Idol Chatter & Voice Views

After Vincent Powell got done impressing the judges with a version of “Rock Me Baby” in the San Antonio auditions, judge Nicki Minaj said she could just imagine him recording a gospel CD.

Well, there’s no need to imagine, Ms. Minaj.

At 29, the guy from San Antonio already has a pair to his credit.

You can still download his 12-track “Convinced” album from 2008 on iTunes.

And he released a promo CD called “Praise from the Heart” last summer. You can listen to several tracks from it (including the three below) on YouTube.

Vincent hopes to head back to Vegas this year after being cut on the final day in Season 11, just shy of making the Idol semifinals.

During his audition, he jokingly blamed that on getting nervous because Randy Jackson took a long, long sip of soda just as he was about to begin singing.

He says his brother and mother are his musical inspirations because he grew up listening to them sing.

He gave his first performance 20 years ago, at age 9, in church.

Vincent went on to study television, radio and film at Texas Southern University, where he sang with the jazz ensemble and an opera workshop program.

Idol’s bio bar at the start of his audition identified him as a praise leader and teacher.

As for that audition, the judges were quite impressed.

Nicki said his “voice is one of those voices that give people chills.” And Mariah Carey said he “sings like an angel.”

That, in particular, must have been music to Vincent’s ears. He admits to having Mariah posters all over his room as he was growing up.

“I pray every morning for God to bless me to be a blessing to others,” Vincent says in his Road to Hollywood video. “I just want to give back to the world.”

Here are those promised tracks from that 2012 gospel CD. For more from Vincent, head here.

“Walk on the Water”

“Get Back Up”

“Revelation Song”