Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Julian Cross of American Idol Season 22

Idol returns to ABC on Sunday, Feb. 18 with the judging trio of Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie back intact.

Here’s more about Julian.

* He’s a gospel soul artist from Memphis, Tenn., who has already released music.

* And in pursuing music, Julian says he’s carrying on the legacy of his grandmother, a 1960s recording artist under the name Wendy Rene.

* In addition to releasing her own music, she toured and provided background vocals for Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding and others.

* In December 1967, she was supposed to fly to a performance with Redding and a group known as the Bar-Kays, but backed out at the last minute to stay home with her newborn. The plane crashed, killing Redding and six others.

* “From that day forward, she vowed to turn her life over to Christ,” Julian says in an interview with local TV station. “She was an amazing influence on my life. So now I get to carry that soulful legacy that she bestowed upon me to spread the gospel to the world.”

* According to his Facebook, Julian i’s an internal communications specialist with Memphis-Shelby County Schools.

* He has a degree from the University of Memphis and was pursuing a master’s in business administration at Louisiana State University when his website bio was written.

* His released music includes a 2021 single called “You Have Won Again” and a 2023 single called “Ephesians 3:20 (My God is Able).” Check out the radio edit of he latter below.

* More music is on the way. The day before the Idol premiere, he plans to release an EP called “Songs from an Overcomer.” That’s why he was doing that aforementioned TV interview.

* Julian says he’s had to overcome a lot in the past few years, including the loss of his father to a stroke in 2017. Family has helped him cope. So has his faith.

* But he also went to a counselor, who encouraged him to write out his feelings. For Julian, that naturally translated into writing music. “This is my testimony,” he says of the upcoming album. “It’s how I overcome.”

Julian on social media:
Instagram
TikTok
Facebook
YouTube