Update: Flanigan is now in the top five.
Ian Flanigan of Saugerties may be on his way to stardom. He’s made it into the final nine contestants in The Voice, a significant showcase for up-and-coming musicians. As of December 7, he was one of the top nine finalists in the competition.
His Monday-night television appearance was shown on a large screen at Cantine Field. Some 67 cars containing a socially distanced audience of about 200 people cheered for Flanigan, honking their horns when he sang “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan.
The results of that competition have not been announced publicly. Flanigan has a good shot at the top spot in the competition. Judges have particularly praised his voice, which they say has a gravelly quality and a range unusual in that vocal type. His strong guitar picking has also impressed the audience.
Flanigan has worked as a guitar builder and repairman. He and a partner, Tyler Beatrice, had a shop on Main Street in Saugerties. Beatrice was an authorized dealer in Seagull guitars, though he sold other brands as well, and Flanigan built and repaired guitars. They saw a future that might include selling handmade guitars with their own brand on them, Beatrice said in a 2010 interview.
In a later interview while moving up in The Voice ranks, Flanigan said he much preferred performing to building instruments. And, while he had built his reputation on writing as well as performing music, The Voice performances consisted entirely of existing songs by well-known artists and songwriters.
Another side of Ian Flanigan comes through in a Facebook post from Joe DeFino, who runs the Hope Rocks Festival. In a recorded tribute, DeFino talks about Flanigan’s powerful voice, but, he says, he is also “a real person, and that is rare these days.”
Another hometown fan is Bob Siracusano, who has given away some 140 lawn signs featuring Flanigan. Siracusano is planning to replace the free-parking bags over the parking meters in town with bags featuring a picture of Ian Flanigan.
Flanigan travels the country in his “FlanVan,” often joined by his partner Ayla Rector and daughter Kamea. Since he has been appearing on The Voice, he has not been traveling the country as much.
To boost Ian in his quest for the top finish in The Voice, fans can vote for him. The URL for the web site for voting is https://voice.vote.nbc.com/. Voters have ten votes to distribute among the artists, or they can give the whole ten to Ian Flanigan.
Join the family! 
