‘Every vote counts’

LOS ANGELES — Jermaine Paul plans to show and convince millions of nationwide viewers this upcoming Monday night why he should be a finalist in “The Voice.”

The Harriman man’s quest to become the one of the final four singers in the NBC hit reality show culminates on Monday, April 30, with his appearance in the live broadcast’s semifinal round.

At that time, he will compete against seven other singers for four spots in the final round. One singer, Erin Willett, is a member of his team, coached by county star Blake Shelton. The six others are members of teams coached by Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and Cee Lo Green.

All final four singers will get a record deal, so earning one of those four coveted spots will be a significant accomplishment.

Since viewer votes advanced him to the semifinals two weeks ago, Paul has put in countless hours to put the final touches on his next appearance. While he can’t reveal the song’s title, Paul said on Wednesday morning it will be another rock ballad.

Loss of anonymity On Wednesday, Paul had a rare day off from rehearsals, show staging preparations, media appearances, radio interviews, wardrobe fittings, segment taping, interviews - all while working with Shelton to make every part of what viewers see on Monday enticing. The amount of time spent to perfect his time on stage is tremendous, he added.

But on Wednesday, Paul planned to quietly relax by lounging at his hotel’s pool, though he admitted it’s becoming more difficult to remain anonymous.

“There’s a California cop convention and they’re staying at my hotel,” he said. “They all recognize me. But I really do like to keep a low profile. I’m not really one to hang out too much.”

As the live show nears, Paul knows the nervousness will increase.

“As you can imagine, things are crazy over here,” he said, adding he’s learned so much about the television and music worlds. “I am a little bit nervous, but we’re looking forward to next week. Hopefully I can keep America behind me and make it all the way through this whole thing. We got to the ‘top eight’ and it’s a really exciting time.”

Melissa is ‘the glue’ His wife Melissa and daughters Arealyah and Savannah - who attend Pine Tree Elementary - will attend the semifinal round while sons Christopher and Jeremiah - who attend Monroe-Woodbury Middle School - will remain at home with their grandmother.

The family’s separation is hard, but “we’ve got it down to a science,” Paul said. He’s on top of what his children are doing at home and in school, knowing they all have New York State proficiency exams this week, and credited his wife’s strength in keeping the family together and organized.

“She was in Walmart last night getting food to make sure they have a really good breakfast for their tests,” he said. “She’s the glue that keeps this all together. She plays the biggest part in all this.”

But he also knows viewers have a role in his success.

“To everyone in town, I definitely appreciate their support,” he said. “I want to ask them to continue to support me and watch the show. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.”

Paul said the most important thing they can do is to cast their allotted numbers of votes for him.

“Please don’t assume I’ve got the votes,” he added. “It’s important that everyone votes. That will help me to see this whole thing all the way through.”

Watch and vote Watch Harriman resident Jermaine Paul live on “The Voice,” this Monday, April 30 on WNBC/Channel 4 at 8 p.m. The results show will air Tuesday, May 1 at 9 p.m.

- Nancy Kriz