David Hernandez began singing at the young age of six. He was chosen for one of the lead roles for a local theater company, Valley Youth Theater and decided on a career singing and performing after his grandfather took him for the audition. He took vocal coaching and training at Voices, a vocal coaching studio in Arizona. His teacher has said that Hernandez trained “whenever he could afford it” as he wasn’t always financially stable.

When David was growing up, he was a gymnast and won medals in the Grand Canyon Olympics. He’s even tried his hand at acting and was in an independent film before he entered our living rooms on American Idol. At one time, he thought of becoming an entertainment show host (which I could totally see with his humor and personality). Before Idol, he worked various jobs, including singing on cruise ships as part of a singing group called Vinyl Four, working as a server at a pizza bistro, and working at night clubs. He was also part of a local Phoenix cover group called Tribe 7.

As a teen, David went to a Arizona State University and had a job selling knives door-to-door while majoring in broadcast journalism.

After American Idol, David Hernandez made his way to The Ellen DeGeneres Show (where he performed the song “In the Midnight Hour”) Today Show, Access Hollywood, TRL, and TV Guide Network’s Idol Tonight. He was asked to perform at The Children’s Hospital of New York Presbyterian where he sang “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” and “In the Midnight Hour.”

David has toured with Diana DeGarmo, Kimberley Locke and Chikezie on a 20-city Idol Holiday Tour but these days, he’s busy with his brand new album ‘Kingdom: The Mixtape’. The album is available everywhere you get your music and I’m hoping to get my hands on a physical, signed copy one of these days.

I had the absolute pleasure of seeing David perform in NYC (for a benefit for his friend Sly, who had fallen ill) last year and then meeting him for the first time since we became friends on social media. It felt like I was visiting an old friend rather than a first meeting. I have a feeling that it’s just part of his personality from what I have seen of him over the years.

I have to say, without exaggeration, David Hernandez is one of my very favorite voices. When I listen to his album, hear him singing on his Instagram, or when I see him sing in person; I feel the power and emotions behind it all. I have said that I put him right up there with Whitney Houston, which, for anyone who knows me, is the ultimate level.

Check him out, follow him on social media, subscribe to him everywhere, because I have a feeling we are in for so much more! (Plus, he now has this adorable puppy he posts all the time!)

Here’s his music video for ‘Shield’ and be sure to subscribe to his channel!

And I couldn’t pick just one video, ‘Never Did’ is one of my favorites, so I had to show it off: