'The Voice' winner Jermaine Paul received a phone call whilst he was still standing on the stage on Tuesday night (May 8, 2012) from none other than R&B star Alicia Keys.
The first to congratulate the elated winner, Alicia was "screaming with excitement" down the phone while confetti fell around him according to Jermaine. "She told me she's been watching me and supporting me the whole time", he said. "She was saying how proud of me she was." Jermaine, who was once a back-up singer for Alicia, won the top prize of $100,000 plus a Universal record deal after singing a rendition of R Kelly's 'I Believe I Can Fly' for his final solo performance on Monday night.
Despite the partial sleep deprivation, and non-stop talk show appearances and TV interviews, the 33-year-old husband and father of four Jermaine feels he can't complain. "I'm loving every bit of it", he admitted on Wednesday night. "I've been dreaming about a moment like this my whole life. Former Monroe-Woodbury High School basketball star, choir director and youth pastor, he's always struggled to find his way into the spotlight. "I'm so excited about the future and getting in the studio and creating this album."