Chords of Strength

by David Archuleta

  So I guess it’s true what they say about everything happening for a reason. While we were in line, my aunt walked up with a girl whom she befriended (my aunt does that a lot) named Diane Gordon. She told us that she was a background singer who had toured with Celine Dion, Jessica Simpson and Christina Aguilera. She had also been on Ed McMahon’s Star Search a few years earlier. Needless to say, we were all very impressed, and though I wouldn’t be able to compete because of my age, we at least knew that we were going to have a fun time watching the contest and hanging out with our new friend who was in fact a real professional singer!

  It was really fun to hear the different contestants sing and to hear which songs they chose. It was also really fun just looking around at all the different people in Hollywood—to just people watch! After all, Los Angeles is very different from what I was used to seeing in Salt Lake. As the contest was coming to the end and the judges were determining who the winner was going to be, something really remarkable happened. As I was looking around the crowd, I noticed that right there in front of me, just about ten feet away, was none other than several of the American Idol finalists themselves! They were just casually hanging around in their sweat suits and sneakers, kind of behind the outdoor stage area, giggling and talking and signing autographs every now and again. Man, I thought, first AJ in Chicago, now more finalists in L.A.? What strange magic could possibly be at work? Was I dreaming? How could all these amazing things be happening at the same time, and how could they possibly be happening to me?

  My aunt, always a social butterfly, coaxed me into coming along with her to that part of the stage to say hello. She wasted no time in telling them about my recent appearance on the Jenny Jones Show and that it was there that I had met their fellow Idol, AJ Gil. Nikki McKibbin, who came in third that season, was super-nice to us and chatted a bit. She then motioned for my aunt to come close enough for her to whisper something in my aunt’s ear. I didn’t know what it could possibly be but I was very excited to find out just what this secret was! She had whispered that they were all (including AJ) staying at the Renaissance Hotel right next door. And then, she told my aunt not to tell anyone, and that if we wanted to come by tomorrow morning around nine a.m., we would most likely get a chance to say hello to AJ and maybe even meet Tamyra and Kelly! I couldn’t believe it!

  As you can probably imagine, that night I couldn’t sleep much from all the excitement. It felt like I was part of some kind of lucky dream—and you have to remember that I still didn’t know about my dad’s incredible surprise. I just thought the whole thing was one massive coincidence; I was simply grateful to be in Los Angeles, and to be able to have even a tiny glimpse into this world of music that I felt so connected to.

  The next morning we pulled into the circle in front of the Renaissance Hotel and I looked over and saw Jim and Nikki outside. I looked over at her, not able to say a word. My dad signaled for her to come over to our car and she held up her hand indicating she would be right back. Within a minute or two, there was AJ, just as Nikki had said he would be, and there was I, completely stunned and blown away by this dream of the last twenty-four hours. AJ saw me and a big smile formed on his face. He seemed happy to see us. He came over to our car, and I honestly couldn’t believe that he even remembered who I was, much less that he was being so nice. I just couldn’t get past the fact that some of my favorite performers in the world were all just a few steps away inside the hotel lobby and that for some reason I was being given the chance to interact with them all! What are the odds? AJ knew all about my desire to meet Tamyra Gray, as that day in the green room at the Jenny Jones Show, I’d told him how much I was enjoying the show and how Tamyra’s singing had inspired me so much that I had sung the song she had performed on Jenny Jones. So when he came over, the first thing he said after he gave me a hug was, “Come on, I want you to meet Tamyra.” He dragged me by my arm into the lobby and started introducing me to everyone: Ryan Starr, Jim Verraros, Nikki, Christina Christian, RJ Helton, Ejay Day, and yes, Tamyra Gray! There they were live in person! AJ then asked me to go ahead and sing for them. I couldn’t believe what was happening!

  After I sang for the first group of Idols, Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson arrived and joined the group. At that point, I was in utter awe. My heart was racing, my palms were sweaty, and in that moment I felt that I was very possibly the most nervous kid in the world. But at the same time, I was so excited I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming or imagining the whole scene! “David, sing for them!” AJ said. He turned to Kelly and Justin and said, “You gotta hear this kid sing.” And there in the lobby of the Renaissance Hotel, I sang my eleven-year-old guts out to my personal heroes. When the group had gathered, they had a production assistant with them who acted like they were in a big hurry, and as Justin came down the stairs first and entered the lobby, a couple of anxious high school aged girls ran up to him and asked for his autograph. One of them bent over so he could use her back to write on. Meanwhile, Kelly was cheering me on; she wanted to know my name and was as friendly as I had pictured her on TV. We were now beyond Jenny Jones—it was more like Cloud Nine.

