John Stevens

Considering his velvet voice, earnest green-eyed blue-collar Buffalo charm, sharp suits, and his innate ability to produce finger-snapping, toe-tapping sounds, some might argue that American Idol 3 finalist John Stevens was born in the wrong era.

But this 17 year old would beg to differ. He firmly believes it don’t mean a thing unless it ain’t got that swing and he intends to prove that audiences can still dig it with his upcoming Maverick solo debut. “I want to show America that jazz, big band, and swing music aren’t dead,” says the New York native. “Those types of music are timeless and fun and there’s a whole cool lifestyle associated with it. If done right, these genres appeal to people of all ages.”

That type of music appealed to John at the ripe ol’ age of 5. Whenever his parents chose to travel with his older brother’s hockey team, the shy, quiet son stayed with his grandparents. He quickly found his way into their record collection and became mesmerized by the tunes of Dean Martin, Cole Porter, Tony Bennett, Duke Ellington, and, of course, his all-time favorite Frank Sinatra. “He just had something special. He was so unique and smooth. No one can perform like the Chairman Of The Board.”

Not for lack of trying, according to John’s mom Lynne Stevens, “from ages 8 through 11, he would wake up in the morning singing Sinatra and wouldn’t stop. His older brother and sister were always screaming at me to make him stop. Now they both realize it wasn’t such a stupid hobby.”

John claims he’s known music was more than a hobby since he had his first solo in seventh grade school chorus. To pursue that career goal, he took up the piano at 8, has worked with a vocal coach for the last two years, and joined the Western New York Children’s Choir, Buffalo Choral Arts Society, and American Music Abroad, which gave him the opportunity to perform in such faraway places as Venice, Germany, and Switzerland. Little did he know that his date with destiny would take place much closer to his home in Suburban East Amherst at the New York City casting call for American Idol.

“Originally, I told my mom I wanted to try out because I wanted to go sightseeing in New York. I thought when we showed up to the tryouts and my mom saw the line of 11,000, she’d think, ‘Absolutely not. I’m not sitting out there for two days.’ Little did I know, she wasn’t going to say that. She, in fact, insisted that we sit there and that I was going to go through with it because we’d traveled all that way. So I waited, sang, did a Dean Martin impression, and next thing I knew I was in Hollywood.”

John knew a rough road lay ahead; he had to be tutored three hours a day on top of all the work associated with the show. “It was a lot of work but three hours of school beats six a day,” says John. “Going into it, I knew I didn’t fit in because I wasn’t straight pop. But I think that’s why I got as far as I did. Being different made me stand out.”

He was not the last artist standing on the series, but he isn’t complaining. “I’m actually glad I didn’t win. I wouldn’t have had a moment of free time in the last five months and I’d be off doing some commercial or teen musical movie instead of heading for the studio to record my first solo CD of my favorite standards,” says John, who spent the summer touring with his former competitors. Not that he regrets his 15-week reality TV stint. “American Idol paved the way for me to become a professional singer and follow my dreams. It’s a doctorate for the music business. You learn about labels, TV production, style, vocal techniques, how to carry yourself. It helped me come out of my shell, widened my range, and become a stronger performer.”

Numerous websites were created in his honor, autograph requests became commonplace, and he even got asked to escort complete strangers to their prom. “When I went back to school, people recognized me on the street and girls treated me differently. Not the ones I knew but the popular too-cool-for-anybody ones. Suddenly I was on that level too. It’s fake, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it. I am a teenager so I definitely don’t mind all the panties, bras, and teddy bears people throw on stage. Of course, my mom having to tour with me ruins any real chance of anything going further.”

For now, the under-aged but old-fashioned crooner will have to settle for the development of his career, which he hopes will eventually include composing original numbers, acting, and a headlining gig in swinger central Las Vegas. Although he periodically misses his family and friends, playing tennis, and school dances and wants to graduate and attend the Berklee School Of Music, he knows normal life will have to wait. “I think everyone in my position wishes they were at home on the couch watching TV and being lazy sometimes, but the ones who make it realize that this is a chance of a lifetime. I need to take advantage of it.”