Idol Chatter & Voice Views

His audition: Sam Cerniglia, 25, of Chicago, Ill., auditioned with Michael Buble’s “It’s a Beautiful Day.” He was well into the performance before Blake Shelton and Cee Lo Green turned around almost simultaneously. Cee Lo calls his sound “sophisticated.” Blake thanks Sam for taking him to a “Michael Buble concert.”

Background: He works as a customer service representative for Groupon, but also has a band that performs at weddings, corporate events, and private parties. “There was a period where I doubted I could have a music career,” he told The Voice. He has two sisters battling illness; one has cystic fibrosis, one has Batten disease. They’ve encouraged him to chase his dream in spite of their problems.

On choosing Blake: “I always thought from the very beginning I’d go with Blake. But there was a second where I almost chose Cee Lo because of what he was saying about my style … the compliments he gave me were really incedible … But I took a deep breath and I looked back at some of the things Blake said about my range and (how he) felt like he was at a Michael Buble concert. That’s one of my biggest inspirations. (Choosing Blake) just felt right.”

What the show didn’t show: On his website, Sam says he made his big musical debut in fifth grade “when I opened the end of year fiesta by singing and leading a rather primitive conga with maracas in hand.” Since then, he says he’s studied opera, jazz, blues, R&B, pop, indie and soul music. “I’m left with exactly who I’ve always been — a soulful crooner.” Sam attended Central Michigan University and Columbia College in Chicago, where he studied contemporary, urban and popular music. On his Facebook page, he lists Frank Sinatra, Lou Rawls and, of course, Michael Buble among his musical influences. He’s also hoping his appearance on The Voice helps raise awareness of the diseases his sisters are battling. During a conference call interview the day after his audition aired, he talked about organizing a special prayer meeting to show support for his sister Emmy.

Quote: Of his audition song — “There aren’t any better lyrics to describe what was happening for me. You know, it was a beautiful day and, when those chairs turned, I honestly didn’t think I was going to be able to make it to the end of the song. But somehow I did, by the grace of God.

On iTunes: Just his Voice audition song, but he has several songs on Soundcloud, including a version of Cee Lo’s “Forget You.”

Keeping up with Sam: On Twitter — @SamCherniglia — Facebook — YouTube — Website

For profiles of other Season 5 contestants, go here.

Sam Cerniglia, “Ordinary People”

Sam Cerniglia, “You Raise Me Up”