David Archuleta 'David Archuleta' album

One of the most recognizable teens in America, American Idol runner-up David Archuleta, is putting his celeb power to good use by helping teens nationwide take action around disaster relief. He will be the face of a campaign launched by DoSomething.org, one of the largest organizations for teenagers in America, and sponsored by the Dunkin' Brands Community Foundation, which is dedicated to serving those who serve especially in times of crisis.

The new disaster relief program includes a dedicated online content section providing easy ideas and action guides for teens to take action, a weekly $500 grants program giving teens the seed money they need to start their own programs, and a Disaster Relief Bootcamp for teen leaders running disaster relief projects.

"I know as well as anyone that teenagers have the power to do something. So I'm genuinely excited about this cause and organization," says David Archuleta. "When I heard about the opportunity to get involved with DoSomething.org, I jumped at the chance. Thanks to this program, when a disaster strikes, teens will be part of the relief solution."

Do Something is no stranger to disaster relief and response. The organization was the first youth group to respond to both the Tsunami in Southeast Asia in 2004 and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. After the Tsunami hit, Do Something launched the Kids Tsunami Relief Fund, the Only Fund by Kids, For Kids. Teens raised more than $450,000 and then voted online to distribute the funds to five on-the-ground projects. Similarly, in the month after Hurricane Katrina, DoSomething.org teens created the "We've Got Your Back" campaign which collected and distributed more than 60,000 backpacks stuffed with school supplies to needy students on the Gulf Coast.

"We're an organization that can activate kids on the ground quickly because we have great reach and we have teens' trust," says CEO and Chief Old Person, Nancy Lublin. "Thanks to this program, America's teens will be ready to respond to the next major disaster."

"Through our work with Do Something, the Dunkin' Brands Community Foundation hopes to encourage teens to get involved in their communities, especially in times of crisis," says Steve Caldeira, Chief Global Communications & Public Affairs Officer at Dunkin' Brands and Co-Chair of the Dunkin' Brands Community Foundation. "When disaster strikes, it's important that we help repair communities in need."

David Archuleta biography
Singing on stage at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles was a moment David Archuleta will never forget, but there were a number of pivotal moments that happened in his (even) younger days, and he'll never forget any of them either, including singing for the first season "American Idol" contestants in Hollywood in 2002, when he was just 11 years old.

The David Archuleta story began on Dec. 28, 1990, the day David was born to Jeff and Lupe Archuleta in North Miami, Florida. His father was a jazz musician who was always playing the trumpet around the house. His mother was a singer who performed locally with her three sisters in a group known as the Mayorga Sisters. David always enjoyed music, but wasn't particularly fond of his dad's jazz trumpet playing, covering his ears "because it was so loud."

But then came one of those pivotal moments, when David was six years old and watched a videotape with his younger brother as his family was relocating from Florida to Utah. It was the 10th anniversary concert of the stage musical "Les Miserables" and David became captivated with the music, playing the tape over and over, memorizing each song, complete with cockney accents. Then he discovered and fell in love with other musicals like "Evita" and "Into the Woods." He also listened to his mother's Selena and Gloria Estefan albums, but he didn't pay attention to radio much and wasn't really aware of pop music, until he watched the first season of "American Idol."

He was first mesmerized by Tamyra Gray when she opened the Top 30 semifinals with her outstanding performance of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." It was the first time he was aware of how expressive and soulful music could be, and what it was like to vocalize emotions. This was perhaps the most pivotal musical moment of his young life, the first step on the path that led him to who he is today, a musical prodigy, the runner-up for the seventh season Of "American Idol" and the newest artist signed to 19 Recordings/Jive.

After David started watching "Idol," his father bought recording equipment, hooked it up to his computer, and recorded David singing "God Bless America," "I Will Always Love You," and "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." When a friend of the Archuletas saw that "The Jenny Jones Show" was looking for "Future Latino Stars," she urged Jeff and Lupe to have their son try out. Based on a performance over the phone, a producer booked 11-year-old David to sing "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" on Jones' show.

During that August 2002 performance, David met another young singer, AJ Gil, a finalist on the first season of "Idol." Returning home to Utah after the Jenny Jones experience, Jeff decided to drive to Hollywood the next day and surprise David by taking him to the first season finale of "Idol" at the Kodak Theater. He bought tickets on eBay, picked them up in Las Vegas, and then drove on to Hollywood.

It was during this trip that David met up with AJ again. Gil insisted David sing "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" for Tamyra Gray. With Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini gathered around, the 11-year-old prodigy delivered, and his father captured it all on the video that has become an online classic.

Next, David tried out for "Star Search." The show didn't contact him the first season, but during the 2nd season, asked David to submit videos of him singing the Smokey Robinson/Jackson 5 song "Who's Lovin' You" and Billy Gilman's "One Voice." This time he was invited to compete on the show and appeared on three episodes in early 2003, winning the Junior category. A year later, he was invited back to compete against other winners. But this second run on "Star Search" was more difficult. David had been ill for a few months with appendicitis and bronchitis. Several weeks into his second "Star Search" experience, the Archuletas realized something was definitely wrong with David's voice.

A renowned ENT doctor in Beverly Hills diagnosed David with vocal paralysis and said the only options were either surgery or vocal therapy. They tried the latter, and after a frustrating couple of years of time and patience with the vocal therapy, the efforts worked and David was able to regain his ability to sing with confidence and endurance.

David continued to watch "American Idol" and thought about auditioning, but didn't believe he was "good enough." It was a moot point, because he was too young to try out. In the summer of 2007, at the tender age of 16, he was finally old enough, and his friends and family urged him to audition. He had to quit his job as a techie at a local amphitheater in Murray, Utah, and almost didn't go to try out because he was looking forward to this summer job.

Ultimately, David and his father went to the San Diego auditions. During the first round, while auditioning with other people, the producers dismissed the entire row and David walked away. "I'd been waiting in line for two days, and in 30 seconds it was all over," he says. "Then I heard someone say, 'Wait, come back.' I didn't think they were talking to me, so I kept going. And they said it again, 'Wait! Come back here!' I turned around and they said, 'You're through.' It was such a shock!"

The rest, as they say, is history. Simon, Randy and Paula sent David to Hollywood, where he made it into the top 24, then the top 12, and after never being in the bottom three, into the spectacular season finale.

Now David has had three songs debut at once on The Billboard Hot 100, is getting ready to tour the United States this summer as part of the "American Idols Live!" tour and is already recording his first album. Unforgettable moments? There are many more to come, for this is just the beginning of a long, successful career for the talented teen who captured the imagination of over 30 million "American Idol" viewers.

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