Meet and hear more from Kata Hay of The Voice Season 10

The Voice

Meet and hear more from Kata Hay of The Voice Season 10

March 9, 2016 By Mark Franklin 0

Her audition: Kata Hay, 28, Nashville, Tenn., auditioned with a raucous version of Gretchen Wilson’s “Redneck Woman.” No one turned around until the last moment when Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams and Christina Aguilera spun their chairs. Kata was so thrilled, she rushed off the stage and gave each of them a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Christina praised Kata’s spunk, then they shared a small smooch, on the lips this time. Kata joined Team Christina.

Her background: Kata is from Skiatook, Okl., where she grew up in a triple-wide trailer. She started singing in pageants when she was very young, graduated to fairs and eventually performed at the Oklahoma Opry. She moved to Nashville with her girlfriend, Savanna, six months before The Voice auditions were filmed. They both work at the Wild Beaver Saloon, which Kata calls “the number one karaoke place in Nashville.” Obviously, she moved there to pursue a career in country music. “In my head, I always thought you grow up, you move to Nashville, you become famous. But it’s hard because everyone wants to do the same thing. You’re like a really tiny fish in a big pond.” Kata told The Voice she opted for Team Christina because Christina is one of the best female vocalists she’s ever heard. “I consider myself country-soul,” she said. “Who’s more soulful than Christina?”

What the show didn’t show:

She won her first pageant at age 2 after begging her dad to pay the $50 entry fee and wowing the crowd with a version of Hank Williams’ “Hey Good Lookin'”.

According to her website bio, she became the youngest person ever to win Ed McMahon’s Star Search competition at age 5.

At age 13, she was encouraged to join a national yodeling competition by Kacey Musgraves. She wound up winning it for the next five years.

Married at one point, she performed with her husband at Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede and the Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Show.

She released a pair of albums as a teenager and a third album and an EP as Kata and the Blaze while she was still with her husband.

She also toured with a bluegass/rock fusion band called The Grassabillies.

She has eight singles on iTunes as a solo artist. “Drives Me Crazy” (featured here) is superb. You can check out two others below.

Kata told her local NBC affiliate that this marked her fifth time auditioning for The Voice. She never before advanced to the point where she got to sing in front of the celebrity coaches.

She explained that “Redneck Woman” is her tip-bucket song at the Wild Beaver, where the patrons love it. So she auditioned with the song. “It’s appropriate,” she jokes. “I am a redneck.” She expected Blake to be the coach to turn for the song. As it turned out, he was the only coach who didn’t.

As for the kiss? “It was so exciting. I wish I remembered it better cause it was like an out-of-body experience.”

What turned the tide in Christina’s favor? It wasn’t the kiss, though everyone assumed that, Kata says. She says Christina has been her favorite vocalist “for my whole life.” She also appreciated the way Christina complimented her sash and spunk and fire and wanted to help teach her “how to bring it down for softer moments. She was like, ‘I feel like we could win this thing. I feel like we’re the same.’ I think when she said, ‘We’re the same,’ I was sold. Cause that’s a compliment.”

On iTunes:
Kata released a 13-track album called “Reckless” in 2008 and a four-track EP called “Remember That Summer” in 2009 as Kata and the Blaze. She has released eight singles since as Kata Hay, including “Robbie’s Song,” “Someone” and “My Song” in 2010, “Cannibals” and “Gorgeous” in 2011, “Smoke When I Drink” in 2012, “Drives Me Crazy” and “Re-Run” in 2014.

Keeping up with Kata:
Twitter: @katahay
Website
Facebook
YouTube

“Re-Run” (2014 single)

“I Only Smoke When I Drink” (2012 single)

Season 10 Voice artist profiles
(with many, many more to come)
Adam Wakefield (Team Blake)
Alisan Porter (Team Christina)
Angie Keilhauer (Team Blake)
Bryan Bautista (Team Christina)
Caroline Burns (Team Adam)
Emily Keener (Team Pharrell)
Gina Castanzo (Team Blake)
John Gilman (Team Adam)
Jonathan Bach (Team Pharrell)
Kata Hay (Team Christina)
Katherine Ho (Team Adam)
Laith Al-Saadi (Team Adam)
Mary Sarah (Team Blake)
Mike Schiavo (Team Adam)
Natalie Yacovazzi (Team Adam)
Nick Hagelin (Team Pharrell)
Peyton Parker (Team Blake)
Shalyah Fearing (Team Christina)
Trey O’Dell (Team Blake)