Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Michael Simeon auditioned for American Idol Season 14 with Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me.” (FOX Photo)

Well, he’s not a new face for American Idol.

And he’s certainly not a newcomer to the music scene.

Michael Simeon, 20, of Lumberton, Mississippi, impressed the judges with his version of Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me,” unanimously earning a gold ticket to Hollywood.

But they didn’t acknowledge the fact that he advanced to the Top 48 just a year ago after auditioning with John Mayer’s “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room.”

And he’s been trying to gain name recognition through reality competitions for a while now. His Facebook bio says he previously made it to the executive producer rounds on The X Factor and America’s Got Talent.

On his website, Michael says his love of music came naturally. You see, his mother was a show choir director for many years.

“So I was literally around it as soon as I was born,” he says. “I’ve been singing and making up songs since I could make noises.”

He says he got his first guitar at age 9, began playing drums at age 11 and picked up piano at age 14. But he says it wasn’t until a year later that he began pursuing his dream of becoming a singer.

As for that music he wrote — some of it wound up on an EP called “Music Therapy,” released in 2011. It’s no longer available, but you can check out videos of Michael performing below.

On Twitter, Michael writes: “Living my dream, every time I sing a song or play an instrument.”

Or dances with Jennifer.

Here are some Michael links, followed by the promised music:

Website
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter: @michaelsimeon.