Richmond singer earns final roster spot during blind auditions on ‘The Voice’
After nabbing his first-ever country singer in Maysville-based Hunter Jordan on the March 2 episode of NBC’s “The Voice,” it didn’t take long for coache Adam Levine to add another.
A week later on March 9 Levine rounded out his team with a chair turn for Richmond singer Jared Shoemaker, 32, in a move that also closed out the show’s blind auditions. Although fate wound up offering an illusion of choice since the other two coaches — Kelly Clarkson and John Legend — had already completed their rosters prior to his audition, Shoemaker says he’s long been a fan of Levine’s and envisioned picking him if he ever appeared on the show.
“I’m really glad I got on Adam’s team because every season that I’ve watched before this one when he was on I’d always root for his team,” explains Shoemaker. “Having Kelly on there too this time made it tough though because she just seems so down-to-earth and kind, but in the end Adam was the only one with a spot left, and I’m not upset about that at all. ”
What Song Did Jared Shoemaker Audition With?
Shoemaker earned that coveted final chair turn with a touching performance of “I Never Lie”, a song from country star Zach Top that became the singer’s first hit on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart, peaking at no. 24 in May. Despite being a huge fan of Top’s ’90s country sound, Shoemaker says he may not have chosen the tune for his audition if it weren’t on a list of a hundred or so compositions he had to choose from.
“Zach isn’t an easy guy to cover, but I thought it would make for a good challenge to try to get a chair turn with his song,” said Shoemaker. “I feel like I made the song my own a bit, and it wound up serving me well.”
With the pressure of performing a song outside his comfort zone and the weight of the moment and opportunity in front of him, Shoemaker remembers being a nervous wreck leading up to the audition.
“I don’t think I slept for two nights leading into my blind audition,” he says. “Then on the day of I had to wait a few hours in the studio before going on stage. There was a lot of tunnel vision as that time passed, but once I got out there muscle memory kicked in and things went well.”
How Did Singer Jared Shoemaker Make It to ‘The Voice’?
Shoemaker’s path to “The Voice” began in 2019 following his return home after serving a Navy deployment in the U.S.S. George H.W. Bush. It was there he first began singing after learning that doing so releases endorphins that make you happy, something he desperately needed to combat the grueling work hours and longing for his loved ones back home.
He quickly became a go-to singer during jam sessions that would break out aboard, a theme that continued at parties and other engagements once he arrived home. After putting off an audition attempt for years, he finally went through the process last year for season 29 at the behest of his girlfriend, sending in a 90-second cover of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” that landed him a flight out to Los Angeles for the blind auditions.
“Whether it was co-workers during breaks or friends around a fire late at night, people had been telling me for a while that I should try out for The Voice,” recalls Shoemaker. “After shying away from it, I’m glad I finally took the chance on myself. Playing around the bars in Richmond instead of doing this years ago had me feeling way more confident than if I’d done this back then.”
When Will Singer Jared Shoemaker Be On ‘The Voice’ Again?
Shoemaker’s journey on “The Voice” continues in the Battle Rounds on March 23 at 9 p.m. ET. You can also see him live locally with his band Marshull at Bluegrass Barrel House in Richmond on March 20 and April 11 as well as the Silver Eagle in Mt. Vernon on March 21 and Wild Dog’s Music Week in McKee April 19-25. For more updates, follow him on Instagram at @Jared.Shoemaker.Music.