Powerhouse rock singer Huntley won over America on Season 24 of The Voice with his soulful takes on hits like “She Talks to Angels” by the Black Crowes, Creed’s “Higher,” and “Exile,” the Taylor Swift tune he sang as a trio. After his appearance on national TV, he continues to win the favor of his fans, despite shocking them with his decision to cancel an upcoming concert in his hometown. Huntley was scheduled to play a show in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on March 1 but chose to walk away for a pretty honorable reason.
Huntley said he’d rather play for free than charge his supporters $160 per ticket, and it turns out that’s exactly what he’ll do. The Voice’s Season 24 champion took to Instagram to explain the change in plans, saying the past few weeks had weighed “heavy on my heart and mind.” He told his fans:
I’m doing a free pop-up show at Billikens Smokehouse this Friday. I’m going to pay the band out of my own money. We’re gonna put a rocking show on for 90 minutes. … I want to put on a good time. So just come and let’s have a good time. Can’t wait to see y’all.
Huntley is literally putting his money where his mouth is, opting for a free pop-up concert in his hometown, rather than making people shell out $160 to see him play at Virginia Credit Union Stadium. That’s a pretty impactful way to say thank you to his Fredericksburg fans, many of whom likely helped him to take this step in his career by voting for him on The Voice.
The singer could have earned a nice payday by following through with the concert — many fans confirmed in the comments that they’d been willing to pay the venue’s asking price — but he said there were a few things about the gig that didn’t sit right with him. Even though that ticket money has been refunded and Huntley will now be paying his band out of pocket, I can only assume the free show will be a more fulfilling experience for the singer. You can see his full message to fans below:
Huntley has had an exciting few months since winning The Voice, including getting to sing the national anthem at a couple of NFL games and perform in a halftime show. The artist also planned to use some of his earnings to “take a little chill time” and possibly travel to Hawaii.
The rocker turned all four chairs in his Blind Audition, with his daughter Stella choosing Niall Horan as his coach. Huntley never divulged whether or not he would have picked the boy-bander on his own accord, but Stella’s decision worked out well for everyone involved, as her dad went on to dominate the season, and Horan remained undefeated as a coach.
Huntley was a joy to watch on The Voice, always grateful for the opportunity, open to feedback and he just overall seemed to be having a blast. It’s nice to see through the actions with his hometown fans that he’s just as cool in the real world.
Huntley’s time on The Voice may be over, but a new season is underway. The Voice Season 25 airs at 8 p.m. ET Mondays and 9 p.m. ET Tuesdays on NBC and is available to stream the next day with a Peacock subscription. Be sure to check out our 2024 TV schedule for a full list of the upcoming premieres.
