Soulful ‘Voice’ Contestant Stuns With Otis Redding Hit During Blind Audition

YouTube/The Voice

NBC’s The Voice kicked off its 12th season on Monday night (Feb. 27) and there wasn’t a shortage of incredible singers. 

A leather jacket-clad singer took the famous stage and began singing Otis Redding’s iconic song “Try A Little Tenderness”. Almost immediately, coaches Adam Levine and Gwen Stefani turned their chairs for soulful singer Johnny Hayes.

After his show stopping audition, which brought Levine to his feat, Hayes revealed that he first auditioned last season, but didn’t turn any chairs.

Levine was completely shocked Blake Shelton and Alicia Keys didn’t turn their chairs, but wasn’t complaining because now he only had to “destroy” one coach, as he put it.

Stefani loved that he actually came back and now, he’s officially on the show! 

“Singing Otis is nothing you can get away with unless you do it right, and you did almost the impossible,” Levine said to him. “I mean, I don’t know about you guys, but did you not feel the energy?”

Stefani wasn’t going to go down without a fight, though. She used her absence last season to her advantage, especially after leveraging her relationship with boyfriend Blake Shelton, sitting two chairs down.

“It didn’t take Gwen two times to hear you sing to push her button,” he said.

“Exactly, hello! I didn’t miss you last season, did I?” she asked.

When it came down to it, Hayes had to choose his coach, and after much deliberation he settled on a perfect one for him. Watch his audition below to watch his incredible audition and to see which coach he picked.

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