She’s back and she means business!
Madden Songbird Catherine Hughes (nee Grimley) will be making a welcome return to The Voice of Ireland this weekend and, with the whole of County Armagh behind her, hoping to go all the way!
Catherine will feature in the latest round of the blind auditions in the hit RTE show.
And she will be out to impress star judges Niall ‘Bressie’ Breslin, The Saturdays’ Una Foden, Westlife’s Kian Egan and Rachel Stevens, who found her own lucky break with the chart-topping S Club 7.
And she will do so with her own very unique version of ‘Demons’ by the Imagine Dragons.
Catherine certainly has what it takes to make a huge mark in this competition and we at Armagh I reckon she’s there for the long haul this time round!
In the third series, she was six months pregnant in the blind auditions stage when Jamelia chose her and she went through to the battles.
But her journey was cut short!
The 30-year-old had been due to sing against Laura May Lenehan in the battles but went in to labour the night before.
As she couldn’t sing in the battle, she sadly lost her place in the competition.
But now she is back with her family – husband Darren, three-year-old son Aaron, and beautiful baby, who turned one in December – cheering her all the way.
Catherine – who admits she entered the competition last year because she “wanted to do it before turning 30” – was told by Bressie she had a powerful voice and could blow someone away with it in a battle!
She is hoping to get that chance this year.
Catherine is no stranger to music and regularly sings at weddings and in church.
One of a family of six, she lost her mother 22 years ago and grew up in a family listening to traditional music.
Catherine describes her voice as “easy listening”; she loves American country and is a huge fan of Carrie Underwood. She even sang her song in the blind auditions last year and soon had Jamelia reaching for the button.
It’s easy to see why. The local lass has already enjoyed huge success across County Armagh and beyond and wowed audiences with her haunting vocals.
She will be hoping to win through to the live finals later this year.
The Voice of Ireland is one of RTE’s flagship shows and one of the channel’s biggest audience winners.
The format of the RTE show is the same as BBC One’s ‘The Voice’, where Rita Ora and the Kaiser Chiefs’ Ricky Wilson sit alongside Welsh crooner Tom Jones and Will.I.Am.
For Catherine the exposure will be invaluable in her dream career and to go all the way in this competition is the ultimate goal.
Much in demand, she has penned her own material and is a superb singer/songwriter of whom we can all be proud.
Each of the four coaches on the RTE show will be choosing 12 people for their team.
Coaches are seated with their backs to the singers, and their decisions are based solely on voice. They will press the ‘I Want You’ button to turn their chair and select a talent, with rivalry between coaches to get the best acts!
After a series of ‘battle shows’, judges will make their final selections when, in the last stage, the series goes live and sees 24 acts compete over seven weeks to become The Voice of Ireland.
It will culminate in a live final, when four acts perform with a special guest of their choice, with the top three acts being voted through on public vote only, to a second performance on the night.
After a second count of public vote only, one act will be crowned The Voice of Ireland and win a recording contract.
Catherine admits to having a different mindset this time round as she chases musical glory.
“Two kids changes you – life is much busier,” says the young mum, who works in a local bureau de change too. “It’s tough to juggle kids, work life and trying to make it in music.”
Make sure and tune in to The Voice of Ireland on RTE this Sunday, February 8, at 6.30pm.
We at Armagh I would like to wish Catherine all the best of luck – the whole of County Armagh is proud of you and will be cheering you on!
WATCH: Catherine Grimley of last year’s The Voice of Ireland
