Home ‘I was in shock’: Fredericksburg native Huntley rocks season 24 of NBC’s ‘The Voice’ for the win
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‘I was in shock’: Fredericksburg native Huntley rocks season 24 of NBC’s ‘The Voice’ for the win

Rebecca Barnabi
(© Rokas – stock.adobe.com)

From singing in restaurants in Fredericksburg, Colonial Beach and everywhere in between, singer Huntley is the winner of season 24 of “The Voice.”

Huntley’s winning performance was of Creed’s “Higher,” NBC4 Washington reported.

“As soon as I got my name called, I was in shock,” Huntley said. “You know, [with] just how many no’s I’ve gotten in my life, to get one ‘yes’ was insane. “

In his initial “The Voice” audition in early fall, Huntley earned a four-chair turn by judges Reba McEntire, Niall Horan, Gwen Stefani and John Legend.

“Every time I get out there, I just feel like it’s where I belong,” Huntley told News4’s Tommy McFly. “Going out there, just not knowing if that’s going to be enough and I felt I had to give it my all and I don’t want any regrets.”

After his four-chair turn, Huntley allowed his 6-year-old daughter to choose his coach, and she chose former New Direction singer Horan.

“Everyone knows I can go out there, and I can belt, and I can scream with a lot of soul,” Huntley said. “But I think he really helped with the story side of my voice and really made me feel confident.”

We Are Fredericksburg, a new Facebook page which has already collected 10,000 followers in only a few months, shared Huntley’s journey along the way and sold out of Huntley sweatshirts.

“As I said in a past episode, I went from a park bench to the ‘The Voice.’ Now I went from a park bench to a winner of ‘The Voice,’ he said.

Huntley’s win is Team Niall’s second win on “The Voice.” Huntley receives $100,000 and a record deal with Universal Music Group.

After holiday downtime with his wife and two daughters in Fredericksburg, Huntley told NBC4 he will continue his rise to music stardom.

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca J. Barnabi is the national editor of Augusta Free Press. A graduate of the University of Mary Washington, she began her journalism career at The Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star. In 2013, she was awarded first place for feature writing in the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia Awards Program, and was honored by the Virginia School Boards Association’s 2019 Media Honor Roll Program for her coverage of Waynesboro Schools. Her background in newspapers includes writing about features, local government, education and the arts.