The aspect of The Voice that has always made it stand out from other competitions is the concept of choosing its contestants blindly. And while this is an obvious bonus for artists who might have otherwise had trouble breaking into the business because they don’t look or perform a certain way, it also creates a unique opportunity for a different demographic — singers who may be recognized by their name or look because they have famous family members (not that Blake Shelton recognizes people anyway, but I digress). Let’s take a look at six contestants with celebrity relatives, including Candace Cameron Bure and Kaley Cuoco, who are out to prove there's more than one artist in the family.
Natasha Bure (Candace Cameron Bure’s Daughter)
In Season 11, an 18-year-old Natasha Bure turned joined Voice OG coach Adam Levine’s team after her dreamy rendition of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Candace Cameron Bure was one proud mom, jumping around backstage at the Blind Auditions, surrounded by family, and yelling, “Shut up!” when Natasha earned the one-chair turn.
The Fuller House star, along with her husband, former NHL All-Star Valeri Bure, was again in the audience for her daughter’s Battle Round, bubbling with emotion during the duet of Michael Buble’s “Cry Me a River.” While Adam Levine chose to eliminate Natasha Bure, sending her duet partner Riley Elmore on to the next round, seeing Hallmark Movie master Candace Cameron Bure get to share this experience with her daughter warmed my heart as much as any of those sweet, sweet holiday movies. And while Natasha didn’t break through in the music business, she and her mother have continued to share snippets of their adorable relationship on social media, while also fending off trolls.
Briana Cuoco (Kaley Cuoco’s Sister)
In Season 5, Briana Cuoco was trying to break out on her own after spending the past few years working as her sister Kaley Cuoco’s assistant. The Big Bang Theory star and their parents accompanied Briana to the Blind Auditions, where she sang Lady Gaga’s song “You and I,” with Kaley Cuoco screaming and cheering wildly as Christina Aguilera and CeeLo Green turned their chairs. Briana Cuoco joined Team Christina, but the former Voice coach declared Briana’s teammate Jacquie Lee the winner of the battle after they performed “House of the Rising Sun.”
Briana Cuoco’s haunting voice and impressive runs got Blake Shelton’s attention, however, and she advanced to the Knockouts as part of Team Blake. Unfortunately that’s where her journey ended, as Blake eliminated Briana in the next round after she performed “Don’t Speak,” a song made famous by, coincidentally, Blake’s future fiancee Gwen Stefani’s band No Doubt. Kaley Cuoco showed her sister support throughout her run on the show, and the two remain close, now working together on-screen, with Briana Cuoco picking up recurring roles in Kaley Cuoco’s animated series Harley Quinn and the HBO Max hit The Flight Attendant.
Jack Cassidy (Shirley Jones’ Grandson/David Cassidy’s Nephew)
A real-life member of the Partridge Family joined The Voice in Season 12. Jack Cassidy did his family’s name proud with a stripped-down version of “One of Us” by Joan Osborne and chose to join Alicia Keys’ team. Though he was eliminated in the Knockout Round after singing "Unsteady" by X Ambassadors, he was chosen as Team Alicia’s Comeback Artist and allowed to continue to the Live Playoffs, where he was ultimately eliminated in the first round after singing "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Elton John.
Jack Cassidy said though music was literally the family business, his generation was discouraged from performing. But a grandma is still a grandma, and Cassidy said at the time that Shirley Jones was a huge supporter of his stint on the show. Since being on The Voice, Jack Cassidy has continued to play Christian music, and he credits his faith with helping him overcome a drug addiction, something that has also plagued other members of his family.
Cali Tucker (Tanya Tucker’s Niece)
Cali Tucker brought a powerful, bluesy vibe to The Voice in Season 6. Her audition song choice, “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles, was perfect to showcase her gritty talent, and — as they do — Cali joined the team of country superstar Blake Shelton. Cali Tucker grew up touring and performing with her aunt Tanya Tucker, and she thought The Voice was the perfect way to step out of the country legend’s shadow. Cali Tucker was eliminated in the Battle Round after a duet of “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” but she accomplished her goal.
After The Voice, Cali Tucker moved from Nashville to Las Vegas and continued making music. Her days of singing on her aunt’s stage are over, as Cali has made a name for herself as a headliner and released a couple of albums — Cover Girl and Cali’s Christmas.
James Wolpert (Jonathan Groff’s Cousin)
Jonathan Groff may be the more well-known of these cousins, but there’s no family rivalry here. In fact, the Hamilton actor said he encouraged James Wolpert to audition for Season 5 of The Voice. Wolpert’s passionate rendition of Jack White’s “Love Interruption” earned him a Four-Chair Turn from Adam Levine, CeeLo Green, Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton. He chose Team Adam and proceeded to slay his way through the competition (his Battle Round performance of “Radioactive” with teammate Will Champlin is one of my all-time favorite Voice performances). Wolpert made it to the Top 5 before he was eliminated in the Semifinals after a performance of “With or Without You.”
Jonathan Groff proudly supported his cousin while he was on the show — he said the eliminations made him “so stressed” — and after, as he encouraged people to buy James Wolpert’s album, The Entire City, which was released in 2015. Wolpert returned the social media love when Groff did things like win Tony Awards, no big deal.
Britton Buchanan (Link Neal’s Cousin)
Britton Buchanan broke into the music scene on Season 14 of The Voice. His audition of “Trouble” by Ray LaMontagne was beautifully soulful, and he chose Alicia Keys as his coach. Buchanan was a fan favorite and made it all the way to the finale with performances including “Thinking Out Loud,” “Some Kind of Wonderful” “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” and eventually came in second place to Season 14 winner Brynn Cartelli of Kelly Clarkson’s team.
But Britton Buchanan isn’t the only entertainer in the family. He’s the cousin of Link Neal, of the comedy duo Rhett and Link, who host the popular YouTube series Good Mythical Morning. Buchanan continued making music after his time on The Voice, and he regularly tours with Rhett and Link, performing his original music.
It’s interesting to see the kind of talent that runs in some families, and the similar paths that these performers choose. Though the Blind Auditions likely weren’t intended to attract celebrities’ relatives for the purpose of their anonymity, I can definitely see how that platform would allow them to carve their own path. You can catch The Voice at 8 p.m. ET Mondays on Fox, and be sure to check out our 2021 spring TV premiere schedule.
