New ‘American Idol’ John Wayne Schulz
Every year on ‘American Idol’, fans watch intently as the taped auditions are shown over a period of many weeks to kick off the new season. Odds makers are keeping a close eye on these shows as well, hoping to get a jump on who they should make the betting favorite when the live shows begin.
On Wednesday, fans may have found their next Idol, and odds makers may have found their next betting favorite. John Wayne Schulz emerged from the Texas auditions as one of the favorites of the judges. Message boards all across the US were buzzing after Schulz’s performance.
The country singer who is said to have released an independent album at the age of fourteen, sang ‘Believe’ by Brooks and Dunn. The judges were taken aback by the performance, and fans already were saying how the next American Idol may have been found.
“He (Schulz) was amazing” – said Nicole Benning. “I have watched all of the tryouts so far, and he easily was the best. I have to wait and see who else does well the next couple of weeks, but I know that guy is going to be one of the contestants that goes far, and I think he can win.”
- John Wayne Schulz.
Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson made a huge fuss over all the talent in Austin, Texas during American Idol auditions February 2, but no one stood out to me as much as my two new loves, John Wayne Schultz and Casey Abrams! As different as night and day, Casey and John struck a chord in me for different reasons.
A true Texas boy, John, 23, was named after Hollywood’s #1 cowboy, John Wayne, and auditioned for Idol after promising his mother he would when she was ill two years ago. He won me over with his charming smile, humble attitude and heart warming rendition of Brooks and Dunn’s ‘Believe It.’
‘[I like American Idol because it] “gives opportunity to your small town kiddos” – John’s dad told Ryan Seacrest as his son was wowing the judges inside the audition.
After John, no one pulled at my heart strings again until the end of the episode when we met Casey Abrams. At first when I saw Casey, I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to laugh or change the channel. There was something obnoxious about the 19-year-old musician — he was both pretentious and uncomfortable. When he said he’d been waiting for this audition his whole life, I was 100% confident it was going to be another ‘Like a Virgin’ situation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWIx2TPmIM4
The ten-track set, titled “Ropin’ Dreams,” was recorded by a teenage Schulz in Austin and released on the Texas-based independent label BSW Records in the U.S., Europe and Pacific Rim, BSW president and CEO Frank Willson confirms to Billboard.com.
“He was very, very young when we first started” – Willson says, though he could not recall the exact year that Schulz was signed. An article from Texas A&M University newspaper The Battalion that interviewed the then-14-year-old about his album is dated April 22, 2002. While the article also states that “Ropin’ Dreams” received seven Grammy nominations, Willson clarifies that this was not the case – the album received enough votes to make it into seven categories in the first-round Grammy nomination ballots, but was ultimately not nominated after the final round of voting.
“Ropin’ Dreams” was the first and last album that Schulz recorded with BSW, Willson says, as the teen went on a two-year mission trip shortly after its release. “We didn’t really part ways” – Willson explains. “He’s of Mormon faith, and he had to go on his church mission. He was gone for two years, and we just weren’t able to reconnect once he returned.”