Jermaine Purifory has spent the last decade building a name for himself.
Local audiences first heard him sing when he was a student at Lee University and a soloist with Voices of Lee, the a cappella group featured on NBC's "Sing-Off." His voice and stage presence made him a favorite with audiences at the Chattanooga Theatre Center, where he won Miss Annie Awards, which honor the best in the center's performances.
The Cleveland, Tenn., resident made it all the way to the end of the Hollywood rounds in Season 9 of "American Idol" before being cut loose, then sang back-up vocals for "Glee" for several months in Los Angeles before returning home.
"The actors sing the leads, but the backgrounds are hired professional singers," Purifory says about taping the Fox network's musical comedy.
While in LA, he was a background singer for the MTV Scream Awards and contributed vocals for Mary J. Blige on "Bridge Over Troubled Water" at the Trevor Project 2011. He opened last April for R&B group After 7 and singer Charlie Wilson.
Each weekend, Purifory is the front man for the local TSJ Soul Band. And he recently got a gig interviewing artists at Atlanta's Sangers Room for an LA television company. The Sangers Room is an open-mike-night event that debuted four months ago and is held at The Loft in the upscale Buckhead neighborhood.
Now at age 30, he's ready to break out of the ensembles and solo in the spotlight.
His first single drops in March on the Delaware-based NuVybe Records. Label CEO Herb Middleton discovered Purifory on YouTube, says the singer.
Danny Murray, Voices of Lee director, credits Purifory's charisma for the attention.
Jermaine Purifory of Cleveland, Tenn., winner of the first Hilton Rock Star Contest, got a four-day expenses-paid trip to the Grammy Awards."A lot of people sing a certain style; he seems to personally feel any style he's singing. That comes from his church roots and gospel singing background, where he's a heartfelt singer," Murray says. "It's much more than just trying to follow a groove, it's a free-flowing style from his spirit. I think that's what makes him so charismatic, what draws people to him."
Recently Purifory turned his talent to songwriting - and won.
He entered the first Hilton Rock Star Contest in which contestants submitted a video of themselves performing an original vocal or instrumental song; three weeks later he learned he'd won. Purifory's prize included a four-day, all-expenses-paid trip to the Grammy Awards for two, including airfare and hotel, plus seats at the Grammy Awards on Feb. 8 and access to the official after-party.
Q How did you learn about this contest?
A I found it online. I had a gig in Chattanooga in December and stayed the night because it ran late, so I checked into the Hilton Gardens. It was crazy because that was coincidentally the night of the deadline to enter. I didn't have anybody to help me, so I used a backing track, played the track and sang into a cellphone and recorded the song right there in the hotel.
Q Describe your song.
A I knew a lot of the judging was based on originality and creativity, so I wrote this imaginary trip to the Grammys. "A Trip to the Grammys" was a tongue-in-cheek song about what my experience would be like if I got to go to the Grammys. I put names of all the artists from Beyoncé to Katy Perry and John Mayer, what it would feel like to see those people in person and how wonderful it would feel to make a trip to the Grammys.
Jermaine Purifory, who auditioned for "American Idol" in Season 9, snapped a pic with Jordin Sparks, Season 6 winner, at a Grammy pre-party.Q Describe the red carpet and the Grammy parties.
A The red carpet was unreal. I've watched it on TV so many times, it didn't feel real to be there. It was unbelievable. Photographers all want the celebrities to look at them, so they are yelling to the stars. But nobody called out my name like that because I'm an independent artist.
I saw everybody I wanted to see at the parties - everyone from Pharrell, Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx and Iggy Azalea to John Legend, Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Hudson. Clive Davis held the pre-Grammy party in the hotel and, as hotel residents, we were allowed to be part of it in the lobby. Stars were in the ballroom, but they came out and mingled in the lobby, so it was like one big Grammy event. After the Grammys, we went to the official after-party in the LA Convention Center, where Jessie J was the performer.
Talk about going to the Grammys and it's 'Oh, my God! Did you see the stars?' But the people you want to talk to are the people at the bar or in the lobby - the suits - because there are so many producers, managers, publicists, A&R there. You are surrounded by the music industry. All those people you see in tuxes? Those are the important people.
Q So how do you capitalize on the networking you did there?
A I made connections with a lot of those people that are behind the machine that makes the artists. You never knew who you were sitting by. I had drinks with a woman who turned out to be a publicist. Even on the plane, I'd start up a conversation and then be told, 'Well, send me your music.'
They want to hear from you to see how serious you are. They aren't going to call you; you reach out to them. Ninety percent of my career, as far as making major contacts, has been because I made the effort to reach out. Since I got home, I've been emailing, been calling, because I want to stay fresh on their minds - remind them I was the guy they met on the plane or in the lobby so they know I'm serious.
Q What's up next for you?
A The release of my EP, hopefully by summer; using the energy of being around the Grammys and Recording Academy has given me the oomph for the album's release.
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.