Chris Jamison was a fan favorite throughout the seventh season of The Voice and closed out the competition with a charismatic performance of Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River.” While Craig Wayne Boyd took home the trophy, 20-year old Jamison has nothing but positive things to say about the experience. OHSOGRAY talked with Chris after the winner was revealed and got his thoughts on what’s next for him.
Were you surprised that Craig won The Voice?
Chris Jamison: I don’t think I was surprised. I think that all four of us, going into Tuesday night, didn’t really know how it was going to work or who was going to win it. We knew that it was anybody’s game at that point. So all of us were just trying to stay positive about the whole thing. The one thing that was floating around the whole night was that regardless of what happens, that all of us were ready to go home Tuesday night, whether we win or lose. At that point, we kind of made it as far as we could on the show, which is really cool and very exciting. At that point, it was just about what we do after the show. My goals regardless of whether I won or lost were pretty much the same. After the show, it’s just to try and take advantage of the amazing platform that I got to be on and just try to make the most of it now.
What did Adam say to you after the show?
Chris Jamison: Adam was very positive. Of course, he wanted to win—he’s a very competitive person. I am, too, and Matt is, as well. We all wanted to win. We felt that our team did super well this season. We had three people that made up the four I the finale, which is pretty incredible. Matt had his single at number one on the iTunes chart, mine was number three. We felt like we won. We did the best we could [and] we were a winning team regardless of the outcome. […] We felt really good about everything. I’m super happy for Craig. All of us are happy for Craig, he’s very deserving of this. We talked to Adam afterwards, and Adam was positive about everything—positive about all of our futures and what was in store. It was a nice evening.
Do you have any plans for what you want to do next?
Chris Jamison: I’m still processing. I still can’t believe that I was in the finale of season seven of The Voice. I think it’s pretty crazy. We were watching it back, I’m at home now, we were watching it back on TV last night when I got back. It’s crazy to think that…before I was home watching TV, I kind of knew that I was going to be going back out competing in the live rounds. Now, it’s all over. I did as much as I could on the show and watching it back, it kind of makes it real. This is the only way that I’m actually going to get to relive all of those memories, by watching it on TV. So I’m still getting used to it and still trying to let it all settle in. As far as the future’s concerned, I’m just trying to take advantage of this time before the New Year and just calling and talking with a lot of different people. The goal is to go back out in January to L.A. and really hit it hard and make something happen. I don’t want to take too much time off…I want to try to ride this momentum as long as I can.
What was the most important thing you gained through participating on the show?
Chris Jamison: I learned a lot about music and television, but I also learned a lot about myself. I didn’t realize that…before the show…that I could perform the way that I performed, move and feel that comfortable on stage. Because of the show, there was really no time to be nervous or second guess yourself. It was every single week we were doing new songs and we needed to go out there and deliver awesome performances. So the one thing that Adam told us early on in the process was never to strive for perfection and don’t try to please others—just go on stage and have fun, do what you want to do and relax and have fun with it. That’s what my goal was each week, to go out there and show people a different side of Chris Jamison. In the blind audition…in the whole competition, blinds, knockouts, battles…I felt like I hadn’t let loose fully and hadn’t shown everybody what I was truly capable of doing. Once the live rounds came around, I really feel like I came out of my shell and performed the way I was always meant to perform on that show. Then with “Jealous” the next week, that was kind of like the moment where I truly felt free and that I sang the way I was meant to sing and I performed the way I was meant to perform. So I’ve learned so much about myself and because of the show, I’m this different performer, which is incredible and something that I don’t take lightly. I’m so grateful because without the show pushing me each week, I probably would still be in that shell that I was before.
Do you have any interest in pursuing acting?
Chris Jamison: I’m open for everything. I never imagined in a million years that I would be on The Voice and be doing a live television show each week. I’m open for whatever is to come or anything someone wants me to be a part of. I’m just grateful for every single opportunity that I have, I’ve received so far, and the people I’ve met. I used to be the guy that kind of planned out everything and I knew exactly how my future was going to go. Now I have no idea and I kind of like it, though. So I’m very open to whatever the future has in store for me. I’m looking forward to it all.
You have a loyal group of fans who’ve followed you on the show and through social media. Do you have a message for them? How can they keep track of what you’re doing next?
Chris Jamison: I definitely want to say thank you and I appreciate all the support that I was given, especially with a show like The Voice, it really comes down to people voting each week and wanting to see you week after week perform. I wouldn’t have gotten to the finale if it weren’t for those people voting, tweeting, and buying the singles on iTunes. I never in a million years would have imagined that I would have been on The Voice, but having all their support throughout this whole entire process really means a lot and has made the whole process easier. It’s made it a lot more rewarding, as well, knowing that you’ve reached so many people. It’s just not very easy to describe. It’s such a weird thing. I’m so grateful for their support and there’s definitely a lot to come for the future for me. I’m pretty young, I’m twenty years old, so I’ve got a lot of time ahead of me. To stay updated, they should check my Twitter—@Iamchrisjamison—and my Facebook music page, which is just Chris Jamison, as well. There’s definitely a lot of good things coming, so I’m excited.