Chikezie Eze is a determined man. A 22 year old from Inglewood, California, Eze had formerly tried out for American Idol, but did not make the cut. This year, Chikezie Eze returned and showed vast improvement, impressing the judges with his San Diego audition and moving on to the Hollywood round. He lists Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye as two of his influences.
On March 26, Chikezie was voted off American Idol, having been one of the top 12. Coming off the competition, he says that he has no regrets, and believes that all his song choices were what he felt was right for him.
"I love what I did," Chikezie said in his exit interview. "I'd spoken to the vocal coaches and [bandleader] Rickey Minor and they counseled me that if I'm going to do something, I have to do what's in my heart."
He adds, "I don't do things for no reason. When I'm performing, it's with the intention of lifting up people's spirits and entertaining them."
When it comes to the people Chikezie bonded with the most, he says it's "My boy, David Hernandez. We started this off together. We met in line in San Diego and we've been together throughout this whole thing."
He also has some nicknames for the Davids of the competition, with Archuleta nicknamed "Archie" and Cook being "Cookie."
Week 1: "More Today Than Yesterday"
Week 2: "More Today Than Yesterday"
Week 3: "All the Woman That I Need"
Week 4: "She's a Woman"
Week 5: "I've Just Seen a Face"
Week 6: "If Only for One Night"
Read More:
Ten Best Performances of the Season Ten Worst Performances of the Season (Photo courtesy of FOX)