Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Her audition: Tamara Jade, 30, of Bowie, Md., performed Lizzo’s “Cuz I Love You.” Her big opening prompted immediate chair turns from Kelly and John. Gwen and Blake turned late in the performance. Kelly called her “incredible” and said she’ll “be in the finale.” John said Tamara showed she “can do everything.” Tamara joined Team John.

Here’s more about Tamara:

* The daughter of parents from the West Indies, Tamara told Voyage Atlanta that she grew up singing, beginning at age 6 in church.

* A native of Maryland, she attended a visual and performing arts high school, then graduated from Oberlin Conservatory and College in 2012 with bachelor’s degrees in sociology and voice performance.

* After a couple of musical opportunities abroad, she took a break from music and spent three years working as a special education teacher in the Washington, D.C., area.

* But she eventually landed in New York and in several productions at the Apollo Theater, beginning in 2016.

* Tamara released her debut album, the eight-track “Self-Aware” in October 2019. But the pandemic spoiled her post-album plans.

* After touring the world as a background vocalist with Cory Henry & Funk Apostles, Tamara was looking forward to a summer tour that would finance a move to L.A. That tour, of course, couldn’t happen because of Covid.

* Tamara, admittedly depressed by the turn of events, responded with a single called “Better.” It came with an assist from former American Idol contestant Aaron Marcellus. Writes Tamara on Instagram: “I made a choice to stop allowing fear and uncertainty to overcome me, and I CHOSE to believe it WILL get better!”

* You can check out a snippet of “Better” below, as well as two other singles Tamara has released this year — “Hair Down” and “Prove Me Wrong.”

* A career highlight for Tamara came during the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards when she got to back Lizzo and dance on stage during a performance of “Good as Hell.”

* Writes Tamar about that experience: “You (Lizzo) gave 24 women who have been overlooked, marginalized and underrated an opportunity to show the world what we can do! Twenty-four brown, curvy, gorgeous, talented women who I now call sisters! … Now I gotta go back to the drawing board on my dreams because I hadn’t really dreamed bigger than this before!”

* As for her philosophy as an entertainer, Tamara writes: “I strive to be the light at the end of someone’s tunnel that gives them hope to turn around and give it another shot!”

* Tamara turns 31 in mid-October and plans to celebrate by hosting a two-night virtual experience.

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