Stefani, who left her chair to hug him, told him, “That was so gorgeous.” The judges were shocked when they laid their eyes on Miah for the first time, inviting him to come back and audition again. On “The Voice,” though he gave an impressive performance of “Never Enough” from “The Greatest Showman,” none of the celebrity judges – Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams – turned their chairs for him. In 2011, he made it to Hollywood Week on “X Factor.” It wasn’t his first time on a reality competition. He landed a blind audition for NBC’s “The Voice,” appearing in season 17. Normally, I start with putting one toe in, then two toes in. “I took all these signs and thought, ‘If there’s any time to do this, the time is now,’ and I jumped,’” Miah said. With all this change, he decided it was time to perform again. He was also devastated by the end of a relationship and being laid off from his corporate position with a vaping retailer when the company changed hands. He lost his closest friend, Beyja King, to suicide. Then, about four years ago, his world came crashing down. I loved it, but I didn’t feel like I was a singer anymore.” “But I just didn’t know if it was for me. Every once in a while, someone would overhear me singing and would ask me, ‘Why don’t you sing?’” he said. “I wasn’t performing, and people didn’t even know that I sang. He kept getting promoted, even working closely with CEOs.Īt the same time, the longer Miah stayed away from the stage, the more his confidence in his vocal talent began to falter. At every company he worked for, he was recognized for his talent for helping customers and cultivating staff. Do that big girl job well.’”Īnd that’s exactly what he did, building a career in specialty retail, climbing the ladder as he worked with a range of products: children’s clothing, sunglasses, jewelry, vaping products. Despite winning some talent shows and pageants, though, Miah stopped performing for a period to focus on his studies and work. He found a drag mother, who taught him the ins and outs of the art form, including “how to tuck” and find the right wigs. I feel like a man on the outside and a woman on the inside and I’ve reconciled with that.” (Drag) has given me that beautiful space to be gorgeous and embody her because she’s there. It’s been in me ever since I was a child. “It also showed me that I am me and whatever I wear doesn’t define that for me. It showed me that I’m supposed to be singing,” he said. Not only did this boost his confidence as a performer, it also helped him grow into his “authentic self.” It was during this time that he discovered the art of drag, performing under the name Miah Van-Cartier for several years. Photo Provided by Jay Miah Jay Miah as a Drag Performer

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