Vicci Martinez (born September 21, 1984) is an American singer/songwriter and actress from Tacoma, Washington. She came in joint third on NBC's singing competition series The Voice in 2011. She released her 2012 album with Republic Records (Universal Music Group), but self-released her 2015 album.
Vicci Martinez | |
|---|---|
 Vicci Martinez at the 2012 Gracie Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, CA 05/22/2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | September 21, 1984 |
| Origin | Tacoma, Washington, United States |
| Genres | Pop, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, percussion |
| Years active | 2000 – present |
| Labels | Republic Records |
Biography and career
editMartinez, the daughter of a Mexican father employed as a plumber, and a mother employed as an ESL teacher, graduated from Stadium High School in Tacoma, Washington. She first took the stage at the age of 16. Firmly grounded in the tradition of acoustic-rock, Vicci Martinez writes and performs music that is personal and often autobiographical. She has received critical acclaim for her live performances.
After the 2005 release of her album, On My Way, Martinez went on tour and released a full-length concert DVD and documentary in 2006 titled Vicci Martinez Live. The DVD, produced by Joel Veatch and Flying Spot, received positive press attention.[1] Vicci also released a live CD that had been recorded at Jazzbones, a musical venue in Tacoma, Washington.
Martinez won the regional tryouts for the first season of American Idol, but declined her invitation to the second round on the grounds that, in her opinion, the contract was too restrictive.[2] She later appeared on CBS's 2003 season of Star Search.
In 2011, Martinez competed on the U.S. talent show The Voice. Billboard magazine praised her diverse performance abilities saying "she gives every song a mature delivery and she appears comfortable in whatever skin she has chosen to adopt on a given night. With a drum corps alongside her and a backstory about her late father to warm the heart, she tore through Florence and the Machine's "Dog Days Are Over" with alacrity; the closing performance Tuesday was also the night's best performance."[3] Martinez came in first place on judge CeeLo Green's team and represented him in the final round. She finished third overall.
Performances on The Voice
edit| Stage | Song | Original Artist | Date | Order | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blind Audition | "Rolling in the Deep" | Adele | April 26, 2011 | 1.4 | Two chairs turned Joined Team CeeLo |
| Battles (Top 32) | "Perfect" (vs. Niki Dawson) | P!nk | May 17, 2011 | 3.4 | Saved by Coach |
| Quarterfinals | "Jolene" | Dolly Parton | June 14, 2011 | 8.3 | Saved by Public Vote |
| Semifinals | "Dog Days Are Over" | Florence and The Machine | June 21, 2011 | 9.8 | Saved by Coach and Public Vote (138 Points) |
| Live Finale (Final 4) | "Afraid to Sleep" (Original) | Javier Colon | June 28, 2011 | 11.3 | 3rd/4th Place |
| "Love is a Battlefield" (with CeeLo Green) | Pat Benatar | 11.8 |
According to her Voice coach, CeeLo Green,[4] after her appearance on the show in 2011, Martinez signed a record deal. Her EP, Come Along, was released on May 1, 2012, followed by her Universal Republic album Vicci on June 19 of the same year.
Her 2012 chart hit, "Come Along", a cover of a 2001 single from Swedish recording act Titiyo, featured Cee Lo Green. Though the song was a top 20 hit throughout Central Europe, it was not released in the U.S. or U.K. The song peaked at #20 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart[5] and #17 on the Adult Top 40 chart.[6]
On May 1, 2015, Martinez self-released her album, I Am Vicci Martinez.
In 2018, after being discovered by the casting director via a google search, Martinez played inmate Daddy on season 6 of the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.[7] Martinez also appeared in the seventh and final season.[8]
Personal life
editMartinez is a lesbian.[9] In July 2018, it was confirmed that she is in a relationship with her Orange Is the New Black co-star Emily Tarver.[10][11]
Discography
editAlbums
edit- 2000: VMB
- 2003: Sleep to Dream
- 2005: On My Way
- 2006: Vicci Martinez Live
- 2007: I Could Be a Boxer
- 2009: From the Outside In
- 2010: I Love You in the Morning
- 2011: Live From Jazzbones
- 2012: Vicci (Universal Republic)
- 2015: I Am Vicci
EPs
edit- 2012: Come Along (Universal Republic)
- 2015: I Am
Singles
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | CAN | |||
| "Jolene" | 2011 | 76 | — | Non-album releases from The Voice |
| "Dog Days Are Over" | 68 | — | ||
| "Love Is a Battlefield" (featuring CeeLo Green) | 102 | — | ||
| "Afraid to Sleep" | 78 | 26 | ||
| "Come Along" (featuring Cee Lo Green) | 2012 | — | — | Vicci |
| "I Can Love" | 2013 | — | — | |
| "Otra Cancion" | 2014 | — | — | I Am Vicci |
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Limbo | Gal at restaurant |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Star Search | Herself | 2 episodes |
| 2011–2015 | The Voice | Herself | 3 episodes |
| 2018–2019 | Orange Is the New Black | Daddy | Recurring role (season 6) Guest role (season 7) 12 episodes |
| 2023−present | Clone High | Frida Kahlo | Voice role; (season 2) |
References
edit- ^ "Vicci Martinez, December 29th, 2007, The Triple Door, Seattle, Washington". rivetingriffs.com. Riveting Riffs Ltd. December 29, 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-09-26. Retrieved 2011-06-16.
- ^ Sailor, Craig (June 22, 2011). "Whatever happens on The Voice, Vicci Martinez feels like a winner". The News Tribune.
- ^ "'The Voice': Vicci Martinez Does Florence & the Machine Proud, Plus 7 More Highlights". billboard.com. Billboard. June 22, 2011.
- ^ Ricky. "Mr". Twitter. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012.
- ^ "Adult Alternative Airplay". Billboard. June 1, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ "Adult Pop Songs". Billboard. May 25, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ Sailor, Craig (July 19, 2018). "Tacoma singer Vicci Martinez is ready for new fame on TV hit ‘Orange Is The New Black’".The News Tribune.
- ^ "OITNB kills off a HUGE character in season 7, episode 1 and fans are furious". PopBuzz. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (May 6, 2011). "An interview with Vicci Martinez - AfterEllen". AfterEllen.com. Evolve Media. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ^ Cooper, Mariah (July 31, 2018). "'Orange is the New Black' stars Vicci Martinez and Emily Tarver are dating". Washington Blade. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ^ Garner, Glenn (August 1, 2018). "These 'OITNB' Actresses Found Love Outside of Litchfield". Out. Here Media. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- Berson, Misha. "Tacoma singer Vicci Martinez is a force on 'The Voice'". The Seattle Times.