BURRILLVILLE – A Burrillville-based artist who sings for a well-know local rock/country band has auditioned for The Voice, and fans will be able to see the performance, and learn if he secured a spot on the show, during the blind auditions, which begin on NBC on Monday, March 1.
Jesse Desorcy, the lead singer of Back Rhodes, a six-member progressive country act led by two brothers from Burrillville, filmed for the show in October.
He was one of 54 contestants chosen from a national pool of talent to appear on the popular singing competition, now in its 20th season.
During the show, he’ll appear before 2021, “coaches,” Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, John Legend and Blake Sheldon.
Producers aim to keep the content of the show a well-guarded secret, and all of the artists who compete on The Voice must promise to do the same. Contestants are told when they can reveal that they auditioned for the program, and are not allowed to interview in the weeks leading up to the show.
What we do know is that viewers can likely expect a soulful performance from the 29-year-old singer, whose repertoire includes covers of artists ranging from Jason Isbell to Colter Wall.
Desorcy announced the news on social media this week and it was received with praise and encouragement from fans.
On Monday, Feb. 15 he wrote, “Just want to throw out a big thank you for all of the kind words and excitement following my big announcement. I never would have thought about going for something like this without all of you building me up over the years with all of the endless support.”
A graduate from Burrillville High School, Desorcy leads Back Rhodes with vocals and banjo, while brother Ed Desorcy performs bass and vocals. The band, formed in 2013, also includes Chris Quiray, a guitarist also from Burrillville; and Glocester natives Tyler Hill on guitar, Jay Coutu on drums, and AJ Salvatore on violin and vocals.
The appearance comes in advance of singer Desorcy’s upcoming first solo release. Fans can hear the latest news on the project by following Jesse Desorcy Music on Facebook.
To see what happens, catch the Season 20 premiere of The Voice with host Carson Daly on Monday, March 1 at 8 p.m. on NBC.
Editor’s note: The original headline on this article stated that Desorcy would appear on March 1. While the show premiered March 1, the blind auditions continue for several weeks and which night the local artist will compete is not known. All artists are only permitted to announce that they auditioned and the premiere date with the instructions to “see what happens March 1.” We apologize for the misunderstanding.