D.Smooth after 'The Voice': Rested, making new music and ready for Montgomery concert

After filling TVs with his smooth sounds for months, Montgomery resident D.Smooth says he's at peace, feeling rejuvenated, and looking forward to what's next in his career.

"I took a couple of weeks off since the finale just to decompress from all that Hollywood stuff," said D.Smooth (aka David Mitchell), who on May 23 finished third on season 23 of NBC's "The Voice."

"I'm trying to get acclimated with being back home before I get things rolling," said the native of Mulga, a town just north of Birmingham.

He'll be rolling along the Alabama River in downtown Montgomery on Sunday, July 2, as a featured act in the R&B Blues Picnic Summer Series Finale at Riverwalk Amphitheater, 355 Coosa St. The show is from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

D.Smooth said this will be his first show since returning from "The Voice." General admission tickets are $40 online at eventbrite.com/e/rnb-blues-picnic-summer-series-finale-2023-tickets-632844333437.

He's not the only TV music show competitor in the mix. Montgomery's Lady K, who made it to the top 10 on season 20 of ABC's "American Idol," is also scheduled to perform.

Along with live shows, D.Smooth is also working hard in the studio. He plans to release new music later this year. He said it'll include R&B, and songs should be out before August.

"It's going to be a testimony to who I am," he said.

D.Smooth's entrepreneur side that he's been nurturing for two years — since quitting his jobs and almost getting onto "The Voice" for season 21 — is growing. He's looking into other ways to perform, including acting.

"Just having 'The Voice' on my resume, that'll help me to monetize properly," D.Smooth said. "It can pay my bills."

Finale was D.Smooth's favorite part of the season

Being live on TV could be nerve wracking, but not so much for D.Smooth.

"The finale was probably my favorite time being up there," he said. "I fought for that song that I sang."

He's referring to Johnny Gill's 1990 R&B hit "My, My, My."

"That was my first R&B number," D.Smooth said. "And as people know and they can hear off my sound, that's my sound in the first place. I was super excited. You could tell the room was excited."

Another highlight was being able to sing with his coach, Kelly Clarkson, who took on the nickname "K.Smooth." They did a duet of Joji's 2018 song "Slow Dancing in the Dark."

"We were singing up to that point all the time together," he said. "But for me to do it on live TV, that was very cool, too. Kelly, we're going to make an album together. That's my girl right there. I love her to death."

When it came time to announce the winner, D.Smooth said he wasn't feeling stressed.

"What was going through my mind was if I finish at least third, I'll be good," D.Smooth said. "And that's exactly what happened... Coming in third, God had already blessed me abundantly."

What D.Smooth gained from 'The Voice'

Probably the most rewarding part of being on "The Voice" is the connections he's made along the way, D.Smooth said.

"Being able to network with people," he said. "Being able to be yourself around a lot of influential people. That's probably the most thing that I've picked up."

For him, that means being polite and showing respect to those around him. Along the way, D.Smooth has picked up compliments from contestants and celebrity coaches, including Clarkson, about how nice and polite he's been to everyone through the whole process.

“You walk on stage. You do it right. You say hey to everybody in the band, the crew. You talk to everybody there,” Clarkson said. “You’re such a star inside and out.”

Season 23 of "The Voice" was special because of all the Alabama connections. Montgomery native and Nashville recording artist J.B. Somers and Auburn University Montgomery dental student Jerome Godwin III both did well on the show, and Montgomery 15-year-old Ryley Tate Wilson made it to the semi-finals.

Both D.Smooth and Ryley Tate broke new ground on "The Voice" when they earned first-time playoff passes during the battle rounds and were able to skip performing the playoffs.

"I'm like a big brother to (Ryley Tate)," said D.Smooth. He would fly with Ryley Tate to California and with Godwin has been out to the Wilson family home.

D.Smooth has also gained an even greater appreciation for his fans, and wants to be a source of inspiration for them.

"I can't thank you enough," D.Smooth said. "I'm so appreciative and so humbled. I am the testimony for every kid, every guy, every Black guy that wants to do something different, and are having a hard time trying to find their purpose. You can do it. Be different, be yourself, and always put God first in everything you do."

Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel covers things to do in the River Region. Contact him at sheupel@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: D.Smooth after 'The Voice': July 2 Montgomery show and new music ahead