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Artist finds his 'Voice'
Central grad auditions on popular show
Cauley WEB 1
Chris Cauley, a graduate of Forsyth Central High, performs Thursday at Firefly Restaurant in Alpharetta. The local performer will compete for a spot on NBC’s “The Voice,” airing tonight after the Super Bowl. - photo by Autumn Vetter

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Look for Forsyth Central High graduate Chris Cauley to audition for “The Voice” on NBC. The first episode airs tonight after the Super Bowl, and its regular time slot will be at 8 p.m. Mondays.

Millions of eyes will be on hometown singer Chris Cauley as he auditions for the televised singing competition, “The Voice.”

The four sets of eyes he’ll be concerned about, however, will be facing the other direction.

The NBC show, which premieres its second season tonight after the Super Bowl, brings in talented singers to do what’s called a “blind audition” for four popular recording artists.

The judges can’t see the person on stage as he or she sings, and they have about 30 seconds to push a button if they like what they hear.

Forsyth County native Cauley said he can’t talk to the press until he appears on the show, other than to confirm that he did audition.

Cauley’s father, Jerry, said his son is a professional singer, who was encouraged by his friends to try out for the TV show.

The family plans to watch the game and the show’s premiere together at Chris Cauley’s home in Alpharetta.

“It’s going to be exciting,” said the elder Cauley, adding that he’s caught a glimpse of his son on one of the commercials for the show. “We don’t know anything as far as how everything turns out. It’s all confidential.”

He said his son has been interested in music and singing since he was young, perhaps getting the talent from his grandmother, who was also a singer.

A graduate of Forsyth Central High School, Chris Cauley was involved in drama and chorus.

He recently co-starred in an R&B musical, “Laugh to Keep from Crying,” which was written and directed by Tyler Perry, according to his biography.

In 2010, he joined the international cast of the Michael Jackson tribute show, “Man in the Mirror” as a featured vocalist.

Since returning, he performed locally at the Forsyth Family Fest in September and has appeared at other small venues nearby.

A local resident in the music industry, Jeremy Skinner has worked with Cauley, whom he said often is described as performing “acoustic soul.”

Skinner said Cauley is a good fit for the show because he has an amazing voice.

“So much of what we hear in music now is so produced,” he said. “Chris is one of those people that you could literally sit him down in front of a microphone — with no effects, no production, no anything — and he sounds like what he would sound like if you recorded someone else and tried to make them sound good.”

Despite Cauley’s touring and traveling, Skinner said the singer has a local following, as well as a global one.

On Thursday, Cauley did his last local show for a while, performing at an Alpharetta restaurant with good friend and fellow singer James David Carter.

The two are “stylistically different,” said Carter, but they mesh well and have a lot of fun.

He described Cauley’s singing style as “acoustic R&B,” and said his friend is “a goofball.”

“He’s real light-hearted, but he’s a sweet dude with a big heart,” Carter said.

Cauley’s personality could draw in some fans, Carter said, but the power of his voice will get their attention.

He thinks Cauley could do well on the show, which he said gives experienced and talented singers an opportunity to shine.

“Any time your friends are in a spot to help them get more exposure — and that’s what we all wish for as artists — you definitely want to support your friend,” he said. “We’re all proud of him.”

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