EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) – A Eugene man is reveling in the national spotlight after getting a coveted appearance on the popular reality TV singing competition, “American Idol.”
Born and raised in Eugene, Ben Harrison appeared on the Portland audtions episode of American Idol, which aired on Wednesday, February 1st, 2012.
Harrison, a 28 year-old Churchill High graduate, is currently a UO student. He spends a lot of time around Eugene singing on the local karaoke scene and has fronted for several area rock bands.
In years past, Harrison traveled to Los Angeles and San Francisco to take part in American Idol's audition process, which starts in large arena rounds.
At the Portland audition, Harrison made it through four rounds, the furthest he's ever been.
Harrison's Portland audition gave him a shot to sing in front of the shows three judges: Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson.
After singing to the judges, unfortunately, the answer was no to a trip to Hollywood for Ben.
However, Harrison was kept in the final cut of the Portland audition episode and profiled by the show with lots of energy and showcasing his “baby face.”
“I think they portrayed me pretty accurately, they made me, I mean, I may get a little too excited and act crazy like that sometimes,” says Harrison.
“There's no such thing as bad publicity, right? In show business, at least,” says Harrison.
Even though he didn't get to go further on American Idol, Harrison says it was a fun and positive experience.
“I'm going to keep trying, I love to sing,” says Harrison.
Ben says he wants to continue to pursue music in the category of pop-rock. One of his biggest influences is David Lee Roth from the band Van Halen.
