James Durbin has a multi-album deal with the Italian record company Frontiers and is about to release a new heavy metal album in 2024. Ironically, the same record label the co-writer of this song, Jim Peterik, is on as a member of the group Pride of Lions. Bo Bice, who sang Peterik's song "Vehicle" on Idol, has co-written with Peterik on the Ides of March song "Love or Something Like It" from their Play On album (Bo also sings co-lead vocals with Peterik on the song). Another American Idol alum, Leslie Hunt, has a new song coming out in January 2024 on Peterik's upcoming World Stage album. She previously sang some songs on his Tigress World Stage album including the wonderful song, "Brave is Beautiful".
All these years later, and Durbin is still one of my favorite contestants. He was an inspiration to kids with disabilities everywhere. It still blows my mind, the tremendous healing powers of music.
Hate to say it, but he was WAY pitchy - not on the highest notes, but earlier, when he kept not quite coming up to pitch, or was taking too long. Yeah, Zakk is a guitar guru, but there, he just seemed to have overplayed it, and it bore little relation to the original, and wasn't near as good. I think he has an amazing voice, and could go far in hard rock and heavy metal; but Sammy is not trivial to cover, and he was in his prime, then.
