Cori Kennedy, a former softball standout for Minnesota State University, Mankato, has made it past the blind auditions on “The Voice.”
Kennedy, a 28-year-old from the Kasson-Mantorville area of Minnesota, impressed judge Reba McEntire on the Sept. 29 episode with her cover of the Judds’ “Why Not Me.”
“If you’re going to tackle a song that Wynonna Judd made famous, girl, you better have your big panties on because that is a tough pair of shoes to follow,” said McEntire after she was selected by Kennedy to be her coach. “We’re going to have a blast together.”
After her performance, in which she accompanied herself on guitar, Kennedy played a song she wrote about the thrill of meeting the four celebrity judges. The toe-tapping number, which included photos of her years growing up and had Snoop Dogg leaping out of his seat to dance, included plenty of Minnesota references like “Have you ever tried to jump-start a Minnesota frozen car?”
“A little bit of advice,” said Dogg, who was not in the running to be her coach because he didn’t spin his chair around during “Why Not Me.” “Next time you’re on ‘The Voice,’ come on with an original song.”
Kennedy, who works in furniture sales, graduated from Kasson-Mantorville High School in 2015. During her time at Minnesota State University, she helped lead the Mavericks to their first NCAA softball championship. In the 2019 season, she had 57 hits, the second-most on the team.
Blind auditions continue this week on “The Voice,” which airs at 7 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC. The battle rounds start on Oct. 13.
