David Archuleta (born December 28, 1990 in Miami, Florida)is an American singer a finalist contestant, and amongst the top male vocalists, on American Idol's seventh season as of March 2008. At the age of twelve, Archuleta won the Junior Singers competition on Star Search
David Archuleta started singing when he was six because he was inspired by a Les Misérables 10th-anniversary video he was watching, "That musical is what started all of this." He started performing for others at the age of ten , when he participated in the Utah Talent Competition with the song "I Will Always Love You", by Dolly Parton, receiving a standing ovation, and winning the kid division.[2] This later led to his competing in the Star Search reality show as well as appearing on The Jenny Jones Show and CBS' The Early Show as well as meeting the finalists from American Idol 1. He once suffered partial vocal paralysis but refrained from risky surgery and feels he has fully recovered.
Archuleta lives in Murray, Utah and is a student at Murray High School. If his bid to become the next American Idol fails he plans to continue school and keep singing. The only regular job he has had was over the summer of 2007 as a sound "techie" at a park amphitheater
David Archuleta's mother is from Honduras and much of the music he listened to as a child was Hispanic-influenced; he also listened to jazz music from his dad's collection as well as gospel, pop, rock and "soulful music". He also loves Broadway musicals.
On his American Idol "Fast Facts" page he cites musical influences as: Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder, Kirk Franklin and Brian Setzer. When asked to list his top pop artists he cites; Natasha Bedingfield, Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Bryan Adams and Kirk Franklin. He also cites Tamyra Gray and Elliott Yamin as his favorite former American Idol contestants. Like Yamin, he has said he wants to infuse his pop selections with a soulful vibe
In 2003, at the age of 12, Archuleta sang on several episodes of the television show Star Search. He ended up winning grand prize on Star Search 2. On one episode, he sang against then 13-year-old Alexandréa Lushington, who also became a "top 20" semi-finalist on American Idol alongside Archuleta
David Archuleta won his ticket to the Hollywood final auditions at the San Diego tryouts held at Qualcomm Stadium - July 30 & July 31, 2007. He was still only sixteen during the Hollywood auditions and, along with other contestants not yet 18, will have to go to school ("doing schoolwork in the morning and then come onto the stage and then go back to the schoolwork") while a part of American Idol's seventh season. His parents are also on hand, likely because he's a minor.
David Archuleta is considered to be one of the frontrunners for his series of exceptional performances. After his rousing rendition of "Imagine" (arrangement by Eva Cassidy) during the week of the top 20, all three judges praised his abilities with judge Paula Abdul citing it as one of the most "moving performances [she had] ever heard",[17] and judge Simon Cowell adding that Archuleta was the "one to beat." Entertainment Weekly critic Michael Slezak stated that Archuleta "[has] shown more star quality and stage presence in two weeks of performances than all the other male contestants combined
