Billy Gilman Auditions for ‘The Voice’
Former child star Billy Gilman has auditioned for the upcoming season of The Voice.
The singer was launched into instant stardom with the release of his debut single, "One Voice," in 2000, making the 11-year-old the youngest country singer ever to score a Top 40 hit. But subsequent singles faltered, and despite two Grammy nominations, the peak of his career proved short-lived.
Gilman continued to pursue his singing career after his voice changed, but has seen little radio airplay in more recent years. But he still has a very loyal and passionate fanbase, and on Monday (Aug. 22), he turned to social media to let his fans know that he had taken the plunge and auditioned for the popular reality singing competition.
Of course, we won't know if Gilman made it into the competition until his audition airs, but an enthusiastic post to Twitter appeared to indicate that he did well.
"It's official and I can FINALLY LET IT OUT! Love you all and follow this awesome JOURNEY @NBCTheVoice" Gilman wrote on Monday (Aug. 22).
Gilman made headlines in 2014 when he came out as gay in an emotional video after years of speculation in the industry. He said he felt that rumors about his sexuality had hampered his career as an adult. But he expressed his hope that the country music industry would embrace him as it had in the past.
“I’ve gotten letters from … I won’t say who, from people in the industry saying this will only lead you to better places, whether it be in this market or somewhere else,” Gilman told Taste of Country. “Which I hope it will be in country, because literally I think I came out yodeling or something — it’s just bred into me. Hopefully this will be a genre where I can say I’m home, because I certainly feel at home. Of course, artists came out and supported me. So far it has been okay. It has not been something where I went, ‘Oh, I just put the last nail in my coffin.'"
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