Idol Chatter & Voice Views

His audition: Barry Minniefield, 52, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, sang Billy Pauls’ classic soul hit “Me and Mrs. Jones.” Adam Levine turned around at the last second of a performance filled with big glory notes to give Barry a spot on the show.

His background: Barry told The Voice that he fell in love with singing at age 12. But he also liked to cook and became a chef. More than that, he took a job at the Hollywood Improv in 1996 and eventually became executive chef, rubbing elbows with some big-name comedians in the process, including Jay Leno. He also wound up opening his own successful catering business. But all the time, he would sing while he worked. So when he retired, he headed to Palm Springs and started performing music on a regular basis.

What the show didn’t show: He might have become chef at a world-famous club, but Barry’s roots in music run deep as well. His uncle worked for several different record companies, his dad always had the stereo blaring at home and his grandmother had him singing gospel music in church at a young age. “I was always immersed in good music,” Barry writes on his website. Years later, the Improv became “one of the first places to do karaoke,” he says. “So I came out of the kitchen and I’d go into the dining room and we’d start singing and having fun. It was hard to keep me out of singing. That’s were it kind of all started for me.” He now plays percussion as well as sings and his website says he performs regularly with friends Steve Madaio and Bob O’Connor. In 2007, Barry released a 12-track album called “Give Me Love.” If he won The Voice, he said the first thing he’d do is find a way to bring his mom back from the nursing home so she can be reunited with his father; they’ve been married about 60 years. “I want to bring her home. And entertain the world.”

On being on Team Adam: “Adam is great. He gives the best advice. I’m learning from him. Even though I’m 53 years old, it doesn’t mean I can stop learning.”

On iTunes: His Voice single and that 2007 album.

Update: In the battle round, he was matched with Jack Gregori. They sang Joe Cocker’s “Feelin’ Alright.” Adam declared Barry the winner; Jack was eliminated from the show. In the knockout round, he was matched against Tonya Boyd-Cannon. He sang “What You Won’t Do for Love,” but was eliminated from the show when Adam declared Tonya the winner.

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Twitter: @MusicByBarry

“The Lady is a Tramp” (Frank Sinatra cover)