If Ellen DeGeneres is a fan, then good things will come.  Apparently.  American Idol 7 hopeful and darling of the audition rounds Josiah Leming has reportedly inked a record deal with Warner Brothers, according to RealityTV Magazine.  You may remember Josiah as the sad-looking teenager who had been homeless for the better part of a year, traveling the country and sleeping in his car.  He was one of the final cuts before American Idol's Top 24, and after his elimination there was an unexpected outcry among fans.  Leming was one of the more unique singers Idol has ever seen.  He didn't have a technically sound voice (he often sang out of tune) but the distinctiveness was both undeniable and almost haunting.  It appears that Josiah made a big enough impression on the industry, and now owns a record deal thanks to the exposure of American Idol. 


There hasn't been an official announcement as of yet, but Lemming has reportedly been meeting with studios throughout the month and, if this is the case, the timing seems reasonable.  I'm almost certain that this is the only time a non-finalist on American Idol has received any semblance of a major record deal because of American Idol.  Leming is deserving, if anyone is, and I admit that his few performances that aired on American Idol stuck with me.  While I can understand the backlash from fans about Leming not reaching the Top 24 this season, I'm happy it didn't happen.  The kid's not a pop singer.  He's a musician, a singer/songwriter who needs to spend a few months in the studio and give us a cool album.  He wouldn't have fit on the big stage of American Idol, covering songs that aren't his own. 

I hope Warner Brothers doesn't “pop” Josiah up.  That's the charm – the retro, folksy vibe he gives off.  Let him write his own songs. 


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
Source and Image Courtesy of RealityTV Magazine