The Voice
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LeAnn Rimes is doubling down on her role as a coach on two international versions of The Voice. The Grammy-winning country singer is currently in Sydney, Australia filming her role as a coach on the upcoming season of The Voice Australia and on Wednesday (Feb. 21) it was announced that she will also serve the […]
The Voice contestant Lauren Duski is mourning the death of her mother, Janis Duski, in a touching tribute posted to Instagram. According to TMZ, which first reported the news, the Tuscarora Township Police in Indiana River, Michigan, said Janis was found dead in an apparent suicide.
In her Instagram post, Lauren Duski says she was hesitant to share the news publicly but thought she might be able to help others through her mother’s story.
“I wasn’t planning on sharing this but these last few days I’ve been feeling the most violent pull in my heart to remind you to please talk to one another,” Duski wrote. “If you’re struggling, do not be ashamed. Do not be ashamed. Do not be ashamed. Your mental health is nothing to be ashamed of and neither is talking about it. We are all trying to navigate this beautiful, messy life. I’ve learned that even the strongest humans have a breaking point. Be patient and gentle with yourself. Minute by minute. Please do not lose hope. Trust in God. There is always another chance…and there will never be another you.”
Duski competed on season 12 of The Voice in 2017 and chose to join Blake Shelton’s team among the three coaches who turned their chairs for her audition. The country singer finished as the season’s runner-up.
Lauren’s late mom can be seen, alongside her dad, celebrating her daughter’s success backstage in her blind audition video, in which she covered Jewel’s “You Were Meant for Me.”
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Three of Duski’s covers on The Voice hit the Billboard Hot 100 following her season: “Deja Vu” (No. 43), “The Dance” (No. 92) and “Ghost in This House” (No. 98).
Read Lauren’s full message about her mom below:
Said goodbye to my best friend and hero this past Friday. My mom was the greatest human I’ve ever known. There was no one who loved harder. She offered her entire being — heart and soul to everyone she encountered and always held up the mirror to remind you of how wonderful and special you were. She set the bar above the moon. She adored her family and her grandchildren. She was an endless dreamer. brilliant. an absolute powerhouse. Top of her class AND president in dental school. Served as a captain in the United States Air Force. She pioneered the Wolverine Patriot Project alongside the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and made it her mission to provide oral health care to disabled and homeless Michigan military veterans. We called her “Yoda” for her endless wisdom, energy, wit, and humor. She was selfless in every way. She never quit. Especially with a fishing pole in her hand. She loved to spend time exploring and road tripping across country with just a road map.
She saw God in everyone and everything.
Mom, you are infinitely loved. I will miss you every second of every day. I still don’t know how the hell I’m supposed to do this without you. I will thank God every day for our 32 years together and see you every time I look in that mirror.
I wasn’t planning on sharing this but these last few days I’ve been feeling the most violent pull in my heart to remind you to please talk to one another. If you’re struggling, do not be ashamed. Do not be ashamed. Do not be ashamed. Your mental health is nothing to be ashamed of and neither is talking about it. We are all trying to navigate this beautiful, messy life. I’ve learned that even the strongest humans have a breaking point. Be patient and gentle with yourself. Minute by minute. Please do not lose hope. Trust in God. There is always another chance…and there will never be another you.
We have the opportunity to save a generation and beyond. Say “I love you” every chance you get. Don’t wait. You never know the true impact you have on those around you.
I love you, mom. Forever. May you rest in glorious peace.
Janis Patricia Duski – 1964-2024
If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, available 24 hours, at 1-800-273-8255.
Another cycle of The Voice has wrapped! The season 24 finale aired live on Tuesday night (Dec. 19) and saw the competition come to a close after weeks of blind auditions, battle rounds and last-chance performances, culminating in the reveal of the show’s latest champion.
Jacquie Roar, Ruby Leigh, Mara Justine, Huntley and Lila Forde were the final five contestants left in the competition, after having one last chance to prove themselves solo with two performances on Monday’s episode, which served as the first part of the finale.
The Tuesday installment of the finale saw the hopefuls performing covers alongside their coaches — Huntley and Niall Horan teamed up for a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door.” Horan pulled double duty as Mara Justine was also in the running to win the competition, and sang the Eagles’ “Wasted Time.” Reba McEntire also had two chances to win, and performed Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and Wynonna’s “No One Else on Earth” with Ruby Leigh and Jacquie Roar, respectively. John Legend also sang a Christmas hit with Lila Forde, putting their spin on Ella Fitzgerald’s “Sleigh Ride”
After a series of all star performances from Earth, Wind & Fire, AJR, Tyla, Teddy Swims, season 22 winner Bryce Leatherwood, season 25 coaches Dan + Shay and more, the season 24 champion was crowed. Huntley took home the title, providing Horan with his second consecutive coach win. Ruby Leigh finished in second place during the finale, though 32 percent Billboard readers — the majority — voted her their pick to win the competition.
Following his big win, Huntley revealed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that he “was so surprised” with his victory. “Ruby [Leigh] is so talented and I think that she is a force to reckon with, so the fact that it was us two standing up there, it was right. … She’s super talented, and when my name got called, I genuinely couldn’t believe it.”
The winner continued, “This has all been so worthwhile … I just want my career. I’m so hungry for this. John [Legend] said he can see me singing in arenas around the world, and that’s something I’m very hungry for. Y’all are not getting rid of me!”
The Voice will return for season 25 in February.
Revisit the finale performances with the coaches below, and watch Huntley get crowned the winner above.
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Season 24 of The Voice is officially down to its final hours, as the live finale airs on Tuesday (Dec. 19). The first part of the finale aired on NBC on Monday, and features the remaining five contestants battling it out for the title of this season’s champion. Coach Gwen Stefani is out of the […]
The Voice has whittled down the competition to its last five contestants of season 24 during its Tuesday night (Dec. 12) episode. Lila Forde (Team Legend), Huntley (Team Niall), Ruby Leigh (Team Reba), Mara Justine (Team Niall) and Jacquie Roar (Team Reba) will be continuing in the competition, the show revealed Tuesday. Monday night’s semifinals […]
The Voice sure does know how to go out with a bang! As the reality competition show draws to the close of its 24th season, the Emmy-winning program has announced its star-studded lineup for its finale episode, which is set to air on NBC’s Dec. 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
2024 Grammy nominees Jelly Roll and Tyla are set to take The Voice stage to commemorate the season 24 finale, alongside performances from Earth, Wind & Fire, AJR, Keith Urban and season 25 coaches Dan + Shay. The intergenerational genre-spanning lineup will play a collection of songs that combine major moments in their respective careers, the dominant songs and styles of 2023 and their latest releases.
Jelly Roll, a four-time 2023 Billboard Music Awards finalist, will perform his Grammy-nominated Lainey Wilson-assisted “Save Me,” the second single from his chart-topping album Whitsitt Chapel. Amapiano/Afropop star Tyla will perform “Water,” her breakout single, which recently hit the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 ahead of the release of her forthcoming debut studio album.
Music legends Earth, Wind & Fire will perform a career-spanning medley that previews the band’s upcoming Heart & Soul 2024 Tour, which they are co-headlining with Chicago. Another genre-fusing band, AJR, will perform a medley of its hit single “Bang!” and “Yes I’m a Mess,” which hit No. 28 on Rock Airplay this year.
Keith Urban, a four-time Grammy winner who previously served as a judge on American Idol and a coach on the Australian version of The Voice, will perform “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” his 2016 hit single which ranked at No. 9 on Billboard’s Decade-End U.S. Hot Country Songs (2010-2019). Another superstar country act, Dan + Shay, will grace the stage with a performance of “Bigger Houses,” the title track from their most recent LP.
In addition to these eye-popping guests, The Voice has even more performances in store for the season 24 finale. Season 22 winner Bryce Leatherwood will return to perform “The Finger,” a single from his forthcoming project. Furthermore, this season’s top 12 artists will band together for a special joint performance. In that spirit, this year’s coaching panel — Niall Horan, John Legend, Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani — will join forces for a bubbly rendition of “Let It Snow.”
This season marks the first in which none of the show’s original coaches — Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and CeeLo Green — from the series’ inaugural season appear on the coaching panel. Shelton departed after last season, which saw One Direction alum Niall Horan emerge victorious.
This week (Dec. 11-12) marks the semifinals for season 24 of The Voice. On Monday (Dec. 11), the remaining contestants each performed a solo song before tackling a few Taylor Swift tunes as trios. The three highlighted T-Swift tracks were “Don’t Blame Me,” “Exile” and “Mean (Taylor’s Version).”
Tune in to NBC on Dec. 19 to see who wins season 24 of The Voice!
The Voice paid tribute to Taylor Swift on the Monday (Dec. 11) episode, which saw the remaining contestants teaming up in the live semifinals to perform covers of the pop superstar’s songs for a chance to stay in the competition. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The […]
When Tom Nitti, 31, unexpectedly left The Voice last month during the playoff rounds citing “personal reasons,” the Team Reba country singer didn’t provide a lot of information about why he unexpectedly had to bounce.
But in a new interview with the Utica Observer-Dispatch, Nitti finally opened up about the difficult situation at home that forced him to make the decision. “It’s always been a dream of mine to pursue music full time, but I can’t do that without a cushion,” said Nitti, a New York State trooper and former Airborne Cavalry Scout who suffered a serious brain injury in a mortar attack in Afghanistan that earned him a Purple Heart. “As a dad, I need to make sure my children will be supported,” he said.
Performing in front of thousands of people has “always been my dream” Nitti told the paper. But once he became a dad, his goal adjusted to being known locally and serving his community. “The biggest misconception is when people think I went on the show knowing that I’d leave,” said the father of two young children who lamented leaving his kids when he deployed to Afghanistan for several rotations and during his stints in airborne school and a warrior leader course. “It all happened so quickly and I needed to make a fast decision. I chose my family and I’ll tell you why.”
