Wendy Moten (born November 22, 1964) is an American jazz singer from Tennessee. Born in Memphis and based in Nashville, Moten has had a successful career in music, including several major-label solo records, some international hit songs, and a second career as a touring musician.[1]
Wendy Moten | |
|---|---|
 Wendy Moten at Wildhorse Saloon, June 2023. | |
| Background information | |
| Born | November 22, 1964 Memphis, Tennessee, US |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Solo artist, vocalist, performer |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | EMI, Vital, IRS |
| Website | wendymoten.com |
At age 56, she entered the American national talent competition The Voice. She finished as the runner-up on the show, but her career was buoyed by the national exposure.[1] Moten is best known for the single "Come In Out of the Rain", which was a No. 8 hit in the UK in February 1994.[2]
Early life and career
editThe daughter of a pastor, Moten began singing in a church choir as a child.[1] She attended Overton High School in Memphis and sang in the Overton Choir under the direction of the late Lulah M. Hedgeman.[2] She won a Mid-South Fair singing competition at age 16, and got a job singing at a theme park.[1] She attended Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis)[2] as a music business major at the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music.[3] She was discovered by promo man Dick Williams who heard her as she was singing on a jingle in a Memphis studio.[1] She got her first break singing with Michael Bolton at a benefit concert; after signing with EMI, in 1992 she released her self-titled debut album and opened for Bolton on tour.[2] Moten's biggest hit single was "Come In Out of the Rain", which, although only peaking at #55 in 1993 on the Billboard Hot 100, was a No. 5 adult contemporary hit, and also reached the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart, where it peaked at No. 8 in 1994. A follow-up single, "So Close to Love" did not chart in the U.S. but reached No. 35 in the UK Top 40. She had a starring role in an off-Broadway production, "Mama I Want to Sing". Moten also landed a feature song "Whatever You Imagine" in children's movie The Pagemaster starring Macaulay Culkin in 1994.[4] In the late 1990s, with her personal career at a crossroads, she accepted an offer to tour with Julio Iglesias, a working relationship that continued for the next 15 years.[1] She said, "I toured the whole world with him, singing in four languages . . . flying around in private jets and singing in front of massive audiencies."[1]
In 2006, Moten sang back-up vocals on the Soul2Soul II Tour with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. She continued touring with McGraw and Hill from 2005-2018. She contributed backing vocals to Bonnie Tyler's 2013 album Rocks and Honey. She also toured with Martina McBride from 2014-2016 providing background vocals. Moten was a harmony singer for Vince Gill and was a member of his Time Jumpers for several years, but in 2020, Gill took her on tour as a featured vocalist.[5]
The Voice
editMoten said that in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the touring business and live music venues, she found her career to be at a critical juncture.[1] She was not sure that her lucrative work as a backup singer on high-profile tours would be still be in existence.[1] When the chance for The Voice came, Moten said, "Deciding to do The Voice was hard. Because I've been on a certain level for like 30-plus years... and to be in a situation where you are trying to get people to love you and vote for you...it's tough. But decided to take a risk".[1] Moten competed in the 21st season of The Voice and finished as the runner-up of the season.[6] While working on the show, Moten fell over a monitor, fracturing her elbow. She was told at a Burbank hospital that it would require surgery, but she was determined to remain on the show for 3 more episodes and then had surgery to repair the fracture with titanium plates.[1] As of 2022, Moten is assembling a professional team to help re-launch her solo career following the surge in her media exposure on the show.[1]
| Performances on The Voice season 21 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Theme | Song | Original Artist | Order | Original Air Date | Result |
| Blind Auditions | — | "We Can Work It Out" | The Beatles | 1.11 | September 20, 2021 | All four chairs turned; John Legend blocked; joined Team Blake |
| Battles (Top 48) | "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" (vs. Manny Keith) | Sting | 9.9 | October 18, 2021 | Saved by coach | |
| Knockouts (Top 32) | "Ain't No Way" (vs. Jonathan Mouton) | Aretha Franklin | 11.1 | October 25, 2021 | ||
| Live Playoffs (Top 20) | "I Will Always Love You" | Dolly Parton (Whitney Houston cover) | 15.20 | November 8, 2021 | Saved by public's vote | |
| Live Top 13 | "Dedications" | "Blue Bayou" | Linda Ronstadt | 17.1 | November 15, 2021 | |
| Live Top 11 | "Fan Week" | "Freeway of Love" | Aretha Franklin | 19.1 | November 22, 2021 | |
| Live Top 10 | "Challenge Week" | "Jolene" | Dolly Parton | 21.2 | November 29, 2021 | |
| Live Top 8 (Semifinals) | "'90s Duet with a fellow artist" | "Change the World" (with Paris Winningham) | Eric Clapton | 23.3 | December 6, 2021 | |
| — | "You're All I Need to Get By" | Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell | 23.9 | |||
| Live Finale (Final 5) | "Up-tempo Song" | "How Will I Know" | Whitney Houston | 25.5 | December 13, 2021 | Runner-Up |
| "Ballad" | "Over the Rainbow" | Judy Garland (Patti LaBelle cover) | 25.10 | |||
| "Duet with Coach" | "Just a Fool" (with Blake Shelton) | Christina Aguilera & Blake Shelton | 26.15 | December 14, 2021 | ||
Discography
edit- Wendy Moten (1992)
- Time for Change (1995)
- Christmas Time (1995 EP)
- Life's What You Make It (1996)
- Tis the Season (2009)
- Timeless - Wendy Moten Sings Richard Whiting (2014)
- I've Got You Covered (2020)
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Mehr, Bob (February 7, 2022). "Memphis Singer Wendy Moten Ready for Stardom Again After 'The Voice'". Vol. 118, no. 37. The Tennessean. USA Today Network. pp. 2-A, 5-A. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
- ^ a b c d DeCosta-Willis, Miriam (2008). Notable Black Memphians. Amherst, N.Y.: Cambria Press. p. 374. ISBN 9781604975055.
- ^ Warthen, Cassie. "Memphis Alum Wendy Moten takes The Voice by storm". The Blue Note. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
- ^ Huey, Steve. "Wendy Moten Review". allmusic.com. Netaktion LLC. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
- ^ "Vince Gill Tours Solo Again with 'Voice' Finalist Wendy Moten". americansongwriter.com. American Songwriter. March 22, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
- ^ "Memphian comes in second on 'The Voice' season finale". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved January 14, 2022.