Brett Tomberlin walked onto The Voice Season 30 stage hoping his gritty country sound would convince at least one coach to turn around, but his Blind Audition ended very differently than he had hoped.
The 29-year-old singer from Locust, North Carolina, performed Josh Turner’s country hit “Your Man,” putting his own raspy and growly vocal style into the familiar song.
Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson, Queen Latifah and Riley Green listened closely throughout the performance, but when the final note arrived, none of the four coaches had pressed their buttons.
The result was especially disappointing considering the unusual journey that brought Brett to The Voice. Before seriously pursuing entertainment, he served in the U.S. Army. After leaving the military, he eventually moved to Los Angeles and continued chasing opportunities in both music and acting.
Brett also revealed that he was still extremely new to singing, having only been seriously working on his voice for a matter of months before stepping onto one of television’s biggest singing competitions.
Riley Green explained what prevented him from turning. He felt Brett had difficulty during the beginning of the performance before becoming noticeably more comfortable as the song continued.
Rather than simply sending Brett home discouraged, Riley shared part of his own experience in the music industry. He explained that it took him years of persistence before finally securing a record deal in Nashville and encouraged Brett to keep working.
Kelly Clarkson offered similar advice. She believed more time performing live could help Brett strengthen his consistency and work through the pitch problems that appeared during the audition.
But viewers weren’t completely united behind the coaches’ decision.
Some felt Brett’s distinctive rasp showed potential and believed another song might have displayed his voice more effectively. Several viewers specifically questioned whether “Your Man” was the right choice for his particular vocal texture.
Others understood why the coaches didn’t turn, arguing that the performance needed more control and that Brett’s limited experience could still be heard. Even among those viewers, however, there were calls for him to continue developing his voice and potentially try again.
Brett ultimately left without joining Team Adam, Team Kelly, Team Queen or Team Riley, but his audition still managed to get people talking. For someone only months into seriously developing his singing voice, the divided reaction may prove that his Voice journey ended before his potential did.
