The Chikezie no know really knew
There's so much we didn't know about Chikezie. And now he's gone.
Here's an exit interview:
Here's an exit interview:
Mike Hughes • Gannett News Service • March 27, 2008
As Chikezie ended his "American Idol" run, viewers still didn't really know the guy.
In fact, they didn't know how to say his last name. That's why he dropped it, he told reporters today. "It was constantly mispronounced."
He
entered the competition as Chikezie Eze. Judges kept assuming that
names rhyme. Not so, Chikezie said. In his first name, each "e" is
long; in his second, each is short.
There are many things that
don't fit expectations. His parents are Nigerian natives who wanted a
strict upbringing, he has said. For instance:
He wasn't supposed to date until he's 16.
He's never been to a concert, he said today, the day after being voted out. Still,
this
isn't a music novice. Classes at Santa Monica College had a huge
impact. "It's what made me the singer that I am," Chikezie said. "I
would not be on 'Idol' if it weren't for that."
He sang in choral groups and in school musicals. Indeed, Chikezie said he was most excited about being mentored by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer of Broadway hits.
"I respect his body of work," Chikezie said. "What an honor it would have been."
Instead, he was voted out this week, just before the first mentor (Dolly Parton) had arrived. If he had been there, he said, he would have wanted to sing her "9 to 5."
Chikezie did last long enough, however, to make the Top 10 and the summer tour. "I never thought I would be doing this," he said. "I thought maybe I could get by, singing here and there."
Many contestants have complained about the "Idol" workload. Chikezie disagrees. Getting on the show was tough, he said. "The rest, I was just enjoying the ride." This week, he said, he didn't even fret about whether Simon Cowell, the most critical judge, would approve. "I knew Simon wasn't going to feel it, no matter what .... It took a lot of the pressure off."
Wasn't there anything in the experience he disliked? Well, he granted, he wasn't fond of the group numbers. "Does anyone actually enjoy those?"
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