Aspiring singer Johnny Manuel wowed the judges on The Voice Australia on Sunday (June 7) with a powerhouse take on “Home” by Diana Ross.
Belting out the show-stopping number from the 1978 film adaptation of Broadway classic The Wiz, the Flint, Mich. native quickly earned a four-chair turn from judges Kelly Rowland, Boy George, Delta Goodrem and Guy Sebastian thanks to his massive voice and spine-tingling melisma. “When I think of home, I think of a place/ Where there’s love overflowing/ I wish I was home, I wish I was back there/ With the things I’ve been knowing,” he crooned before wailing through the remainder of the song.
While all four stars wanted the singer on their team, Rowland comes to the stark realization as the performance draws to a close that one of her fellow judges used their block against her, disqualifying the Destiny’s Child alum from adding Manuel to her roster.
The big-voiced hopeful is no stranger to reality TV singing competitions, however. Back in 2017, Manuel made it all the way to the semifinals on Season 12 of America’s Got Talent after earning guest judge Seal’s illustrious golden buzzer during the Judges Cuts round. He also represented Bulgaria in Eurovision 2018 as part of the vocal group Equinox. (The group eventually came in 14th place during the international song contest with their original track “Bones.”)
Check out Manuel’s audition for The Voice Australia below.
