Singing on stage at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles was a moment David Archuleta will never forget, but there were a number of pivotal moments that happened in his (even) younger days, and he'll never forget any of them either, including singing for the first season "American Idol" contestants in Hollywood in 2002, when he was just 11 years old.
The David Archuleta story began on Dec. 28, 1990, the day David was born to Jeff and Lupe Archuleta in North Miami, Florida. His father was a jazz musician who was always playing the trumpet around the house. His mother was a singer who performed locally with her three sisters in a group known as the Mayorga Sisters. David always enjoyed music, but wasn't particularly fond of his dad's jazz trumpet playing, covering his ears "because it was so loud."
But then came one of those pivotal moments, when David was six years old and watched a videotape with his younger brother as his family was relocating from Florida to Utah. It was the 10th anniversary concert of the stage musical "Les Miserables" and David became captivated with the music, playing the tape over and over, memorizing each song, complete with cockney accents. Then he discovered and fell in love with other musicals like "Evita" and "Into the Woods." He also listened to his mother's Selena and Gloria Estefan albums, but he didn't pay attention to radio much and wasn't really aware of pop music, until he watched the first season of "American Idol."
He was first mesmerized by Tamyra Gray when she opened the Top 30 semifinals with her outstanding performance of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." It was the first time he was aware of how expressive and soulful music could be, and what it was like to vocalize emotions. This was perhaps the most pivotal musical moment of his young life, the first step on the path that led him to who he is today, a musical prodigy, the runner-up for the seventh season Of "American Idol" and the newest artist signed to 19 Recordings/Jive.
After David started watching "Idol," his father bought recording equipment, hooked it up to his computer, and recorded David singing "God Bless America," "I Will Always Love You," and "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." When a friend of the Archuletas saw that "The Jenny Jones Show" was looking for "Future Latino Stars," she urged Jeff and Lupe to have their son try out. Based on a performance over the phone, a producer booked 11-year-old David to sing "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" on Jones' show.
During that August 2002 performance, David met another young singer, AJ Gil, a finalist on the first season of "Idol." Returning home to Utah after the Jenny Jones experience, Jeff decided to drive to Hollywood the next day and surprise David by taking him to the first season finale of "Idol" at the Kodak Theater. He bought tickets on eBay, picked them up in Las Vegas, and then drove on to Hollywood.
It was during this trip that David met up with AJ again. Gil insisted David sing "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" for Tamyra Gray. With Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini gathered around, the 11-year-old prodigy delivered, and his father captured it all on the video that has become an online classic.
Next, David tried out for "Star Search." The show didn't contact him the first season, but during the 2nd season, asked David to submit videos of him singing the Smokey Robinson/Jackson 5 song "Who's Lovin' You" and Billy Gilman's "One Voice." This time he was invited to compete on the show and appeared on three episodes in early 2003, winning the Junior category. A year later, he was invited back to compete against other winners. But this second run on "Star Search" was more difficult. David had been ill for a few months with appendicitis and bronchitis. Several weeks into his second "Star Search" experience, the Archuletas realized something was definitely wrong with David's voice.
A renowned ENT doctor in Beverly Hills diagnosed David with vocal paralysis and said the only options were either surgery or vocal therapy. They tried the latter, and after a frustrating couple of years of time and patience with the vocal therapy, the efforts worked and David was able to regain his ability to sing with confidence and endurance.
David continued to watch "American Idol" and thought about auditioning, but didn't believe he was "good enough." It was a moot point, because he was too young to try out. In the summer of 2007, at the tender age of 16, he was finally old enough, and his friends and family urged him to audition. He had to quit his job as a techie at a local amphitheater in Murray, Utah, and almost didn't go to try out because he was looking forward to this summer job.
Ultimately, David and his father went to the San Diego auditions. During the first round, while auditioning with other people, the producers dismissed the entire row and David walked away. "I'd been waiting in line for two days, and in 30 seconds it was all over," he says. "Then I heard someone say, 'Wait, come back.' I didn't think they were talking to me, so I kept going. And they said it again, 'Wait! Come back here!' I turned around and they said, 'You're through.' It was such a shock!"
