of performers.
Follow along with my CMA Awards live blog when the show starts in mere moments!
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Blake Shelton invites Kenny Loggins to go “Footloose” with him to open CMA Awards
Blake Shelton (AP file)
Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton has invited legendary singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins to join him during a performance of the classic hit “Footloose” as the opening song for the 45th Annual CMA Awards.
The 45th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Brad Paisley and Checotah native Carrie Underwood, will air live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., from 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9 on the ABC Television Network. P
reviously announced performers for the Country Music Association’s award show include Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Thompson Square, Keith Urban, Chris Young, and Zac Brown Band, plus Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter singing their hit collaboration “You and Tequila;” Vince Gill, Paisley, and Urban performing a tribute to Glen Campbell; Rascal Flatts and Natasha Bedingfield singing their current hit duet “Easy;” Lionel Richie performing select duets with Little Big Town, Rascal Flatts, and Darius Rucker; and co-hosts Paisley and Underwood in their first live televised-performance of their No. 1 song “Remind Me.”
Written by Loggins and Dean Pitchford as the title song for the motion picture of the same name, “Footloose” was a No. 1 smash hit for Loggins for three weeks in 1984. With the remake of the movie currently in theaters, Shelton is dancing up the charts with his version of the song.
Loggins has built a successful, decades-spanning career on the foundation of his songs. He first received national attention as part of the duo Loggins & Messina with Jim Messina, achieving hits such as “Your Mama Don’t Dance” and selling more than 16 million albums. As a songwriter, he wrote or co-wrote such classics as “Danny’s Song” (a Top 10 hit on both the Billboard Country and Hot 100 charts for Anne Murray in 1972), “A Love Song” (also a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Country Singles chart for Murray in 1974), and “What A Fool Believes” (which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1979 for co-writer Michael McDonald’s band The Doobie Brothers). As a solo artist, Loggins wrote and/or recorded such favorites as “Whenever I Call You ‘Friend’” (a duet with Stevie Nicks), “This is It,” “I’m Alright,” “Heart to Heart,” “Meet Me Halfway,” “Danger Zone,” “Conviction of the Heart,” “For the First Time,” “House at Pooh Corner,” and more.
Reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year, Shelton received five CMA Awards nominations this year including Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for “All About Tonight”; and Single and Music Video of the Year, both for “Honey Bee.” This feat tied him with Aldean, Paisley, and Swift as the artists who received the most CMA Awards nominations in 2011. This is the first year that Shelton has been nominated in the Entertainer and Album of the Year categories. He has won two CMA Awards thus far in his career. In addition to Male Vocalist, he also won Musical Event of the Year in 2010 for his performance of “Hillbilly Bone” with Trace Adkins. Shelton’s current album is “Red River Blue,” featuring the platinum-certified digital single “Honey Bee” and his fifth consecutive No. 1 hit “God Gave Me You.” In total, Shelton has racked up 10 No. 1 hits.
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Blake Shelton, “Footloose” stars Julianne Hough and Kenny Wormald to perform Tuesday on “Dancing with the Stars”
Blake Shelton
On this week’s “Dancing with the Stars,: the remaining nine pairs will perform their dance style of choice to an array of iconic movie scores, orchestrated by the “Dancing with the Stars” band at 7 tonight on the ABC Television Network.
On Tuesday, two-time former “DWTS” champion Julianne Hough returns, performing a duet with her “Footloose” co-star Kenny Wormald to their remake of “Holding Out For A Hero.” Hough and Wormald star in the upcoming remake of “Footloose,” a new take on the beloved 1984 film based on real-life events that happened in 1980 in the small Oklahoma town of Elmore City. Directed by Craig Brewer, the new version of “Footloose” opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.
After their duet, Hough and Wormald will join Country Music Awards Entertainer of the Year nominee Blake Shelton, an Ada native who lives in Tishomingo, for performance of the iconic title song, “Footloose.” Shelton has recorded a cover of the popular anthem, originally cut by ’80s soundtrack guru Kenny Loggins, for the new film.
