The Voice Winner: Josh Kaufman Goes From School Teacher To Recording Star

The Voice winner Josh Kaufman was in an Indianapolis classroom this time last year, but now he is looking at $100,000, a professional recording contract, and a bright future in show business.

The school teacher and 38-year-old father of three was crowned the winner of the sixth season of The Voice on Tuesday, delivering an upset to frontrunner Jake Worthington in taking the title.

After appearing on Star Search as a teenager, Josh Kaufman decided to once again make a bid at a singing career by auditioning for The Voice. After 12 weeks of competition, he outlasted all other competitors and was America’s pick to win the show.

“Wow! Wow,” Kaufman said after being announced the winner. “I can’t even talk. I’m overwhelmed. I’m surprised. I’m happy. I’m relieved.”

Kaufman stood out among the final three, which included Worthington and Christina Grimmie. After his final performances on Monday, Josh’s coach Usher was confident in his chances to win it all.

“The only thing left now is to win The Voice and start making his album,” he said. “That is what I would like to see happen. I think he deserves to be ‘The Voice’s’ voice… year after year it has been Blake and Adam, we’ve gotta change that. He’s changing that.”

The Voice winner isn’t new to winning singing competitions. When he was 16, he competed on Star Search, winning two episodes before losing on a third. He made his wins in 1993, a couple of year after his Voice coach Usher appeared on the show. Fellow Voice alum Christina Aguilera also appeared on the Ed McMahon-hosted show, but lost.

“It was a good experience. I think the biggest difference between then and now is I have new perspective on it,” says Josh, now a 38-year-old father of three. “I think I felt at 16, I was like, ‘Oh, I’m 16, other opportunities will come along.’ I didn’t really grasp ahold of it the way I probably should have. I didn’t understand how big it was. Now, I do.”

But The Voice winner hasn’t always had the success he found on Tuesday night. Josh Worthington tried out for the first season of The X Factor, but didn’t make it onto the show.