Huntley looks like a Viking, sings like a rock star.
The 33-year-old from Fredericksburg, Virginia showed his form when he stepped onto The Voice stage Monday night (Oct. 16) for the Blind Auditions.
That muscular voice sits somewhere between country, blues, rock and grunge, with shades of Bob Seger meets Mark Lanegan. It’s a frontman voice, the kind that tells stories and has its own to share.
From the opening notes of his cover of “She Talks To Angels,” Huntley caught the attention. The four coaches’ chairs turned almost in unison.
“Your voice is incredible,” Reba McEntire enthused. “When I first listened to you, I heard Chris Stapleton. So everything about your voice I absolutely loved.” And with that, the pitches started.
Niall Horan chimed in, recounting the vocals of Australian Daniel Merriweather and Brit James Morrison.
“That’s a tone that comes naturally. I bet you were singing like that when you were 15,” the Irishman noted. “You sing your own way, you sing direct, and so much power and the control you have. It’s so beautiful to listen to.”
Gwen Stefani likened his talents to those of Bradley Nowell from Sublime. “Your voice is just so automatic. You know exactly at what point you’re going to be raspy. And it’s pure and honest and you sound like you’ve been singing forever, on stage performing.”
John Legend was blown away. “Your voice sounds so ready. So ready for the world, so ready for the radio,” he explained. It’s “truly one of the best voices we’ve heard. It’s so impressive, dude.
Huntley had a big call to make. He passed down the responsibility to his daughter Stella, who joined him on stage. The youngster went with Team Niall.
Watch the performance from NBC’s The Voice below.
