Not long after I started writing my Music Spotlight column, I came across one of the greatest voices I’d ever heard in Nashville, Wendy Moten. I even gave her a shoutout when Heidi Newfield released her Barfly Sessions record in 2020.
After Moten rose to fame as the runner-up on NBC’s The Voice in 2021, the rest of the world saw how fabulous she was, and I knew getting an interview would be more of a challenge.
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I’ll admit that I don’t watch music competition shows like I did when I was younger. When I watch TV, it’s usually a mind-numbing procedural or mystery.
But thankfully, a lot of the people I interview got their start on a show and if they are country, they often find their way into my email inbox. Because the competition is so fierce, most of the artists pitched to me are outstanding performers. Orlando Mendez is one such artist and I feel privileged to tell his story.
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One of my favorite groups to interview is the music competition show’s finalists. To make it to the finales of any of the shows, artists normally have talent in spades. The actual winners are often untouchable, but those who rank in the top 10 are usually fabulous performers.
Pryor Baird is no exception. From Season 14 of NBC’s The Voice in 2018, Baird had all four judges vying for him to be their team. While he would ultimately go with Blake, it didn’t really matter because not only could he sing with a bluesy, Muddy Waters grit, he was different. And more importantly, he was memorable.
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