_{By Andy McFerren}

I am going to be honest with our readers: I had never seen a single episode of The Voice. But that was before Lennon VanderDoes appeared on the show. Lennon VanderDoes is singer-songwriter from Phoenix, Arizona, and he is also a beloved part of the Utah music community, regularly performing throughout the state.

In the last year, VanderDoes has quit his job to pursue music full time, and it’s certainly paid off: it’s led him to wowing the coaches, as well as all of America, on the latest season of The Voice. 

During the blind auditions, Lennon impressed every single judge with his rendition of “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron, delivering the first line so serenely that it prompted coaches Niall Horan and Gwen Stefani to immediately smash those red buttons, followed by John Legend shortly thereafter. Coach Reba McEntire was the single hold out (because she already had a full team) but had plenty of nice things to say. 

Niall Horan was incredibly complimentary of Lennon’s unique tone, saying he would “give anything” to have Lennon on his team. For VanderDoes, he didn’t need much more persuading. “As soon as Niall turned around, I knew it had to be him,” said the 27 year-old singer-songwriter. However, he added that John Legend’s dancing and commentary during the audition made him wonder, “How am I going to say no to this man?” Ultimately, it was Horan’s interest in Lennon as a songwriter and storyteller, plus being the closest coach to his genre that led him to choose Team Niall.

He continued onto the first day of battles where he performed “She’s Always a Woman” against fellow contestant Tanner Massey. Lennon’s tone once again proved to be a strength as it seemed to be the deciding factor to get the win, edging out Massey in the battle. VanderDoes will now move on to the three-way knockout stage. 

When asked how he’s been handling the experience, VanderDoes is full of gratitude. “This is a crazy ride,” said the singer. “It’s the most stressed I’ve ever been in my life by far, but the most rewarding experience ever…. the high you get after a performance and being reviewed by your music heroes is unmatched.”

If you want to keep tabs on Lennon on this journey, make sure to follow him on social media @lennonvmusic and tune into The Voice every Tuesday on NBC. The Voice is also streaming on Peacock.