The rest, as they say, is history. Simon, Randy and Paula sent David to Hollywood, where he made it into the top 24, then the top 12, and after never being in the bottom three, into the spectacular season finale.
Now David has had three songs debut at once on The Billboard Hot 100, is getting ready to tour the United States this summer as part of the "American Idols Live!" tour and is already recording his first album. Unforgettable moments? There are many more to come, for this is just the beginning of a long, successful career for the talented teen who captured the imagination of over 30 million "American Idol" viewers.
hey david sorry this isnt comming in on time but its better to be late then never just wanted to wish you a very VERY HAPPY BELATED FOURTH OF JULY!! hope you had a goodone take care david later :)
hey david i was just wondering when u were comin back 2 the uk cos i missed ur last concert here): so please get back 2 me thanx i love u & ur music lol especially crush enjoy ur tours and hope one day ill be able 2 cum 2 one
hey david! so im extremely upset because they CANCELED my city for your tour. you have no idea how much i was looking forward to it. ive been counting down since like day 200. it was gonna be my very first concert and we had main floor seats and everything. i am so disapointed right now i can hardly stand it. please promise me that youll come back to my city SUPER soon. have fun on tour,
Hi,David.It's me over here at my friend's apartment.Yesterday my friend & I didn't see the fireworks from her apartment while her & I were outside,but we could here the fireworks going on though.I was hoping that I was able to see it from a distance.I was kind of disappointed about it.But her & I watched the Boston Pops Fireworks on television,though.I hope that you & your family were able to watch lots of fireworks on the 4th of July.You will always be the best,#1 & the greatest singer from American Idol to me in the world,that's for sure.That will never change.I'm so glad that I don't haveto go back to work tomorrow morning & to leave from over here at her apartment.But it's going to be harder to go back next Monday morning & to get adjusted again to my work schedule all over again.I'm not going to be happy about it.My friend & I are going to a public swimming pool place that's in her hometown that's walking distance to get cooled down because it's a little warm out.I hope that your having a great summer,so far.Take care,Your huge & true #1 fan,Zebrina
omg ur consert with demi and ksm was sooooooooooooooo awesome I love u but not as much as my cousin gaby does because after demis consert we call while we were gana take apic with ksm and I went to her house so she loves u so much that in one of ur songs its called a little too not over u she rerote it and put gaby for when u said u and she has alot of posters of u on her walls im scard to sleep in her room cause there are so many eyes lookin at me soo ya love you love ur music
hi david its been a great day right im in korea right now soo maybe i dont know about what do you do on 4th of july but i just got too tel you im so happy when i have this kind of account that i can see you all the time i got here
day is "SEXYFRIEND" day and baby you know you are sexy! Send this to all ur sexy friends (even me) if you get: i better get this back
1 - Your ugly 2 - ok 3 - damn 4 - wow 5 - fine 6 - sexy as HELL 7 - "friendship with benefits" cute 8 - "rip my eyes out" your to hot 9 - define "hit that"
"""""""YOU WERE VOTED ONE OF THE SEXIEST PEOPLE ON MYSPACE....WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN HIT, YOU MUST SEND THIS PLAYBOY BUNNY TO ALL THE SEXY PEOPLE YOU KNOW INCLUDING THE PERSON THAT SEND IT TO YOU... ___$$$$$$$___ ________$$$$$$$ _____$$$$$$$$ _______$$$$$$$$ ______$$$$$$$ $$_____$$$$$$$ ________$$$$$ $$$____$$$$$$$ _________$$$$ $$$$$__$$$$$$ ____________$$$$$$$$$$$$$ _____________ __$$$$$$$$$ __________$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ________$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ _______$$$___ $$$$$$$$$$$$ ______$$$$$_$$$$$$$$$$$$$ _____$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ______$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ _______$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ___________$$$$$$$$$$$$$ __________$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 1-3-YOUR UGLY 4-6-YOUR FINE 6-8-YOUR HOTT 8-10-YOU ARE Freakin SEXXXXXXYYYYYYY