One of the UK’s best-selling musical artists, Susan Boyle will perform a rendition of the Righteous Brothers’ classic “Unchained Melody” in a worldwide television network exclusive performance, accompanied by pro dancers Val Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd.
Also performing Tuesday will be Raphael Saadiq, who will bring the soulful spirit of the ’60s to the ballroom when he sings an original version of “Soul Man.”
Before the week’s elimination, Julianne Hough will hit the dance floor Tuesday with her brother and “DWTS” three-time champion Derek Hough to perform a jive they have choreographed to “Shake Your Tail Feather.” The “Dancing with the Stars” results show will air at 8 p.m. Tuesday on ABC.
Oklahoma-based entertainer Blake Shelton has proven himself to be one of country music’s brightest lights, as one of the genre’s most versatile and accomplished vocalists. His career has unfolded ever since his 2001 debut single “Austin” brought him national attention. This year, he has been nominated for five Country Music Association Awards, including the most prestigious honor, Entertainer of the Year. Shelton recently announced his first headlining arena tour, “Well Lit & Amplified Tour 2012,” which kicks off in January. The country superstar’s single, “God Gave Me You,” recently broke into the top five and is his fastest-rising single to date. The emotionally powerful single is off his new album, “Red River Blue,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Soundscan Top Current Albums chart and Soundscan Top Country Albums chart.
Shelton’s infectious multi-week No. 1 hit, “Honey Bee,” is also off his new album and is his first digital platinum single. Shelton holds the record for the fastest-selling digital platinum single for a male country solo artist. The single held the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Country Chart for four weeks in a row, with more than 40 million in audience. No country artist has held this record in almost six years. His star power, world-class voice and irreverent personality have brought him acclaim that has translated well from the world of country music to a wider audience.
As a contemporary artist, Raphael Saadiq continues to honor tradition that goes back to the ’60s and ’70s through his music. Saadiq’s latest album, “The Way I See It,” his third solo album and first for Sony BGM, is a masterful collection of new material that speaks to his deep love for rhythm and blues.”The Way I See It” showcases the rich diversity of funky grooves and smooth balladry that is his calling card; it is a genuine feel good R&B album. Born and raised in Oakland, Calif., Saadiq began singing in a professional gospel group at the age of nine. His musical education encompassed classical music, ’40s spirituals, hymns, jazz and R&B.
He was the lead vocalist and bass player with the late ’80s/early ’90s group Tony! Toni! Toné!. After leaving the group, he recorded two singles for hit movies, “Ask of You” from “Higher Learning” and “Me &You” from “Boyz in the Hood.” In 2000, he created the group Lucky Pearl, and the group,s sole self-titled album received Grammy Award, American Music Award and Soul Train Music Award nominations. Saadiq is an award-winning producer who has worked with such artists as Joss Stone, The Roots, Snoop Dogg and John Legend, among many others.
As an international artist, Susan Boyle’s global record sales hit a monumental 14 million on the 14th month after her recording career started.
With No. 1 albums in five continents, in more than 20 countries, her albums have moved the Susan Boyle story far beyond her performance on a British talent show. For her devoted listeners, Boyle is constantly determined to find the emotional core of the music with modern classics, both secular and sacred, timeless love songs and twists on pop and rock curiosities. This humble woman from a sleepy and largely forgotten Scottish hamlet has become one of the premiere recording voices of her age. Her second album, “The Gift,” made her the first artist in history to have her first two records debut at No. 1 on both sides of the Atlantic. Now with the global launch of her third album, “Someone to Watch Over Me,” her music continues to touch people all over the world.
By the episode’s end, one couple will be eliminated, as determined by a combination of the judges’ scores and viewers’ votes on dances performed on Monday’s performance show. Reality TV personality Kristin Cavallari (“The Hills) and her professional partner Mark Ballas were eliminated last week.
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Video: Blake Shelton’s “Footloose”
Blake Shelton (AP file)
For the first time since “Thriller,” “Entertainment Tonight” debuted a music video in its entirety Thursday night,with the exclusive world premiere of Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton’s remake of “Footloose.” The music video is now online and embedded after the break for your convenience.
