Bella Mackenzie Dedicates Performance To Grandfather Ahead Of 'The Voice' Semi-Final

Tomorrow night (24 September), Bella Mackenzie will sing to try and secure her place in The Voice Australia final. The Mackay-based country singer will perform in the semi-final and dedicate her performance to her grandfather, Feno, who recently passed away.

“I sing the song of an Australian icon, and I want to dedicate this performance to my Pop ‘Feno’,” Mackenzie wrote on Facebook yesterday (22 September).

A week before Mackenzie’s successful, four-chair turn Blind Audition, she and her family learned that her grandfather had cancer and lost him “not long after that”. “For a while there, I was on an extreme roller coaster of emotions.”

Mackenzie added, “He taught me everything I know about dreaming big and putting in the hard work every day to chase those dreams, and if someone tells you no, you’re asking the wrong person.

“Big thanks to my family who travelled down to watch my performance on The Voice and for my family who booked flights but couldn’t make it cause of being with Pop.

“This one is for you Pop”.

Mackenzie advanced to the Semi-Final earlier this month, locking in her place with a unique cover of the Journey classic, Don’t Stop Believin’, and joining her peer on Guy Sebastian’s team, Charlie Pittman, to compete for a place in the Grand Final on Sunday.

Bella Mackenzie is representing country music on the 2023 season of The Voice Australia. A shining light for Australian country music showcased in the mainstream, Mackenzie is the only country singer on this year’s season of The Voice Australia after Cohuna-based singer Dan Daniels and icons of the genre, The Bushwackers, were eliminated earlier throughout the season.

Earlier this month, The Bushwackers stepped away from their place in The Voice, making it easier for coach Jessica Mauboy to send singer Ezra Williams further into the competition.

In a social media statement, The Bushwackers said they initially auditioned for The Voice “to reconnect with our long-time audience, some of whom didn’t realise we’re still out here doing shows, having a great time and still making new music.”

While The Voice Australia is primarily aimed at amateur singers, Bella Mackenzie is poised to find mainstream appeal after she earned two places on the Top 50 Most Played Songs on Australian country music radio in 2022.