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Bryan Olesen | |
|---|---|
 Olesen performing with VOTA in Lincoln, Nebraska | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Bryan David Olesen |
| Born | November 1, 1973 |
| Origin | Hartford, Connecticut |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
Bryan Olesen is a Christian rock guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter.
Bryan David Olesen was born on November 1, 1973 in Hartford, Connecticut, to John and Norine Olesen. He married Jennifer Hines on August 23, 1997 and they have three children.
Olesen was in the Christian bands Newsboys and VOTA. He filled in on lead guitar while Jody Davis (of the Newsboys) was caring for Davis' daughter during an illness. Olesen is featured on the Newsboys album "Devotion" 2004.
He is one of the founding members of the group VOTA, previously known as Casting Pearls, [1] a Christian rock band, along with Case Maranville. Olesen has been the lead singer and guitarist of VOTA since it began in the late 1990s. He was officially announced as Davis' replacement in February 2004, and was the lead guitarist and background vocalist in the group until January 2006, when he left the band to focus on his other band, VOTA (then known as Casting Pearls). In 2024, Olesen competed on the 25th season of The Voice as part of John Legend's team. Olesen made it to the finale and finished in third place. [2] One year later, his daughter, Jadyn Cree, competed on the 27th season of The Voice as part of Michael Buble's team. Cree made it to the finale and finished in fifth place. [3]
| Performances on The Voice season 25 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Theme | Song | Original artist | Order | Original air date | Result |
| Blind Auditions | — | "Love Runs Out" | OneRepublic | 3.6 | March 4, 2024 | Dan + Shay, John Legend, and Reba McEntire turned; joined Team John Legend |
| Battles (Top 40) | "Rolling in the Deep" (vs. Nathan Chester) | Adele | 7.1 | March 18, 2024 | Received a playoff pass from his coach John Legend and advanced to the playoffs | |
| Playoffs (Top 20) | "Africa" | Toto featuring Sia | 14.5 | April 29, 2024 | Saved by John Legend | |
| Live Quarterfinals (Top 12) | "Don't Stop Me Now" | Queen | 16.1 | May 6, 2024 | Saved by vote | |
| Live Semi-finals (Top 9) | "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" | Phil Collins | 18.9 | May 13, 2024 | Bottom five | |
| "Viva la Vida" | Coldplay | 19.3 | May 14, 2024 | Saved by Instant save | ||
| Live Finale (Final 5) | "Uptempo Song" | "Freedom! '90" | George Michael | 20.8 | May 20, 2024 | 3rd Place |
| "Ballad" | "Beautiful Things" | Benson Boone | 20.4 | |||
| "Duet with Coach" | "Feeling Good" Duet with John Legend | Joe Bonamassa | 21.12 | May 21, 2024 | ||