Sheryl Crow Turned Down ‘The Voice’—Now She’s Back As the Real MVP
Since the inception of The Voice in the United States, the show has sought to court some of the biggest names in the music industry to serve as coaches. Some big names like Reba McEntire turned down the project in year one, opening the door for the original icons Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, CeeLo Green, and Christina Aguilera. But there was another iconic singer-songwriter who was asked to be part of the first season and turned it down: Sheryl Crow.
Timing is everything, and at the time, in 2011, the timing wasn’t right. Citing a family circumstance, Sheryl Crow had to turn down an opportunity of a lifetime. She recently revealed, “I had a newborn and did not want to move back to L.A. Actually, that’s not true. He [son Levi] was about 2 years old, and I didn’t want to move back to L.A., and so I didn’t do it. And I have not really entertained it since then because we have a busy life here and normalcy is really lovely.” But while coaching a full season may not be in the cards for the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, she’s more than willing to swing on by and mentor the next generation of artists.
Sheryl Crow Brings Her A Game to ‘The Voice’
For Season 27, Sheryl Crow has returned to The Voice to serve as one of two Mega Mentors for the Playoffs. In this round, each coach has five singers left on their roster that they will, with great difficulty, whittle down to two. Assisting Kelsea Ballerini and Michael Bublé, while LeAnn Rimes works with Adam Levine and John Legend, Sheryl Crow’s presence will not only fulfill her passion to foster young singers’ careers, but will serve as a great surprise for every singer who steps foot in that rehearsal studio. “There’s no greater honor for me than to get to work with younger artists. I’ve been really fortunate to have the career I’ve had, so it’s fun to be in the room,” she shared prior to her mentoring session commencing.
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Kicking off the evening, Iris Herrera was in complete and utter shock at seeing the legend sitting there before her eyes. She called it a full circle moment, noting that little Iris would be screaming. During the mentoring session of Iris’ take of “White Horse” by Chris Stapleton, Sheryl Crow guided her on how to improve the ending of the song and reminded her to go tender in the chorus. She even celebrated her voice, calling her rock chick royalty. For Jaelen Johnston, she reminds him the importance of getting everyone to sing along with him as if he has them in the palm of his hand. She recognized the emotion that Alanna Lynise has in her instrument, noting she was digging into the purity of the song. Now, finally stealing Darius J. after three attempts, Kelsea Ballerini was able to guide him through a vintage rendition of Outkast‘s “Hey Ya.” Sheryl Crow helped him realize that it’s his heart that will keep him going on his journey. Sometimes, rather than musical critique, it’s just those words of encouragement that you need.
There was, however, one outlier contestant that Sheryl Crow was able to connect to quite differently. Team Ballerini’s resident older contestant, Tinika Wyatt, asked the legendary singer about longevity in the business. She said, “Part of it is just putting one foot in front of the other and believing I’m in the right place. I mean, I’m 62 and I’m still enjoying getting better.” Their connection during rehearsal was quite sweet, as they both came from a similar place of perseverance. Sheryl Crow is still relevant, and Tanika recognized it. Sheryl was almost in tears listening to her.
Sheryl Crow Deserves Mega Mentor Status
While we are celebrating her status as a Mega Mentor, this is not the first time Sheryl Crow has taken on a similar title. For Season 4, she served as an advisor for Blake Shelton, with whom she collaborated on a cover of “Silent Night.” She was a big fan of the show and was excited to work with Blake Shelton. While she was on hand to help guide eventual winner Danielle Bradbery and finalists The Swon Brothers, she was also on hand to help mock Adam Levine, helping to bolster reality television’s biggest bromance.
Having an icon like Sheryl Crow in a moment like this is important. While she may not be fresh in the industry, her rise to where she is provides a wealth of knowledge of how to navigate the business. She doesn’t have to be here. She’s a highly decorated artist. Nine-time Grammy winner! Yet, her status as a superstar giving her time to these singers makes her a true MVP. The Voice airs Mondays at 8:00pm on NBC. All episodes are available to stream on Peacock.
