'The Voice' Season 19 Winner: Who is Carter Rubin? Here are 7 facts you didn't know about his life and career
The top five finalists on Season 19 of 'The Voice' left the audience spoilt for choice as they had to vote for a winner from among them. Although all five of the contestants were incredibly talented, Team Gwen's Carter Rubin was announced as the winner. It hardly took Carter any time to woo fans with his beautiful vocals and maturity.
Carter's win also meant that his coach Gwen Stefani got her first win on the show after appearing as a coach for three seasons. Despite being only 15, it was clear as day that this young singer was just a bundle of talent waiting to be mentored into becoming a star. Through the course of the season, we got to learn a lot about Carter. Here are seven facts about Carter that you may have not known.
1. Youngest Winner of 'The Voice'
When Carter auditioned for 'The Voice' he was only 14, but his flawless vocals left a striking impression on the coaches. He soon picked Gwen Stefani as his coach, and under her guidance, he began realizing his potential and all the talent he wasn't even aware that he had.
Carter's performances too began improving tremendously with each week, so it came as no surprise when the youngster made it to the finale. He won over America with his beautiful voice and raked in enough votes to be titled the winner of the competition. Carter's win created history as he is the younger contestant to even win the competition.
2. Carter picked Gwen Stefani over John Legend as his coach
When Carter first got on stage to perform during the blind auditions, he was just hoping for at least one chair turn from a coach. But to his surprise, he got a chair turn from not only Gwen but also John Legend. Both coaches lobbied really hard to get the young singer on their team following his intense performance to a Lewis Capaldi song. Gwen was shocked on seeing a 14-year-old boy on stage when she saw Carter, as she was expecting it to be a middle-aged woman based on vocals.
This only pushed Gwen to fight harder to get him on her team. While John focussed on praising Carter for his skills, Gwen promised to be his mother and guide him through the competition. It came as a huge surprise to many when the young singer picked Gwen over John, due to her pitch. While John was mildly upset over Carter's decision, it looks like things worked out for the best in the end.
3. Gwen wants him to start playing instruments and write songs
During the finale of 'The Voice', Gwen revealed what she was hoping for Carter. The pop star declared that she has no doubts about Carter flourishing in the industry due to his incredible talent. However, she was hoping to see the youngster take up playing musical instruments and venture onto the path of songwriting, as he has a lot to offer to the world. She continued to praise Carter for his kind and innocent spirit.
4. Carter appeared in another competition show
If you thought 'The Voice' was Carter's first foray into the world of competition shows on television, then you are wrong. When he was younger, Carter auditioned for 'America's Got Talent'. Unfortunately, he failed to make it through the auditions but that didn't deter him from continuing to pursue his passion for music. From failing to clear an audition to winning a singing competition show, Carter certainly seems to have come a long way.
5. Carter claims he got his 'singing gene' from his grandfather
During his blind auditions, Carter revealed a very interesting fact about his family. In case you were wondering how someone as young as Carter is so incredibly talented and nuanced, then his response to it would be that he got his "singing gene" from his grandfather, Ric Mango. Mango was a guitarist and backup vocalist for the band Jay and the Americans in the 1960s. Fans were introduced to him during a video call with Carter. The veteran must be proud of Carter's accomplishments.
6. Carter's older brother is autistic
If you watched Carter's introduction video during the blind auditions then you would have noticed how he spoke very fondly about his older brother. He then revealed to the coaches that his biggest inspiration and source of strength was none other than his brother, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. During the semifinals, Carter dedicated his performance of 'Rainbow Connection' to his brother.
7. He was bullied in school
Through the course of the show, Carter chose his songs based on his personal life experiences. This not only resulted in his performances being more powerful but also gave us a peek into his life. During the knockouts round, Carter decided to sing 'You Say' by Lauren Daigle.
In his green room interview, he explained how the song was closely linked to his personal experience of being bullied at school for being different compared to his peers. But eventually, he realized that being different wasn't wrong and began celebrating his own individuality without seeking anyone's validation. Carter's performance left Kelly Clarkson in tears.
