‘The Voice’ Winner Jake Hoot Reveals Heartwarming Reason He Refuses to Quit His Day Job (Exclusive)

For some people, winning The Voice is a ticket to making music their full-time job, but not recent Season 17 winner Jake Hoot. The Tennessee native, who is raising both his own daughter and his girlfriend’s daughter, refuses to give up a steady paycheck until he knows without any doubt that he can support his family.

“I actually work in radio and so for now, they’ve been very good to me,” Hoot told PopCulture.com. “On top of everything I’m a dad first, so until I can see that consistent way of living coming from the music and consistent money or whatever coming in to better support my family then I’ll be able to step away and be able to focus more. But, right now, we’re in the preliminary stages. We’re trying to get music written, recorded everything. Hopefully sometime in the near future I’ll be able to step away.”

Hoot is getting used to being famous, something he doesn’t have to deal with in his hometown of Cookeville, just outside of Nashville, but has to deal with almost anywhere else he goes.

“I think back home, in Cookeville, it became a normal thing,” Hoot explained. “I was like, ‘Oh yeah, people are going to recognize me because I’ve lived there for 12 years and I call that home.’ But going to LA, going to Chattanooga, all these other places and people are like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re Jake Hoot!’ I’m like, ‘Wow, there’s a lot of people who watch that show.’ So it’s still something I’m adjusting to, but everybody’s been so nice, so I can’t complain.”

Hoot never imagined when he auditioned for The Voice that he would not only make it onto the show, but also walk away the winner.

“Never in a million years. I would have never thought when I auditioned a year ago that I would be here now,” Hoot acknowledged. “The Voice opened so many doors and I made so many great connections, not only with contestants, but people after the fact now. Getting to play the Opry two weeks ago. There’s just so many things that have happened that I’m just very blessed. I can’t complain.”

Hoot’s current single, “Better Off Without You,” is already in the Top 40 and climbing. Hoot is working on new music.

Photo Credit: Getty / NBC