“The Voice” Recap: Cassadee Pope Wins; Christina and Cee Lo Say Farewell
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Tyler Golden/NBC(NEW YORK) — Cassadee Pope, 23, of West Palm Beach, Fla., was crowned the winner of the third season of NBC’s The Voice in a live finale Tuesday night. She was mentored by Blake Shelton. It’s Shelton’s second time being a winning mentor.
Terry McDermott, also from Team Blake, finished second while Nicholas David, who was mentored by Cee Lo Green, finished third.
Pope topped 63 other contestants this season and secured the highest number of viewer votes after Monday’s final performance show to overcome McDermott and David. Pope won a recording contract. The three finalists were presented with new cars from “Saint Cee Lo.”
Pope has been hoping to become a solo artist after being the lead singer for the pop/rock band Hey Monday, which once supported acts such as Fall Out Boy and All Time Low. She plays guitar as well as some bass, drums and violin, and prides herself on knowing a “surprising amount of ’80s rock music.”
McDermott, the runner-up, is a Scottish-born rock vocalist who moved to the U.S. years ago with his band, Driveblind, and later settled in New Orleans with his wife and young boy.
David, who finished in third, fell into bad habits when he began performing with a country band after college. After meeting his dream girl five years ago and finding a spiritual path, he has cleaned up his life and now raises their two children — with another on the way — in St. Paul, Minn.
Prior to the results being announced, all four coaches sang a moving version of Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).”
Tuesday’s finale was Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green’s last show for the foreseeable future. Usher and Shakira will replace them and join Blake Shelton and Adam Levine in the red chairs when season four airs in March 2013.
Tuesday’s show also featured special performances by the finalists, their mentors, former contestants and several musical guests. Here’s a rundown:
- Rihanna performed her number one hit “Diamonds.”
- Terry McDermott was joined by returning contestants Rudy Parris, Amanda Brown, Bryan Keith and Michaela Paige on the KISS song “Rock and Roll All Night.”
- Motown legend Smokey Robinson joined Nicholas David for a soulful rendition of “Cruisin’.”
- The Killers invited Cassadee Pope to sing along with their song “Here with Me.”
- Season three male heartthrobs Dez Duron, Diego Val, Mackenzie Bourg, Julio Cesar Castillo and Cody Belew teamed up for a performance of “Stacy’s Mom,” by Fountains of Wayne.
- Cassadee Pope got some help from season three contestants Liz Davis, De’borah and Melanie Martinez for the Imagine Dragons song, “It’s Time.”
- Rock guitarist Peter Frampton sang a duet with Terry McDermott on Frampton’s “Baby, I Love Your Way.”
- Bruno Mars gave a world exclusive TV performance of his new song, “When I Was Your Man.”
- Nicholas David performed “End of the Road,” by Boyz II Men, with season three friends Dez Duron, Trevin Hunte and Amanda Brown.
- Cassadee Pope got to sing with her hero Avril Lavigne. The pair sang Lavigne’s hit “I’m With You.”
The fourth season of NBC’s The Voice is scheduled to premiere on March 25, 2013.
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