‘You’re not dreaming’: Wake County deputy on ‘The Voice’ shares uplifting message

“It was like every day I had to wake myself up and be like, you’re not dreaming. This is real life. This is happening, and it was just a task to slow down enough every day to try to soak in,” Deputy Robert Hunter said.


‘Flood of gratitude’: Wake deputy shines on ‘The Voice’

Brett Knese, WRAL reporter

Robert Hunter, a Wake County deputy, turned two chairs on NBC’s “The Voice” Monday night. WRAL News sat down with him Tuesday for a one-on-one interview.

Hunter has been singing and playing the guitar since his youth.

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“I grew up playing music, I played in church,” Hunter said.

In college, while pursing a degree in criminal justices at Appalachian State University, Hunter said he started playing live shows.

“After I graduated, I moved back home and just continued playing,” he said. “It had always been something that was in the back of my mind.”

People told him again and again that he should audition for “American Idol” or “The Voice.”

When finally he did, star judges on “The Voice” responded.

“My wife, she was like, ‘There’s a virtual open call, you’re doing it,’” Hunter said. “And I was like, okay, we’ll do it. And I got done with that virtual open call and I was like, this is no way this is happening.”

Hunter, who loves country music, performed Cody Johnson’s “Til You Can’t’” in front of judges Adam Levine, John Legend, Kelsea Ballerini and Michael Bublé. Ballerini was the first to turn her chair.

“I was just hoping and praying for a chair turn,” Hunter said. “I did not think it was going to happen that fast and didn’t think it was going to be Kelsea Ballerini. It was a huge sigh of relief, and then it was just a flood of gratitude and just this overwhelming sense of gratefulness, and it took everything in me to not cry.”

Hunter said he is thrilled to work with Ballerini.

“She has this ability to connect with her listeners on such a deep level,” he said. “Her last two albums have just connected with folks across the world, and [it’s great] being able to learn from her and her delivery and how she’s able to use her voice and her words.”

Hunter emphasized how grateful he is for the opportunity to perform on “The Voice.”

“There are artists who have been grinding it out for years and years and years, and they’re just waiting for that break,” Hunter said.

He also shared thanks for his fellow officers, who support him on the job and on the weekends when he performs.

“The law enforcement community is so tight knit…there’s a lot of support. That has helped me balance both work and music all at the same time,” he said.

Hunter has worked with the Wake County Sheriff’s Office for six years. Monday night on “The Voice,” he shared a sobering story.

“Tomorrow is not guaranteed,” he said. “I lost a friend and coworker in the line of duty, and that was a very sobering moment … everybody at the sheriff’s office felt that deeply. If you have a dream, it is never too late to chase it. It doesn’t matter if you’re 33, you can always do it.”

Hunter said his biggest inspiration is his family, including the support he gets from his wife and his parents, who have always supported his love of music.

“My wife has been my biggest champion since I met her,” Hunter said. “Music brought us together. She is the reason that I have so much of the motivation that I have. Now my daughter has become some of that motivation as well because I just want to show her, hey, you can do anything that you want to do. Don’t ever let anybody tell you that you can’t. And if you’ve got a chance, just go take it.”

Blind auditions will continue next week, when “The Voice” airs on WRAL-TV at 8 p.m. on Monday. Then, the battle rounds begin.

“It’s going to be fun,” Hunter said. “There’s going to be a lot of exciting stuff for everybody.”

While the public waits to see what happens next, Hunter is still in awe.

“It was like every day I had to wake myself up and be like, you’re not dreaming. This is real life. This is happening, and it was just a task to slow down enough every day to try to soak in,” he said.

His message for people supporting him back home?

“Just chase your dreams, have confidence in yourself and don’t let anybody tell you no,” Hunter said. “If you feel like you’ve got it in you, you do, and just go take it.”