The Voice: Blake Shelton fails to recognize old bandmate Pete Mroz during his audition on NBC show

Blake Shelton’s old bandmate Pete Mroz auditioned Monday on the season 20 premiere of The Voice and the coach didn’t even recognize him at first.

Pete, 45, had once played songs with Blake, 44, in a Nashville group called The Young Riders when both men were just starting their careers.

While Blake went on to become an eight-time Grammy nominee with 10 CMA Awards, Pete ended up as a traveling golf apparel salesman with a side gig in a country band.

Old bandmate: Blake Shelton’s old bandmate Pete Mroz auditioned Monday on the season 20 premiere of The Voice and the coach didn’t even recognize him at first

Pete during the blind auditions sang Blind Faith’s Can’t Find My Way Home, and got both Blake and John Legend, 42, to turn their chairs for him.

Blake didn’t remember him at all until he revealed that his name was once Pete Mitchell, and he’d once played in a band called The Young Riders.

Understanding dawned slowly on Blake, who revealed that he’d also been in that band.

‘Oh my God,’ the coach said, burying his head in his hands. ‘I haven’t seen this guy in 25 years!’

Country star: While Blake went on to become an eight-time Grammy nominee with 10 CMA Awards, Pete ended up as a traveling golf apparel salesman with a side gig in a country band

Country star: While Blake went on to become an eight-time Grammy nominee with 10 CMA Awards, Pete ended up as a traveling golf apparel salesman with a side gig in a country band

‘You stole my bass player,’ Pete teased Blake, who retorted, ‘No, I gave your bass player a job!’

The two men bantered back and forth, as Pete recalled the days when Blake had ‘that good hair,’ meaning his mullet.

‘All we’re gonna do is get the old group back together!’ Blake told Pete.

Stolen talent: 'You stole my bass player,' Pete teased Blake

Stolen talent: ‘You stole my bass player,’ Pete teased Blake

Blake’s fellow coaches tried to convince Pete to go with John by calling Blake a ‘liar’ who regularly ganged up on them, all of which Blake termed ‘disgusting Hollywood lies.’

‘Says the guy who is getting married to Hollywood,’ cracked Kelly Clarkson, 38, referring his fiancee Gwen Stefani, 51.

‘He stole her just like he stole your bass player,’ John ribbed Pete.

Good one: 'Says the guy who is getting married to Hollywood,' cracked Kelly Clarkson, 38, referring Blake's fiancee Gwen Stefani

Good one: ‘Says the guy who is getting married to Hollywood,’ cracked Kelly Clarkson, 38, referring Blake’s fiancee Gwen Stefani

When it came time to pick his coach, Pete said, ‘I gotta go with the old cowboy,’ meaning Blake.

The contestant marveled as he left the stage that it had been a ‘full-circle moment’ for him, remembering when he and Blake once played song rounds together.

‘I’ll take care of old Blake,’ he affirmed, clutching the bobblehead doll his coach gave out to new team members.

Full circle: The contestant marveled as he left the stage that it had been a 'full-circle moment' for him, remembering when he and Blake once played song rounds together

Full circle: The contestant marveled as he left the stage that it had been a ‘full-circle moment’ for him, remembering when he and Blake once played song rounds together

The show opened with Nick Jonas, 28, arriving on motorcycle, making a splashy re-entrance after sitting out the previous season.

He and the other coaches found Blake celebrating The Voice’s 10th anniversary by toasting cardboard cutouts of himself.

Blake took a shine to the episode’s first contestant, a mullet-wearing 22-year-old singer from Dover, Florida.

He's back: The show opened with Nick Jonas, 28, arriving on motorcycle, making a splashy re-entrance after sitting out the previous season

He’s back: The show opened with Nick Jonas, 28, arriving on motorcycle, making a splashy re-entrance after sitting out the previous season

Kenzie Wheeler’s cover of Keith Whitley’s Don’t Close Your Eyes scored him a four-chair turn, with Blake blocked in seconds by Kelly.

She fought hard to nab Kenzie, telling him, ‘I have won The Voice with two country singers,’ and emphasizing that she’d used her only block on him.

‘Don’t you want to be with a coach who has a lot to prove?’ Nick asked, making his case.

First up: The first contestant was mullet-wearing 22-year-old singer Kenzie Wheeler from Dover, Florida

First up: The first contestant was mullet-wearing 22-year-old singer Kenzie Wheeler from Dover, Florida

‘Don’t you want to be with a coach who has won?’ John queried.

Kenzie ultimately chose Kelly, slipping on one of her team jackets from ‘Kelly’s Closet.’

‘What if we all only use our blocks for country?’ John wondered as the coaches sought to beat seven-time winner Blake. ‘That’s the alliance I’m looking for.’

Teaming up: 'What if we all only use our blocks for country?' John Legend wondered as the coaches sought to beat seven-time winner Blake. 'That's the alliance I'm looking for'

Teaming up: ‘What if we all only use our blocks for country?’ John Legend wondered as the coaches sought to beat seven-time winner Blake. ‘That’s the alliance I’m looking for’

Victor Solomon, 22, from Peoria, Illinois, wowed John with his rendition of Glory, the song that won him and Common an Oscar.

The singer got a standing ovation from John, Nick, and Blake, with Kelly sitting out as she sensed she could predict who he’d choose.

Blake tried to sway Victor by telling him he’d once won The Voice with a gospel artist, at which Kelly cracked up because Blake didn’t even know Glory was John’s song.

