Did anyone watch it tonight?

So, maybe no one did. Tonight was the first time in my life I watched The Voice - for good reason. My cousin's were on - GNT - Girl Named Tom.

Now, this audition was a month or 2 back. Everything is made for tv these days, right?

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/new-...-021045809.html

If you scroll about a third of the way down, you'll see their video of them at the audition.

I think it's kinda cool.

Oh that's pretty cool that you know someone who was on a network show like that.

I didn't watch it. I have in the past. I enjoy the battle rounds when they fight for contestants, that part is usually pretty amusing and interesting. Once they get past that and get into the competition part, my interest usually wanes.

They did really well.

I don't watch the show, but I am sure you'll keep us updated.

I have never watched it before. And, I had a meeting at church last night while it was on. Wife recorded it.

Obviously, I only watched last night (and will continue) because of cousins.

Wife was trying to explain all the ins and outs and details and what happens next, and how many groups/acts will get to battle rounds, and blah blah blah.

It's just, when it's FAMILY, you support them in any way you can, obviously. When it's people that know you, and you chat with, that are on a national show....it's cool.

Just like with the IRL. I was never a big watcher of Indy car - until a certain driver got in, and did well.

I'll keep watching until they are out, or however that works.

They did great. Loved the song choice and their rendition.

I like the blind auditions, but usually lose interest after, though I did watch through the whole season last time, for the first time.

I used to watch it. I like the idea of having the voice be the important part instead of someone's look - at least to get chairs turned. Beyond the first phase, it seems like a popularity contest.

Haven't watched it in a year or more.

Good luck to your cousins!

edit: wow, got goosebumps

The Voice.........again, I'd never watched it before, but my wife was telling me back when GNT told me they'd be on it - the judges are going by voice, not looks. (at least initially I guess) GNT has the looks, they have the smarts but they have the voice/s. Bekah has a voice that can literally.........well, Adele has nothing on her, let me put it that way. And she loves ABBA - Dancing Queen. To hear her sing that is pure bliss. I'm biased. Listen for yourself.

Last song, although the second song, All I Ask, by adele is pretty good, and Islands in the Stream is great. I think it's the 11th song. (if you click on the link, they have 'chapters'/songs.)

And on youtube you can look up other GNTTonight live vids. Here's Jolene - song 8:

Here, 5th song, she's singing Tracy Chapman's "Give Me one Reason". Awesome.

She, and they, are awesome. Keep in mind the links I showed are from a year plus ago. Their stage presence has only gotten better, as have their voices.

pretty cool!

I don't typically watch it on tv but will watch some of the auditions on youtube later...

good luck to your cousin!

Cousins - as in plural. Bekah is the star, no doubt, though.

my apology... good luck to your cousins

This is them jamming at home, June 2020. I love the song, I love their version of it. Still The Night.

Only time their dad played it with them.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=747381992736583&ref=watch_permalink

Compare that to the original.

Oh yeah, I did watch them,, they are pretty damn good man.. I loved them.. Wish them well.

Oh, one other thing: The oldest - the blondish haired one (not the long haired one) is a big Browns fan, as well as his dad. So....

So, tonight they won the first 'battle' thing. Moving on. I don't know how the whole thing works on The Voice, but they won, whatever that means.

A remarkable accomplishment. Good for them. Win or lose this will unlock a lot of doors.

What it means is that they are basically in a "survive and advance" or "lose and go home" mode..

Winning is a good thing, obviously. And if you want a career in music, it's good to win because that gets you some guarantees to start your career, but just staying alive is great and continues to get you exposure for the people looking to sign music talent. Frequently the people who lose these competition shows near the end can have just as good a career (or better) than the people who win.

They were fricking amazing... wonderful,, and they beat a girl that was also fricking amazing..

I think the next step is the Knock Out round..

If you watched the rest of the show, there was another act that was sibling singers.. They were pretty damn good,, I think a Girl Named Tom was better by a large margin however..

I think they can go all the way.. But you'll see soon that the competition gets a lot stiffer..

Good luck to them, I'm rooting for them

It does and a lot of times it becomes about something other than talent.. they pick a song to sing that isn't right for them or something along those lines.

I've read that as well.

