Officials have revealed the 12 emerging artists who will appear in the upcoming competition series executive produced by Blake Shelton and Yellowstones Taylor Sheridan.
Twelve contestants “navigate the gritty and unforgiving life of a touring musician” in the soon-to-premiere series, reads a CBS press release shared on Wednesday (June 25). The artists compete as opening acts for globally-beloved country star Keith Urban, with “Redneck Woman” icon Gretchen Wilson serving as the “tour manger.” Throughout the series, other to-be-announced country artists will make appearances as the 12 musicians compete for the grand prize, which will also be revealed at a later date, according to CBS.
The 12 emerging artists include:
- Adam Sanders, 36, from Lake City, Florida
- Billie Jo Jones, 34, from Emory, Texas
- Blaine Bailey, 23, from Tahlequah, Oklahoma
- Briana Adams, 30, from Winchester, Texas
- Britnee Kellogg, 40, from Anthem, Arizona
- Cassidy Daniels, 25, from Marion, North Carolina
- Channing Wilson, 49, from Lafayette, Georgia
- Cody Hibbard, 32, from Adair, Oklahoma
- Forrest McCurren, 35, from Jefferson City, Missouri
- Jenny Tolman, 29, from Nashville, Tennessee
- Jon Wood, 28, from Wake Forest, North Carolina
- Olivia Harms, 29, from Canby, Oregon
Contestants of season one of the CBS Original Series THE ROAD. Pictured (L-R): Top Row: Channing Wilson, Britnee Kellogg, Blaine Bailey, Cassidy Daniels, Forrest McCurren, Briana Adams, Adam Sanders, and Olivia Harms. Bottom Row: Jon Wood, Billie Jo Jones
Urban previously said he “spent a lot of my underage life playing in some seedy pubs, sometimes just for the bartender. So I love the idea of throwing artists into a real-world environment to find out if they are artists. Paying your dues sucks, but there are things in this business that can’t be taught, like how to put together a set list, whether to extend or cut a song during your performance or how to work the crowd. For me, touring has always been my first love. It’s where the rubber meets the road. But it’s the only road to take if you want to be a performer.”
“There is a revolution taking place in country music. Building a platform with Blake for the next leaders of that revolution is an incredibly exciting venture,” Sheridan — who teamed up with Shelton, Lee Metzger and David Glasser to produce the show — said in a previous statement. “No more shiny floors and studio audiences. This is where the rubber meets the road – literally. Get in the van, go to the next town and win the crowd. Do it enough, and you become the next leader. Simple as that.”
The Road will premiere this fall on CBS. The show will air on Sundays from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS, and will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.