By Dustin Fitzharris***In the early 1990s, a powerhouse vocalist named Wendy Moten burst on the scene with her Billboard-charting adult contemporary single, “Come In Out of the Rain.” Moten immediately won hearts and wowed critics. But those same critics were frequently comparing Moten to Whitney Houston. Some may have buckled under that pressure, but not Moten. For a self-described shy girl from Memphis who landed a major record deal, it opened her eyes.
“I just didn’t take it so seriously because I knew the music business is unpredictable,” Moten says. “Not only is it unpredictable, it’s short lived; don’t get too committed because it’s fantasy. It’s up to us to make it matter.”
After a handful of albums, three number-one songs in Japan and singing the Grammy-nominated song “Whatever You Imagine” from the animated film The Pagemaster, Moten walked away from center stage and retreated to the background. For over two decades, she toured as a backup vocalist with some of the biggest names in show business, including Julio Iglesias, Martina McBride and Vince Gill—who produced her 2020 album, I’ve Got You Covered.
Then, in 2021, Moten returned to the spotlight as a contestant on NBC’s vocal competition show “The Voice.” “I had to try something to reboot my career,” Moten says. “I knew if I left my ego at the house and only dealt with the challenge of the week, I could go far. I needed to go far because I needed the exposure so I could continue to work and be a solo artist again.”
Although Moten wasn’t crowned the winner of “The Voice,” coming in as the runner-up, she gained millions of new fans and the validation that she could continue her career on what she affectionately refers to as “the highest of levels.” 
As a child growing up in Memphis, Moten’s first audience was in her church, where she sang gospel songs. She was drawn to the music and vocals of Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick and Barbra Streisand. At 17 years old, Moten won her first talent contest by singing Patti LaBelle’s version of “Over the Rainbow,” which she later performed on “The Voice.” Working with the country greats, she mastered the technique of delivering feeling and tone in her vocals, further widening her versatility. And while traveling with Julio Iglesias, she learned to sing in four languages.
In May of this year, the 57-year-old Moten performed to a sell-out audience at Birdland Jazz Club, to which she returns on Friday, November 18. This time around she says she wants to give the audience “an experience”—and that may include the sweet sound of freedom in her voice.
Dustin Fitzharris (DF) interviews Wendy Moten (WM):
DF: Since you love and can sing so many genres, how do you select the songs for a show, especially at Birdland?
WM: The first thing I asked them at Birdland was, “Can I sing whatever I want?” And they said, “Yes.” When they gave me that free reign, I knew I was going to do what Wendy Moten does. She mixes in a lot of the genres. I’ll start off with a jazz song, but I’m also going to add an Aretha Franklin song. I’m going to add a Janis Ian song. A Paul Simon song. A Nat King Cole song. I’m going to take people across this broad stroke of music of songs that they remember but haven’t heard in a long time.
DF: So much has changed since you started in the music industry. What are your thoughts on how it works today?
WM: I explain to the young people that it’s the wild, wild west. You can literally be almost any age. You can find a platform. That certainly helps people who are still going after it.
DF: “The Voice” gave you a whole new platform. What did you learn from participating on that show?
WM: I learned that I was still competitive, and I still wanted it.
DF: You worked as a backup vocalist for Julio Iglesias for 15 years. You once said that working with him was “a great place to hide.” Who were you hiding from?
WM: I was kind of hiding from the industry because I still didn’t know who I was. I didn’t know what I wanted to sing. I’m versatile in a couple of genres, so I was torn. I didn’t know what to choose. Since I didn’t know, I thought I’d stay with Julio. I thought maybe a year, and it turned out to be 15 years. I felt like I was getting paid to learn. When I finally figured it out and knew who I was, “The Voice” opportunity presented itself.
DF: Now knowing who you are, finish this sentence. Wendy Moten is…
WM: I think an amazing singer who found her purpose, and her purpose is to communicate with people through song. People always tell me that in my shows they’re smiling, they’re crying, holding hands. I want to create a feeling while I’m singing. People tell me they walk out kind of transformed. It really doesn’t matter what I’m singing. That frees me up a great deal. I want people to feel something different, and I finally know how to make that happen consistently.
DF: On your recent album I’ve Got You Covered, you recorded the song “’Til I Get It Right,” a number one record for Tammy Wynette. What goes through your mind when you sing that song?
WM: That song has other meanings for me. When I’m singing that song, I’m thinking about my music career. I’ll keep doing it until I get it right.
DF: Do you feel like you have gotten it right?
WM: I feel like I have gotten it right, but I’m continuing to keep it right. It’s like a love affair. You fall in love with somebody, but you still have to keep working on that relationship. I’ll keep falling in love with my career until I get it right. And you have to keep finding that passion. Julio Iglesias told me that you have to have passion. When he told me that, something clicked inside me. People can forgive you for singing poorly. People can forgive you for forgetting lyrics. People can forgive you for a lot of things. But when you have passion, they really can forgive you.
DF: Is this the best time of your career?
WM: Absolutely. My eyes are wide open. There’s no doubt. There’s just clarity and fearlessness. Another reason I went on the “The Voice” was to tell my age. This business, in their mind-set, is for the young. I wanted to show that people over 50 have value. I just got great in my fifties. Now, I’m not even worried about where I fit in. I’m mean, I always knew, but now I really know that I have to create my own island and invite people to my island.
DF: Was it hard for you not winning “The Voice?”
WM: No. You have to go in knowing that they focus on ratings and sometimes you fit that and sometimes you don’t. You gotta be a realist. I was so surprised that I got as far as I did.
DF: It sounds like you’ve always surprised yourself. Growing up you said you never really thought you had anything to offer because all your friends were such great singers. How do you feel now?
WM: I’m not the greatest in the world, but I’m one of the greatest. I believe that because I worked hard for that. I’ve had enough icons to tell me that, but growing up, I didn’t think I had anything. But I kept taking the gigs. I kept learning. I still didn’t figure it out until I was 50.
DF: What was the moment that changed everything and you figured it out?
WM: It was being 50 and thinking, “how are you going to make a living? How are you going to stay in the game?” I realized that I really do love the business. I do need it in my life. Once I made that decision, it freed me up and put a light on that I really wanted to be a solo artist again.
DF: When you look back on your career, do you ever say to yourself, “I should have been bigger?”
WM: I was shy and didn’t like being out front. I couldn’t believe I was getting a major record deal. Then, my name was being said with Whitney Houston in the same breath. That was some other stuff.
DF: After everything you’ve done and accomplished, what are you the most proud of?
WM: Choosing to stay in the game. My life has been filled with many Forrest Gump moments—amazing situations that only happen once. I’m glad that I’ve had the courage to stay in the game.
DF: Do you ever get tired of singing “Come In Out of the Rain?”
WM: I do not. I heard an older artist say “You gotta sing the one that brought you.” I just make sure I always do it now. There was a time when I couldn’t do it because I was singing background for someone else. Now that I have more of a platform to set up my set list, I make sure I do it every time. It’s my song. It’s the only song I got, and I want to sing it.
Wendy Moten appears at Birdland Theater from Friday, November 18 through Sunday, November 20 with sets at 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM. For tickets and more information, click here.
