The Voice finale begins tonight, December 18, and we have some fast facts about each of the five performers remaining. If you’ve been wondering about Mara Justine, Huntley, Lila Forde, Ruby Leigh, or Jacquie Roar, look no further than right here.
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Mara Justine of Team Niall
Mara Justine is a 21-year-old powerhouse with the vocals and stage presence to potentially take her to the winner’s circle. She started the blind auditions by singing Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” which resulted in all four judges turning for her. Initially, she was part of Team Legend, but was stolen by Niall later. She has performed Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man,” Harry Nilsson’s “Without You,” Florence & the Machine’s “You’ve Got the Love,” Teddy Swim’s “Lose Control,” Chris Stapleton’s “Parachute,” and Taylor Swift’s “Don’t Blame Me.”
Mara is no stranger to singing competitions, though. When she was 11 years old she made it to the Top 12 on America’s Got Talent, and to the Top 14 on American Idol when she was 15. She also makes her own music and posts covers on YouTube.
Huntley of Team Niall
Michael Huntley, known singularly as Huntley, hails from Virginia and immediately took the judges by storm with his powerful, gravelly vocals. With his unique style and presence, Huntley commands the stage easily. He began the blind auditions with a rendition of The Black Crowes’ “She Talks to Angels,” which resulted in a four-chair turn allowing him to choose his team. Bringing his daughter on stage, she chose Team Niall for him. Huntley has also performed Hootie & the Blowfish’s “Hold My Hand,” Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive,” David Kushner’s “Daylight,” The Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends,” KALEO’s “Way Down We Go,” and Taylor Swift’s “exile.”
Huntley is already a career musician in his own right, having appeared on two seasons of American Idol and won his hometown version of the show, Fredericksburg Idol. He is also the frontman of the band Lucys Letdown, which tours regionally in Virginia, and spent some time in Nashville writing music.
Ruby Leigh of Team Reba
Ruby Leigh is a 16-year-old self-taught musician from Missouri who has captured us all completely. She employs a classic country-western style from her choice of music to her vocals, as she yodeled flawlessly in her performance of “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart” by Patsy Montana in the blind auditions. She caught Reba McEntire’s attention immediately, and Leigh happily joined her team. Leigh has also performed Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” LeAnn Rimes’ “Blue,” Linda Ronstadt’s “Long Long Time,” Cee Cee Chapman’s “You Lie” which was covered by McEntire in 1990, and John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”
Leigh has been a country music fan since she was 9 years old. According to her father, she knew that she wanted to be a country star since then, and has carried that goal with her through the years. Her website states that she has more than 200 songs memorized, and she refuses to use paper or digital notes when singing. “If you wanna be a singer that’s your job to remember the words,” she’s said, and sticks to that mantra.
Lila Forde of Team Legend
Lila Forde from Seattle, Washington has grabbed America’s attention with her soulful vocals. She opened her blind audition with Blind Faith’s “Can’t Find My Way Home,” which earned her a four-chair turn. She went with John Legend as her coach, who has praised her as a fully-formed artist already. Her other performances include Lori Lieberman’s “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain,” John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery,” Indigo Girls’ “Closer to Fine,” and Joni Mitchell’s “River.”
The 24-year-old embarked on a European tour last fall, opening for L.A.-based artist Rachael Mazer. Forde also plays locally in Seattle, and is working on her debut album with help from a Kickstarter campaign that raised $16,000.
Jacquie Roar of Team Reba
Jacquie Roar is a wedding singer and DJ from Oregon who riled up the judges with her blind audition of “Here for the Party” by Gretchen Wilson. She earned a four-chair turn and went with Team Gwen at first, chosen by her daughter. Eventually, Reba stole Jacquie from Gwen, cementing her on the country-flavored team. Jacquie has also performed Jelly Roll’s “Need a Favor,” Maren Morris’ “Girl,” Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” Lainey Wilson’s “Wildflowers and Wild Horses,” Taylor Swift’s “Don’t Blame Me,” Sia’s “Alive,” and Heart’s “Alone.”
Jacquie has performed for Alan Jackson, Kelsea Ballerini, Martina McBride, Brett Young, and Dan + Shay, among others, and started a band that had performed regionally, most recently at the Oregon Jamboree. She has performed the National Anthem for the Portland Trail Blazers and also owns her own wedding DJ company.
(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
