David Hernandez | |
|---|---|
 David Hernandez at theAmerican Idol, Season 7, Top 12 after party on March 6, 2008. | |
| Background information | |
| Born | David Anthony Hernandez (1983-05-31)May 31, 1983 (age 42) |
| Origin | Glendale, Arizona, United States |
| Genres | Soul, R&B, pop, gospel |
| Occupations | Musician, singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels | Pending |
David Anthony Hernandez (born May 31, 1983) is an American singer and the twelfth place finalist of FOX'sseventh season of the television seriesAmerican Idol. He moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue his music career after his time onAmerican Idol.
Hernandez was born inPhoenix, Arizona, but grew up mostly inGlendale. He was raised by his single mom, Spring Hernandez.[1] His father is a truck driver and he has a younger sister named Alexandra, 8 years his junior.[2]
He began singing at age six. His grandfather took him to his first audition for a local theater company, Valley Youth Theater. David was chosen for one of the lead roles, and decided on a career singing and performing.[3] Hernandez used to train at Voices, a vocal coaching studio. His teacher claimed that Hernandez trained "whenever he could afford it" as he wasn't always financially stable.[4]
He was a young gymnast and won medals in the Grand Canyon Olympics. Hernandez had some acting experiences and was in an independent film beforeAmerican Idol.[5] He also once had aspiration of becoming an entertainment show host.[6]
As a teenager, Hernandez went to a college inTucson, Arizona.[2] During college, he had a job selling knives door-to-door.[1] He was a student atArizona State University, majoring inbroadcast journalism.
BeforeAmerican Idol, he worked various jobs, including singing on cruise ships, working as a server at a pizza bistro, and working at night clubs. Hernandez also used to sing with a local Phoenix cover group called Tribe 7.[4]
On hisAmerican Idol "Fast Facts" page, David cites musical influences as:Stevie Wonder,Donny Hathaway,Alicia Keys,Anthony Hamilton,Michael Jackson,Peabo Bryson. When asked to list his top pop artists, he cites; Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Peabo Bryson. He also citesFantasia Barrino andKelly Clarkson as his favorite formerAmerican Idol contestants.[7]Randy Jackson claimed after one of his performances onAmerican Idol that Hernandez has a Stevie Wonder vibe coming from his singing style. Hernandez himself described his sound as pop and R&B influenced.[8]
David Hernandez was once part of a singing group called Vinyl Four which consisted of four singers prior to his appearance onAmerican Idol. The group performed on the cruise ships. Hernandez also has performed with the Latin/R&B bands Tribe 7 and Straight up. Prior to his participation onAmerican Idol, Hernandez has performed at Urban Network Events,Arizona Idol and at aMartin Luther King Jr. Day parade. He was a finalist inArizona Idol (the winner of the competition secures a chance to audition for FOX'sAmerican Idol). After failing to take first place, he traveled to San Diego to audition successfully for the seventh season ofAmerican Idol.[1]
Hernandez auditioned forAmerican Idol season 7 at San Diego, California, singing "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" in front of the judges. All the three judges loved his audition and let him advance to the Hollywood round. In Hollywood, he sang "Love the One You're With" for his audition and received unanimous praise from the three judges. Hernandez was finally chosen as one of the Top 24 semi-finalists for season 7 (albeit with some hesitance from Simon).
During the first week of the semi-finals, Hernandez was the first contestant to perform. He performed "In the Midnight Hour" and was voted through the next round. During the top 20-week, he performed The Temptations' "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". This performance received praises from all the three judges and convertedSimon Cowell into a fan. His "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" was both vocally convincing and demonstrated a degree of showmanship that he had previously been missing.[1] After performing "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" during the Top 16-week,Paula Abdul claimed that he has one of the best vocals in the competition. Simon added that he definitely secured his place in the finals on that. Hernandez was voted through to the Top 12 the following day.
Hernandez, considered by some an early favorite,[9] was the first member of the Top 12 to be eliminated, on March 12, 2008. Hernandez, along with 11th-place finisherAmanda Overmyer, did not perform on the annual summer tour.
Hernandez was revealed to have worked as a nude male stripper at agay strip club, called Dick's Cabaret, in Phoenix, Arizona.[10][11] No disclosure of his career as a stripper was made by Fox prior to the release and he was allowed to remain on the show.American Idol has had female former strippers in the show before and has not held the work against them.[12]
| Week # | Theme | Song choice | Original artist | Order # | Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 24 (12 Men) | 1960s | "In the Midnight Hour" | Wilson Pickett | 1 | Safe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 20 (10 Men) | 1970s | "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" | The Undisputed Truth | 6 | Safe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 16 (8 Men) | 1980s | "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" | Pandora's Box | 4 | Safe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 12 | Lennon–McCartney | "I Saw Her Standing There" | The Beatles | 8 | Eliminated |
After he was eliminated onAmerican Idol, David Hernandez made various appearances onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show (where he performed the song "In the Midnight Hour")Today Show,Access Hollywood,TRL, andTV Guide Network'sIdol Tonight. He was subsequently asked to perform at The Children's Hospital of New York Presbyterian where he sang "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" and "In the Midnight Hour."
Hernandez sang the National Anthem at US Airways Centre on April 4, 2008, for thePhoenix RoadRunners hockey game finals.[citation needed] On May 1, 2008, Hernandez made an appearance atTV Guide's Sexiest Stars 2008 Party.
Hernandez stated that he had hoped to have an album out by 2009.[13] He claimed that his first album is definitely going to be pop- and R&B-influenced, and he would like to write his own songs on the album. "It's definitely going to be an eclectic kind of vibe. I'd like to put a little bit of rock and R&B in it too. That's the kind of image I want to put out there. I'm more of an R&B, grit-and-grind kind of singer."[14]
Hernandez toured withDiana DeGarmo,Kimberley Locke andChikezie on a 20-city Idol Holiday Tour from November 28, 2008, through December 21, 2008. Hernandez has appeared on theCBS Early Show and performed on FOX'sThe Morning Show with Mike and Juliet. He finished a run performing his own show at the upscale nightclub Barcelona Scottsdale, located inScottsdale, Arizona in June 2009. Hernandez opened forJohn Legend at the Declare Yourself Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C., on January 18, 2009. He collaborates with sidemanShea Marshall for private performances around the Western US and Canada. Hernandez toured withGina Glocksen,Michael Sarver andAlexis Grace in "The American Stars in Concert 2009" and released his first Christmas record entitled "This Christmas." Hernandez headlined a New Year's Eve show at the Greek Isle Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, withMikalah Gordon and Dezmond Meeks. He rejoined the "Ballroom with a Twist" tour in mid-January 2010 that extended its run through March 2010. He was in "Motown Memories", a Motown tribute show located inScottsdale, Arizona at the Talking Stick Casino & Resort that ran until April 30, 2011. He then rejoined "Ballroom with a Twist" alongside Gina Glocksen for a three-month run in Las Vegas, Nevada, while also continuing the "American Stars in Concert 2011" Tour withLakisha Jones, Gina Glocksen, Michael Sarver and Alexis Grace. Hernandez has been reported to be working withPrintz Board ofThe Black Eyed Peas on a single. Hernandez performed at San JosePride Festival on August 18, 2013.[15]
In 2021, Hernandez replacedAaron Carter as the headliner of the nude male musical revueNaked Boys Singing inLas Vegas, for a three-month residency beginning September 15, 2021.[16]
Hernandez came out as gay after releasing his single "Beautiful".[17]
