Wendy Moten kicked off the Top 11 live performances on The Voice with an electrifying rendition of Aretha Franklin’s 1985 hit “Freeway of Love.”
After being cheered on by Vince Gill over FaceTime, the 55-year-old Memphis, Tennessee native opened up the show with her powerhouse performance of the song, which was chosen for the artist by viewers during “Fan Week,” and received a standing ovation from coaches Blake Shelton and John Legend.
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“You are just incredible every single time. It was infectious and stunning as always,” said coach Ariana Grande. “You are a flawless vocalist and your tone is beautiful,” said John.
Moten’s coach Shelton added, “You are stepping in your new artist role, an icon, and legend.” If Moten is the last artist standing in Season 21 of The Voice, she will be the ninth contestant from Team Blake to win the competition.
Moten has already taken on some big hits during her time on The Voice, including The Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out” during the blind audition, her Battles performance of Sting’s “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You,” Whitney Houston’s version of the Dolly Parton-penned “I Will Always Love You” when she reached the Top 21, along with Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way” in the Knockouts, and Linda Ronstadt’s “Blue Bayou.”
A former background singer, Moten released her second album Time for Change in 1995, which featured David Foster as one of the producers, and a toured with Michael Bolton. Now based in Nashville, the singer-songwriter recently released I’ve Got You Covered in 2020, featuring Gill, on two tracks, singer and fiddler Andrea Zonn (Alison Krauss), and Bekka Bramlett, a former member of Mick Fleetwood’s band Zoo.
Photo: Trae Patton/NBC
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