A: Beach Boys, James Taylor, John Mayer, Phil Collins, Hall & Oates, Bee Gees, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Eagles.

Q: Favorite female pop artists?

A: Carly Simon, Carole King, Carpenters, Fleetwood Mac, Feist, Bonnie Raitt, The Supremes, Joni Mitchell.

Q: When did you first start to sing?

A: Around 15 or 16 years old... high school play.

Q: Do you have any formal singing training?

A: A little bit; I'm not the most technical singer.

Q: What other talents do you have?

A: I'm heavily right-brained, anything "artsy fartsy", drawing, decorating, music, doing hair... beautifying.

--AmericanIdol.com