Jake Hoot Winner of the Voice In the Up N Country Studio!
Season 17 Winner of NBCs The Voice, Jake Hoot joins me in the Up N Country Studio to chat about his on television experience, singing with Kelly Clarkson, his Grand Ole Opry debut plus “Baking With Jake” and a round of “Truth or Truth!”
Sue Bonzell
He has opened for Alabama Darius Rucker, Jordan Davis, he has a new song out. He happens to know Kelly Clarkson really well, because he won season 17 of the voice. I am so excited. Jake Hoot is here. Hello, Jake.
Jake Hoot
Hey, how are you?
Sue Bonzell
I am fantastic. super thrilled to have you here. We have so much to talk about. I’ve got pages of notes. Your your people sent me all of your accolades. And I was like, I don’t think we’re gonna get to all of those.
Jake Hoot
They left out the bad ones.
Sue Bonzell
There were no bad ones. No bad ones. So, you know, obviously everybody wants to know about the voice season 17 You were the winter. I saw Kelly Clarkson was the only one that turned her chair. Right. She was she’s so smart.
Jake Hoot
She is you know, and I try not to hold it against Blake too much. But you know, it ended up working out because I even told Kelly that had Blake turned up probably would have gone with him because I love Blake show. But it ended up working out perfectly.
Sue Bonzell
Yeah. And now. So now you’ve been on her show. You guys have done a song together. Tell us about the song
Jake Hoot
when I was on the voice. Kelly had told me numerous times, hey, I would love to work with you after this whether you win or lose. And so I held her to it. And almost immediately after the show, I wrote a song with Jamie Floyd who’s an incredible writer here in Nashville. Dean Sam’s another incredible writer, but he also plays piano for Lone Star. And we wrote this song called I would have loved you. And I sent it to Kelly and she loved the song and we ended up recording it I think in 2020 did a music video out in LA during all the midst of all the craziness going on. And it’s been an incredible thing. Yeah.
Sue Bonzell
Yeah, she’s I mean, so you’ve done you’ve done that with her. What else? I mean, I have I have that like a whole list here. You did that show. You guys did a video. We did see it kind of was that was the whole broadcast. That
Jake Hoot
was yeah, they took it and ran with it. And it’s just been cool because you know, so many people have been able to connect with that. And then still people bring up the duet I did with her on on the voice the Christmas song we did together Winter Song so I’ve been able to work with her and multiple different things. And then I wrote and sang a Christmas song last year with the tenors. And she ended up loving that song and putting that on her show as well.
Sue Bonzell
Well. Okay, the bond pretty strong with Kelly Clarkson. She’s pretty cool, right?
Jake Hoot
Oh, she’s terrible.
Sue Bonzell
She seems like you know, just watching her show and just seeing how she interacts everything. She just seems like somebody like, who would be super cool to hang out with like a real genuine just Oh,
Jake Hoot
yeah. very down to earth. Very funny. She’s only like this tall. But, you know, she just she’s just a great person. She’s from the great state of Texas. All my Texans out there. But just very sweet. And like you said, very genuine.
Sue Bonzell
Yeah. Now you have a new song out before you tell us about this song. You just really said When did you release this? Just couple months ago?
Jake Hoot
Yeah, just probably Yeah, a little over a month ago, I think Yes, ma’am. It you know, I’m, I was told by a very seasoned writer years ago, right, what you know, and, you know, we got, you know, my wife and I got married a little over a year ago, we just had a baby. And so, you know, love is in the air. And so, here lately, I’ve been writing a lot of love songs. And we went into the writing room one day, and we started just throwing around ideas. And we all started talking about and collectively, you know, bringing up memories and stuff of people that you know, that we are with that all the things that we thought we knew about love all the things we thought we knew about happiness and life and stuff, we didn’t find out until them and you know, it’s kind of like God blessed the broken road of like, you know, you go through all these, you know, different situations, maybe different people, whatever, only to get to this person. And so the song is, you know, basically I didn’t really know a whole lot about this before you and so it ended up being really well. And you know, people have responded well to it. So we’re really happy with
Sue Bonzell
- I love this now, so I follow you on your socials and everything and I love your socials. I love your wife. Oh, I do too. I’m so glad that you said that. But you guys are doing a song together. And I heard her she was singing on one of these songs. I was like, Oh, dang, she could Yes,
Jake Hoot
you know, when we I may pull her in on that one. We There’s a song called endless that another love song. Surprise. And we we love singing together. She’s got such a beautiful voice. We released a song last year together called wherever time goes and people have just been begging for her to be back on songs. And so we she loves the song called endless and one day I was sitting out on the porch and she decided she wanted to sing it with me and we posted it and people have been you know all over it want her to sing on it so that may be another duet song we don’t know yet.
