Adam Wakefield’s life was forever changed after he went to audition for the popular television competition series The Voice. He took a big risk with his blind audition when he decided to sing the hit song “Tennessee Whiskey.” The tune was first recorded by David Allan Coe and was later made popular by George Jones. More recently, Chris Stapleton has experienced great success with his version of the song.
Wakefield’s blind audition of “Tennessee Whiskey” led to instant comparisons between him and Stapleton. Seeing a lot of potential in Wakefield, coach Blake Shelton ended up taking him under his wing. Wakefield remained on Shelton’s team throughout the series, and managed to make it all the way to the finale.
In the end, Wakefield placed second, right behind Alisan Porter from Christina Aguilera’s team.
Wakefield proved the diversity of his voice during his time on the show. Although he brands himself as a country singer, his style is more of a blend between country, blues, soul, and Southern rock.
Lynyrd Skynyrd knows a thing or two about blending genres to create a unique sound. While the group is as Southern rock as it gets, blues and country influences can be heard throughout their music. One only needs to listen to songs such as “The Ballad of Curtis Loew” to see how Skynyrd has melded together different genres to create timeless songs.
Another one of Skynyrd’s most memorable songs is “Simple Man.” Next to “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird,” the tune is one of the band’s best-selling songs to date. Because of its popularity, “Simple Man” is also a Skynyrd fan-favorite song to cover.
Wakefield is one of many who considers himself a fan of “Simple Man.” He proved this in January, when he uploaded a video of himself singing his own arrangement of the song.
Seated at his keyboard, Wakefield crooned out the signature lyrics that Skynyrd fans all know by heart. His arrangement was deeply blues-infused, giving the song a new and interesting sound. Wakefield’s followers were clearly fans of his twist, and the video has accumulated over 33,000 views by now.
You can scroll down below to catch Wakefield’s “Simple Man” cover. We hope you enjoy it!
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