While Asia’h Epperson, Kady Malloy, Luke Menard, and Danny Noriega did not make this year’s Top 12, americanidol.com had the chance to speak with the four Idols who all had fond memories of their time spent not only on the show, but with one another.
Asia’h Epperson had one of the most memorable and more emotionally challenging paths to American Idol following the passing of her father just days before her audition. Asia’h, who felt like her father was with her during the competition, said that she consistently found support from her family, friends, and her faith throughout her American Idol journey.
In a way, Asia’h said that she had a feeling that she was going home because her performance of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody†was very upbeat and perhaps might have been taken as an abrupt way to kick off the week’s show, even calling her mom to express this concern. However, Asia’h knows that someone always has to go first. In the end, though it didn’t turn out to be her moment, Asia’h said that she’s very happy for all the finalists and hopes that they all do well in the competition and beyond.
Asia’h never shied away from songs by recognizable music legends because she felt like her voice and stage presence made her unique, which she thought would keep her safe from comparisons by the judges. Speaking of the judges, Asia’h said that her favorite judge was Simon Cowell, praising him as a professional that ultimately “knows what he’s talking about.†While many like to focus on Simon’s criticisms, Asia’h took it more as Simon wanting the contestants to do the absolute best that they can do. In all, she loved the judges.
One of the most difficult parts of the American Idol competition is song choice and Asia’h definitely felt the pressure of only having a day or two to choose her song week in and out. However, with a good head on her shoulders and a personal drive to succeed, Asia’h said that she feels like she has enough to differentiate herself to succeed in the music industry. In the past, she’s been involved with drama, but she’s also hoping to do some acting and modeling. Asia’h made it very clear that music is definitely her passion and the industry where she wants to succeed first and foremost. From American Idol, Asia’h said that she developed so much as an artist, while learning that the business is not always about competing with others, but competing with one’s self.
While Asia’h didn’t make this year’s group of finalists, she said that she’ll miss everyone and will be cheering them on through the rest of the competition.
Kady Malloy faced criticism from Simon in terms of her personality and stage presence, but it was the support from her fans that went beyond her wildest dreams in her American Idol journey. In regards to being eliminated before the finals, Kady admitted that she really wanted to make it to the Top 12, but said she wasn’t surprised and doesn’t have any hard feelings about her departure.
Looking back on her performances, Kady also admitted that her first performance was lacking a bit in stage presence, but she attributed this to the fact that it was one of the first times she was performing on stage in front of a large audience – let alone an American Idol audience. Though the judges weren’t ecstatic with Kady’s first go around, it was during that first performance that she realized that American Idol was really happening for her. Kady chose “A Groovy Kind of Love†for her first performance not only because one of the other contestants was using her first song choice, but because it was a song that her mom used to sing to her. In choosing “Who Wants to Live Forever†this week, Kady said that if she was going to go out, she wanted to go with a bang singing her favorite song of all time by one of her Idols, Freddie Mercury.
Kady’s audition highlighted her vocal impersonations, with her “Britney Spears†becoming a big part of her American Idol identity, though she tried to avoid impersonations while on stage. She was “ecstatic†after her audition as she thought Simon “was going to bash her.†After making it to Hollywood, Kady recognized the importance of choosing songs that fit her voice and surprised herself again by making the Top 24. Though many have pointed out that contestants like Kady have had record deals in the past, Kady defended herself and the other contestants by mentioning the unpredictability of the music industry and that it’s not a bad thing for someone to get a second chance in this kind of environment.
Kady thinks that everyone in the Top 12 is so talented that it’s tough to name just one “dark horse†in the competition. She feels like it’s wide open and that all the Idols benefit from working with the American Idol staff, whom Kady described as “some of the nicest people ever. It’s a close knit family and they’re all so sweet!†For her own future, she said that she would first like to continue working on her music, but would like to open up an animal shelter, a camp for children, and would like to become a spokesperson for gay rights, as she doesn’t feel like anyone should be judged by the basis of their sexuality.
For future contestants, Kady said that it’s really important for them to be able to block out the judges while they’re performing, simply because she feels like they’re three opinions in a diverse world of music where all opinions are equal. Through the competitions, Kady really learned the importance of staying true to herself and keeping her head up, things that she feels like will benefit anyone in this competition. Though she’s a classic rock girl at heart, Kady sees herself one day going into pop-rock, or maybe even country music.
