There are some singer/musicians that have a way of making you relax and get in the moment simply by performing. Artists like John Legend, Harry Connick Jr., James Taylor, John Mayer, and Nora Jones tend to have this effect on fans, and now, so does Dakota Striplin.
Back in May, Dakota Striplin took the stage for blind auditions for ‘The Voice: Australia”. With a dark backdrop and a guitar in his hand, the musician put his own twist on the classic Elvis Presley song, “Love Me Tender” and instantly grew his fanbase by millions.
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The 24-year-old singer (who may or may not be the grandson of the King of Rock himself) has been playing guitar since he was only 11, after watching the movie, “School of Rock”. Since then, he starred in a number of stage productions at his university, recorded various covers, and relied on his music to help spread the word of the gospel on a two-year mission trip. Suffice to say, music isn’t just a hobby for him.
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During his blind audition, Dakota demonstrated his unique voice and talent within seconds of singing the song’s first verse. Judge Kelly Rowland was instantly blown away by him, and placed her hand on her heart as she closed her eyes and took in the beautiful sound. She didn’t linger too long though, because she had to turn around and see the man behind the voice.
Fans were shocked that only Kelly and Delta Goodrem turned around to campaign to be the singer’s coach (though, Boy George and Guy Sebastian both seemed to enjoy the performance as well). Ultimately, he picked Kelly who led him through most of the competition before being eliminated (#JusticeForDakota!).
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Even though he didn’t win it all, Dakota is still doing just fine in his career. Thanks to the show, he’s traveled from Australia to Nashville where he recorded an album full of original music. His hope is to eventually take his music international as a means to provide for his wife. And, despite not winning the reality TV competition, his dreams just may come true.
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For now, he’s still building up his career (which got a huge boost, thanks to the show) and performing on weekends around Australia. Whether he truly is a descendant of Elvis Presley is irrelevant, because Dakota’s talent speaks for itself – in volumes!
Check out his breathtaking blind audition in the video below, and be sure to share this story with your friends.
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