Idol Chatter & Voice Views

His blind audition: DeAndre Nico, 23, of Port Arthur, Texas, performed Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man.” Adam Levine turned at the first run-through of the chorus and was quickly joined by Jennifer Hudson. Near the end of the performance, Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton turned too, giving DeAndre just the second four-chair turn of Season 15. Adam calls him “a beast,” saying his voice is “both rich and soulful.” DeAndre joined Team Adam.

His background: A year ago, Hurricane Harvey hit his hometown. He was driving in it, expecting a thunderstorm. Next thing, he looked out and his car was in flood waters. He says he was wound up trapped in a home for two days with no foot, no electricity and no water. Then came a rescue, which he calls an “amazing feeling.” Since the hurricane, DaAndre says all he’s been doing is gigging and sleeping on couches, because music is about all he has left.

On picking Adam as his coach: “I made a vow to myself, whoever turned around first, that’s what I was going to choose, and I stuck to my word. I’m a man of my word. Adam’s a great guy. He’s really cool. He’s really down to earth. He tells us what we need to hear, and he don’t cut no nickels with us. He just lets us know what’s up, ‘Hey, that sounds bad.’ He tries to help us in every area that he can. He’s trying to win, just like us.”

What the show didn’t show:

* He’s a native of Port Arthur, Texas, and showed a passion for music at a young age, according to his website bio.

* There’s a video of him on YouTube singing “Wind Beneath My Wings” at the Apollo at the tender age of 11.

* He’s released one single to date, a 2015 praise and worship song called “I Am Not Alone.”

* In addition to singing, he plays the keyboard, drums, bongos, acoustic and bass guitar, according to that website. And he says he was gigging mostly as an instrumentalist backing other artists just prior to auditioning for The Voice.

* He has led worship and written the music for services at God Chaser’s Generation Outreach Ministries in Port Arthur.

* His website bio says he’s co-founder of the God Chasers Generation music ministry, which has allowed him to travel across the nation sharing his faith in God.

* He’s performed at events featuring Kelly Price, Ruben Studdard, Fred Hammond, Yolanda Adams, Vicki Winans and Dr. Bobby Jones.

* He said earning a four-chair turn “was a big goal of mine. That’s what I wanted, but when it happened, you know, that was amazing. Like, that was a tremendous feeling. Everything was just, wow, I was speechless.”

His social media links:
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Website
Twitter
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