One of the most exciting aspects of this season's "The Voice" is the judges' new ability to scoop up another mentor's castoffs. The new move worked to the advantage of the show's youngest competitor -- MarissaAnn. No stranger to fighting, the teenager survived a life-threatening illness as a child. In a recent conference call interview, MarissaAnn talked about getting a second chance at life and on "The Voice" stage.
MarissaAnn was surprised to end up on Team Blake
Mentor Christina Aguilera chose battle-round challenger Devyn DeLoera as the winner of the En Vogue "Free Your Mind" performance, telling both young divas, "You both have shown that you are true superstars." And her fellow judges agreed. Before MarissaAnn could finish her parting words to Xtina, Blake Shelton enforced the steal and picked the 15-year-old pop singer for his team.In an "After the Battle" interview, MarissaAnn admitted that she was surprised by Shelton's move. She admitted that she thought Cee Lo Green, who had praised her performance, might save her from elimination. But she didn't see it coming from Shelton.
MarissaAnn survived a life-threatening liver disease
Perhaps he realized that MarissaAnn was a strong contender because she learned how to fight the good fight early on. Suffering from a rare illness when she was a child, she faced death early on. As she recounted, "As a baby, my parents weren't sure if I was going to make it or not, or survive through my disease. My dad donated his liver to me, and it's just been a miracle since. And I'm still here, and that was my second chance in life."Now she has another opportunity to take the top prize on "The Voice," and she's equally thankful. "To work with a new coach and to get new ideas and new experiences -- I'm just really excited and so grateful."
MarissaAnn is finding her way on the big stage
She's also fortunate to be bringing her talents to a big arena. Although she's young, she has had experience performing at local charity events in her native Long Island. But she conceded that the grandeur of "The Voice" was out of her comfort zone: "Being on such a big stage with all the lights and people is so new to me -- learning and going through that process, and learning the in-and-outs of the business, was just amazing."But through the challenges she's learned a lot about herself. As she remarked, "I've seen how much my voice has grown, my performance has grown, my stage presence has grown. And taking the advice from these big-time artists has helped me so much."
This week MarissaAnn will take the stage for the Knockout Round. See how she fares when "The Voice" airs on Monday and Tuesday nights at 8 PM EST on NBC.
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