Reba McEntire is coaching Indiana's Jackson Snelling on 'The Voice.' Here's what we know

It's hard to imagine an emerging country singer landing a better coach than country music queen Reba McEntire.

Austin, Indiana, singer-songwriter Jackson Snelling scored a spot on Team Reba on the season 24 premiere of “The Voice” Monday evening.

Performance a tribute to dad

Snelling, 21, impressed judges with his performance of Justin Moore’s “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” during the first night of the blind auditions. It was a tribute to his deceased father.

Gwen Stefani vs. Reba McIntire

Pop star Gwen Stefani was fast to turn her chair in a bid to snag Snelling for her team. McEntire jumped into the competition toward the end of the performance.

“I grew up listening to you, Miss Reba,” Snelling told the country music superstar, who has taken the seat that country singer Blake Shelton vacated after 12 years and 23 seasons.

McEntire complimented Snelling on his tone and song choice.

“I am just so proud to be in the county music business and proud that you’re representing us here on 'The Voice' today,” she told him.

When Stefani, wife of Shelton, boasted about having two No. 1 country records. McEntire countered, “I’ve had more than two.” (She’s had 21.)

Where is Austin, Indiana?

Austin, Indiana, is a city of about 4,000 people in Jennings Township, Scott County.

It became a city in 2008.

Singer talks about having autism

“Being on the spectrum, music has helped me so much,” he told the coaches, which also include John Legend and returning winning coach Niall Horan.

Snelling said in a voiceover that as a child, he’d sing to his brother, Dawson, who also is autistic, to help him communicate.

We've seen Jackson Snelling on TV before

Snelling was a 2021 "American Idol" contestant, shown auditioning before the celebrity judges. He sang an original song that he wrote for his brother to help cope with their father’s death.

He won the Josie Music Awards Entertainer of the Year Fan Choice Award in 2021 and the Video of the Year Award for his original "If I Only Knew " in 2020, and is nominated in a slew of categories for this year’s awards ceremony, taking place in October at the Grand Old Opry in Nashville.

Show on NBC and Peacock in coming weeks

"The Voice" airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC and streams next day on Peacock.

Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on Twitter: @cherylvjackson.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 'The Voice' from Indiana: Reba McEntire is coaching Jackson Snelling