/EINPresswire.com/ On May 23rd, the same day of the American Idol season 11 finale, Johnny Keyser’s 7 song album “From Where I Stand” hit the Billboard global “Heatseeker” chart at 44, making Keyser the first American Idol contestant ever to hit the Billboard charts before the season ended.
Just one week after the iTunes release of his seven song album “From Where I Stand” (where he debuted at #4 on the R&B album chart), the enigmatic Johnny Keyser again breaks new ground among American Idol contestants by debuting on Billboard’s “Heatseeker” global chart at #44. This is the first time in American Idol history that a contestant who was cut or voted off the show was able to produce an album that hit a Billboard global chart before that season’s finale aired. Ironically, Keyser was informed of this unprecedented feat on May 23rd, the very day that American Idol would go on to crown their season 11 Champion Phillip Phillips. While Keyser was still in the cast many had projected the show finale to come down to Keyser versus Phillips, but when Keyser was inexplicably cut from the cast during the Las Vegas round, conspiracy theories blew up the blogs and the news media responded with shock.
It’s especially impressive that Keyser’s Indie project was able to break onto the charts with no advertising dollars spent, as loyal Johnny Keyser fans leveraged social media to drive the May 16th digital release into this unprecedented territory several days before the physical CD was available for shipping. Produced by Grammy Award winner Bryan Lenox (clients include Elton John, TobyMac and Michael W. Smith), the album consists of 6 original songs Keyser wrote/co-wrote during the 6 weeks following his release from IDOL’s season 11 cast. The album also includes Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” as a bonus track, which was the song that prompted Jennifer Lopez to announce Keyser would go on to become “a star,” and was used as the center piece of the American Idol Season 11 pre-season promotional campaign.
All seven tracks can be heard on the homepage of JohnnyKeyserMusic.com, and a live performance of the album’s title track “From Where I Stand” on the set of the FOX news studio in St. Louis can be watched in Johnny’s blog at JohnnyKeyser.com. In another ironic twist, this live performance occurred on the morning of May 23rd, just hours before Billboard’s Associate Chart Production Manager Alex Vitoulis contacted Keyser and his manager to inform them of his landmark accomplishment. Click the image above to see Keyser’s ranking in an excerpt from the Billboard Chart, which is set to be published in the June 2, 2012 issue of Billboard Magazine.
NOTABLE REVIEW QUOTE:
“Johnny Keyser has done it yet again and broke out with his own work… seven tracks filled with breathtaking lyrics and a voice to die for. Remarkable is not even the word to describe the passion and goosebumps that happen when listening to this future star.” ~ Versed Magazine
NOTABLE MEDIA QUOTABLES:
“Doesn’t he know he’s a star? Recognize your destiny, boy!” ~ Entertainment Weekly
“he is as good as a white kid singing a soul classic can be.” ~ Rolling Stone Magazine
“‘the heartthrob-in-the-making’ from Florida amazed the judges with his charm and stirring performance.” ~ People Magazine
“American Idol finds their crooner in Johnny Keyser.” ~ MTV.com
“The whiteboy with the soul of a soulful white guy with a soul patch once again impresses” ~ Rolling Stone Magazine
“He looks good and sounds better… He’s the total package.” ~ PopCrush.com
Johnny Keyser is the soul singer/songwriter who wowed American Idol judges and was the subject of a full ad-campaign built around Jennifer Lopez’s exhortation “You know you’re going to be a star, right?!”
Wayne Caparas
Johnny Keyser
8433244240
http://johnnykeysermusic.com
PR Courtesy of Online PR Media