Grand Bay’s Joe Henley Wins ‘The Voice’ Battle as Riley Green Sends Ozark’s Caroline Alexis Home

GRAND BAY, Ala. — Grand Bay singer Joe Henley is still alive on NBC’s “The Voice,” but Ozark’s Caroline Alexis is headed home after Alabama coach Riley Green faced two tough calls in Monday night’s Battle Rounds.

Green, coaching for the first time this season, put both of the Alabama singers he recruited in the Season 30 premiere into head-to-head duets on Oct. 12. Henley won his battle. Alexis did not.

Henley vs. Elpers: ‘Don’t Mind If I Do’

Henley, whose deep baritone set off a two-coach contest between Green and Kelly Clarkson during the blind auditions, was paired with 23-year-old Kenna Elpers. Green gave them “Don’t Mind If I Do,” a song Green wrote and recorded as a duet with Ella Langley that became a country radio hit.

Rehearsals exposed how new Henley is to performing. He admitted he had never even used a microphone stand before.

“The biggest challenge I’ve faced so far is actually singing in front of people. For a while I struggled to sing in front of my family,” Henley said.

Green and his mentor for the round, country star Carly Pearce, coached the pair on the give-and-take of a duet. Pearce encouraged Elpers to take the lead and push her partner.

“I’ll like get up in his face,” Pearce said. “Or I’ll hold a note longer, and he’s like, ‘Let it go’ and I’m like, ‘No.’”

Pearce had praise for both singers. “You can tell Kenna has been on stage, for sure,” she said. “She has this Dolly-esque airiness to her tone, something where you know it’s her.”

Of Henley, she said: “Joe reminded me of like a puppy who has really big paws and he hasn’t grown into them yet. I think people are going to fall in love with him.”

Polish versus potential

The matchup put Elpers in a difficult position. She was the more seasoned performer, but on a show like “The Voice,” a raw singer with a distinctive natural gift and a willingness to learn can be just as attractive to a coach as one who has spent years paying dues.

In some ways, Elpers helped lift the singer who beat her. After the performance, Green credited her directly.

“Kenna, I don’t think he could do what he’s doing here if it wasn’t for you,” Green told her.

Then he picked Henley to advance.

Alexis and Bounds: A real-life couple on stage

Later in the evening, Green called up Alexis, the 25-year-old from Ozark he had also landed in the season premiere. He paired her with Everett Bounds of California for “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man,” the classic 1973 duet made famous by Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty.

The two singers said they have been dating, which may have added to the chemistry on stage. In some ways it was a harder decision than the Henley battle, because neither singer stood out as clearly.

Both earned praise. Pearce said, “Caroline has such a drawl, she has such a richness in that little accent that I loved.” Green called Alexis’ performance “sassy and country and everything I love about country music and Alabama.”

In the end, Green chose Bounds, saying he brought something Team Riley needed.

“Everett was a one-chair turn, and I think people are realizing now that he’s a talented guy, that he can do a lot of other things,” Green said.

How the Battle Rounds work

After the blind auditions, each coach has a full team of artists. In the Battle Rounds, coaches pair members of their own team and assign them a song to perform together as a duet. Each pairing rehearses with the coach and a guest mentor, then performs on a stage set up like a boxing ring. When the song ends, the coach chooses one singer to advance, and the other is eliminated unless another coach uses a save or steal available under that season’s rules.

The format rewards versatility. Singers have to blend with a partner while still showing the coach and the audience what makes their voice unique, and song choices are often designed to test both.

A season with plenty of Alabama ties

Alabama viewers have had more reasons than usual to watch Season 30. Green, a Jacksonville, Ala., native and former Jacksonville State quarterback, joined the panel this season as a first-time coach. Henley picked Green after singing Travis Tritt’s “Anymore” in the season premiere, and Green and Clarkson’s rivalry over Alabama talent became a running storyline.

That rivalry continued when Mobile native Anna McElroy turned three chairs with Maren Morris’ “80s Mercedes” and surprised Green by choosing Clarkson’s team. McElroy remains in the competition on Team Kelly.

The episode also came with an off-camera storyline. In a previous episode, Green mentioned taking Langley on tour as a newcomer who was now doing well, a remark some viewers took as Green claiming credit for her career. Langley said she “didn’t love it.” Green did not bring up Langley’s role in the success of “Don’t Mind If I Do” during Monday’s episode.

How to watch

The Battle Rounds continued Tuesday night. “The Voice” airs at 7 p.m. Central on NBC, and episodes stream the next day. Fans in Grand Bay and across Mobile County will be watching to see how far Henley can go, while McElroy carries Mobile’s hopes on Clarkson’s team.