These Mega-Stars Auditioned for ‘The Voice’ Before They Were Famous — And the List Will Stun You

It turns out a chair turn isn't the only path to pop stardom. Some of music's biggest names actually got their start by walking away from "The Voice" stage.

"The Voice" has helped launch numerous successful careers over its run, but many of the mega-stars fans know and love today were actually dismissed from the show.

Many contestants, including country singer Morgan Wallen, rose to stardom after appearing on the singing competition. However, some now-famous artists — including Chappell Roan and Lainey Wilson — never even made it in front of the panel of judges.

Here are four stars you may have forgotten once auditioned for "The Voice."

Morgan Wallen

Long before he became one of country music's top names, Wallen made his television debut on season 6 of "The Voice."

After his audition in 2014, the "Whiskey Glasses" singer initially joined Usher's team before Adam Levine stole him away, though his run ended when he was cut during the playoffs.

Despite falling short of a win, Wallen spoke warmly about the experience in an October 2019 interview with People, saying, "I'm thankful for that time. I'm thankful for how it all turned out."

"I didn't even know what 'The Voice' was," he said. "That whole experience kind of kick-started me a little bit. It was a big first step — I guess that's the first time in my life where I realized that maybe I actually have a shot at this."

Chappell Roan

Roan may be a Grammy-winning artist now, but she once tried out for "The Voice" — though the experience wasn't exactly memorable for the right reasons.

During an April 2025 interview with W Magazine, the "Good Luck, Babe!" singer revealed that she auditioned for the NBC competition at just 15 years old, performing Rihanna's 2012 hit "Stay." Roan recalled that one of the producers barely acknowledged her performance.

"By the way, when I did the Voice audition, the producer or whoever the [expletive] was watching did not even look up from his phone," Roan said. "He was like, 'Okay, next.' And I went up there and sang a cappella, the scariest thing ever. He never really looked at me."

Lainey Wilson

Wilson has revealed that she auditioned for "The Voice" not once, but seven times. During a May 2024 conversation with Entertainment Tonight, the country singer-songwriter said she "didn't even make it to the part where they turn the chairs around."

"But hey, it just kind of lit a fire under me, and I said, 'You gotta keep on going,'" she said. Wilson later returned to the show as a guest mentor after achieving stardom in country music.

Camila Cabello

Camila Cabello found fame with Fifth Harmony on "The X Factor," but she originally set her sights on "The Voice" first.

During a November 2022 conversation with Access Hollywood, the "Havana" singer explained that although she advanced through the producer round after performing Aretha Franklin's "Respect," she ultimately walked away to chase a different dream: meeting One Direction.

"I don't even know if I can say the rest of the story," she shared. "I did make it in the producer round, not the TV round. I never auditioned for the coaches."

"I really wanted to meet One Direction, and I knew that they were gonna perform for X Factor," Cabello continued. "So I was like, 'I'm just gonna risk it and not do 'The Voice' and then audition for 'X Factor.' And then I did end up meeting One Direction."

Cabello ended up killing two birds with one stone, eventually becoming a star in her own right. Like Wilson, the "Shameless" singer also found her way back to "The Voice," making her debut as a coach for the show's 22nd season in 2022.