Some of the best contestants I've seen on this show have blown it like that.

Picking the right song is as much a science as anything.

That's where the coach comes in. They have Kelly and she's good at picking songs that really bring out the talents of her team. But she's not perfect.. (who is?) I guess we'll see,, But I'm all in on a Girl Named Tom...

To my understanding, the COACH picks the song. What I think DC was saying was at times, a song the coach picks doesn't mesh well with 1 of the singers/groups fortes.

I think that's what I said.. Coach picks songs, Kelly is pretty good, nobody is perfect....

Well, they survived that round. If anyone watched it, they saw Bekah state that their dad has terminal cancer. Not a matter of if, just a matter of when. Cousin. 5 years older than me. he's done ..............well, he was in a clinical treatment for about a year. In Boston. Didn't do much. No word on how long he has, but the end is near. He'll fight, and he'll accept. He just wants to stick around long enough to see his kids do well.

That’s exactly what the music industry is like too. Think about how many people any of us thought was really talented, but had the worst management imaginable for them.

That is a part of the show. The coach has to eventually cut their own team, so they want to put people out of the comfort zone to see who has the ability to adapt. That takes talent.

I can sing to karaoke maybe 5-6 tunes and actually do a pretty decent job. If I expand out beyond that, well, it isn't good.

They were amazing again Arch....

Thanks, on their behalf.

The oldest is a big Browns fan as well. We discuss them often times.

Was chatting with their dad.......yup, as Bekah said, terminal. I've watched him, the dad, go downhill of late. Sad thing is, the guy never did anything to deserve this - but that happens to a lot of people....

Just hoping he lasts long enough to see however his kids finish.

And don't get me wrong here: he's lived a great life. He's ready. He even said the reason he, and his wife and the kids did so much traveling when the kids were young was because he was a life long diabetic, and he didn't expect to live long. He didn't realized it wasn't diabetes that would get him.

Just a short update on Girl Named Tom's dad. Not good. Had an mri and cat scan this week at U. Of Michigan. He has an oncologist appointment in the morning. he, and his wife are in Ann Arbor right now. Not good. The scans were "the cancer is really growing, fast." He didn't explicitly tell me what that meant, but it's not good. He's been..........well, walking has been an issue, let alone anything else. I know he's scared/worried as he's facing .........well, what none of us want to face but all of us will.

If even one person could pray for him, it would be appreciated. You can pray for healing, as God works miracles, but also, pray for acceptance, for his wife, for his kids that are half a country away.

And don't forget to vote for them tonight. NBC.com/voicevote

Great opening for GNT. I love harmony, so I really like them. Already threw votes their way. Lots of very good performers in this season of the Voice.

I agree. And yes, I'm biased, but no one can argue GNT isn't talented.

Great job by GNT. Voted!

Wife recorded it. Haven't watched it yet. I was gone.

No arguments here.
Pleasant, clean voices. Free of affect or artifice. Good pitch and harmony. Honest music-making.

There is a lot to like with these young folks.

Hoping they move on. (although, and I'm not looking it up, I don't know what 'artifice' means.)

Been facebook dm'ng them .........they're doing great on a personal level. They are, together, great. Individually, even better.

yeah, so, just talking (pm'ing Caleb) a couple of minutes ago. I said "shouldn't you be pacing and walking and all nervous?" Said he was. I have a feeling I know what song they'll be singing. My guess is More Hearts Than Mine, but Ingrid Andress.

First, I should have said BY Ingrid Andress. They hit it, hard.

And, they move on. Still on the show.

On to the finals!

Happy to see GNT in the finals. Tough competition. Some good voices in this group of contestants.

No matter whether they win or not, making the finale will bring them so many more opportunities than they had before they did the show. Not only do they have the talent, they have the look. I've been quietly watching them during the competition. They are certainly an extremely talented group!

Yes, they are.

One of my favorite songs of theirs is Still the Night, by the Bodeans. The video I have is of them, at their parents house, just KILLING it. Dad, Chris, was on the drums, just nailing it. Sadly, his cancer has .........well, he's terminal - he doesn't do a whole lot anymore.


