Nicholas David inspired laughter and tears on ‘The Voice’ tonight (Nov. 19) with his moving rendition of the Bill Withers classic, ‘Lean On Me.’

His coach Cee Lo Green chose the song to showcase a totally different side of David. Jennifer Hudson sat in during his rehearsals to offer advice and guidance. “Holy buckets!” David exclaimed upon seeing the Grammy Award-winning artist, clearly in awe of her talent and spirit. “She came up the same way we’re coming up now.”

David took his seat behind the piano and let the song carry him away. The choir behind him lent an authentic gospel feel to the performance that made a lasting impression on the judges.

“This may be the best episode of ‘The Voice’ we’ve ever had,” Blake Shelton commented. “I don’t know what it is, Nicholas, but especially tonight, it’s almost like you’re watching a musical legend.”

Christina Aguilera compared his performance to “chicken soup going down all nice and easy and smooth and rich.” She went on to say that the song “just felt so good, so right, and it was perfect to showcase your range as a vocalist.”

“I heard the voice of a generation … I saw an immaculate, impassioned performance,” Cee Lo praised. He told the story of his own spiritual connection with the tune, and he teared up at the end. David then stepped down from the stage to give his coach a hug, proving that he not only has soul, but a whole lot of heart.

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