Son of American Idol
One of the 24 finalists on "American Idol" is Nikko Smith. The name Nikko was changed from O.J., or Ozzie Smith, Jr. He is the son of the Cardinals' Hall of Fame shortstop.The 22-year-old Nikko, who changed his professional nickname to avoid being linked to a different famous athlete, has been performing in front of large audiences his whole life.
Baseball fans with long memories will remember at least two occasions in which O.J. substituted for his father doing the senior's patented backflip. At five years old, he made his first splash in the movies by co-starring in the popular video release, "Ozzie-The Movie," in which he uttered the infamous line, "I like to hit a lot of home runs, and I know how to hit a lot of home runs."
Already a budding singer at the age of 11, O.J. performed a solo with the "Caring Choir" on "The Little Drummer Boy," released on the groundbreaking CD "A Cardinal Christmas." He has performed the national anthem at Busch Stadium on multiple occasions, including Ozzie Smith Retirement Weekend in 1996.
Nikko says he decided not to follow in his father's footsteps a long time ago. "It wasn't really my thing. I'm not really a sports person. I'm more of an artist, a singer, and a dancer," he says, forgetting that his father was equal parts athlete and artist. "My Dad's loving it," said Smith, "He's been really supportive, and everybody's praying for me."
Nikko's father is no stranger to the stage. He has danced on-stage with the great Savion Glover and has portrayed the Wizard of Oz (naturally) during performances at the Muny Opera House in St. Louis. Despite that, Nikko says he inherited his singing talent from his mother, Denise Smith, who sings in church.
Nikko will be performing Monday night on "American Idol," with an elimination show to follow on Wednesday. He has not been getting early attention on the show. On "American Idol" message boards, viewers mostly noted how much he looks like his father. He says his versatility makes him special. He cites Sam Cooke, R. Kelly, Marvin Gaye, Rascal Flatts and Journey as examples of his wide-ranging tastes. Here's his profile on the "American Idol" website.
8:00pm Update- Nikko drew first assignment. (Number one- just like his old man.) He expertly performed Stevie Wonder's "Part-Time Lover," the first of four Stevie Wonder songs performed. The judges seemed to like him, except that scoundrel Simon. I'd say he was in the four/five range (out of 12) as far as their assessments. You can vote for Nikko at 1-866-IDOLS-01. The call will cost $1,000.
---
Haven't been to St. Louis lately? Check out the progress on the new Busch Stadium at www.ballparkconstruction.com .
posted by CM @ 6:41 PM
5 Comments:
I hate that Simon! He's so rude and he thinks he's so smart just because he's British. He's not though. In fact, I think he's the worst one on that program. I'm so sick of him and I read in People magazine that Paula hates him too. She's sick of all his fat jokes.
Actually, I've never seen the show.
I watched the show for the first time last night, as a matter of fact. Simon is a pompous, soulless bastard, but he's just giving the people what they want.
That guy that hosts the show seems to play the protagonist opposite Simon's villainous persona: he comforts the singers and reprimands Simon for his nasty comments. It's a good system.
I engaged a conversation the other night about who was the biggest breakout star of American Idol so far. The answer is not Kelly Clarkson or Clay Aiken, it's Simon.
I suspect that when the idea for this show was pitched to FOX, it was pitched as Star Search with a pompous British bastard like that woman on "The Weakest Link."
The popular video release "Ozzie-The Movie." BWAAAAHAHAHAA!!!
Post a Comment
<< Home