Blake Shelton Opens Up About His Signature Mullet Era, And The Criticism That Brought It To An End

Back in 2001, Blake Shelton was still new to the Nashville scene and navigating the release of his first single, “Austin.” But it wasn’t just his music turning heads as his mullet was also stealing the spotlight. Now, the country star is opening up about his iconic hairstyle and the moments that led him to cut it for good.

The mullet was a part of Shelton’s look throughout the “better part” of his teenage years and into his early twenties. When his music career started to take off, people also started to form their opinions on his long curly locks that flowed down the back of his head while the front remained shorter.

Just before his time, country icons like Tracy Lawrence, Alan Jackson and Billy Ray Cyrus had also rocked the mullet and a few years ago it saw a resurgence, largely thanks to newer acts like Morgan Wallen. Unfortunately for Shelton, the year that “Austin” dropped, that kind of hairstyle had pretty much fallen out of style.

“Mullets are cool again now, I guess, but back then when I had ’em, they weren’t cool anymore. It was like that phase had already ran out and then no one told me…It was just like me and Neal McCoy left at that point that had ‘em,” Shelton jokingly told award-winning radio host and media personality Bobby Bones during an episode of Bobby Bones Presents: The BobbyCast, now streaming on Netflix.

While the Oklahoma native was focused on getting his music out in the world and earning some airtime on country radio, he started to catch some heavy grief around Nashville, especially from one morning radio show host named Carl P. Mayfield.  

“He would go on his morning show and just, I mean, just, whether I was a part of the show or I’d be in my truck driving, and he would play my song and go, ‘oh, there’s the worst new mullet in country music,’” Shelton recalled.

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That criticism didn’t sit well with Shelton and motivated him to want to do something about it. Except he wasn’t about to let anyone dictate how he wore his hair so he decided to make a small adjustment, but nothing drastic enough to erase the mullet entirely.

“I was stubborn enough that I thought, okay, I’m not going to let ’em tell me to cut my mullet, but I will grow out the rest of my hair and just have all long hair,” he recalled. “So that way they didn’t win. I didn’t cut my mullet. I grew the rest of it out to go with it.”

Blake Shelton officially said goodbye to his long locks in 2006, marking the end of an era that had defined his early career. Since then, he has rocked the short hairstyle and only brought his signature mullet back one time in 2022 for the filming of his retro “No Body” music video.

These days, the “God’s Country” singer still hits the stage with his modern short hair, but he hasn’t lost the charismatic stage presence or hitmaking ability that made him stand out back when he rocked the mullet.

In addition to his mullet, Shelton’s conversation with Bones saw him reflecting on his early days in Nashville and the people who helped him along the way, revealing his top five favorite songs, discussing his current Las Vegas residency, and more.

His time at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace officially launched on January 15 and is set to continue through the month on January 18, 21, 23, 24, 28, 30 and 31. Additionally, he will return for eight more shows running May 6-24, 2026.

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Blake Shelton is one of several country acts who have recently appeared in interviews on “Bobby Bones Presents: The BobbyCast,” which marks one of more than 15 of iHeartMedia’s top original podcasts to join Netflix. Previous interviews include Kenny Chesney and Bailey Zimmerman.

Viewers can find new episodes dropping every Tuesday and Thursday on the streaming service, with audio versions also available on iHeartRadio and all major podcast platforms.