Reba McEntire has recruited 12 singers (so far) on ‘The Voice’ — including the youngest competitor this season

A few months after her first victory on “The Voice” as a coach, country legend Reba McEntire is back in her red swivel chair looking for a second win.
So far, the “Fancy” singer has recruited nine contestants for her team.
Here’s a look at McEntire’s team for Season 26.
Note: This story will be updated throughout the season.
Lauren-Michael Sellers
Lauren-Michael Sellers had Gwen Stefani in tears with her rendition of Hillsong United’s worship song “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail).”
“That was so crazy,” Stefani said with emotion, sharing her own strong connection to the song, which she discovered while on a run and said she listened to nonstop. “It was like the most spiritual backyard run of my life, and hearing you sing it, it just felt very real and honest.”
“While you were singing I was seeing Gwen light up. I could see light as if God was coming in the building, and I didn’t want to be left out when he came,” Snoop Dogg added, noting how he was the last coach to turn around for the 35-year-old singer from Birmingham, Alabama.
The “Voice” coaches — who all turned around for Sellers — seemed to think she would choose Stefani to be her coach, but to their surprise, the singer, who said she does lean toward the country music genre, went with McEntire. ”
“When people are singing, if you can feel it, oh my gosh that’s the greatest gift,” McEntire said, later comparing Sellers to Wynonna Judd. “Thank you for sharing your great gift with us.”
Tsola
Tsola’s audition for “The Voice” was cut short, but the show aired a few seconds that showed McEntire turning around for the singer during her rendition of Victoria Monet’s “On My Mama.”
“Something in your voice made me feel good,” McEntire said. “That touched my heart.”
Deon Jones
Deon Jones is another one-chair turn who ended up on McEntire’s team by default, though “The Voice” producers chose to only air a few seconds of his audition.
“She knows what she’s doing so congratulations,” Stefani told Jones following his performance of Donny Hathaway’s “Little Ghetto Boy.”
Tanner Frick
Although it took a while to get a reaction, Tanner Frick had all four “Voice” coaches fighting over him by the time he finished singing Morgan Wallen’s “Thought You Should Know.”
The country singer from Mississippi told the coaches he typically plays in small town restaurants and bars. And when he named McEntire as one of his musical influences — along with Hank Williams Jr. and Waylon Jennings — it was clear he was going to join McEntire’s team.
But the other coaches still put up a fight. Buble mentioned his friendship with country star Blake Shelton, noting that he was a songwriter on Shelton’s No. 1 hit “Home.” Stefani, who said she was “desperate” to get Frick on her team, reminded him that she is married to Shelton.
But McEntire, who praised Frick’s “Chris Stapleton” growl and said she loved the “dimension” to his voice, easily won the fight and secured Frick for her team.
Jaukeem Fortson
At 13, Jaukeem Fortson is the youngest competitor this season — but that didn’t put him at any sort of disadvantage as he took the stage to audition with Adele’s “Easy on Me.”
Buble turned instantly, and by the end of the song, Jaukeem had three coaches interested in recruiting him for their team. He told the coaches that he got his start singing in church at the age of 2.
“I couldn’t turn fast enough,” Buble said. “You have a beautiful voice. … Having you here, this is really our gift.”
Stefani, who won “The Voice” in 2020 with 15-year-old singer Carter Rubin, expressed regret that she didn’t turn around for the teenager from Georgia but that she was rooting for him. McEntire told Jaukeem that he had come to the right place, surrounded by “Voice” coaches who would help guide him and prepare him for the music industry.
In the end, Jaukeem opted to join McEntire’s team — and even sang a lyric from her hit song “Survivor.”
Tate Renner
Tate Renner got an instant chair turn from Buble with his rendition of The Band of Heathens’ “Hurricane.” His raspy, growly voice ultimately caught the attention of three coaches — but the greatest compliment came from Buble.
“I’m jealous of your voice, I really am,” the “Voice” coach said. “I want you to become a massive star.”
But despite that high praise, Renner, a 24-year-old singer based in Nashville, opted to join McEntire’s team.
Creigh Riepe
It took some time for Creigh Riepe to get a response, but when he hit the chorus of Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” McEntire and Stefani turned their chairs around in an attempt to snag the singer for their team. And all of the coaches praised Riepe for his authenticity as an artist.
“This voice, it feels so genuine to me,” Buble said.
McEntire said she enjoyed listening to the performance, and praised Riepe’s “feeling and emotion and range.”
In the end, McEntire beat out Stefani to get Riepe on her team, and it marked somewhat of a full-circle moment for the “Voice” contestant: McEntire was his first concert.
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The singing trio 323 easily won over McEntire, who grew up performing with her siblings in a trio called the Singing McEntires. The group’s three-part harmonies to Britney Spears’ “(You Drive Me) Crazy” impressed both McEntire and Buble, but without much hesitation, the singers from Tallahassee, Florida, opted to join McEntire’s team.
Adam Bohanan
Adam Bohanan ended up on McEntire’s team by default, as the country music star was the only one to turn her chair following his performance of Marc Broussard’s “Home.” The 40-year-old singer from Minneapolis, Minnesota, said he enjoys Motown-style music and described his sound as “dirty soul.” McEntire was visibly excited to get him on her team.
“If she sees and hears something in you, I feel like she’s best for you, she’s going to take you where you need to go,” Snoop Dogg told Bohanan.
Kevin James Graham
Much like “Voice” contestant John Holiday from Season 19, producers chose to keep Kevin James Graham’s face hidden even from viewers at home for much of his blind audition. That’s because he has a really high voice.
“I kept yelling at Gwen ‘Is that a minor?’ Either that is a female or a young dude,” Buble said. “You tripped me right up.”
Graham, a 33-year-old rocker from Boston who has sung the national anthem at Fenway Park, ended up on McEntire’s team by default as the “Fancy” singer was the only coach to turn her chair following his performance of Faces’ “Stay With Me.”
“I swear I thought you were a female. With your high voice, I thought ‘Well, I do need another girl singer.’ I turn around, and there you stand,” McEntire said with a laugh. “That was great.”
Danny Joseph
Danny Joseph had all four coaches fighting over him with his rendition of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put A Spell On You.” Michael Buble used his one and only block to prevent Snoop Dogg from snagging Joseph for his team, and Gwen Stefani called the 37-year-old singer “one of the strongest, most secure singers” she’s heard so far on the season.
But in the end, the singer from London who now lives in Dallas opted to go with McEntire. The country star was quick to remind Joseph that she is the defending champion on the show.
“You’ve got an amazing range, and a very powerful voice,” McEntire said. “I’m very competitive and I work real hard and I’ll help you any way I can.”
Kendall Eugene
No one turned for Kendall Eugene. But following the 37-year-old singer’s performance of Morgan Wallen’s “Don’t Think Jesus,” some of the coaches seemed to regret not giving him a chance.
While Stefani noted that there were some intonation issues with the performance, she encouraged Eugene to come back another season. Buble then questioned if he would’ve turned around for Eugene if he had chosen a different song.
But it was McEntire who seemed to have the most regret. After some deliberation, she opted to take advantage of one of the newest features on “The Voice” — the Coach Replay button that allows a coach to hit their button even after the performance is over.
Eugene was visibly emotional has he realized his time on “The Voice” wasn’t over after all.
“After the song was over, I felt kind of numb,” McEntire said after she hit the button. “And I knew in my heart I wanted him on my team. … It’s a second chance for the coaches when we realize we missed this moment.”