‘The Voice’ Judge Reba McEntire Gets Emotional After Powerful Contestant Performance

On last week’s episode of The Voice, judge Reba McEntire was moved to tears after a contestant named William Alexander sang a beautiful rendition of Lizzy McAlpine’s “Ceilings” during the Blind Auditions segment of the show. 

In the clip below, Alexander gave such a powerful performance that McEntire and Chance the Rapper were the first judges to turn their chairs around. Then, John Legend and Dan + Shay (the show’s first-ever duo coaches) followed. The 16-year-old contestant shared that he dedicated the song to his grandfather, who sadly passed away last year. 

McEntire was completely blown away by how well Alexander kept his composure while singing and revealed, “When I sing a song and I'm thinking about my mama...I start gasping and then I can't sing anymore. You’re gonna have somebody with you all the time.”

She continued, “I thought you did a great job, your voice is a beautiful gift.” After sharing that personal detail, the 68-year-old country singer grabbed a tissue and wiped a tear away from her eye. 

McEntire is not the first judge to get emotional on The Voice. Back in November 2023, judge John Legend broke down in tears after a contestant named Lennon VanderDoes (from Team Niall Horan) took center stage to sing “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz. 

“Ever since I became a dad, I definitely cry a lot more than I used to. It’s hitting me more,” he shared with the contestant. “I just felt you being fully yourself, and it felt so moving to me. I don’t know why I keep crying. I can't stop.”