Girl Named Tom made history on The Voice as the winners of Season 21. As well as becoming the first group to win the show, the sibling trio was the first of the show’s artists to have four songs on the iTunes Top 10 list simultaneously. Chris Liechty, the father of Girl Named Tom’s Caleb, Joshua and Bekah Liechty, got to see his children do this before sadly passing away from cancer. In the days since their dad’s death, Girl Named Tom has continued to perform, and they reached out to fans to thank them for their support in this difficult time.
Viewers of the milestone season of The Voice knew about the battle Girl Named Tom’s father was fighting, as the trio revealed on the show that Chris Liechty had been battling cancer since 2017. According to his obituary, he died on January 27 at the age of 56. Girl Named Tom took to Instagram to update fans on how they’re doing.
Posting from the Holland Theatre in Bellefontaine, Ohio, Bekah Liechty thanked everyone for reaching out and showing kindness to the siblings. Caleb Liechty explained that while continuing to play their scheduled shows through the weekend was difficult, they wanted to fulfill their commitment to the fans before allowing themselves to fully process their father’s death. It’s also what they say he would have wanted, as Joshua Liechty recalled their dad telling them not to let his impending death keep them from performing.
Chris Liechty seemed to have had the same attitude when Girl Named Tom was on The Voice. After the Kelly Clarkson team members netted the singer her fourth win in eight seasons, the group posted an emotional statement on Twitter that shared with fans that their dad was in pain following surgery, and the only reason they were able to compete on the show was because their parents wanted them to be there.
Immediately following the results show that declared them the winners, Girl Named Tom returned to Ohio to be with their father. While they noted in the statement that the timing of their dad’s health declining as their fame grew might have seemed inconvenient, they said they were grateful to The Voice for giving their family the opportunity to connect and show their love for one another.
It was during the Knockout Rounds that Girl Named Tom opened up to coach Kelly Clarkson (who has gone through her own personal struggles recently) and Mega Mentor Ed Sheeran about their father’s cancer battle. Caleb Liechty told their coaches at the time how much it meant that he could see them on their journey.
We're definitely following in Dad's footsteps. He wrote songs for each one of us when we were little. The fact that we can be here and call him and share this wonderful news with him every day, I think it gives us all a lot of life, but it's not easy.
Girl Named Tom dedicated that Knockout performance to their father, singing “Wichita Lineman,” by Glen Campbell. Check out the song below, with the trio starting just after the 2-minute mark.
The emotion that Girl Named Tom was carrying throughout their journey on The Voice definitely came through in their music as America fell in love with them, and hopefully the trio can find comfort in the knowledge that their father got to see their ascent. Our hearts go out to the Liechty family at this time.
