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Asher Havon stopped by “Extra” just days after his historic win as the first openly LGBTQ+ singer to win “The Voice.”
He reflected on his achievement, making history, working with coach Reba McEntire and what the future holds.
At the moment, Habon said he’s “feeling great… a little sleepy, but feeling great.”
Talking about his feelings going into the season, he said, “I didn’t have any faith going into this competition other than that I would be able to sing a little bit. I was excited to see where this journey would take me, so I went in with that mindset.”
When did he know he’d win Season 25? I didn’t know until Monday night! He said, “Yeah, that was my last song, ‘I Will Always Love You.'”
About making history, he said, “It means everything. I think it’s a really big thing for sure, to show the community that I’m a voice, a face, a sound that’s a part of it.”
He named his coach Reba McEntire the winner, and Usher explained why he chose her as his coach.
“She’s everything I want to be. She’s an icon, an actress, she’s won tons of awards,” Habon says. “But before I even left home, I knew I was going to choose Reba. And when she turned to me, I was just like, Okay, this is definitely happening.”
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Asher Havon and Reba McEntire Celebrate ‘The Voice’ Winner: ‘Don’t Give Up’ (Exclusive)
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He continued, “Her influence on me was so huge. Everything she spoke to me about, her guidance, all her knowledge and wisdom, about my voice and her listening to me, all of that definitely helped me win the show.”
He added: “I knew if I worked hard and won, it would be a win for her too, so I definitely worked hard.”
John Legend called him the best vocalist in the competition, and Usher said, “I was shocked… My mom always said that, and she’s my mom, so of course, when John Legend said it, I pretty much believed it.”
When asked what’s next, he smiled and said, “The world. As they say in the South, ‘You never know what’s going to happen.’ I’m looking forward to working on music and putting out some great ballads that I believe will stand the test of time.”