But, last spring, at a local winery, GNT was playing. Of course I was there, front and center. As the show was winding down, I went in to pay (out door show - 150 or so people there) When I walked out, with a drink and having paid, people yelled "There he is!" Caleb, Josh And Bekah turned to look at me, as were most of the other people.

I simply said "What did I do wrong?" Caleb replied "We're actually doing your favorite song, dedicated to you, but we couldn't find you." "I was paying".

And they proceeded to knock it out of the field, albeit, without their dad on the drums. I wish I could share the video of them and their dad, at their house, but it would open to my facebook page, and I'm not doing that.

I don't blame you. That's a really cool story. I can't blame you for being proud of them. Even though I'm not a dedicated fan of theirs over time, I've become a casual fan of theirs from watching the show. I think they will go far.

I will only offer this:

Fast forward to about 1 hour and 5 minutes. they sing Still the Night, with their dad, albeit with him not on the drums. The last song is the kids, espcecially Bekah, just killing an ABBA song. This is from just over a year ago.

Chris isn't doing so well, but......

How one Ohio town is living vicariously through 3 homegrown siblings

PETTISVILLE, Ohio — Girl Named Tom is the biggest thing to happen to the small town of Pettisville.

Just a few months ago, not much changed in the daily routine of the tiny, no-stoplight Fulton County town, except for the buffet menu at Das Essen Haus, the main mom-and-pop restaurant in town.

But suddenly the 683 or so citizens of Pettisville and the surrounding communities of Archbold and Wauseon find themselves touched by the sparkle of Hollywood, as Girl Named Tom — the vocal group comprising local siblings Josh, Caleb, and Bekah Liechty — competes on one of television’s top talent shows, The Voice.

It’s a cold, gray Monday outside Pettisville Schools, but there’s a level of excitement in the air. Girl Named Tom has broken through the Top 8 on The Voice and this particular evening there will once again be a viewing party at the school to root them on, for this is their alma mater.

School Principal Michael Lane and Superintendent Josh Clark couldn’t be prouder of the trio. Each is seated with a plate of school lunch – today it’s Coney dogs – in an office conference room where they’ve gathered to talk about Girl Named Tom, who got their start right here at Pettisville Schools.

Lane lives in Maumee but commutes to Pettisville every day (“It’s worth the drive because I want to be a part of how cool this school really is”).


“I think what makes this community so special is the people,” said Clark. “They rally around their own and there’s a faith-based concept of community at this school that’s second to none. Growing up in Archbold, I knew this place was special, and now getting to be a part of it as superintendent is just great.”

“We have good kids supported by good parents,” added Lane. “The various churches and youth groups spill into the school community and the relationships that have been established create that supportive, nurturing cooperative environment. Kids aren’t at each other; they’re supportive of each other. In a K-12 building you have a senior walking down the hall next to a kindergartener. We try to do activities that foster working together.”

That spirit of working and coming together is apparent when you walk or drive through Pettisville. At Das Essen Haus, there’s a big banner in the lobby featuring Girl Named Tom with “Pettisville’s Hometown Talent” written in big bold black letters. The servers at the restaurant all wear Girl Named Tom shirts, which are for sale for $10 and if they don’t have your size on the shelf, all you have to do is ask someone and they’ll get you your size from the back.

Indeed, the entire community has rallied around the Liechty siblings, who were homeschooled by their parents Chris and Holly until Caleb, the oldest, came into Pettisville Schools as a seventh grader. Josh, the middle child, came in at fifth grade, as did Bekah, the youngest.

The Liechtys live just outside of Pettisville in Archbold, on a long, lonely county road. Their house is a veritable shrine to music creation, with a piano, drums, and other instruments all set up and ready to be played. Patriarch Chris owns a John Deere dealership while mother Holly is a former French teacher.

As they sit down to talk about their children, who will be seen by millions of people this night, they are happy, joyful, and excited for their kids’ performance. But they also know their family has been just plain blessed by the opportunities their kids have had.

“They’re talented yes, and we recognized that at an early age,” said Holly, seated on a couch. “Caleb could pick up a saxophone and play ‘Amazing Grace’ without ever having touched a saxophone before. When they would play at their piano recitals or at church, people would notice there was something special about these kids. It just moved them. It went deeper than nice music. It touched their soul. Many many people are gifted but if you don’t have an excellent teacher, you can’t develop that gift.”

