American Idol, 2007

So we're watching American Idol again. It's one of the few shows we can watch as a family. Except Sammi, who doesn't really pay too much attention. But Rachel likes it a lot. I don't enjoy these early episodes very much because there are so many awful singers and I don't really enjoy train-wreck television. Consequently I don't usually blog about AI until they get to at least Hollywood or more likely the Top 12.

But last night Chris Sligh auditioned. He sang Seal's Kiss from a Rose and nailed it. I wish I could find a picture of him, but his myspace page has no pictures (Chris, get some pics up!). His looks are not what you would call star material. He short and pudgy, has a huge afro (he says he wants his fans to be part of the "Fro-Patrol", but I think he can up with something better than that...) and glasses.But his personality more than makes up for it. He's funny, self-deprecating and very smart.

I'm rooting for you, Chris! Good luck!

Edited to add a picture of Chris and his bio from his band's old myspace page:

About me:
I was born on a cold day in April 1978 in a little town right outside of Nashville, TN. Music was in my blood from the beginning of my life. I can remember writing my first music at 6 years old. I wrote my first full song at the age of 8. I grew up in Tennessee, North Carolina, Missouri and Weisbaden, Germany...the majority of my childhood spent in cold, dark Germany.

For the record, I've been to every European country with the exception of the Scandanavian countries, and I've traveled through all 48 continental states at one point or another.

Anyway, I started to write seriously during college while studying voice performance. My junior year of college, I won the National Association of Teachers of Singing's best male singer in the junior year. In 2002 & 2003, I won the Gospel Music Association's songwriting award for the pop/AC category.

In 2001, I started traveling as a solo artist, interestingly enough calling myself Chris Sligh. Soon after I started a band which I even more interestingly called the Chris Sligh band. In May of 2003, I got married and soon after in August, the Chris Sligh band broke up. In November of that same year I formed the band I am now a part of and I deemed it Half Past Forever.

A lot happened in 2003, as you can see. Well, when Half Past Forever originally formed, we were definitely pretty squarely in the poppy Christian worship realm. We had some kind of rocking stuff, but as a songwriter I was coming from the school of rock that included artists like Bebo Norman, Caedmon's Call, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, etc. Not exactly Led Zeppelin. In 2004 we recorded our debut album up in Nashville with Stephen Leiweke, who produced Jars of Clay's indie album. The album was definitely a poppy rock fest.

Since then, my songwriting has grown, I think. I've moved away from the more poppy stuff to writing music that I think I would actually listen to. You can look at my songwriting influences below and most of them are not neccesarilly "rock" artists. I love them for their songwriting, if not their performances. However, my music writing is currently being influenced by Switchfoot, MuteMath, The Afters, and Need To Breathe.

So, that's me. Please be my friend. Um, I'm awesome, so if you want awesomeness for friendships, then please be my friend. Does that sound too needy and insecure? Dangit!