He may be one of the youngest contestants to audition for The Voice Australia, but the confidence and talent in this teenager was present throughout his audition on the show’s seventh season. On the fourth day of blind auditions for a spot on the show, 15-year-old Josh Richards gave a rousing rendition of the classic Jackson 5 hit, “I’ll Be There.” He had barely begun to sing the first verse, than a judge had already placed a hand to his chest in admiration, and it was only a few more seconds before George pressed his hand down on the button.
Twenty seconds later, the others three judges showed their unqualified approval, pressing their buttons before turning their chairs to see with their own eyes if this child was real. How can someone who hasn’t even finished high school have this level? Josh is just a high school student, and this may have been his first time performing on The Voice Australia. But he was far from a rookie when he performed in front of large audiences. Last year, the blond, blue-eyed rising star won the 12-14 age category during a competition held in Melbourne, which definitely got noticed.
“Knowing what your dream is is really weird,” he said in a recent promo for The Voice Australia. “I’ve known what I wanted to do since I was 10 years old. I never really wanted to be anything else.” One of the judges, Kelly Rowland, had only good things to say about this rising star when she wrapped up her audition: “Her voice of hers is so level, you know what I mean? I have been impressed. And her personality has been impressive. Her voice is as big as her personality.”