Being fearless and believing in yourself sets the foundation for a successful career in the arts, and after a period of doubt, ‘The Voice UK’ finalist Naomi Johnson has done just that.
“I was scouted for ‘The Voice UK’ a few years ago and I went to the audition to see how it would go, and I just kept getting through the rounds,” Johnson recounted.
“At every stage I thought it could be my last one and I would try to not get my hopes up, but I ended up in the final.
“I didn’t win in the end, but I was so pleased that I even got through the first round.”
Now, the talented singer is approached by fans in the street, she’s graced the stages of Glastonbury and Royal Albert Hall, and she’s about to travel to Australia to perform the stunning tribute show, ‘One Night of Adele’.
“We’ve been lucky to be quite successful with the show in the UK, and we’ve branched out to Europe and beyond,” Johnson explained.
“We’ve done Ireland, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Austria, Sweden, and the furthest we’ve travelled so far is Singapore.
“These are things that I would have only dreamed of doing years ago.”
The butter-voiced singer with a strong stage presence described Adele as an icon.
“With some songs I feel super connected to her,” Johnson stated.
“It sometimes feels as though there are songs that she’s written where the words could have been about specific periods of my life.
“It’s an interesting feeling as a tribute artist, but I think it makes it more authentic. I can really lean into it and step into it naturally instead of having to figure it out.”
This is quite ironic to the vocalist who auditioned for ‘X Factor’ when she was a teenager.
“When I was 16, I auditioned for the ‘X Factor’ and I sang Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’ and I didn’t get in and I was mortified,” Johnson reminisced.
“I could barely speak to my mum on the way home because I was so upset. At the time I remember thinking I would never be like Adele.”
Now she’s belting iconic tracks like ‘Easy On Me’, ‘Rolling in the Deep’, ‘Hello’, and many more across the globe in intimate and epic performances.
Experience Adele through Naomi Johnson and her dynamic live band in ‘One Night of Adele’ at Penrith Panthers on August 9 at 7.30pm. Purchase a ticket online at https://penrith.panthers.com.au.
Ally Hall
Ally Hall joined the Weekender in 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She's a graduate of the University of South Australia and has previously worked as a Video Journalist with Southern Cross Austereo and as a News Reader with Australian Radio Network.