The Voice 26 Blind Audition: British Texan Rocker Danny Joseph wows coaches with “I Put a Spell on You” cover
The Voice season 26 kicked off on Monday night with some fun additions to the coaching panel, Snoop Dogg and Michael Buble, who joined returning coaches Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani. The new coaches seemed comfortable from the jump, with strong pitches, but the returning coaches also landed themselves a few talented singers. One of those singers, Danny Joseph, was a talented British rocker who now resides in the U.S. (Read our Recap)
Danny Joseph is a 37-year-old rock singer, originally from London, who now lives in Dallas, Texas. He used to busk on the streets of London. He’s been married for 9 years and is the father to 3 children. In 2016, he was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease (an autoimmune disease). During this time, he put together a recording set-up in a spare bedroom. He explained, “I don’t feel sick when I make music, it was like healing for me.” In 2023, the condition started to flare up again. His wife worried that he might not make it. Danny underwent surgery, which kept him bed-ridden for a while. Even though the disease is incurable, he considers The Voice his second chance at life.
Snoop Dogg used his Block
For his audition, he sang Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell On You.” Danny came prepared, trying to stand out from the moment he opened his mouth. He began the performance with an impressive bluesy raspy belt which landed him 3 turns, Snoop, Reba, and Michael. Snoop was smart to turn quickly as he hit his block button, blocking Michael. Gwen turned at the last second. Danny’s guitar playing is just as good as his voice. Where he lacks range in parts of his voice, he makes up for it with an old school style which feels fresh rather than dated.
Danny chose Team Reba McEntire
Reba used her Oklahoma background as a way to connect to Danny who lives in Texas. She namechecked Annie Lennox, adding that Danny has an “amazing range and very powerful voice.” Gwen called him one of the “strongest, most secure” singers she’s heard in the competition so far. She joked about Danny not having as many options to choose from after Snoop blocked Michael. After Michael called Danny’s voice “tremendous,” Snoop pushed his button, which dimmed the other coaches lights. Then, after saying the others were “blowing a lot of smoke,” smoke blowed around their chairs. He joked that Danny belongs with him “because London, England, and Snoop Dogg have a great connection.” Reba ended the pitches by trying to win him over, bragging that she won last season.
In the end, Danny chose Team Reba, which thrilled her.
The night was a fairly strong premiere with quite a few 4-chair turns as well as a few others who had good auditions. Standouts included a 15-year-old 4-chair turner named Sydney Sterlace, who landed on Gwen’s team with a cover of “Drivers License.” Jake Tankersley, a country singer who opened the night landed on Team Snoop after turning 4 chairs. He showed off cool parts in his lower range with “Something In The Orange.” Honorable mentions go to Team Michael’s 4-chair R&B singer Sofronio Vasquez and Team Buble’s 3 chair Spanish singer Kiara Vega. Both gave solid vocal performances
