Teen Bullied For Stutter Impresses Talent Show Judges With Incredible Josh Groban Cover

Nov 29, 2021

The series "The Voice" is full of incredible performances by budding singers but the blind audition of a then-19-year-old boy on the Australian version of the show in 2013 is one that is still remembered.

Harrison Craig, who hails from Melbourne, Australia, proved that even though you may experience difficult hardships in life, you can always turn your life around. He appeared on the second series of Australia's version of "The Voice" and his audition performance was one that no one expected.

For his audition, Craig chose to perform the song "Broken Vow," which was popularized by Josh Groban. And when he opened his mouth to sing, a deep and controlled voice seemingly years older bellowed out.

His performance was emotional and technically skilled, so it's unsurprising that all four judges — Seal, Benji Madden, Delta Goodrem and Ricky Martin — turned around for him. The then-teen chose Seal as his coach in the end, which made sense since he was also the first one to turn around for him. 

But Craig's story goes beyond his breathtaking performance that day. After the nervous teen performed his song, he shared his story with the audience and judges. Since he was a child he had a stutter when he talked. Then when he was only 6 years old, his father abandoned him and his family, which only made the vocal stutter he was born with worse. 

When Craig began to sing, his stutter would go away, so with the support of his mother, he began to focus on music and it turned into his passion.

After his mom realized that when he sang his stutter went away, she enrolled him in a boy's choir. But after some time, Craig realized he wished to sing solo and he certainly had the voice for it.

Though his vocal talent is clearly undeniable, he wasn't always as confident and self-assured. He had dealt with insecurity when he was younger due to his stutter. Despite all this, Craig was able to use singing to get through the toughest moments of his life.

With his emotive rendition of the popular Josh Groban song "Broken Vow," Craig became an instant hit on the show and around the world. The video of his performance has since been viewed over 51 million times! What's more, the heartthrob bears a striking resemblance to actor Zac Efron but once he opened his mouth, he sounded more like another famous singer, Elvis Presley!

Once his blind audition became a viral video, Craig became a household name. His performance in the finals on the show certainly helped to solidify him as a rising star. From his first day on "The Voice" Craig's beautiful singing earned him acclaim from the audience, judges and fans all over the world. He went on to win his season of the show and has continued to sing professionally. He's also released three albums to date.

In addition to his incredible musical talent, Craig's story serves as a testament to hard work and determination. Despite anyone's situation, if you're willing to believe in yourself and keep going, you can do anything.

What do you think about Harrison Craig's blind audition for "The Voice Australia"? Did his personal story inspire you at all? If you enjoyed this performance, pass it on so others can hear it too!