If you tuned in to Monday night’s (Nov. 27) playoff round episode of The Voice there was a prominent member of Team Reba who was nowhere to be seen. Season 24 country singer Tom Nitti was missing, forcing Reba McEntire to move her group along with just three performers for the upcoming live shows.
On the episode, McEntire said, “I have wonderfully talented people, but Tom had to leave for personal reasons, so I only have five artists tonight.” Nitti explained his absence in a lengthy Instagram post on Tuesday morning (Nov. 28), in which he shared a carousel of pics of his children and girlfriend cued to Cody Johnson’s “Leather.”
“Well, I’ve been dreading this day ever since the blind audition so here goes nothin’. …First and foremost I’m blessed beyond belief and I can’t say enough how much I love and appreciate the constant support from my fans, my friends and my family,” wrote Nitti. “As much as it absolutely stings to say, I had to make probably one of the hardest yet easiest decisions ever and ultimately at the end of the day, my kids will always come first and if I had to make the same decision again I’d do it over and over.”
McEntire supported Nitti from the get-go, as the only judge to turn her chair when he performed Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” at the blind auditions. He proved he’d earned his spot on the team with subsequent impressive performances of Johnson’s “Til You Can’t” during the battle round and again during the knockout round with the Temptations’ “(I Know) I’m Losing You.”
“This past summer was filled to the max with everything I love and could’ve only dreamed of and Thanks to @nbcthevoice I was able to live my wildest dreams and do what I’ve always hoped. I made friends that’ll last a life time, experiences that I can hold on to forever and even found REAL and TRUE love,” Nitti continued in his post, tagging girlfriend singer Ashley Bryant.
Nitti also shouted out the many people he said had his back “going through the tough times” he said he endured during his time in California on the show, including McEntire and his fellow team members.
“But nonetheless I hope everyone knows how happy and grateful i am for them. This isn’t the end of me and I’ll do what I do best for everyone to see which is keep my head down and move forward playing music and raising/creating new memories with a family I will continue to grow,” he added. “I never believed in the whole, things happen for a reason statement but in this case I think God has it all figured out. He knows I don’t break easily. For everyone asking, I’m alright and still standing. Thank you so much and as always, I’m super pumped to keep on keepin’ on with music, my kids Rayleigh and Brently my whole family to include my smokin’ girlfriend that keeps my head held high… Im more than ready to continue to live life now happier than ever before.”
The post ended with a series of hashtags, including: #familyfirst, #itsnotoveryet, #imstillstanding and #kentuckygotme.
With Nitti’s leave-taking, McEntire sent home Noah Spencer and Ms. Monet, with Ruby Leigh, Jordan Ranier and Jacquie Roar moving on to the live shows. The Voice airs on Monday night at 8 p.m. ET/PT and Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
Check out Nitti’s post and one of his performances below.
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