Date: 28 April 2014
Time: 4:32 PM ET
Mood: Irritated at my computer
If you want to know a little secret about myself, my favorite music artist of all time is Frank Sinatra. Yes, there are a lot of bands that I love today - The Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys, Panic! At the Disco, etc. - but I don't think any of them live up to the amazing music that Sinatra dished out in his musical career. When he passed away in 1998, it was a very sad day for the music business, and while I was only 4 at the time and did not actually not know him, I could have only imagined what that day would have been like - probably similar to when Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, passed away so suddenly in 2009. However, all is not lost...shockingly. There is one man who is able to bring the good name of Frank Sinatra's class and music back to life, and that man my friends is none other than Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.
Daily Music - "My Way" by Frank Sinatra
If you've never heard of Landau before, he is a very interesting case of the emergence of a musician. Dropping out in the 11th grade to take care of his divorced mother and family, Landau had a very hard childhood. At age 19, Mr. Murphy Jr. became homeless and was forced to live in his car. He worked as a car washer for a local car wash for many years, and things didn't seem like they were going to turn around any time soon. However, there is one hope for him: his voice. Landau was blessed with a voice that could melt the hearts of the Gods, as it almost mirrors the voice of the late Frank Sinatra. So, with that wonderful singing voice and his last pair of pants and jacket, he put his voice to the test on the sixth season of America's Got Talent in 2010.
Daily Comic - "School" by Bill Waterson of Calvin and Hobbes
With a goofy grin on his face and a little bit of swagger in his step, Landau presented himself in front of the judges of America's Got Talent in one of the most informal ways in the show's tenure. Judge Howard Stern even noticed this, as he pointed out that Landau was eating gum in front of them and asked him to get rid of it. Even more shocking, Landau decided to just take it out and pocket it. Now if you were watching it for the first time, you're impression of this guy would not have been that great; he could just be this wacky son of a gun who is just trying to make himself a goof on television like some people on American Idol do. However, little did they know that they were all going to be blown away. Performing Frank Sinatra's "I've Got You Under My Skin," Landau blew the judges and the audience away with his mirrored singing persona of Frank Sinatra, and instantly become a hit in the competition. He easily passed through each round of the competition and eventually was crowned as the winner of the show's season, winning the $1 million grand prize and a tour in Las Vegas. His life would never be the same again after that.
Daily Video - "Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. AGT Audition" by youtuber Fotr3d
This is just one of those heart warming rags-to-riches stories I suppose, but it's amazing just to see how quickly he became famous. After winning the competition he signed onto Sony Records and Columbia Records, releasing his own album
That's Life in 2011. He was able to provide to his family once more and give them a substantial future, something that his father was unable to do. What I would like everyone to do is to watch his audition video that can be found in the Daily Video portion of this entry. You can skip to 2:15 see his amazing voice in action, but I highly recommend watching it from the beginning to hear the amazing story behind him.
What do you think of Landau? Have you ever heard of him before? Do you think he sounds like Frank Sinatra? What are your favorite America's Got Talent participants? Comment below as I'd love to hear and discuss with you what you have to say about this topic.
‡ As always, the "Daily Bloggity" is self written by myself and includes just some of my opinions on different mediums. If you have a subject that you might want me to touch on, feel free to PM me or comment below! I would love to hear some of your ideas! Tune in tomorrow at 5PM Eastern Time for the next edition of the "Daily Bloggity!" Cheers! ‡
- elheroeoscuro
