Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Just eight spots remain on Season 9 of The Voice, and we’ll meet the eight singers who will fill them tonight.

Meanwhile, the Season 9 cast has already tied a Voice record for most four-chair turns in a season.

There have been 12 so far, matching the previous high from Season 7 — a season won, I might add, by a guy who turned just two chairs with his blind audition. His name: Craig Wayne Boyd.

Adam Levine, as usual, is attracting the most four-chair turn recipients with five so far — Andi and Alex, James Dupre, Jordan Smith, Manny Cabo and Viktor Kiralry.

Blake Shelton has won over a quartet of four-chair turn winners, leaving Pharrell Williams with two and Gwen Stefani with just one.

Here’s a trivia question for longtime fans of the show. Who was the first singer to ever turn four chairs on The Voice?

I’ll post the answer to the question at the bottom of the blog at the end of tonight’s episode.

And it’s time to meet more singers. Heading into tonight’s show, each coach has two spots to fill on his/her team.

I’ve posted profiles of the first 42 artists to land spots on Season 9 of The Voice, complete with lots of info the show didn’t share in its telecast, including the music they’ve already released. For links to those profiles, head here.

Dustin Christensen, 35: He says he had a rock band in high school and got to play the Olympics in 2002. But that didn’t mean he’d made it. He went to college, but can’t picture himself doing a desk job. So he’s an independent artist, who feels “this is my time.” He’ll sing “Downtown Train” by Rod Stewart. He earns quick chair turns from Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani. Pharrell Williams and Adam Levine join in as well. And guess what? The Season 9 contestants just set a new record with 13 four-chair turns. Adam says he didn’t turn right away, but it became “undeniable.” Pharrell like the heart and range Dustin delivered. Dustin was one of the artists I featured in a blog on 10 artists to watch in Season 9. He has a fabulous voice, and has already released some great music. Dustin joins Team Blake.

Berdine Joseph, 19: She’s from Haiti and says it was a culture shock when the family moved to Hawaii. She started singing in choir in fifth grade. She’s now a Sunday school teacher in church, but hopes for a career in music. And she expresses a pre-audition preference for Team Pharrell. She’ll sing “Hey Mama.” Interesting performance, with some rap thrown in. But it’s a little all over the place. And no one turns for Berdine.

Dustin Monk, 27: He grew up in a double-wide trailer, raised mostly by his mom. He said his dad split when he was 4. His mom became addicted to drugs, and music was Dustin’s outlet. He was in a band for six or seven years, but it wasn’t going anywhere, so he went to barber school. He’d still like to do music, of course, and describes his preferred music as souls-blues. He’ll audition with “Bright Lights.” Nice start. Midway through the performance, Adam turns his chair. Near the end of the performance, Blake turns as well. Powerful vocal from Dustin. Adam compliments him for having “everything” in his voice. Dustin joins Team Adam.

Chase Kerby, 30: He works at his family’s candy store, which is owned by his mother. He says his dad got him hooked on jazz when he was young. Chase has fronted three bands over the course of his music career, but notes that music isn’t very lucrative on a small scale. Because he’s about to turn 31, he calls The Voice “an extremely important opportunity for me. He’ll sing “The Scientist.” Wow, really nice cover of the song. Gwen spins her chair. And Gwen winds up being the only coach to turn. She calls his voice “special” and “intimate.”

Dawson Daugherty, 17: He’s a senior in high school who loves to surf. He was introduced to music by his worship leader in church. Dawson has also led worship at his church and done mission work in Africa. He’ll sing “Problem” by Ariana Grande. Dawson has nice range, but didn’t show a lot of control during that performance. And no one turns.

Shelby Brown, 16: Shelby works in a taco shop in the small town where she grew up. She got hooked on music competing at karaoke at the local bowling alley. She won the competition two years, and now they book her there for gigs. She’s going to sing “Stars,” a country version because she hopes to wind up in Nashville. Superb opening. No more has Shelby started the chorus than all four coaches turn around. Adam compliments her on the “brilliant” moments in the performance. Shelby joins Team Adam.

Amy Vachal, 26: Growing up, she says her dad was in a Grateful Dead cover band, and she wanted to be just like him. She’s also a painter. She attended Swarthmore College, but decided she wanted to make a career as a singer and moved to New York. She’ll perform “Dream a Little Dream for Me.” All three coaches with a spot remaining on their team turn as she hits the chorus. Amy has a really sweet tone to her voice. Adam says she could win the show. Gwen compliments her creativity. Blake tells Amy he’s looking at a superstar. Amy joins Team Pharrell.

Blaine Mitchell, 24: Growing up in Texas, everyone loves country music, Blaine says. But he and his brother prefer to play alternative music. In 2011, they formed a band, made an EP and started gigging. But he wound up making a living singing in a country honky tonk. He’ll audition with “Drops of Jupiter.” Another guy with a powerful voice. He wins over Blake with a few big notes. Late in the performance, Gwen turns as well. Gwen loved the “dynamics” in his audition. Blaine joins Team Blake.

Summer Schappell: Her grandparents raised her, and Summer says she’s always loved singing. She started performing when she was 13. She’s opened for a number of country stars and traveled to Nashville to record an album at age 14. She says there are times she’s wanted to give up music, but her grandparents wouldn’t let her. She’ll sing “Strawberry Wine.” Gwen turns late in the performance; Pharrell spins at the last second. They’ll fight to win their first country artist. Gwen compliments her on a “pretty” voice. Summer selected Team Gwen.

Caroline Burns, 15: She’s 4-11 and says she posted her first YouTube video at age 7. She kept posting videos and has now formed a band that plays mostly classic rock. But she’s hoping to convince them to play a Maroon 5 song because she’s a fan of Adam Levine. She’s auditioning with “A Thousand Years.” Nice delicate tone, but it sounds like she could use some more experience. You know what though, she showed some impressive potential.

Sydney Rhame, 16: She started writing songs at age 7 and teaches guitar lessons to raise money for college. She says she performs out whenever possible, with the help of her parents. Sydney will sing “Photograph.” The iTunes version is splendid. And Sydney has already released some great music. That splendid voice convinced Pharrell to spin to complete Season 9.

Trivia answer: The first singer to ever earn a four-chair turn on The Voice was Jeff Jenkins, then 22, of Jones Creek, Texas, who opted to join Team Adam after singing “Bless the Broken Road.”