Asher HaVon on The Voice
By

Mary Colurso | [email protected]

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(Tyler Golden/NBC)
Asher HaVon and Reba McEntire on The Voice
Alabama’s Asher HaVon celebrates his win on Season 25 of “The Voice” with coach Reba McEntire.

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Asher HaVon on The Voice
Asher HaVon of Selma is the Season 25 winner of “The Voice.” He’s the first singer from Alabama to win on the NBC reality series in its 13-year history.

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(Tyler Golden/NBC)
Asher HaVon and Reba McEntire on The Voice
Alabama’s Asher HaVon hugs coach Reba McEntire on the Season 25 finale of “The Voice.”

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(Tyler Golden/NBC)
Asher HaVon on The Voice
Asher HaVon of Selma is the Season 25 winner of “The Voice.” He’s the first singer from Alabama to win on the NBC reality series in its 13-year history.

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(Tyler Golden/NBC)
Asher HaVon on The Voice
Alabama’s Asher HaVon is showered with confetti as the Season 25 winner of “The Voice.”

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Asher HaVon on The Voice
Asher HaVon performed “On My Own” with his coach, Reba McEntire, on the Season 25 finale of “The Voice.”

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Asher HaVon and Reba McEntire
Asher HaVon performed “On My Own” with his coach, Reba McEntire, on the Season 25 finale of “The Voice.”

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(Tyler Golden/NBC)
Asher HaVon on The Voice
From left, Alabama’s Asher HaVon, Josh Sanders, Karen Waldrup, Nathan Chester and Bryan Olesen were the top five finalists on Season 25 of “The Voice.” HaVon, from Selma, was declared the winner on the finale episode,

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NBC
Asher HaVon on The Voice
Asher HaVon of Selma is the Season 25 winner of “The Voice.” He’s the first singer from Alabama to win on the NBC reality series in its 13-year history.

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(Griffin Nagel/NBC)
Asher HaVon on The Voice
Alabama’s Asher HaVon competed on the Season 25 finals of “The Voice,” singing Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”

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Asher Havon on The Voice
Alabama’s Asher HaVon, left, poses with coach Reba McEntire, center, and country singer Josh Sanders. HaVon and Sanders are on Team Reba on Season 25 of “The Voice,” and both made the finals.

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Asher HaVon on The Voice
Alabama’s Asher HaVon covered Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” on the Season 25 finals of “The Voice.”

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The Voice Top 5
The top five finalists on Season 25 of “The Voice” are, from left, Nathan Chester, Bryan Olesen, Karen Waldrup, Alabama’s Asher HaVon and Josh Sanders.

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Asher HaVon on “The Voice”
Alabama’s Asher HaVon covered Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable” for his Top 9 performance on “The Voice” during Season 25.

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Asher HaVon on “The Voice”
Alabama’s Asher HaVon, left, covered Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable” for his Top 9 performance on “The Voice” during Season 25. Series host Carson Daly is at right.

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Asher HaVon on “The Voice”
Alabama’s Asher HaVon covered Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable” for his Top 9 performance on “The Voice” during Season 25.

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Asher HaVon on “The Voice”
Alabama’s Asher HaVon covered Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable” for his Top 9 performance on “The Voice” during Season 25.

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Asher Havon on “The Voice”
Alabama’s Asher HaVon, left, made the top nine on Season 25 of “The Voice,” singing “I’ll Make Love to You.” One of his teammates, Josh Sanders, right, also made the cut. L. Rodgers, center, was eliminated. All of them have been coached by Reba McEntire.

Alabama’s Asher HaVon is the new winner of “The Voice,” taking the title on Tuesday during the Season 25 finale.

HaVon, 31, a soul singer from Selma, is the first Alabama contestant to score a win on the NBC reality series during its 13-year history. His coach, Reba McEntire, championed her protege throughout the season, and the two shared a big hug when HaVon was announced as the winner.

“Asher deserves to win,” McEntire said on Monday’s performance episode. “Asher is what this show’s all about, finding talent that is so raw, they don’t even know what they’re doing. I would feel like a proud mama if Asher won ‘The Voice.’”

Mission accomplished as a blizzard of confetti flew and fireworks sparkled on Tuesday, at the end of a two-hour grand finale.

HaVon triumphed over four other contenders: Josh Sanders of Kannapolis, North Carolina (second place); Bryan Olesen of Lincoln, Nebraska (third place); Nathan Chester of Chicago, Illinois (fourth place); and Karen Waldrup of Mandeville, Louisiana (fifth place). HaVon and Sanders were on Team Reba, Waldrup was on Team Dan & Shay and Chester and Olesen were on Team Legend, coached by John Legend.