In the video, Shelton, the reigning Country Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year whose current single “God Gave Me You” is his fastest-rising to date, sings the iconic title song from the upcoming film at a drive-in theater. Clips from the remake are interspersed with the performance.
Of course, “Footloose” was performed for the original 1984 film by music legend Kenny Loggins. For fun, compare Loggins’ original music video to Shelton’s new countrified version after the break.
The Atlantic Records / Warner Music Nashville soundtrack for the remake of “Footloose” is a 12-track album that features eight new songs along with remakes of four of the classic hits from the original soundtrack. Victoria Justice and Hunter Hayes join the album with the movie’s love theme, “Almost Paradise.” The star-studded line-up for the soundtrack also includes new music from Big & Rich, Cee Lo Green, David Banner, Whitney Duncan, Lissie and Zac Brown of Zac Brown Band. Other classic songs featured on the album are “Holding Out For A Hero” by Ella Mae Bowen and “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” by Jana Kramer.
Writer-director Craig Brewer (“Hustle & Flow”) helms a new take of the well-loved 1984 film, which was loosely based on real-life events that happened in 1980 in Elmore City, where students convinced the school board to let them organize the school’s first prom, despite an 80-year-old city ordinance banning public dancing. The Oklahoma farming community marked the 30th anniversary of the first prom last year.
Ren MacCormack (played by newcomer Kenny Wormald, taking on the role that made Kevin Bacon a star) is transplanted from Boston to the small southern town of Bomont, where he experiences a heavy dose of culture shock. A few years prior, the community was rocked by a tragic accident that killed five teenagers after a night out, and Bomont’s local councilmen and the beloved Rev. Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) responded by implementing ordinances that prohibit loud music and dancing. Not one to bow to the status quo, Ren challenges the ban, revitalizing the town and falling in love with the minister’s troubled daughter Ariel (Julianne Hough) in the process.
“Footloose” opens in theaters next Friday, Oct. 14.
Blake Shelton’s “Footloose” music video to premiere Thursday on “Entertainment Tonight”
For the first time since “Thriller,” “Entertainment Tonight” will debut a music video in its entirety when it offers up the exclusive world premiere of Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton’s remake of “Footloose” on Thursday. “Entertainment Tonight” airs at 6:30 p.m. weekdays on KWTV-9 in Oklahoma City.
Shelton, the reigning Country Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year whose current single “God Gave Me You” is his fastest-rising to date, sings the iconic title song from the upcoming film, which was performed for the original 1984 film by music legend Kenny Loggins.
The Atlantic Records / Warner Music Nashville soundtrack for the remake of “Footloose” is a 12-track album that features eight new songs along with remakes of four of the classic hits from the original soundtrack. Shelton sings the film’s title song, “Footloose,” while Victoria Justice and Hunter Hayes join the album with the movie’s love theme, “Almost Paradise.” The star-studded line-up for the soundtrack also includes new music from Big & Rich, Cee Lo Green, David Banner, Whitney Duncan, Lissie and Zac Brown of Zac Brown Band. Other classic songs featured on the album are “Holding Out For A Hero” by Ella Mae Bowen and “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” by Jana Kramer.
Writer-director Craig Brewer (“Hustle & Flow”) helms a new take of the well-loved 1984 film, which was loosely based on real-life events that happened in 1980 in Elmore City, where students convinced the school board to let them organize the school’s first prom, despite an 80-year-old city ordinance banning public dancing. The Oklahoma farming community marked the 30th anniversary of the first prom last year.
Ren MacCormack (played by newcomer Kenny Wormald, taking on the role that made Kevin Bacon a star) is transplanted from Boston to the small southern town of Bomont, where he experiences a heavy dose of culture shock. A few years prior, the community was rocked by a tragic accident that killed five teenagers after a night out, and Bomont’s local councilmen and the beloved Rev. Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) responded by implementing ordinances that prohibit loud music and dancing. Not one to bow to the status quo, Ren challenges the ban, revitalizing the town and falling in love with the minister’s troubled daughter Ariel (Julianne Hough) in the process.
