Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Her audition: Sarah Simmons, 22, of Memphis, Tenn., sang Joan Osborne’s “One of Us” and dazzled the judges, getting all four to turn around. After hearing praise from all four, she decided to join Team Adam. After all, Adam Levine told her “you, 150 percent, can win this show.”

Sarah Simmons of Team Adam on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

Knockout Round: She sang “Wild Horses” and defeated Warren Stone, who performed “Died in Your Arms.”

Live Playoffs: Sang “Angel” and advanced to the Top 12 when Adam chose to save her over Caroline Glaser.

Her background: She’s a student at Visible Music College in Memphis who’s taking a break from school to compete on The Voice. She told the show both of her parents performed music and that her father has been a musician as long as she can remember. But he also struggled with addiction, she said. He’s been sober for three years now and was at Sarah’s blind audition to cheer her on.

On choosing Adam: “Adam was the first person to turn his chair. Every single person (coach) said beautiful things that encouraged me. But with Adam, I felt he could really see the depth of my gift and I not only believe he can help me vocally learn more, but I also believe he can really push me forward in music. I just felt a deep, genuine care from him when he started speaking.”

What the show didn’t show: On Facebook, Sarah writes that she began traveling the country and performing with a musical theater troupe at age 13. Her dad gave her a guitar at age 15 and she started writing original music. Originally from Birmingham, Ala., she describes herself as a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. And though The Voice was her biggest performance to date, she “felt this immense amount of peace” and “felt in her element” when she took the stage to audition for the judges.

Quote: “Talking is alright,” she writes on Facebook. “But when I sing, I believe you can really feel my heart – and then you’ll know me more than just words could express.”

On iTunes: Her audition song, “One of Us.”

Keeping up with Sarah
Twitter: @SarahSimMusic
Facebook
YouTube channel

“Someone Like You” (Adele cover)

“Mama Knows Best” (Jessie J cover)