His audition: Jessie Lawrence, 31, Newark, N.J., “All or Nothing,” by O-Town: He showed off a big voice and lots of passion on stage. And he earned a chair turn from Gwen Stefani. Gwen called his voice “raw and untamed” and liked the fact that his approach to the song sounded so genuine. Because she…
Her audition: Joana Martinez, 15, of Miami, Fla., performed “Call Out My Name” by The Weeknd. Joana displayed a nice soulful tone, but it wasn’t until ater she hit a big power note midway through the performance that three coaches — Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Kelly Clarkson — turned around almost simultaneously. Blake called…
His blind audition: Shane Q, 28, of Sacramento, Calif. sang Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey”. He immediately displayed a great tone, and Blake Shelton’s “I’ve-got-this-one” gesture prompted a quick and defiant chair turn from Gwen Stefani. But as Shane continued to impress with his pitch-perfect vocals and range, all the other coaches turned as well. That…
Her audition: Damali, 16, of Norwalk, Calif., performed “Ocean Eyes” by Billie Eilish. The Voice seemed to cut off the beginning of her performance. But we heard Damali deliver a couple of big glory notes. That was enough to provoke a last-second button push from Kelly Clarkson. Kelly said the last-second chair turn was strategy,…
Twelve hours after the release of her new album and film, Melanie Martinez was holding down two spots in the Top 10 on iTunes albums chart. The version of “K-12” that includes the film was sitting at number four on the albums chart, below Post Malone, The Highwomen and TOOL. The version of “K-12” that…
His audition: Jake HaldenVang, 24, of Charlotte, N.C., performed “Wish I Knew You.”: Jake delivered a really impressive opening on his cover of the song by The Revivalists and it paid dividends in the form of quick chair turns by Blake Shelton, John Legend and Gwen Stefani. As Gwen noted, his performance lost a bit…
Her audition: Caroline Reilly, 16, of Cumming, Ga., performed “Somebody to Love” by Jefferson Airplane. She was about midway through the song and a very solid vocal when she enticed a chair turn from Gwen Stefani. And that gave Caroline the very last spot on Season 17. The response from Gwen, who had been hoping…
His blind audition: Ricky Duran, 29, Worcester, Mass., performed “River” by Leon Bridges. Ricky launched into a passionate, soulful version of the song. And chairs started turning. Heck, everyone’s chair turned before he hit the chorus. Blake liked his stage presence and the confidence he showed. Ricky opted to join Team Blake. Here’s more about…
Her audition: Khalea Lynee, 36, of Clearwater, Fla., performed “Best Part” by Daniel Caesar. Khalea’s impressive tone and range prompted quick chair turns Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson. John Legend soon followed. Khalea’s pitch-perfect performance eventually enticed a chair turn from Gwen Stefani as well. John complimented her on a beautiful tone and smart choices…
Her audition: Gracee Shriver, 16, of Owasso, Okla, performed “Rainbow” by Kacey Musgraves, showing up on stage with a fine country voice just after Blake Shelton filled his team. Gracee coaxed chair turns from Kelly Clarkson and Gwen Stefani. Gwen said Gracee’s voice gave her chills. Kelly complimented her “distinct” sound and said she felt…
