The Voice champion Michael Huntley (who goes by Huntley) is no stranger to life’s ups and downs. Years ago, the 34-year-old blues-rocker was homeless and sleeping on a bench in Nashville’s Centennial Park. In 2023, his blind audition earned him a four-chair turn from The Voice coaching panel. Viewers would eventually crown him the season 24 winner. Over Labor Day weekend, Huntley took his incredible tale of perseverance—and his powerhouse vocals—to inmates at the Oregon State Penitentiary.
Huntley Joined Jelly Roll and Fellow ‘The Voice’ Finalist
The Oregon State Penitentiary inmates hadn’t heard live music in 20 years. That changed on Sept. 2, when GRAMMY-nominated artist Jelly Roll stopped by the prison yard for an intimate performance. Huntley and his fellow season 24 finalist, Oregon-born Jacquie Roar, supported the “Save Me” singer.
Sporting his trademark two braids and a black top, Huntley performed “Tell Me When It’s Over,” his first original single since winning The Voice. The Virginia blues-rocker first teased the moody track in March before dropping it in August.
Online, many praised The Voice champ for bringing some light to a dark place. “They need you Huntley!” one fan commented on a YouTube video of the performance. “Proud you did this for them.”
“God bless you and the audience,” another added. “What a kind thing to go sing to the incarcerated.”
Roar also shared a behind-the-scenes look at the “historic moment” with a photo dump on her social media, featuring images of her performing alongside Jelly Roll.
“It Just Comes From the Heart”
Huntley penned “Tell Me When It’s over” in the wake of his victory on The Voice. The song conveys his emotions around the gap between expectations and reality.
“A lot of the promises that you have in life don’t really always meet expectations,” he told People.
Huntley added, “It’s one of the fastest songs that I’ve ever written in my life. I think that’s what happens when it just comes from the heart. You can’t really fake something like that. That’s one thing that I’ve learned from this whole experience is the responsibility of connecting with the audience.”