Sue Bonzell
I love it. i It’s kind of like it reminded me of I was like Kane brown with his new song and he brought his wife on and it was one of those where I’m all okay, Where’s he been hiding her? Yeah, I mean, come on. Like they’re really good. And same thing I like hearing your wife sing on some of your socials. I was pretty excited. Hitting. No. I love some of the things that you do on your socials. We were just talking about your most recent posts was the freezer. Yes. And I love it because you brought the baby with you.
Jake Hoot
I did. I did. I did. Yeah, we you know, I’m getting ready for Thanksgiving. I am the biggest Christmas guy you’ve ever met I might Carter as well times 10 But I also love Thanksgiving too, because I love times that family gets together and probably a few years ago I started deep frying turkeys. And so like any good preparing dad would do we get our turkeys a month in advance to make sure there’s enough you know, my wife doesn’t let me live that down. But we didn’t have room in our freezer and so we went to go get a deep freeze. I ended up talking to the people that were selling it getting it 50% off because there was a dean and we installed it yesterday. And you know, I kept going out into making sure it was cool and you know and everything else and I would just find myself staring at the stupid thing and it’s a freezer y’all. It’s a little black mini freezer. And so I thought I need to do a video about this. And like you said I included our newest little addition Maddie. She wasn’t too fond of it. I really liked the freezer though. And so you know we did a video.
Sue Bonzell
I love it. I love it. I like the the baking with Jake. Oh, thank you. That was really good. Now you’re doing keto diet, right?
Jake Hoot
I am. I am, which is really hard to do. If any of y’all are watching this, send me recipes. You know, go on my socials send me recipes. But yeah, baking with Jake is something I started back during Super quarantine times. Because I love the kitchen and I’ve got all my gadgets in there. And we just have a good time in the kitchen. And so sometimes I’d bring my oldest and Macey and other times it just be me or I bring my wife in. And so we’re kind of bringing those back around. They’re just they’re just fun because one we get to enjoy it after I’m done cooking it. But two, I get to show people the insanity that happens when I’m in the kitchen.
Sue Bonzell
So and I love that my last one the last one you did that I watched and you telling your wife to do the dishes. I sat there and I watched it. I went oh, you did not? He did? No. I
Jake Hoot
had to ask her permission. Before I did that. I said Honey, do you mind if I put this little segment in there? And you know she was okay with it. But yeah, had I done that off the cuff? Oh, you’re probably seeing something thrown at me and I’d have been ducking or something. But what makes a good video? guy you know,
Sue Bonzell
it’s all it’s all for the sake of Tik Tok. Right, that’s all good. So now, tell me about growing up. So you were born in Texas. I was my notes here, say that you were raised in the Dominican Republic,
Jake Hoot
I was about that. My parents were missionaries for many years. And we traveled all over the United States. After I was born, I lived in Oklahoma and Tennessee. And then we moved over to Haiti for a few months. And then we moved to the Dominican Republic. And I lived there for almost 11 years before I moved back to go to college, they ended up living there, you know, probably 14 years, right at 14 years. But it was incredible. You know, I mean, it’s it’s an incredible way to grow up, we got to see a whole different side of life that I feel like growing up in the US you miss out on. And as my, my girls get older, and if we have more kids as they get older, you know, I want to be able to take them and see that side just because, you know, I don’t I don’t think you can say third world country anymore. But you know, growing up and I, you know, a deep poverty country. I don’t know if I’m saying that. Right? It just opened your eyes, you know, people are happier with a lot less than what than what we have. And so it was a great way to grow up. And you know, everything is about rhythm down there. And so I learned a lot of rhythm. And it was, you know, being there with nine siblings and my parents. We always had a full football team if we wanted to go out and play and do whatever, you know, but really interesting way to grow up and I’m very, very thankful for it.
