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the voice

Pop Culture

Church singer with 'next-level' range covers Adele and wows audiences on 'The Voice'

Atlanta-based Asher HaVon hit rich lows and incredible highs with his rendition of "Set Fire To The Rain."

The Voice/Youtube

Asher HaVon singing "Set Fire To The Rain"

Back in December of 2023, Adele told The Hollywood Reporter that she wasn’t fond of other people covering her songs since they cannot relate to them on the same level.

“I don’t mind it when they do, but I’m just saying they’re never going to be able to emote it,” she said.

But had she heard Asher HaVon’s rendition of her power ballad “Set Fire To Rain,” she might be singing a different tune.

The Alabama-based singer, minus a high-profile gig involving Barack Obama, was more accustomed to performing at church than on a massive stage.

Still, HaVon wowed judges on “The Voice” during his blind audition—beginning with rich, earthy tones that effortlessly soared to goosebump-inducing high notes.

"Asher, what an incredible voice you have," Reba McEntire said afterwards. "Your range, your power, I couldn't wait to turn around and see what you look like."

John Legend, though he didn’t turn his chair for HaVon, seconded McEntire’s opinion, saying “it went in so many different places and your voice has so many different pockets that are very cool."

Take a listen below:

Feeling chills? You’re not alone. Check out what other viewers had to say:

“Right out of the gate Asher sounded amazing and he just got better and better. Crazy vocal, range,and runs.”

“He took that steadying breath and out came this legit sound, deep and sonorous. It was a little surprising. I thought he'd be a high tenor. He showed the low but also got some squall, falsetto, and grit in there. Well done, man!”

“After the Intro I didn't expect such a huge range. Asher nailed it!!! Great Performance.”

“This had me smiling from start to finish. This is probably the best rendition I have heard of this song and his voice is astronomical.”

“Absolutely gorgeous version of the song. Asher totally made that song his own!”

“This man is vocally exceptional. His voice was soulful and powerful. And the song choice further supported his voice.”

It might be true that no one can relate to a song the exact same way the creator of the song does. But we can infuse our own emotions and interpretations into those works, creating something fresh and new. It’s definitely one of the more magical aspects of the human condition.

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Singer born deaf wows judges on 'The Voice’ with a soulful rendition of 'Killing Me Softly’'

They had no idea she was hearing impaired.

via The Voice/YouTube

ALI blows away the judges before revealing she was born deaf.

Season 23 of “The Voice” features blind auditions where the judge's decisions are made solely on the singer’s voice, not their looks or stage presence. The judges cannot see the performers thanks to rotating chairs, and if they decide to choose an artist to join their team, they press a button to see the whole package.

The fact that the judges couldn’t see ALI’s performance of “Killing me Softly with His Song” by Roberta Flack on Monday, March 13, makes it all the more impressive. Because after her outstanding, soulful performance, she revealed she was born deaf.

"What?" judge Kelly Clarkson said, shocked. "I wear two hearing aids. I was born deaf. I'm so blessed to be able to share this,” ALI said.

Blake Shelton couldn’t believe that she had a hearing impairment. "If you had lined up all the singers that we've heard so far and then said, 'Pick one which is hearing-impaired,' you would probably be the last one that I would say,” Shelton said. “That vocal was just incredible. The only reason I didn't hit my button is because that's so far out of my lane musically. Outside of that, wow."

ALI received two chair turns from coaches Kelly Clarkson and Chance the Rapper but ultimately chose Clarkson as her coach.

"I sing for the little girl with the sparkly hearing aids, in Walnut, California, singing along to Kelly Clarkson songs my Uncle Rich burned onto CDs for me," ALI wrote on Instagram. "I sing for the people who have the same kind of story as me, for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. I sing... I sing for You, Lord. I sing because I love it. This is me. This is my story."

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Pop Culture

Chance the Rapper shares how 'kind' Martin Short gave up his seat on a flight to his daughter

He didn’t know who Chance was. He was just being nice.

via Wikimedia Commons

A dapper Martin Short photographed in 2021

“The Voice” judge Chance the Rapper had a touching moment on a flight on Sunday, February 26, when a kind man gave up his seat so he could sit next to his 7-year-old daughter Kensli. The unexpected thing was that the man who gave up his seat was none other than comedy legend and star of “Only Murders in the Building,” Martin Short.

Chance shared his story on Twitter, where it received nearly 300,000 likes.


“So I just got on this plane with my daughter, and found out our seats weren’t next to each other. I really ain’t wanna inconvenience anyone by asking them to swap seats, but before I could say anything this kind older gentleman offered his seat to Kensli so we could sit together,” Chance wrote.

“We both said thank you and as he stands up, I realize it’s THE Martin Short!! So cool and Kensli freaked out cause she’s obsessed with The Santa Clause 3. What an awesome person! SHOUTOUT TO JACK FROST,” Chance continued.

The fact that a 7-year-old is familiar with Martin Short’s work is a tribute to his incredible longevity and how he’s played roles that are memorable for people of every generation.

Chance doesn’t think it was a favor between celebrities because he doesn’t think Short knows who he is.

The “All We Got” rapper also joked that his daughter was really just trying to get her screenplay, a “¡Three Amigos!” sequel, called “The Four Amigos,” in front of Short. Strangely, according to director John Landis, there has never been serious talk of a “¡Three Amigos!” sequel because the first one wasn’t a big hit at the box office.

Writer Alan Zweibel (“Saturday Night Live," “It’s Garry Shandling's Show”) wasn’t surprised at his friend Martin Short’s generosity.

Others thought that Short was just acting like a Canadian.

On a deeper level, some criticized the airline for the situation happening in the first place. These days, airlines are nickel-and-diming people for everything, from checking luggage to early boarding to selecting a seat. Seat selection fees make it more difficult and expensive for families to sit together.

Seat selection on some flights can cost as much as $50.

People are so annoyed with these excessive tacked-on fees that the Biden Administration is urging Congress to pass the "Junk Fee Prevention Act,” which would make it free for families to sit with their young children on airplanes.

"We'll make cable internet and cellphone companies stop charging you up to $200 or more when you decide to switch to another provider," Biden said in the State of the Union Address. "And we'll prohibit airlines from charging up to $50 roundtrip for families just to sit together."

Although airlines run on slim margins, that’ll probably just force them to raise the price of airfare for everyone.

Ultimately, it’s nice to know that Martin Short, whose public persona is so affable, is the same when he thinks that the public isn’t watching.

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