Idol Chatter & Voice Views

The audition: Donna Allen, 55, of Hollywood, Fla., turned in a passionate performance of “You Are So Beautiful” and prompted Adam and Christina to turn around in a heartbeat. Though Christina told Donna her voice was like “the heavens opened up,” Donna chose to join Team Adam.

Background: Donna spent nine years singing backup for the Miami Sound Machine and Gloria Estefan before taking some time off to raise her son, who is now 17. She describes herself as a trail-blazer, saying she was the first black homecoming queen in Key West and the first black cheerleader for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She told The Voice she never gave up on singing and feels like now is the time to pursue her career again.

On picking Adam: In a conference call interview the day after her audition aired, Donna said there was no doubt in her mind who she would select as her coach — if he turned around — and she had prayed that Adam would. “I said this is the guy I want because of my voice and (because) he sings rock and roll and I love rock and roll.”

What the show didn’t show: Donna might have spent much of her early career singing backup, but she also launched a solo career in the late 1980s, releasing a 9-track album called “Perfect Timing” in 1986 and a 10-track album called “Heaven on Earth” in 1988. Both cracked the top 40 on the Billboard R&B album chart. “Serious,” a single from the first album, reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100; “Joy and Pain” from the second reached number three on the R&B singles chart.

Quote: “I would love to be the first person over 40 to win The Voice. And I believe I will because (this competition) is not based on age.”

On iTunes: Both of the aforementioned albums as well as a Christian single called “He Is Joy” from 1999 and a re-release of dance mixes for her song “Satisfied” in 2010.

Keeping up with Donna: Twitter — @DonnaAllen Music — Facebook

Donna Allen, “At Last”

Donna Allen, official video for “Serious” from 1986