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Minnesota’s Jesse Larson advances to ‘The Voice’ finale

Jesse Larson (far right) and his fellow finalists on 'The Voice' (NBC)
Jesse Larson (far right) and his fellow finalists on 'The Voice' (NBC)

by Erianna Jiles

May 17, 2017

Last night, Minneapolis singer-guitarist Jesse Larson made the final four on NBC's The Voice. Larson performed "Tennessee Whiskey," wowing fans once again with his soulful voice. Fans tweeted with the hashtag #VoiceSaveJesse to get Larson into the finale, the last remaining option for Larson to remain on the show after he failed to advance in the main poll.

"It means the world to me that people believe in me enough to keep pushing me to do this," Larson told KARE 11 before the show. "I've come a very long ways, I've met a lot of amazing people, it's been a great experience and I've met and received so much love and respect from everybody back home."

Larson will now be advancing into the final round, where he could potentially be named "The Voice" and receive a recording contract. Larson is the last artist on Adam Levine's team and the second Minnesotan artist to make it to the finale round — after Nicholas David from season three.

As noted by the Star Tribune, Levine had good things to say about Larson on Tuesday night's episode. "Jesse Larson is a guitar player who decided to try singing. His wife badgered him to do it. He gave it a shot. It’s staggering to me that people can spend their whole life trying to be a singer. He went from ‘give it a shot’ to the first one-chair turn-around to make the finale."

Although he's just now stepping out as a vocalist, Larson is a longtime guitarist on the local music scene. His career got a boost in 2014 when his band #MPLS performed at Paisley Park. Then in 2015, Larson auditioned and was hired by Prince to join the band of Judith Hill, who was about to tour as an opener for the rock icon. After Hill's band dissolved, Larson became a luthier, building the very guitars he's now playing on The Voice.

The finale will air on Monday night, May 22.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErDLGyp14Fs

Erianna Jiles is a student at Saint Paul College.

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