Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more!
Why Reba McEntire Called Keith Urban After Ronnie Wilson's "Fresh" Audition
Reba's got Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman on speed dial!
Coach Reba McEntire totally flexed her celebrity connections on Monday night's episode of The Voice while attempting to sway 28-year-old contestant Ronnie Wilson, who sang Zayn's "Pillowtalk" during the Blinds.
As Coach John Legend tried to bond with the singer over their shared experience of crunching numbers for a living (Wilson is a full-time accountant and Legend was once a management consultant), McEntire staged a phone call with fellow country legend Keith Urban. "If you were on The Voice, who would you want to coach you?" she asked. "Me? Nicole [Kidman, Urban's wife] said her too? Talk to you later. Bye." Talk about a name drop.
RELATED: Reba McEntire Surprise-Sang "Why Haven't I Heard From You" on The Voice
"You have a quality in your voice that just makes a person feel good," Reba told Wilson following the little charade. "I'm thrilled to death that you love country music. I've been in the business for going on 50 years now, so I think I could help you to embellish, not change, because you are absolutely wonderful and I'd love to have you on my team."
"What I loved about the performance is you created moments by being creative with the melody," Legend added. "You made the song your own and made it a competition song by the way you did it. I just feel like you have fresh taste [and] great ideas, musically and stylistically. I would love to be your Coach and I feel like you're gonna do so well on the show."
Watch Ronnie Wilson's Blind Audition of Zayn's "Pillowtalk" on The Voice
Wilson (whose real name is Ronnie Little) originally hails from Liberty, South Carolina, but now lives in Atlanta, Georgia. He makes a 9-5 living as an accountant, while pursuing his true passion, music, on the side. His main genre influences are gospel and country.
“Music has always been embedded to who I am," he said before taking the stage. "My mother sang. She was a youth choir director at church. She stuck me on that choir, gave me a microphone, and I haven’t looked back since."
RELATED: An Official Recap of Team Legend on The Voice Season 25
He continued: “I believe that me being on The Voice — me being not just Black, but Black and gay, living in the South, still very, very active in the church today... To see me truly embrace all aspects of myself, I hope that I can inspire others to fully be themselves in the best possible way."
Despite Reba's impressive country connections, Wilson ultimately chose Team Legend as the way forward.
"Season 25 is looking really good for me. I've started today with a great addition to my team," Legend concluded. "What I loved about Ronnie's performance is he made it his own and found really great moments to vocally embellish it in ways that highlighted the strengths of his voice. I think he's gonna do so well on the show."
How to watch Season 25 of The Voice
New episodes of The Voice premiere Mondays and Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock.
