With Season 11 of American Idol under way, I thought it would be fun to take a look back and some of our favorite contestants from the past, specifically those who either didn’t make the Top 24 or, if they did, sort of faded away after being eliminated, and see where they are now. This week’s Then and Now look was requested by Idol Radio Show regular commentator, and sometimes genius, ChuckRitt.
Blonde hair Josiah Leming was 18-years-old when he auditioned in Atlanta for Season 7 of American Idol. He had packed up all his belongings prior to the audition…… actually, nearly a year before the audition. In one of those sob stories that viewers still remember to this day, Josiah had left home when he was 17 and was living out of his car.
But let Josiah, and American Idol tell you that story.
Josiah would later tell MTV News that he didn’t want to be one of American Idol‘s sob stories, that he wanted to stand with his voice. Whether the viewers would have liked Josiah at this point without the sob story is unknown, but he certainly had the talent needed as well as a charm that put viewers at ease. Whatever the reason, though, he left the auditions as one of the more well-known, and popular contestants.
But many wondered if he was up to the task of taking on what Hollywood Week had to offer.
The answer, as it turns out, was both yes and no.
Early on in Hollywood Week, Josiah slayed the rest of the competition with his rendition of Mika’s “Grace Kelly.” The judges not only loved his performance, Simon said, “I think of all the auditions, this is the one I’m going to remember.” It was a performance that most viewers felt guaranteed him a spot in that season’s Top 24. Who cares that there were still two rounds to go in the week? A singer with that good of a performance, that strong of a talent, is certainly going to be around when the live shows start.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be for Josiah. The final round of Hollywood Week would claim him as yet another victim.
I cannot even begin to imagine how much pressure these guys are under. Round 1 of Hollywood Week is the easiest round. But you then go straight from there into the Group Round, and then straight from there into Round 3. There is no time to prep for these rounds. If something goes wrong, it’s likely to affect you the entire round.
And that’s what happened with Josiah. He became overwhelmed by both the pressure of the back-to-back rounds as well as trying to put together a song he didn’t know. His rehearsal with the band didn’t go well and he apparently didn’t understand what vocal coach Debra Byrd was trying to offer him. Then he made one of the most bone-headed moves ever seen on American Idol: He dismissed the band.
Sadly, that would be the end of Josiah on the show. Despite the horrendous Final Round, I, like Josiah, thought he would be put through to the Top 24. The judges regularly look past bad performances and put contestants into the Top 24 based on the strength of their good ones.
Since the show, Josiah has continued to have some ups and downs. He was signed by Warner Bros. just a few months after he left American Idol, making him one of the only non-semi-finalists from the show to get signed. But it would take two years for his debut album, Come on Kid to get released. Reports at the time said 19 Entertainment filed suit to stop the release of the album, though Josiah told MTV News it took that long mostly in order to ensure a good album. When the album was released on September 13, 2010, it flopped. Too much time had passed since Idol and Josiah’s name had been out of circulation for too long. He was dropped by Warner Bros. by the end of that year.
Josiah continues to make music. He self-released his sophomore album, Another Life (available through his website), on November 29, 2011. He has posted several songs from the album, along with other videos, on his YouTube Channel. And he has a Facebook Fan Page that he keeps up-to-date with appearances.
We’ll never know how far Josiah could have gone had he made the American Idol Top 24, and I’ve never seen anything indicating that he cares to try out again. But he’s making music, he still has that weird British accent when he sings, and he’s still incredibly talented.
What were your memories of Josiah Leming on American Idol? What do you think of him today? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
And if there is a past American Idol contestant you would like me to feature in a “Then and Now” blog entry, post it below.
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