Oklahoma Native American singer wows with Bob Dylan cover on 'The Voice' Season 25
AJ Harvey, a Native American singer based in Norman, channeled Bob Dylan to land a spot on Dan + Shay's team on Monday's "The Voice" blind auditions.
With the blind auditions winding down and spots on the four coaches' teams getting scarce on "The Voice" Season 25, Harvey, 25, played acoustic guitar and showed off his rich and smooth baritone with a pretty cover of Dylan's "Girl from the North Country."
He quickly got two coaches to turn their big red chairs: Chance the Rapper pushed his button for Harvey 24 seconds into his blind audition, and country duo Dan + Shay turned their special double chair about five seconds later.
Although Reba McEntire and John Legend opted not to turn their chairs for Harvey's tryout, they joined their fellow coaches in praising the Oklahoma crooner's performance.
Who is 'The Voice' contestant AJ Harvey?
Harvey's "The Voice" introduction spotlighted his multi-tribal background. He hails from the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and the Northern Hidatsa people.
"Being raised to know where I come from still sticks with me today," Harvey said on the show. "I grew up in what we call our circle: We put a drum in the middle. Everything that we've done — from the way we live, the way we eat — it's always in a circle. I always gravitated to that drum. I wanted to be in the band as a young kid."
He said his dad was a bluegrass fiddle player for a long time, too.
"That's what really sparked the interest," Harvey said. "I'm drawn to American Delta Blues music — Elvis Presley and Muddy Waters and B.B. King, Ray Charles, those original guys that were down in Mississippi Delta. They weren't singing off of paper. They were singing what they felt. And that's how it is when we're around that arena — it's what you feel."
Originally from Wichita, Kansas, Harvey said he moved to Norman to be part of the music scene. He landed a regular Thursday night residency gig at the venerable dive bar The Deli with the local band Biscuits and Groovy.
He also apparently landed a part in Martin Scorsese's Oscar-nominated Oklahoma-made movie "Killers of the Flower Moon" as well as a job as a guest services associate at Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum, which posted congratulations to Harvey on his successful blind audition on social media.
What did 'The Voice' coaches say about AJ Harvey's blind audition?
Harvey said on "The Voice" that he chose to audition with Dylan's "Girl from the North Country" because "it's a very meaningful song to me."
"I'm a great admirer of Bob Dylan. This is just a guy and his guitar, singing what's going through his head, what's going through his heart at that time. And that's what I want to do in front of these coaches," he said.
"I know I'm not going up on that stage by myself. I'm thinking about everyone else that's inspired me to be here. This is where I need to be."
The Season 25 coaches — Oklahoma Country Music Hall of Famer Reba McEntire, who is in her second season as a "Voice" coach; EGOT winner John Legend, who's in his ninth season; three-time Grammy winner Chance the Rapper, who is returning for his second season; and three-time Grammy-winning country duo Dan + Shay, who are first-time coaches on "The Voice" — praised Harvey's melodious performance.
Reba said she loved his voice and song selection, adding "there were a few words that I couldn't understand from you. But other than that, it was absolutely wonderful."
Legend also lauded Harvey's voice, especially the expressiveness of his baritone.
"Sometimes it's really hard to sing low, and I thought you did a really good job with it," Legend said. "The only reason I didn't turn is I just continue to completely connect with the song, but that's just a part personal thing."
Dan Smyers of Dan + Shay complimented the richness of Harvey's bass notes as well as his guitar playing.
"I feel like you've got what it takes to do really, really well on this show," Smyers said.
Shay Mooney, Smyers' musical partner, commended Harvey's song selection.
"The whole song, the entire time, you were in it — and I was in it with you. And it was just absolutely phenomenal," Mooney said. "I feel like Dan and I can really figure out what your thing is, what your specific sound is. You're an artist, and I just believe in you a lot, man. I feel like you;ve got so much potential."
Chance the Rapper pointed out that he was the first to turn his chair for Harvey, prompting the country duo to playfully argue that their dual chair is slower to turn.
"I know soul when I see it, and that's what I feel like I related to in the performance. I'm 100% a fan," Chance said.
The rapper added emphasis to his pitch by pushing a button on his chair, causing sirens to sound and the words "Pick Chance" to flash on the screens behind the stage.
"You only have one choice you can make. This is my show, man," Chance said. "If you want a time to be yourself — and come out here and have the show to yourself — gotta get down with Team Chance."
But Harvey picked Team Dan + Shay, adding, "Chance, I love you, too, man. Thank you."
Chance vowed to steal Harvey in the next phase of the competition, the battle rounds, which start airing Monday, March 18.
"I think he'll prosper in the space with Dan + Shay starting off. They'll put him in the right position for me to come scoop him up later," Chance the Rapper said.
Harvey won't be the only Oklahoman competing in the Battle Rounds: Oklahoma City-based vocal trio OK3 achieved a coveted four-chair turn in the Season 25 premiere episode, opting to join Team Legend.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma singer AJ Harvey earns spot on 'The Voice' Team Dan + Shay
