WATCH: 17-Year-Old Rocks Out with Keith Urban During ‘Dream Come True’ Moment On ‘The Voice Australia’
Freddie Bailey quickly caught Keith Urban’s attention on The Voice Australia when he auditioned for the show with Urban’s latest…
Freddie Bailey quickly caught Keith Urban’s attention on The Voice Australia when he auditioned for the show with Urban’s latest hit single, “Wild Hearts.”
The country superstar appeared to be overwhelmed with joy when he realized Bailey was auditioning for the show with one of his songs. While seated in The Voice’s signature red chair, a smile flashed across Urban’s face as Bailey began singing the first verse.
While shredding on the electric guitar, the 17-year-old belted out the lyrics to Urban’s “Wild Hearts,” a song that pays tribute to those chasing their musical dreams.
His blind audition earned a two-chair turn, with Urban and Jessica Mauboy smashing their buttons with hopes to have Bailey join their respective teams.
While coaches Rita Ora and Guy Sebastian complimented Bailey’s audition, they admitted they didn’t turn their chairs because they felt like they didn’t have a chance.
Mauboy did her best to convince the contestant to join her team.
“Oh my God, honestly, I just – I mean, I love country music, first of all. It’s kind of where I started in music, to be honest,” she told him. “In fact, you saying you’re from Tamworth – I won a country music festival in Tamworth when I was fourteen so I feel like we have a connection already. I have nobody like you on my team and I love you and, you know, I just don’t want you to do the predictable choice thing with Keith – I mean, so much respect to you, Keith, but like I would adore you on team Jess. I would love to have you.”
Urban was flattered over Bailey’s song choice and immediately wanted to know more about the musician.
“Hey, Freddie. First of all, lousy sound choice,” he joked. “I don’t know what you were thinking – no, I thank you so much for singing that song. What else do you do? Do you write songs?”
Bailey revealed that he is a songwriter.
“How long have you been playing?” Urban asked before complimenting, “Because you play great.”
“Thanks, man. Well, yeah, I have been playing guitar since I was nine years old,” Bailey shared with gratitude.
What happened next was something Freddie Bailey will never forget.
“Amazing. So, I particularly love you playing, and I wondered if I could play with you as well? Is that alright?” 19-time GRAMMY nominee said, before joining Bailey on stage for a show-stopping performance of “Wild Hearts.”
The memorable moment was a “dream come true” for Bailey, who held his own rocking along with Urban on guitar.
After sharing the stage together, Urban met Bailey’s family and told the young singer, “fun to get to play with you,” before gifting him one of his guitar picks.
“This is my [guitar] pick for you, hang on to that, and we’ll get to play a little bit more together. So nice to meet you Freddie,” Urban said.
Ultimately, Bailey chose Keith Urban as his coach.
Bailey later took to social media to share his excitement of sharing the stage with Urban.
“I cannot stop thinking about this moment! If I was told a year ago this would happen, I wouldn’t have ever believed it. But oh man it happened 😍🔥🤘🏼,” Bailey wrote. “Also, thank you so much to everyone who has been supporting me so far! You guys rock 🤘🏼”
This isn’t the first time that Urban was honored on the show. Earlier this month, contestant Kaylee Bell paid tribute to Urban with an original song called “Keith.”
Bell name-dropped at least 13 of Urban’s biggest hits within the tune’s lyrics, including “We Were,” “Somewhere In Your Car,” “Long Hot Summer,” “Days Go By,” “Raise Em Up,” “Wasted Time,” “Little Bit Of Everything,” “Making Memories Of Us,” “Look Good In Your Shirt,” “We Were Us,” “Better Half,” “You’ll Think Of Me,” “Once In A Lifetime,” and “Somebody Like You.”
The Voice Australia airs Monday to Wednesday 7.30pm on Channel 7 and 7plus.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
