'The Voice' Season 24 fans miss Blake Shelton as country legend Wynonna Judd joins NBC show as mega mentor
UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA: NBC announced on October 31, 2023, that country star Wynonna Judd would join 'The Voice' as the mega coach for Season 24.
Wynonna joins coaches Niall Horan, John Legend, Reba McEntire, and Gwen Stefani on the four-time Emmy-winning musical competition series.
Wynonna is the most recent country music superstar to join the competition following Blake Shelton's departure last season.
Reba, who is a country music icon, served as a mega mentor for Season 23 and was elevated to judge in Season 24.
As teams prepare for the three-way Knockouts commencing November 6, 2023, Wynonna will mentor the contestants who have advanced through the battle rounds.
Following the announcement, the member of The Judds took to Instagram to express how honored she was to be a part of the series.
She captioned a photo of herself smiling and posing on the set of the reality show. She captioned it, "I’m a Judd, not a judge. 😁. It is SUCH a privilege to be the Mega Mentor on this season of @nbcthevoice!!!!"
Viewers on social media, however, said that they missed former coach Blake Shelton on the show.
An Instagram user wrote, "Should have been Blake Shelton….."
Another user commented, "NO ONE ELSE ON EARTH could be a MEGA Mentor like Wynonna, this is gonna be GOOD Poor Nial and the others have their work cut out for them. Wynonna is like a country music legend just the same as reba is. Im surprised she hasnt been Blakes mentor on past seasons since theyre good friends too."
One user wrote, "WOW! To have Winona on the show is wonderful! Still miss Blake but Reba is doing good!"
Another noted, "I wish it was Taylor swift or Harry styles but I am excited."
One user also said, "I was worried this was gonna happen 😑."
Another user wrote, "I can imagine it being daunting though for wynonna . She is very modest."
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'The Voice' Season 24 mentor Wynonna Judd's Back to Wy tour
According to PEOPLE, Wynonna Judd is embarking on a solo tour covering her first two albums. The Back to Wy theatre tour, which began on October 26, 2023, will visit 15 cities.
Wynonna has been touring since 1983 and has a strong preference for live performances. She recently completed The Judds tribute tour and hopes to reconnect with fans while commemorating her 40 years in country music.
Her self-titled first album, released in 1992, marked her shift from performing with her mother as The Judds to a solo career. 'Tell Me Why' was released in 1993.
This transition reminded her of her own experience of leaving home for college. She recalls the pressure she felt to achieve and reflect her family name.
Wynonna admits that the pressure has lifted, enabling her to enjoy performing and interacting with fans. She emphasizes her dependency on fans in the aftermath of her mother's death.
The tour will allow her to deliver songs she's never sung live before as well as honor her mother with emotionally powerful performances.
The 15-city tour began on October 26 in Indianapolis and will end on December 1 in Knoxville. Wynonna will play both albums in their entirety, with classic Judds tunes capping off each night.
Upcoming tour dates:
November 2, 2023: Rosemont, IL - Rosemont Theatre
November 3, 2023: Bowler, WI - North Star Mohican Casino
November 4, 2023: Peoria, IL - Peoria Civic Center Theater
November 9, 2023: San Antonio, TX - Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
November 11, 2023: Oklahoma City, OK - The Criterion
November 12, 2023: Austin, TX - ACL Live at Moody Theatre
November 17, 2023: Birmingham, AL - Alabama Theatre
November 18, 2023: Bossier City, LA - Margaritaville Casino
November 19, 2023: Dallas, TX - Majestic Theatre
November 25, 2023: Louisville, KY - Palace Theatre
November 30, 2023: Durham, NC - Durham Performing Arts Center
December 1, 2023: Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theatre
How did The Judds get their start?
Wynonna, who grew up as America's favorite musical daughter, emerged as a single force in music with the release of her self-titled, 5x-platinum solo debut in 1992.
Wynonna matured into her once-in-a-generation vocal talent with ease, thanks to the innovative music she and her mother crafted as the Judds.
In addition to her five Grammys, multi-platinum albums, and sold-out tours, the country/soul soprano expanded on the Appalachian traditionalism that characterized the Judds to create a universe where having a Top 5 dance/club hit was as likely as getting inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
'No One Else on Earth', 'Tell Me Why', 'She Is His Only Need', 'Girls With Guitars', and 'I Saw The Light' helped Wynonna secure her place as a global celebrity.
She most recently got the People's Choice Country Awards' Country Champion Award.
The Judds were the most commercially successful country music duet of the 1980s. Naomi and Wynonna recorded six studio albums on RCA between 1983 and 1991, resulting in an unprecedented streak of 14 No.
The mother-daughter pair were soon collecting Grammy Awards and dominating the country music charts. But disaster hit Naomi in 1991 when she was diagnosed with Hepatitis C and given only three years to live.
The Judds ceased performing together while Naomi sought therapy, and Wynonna established a solo career.
Why did Blake Shelton leave 'The Voice'?
Blake Shelton wanted to devote more time to his family, particularly as a stepfather to wife Gwen Stefani's children.
"I think being a stepdad has changed my perspective in that I’m not the first person that I think about anymore," he told Access.
"Even to the small little things when you go, ‘I think I’ll do this,’ the very next thought is always,‘Well, wait a minute. How’s that going work?' Or, 'What will they think?' Or, 'How will that affect a schedule?'" he said.
When do ‘The Voice’ Season 24 Knockouts begin?
Knockouts of 'The Voice' Season 24 will be here before we know it. On September 25, the first night of the Blind Auditions aired.
On October 17, the Battle rounds began after seven rounds of Blind Auditions. The Battles lasted four nights.
The first round of Knockouts will take place on October 31, 2023. There will only be three Knockout rounds, which will conclude on November 7, 2023.
In the Battle rounds, two vocalists from each team compete by singing the same song. Only one vocalist may emerge triumphant from the duet.
The other vocalist either returns home or maybe poached by another coach.
Artists, who win their Battles or are taken by other coaches, progress to the Knockouts. Season 24 of 'The Voice' contains three-way Knockouts.
Three vocalists from the same squad will participate, however, each performer can select their own song and perform independently.
The winner is then chosen by the coaches, and the two losers are either sent home or snatched by the other coaches.
Each coach also has a "sav", which they may use to save one of the two losing artists.
A mega mentor will be assigned to the artists to help them with the Knockouts.
'The Voice' Season 24 airs on Mondays at 8 pm and Tuesdays at 9 pm ET on NBC