Sasha Allen Is 1st Trans Singer To Make Top 10 In 21 Seasons

Jim and Sasha Allen scored on The Voice with their performance of "Hey Jude"
Jim and Sasha Allen (screen capture)

Jim and Sasha Allen, the father/son duo, are winning hearts (and votes) by the tens of thousands each week on NBC’s The Voice.

Win or lose, Sasha has already made history as the first out transgender singer in 21 seasons to make it into the Top 10. Only 3 trans singers have ever appeared on The Voice.

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The duo connected with viewers from the very beginning with their blind audition, “Leaving On A Jet Plane.”

In their introduction video, the two talked about Sasha’s transition, which occurred while he was in high school. He said he connected with the format of The Voice because of his life experiences.

Sasha Allen is the first trans singer to make the Top10 on The Voice in the show's 21 season history
Sasha Allen (screen capture via The Voice)

“I think it’s a really beautiful concept,” Sasha said. “It’s a statement about not judging people for what they’ve gone through or who they are, and just listening to … what they have to offer.”

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Kelly Clarkson turned her chair first, later saying she just couldn’t let them get away. Check Sasha’s adorable reaction at the 1:32 mark when Ariana Grande gets in the game.

Some background info on the guys from NBC:

Jim grew up playing in various folk and bluegrass bands and went on to become a music teacher and then a father. He taught his son how to play guitar at 6 years old and soon after, Sasha was joining Jim on stage at his gigs.

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Sasha didn’t have an easy childhood, but music was always the constant that kept him going. At the start of high school, Sasha came out as transgender. Those were difficult years, but Sasha knew with the support of his family and music he could handle anything.

Jim and Sasha, both songwriters, have recently become an official duo and have been playing at open mics and other local venues.

The Allens have continued to score switching things up from more subdued musical turns to knocking out a winning “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” in the battle rounds competing against Sophia Bromberg: 

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The talented duo won their knockout round against Manny Keith performing their take on Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros’ “Home” to keep on moving ahead:

This past week, the duo scored with the TV audience singing the Jason Mraz hit, “I Won’t Give Up.” It was clear the song choice had a message for the Allens:

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Well, I won’t give up on us (no I’m not giving up)
God knows I’m tough (I am tough) he knows (I am loved)
We got a lot to learn (we’re alive, we are loved)
God knows we’re worth it (and we’re worth it)

As the song came to a close, Sasha underscored that message with his own simple statement: “Trans rights.”

America sent Jim and Sasha into the Top 10 using the “Instant Save.”

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Make sure to tune in and follow the guys as they continue their journey on The Voice next week.

You can follow Sasha Allen on Instagram here. The Instagram account for the duo is JimandSasha.

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