Idol Chatter & Voice Views

At age 35, Nicole Nelson admitted to The Voice that she’s “a bit of a hippy.”

For instance, she lives in a former factory with a “beautiful blend of talented and eclectic artists.”

Of course, her art is music, something she decided to pursue as a profession after she went to an open mic night and “people freaked out.”

“My father said, ‘You’re Whitney Houston or a street peddler,'” she recalls. “He was wrong. I’ve been doing the in-between for 10 years now and it’s amazing.”

But not incredibly profitable, so the Burlington, Vermont, resident found herself on The Voice singing “Hallelujah,” which is apparently a recipe for success on singing shows of this sort.

By the time she finished singing, all four coaches were facing her way — the coveted four-chair turn-around. Then the praise began.

Christina called her performance “gorgeous” and thanked her “for waking me up and exciting me.”

Adam called it one of his favorite renditions of the song, a performance that “as you were singing it, kept getting better.”

What the show didn’t show: While she showed up on stage solo, Nicole refers to herself on Facebook as one-half of a “roots duo” and a “soulful bohemian.” The duo is Dwight and Nicole, Dwight being Dwight Ritcher, her boyfriend and roommate, according to her bio on The Voice. Both sing, and they released a 12-track CD, “!Signs” in May 2010. On their website, they refer to their music as “a fresh blend of spirited blues, rock and gospel.” Here’s a link to their YouTube channel.

Editor’s Note: Check back for live blogs when the battle rounds begin on The Voice.

Dwight and Nicole performing “Wish I Only Knew” from their 2010 album