What would it sound like if you were singing for your life? Singing to stay alive?
Paris Winningham’s voice has been haunting me this season of The Voice. The semi-finals are tonight. The competition is down to eight singers. Vote for Paris at NBC.com or by downloading The Voice app.
Between my daytime job, writing on the side, and raising children, The Voice and 60 Minutes are the only two network television shows I routinely watch. I have never voted for a contestant on The Voice before. But this season I am.
I was struggling to describe to an acquaintance why Paris’ voice gets under my skin and into my soul. Why his voice haunts me.
Otis Redding With a Hint of Eddie Vedder
If I was only allowed one song to listen to, it would be Otis Redding’s (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay. I hear Otis Redding in Paris’ voice, but there is something more. Something edgier.
Saturday, it came to me. Eddie Vedder. To confirm my instinct, I listened to Eddie Vedder sing Wishlist, the first Pearl Jam song that came to mind.
Paris’ voice shares the depth and some of the urgency that Vedder conveys.
I don’t even know all the names of the musicians in U2, my favorite band, whom I have seen in concert a number of times. However, I then found myself watching this brief video biography, The Truth About Eddie Vedder’s Pearl Jam which was accompanied by a link to an article, The Untold Truth of Eddie Vedder. This clip from this article gave me insight into the urgency in Vedder’s voice.
“The environment was tense, and by age 15, he’d already moved out into his own apartment. He worked at a drug store, struggled to keep up in school… For the most part, he felt alone. As he puts it, “I’d fall asleep and things in class and they’d lecture me about the reality of their classroom. I said one day, ‘You want to see my reality?’ I opened up my backpack to where you usually keep your pencils. That’s where I kept my bills . . . electric bills, rent . . . That was my reality.””
Eddie Vedder was singing for his life, his soul, his sanity.
Rockstar INXS Competition
Unfortunately, not every rock star ends up conquering their demons as Eddie Vedder eventually did. In 2005, I watched a predecessor to The Voice, Rockstar INXS Full Episode 32 Finale (2005). The remaining members of INXS hosted a competition to replace their lead singer Michael Hutchence whose death was ruled a suicide. Early into the season, I picked the singer who won, J.D. Fortune. There weren’t as many contestants as on The Voice. I was able to see INXS perform in Los Angeles with J.D. Fortune, and the album they made together was brilliant. Michael Hutchence’s voice haunted me too.
Paris Live on Instagram
The Truth About Eddie Vedder’s Pearl Jam revealed that Eddie Vedder showed tremendous empathy and appreciation for his fans. He made time to meet with them and answered their letters. In a similar fashion, Paris has been appearing on Instagram Live and calling up young singers who ask to join him live on Instagram. He has been giving them singing tips and encouraging them.
While my dog Paisley romps around the dog park, I have been able to catch some of these live Instagram sessions and learn a bit more about Paris. He admitted that it wasn’t his idea to try out for The Voice, his father coaxed him into it. This demonstrates his humility.
Paris, 33, served in the Navy for eight years and then in the National Guard. Before The Voice, in addition to his day job, he sang at weddings, corporate gigs, and opened for local bands. He’s not only humble but resourceful.
From where does that honesty, urgency, and unforgettable soulful voice emanate? The Voice’s bio of Paris provides some clues, “Paris was adopted as an infant and has never met his biological parents, but know his mother was a singer and his father was a guitar player. With music in his genes, Paris started playing the drums in church at 7 years old and later began singing.”
Visceral reaction
For me, it’s not about the technical aspects of a singer’s voice, it’s about whether their voice makes my heart beat faster and makes me feel alive. Of the eight singers left, I’m also feeling Jim and Sasha and Wendy Moten.
Vote for Paris at NBC.com or by downloading The Voice app.