James Wolpert

Born in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, singer-guitarist James Wolpert first drew widespread attention in 2013 as a contestant on NBC’s The Voice. His vocals, which shifted between smooth elegance and gritty soulfulness according to the material, stood in sharp contrast to his horn-rimmed glasses and nerdy, Buddy Holly-esque look. After studying art for two years at Carnegie-Mellon University, Wolpert dropped out to chase a music career, paying the bills with shifts at an Apple Store and any live gigs he could land. During his blind audition he delivered Jack White’s “Love Interruption,” turning every chair and securing a spot on Adam Levine’s team alongside Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, and Blake Shelton. On that team he traded verses with Will Champlin on Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” in the battle round and tackled Boston’s “More Than a Feeling” in the knockouts. The live shows brought widespread praise for his solo acoustic reading of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You,” after which he reached the Top Ten with the Killers’ “Mr. Brightside.” Demonstrating further range, he evoked Harry Nilsson while interpreting Badfinger’s “Without You.” Issued as a digital single, Wolpert’s version of “A Case of You” appeared on the download charts late in 2013.