Abbeville singer’s presence wows ‘Voice’ judges

She had the choice between working with a pair of music heavyweights who own more than 15 Grammy wins, but Abbeville’s Koryn Hawthorne is now a member of Team Christina.
Competing on the NBC singing competition “The Voice”, Hawthorne, a junior at Lighthouse Christian Academy in Abbeville, decided to join Christina Aguilera. She also could have worked with Pharrell Williams.
Both Aguilera and Williams turned their chairs around after hearing Hawthorne perform “My Kind of Love” during the blind audition round that aired Tuesday on NBC. The four judges on the show have their chairs back away from the singer, where only the singer’s voice can be heard.
“What I love about you is that you are standing there with that old soul,” Williams told Hawthorne during the broadcast. “You have something that is different from all of your friends. You are not cocky and you stand there with humility. People are going to line up to see that for the rest of your life.
“I just want a shot at that.”
Aguilera referenced Hawthorne's can-be-taught ability.
“You are already such a powerhouse vocalist,” Aguilera told Hawthorne. “I see that as such rare, special quality. There’s not a vocal coach in the world that can teach what you just did.
“I would be honored to be your coach.”
After a few moments, with a smile on her face, Hawthorne made her decision.
“I am going to pick Christina,” Hawthorne said.
It proved a great decision she had to make.
“Having two amazing superstars like Christina and Pharrell fight over me is the biggest and greatest thing that could ever happen,” Hawthorne said proudly. “To hear the biggest names in music tell me that I am talented (is) a great validation.”
Williams did not seem bitter about the choice, telling Aguilera she has something special in Hawthorne.
“She’s the real thing,” Williams told Aguilera.
While the talent is there, Hawthorne told a national audience that it is her mother, Summer Dozier Simon, that has helped make her success possible.
“We struggled a little bit growing up because my mom was a single-parent working two jobs,” Hawthorne said. “She sacrificed a lot just to give me my dreams.”
Simon said on the show that it creates one emotion.
“It makes me feel proud as a parent to see Koryn achieving her goals,” Simon said before emotion got the best of her, tears filling her eyes.
“Aw, momma,” Hawthorne responded, before her own tears started to fall. “My mom means the world to me. She is my biggest inspiration.
“If I turn a (judge’s) chair, it will show my mom that everything she has done is not in vain.”