David from the heart
Before there was American Idol, there was Star Search. And if you thought the former produced some big names, you might be surprised at who got into showbiz after appearing on the older show: Adam Sandler, Beyonce and Usher, to name but three.
Pop singer David Archuleta has been on both shows. He was the runner-up in season seven of American Idol, and in 2003, as a precocious 12-year-old, he won the junior vocal category of the revamped Star Search.
But his love for music began at an even earlier age. 'The point when I would sing, and just do it non-stop, was when I was six years old,' the 20-year-old Archuleta told Sunday Young Post. 'It was after I saw a PBS programme - the 10th anniversary of Les Miserables. Even though I didn't understand the story or what was going on, the melodies just really captured me. I couldn't stop listening. I'd listen all day long.'
As was the case for many before him, American Idol was the big turning point in his career. He was a big fan of the show and wanted to audition even before he was qualified to do so. He had to wait until he turned 16 before he was old enough to enter, and then his dad took him to San Diego to audition.
At one point, he thought his luck had run out. Producers told Archuleta and the entire row of contestants he was with that they were out. 'Then I heard someone say, 'Wait, come back.' I didn't think they were talking to me, so I kept going,' Archuleta recalls. 'I'd been waiting in line for two days and in 30 seconds it was all over ... And they said it again, 'Wait! Come back here!' I turned around and they said, 'You're through.' It was such a shock!'
The baby-faced Archuleta hasn't looked back since. He went on to the finals, losing to another David - David Cook. Both made Idol history by never being in the bottom three on elimination day. He released his self-titled debut after the season finale and followed that up with a holiday release the following year called Christmas from the Heart.
In October, Archuleta released his third studio album, The Other Side of Down. It's an upbeat collection of which he's extremely proud. It's also a very personal album, revealing a lot about who he really is. 'It's kind of a goofy album,' he admits. 'It's on the dorky-goofy side, because I wanted people to know I'm not this super cool kid with swagger or anything like that. I'm kind of a dork. I just wanted to be real. If you were to see me for a week and follow me around, this is what I'm like.'
