The current season of NBC’s singing competition “The Voice” has a touch of garnet and gold, with Winthrop student and Columbia, SC native Camm Wess capturing the attention of coaches John Legend and Blake Shelton. On Monday, March 2, Wess performed a soulful rendition of The Weeknd’s “Earned It” at blind auditions, which made Legend turn his chair early on in the performance and Shelton turn around at the last moment. Despite a lengthy debate between the judges, Wess said “I’m so heavily influenced by John Legend,” and chose to work with the R&B star.
Despite not turning their chairs, judges Kelly Clarkson and Nick Jonas also spoke highly of Wess’s performance, and sang “Happy Birthday” when he remarked that he would be turning 22 the next day.
“I think that you are so talented, I can not wait to see what you do when you pick John [Legend],” Clarkson said shortly after the performance.
“You came in with your own style. It just felt like you were an artist, a force to be reckoned with on this show,” Legend said.
According to the Charlotte Observer, Wess has “put college on hold while he chases [his] dream.” He is a member of the Winthrop choirs and of the music fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Wess received support on social media from choir director Dr. Jeremy Mims, his Phi Mu Alpha brothers, the official @ArtsWinthrop Instagram and several Winthrop students and faculty on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
To see Camm Wess’s electrifying performance, scan the QR code below or visit https://www.nbc.com/the-voice/video/cammwess-sings-the-weeknds-earned-it-fifty-shades-of-grey-the-voice-blind-auditions-2020/4125797
