By VICTORIA HENLEY
CTFashionMag.com
“The Voice,” a four-time Emmy award winning singing competition produced by NBC, boasts an all-star judges panel, comprised of Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Nick Jonas, and Blake Shelton. It features legions of talented hopefuls each season, all eager to make it to the top.
Todd Tilghman, the unsuspecting winner of season 18, holds the distinction of being, not only the first artist to be aired that season, but also the first to be unanimously selected by the judges.
Thunderstorm Artis, a fan favorite and folk-jazz singer who took third place on the season, stole the hearts of millions of fans, including his selected mentor, John Legend.
The artists sat down to chat with Backstage Pass, at Theatre of the Stars in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
BACKSTAGE PASS: Todd, you are fresh off your win of “The Voice,” season 18. How do you feel?
TODD TILGHMAN: Surprised. (laughs) Seriously, I never thought in a million years that life would take this turn. I went from basically just singing in the shower, and sometimes at church, to singing in front of millions of people, so it’s a pretty surreal feeling. My wife, who has always been so wonderful and supportive, heard about auditions and said that I should try out. Tons of people showed up, and everybody was doing their vocal warm-ups before they went into the audition room. They all sounded amazing, and I remember just sitting down, closing my eyes and burying my face into my lap. I guess part of me was praying and the other part was just trying to hide. (laughs)
BP: Thunderstorm, tell us about the road that led you to “The Voice?”
THUNDERSTORM ARTIS: Well, I had never really considered auditioning, but I grew up in a very large, very musical family, so I always knew that I wanted music to be my life. I did some work with one of the composers from the movie, “Crazy Rich Asians,” who recommended me to the producers of “The Voice.” I flew in from my audition, and next thing you know, I was on the show.
BP: Todd, you talk a lot about your faith. Does your spirituality play a big role in your music?
TT: Absolutely. Being a pastor, my faith plays a big role in my life, in general, but yeah it definitely influences my choices musically. I work in ministry, so of course, I love the praise and worship; but sometimes, you just can’t beat a good old-fashioned hymn. I always try to incorporate some of those into my shows.
BP: Thunderstorm, I know you’ve been asked this a thousand times, but we have to know: Is Thunderstorm your real name?
TA: Yes. My parents have 10 kids, we all grew up along the coast in Hawaii, and we each were given unique and unusual names. My parents always said if they had twins, they would name one, “Thunder” and the other one “Storm”, but since it was just me, they put the two together, and I just ended up with the name.
BP: Todd, can you tell us about your new residency at Theatre of the Stars in Pigeon Forge?
TT: It has been really incredible. Obviously winning “The Voice” in the middle of a global pandemic was strange, then I left not really knowing what to do because most tours and concerts were being canceled. But I’ve been doing this show since the summer, and the response has been incredible. I get to meet so many fans of the show who come out time after time, and the Theatre of the Stars people have been so awesome to work with. I’ll be doing this particular show until October. There’s talk about returning for a Christmas show, so we’ll see what happens. If you’re in Tennessee, come on out. I would love to meet you!
BP: Any advice for up and coming artists?
TT: Honestly? My advice is: just go for it. Just do it, and don’t overthink everything. Stop doubting yourself. I’m just a guy over 40 with a raspy voice and no formal training, then I ended up winning “The Voice.” It’s wild, man. I never expected it. I’m living proof that you should go for your dreams. If I can do it, anyone can.
Get tickets to Todd Tilghman’s show, Legendary Superstars (The resident show at Theatre of the Stars) online at: theatreofthestarspf.com or by calling the box office at 865-286-5448.
Victoria Henley, in addition to being an alumni of “America’s Next Top Model” is a social media star and the force behind Magnifique, which mounts fashion shows and fashion competition.