Romeo Diahn certainly has a background different than any other Idol contestants.
He was born in Liberia, where civil war broke out in 1990.
His dad, an immigration commander, managed to get the family to a refugee camp in Ghana.
From there, they hoped to make their way to the United States. They did, but not until 2001, Romeo told the Idol judges.
Now, he’s trying to follow his father’s advice about life in the U.S.
“There’s no pot of gold in America,” his dad says. “But if you have patience, then you make it.”
All that said, Romeo is not exactly a novice at this music business.
On MySpace, he says he’s been writing music since he was 18, “but I was singing since I was 7 years old, back in Africa.”
Now 22, he’s been performing under the name “Flawless” in the U.S., and you can listen to a couple of his originals below.
“I come from a far-away land of poverty, and I am here in a land of opportunity, and I’m going to use it to my best advantage,” he says in his golden ticket interview.
In the Portland audition episode, Romeo, aka “Flawless,” sang “This Is Love.”
He walked out of the audition room with a unanimous golden ticket to Hollywood, though Jennifer Lopez said she was giving him a “tiny yes” out of concern over the songs he’d have to sing in the competition.
On the other hand, she said she loves his “vibe and flavor.”
As for Romeo: “I can’t see myself doing anything but playin music,” he writes on MySpace.
Now here are those originals.
“Matthew”
“Bless My Heart”
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Romeo Diahn is also leading in an online talent contest at http://www.bigbigshow.com. He has several of his original song entered but the one that is leading is called “11 Is Cold”