History repeats for Anthony Ursillo and Emily Luther
By PETE FONTAINE
When Anthony Ursillo heard that Emily Luther was coming home to Rhode Island after her extraordinary run on NBC’s Emmy award-winning television show The Voice and was going to appear at Pomadora’s Restaurant, he quickly called the Woonsocket based eatery to order tickets.
Ursillo, you see, turned back the clock to April 10, 2010 when Luther first sang at the former Shang Bailey Roadhouse, better known as the former Log Gift Shoppe, that had been owned by his family for years.
“I sponsored a Vintage Dress-up Fundraiser for the Johnston Historical Society,” Ursillo, a member of the award-winning non-profit, said. “It was back in 2010 when Emily was just 18 years old and she came here to sing.”
So, Ursillo also remembered that Luther – who is a Woonsocket native – also appeared on the highly popular “Ellen” television show prior to singing on The Voice, and didn’t want to miss an opportunity to see Rhode Island’s newest national celebrity when she came to Pomadora’s Restaurant.
“The show was sold out within one hour,” Ursillo said, while noting that Pomadora’s could seat 200 for the dinner-show. “I was one of the lucky ones to get tickets and Emily proved her singing and received a well-deserved standing ovation that night [in early December].”
Ursillo, who was as “overwhelmingly impressed” with Luther’s performance on The Voice as he was when she performed in that special appearance at Pomadora’s in Woonsocket, added: “She is an amazing young woman with a huge future ahead of her.”
Luther enjoyed sparkling successes on The Voice with Team Adam Levine and she made it through the Blind Audition singing “Summertime” and then sang “Glitter in the Air” during the Knockout Round.
She went into the Playoff Round and sang the Cures “Love” song after which as Ursillo noted, “she was unfortunately eliminated from the show.”
Luther, who Ursillo added “is now well on her way to fame”, is 24 and was born in Woonsocket. She’s the first musician in her family and student at Berklee School of Music. When she was eight years old she fell in love with musical theater and has been performing ever since.
While at Berklee, she made a lot of connections in Los Angeles and decided to move there when she was 20. While in LA, Luther was asked to sing background. However, she got involved with a team of industry people who judged her on her appearance, which discouraged her dream of being a solo artist.
After three years in LA, Luther moved back to Rhode Island to live with her parents. Since moving home, she now performs at weddings and corporate events. The Voice was her second chance to go for her dream with people who only care about what matters most – her voice.