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New releases for Sept. 27, 2011: Original “Footloose” dances onto Blu-ray, new “Footloose” soundtrack cuts loose
The promotional push for the upcoming remake of the dance drama “Footloose” is cutting loose.
The soundtrack for the remake dropped today, featuring Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton’s cover of the theme song, originally a hit for ’80s soundtrack guru Kenny Loggins.
The new album also features Hunter Hayes and Victoria Justice’s duet on “Almost Paradise (Love Theme From Footloose),” originally recorded by Ann Wilson and Mike Reno; Jana Kramer’s cut of “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” first done by Deniece Williams; and Ella Mae Bowen’s “Holding Out for a Hero,” originally cut by Bonnie Tyler. The remake soundtrack also includes new contributions from Zac Brown, Cee Lo Green with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Big & Rich with Gretchen Wilson.
The remake stars newcomer Kenny Wormald, country singer/dancing TV personality Julianne Hough and Dennis Quaid and is written and directed by Craig Brewer, who made the music-driven movies “Hustle & Flow” and “Black Snake Moan.”
Due in theaters Oct. 14, “Footloose” follows closely to the dance steps of the 1984 original film, which made Kevin Bacon a star. For fans of the ’84 version, it debuted today on Blu-ray in a deluxe edition also available on DVD.
The original film was loosely based on real-life events that happened in 1980 in Elmore City, where students convinced the school board to let them organize the school’s first prom, despite an 80-year-old city ordinance banning public dancing. The Oklahoma farming community marked the 30th anniversary of the first prom last year.
In music, other notable releases include new albums from Wilco, Blink 182 and Chickenfoot, while other big movie drops include today’s release of the 50th anniversary edition of “Ben-Hur” and Friday’s bow of “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.”
Here is a list of new CDs, DVDs and books, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Various artists, “Footloose: Music From the Motion Picture.”
Wilco, “The Whole Love.”
Blink 182, “Neighborhoods.”
Chickenfoot, “Chickenfoot III.”
J. Cole, “Cole World: The Sideline Story.”
Pink Floyd, “The Dark Side of the Moon – Immersion Box Set.”
Johnny Winter, “Roots.”
Mastodon, “The Hunter.”
Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa, “Don’t Explain.”
DVDs
Adventure Time: My Two Favorite People
Army Wives: The Complete Fifth Season
Ben-Hur: 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition
Carlos
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – Eleventh Season
CSI: Miami – The Ninth Season
CSI: New York – The Seventh Season
Footloose
Go For It!
Good Neighbors
How I Met Your Mother: Season Six
How to Make It in America: The Complete First Season
Hung: The Complete Second Season
Law & Order Special Victims Unit: Year 12
The Ledge
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Friday)
Treasure Island
Without Men
Books
The Affair: A Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher) by Lee Child
Aleph by Paulo Coelho
Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever by Bill O’Reilly, Martin Dugard
Sweet Land of Liberty by Callista Gingrich, Susan Acriero
10 Mindful Minutes: Giving Our Children–and Ourselves–the Social and Emotional Skills to Reduce Stress and Anxiety for Healthier, Happy Lives by Goldie Hawn
The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt
The Secret Lives of Wives: Women Share What It Really Takes to Stay Married by Iris Krasnow
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Cut “Footloose” to Blake Shelton’s cover to win a trip to the “Footloose” movie premiere
Movie fans are invited to kick off their Sunday shoes and show off their best dance moves with the “Show Us How You Cut Loose Contest.”
In honor of the upcoming release of the “Footloose” remake, fans are invited to create videos of them dancing to Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton’s new rendition of the iconic theme song. They can post the video on www.FootlooseMovie.com and vie for online votes; the grand prize in the contest is a trip for two to the “Footloose” movie premiere.
The deadline to submit a video is Monday, Sept. 26, and participants are encouraged to post their videos as soon as possible so they can start accumulating votes.
Due in theaters Oct. 14, “Footloose” follows closely to the dance steps of the 1984 original film, which made Kevin Bacon a star. The remake stars newcomer Kenny Wormald, country singer/dancing TV personality Julianne Hough and Dennis Quaid and is written and directed by Craig Brewer, who made the music-driven movies “Hustle & Flow” and “Black Snake Moan.”
