As NBC’s answer to the successful American Idol, The Voice is promoted as “the Emmy Award-winning, number one series on NBC, featuring the country’s best unknown artists,” according to nbcthevoice.com. But are the artists that audition for The Voice really “unknown”?
On Feb. 23, 2015, Meghan Linsey auditioned in the Season 8 opener and caught the attention of three out of the four judges who turned their chairs and offered Linsey a spot on their respective teams. Linsey, however, is far from an “unknown” talent, especially in the world of country music.
Linsey was a part of the duo Steel Magnolia, who, in 2010, 2011, and 2012, was nominated for various Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Awards including “Vocal Duo of the Year.” The duo toured with Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton (who was, ironically, the only judge who did not turn his chair), and Bob Seger. Steel Magnolia topped at #4 with their hit “Keep on Loving You.” The duo officially broke up in 2013, and both Linsey and her former partner Joshua Scott Jones have since gone solo. Linsey released an album as recently as 2014 featuring a cover of OneRepublic’s “Counting Stars” and her own “Try Harder Than That,” which have both had airplay on CMT and country radio.
Linsey is not the only one who has already had opportunities in the music business before auditioning for The Voice. Season 4 contestant Luke Edgemon was a member of the cast of Glee as a Dalton Academy Warbler and has been listed as a vocal contributor on two of Glee’s Christmas albums, as well as the Music Celebrating 100 Episodes album. He was also credited as a back-up singer on Idina Menzel’s recent Holiday Wishes album. Although Edgemon’s success is limited to back-up vocals, he was also a contestant on American Idol and made it to the Hollywood rounds. Arguably, then, Edgemon has had significant opportunities before The Voice and is not really an “unknown.”
Julie Roberts also auditioned on Season 4, but did not impress any of the judges. She, however, had already been a successful country artist with a Top Twenty single, “Break Down Here.” She had been signed by Mercury Nashville in 2004 and her debut album went gold. Roberts was also not an “unknown” when she auditioned for The Voice, but was instead trying to reignite her career.
Season 2 brought a familiar face to the blind auditions with Tony Lucca, a former Mouseketeer that performed with Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and Britney Spears on The Mickey Mouse Club. Lucca pursued a solo career after his Mouseketeer days, and has toured with Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson, *NSYNC, Marc Anthony, and Sara Bareilles. Lucca has also released two albums that he produced independently, followed by another four commercially-produced albums through Lightyear and Rock Ridge Music between 2004 and 2011.
Disney fans may also remember Jordan Pruitt, a relatively successful Disney Channel recording artist before her Voice audition in Season 3. Pruitt recorded songs for the soundtracks to a number of successful Disney Channel movies including Read It and Weep, Jump In!, Air Buddies, and Tinker Bell and The Lost Treasure. Pruitt also released two solo studio albums: No Ordinary Girl in 2007 and Permission to Fly in 2008.
Season 5 winner Tessanne Chin also admitted to having signed a record deal before auditioning for The Voice. She stated in the Jamaica Observer, “You have to understand that we signed a record deal before everything got started. Even before the blind [auditions].”
And Season 7 winner Craig Wayne Boyd released albums in 2008 and 2013 and had opened for Randy Houser and Brantley Gilbert before auditioning.
So, how does this happen? How are artists with previous record deals (some with relative success) auditioning for a show that touts itself as discovering “unknown” talent? Perhaps the story of Jason Isbell can shed some light.
Isbell was recently named “American Music Association’s Artist of the Year.” He typically sells out his concert appearances and he has sold over 132,000 copies of his latest album, Southeastern. Rolling Stone recently reported that Isbell was approached by the producers of The Voice to audition for the show. Roberts and Linsey also confirmed in interviews that they were “invited” to audition.
It would appear that the producers are padding the competition to ensure that The Voice will produce a successful music artist. But if these artists have already had opportunities and successes, is The Voice really discovering that talent? And do you really want to vote for someone who has already had doors opened to them, or do you want to give someone a chance that has never had one? When you cast your vote this season, give some thought to these contenders’ past and decide who really should be given a chance by winning The Voice.
IMAGE TAKEN from popcultureblog.com
