The first night of 3-Way Knockouts for Season 26 of The Voice took place tonight with coaches Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg and Gwen Stefani each pairing up three members of their teams for sing-offs that sent the winner through to the Playoffs.
But at the end of the night when it was time for Michael Bublé to put his team into competition, host Carson Daly told him, “Michael, Tanner [Frick] left the competition after rehearsals. You still have Cameron [Wright] and Sloane [Simon].”
Parade contacted NBC but no additional information was forthcoming.
Tanner has yet to post the exact reason for his departure on social media, but he did make a post several hours ago that reads: “Ain’t nobody want me anyway,” so if it is referring to The Voice, which isn’t clear, possibly he was feeling unappreciated.
@tannerfrickmusic Aint nobody want me anyway
♬ original sound – Tanner Frick
The 26-year-old country singer originally from Brandon, Miss., who currently lives in Manchester, Tenn., sang his way to a four-chair turn in the Blind Auditions, with a performance of Morgan Wallen’s “Thought You Should Know.”
“I picked this song because it’s very inspiring that he started here and now look at him,” Tanner says of Wallen, who was on Team Adam Levine in 2014 but was eliminated in the Playoffs. “He’s one of the biggest country artists in the world. If he can do it, anybody can do it.”
Related: Watch the Country Singer With the Chris Stapleton Growl Who Gets a Four-Chair Turn on The Voice
When it came time to choose, Tanner joined Team Reba.
For the Battles, Reba paired Tanner with fellow country singer Tate Renner, singing Jelly Roll’s “Need a Favor.” In the end, Reba chose Tate as the winner because of how fond she is of his raspy voice.
That left Tanner available to Steal and Michael did just that, saying, “Tanner Frick is a huge win for me. That’s a 4-Chair Turn, and a piece of the puzzle that I didn’t have. I needed that country singer, and now I feel like I’m completely in the game, and my team is assembled.”
Photo by: Danny Ventrella/NBC
But as earlier reported, when it came time for the Knockouts, Tanner was MIA, having chosen to leave The Voice.
Tanner is a fulltime maintenance foreman, a dangerous job with exposure to a lot of high voltage electricity as he oversees sewer lines and pumps in Manchester.
“It’s a crazy environment. I’ve been electrocuted quite a bit,” he said in his video package, which is one reason why he’s hoping to be able to make the transition to singing.
“My parents split up when I was too young to remember,” he filled us in on his backstory. “My mom was dealing with personal issues, so my daddy raised me. He always instilled in me a good work ethic. He has supported me through all my trials and tribulations through life but my music career, he really wasn’t supportive of it. He wanted me to go make money and go to work. Recently, though, his mindset has changed since. I’ve been able to get out and do more because with a day shift job, I have time to play at night. My dad is my best friend. He’s just one of a kind.”
Related: Who Went Home and Who Made It Through Night 5 on The Voice Season 26 Battles
In his younger days, Tanner played at friends’ birthday parties and some bars, but he never performed for more than 125 people. Due to work commitments, he never had the opportunity to play at larger venues or fully pursue his musical dream. This changed when Tanner met his wife, Madison, who encouraged him to follow his passion.
Now, they rent a trailer and live on two acres with their three dogs. Tanner enjoys fishing, hunting and spending time with family.
The Voice airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT and Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, and streams next day on Peacock.
Next, Watch This Preview as Coach Snoop Dogg Channels the Gangster Holy Ghost for Help in Picking the Winner of His First Three-Way Knockout for Season 26 of The Voice
