Season 25 of NBC’s hit singing show The Voice is underway, and the season premiere gave a glimpse of just how fierce this round of competition is going to be.
Aspiring country artist, Josh Sanders, shows off his range with “Whiskey On You”
Josh Sanders, a 35-year-old North Carolina native, took the stage in hopes of impressing the Voice coaches with his rendition of “Whiskey On You.” The song was the debut single of up-and-coming country artist Nate Smith and spent some time at the top of the Billboard US Country Airplay chart.
Armed with an acoustic guitar, Sanders showed off his impressive vocal abilities, hitting the high notes with precision and gliding seamlessly through vocal runs. His wife and daughter watched eagerly from the wings.
The hopeful contestant’s talent shined though, and he was rewarded with chair turns from both Reba McEntire and Dan + Shay, saying “I want you!”
Who is Josh Sanders?
Originally from Kannapolis, North Carolina, Josh Sanders is the lead pastor at Living Grace Church. According to his Instagram bio, he is also the father of five children. After his performance, Sanders told the coaches:
“What really keeps my voice sharp is, I pastor a church and lead worship just about every Sunday.”
Reba McEntire and Dan + Shay duke it out to have Josh Sanders on their team
When it came time for the coaches to vie for Sanders’ favor, Reba was the first to throw her hat in the ring, telling Sanders:
“I loved your vocal, I thought it was great… The power, once you got into it, I really did like it.”
Shay Mooney then acknowledged the difficulty of singing a song with such a range and added:
“When I was hearing those high notes, I just felt like the power of your voice was fantastic.”
Ultimately, Josh Sanders chose… Team Reba!
After some deliberation and much back and forth between the coaches, the aspiring singer announced:
“Guys, I love y’all, but I can’t turn down the queen of country music.”
Reba expressed that she was thrilled with the decision, calling Sanders “a perfect country singer.”
Watch Josh Sanders’ full blind audition of “Whiskey On You” below!