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Local gay man makes top 10 on ‘The Voice’
Maryland’s Rayshun LaMarr is on Team Adam and hoping for the prize
Rayshun LaMarr, a Fort Washington, Md., gay man, is currently in the top 10 on ‘The Voice.’ (Photo courtesy NBC)
Rayshun LaMarr belted out just the first five words of “Don’t Stop Believin’” during his blind audition on “The Voice” before judge Adam Levine slammed his button. Fellow judge Alicia Keys followed suit and before LaMarr had even gotten to the chorus he had the attention of two of the biggest names in the music industry.
LaMarr, 33, originally hails from Chapel Hill, N.C., but now lives in Fort Washington, Md. He performed in Sound Connection, an agency band that performed at weddings and corporate functions, prior to his appearance on the show. He also battled lymphatic cancer, a struggle he openly shared with viewers during his audition where he had support from his partner Alex Holmes, as well as his mother, aunt, father and brother.
He decided to join Team Adam and is now in the top 10 of the reality competition series, which airs on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC. LaMarr has become a fan favorite on the show with his performances reaching millions of views on YouTube. LaMarr took a break from his busy day on set of “The Voice” to discuss the typical day in the life of a contestant, his viral blind audition and what Levine is like behind the scenes.
WASHINGTON BLADE: How did your audition for “The Voice” come about?
RAYSHUN LaMARR: I auditioned for the show about four or five times before but I never made it past the executive producers. They were always like, “Great voice, but not what we’re looking for this season.” So, this particular year I was like the auditions are coming around again and I really want to go but I have a gig coming up. I gotta pay my rent. So I can’t afford to do that and miss this gig and be behind on my rent. So I didn’t go. Maybe two days later I did an open mic at my apartment and I recorded it and posted it on the Internet. Literally, two or three days later, I get a call from this guy saying, “Hey, this is one of the producers from ‘The Voice’ would you like to audition?” Now, I thought it was a joke. We were going back and forth for about a week and a half and I didn’t believe anything until I got my plane ticket. I was like of all times this happened to be the year that I didn’t go and it happened to be the year that they reached out to me.
BLADE: During your audition you revealed you battled cancer. Why was that important to share with the audience and the judges?
LaMARR: I went through the whole chemo and cancer thing. I wanted to let anybody know who had gone through what I went through, or anything similar, that everything was going to be OK. That song was very important to me. I just wanted to relay the message of this is my story, this is why I chose this song, this is the song that helped me through while I was in the hospital. That’s why I took the time to tell them why I chose that song and to tell them that story.
BLADE: Your blind audition blew the judges away particularly Adam Levine and Alicia Keys. What was it like being a regular person with two celebrities fighting over you?
LaMARR: It was super cool. I did not expect them to turn around as fast as they did. Granted, everyone wants all the judges to turn around. But I had no clue it would be so soon. I literally sang “Just a small town girl living in a lonely world,” and it was like bam. Adam turned around and then like five seconds later Alicia turned around. I’m like, “Wow. This is crazy.” Now I’m battling thoughts of I’m super excited but I still have to maintain the song. At that point my life actually just changed right then and there.
BLADE: Alicia was gunning pretty hard to get you on her team. Why did you pick Adam?
LaMARR: I am 100 percent a fan of Alicia Keys and all the judges. However, Adam said something that really stuck out to me. Maybe Adam just said it at the right time and that’s what I was looking for. Adam pointed out some of the flaws that were in my performance. He said, “I want to work with you and make you a world-class singer. I don’t just want to fill your head with all the good stuff. I want to make sure you are prepared and the best person you can be.” I wanted that. I didn’t want to go to a coach that was just going to be like, “You’re great. You can sing really well.” I wanted someone I could just grow with. I’m not saying I couldn’t grow with Alicia, but at that particular moment Adam spoke those particular words that made me want to go to him. I get that question every day. People were like, “I thought you were going to choose Alicia.” I thought I was too, honestly. I literally thought I was going to especially when she walked up on stage. There was a lot of that they didn’t show. It was really interesting. I stood up on stage for 10 minutes while they battled it out.
BLADE: What’s your daily schedule in preparation for the episodes?
