Wendy Moten in a 2022 Interview
Her father, James Moten, was a pastor and the musical director at St. Stephen Baptist Church, where Wendy began singing in the choir at the age of eight. Her mother, Viola Moten, provided unwavering support, fostering Wendy’s love for music. Raised in a household steeped in gospel, Wendy was exposed to a wide range of musical influences, from soul legends like Aretha Franklin, whose spiritual and emotive singing profoundly impacted her, to diverse artists such as Barbra Streisand, Stevie Wonder, and Ella Fitzgerald. This eclectic foundation shaped Moten’s ability to navigate multiple genres with ease.
Moten attended Overton High School in Memphis, where she honed her vocal skills in the nationally recognized Overton Choir under the direction of Lulah M. Hedgeman. At 16, she won a singing competition at the Mid-South Fair, which led to a job performing at Libertyland, a local theme park. She later enrolled at Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) as a music business major at the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music, further developing her understanding of the industry. “I’d like to believe that because of my strong foundation,” Moten said, “I’ve developed what it takes to endure working with some of the most iconic artists in music history.”
This led to an opportunity to perform with Michael Bolton at a benefit concert, which opened the door to a recording contract with EMI Records. In 1992, Moten released her self-titled debut album, Wendy Moten, which showcased her vocal prowess in R&B and adult contemporary styles. The album’s lead single, “Come In Out of the Rain,” written by Ernest Williamson, Curtiss Boone, and Nikos Lyras, who also produced the song, became her signature hit. It peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in 1993 and reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart in 1994. The song’s lush balladry drew comparisons to Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick, cementing Moten’s reputation as a powerhouse vocalist. A follow-up single, “So Close to Love,” reached No. 35 in the UK but did not chart in the U.S.
Moten’s early success took her on tour as an opening act for Michael Bolton, including performances at Japan’s prestigious Budokan, where she was hosted by David Foster. She appeared on The Jay Leno Show. She also starred in the off-Broadway production Mama I Want to Sing and contributed the song “Whatever You Imagine” to the 1994 children’s film The Pagemaster, starring Macaulay Culkin. Her second album, Time for Change (1995), included tracks like “Forever Yours” and “Your Love Is All I Know” and found success in Japan and Europe, though it did not replicate the U.S. chart performance of her debut.
Despite her early achievements, Moten faced challenges breaking through to mainstream stardom in the U.S. Her third album, Life’s What You Make It (1996), failed to chart, leading to a departure from Capitol Records. Undeterred, she diversified her career, collaborating with artists like Michael McDonald (“No Love to Be Found”), Vince Gill (“True Love” and “Faithless Love”), Kirk Whalum (“All I Do” on his Grammy-winning album For You), as well as Larry Carlton, Michael Lington, Paul Brown, John Oates and others. Her work with Whalum was particularly notable, as it marked a pioneering moment for female vocalists in smooth jazz, a genre that rarely featured full vocal tracks at the time. She was a duet partner with Julio Iglesias (“Just Walk Away”) for over 15 years, even performing in front of Egypt’s Pyramids (“He is my mentor,” she said).
She spent 15 years as a duet partner and essential support vocalist for Julio Iglesias, touring globally and learning to sing in Spanish and other languages to connect with international audiences. From 2005 to 2018, she provided backing vocals for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s Soul2Soul II Tour, and from 2014 to 2016, she toured with country superstar Martina McBride. Moten also contributed backing vocals to Bonnie Tyler’s 2013 album Rocks and Honey and performed with jazz guitarist Larry Carlton and saxophonist Kirk Whalum.
In Nashville, where Moten relocated in the early 2000s, she became a respected figure in the music scene. She joined the Grammy-winning western swing band The Time Jumpers in 2019, performing weekly at the renowned 3rd & Lindsley club. Her dynamic vocal presence also led to a significant collaboration with country legend Vince Gill, whom she affectionately calls the “Emperor of Nashville.” Initially a harmony singer for Gill, Moten transitioned to a featured vocalist on his tours starting in 2020, a role that showcased her ability to shine in country music.
In 2021, at age 56, she took a bold step by auditioning for Season 21 of NBC’s The Voice. Her blind audition performance of The Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out” turned all four judges’ chairs, earning high praise from coach Blake Shelton, who called her “maybe the best singer” he had ever heard perform live. Joining Team Blake, Moten captivated audiences with her versatility, performing across genres from R&B to country. Despite a dramatic fall during a live performance that resulted in a broken elbow, she continued competing, embodying her life philosophy of resilience. Moten finished as the first runner-up, gaining millions of new fans and revitalizing her career.
Her experience on The Voice culminated in the release of her 2020 album I’ve Got You Covered, produced by Vince Gill and featuring Nashville’s elite session musicians. The album, a collection of country covers, included tracks like “Til I Get It Right,” “Driving Nails In My Coffin,” and “Ode to Billie Joe,” marking her embrace of the country genre. Her debut single post-Voice, “Don’t Give Up” (2023), became the perfect showcase for her powerful vocals and genre-blending style, but it has also been her life philosophy for three decades, and was co-written with her life partner.
Moten has been in a long-term relationship with musician David M. Santos, her fiancé of over two decades, who has played bass on tour for artists like Robert Earl Keen, Billy Joel, John Fogerty, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Neville Bros., Melissa Etheridge and many others. “He’s the only one who gets me,” said Moten. The couple resides in Nashville, where Moten has lived for over 18 years, having briefly spent three years in Los Angeles. She remains deeply connected to her Memphis roots, where she was honored with a brass note on Beale Street in 2024, joining legends like Aretha Franklin and B.B. King.
Moten’s discography includes six studio albums (Wendy Moten [1992], Time for Change [1995], Life’s What You Make It [1996], Tis the Season [2009], Timeless: Wendy Moten Sings Richard Whiting [2014], and I’ve Got You Covered [2020]), one EP (Christmas Time [1995]), and eleven singles. Her ability to seamlessly blend R&B, pop, jazz, and country has earned her comparisons to genre-defying artists like Lionel Richie and Linda Ronstadt. She views herself as a “bridge” between music, races, and cultures, a role reinforced by her global performances in cities like London, Paris, Tokyo, and Rio de Janeiro.
On April 20, 2019, Moten made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry, where she has since performed multiple times. She was featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Musicians Spotlight Series in 2018 and 2019, and her Beale Street brass note and the 2025 Memphis Music Hall of Fame induction underscore her status as a Memphis icon. Moten has performed several times at the Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in support of earlier Inductees, including a roof-raising performance of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” for the 2023 induction of Kirk Whalum, who played the saxophone solo on the megahit.
“I never thought I would be in the music business, much less a recording artist. I never saw it coming. I thought I’d be a corporate attorney or something like that. Little did I know that another road was being paved for me. I’m not complaining; it’s been an extraordinary journey, one I could have never imagined. And, I feel like there will be even more unique encounters and surprises coming my way as time goes by.”
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