Sue Bonzell
That’s it’s interesting. I’ve never really met any country artists really who had an experience like that. So I’m sure like you said that kind of gives you a different perspective on life and kind of you said that rhythm kind of thing bringing bringing listen to your music.
Jake Hoot
Absolutely. Yeah. And I you know, I was very fortunate when I moved back and started going to college, I had a friend that indoctrinated me into country music really well. And we’d ride around in his truck all the time. And he’d be playing all these different songs. We, you know, I listened to a lot of the Eagles growing up and Jimmy Buffett and so a lot of the country stuff I learned in the college days and just fell in love with it. So
Sue Bonzell
I know I fell in love with it when I was very, very young. And I fell in love with it, which is great, which is why I’m here. Absolutely.
Jake Hoot
I mean, who doesn’t love stories, right?
Sue Bonzell
That’s exactly right. Now speaking of stories and some history in country music. How many times have you been at the Grand Ole Opry now?
Jake Hoot
17 times 17? Yes, my
Sue Bonzell
goodness. What tell us about the first time that you played at the Grand Ole Opry?
Jake Hoot
Oh, it was you know, I think Being on the voice was very, when I say stressful, I mean, in a good way like it was, it was a needed stress because you’re I mean, you’re playing in front of, you know, I don’t know how many hundreds of people in that room but then you’re playing live TV in front of millions. And you’re playing in front of four legends in the music industry. And so it’s stressful. The the level of stress playing the opry was a completely different level for me, just because I had been to the opera so many times as an audience member. And I can remember telling my, my grandparents I took them to their first operate and I remember sitting there saying I don’t care if I’m sweeping the stage, I’m going to be on it someday. I don’t know I don’t care what I have to do, you know, getting to walk out there and have so many people that you know, were influential in my life be there and be able to be a part of it. It was incredible. And Jamie Daly from Dalian Vincent, who are opera members invited me to come play. So not only did I get to do my three songs set, but I also got to sing two songs. Wow, they’re set. And it was just, I mean, it was just magical. I mean, you get to step out there in the circle. I cried through three of the songs for God’s words in the second in the next two songs, but it was just you know, that’s just such a it’s like it feels like home every time you play there whether it’s the staff that works here at the opry or the audience. I mean, everybody just makes you feel so welcome and so it doesn’t get any less stressful I’ll just tell you that point it’s 17 times I’m aiming for that membership you know, in the next few years and it as many times as I played it’s still I still get you know, shaky and nervous every time I play so really incredible place
Sue Bonzell
it is I say there’s only two places I cry guaranteed every single time that’s a church and that the Grand Ole Opry guaranteed there’s gonna be good places to cry I do enjoy it well, I know you brought your guitar Are you ready to play your new song before you for us? Absolutely
Jake Hoot
let’s do it.
Sue Bonzell
Okay great when we come back Jake Hoot is gonna play his new song before you
Jake Hoot
hey y’all this is Jake Hoot. This is my brand new single before you there was few close calls and almost maybe they all made me who I am before you I will show that I was live and didn’t know that I was mass gonna be your was just before you sky was blue but it was my hobby You’re the reason I thought good luck to you in it
Sue Bonzell
Oh okay, Jake hoot with before you, thank you so much for playing that course. Thank you for asking. I’m loving the song. So go stream it on all the music platforms, go get his music and of course follow him on the socials as well. Please. Yes, exactly. Well, before you go, we have to play before you go before, before you go. We have to play my world famous game I call a world famous because you know what? We’re on YouTube and you know it’s worldwide. So this is called Truth or truth. Are you ready to play? You get to pick your own questions? Sure. They’re
Jake Hoot
not looking at. Okay. What famous person do people think you look most like? Oh, this is an interesting one. Um, I have been told I look like Chris Young. Okay. And then I’ve also been told I look like Jack Black. Oh, I can see that. Yeah. See, I don’t know if there’s a I don’t know what that mixture would look like.
