Watch ‘The Voice’ Winner Cam Anthony Perform Bon Jovi’s ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’
It wasn't an obvious choice, but The Voice competitor Cam Anthony rode the classic Bon Jovi song "Wanted Dead or Alive" en route to becoming the eventual victor of Season 20 of the NBC singing competition.
Anthony's smooth and soulful voice wowed The Voice judges upon his initial blind audition, leading Nick Jonas to use his "block" on John Legend removing him for bidding to become his coach. But that strategic move was one upped by fellow coach Blake Shelton who promised to not add anyone "in his lane" to his team as the auditions continued. Anthony chose the country singer to guide him through the competition and had a relatively smooth path to the finals.
Throughout the run, Cam continued to impress with covers of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" and a standout performance of Boyz II Men's version of "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday," but with the championship on the line the young singer pulled out a surprise choosing to take on the Bon Jovi rock classic.
Revealing that the track was a favorite of his family's and that they'd all "rock out" to it on "Rock Band" when he was growing up, the singer forged ahead with a powerful performance that served as his final impression on the voting audience ahead of finale night when a winner was crowned.
The track initially appeared on Bon Jovi's 1986 release Slippery When Wet and peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's been certified as a four-times platinum single in the U.S.
After the performance, Shelton praised Anthony and admitted his fellow coaches too were all surprised when they saw which song he was taking on.
On Tuesday night (May 25), the 19-year-old Anthony was crowned the season's champ of The Voice, winning a $100,000 cash prize and a recording contract with Universal Music Group.
Shelton was effusive in his praise of the young vocalist, stating, "You being on this show and giving us the chance to be a part of your journey has changed the show forever and we’ve been needing that."
Anthony got his start in North Philadelphia singing gospel music in his grandfather's church. Prior to The Voice, he had been invited twice to sing the National Anthem for President Barack Obama and he previously won a Showtime at the Apollo competition in 2018. He also sang on The Ellen Show when he was just 11-years-old.
Check out Cam Anthony's performance of the Bon Jovi classic "Wanted Dead or Alive" below.