'American Idol' Season 18: 'This Is Me' segment reveals the rags to riches story of subway singer Just Sam
The latest episode of 'American Idol' just premiered on Sunday night, April 12, and for us audience members, it was a chance to catch up with our favorite singing contenders including Samantha Diaz.
Of late, the coronavirus has been wreaking havoc on the entire world, so, unfortunately, all the singing contestants had to be sent home to wait out the enforced lockdown with their families.
So instead of continuing with their scheduled programming, the producers of 'American Idol' decided to roll out a special 'This Is Me' edition, which would show us some never-seen-before footage of our favorite singers including Samantha aka Just Sam, and give us a chance to get to know them better.
Most people are already aware of Just Sam's incredible story. The young, shy African-American girl with a distinctive throat tattoo appeared at her Washington DC audition not knowing what to expect. S
he'd grown up in the Frederick Douglass projects of New York, raised by her loving grandmother after her parents abandoned her.
Her Just Sam moniker came from the fact that she was a bit of a tomboy in school — kids didn't know whether to categorize her as a girl or a boy, so Sam decided that she would be her own unique person — Just Sam. The name stuck, and Samantha decided to use that as her stage name going forward.
Her stages for the most part, however, were the subway trains of New York City. Realizing that she loved singing more than anything else in the world, Just Sam would ride the trains every day and sing for commuters, accepting any donation gratefully since money was hard to come by in those days.
That early experience of singing in front of strangers gave her courage and street smarts, but Sam was still an emotional wreck after singing a sublime audition rendition of Andra Day's 'Rise Up'.
She revealed to the stunned judges that she wasn't used to people genuinely caring about her — they were either faking it or people were doing it with ulterior motives in mind. The judges were quick to soothe her fears and make her realize that she was a special talent.
And that is where Just Sam started to bloom. Her steely determination to overcome a bad throat in Hollywood Week endeared her to us all, and her transformation into a girly bombshell diva in Hawaii shocked everyone — she was beauty, grace, and poise personified.
Just Sam has come a long way from being that emotional crybaby in Washington DC and we can't wait to see how her journey continues in the live rounds of American Idol.
She's certainly got plenty of fans on her side too: "Just Sam. I’m a huge fan! She’s so genuine and I can’t imagine not wanting her to succeed." Other viewers agreed, posting "She moves me every time! See you in the finals, Sam. Meanwhile... stay safe!"
Stay tuned for another episode of 'American Idol' next Sunday at 8 pm ET on the ABC network.
