Idol Chatter & Voice Views

He’s been featured in both Hollywood Week episodes.

Partly because of his singing. Partly because his wife was going into labor during Hollywood Week.

And, on last night’s episode, big Michael Lynche got the news that his wife delivered their first child, a daughter, just as he prepared for his group round number.

He made the cut, so I figured it’s about time to provide Idol Chatter readers with some more information on this guy, who looks like a defensive tackle but wowed judges with a ballad (“Unchained Melody”) back in the Orlando auditions. Kara called him a “singing teddy bear.”

As usual, Idol’s blue bar is a little deceiving. Michael — or big Mike, as he calls himself — is identified as a personal trainer. Given his physique, I’m sure he is.

But he’s also a serious musician, who labels his music as R&B, hip-hop and blues, according to his MySpace page. He has a song, which he co-wrote, on the soundtrack for “Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes To Jail.” It’s called “What Would You Say.”

And while his MySpace doesn’t feature any music at the moment — a likely sign Michael survived Hollywood Week — you can listen to eight of his songs here, including a cover of “Ain’t No Sunshine.”

So, he isn’t exactly an amateur at this singing business. Nor does he sound like one.

Here’s how his MySpace describes the 26-year-old: “Michael Lynche is a new hop artist best described as a cross between Gnarls Barkley, Outcast and R. Kelly. Part soul machine, part booty shaker, part baby maker. His high-energy sound is called the “Dirty Blues” where gritty southern soul meets dirty south hip-hop.”

If you haven’t watched his Idol video interview, here’s what we learn. He got his start singing in church year’s ago. He’s watched Idol for years, “wondering if I’ve got what it takes. So here I am, proving that I’ve got what it takes.”

He hasn’t lost an arm wrestling match since he was 9 years old, and he has an odd collection.

He says he has worn the same type of deodorant since he was 12 years old, so he collects that type of deodorant. He figures he needs only “474 of them” to last him the rest of his life.

If you’d like to watch Big Mike’s audition again, here’s the link.