Who Won ‘The Road’? Keith Urban’s Crowd Picks a Winner in Season 1 Finale
Spoiler Alert
What To Know
- Channing Wilson, Cassidy Daniels, and Adam Sanders performed during the finale of The Road on Sunday, December 21.
- After they opened for Keith Urban at the Ryman Auditorium, the audience rated the performances.
- The artist with the highest rating was named the winner at the end of the show.
[WARNING: This post contains MAJOR spoilers from the season finale of The Road.]
The winner of the inaugural season of The Road was revealed during the Sunday, December 21, finale. Three singers (Cassidy Daniels, Adam Sanders, and Channing Wilson) made it to the final stop on the road at the iconic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. They opened up for Keith Urban one last time, and the audience rated the performances to determine the winner.
The night kicked off with a group performance from the trio. Then, they had their solo moments on stage, during which they each sang a cover, as well as an original song that they’d already performed earlier in the season.
Scroll down for a recap of the performances and to find out how all three artists placed at the end of the show!
Channing Wilson
Channing was up first. For his cover, he sang “Ride” by David Allan Coe. “That’s good, man. That’s a good choice for him,” Urban said. “I love Channing because that voice for him is so immediately recognizable. That stomp, beer drinkin’, hell raisin’ music is perfect at the Ryman.”
Connie Chornuk/CBS
Channing’s original, “Blues Comin’ On,” was “written on the Tennessee River one night over a quart of moonshine,” he told the audience. “Love that guy,” Blake Shelton confirmed after the performance. Urban added, “It’s the first time, I think, his cover went over better than the original, from a vocal standpoint. He’s knocked it out of the park every night. It’s no wonder he’s here in the finale.”
“I don’t think anybody has been better, consistently, than Channing when it comes to choosing the right song,” Shelton said. “He gives you the exact right amount of giving you exactly who he is and what he does when he performs.”
Cassidy Daniels
For Cassidy’s cover, she took a risk by veering from a typical country song and went the rock route with a performance of Heart‘s “Crazy on You.” Ahead of the performance, Urban noted, “She’s young, so that combination sometimes sees her get dangerously close to over-singing. I think if she stays grounded tonight, she’ll kill it.”
Connie Chornuk/CBS
Her original, “Crazy Love,” was the song she sang at the first show, which landed her in the Top 3 that night. The performance had Urban sarcastically saying, “She just needs a little more power when she sings,” which got a chuckle out of Shelton.
However, Taylor Sheridan said he was “worried that her first song choice wasn’t dynamic” enough, which Urban agreed with. “[The original] was going to show the pipes. She didn’t need the first one to show the pipes,” he noted.
Adam Sanders
Closing out the night was Adam. “To win tonight, we’ve gotta get an emotional reaction from Adam,” Urban explained. “That’s the thing that’s missing because he’s always working to that high energy level. He’s done a really good job of picking his covers, knowing where he’s playing, how to read a room. That guy can read a crowd more than anybody, but I want to see his heart.”
For his cover, Adam sang “That Ain’t No Way to Go” by Brooks & Dunn to show off his softer side. Urban said it was a “great choice.”
Connie Chornuk/CBS
Adam’s original was “All Summer Long,” which he felt got the best reaction from Urban’s crowd of the previous tour stops. “They were waiting for someone to win them over, Adam had that moment,” Shelton said. “This guy had the entire Ryman singing along with him.” Urban added, “He couldn’t have done anything more than that tonight.”
Who won The Road?
Urban, Shelton, and Sheridan had no say in who won. The decision simply came down to who got the best ratings from the audience.
The artist who finished in third place was Cassidy Daniels, with Channing Wilson finishing as the runner-up. That means that Adam Sanders is the winner of The Road!
“I should’ve done what I knew what to do … not do two rock songs at the Ryman,” Cassidy admitted. Wilson stepped in with some advice: “One thing that you have to go home with is what that audience gave you when you were up there, completely absorbed with what you bring to the stage.”
For winning, Adam received $250,000, a spot on the main stage at Stagecoach, and a record deal.
Conversation9 Comments
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B
Really wanted Cassidy to win but I know she will be a star anyway!
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T
Feel so disappointed! Watched Cassidy and Channing win every week, but Adam wins the final?! How does that happen?!
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N
I thought Cassidy killed it by Channing was the best country singer
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R
We were at the other Nashville show. We go back to WSM and no V! We were at Porter and Dolly when she was fat and Willie had short hair in black and white! We thought Adam was the worst and Channing the best! So what? This was not a good format or concept? Too slick and over told, etc.
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D
Sometimes it’s the 2nd or 3rd place finisher who winds up the big star. Miranda Lambert got third at Nashville Star. Buddy Jewell won and he is great, but he never hit it big like Miranda.
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R
Adam Lambert didn't win American Idol but had had a more successful career than the guy who did win it that season.
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F
I do agree that this show's editing and format could be improved. I would like to see more "start to end" song performances. Also, I would love to see the vote percentages. I would love to see this show come back for another season. This might have been just a "one time" thing for Keith's tour. Maybe they could continue with the Stagecoach performance, prize money, and find another country star who wants a good opener who complements their style.
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T
Adam and Channing are good but Cassidy was hands down the best performer on this show. And she will have way more success in the industry than either of the two guys.
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L
Channing and Cassidy were stellar each week. I liked Adam but I didn't love him. Channing would look great with Willie, Waylon, Hank jr, Kris, Merle, and Johnny around him!! Cassidy was left out because she is female - males tend to get ahead with music of all genres. I don't feel that Adam was the best overall!
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