A country singer with a soulful bent, Kirk Jay first made an impression in 2018 as a contestant on NBC's televised musical competition The Voice. Jay placed third on the 15th season of the show, but that was enough to propel him out of the bar circuit he played in his home state of Alabama. Born in the small Alabama town of Bay Minette on July 1, 1996, Kirk Jay grew up poor, finding solace in music. As a child, he sang in the choir and learned how to play drums, but he didn't go professional until he entered his late teens. Around 2015, he started to gain headway through open mic performances. Eventually, he assembled a backing band called Kuntry Funk. In 2018, he was cast on the 15th season of The Voice, where he became part of Blake Shelton's team. Jay lasted until the season finale, placing third overall. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi