Part of the fun watching The Voice is getting to know the contestants. The show produces short “packages” to give a glimpse into the lives of the singers before they perform. One of the funnier packages to being Season 11 featured singer Dana Harper and her family. Dana is the daughter of former NBA basketball player Derek Harper. When talking about his daughter, Derek Harper said he once coached Dana’s fifth grade basketball team, and that’s when he discovered she needed to find another interest besides sports! Turns out music was her thing. She killed in her Voice audition — singing Nick Jonas’ “Jealous” — and chose Blake Shelton as her coach.
[Dana Harper’s reversion of ‘Jealous’ is available at iTunes]
Derek Harper played college basketball at the University of Illinois before being drafted in the 1983 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks (he was the 11th overall pick in the draft). He also played for the New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, and Los Angeles Lakers. He retired from the NBA in 1999. The Harpers still live in Dallas where Derek is a game analyst for the Mavericks on their locally broadcast games. The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8pm on NBC.
