Padua Academy grad wins over judges ‘The Voice’
Rubini advances to next round of music series
“The Voice” just may have saved the best for last.
Following 51 contestants, the final singer after three weeks of blind auditions on NBC’s “The Voice” Tuesday night wowed the judges.
And she just happened to be Delaware’s own Olivia Rubini.
The 24-year-old Hockessin singer unfurled a sweet version of Linda Ronstadt’s 1970 song “Long, Long Time,” a tune that has gained a second life thanks to a tender scene from HBO’s “The Last of Us” last year.
She is only the fourth contestant from Delaware out of about 1,300 in the show’s 25-season history.
Judges react
It only took 22 seconds and four lines of the song for judge John Legend to spin his chair around in support of Rubini as her parents Ritchie and Thérèse Rubini looked on from the side of the stage with tears in their eyes.
“It sounded like someone who understands how to be a vocal artist and not just a singer,” said Legend, who gave Rubini a standing ovation and added her to his “team” on the program.
All the other “Voice” judges on the Carson Daly-hosted reality television singing competition also gave Rubini her flowers:
Country star Reba McEntire said, “Unfortunately, I have my team full and I couldn’t turn around. I definitely would have because you’re a great singer.”
Continued Chance the Rapper: “My team is also full and if it wasn’t full, I would have definitely turned for you. I think you’re a star.”
And country duo Dan + Shay kept the praise coming with Dan Smyers adding, “Amazing performance. We’re in the same boat. Our team is full. I could tell you believed what you were singing and that made me believe what you were singing. And that was just very powerful.”
Shay Mooney then put the cherry on top: “I would buy your album today. We need more people like you in the world that moves people with their voice. That’s what this show is about.”
Rubini tells her story to a national audience
In her 90-second introduction set to Heart’s “Barracuda,” Rubini introduced herself to a national television audience, which has averaged 5.5 million people per episode this season.
“I love expressing myself through my style. Once I got my haircut, I was like, ‘I got to step up this fashion thing a little bit,’” said the stylish brunette, who sees herself in the mold of classic ‘70s rock artists such as Ronstadt and Stevie Nicks and newer pop stars including Miley Cyrus and Harry Styles.
She specifically mentioned her father (and producer) for getting her started in music.
Ritchie Rubini is a veteran Delaware musician and producer best known as the drummer for the Newark-based alternative rock band The Caulfields, which found national success and rotation on MTV with the single “Devil’s Diary” in the mid-’90s.
“Growing up as a producer’s child was the best: little me sleeping in guitar cases and hanging out with big honkin’ guitars that I had no business holding,” she said as images of her and her father throughout the years filled the screen. “When I was about 14, I came to my dad and I said, ‘I’ve watched you produce everybody else. Maybe you can give me a go?’”
An emotional Ritchie Rubini was then seen standing alongside his wife and protégé, who wiped away tears when he said to her, “I’m so proud of you for going through this because it’s an amazing journey.”
Before walking on stage, Olivia Rubini was heard saying, “It means everything for my parents to be here today. I just need to show them that their support has not been for nothing.”
How she got there
Rubini has been independently releasing music since the age of 15, including her full-length album “Silhouettes” in 2021.
The 10-track pop album, called “triumphant” by WXPN 88.5-FM’s The Key, was produced by her father.
Along with Ritchie Rubini playing on everything from drums to keyboard, “Silhouettes” includes contributions from a cadre of Delaware musicians including Sam Nobles, Cliff Hillis, Shane Trimble (High Reeper), Andrew Price (Challenger) and Dave Duncan.
Rubini is a political science and international relations double major graduate from Maryland’s Mount Saint Mary’s University.
What’s next?
The next round for “The Voice,” dubbed “The Battles,” kicks off Monday night at 8 p.m. on NBC and usually lasts four to eight episodes.
Rubini is one of 40 singers who made it past “Blind Auditions,” vying for the $100,000 price and a record deal with Universal Music Group.
It is not known which future episode will feature Rubini next.
Have a story idea? Contact Ryan Cormier of Delaware Online/The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier) and X (@ryancormier).