LaMARR: First of all wardrobe, hair and makeup is always first. We wake up at the crack of dawn to go there. Yesterday, we had vocal lessons. Soon as you get your new song we go into a live rehearsal, which is filmed. We practice the song the best that we can. After that we go to dry blocking, which is pretty much on the stage giving you stage directions on where you’re going to go. After dry blocking, you may have another meeting. It all depends on what team you’re on. After your other meeting you have to go to wardrobe and get out of all the stuff you got into. We may have another meeting at the end of the night. Today, we have an iTunes recording. After that, we come back home and we start our very early morning the next day. It’s really tough now. But I like it. It’s something that pushes me to keep going. If I’m sitting around idle, I’m like “What are we doing?” So this is pretty good for me.
BLADE: How much interaction do you get with your coach?
LaMARR: Now that we’re in the top 10, we get a lot of interaction. The other day we had the chance to go to one of Adam’s private studios where he recorded his first hit album. We had one-on-one time, we got to sing for each other. We probably get to see them and talk to them two or three times a week.
BLADE: What’s Adam like to work with?
LaMARR: Adam is the best. He’s super cool. The way you see him on TV, he’s like that. Although he may be portrayed as an a-hole sometimes, he’s not. He’s very honest and genuine. That’s another thing that I appreciate about him. He knows what he likes. He knows what he doesn’t like and he isn’t afraid to tell you. But it’s all in love because he wants the best for you. I’m like a sponge just soaking everything up when I’m around Adam. We call him Papa Adam. He’s one of those people when you walk into the room it’s like, “Hey, what’s up Adam?” and he’s like, “What’s up Ray? Let’s do this song.” You feel comfortable. It’s not everyday you get the chance to work with somebody you’re not afraid to sing around or think that because they’re on this other level that you are beneath him. He puts you on the same level as he is. He talks to you like a regular human being like he is.
BLADE: During knockouts you sang “Fallin,” one of Alicia Keys’ biggest hits, in front of her. Did that make your performance more nerve-wracking?
LaMARR: Absolutely. That particular week I had a breakdown. That was the first and only one that I’ve had since then. Number one, why would they give me an Alicia Keys song? It’s a female song and Alicia Keys is going to be sitting in front of me. She wrote, produced and sang the song. How do I do the song and not overdo the song, not under-do the song and still have respect and integrity for the song in front of the artist and the writer? That was challenging. I was scared up until I got up on stage.
BLADE: Former “The Voice” judge Christina Aguilera recently told Billboard she disliked filming the show because it’s “not about music” but “about making good TV moments.” What’s your experience been?
LaMARR: Well, I disagree. Yes, it’s a television show and yes, we do have to capture some moments. But 90 percent of the show is about music. I’ve never experienced anything else on the show. The only time that’s about creating television moments is during our interviews. But when it comes to the music part, it’s just great. It’s actually real. This is one of the most honest and real shows I’ve ever seen or worked on before. It’s mainly about the music but the story part comes in interviews, B-roll or when you have free time and they want to get into your story. But it’s definitely still about the music.
BLADE: “The Voice” is a popular show but the winners’ careers don’t take off like winners on “American Idol” or “America’s Got Talent.” Why do you think that is?
LaMARR: Honestly, I have no clue. I know some of the winners are really, really good. I have noticed that some of the runners-up have been a little more successful than the winners. Not sure if that’s because winners are restricted by the contract handed out at the end of the show. If I am the winner, hopefully I’d be one of the winners that changed the game and changed that outlook on winners of “The Voice.” Even if I don’t win at this point, I’ve gotten further than I had expected to get. I am super OK with whatever happens. I’ve made so many connections. I have so many great friends that I’ve met here. It’s just the beginning for me. Whenever I do go home it’s the start of a new journey and I’m super excited about it. I’ve already gotten some gigs lined up. I’m like the happiest kid on the block.
Rayshun LaMarr says it was nerve-wracking to sing an Alicia Keys hit in front of the singer/judge. (Photo courtesy NBC)
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Award-winning D.C. chef reaching new culinary heights
Anthony Jones of Marcus DC competing on ‘Top Chef’
In Anthony Jones’s kitchen, all sorts of flags fly, including his own. Executive chef at award-winning restaurant Marcus DC, Jones has reached culinary heights (James Beard Award semifinalist for Emerging Chef, anyone?), yet he’s just getting started.
Briefly stepping away from his award-winning station, Jones took a moment under a different set of lights. Recently, he temporarily gave up his post at the restaurant for a starring small-screen slot on the latest season of “Top Chef,” which debuted in March. (The show airs weekly on Bravo and Peacock).
