Gretchen Wilson & Contestants Attend Nashville Premiere Of CBS Show ‘The Road’

The new show features twelve singer/songwriter/musicians who’ve spent years putting in the grind and hard work in the hopes of making it in country music.

Blake Shelton, who helped create the show and choose these artists to compete, describes them as “accomplished musicians ready to take the next step.”

The winner walks away with $250,000, a record deal, and a slot to perform at the iconic Stagecoach Festival.

The show is called ‘The Road’ because it puts these artists all together on one tour bus, as they go from one Keith Urban show to another. They’re not listed on the bill, but they perform as opening acts for Uban in the hopes of winning over the crowd.

Country star Gretchen Wilson, best known for her megahit “Redneck Woman” serves as tour manager where she rides the bus right along with them, offering guidance and input to help them get better at their craft.

“The whole idea is really wild,” she told the crowd at the Nashville premiere at Blake Shelton’s Ole Red bar and restaurant earlier this week. “It’s a country music competition where 12 emerging artists are out there competing as opening acts for Keith Urban on his tour across America. You get a one-of-a-kind, behind-the-scenes look at touring life.”

The audience at each of those Keith Urban shows has no idea who these artists are – until they see them perform. Audience-members are given voting devices ahead of time, then rate each artist on a specific set of criteria. Those votes determine which artists move on to the next city.

The Road is the latest in a long list of Taylor Sheridan productions (which include Yellowstone, Landman, Tulsa King, and others.) Executive Producer Lee Metzger, who helped create the show with partner Blake Shelton, describes what sets it apart from other music-type reality shows. (David Glass is also one of the shows’ Executive Producers.”)

“When you go to see a concert, you’re not there to see the person who is third or fourth on the bill. You’re there to see the headliner. And unlike other shows, no one here knew who was performing. We went to a different city every week, so, you didn’t even have repeat fans. Even if you won over a fan in Ft. Worth, they were not in Dallas, they were not in Oklahoma. So, as an artist, you had to start from scratch at every single show. They had to win over each room. So, we really did try to set this up as organic and as real as possible.”

For singer/songwriter Jon Wood, from Wake Forest, North Carolina, being part of the show has been a dream come true. He jokes as he responds to a question about what it was like to ride the tour bus from city to city.

“Imagine twelve artists packed into bus, which is hilarious because that’s the most amount of ego that’s ever been on one bus at one time.” He laughs, then with a more serious tone goes on to add, “No, honestly, it was so easy, everybody loved each other. The producers did a really good job of picking people that were so friendly and great at working with each other.”

Obviously, he says, opening for Keith Urban has been incredible.

“We played for Keith’s crowd at different venues every single night and it was unreal. To be able to watch his performance for one, and to learn from it, then take what we learned to the next show.”

Throughout the course of the show, viewers will see the artists perform, hear Shelton and Urban’s reaction, and also learn more about the life and music journey of each of the artists involved.

Cassidy Daniels, an Army brat born in Marion, Illinois, but who now calls Nashville home, touches on her experience.

“It’s been a whirlwind to say the very least. It’s very rare that you get to spend time with icons like Gretchen Wilson, Keith Urban, and Blake Shelton. And it’s very rare that those people are gracious enough to give you advice on what you’re trying to achieve. So, being in the presence of these people makes me feel like I belong in this, changed my whole perspective on what this life is about, and just confirmed that I was made for it.”

Billie Jo Jones, a mother of four who was raised by her grandparents due to a drug addicted mom, says being part of The Road has been life-altering, and she hopes it will take her career to the next level.

“This experience has been absolutely everything to me. I have been playing with my band for over 12 years and working my tail off writing songs the best I can and to have this this opportunity that Taylor Sheridan, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, and Gretchen have given us has been absolutely amazing.”

The show follows the artists from show to show. At each venue, after performances are rated and votes tallied, one artist is, in effect, voted off the bus, and sent home. Those who remain strive to improve, many with invaluable guidance from Wilson.

“Gretchen was wonderful,” says Olivia Harms, who grew up on a ranch in Canby, Oregon. “She really corralled us and kept us on the straight and narrow. There was one episode where they said, ‘Olivia, we’re going to make you lose the guitar.’ And for me that was like taking away my security blanket because I’m very traditional country and I love my guitar. But Gretchen said, let’s take it away, and she gave me some wonderful coaching on how to move around stage without the security-blanket-guitar.”

Shelton and Urban, too, were helpful in sharing advice, both on performing and what it takes to have a long-term career in country music.

“I had a conversation with both of them,” says Wood, “and we all agree the songs are the key to a career.” With regard to the different artists on the show, he went on to explain, “We’re all very different, we’re all very talented. Some might say one is a better singer, the other is a better performer, but at the end of the day, if the song’s not there, the show’s not there.”

Being part of the journey was an emotional rollercoaster for each of the artists and will offer some surprises for viewers, as well, in the weeks to come.

“We all became such friends and love each other and were rooting for each other,” Daniels says. “So, seeing different people go home was heartbreaking. And I’ll tell you; America is not ready because you literally never know who is going to go home at any time!”

The Road premieres on CBS Sunday night at 9pm ET/PT and 8pm CT. You can also find it streaming on Paramount+