Nakia Brings Bluesy Vibe to the ‘The Voice’

Nakia, a burly, bearded singer from Austin, Texas, rocked the house with his audition of Cee Lo Green's 'Forget You' on 'The Voice,' eventually landing a spot on none other than Cee Lo's team.

'The Voice' isn't Nakia's first rodeo, as the 36-year-old singer has been gigging and recording music for several years. Most recently, he served as frontman of Nakia & His Southern Cousins, a group that combined elements of blues and soul music. Nakia released an EP called 'Playing the Cards' in 2007, followed by a full-length album, 'Water to Wine,' in 2009. Both collections currently are available on iTunes.

As for his interesting name, the crooner reveals in a blog post that he was named after a short-lived 1974 ABC drama called 'Nakia.' "That's right! I was actually named after a television show!" remarks Nakia in a blog post. "The show was set on an Indian Reservation and starred Robert Forster as Deputy Sheriff, Nakia Parker."

Nakia took a big chance by performing 'Forget You' right in front of Cee Lo himself, but his gamble paid off. 'Cee Lo pushed his button and his chair turned around!!," writes Nakia. "I get a little choked up every time I have thought about it since. It was so gratifying, so validating. I was singing his song . . . He felt strongly enough to push the button and give me one of the eight slots on his team."

Watch Nakia & His Southern Cousins Performing Wilson Pickett's 'Don't Fight It'