Dexter Roberts, a country singer from Alabama, came in third tonight on Season 16 of “The Voice.”
Maelyn Jarmon, a 26-year-old pop singer from Frisco, Texas, won the title on the NBC reality series, besting Roberts and two other contestants in the finals.
Roberts, 27, who’s from Fayette, competed on the show as a member of Blake Shelton’s team. He became a fan favorite on “The Voice,” covering tunes such as “Hurricane,” “Like a Cowboy,” “Believe,” “Something Like That” and “Here Without You.”
“It’s so overwhelming, man,” Roberts said on camera, when asked to describe his experiences on the show. “I come from a small, small town. Things like this don’t happen to people like me.”
On Monday’s episode, Shelton lauded Roberts for his talent and work ethic, predicting he’d have a bright future in country music.
“You’re always classy. You always do your job. Literally, like the next George Strait standing up there,” Shelton said.
Roberts performed three songs in the finals, covering “Anything Goes” by Randy Houser, singing a new song, “Looking Back,” and performing a duet with Shelton on “Hard Workin’ Man,” a 1993 hit for Brooks & Dunn.
All four of the celebrity coaches on “The Voice” -- Shelton, John Legend, Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine -- responded with enthusiasm.
“At the end of the day, greatness is greatness,” Levine said. “And you have it in spades, my friend.”
"You’re such an authentic ... you’re not calculated,” Clarkson said. “You are who you are.”
“You’re the most ready of everybody to step out of that place and become a superstar right now,” Shelton said.
In the end, though, it wasn’t enough for Roberts to take the crown. Typically, the new champ on “The Voice” receives $100,000 and a deal with Republic Records, a label owned by Universal Music Group.
Other members of the final four were Gyth Rigdon of Singer, Louisiana, the runner-up, and Andrew Sevener of Alvarado, Texas, who took fourth place.
Tonight’s finale and results show was a two-hour affair featuring guest performances by Taylor Swift and Brendon Urie, Halsey, the Jonas Brothers, Khalid, One Republic and more. The winner was announced at the end of the episode, keeping viewers in suspense until just before the credits rolled.
Roberts is the third contestant from Alabama make the finals on “The Voice.” Kirk Jay, a country-soul singer who lives in Montgomery, took third place on Season 15 in December 2018. Red Marlow, a country singer from Rogersville, took fourth place during Season 13 in December 2017.
Reality TV fans may remember Roberts from his time on “American Idol,” when he took seventh place in 2014. The self-taught musician earned a widespread fan base that year, covering contemporary country anthems with an easygoing, homegrown charm. His performances on “Idol” included Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise,” Luke Bryan’s “Muckalee Creek Water,” Brett Eldredge’s “One Mississippi” and Little Big Town’s “Boondocks."
As one of the top 10 contestants on “Idol,” Roberts performed a few shows on the summer tour before leaving due to illness. (He was bitten by a tick while hunting and contracted Rocky Mountain spotted fever.)
Roberts released a single in 2015, “Dream About Me," on First Launch Records and followed that with a four-track EP bearing the same title. He released another EP, “Dexter Roberts Unplugged, Volume 1,” in 2017 on American Roots Records.
On “The Voice,” Roberts said he thought his music career might be over when his health was damaged and his momentum stalled. He regards his time on “The Voice” as a blessing -- and a rather surreal one, at that.
“It feels like I’m on ‘Star Trek’ or something,” Roberts said.