You know that on American Idol the biggest sob stories are saved for the end. That’s certainly what happened last night, and the wannabe star who got the gasps was a local Santa Cruz artist, James Durbin, 21. Ryan Seacrest warned us at every possible moment that we would cry when we heard his story, and certainly many people probably did.
Durbin’s father, a bassist, died of a drug overdose when James was only 9. He had a sleep disorder (Insomnia? Apnea? Enuresis?), and he was later diagnosed with Asperger’s and Tourette’s. That’s no easy way to go through school, and the bullying inevitably ensued. Then he found an angel, his girlfriend, and then he had an angel junior, his baby, who is the joy of his life. Now he wants to be a responsible father, which is hard when you’re living hand to mouth. Then he had a bad hair day, woke up with a fauxhawk,and ended up on Idol. That’s when things began to turn around.
He began his performance with a rendition of “You Shook Me,” a blues standard popularized by Led Zeppelin. Judge Randy Jackson was so impressed he forgot to call him “Dawg,” limiting himself to “My God, what a range! And that’s full voice, not falsetto. That’s crazy!” Steven Tyler called it, “Over the top,” and if anyone knows what over the top is, it’s him. J.Lo noticed that he feels “light-headed,” and if anyone knows what light-headed is, it’s her.
The show went on. Durbin asked Tyler’s permission to perform “Dream On,” and Tyler said, “Please.” J.Lo’s head bobbed back and forth (see above). Then it was time to vote. Randy liked him. J.Lo said he sings from where he is supposed to sing from (and considering that one of last night’s rejects, dressed up as a Transformer, sang from his carburetor, that is already something). Tyler said “Yes, too,” and commented on his “melodic sensibility … and the voice!”
So what’s next for Durbin, last seen performing locally with the White Album Ensemble in front of shrieking fans, a very badass bandanna tied around his brow? He’s certainly gone beyond Guitarmy at the Santa Cruz Musicscool or even the WAE, where he sings the George Harrison standard “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” He’s already being compared to Adam Lambert, though the fact that he has a girlfriend and kid seems to preclude that. And Durbin will probably sell more albums too. He has to. All of Santa Cruz will be watching.
Read More at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
