adam levine

On 'The Voice' Adam Levine's job is to sit in judgment on many young aspiring singers, trampling on some dreams, and making others come true. When he was younger, TV talent shows were thin on the ground, so how did the Maroon 5 frontman get his start in the business?

Luckily for us, 'The Tonight Show' (Weeknights, 11:35PM ET on NBC) host Jay Leno unearthed footage of Levine's first public performance and we got to watch it along with Levine. Who didn't seem that happy to see it.

Levine said that he was a really shy kid and only came out of his shell once he started performing at a local place called 'Closet Stars.' This, said Levine, was a place where would-be rock stars were dressed up in in "all kinds of cool stuff like sunglasses" before coming out onstage to lip-synch the big hits of the day.

And that's when Leno unleashed the footage. As Levine said "Are you kidding?" we got to see his much younger self working through that shyness barrier by lip-synching and dancing to Bobby Brown's 1988 mega-hit, 'Don't Be Cruel.'

Last night, I went online and voted for reality TV contestants for the first time in my life, and I blame it all on 'The Voice.'

NBC's new hit reality singing competition has captured our attention and our hearts with touching stories, an interesting coaching concept and truly talented performers. Plus, the star power of coaches Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine can't be denied.

But it's not all butterflies and rainbows, and this week's first live performance show proved that.

Here, three things from last night's show that I never want to see again on 'The Voice,' and one thing I could watch all day -- and you can, thanks to our looping video!

It's the second week of Blind Auditions on 'The Voice' (Tue., 9PM ET on NBC), and Adam Levine found himself on the opposite end of an awkward situation he's been in before as lead singer of Maroon 5. When he hit his button, turning his chair and revealing the singer for the first time, he looked both stunned and confused for the longest time.

After the performer was finished, Levine attempted to explain himself. "I have so much to talk to you about," he started. "It's gonna get a little weird for a second before it gets normal again. Don't be insulted by this. I thought you were a chick."

Levine then revealed he had people think the same thing about the way he sings, which should work for the pairing, as Levine can relate to what this guy is going through as a performer in some ways.

Frenchie Davis stole the hearts of America early in the second season of 'American Idol,' but later found herself disqualified for topless photos she had taken earlier in her career. That didn't sit well with 'Idol's family-friendly image. Now, eight years later Davis returned to a new singing competition series, 'The Voice' (Tue., 9PM ET on NBC).

In this premiere episode, it's the Blind Auditions. This means the coaches can't see who's singing and have to decide whether or not they want to work with them toward winning the show based on their voice alone.

This almost proved a double-edged sword for Davis as being recognized might have helped her get more support from the coaches.

NBC is pulling out all the stops to make sure we're ready for the series premiere of 'The Voice' on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 9 PM ET. They've blanketed the airwaves with ads, and then they decided to take it a step further with a full-blown preview of 'The Voice' (Thu., 11:35PM on NBC) premiere last night.

With 'American Idol' getting a lot of criticism of late for some of its recent results, and people saying it's more of a popularity contest than a true singing competition, there couldn't be a better time to launch an alternative take on the genre.

And to prove they've got the right superstars leading the charge as Coaches on 'The Voice,' the preview kicked off with the four of them proving their own mettle. Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Cee-Lo Green and Christina Aguilera performed a fantastic version of Gnarls Barkley's 'Crazy.'

Being a judge on the vocal competition 'The Voice' sometimes requires a firm hand, said Christina Aguilera on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM ET on NBC). In fact, Aguilera affectionately referred to fellow judges Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton as "boys" who occasionally need "slaps" to be kept in line.

"Well, I'm the mama bear trying to reign in my rowdy boys here," said Aguilera. "It's literally me and the boys. I can't even believe I'm witness to some of the conversations that happen ... They're just like three brothers."

The TV-viewing public won't be saying 'Forget You' about Cee Lo Green anytime soon, because we're about to see a whole lot more of him.

Green and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine have officially signed on to judge NBC's 'The Voice.' Carson Daly is already contracted for what NBC hopes is its answer to 'American Idol.'

"It's an honor for me to be able to help mold a malleable and new talent in such a fashion as 'The Voice,'" Green said in a statement. "Being a coach on 'The Voice' is a substantial responsibility, and I take it with sincerity and distinction."

As Simon Cowell slowly but surely assembles each piece of the soon-to-be-hit U.S. version of 'The X-Factor,' NBC is working at a much faster pace to produce its 'American Idol' competitor, 'The Voice.'

That means if you want a chance at the $100,000 prize and a major label record deal, you best get to auditioning now. The good news: You don't have to wait for days in a major sports stadium to try out for 'The Voice' -- NBC is holding online auditions on its website until March 1.

All you need to do is record one of the pre-selected songs on your microphone-equipped webcam. The site promises that "If you score an 8 or higher, your video is more likely to be reviewed by the show's casting team or producers!"

While the show searches for contestants, producers are searching just as dilligently for the celebrities who will fill out its judging panel. At the top of the list: Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine of Maroon 5.

Music legend Bob Dylan will perform at the Grammy Awards Sunday night, joining previously announced veteran headliners Mick Jagger and Barbra Streisand.

It will be Dylan's fifth appearance at the Grammys, and organizers said he will perform with up-and coming young Brits, Mumford & Sons, and folk-rock band the Avett Brothers, in a special salute to acoustic music.

But it won't be all folksy Sunday night: Get ready for Dr. Dre's first live television performance in more than 10 years. The rapper will be performing in a "special collaboration" with multiple nominee Eminem and Maroon 5 front-man Adam Levine.

Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine was the guest on the new 'Chelsea Lately' (weeknights, 11PM ET on E!). And for once, a male celebrity guest showed some restraint, and didn't hit on host Chelsea Handler. Instead, Levine read a note from another celebrity ... who was hitting on Chelsea. Excellent! Way to mix things up!

Somehow or other, Adam had obtained the "guest book," which is signed by the people who appear on the talk show. He then decided to read from it. "I have selected something that I'd like to share with the audience," he said. Uh-oh. Brace yourselves.

I think my favorite part of this song (and yes it is called "He Needs A Kidney") is the line "a hand would be an even harder thing to give." Lyrics are here. Now tell me, who is the singer who does the "only three of us are drunk" line?

May sweeps has officially arrived. For TV fans that means a full month of explosive season finales, jaw-dropping cliffhangers and -- best of all -- a long list of famous guest stars from both the big and small screens.

Among the A-listers you'll see this season: a daytime TV queen (Elisabeth Hasselbeck), a 'Star Trek' icon (Leonard Nimoy) and a two-time Oscar winner (Jodie Foster) who will finally let Maggie Simpson do the talking.

Check out our guest stars gallery to see when all of Hollywood's finest will be sweeping their way onto your favorite TV shows.