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The Voice Season 4: Exclusive Interview with Orlando Dixon

Posted on 04/29/2013 by Gina in The Voice and Cast Interviews

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Orlando Dixon of The Voice Season 4

by Gina Scarpa


Orlando Dixon came to The Voice this season in the hopes of providing a better life for his mom and sisters. Already popular on YouTube, he was hoping to reach a wider audience and elevate his career. His blind audition only convinced Usher to turn around but it was all he needed. In the battle round, Usher chose teammate Ryan Innes over him but Adam Levine swooped in to steal him and give him another chance in the competition. Today, we talked to Orlando about taking his music to a new level, working with two different coaches, and what winning The Voice would mean to him.


Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You've been pretty successful with your music on YouTube thus far, but how did you feel The Voice could elevate your career?
A. Orlando: You know the thing about this show is that The Voice is a huge Being on something like this definitely provides you a lot of exposure to people who didn't even know you. That's one of the biggest benefits for this, especially me, coming from doing YouTube and things on the internet. It allows a host of other people to get to know you. They get to know your story and what you're about. I'm just really excited that this has allowed people to get to know my story.


Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Usher was the only coach to turn around for you in the blind auditions and he didn't do so until the very end. What was going through your mind as you were singing and no one was turning?
A. Orlando: It's already so intimidating to sing in front of chairs that are turned around! You're saying to yourself, "Keep going, keep going." When it was over halfway through the song and no chairs turned, I was like, "It's okay, do the best that you can. That's all you can do." Usher turned around and it exceeded every expectation that I had. I'm the person that has a realistic and optimistic perspective. The realist in me says, "Okay, these people may not turn around for you but it's not the end of the world," but of course, me being optimistic, I was thinking it would be so awesome if someone turned around. When you go out on that stage, it's an extremely nervewracking process. They're listening for something specific. Adam, Shakira, Usher, and Blake have all been successful in their own right so they know what they're looking for and you hope that you're that thing.


Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Leading up to the battle round against Ryan Innes, what was Usher like to work with?
A. Orlando: For the battle round, we got to sit down and talk to Usher about the song. He got to really gauge our styles, individually. Even though Ryan's and my voices complement each other, our styles are so different. I'm more R&B and he's more soul. Usher was trying to pinpoint a lot of the things I needed help with, and Ryan and I were able to help each other. On a musical level, when Ryan and I started working together, we saw a lot of similarities that Usher was able to point out automatically. All these years in the business have allowed Usher to see something special in me and in Ryan. He really challenged me to do things that I wouldn't normally do. It really allowed me to grow and he made a genuine investment.


Q. Gina, RealityWanted: When Adam hit his button to steal you, it must have meant so much to you to get another chance in the competition.
A. Orlando: Yeah! I did not expect to be stolen. My reaction was genuinely shock and surprise. I was like, "I cannot believe this!" I was just really grateful that Adam saw something in me that he felt like he could push and challenge.


Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What do you feel like you need to do in the knockout round in order to show Adam that you deserve to stay over another teammate?
A. Orlando: You know, my goal for the knockouts is to really show who Orlando is and I think, up until this point, I've proven that there is a gift there. There is talent there that can be nurtured. Right now, my goal is to show people what I do as an artist.


Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You've said, throughout the competition, how you want to give your family a better life. What would winning The Voice mean to you and them?
A. Orlando: I mean, winning The Voice would mean a total life change for me and my family. I want to show them that dreams are possible and can come true. My mom has been supporting us for so long. I know there are other things I want to do and I want to show people that when you work hard, good things happen. Winning the show would really mean a lot to me!

 


The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC.

 

(Image courtesy of NBC)

 

 

Follow Gina @ginascarpa


  


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