Monday, January 30, 2012

#52 Pia Toscano

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 52 American Idol finalist Pia Toscano. She landed in 9th place on American Idol season 9. She was an early frontrunner in the competition. Her elimination came as a shock to the judges and the studio audience, all of whom were visibly and vocally upset. Some viewers and media outlets described Toscano's elimination as one of the most shocking eliminations in American Idol history. Her elimination was not shocking to me.

Pia Ann Rose Toscano was born of Italian heritage to Jane and Pat Toscano on October 14, 1988. She hails from Howard Beach, New York. Her father worked as a corporate executive. She began performing in talent shows when she was four, and by the age of nine, she had performed in a local church theatrical production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Toscano was the official U.S. National Anthem singer at her middle school, P.S./M.S. 207, and performed at every event including graduation. She graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (founded by Fiorello H. LaGuardia in 1936) in New York City in 2006. Fellow American Idol season 10 finalist Karen Rodriguez also attended this high school.

Toscano performed the U.S. National Anthem and "God Bless America" for the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets’ minor league team, several times a year for three years. In addition, Toscano was the winner of the New York Mets annual "Anthem Search" competition in 2008 and was selected to sing the National Anthem at a July 2008 game. Toscano was also the opening act for the band Barenaked Ladies and performed with Josh Groban at Madison Square Garden.

Before her time on American Idol, Toscano worked as a makeup artist and as a wedding singer in a band known as "Current Affair." Her musical influences are Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Etta James (who died recently), and Luther Vandross (who died in 2005).

Toscano auditioned for American Idol four times before. She previously auditioned for American Idol season 6 and advanced to Hollywood, but her journey ended there. In 2010, she auditioned for American Idol season 10 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with the song "Until You Come Back to Me" by Stevie Wonder and advanced to the Hollywood Round, this time advancing to the live shows.

1 comment:

olemanbob said...

Being over 70 yrs old now and following music for well over 50 years, once in a century we are blessed with a angelic voice, Perhaps one of the greatest finds in the music business by Jimmy Iovine was signing New York's Pia Toscano to a recording contract.Pia's voice and talent is that one in a million that everyone always looks for, and you can expect great things to happen to Pia in her future as an entertainer.With her voice, her looks and her profound love of following the American dream, her family and moral values being OUTSTANDING, Pia Toscano will be a super megastar for years to come, and a super role model for all the young children to follow. Thank You God for sending us Pia Toscano!
Pia Toscano is an emerging music superstar, and you can follow her rise to fame on twitter.com@PiaToscano.