Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Ray Clayton (right) of The Voice Season 23 at a radio appearance in 2017

The Voice returns to NBC on Monday, March 6.

Here’s more about Ross.

* In announcing his Voice audition, Ross writes on Instagram: “It’s been a while since I last performed, and I may have bit off a little more than I can chew for a comeback … but here we go!”

* Indeed, Ross says he stepped away from his music career five years ago.

* His last social media post about a performance was from August 2019 when he opened for the Jason Young Band at a CD release party in Oklahoma City, OK.

* But don’t let that fool you. Ross previously fronted multiple bands and released music both as Ross Clayton and as the Ross Clayton band.

* The band’s 2015 EP “Highway Hallelujah” is no longer available on streaming sites, and his pet dog appears to have turned the box containing the physical copies into a chew toy.

* But Ross enjoyed some success back in 2017 with a song called “Turn Up Again.” You can check it out below.

* The same year, the Ross Clayton Band won a Josie Award for best band and was nominated for best song. The Josie Awards were created to celebrate independent music.

* Though he settled in Oklahoma City, Ross is from the Chicago area and was involved in musical theater in high school.

* According to his bio on the website of radio station K-LAW101, he attended Monmouth College and formed a band with some friends called Buckshot Trio.

* After college, he moved back to the Chicago area and started the first version of the Ross Clayton Band, releasing a single called “Hellraiser and Heartbreaker.”

* Two years later, he moved to Oklahoma City, though he also appears to have spent time writing and recording music in Nashville around 2017. While it might not be on streaming sites, some of the band’s music is available on YouTube, including the title track to “Highway Hallelujah.”

Ross on social media:
Instagram
TikTok
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube