James Wolpert

Born in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, singer and guitarist James Wolpert came into the public eye when he was a contestant on the NBC television show The Voice in 2013, where his voice, which ranged from smooth and elegant to gritty and soulful depending on the song, belied his horn-rimmed glasses and nerdy, Buddy Holly-like appearance. Wolpert had pursued an art degree at Carnegie-Mellon University but left after a couple of years to pursue a career in music, supporting himself by working at an Apple Store and taking gigs wherever he could. In the blind audition for The Voice, Wolpert sang Jack White's "Love Interruption," impressing all four of the show's judges (Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton, and Adam Levine). Ending up on Adam Levine's team, singing Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive" with Will Champlin in the battle round and Boston's "More Than a Feeling" in the knockout round, Wolpert earned rave reviews when he sang Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You" with acoustic guitar during the live show. He advanced to the Top Ten with a version of the Killers' "Mr. Brightside," then showed his versatility by conjuring Harry Nilsson on a version of Badfinger's "Without You." Released as a digital single, Wolpert's take on "A Case of You" entered the download charts near the end of 2013.