The Voice Australia judge LeAnn Rimes burst into tears on Sunday night when she was moved by a heartbreaking song sung by one of the contestants.
Duncan Toombs, 47, who lives in Central Coast, NSW, left the American singer, 41, emotional as he sang an original piece about his late father.
When the Can’t Fight the Moonlight star asked her co-star Adam Lambert for a tissue, she was overwhelmed by the Toowoomba native’s touching tribute to his father.
The Australian country singer first caught LeAnn’s attention when he sang John Hiatt’s Have A Little Faith, blowing all four judges away.
LeAnn, who at age 14 became the youngest person ever to win a Grammy Award, was eager to hear more and asked Duncan to sing one of the original songs he wrote.
Duncan then sang a soulful song in honour of his late father, who made his living as a train driver for Queensland Rail.
LeAnn burst into tears halfway through the song and with every line Duncan sang she wiped away more tears.
“I’m completely lost here. Oh my God. Can I have a tissue? Does anybody have a tissue?” she said when Duncan finished, receiving a standing ovation from the audience.
The Voice Australia’s LeAnn Rimes, 41, (pictured), burst into tears on Sunday night as she was moved by a heartbreaking song sung by one of the contestants
Given their shared bond with country music, Duncan chose LeAnn as his coach, despite unseating Adam Lambert, Guy Sebastian and Kate Miller-Heidke.
“I loved that song. That was beautiful,” LeAnn told her fellow judges after Duncan left the stage.
“Especially since he hasn’t been writing music for that long. To write a song like that? He has undeniable songwriting talent.”
Duncan Toombs, 47, (pictured) who lives in Central Coast, NSW, left the American singer emotionally drained when he sang an original piece about his late father
Duncan’s performance quickly spread across social media, with new fans flocking to The Voice’s Instagram page to sing their praises for the rising country star
Duncan was overwhelmed by the response and also wrote: ‘I am overwhelmed with emotion and I am so grateful for all the beautiful messages of love and encouragement’
Duncan’s performance quickly gained popularity on social media, with new fans flocking to The Voice’s Instagram page to sing the praises of the budding country star.
“What an amazing voice,” one person wrote, while another added: “Duncan is unreal.”
A third said: ‘Goosebumps! Standing O in our house. The backstory, audition song and beautifully written song made me like LeAnn.’
“What an amazing performance!” commented another, while one user wrote: “Incredible voice. I stopped and cried my eyes out.”
Someone else said: ‘What a beautiful voice. Well, my crying cleared my nose.’
Duncan was overwhelmed by all the responses and also wrote: ‘I am overwhelmed with emotion and so grateful for all the beautiful messages of love and encouragement.’