Twisted Turbans: 2010

from American Idol.com

Talking with Tim

Soon after Tim Urban was eliminated from American Idol in seventh place, he participated in a press call. At this time, he shared what it was like to go home during the Idol Gives Back show, his killer smile, and the road ahead.

The well-spoken contestant was poised and mature as he fielded questions from the press, and this good attitude is something Simon commented on during the competition. “That’s actually something that was my goal on the show,” Tim stated. “It was not just to improve as an artist, but to just be a very good contestant, and to take what everybody was saying, and to just treat the situation—not let it get me down, but to take what they were saying and work at it and improve, but also, not to really complain or to talk back. Just take the criticism and work from it. It was cool to get that recognition about that. It’s something that I’m very proud of.”

Tim is the comeback kid and endured an interesting ride during Season 9! “Honestly, when I auditioned I didn’t even think I’d make it past the stadium, just because of how many people were there, and how few people were getting through. So when I was at the stadium, I was honestly expecting to just go up there and sing and have them say that I wasn’t what they were looking for and not get any farther than that. I didn’t really have any grand pictures, so this whole thing has blown me away. When I made it to Hollywood week, I was like, ‘Wow, this is crazy!’ And then when I got sent home from Hollywood week, I was like, ‘Okay.’ And then they called me back. So, it’s been like this really crazy rollercoaster journey.”

The night Tim was eliminated from the competition was the 2-hour Idol Gives Back special event. Tim shared what was going through his mind as he was at the long show waiting to find out the results. “I was really proud of how everything had gone up to that point, and so if I did go home, Idol Gives Back, and being a part of that, it kind of lightens the blow a little bit…You almost lost that it was a results show at times, just because of how amazing the performances were, and how touching the videos were, and how it was such a great experience…I was a little sad I didn’t get to sing one last time on that stage, but it’s part of it. You don’t always get what you want. I’ll get to come back for the finale, and hopefully get to perform on that stage again. It’s a little bittersweet, but overall it’s all right.”

Throughout the entire competition, Tim never stopped smiling. “I think I smile because I have a really solid grounding and I know who I am,” Tim said. “I know that regardless of what happens around me, that will always be there. So when I get criticized, it’s like, that’s all right, I still know who I am. I still am happy that I get to do what I get to do, and it’s just such a blessing to be here and to have had this opportunity, that I really couldn’t help but smile. Even when they were criticizing me, I was like, all right, this is part of it. You’ve got to enjoy as much as you possibly can, so that’s just what I try to do. It wasn’t really a nervous smile, it was just me having fun onstage, and I didn’t want to get depressed about the comments, so I just decided to not let them affect me that much.”

What does Tim’s future hold for him? “I would love to do music. I would love to pursue that, and I’m hoping that that door opens up, but I also have always had a desire to act, and to just be in that side of the entertainment industry, as well. So I would be really excited if I got the opportunity to do that. I’m just waiting to see what happens, but I’m open to any of that at this point. I’m really just excited about the whole thing.” Although Tim is going to miss being around the other contestants, he’ll get to reunite with them in just a few weeks at the finale and then spend all summer with them on tour.