On the second night of The Voice Season 14 Blind Auditions, all four coaches — Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Alicia Keys and rookie Kelly Clarkson — are wowed by singer/musician Pryor Baird. For his Blind Audition, the 35-year-old Pryor performs the song “I Don’t Need No Doctor.” (He sings and plays a mean guitar.) The R&B song was first recorded by Ray Charles in 1966. It written by husband-and-wife team Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, and former Ikette Jo Armstead (who sang backup with Ike & Tina, James Brown, and BB King, among others). The three songwriters also wrote “Let’s Go Get Stoned” for Ray Charles. The two hits got the attention of Motown’s Berry Gordy.
The song has been covered by many since then including the English rock band Humble Pie in 1971, John Mayer in 2007, and Joan Osborne in 2012. After Pryor’s performance of “I Don’t Need No Doctor,” Maroon 5 lead man Adam Levine tells Pryor the sound he makes from his guitar is “singular.” The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8pm on NBC.
