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Journey ends for Hawaii’s Thunderstorm Artis on NBC’s ‘The Voice’

COURTESY NBC
                                Thunderstorm Artis performs his original song “Sedona” during the first night of “The Voice” finals.
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COURTESY NBC

Thunderstorm Artis performs his original song “Sedona” during the first night of “The Voice” finals.

Haleiwa-born and raised Thunderstorm Artis has consistently captivated audiences throughout the 18th season of the NBC network reality show “The Voice.” Starting with his first appearance during the blind auditions singing a beautiful rendition of the Beatles’ “Blackbird,” Artis has showcased his talent as a vocalist and musician. On Tuesday his journey on the show ended on a bittersweet note when the season’s winner was revealed during the second night of the final episode.

Todd Tilghman of Team Blake took top honors. Artis (Team Nick) and Toneisha Harris (Team Blake) shared runner-up status. CammWess (Team Legend) was the voters’ choice for fourth place. Micah Iverson (Team Kelly) was fifth.

The season made history, not only because each celebrity coach — Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, John Legend and Nick Jonas — was guaranteed to have a team member in the finals, but also because the latter part of the season was broadcast remotely from the contestants’ and coaches’ homes due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was also the first season when there were five finalists instead of four.

The five finalists performed two songs each — an original and a remake — on Monday. Artis earned praise from his coach, Jonas, and his former coach, Legend, for his original song, “Sedona,” which he performed accompanying himself on acoustic guitar in an arrangement that displayed both his range as a vocalist and his versatility as a guitarist.

On the downside, Artis’ reworking of Louis Armstrong’s musical signature “What a Wonderful World” would have been a better showcase without the instrumental backing tracks.

A studio version of “Sedona” is available on iTunes and Apple Music. Also available is a studio recording of “You’ll Be in My Heart,” which he performed as a duet with Jonas on Tuesday before the results were announced.

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