Cody Ray Raymond is one of the contestants on season 15 of The Voice. He made it through the blind auditions and the battle rounds, only to quit the show before the Knockouts. But, why would Raymond decide to drop out of the competition when he was doing so well?
According to the Gazette Times, Raymond dropped out because of “personal matters,” but those issues are unknown. A few days ago, Raymond revealed on his Instagram account some insight as to what may have made him leave. Raymond wrote, “Fans, friends, and new supporters, I want to thank you all for the love sent my way with my journey on The Voice so far, but due to personal matters, I’ve had to come back to my roots and end this chapter. I’m okay and my family is okay. But stay tuned for new music with these fellas. Sending love back.” Perhaps he didn’t like the format of the show, the pressure or the showbiz atmosphere since he stated he needs to “come back to my roots.”
Raymond is 27 years old and hails from Seattle, Washington. He first appeared on the show this season for his blind audition during episode 6, which aired on October 9, 2018. Raymond performed the song “Born Under a Bad Sign” for the blinds and earned two chair turns from the judges. Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson both turned their chairs and pleaded with Raymond to join one of their teams. Ultimately, Raymond went with Clarkson.
When Raymond moved onto the battle rounds, he went up against teammate SandyRedd to perform the song “Cry to Me.” Raymond won the battle, but SandyRedd was not eliminated. Jennifer Hudson stole SandyRedd, who then joined her team.
In the knockout rounds, Raymond would have been paired with another contender from his team, to duke it out vocally again. But, he reportedly dropped out before this could happen. As a result, Kelly Clarkson reportedly puts three artists up against each other instead. Out of the three, two would move forward to the live playoffs.
Raymond’s status on the show has not yet been shown on the official NBC website. His Voice bio is still up as well and it describes him as this:
At a young age, Cody Ray’s stepdad taught him the guitar and kung fu. He grew up loving both, but did not decide to pursue either talent professionally. Instead, Cody Ray decided to join the military and was stationed at the North Pole. After spending time in isolation, Cody Ray felt the need to take his life in another direction. He decided to move to Seattle and began to pursue music, starting a band called Cody Ray & the New Favorites. They can be found performing at many venues across the city.
Raymond was one of 32 contestants set to compete in the knockout rounds of The Voice season 15. Mariah Carey has joined the contestants as a key adviser, helping them to prepare. Tune in Monday and Tuesday nights, at 8 p.m. ET/PT and 7 p.m. CT to watch The Voice on NBC.