Idol Chatter & Voice Views

His blind audition: Kaleb Lee, 31, of Ormond Beach, Fla., auditioned with “Never Wanted Nothing More” by Kenny Chesney. Kelly Clarkson turned midway through the performance; Blake Shelton a bit later. Blake complimented the rasp and soul in Kaleb’s voice. Kaleb opted to join Team Blake.

His background: Though he lives in Florida now, Kaleb says he was Kentucky born and raised and turned to music in when he was young because he’s never met his biological dad and it was a way to “deal with the fact that your father didn’t want you.” He pursued music professionally for a while, including in Nashville, but gave it up because it meant spending so much time away from his wife and his growing family. He and wife Meagan have two daughters,
Graelynn and Lilly, and an adopted son, Johander.

What the show didn’t show:

* According to his bio on The Voice website, Kaleb’s mom and stepdad bought him a guitar at age 8 and, when in high school, he starting singing for worship in church.

* He’s Kaleb Scharmahorn off stage and eventually became a worship leader at Bridgepointe Church in Owensboro, Ken., where he lived for about four years.

* He later moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music. Working with a Christian music producer, he began recording for the Centricity Music label.

* It’s after his label deal “went south” that Kaleb and the family relocated to Florida in early 2011. “We thought that getting as far away from Nashville and my then current music scene would help with my transition away from music,” he says in an interview you can read here.

* Once in Florida, he obtained a graduate degree in internet marketing and started running an internet marketing company.

* Since the move, he’s treated music as “just a fun hobby,” writing songs now and then. During a conference call with the media, he says that’s made The Voice experience especially interesting — “A lot of dust to shake out and rust to shake off,” he said.

* During the same call, he said his audition song — “Never Wanted Nothing More” — was the perfect fit for the family life he’s enjoyed the last several years.

On picking Blake: Kaleb said Kelly made him think more about joining her team than he thought he would. But “being a country guy, it just felt like a good connection. I went with my gut. And I knew my kids would kick me out of the house (if he didn’t chose Blake).” He’d explained on stage that his children watch the show and are big Blake Shelton fans.

Instagram
Website
Twitter: @kalebleemusic
Facebook
YouTube