BigCountry made an unforgettable first impression on “The Voice” Season 30, and Riley Green was willing to try almost anything to get him on his team. The 37-year-old Army veteran delivered a powerful Blind Audition that quickly turned into one of the premiere’s most entertaining coaching battles.
BigCountry, who is from Tacoma, Washington, performed Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ classic “I Put a Spell on You.” His gritty, soulful voice immediately caught the Coaches’ attention, with Adam Levine turning first and Queen Latifah following shortly afterward.
Riley eventually hit his button as well, giving BigCountry an impressive three-chair turn. Kelly Clarkson was the only Coach who didn’t turn, later admitting that she had been waiting to hear another vocal element from him before making her decision.
Once the performance ended, however, the real entertainment began. Adam quickly reminded BigCountry that he had been the first Coach to turn, but Riley wasn’t about to quietly sit back and let Adam control the conversation.
In the middle of Adam’s pitch, Riley suddenly pulled out a duck call and started blowing it from his chair. The unexpected interruption had Kelly and Queen laughing, while Riley jokingly referred to Adam as “LittleCity” in contrast to BigCountry.
But underneath the jokes, Riley made a serious argument. When BigCountry explained that he was “country bred” even though he sings many different styles of music, Riley told him that being country wasn’t simply about performing country songs.
For Riley, it was about telling stories connected to where someone comes from, how they grew up and what they believe. He told BigCountry that his performance had soul while still carrying the kind of roots Riley associates with country music.
The moment became even more personal when BigCountry’s supporters joined him onstage. His wife and mother appeared alongside two of his former military “battle buddies,” giving the Coaches a glimpse of the people supporting the Army veteran on his journey.
Riley then took his recruiting campaign to another level. He brought out a pair of Carhartt coveralls as his team gift and actually walked onto the stage so BigCountry could feel how durable they were. Riley even showed some love to BigCountry’s family while continuing his attempt to win him over.
Adam tried to keep BigCountry focused on the competition rather than the gifts, while Queen Latifah made a passionate pitch of her own. She praised the singer for making “I Put a Spell on You” his own and emphasized that she wanted to help him command the stage throughout the competition.
Despite Riley’s duck call, cowboy hat, coveralls and enthusiastic recruiting effort, BigCountry ultimately went in another direction. When it was time to choose, the Army veteran selected Queen Latifah, becoming one of the first members of Team Queen.
Riley may have lost this particular battle, but BigCountry’s audition showed just how competitive—and entertaining—Season 30’s coaching fights could become. And for BigCountry, earning three chair turns before choosing Queen Latifah was a memorable beginning to a journey that could make the Army veteran one of the season’s most interesting performers to follow.