To Kady’s Kadets and fans, Kady said that if she could hug and kiss all of them, she would! She never would have dreamed of having so much support from such “killer fans.†And when asked if she’d heard from Britney Spears, Kady laughed and said that she was still waiting to get her call about grabbing lunch one day and that she wished her the best.
Luke Menard’s a capella background was very different than that of many of the other Season 7 contestants, but he felt like he was well-versed in the different styles. Luke’s a capella group, which he left to try out for American Idol, always strived to transform any genre of music into their style, so he felt prepared for the theme weeks. However, Luke would have loved to have had the chance to work with some more modern themes that would have allowed him to show off his own style a little more. Ultimately, Luke was happy with his song choices throughout the competition and had a positive and focused take on the competition.
While it was tempting, Luke tried really hard to focus on his performances and not on what people were saying about him. Sometimes, his family members would call and tell him about what they read or heard, but he would stop them because he wanted to stay focused on the task at hand, which was American Idol. One of his main sources of support was his wife, who kept Luke going whenever times got tough and encouraged him from the start. She also promised him that he would make it through the first round of the Top 24 and she was right!
One of the most interesting things that Luke mentioned was the “Four Horsemen†– Luke, Michael Johns, David Cook, and Jason Yeager. The four met during Hollywood Week and really clicked. Since they were good friends since their first day in Hollywood together, it was really exciting for all four to make the Top 24. Out of the group, Luke was closest with his roommate, Michael Johns, and the two spent a bunch of time listening to music together, which is a fond memory that Luke takes with him.
In terms of the theme weeks, Luke felt like his age put him at a bit of an advantage, as he knew more of the songs from the ‘60s and ‘70s compared to some of the younger contestants. However, when it comes to the competition, Luke said that the most important thing for future contestants to remember is patience. Since a lot of the external distractions are unavoidable, Luke pointed out the importance of just staying focused on the competition. While he learned that he had to have a thick skin and show persistence, it was patience that was one of the most important parts of this competition because an Idol’s schedule gets so packed.
Down the road, Luke would like to get into television, or even Broadway. However, the first thing that he wants to do is spend some time with his wife and just go to a movie, relax, and not have to think about anything. After that, Luke said he couldn’t wait to kick start his new career.
Danny Noriega was one of this season’s most animated contestants and he’d have it no other way because that was Danny being Danny. Throughout our interview, he said that he thought it was very important to stay true to himself this time around, especially compared to his audition last season, where he tried to be who he thought the judges wanted him to be. Danny admitted that some told him to tone it down, but he ultimately felt like it was really important for him to stay true to his own identity.
Throughout the competition, Danny became extremely close with Ramiele Malubay and Kady Malloy, describing Ramiele as his “little twin†and Kady as his “sister.†Before speaking with us, Danny had actually just spoken with Ramiele and he said that they’re “like best friends right now.†He spoke a little bit about “corazon,†the half-heart simple that he and Ramiele did with one another on stage one night. With Kady, Danny was surprised to find that she was like a girl version of him! He said that she and him were like the “Charlie’s Angels†of the group and they had a lot of fun with that.
Danny didn’t think that he was really trying to be courageous or stand out, but he was just trying to go through the competition not over-thinking things. In everything he did, Danny just wanted to be himself. Even when he and Simon were exchanging words, it was Danny just joking around sarcastically with Simon. He said that Simon knew he was kidding and that’s why Simon couldn’t help but laugh after Danny talked back to him. While some of the exchanges might have seemed tense, Danny said that he wasn’t ever anything close to mad, but just wanted to be himself.
One of the best parts of the experience for Danny was reading fan mail from people who were inspired by him during the competition. If seen as a role model, Danny would really like to inspire people to be themselves and know that they can still be successful. In addition to that, Danny said that he got more and more comfortable with the experience every time he was on stage, which made it all easier.
To the Danimals and fans that supported him, Danny was incredibly grateful to them for sticking by his side. When Danny left, while it was a bit of a surprise to him, it was still so early in the competition and he couldn’t believe the amount of support that he was receiving from all of his fans.
Not ready to say goodbye? You can check out our Top 8 Girls, Top 8 Guys photo recaps, and our Top 16 results gallery to see your Idols on stage one more time! Then check back Monday, for our exclusive video exit interviews!
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