Who is David Simmons Jr? John Legend calls Missouri singer 'shaky' as 'The Voice' contestant gets zero chair turn

David Simmons Jr, 40, performed a groovy rendition of 'Tainted Love' but the coaches were not impressed by the artist
UPDATED OCT 4, 2023
John Legend called David Simmons Jr's Blind Audition on 'The Voice' 'shaky' (Instagram/@dsimmy, @johnlegend)
John Legend called David Simmons Jr's Blind Audition on 'The Voice' 'shaky' (Instagram/@dsimmy, @johnlegend)

UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA: David Simmons Jr sang a groovy rendition of Tainted Love, but it wasn't enough to sway the 'The Voice' Season 24 coaches.

John Legend told the singer that he sounded wobbly and that his nerves were getting the best of him, but that he appreciated the arrangement.

David, 40, traveled to Los Angeles for the background and session work opportunities that he didn't have growing up as a young homosexual guy in a devout environment in Missouri.

Because of the unorthodox arrangement he'd made with his group, his version of 'Tainted Love' fell short of the coaches' expectations.

John suspected nervousness was holding David back, while Gwen Stefani observed a "disconnect to the lyrics." "I just didn't feel it was right for my team," Reba McEntire told him.


 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by David Simmons, Jr. (@dsimmy)


 

This aspiring solo singer has a background in session work with other musicians, but his vocals were just a little too incoherent and disjointed to urge the coaches to go for their buttons.

Even if he didn't connect with the words in this song, he probably touched a few hearts in the couch audience with his heartwarming narrative of learning to be accepted by his religious family for his LGBTQ+ identity.


 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by David Simmons, Jr. (@dsimmy)


 

'The Voice' Season 24 contestant David Simmons Jr moved to LA to pursue music

David has been singing since he was five years old. He was raised in a musical family with a talented father and an older sister who pushed him to follow in their footsteps.

David discovered his talent as a lead vocalist at church, where he developed his gospel/soul sound, which he later merged with funk, pop, jazz, and R&B to create his own style.

David grew up in the Midwest and moved to Los Angeles in 2018 to pursue a music career.

BGVs for Shoshana Bean, Ke$ha, Macklemore, American Idol, Yolanda Adams, and the 2018 Billboard Music Awards are among David's accomplishments.

With Postmodern Jukebox, he finished a tour of the United States, Australia, and New Zealand in 2019. He is also one of Scary Pockets' highlighted artists.


 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by David Simmons, Jr. (@dsimmy)


 

The Voice' Season 24 contestant David Simmons Jr also dabbles as a songwriter

David discovered his love of songs through journaling. He was continuously writing down what he was thinking.

This led to the possibility of writing songs for many artists, including 'Without My Heart' for Amsterdam DJ Full Crate, 'Senorita' and 'Must Be The Money' for German techno/pop musician Encure.

David also penned songs for Smokey James and The Avalanche, a Kansas City band. David continues to compose and arrange all of his own music.


 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by David Simmons, Jr. (@dsimmy)


 

'The Voice' Season 24 airs every Monday and Tuesday on NBC at 8 pm ET.

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