Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Andrew Garcia

He’s the 23-year-old from Moreno Valley, Calif., who had a featured role in the Los Angeles audition show — the guy who wants a better life for his young son after watching his parents struggle and hearing how they were involved with gangs in their earlier days. Remember? We met his parents, too, and his dad broke down crying over the prospects for a brighter future for his son. According to his MySpace, Andrew has performed at several benefit concerts in California and his music sounds like “my heart.” Head to YouTube and you can find several videos of Andrew singing. He got rave reviews from all four judges in his audition. Link: Go here for a Michael Jackson tribute video and here to watch his audition.

Chris Golightly

Here’s a hunch. This guy will make the Idol semifinals in season nine. I mean, he blew the judges away with his version of “Stand By Me.” And what a backstory. He’s an orphan and, before he took it down, called his MySpace page “official orphan music” where he included this in his bio: “When I was three years old I was placed in the system. Growing up without my parents by my side is what I had to accept. As a child it was very rough and I had to stand up on my own two feet. Every holiday was harsh because my parents and my family were never there. Every year was becoming more and more stressful, the older I got the angrier I became.” But his experience made him realize he had stories to tell, and he says he’s been writing music since age 12. He’s now 25, lives in L.A., and Idol’s blue bar identified him as a shoe salesman. Link: Go here to watch his Idol audition.

Derek Klena

Derek is a veteran of America’s Most Talented kids and more than 30 theatrical productions. But before you draw the conclusion that we have another Adam Lambert on our hands, consider this. He was also a sports star in high school and recalls a championship game at Dodger Stadium where he was asked to sing the national anthem, then took the mound as the starting pitcher for South Hills High School of West Covina, Calif. On Idol, he thinks his sound will set him apart. He sings more soft rock and soft alternative music, he says, as opposed to the more popular R&B and hip-hop. Oh, and his favorite Idol moment: Adam Lambert. Link: Go here YouTube videos of Derek showing off his singing ability, including that national anthem appearance.

Donald Webber Jr.

The guy from Los Angeles teaches at an all-girls high school and does a mean imitation of a valley girl. He’s also a 2008 graduate of the University of Southern California where he participated in an a cappella group, the SoCal VoCals. The group won an international a cappella competition while he was there, earning the right to perform at the Lincoln Center in New York in front of aobut 2,000 people. He also majored in theater in college, so add acting to his list of abilities. On his MySpace, he writes this: “I am a man of God. I like to have fun, but when it’s time to work…I WORK.” Link: Go here to watch Donald’s Idol video interview.

J.B. Ahfua

Like several of the ladies who earned golden tickets in L.A., J.B. is heading to Hollywood for a second straight year. In last year’s Hollywood video, he described his favorite types of music as R&B, pop and country, said he’s been singing since age 6 and admits to crying “his eyeballs out” after getting approval from the judges. J.B.’s from Salt Lake City, Utah, where he says he once competed against David Archuleta in a singing competition. And he’s a songwriter, though at present he’s mostly writing songs for other people. Link: Go here to watch a full-lenth performance of J.B. at an USANA (health products company) convention. There are several other videos of him performing on YouTube.

Jim Ranger

This Bakersfield, Calif., resident is the 27-year-old worship pastor who dared sing an original song — “Drive” — during his audition. And got away with it. Turns out Jim’s the lead singer for a band called Soulajar, and you can find “Drive” on a five-track EP the group released in 2006. Apparently, Soulajar is also working on a full-length album. On MySpace, Jim classifies his music as rock / pop / soul and, apparently, his knack for music comes naturally. “I grew up around it,” he says. “My mom and dad were both singers and songwriters.” Jim’s also married and has three young children. Link: Go here to CD Baby to hear snippets from that 2006 EP; go here to listen to several tunes on Jim’s MySpace page.

Jose Munoz

I can’t seem to find any Jose Munoz music online. Anyone know is there is any? If so, comment below. Meanwhile, Jose says he sings in both English and Spanish and would like to get the chance to try the latter on Idol. He plays guitar and thinks he could learn any instrument by ear. He recalls not wanting to sing in school back in seventh grade, but a teacher threatened to fail him if he didn’t. Now, naturally, he’d like to make a career of it. He thinks his tolerant, laid-back attitude will help him in the competition. “I just let things happen and cope with it,” he says. Link: Go here to watch Jose’s Idol video interview.

Justin Kalama

This Torrance, Calif., resident classifies his music as rock / alternative on MySpace, where he has four songs posted. He played with a rock band and recalls an early performance at the Whiskey A Go Go. “I was out-of-control nervous,” he says. “My mouth was so dry. Every other word, I was licking my lips. To this day, I get made fun of. People say, ‘Remember when …’ And then they lick their lips.” Apparently he got over it. There’s a huge ad on his MySpace for an April performance at a place called Awakenings Coffee House, where people paid $5 to watch him perform. Link: Go here to listen to those MySpace songs.

Samuel Larsen

Think Jason Castro with an edge. That’s Samuel Larsen, a dreadlocked 18-year-old from Murrieta, Calif. He says his music ranges from grunge rock to funk to soul. He performed with a band for three years and is now trying to make it as a solo artist and working on a debut EP. You can hear eight of his songs on MySpace, ranging from covers of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” to “Jammin'” (Bob Marley). He says he tried out for Idol because their are a lot of doors to making it in music and “this is the widest open door.” When folks suggested he audition, his reaction was “I never really wanted to do that. But if it’s what’s separating me from my dream, why not?” Link: Go here to listen to those MySpace tunes.