Bayou Chicot native’s run on hit singing show ends

Bayou Chicot native James Dupre said goodbye to his chance at winning NBC’s hit show The Voice during Monday night’s Knockout Rounds.
Having been pre-filmed, Dupre knew what to expect on Monday night’s episode. Knowing his fate, Dupre decided to head on home to watch his final performance on the television show with some of his biggest supporters, his friends and family in Louisiana.
“Because I knew what the outcome was going to be, I decided I wanted to be here, in my hometown, with my family and friends. It is such a close knit community here and the people have given me so much support so I realized I wanted to be here for the final episode to tell everyone thanks,” Dupre said.
For the Knockout Rounds, Dupre was pitted against fellow contestant Shelby Brown. While Levine may have chosen to keep Brown on his team, Dupre’s performance of Blake Shelton’s hit song Sure Be Cool If You Did received praise from the show’s judges.
After his performance, The Voice judge Pharrell Williams said, “I feel like you sang that song flawlessly.”
It may have been Dupre’s last time to stand before The Voices four judges, but the recognition he has gained from his time on the singing show has only helped elevate the number of people who have heard the 31-year-old’s outstanding set of vocal pipes.
During a viewing party hosted by Dupre’s parents, Tony, Dupre’s father, received a notification on his phone that made the country singer’s dad a very proud one. After reading the notification, Tony looked at his son and excitedly said, “Your Facebook post has been seen by 30,000 people in an hour.”
After realizing that Dupre’s fan base is continuing to grow even though his time on The Voice has come to an end, Dupre’s youngest brother Ashton said to him, “Congrats. Your career has now begun.”
For Dupre’s mother Roxanne, she can’t help but feel proud of what her son has already accomplished.
Roxanne said, “Being on The Voice has done a lot for James’ career and that’s why we were okay with the outcome tonight. We are just all so very proud of him of what he has already done.”