A young man with autism dazzled the judges on The Voice with his stunning voice as he performed a country music hit in memory of his late father.

Death and losing a loved one, especially someone as close as a parent, is and always will be difficult. It’s a loss that will forever and always sting. No one will be able to fill the role of a loving, caring parent. Yes, the passage of time makes life a little more bearable after a loss, but the absence of that person will always be noticeable and felt.

Jackson Snelling knows what it means to lose a parent and the hurt that comes with such a monumental loss. The 21-year-old from a small town in Indiana stepped onto The Voice stage and sang Justin Moore’s “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away.” His audition on the popular singing show, according to NBC, was meant to honor and make his late father proud. Judging from the wild, overwhelming positive reaction from the studio audience and how the judges heaped praise on him, he did that. 

Seconds into his performance, Gwen Stefani had heard enough. She immediately hit her button, turning her chair around for the young country crooner. Then, 20 or 30 seconds later, the program’s country music artist, Reba McEntire, had been won over. She also turned her chair around for Jackson.

It became clear very early who Jackson was likely to select as his coach. During the back-and-forth with the judges, Jackson admitted that he grew up listening to the music of Reba McEntire. 

The young man from Indiana also mentioned that he has autism. He added that “being on the spectrum, music has helped” him in life. 

Reba gave Jackson a massive compliment, praising his singing ability, which put a huge smile on the young man’s face.

“So country music is my life, my foundation,” Reba said. “So, to hear you come on The Voice and sing like you did today, I am just so proud to be in the country music business and proud that you’re representing us.”

Gwen gave Jackson her sales pitch, trying to convince him to join her team. But in the end, Jackson chose Reba as his coach and mentor on the show.

Psalm 105:2 “Let your voice be sounding in songs and melody; let all your thoughts be of the wonder of his works.”