Christian singer and 2015 winner of NBC's "The Voice" national competition, Jordan Smith, posted a celebratory photo of himself and now-fiancée Kristen Denny at the Boston Public Garden late Friday night. "RINGING in the new year with my future wife!" he tweeted along with the selfie, in which Denny showcased her ring. "She said YES! #Mr&Mrs. Smith."
"Wow! Yesterday was absolute perfection!" Denny posted on Instagram with a close-up shot of her new ring.
"Thanks for all the well wishes and sweet messages! I am so incredibly blessed and I can't wait to marry my best friend!"
Actor Henry Winkler even tweeted a message of support for the couple after seeing the news, reports People magazine.
One friend posted: "Beautiful. God has a good plan for both of you."
People also reported Smith and Denny had been dating for three years, with many of their recent interactions being long-distance FaceTime dates.
Smith, 21, became famous not only for his vocal talents, which were compared to Adele's and Beyonce's, but also for showing clear conviction for faith by first singing a well-known religious hymn "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" early in the competition rounds. At the time, he said this song was special to him because "the entire song is about God's faithfulness."
He continued to compete by singing other religious songs, such as "Hallelujah," "Mary, Did You Know" and "God Only Knows."
In 2013, The Voice riled some Christian viewers by giving a popular hymn a secular makeover, subbing "Lord" with crooner-filler "Oh" and cutting out references to "heaven" and a "savior" entirely. But during the 2015 season, contestants dialed up appeals to religious constituents.
Smith's coach for The Voice, Adam Levine, told him in front of viewers: "You're not a singer-you're a figure. You're a person that everyone draws this amazing energy from. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced in my life, and I'm just honored to be a part of it."
Smith is from Harlan, Ky. Denny also is a Kentucky resident. Back in Kentucky, Smith was part of the Southeast Kentucky Mass Choir.
Smith's Facebook fans still indicate they look forward to him completing a gospel album.
Prior to The Voice competition, Smith was a student at evangelical Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn.
Smith told Voice fans: "I've had to learn that being different is actually what makes me special. It's my gift. This is an amazing opportunity to share that it's OK to be different, and it's OK to be yourself. Because you're made that way, and that's how God intended you to be."
