From singing for family at the age of 3 to now moving onto the knockout round of the hit TV show The Voice, Kissimmee resident Jose Figueroa Jr. can see God continuously opening doors for him.
At the end of March, Figueroa went head-to-head with teammate Awari in the battle rounds singing “You Say” by Lauren Daigle. Judge Nick Jonas named him the winner of the duet.
“It was a huge shock,” said Figueroa, 34. “It was an honor to sing that song. I’m a gospel artist so it meant a lot to sing it.”
This was not Figueroa’s first rodeo with the TV show. He auditioned for The Voice in the past, but never got to the knockout round.
“This whole experience has been surreal and I’ve formed bonds with everyone,” he said.
Originally from New York, Figueroa fell in love with performing at the young age of 6 when he sang for his church congregation. His love of music continued to grow, but he never imagined it would become a career. He found himself doing professional gigs and performing all over the world. He spent time in Japan and on cruise ships and lived in Kissimmee off and on since 2001.
“It’s been mind boggling,” he said. “I was this little kid who wanted to teach the subject of English and now I am performing.”
He also wanted to help others hone in on their vocal skills and has been teaching voice lessons since he was 13 years old. He is a respected performer and also a zumba instructor.
He has had many musical influences from gospel singers to Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross, adding that he loves many different types of singers. He’s even released three of his own albums.
“I’ve always wanted to be the musical voice of the people,” he said.
Faith and family are most important to him, and he is the pastor at Restoring Relationships Christian Center in Kissimmee. He is currently holding online services through Zoom and enjoys being able to reach people from all over the world.
Damary Irizarry, the church secretary, said they weren’t surprised he made it this far on The Voice.
“We believe in our pastor’s gift,” she said. “We’re just happy that God saw fit to allow it to happen now.”
Irizarry stressed that Figueroa is always happy, motivating and encouraging.
“To know him is to love him,” she said. “He loves and cares for people and he is a true man of God.”
Figueroa just wants to continue doing what he loves.
“I want to sing, inspire, ignite and impact people,” he said. “It all intertwines and I can piggyback on everything else.”
But he still never thought he would make it to The Voice. “I go in with no expectations, but it has surpassed anything I could have imagined,” he said.
The coaches, he said, have been helpful and things are pretty laid back.
“It’s just a bunch of dudes doing a studio session then getting a bite to eat,” he said.
Although The Voice has been incredible, he said he was still a performer before making it onto the show.
“If I don’t win, it’s not going to stop me. It will not make or break my future. But I am ecstatic to be there. We’ll see what happens,” he said.
The Voice knockout rounds will air April 19 and 26.
