Who is Brooks Rosser? 'American Idol' Season 24 contestant enters Top 11 after a heartbreaking past
The ongoing Season 24 of 'American Idol' has assembled a uniquely remarkable batch of singing talents among its Top 11 contestants and Brooks Rosser happens to be one of them. The singer-performer hails from Bel Air, Maryland and was 22 years old at the time of appearing for this 'American Idol audition back in Fall last year. Although Rosser hasn't had much of an exposure as a stage performer, and even revealed that he hadn't sung in public before appearing on the ABC reality television show, his talent instantly attracted the attention of Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood, all of whom praised his unique vocal abilities.
Over three rounds of the popular singing-competition based reality show, Rosser has revealed significant details about his personal life. His journey has drawn appreciation and encouragement from several sections of the audience. Despite commanding the respect of the judges on-stage, Rosser doesn't have much significant past experience as a performer, and remarked, "I’ve done a couple gigs, but I’ve only just played guitar." He went to the Community College of Baltimore County and studied audio engineering.
Little did he know back then that instead of remaining behind the scenes, he would one day earn fame and recognition as a talented performer Apart from his passion in music, Rosser also works in a dementia care facility, describing his job as "extremely fulfilling." Rosser was initiated into the field of geriatric care in the aftermath of his own grandmother's struggles with dementia. The young contestant explained, "After taking care of my grandma, I realized this was my passion … to be there for people even if they don’t remember me."
Rosser's love for music was reinstated by his grandmother's ailment. During the course of his 'American Idol' audition, Rosser had recollected that he began playing music as a way to comfort his grandmother and singing with her while she was sick, "It would help her learn her words back and help me get mine out." Contrary to his present station in life which finds him as a performer and a musician, much of Rosser's early life was spent in the hopes of being a pro athlete someday.
However, his dreams were stopped short when he broke his back while playing soccer as a freshman in high school. Remembering his accident, Rosser remarked, "I went for a free kick and I planted my left foot to kick it and I felt a gear switch in my lower left back, I couldn’t feel my legs. I snapped my back in half, and that changed everything." He further admitted feeling lost for a significant period of time until he picked up his guitar and followed his passion for music. 'American Idol' season 24 airs new episodes on Mondays at 8 PM ET on ABC.
