Morgan Wallen is certifiably gigantic in country music right now. A dynamo. Period, full stop. He just won Entertainer of the Year at the CMA Awards a few days ago. His awesome list of artistic achievements is growing faster than most of us can keep up with. At just 31, this guy is a major musical force to be reckoned with. Yet ten years ago, Wallen was booted off The Voice. Ironically, that disappointment actually helped kick off his amazing career.
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Things Sure Didn't Go As Morgan Wallen Hoped When He Competed On 'The Voice'
He Wanted To Perform Country; The Show Wanted Him To Sing Pop
Wallen competed on season 6 of The Voice in 2014. He chose the 2003 song "Collide" by Howie Day as his audition song. Per countrychord.com via Country Countdown USA, he explained what went awry later.
"I made the top 20. When I made it there, I got a list of songs to choose from. A Florida Georgia Line song was the only country song on the list, so I sang their song and got kicked off. It shows you how things come full circle. Now I have a song with them."
Wallen's Experience On 'The Voice' Was Not A Total Disaster, Though
A Couple Of The Judges Had Turned Their Chairs Around For Him
Coaches Usher and Shakira turned their chairs around for Wallen. Two other coaches, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, had no more space on their teams, however. Per the outlet, Levine "later stole Morgan from Team Usher before he was eliminated in the playoffs."
It Was Actually The Beginning For Him
He Headed To Nashville After That
Per Biography, "...[T]he experience [on The Voice] increased his profile and allowed Wallen to pick up industry connections." He relocated to Nashville and started a band called Morgan Wallen & Them Shadows "with Serg Sanchez of the group Atom Smash."
Sanchez brought the promising young singer to the attention of higher-ups at Panacea Records. They signed Wallen in 2015. He was officially on his way to stardom.
It must have been a big let-down for him to get shown to the door on The Voice, but Wallen was so talented that he was unstoppable. There is no telling what heights he will reach next, but we'll be watching!
