Question: Who has influenced your personal musical style?
Answer: Mary Mary, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, The Clark Sisters
Question: Who is your favorite male artist and why?
Answer: My favorite male artists are Usher and Ne-Yo. I love Usher for his wonderful stage performance and vocal control and Ne-Yo for his writing skills.
Question: Who is your favorite female artist and why?
Answer: I have a love for Whitney in her '80s days for the impact she had on the music scene. Her style was so original and no one to this day sounds like her.
Question: What was the first concert you attended?
Answer: My first and only concert ever was DC Talk, a gospel Rap group. My dad took me when I was little, before he died.
Question: If you could perform in any venue in the world, where would that be? Why?
Answer: I would love to perform at Wembley Stadium in London. It holds 90,000 fans and Michael Jackson performed there in 1985, a year before I was born.
Question: How has music inspired you?
Answer: Gospel has been in my family since berfore I was born so when I was able to talk I sang in the choir and led songs. I was inspired to do music through my family and Gospel music.
Question: Do you have any formal singing training?
Answer: I have no singing training, but I have learned breathing lessons from a vocal coach.
Question: What album would your friends be surprised you own?
Answer: LOL M.I.A.'s album. I love "Paper Planes." I play this CD all the time. Jamming out!
Question: If you could perform with any person or group, who would it be and why?
Answer: I would love to perform with "The Temptations!"
Question: What do you do to unwind after a performance?
Answer: I sit and get on my phone and call my mom so I can relax my nerves. I get nervous after performing.
Question: Which theme week would be most challenging to you and why?
Answer: I think country music would be challenging for me even though I'm from Nashville. I was around more blues, soul, and gospel music.
Question: What theme week would you love to have for Season 10?
Answer: I would love to have a swing week! The Big Band Swing music would really turn it out!
Question: What’s your dream song to perform?
Answer: My dream song to perform is Teena Marie & Rick James' "Fire and Desire."
Question: What makes a great performer?
Answer: What I think makes a great performer is first a connection with the audience. It doesn't take all the riffs and runs you can do. Planting your feet on the stage and having passion when you sing is all you need.
Question: How do you combat stage fright?
Answer: First, before I get on stage, I say a prayer to remove fear, and then I step on stage and grab eye contact with people in the audience and sing to them.
Question: How do you plan on differentiating yourself in the competition?
Answer: I will differentiate myself by attacking each song with deliverance. I will make sure my stage performance elevates each show.
Question: If you could model your career after an artist, who would it be and why?
Answer: I would model my career by Whitney Houston ('80s Whitney) because I've followed her style as I grew up and would love to have her style musically.
Question: If you couldn’t sing, what other talent would you most like to have?
Answer: I'm an artist as well. I draw portraits, so I would probably try to get my art in art galleries, but I don't enjoy it as much as singing/writing.
Question: What has been the most unique job/chore you’ve ever had?
Answer: My most unique job was singing back-up for former American Idol Corey Clark in Nashville. It was amazing!
Question: How would you define success in life?
Answer: Success isn't just about being financially blessed. Success is having comfort in your life and accomplishing the goals you've set for yourself. (Money helps, LOL).
Question: What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever seen or experienced??
Answer: LOL. The most embarrassing thing I've seen was when Michelle Williams from Destiny's Child was on BET 106 & Park performing and she fell coming out and Beyonce looked at her and kept walking. (I felt bad, LOL).
Question: What’s your proudest moment in life outside of American Idol?
Answer: My first proudest moment was when I got my first apartment. I cried cause it was empty and all mine!
Question: What would people be surprised to learn about you?
Answer: People would be surprised if they knew I owned a pair of flats, because heels are the only shoes I can stand!
Question: If you have 24 hours to do anything you wanted, what would you do?
Answer: I would go bungee jumping if I had 24 hours to do what I wanted.
Question: Who is the person that you would most like to meet?
Answer: I would love to meet Chaka Khan! I talk about her all the time. She's one of my idols.
Question: Do you have a favorite quote, phrase or personal motto / words to live by?
Answer: Blessed to be stressed!
Question: What’s been the most surprising part of the Idol experience so far?
Answer: The most surprising part was performing a Beatles song. It was a challenge for me because I had never heard The Beatles before.
Question: What have you learned about yourself by going through the Idol audition process?
Answer: I have learned that I had more confidence than I thought I had. I never knew people liked my positive personality until now.
Question: What are you hoping to get out of your Idol experience?
Answer: I'm hoping to have the experience of a seasoned performer and also more of the confidence that allows me to perform better than I ever had. I'm hoping to gain fans that can feel my life experiences and feel my passion through my performance. I need this so bad I can taste it!
I saw you grow a little more as a singer.