Blake Shelton Honors Elvis With Cover Of ‘Suspicious Minds’

Aug 17, 2022 by apost team

Elvis Presley was a superstar in the truest sense of the word — he was a talented musician and performer with a larger-than-life persona. Having passed away over four decades ago on Aug. 16, 1977, he is still remembered by his fans and family, who honor him in various ways.

Each year fans mourn the icon in many ways and on various occasions, such as his birthday, which takes place on Jan. 8, or the date on which he passed away. Much of the commemorations for the king take place at his former home, famously known as "Graceland," which features all kinds of history. 

During his life, Elvis released countless hits, paving the way for himself as a musician as well as future stars in the making. Even just six weeks before his death, Elvis sang his own heart-wrenching rendition of the beloved song, "Unchained Melody.'" While the track isn't an original piece by Elvis, the performance has since gone down in history as one of his most iconic.

Another iconic song from the King of Rock and Roll is “Suspicious Minds.” This song is not an Elvis original; it was originally written and recorded by songwriter Mark James, a prolific hitmaker from Texas who would go on to pen a few songs for Elvis. James took a chance on "Suspicious Minds" by recording it himself, but it did not achieve the acclaim that producers initially hoped for.

Elvis last performed the song in 1970, but his memory continues to live on. In fact, country music star Blake Shelton covered the track at an Elvis tribute concert back in 2019.

Elvis was a pivotal figure in the music industry and, to this day, is still recognized as one of the greatest performers of all time. Some of his hits included “Jailhouse Rock,” “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” His stage presence was other-worldly, and Elvis was famous for his energetic movements and provocative performance style. This, blended with his unique vocal tone, made Elvis an all-around rock and roll star.

Elvis also had a beautiful family. Many people in the Presley family have gone on to make a name for themselves, including his daughter Lisa Marie Presley and his granddaughter Riley Keough.

Elvis was also famous for his marriage to Priscilla Presley – but this marriage was controversial in many ways. Marred by infidelity and control issues, the couple found themselves in a difficult situation more often than not when it came to their marriage.

More of Elvis’ personal life and final moments were revealed in the 2022 film “Elvis.” Directed by Baz Luhrmann, who also co-wrote the screenplay, the movie followed the life of Elvis told from the perspective of his manager. With Austin Butler in the titular role and Tom Hanks portraying Parker, the film’s release was a huge success, becoming one of the highest-grossing music biopics of all time. Elvis’ own family also praised the film for portraying the star so brilliantly.

A soundtrack was also released to coincide with the movie, sharing more of Elvis’ incredible music with the world. It’s evident that no matter how many years go by without Elvis, his music – and memory – will never be forgotten.

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Shelton is a country music singer and songwriter who has shown his appreciation for the late King of Rock and Roll over the years. Shelton first became known as a country music artist back in 2001 with his song “Austin,” which instantly launched him into stardom. Since then, Shelton has been sharing his musical talent through his honest, emotional and fun songs. Some of his hits include “God’s Country,” “Some Beach” and “Come Back as a Country Boy.”

He has been in a relationship with pop singer Gwen Stefani since 2015. Their relationship is incredibly sweet, as they’ve had a pretty high-profile romance since these two “The Voice” coaches first got together. They often praise each other on social media and declare their love for one another.

Both singers had previously been married and went through heartbreak around a similar time. Stefani was once married to musician Gavin Rossdale, while Shelton was married to country singer Miranda Lambert.

Despite each of their experiences with heartbreak, the couple found love in one another and are now happier than ever. In an interview for Billboard shortly after they started dating, Shelton shared how he felt about Stefani:

"Next thing I know, I wake up and she's all I care about, and I'm ­wondering if she feels the same about me. Gwen saved my life."

In October of 2020, Stefani announced their engagement in an Instagram post that showed off her ring. In July of 2021, they were married in an intimate ceremony on Shelton's Oklahoma ranch. According to Page Six, Shelton had a small, white chapel built on the property for the wedding. 

There is no shortage of Elvis cover songs, but country music star Shelton truly hit it out of the park when he performed a rendition of “Suspicious Minds” at a tribute to the King of Rock and Roll back in 2019.

The special tribute program took place in February of that year with a host of musical stars joining in on honoring Elvis for his contributions to the music industry. According to NBC, the show was a way for artists to celebrate “one of the greatest musical events in television history,” as the tribute paid homage to the station’s 1968 special that originally made Elvis the worldwide star he is still remembered as.

The tribute included appearances by Jennifer Lopez, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, John Legend, Ed Sheeran and more, according to Billboard.

But one of the greatest performances of the night came from Shelton. Shelton took center stage as both the host and a performer. In addition to the rousing performance of “Suspicious Minds,” Shelton also was a part of the finale performance of “If I Can Dream,” “Trouble,” “Guitar Man” and more.

The choice of Shelton to perform Suspicious Minds was not surprising. The song was a big hit with the country music community, with many artists going on to cover the song. One of the most popular covers of the song came from Dwight Yoakam in 1992. Shelton’s partner, Stefani, also covered the song with her band No Doubt in a 2002 tribute. We are certain that Shelton made Elvis proud with his own personal spin on the famous song.

What did you think about Blake Shelton’s cover of this Elvis song? Let us know, and be sure to pass the video on to fellow country fans. It is a song that you definitely do not want to miss out on hearing!