A 14-year-old youngster wowed The Voice judges with a powerful rendition of For King and Country's Christian song God Only Knows on Monday and is moving to the next round. Jaukeem Fortson testified how the song had helped him give him peace in school and had proven "God can meet you where you're at." As he sang the well-known CCM tune, coaches stood to their feet, with Michael Bublé and Snoop Dogg each lifting their hands as if in worship. Fortson originally was on Reba McEntire's team. On Monday, Bublé stole him to be on his team.
"I stole Jaukeem because when I was a kid, people saw the potential in me and loved me enough to give me that shot," Bublé said. "And I love that I could do that with Jaukeem."
Snoop Dogg, too, was impressed, saying he felt as if he had gone to church on the NBC show.
"We need to see more black kids like this," Snoop said. "In the beginning, when I first came out, I was a representation of the wrong side of what we look like. I want to commend your parents, your grandparents, and everybody for raising you the right way. This is what a young black kid looks like."
During pre-show warmups, Fortson said the song had given him a new outlook on life.
"God really knows. And I know, if you just let Him step into your life, He can do the miraculous," Fortson said. "This song talks about how if you're in a hard time or if you're struggling with something, that God can meet you where you're at. This year, I went into ninth grade. In some classes, work can get a little bit overwhelming. And I felt like after I heard the song, I could just do my work more and just feel more calm."
McEntire cried as Fortson sang the song during warmups.
"When you see him in that beautiful smile of his and then he steps up to the microphone and blows your socks off--my gosh, who doesn't love this kid," she said.
Jennifer Hudson, who advised Team Reba, also was impressed.
"Jaukeem is singing from experience," Hudson said. "If he makes the audience feel what he's feeling, the way he made us feel it, he is well on his way. You got an instrument on you, young man."
Fortson caught the attention of For King and Country, which wrote on Instagram, "My, what a powerhouse. At only 14?!! Consider us fans, @jaukeem_fortson. Cheering you on during this season of @nbcthevoice!"
Photo Credit: ©YouTube/The Voice
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
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