Blake Shelton is one of the funniest guys in country music. Anyone who's been to just one of his concerts could tell you there's a serious dose of humor involved, with his strong, Oklahoma country roots. But Shelton has stepped up to the plate to take on a very serious cause. Two years ago, his friend, Nan Kelley -- a Great American Country (GAC) host and former Miss Mississippi, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Shelton decided to raise money through his annual Fan Club Parties -- have a great time with his fans, enjoy themselves and party as much as possible, but remember at the end of the day, what's really important.

Shelton presented the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society a check for $17,000 that was displayed before his Fan Club Party Show at the Wildhorse Saloon. Shelton -- who has steadily climbed the ranks of Country Music -- is now on the cusp of becoming a country superstar. He is the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. He approached the fan club party by making it about the people who buy his albums and T-shirts. He asked what they wanted to hear and didn't go into the event "with a plan."

It was cool that the show was so informal, and Shelton showcased his wide variety of talents, all interspersed with hilarious anecdotes. "This is a celebration of all of us together," Shelton told his fans. "(We're) a bunch of friends who love country music."Shelton talked about how his family members all listened to different types of music, and used that as a segway into a medley of covers -- "Play That Funky Music", "Centerfold" and "My Prerogative." An interesting choice of songs for any artist, let alone a country star. One of the most touching moments of the evening came when Shelton invited Kelley on stage to perform a duet of "Islands In The Stream." Kelley is a talented singer, in addition to being one of music's best television hosts.

When it came to most of his big hits, Shelton played almost all of them, from "Ol' Red" and "Nobody But Me", to his new ultra-catchy hit, "Honey Bee."During "Austin" -- his first single (and first No. 1) -- Shelton credited legendary songwriter Bobby Braddock -- who was sitting at a table near the stage -- with encouraging him to record that hit song.


"Miranda Lambert shoots people and burns their houses down and sings about it," Shelton joked. "And people love it."

Country newcomers Laura Bell Bundy and Frankie Ballard, and the legendary Mel Tillis joined the concert, contributing their talents.

Shelton had an excellent cover of George Strait's "All My Exes Live In Texas."

"If you don't like George Strait," Shelton told the crowd. "You probably don't have any friends."