For Blake Shelton, success has never erased gratitude. Despite becoming one of modern country’s most recognizable voices, Shelton has always been vocal about the artist who shaped his entire approach to singing: Earl Thomas Conley. While Conley notched an astonishing 18 No.1 hits during the 1980s, Shelton believes his hero remains chronically underrated—and that one song in particular changed his life forever.
That song is What I’d Say, a track Shelton has called nothing less than the reason he started singing. To him, it represents a masterclass in emotional honesty and vocal control, the kind of performance that quietly rewires a young listener’s understanding of what country music can be.
Shelton has often described Conley as his “all-time musical hero,” praising his ability to blend traditional country storytelling with a soulful, R&B-influenced delivery that was years ahead of its time. At a moment when many country singers leaned heavily into twang and bravado, Conley brought vulnerability, restraint, and phrasing borrowed from soul music—an approach Shelton later carried into his own career.
Released as the third single from Conley’s album The Heart of It All, “What I’d Say” topped both U.S. and Canadian country charts in 1989. Yet today, it’s often overshadowed by bigger hits like “Holding Her and Loving You.” Shelton insists that’s a mistake. He’s described the song as a textbook in emotional delivery, especially for singers trying to understand heartbreak without melodrama.
One lesson Shelton never forgot was Conley’s breathing technique. Watching him rehearse at just 19 years old, Shelton noticed how Conley would take enormous gulps of air—his chest expanding before unleashing a massive chorus. Shelton later dubbed it the “Superman” technique, something he practiced obsessively in his small Nashville apartment, trying to replicate that same emotional power.
The song’s lyrics—centered on imagined conversations with a former lover, swinging between longing and bitterness—also taught Shelton the value of radical vulnerability. He has admitted to listening to the track “a million times” just to understand how Conley conveyed such conflicting emotions without ever sounding forced.
Their connection eventually grew into a real friendship. The two even co-wrote Shelton’s 2002 hit “All Over Me,” cementing a bond that lasted until Conley’s passing in 2019. Shelton was the one who broke the news, saying his heart was “absolutely destroyed.”
At the memorial held at the Country Music Hall of Fame, Shelton insisted on performing “What I’d Say,” calling it his all-time favorite country performance—despite admitting it was incredibly difficult to sing.
For Shelton, the song remains more than nostalgia. It’s the blueprint of his career and a reminder that true country music begins with honesty, soul, and the courage to take a deep breath—and tell the truth.