Not everyone gets a second chance on The Voice, but Jaelen Johnston is prepared to make the most of it. Thanks to a newly implemented rule for season 27, coach Kelsea Ballerini was able to save the 22-year-old cowboy from Derby, Kansas, during the first Live Semifinal round. Now, Johnston joins Adam David, Jadyn Cree, Renzo, and Lucia Flores-Wiseman in the Top 5. Ahead of Part 1 of the season 27 live finale, here are three things you should know about Jaelen Johnston.
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1. He Hasn’t Been At This Long
Just a few years before beginning his journey on The Voice, Jaelen Johnston received his first-ever guitar at age 16. His grandparents gifted him a pawn-shop Taylor guitar for Christmas. From there, he began playing gigs at open mics around his hometown, eventually catching the eye of Fijack Entertainment Coalition and the production team of Them Fly Bros.
2. He Comes From A Musical Family
Jaelen Johnston’s journey on The Voice makes sense when you look at his family. His grandfather, Ross, was a Canadian entertainer whose vocals Johnston has compared to legendary country singer Ronnie Milsap. The “Golden Cowboy” grew up on everything from Biggie Smalls to George Strait.
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In fact, Johnston has his mother to thank for his success on The Voice so far. After he talked himself out of auditioning, she secretly submitted his application on his behalf. To make sure her son didn’t have time to back out again, she called him just moments before his pre-show audition.
3. He Recently Quit His Job To Pursue Music Full-Time
Before embarking on his The Voice journey, Jaelen Johnston worked in maintenance at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita. Thanks to his exposure on the NBC show, the 2021 high school graduate was able to step away in favor of pursuing music full-time.
“I mean, that was definitely the goal, you know—I knew I didn’t want to be there for the rest of my life. I wanted to do music, hands down,” Johnston said in April.
He added, “It’s definitely really nice to not have to write after four o’clock in the afternoon stressed out.”
Featured image by Tyler Golden/NBC
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