Seven-year-old Shaney-Lee Pool delivered the most heartwarming rendition of Take Me Home, Country Roads on The Voice Kids, a performance that swiftly went viral, amassing 63 million views. The young Bristol singer had the crowd on their feet with his version of the John Denver classic, showcasing a sweet, angelic voice.
English pop sensation Pixie Lott spun her chair for Shaney-Lee just as his performance wrapped up, earning him a spot on the UK show. The talented youngster has a deep passion for country music, which suits him well since he resides on a farm near Bristol Airport. Surrounded by a variety of animals, he even arrived at the studio on his beloved Shetland pony, Bobby Brown, as seen in the video.
During his audition interview, Shaney-Lee shared that country and Western music is his favorite genre, mentioning that he had seen Texas country icon Kenny Rogers live just two years earlier. Music is clearly a big part of his life, as he explained, “I listen to music on the radio, at my nan’s house, and on YouTube.” His biggest fans are his parents, Shane and Tamara, with Shane proudly stating, “Whenever Shaney-Lee sings, it fills you with pride. Everywhere we go, people always ask him to perform.”
Shaney-Lee truly knows how to captivate an audience, instantly getting them on their feet with his performance. Both the judges and the crowd were equally charmed by his heartwarming interview afterward. For an extra dose of cuteness, don’t miss his battle round performance, where he joins fellow contestants Lilia Slattery and Jimmy Rey to sing “ABC” by The Jackson 5.
The battle round marked the end of Shaney-Lee’s journey in the second season of The Voice Kids, where he was eliminated by top-six finalist Lilia Slattery. Observing Shaney-Lee speak and perform, it’s clear he has wisdom beyond his years, something his mother acknowledged, saying, “He’s certainly full of confidence—way more than I have. He’s definitely an old soul in a little man’s body.”
Before stepping onto the stage for his blind audition, Shaney-Lee had a game plan, confidently saying, “I’m gonna make sure to, number one, smile, number two, dance, number three, hold the microphone, and number four, tap my foot.” And with his performance winning over both the studio audience and online fans, who could possibly question his perfect formula for success?
The young Bristol native truly shined with his rendition of Take Me Home, Country Roads, skillfully adjusting the range to suit his voice compared to Denver’s original tenor delivery. The track was the country icon’s breakthrough hit, achieving Platinum status in the UK and double Platinum in 1971.
“Take Me Home, Country Roads” appears on Denver’s fourth album, Poems, Prayers & Promises. It remains his most iconic hit, amassing 763 million streams on Spotify—more than three times the number of plays for his second most popular song, “Annie’s Song.”
