Abbeville's Hawthorne overcomes nerves, shines on 'The Voice'

Adam Levine, a coach on NBC's hit show "The Voice," described Koryn Hawthorne's voice as "bonkers mature." Moments later, coaches Christina Aguilera and Pharrell Williams, two of the biggest names in entertainment, were fighting over the 16-year-old singer from Abbeville.

Hawthorne's powerful voice and convincing performance gave no clue how she was really feeling inside.

"I think this was the most nerve-wracking experience I have ever been through," said Hawthorne, a junior at Lighthouse Christian Preparatory School in Abbeville. "I had to calm myself down because it was a very important moment.

"I said to myself, 'You deserve it.' I just wanted to trust in God in the moment.

"But I was really nervous. After walking out on stage, I literally blacked out after the first words of my song came out."

The coaches soaked up every word of Hawthorne's rendition of "My Kind of Love" in the blind auditions of "The Voice" Tuesday night. Hawthorne advances in the competition as a member of Team Christina when the competition continues Monday and Tuesday on NBC.

Hawthorne is one of four Louisiana natives to advance. Travis Ewing, of Lafayette; Tonya Boyd-Cannon, of New Orleans; Rob Taylor, of Donaldsonville; and Meghan Linsey, of Ponchatoula, are also on the show.

"The Voice" continues the passion for song for Hawthorne, a praise singer at Crossroads Church in Lafayette and Lighthouse for Jesus Ministry in Abbeville. She sites pop and R&B greats like Michael Jackson, Etta James, Aretha Franklin and Beyoncé among her big influences, along with gospel singers Marvin Sapp and Chris Tomlin.

But Hawthorne also credits vocal coaches Cindy Chisolm, of Abbeville, and Wanda Leblanc, of St. Martinville, as shaping her voice.

"I don't remember a time when I didn't sing," said Hawthorne, who works at a pizza parlor part-time. "When I was about 6 years old, I got a vocal coach. She really helped develop my voice."

Hawthorne also gained experience with Louisiana Kids Inc., a Christian-centered nonprofit that helps children from ages 3 to high school seniors develop their talent.

"We do various events to help build our talent." Said Hawthorne. "It's strictly based around performance. We'll perform at nursing homes, different festivals around Louisiana. Once a year, we'll have a competition."

Now that she's on the biggest stage of her young career, Hawthorne is more inspired than ever.

"I want to go all the way. This is what I want to do. Singing is my No. 1 passion. I hope I can go all the way with a music career, in general."