‘The Voice’: Wendy Moten Blows Judges Away With Soulful Performance
During the first night of the season premiere of The Voice on Monday night (Sept. 20), among the impressive blind auditions of the night, one really stood out.
After hearing 56-year-old Tennessee native Wendy Moten sing, all four coaches—John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, and Ariana Grande— spun their red chairs. The singer performed a soulful rendition of The Beatles' song, "We Can Work It Out."
After her performance, Moten revealed that she worked in the music industry for 35 years and once had a record deal and hit single, "Come In Out of the Rain," in the 90s. She also was a backup singer for John Oates and Julio Iglesias.
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“What a privilege for them to have gotten to sing with you,” Grande replied. “You are spectacular, and I need you to be in the foreground. It’s time.”
“You have so much light in your voice, and I’m just sad that Blake deprived me of the opportunity,” John Legend said, responding to Shelton’s block, meaning Moten couldn’t join the “All of You’s” singers team. “You really are phenomenal, and we are lucky to have you.”
Moten ultimately chose to join the country singers team.
“Wendy is one of the best vocalists I’ve ever heard on this show,” Shelton said in his post-show interview according to TODAY.
Moten, who was elated with the news, took to her Instagram to celebrate.
“WOW! I’m so full of gratitude!,” she captioned her post. “Tonight will be one of the most memorable nights of my life! You could say, this is a new dream that came true ! I’m ecstatic about being on #TeamBlake‼️ I live and work in Nashville and being on Blake’s team is like icing on a cake!”
Adding, “I hope my presence on the show encourages the young and the old to keep dreaming and to act out on those dreams. I want them to know that it’s ok to hit that “reset” button in your life.”
Watch Wendy Moten’s performance below: