Bryce Leatherwood
Bryce Leatherwood | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 4, 2000 Woodstock, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2022–present |
| Labels | Universal Music Group |
| Website | bryce-leatherwood |
Bryce Leatherwood (born February 4, 2000)[1] is an American country singer. He is the winner of season 22 of the American talent competition The Voice at the age of 22, He has the distinction of being the first winner of the show to be a Wildcard artist during the live playoffs. He competed on the team coached by Blake Shelton, earning Shelton his ninth and final win as a coach on the show.
Early life
[edit]Leatherwood was born and raised in Woodstock, Georgia. Leatherwood cited traditional country artists such as George Jones, Merle Haggard, and Conway Twitty as his inspirations when it came to deciding to learn the guitar and pursue music.[2] Leatherwood also stated that he would work on his grandfather's farm during his childhood summers and that his grandfather introduced him to the traditional country artists who inspired Leatherwood's career path.[3][4]
Leatherwood attended Hickory Flat Elementary School in Canton, Georgia, Dean Rusk Middle School in Cherokee County, Georgia, and Sequoyah High School. Leatherwood was the captain of his wrestling team in high school and participated in several regional tournaments.[5][6]
Career
[edit]2022: The Voice
[edit]| Performances on The Voice season 22 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Theme | Song | Original Artist | Order | Original Air Date | Result |
| Blind Auditions | — | "Goodbye Time" | Conway Twitty | 2.2 | Sept. 20, 2022 | John Legend, Gwen Stefani, and Blake Shelton turned
Joined Team Blake |
| Battles (Top 56) | "Red Dirt Road" (vs. The Dryes) | Brooks & Dunn | 12.6 | Oct. 25, 2022 | Saved by Blake | |
| Knockouts | "Colder Weather" (vs. Jay Allen & Kate Kalvach) | Zac Brown Band | 14.3 | Nov. 1, 2022 | ||
| Live Playoffs (Top 16) | "I'm Gonna Be Somebody" | Travis Tritt | 16.13 | Nov. 14, 2022 | Wildcard | |
| Wild Card Instant Save | "Let Me Down Easy" | Billy Currington | 17.1 | Nov. 15, 2022 | Wildcard winner | |
| Live Top 13 | "Songs that Changed My Life" | "Amarillo by Morning" | Terry Stafford | 18.2 | Nov. 21, 2022 | Saved by public's vote |
| Live Top 10 | "Fan Week" | "Sand in My Boots" | Morgan Wallen | 20.6 | Nov. 28, 2022 | |
| Live Top 8 | — | "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away" | Justin Moore | 22.10 | Dec. 5, 2022 | |
| "Whitney Houston duet with another artist" | "Saving All My Love for You" (with Morgan Myles) | Whitney Houston | 22.2 | |||
| Live Finale (Final 5) |
"Artistry song" | "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" | Travis Tritt | 24.8 | Dec. 12, 2022 | Winner |
| "Dedication song" | "Don't Close Your Eyes" | Keith Whitley | 24.5 | |||
| "Duet with coach" | "Hillbilly Bone" (with Blake Shelton) | Blake Shelton | 25.11 | Dec. 13, 2022 | ||
In 2022, Leatherwood entered the 22nd season of The Voice, auditioning with "Goodbye Time" by Conway Twitty, based on Blake Shelton's 2004 cover of the song. Three of the four coaches, John Legend, Gwen Stefani, and Shelton, turned their chairs for him, with Leatherwood choosing to become a member of Team Blake.[7] Throughout his run on the season, Leatherwood was characterized as a "country today, country tomorrow" artist.[8]
Leatherwood advance to the finale, where he was named as the winner of the season on December 13, 2022, earning a $100,000 prize and a record deal with Universal Music Group.[9] His victory marked Shelton's ninth and final win as a coach on The Voice, as well as the first instance in which the winner of the Wildcard instant save would go on to win the season. His win prompted mixed reactions online.[10][11]
2023–present: After The Voice
[edit]Since winning The Voice, Leatherwood has played at his coach Blake Shelton's bar chain, Ole Red, on multiple occasions. He has traveled to Tishomingo, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to play at many of Ole Red's locations.[12] Leatherwood also moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue music full time.[13]
On May 23, 2023, Leatherwood performed "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" on the season 23 finale with other former Team Blake artists to commemorate Blake Shelton's last episode on the show. On December 18, 2023, Leatherwood returned to The Voice during the season 24 finale episode to perform his first major label single, "The Finger". By mid-December 2023, "The Finger" had been streamed over 500,000 times and peaked at #12 on the iTunes country music chart.[14][15] In a December 2023 interview, Leatherwood stated that he had written 78 songs in preparation for an upcoming debut studio album he planned to release in September 2024, in addition to going on tour with multiple country music artists, including Dwight Yoakam.[15]
In February 2024, Leatherwood released a second single, "Neon Does," which he co-wrote alongside songwriters Alex Maxwell and Matt McKinney.[16] In April 2024, Leatherwood embarked on the Neon Does Tour throughout several southern and midwestern states to promote his singles.[4]
In April 2024, Leatherwood released his third single, "The One My Daddy Found," as a tribute to his mother and his parents' 25-year marriage. The music video for "The One My Daddy Found" released in May 2024, in honor of Mother's Day.[17]
On September 6, 2024, Leatherwood released his debut country radio single, "Hung Up on You". The song's credited writers, Brandon Lay, Jeff Middleton, and Neil Medley, worked on composing the song for a decade prior to introducing it to Leatherwood's management team in January 2023.[18][19] By September 23, 45 different country radio stations had added the song to their playlists, and it was declared the "most added" song on country radio at the time of its release. On September 14, Leatherwood delivered his debut performance at the Grand Ole Opry, where he played "Hung Up on You" as well as "Shenandoah", a previously unreleased song; Leatherwood later called his Grand Ole Opry performance "the best night of [his] life".[18][20]
In October 2024, Leatherwood stated in an interview that he was still working on his debut album.[18]
Personal life
[edit]Leatherwood attended Georgia Southern University, studying for a degree in business. In late 2021, while at Georgia Southern, he started a band.[2][4] Leatherwood resided in Statesboro, Georgia, prior to his move to Nashville.[21][22]
In May 2024, Leatherwood revealed that he was in a relationship, although he preferred to keep his girlfriend's identity private.[17]
Discography
[edit]Singles
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | |||
| "The Finger" | 2023 | — | — |
| "Hung Up on You"[23] | 2024 | — | TBD |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory | |||
References
[edit]- ^ "Bryce Leatherwood's instagram". instagram.com. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ a b "City of Woodstock Announces Bryce Leatherwood Concert". Woodstock, Georgia. March 20, 2023. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ "Bryce Leatherwood". Hops & Spirits. May 1, 2024. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Bryce Leatherwood's "The One My Daddy Found" Pays Tribute to His Parents' 25-Year Love Story". UMG Nashville. April 5, 2024. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ "Cherokee County native, 'The Voice' winner honored with Bryce Leatherwood Day". 11Alive.com. January 25, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ Ballew, Shannon (November 2024). "Livin' the Dream: Bryce Leatherwood — Cherokee County's rising country music star". The Cherokee Ledger Monthly. pages 8-10: Times-Journal Inc.
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ Roden, Ally (September 21, 2022). "Blake Shelton "Blown Away" By Bryce Leatherwood's Show-Stopping Cover Of Classic Country Hit On 'The Voice'". Music Mayhem Magazine. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ Benutty, John (December 11, 2022). "'The Voice' season 22 finale spotlight: Bryce Leatherwood is a classic country artist in the Blake Shelton wheelhouse". GoldDerby. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ "The Voice Crowns a New Champion! Bryce Leatherwood Wins Season 22". Peoplemag. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ Sanzo, Taylor (December 14, 2022). "'The Voice': Bryce Leatherwood has won, but the internet has mixed feelings". masslive. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ "Bryce Leatherwood Won 'The Voice' 2022 in Shocking Finale and Bodie Fans Are Devastated". Good Housekeeping. December 14, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ Cushman, Paige (April 4, 2023). "Voice Artists Who Have Taken the Ole Red Stage". Ole Red. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
- ^ O'Connell, Madeleine (February 2, 2023). "'The Voice' Winner Bryce Leatherwood Sets His Sights On Nashville and The Grand Ole Opry". Country Now. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ Staff reports (December 18, 2023). "Cherokee County's Bryce Leatherwood Performing New Single on 'The Voice'". Cherokee Tribune Ledger News. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
- ^ a b O'Connell, Madeleine (December 20, 2023). "Bryce Leatherwood Talks 'Full-Circle' Return to The Voice, Finding a Fan in Reba, And Teases New Music". Country Now. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ O'Connell, Madeleine (February 6, 2024). "Bryce Leatherwood Reaches Career Milestone With New Song, 'Neon Does,' Announces Upcoming Tour". Country Now. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ a b Despres, Tricia (May 10, 2024). "Bryce Leatherwood Pays Homage to His Parents' Love Story in Touching Video for 'The One My Daddy Found' (Exclusive)". People. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c O'Connell, Madeleine (October 17, 2024). "Bryce Leatherwood Reflects on Dream-Come-True Moments as 'Hung Up on You' Climbs the Charts [Exclusive]". Country Now. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Roland, Tom (October 1, 2024). "Bryce Leatherwood on How He 'Hung' His Country Hat on a Debut Single With Funk and Fuzz". Yahoo Entertainment. Billboard. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ "Bryce Leatherwood's Country Radio Debut "Hung Up on You" Arrivs as Most-Added Single". UMG Nashville. September 23, 2024. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Thompson, Avery (December 14, 2022). "Bryce Leatherwood: 5 Things To Know About The Country Crooner Who Won 'The Voice' Season 22". Hollywood Life. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ ""Voice" Winner Bryce Leatherwood, "Georgia Is My Home And Always Will Be" | iHeartCountry Radio". Otis. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
- ^ "Country Aircheck Weekly September 9, 2024, Issue 926" (PDF). Country Aircheck. September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.