BEAUMONT, Texas — A Beaumont registered nurse became the talk of Southeast Texas when all four coaches turned their chairs during his audition on NBC’s The Voice.
Vaughn Mugol eventually joined Ariana Grande’s team, and via twitter, the popstar welcomed Mugol to the team and said she was excited to see what the rest of season would bring.
Mugol said before he shared his voice on one of the nation's biggest stages, he shared it with his patients at CHRISTUS ST. Elizabeth in Beaumont. In an exclusive interview with 12NewsNow, Mugol said he has always been around music.
From Karaoke bars, to hospitals, and now to Hollywood, the singing sensation said his life has changed drastically in the last few months.
“It’s been quite a journey,” Mugol said. “It’s overwhelming because even up to now, I didn’t think I would make it this far.”
Mugol said he has been singing all his life and has always been around music.
“I remember back in my childhood, they (his parents) would play their favorite songs, and I would jam with them, even though I didn't know much of the words,” Mugol said.
His parents said they recognized their son had a special gift at a young age.
“He loves to sing. He always wants to sing,” May Mugol, Vaughn Mugol's mother, said.
Mugol was born in the Philippines and moved to Beaumont when he was 12 years old. He graduated from West Brook High School in 2012 and followed in his family’s footsteps by becoming a registered nurse.
At St. Elizabeth, Mugol cared for his patients and used his voice to uplift them.
“It made me want to just continue that love for music and just share it with a lot of people, and I guess one of the best places to do it is at the hospital,” Mugol said. “They would always say, ‘We love you as our nurse, but please do something else with that voice.’”
Mugol said he followed his patients’ advice and found a bigger stage. He said he carried their words with him.
“I walked up, and one of the things I just remembered was all of my patients telling me, 'You need to do this. This is for you. This is what you’re meant to be,” Mugol said.
After wowing the judges and joining Ariana’s team, Mugol got a one of a kind vocal lunch box.
“Ariana fans are like, ‘I'll buy that off you!’ Their pitching in offers like, ‘I'll give you a thousand dollars,’” Mugol said.
Even after listening to him sing for all his life, Mugol’s parents said they were still blown away by his performance. The proud parents said their son’s new found fame has changed their lives as well.
“When I go to the hospital, it's like, ‘Your Vaughn’s mom!’ They don’t know my name, I’m just Vaughn’s mom now,” May Mugol said.
Vaughn continues to work at St. Elizabeth in between performances to stay in touch.
Southeast Texans can support Mugol by downloading "The Voice" app and voting for him there. Season 21 of the show airs every Monday and Tuesday night on NBC at 7 p.m.