St. Charles North Grad Jeffery Austin Selected for 'The Voice' Top 11

Photo credit: The Voice

Jeffery Austin, a St. Charles North High School graduate, was among the top 11 artists chosen Tuesday night to continue on in the reality TV competition.

During the top 12 performances on Monday, Austin performed “Let it Go.”

Austin is on Team Gwen on this season of the popular reality TV show. Local businesses and residents showed their support for Austin as he went into this week’s competition. The Blue Goose Market in St. Charles posted the following message on their Facebook page:

Austin got his musical start growing up in St. Charles. As a child, Austin was in the choir at Haines Middle School in St. Charles, singing in the musical, “Once On This Island,” and went on to star in the production of “Man of La Mancha” during his senior year at St. Charles North, according to the Daily Herald.

Haines Middle School teacher Judy Lynn Mastalski saw Austin’s talent at a young age and recruited him to join the show choir, according to the Daily Herald. “No one had ever validated me like that before,” Austin told the newspaper. “She saw that I was enjoying myself, and that I loved to perform. It built me up. I needed that push to get started.”

Austin had a tough childhood. His father died when he was 9 years old and Austin grew up with his mom, grandparents and brother, according to his profile on The Voice website. At age 16, with the support of his family, Jeffrey came out after years of trying to hide his sexuality.

The Voice airs every Monday at 7 p.m. and Tuesday at 8 p.m. on NBC.