Why Kentucky singer pulled out the ‘Old Time Rock n’ Roll’ to win spot on ‘The Voice’

Kentucky has had its fair share of representation and success on NBC’s “The Voice” including Harlan native Jordan Smith’s win in 2015. Now in its 27th season the long-running show will feature another singer from the Commonwealth taking a shot at glory. London native Jordan Allen has been chasing his honky tonk dream down for nearly a decade. With three albums to his name at the time his music caught the eye of casting for the show in late 2021, but after going through a preliminary audition process he never made it onto the show.

Jordan Allen of London made Team Legend on NBC’s “The Voice” on Feb. 10. Christine Bartolucci/NBC In December 2023 Neyland Bolden, creator of the music video series Powell River Sessions, texted him about a connection he had with “The Voice” to see if he’d be interested in trying again. “I told him that I don’t know that I’m exactly what they’re looking for, but I’d give it another go,” says Allen. “We used a few of my Powell River Session videos for the audition plus another that he filmed for me pro bono just because he believed in me. Having those people in my circle supporting me is really what pushed me to do this.” After making the cut on his second attempt, Allen made his debut appearance on “The Voice” during an episode airing on Feb. 10 with a performance of the Bob Seger classic “Old Time Rock And Roll” during his blind audition.

Of the rock n’ roll banger, Allen said its message of appreciating the music that’s come before you goes hand-in-hand with his own listening habits and creative process, making it an easy choice to perform for coaches Adam Levine, John Legend, Michael Bublé, and Kelsea Ballerini. “When I started thinking about song choice I immediately thought of ‘Old Time Rock And Roll’ because on it Bob Seger — in the ’70s — is singing about his love for the music from 20 years prior,” explains Allen. “Its lyrics represented exactly what I stand for as an artist in addition to being a very recognizable song, which lended itself well to me showing off what I can do with it.”

Although the song choice was easy, gathering his nerves ahead of the performance was far from it. According to Allen, the only other time he ever recalled being that nervous was when he took the stage for the first time at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe — a historic venue that has witnessed everything from performances by a young Taylor Swift to the launching point of Garth Brooks’ career when a record executive discovered him there in 1988. “It was probably the most nervous I had ever been,” recalls Allen. “But with that I approached this entire process knowing it wasn’t a sure thing and out of my control, and when that’s the case the only thing I know to do is pray. I remember having in my mind that if God wants a chair to turn it’s gonna, but if he doesn’t, it won’t, and there’s nothing I can do to control it other than put my best foot forward and work hard.”

And put his best foot forward he did. Just over 30 seconds into his blind audition Bublé’s chair became the first to turn. With it, any remaining nerves Allen had evaporated, and all that mattered was playing off the crowd and having fun. Moments later, Legend’s chair turned as well. Kentcky native Jordan Allen performed “Old Time Rock n’ Roll” to win a spot on “The Voice.” Christine Bartolucci/NBC “I was like ‘Oh, now if I hit a wrong note it’s not a big deal,” jokes Allen about his first chair turn. “Then when John turned it blew my mind because I had not seen Michael coach yet, but I had seen John coach and knew how picky he was. Before it happened it wasn’t even in my realm of possibility that John Legend would turn his chair for me.” But as soon as Allen’s nerves were swept away they returned once his audition finished and he was presented with the decision of who to choose — Team Bublé or Team Legend.

However, after a brief moment of considering pitches from both coaches he went with John Legend. “I’m always trying to work hard and get better at what I do, and John really spoke to that,” reflects Allen. “It made me feel like he was ready to dig in and go to work with me, so after making his pitch the choice was pretty clear.” Allen’s fate on the show will be determined once blind auditions conclude and the show progresses to Battle Rounds, where coaches pit two members of their own team against each other to sing the same song, with only one moving on. “The Voice” airs Monday night at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. You can also stream episodes on demand via the NBC App and NBC.com.