Rigby’s Owen Uffens shares what it’s like to get a coveted chair turn on ‘The Voice’
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RIGBY — Many east Idahoans were glued to “The Voice” on NBC Monday night to watch as 18-year-old BYU-Idaho student Owen Uffens took the stage for the blind auditions.
Uffens didn’t appear until near the end of the show, but when his turn finally came, he gave his hometown fans plenty to cheer about, earning a two-chair turn.
RELATED | Rigby’s own Owen Uffens lands a spot on ‘The Voice’
For his blind audition, Uffens chose an unexpected song for an 18-year-old: Harry Nilsson’s 1969 hit “Everybody’s Talkin’,” best known for its use in the Academy Award-winning film “Midnight Cowboy,” starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight.
Everybody’s Talkin’ – Midnight Cowboy
The song is also on the “Forrest Gump” soundtrack.
“I was looking for an alternative song, maybe something from Coldplay,” Uffens told EastIdahoNews.com. “I did some digging and came across ‘Everybody’s Talkin’,’ and the guitar perked my ears, so I decided to sing it and make it my own.”
Nilsson is probably better known for his quirky early 1970s hit “Coconut”, with its familiar “put the lime in the coconut” refrain.
Uffens says he has never heard “Coconut,” but plans to make a point of listening to it.
Uffens told EastIdahoNews.com that despite looking composed onstage, he was anything but calm while waiting for that first chair to turn.
“I was so terrified and nervous. You want someone to turn so bad,” he said. “I was in the second half of my first verse when Adam’s chair turned. It was instant relief.”
Kelly Clarkson followed shortly afterward.
“When Kelly Clarkson, one of the greatest vocalists ever, turned, it was like the cherry on top,” Uffens said.
Ultimately, Uffens chose Team Adam.
“Adam Levine is one of my heroes,” he said. “To have him acknowledge me is so satisfying.”
Uffens said he began singing and playing piano as a child, later adding guitar, bass and songwriting as talents. He has performed with bands, recorded original music, and interned at a local venue to learn audio engineering.
Besides music, Uffens, a self-described adrenaline junkie, loves snowboarding, cliff jumping and mountain biking. But he is equally proud of his nerdy passions — from fantasy and anime to Dungeons & Dragons.
Before his performance, viewers got a glimpse of his adventurous side. A short video showed Uffens snowboarding, skateboarding, dirt biking and doing flips on a trampoline.
His mother, Cindy Uffens, summed up her feelings about her son’s love of extreme sports in one sentence, saying, “I’m happy he’s still alive.”
Since making it through the blind auditions, Uffens has been busy preparing for the next stage of the competition: the Battles.
Uffens is quick to credit his family, friends and fans who have supported him along the way and considers his close-knit family his greatest support system.
“The response to me being on the show has been so awesome and heartwarming,” he said. “I’ve gotten tons of texts and calls from old and new friends. So many people have reached out. Thank you.”
After growing up watching “The Voice,” Uffens is missing graduation to step onto its stage, ready to begin adulthood by pursuing music without a backup plan. His dream is to travel the world, live abroad and play music from one place to the next.
Uffens doesn’t yet know exactly which upcoming episodes he’ll be featured in, but the Battles begin next week.
And after two chairs turned for the 18-year-old from Rigby, there are sure to be plenty of local viewers and new fans from around the country watching to see what happens next.
Fans can follow Uffens on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, and listen to his music on Spotify.