Holly and Chris give a lot of credit for their children’s success to their teachers, including the choir instructor at Pettisville Schools Duane Beck. As Girl Named Tom progressed on the show, The Voice producers made the Liechtys sign several documents and release forms and they came in and filmed in their house, an experience Chris described as “crazy.”

“They made us sign all kinds of different releases, including a non-disclosure agreement, and they didn’t tell us much in the beginning. They just told us, ‘Your kids are great and we might need all this B-roll,’ ” said Chris, who is currently battling cancer. “Little by little people were starting to find out how amazing the kids are. We’d see their names pop up on Entertainment Tonight, but we couldn’t say anything because we were signed to a non-disclosure agreement not to say anything.”

But that was then and this is now and Girl Named Tom is currently in the Top 5 of The Voice. On Monday night citizens of Pettisville and the surrounding neighborhoods will once more assemble in the auditorium of the school to root for their hometown heroes. Girl Named Tom is currently the first trio in the history of The Voice to make it to a season finale. But to the residents of this small Ohio town, Girl Named Tom is already a local hero, no matter the outcome.

“Girl Named Tom exemplifies the very best of what makes the Pettisville community so special,” said Clark. “The incredible journey they’re taking us all on is one for the history books. Not only do they exemplify class, poise, and character, but they have become role models for our students here at Pettisville.

“Their journey is only beginning."

“The Voice” can be seen at 8 p.m. ET Monday and Tuesday on NBC.

link

Thanks for posting that, Clem.

I'd love to give an update on Chris, the dad, but I don't feel it is appropriate for me to do so.

Oh, the school also announced a 2 hour delay Wed, due to the show on Tuesday night going to 11 p.m. Super basically said "we know everyone will be watching.....all the kids."

Nailed that first song. And to think, behind the scenes it's been mentioned that "if we don't win, that could be good, cause we can go back and spend time with our dad."

I thought both were excellent song choices and gave a perfect example of their musical versatility. They certainly have some tough competition but no matter the shows results my guess is this exposure wiill help them go far.

Pretty much what I told my wife last night. And what I texted Caleb and Josh.

Win it all? Great. Don't? GNT has gotten their name out there. Name recognition, with the talent, will take them as far as they want.

Winners!!! Go to Girl Named Tom on facebook, read what they wrote. About their dad.

I'm happy they won.. Excellent young folks with great talent.. Can't wait until we see the next chapter....

Just caught the finals performance. The Chain is one of my all time favorite songs, and they just nailed it. Awsome for them, their dad and all of NW Ohio.

Got on facebook this morning and...............every post was GNT.

It was, and has been, awesome to watch. To watch your cousins nail it every night.

I do believe they are headed back here. Probably back here already. As I congratulated them last night, I made sure to tell the each "don't even bother replying to me. I know you have so many people to get back with, congrats, hanger ons, etc."

Just so happy for them, and hoping their dad could see it.......

I could come in here and trash your thread by attacking you the same way you go around stalking and doing it to me. But unlike yourself, I won't stoop to that. Carry on.

Actually, you could. It would be laughed at, though.

I won't. Not for the reason you claim however. It's because I'm not a stalker.

Nice addition to the thread. Off topic, and yes, stalker comes to my mind about you as well. You can't let anything go, you break your own "rules" for how other people post, and you can't tolerate someone that posts as you do.

People should be careful of the seeds they decide to plant. It often bears fruit they do not like the taste of.

BTW- congrats on their win. they deserved it.

Is someone going to tell him?

Wait..They won? Awesome! I missed the show but I did see their performances on Facebook. They are very talented!

So, we're going to see them live at the end of January. Just because. I may have said it before, but, like I told my wife "Gone are the days of seeing them in person at the local winery, or area churches." Good for them.

$115 a person, but we're going on a bus. It includes a meal as well, at a country club. Who knows what the food will be like.........but also, who knows the next time they'll be playing close to home?

All of their songs on The Voice:


For anyone interested. 27 minutes long.

And their dad isn't doing great right now. Palliative care.

