The artist they were all trying to land was 28-year-old Aaron Hines from San Antonio, Texas, who impressed the coaches with his performance of “Heartbreak Anniversary.” “Growing up, my mom would take us to church, and I remember being blown away by the musicians there,” Aaron said. “John Legend has played such an instrumental part in who I am as an artist. My first performance in front of an audience at the eighth-grade talent show was a John Legend song. I was so nervous. I heard the intro and people were staring and then I closed my eyes, I just remember all of the nerves disappearing.” To this day, one of the things Aaron does is sing at weddings and John’s “All of Me” is a constant favorite. After studying music performance at college and leading at church, Aaron was trying to figure out his next move when he got a distressing call from his mother, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. “I remember hanging up the phone and it was like a wave hit,” he recalled, tears forming in his eyes. “My immediate thought was, ‘I got to go. I just know I need to be there.’” But his mom wanted him to keep his focus on music as she battled for her life. “I remember the year and half she was going through it, every call I got my heart would drop because I thought it would be the call that she wasn’t there anymore,” Aaron said. His mother was declared cancer free in October 2020, and she was on the screen to cheer her son on. “Knowing that my mom is watching makes me excited and motivated to be the best that I can be,” he said before taking the stage. “A chair turn would be representative of all the hard work I put in.” Well, Aaron’s hard work paid off. He got all four chairs to turn, not just one. Here is how it played out: John: I love your voice. You sounded like you knew what you wanted to do with the song. You went out there and executed it beautifully. Aaron: I have to tell you this. I can’t tell you how many times I sang “All of Me” at weddings. They duet on the song, and John, feeling cocky, said, “I will let these other coaches discuss what they have to offer you.” Kelly: I am feeling very confident [but not meaning it]. I love your voice. It was very moving. A lot of people feel like you have to wail. I think you did a good job of being sincere and intimate but also giving us big notes. We would work together well. Obviously, I have navigated a competition. I am your Magellan for this show. Arianna: I almost hit my button as soon as you opened your mouth because your tone stopped me in my tracks. I was very excited. I loved the runs. It was super clean. I think you should pick my team. Blake: You are probably wondering why you would pick the country guy. I don’t know if you happened to catch season 20? I don’t know if I was the obvious choice for Cam [Anthony] either, but that worked out fairly well. This is about you, and I am worried for you because Kelly’s big connection to you is you are both from Texas. That is the reason to choose her even though she abandoned her home state years ago and never returned again. Kelly: I have family in Texas. Blake: That’s even sadder. Kelly: The commute is rough. I don’t work there. Blake: Two things about John Legend. I think the reason he has such a connection with you is because he talks so damn loud and you probably do feel it in your chest. John: I do it because Blake can’t hear. I do the same for my father-in-law who is in his 80s, and I do it for Blake. Blake: The other thing is he always has his artists sing his songs because he gets paid. And that leaves us with Ariana, who has never won this show. Ariana: I never lost it either. Blake: She heard your voice and wanted to push her button for you, but she just wasn’t confident enough. I on the other hand pushed my button the second I knew I wanted you on my team. Ariana: You were last! Blake: Once I make my decision, I go with it! Finally, it was time to pick his coach. You would have thought that Aaron would want to come full circle and join Team Legend, but instead he went with Kelly. When host Carson Daly asked him why, he said, “I feel like she got me artistically.” The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Next, Here’s What We Know About Season 21 of The Voice, Including the 4 New Advisors