Before his strategic slice-and-dice competition, however, Jones, who identifies as gay, draws from his deep DMV roots. In the years before “Top Chef” and the top chef spot at Marcus, he was born and raised in Sunderland, Md., in southern Maryland, near the Chesapeake.
Early memories were steeped in afternoons on boats with his dad bonding over fishing, and wandering the garden of his great-grandparents spread with fresh vegetables and a few hogs. “It was Southern, old-school ethics and upbringing,” he said. “Family and food went hand in hand.” Weekends meant grabbing bushels of crabs, dad and grandma would cook and crack them. Family members would host fish fries for extra cash. In this seafood-heavy youth, Jones managed time to sneak in episodes of the “OG” Japanese “Iron Chef” show, which helped inspire him to pursue a career in the kitchen.
Jones moved to D.C. after graduating from college, ending up at lauded Restaurant Eve, and met famed chef Marcus Samuelson, who brought him to Miami to be part of the opening team for Red Rooster Overtown. After three years, Jones moved back to D.C., where he ran Dirty Habit, reinventing and reimagining the menu, integrating West African flavors and ingredients.
Samuelson, however, wouldn’t let a talent like Jones stay away for too long. Pulling Jones back into his orbit, Samuelson elevated Jones to help him open his namesake restaurant Marcus DC, which has been named a top-five restaurant by the Washington Post. Since then, Jones has been nominated as a semifinalist for the RAMMYs Rising Culinary Star in 2026 and won the Eater DC’s Rising Chef award in 2025.
Samuelson’s Marcus is a tour de force interpreting the Black Diaspora on the plate, from the American South to West Africa, along with his signature “Swedopian” touches. Yet it’s Jones who has deeply informed the plate, elevating his own story to date. Marcus DC is primarily a seafood restaurant, which serves Jones well.
“Where I’m from is seafood heavy, and as I’ve progressed in my career, I’ve moved away from meat.” Veggies and fish are hero dishes. His own dish, Mel’s Crab Rice, was not only lauded by the Washington Post, but is framed by his youth carrying home the crustaceans from Mel’s crab truck. It’s a bowl of Carolina rice, layered with pickled okra, uni béarnaise, and crab. Jones also points to a dish on the opening menu, rockfish and brassica, paying respect to a landmark D.C. institution, Ben’s Chili Bowl. Jones reverse engineered a favorite bowl of chili that’s seafood instead of meat forward, leveraging octopus and rockfish along with different riffs of cauliflower: showing his intellectual, creative, and cultural sides.
While “Top Chef” is showing Jones’s spotlight side, he also lets his identity show at work. “In the kitchen, I make sure we’re inclusive. We don’t tolerate discrimination. Everyone that’s here should feel confident to express themselves. There are so many different flags in the kitchen.”
Jones says that he didn’t fully express his gay identity until fairly recently. He felt reluctant coming out to certain family members, “you’re scared to tell them about being different,” he says, and while that anxiety ate at him, “I’m lucky and fortunate to have unconditional love and that weight off my shoulders.”
Today, “I’m me all the time, Monday to Sunday. I’m honest with people, and my staff is honest with me.”
“Being a chef is hard,” he says, “and being a chef of color is even more difficult.”
Yet his LGBTQ identity is a juggling act, he says. “I need to keep that balance, because once someone finds out something about you, their opinion can change, whether you want it or not.”
Being on a whole season of TV cooking competition, however, might mean millions more might have an opinion of him (Jones has appeared on TV already, on an episode of “Chopped”). To prepare, he says, “I’ve just kept a level head. It’s just an honor to be on top chef with amazing people happy to be there.”
Plus, this season is set in the Carolinas, and Jones attended Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, N.C. “It’s a full story of my life, now a monumental moment for me.”
Jones also recently was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award. “JBF has been a north star, a dream for so long. I always had this goal on my wall.”
Being at the top spot at Marcus DC, making waves through his accolades, and cooking on Bravo means that Jones is highly visible. “I think that if someone has a similar background to me, and can see our story, trajectory, and success, they can have more ability to be themselves. This is my goal.”
Back at Marcus, Jones has plenty up his chef’s white’s sleeves. A new spring menu is in the works. He’ll be launching a new tasting menu “dining experience,” he says, and has plans to work on more events and collaborations with chefs and friends to bring in new talent and share the culinary wealth.
