For Brandon Diaz, stepping onto The Voice stage during Season 30 wasn’t simply another Blind Audition.
It was the continuation of a journey that began 15 years earlier, when he first tried to make it onto the show as a 14-year-old singer.
That first attempt didn’t end the way Brandon hoped. No coaches turned their chairs, and his journey ended before he could officially join a team.
But Brandon didn’t give up on music.
Now 29, the Ashburn, Virginia singer returned to The Voice with considerably more experience, confidence and a performance that finally produced the reaction he had been hoping for since he was a teenager.
Brandon chose Justin Timberlake’s “Drink You Away” for his Season 30 Blind Audition, delivering a soulful performance that quickly caught Queen Latifah’s attention.
Queen turned first.
Kelly Clarkson later joined her, giving Brandon a two-chair turn and officially securing something that had escaped him during his first attempt at the competition.
Queen praised Brandon’s confidence and the way he appeared to take ownership of the stage from the beginning, while Kelly highlighted the soulfulness in his voice.
But another coach had an interesting confession after the performance.
Adam Levine didn’t press his button, but afterward he admitted that he regretted the decision.
That reaction made Brandon’s return even more notable: 15 years after leaving without a single chair, he now had two coaches fighting for him and another wishing he had joined them.
Brandon eventually chose Queen Latifah, officially becoming a member of Team Queen as the Season 30 Blind Auditions approach their conclusion.
His story also includes another surprising connection to The Voice.
Brandon is married to Jackie Foster, who competed during Season 14 and advanced deep into the competition. Jackie even joined Brandon onstage during his Season 30 appearance, adding another full-circle element to the moment.
And Brandon’s career between his two Voice attempts has been anything but quiet.
He attended Berklee College of Music on scholarship and later competed on American Idol, reaching the Top 24. He has also spent years performing and developing the R&B and soul influences that were evident during his latest Blind Audition.
That experience may help explain why Brandon looked so different from the teenager who first tried out for The Voice all those years ago.
At 14, he walked away without a chair turn.
Fifteen years later, he returned, convinced two coaches to turn, left another regretting that he hadn’t — and finally walked off the stage with a place in the competition.
For Brandon Diaz, the wait was a very long one.
But his second chance at The Voice has officially begun.
