"The Voice "Winner Jordan Smith Shares Shocking Moment When He Found Out Henry Winkler Was a Fan (Exclusive)

03/03/2025 03:54 PM

The gospel singer's newest album, 'The People's Hymnal,' is out now

• Jordan Smith was the winner of season 9 of The Voice, scoring a win for Team Adam.
• Henry Winkler and his wife, Stavey Weitzman, visited Smith backstage during The Voice.
• Winkler has supported Smith's work ever since his time on the show.
  

The Voice's season 9 winner, Jordan Smith, is revealing some never-before-seen moments from his time on the show. 

"Sometimes it feels like it's just yesterday that I was on the show and then other times it feels like it's been a lifetime," the singer, 31, told PEOPLE. "So much has happened just in the last 10 years. I've had so many pinch me moments and so many dream come true moments." 

The Voice fans will remember when the singer belted Sia's "Chandelier" during his blind audition. The jaw-dropping performance turned all four judges' chairs: Gwen Stefani, Pharrell Williams, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine. In the end, Smith joined forces with the Maroon 5 singer. 

"It was such a gift to work with Adam," the gospel singer said. "He really made space for me on the show to be myself. And he was very adamant about me representing my artistry through the songs that I chose, through the stylistic choices that we made."

Smith's musicianship and vocal chops quickly garnered him a large following of fans, including some famous ones. While the former contestant was standing backstage during an episode's taping, a producer informed him that some audience members were hoping for a meet-and-greet.

"At this point, if I even have one fan that's so cool," he said. "I'm standing in this room and in walks this couple. They just approach me and I realize I'm looking at Henry Winkler."

Related: Henry Winkler's Cutest Grandpa Photos

It turns out that the Happy Days actor and his wife, Stacey Weitzman, were huge fans of the up-and-coming artist. Before Smith could realize he was in the presence of the Fonz, the actor had approached him, arms out. 

"He took me by the hands, and he started crying," Smith recalled. "I was just so blown away that someone as talented as him, someone with as much celebrity and notoriety as the Fonz — Henry Winkler — was saying these words to me." 

After the season wrapped, Winkler remained a strong supporter of Smith. Following the news of The Voice winner's engagement to now-wife Kristen Denny, Winkler celebrated by writing "@JordanSmithLive long live the Smiths," on X.

@JordanSmithLive long live the Smiths

— Henry Winkler (@hwinkler4real) January 2, 2016

Another behind-the-scenes moment Smith shared with PEOPLE happened during the finale, when the cast and crew were "running around like crazy madmen." While changing clothes, flipping his hair, and putting on different shoes, he stepped backwards and heard a "crunch" under his foot.

"When I looked down, my in-ear monitor had fallen off and was on the floor and I crushed it completely," he remembered. "That was the only way that we were able to even hear any of the music, anything we were doing on stage." 

Smith had to use a generic in-ear monitor without a sound check to accommodate. 

"It didn't affect the performance too much, but I always think about that performance and wonder if people could see the panic on my face as I was fighting for my life," he laughed. 

Related: Watch Alanna Lynise's Moving Rendition of 'Issues' in the Final Blind Audition for Season 27 of The Voice (Exclusive)

To mark 10 years since winning the hit NBC show, Smith is releasing his fifth studio and sixth overall album. The People's Hymnal, via Gaither Music Group, is Smith's "fresh and new" take on songs fans "all know and love while still paying honor and reverence to them." Included on the album are covers of "Oh Happy Day," "How Great Thou Art" and "The Blood."

"They're songs that connect and have connected so many people together throughout history," he said. "And there's a few newer songs on there that I think are just a general part of our universal experience in the world."

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He added: "It's a different project for me. I get to sing on this project in a way that I haven't sung in the past, and I get to explore my artistry, my creativity [and] explore my voice in a way that I haven't really used it even since The Voice."

Jordan Smith's album, The People's Hymnal, is available now.