After turning heads, and chairs, with his covers of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” in the blind auditions and winning the battle rounds with his Cody Johnson “Til You Can’t” cover — and then getting saved by McEntire in the knockout round thanks to his take on the Temptations’ “(I Know) I’m Losing You” — Nitti became one of Team Reba’s six finalists.
Nitti — who was slated to appear on season 23 of The Voice but said he had to defer a year because he hadn’t given the state police enough of a head’s up — told the paper that even though pursuing music full time was his long-time goal, his priority was making sure his children, Rayleigh and Brently, were well-supported.
Then, five months before season 24 aired, Nitti filed for divorce. After going up against Jacquie Roar during the knockout rounds, Nitti said she asked him what was wrong when he seemed glum despite McEntire saving him from elimination. “I spilled my guts,” he said. “I told her about how I had just received an email from my lawyers urging me to come home because my ex-wife was going after primary custody.”
The “gut-wrenching” moment pushed Nitti to make the difficult choice to leave the show, “not because I missed my kids, but because I couldn’t imagine losing them,” he told the paper. “I am happy with the decision I made, but should it have come to that point? Absolutely not,” he added. Though he left before the shows went live, Nitti said he was not prepared for the reaction to his leave-taking during the pre-taped portion of the season.
“I never believed that things were meant to be until this all happened,” Nitti said. “The most positive thing from my experience on the show was the camaraderie I found among other vocalists.”
Shortly after leaving the show, Nitti acknowledged his split in an lengthy Instagram post, in which he wrote, “As much as it absolutely stings to say, I had to make probably one of the hardest yet easiest decisions ever and ultimately at the end of the day, my kids will always come first and if I had to make the same decision again I’d do it over and over.” He also promised at the time that, “This isn’t the end of me and I’ll do what I do best for everyone to see which is keep my head down and move forward playing music and raising/creating new memories with a family I will continue to grow.”
Earlier this week, Nitti dropped the new original, “One Night Stand,” with fellow contestants Bias and Lennon VanderDoes. “There’s a hole in the wall dive bar/ It’s downtown/ Can’t believe a girl like you would come around/ Strut keeps turning heads/ Gotta get you outta here,” Nitti sings on the country ramble. Bias is still on the show, but VanderDoes was sent packing after the playoff round after Gwen Stefani used a Super Save to bring him back. Nitti told the paper he’s also written a new song about his journey called “Redemption Road.”
“I’m hoping one day my kids will be able to see why I did what I did instead of just thinking that I quit,” he said.
Reba McEntire flipped from mentor to performer on Tuesday night (Dec. 5) when she got up from her red chair and stepped into the spotlight on The Voice to sing her recent single, “Seven Minutes in Heaven.” The moving ballad recorded in tribute to McEntire’s mother, Jacqueline McEntire — who died of cancer in March […]
It’s hard, if not impossible, to out-goth Robert Smith. But on Monday night (Dec. 4), Team Niall’s Nini Iris did her level best to bring all the spooky vibes to her cover of The Cure’s 1989 mope rock ballad “Lovesong” on The Voice.
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The 27-year-old Tbilsi, Georgia native who made it to the live shows on the Georgian version of The Voice in 2012 and then moved to New York in 2016 — where she went from being a cabaret singer to a professional wedding singer — has been on a serious roll since the beginning of the playoff rounds last month.
But on Monday night she kicked it to a new high with her moving, emotive Cure cover. Accompanied by a string quartet and pianist, Iris stood atop a square platform midstage wearing a midnight black dress, long lace gloves and a matching choker and belted out the song’s keening lyrics over the moody arrangement.
Adding a bit of Adele-like soul to the darkly bouncy song from the Cure’s Disintegration album — which became the band’s highest-charting U.S. single when it hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in Oct. 1989 — Iris climbed into her sky-high register to sing the track’s’s haunting refrain: “Whenever I’m alone with you/ You make me feel like I am home again.”
As the music swelled and Iris’ voice took on a gritty growl, she became more animated and held the final “I will always love you” for an extra beat as mentor Horan closed his eyes and watched with pride. “And the Grammy goes to” he joked, dubbing the performance “absolutely spectacular.”
The stunning performance came on the same night that season-long frontrunner Ruby Leigh, 16, posted yet another impressive performance for Team Reba when she sang McEntire’s 1980 single, “You Lie.” With the season 24 grand finale just two weeks away, the competition got real on Monday night when the top 12 semifinalists finally competed for America’s votes.
Other impressive performances from the episode included Team Reba’s Jacquie Roar’s roaring version of Lainey Wilson’s “Wildflowers and Wild Horses,” Team Gwen Stefani’s Kara Tenae doing an elegant cover of Keyshia Cole’s “Love” and Team John Legend singer Lila Forde’s mellow ramble through the Barbie soundtrack Indigo Girls folk rock classic “Closer to Fine.” The show also featured spots from Team Gwen’s Tanner Massey and BIAS, Team Niall’s Huntley and Mara Justine, Team Legend’s Azán and Mac Royals and Team Reba’s Jordan Ranier.
Watch Nini Irish sing “Lovesong” on The Voice below.
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