Blake Shelton Claims First Teammate On ‘The Voice,’ Labels Him a ‘Once In a Lifetime Vocalist’

Meet Team Blake’s first member: Ian Flanigan.

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

October 19, 2020

7:56 pm

Blake Shelton, Ian Flanigan

Blake Shelton claimed his first The Voice teammate for season 19 on the show’s premiere, welcoming country singer Ian Flanigan to Team Blake.

Flanigan took the stage for his blind audition, performing Zac Brown Band’s 2010 hit, “Colder Weather.”

The 30-year-old contestant shared that he is currently living in a motorhome traveling the countryside with his wife and daughter.

.@IanFlanigan’s Blind Audition is AMAZING. 👏 #TeamBlake #VoicePremiere https://t.co/taq4FFT1fN

— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) October 20, 2020

Shelton was the one and only coach to turn their chair for Flanigan, however, the other coaches were very complimentary of his performance.

“Your voice sounds like it’s already on a record, like it’s so beautiful,” complimented Gwen Stefani.

“We’re gonna have a blast, dude,” Shelton excitedly told him after comparing his vocals to Joe Cocker.

The country superstar awarded his first teammate with a life-size Blake Shelton cardboard cutout.

“I got my first artists and I’m feeling a lot better about season 19 now,” Shelton said, adding, “Ian is a once in a lifetime vocalist.”

Fans can follow Ian Flanigan HERE.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.