Jake Hoot

Country artist Jake Hoot transitioned from performing as a regional Tennessee songwriter to achieving national recognition in country music upon winning season 17 of The Voice. His original coronation single, "Better Off Without You," appeared in December 2019, and he followed that release with a 2020 performance at the Grand Ole Opry.

Born in Cookeville, Tennessee, Hoot was raised by missionary parents alongside eight siblings before relocating to the Dominican Republic at age nine for the subsequent ten years. During that period he took up singing and guitar, achieved fluency in Spanish, and competed in the Dominican baseball league. Upon returning to the United States he completed homeschooling and earned an interdisciplinary-studies degree from Tennessee Tech University. He then settled in Nashville, secured employment at a media production company, and began performing throughout the region, gradually building a local following.

In 2019 Hoot auditioned for the seventeenth season of The Voice, delivering Luke Combs’ “When It Rains It Pours” in a performance that drew particular notice from Kelly Clarkson. Placed on Team Kelly, he advanced to the finale and performed his own composition, “Better Off Without You.” After claiming the season’s victory he issued the track, which later reached number 36 on the Billboard country chart. His first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry stage occurred on February 4, 2020.