The last remaining member of Team will.i.am claimed that the 'Love is a Losing Game' singer, who died in July 2011 aged 27, had a lot of respect for contestants on TV talent shows.
"I think originally if I'd told her I was going for [The Voice] she'd have thought I was mental," James told journalists including Digital Spy.
"She had the same kind of view that I had of shows like this, which is 'How do people do it... get up and sing and be judged in that way and voted for?' I don't know how I'm doing it.
"I think maybe [she'd do] something like this, yeah. Amy's the kind of person if someone can sing she's got all the time in the world for them. She'd love so many people on this show because she's like us. If we hear someone who can really sing, it excites you.
"I know Amy would have liked it because she'd have got off on certain people in it, definitely."
James also confirmed that he still speaks to the 'Rehab' star's parents Mitch and Janis "all the time".
"[Mitch] is really proud of me and he's done a lot for me in the last year," he said. "Mitch and Janis, especially Janis because Janis looks so much like Amy, they're what I have left."
Meanwhile, James's fellow Voice finalist Vince Kidd revealed that he too knew Amy during her lifetime, adding that he received a message of support from Mitch and Janis after he covered her song 'Back to Black' on last week's show.
"I was apprehensive to sing Amy because she was such an incredible artist and I think Amy is quite a hard artist to cover," he explained. "I was just celebrating her incredible music.
"[Her family] texted me after the performance to say how well I did and that they felt proud."
