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There’s about 2,500 miles separating Charlotte Court House from Los Angeles. There’s a population difference of around 3 million people.

Worlds apart from where he began in rural Virginia, Creigh Riepe now finds himself under the bright lights of the City of Angels as a contestant on the hit singing reality television competition the Voice. On Oct. 9 during Season 26 of the Voice, the Charlotte Court House native turned heads across America and the chairs of Voice coaches Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani with his rendition of Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things.”

“It was super exciting to watch it on TV,” Riepe said. “My family and I had really been looking forward to it since that day, so it was really great to see it all come together.”

Riepe chose to join Team Reba, sharing with The Charlotte Gazette that the country icon is the coach he most hoped would select him to their team for the show. He said McEntire performed the first concert he ever attended.

“First and foremost I was hoping for Reba, but there’s always that chance she doesn’t turn around,” Riepe explained. “I’ve watched the show for years though, and I have something in common with all of the coaches. My heart was set on Reba because musically we come from similar backgrounds and I like how she’s carried herself over her career, with positivity and always being the light.”

LOOKING BACK

The Voice contestant said that as a kid, his parents were instrumental in developing his faith and his love for music. Riepe’s passion for music began with playing piano in elementary school and soon after he discovered his talent for singing, bringing him to perform at school, in church and local venues around Charlotte County. Creigh delved deeper into his interest, making music at home, playing in bands and teaching himself audio production and engineering.

Creigh moved to the Music City itself to attend college, enrolling at Belmont University in Nashville to study audio engineering. He led two bands at school, and after graduating remained in the home of country music to join the band Chasin’ Crazy. The ensemble opened for county stars like Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett, and Hunter Hayes before dissolving in 2017.

Riepe opened his own recording studio in Nashville and in keeping with his beginnings, leads the production team at his church. He shares his life with his wife and middle school sweetheart Sarah and their two daughters, along with the family dog and a dozen chickens.

Riepe’s wife and daughter can be seen during his blind audition cheering alongside

Voice host Carson Daley as Riepe, equipped with a 1,000 watt smile, belted out his tune and two of the show’s coaches turned to pick him for their team.

“That was awesome (to watch during the airing of the Voice) because I didn’t get to see her reaction when I was there on stage,” Riepe said. “She was ecstatic and so excited.”

AN OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT

After the performance, holdouts Snoop Dogg and Michael Buble both expressed they should have joined McEntire and Stefani in the battle to get Riepe on their team. Since his debut on the hit NBC show, the singer-songwriter said he received an outpouring of support from across the country, but especially from his hometown of Charlotte Court House and the surrounding areas.

“I would say the majority of my messages are from people I haven’t heard from in a long time who are big supporters from back in the day,” Riepe said. “It’s amazing, the hometown support I’ve got out of this, more so than anywhere else. It’s very, very cool.”

The next step for Riepe on the Voice is the Battle Round. Each coach pairs two of their team members to perform together, then chooses one to advance in the competition. Reipe’s pairing has yet to be revealed, but the episode will air in a few weeks.

“I’m excited. I try not to get anxious over things like this anymore,” Reip said. “I feel like it’s all in God’s hands so whatever is going to happen is going to happen for a bigger purpose. I’m excited to be part of the whole process. I never imagined growing up I’d have an opportunity to do what I do in front of four of the most talented and established artists in the industry. That’s a very unique situation so it’s all been a very exciting and rewarding experience.”