It was about 10 years ago, she says, that Jacquie Roar drove to Las Vegas to try and sing her way onto “The Voice,” the long-running hit musical competition TV series. “I remember driving there to audition, and I made it through three of the preliminary rounds,” Roar said in a recent phone interview.
(No cable or antenna? You can watch “The Voice” Season 24 with Fubo, which offers a free trial; with DirecTV Stream, which also offers a free trial; or Sling. You can stream episodes the day after they air on Peacock.)
But Roar, who lives in North Plains, couldn’t make it past the early rounds to earn a spot in the blind auditions, during which singers try their best to impress the coaches into turning their chairs around and taking a look at who’s holding the microphone.
Roar kept trying. She auditioned again, then again, and then again, as the years went on. “This last time, I did it online,” Roar said, “and sang ‘Drinking Alone,’ by Carrie Underwood, and that was the start of where I am now.”
Where is Roar now? Preparing to sing on the first live broadcast of this season of “The Voice,” on Monday, Dec. 4.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Roar, 38, said. “The schedule’s crazy, with all the rehearsals and the wardrobe fittings. It’s all intense, and I love it.”
From her first appearance during the Season 24 blind audition rounds, Roar has shown off her strong voice, and impressive control. In the blind auditions, Roar made the most of her affinity for country music, belting out a version of Gretchen Wilson’s “Here For the Party.”
All four coaches -- Gwen Stefani, John Legend, Niall Horan and Reba McEntire -- showed their approval, by turning their chairs around, and asking Roar to join them on their respective teams. Though Roar’s country-rock sound hinted that she would opt to join McEntire’s team, Roar instead joined Stefani’s team.
After a brief disappointment -- in the battle rounds, Stefani chose fellow Team Gwen member Bias instead of Roar -- the Oregon singer was instantly “stolen” by McEntire, and joined Team Reba.
Roar has gone on to make an impact, performing the Fleetwood Mac song, “The Chain,” in a playoff round. Her performance again drew compliments from the coaches, and McEntire picked Roar -- along with fellow Team Reba artists, Ruby Leigh and Jordan Rainer, who share country, or country-rock influences -- to move forward to the live shows.
Monday’s live show will feature the top 12 artists from each of the coaches’ teams. The Dec. 4 broadcast also marks the first time viewers will be voting for their favorites. Singers with the lowest number of votes will be eligible for the “Instant Save.” Audiences can vote for their favorites by voting on “The Voice” Official App, or NBC.com, a step that requires viewers to set up an NBCUniversal profile. Singers who receive the fewest votes and don’t win the Instant Save will be eliminated from the competition each week.
Roar was born in Chicago, and when she was an infant, “My mom took me to L.A. I grew up in the Grenada Hills area, and every summer would go to my grandma’s house there.” Roar, who was raised by a single mother, moved with the family to Oregon when “I was, I think, 9 or 10,” she said.
Over the years, Roar lived in Troutdale, Gresham, and other Portland metro areas, and attended Clackamas High School. She lives in North Plains now.
Her family loves music, Roar said, adding, I”ve been singing all my life.” She started her own wedding DJ company, and said, “Jacquie Roar was my DJ name.” She uses that as her stage name, instead of going by her offstage name, Jacquie Butler.
Roar has also sung the national anthem for the Portland Trail Blazers, performed with a band called Lace + Thorn, appeared at the Oregon Jamboree music festival, and more.
“The Voice” isn’t the first time Roar has competed on a national TV show. In 2012, she made it as far as the group rounds on “American Idol.” But bad luck struck when she was among the singers who appeared to be stricken by a virus that made her faint, and she was eliminated.
“I was going by Jacquie Cera then,” Roar recalled. “I was just a baby, then I just made it to the group rounds, and I got really sick.”
Being on “The Voice,” Roar said, “is a far better experience. The contestants, the culture, it’s so different. We have so much respect for each other.” While it’s still a competition -- with the ultimate winner earning a recording contract -- “we’re rooting for each other,” Roar said.
Being in Los Angeles has meant time away from home, and her 6-year-old daughter. “I miss her so much. She’s going to school, and her dad and my boyfriend are taking care of her, and I FaceTime with her every day.”
Team Reba: From left, Jacquie Roar, Reba McEntire, Ruby Leigh and Jordan Rainer.Tyler Golden/NBC
While Roar said “my gut dropped” when she heard Stefani call Bias’ name, not hers, after the battle round, “I meant it when I said I was not going to leave that stage,” even if she had to walk up to one of the other coaches and hit the “Save” button herself.
Fortunately, McEntire hit the button. “I’ve learned so much working with Reba,” Roar said. “I didn’t realize it would change the entirety of how I perform as an artist. The biggest thing that Reba has taught me, is to stand still to sing, and not go crazy onstage. To have her tell me, ‘You don’t have to dance here’ has made me a more precise singer.”
As for what she has planned for the important performance on the show that airs Monday, Roar said, “I can just tell you that it’s a newer song, and I’m really, really, really excited for it. I feel really good at where I’m at.”
Of the viewers, Roar said, “I want to thank my Oregonians, and I hope that they rally behind me. I want to give people a reason to vote for me. ”
“The Voice” live top 12 performances air at 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4, on NBC. Viewers will have the chance to vote for their favorite singer overnight. “The Voice” episode that airs at 9 p.m. Tuesday. Dec. 5 will reveal the voting results. Eight singers will be voted through, and four will perform for the “Instant Save.” Only nine artists can continue on to the live semi-final.
— Kristi Turnquist
503-221-8227; kturnquist@oregonian.com; @Kristiturnquist
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