As of April 28, we now have the five finalists to choose from in American Idol. Whoever gets the highest number of votes will be considered the champion and the Idol of the 10th season, joining other artists like David Cook and many others. Each of these singers and aspiring artists have shown their mettle during the months that preceded the finals of the show. One such singer is James Durbin, a 22-year-old Californian.
Personal History
This particular idol is James Durbin, a 21-year old crooner hailing from Santa Cruz, California. Durbin's story is quite tragic. He has lost his father at the tender age of nine. His father was also a musician, and just like most of the artists that died during the 90's, the late Willy Durbin overdosed on drugs and that ultimately caused his death. He left behind his young son James, who would a decade later would follow in his footsteps and take a shot at a career being a musician like his dad. As tragic as the loss had been for the young boy, things would become harder for him with multiple diagnoses of Tourette and Asperger's syndromes. Tourette syndrome comes with a vocal tic, but as you could see now, that didn't stop the young singer from achieving greatness in Idol.
Prior to auditioning and being accepted for American Idol, the singer had faced financial problems of his own. His fiance, Heidi, had given birth to a baby boy. James named him Hunter, apparently drawing a lot of inspiration from him and even referring to him as his "rock." The couple faced some hard times, and was even unable to afford diapers for their son.
Musical Experience
Durbin received his musical training from the Musicscool. This outfit is being run by Dale Ockerman, who is best remembered as the Doobie Brothers' keyboardist and guitarist. Musicscool exposed the young James to several experience that would help develop his talent. He performed with the GuitArmy, a guitar ensemble composed of the students of Musicscool and devoted to performing Led Zeppelin hits. Aside from that, he was also given the opportunity to perform with Ockerman's Beatles cover band The White Ensemble. In a concert in December 2008, James became a guest of the band and sang "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," receiving a thunderous applause and standing ovation from the audience when the performance was concluded.
It's not a wonder that this young man from Santa Cruz is one of the Top 5 Idol contenders. With his passionate singing and raw talent, it wouldn't be a surprise if he becomes the ultimate Idol for the 10th season of the show.
Personal History
This particular idol is James Durbin, a 21-year old crooner hailing from Santa Cruz, California. Durbin's story is quite tragic. He has lost his father at the tender age of nine. His father was also a musician, and just like most of the artists that died during the 90's, the late Willy Durbin overdosed on drugs and that ultimately caused his death. He left behind his young son James, who would a decade later would follow in his footsteps and take a shot at a career being a musician like his dad. As tragic as the loss had been for the young boy, things would become harder for him with multiple diagnoses of Tourette and Asperger's syndromes. Tourette syndrome comes with a vocal tic, but as you could see now, that didn't stop the young singer from achieving greatness in Idol.
Prior to auditioning and being accepted for American Idol, the singer had faced financial problems of his own. His fiance, Heidi, had given birth to a baby boy. James named him Hunter, apparently drawing a lot of inspiration from him and even referring to him as his "rock." The couple faced some hard times, and was even unable to afford diapers for their son.
Musical Experience
Durbin received his musical training from the Musicscool. This outfit is being run by Dale Ockerman, who is best remembered as the Doobie Brothers' keyboardist and guitarist. Musicscool exposed the young James to several experience that would help develop his talent. He performed with the GuitArmy, a guitar ensemble composed of the students of Musicscool and devoted to performing Led Zeppelin hits. Aside from that, he was also given the opportunity to perform with Ockerman's Beatles cover band The White Ensemble. In a concert in December 2008, James became a guest of the band and sang "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," receiving a thunderous applause and standing ovation from the audience when the performance was concluded.
It's not a wonder that this young man from Santa Cruz is one of the Top 5 Idol contenders. With his passionate singing and raw talent, it wouldn't be a surprise if he becomes the ultimate Idol for the 10th season of the show.
About the Author:
Find out more about James Durbin through the James Durbin Music website. You can read more about his bio, his music and how you can show your support to this Santa Cruz, California-born crooner.