Bishop Hendricken alum Johnny Gates never expected to compete on NBC’s The Voice, but on Tuesday night viewers of the musical competition show caught judge Blake Shelton comparing him to Mick Jagger soon after he auditioned. Three of the show’s four judges vied to have him on their teams, meaning he’s still in the competition. More fanfare for his performance rolled in later on.

“I woke up and they had leaked [my audition] out and my phone was rumbling with texts,” Gates said. He was with his family in Rhode Island hoping to watch his rendition of Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” (a fitting choice as his band Runaway Saints opened for Stewart on a tour last year). His segment aired just in time before he was set to make the trek back to his home in Los Angeles.

Gates, who is from West Warwick and also lived in Nashville, returned to Hendricken Wednesday to play his original song, “We Got Love,” with students and answer questions from the crowd. He was met with rousing applause as he entered the school’s theater.

As he spoke, he recalled being asked by fellow Hendricken students if he wanted to try out for their band because of his long hair. Once he got in, rehearsals in a garage ensued in East Greenwich. Though Gates said he’s a fan of all the artists who are judges on the show, his band background was what ultimately led him to pick Gwen Stefani, the former frontwoman of the band No Doubt, as his Voice coach.

“Us garage band kids have to stick together,” he told Stefani when he chose her.

Gates’ band Runaway Saints had some good times. He detailed how happy they were upon getting a record deal.

“We were popping bottles of champagne because we thought this was happening,” he said. He said he has fond memories of playing on tour with his best friends, their van breaking down, and sleeping in “sketchy motels.” He also discussed the “cool” music scene in Providence and its nationally recognized clubs.

“The people at those clubs will book your shows if you work hard enough,” he said, encouraging any potential musicians to take advantage of Rhode Island’s musical environment.

However, he was also candid about the band’s lows, including when their record deal wasn’t going the way they planned. Hollywood is hard, he said.

“When you’re in a band growing up, all you ever want is to have a record deal. You just want to make it. It’s tough when you feel like you did and then you have to walk into that same office where you were popping champagne and have a heart to heart with the head of the label and say, ‘I don’t know if this is working out,’ and hearing them say the same thing back,” he said.

However, the idea of trying out for The Voice had been lingering in his head. When he saw fellow Rhode Islander Billy Gilman getting love from the state during his stint on the show, Gates decided to audition. Now, the show has opened up an entirely new opportunity for him, something he advised the students he was speaking with to always seek.

“Hendricken installs this in us: it’s that bond of never giving up and believing in yourself, each other, and people that are around you…Even when you feel like things are gonna be impossible, just keep your eyes open and keep your heart open because that opportunity might be right there,” he said. “You can’t quit, but you have to work hard, too.”

The Voice has another Rhode Island native, Troy Ramey of Newport, competing this season. The show airs on NBC on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Audition episodes continue through March 13 and 14, but Gates and Ramey can be seen on the show again as “Battle Rounds” begin the following week. Gates’ audition can be viewed on The Voice’s YouTube channel.