Simon Cowell, the resident curmudgeon on hit TV show “American Idol,” thinks Jason Castro “has it.”
When Castro, a landscape architecture major at Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture, finished singing Tuesday night as one of 12 male finalists on “American Idol,” Cowell and his fellow judges couldn’t stop gushing.
“Jason, I thought that was in the top two performances of the night,” said Cowell. “Because you ... have just got it," he said.
Castro sang “Daydream,” a 1966 hit by The Lovin’ Spoonful, while accompanying himself on guitar.
Cowell, known for his acerbic dismissals of “Idol” contestants, had nothing but praise for Castro. “It was effortless; you have charisma. You're great with the camera … a very good choice of song. You made the song sound current. It proves my point; it doesn't matter how old the song is, it's what you do with it,” he said.
Cowell’s fellow judge, Paula Abdul, also praised Castro’s performance. “You picked a song, a song that was absolutely perfect for you. Your take on it was so minimal, effortless, and so joyful,” she said.
Castro’s Tuesday night performance can be seen on YouTube at http://youtube.com/watch?v=W2SCxlqR8RU. His page on the American Idol site includes an interview in which he identifies himself as a construction science student:
http://www.americanidol.com/contestants/season7/jason_castro/. However, though not enrolled this semester, Texas A&M records show that he is currently listed as a student in the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture program.
Jason Castro, appearing on "American Idol"
