City nurtures singing sensation
Laura Sturza
Burbank resident J.D. Adams -- one of 32 semifinalists picked from
70,000 people who auditioned for “American Idol” -- is bringing a bit
of attention to his hometown.
Though the lifelong resident’s Tuesday performance of Stevie
Wonder’s “All in Love is Fair” did not qualify him as a finalist,
Adams’ talent grabbed people’s attention.
“Every one of my students is watching,” teacher Pam Pouliot said
Tuesday of her John Muir Middle School students. “He is bringing
recognition from all over the country to Burbank.”
The 20-year-old singer and his mother Lisa credit the
award-winning choir programs at John Muir and Burroughs High School
with readying him to stand confidently in the spotlight.
“It really prepared me, with all the huge shows we had,” the
singer and former president of his high school choir said.
He decided to go to the Nov. 18 Rose Bowl audition after being
inspired by watching the program, and because of his friends’
encouragement. Since the finals were taped in Los Angeles, he had the
hometown advantage and was able to draw on the support of his friends
and family, he said.
But the buzz around Adams isn’t limited to Burbank. Former
classmate Michelle Nunes, now a student at San Diego State
University, gathered her friends to watch him on the show, which airs
on Fox-TV Channel 11.
“He has charisma and attitude and it was just waiting for someone
to find him,” Nunes said.
The competitive choir circuit has produced other stars, such as
Lance Bass of ‘N Sync, said Brett Carroll, Burbank High School’s new
vocal music director.
“These programs are good training grounds for people who aspire to
do these things,” Carroll said.
When Adams was at the school, he was directed by Michelle Jensen,
who started the program. His sister is a member of one of the five
choir programs directed by Carroll.
One parent of Pouliot’s students from the 1980s still contributes
$1,000 each year, videotapes the shows and copies them for each of
the 200 singers, Pouliot said.
Adams plans for a future in the entertainment industry, whether it
is in front of the cameras or behind them, he said.
His mother hopes he will complete college, having started work
toward a music degree at Asuza Pacific University and Glendale
Community College.
“I just want him to be a confident, moral human being that has
success in whatever he does,” she said.