Tutwiler native Mike Steele reached the end of his journey on the NBC series The Voice, his elimination during the Knockouts round of the musical competition having been broadcast on the show on March 30.
In a post on his Facebook page the next morning, Steele wrote, “My journey on @nbcthevoice may have come to an end, but trust me ... this is only the beginning. I’m beyond grateful for every bit of love and support y’all have shown me throughout this experience, it truly means more than words can express. Thank you to The Voice for giving me the opportunity to share my gift with the world ... something I’ve dreamed about for so long. Most importantly, I give all glory to God for making this moment possible. I’m ready to see what you have in store for me next. This isn’t the end of my story ... it’s just the start.”
Steele, 28, a 2015 graduate of West Tallahatchie High School now living in Clarksdale, was one of 30 artists selected for The Voice.
He received a three-chair turn from coaches Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Adam Levine, ultimately selecting Legend to be his coach.
During the Battles round of competition, Legend picked a fellow team member over Steele, which would have sent Steele packing had it not been for the fact that Levine stole Steele for his team.
In the Knockouts, Steele sang Tyrese's "How You Gonna Act Like That," while fellow Levine team member Jeremy Keith performed Marvin Gaye's "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing."
Following the duel, and obviously struggling to make a decision, Levine asked Legend and Clarkson for some input, whispering, "Help me, help me."
"That was very close," opined Legend.
"Oh my gosh, how are you gonna choose?" asked Clarkson. Telling Keith and Steele, "You’re both so phenomenal," Clarkson then told Levine, "This is horrible ... you're screwed."
"I thought they were great and they should both stay ... It's really tough," Levine told show host Carson Daly. "I don’t know. This sucks because I really do love you both and I really think you both should be on the show, and you both should be on my team and I don’t like this."
In the end, Levine named Keith the winner, sending him to the Top 9.
In The Voice season finale, which aired on April 13, another Team Levine contestant, Alexia Jayy, 31, was voted overall champion of Season 29.
