SJ “American Idol” Hopeful Comes Back Strong

Deandre Brackensick, a San Jose teenager, has advanced to the Top 24 on "American Idol."

Getting cut from 'American Idol' was the best thing to happen to Deandre Brackensick.

The San Jose high school senior was dismissed during last year's Season 10 after the Hollywood round, told that he wasn't consistent enough and needed more seasoning to make the show's final 24 contestants, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

And how: the show's judges, including J. Lo, told him that they'd be "crazy" not to include him in the Top 24.

So the long-haired teen -- he has long curly locks and plays the ukelele, both bows to Hawaiian music tradition -- took vocal lessons and practiced using a wireless mic. Believe it or not, the Oak Grove High School homecoming king says he's shy -- but he conquered that setback too, just in time to get ready for a live television debut on "Idol," the newspaper reported.

Brackensick sings in a "signature falsetto" he honed singing at church, and loves old soul classics from singers like Smoky Robinson and Al Green.
 

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