5272593.jpgDavid Archuleta’s singing was an unstoppable force of nature. Somewhere in the family’s genetic chemistry, the music seeped right into his bones, and then fate or providence or whatever you want to call it lent a hand.

What if his father hadn’t left a “Les Miz” record lying around the house?

What if his mother, a singer and dancer, hadn’t emigrated from Honduras to Florida, where she met his father, who was there only to do temporary sales work for a summer?

What if his sister’s boyfriend hadn’t stumbled into a legendary voice coach, or what if the voice coach hadn’t needed help with his computers?

“So many things have happened along the way to make this happen,” says Jim Archuleta, David’s grandfather.

David, the sweet-faced 17-year-old “American Idol” sensation from Salt Lake City, was drawn to singing the way most boys are drawn to football and video games. As fate would have it again, the 5-foot-4 teen developed a big, full voice that belies his stature. And with the soulful voice, he sang with purpose.

“Since David was 8, his goal has been to achieve enough celebrity that he would be able to reach many people with the gospel message through his music,” says his grandfather. “He is very LDS.”

He was only 12 when he appeared on “Star Search,” a remake of an old talent show that ran on CBS for a couple of years to ride the coattails of “American Idol.” He was awarded perfect scores from the celebrity judges — Naomi Judd, LeAnn Rimes, Ben Stein and Ahmet Zappa — and with it the $100,000 first prize. The first question he was asked during a telephone interview with a Salt Lake Tribune reporter was this:

“What do you plan to do with all that money?”

David’s response, which went unreported by the Tribune: “The first thing I’m going to do is pay my tithing.”

He gave $10,000 to his church — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Some four years later, David finds himself again showcasing his singing talent on the national stage. He has ranked first in the “American Idol” popular vote in every round. In his only subpar outing, he momentarily forgot the lyrics and struggled through a performance this week, but what almost no one knew is that he has been fighting a strep throat infection through two shows. It has been reported that record companies want to sign him regardless of the outcome of “American Idol.” One source told the Deseret Morning News that David already has been contacted by record labels.

No one outside immediate family members could fully explain the David Phenomenon — and now they can’t talk, since “American Idol” requires all contestants and their families to sign a contract agreeing not to speak to the media about the show while the competition is under way.

Friends and high school acquaintances all describe David as painfully shy, but put him on a stage in front of thousands — or millions, in this case — and he becomes an entertainer.

“That’s real — he is very shy,” says Jim Archuleta. “You couldn’t get three words in a row out of him, but he transforms the minute he gets on stage.”

David’s career on the national stage began with another twist of fate 11 years ago. Jim’s son, Jeff — David’s father — brought home a 10th anniversary collection of songs from “Les Miserables.” A month later, Jeff was stunned to hear David not only singing every song from the Broadway musical by memory, with all the right accents, but also in perfect pitch.

He was 6 years old.

“That’s when we realized this kid has a gift,” says Jim. “And there is no question about it — he does have a gift.”

The source of David’s talent can be traced through his ancestry. Jim performed with a quartet to earn money while attending the University of Utah. Jim’s first wife, Claudia — David’s grandmother — was a singer and aspiring actress (they divorced and she died six years later).

David’s father acted on stage in Promised Valley Playhouse productions of “Music Man” and “Peanuts” and in a TV commercial for the LDS Church. He also played the trumpet in BYU’s nationally renowned Jazz group, “Synthesis,” and considered making a career out of music.

“I talked him out of it,” says Jim. “I didn’t think that was a vocation that would be good for him and his family. I told him, ‘You should keep that as a hobby so you can be home with your family.”‘

Jeff, who sells electronic equipment and computers, continues to play the trumpet and writes his own songs.

Jim believes the source of David’s talent comes largely through David’s mother, Lupe, who emigrated to the United States after joining the LDS Church in her native Honduras. After serving a Spanish-speaking church mission in Philadelphia, Jeff met Lupe while working a summer job selling insulation in Florida, and they married. Lupe was a singer and salsa dancer, and she passed on a passion for both to her five children — Claudia, David, Daniel, Melissa and Amber. They sang and danced for church groups, Kiwanis clubs, Boy Scouts, family gatherings and parties.

David, the second oldest child, performed one of his father’s songs at a BYU women’s conference. He performed at a political function for Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. In his spare time, he listened to recordings of his favorite singers — Natasha Bedingfield, Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Bryan Adams, Kirk Franklin.

He made his national debut at 10. The “Jenny Jones Show” was looking for minority performers. A friend called the Archuletas to tell them about it, and David was chosen to perform on the show.

Two years later he landed on “Star Search” almost by accident. His aunt Char had a boyfriend who was in the music business; during a meeting with famed voice coach Seth Riggs, Riggs mentioned that he couldn’t find anyone to program computer software that he used to teach singing. The boyfriend recommended Jeff, a computer whiz. Jeff flew to California and installed the programs and then casually mentioned that his son was a singer. Riggs offered to hear him perform. David, 11 at the time, sang for Riggs, who was impressed enough that he worked with him briefly and then recommended that he train with Salt Lake-based voice coach Dean Kaelin.

In another fateful twist, Riggs, who has coached 120 Grammy winners, was the vocal coach for the “Star Search” program. David not only made the show’s lineup but went on to win the contest.

“Music has been everything in David’s life,” says Jim. “He was never into sports; he was always focused on music. The reason he’s a good performer is that he’s very sensitive to music, and he’s able to transmit that in his music.”

David, who exudes a certain gentleness and goodness even through the TV screen, is described as “just a good sensitive kid” by his grandfather. Jim also notes that David, normally a straight-A student, is “almost obsessive” about his grades — he once expressed his disappointment over one of his grades, an A-minus. In his spare time, he writes songs and plays piano and guitar, in addition to taking regular voice lessons.

David has always planned to attend college and serve a church mission — his “Star Search” money has been invested to cover those expenses — but with his success on “American Idol” and the record-label offers, those plans could change.

Says Jim, “I talked to Jeff about David’s plans for college, and Jeff said, ‘I don’t know if he can afford to go to college. He can make so much money (singing) that he will never be able to afford (to quit).”‘

Meanwhile, on “American Idol” night, Jim and his wife, Carol, sit in front of the TV to watch David, offering their own critiques of the performers aloud, like everyone else in America.

“We are having a wonderful time,” says Jim. “David has been adding a great deal of pleasure to our lives for many years.”

…source