GRAND BAY, Ala. — A Grand Bay singer is headed into the competition rounds of NBC’s “The Voice” after Joe Henley earned a spot on Team Riley Green during the Season 30 blind auditions, which premiered Monday night, Sept. 21.
Henley, 19, sang Travis Tritt’s 1991 country hit “Anymore” for his audition. Two coaches, Riley Green and Kelly Clarkson, turned their chairs for him, and Henley chose to join Green, a fellow Alabamian who is coaching on the show for the first time this season.
The moment gives south Mobile County a hometown contestant to follow as the new season unfolds over the coming weeks.
A country classic on a national stage
Henley reached back more than three decades for his song choice. “Anymore” was written by Travis Tritt and Jill Colucci and released in September 1991 as a single from Tritt’s album “It’s All About to Change.” The ballad climbed to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, becoming Tritt’s second chart-topper in the United States, and also reached No. 1 on Canada’s country chart.
The song remains one of the best-known country ballads of the early 1990s, and its slow build and big finish make it a demanding pick for a singer with a deep voice. Henley delivered it in a low baritone that caught the attention of both Green and Clarkson early in the performance.
Henley has said he had never played a real gig before his audition. He has named Travis Tritt, Keith Whitley and George Strait among his musical influences, a list of traditional country voices that fits the song he chose to introduce himself to a national audience.
A coach from Alabama
After both coaches turned, Henley picked Green. The choice puts him with a coach who knows small-town Alabama well.
Riley Green was born Oct. 18, 1988, and grew up in Jacksonville, Ala., in Calhoun County in the northeastern part of the state. He played quarterback for the Jacksonville State University Gamecocks before building a career in country music.
Green signed with Big Machine Label Group’s Nashville Harbor imprint in 2018. His debut single, “There Was This Girl,” reached No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart in 2019, and his debut album, “Different ‘Round Here,” was released that same year and later certified Gold. The Academy of Country Music named him New Male Artist of the Year in 2019.
He has also found success with duets, including a re-recorded version of “Different ‘Round Here” with Luke Combs and “You Look Like You Love Me” with Ella Langley.
During Henley’s audition, Green left his chair, grabbed a guitar and joined him on stage to sing Green’s song “My Way,” which Henley has called a favorite. Clarkson added harmonies from her seat. The coach then welcomed Henley to what is now officially Team Riley.
How the blind auditions work
The blind auditions are the first stage of every season of “The Voice.” The four coaches sit in large chairs facing away from the stage, so they hear each singer without seeing them. A coach who wants the artist on their team presses a button, and the chair spins around.
If only one coach turns, the singer joins that team automatically. If more than one turns, the coaches pitch themselves and the artist decides whom to work with. If no one turns, the artist’s run on the show ends.
This season, each coach will fill a team of 12 artists, for 48 total heading into the next phase. Season 30 also introduces a “First-In Button,” which gives each coach one chance to guarantee an artist a spot on their team.
The season also replaces the knockout rounds with a new elimination stage called “Cut Week,” which the show has billed as the biggest elimination round in the program’s history. After the blind auditions, artists typically move into the battle rounds, where coaches pair team members to sing head-to-head before choosing who advances.
Who is coaching Season 30
Season 30 brings two returning coaches and two newcomers to the red chairs.
- Adam Levine, the Maroon 5 frontman, is back for his 19th season as a coach.
- Kelly Clarkson, the original “American Idol” winner, returns for her 11th season.
- Queen Latifah, the rapper, actress and producer, joins the panel for the first time.
- Riley Green, the Alabama country singer, also makes his debut as a coach.
Carson Daly continues as host, as he has since the show began.
How to watch
“The Voice” airs on NBC. Season 30 opened with a three-episode premiere week, and episodes will then air weekly on Mondays at 7 p.m. Central, with next-day streaming available.
Blind auditions continue in early October before the competition moves into its later rounds. Viewers who want to follow Henley can tune in each Monday to see how Team Riley takes shape and when he returns to the stage.
About Grand Bay
Grand Bay is an unincorporated community in southwestern Mobile County along U.S. Highway 90, a few miles east of the Mississippi state line. The 2020 census counted 3,460 residents in the Grand Bay census-designated place.
The community traces its first settlement to 1853 and has long had an agricultural character, known for pecan orchards and watermelon fields. Each Fourth of July, the Grand Bay Watermelon Festival draws visitors for local produce, music and crafts. The former State Bank building is part of the Grand Bay Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Students in the area attend schools including Grand Bay Middle School and Alma Bryant High School in nearby Irvington.
What comes next
With his spot on Team Riley secured, Henley now waits to see how his coach will use him in the upcoming rounds. As the team fills out over the rest of the blind auditions, Green will begin pairing artists and preparing them for the battles.
For now, a young Grand Bay singer with no professional gigs on his résumé has made it onto one of television’s biggest singing competitions, with a coach from his home state in his corner.