Upstate NY State Trooper crushes it on The Voice

As Tom Nitti was singing his heart out last week during the blind audition round on NBC's The Voice, the 4 judges on the show (Reba McEntire, Niall Horan, Gwen Stefani, and John Legend) were listening very carefully to each word and each note.

Would any of the members of the esteemed panel take a chance on a 31-year-old State Trooper from Upstate NY?

NBC's The Voice Photo: Youtube
NBC's The Voice Photo: Youtube
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Nitti, from Upstate NY, lives in New Hartford - which is about 90 miles west of Albany, near Utica.

His Instagram handle says he's a "Nashville Recording Artist", but last week he opted to go with "70's Soul" in an attempt to win over the judges.

During last week's blind audition on NBC's The Voice, Nitti slayed his version of Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)"  but was coming to the end of the performance, and none of the judges had turned around.

With only a few seconds to spare, Nitti was able to get one of the judges, country superstar Reba McEntire, to turn and slam the buzzer, which secured his place on Team Reba.

Brian Cody
Reba is happy with her choice after selecting Tom Nitti, a singer from Upstate NY  Photo: YouTube
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Sounds can be deceiving

Nitti's audition song was soulful and smooth and he moved around on the stage like he owned it.  After the performance, all four of the judges seemed somewhat surprised with how he looked, versus how he sounded.

Brian Cody
Tom Nitti, State Trooper from Upstate NY Photo: YouTube
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Donning a black cowboy hat and tan leather cowboy boots, the State Trooper introduced himself to the panel who admitted they didn't expect to see a future country star on stage.

John Legend, Gwen Stefani, and Nial Horan sat there in somewhat disbelief, while Reba smiled from ear to ear, knowing that she may have snagged one of the more underrated performers of the night!

What do we know about Tom Nitti?

According to sources, Nitti entered the military after graduating high school and served in Afghanistan.

While in Afghanistan, Nitti sustained injuries and was awarded the Purple Heart.

Following his military service, Tom, like his father did before him, joined law enforcement and became a New York State Trooper eight years ago.

Nitti now trains new troopers at the New York State Police Academy and performs weekly, including the “National Anthem” at official events, while raising two children.

What's next for Nitti?

We may not see Tom Nitti for at least a week or so, so be patient.

According to MJsBigBlog, a popular blog site for TV reality shows, coaches John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Niall Horan, and Reba McEntire will each put together 14 member teams, and a total of 56 participants will advance to the next round.

Nitti is already 1 of those 56.

The Voice airs on Monday and Tuesday nights on NBC. Once the "Blind Auditions" are done and all 56 of the contestants are chosen, the "Battle Rounds" will begin on Tuesday night, October 17th.  We could be seeing him either on October 17th or the following week, possibly on either October 23rd or 24th.

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