  It seemed that everyone in the whole world that was famous was at that hotel that week, and all the important magazines, newspapers and major television networks were there too. In addition to the American Idol finale, there was a big Microsoft meeting of some kind, so Bill Gates was there with two bodyguards and also a bunch of famous guests such as James Cameron, Quincy Jones, Sinbad, and LL Cool J, just to name a few. There was also some kind of Hawaiian Tropic beauty pageant happening nearby, so the hotel was crawling with all kinds of beautiful people in pursuit of their dreams. The energy was electrifying that weekend, and every second that passed felt less and less real. After that very special moment of being able to sing to and meet all the Idols, all I wanted to do was sit in the lobby of what felt like some kind of enchanted hotel. Every so often people would come up and say, “Hey, you’re that little kid who sang before! Could you sing again?” I was so happy. It just seemed like the thing to do. So, I just kept on singing in the lobby for groups of random people several times. Every mini-show gave me more and more confidence, and it began to feel that it was my personal duty, my job, to deliver each time. (I felt like it was really important for people to ask though. I wouldn’t dare sing unless I felt like I had this kind of permission or acceptance from strangers when they would request a song.) With each little “gig,” I would feel more at ease, more comfortable, and more thrilled by the fun of it all.

  And just when I thought that things couldn’t get any more interesting, my dad decided to reveal part one of his surprise. He said, “David, guess what. I have a little surprise for you. How would you like to hang out here and go to the final performance show tomorrow night?” At first I thought he was playing a trick on me, but when it became clear that he was serious I literally almost passed out. I was so overwhelmed from everything that had already taken place that this just seemed to throw me over the edge. It was beyond icing on the cake, beyond the cherry on top—it was the ultimate surprise for me. The chance to see and hear the finalists live onstage gave me the feeling that I could see into and be a small part of this show that I had been following personally for so many months and that inspired me so much. I felt blessed with good fortune and didn’t know what to do to contain my joy and gratitude.

  There were actually two shows that week: the performance night and the results show. On the performance night, the two finalists had one last chance to show the audience and the judges why they should be the American Idol. This would be the finale performance for Kelly and Justin, their last chance to give it their all and make a lasting impression before the American public got to place their final votes. We had tickets for the performance night but not the second night; so my dad was now on a mission to get tickets for the final night, which would make the experience complete for me. He had heard a rumor that there might be more tickets available if we got to the box o
ffice really early in the morning. In the morning, they went downstairs to the box office next door and ended up being right behind Paula Abdul, who was picking up some tickets for some of her friends and family. We also were able to get tickets for the last night too! What a magical weekend this was turning out to be!

  The shows were basically a monumental two-part finale, and I felt beyond lucky to be able to witness even a fraction of it. On performance night, the final ten were reunited for one last show as a group, and then Justin and Kelly, who were the two finalists, sang a duet together before singing the two new songs that each contestant had to sing, “Before Your Love” and “A Moment Like This.” All the songs were absolutely spellbinding. You could feel all the performers’ emotions swirling around the Kodak Theatre, everyone blazing with nostalgia and joy. I had to keep telling myself that it was real and that this was all actually happening. I was in fact sitting there getting the chance to watch these great performers and be a part of it. The theater lights felt hot on the back of my neck, and I couldn’t stop wondering about what might be going through the finalists’ minds. The audience was completely alive, with all eyes fixed on the stage. Some people stood up, others just held their hands close to their chest in anticipation; but it was clear that everyone who was there genuinely wanted to be a part of it. I know I was beyond excited to be there. Natalie Cole herself just so happened to be sitting in the audience, which, as you can imagine, was a special treat for me, considering my “history” with her and how much I loved her as an artist.

  As I was sitting there in the crowd watching the singers, my mind was racing and I wondered, How do they feel right now? What did they all do to prepare? How did they choose the arrangements? Did they have any of their family members and friends there in the audience? It was as if I could feel their excitement as my own, and it was absolutely thrilling. I even wondered if by the time I was sixteen and old enough to even consider auditioning myself, the show and the opportunity would still be there for someone like me. The one thing I did know for sure was that at that moment, just being present to witness this was more than enough. All these unexpected surprises were a total success.

  I felt like the luckiest kid on the planet to be there. I think it’s safe to say that at that time, American Idol was a turning point for me musically; and seeing how a real performer who knew how to sing and make people feel something special got me so excited about wanting to perform and be able to make the same positive impact. Imagine, I had been watching every single episode for the last six months, and I’m just now realizing I might be able to call myself a singer, and now I got to sit in the audience in Los Angeles, partaking of the grand culmination—live in real time! When Kelly Clarkson sang “A Moment Like This,” it almost felt like she was singing directly to me. This was it—this was really show time. The show was an amazing showcase of pure talent.

  The purpose of the second night was to formally announce the winner, and to look back on some of the highlights from the season. Both nights were loaded with tension, the singers and audience members alike all eager to see the results, and happy to celebrate the journey as a group. The moment that stands out the most in my memory from this night was when they announced Kelly’s name, which was followed by this amazing rain of confetti that fell all over us in true celebration style. She was so overcome with emotion! Justin was such a gentleman and sincerely looked happy for her. I remember noticing his reaction and thinking that his demeanor was very cool and dignified. It sort of stripped the whole “winning” thing away from a very special moment, and instead made it one where they could both be a part of it as friends.

