'American Idol' contestant Adam Brock from Washington, Pa. talks about Hollywood week

PITTSBURGH,None — Adam Brock, 27, from Washington, Pa. appeared on “American Idol” on Wednesday.

Per judge Jennifer Lopez’s suggestion, Brock sang Marc Cohn's “Walking in Memphis” during his first Hollywood audition and made it through to the next round.

After the episode aired, Brock visited me at WPXI-TV.  I asked him what he thought about seeing himself on television for the first time.

“It was so bizarre. They haven’t featured me up until this point.  Then, last night they did this nice feature on me, my wife and my daughter.  It was totally bizarre but so cool,” said Brock.

Brock didn’t get to watch the episode as it aired live.  He was working; he’s the creative arts director at Central Assembly of God Church in Houston. He also directs the musicals at Trinity High School.

“I was actually working all the way through while my episode was airing, so my phone was buzzing non-stop.  Then, I got home, and my wife said, ‘I’m not telling you anything. You just have to watch.’  So, my wife and I sat down and watch it.  Then, I got to call everybody and talk,” said Brock.

Brock’s wife, Joanna, and their daughter, Whitney, were featured on the show.

“I have my wife Joanna and my daughter Whitney, who is 9 months old and as cute as can be with cheeks like cream puffs.  It was fun to see her on the screen.  Everyone has been saying, ‘Your daughter is beautiful.  Your family is beautiful.  And, oh, you did a good job, too,’” said Brock.

I thought Brock did a great job.  He sounded like an old pro.

“I have been singing ever since I’ve been able to put notes together.   Growing up in church, I had great opportunities in the little musicals as a kid and moved up to playing in the band.  Now, I’m actually at the same church that I grew up in as the worship pastor, so I’m there singing every Sunday, directing the choir and directing the band.  I got into the musicals in high school and went to college and did them there,” said Brock.

Brock is a soul singer who likes music that is bluesy or jazzy.

“The running joke with the show is that there’s a large black woman trapped inside of my vocal chords,” said Brock.  “I love throwback artists.  I love Ray Charles.  I love Aretha Franklin.  They just have feeling when they sing.  You know what they mean when they sing a song.  My hope is that America gets to feel things when I sing.  If I’m happy, I want them to be happy.  If I’m singing a sad song, I want them to them to be right there with me the entire time.”

Brock started his “American Idol” journey at the Pittsburgh auditions at Heinz Field in July.

“It was crazy.  I was standing there with thousands and thousands of people at Heinz Field.  Beautiful stadium.  Eventually, I get to walk onto the field, and I’m looking … You know the Steelers, I get to watch them all of the time there in the fall and winter.  That was cool.  Then, I walk up to the tent, start there and get through those rounds and get in front of the judges,” said Brock.  “I didn’t have any expectations.  I went in there not assuming that I would go past the next level.  I didn’t know what they would think of me.  To have Steven Tyler say, ‘Man, you can sing,’ and to have Jennifer say that I sound like an artist she loves and for Randy to say, ‘Yeah dog, you can sing,’ it was a huge validation at that point. I was flying high when I got the golden ticket.”

Throughout the process, Brock has made several friends, including Jim Carrey’s daughter, Jane, who was in his audition line at the Hollywood audition.

“She’s great.  The whole process has been great.  I met a ton of great people who have been friends ever since we started this whole process together. We’ll text each other and say, ‘Did you just see that on TV?’ said Brock.

I don’t know if Brock makes it through to the live shows, but of course we’re hoping he does. It would be fun to cheer and vote for a local guy.  I asked Brock what it would mean to him to win.

“I can’t really wrap my head around what it would mean to win.  I’m just shocked and an in awe of each step. I know it would change our life as a family.  It would give me the opportunity to become the artist that I always hoped to be.  It would allow me to make my living on singing, which is what I always wanted to do,” said Brock.

WPXI