Familiar song: Victor Solomon, 22, from Peoria, Illinois, wowed John with his rendition of Glory, the song that won him and Common an Oscar

Familiar song: Victor Solomon, 22, from Peoria, Illinois, wowed John with his rendition of Glory, the song that won him and Common an Oscar

John was the obvious choice, especially as he’d never turned for anyone performing his work before and felt Victor was doing incredible things vocally.

When Victor said he’d sung John’s hit Ordinary People at his eighth-grade talent show, John insisted on performing a duet with him.

Raine Stern, 22, from Madison, Wisconsin, then impressed everyone by playing electric guitar on MGMT’s Electric Feel, notching chair turns from every judge except Kelly.

Three chairs: Raine Stern, 22, from Madison, Wisconsin, then impressed everyone by playing electric guitar on MGMT's Electric Feel, notching chair turns from every judge except Kelly

Three chairs: Raine Stern, 22, from Madison, Wisconsin, then impressed everyone by playing electric guitar on MGMT’s Electric Feel, notching chair turns from every judge except Kelly

Back home, Raine led a nine-piece band, and said she’d turned to music to help her process life as a queer kid in the Midwest.

‘I’m not speechless that often,’ Blake said after he learned Raine played keyboard and drums, too. ‘You’re a rare find, and you’re about to have your moment in the music industry.’

Raine went with Nick, who said he loved arranging songs as much as she did.

Rare find: 'I'm not speechless that often,' Blake said after he learned Raine played keyboard and drums, too. 'You're a rare find, and you're about to have your moment in the music industry'

Rare find: ‘I’m not speechless that often,’ Blake said after he learned Raine played keyboard and drums, too. ‘You’re a rare find, and you’re about to have your moment in the music industry’

Philadelphia native Cam Anthony, 19, came to the show with stellar bonafides: As a kid, he’d had eight million people watch him sing on YouTube, and he’d even played the White House.

Cam’s cover of Sam Smith’s Lay Me Down was haunting and his voice had echoes of John’s.

Sensing that, Nick quickly blocked his competition from stealing Cam, but he failed to win Cam, who surprised everyone by picking Blake.

Teen talent: Philadelphia native Cam Anthony, 19, came to the show with stellar bonafides: As a kid, he'd had eight million people watch him sing on YouTube, and he'd even played the White House

Teen talent: Philadelphia native Cam Anthony, 19, came to the show with stellar bonafides: As a kid, he’d had eight million people watch him sing on YouTube, and he’d even played the White House

Corey Ward, 34, from Hartsville, South Carolina, made Kelly’s team with Robyn’s Dancing On My Own.

It was a special triumph as he’d auditioned for season 19 of the show, but failed to get a chair turn.

Dana Monique’s cover of Aretha Franklin’s Freeway Of Love earned the former cruise ship singer, 41, a slot on Nick’s team.

Second try: Corey Ward, 34, from Hartsville, South Carolina, made Kelly's team with Robyn's Dancing On My Own

Second try: Corey Ward, 34, from Hartsville, South Carolina, made Kelly’s team with Robyn’s Dancing On My Own

Cruise singer: Dana Monique's cover of Aretha Franklin's Freeway Of Love earned the former cruise ship singer, 41, a slot on Nick's team

Cruise singer: Dana Monique’s cover of Aretha Franklin’s Freeway Of Love earned the former cruise ship singer, 41, a slot on Nick’s team

John also tried to win the Houston resident over by singing Chaka Khan’s Sweet Thing, but Blake sabotaged him by saying he was the ‘obvious’ choice.

In the end, Nick’s hunger to win his first season resonated with Dana, who got her own copy of Nick’s Notes, a notebook resembling Nick’s that was delivered to her on stage.

Christine Cain, 27, from Pasadena, California, turned out a sultry cover of Harry Styles’ Watermelon Sugar, landing herself a slot on John’s team.

Soul version: Christine Cain, 27, from Pasadena, California, turned out a sultry cover of Harry Styles' Watermelon Sugar, landing herself a slot on John's team

Soul version: Christine Cain, 27, from Pasadena, California, turned out a sultry cover of Harry Styles’ Watermelon Sugar, landing herself a slot on John’s team

His gift to her was a personalized song that went, ‘You know I had to fight for you/ Put it all on the line for you/ Welcome to Team Legend.’

Devan Blake Jones, a client manager for a tech firm in Denver, later gained Nick as a coach with his sinewy cover of HER’s Hard Place.

Among those not going through was Madison Curbelo, 18, from Westfield, Massachusetts, who played guitar on a pretty rendition of Bobby McFerrin’s Don’t Worry, Be Happy.

Madison Marigold, 21, from Santa Clarita, California, also failed to make it with her take on the Julia Michaels song If The World Was Ending. 

The Voice will return Tuesday on NBC. 

Sinewy cover: Devan Blake Jones, a client manager for a tech firm in Denver, later gained Nick as a coach with his sinewy cover of HER's Hard Place

Sinewy cover: Devan Blake Jones, a client manager for a tech firm in Denver, later gained Nick as a coach with his sinewy cover of HER’s Hard Place

Good effort: Among those not going through was Madison Curbelo, 18, from Westfield, Massachusetts, who played guitar on a pretty rendition of Bobby McFerrin's Don't Worry, Be Happy

Good effort: Among those not going through was Madison Curbelo, 18, from Westfield, Massachusetts, who played guitar on a pretty rendition of Bobby McFerrin’s Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Conversational song: Madison Marigold, 21, from Santa Clarita, California, also failed to make it with her take on the Julia Michaels song If The World Was Ending

Conversational song: Madison Marigold, 21, from Santa Clarita, California, also failed to make it with her take on the Julia Michaels song If The World Was Ending