A native Virginian and San Antonio, Texas-based urban gospel/country-soul singer and songwriter, Spensha Baker made her debut in 2004 as a child contestant on Star Search, and by her late teens was a full-fledged recording artist on Interscope. A string of well-received singles and a full-length LP in 2008 helped to establish her in the gospel world, but it was her appearance on season 14 of The Voice in 2018 that helped make her a star. Born in 1993 in Hampton, Virginia, Baker spent her childhood moving around the U.S due to her parents' military stints. Her powerful voice was obvious by the age of seven, and Baker's mother encouraged the young singer to perfect and make use of her unique gift. Baker landed a spot on The Inspirational Network's Christian Artist Talent Search show, which in turn led to her being a contestant on CBS' Star Search when she was only 12 years old. Ron Fair, chairman of Geffen Records, was a judge on the show, and although Baker wasn't the winner, Fair recognized her considerable talent and signed her to Interscope. A first single, a remake of the Clark Sisters song "Hallelujah" produced by Warryn Campbell, was released in 2008, followed by a full-length debut album, Outloud!, later that same year. After her record deal was up, Baker moved to Nashville with her mother, where she became enamored with country music, but she eventually moved back to Texas and got her real estate license. In March 2018, she auditioned for The Voice by performing the Beatles' "Blackbird," and was received warmly by both Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton. She chose the latter team and made it all the way to the finale, where she finished in fourth place after performing the original song "Old Soul," which was later released as a single. ~ Steve Leggett