Tuesday, January 3, 2012

James Durbin: The Story Behind the Idol

By Rebecca Masters


In the tenth season of the well-known series American Idol, one contestant stood out to the eyes of many viewers because of his rocker appearance and attitude as well as his vocal prowess. He had been good enough to grab enough votes from the viewers to ensure that he stays in the show for some time. His appeal has already resulted to him being part of the Top 5 Idols, with a chance of making it to the finals.

Personal History

Durbin hails from the far Western seaboard of the United States. Coming from Santa Cruz, California, this 22-year old singer has a quite tragic past behind him that serve as inspiration for his success at the prestigious talent show. James was born on January 6, 1989 to Willy and Judy Settle-Durbin. Early on, the young boy has been influenced greatly by music. His father was a musician, but he died when the boy was 9 years old due to a drug overdose. Just afterwards, there came another blow to the young Durbin: the family doctor has found out that James has Asperger's and Tourette syndrome. Despite that, the boy's interest in pursuing a career similar to his father was unperturbed.

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 owes his talent to Dale Ockerman. Yes, none other than the principal keyboardist behind the highly successful band The Doobie Brothers. Ockerman gave James, as a child, lessons in singing and music via his school, Musicscool, in Santa Cruz. As a result of this, the young boy had some exposure doing professional music alongside The White Ensemble and Guitarmy. He has earned some praise and accolades for his interpretation of the Beatles hit, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

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.




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