His powerful song moved every coach on 'The Voice' — all while honoring his late mom’s final wish
Dylan Carter had only one intention when he entered the season 24 blind auditions for 'The Voice,' to fulfill his late mother's wish that he would become a musician. His soulful rendition of Whitney Houston's 'I Look to You' struck a chord with the coaches, bringing them to tears. Carter earned the iconic four-chair turn moment with his sentimental song. "That was so beautiful. Making me cry," Gwen Stefani reacted as she gave him a standing ovation. "Four chairs! Wow," John Legend exclaimed. "I love that song. I love the songs when you can take them spiritual or secular; either one. So much emotion. So much emotion, and I saw it and I felt it," 'Queen' of country music Reba McEntire expressed, fighting back her tears.
"I heard it when you were singing. That's the kind of song that makes—Oh—that does that to me, too, because I saw you get so emotionally involved, and that's when you know you've got a great song and a great singer, when it touches your heart. So, way to go on that," she continued. "Well, to me, as a performer, that is when you really hone in on why you're put on this Earth, is to touch people's hearts, and you did," she added. "You've made the queen cry. In the best way possible," Niall Horan spoke up after remaining speechless and poignant throughout the performance.
"That was spectacular. You could really feel the emotion. You only get four chairs if it really moves the room," Horan remarked after collecting himself. Additionally, he pointed out "pitch issues" but also stated that it could be honed. "I'd love to have you on my team. I think you're special," the former 'One Direction' member proposed. From that point, the coaches engaged in a verbal battle to 'steal' Carter into one of their teams.
View this post on Instagram
"From the moment you opened your mouth, I was like, 'This is my guy.' Like, I love your voice. I was like, Your voice is so warm. But you also have, like, so much texture to your voice, little nuances that you were doing at the exact right moments that make it feel emotional," she said. Sefani further pitched herself as his "cheerleader." "When I saw you all turn around, I saw my mom. She passed away in October, and she wanted me to sing it at her funeral," Carter revealed while choking back on emotions. He called the blind auditions a second chance to fulfill his late mother's wish. "We're all very grateful that we get to do this show, and we get to meet people like you. And we get to give you this opportunity to perform this song in tribute to your mother," Legend said.
View this post on Instagram
Still fighting back tears, McEntire continued by sharing a nostalgic memory about her own mother, who advised her to fulfill her ambitions and pursue success. Carter was mentored by McEntire. "Something told me to go with Reba," he said. "She could be a comforting mom figure for me," he told NBC. Carter's journey was cut short after being eliminated during the battle rounds. “We’re gonna do something,” McEntire reacted. “That’s not over,” NBC reported. Carter has been growing his musical presence by performing at various gigs and events.