The original film was loosely based on real-life events that happened in 1980 in Elmore City, where students convinced the school board to let them organize the school’s first prom, despite an 80-year-old city ordinance banning public dancing. The Oklahoma farming community marked the 30th anniversary of the first prom last year.
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Autumn 2011 movie preview: Fall films hold promise of more substantial fare
"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"
My excellent colleague George Lang of Staticblog and I tag-teamed this story, which also appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Fall movie preview holds promise of more substantial fare
With the blast-furnace heat of summer starting to subside in Oklahoma, the films of fall require more than just movie theater air-conditioning to be cool. The fall movie season looks like a boon for audiences looking for more substance, including new films by Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney.
With the blast-furnace heat of summer starting to subside, the films of fall require more than just movie theater air-conditioning to be cool. Starting this weekend, the movies populating the multiplexes start to feel a little more adult as studios position their elite properties for awards season.
But this year, the shift in tone will not feel as abrupt as it has in recent years. August is usually a dumping ground for lowbrow comedies and slapdash horror garbage, but in 2011, the month was dominated at the box office by the heartfelt period drama “The Help,” which is expected to surpass $100 million this weekend. So in the next few months, once viewers get past Nick Swardson’s porn-oriented comedy opening today, the fall movie season starts to look like a boon for audiences looking for more substance, including new films by Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney.
"Contagion"
Friday
Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet and Laurence Fishburne face down the consequences of a global epidemic in Steven Soderbergh’s slow-burning, hyper-realistic drama “Contagion.”
The acclaimed indie science-fiction film “Attack the Block” centers on a group of South London gang members who battle invading aliens.
In “Warrior,” Tom Hardy of “Inception” revisits the fight scene he dominated in 2008′s “Bronson” as a mixed martial arts fighter trained by his alcoholic ex-boxer father, played by Nick Nolte.
After playing second-banana in Adam Sandler’s recent films, comic Nick Swardson steps into the spotlight in “Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star,” in which a naive man-child from the Midwest discovers that his parents (Edward Hermann and Miriam Flynn) were porn stars. Naturally, he is inspired to follow in their footsteps. Christina Ricci, Don Johnson and Kevin Nealon also star.
In other stand-up news, comedian Kevin Hart’s recent 90-day concert tour is captured in the concert film “Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain.”
"Straw Dogs"
Sept. 16
Oklahoma City’s James Marsden steps into Dustin Hoffman’s shoes in a remake of Sam Peckinpah’s tense masterwork “Straw Dogs.” In this version, screenwriter David Sumner (Marsden) relocates to the deep South with his wife, Amy (Kate Bosworth), and they encounter resentment and violence from the local population. Alexander Skarsgard (“True Blood”), James Wood and Walton Goggins (“Justified”) co-star.
Director Nicholas Winding Refn follows up “Bronson” and “Valhalla Rising” with “Drive,” in which a stunt driver played by Ryan Gosling gets embroiled in a disastrous robbery. Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks (“Mad Men”) and Bryan Cranston also star, but look for Albert Brooks playing against type as a dark-hearted mobster in this stylish thriller.
Sarah Jessica Parker plays a finance executive who is the chief breadwinner for her family in “I Don’t Know How She Does It.” Greg Kinnear and Oklahoma City’s Olivia Munn co-star in this comedy directed by Doug McGrath (“Emma”).
In “Life, Above All,” the realities of life in modern South Africa are reflected in the relationship between a mother and a daughter (Khomotso Manyaka and Keaobaka Makanyane).
Vera Farmiga of “Up in the Air” makes her directorial debut with “Higher Ground,” a drama about one woman’s lifelong struggle with her faith.
“Lion King 3D” retrofits Disney’s 1994 animated classic with 3-D visuals for a special two-week theatrical release, followed by a Blu-ray/Blu-ray 3-D release Oct. 4.
