Sacramento singer shows perseverance pays off as she nabs a team spot on ‘The Voice’

When you really want something, it might be the fourth time that’s the charm.

Sacramento-area singer Katie Rae Mortimer can tell you a little bit about that. She went from singing at house parties around Davis to working with pop star Ariana Grande this fall when she made it through the blind auditions on NBC’s “The Voice.”

It was the fourth time in four seasons Mortimer tried out for the show, and the first time she made it to the blind audition round.

“The Voice,” now in its 21st season, flips the script on the reality TV talent show. Once contestants make it on the show, they audition to be a part of a music star’s team. That audition takes place in front of an audience, but the star coaches can’t see the contestant until they decide they would like them on their team.

If a single coach turns around, the contestant is automatically on their team. If more than one turns around, the coaches each try to persuade the contestants to choose their team. This season’s coaches are Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Grande.

It took Mortimer about 10 seconds of singing Maren Morris’ “The Bones” to get Legend to turn his chair, and Clarkson was right behind him. Not long after that, Grande’s chair also turned.

“That’s when I knew I could just have fun,” Mortimer said. “It was really cool not having to stress out any more.”

After Mortimer finished the song, the coaches began their recruiting banter. Clarkson tried to paint a picture of how much the two have in common, both having young boys. Grande jokingly responded by offering to have a baby so they could have that in common as well.

“That was hilarious! I thought, ‘Don’t just do it for me!’” Mortimer said.

When Legend was trying to give his pitch, Grande interrupted by hitting a button that triggered an audio clip of one of her most famous songs, “Thank U, Next.”

After deliberating for a few moments, Mortimer chose Grande as her coach.

“I had decided to go with the flow and be in the moment,” Mortimer said about whether she had her eye on any coaches beforehand. It’s Grande’s first season on “The Voice,” and with that decision Mortimer became the first on her team.

Based on her performance on the show, it might be hard to believe she doesn’t have a long performance track record.

A few years ago, Mortimer was too shy to even sing in public. It’s only recently that she started performing in a band with her brother-in-law.

Even so, she has worked on her sound and style for as long as she can remember. Though she says she has mostly been singing R&B, soul and blues, she was drawn to Morris’ music after becoming a mother.

“I love to learn and grow — and try new things,” she said.

She used each of her previous attempts to be on the show as learning experiences.

Mortimer was born in the Bay Area and moved to the Rocklin area as a young child.

She grew up listening to everything from the Beatles to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. She now lives in Sacramento with her own family, and has been a stay-at-home mother with her 3-year-old.

When she’s not singing or coming up with activities for her son, Mortimer enjoys camping and playing soccer.

She said she wasn’t planning on trying out for a fourth time, but made a last-minute decision to audition for this season of “The Voice.” One of the reasons was the show’s positivity, and it has proven to be a good environment.

“The coaches are very personable and kind. They made me feel comfortable,” she said.

That comfort extended from performing right into talking with the recording stars on the show.

Mortimer said she hopes we will see more of her in the weeks to come, as the show goes through the blind auditions, battle rounds, knock-outs and live performances. Once live performances begin, viewers can vote for their favorites.

The field will be narrowed until one coach and singer or group is chosen as the winner. For the celebrity coach, the prize is the pride of winning, but for the singer or group chosen as “The Voice,” it means a recording contract and a lot of exposure as an artist.

Tune in

You can follow Mortimer’s journey on NBC’s “The Voice” on Channel 3, Monday and Tuesday nights.

This story was originally published September 29, 2021 at 9:45 AM.