{"id":3798,"date":"2011-02-09T21:03:12","date_gmt":"2011-02-09T21:03:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/idolchatter\/2011\/02\/james-durbin-overcomes-leaves.html"},"modified":"2011-02-09T21:03:12","modified_gmt":"2011-02-09T21:03:12","slug":"james-durbin-overcomes-leaves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2011\/02\/james-durbin-overcomes-leaves.html","title":{"rendered":"James Durbin Overcomes, Leaves American Idol Judges Speechless"},"content":{"rendered":"

21 year old James Durbin has had a rough life. Although he gets his musical ability from his father, he never had a chance to really know him – he overdosed on drugs when James was young. “I didn’t get a chance to know him,” he said in a tear-filled interview on this evening’s episode of American Idol. As if that wasn’t enough to set him back, he was then diagnosed with tourettes and Asperger’s Syndrome. But that doesn’t stop him from singing. “When I sing it just all goes away,” he told the judges. “I don’t have a care in the world.”And boy can he sing. After his initial audition, he tentatively asked Steven Tyler if he could sing an Aerosmith song, “Dream On.” Tyler said yes and Durbin proceeded to belt out an incredible rendition of it. “Wow,” was practically all Tyler could say in response.”You’re range is crazy,” Randy Jackson said. Suffice to say, James Durbin will be going to Hollywood. After leaving the audition he was embraced by Heidi, the person he credits as rescuing him. She leaves him encouraging post-it notes all over the house that say things like “I believe in my music.” The two have a new baby and Durbin is currently unemployed, so American Idol is an incredible opportunity for him. “To hear Steven Tyler approve of me singing one of his songs?” Durbin said afterwords with tears running down his cheeks. “It’s unbelievable.”