SALE busker Jaxson Cornell has impressed on talent show The Voice, passing the blind auditions after being chosen by singer Guy Sebastian.
Mr Cornell turned up for The Voice blind auditions (aired August 15) and performed a passionate rendition of Post Malone’s ‘I Fall Apart’, progressing to the next round, ‘The Callbacks’, which aired on Monday night.
You may have seen him performing in front of the Gippsland Centre (Coles side), the Clocktower, the Sale Chemist Warehouse, and the Sale Greyhounds Club. And now, your television screens.
“I’ve been busking a lot in many different areas. Going from busking to hitting that stage in front of a lot of successful people…it was truly breathtaking. It was unbelievable,” Mr Cornell told the Gippsland Times.
The lone coach who turned their chair to pick Mr Cornell for his team of competitors was Mr Sebastian.
“Guy Sebastian turning his chair was such an amazing feeling. I’m glad he turned out of all four of the coaches. I love him – he’s a great bloke,” Mr Cornell said.
“He’s been an inspiration of mine. I used to listen to a lot of his songs.”
One of the toughest calls for The Voice you have to make for the audition picking the right song. How do you pick a song that you can sing well, while also showcasing what you’re about?
Mr Cornell idolises Post Malone, and ‘I Fall Apart’ was a song he really loves.
“For me, I felt (it was a) way I could interact with the crowd and the audience, and just tell a story in a way and let them feel the emotion of the song,” Mr Cornell said.
“It’s such a great song. I feel this song would just stand out the most, and I haven’t heard it done yet on The Voice, so I figured I would give it a crack.”
Asked about his other musical influences growing up, Mr Cornell said he was inspired by the hip-hop genre, and is a rapper himself. He’s a big fan of Machine Gun Kelly.
He also named singers he looked up to, in particular those who wrote heartfelt and sad songs, such as Stan Smith, Lewis Capaldi, Calum Scott and Conor Maynard. He also loves 80s music.
They’re not his number one muse, however. Mr Cornell’s siblings watched his audition from the sidelines, but sadly, their mother never got to see his performance, as she died in 2019 from cancer.
He brought a photo of her, showing the coaches and the Australian public how much she meant to him. He became emotional as he described her as his biggest inspiration.
“She always believed in me,” he said.
She knew he could make it in music.
Mr Cornell is committed to giving it all for the next round, knowing that so many never pass the blind audition.
“There’s amazing talent around Australia on The Voice this year. I’ll give it a crack and see how far I can get,” he said.
“At one stage, I felt like I was in it to win it. But then I switched it up and thought I shouldn’t come in with so much confidence, because there’s going to be a lot of great singers as a lot of people have heard already.
“I wasn’t even expecting a chair turn, and I got that far…I’m one of those people who did make it, and I’m so grateful for that.”
[Note: The program aired after the Gippsland Times went to print – Mr Cornell was eliminated from the competition.]
When Mr Cornell was a young child, a firecracker blew his ear drum. As a result, he’s partially deaf in one ear, which has led to self-doubt about his singing ability. In addition, he’s had no formal music training. He hopes that those watching the show are encouraged by his progress.
“It’s hard out there, but if you have a bit of faith in yourself, you’ll surprise yourself by what you can achieve,” he said.
Mr Cornell’s music journey began when he was about four or five years old. He recalls how enamoured he was by the sound of a piano keyboard.
“You could make a sound with your fingers, and it sounded beautiful. I never gave it up,” he said.
Over a number of years, he learnt small songs like ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ and ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’.
When he got older, he began incorporating singing into his playing.
“You gotta sing. You can’t just play the piano,” he laughed.
“It brought me to where I am today – The Voice stage.”