Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Latia Lee says she auditioned for Season 11 of American Idol in memory of her grandmother, who passed away.

So the 22-year-old gospel singer from Pennsylvania tried out in Pittsburgh and earned a golden ticket to Hollywood.

Latia was just 3 years old when she started singing in her church, according to her website.  She was 12 when she started writing poetry and songs.

She moved to South Carolina to help care for her grandmother and wound up performing with three bands in the Charleston area, including New Image.

But she also performs on her own as well, has a single on iTunes called “Take Me Away” and is working on a gospel album to be called “His Way Stitched Into My Heart.”

She said she has performed other genres of music — R&B and pop, among them — but going back to gospel was “basically me crying out to God.”

In her golden ticket interview, Latia said she thinks her versatility makes her unique, noting that she can sing, dance and rap in addition to writing poetry and lyrics.

She says her favorite American Idol is Kelly Clarkson and that her favorite Idol moment was watching Fantasia win because of all the obstacles she overcame.

As for why she should be the next American Idol?

“I have faith,”  she says.  “I have confidence.  I’m a performer, and I love to be on stage.”

Here’s a snippet of the aforementioned single an interview with Latia.

“Take My Away” snippet

Interview