The search for team members continues tonight on the third episode of The Voice.
Which means we will hear singing.
Well, of course, we will hear singing. Only Nigel Lythgoe has heard of a singing show without signing.
Let’s review the teams so far.
Team Adam: He has three of 12 spots filled, by 50-year-old R&B singer Kim Yarbrough of Memphis, Tenn.; Angel Taylor, a 23-year-old pop singer from Los Angeles; and Tony Lucca, a 35-year-old singer-songwriter from Los Angeles who appeared on the Micky Mouse Club alongside Christina Aguilera.
Team Blake: He also has three team members to date. They include RaeLynn, a 17-year-old country singer from Baytown, Texas; Jermaine Paul, the 33-year-old background singer for Alicia Keys from Orange, N.Y.; and Gwen Sebastian, a 37-year-old country singer from Hebron, N.D.
Team Cee Lo: His team of three so far includes Jamar Rogers, the 29-year-old former Idol contestant from the Bronx, N.Y.; Juliet Simms, a 25-year-old female rocker from San Diego, Calif.; and Angie Johnson, the 31-year-old former Air Force pilot and band member.
Team Christina: She’s filling up her team quicker than anyone else with four members, including The Line, a country music duo consisting of Hailey Steele and Leland Grant; Lindsey Pavao, the 22-year-old with a quirky voice from Sacramento, Calif.; Jesse Campbell, the 42-year-old church and wedding singer from Chicago, Ill.; and Chris Mann, the 29-year-old singer-songwriter from Wichita, Kansas, who a more operatic style of singing.
Follow those links, and you’ll find more music from each of those performers.
Isn’t that nice? Singers on The Voice aren’t expected to hide their past or their past music.
Hint, hint, Nigel over at American Idol.
Tonight on The Voice.
Sarah Golden, 27, Houston: She’s been told by music executives that she isn’t marketable, but isn’t interested in changing her look. And this auditioner is going to sing “You and I.” And it’s a very good version of “You and I,” though the judges aren’t exactly spinning their chairs at a lightning speed. Now Ce Lee does so. Followed by Blake, who says she has “an honest sound.” She describes herself as a folk singer. Here’s a link to her website.
Elley Duhe, 19, Vancleave, Miss.: She says she didn’t have a typical teen life because she was traveling and performing music all the time. She quit school her senior year to pursue music. She’s going to sing “Mercy.” Personally, I’m not nearly as impressed as with Sarah. Unfortunately, no one spins a chair for Elley, but you can hear more from her here.
Pip, 19, Marietta, Ga.: This young man says he’s more comfortable on stage than off. Then he steps on stage and slays “House of the Rising Son.” Wow, I’ve heard that song done very well on Idol and other shows, but that was a killer version. And he prompts lots of interest from the judges, all of whom turn around their chairs. And Pip picks Adam Levine because he was the first to respond.
Erin Willet, 22, Gaithersburg, Md.: Hey, a Marylander on The Voice. She says her dad made sure her life was always filled with music. But her dad is dying of cancer. On Facebook, she describes herself as an acoustic pop soul singer. Head there, and you can get a free download of one of her songs. She sings “I Want You Back” with lots of power, though the would only be my third favorite vocal of the night. And Blake is the only one to turn his chair around.
Katrina Parker, 34, Hollywood: She works in an insurance office and says most of her co-workers don’t know she’s a singer. On her website, she proclaims “I sing, I write songs, I ride unicorns.” She’ll sing “One of Us,” and I’m already taken with her voice. And that voice prompts Adam Levine to push his button, but no one else. So it looks like Katrina will join Team Adam.
David Grace, 28, Santa Fe: He played football in college, then became a football coach … until he bought a guitar one day. Now he’s been singing for about three years. He’ll sing “Sweet Home Alabama.” And, so far, this is a pretty pedestrian version of the song. The judges must have agreed. None of the judges turned around.
Jeff McBride, 51, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.: He’s been singing since 19 and he’s the father of four. He assures us the sunglasses aren’t “a cool factor,” but the result of an eye injury suffered as a kickboxer in his youth. He’ll sing “Higher Ground.” His big soulful voice gets a response from Christina. And now Cee Lo. You can tell the guy’s been performing for years. And he decides to join Team Christina.
Erin Martin, 27, Chicago, Ill.: She jumped into music a couple of years ago after modeling for years. She thinks of herself as an “Egyptian warrior princess” and launches into “Hey There Delilah,” with a unique tone that prompts two judges — Blake and Cee Lo to spin around in moments. You can find out more about Erin here. Cee Lo calls her voice “strange and unique and wonderful.”
James Massone, 23, Boston, Mass.: The guy works at a body shop back home, a business that’s been in the family for more than six decades. He’ll perform “Find Your Love.” He said he was feeling nervous prior to the performance, and those nerves are certainly showing during this performance. I’m a little surprised three judges turned around. This is my least favorite auditioner of the night, by far. And he joins Team Cee Lo.
Winter Rae, 26, Los Angeles, Calif.: She has blue hair, lots of tattoos and says “that’s cool.” She also works in a bowling alley. She admits she looks rock, but thinks she has a soulful voice. And Perez Hilton shows up an the audition in her support. She’s going to sing “Take a Bow.” Unfortunately for Winter and her blue hair, no one wanted her on their team.
Nathan Parrett, 24, Los Angeles: He sings “The Joker” and winds up on Team Adam. Adam says he sees him as an underdog. Perhaps that’s why we really weren’t introduced to Nathan. He’s a singer and actor, according to his profile on ModelMayhem and you can head to Facebook to hear him perform three cover songs.
Brian Fuente, Nashville, Tenn.: He sings “Paris (Ooh La La)” with a rock edge and winds up on Team Blake. Apparently, he was the only judge to spin around for Brian. Again, we get only a glimpse of him. His website informs us he’s from Ridgeland, Mississippi, but now lives in Nashville, where he writes music and fronts a rock group called Newmatic. He describes his southern as southern influenced pop/rock.
Moses Stone, Hollywood, Calif.: He raps “Let’s Get It Started” and lands on Team Christina. She says he was “crystal clear” in his hip-hop delivery. On Facebook, we learn he’s from the Maryland-D.C. area and calls himself an indie hip-hop artist incorporating “elements of hip-hop, pop and Motown, as a rapper, singer and piano player into his music. You can hear some of his music there, too.
Chris Cauley, 27, Atlanta, Ga.: This guy says he’s inspired by his grandmother, who was a bluegrass musician and gave him his first guitar. He describes his music as soul/blues/R&B. He’s going to sing “Grenade.” Brave choice. You can listen to more of Chris’s music on his Facebook page. Adam and Cee Lo spin their chairs. And Chris picks Team Adam. I have a feeling this guy has more than he showed us with that cover.
Jordis Unga, 29, Los Angeles, Calif.: She says her dad’s side of the family is very musical and her parents have always allowed her to pursue music. She has performed in a pop band and a punk rock band. And here’s the link to her website. She’s singing “Maybe I’m Amazed,” and Blake turns around in a heartbeat. Wow, Jordis has a big voice, though there are other performances I’ve enjoyed more tonight. This is a little too over-the-top for my taste. She’ll need to chose between the judges. Everyone turns around but Adam. Sort of surprising, but she joins Team Blake.
And, now, my picks for top three vocals of the night: 1) Erin Martin, for her unique sound, not her look. But Cee Lo just might do very well with her. 2) Sarah Golden for a splendid version of “You and I.” 3) And Pip for a fine rendition of “House of the Rising Son,” though I think he needs to change his name.
1 Comment
Chris Cauley is AMAZING! Wow!