Blake Shelton Pays Respect to Late Brother on ‘The Voice’

There was not one dry eye in the house or watching from home, when Blake Shelton paid respect to his late brother on NBC’s The Voice. 

During Monday’s episode (May 1) of the competition show, the country hitmaker joined forces with standout star NOIVAS during rehearsals for the Live Playoffs. While preparing for his performance of the Beatles’ “Come Together,” NOIVAS placed his guard down and revealed the real reason why he wanted to work with Shelton. 

“We’re both two tall guys, pretty good looking, if I say so myself,” jokingly said NOIVAS. “And even the fact that we’ve both lost brothers.” 

Shelton was unaware and instantly began rattling off questions – emotionally connecting with the contestant. 

“How old were you when you lost your brother?” asked Shelton. 

The aspiring vocalist continued to go into detail about the devastating death. NOIVAS explained that he was only 21 when he lost his brother, Alfred. He was a physical therapist and a loving father. 

“I was 14,” Shelton chimed in. 

Shelton’s brother, Richie Shelton passed away on November 13, 1990, in a car accident. He was 24 years old. According to The U.S. Sun, the “Ol’ Red” singer’s eldest brother was in the car with his 20-year-old girlfriend and her son. She accidentally slammed into a parked school bus when driving over a hill. Everyone in the car accident was pronounced dead. 

The long-running judge confessed that his brother was a massive music fan and would’ve “freaked out” over his success in the industry. 

“My brother, he would have freaked out if he had known what I went on to do,” said the Grammy Award winner. “He was such a huge music fan. You’d hear him coming six blocks away, the stereo blaring out of his truck.” 

NOIVAS mentioned that his brother gave him the green light and confidence to pursue a music career.  

“The last thing he told me was to just do me. It wasn’t until I lost my brother that I started to become fearless,” shared the Season 23 front-runner. “That’s cool that your brother got to see you do it,” added Shelton. 

This is not the first time the hitmaker opened up about his late sibling. In March of 2022, a car carrying six teenage girls was hit by a tractor-trailer in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, – Shelton’s hometown. The news resonated with the singer, leaving him to use his platform to send his sincere condolences.  

“In the wake of yesterday’s unthinkable crash in our small town of Tishomingo, we as a community have all been in shock and brokenhearted. I personally know the devastation of suddenly losing a loved one in a car accident,” shared Shelton in a statement. “But our community is strong and has come together to support and wrap our arms around the families and friends that are hurting the most. There’s no question it will take a long time to heal from this tragedy. Keep the prayers coming.”

Season 23 will mark Shelton’s final appearance on The Voice before he retires from the legendary red chair. The Voice airs Monday nights at 8/7c on NBC.

(Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)