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It was a voice resembling something from far above, perhaps as high in the clouds as Heaven itself.

And, if you really search deep inside the soul of an embattled Roanoke-Chowan region – an area of low wages, high poverty, and an alarming increase in crime – that voice was enough to lift our sagging spirit.

On Monday night in front of a national TV audience, Ahoskie native Brennan Lassiter not only turned a lot of heads, but turned the four chairs of the judges on the 17^th season of “The Voice.”

For those unfamiliar with this long-running TV show, The Voice, which airs Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC, is a singing competition that searches for untapped talent across America. The early rounds of competition are blind auditions, where a singer performs in front of four celebrity judges who have their chairs facing away from the stage. Those judges only use their ears to critique the talent. If they turn their chairs, the performer receives the opportunity to select which one will become their coach.

From that point forward, the performers on each judge’s team square-off head-to-head, with the judge making the decision on which one to keep. Those advancing during the latter stages of the competition are determined by public vote.

No one can guarantee how far Lassiter, or any other of the chosen performers, can advance. But from what we heard on Monday night – and based on the 38,000-plus views and in excess of 100-plus positive comments on this newspaper’s Facebook page that published a story about her opening night success – Lassiter’s potential has no limit.

This 20-year-old, now living with her mother and grandparents in South Carolina, has the voice of an angel, complete with just enough “growl” to make her extremely unique. Plus she has this air of complete innocence….right down to the point where Monday’s performance was a first for her, outside of singing at her church, and the first time she has traveled in a commercial jet.

Based on the comments on our Facebook page, Brennan Lassiter – whose father, paternal grandparents, and other family members and friends live locally – is just what our little neck of the woods needs right now. We need a wholesome person like her to focus upon, who once shared our strife, and who understands that in times of trying to make ends meet through compromise that there is someone more powerful and merciful that we can turn to for love and support.

At Monday’s performance she chose to sing a country-style version of “You Are My Sunshine.” What she perhaps didn’t realize when those touching words came from deep within her soul was the impact it had on not just those here locally, but all across America. We needed that “sunshine” to make us happy when our “clouds are gray.”

Where ever the path now leads Brennan Lassiter, whether it’s all the way to the final round of The Voice or back to the places she calls home in Dacusville, SC or Ahoskie, NC, we are blessed and proud to say she’s one of our own.

If she does advance, we encourage you to cast a vote for Brennan. If she wins, we all win.

– The Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald