John Legend is chasing his second coaching win on The Voice before he steps back during season 26. The EGOT winner has two formidable artists remaining in Nathan Chester and Bryan Olesen. Chester has delighted viewers all season long with his soulfully exuberant performances. The youngest remaining competitor at 28 years old, Chester showed how badly he wanted the crown Monday (May 20) with his rendition of the Isley Brothers’ “It’s Your Thing.”
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‘The Voice’ Finalist Nathan Chester Leaves It All On the Stage
Chester has yet to disappoint with his spins on timeless classics like Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness.” During the Top 5, he stayed true to his roots with his cover of the 1967 groovy hit.
“Nathan Chester is just too good,” one viewer commented on X/Twitter.
While the winner of the season won’t be announced until Tuesday, Chester’s performance was enough for some fans to already anoint him the champion.
A Chicago native and professional cruise ship singer, Chester auditioned for The Voice in hopes of bringing back “James Brown-style Motown.” That made the smooth-singing Legend a perfect fit for Chester (although the cheesecake surely didn’t hurt.)
[RELATED: 3 Quick Facts About ‘The Voice’ Finalist Nathan Chester]
Under Legend’s tutelage, Chester has riled the crowds up each week. He has mostly stuck to classics like Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” and “Oh! Darling!” by The Beatles. Legend has praised Chester’s style as “cinematic,” “emphatic” and “powerful.”
See What Nathan Chester’s High School Theater Teacher Has To Say
If Chester seems perfectly at home onstage, there’s a reason. He was involved in both theater and choir during his time at Oak Park and River Forest High School in Oak Park, Illinois. Michelle Bayer, the school’s performing arts department chair and director of theatre, had only positive words for Chester.
“Nathan is a sponge!” Bayer told The Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest. “He works harder and learns faster than almost any other student I have ever directed. He is a phenomenal singer, dancer, and actor.”
Bayer directed Chester in productions such as ““Footloose,” “The 15th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,”and “Les Misérables.”
“Each of the productions I worked with Nathan required him to embody a different type of character, sing in a different style, and dance with a different carriage,” Bayer said. “And Nathan was able to do this flawlessly.”
The Voice coaches — and viewers — would certainly agree.
Featured photo via Instagram
