Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Her audition: Savannah Leighton, 16, of Spring Garden, Alabama, performed Katy Perry’s “Unconditionally.” A huge glory note in the middle of the song prompted Blake Shelton to turn around. Gwen Stefani joined him just as the performance ended, reducing Savannah to tears. Savannah opted to join Team Gwen.

Her background: She lives in a tiny town of 300 and works at a steakhouse there. Savannah says music helped her cope when things were “a little tough” for her family. Her father left when she was 6; her mother worked three jobs to support Savannah and Savannah’s two younger brothers. She describes her step-dad as “the light at the end of the tunnel.” She performs at restaurants and school, but says there aren’t many opportunities in music where she’s from. Oh, and she’s been watching The Voice since Season 1.

What the show didn’t show:

* Savannah is a sophomore at Spring Garden High School in Cherokee County, Ala.

* She told her hometown newspaper that she began singing at age 2 when she learned the words to “God Bless America” from a doll. “I wore that out. I sang it, like, 25 times a day,” she told AL.com.

* According to her Voice bio, her biggest musical influence was her grandfather, Donnie Pope, who died in the past year. He sang and played guitar and made her want to do the same, Savannah says.

* At age 8, Savannah began taking piano lessons. At age 13, that bio says, she taught herself guitar and began writing her own songs.

* She entered a singing competition called Voice of Rome in Georgia and wound up placing second in front of a crowd of 2,000 people.

* She told AL.com she usually sings country music, but enjoys pop as well. On Facebook, she describes herself as a pop / rock artist.

* During a conference call with the media last week, Savannah admitted to hoping Adam Levine would turn around for her performance because she’s been a Maroon 5 fan for so long.

* When he didn’t, she said she immediately thought she’d pick Blake because of her love of country music. “Then Gwen started talking to me, and she was like telling me how she has been in my shoes before and she just made me feel like she could really help me like with my confidence and stuff. Because that’s the main thing for me is (building my) confidence.”

Keeping up with Savannah:
Twitter: @thesavleighton
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube

“Gunpowder and Lead” (cover)

“7 Years” (cover)