  When the results show was over, we were walking through the Kodak Theatre breezeway, which led back to our room at the Renaissance Hotel, when someone called out my dad’s name. He didn’t respond at first because who would be calling for us there? We heard it again, and looked over and I recognized that it was someone I was sitting next to during the finale. I didn’t even realize that it was the son of the guy in Las Vegas who had sold us the tickets; I guess they’d simply had four tickets. He had sold two to us and given two to his son. The son was probably either just out of college or maybe even still in high school and was really nice. He had remembered my singing and asked if I would sing again for him and his friends. By now, energized with all that happened over the last few days, I was more comfortable with the idea of singing to people who were nice enough to ask.

  And here’s where it got really exciting for me: I didn’t realize that the place where we were standing was right next to where the judges were going to walk by. It turned out to be a space set aside for them to speak to the press, so there were tons of camera crews and reporters out there to watch the big results of the finale.

  With my back toward the camera crews and reporters, not realizing what was going on behind me, I started singing for our new friends. I was totally unaware of the scene that was quickly brewing around us. Reporters asked my dad who I was and where we were from. And as I was singing some of the cameramen were looking toward where the judges were supposed to be coming, then looking at me, then looking at the interview people, then back, not sure what they should do. Finally, a lady from FOX had the camera guy she was working with turn around and start filming me while I was singing to our new friends. Then, as I got near the end of the song, everyone started pointing behind me and telling me to turn around because right then and there, the three Idol judges, Simon, Paula and Randy, all came out. Just as I was belting out the last line of the song, which happened to be “You’re Gonna Love Me,” Paula, surrounded by an entourage of makeup people and publicists, stopped and looked right at me and said, “I’m gonna love you!” The word “surreal” could not even begin to describe how things were starting to feel at this point. Never mind that I had just been hugged by Paula Abdul herself in the hallway behind the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on the heels of the Idol finale; but just as crazy was all the people and reporters and the cameras and the electricity that was there! It was almost overwhelming. Right after that happened, a producer from Good Morning America asked if they could interview me for their Idol segment that was going to be taped in half an hour. Someone else from The Pulse came over and asked if I could do their show! We couldn’t believe what was happening. We were just there to watch the show, totally unprepared for the crazy whirlwind that seemed to be hitting us out of nowhere.

  The next thing I knew, I was sitting in a FOX Television booth in a director’s chair, sitting in front of the logo I had become very familiar with over the past several weeks, the one that says American Idol with a purple background. The producer gave my dad her card and told him that her own father, Sandy Linzer, was a songwriter. When my dad looked him up, sure enough, we found out he wrote the song “I Believe in You and Me,” which was another song I really loved. She even said we could call him if we ever had any questions. It just seemed that everything was happening in this very lucky and magical way; the planets and stars were lining up in our favor.

  The American Idol adventure, or what my family and I refer to as “The Magical Weekend,” was without a doubt the coolest thing that I had ever been a part of (and remember that this was when I was just an audience member and fan of the show). Our whole family was on a total high from the events that took place in Los Angeles. They all felt great that we had received real validation from so many different people in the industry. It was one thing for our friends and family to love my singing, but now total strangers, media, and even music professionals were responding more positively than any of us could have ever hoped for. It felt like things were very naturally and organically moving in the right direction.

  In fact, one talent manager who had introduced herself to my dad the night of the show came up to our suite the very next morning and told us that she had lined up a bunch of meetings for us with A&R (artists and repertoire) people and several publicists in both L.A. and New York. Among the appointments she had arranged in L.A. was a meeting
with Magic Johnson’s record label and another guy who originally signed Pink. As for New York, we had appointments at the Sony building with Dave McPherson, who signed Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys to Epic Records. Then we had a meeting with a guy named Jeff Fenster from Def Jam records. He had been referred to us by LL Cool J’s A&R rep after he overheard me sing in the lobby. I wish I had been old enough to understand just how epic all of this really was. The simple truth is that I didn’t really get it. I was just a kid who loved to sing. But can you imagine? First Chicago, then Los Angeles, and now New York City!

  After the crazy whirlwind of L.A., my father and I flew out to New York and spent a whole week there meeting with all kinds of industry people. We were hoping that being face-to-face with record label executives would give us a better understanding and a clearer picture going forward. After all, my dad comes from the jazz world, which is a completely different scene than the pop world. And if he was confused about what to do, imagine how clueless I was.

  At that age, I probably knew more about Pokémon and dinosaurs than I knew about music experience. I mean, yes, it was totally exciting to sit in a Manhattan skyscraper in a room full of framed gold records and seeing all these signed posters of people who I admired for their music. It was definitely exciting, but equally intimidating. I felt tiny in the middle of it all and could barely get a word out to anyone who tried to engage me because I was still a really shy boy. The execs asked me what kind of music I liked and my answer would be something like: “Um . . . all kinds” or “Lots.” I just couldn’t really communicate back then (unless I was singing). I guess I was still pretty shy and self-conscious. I was clearly not ready to articulate or express my feelings about music, nor was I sure that I even knew what my goals were, beyond just singing. I had zero motivation for things like fame or recognition. I mean, come on, how many eleven-year-olds do you know who already have life plans? All I wanted to do was just sing.