SAMANTHA Irvin's impressive vocal skills have enabled her to become one of the leading ring announcers in WWE.
And the 28-year-old will showcase her singing ability when she performs the National Anthem prior to the nationally-televised Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees game on ESPN at Fenway Park on Sunday evening.
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Samantha's latest career milestone represents a return to her first love, having risen to fame as a contestant on talent shows America's Got Talent and I Can See Your Voice.
She grew up as Samantha Johnson in Cape Cod before moving to New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Samantha had a desire to become an entertainment star from a young age, starting off as the Drama Club director at Normandin Middle School for a few years.
After trying out for America's Got Talent a number of times, she got her break in 2015 when she impressed the judges with her performance of Aretha Franklin's (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.
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Her performance of California Dreamin was called “brilliant” by Spice Girl Mel B, while during the show supermodel Heidi Klum called her “a powerhouse.”
Samantha was eliminated after the semifinals but America's Got Talent provided a valuable springboard for her career.
“It was the best experience of my life, honestly," she told the New York Post.
"I really felt like I can do this now."
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She then appeared as The Flautist in the Fox series I Can See Your Voice and for three years portrayed Tina Turner and Gladys Knight in Vegas! The Show in Las Vegas.
The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 put a pause on her career but an unlikely path into pro wrestling began in October that year when WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry began re-sharing her tweets.
After messaging Henry to thank him, he was able to secure Samantha a try-out as a competitor.
It did not work out but WWE noticed her vocal talents and gave her a shot as a ring announcer in early 2021.
She adopted the stage name Samantha Irvin and quickly worked her way up in WWE with the NXT and 205 Live shows before being promoted to the Friday Night Smackdown team earlier this year.
"I'm so excited," Samantha said of her promotion.
"It's a dream come true, I can't believe it."
Samantha continued her rise by announcing some of the matches at WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium earlier this year.
Outside of the ring, Irvin announced her engagement to WWE star Ricochet, whose real name is Trevor Mann, in January after they dated for almost two years.
"When you find that one person. The one person that when you close your eyes you could never visualize life without them… you keep them close to your heart," Ricochet wrote on Instagram.
The couple's relationship even made it into a WWE storyline, with the pair kissing on an episode of Smackdown underneath WWE superstar Braun Strowman's mistletoe.
She also has a daughter called Myra LeeAnn, who was born in 2017.
Samantha also has a major presence on social media, with a combined 771,000 followers on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
She regularly posts clips of her singing as well as glamorous images of herself, with one fan calling her the "boss of all bosses."
Samantha has had some alcohol issues in the past, which she has overcome.
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"Six years ago I ended my toxic relationship with alcohol," she tweeted in February.
"Sharing this just in case someone needs to hear it’s possible."
