‘Voice’ victor rejoices in Orlando homecoming

Ignore those biographies that say Chris Blue, season 12 winner of NBC’s “The Voice,” was born in Arizona. He has never been to Arizona.

“I was born in Winter Haven,” said Blue, 28. He lived in Polk County until he was 10 and sees a Monday concert at Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts as a homecoming.

“This is my first time back in the state of Florida performing since the show,” Blue said. “We’ve been kind of moving all over — L.A., New York. I’ve been in Tennessee some.”

He was a worship leader from Knoxville, Tenn., when he tried out for “The Voice” and won the season that concluded in May 2017. He promises a concert that will be high energy and exciting.

“It’s going to feel very similar to what people experienced on the show,” he said. “Dancers, energy, fun, party, but the most important thing that you’ll experience at the show is going to be love. That’s who I am as a person. That’s why I’m here. Music is the vehicle that puts us in front of people and enables us to really show them why we do what we do.”

Blue cites “Rhythm Nation” as his best performance on “The Voice” and “Take Me to the King” as his favorite. He hints he may dig in the vault and grab a few show songs for the concert.

“It just depends on the moment,” he said. “I like to make sure we’re dedicated to being present.”

Yet fans can expect gospel music. “It’s in me. What’s in you has to come out,” he said.

Blue is the youngest of seven children — five boys and two girls. He discovered music at 2, sang in front of people at 3 and gave his first concert at 4.

“All the churches in the Central Florida area gave this little country boy a chance and allowed me to come in and sing,” he said. “That developed my artistry at an early age.”

He used to perform with his siblings and travel the country as the Blue Brothers. They were a gospel version of the Jackson Five, he said.

His becoming a solo act “was really a decision that was made by God,” he said. “We were seen as a group until I auditioned for ‘The Voice.’ ”

He tried out for the singing contest because his girlfriend, who is now his wife, was battling bone marrow cancer. “She had flatlined on the operating table. I prayed the entire night, asking God to bring her back. And he did,” he said.

He waited several seasons to audition, and his wife urged him on when he finally tried out in Atlanta.

“She was just ‘Go. The worst that can happen is they say no.’ Fortunately, they did not say no,” Blue said. “They continue to say yes. They continued to say yes until the show finished.”

Blue said his life has “completely changed” since the victory. He is working on an untitled album that will be out soon. Alicia Keys, his coach on “The Voice,” is on his management team.

“She’s a very wise woman. She’s constantly helping me out,” he said.

His joy is shared by his mother, Janice Blue-Williams, who looks forward to the Orlando concert. “I just think it’s exciting to finally come back home to express love, gratitude and thanks,” she said.

He echoes that view. “It wasn’t until the Lord said try out for ‘The Voice’ that I imagined myself as a solo artist,” he said. “I never imagined myself as a solo artist.”

He warns that a TV singing contest is a lot of hard work and requires patience. “The No. 1 thing I think people should know is it’s not about you. It’s not about you,” he said. “You have been gifted with a gift that you did not ask for, you could not have asked for, you probably didn’t deserve. Your job is to share what you’ve been given.”