When the Top 5 on "American Idol" were introduced and strolled onto the Hollywood stage on the evening of May 4, it wasn't difficult to see that James Durbin, the 22-year-old rocker from Santa Cruz, California, was in rockin' mood for the week's theme, "Song of Now and Then." Sporting a studded sleeveless vest with the words "Give Metal" written acroos the back, he nailed 30 Seconds to Mars' song, "Closer To The Edge." But nobody was prepared for the rocker's own emotional reaction when he performed his second song of the night, Badfinger's "Without You."
For those who may have forgotten over the weeks, Durbin is a devoted family man. When he auditioned for "American Idol" and won the golden ticket to Hollywood, he had to leave his fiance, Heidi, and infant son, Hunter. Unemployed at the time, America discovered that not only had the young man suffered through the pain of being bullied as a child because of Turette's Syndrome tics and Asperger's Syndrome, but he had also had to deal with the hardship of losing his father, a musician, to a drug overdose when he was only nine years old. In his backstory, he noted that that was why he wanted a closer relationship with his son -- because he had never truly known his father.
In the intro package for "Without You" on Wednesday's episode, the singer listened closely to the words of the song made famous by Harry Nilsson in 1972 (and again by Mariah Carey in 1994), something he admitted to having never done before, and he broke down. A song about loss in a relationship, it made him think about his family. He excused himself from rehearsal with mentors Jimmy Iovine and Sheryl Crow and never returned.
But James Durbin was determined to sing the song that he had connected with -- and sing it he did. With eyes glittering with held-back tears, the young singer's voice soared with emotion. And even in the moments when the feeling flattened his tone, it wasn't enough to dull the performance. It was far too powerful. It was a performance that would have moved the hardest heart. At song's end, he simply hung his head and brought his hand to his eyes.
The "American Idol" judges praised his work. Judge Randy Jackson noted, "I could feel your emotion when you started that," he said. "No, it wasn't perfect, but it was emotionally perfect ... and that's what the audience really feels. ... This competition, right now, it's yours to lose."
Steven Tyler said, "Pitchy, a little bit, in a strange James Durbin kind of way, but it was beautiful."
Jennifer Lopez observed, "You're not just the guy who can wail up into the stratosphere. You have the heart and the soul to back it up. ... You are a true, true artist."
Currently the leader in many power rankings lists and among the Vegas oddsmakers, Durbin may have solidified his lead, at least for the moment. But was Randy Jackson's assessment correct. Is "American Idol" now Durbin's contest to lose?
James Durbin and "American Idol" fans will find out if the rocker becomes one of the final four contestants on the Top 5 results show, but it appears that he is close to a lock for the finale. Fans in the Myrtle Beach area can follow the young family man's journey on Fox Television via WFXB Fox TV every Wednesday and Thursday.
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