‘The Voice’ gave boost to Lockport singer’s promising career

A Lockport resident may be off “The Voice,” but she is not disappearing from the music scene.

Olivia Minogue, 20, of Lockport was a contestant on season 24 of NBC’s vocal competition show “The Voice.”

She now is collaborating with Alby Odum, a music producer and instructor of digital and recording arts at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, to record and release covers of popular songs and her original music.

Minogue released a cover of “Lay Me Down” by Sam Smith, which she performed as her blind audition song on “The Voice.”

She also is spending more time on her TikTok and Instagram accounts, interacting with her robust number of followers.

Odum said Minogue is a fantastic, charismatic singer and wants her building on her momentum from “The Voice.”

“When you see someone who is that good, you just want to be a part of helping them out,” Odum said.

Minogue said she always dreamed of auditioning for a singling competition show. She chose “The Voice” because of its blind audition and loved the experience, even though she lost to contestant Nini Iris of Georgia.

“She truly has this presence onstage that I aspire to have one day,” Minogue said. “She’s very, very confident and very, very compelling, and I admire that about her a lot. Of course, I was disappointed at the same time.”

There is no difference between her voice and those who have achieved great success. The only difference would be for her to go out and get it.”

—  Valerie Giuliani of Florida, former classical voice teacher of Olivia Minogue

How she made it on ‘The Voice’

Minogue, an alum of Lockport Township High School, said she signed up for an open call for “The Voice” in November 2022, and she performed a song for 90 seconds.

An hour later, Minogue received an email requesting three full-length songs and more information about herself and her music. Then she did a Zoom interview and answered more questions.

In March, “The Voice” flew Minogue out to California for her blind audition. The panel of judges included Niall Horan, John Legend, Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani. Minogue received offers from most of the judges and chose to sing on Horan’s team.

Minogue said she was 9 when she saw Horan in concert for the first time as a member of One Direction, which was exactly 10 years before the day of her audition.

Her room used to be plastered with his posters, and she even wore a little “Niall” necklace during her blind audition for good luck, she said.

Minogue didn’t know Horan would be one of the judges on “The Voice” but said she was glad he was.

“I’ve always been very inspired by Niall,” Minogue said. “The fact that he was one of the coaches for the season I was on was just so strange. But I’m also so grateful at the same time.”

What it takes to make it

Minogue’s mother, Monica Minogue of Lockport, said she realized her daughter’s talent when Olivia played the Sour Kangaroo in “Seussical.”

“As I listened to her rehearse for that role, I realized her voice was exceptionally mature for someone her age,” Monica Minogue said in an email. “I had heard her sing many times before, but usually in the musical theater genre, or classical and art songs in her voice lessons. This was different. Her voice had a naturally bluesy side that hadn’t been obvious to that point.”

Monica Minogue, who’s worked with children for more than 20 years through her StagePlay: Musical Theater for Kids!, also co-coordinates The 815 Music, which presents free, themed concerts by youth performers at The Forge in Joliet.

[ The 815 gives Joliet area youth musicians a monthly concert experience ]

Minogue grew up performing with Stage Play and at The 815 Music, which was formerly call Kidz Jam.

[ Kidz Jam allows youth to share musical talents ]

Valerie Giuliani of Florida gave Minogue private, classical voice lessons for seven years, starting from the time she was 10.

“She had a natural talent, but she needed to learn how to use her voice,” Giuliani said. “She was always a very prepared student, and that’s one thing I could say about her. Over the many years I taught her, there was never a lesson where she came unprepared. She was always prepared.”

Giuliani said she would love to see Minogue land a major recording contract since she is always “working diligently” to perfect her songs.

“I’m not saying she won’t perform in front of big crowds,” Giuliani said. “But she likes to take her time and get things perfect before she sings. She’s a very versatile singer. And she accepts challenges willingly.”

Giuliani recalled how Minogue stretched past the range of her “bluesy voice” to learn the more challenging “Una voce poco fa” from Gioachino Rossini’s opera “The Barber of Seville.”

She said she is certain of her former student’s eventual success.

“There is no difference between her voice and those who have achieved great success,” Giuliani said. “The only difference would be for her to go out and get it.”

For information, visit oliviaminogue.com/home.