Drew Cole from “The Voice”

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Drew Cole Live at Heaven’s Door Speakeasy: From The Voice to Finding His Own An Intimate Evening with the Soul-Infused Rock/Pop Artist There’s a certain irony in Drew Cole performing at a speakeasy. Not just because the venue’s hidden entrance and hushed atmosphere mirror his own journey—quietly building something real before the world took notice—but because Drew knows exactly what it means to be underestimated. You might remember him from Season 14 of NBC’s The Voice, where his haunting rendition of “Sex and Candy” turned Adam Levine’s chair and carried him to the live rounds as a top 14 finalist . But what you didn’t see on camera was the decade of hustle that preceded that moment—and the resilience required to keep going after the spotlight dimmed. The Road to the Door Drew picked up his first guitar at age 11 in Connecticut—a 1995 Fender Strat that belonged to his hobbyist father. “I refused to put it down,” he recalls. That instrument built his confidence, but his voice remained hidden, locked away in his bedroom through high school, practiced in secret until it matched the quality of the cassette tapes he worshipped. “The voice is such an intimate instrument,” Drew explains. “Sharing that at first is a huge step of vulnerability.” By 2014, armed with an economics degree from the University of Connecticut, Drew moved to Los Angeles alone. The San Fernando Valley nights were lonely—he remembers driving around searching for people smoking outside bars, desperate to find where the music was happening. For nine years, he survived as a bartender, Uber driver, and Guitar Center sales associate while playing music on the side. “I would play for little to no pay because I just wanted to play,” he admits. “These gigs were validating at first, until I realized I had to make a living wage.” The turning point came when Drew discovered his value—not just as a performer, but as a professional. He became his own advocate, refusing to accept the industry expectation…

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