Sue Bonzell
I think you’re a better looking Jack Black. No offense, Jack. Yes, Mary. Don’t worry. Come on.
Jake Hoot
I feel like that’s a pretty that’s pretty good combination. Okay, here we go. What was the greatest day of your life? Oh. So I think the greatest day of my life was when I married my beautiful bride. Very special day. I was married previously. And I have a daughter from a previous marriage. And she was there all decked out as well. And so just having both of them there. But yeah, I’d say probably our wedding day. And then of course, the births of both of my little girls come in very close second. So pretty good days.
Sue Bonzell
I think your wife’s gonna be happy with those answers. I’m sorry. So okay, so before we move on to the last question, I do want to ask you, so you know, you just had the baby. It was interesting, because I was thinking for somebody, you won the voice. And now I’m reading on the country music news about Jake Hoot and his wife had baby, how did that feel, knowing that your whole life is just like, out there in the news.
Jake Hoot
You know, I think that is an ongoing, I won’t say struggle, but it’s an ongoing conversation between my wife and I, and of course, now, both of our girls, just because people came to know me through a show where everything was put out there and people felt a part of it. And I always want people to feel a part of everything we’re doing, you know, especially people who are supporting and stuff like that, like, I can’t thank them enough. And so I want them to be a part of everything. I think there’s, there’s times where it it’s it’s a lot, it is a lot, you know, but you know, we talk about everything as a family and go, you know, like, when we found out we were pregnant, we held on to that for a really long time, because we want to do enjoy that as a unit. And then also with our family before the world knew. That’s not us not wanting people to know, it’s just there’s certain things that are special that we just wanted to hold on to as long as we could, but you know, especially when people you know, when either People magazine, or whoever it is, you know, put that stuff out there. But as long as as a family, we’re talking about it, you know, and making sure everybody’s comfortable with that stuff coming out beforehand.
Sue Bonzell
Well, I think I think everybody wants to celebrate with you. I was pretty new. And I saw that too. I was like, oh, yeah, that’s exciting.
Jake Hoot
Yeah, you know, and people asked me at all my shows, where’s Where are the girls? And I’m like, Well, if it’s an overnight trip, it’s really hard to bring them but they’ve been making a couple of appearances here and there. So hopefully y’all will get to see some show. Yeah,
Sue Bonzell
okay, good. I love that. I love that. All right, we’ll do one more. All right.
Jake Hoot
Oh, no moss, here we go. What is something you’re glad your family doesn’t know about you? Oh. Um, you know, I don’t know that there’s a ton that they don’t know, a memorable moment that I can remember. I can just say this is just off the top of my head, y’all. But a memorable moment is on the finale of The Voice. Ricky Duran and I are standing there waiting for them to announce who the winner is of season 17. And I’m telling you if you think it’s bad watching it at home, for like the pauses that they do imagine being there in person, it seems like forever. They narrow down to me and Ricky and they go okay, we’re gonna take a commercial break. And they do. And during commercial break, Blake Shelton walks up on the stage and has a full bottle. I think it was whiskey. I don’t know what it was. I don’t drink that much. I don’t hardly drink it. I smoked cigars. That’s my thing. But full bottle takes it off and goes, y’all need this more than I do. And he took a big ol swig and then me, you know, I took a big swig and then Ricky took a big swig. And not a lot of people know that story. And it was just a fun little like bonding moment for us three that we got to share a drink with Blake Shelton on stage. So I don’t think my family knows I think mom was in the crowd. I know she was in grab that. I don’t think she saw it. So mom if you saw that, if you didn’t see that, I’m sorry. That’s what happened that night. So yeah.
Sue Bonzell
Okay, we get the inside scoop on the whole deal and I love Ricky too. Oh, great.
Jake Hoot
Oh, he’s incredibly talented. Yes. Well, people
Sue Bonzell
you both are and Congratulations on the win and all your success song, the baby, the family, all the things. So pleased to have you here. Thank you so much.
Jake Hoot
Thank you for having me.
Sue Bonzell
Absolutely. Thanks for watching up in country be sure to like and subscribe and leave us a comment. We do new episodes every Tuesday and be sure to follow up and country on Instagram Tik Tok and Facebook and you can follow me to add Sue Bonzell on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.
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