Watch DREIONs Electrifying Shining Star Blind Audition on The Voice

Watch DREIONs Electrifying Shining Star Blind Audition on The Voice The Berklee alum wowed the coaches with his rendition of the Earth Wind & Fire classic.

By

Tara Bellucci

October 2, 2024

Griffin Nagel/NBC

Spoilers for The Voice season 26, episode 3: Blind Auditions Part 2.

Season 26 of The Voice is off to a dynamic start. Snoop Dogg joins as the newest coach, fresh off his iconic run commentating for NBC at the Paris Olympics. He even entered the studio this week with a mariachi band playing El Rey ( The King ).

For the second week of blind auditions, DREION BM '20 kicked off the episode with an electrifying version of Shining Star by Earth Wind & Fire. It's fitting, as he has opened for the legendary group on tour.

It's an incredible experience to work with these legends, he said of Earth Wind & Fire. The way your staging should look, your lighting, your sound. It makes me have to step up my game.

He originally connected with the band through volunteering with Music Is Unity, lead singer Philip Bailey's foundation for youth in foster care. DREION, a former foster youth himself, shared his story on the episode.

I was placed in five different foster homes, and experienced severe abuse from other kids, he said. The only things I had during that time were God and music.

The Omaha, Nebraska, native wowed all the coaches with his performance, getting a coveted four-chair turn and even a standing ovation. He grabbed their attention from the jump with a hit me! getting an instant reaction from Michael Bubl , who turned his chair first. Snoop and Reba followed soon after, with Gwen Stefani waiting until the second verse to turn.

It's rare to have someone who can sing and has a stage aura like you do. That takes years, Stefani said. When you hit that falsetto, that was beautiful, added Bubl . All four coaches put up a fight to win DREION to their teams, but he ultimately picked Uncle Snoop.

That was like a Super Bowl win for me, said Snoop.

His star power was evident on the Berklee campus, too. DREION is the real deal-a consummate professional and a multifaceted artist who began his journey at Berklee, already equipped with immense musical talent and a desire to grow, says Maureen McMullan, senior concert producer. Singer-songwriter, pianist, dancer, bandleader, and entrepreneur. Despite his impressive abilities, he remains humble, open-minded, and dedicated.

In 2019, he and his band went viral for a James Brown song that got over 1.2 million views. DREION also performed at Berklee's annual gala in 2020, on the bill with Steve Winwood, Darryl DMC McDaniels, and Jackson Browne.

He is the only student I can remember to lead a sold-out Berklee Performance Center concert under his artistic name while he was a student, says Michael Borgida, director of concert and video production for Berklee. He is a professional who knows how to put on a show!

Says McMullan: DREION genuinely deserves all the success that comes his way.

Related Categories

News

Most Popular

Jim Lucchese

Image by Kelly Davidson

Jim Lucchese Named Berklee's Fifth President A 20-year music industry veteran and a committed artist advocate with deep Berklee roots, Lucchese sets the tone for a new era at the institution.

Latest

Courtesy of The Roku Channel

Charlie Puth's Comedy Show Is a Silly, Star-Studded Satire of Reality TV All six episodes of The Charlie Puth Show are now streaming for free on The Roku Channel.

Boston Conservatory Orchestra Presents Telling the Story at Symphony Hall The program celebrates the art of storytelling through orchestral favorites and a contemporary composition.

Berklee and Can We Talk Celebrate Healing Power of the Arts in BIPOC Communities Arts Activation 2024: Harmony and Healing (October 19) unites artists, thought leaders, and healthcare professionals to explore the arts' ability to heal and connect.

Read All

Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.

LINK:	https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/dreion-the-voice-blind-auditi...
	See more stories from berklee

Most recent headlines