Kaleb Lee once stepped away from the dream of a career in music.
Now, the Ormond Beach country artist's return to his passion has led him to the top 10 of NBC's "The Voice." To take advantage of the opportunities that come with being on the show, the 32-year-old has stepped down from his job as president of Daytona Beach internet marketing company Markentum.
"No matter what happens with the show, we're all in," he said.
Lee and the other members of the top 10 will perform live Monday night before facing elimination Tuesday. Live episodes of the singing competition are set for Mondays and Tuesdays through the May 22 finale.
When Lee auditioned for the 14th season of "The Voice," his happiness with his life in Ormond Beach, his wife and three kids inspired him to sing Kenny Chesney's 2007 "Never Wanted Nothing More."
"I've never really wanted nothing more than what I've got today," he said after his audition aired. "For me, 'The Voice' today is kind of like a cherry on top of a really good sundae already."
Lee — whose last name is Scharmahorn but who uses his middle name as a stage name — moved to Ormond Beach in 2011 after a potential record deal didn't work out.
"I wasn't saying 'no' and running away from the music side because I got a no," he said. "I was running toward my family."
His and his family's decision to go all in on his music career reflects the ideas of another song Lee performed on the show: the Zac Brown Band's 2008 "Free."
“That was one of the songs that I probably connected with the most," he said. "We just enjoy the ride. So that song is really all about that and just being free and enjoying the ride of life."
His audition on "The Voice" had coaches Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson trying to get him on their teams. Lee went with Shelton, but Clarkson ended up stealing Lee for her team and saving his chances on the show after Shelton picked Pryor Baird in a match between Baird and Lee.
The first winner of "American Idol" has offered praise of Lee throughout his run on "The Voice," calling him the "best country singer on this show."
"There's something about you, Kaleb, that I think you might be a dark horse," she said after getting him on her team.
Lee noted Clarkson's energy and personality helps take some of the stress out of rehearsals.
"Obviously, she's also a powerhouse vocalist," Lee said.
Lee and 15-year-old Brynn Cartelli are the two remaining members of Clarkson's team. While the show is a lot of fun, Lee said it is also a lot of hard work as he competes for fan votes during live shows each week.
"We get an email on Tuesday night letting us know what our song will be the following week," he said. "It never stops. We go from making the top 10 to immediately practicing."
The community has also thrown its support behind Lee, with weekly watch parties at Destination Daytona's Houligan's drawing average crowds of around 150 people and sometimes 200 or more, Lee's friend Brent O'Quinn estimated.
"You can't watch the guy's story and not realize how much of a good person he is," O'Quinn said, noting Lee's adopted son from Nicaragua as well as his work through Ormond Beach's Oasis Church. "America hasn't even seen nearly how talented he is."
Lee — who is originally from Benton, Kentucky — said he was blown away by the support.
"I'm a transplant to the area, but we've been there almost about eight years now," he said. "To have that much support and be considered a local hometown guy ... just to be adopted into the family, it's been pretty cool."