It was a night of music, memory, and raw emotion that will be remembered forever on The Voice. Contestant Austyn Stancil brought the entire room to tears with a performance so powerful that even rap legend Snoop Dogg—known for his cool, unshakable presence—was left crying on live television.
On the November 11 knockouts round, Stancil took on one of the most emotionally charged songs ever written: Luther Vandross’s “Dance With My Father.” But this wasn’t just another performance. It marked the one-year anniversary of his own father’s passing, and every note carried the weight of love, grief, and longing.
Before stepping on stage, Austyn shared, “It’s going to be a rough one, but we’re going to get through this.” Snoop, visibly touched, embraced him and encouraged him to turn his pain into strength. “Don’t cry, hold it in,” he advised. “Sing it for him. Sing it proud.”
As Stancil’s voice soared across the stage, the atmosphere shifted. The audience was silent, caught between heartbreak and awe. Snoop’s eyes welled up, his emotions spilling over as memories of his late mother—who passed away in 2021—came rushing back. Guest judge Sting leaned over, quietly pointing out, “Look, he’s gone,” as Snoop wiped tears from his face.
When the song ended, the entire room erupted into a standing ovation. Gwen Stefani and Michael Bublé were first on their feet, clapping through tears, while Reba McEntire fought to hold her composure. “You need to be special if you’re going to do that song,” Bublé said, praising Austyn for delivering one of the night’s most unforgettable performances. Reba, also moved, reflected on her own father’s passing and the healing power of music: “It connects us in ways words never can.”.
Stancil then turned to Snoop with a deeply personal question: how had he managed to keep performing after losing his mother? Snoop responded with rare vulnerability, admitting that after breaking down once on stage, he made a decision that guides him to this day: “When she was here, I made her proud. And I’m going to keep making her proud.”
In the end, Snoop named Austyn the winner of the knockout round, praising not only his talent but also his spirit and composure. “Winner based off of spirit, personality, and how he carried himself,” Snoop declared. Still, in a rare twist of generosity, both Christina Eagle and Jake Tankersley advanced as well—thanks to a Save and a Steal.
Closing out the moment, Snoop summed up what everyone in the room was feeling:
“You can’t stop emotion when emotion hits you. Tears start falling, chills run down your back—that’s real music, that’s real singing.”
What began as a competition performance became something much bigger: a reminder that music isn’t just entertainment. It’s memory. It’s love. It’s healing. And on that night, Austyn Stancil reminded the world why songs like “Dance With My Father” are timeless.