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Introducing the Torchbearers Awards honoring queer, trans women and nonbinary people
Meet the Legends and Illuminators lighting new paths
The Torchbearers Awards are more than recognition—they are a continuation of legacy. They honor the quiet architects of progress in our community: those who organize, advocate, build, and protect, often without fanfare but always with purpose. Rooted in a belief in intentional recognition, this honor names those who carry our movements forward—those who make room for others, who remind us that change is both generational and generative. In a time marked by uncertainty and challenge, these leaders push forward with courage, clarity, and an unwavering commitment to expanding opportunity and equity.
This year’s honorees reflect the full breadth of our community, spanning generations, backgrounds, identities, and industries. From Legends, with decades of leadership and having created pathways for others, to Illuminators, who are lighting new paths with creativity and innovation, each Torchbearer represents the power of intergenerational leadership and the strength found in our diversity. They are organizers, advocates, artists, policy leaders, healers, and changemakers whose lived experiences shape a shared vision for equity and liberation.
This award is our love letter to queer and trans women and nonbinary people who carry the flame when it would be easier to let it dim. To those who consistently show up, who use their voice and visibility and stand firm, often without recognition, so that others may live more freely and fully. The Torchbearers Awards celebrates not just what has been done, but the enduring spirit, responsibility, and collective care that ensure the work continues, and that the flame is always passed forward.
Co-Creators of the Torchbearers Awards: Shannon Alston, June Crenshaw, Heidi Ellis
Torchbearers Awards Advisory Board: Aditi Hardikar, Lesley Bryant, Jasmine Wilson-Bryant, Stephen Rutgers
ILLUMINATOR AWARDEES
- Representative Sharice Davids (she/her), (D, KS-03)
— U.S. House of Representatives - Greisa Martinez Rosas (she/her/ella)
— Executive Director, United We Dream - Paola Ramos (she/her)
— Journalist & Correspondent - Meagan A. Fitzgerald (she/her)
— Journalist & Correspondent - Jessica L. Lewis (she/her)
— Founder / Producer, Play Play DC - Savannah Wade (she/her)
— Founder, OAR Agency - Suhad Babaa (she/her)
— Filmmaker/ Former Executive Director of Just Vision - Ashlee Davis (she/her)
— Global Head of Inclusive Outcomes, Ancestry - Jazmine Hughes (she/her)
— Journalist and Former Editor at New York Times Magazine - Queen Adesuyi (they/she)
— Policy Advisor & Organizer, ReFrame Health & Justice - Michele Rayner, Esq. (she/her)
— Civil Rights Attorney, State Representative (Florida House of Representatives) - Gaby Vincent (she/her)
— Sports/Cultural Commentator and Community Leader - Jenny Nguyen (she/her)
— Founder & Owner, The Sports Bra - Denice Frohman (she/her)
— Independent Artist, Poet / Performer - Vida Rangel (she/her)
— Founder, Our Trans Capital - Roxanne Anderson (they/them)
— Executive Director, Our Space - Ann Marie Gothard (she/her)
— Co-Founder & President, Pride Live (Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center) - Diana Rodriquez (she/her)
— Co-Founder & CEO, Pride Live (Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center) - Wendi Cooper (she/her)
— Founder / Executive Director, Transcending Women - Toya Matthews (she/her)
— City of San Antonio, Texas - Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones (she/her)
— Sports/Cultural Commentator and Community Leader - Charity Blackwell (she/her)
— Poet, LGBTQ Advocate & Community Leader - Wilhelmina Indermaur (she/her)
— Director of Communications, Tyler Clementi Foundation - Em Chadwick (she/her)
— CMO, For Them & Autostraddle - Kylo Freeman (they/he)
— CEO, For Them & Autostraddle
LEGEND AWARDEES
- Sheila Alexander-Reid (she/her)
— Executive Director, PHL Diversity, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau - Cassandra Cantave Burton (she/her)
— Interim Director of Thought Leadership & Senior Research Advisor, AARP - leigh h. mosley (she/her)
— Photographer / Educator, PhotoFlo Photography - Jenn M. Jackson, PhD (they/them)
— Assistant Professor of Political Science; Author & Columnist, Syracuse University - Jordyn White (she/her)
— COO, Washington Prodigy / VP of Leadership Development & Research, HRC Foundation - AJ Hikes (they/them)
— Deputy Executive Director, ACLU - RaeShanda Lias (she/her)
— Digital Creator, RL Lockhart - Donna Payne-Hardy (she/her)
— Educator, EEO Specialist, Founder of NBJC, Former Leader at the Human Rights Campaign - Courtney R. Snowden (she/her)
— Principal, Blueprint Strategy Group - Gaye Adegbalola (she/her)
— Musician & Activist, Musician / Inductee of the Blues Hall of Fame - Cheryl A. Head (she/her)
— Independent Author, Novelist (Crime Fiction) - Letitia Gomez (she/her)
