The Voice coaches selected 12 more solo artists for their fourth-season teams during Tuesday night's episode of the NBC reality singing competition's new edition.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Voice's musician coaches Shakira, Usher, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton continued to build their teams during the fifth episode of the initial "blind auditions" phase of the competition.
Adam selected Amy Whitcomb from Orlando, FL; Michael Austin from Norco, CA; and Sasha Allen from New York, NY.
Usher chose Jamila Thompson from Atlanta, GA; Jeff Lewis from Dallas, TX; and Ryan Innes from Holladay, UT.
Shakira picked team members Mary Miranda from Albuquerque, NM, and Shawna P. from Orange Beach, AL.
ADVERTISEMENT
Blake opted to have Caroline Glaser from Lawrence, KS; Grace Askew from Memphis, TN; Justin Rivers from Bowling Green, KY; and Michelle Raitzin from Great Neck, NY, on his team.
The 12 The Voice artists join the 32 acts who were previously selected during the season's first four audition episodes.
Below are NBC's full descriptions of each of the singers selected during The Voice's fifth fourth-season episode:
"Team Adam"
- Amy Whitcomb
Amy is back for her second chance on The Voice after failing to make it on a team last season. Originally from Florida, but now based in Utah, Amy is a rock/pop vocalist and piano player who got her start singing in the church. She counts her idols as Lady Gaga, Grace Potter and Steven Tyler and considers herself the confident, funny and competitive musician to beat.
- Michael Austin
Nicknamed "Big Country" by his friends, Michael has an impressive country/southern rock style. He is the quintessential cowboy who loves fishing and riding horses and is a third-generation law enforcement officer. Michael was drawn to country because of the stories the songs tell, and he counts Toby Keith, Bon Jovi and Tim McGraw as his biggest influences.
- Sasha Allen
Sasha is a New Yorker who plays piano and sings rock/soul music. She sings songs that allow her to connect to an emotion or mood, regardless of genre, and has a very close connection with her family and two children.
"Team Usher"
- Jamila Thompson
An R&B singer from Atlanta, Jamila is pursuing a degree at Georgia State University while also working as an actor and camp counselor. She only picked up singing a few years ago, but enjoys songwriting and also plays the violin.
- Jeff Lewis
Currently working as a waiter, Jeff has been singing urban pop/R&B for 14 years. He grew up imitating Michael Jackson and credits his coach, Usher, and Justin Timberlake as musical influences. He's driven to create a successful music career despite having been released from a previous recording contract. In his spare time, Jeff likes to play golf and basketball.
- Ryan Innes
A piano-playing, soul artist from Utah, 31-year-old Ryan has been singing "his whole life." Music has always been a passion for Ryan and after a broken engagement, he left his pursuit of a career in medicine to follow his dreams of being a musician. Ryan is the oldest of seven children and loves riding motorcycles in his free time.
"Team Shakira"
- Mary Miranda
Cuban-born but raised in New Mexico, Mary is a 17-year-old Latin artist and high school student. A big fan of Christina Aguilera and Selena Gomez, Mary learned English by listening to American pop/rock and R&B songs and was inspired to start singing by watching "Snow White" as a little girl.
- Shawna P.
Shawna calls her blended style "Earthfunk," a mix of funk, rock and country. At 45-years-old, she has performed with Charlie Daniels and Michael McDonald and was a member of the Nashville based "MuzikMafia" which launched the careers of Gretchen Wilson and Big & Rich. In addition to her music career, she has dreams of starting her own clothing line that reflects her personal style.
"Team Blake"
- Caroline Glaser
Hailing from Missouri, Caroline is an indie/folk singer currently studying education at the University of Kansas. She is a big fan of musicians Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson and Ben Folds and plays the guitar, ukulele and piano.
- Grace Askew
Grace has been singing for 12 years and describes her alternative country style as "Bluntry," a cross between Blues and Country. Living in Memphis, she calls herself "a full-time musician and part-time rambler." She also plays guitar and piano and listens to the music of Tom Waits, Gillian Welch and Lucinda Williams.
- Justin Rivers
Born in Alabama but now living in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Justin is a country artist who plays a number of instruments including guitar, keyboard, banjo and mandolin. A worship leader at his local church, Justin is a Grammy-nominated artist with his former band, Austin's Bridge. He loves riding motorcycles and listens to the music of John Mayer, Keith Urban and Stevie Wonder.
- Michelle Raitzin
Michelle, a pop/soul singer form Great Neck, New York, has been singing professionally for 10 years. She is very close to her large family with her brother being the most important person in her life. Although a member of Team Blake, Michelle's dream is to perform a duet of "Sunday Morning" with Adam Levine.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski