Michael Huntley, aka Huntley, is an American blues rock singer-songwriter. He is the winner of season 24 of the American talent competition The Voice. He competed on the team coached by Niall Horan, giving Horan his second win as a coach on the show.[1]
Life and career
Huntley is originally from Spring Hill, Florida, but moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia. Huntley briefly moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a career in music but moved back to Fredericksburg prior to auditioning for The Voice. He has two children: a daughter, Stella; and a son, Michael Jr.[2]
In 2023, Huntley competed in the 24th season of The Voice. In the blind auditions, he sang "She Talks to Angels" by Black Crowes. The season's four coaches, John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Niall Horan, and Reba McEntire turned their chairs for him. Before choosing his coach, Huntley brought his daughter, Stella, on stage where it was then revealed that she would pick his coach. She chose Team Niall, making Huntley a part of Horan's team.[4]
Huntley went on to win the season on December 19, 2023, giving his coach Niall Horan his second consecutive win, after his contestant in season 23, Gina Miles, won the season in May 2023. Ultimately, Huntley won US$100,000 and a record deal with Republic Records, a label owned by Universal Music Group, which was later revoked by Republic Records when they released Huntley from his record deal in May 2024.[5]
In early August 2024, Huntley announced his new single, "Tell Me When It's Over", which was released on August 21, 2024.
On October 29, 2024, Huntley released "Skyline Drive", his second single since winning The Voice.[citation needed] He performed the song on the season 26 finale of the show on December 10.
Artistry
In an interview with The Free Lance–Star in 2022, Huntley described his genre as "singer-songwriter country, definitely Southern blues rock 'n' roll." Throughout his time on The Voice, Huntley was often compared to the likes of Chris Stapleton, among others.[7]
Discography
Singles
List of singles, showing year released, selected chart positions, and the name of the album