CHRIS RICHARDSON| |For American Idol alum Chris Richardson, who placed Top 5 in the 2007 edition of the popular show, life has been a whirlwind ever since. He is currently working on his debut album in Miami with Grammy-nominated producer Ill Factor (Ivan Corraliza), whose credits include Justin Timberlake, Ginuwine, k-OS, Ricky Martin, David Banner, Matisyahu, Trick Daddy, Kasabian and JC Chasez. A new track, the soulful “All Alone,” which was leaked on the Internet, will be the first single from the disc.| |“The song starts out kind of soft-hearted,” he explains, “but by the time you get to the chorus, the anger begins to come out. I wrote it as a cautionary tale. If you mess up in a relationship, you will be left all alone. I think it’s something people can relate to.”| |As the man known to his fans as Chris Rich explains, being part of the Idol phenomenon can be a double-edged sword. “The exposure and the fan base you acquire can really push your career forward, the doors open for you,” he explains. “On the other hand, there are labels that don’t take you seriously. You always have to fight that perception, but looking back on the experience, I’m very grateful for the opportunity.”| |Born in Belgium, the son of a career Air Force Noncommissioned Officer, Richardson has been writing and performing songs since he was in his teens, growing up in the Virginia Beach, VA, area, a hotbed for musicians, including Timbaland, the Neptunes, Missy Elliott and Chris Brown. A three-sport high school star who played football, basketball and baseball, Richardson eventually chose a musical path, learning to play guitar, drums and keyboards as well as sing and write. At 20, he was first runner up in a local talent contest, where one of the judges was producer Teddy Riley, who immediately put him into a studio to record. Just before going on Idol, Chris was asked by Timbaland if he would like to be on the best-selling Shock Value album in his Virginia Beach-based Thomas Crown Studios, but due to the show he couldn’t.| |While auditioning for the program, Richardson’s combination of rock and soul, along with his sweet falsetto, inspired judge Randy Jackson to compare him to Justin Timberlake, which Chris doesn’t mind one bit.| |“I guess it could be worse,” he laughs. “After all, he’s tremendously successful, a real talent. But I’m not Justin Timberlake. I may be influenced by him, but when people hear this album, they will realize we’re completely different.”| |Indeed, Richardson insists that Donny Hathaway is his favorite all-time singer, which explains why he sang Leon Russell’s “A Song for You” (memorably covered by Hathaway) for his audition and the singer’s “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know” during Hollywood Week.| |As for his song choices during the competition, Richardson says he wanted to sing more current songs, “music that I listen to now and would enjoy performing. I wanted to connect to the audience as someone who could combine rock with R&B.”| |He did just that, singing Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Want to Be” and Jason Mraz’s “Geek in the Pink,” as well as a wide range that included songs by country stars Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts, soul diva Diana Ross, British Invasion band Gerry and the Pacemakers, jazz icon Duke Ellington and rockers Eric Clapton, Santana and Bon Jovi.| |“Being on Idol taught me how to display my talent and connect to an audience,” he says. “You learn who accepts you for what you are and who doesn’t, because you either continue on the show or you’re voted off. I tried to stay on as long as possible, so I could show everything I could do as an artist.”| |To that end, Richardson has honed his songwriting skills, working with a number of fellow Idol alums. He co-wrote a pair of songs for Blake Lewis’ debut album (“What’cha Got 2 Lose?” and the iTunes exclusive “Human”), as well as for Jordin Sparks and Phil Stacey. After his convincing performances of songs by Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts, Chris has also received feelers from the country community to work in Nashville.| |“My first priority is to be a performer, but I love to write,” he says. “I may write a song in the studio that’s not right for me, but would be wonderful for someone else. Being known as a songwriter builds my credibility as an artist. You want to show people everything you’re capable of.”| |As for the immediate future, Richardson is prepared to put his money where his mouth is and build his own career outside the major label system, if necessary. He recently went out on a 10-city promotional tour sponsored by Dreyer’s and Edy’s Grand Ice Cream that enabled him to visit several Top 40 radio stations and perform a number of in-stores.| |“The way things are in the music industry today, You have to do things on your own,” he says. “I’m prepared to go the independent route. I’d love one day to have my own label. Look at Elliott Yamin. He’s probably making more money as an indie than he would on a major record company.”| |His new album will reflect the artists he considers his favorites, which include Maroon 5, Jason Mraz, James Brown and Michael Jackson, as well as Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera. And one day, he hopes his name his mentioned in the same breath, and not necessarily associated with his stint on American Idol.| |“I hope, over time, people will know me for something other than that,” he admits. “Look at Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and Daughtry. They’ve managed to transcent that and succeed on their own. I just want to do something different, something that will surprise people.”| |Chris Richardson is already starting to do just that. It sure appears that American Idol was just the beginning for him of what promises to be a long, successful career as a recording artist, performer and songwriter.
The semi classical and electronic music listed here is written and performed by John Young under the pseudonym of Chris Richardson. Further info can be found on John Young’s page here on last fm|www.last.fm/music/john+young
|
