HOME / ENTERTAINMENT / TV

Reba McEntire choked up as this 16-year-old ‘Voice’ singer sang his heart out for someone he lost

Reba McEntire felt every word of this 16-year-old 'Voice' singer's emotional tribute to his grandpa

William Alexander tugged the coaches' heartstrings on 'The Voice' blind auditions by dedicating his soul-stirring performance of Lizzie McAlpine's 'Ceilings' to his late grandfather. Despite not earning the iconic four-chair turn moment, the 16-year-old brought Reba McEntire to tears. "Were you thinking about your grandfather?" she asked the Staten Island native, fighting back emotions. "Because when I sing a song and I'm thinking about my mama. I start gasping, and then I can't sing anymore. How did you do that?" "I just pictured him hearing this and seeing me do this. It just made me feel so proud to be here," Alexander replied.

"I've been singing ever since. I can really remember. Singing that song, I was actually singing it for my grandfather, who passed away last year, and he always said that he believed in me. And it's just crazy being here now, and, yeah," the teen explained. "Wonderful. You're gonna have somebody with you all the time. Now I'm getting choked up, and I'm gonna have to start talking very high! I thought you did a great job, your voice is a beautiful gift," McEntire continued. "Your voice is a beautiful gift, and I'd love to have you on my team," the queen of country music openly offered the teen sensation a spot on her team. 

Country music duo Dan and Shay were equally impressed with Alexander's performance and also apologized for not turning the chair. "Great performance, man. Sorry, we didn't turn around, but your tone is phenomenal," they said. "I thought your performance got exponentially better every single line that went on," they added. Chance the Rapper lauded the self-made singer's tone and note control. "I really don't think there's anybody in the competition that sounds anything like you. I just want to be able to steer it and really come out with a fire performance and a fire arrangement," the 'Stars Out' rapper added. 

When the time came to choose a mentor, the crowd was already chanting McEntire's name. "My gut is telling me that I'm gonna go, Reba," Alexander said while picking the country music legend. "I'm always really excited about working with young people," McEntire revealed in the confessional. "William's voice was very smooth, but different than anything else I've got, so that's why I wanted him," she added. Fans equally gushed over the teen's performance, "He literally gave me chills all over my body with his tone! I love his tone!" a viewer lauded. "His voice is absolutely beautiful. With some coaching, he will only get better and build confidence, and I think picking good song choices will make him go so far! " a fan gushed. 

"When he mentioned his grandfather, I knew that he would connect with Reba. It reminds me of Dylan Carter from last season," an online user chimed. Unfortunately, Alexander was eliminated during the battle round when he faced his teammate Zeya Raye. McEntire advanced  Zeya in the competition while also applauding  William, “There was just something different about your voice,” Silive reported. Since his elimination, Alexander has concentrated on his studies while he works on making music his sole career.