Do You Remember Morgan Wallen’s ‘Voice’ Audition?
Regardless of what the CMA Awards last week would lead you to believe, numbers don’t lie. Morgan Wallen is the biggest, best-selling artist (both music product and concert revenue) and entertainer in country music. Want a little local evidence? Is he or Lainey Wilson playing two sold out shows at Bank of America STADIUM in Charlotte next summer. Moving on.
Great things often have their roots in the humblest of beginnings. This came to mind today as I saw that Morgan Wallen’s 2016 audition on NBC’s “The Voice” has resurfaced. I haven’t seen it in some time, and it’s really interesting.
First, here’s a little something we didn’t know until last month when we spent some time talking with Hannah Ellis (“Wine Country”) about her time on “The Voice.” When one auditions for “American Idol,” you pick your song. According to Hannah, the producers of “The Voice” pick your song. So, in other words, the powers-that-be in 2016 didn’t see or hear Morgan Wallen as a country artist at all.
Morgan Wallen’s song in front of the turning red chairs was Howie Day’s “Collide.” And when you hear it, sure you can hear the Morgan we all now know and love, but he’s obviously trying to somewhat imitate the original.
Also, what’s fascinating about Morgan Wallen’s audition on “The Voice” is that, knowing what we know now, he HAD to be a four-chair turn, right? I mean the acclamation of his talent HAD to be unanimous from Usher, Shakira, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton. Oh, and no doubt Blake Shelton turned his chair within seconds of hearing Morgan’s voice. Think again.
Morgan Wallen’s audition just seven years ago (2016) solicited just two coaches to turn their chairs. Shakira, immediately. Usher at the last minute. Blake? His chair never moved. Crazy, right? Check it all out below.
CMAs 2023: These Are The Moments People Are Talking About
We won’t soon forget the 57th Annual CMA Awards, which took place in Nashville last night (11/8), and we don’t think Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, or Wynonna will forget the evening either.
Lainey, of course, was the night’s top winner, winning a total of seven awards (she was nominated for nine). She won the Female Vocalist award for the second year in a row, the coveted Album of the Year Award for Bell Bottom Country, and the night’s top honor of Entertainer of the Year as a first-time nominee.
Jelly Roll both opened and closed the CMA Awwrds. He gave a stirring speech when he won the New Artist award and dazzled the press room backstage with his fun attitude and thankful and sweet manner to every journalist in the room. It’s pretty clear that everyone loves Jelly Roll.
Backstage, after he won the award, he excitedly told us where he plans to keep his CMA award when it arrives at his home in Nashville. He said, “I have a room that is the stuff that has come to mean the most to me. The family of Gary Rossington, the late great guitar player from Lynyrd Skynyrd, gifted me one of his guitars out of his vault. I have it right next to my Craig Morgan handwritten lyric sheet. Which is right next to Eric Church’s note he gave me the first time I opened up for him, and it’s signed. That’s really the memories I’ll cherish forever.”
And then there is Wynonna, who performed the opening song “Need A Favor” with Jelly and got the internet buzzing about what some called a shaky performance. She reacted and “read the comments,” releasing a video clip late last night saying how nervous she was to perform last night. Still, her performance with Jelly sounded fantastic, as Wynona usually does with her powerful and legendary vocals.
It’s hard to say who really stood out on the show at the 57th CMA Awards: it was a fantastic show. But if anyone owned the night, it was the CMA’s newest Entertainer of the Year, Lainey. As we think back to a night of fun and great country music, we share what we believe were the top moments everyone is talking about from the 2023 CMA awards.
Charlie Nance is the Afternoon Drive co-host (along with his wife) of "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The couple have been with the radio station since 2006. Charlie has won the prestigious CMA (Country Music Association) Award for Radio Personality of the Year and has been a finalist for the Country Radio Hall of Fame four times. Prior to his time in Charlotte, Charlie (along with Debbie) spent more than a decade hosting successful morning radio shows in Greenville, SC; Augusta, Ga; and Birmingham, Al. As a content creator for Country 1037, Charlie writes about dream lottery windfalls, sports, restaurants and bars, and travel experiences in North and South Carolina.
