Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Alex Lambert

A 19-year-old from North Richland Hills, Texas, Alex sang and played guitar with a band called Hands That Hurt prior to Idol. And judging from photos and videos of the band performing, prefers to wear sunglasses all the time. On MySpace, he classifies his music as acoustic / crunk / indie. Besides sounds like, he writes: “a dream you wish you could have.” He has six brothers, but he’s apparently no relation to season eight runner-up Adam Lambert. Music has been scrubbed from his MySpace, a sign that he might have done well in Hollywood. Link: Go here to watch Hands That Hurt cover “I’m Yours.” Several other videos of the band are on YouTube as well.

Anzeo Henderson

Or is it Anzeo David? At least that’s the stage name this 28-year-old uses on his MySpace page and when he appeared on P. Diddy’s “Making the Band 4.” According to his MySpace bio, Anzeo’s mother was a concert vocalist and his father was a classically trained pianist, making his decision to pursue music rather natural. In fact, it says he’s been singing and playing piano since age 3. He categorizes his music as R&B. Link: Go here to listen to some of Anzeo’s music on that MySpace page.

Dave Pittman

Compared to the gals in Dallas, this is a mature group of guys. Dave is 28, too, from Gassville, Ark. He’s the guy with Tourette’s syndrome, a diagnosis he got when he was 9 years old. But he has no problem singing and says he considers Tourette’s a blessing because it’s taught him so much about himself. He impressed judges in Dallas with a rendition of Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home To Me.” Link: Go here to watch David’s audition again.

David Duke

This 23-year-old from Waxahachie, Texas, says he thinks his stage presence will set him apart from other contestants on American Idol. And he apparently has a good deal of experience, having performed on his own as well as with a rap group known as Front-Line G’s. In addition to singing, he says he dances, plays guitar and keyboards and writes music. An only child, he was raised by his grandparents. Link: Go here to hear David with the rap group and here to hear his own music.

Lloyd ThomasThis 29-year-old airport dock worker was featured in the Dallas audition episode. He grew up in the projects, around drugs and violence, and says he wants a better life for his family, which includes two young daughters. In addition to being a dock worker, he’s a minister, according to his Idol video. He sang Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed” for his audition song. Link: Go here to watch his audition again and here to watch his Idol interview, where he tells a funny story about singing in his church.

Michael Castro

Yep, the brother of season seven contestant Jason Castro heads to Hollywood for a second straight year, vowing that “this year, I’m actually trying.” Hmm. The former cage fighter is 21 and hails from Rockland, Texas. And back in August, he released a six-track EP. The lead single, “Be Yourself Tonight” and a couple of the other songs are actually pretty good, and Joe Jonas apparently told Michael he has a unique sound in an audition we didn’t get a chance to see. Link: Go here to listen to the songs on Michael’s EP.

Michael Preston

On MySpace, this 23-year-old from Oklahoma City, Okla., classifies his music as R&B / Pop / Jazz and says he sounds like Usher. Embedded in one of his MySpace photos is this message: “I’m a nice person. I don’t see what’s so wrong with that. I believe it will benefit me in the long run.” This year marked his third trip to Hollywood; he also earned a golden ticket in seasons six and seven. Link: Go here to watch Michael’s Idol video interview.

Thaddeus Johnson

Randy Jackson called him one of the best 16-year-olds he’s ever heard after Thaddeus belted out a rendition of “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You” in Dallas. The Oklahoma City teen said he’s been watching American Idol since the first season and always told his mother he’d be trying out as soon as he got old enough. What sets Thaddeus apart from the other contestants? He says many of them have musical talent. He considers his musical ability a gift. Link: Go here to watch Thaddeus’ role in a segment on this year’s youngest contestants.

Timothy Urban

I don’t recall seeing this guy in any of the audition episodes, but he has one of the best voices I’ve heard among the male contestants. Just check out a song called “Lullaby” on his MySpace page. He classifies his music as Christian / acoustic / alternative, so it might not surprise anyone that he reveals in his Idol video that he’s 20 and has never “touched alcohol.” He already won a local Idol-like competition and says one of his jobs is singing in front of people at a hotel and restaurant. Apparently, he writes much of his own music. Link: Go here to listen to five songs on Tim’s MySpace.

Todrick Hall

You remember Todrick. He’s the personable young man who entertained judges with a song he wrote about auditioning for Idol — “Simon’s face looking so unimpressed,” etc. This 24-year-old from Arlington, Texas, has been performing since age 9 and compiled a pretty impressive resume, including a Broadway debut in “The Color Purple.” He also wrote and produced a contemporary version of the Wizard of Oz, which he brags about on MySpace, but which left a sour taste in lots of folks’ mouths. We’ll cover that ground if he advances past Hollywood. Link: Go here to watch several videos of Todrick performing.

Zachary Hickman

Most Idol contestants are a little anxious about auditioning in front of Simon Cowell. That wasn’t Zach Hickman’s biggest concern, according to this story from The CW Arkansas. “I think I’m most nervous about meeting Joe Jonas due to the fact that I’ve listened to all his music before and he’s got so much power, all those little girls screaming,” Zach told the station. The University of Arkansas student is from a family full of preachers and says he started standing on a stool in his living room, singing and preaching when he was 3 or 4. He also performs in community theater and plays the violin. Link: Go here to watch Zach’s golden ticket interview.