I love all the songs.........but, in the vid I linked - at about the 13 minute mark: The drummers (4 of them) kettle drums Clem? Watching the drummers go wild was just awesome, as well as violinists. The Voice puts top notch musicians out there, and they take it serious. Guitar players in later songs.....etc.

Well, GNT's dad, Chris.......he's in an in patient hospice care facility right now. My last message to him was "I read the Caring Bridge" post, is there anything I can do for your family?" His reply was "I'm in Defiance (town/city - hospice facility) but, "I'm in Defiance. Done with it all."

This is the kind of story that makes people real to folks who've never met each other.

It's a gift that you are continuing to tell this story for us.

And, he died early this morning.

So sorry to hear that. That family seems like such good people.

Sorry to hear that Arch.

I pray for God's comfort for his family and friends.

They are, trust me.

He was a wealthy man, but you'd never have guessed in talking to him/them, or in how they lived their lives.

He was an awesome cousin, with insights on much, things one wouldn't think of. He was a Christian to his core, and it showed in his life, as well as his wife, and kids, and his siblings, etc. Always looking to help, in some manner. I know, that gets said about everyone, almost, that dies. This guy LIVED it, daily.

The "best"? thing? He, and they all, knew he was terminal a while back.

It started with pain in his extremely lower back, way back - year and half, 2 years? Doctor. U of M in Ann Arbor for a while. Then the Cleveland Clinic. Then off on a clinical trial in Boston (where most of the people with the same issue died). He said numerous times "It's weird going to Boston monthly, for a week or so at a time, and each month, going back, 1 or 2 of the people I knew there (patients) weren't alive anymore." They "excused" him from the trial with "we can't do anything."

Home. Walking became an issue. Then he fell, broke his hip. Off for surgery to fix that at the local hospital. Then, back up to U of M to learn how to walk again, and radiation had been scheduled to give him a little more time. (prior to breaking his hip, that is).

He was in good spirits at U of M. They sent him home. He, and they, knew. They knew a year plus ago, what the end was. Right to an in patient hospice facility. Lasted about 5-6 days. As I stated earlier, his last reply to me was "Defiance, Done with it all." (hospice center in Def. Ohio). His wife was with him. He went to sleep, and didn't wake up.

The family is handling it very well - all things considered. His daughter posted about it - sad, yet happy for him. Sad for them, but happy for him.

He did get to see his 2 siblings and their spouses earlier in the week. And, his 95 year old mom - who still drives, and has all her faculties about her. Amazing, no dementia, no health issues, etc.

Hey, he knew he was dying. He made it long enough to see his kids win The Voice. Even in the early days at hospice, when they were on zoom chats with people in LA, and Nashville, he liked to listen in, ask questions, etc. Bekah, I think it was yesterday, said she played guitar for him for 5 hours. (they took turns being with him)

Deepest condolences, Brother.
It's been a privilege to have you share this Fam story with us.

I hope that you'll share the story that continues.

I was way off on how long he had the tumor. It was almost 5 years ago it was discovered. How time flies.

Off to Van Wert, Ohio to see them at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center. 2 sold out shows today.

So, they're touring now. Just got done with 2 shows in Louisiana. Still working on their debut album. Here's a link to their current schedule. (shows get added all the time).

https://www.girlnamedtom.com/events

Sometime this summer they'll be the opening act for Kelsea Ballerini, a country performer.

And, Aug. 30th, they'll be at the Huntington Center in Toledo. Kind of a big venue. If it sells out, I'd be amazed, but 5,000-7,000 wouldn't surprise me one bit.

Kelsea Ballerini - most known song: https://video.search.yahoo.com/sear...fb0690efc16691b6ed05a73&action=click

Our hospital system is doing a presale of tickets for employees to that show on the 30th. I think the house will be packed.

I can only hope so. If not, it's still a large venue for a group that last summer was playing at a local winery, and 2 years ago was having to call bars, restaurants, etc, asking them "Ever think about live entertainment??" And doing house parties for as few as 15 people sometimes....

Just a voice I like.

Look for GNT to possibly be at the Indy 500 singing God Bless America.

Oh, they are. I forget the song - either America the Beautiful, or God bless America.

Now, they are touring all over the country. This Friday and Sat. they are in Lancaster PA, just out side of Philly.