“Thank you for giving me such a safe place to be my authentic self,” Havon said to McEntire, shortly before his win was announced. “Thank you for making me believe in myself, and I promise I will never let you down.”

Viewer votes determined the winner of “The Voice,” and series host Carson Daly waited until the final moments of the finale to announce the victor.

“I have seen you grow. I have seen you change, not any way in your personality or talent, but in your happiness,” McEntire said to HaVon. “I know you’ve had such a great time here on ‘The Voice,’ and everybody has had a wonderful time with you, especially me. … I love you with all my heart. Peace be with you.”

HaVon was widely regarded as a frontrunner this season, turning in standout performances that ranged from a powerhouse cover of Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain” during the Blind Auditions to a passionate rendition of “I’ll Make Love to You” by Boyz II Men during the Top 9.

Another impressive moment was HaVon’s cover of “Titanium” in the Playoffs, which prompted John Legend to compare HaVon to the late, great Whitney Houston.

“She would take these songs that weren’t written for a soul singer and have that restraint and regal presence on a song, but also throw in a dope run that you would hear in church,” Legend said. “In the church, we reserve a certain descriptive for certain vessels; we say they’re anointed. And I just felt that anointing on you. That was divine.”

All of the “Voice” coaches have tossed praise to HaVon like eloquent word bouquets, lauding his range and talent. Along with McEntire, Legend has been among the most enthusiastic, lauding HaVon as much (or perhaps even more than) the singers on his own team.

“Asher, my dad texted me this week and said, ‘Asher is the Voice,’” Legend said, after HaVon covered Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable.” “Now, I’m a little biased toward my team, but I will say this: No matter what other factors people are voting on, I think you’re the best vocalist in this competition. And you show that with every song, no matter what you sing. You can sing, man, just flat out.”

For Monday’s finals episode, HaVon chose two familiar radio hits: Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” He received kudos from McEntire for both performances, but she seemed especially touched by the soaring ballad that ended the show

“Love you with all my heart,” McEntire said to HaVon. “And for you to get up there and sing like you did, using your God-gifted talent, that God was so sweet to give you, makes me so proud and happy. You are so regal when you’re singing, and you carry it so well. So proud. Way to go.”

As the winner of “The Voice,” HaVon will receive a recording contract, according to an NBC press release, along with the season title, a trophy and bragging rights.

Born and raised in Selma, HaVon also has lived in Houston, Texas, according to a “Voice” publicist. The singer moved to Atlanta in December 2023, according to a post on his Instagram page. His hometown remains close to HaVon’s heart, however, and he paid tribute to Selma during a “Voice” episode that aired on May 13.

“I would not be here without Selma,” HaVon said a video package that included clips of the city in Dallas County. “Selma has given me a foundation that I don’t believe I would have gotten anywhere else. The people that are in Selma understand what it means to come from small beginnings and face the world. She’s a beautiful example on how to handle adversity gracefully and rise above it, and still stand. And as an artist, every time I stand on stage, I just feel like the strength that Selma has taught me always shows up and (will) catapult me forward.”

Tuesday’s grand finale featured a splashy array of guest performers, including Lainey Wilson, The Black Keys, Thomas Rhett, Jelly Roll and more. Coaches McEntire, Legend and Dan & Shay performed duets with the “Voice” finalists on their teams — HaVon and McEntire sang “On My Own” — and previous coaches from the series appeared in pre-recorded clips.

Five singers from Alabama were featured on “The Voice” this season, but the others were eliminated during previous episodes. Along with HaVon, they were Val T Webb of Birmingham, Ducote Talmage of Auburn, Rivers Grayson of Muscle Shoals and Corey Curtis, a Saraland resident.

Although HaVon’s win was a milestone for his home state, more than 30 contestants from Alabama have made their marks on the show over the years, starting with Nakia Reynoso in Season 1 and continuing through Season 25.

Four singers from Alabama have competed in “The Voice” finals during previous seasons, finishing in third or fourth place. D. Smooth, an R&B singer from Birmingham, took third place during Season 23 in 2023. Dexter Roberts, a country singer from Fayette, was the third-place finisher during Season 16 in 2019. Kirk Jay, a soulful country crooner from Bay Minette, took third place on Season 15 in 2018. Red Marlow, a country singer from Rogersville, was the fourth-place finisher on Season 13 in 2017.