“The Voice” names its first winner
SPOILER ALERT: This story, which also will appear in Thursday’s The Oklahoman, reveals the winner of tonight’s season finale of “The Voice.” If you don’t want to know the results, DO NOT read any further.
To read my live of tonight’s show, click here.
Javier Colon was named the inaugural winner of the hit reality TV singing contest “The Voice” Wednesday night during the show’s hour-long season finale.
The smooth-voiced family man from Stratford, Conn., narrowly defeated indie folk singer-songwriter Dia Frampton, 23, of St. George, Utah.
“The voting was extremely close,” host Carson Daly said during the finale. “It was so close, in fact, that the top two were within only 2 percent of each other.”
The other finalists on the NBC competition were gritty rocker Beverly McClellan and fiery soul singer Vicci Martinez.
“I don’t even know where to begin other than to say that the three women behind me are absolutely awesome and it was a pleasure to be here with them,” Colon said, choking up after his name was announced. “I want to thank everyone at home who believed in me and voted for me. Thank you all and thank you to my family.”
Colon, a 34-year-old husband and father of two, will receive a recording contract and $100,000 prize.
The show’s contenders trained during the 10-week series under the tutelage of a celebrity “musician coach.” Frampton worked with Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton, Colon represented Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine’s team, McClellan received coaching from pop belter Christina Aguilera, and Martinez trained with Gnarls Barkley soulman Cee Lo Green.
Shelton’s wife, fellow country star Miranda Lambert, appeared on Wednesday’s show to perform a moving rendition of her Grammy-winning smash “The House That Built Me” with Frampton.
“It finally hit me watching that … I know now why I get so emotional why I’ve been around you the past few weeks,” an emotional Shelton told Frampton after the duet. “You’re family to me now, and I love you. I really do. And I’m so proud of you.”
Frampton topped the iTunes chart after Tuesday night’s live performance episode, while Colon ascended to No. 2 on the digital retailer’s ranks, Daly announced on the show.
Other music stars appearing on Wednesday’s finale: Tulsa-born OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder did a duet with McClellan, Fleetwood Mac legend Stevie Nicks sang with Colon, and Train vocalist Pat Monahan performed with Martinez.
Modeled on a Dutch show, “The Voice” proved a ratings smash for beleaguered NBC, which has already renewed it for a second season. While the network has yet to confirm that its popular coaching quartet will return in winter for the second run, Shelton told The Oklahoman last month he would like go another round with “The Voice.”
“I love the show. I’d be happy to come back,” Shelton said.
-BAM
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