They might been gotten the boot from American Idol, but they're not letting that stop them.
Fellow former contestants Chris Medina, Tim Halperin and Rob Bolin will set off on a week-long, 5-city tour across four states, beginning in Toledo and ending in Chicago. They'll perform live in 15 radio studios and sprinkle in some public appearances, with 95 percent of any money raised funneled toward the recovery fund for his diabled fiancée Juliana Ramos. The remaining money will be donated to a charity for autism sufferers.
Medina told Patch that when publicist Jeremy Baumhower reached out with the idea, he was touched.
"Jeremy immediately wanted to help me," Medina said. Plans began falling into place for Baumhower's radio promotion of Medina's single What Are Words. With the goal of more air-time, he schemed up the radio studio tour for Medina, with the two other contestants joining him for the duration. As part of the plan, the three would be booked for paid appearances at local establishments and signings—always with the funds finding their way back to Juli.
Medina was stoked.
"That's wonderful, so count me in," he told Patch, of his reaction.
The tour kicks off May 2 and ends back in Illinois May 9. Medina hopes Baumhower is able to book some shows at clubs along with way, but all show plans are tentative.
In a Medina Minute...
- The O-Fo Heads to NO — Norway, that is. Medina told Patch his band The Able Body will leap international waters, with a June 10 show in Norway. The band is booked for the School's Out Festival. "It's going to be quite the experience," he told Patch.
- How Swede It Is — Medina's single What Are Words is currently number 11 on iTunes in Sweden. He hopes to book a show there soon, as the single picks up more steam and his popularity climbs.
- Ring His Bell — On top of his own single, which has sold 61,000 copies, he co-wrote a single with another former contestant, Jerome Bell, and JP Rende. The single Collide is available on iTunes. Medina told Yahoo that he wrote the song while rooming with Bell during Idol, and plans to release his own acoustic version.
- Rock Out At Reggie's — Medina is aiming to play a show at Reggie's Rock House in Chicago, where he hopes to play in the basement to record video footage of his rendition of The Script's Breakeven, the song that earned him his golden ticket to Hollywood.
Thanks, Lauren