— The American LGBTQ+ Museum, Board Chair - Lynne Brown (she/her)
— Publisher, Washington Blade - Shay Franco-Clausen (She/Her/Ella/Queen)
— Political Strategist and Organizer - Melissa L. Bradley (she/her)
— Founder & Managing Partner, New Majority Ventures - Meghann Burke (she/her)
— Executive Director, NWSL Players Association - Victoria Kirby York, MPA (she/they)
— Director of Public Policy & Programs, National Black Justice Collective - Joli Angel Robinson (she/her)
— CEO, Center on Halsted - Jeannine Frisby LaRue (she/her)
— CEO, Moxie Strategies - Alice Wu (she/her)
— Film Director (Saving Face, The Half of It) / Screenwriter - Storme Webber (she/her)
— Interdisciplinary Artist / Educator, University of Washington - Kim Stone
— CEO of the Washington Spirit, Washington Spirit - Mickalene Thomas
— American Visual Artist, Mickalene Thomas Studio - Erika Lorshbough (any/they/she)
— Executive Director, interACT - J. Gia Loving (she/ella)
— Co-Executive Director, GSA Network
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D.C. springs back to life with new, returning events
Cherry blossoms, Rehoboth season kickoff, and more on tap
Longer and warmer days are back meaning: It’s time to get out of the house and enjoy Washington D.C.’s many events. Below are a few to check out this spring.
The National Museum of Women in the Arts will host “Making their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection” until Sunday, July 26. This exhibition illustrates women artists’ vital role in abstraction, considers historical contributions, formal and material breakthroughs and intergenerational relationships among women artists over the last eight decades. For more details, visit. NMWA’s website.
Art in the Attic will host a pop-up on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. at 1012 Madison St., Alexandria, Va. There will be a variety of vendors selling products across different modes of art. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Play Play will host “Indoor Recess – The art of play” on Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m. This event will embody classic recess energy, including opportunities to build and experience community and connections through games, movement, art stations, and creative freedom. Tickets are $12.51 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Spark Social will host “Gay Bar Crawl on U Street” on Friday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m. This will be a fun night out in gay D.C. with other gay people, whether you’re visiting D.C., new to the area, or just looking to expand your social circle. Many crawlers have formed lasting friendships and even romantic relationships after just one night out. Tickets are $35.88 and are available on Eventbrite.
Creative Suitland Arts Center will host “EFFERVESCENT: House of Swann” on Saturday, May 30 at 7 p.m. This will be a gay, good time where we will celebrate love, joy, wellness, and visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community. Tickets start at $17.85 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
SWAG Works DC will host “Unapologetically Her” on Saturday, March 14 at 2 p.m. at 701 E St., S.E. This event is a powerful celebration of womanhood, resilience, creativity, and self-expression in honor of Women’s History Month. This all-women exhibition highlights the diverse voices, stories, and artistic perspectives of women who create boldly, live authentically, and stand confidently in their truth. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
9:30 Club will host “Gimme Gimme Disco: A Dance Party Inspired by ABBA” on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. There will also be a “Donna Summer Power Hour – The Queen of Disco” segment during this event. It’ll be one hour of music with no skips. Tickets are available on 9:30 Club’s website.
Harder Better Faster Stronger will host “Heated Rivalry Rave” on Friday, March 20 at 9 p.m. at Howard Theatre. This event is open to all ages. Tickets are available on the theater’s website.
CAMP Rehoboth hosts its 25th annual Women’s+ FEST, April 9-12 in Rehoboth Beach, Del. Entertainers include headliner Mina Hartong, a comedian, storyteller, and founder of Lez Out Loud; and singer Yoli Mayor. There are dances, dinners, pickleball, and much more. Details and tickets at camprehoboth.org.
Also in Rehoboth Beach, the Washington Blade’s 19th annual Summer Kickoff Party is set for Friday, May 15 featuring Ashley Biden, who will accept an award on behalf of her brother Beau. State Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall will also speak. More speakers and the venue to be announced soon.
The annual D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off March 21 at DAR Constitution Hall and culminates with Petalpalooza on April 4, the day-long, outdoor street party with music and art, stretching across Navy Yard, and ending with fireworks over the Anacostia River.
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