Forest Hills Singer Earns Spot Competing On NBC's 'The Voice'

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — Singer Marina Chello, a former Forest Hills resident, will compete on the newest season of reality show "The Voice" as a member of coach Blake Shelton's team.

Chello, 37, performed "Walk Me Home" by P!nk for the show's season premiere, which aired Monday night, earning a spot on Team Blake.

Chello and her family moved to Queens from Uzbekistan when she was 11, and the burgeoning performer used American music to learn the language and assimilate.

The singer largely credits Mariah Carey with helping her adjust to the United States, according to Newsday.

"I didn't know the artists here and she was the first one I fell in love with," Chello told the news outlet. "I learned the English language from her song lyrics."

Chello attended Russell Sage Junior High in Forest Hills, then Richmond Hill High School, and became involved in school plays and concerts.

She decided to pursue a career in music after graduating and landed a record deal with rapper P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records in 2007, which released her single "Sideline."

Chello decided to take a break from music to focus on her new role as a mother, but she never stopped singing, according to Newsday.

"I hope to make my old stomping ground proud," Chello told Patch. "Coming to this country with nothing years ago to now be where we are as a family is a blessing, and I just wanna represent all around and share my song and inspire."