A few days after her 14th birthday, John Burroughs 8th grader Kennedy Holmes stood alongside a group of singers hoping for a chance to be voted through to the finals in an instant save. For her it was unfamiliar territory.
Over the course of the 15th season of NBC’s hit vocal talent competition “The Voice,” Holmes seemed to be the only sure thing. She was the first to compel all four celebrity coaches to turn their chair during her blind audition that opened season 15 this fall.
Her rendition of Adele’s “Turning Tables” had all four coaches convinced that she was a favorite to win the latest season. They were even more convinced once they learned that this poised, graceful singer with the control and range of an established professional was only 13 years old.
As the number of contestants shrank with each episode, Holmes was usually the first or second name called.
“America saved Kennedy Holmes,” was a line that viewers came to expect “The Voice” host Carson Daly to proclaim.
But things didn’t go as normal for her during the semifinals. Black country singer Kirk Jay of team Blake Shelton was the first name called. Chevel Shepherd of Kelly Clarkson’s team was next. She was followed by Chris Kroeze, another member of Shelton’s team. It was clear that the voting audience of the season 15 semifinals had heart for country.
Where did that leave Holmes? Standing alongside two gospel singers, a blues singer and a pop singer praying for a chance to sing their way into the finals for the instant save portion of the show.
Daly did his part to keep the suspense brewing.
“Kennedy, if you were to go home tonight, what would you say to your coach?”
“From blinds I feel like I’ve grown so much and to just have this opportunity at such a young age is so unusual, so thank you so much,” Holmes said.
She counted being able to sing “The Greatest Love of All” and showcasing her dance moves as two of the most memorable moments of her journey on the show.
“Whitney Houston was an idol for me, so just being able to sing that song on The Voice stage was an amazing way to honor her,” Holmes said. “ Getting to dance and sing was something I had been dying to do on the voice stage. Dancing and singing are things that I love and to do them here was an amazing opportunity.”
As Holmes waited to hear her fate, the thought of her going home seemed unfathomable – even to her competitors.
“You got this baby girl,” Kymberli Joye whispered to Holmes and squeezed her hand with assurance.
Joye, a member of Clarkson’s team, was right.
Holmes was the final singer of three selected to perform on the spot for the fourth slot on the finale. The viewing audience had five minutes to vote for their favorite via Twitter.
She made the brilliant decision to sing a country song, the pop crossover ballad “How Do I Live Without You.” Leann Rhimes was just a couple of years older than Holmes when she recorded the song.
True to form, the performance put her coach on her feet.
“ This girl is a star,” Hudson said earlier in the night. “And I know we all want to be a part of that and say we had something to do with that – so vote for Kennedy.”
She was the last to perform during the instant save segment, following Mackenzie Thomas and Reagan Strange.
Viewers were then directed to Twitter for five minutes of voting, They apparently heard Hudson loud and clear.
“America instantly saved Kennedy Holmes,” Daly said.
When she takes the stage next week, she’ll be the youngest finalist in the show’s history.
NBC’s “The Voice” airs Monday and Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. CST. For more information, visit www.nbc.com/thevoice
