Blake Shelton says that Gwen Stefani‘s son Zuma made the decision to come to country music pretty much on his own.
The proud stepdad has been providing a venue for Zuma to get his feet wet in front of a crowd, in the form of the Oklahoma location of his bar Ole Red.
Zuma’s taken that stage a small handful of times, most recently, on Saturday (July 19).
During that show, he threw it back with some ’90s country, performing a rendition of John Michael Montgomery‘s “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident).”
He also performed Shelton’s “Ole Red.”
Zuma’s country superstar stepdad was on hand to welcome him onstage and cheer along from the sidelines.
Read More: Gwen Stefani’s Son Zuma Goes Full Country During His Latest Performance at Blake Shelton’s Bar
But in a recent conversation with Taste of Country Nights, Shelton said that Zuma has been taking all the initiative, and that the 16-year-old spends a little bit of time honing his craft each day.
“Zuma will spend about 20 minutes, him and his guitar,” Shelton recounts.
If he’s a mentor for the budding singer, Shelton adds, their partnership goes both ways.
“It’s not me showing him stuff, it’s him showing me stuff,” he continues. “‘Have you heard this artist?’ ‘Listen to this song.'”
“It’s almost every single day,” the country star adds. ” I love it. I can’t wait til I get home.”
How Long Has Zuma Rossdale Been Performing Country Music?
It’s not entirely clear how long Zuma has been working on music, but he gave his stage debut at Ole Red Tishimingo in 2024.
Looking back at some of those clips, it’s clear he was interested in country music then, too.
During one late-November performance, Zuma sampled some neo-traditionalist music with a Zach Top cover, but also proved he knows his classic country with a rendition of “Neon Moon.”
Of course, Zuma and his two brothers have three impressive musical parent figures to look up to: Shelton and Stefani are both superstars, and the boys’ father, Stefani’s ex-husband Gavin Rossdale, is the lead singer of rock band Bush.
What Has Blake Shelton Said About Being a Stepdad?
Since marrying Stefani in 2021, Shelton has embraced his new role as a father figure to her kids.
He retired as a coach on The Voice in order to prioritize family time and has been open about how Stefani’s kids changed his perspective on life.
“Having kids, it truly does make you go, ‘Oh, whoa, wait a minute. This isn’t about me anymore and never will be again,'” he explained in 2022. “If you don’t say that yourself, I think you’re only hurting yourself, because you’re going to miss out.”
Blake Shelton + Gwen Stefani: A Timeline of Their Love
From an unlikely, cross-genre pairing to one of country music’s hottest “it” couples, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani have been on quite the journey together since they first met back in 2014 on the set of The Voice. Here is a look back at their fairy tale love story in pictures.