"Moneyball"
Sept. 23
Based on Michael Lewis’ acclaimed nonfiction book, “Moneyball” stars Brad Pitt as a baseball manager putting together a team based on computer analysis. The film also stars Jonah Hill, Robin Wright and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Taylor Lautner of the “Twilight” films stars in “Abduction,” a thriller in which a young man tries to uncover the secrets of his life after he sees his baby photo on a missing persons’ website. “Abduction” is directed by John Singleton (“Boyz N The Hood”) and co-stars Lily Collins, Alfred Molina and Sigourney Weaver.
After his mentor (Robert De Niro) is taken captive, a retired member of British special forces (Jason Statham) must kill three assassins dispatched by underground kingpin Spike (Clive Owen) in “Killer Elite.”
Based on a true story, “Dolphin Tale” is about the heroic efforts of a prosthetics doctor (Morgan Freeman) to give an injured dolphin a new tail. Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd and Kris Kristofferson also star.
Listen: Blake Shelton covers the “Footloose” theme song for remake
What a red-letter day for Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton.
Shelton, who lives in Tishomingo, has recorded a new version of the iconic theme from “Footloose” for the upcoming remake of the well-loved 1984 dance drama. Shelton’s cover of Kenny Loggins’ famed hit premiered exclusively today on TheBoot.com.
To hear Shelton cut “Footloose,” click here.
Shelton told TheBoot.com that the movie’s producers initially approached him to cut another song for the remake’s soundtrack and wanted a woman singer to belt the new version of the title theme. But he convinced them to let him do the cover.
“They threw out ideas for some other songs for me, but I finally just campaigned enough and whined about it enough that they said, ‘Why don’t you cut it, and just let them hear your version?’ So I cut it, gave it to them and they wanted to go with mine. I really lucked out,’” he told TheBoot.com.
Shelton isn’t the only country artist contributing music to the 2011 “Footloose” soundtrack: Big & Rich with Gretchen Wilson, Zac Brown, Whitney Duncan, Jana Kramer and Hunter Hayes with Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice. Also providing tunes for the new movie are Shelton’s fellow “The Voice” star Cee Lo Green with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, The Smashing Pumpkins, White Stripes and Three 6 Mafia.
“It’s music that was rock back then but is country now. That’s where those songs would fit in today in the music industry — they sound like the country format,” Shelton told TheBoot.com. “I think they did the right thing by finding the artists who fit that movie, too — and not just country artists, Cee Lo is on there, too. To do those songs justice, you have to find the right artist for the movie. That’s probably why they went with a lot of country artists. The movie is based in a small town full of country people.”
Due in theaters Oct. 14, “Footloose” follows closely to the dance steps of the 1984 original film, which made Kevin Bacon a star. The remake stars newcomer Kenny Wormald, country singer/dancing TV personality Julianne Hough and Dennis Quaid and is written and directed by Craig Brewer, who made the music-driven movies “Hustle & Flow” and “Black Snake Moan.”
The original film was loosely based on real-life events that happened in 1980 in Elmore City, where students convinced the school board to let them organize the school’s first prom, despite an 80-year-old city ordinance banning public dancing. The Oklahoma farming community marked the 30th anniversary of the first prom last year.
Today started getting good for Blake bright and early this morning when he received five nominations for November’s 45th Annual CMA Awards, tying for the most nods with tour mate Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean and Taylor Swift. The Ada native is nominated for male vocalist of the year, album for “All About Tonight,” single and video for “Honey Bee,” and he earned his first nomination for the top prize, entertainer of the year.
“To be honest, I secretly hoped that I’d get this nomination one day, but I never thought I actually would,” Shelton said in a statement at BlakeShelton.com. “After 10 years of watching my friends receive this incredible honor, I got pretty used to being a cheerleader for them, ya know? I didn’t expect this today but I know I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my band and crew. Most of them have been with me from the beginning of my career, and they are such a big part of why I get to do what I love.”
To read more about the artists with Oklahoma ties who received CMA nominations, click here.
Then, the Tishomingo resident debuted the video for his earnest new ballad “God Gave Me You” exclusively on BlakeShelton.com. The video opens and closes with a message from Shelton’s wife, Miranda Lambert, shot less than 36 hours before their wedding day back in May.
To watch the video, click here and enter your name and email address.
-BAM
