Vicci Martinez

American singer/songwriter and actress

Vicci Martinez (born September 21, 1984) is an American singer/songwriter and actress from Tacoma, Washington. She came in joint third on NBC's singing competition series The Voice in 2011. She released her 2012 album with Republic Records (Universal Music Group), but self released her 2015 album.

Martinez, the daughter of a Mexican father employed as a plumber, and a mother employed as an ESL teacher, graduated from Stadium High School in Tacoma, Washington. She first took the stage at the age of 16. Firmly grounded in the tradition of acoustic rock, Vicci Martinez writes and performs music that is personal and often autobiographical. She has received critical acclaim for her live performances. After the 2005 release of her album, On My Way, Martinez went on tour and released a full length concert DVD and documentary in 2006 titled Vicci Martinez Live. The DVD, produced by Joel Veatch and Flying Spot, received positive press attention. Vicci also released a live CD that had been recorded at Jazzbones, a musical venue in Tacoma, Washington. Martinez won the regional tryouts for the first season of American Idol, but declined her invitation to the second round on the grounds that, in her opinion, the contract was too restrictive. She later appeared on CBS's 2003 season of Star Search. In 2011, Martinez competed on the U. S. talent show The Voice. Billboard magazine praised her diverse performance abilities saying "she gives every song a mature delivery and she appears comfortable in whatever skin she has chosen to adopt on a given night. With a drum corps alongside her and a backstory about her late father to warm the heart, she tore through Florence and the Machine's Dog Days Are Over with alacrity; the closing performance Tuesday was also the night's best performance." Martinez came in first place on judge CeeLo Green's team and represented him in the final round. She finished third overall.

Stage Song Original Artist Date Order Result Blind Audition "Rolling in the Deep" Adele April 26, 2011 1.4 Two chairs turnedJoined Team CeeLo Battles (Top 32) "Perfect" (vs. Niki Dawson) P!nk May 17, 2011 3.4 Saved by Coach Quarterfinals "Jolene" Dolly Parton June 14, 2011 8.3 Saved by Public Vote Semifinals "Dog Days Are Over" Florence and The Machine June 21, 2011 9.8 Saved by Coach and Public Vote (138 Points) Live Finale (Final 4) "Afraid to Sleep" (Original) Javier Colon June 28, 2011 11.3 3rd/4th Place "Love is a Battlefield" (with CeeLo Green) Pat Benatar 11.8

According to her Voice coach, CeeLo Green, after her appearance on the show in 2011, Martinez signed a record deal. Her EP, Come Along, was released on May 1, 2012, followed by her Universal Republic album "Vicci" on June 19 of the same year. Her 2012 chart hit, "Come Along", a cover of a 2001 single from Swedish recording act Titiyo, featured Cee Lo Green. Though the song was a top 20 hit throughout Central Europe, it was not released in the U. S. or U. K. The song peaked at #20 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart and #17 on the Adult Top 40 chart. On May 1, 2015, Martinez self released her album, I Am Vicci Martinez. In 2018, after being discovered by the casting director via a google search, Martinez played inmate Daddy on season 6 of the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. Martinez also appeared in the seventh and final season.

Martinez is a lesbian. In July 2018, it was confirmed that she is in a relationship with her Orange Is the New Black co star Emily Tarver.