‘The Voice’ Contestant Barrett Baber is Humble About His Arkansas Roots

The 9th season premiere of NBC's The Voice aired this past Monday and one singer in particular stood out from the pack, vying to impress the judges in those big red chairs during the blind auditions. That singer turned out to be a high school teacher from Fayetteville, Ark., Barrett Baber. The song he performed was "Angel Eyes," from the Jeff Healey Band. And Barrett performed it so well, he received a four-chair turn from the judges.I've always been a fan of Barrett Baber. And he's long been a household name around the state of Arkansas, playing fairs and festivals and opening for other artists when the time came. As Barrett continued to push his music nationwide great things started happening. In 2014, he was the winner of the Grammy Awards Gig of a Lifetime where he got to perform a concert during Grammy week in L.A.

First time I saw Barrett perform I remember asking myself, "Why hasn't this guy got a major record deal yet?  He has an incredible, soulful voice with a sound that is unique from other artists out there today. So when I saw him on The Voice the other night I was ecstatic. I think Barrett has a legitimate shot at going a long way on this show and I wouldn't be surprised if he wins it. He's that good and I'm so glad he picked Blake Shelton as his coach.

"Blake is just an absolute monster in the business and genre that I'm trying to break into. I believe that he would not only make me better at what I do, but also, after the show, get me into the right rooms with the right people so that I can continue to succeed as an artist and musician," Baber said.

A native of Marion, Ark., Baber now resides in Fayetteville. When he was younger, he lived for a short time in South Africa where his parents were missionaries.

Barrett is not only a great singer but a down to earth, likable guy who I think will gain new fans as the season goes on. He has a very interesting backstory, having survived a plane crash in Little Rock, Ark., in 1999 that claimed 11 lives. Baber was one of the lucky ones having survived the fiery crash that day.

"I made a decision a long time ago that I would never let that one bad day, that one moment in time, define who I was when I was 19 years old and let it ruin my life. After going through grief, post traumatic stress, and some very dark years, I learned to take that tragedy and turn it into something positive." Baber explained. It gave me motivation to succeed and pay homage to honor those people who didn't make it."

Here's the song Barrett Baber performed at his audition.

Check out these other Barrett Baber videos.