After taking home the top prize with hopeful Jermaine Paul on the last season of 'The Voice,' Blake Shelton was the coach to beat heading into tonight's Season 3 premiere of the popular reality competition series. Despite the haggling tactics of his fellow celebrity judges, the country music superstar was able to lasso two of the more talented vocalists on the first of three Blind Auditions season openers this week.

Shelton began the season with a bang, nabbing Scotland native Terry McDermott immediately after all four judges took the stage to perform the 1981 Rolling Stones rock classic 'Start Me Up.' The New Orleans implant tackled the Who's 'Baba O'Riley' in his audition, perking Shelton's ears before even completing the song.

"I think you and I can win this if you just get up there and talk," suggested Shelton as McDermott, who has a heavy Scottish accent, was making his decision. "We'll smoke some cigars and win this thing."

After some suspenseful coaxing from Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, McDermott chose the country superstar as his coach, becoming the first of 16 hopefuls to join Team Blake in the show's third season. "His mentoring can do a lot for me," said the excited contestant after the decision was made. "I'm excited... I'm really excited!"

Also earning her spot on Team Blake Shelton is country singer Gracia Harrison, an Illinois native who wowed the crowd with her version of Patsy Montana's 1935 country classic, 'Cowboy's Sweetheart.' Despite a strong effort from Levine and Aguilera, the young singer stuck to her country roots and chose the reigning ACM and CMA Male Vocalist of the Year as her celebrity coach.

“I know as a fellow country artist, you can’t fake your way through a song like that,” said Shelton just before Harrison made her decision. “You already know what the right thing to do is,” the ‘Over’ singer added. “I hate the thought of what would happen to you in the long run if you were influenced by one of these two,” he said, referring to Aguilera and Levine.

As far as a possible lasting career in the country music genre, Shelton seemed rather confident in Harrison’s raw talent, sharing, “Country radio is full of artists who can’t do what you just did.”

The Blind Auditions will continue with at least two more 'season premieres' this week alone. Tune in Tuesday and Wednesday (Sept. 11 and 12) to see who else Shelton chooses for his 'The Voice' team.

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