Saugerties ‘Voice’ Star in Next Week’s Finale

Saugerties native Ian Flanigan has made it to the finale and will be one of two artists to represent Team Blake next week on NBC's 'The Voice.'  But it was a little more tense and dramatic than some had expected.

In a surprise twist of fate, Voice frontrunner and Saugerties native Ian Flanigan found himself singing for his life during the live vote-off show on Tuesday night.  Shockingly, he was not one of the top 4 immediately placed into the show's finale next week.  Instead, the 30-year-old would be performing one more time in front of the live viewing audience, and an additional round of voting would determine his fate.  Following his performance of Travis Tritt's "You Don't Love Me Anymore," his coach Blake Shelton pleaded with America to keep the man with "a once in a lifetime voice" on the show.  After a commercial break, 5 contestants including Flanigan waited as Carson Daly read the results of the instant save.

After what seemed like minutes - but in reality was just 20 or 30 seconds - Daly announced that the instant save of the night based upon America's vote was Ian Flanigan.  A sigh of relief came over the Americana/Country-style artist as well as a "Hell Yeah!" from his coach Blake Shelton who were relieved to see the star contestant make it to next week's Voice finale.