A professional singer used to being in the background, stepped up to win the second season of “The Voice” Tuesday at the end of an excruciating two hour finale.
Jermaine Paul, 32, of Spring Valley, N.Y., took the top spot, singing R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly” to earn the most viewer votes over second place rocker chick Juliet Simms. Onetime Mickey Mouse Club member Tony Lucca came in third, with opera singer Chris Mann coming in fourth.
Paul wins a recording contract for his trouble; not a guarantee of career success. The first year winner, Javier Colon, has yet to break through into widespread commercial success.
His win was a feather in the cap of the judge who was his mentor, country singer Blake Shelton, who clapped him on the back and said, “You did it!”
“The Voice” began the season as a contender against “American Idol” as No. 1 show on TV but lost about half its viewers as the weeks dragged on. Still, it was the closest thing to a hit NBC has had in a while, and so used it to promote other shows on the network, from “Parks and Recreation” to “Saturday Night Live,” both of which contributed superfluous promos to help fill the two hours.
Also performing during that time were Justin Bieber, Flo Rida, Lady Antebellum and Hall & Oates.