How do you go from an 8 pm show in Lancaster PA, finishing around 10 pm, and make it to Indy - a 9 1/2 hour drive, and be ready to perform at 11 in the morning?

Oh, Indy says "don't worry. We'll have a private jet waiting for you after your show in Lancaster."

Yeah, they're playing at small venues - 500-1250 seats. But they're also selling those out, and adding shows, sometimes doing 2 in the same day.

Plus, they'll be at the Huntington Center in Toledo in late August. Big name groups perform there. But who cares? They have all the gigs they can do.

I know what they get, dollar wise, per show. Pretty nice. They may end up being a 1-2 year wonder, but the money they're making is crazy. Not crazy like top artists, but damn good.

They are touring all over the country. East coast to west coast, northern border to southern....

I have a good idea what they make at each event - wow!

Someone mentioned something along the lines of "they need to start singing their own songs." They are.

They've also hired a guitarist and a drummer to travel with them, they got their own (small) motor coach.

Here is there latest song - written by them a week prior. Enjoy.

I'm sorry. The first time was May 20, 2022 in San Francisco.

Yo, Arch... Driving down 30 today outside Van Wert and saw a mini billboard for Girl Named Tom! Pretty cool!

We went to the Huntington Center in Toledo Tuesday night to see them. Awesome performance.

GNT - Girl Named Tom - are doing fantastic! Touring all over. Opening, soon, don't have the date handy, for Kelsea Ballerini. (up and coming Country star - has sung with Kenny Chesney). Also, just signed to do a Christmas tour with Pentatonix. (not sure I have that spelled correctly) Some 30 shows in just over 2 months this winter.

I was wrong. With Pentatonix it's 22 shows in 35 days, east coast to west coast.

Here's them, on the finale of this years The Voice. Powerful song about their dad who died just under a year ago. Powerful song for anyone missing a departed loved one.
Edited to add: Watch it with closed captioning. At least for the hard of hearing Arch, it helps out. Also, the 'parade of lights' mentioned in the song is from Archbold.

I told you what you could expect after they won the contest- that they'd get coaching, become more polished, and set new standards for themselves. And that's exactly what I see in this vid.

They sing better in tune, they are more cohesive, they're handily managing more sophisticated musical arrangements, and they still have the original blend that was evident in their early works.
Their innate talent was always evident, but there are a lot of talented folks out there. Talent alone has never been enough. Talent gets you noticed. Discipline/dedication gets you work. Talent only makes progress at this pace if you work like a pro. It's really paid off for them, and it's great to see a "small town success story."

Also: As polished as their stage presence and delivery is, they've stayed true to what got them this far: they're still connected to and sing about their roots. It's their fuel. And their superpower.

American Dream on display.

very cool to see.

You were correct.

They used to do Thursday night concerts, from their home. I believe I sent you one of those vids. Shoot, even their internet connection gave them problems. They they got a chance to do those Thursday night concerts at a local recording studio. Mollie B. (polka music is what she and her husband do - but in the polka music genre, they're kind of a thing).

Then, seeing them at a local winery performing for 100 people or so. At a local church, later, for maybe 200? They grew so much. Then they decided to go "on tour" with a few gigs, and even, when in a city somewhere, going out to clubs and asking if they could perform, even later that night.....

Played a house party in Florida for........get this: 12 people.

Then The voice (after a while, that is. They were on the west coast when covid hit, and they came home)

Now? 2, 3 shows a week most weeks. Being with Pentatonix? Caleb said "we sang for 13,000 last night" a few days ago.

They have an album out now, all original songs I believe.

From day 1, their stage presence was decent, but it has gone up beyond belief since. Yes, they got help, from many people. And yes, they work on it, constantly.

There are a few other songs of theirs that I love, but their in person shows are great. Going back, I've been to 6 of them. Last one was in Toledo at the Huntington Center. Bekah and Josh even saw me just before they went on stage and waved at me. I thought that was cool.

And the only reason for GNT? When their dad got cancer, their mom asked them if maybe they could form a band. Just for a year. So they weren't all scattered about the country for college - C was accepted at a med. school, J was finishing his under grad in pre med, and B was just going to be starting pre-med.