Whether or not Auburn’s singing firefighter has a hit to rise up the charts one day, look up in the sky. You might see him soaring another way.

“I like to have realistic goals for myself, and one of those is to become a pilot,” said Ducote Talmage, who until recently was a contestant on NBC’s singing competition “The Voice.”

The 20-year-old country and Southern rock singer is attending community college in Opelika and plans to attend Auburn University. Between fire training and a journey to Los Angeles for the show, Talmage admits that he’s somewhat behind but plans to study aviation management — the business side of aviation.

“I’m actually planning on attending flight school in Montgomery in the next couple of months,” Talmage said.

Ducote Talmage of Auburn was recently eliminated from the competition on NBC’s “The Voice.”
Most people coming off of a music competition show like this would be looking to release a new project or start their own tour, while the fame fire is still hot. That’s not necessarily true for Talmage. In fact, he’s not sure he truly considers himself a singer.

“Obviously, music is always going to be a part of me and a part of my past, present and future,” Talmage said. “But I don’t know if I want it to be a thing that consumes me.”

He had to watch his blind audition like the rest of us

Don’t ask Talmage what was going through his head after stepping on the stage for his blind audition on “The Voice” because he doesn’t know.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing,” he said. “I don’t remember it at all. The only recollection I have of it is from watching it… The one thing I do remember is walking through the doors and seeing my two best buddies standing on the sideline with Carson (Daly).”

Fortunately, he didn’t blank on the words to Morgan Wallen’s “Sand in my Boots,” and earned praise from John Legend for the “lovely scratch” in his voice. Dan & Shay offered to help Talmage finish the many original songs Talmage said he has in the works.

Ducote Talmage sings during rehearsal before the battles round on “The Voice.”

Dan & Shay won the day, and would pick him to continue past the battles round in the “Rock and a Hard Place” duet with Ryan Coleman. Talmage’s run would come to an end during next phase with knockouts, after singing a much praised version of Luke Combs’ “She Got the Best of Me.”

So what did Talmage gain from his experiece with Dan & Shay, and from having the rest of the pros on hand to guide him? Something more fundamental than advice. Talmage said he had examples of how to be a good person, and treat others the right way.

“I’ve known that growing up,” Talmage said. “I’ve been taught that, and I try to exercise that. That’s a big part of my life, being kind to everybody. But they’re superstars. They took the time to pour into me and were super genuine.”

While Alabama is still represented on The Voice this season by Asher HaVon of Selma, the state has lost a few others besides Talmage — Rivers Grayson of Muscle Shoals and Val T. Webb, a native of Birmingham.

“(Havon) was a great guy. Super nice. Super genuine,” Talmage said. “He’s a great singer.”

Family life and family music

Ducote Talmage, a firefighter from Auburn, sings during knockouts on NBC’s “The Voice.”
Talmage is the youngest of five siblings, with a big sister and three brothers. He’s originally from Georgia, but his family arrived in Auburn when he was in elementary school. His father’s work in construction kept them on the road for a while.

“We scooted all the way up to Virginia for a year or two, and then came down here,” Talmage said. “Just kind of moving with dad’s work.”

When asked who Talmage’s biggest musical influences are, he says without a doubt it’s his parents.

“Mom and pops, they got me started real early,” he said. “My dad put a mandolin in my hand when I was, shoot, three or four at that time. That’s kind of what I learned on first. My mom’s the one that sings. So does dad, but she’s got the pretty voice. Dad’s got that rougher side, so I think I’ve got a little mix of both of them.”

After dinner jam sessions were the norm in the Talmage home.

Country and Southern rock have been his go to music.

“I love the rock aspect of country, but I also like the tender side too,” he said.

Fighting fires for education

Life as a firefighter in Auburn came to Talmage as a unique way to pay for his college tuition.

“The parents always told us they ain’t paying for our school,” Talmage said. “When you have five kids, it’s kind of a bank breaker. We understood that.”

Fortunately, Auburn has a program that will pay for college if you become a firefighter, which Talmage and his brothers all did.

“My oldest brother first did it, and we had some cousins in the family that did it as well before us,” Talmage said.

As a singing firefighter, does he ever get requests from his coworkers to perform? Occasionally. He doesn’t play at the station often, but occasionally he’ll break out a guitar and sing.

“It depends on the crew,” Talmage said. “Some people couldn’t care less.”

One thing they definitely care about at the firehouse is Talmage’s skill in the kitchen. His favorite recipe is pan-seared pork chops.

“I’m the only one that cooks,” Talmage said. “I tell you what, if I’m not there they’re eating out. That’s not to say I’m a good cook or anything. I’m always the one just to bite the bullet and do it all, and also I enjoy it. We throw down in the kitchen.”

As a firefighter, he’s grateful for the support firemen receive from the Auburn community, especially around the holidays.

“Honestly, any time someone stops us and thanks us, or is genuinely grateful for what we do, it’s always good,” Talmage said. “It really does make our jobs easier and more delightful for us to do.”