Last year, Huntley walked away from season 24 of The Voice as the winner. After finishing the show, he took time away from the limelight to be with his family and absorb the win. Last weekend, the Florida-born singer/songwriter took the stage for the first time since winning The Voice at the Pioneer Theater in Mateo, North Carolina.
Videos by American Songwriter
According to The Coastland Times, Huntley played two sold-out shows at the small venue over the weekend. He played his first show on Friday (February 2) and came back the next night to do it again. The report states that he played a combination of covers and original songs.
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Huntley opened his set with “I’ll Be on My Way” before going into the Bill Withers classic “Ain’t No Sunshine.” He also did a stellar cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” during the set. The Coastland Times correspondent Summer Stevens said his rendition of the song was “hands down better than the original” with apologies to Petty.
Videos from the night show that he still has the same raw and gritty power to his vocal delivery that brought him the big win on The Voice. More importantly, he showed off his ability to keep cool under pressure.
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Just a few songs into his set, Huntley broke a string on his guitar. His band vamped while he rectified the issue. After returning to the mic, he asked the crowd, “Y’all still kicking?” Then, he explained the issue. “These are new strings and I’ve got sweat pouring off me in this leather jacket,” he said. When a fan shouted for him to take the jacket off, he jokingly replied, “That costs extra.”
Huntley Has a Bright Future
Huntley captured the attention of the nation with his time on The Voice. However, he is far from being a new performer. In fact, he has been singing for more than two decades. Before landing a spot on the singing competition show, he played local bars, restaurants, and clubs. Now, he has a deal with Republic to pair with the collection of original songs he has in his back pocket.
As of now, he’s keeping his plans for the future private. However, he did tell the Coastland Times that he plans to release “a taste” of his original music on social media in the near future.
Featured Image by Trae Patton/NBC
