In 2006, Shelton was in the midst of a separation with his first wife, while Stefani was expanding her family. One thing they had in common at this time was that their music careers were both flourishing.
Ironically, during 2005 and 2006, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, and Gwen Stefani were all reaching the top charts for their albums and being awarded platinum certifications.
A Duet and a Solo
Stefani was reveling in her solo career as her debut solo album "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." (L.A.M.B.) was released in 2004. Fans went wild over the album; the lyrics, the beats, and the tracklist were a major hit.
Interestingly enough, while Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert were singing their duet on stage in 2005, Stefani simultaneously set out on her first solo tour (called the Harajuku Lovers Tour).
Her Latest Release
Yet, there was another exciting, new project Stefani was working on. Things were going great with her solo career and with her husband Gavin Rossdale (also a musician) and now she had a baby on the way.
In 2006, Stefani and Rossdale welcomed their first child together, a son, Kingston Rossdale. While Stefani was riding high on life’s joys, Shelton’s life was also taking off in new ways.
Support Systems
Life happened fast for Gwen Stefani. She released her first solo album, finished a tour, and had given birth to her first child all within 2-3 years. Stefani had a great support system made up of her family and her husband as she was flying as a solo artist.
Simultaneously, Lambert and Shelton’s relationship was kept as platonic as possible because of his marriage. Lambert had kept up the friendship with Shelton as she was becoming country music’s brightest young star.
Blake the Bestie
Miranda Lambert was in her early 20s when her career began to flourish. She was busy with concerts, recordings, and photoshoots. She enjoyed having someone like Shelton who could understand it all.
In an interview with "Behind the Music" Miranda spoke of how important Shelton was to her in that season of her life. “It just felt so great to have somebody that had been through it. Who knew exactly what I was going through.” Shelton also admitted that their connection was tight, “I talked to her 3-4 times a week, probably.” But then things began to change.