<\/p>\n
Farmington teenager Chevel Shepherd used her voice to win this season\u2019s \u201cThe Voice\u201d TV singing competition, but she almost lost her voice in the process.<\/p>\n
Since being named the winner during Tuesday night\u2019s show, the 16-year-old country singer has been swept up in a whirlwind of publicity, and her throat took a beating.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to give that a break after all the interviews are over,\u201d she said, barely audibly during a phone interview with The Durango Herald<\/em> on Friday from California, where she has been since Nov. 3.<\/p>\n Shepherd, a junior at Farmington High School, was given a hero\u2019s welcome Saturday in her hometown. It started with a police and fire escort through Aztec and Flora Vista and end with a welcome home rally at the high school.<\/p>\n At the Farmington High School Arena, Shepherd rushed to embrace some of her friends and family members from whom she has been separated since early November, when she traveled to Los Angeles to participate in the remainder of the 15th season on \u201cThe Voice,\u201d the Farmington Daily Times reported.<\/p>\n She told the audience at the school: \u201cI feel all the support and all the love, so thank you so much.\u201d<\/p>\n She also said she plans a January concert in her hometown.<\/p>\n The 16-year-old won $100,000 and a recording contract with Universal Music group, and she\u2019s already planning to begin work on an album after the new year, she said.<\/p>\n Shepherd\u2019s journey to \u201cVoice\u201d victory began in February, she said. During the third episode of blind auditions, which aired in October, she chose to be on singer Kelly Clarkson\u2019s team, causing quite a stir because she did not go with Blake Shelton, who seemed the obvious choice for a country singer.<\/p>\n