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Davidson County Community College, is a finalist in the Triad Idol
competition in the 19 and over category.
"I try to get involved with as many events as I can get in; this was just
something that popped up," Reyes said of the Triad Idol competition. "I’m
really excited that I made it this far, and I’m open-minded and optimistic
about what happens next."
Reyes has been singing just about as long as he’s been in the United States.
Born in Guatemala, he moved with his family to New York City when he was 2.
"My mom had me on stage when I was 3," Reyes said. "The whole family was in
the church choir. I started playing guitar when I was 7."
The family moved to Thomasville when Reyes was about 10.
"My parents were looking for a better life in a more settled place," Reyes
said.
The Reyes family not only found a better life, but they also made the life
they found down here better. Fredd’s father is a self-employed salesman.
"We helped get the Spanish-speaking service started at Our Lady of Grace
Catholic Church in Greensboro," Reyes said. "Before that, all the services
there were in English."
Reyes himself speaks in almost perfect English. In fact, it’s hard to detect
an accent when he is speaking it, even though he normally communicates with
his parents in their native tongue.
The family still all sings in the church. In addition to Reyes, 19, it
includes his mother Orfilia or Fitty, father Fredi J., older brother Carlos,
older sister also known as Fitty, younger sister Blanchee and younger
brother, also named Fredi.
While Fredd Reyes enjoys singing in the choir and performing other religious
music, he has also enjoyed performing secular music, especially Latino
music. One of his biggest thrills, so far, is opening up for Aventura at a
large club in Raleigh. This group of Dominicans became extremely popular in
the Latin American community after they moved to New York. He also played in
a band that includes his sister Blanchee and her boyfriend, Ricky Huneycutt.
"Music is what I love to do," said Reyes, who composes as well as performs.
"I thank God every day for the talent he gave me."
Reyes also recognizes the fact that talent itself does not guarantee him a
living. At DCCC he is studying health care administration and hopes to
transfer to UNC-Charlotte or UNC-Greensboro after he earns his associates’
degree next year. This summer, while he takes one course at DCCC, he is also
employed as a summer day camp counselor at the Tom A. Finch YMCA.
Of course adding to his excitement this summer is the Triad Idol
competition. Reyes will perform, along with the other 14 finalists, on June
17 at War Memorial Auditorium in Greensboro.
"I’m going to go out there and give it my best," he said. "There’s a lot of
talent I’m competing with now that all the non-finalists have been
eliminated. Everybody’s got their own style and their own thing going on. So
I’m gonna go out there and do my own thing. I need to go out there with an
open mind and just be optimistic."
Reyes has reasons to be optimistic. He became a finalist in a competition
called La Academia USA, which he describes as "sort of like the Spanish
American Idol." The Thomasville singer competed for several rounds in
Chicago before moving on to Texas, where he was awarded an opportunity to be
a finalist. Ultimately, he turned that opportunity down so that he could
attend school at DCCC.
"I knew that God had something planned for me," Reyes said. "If this wasn’t
it then it was going to be something else."
The something else could be the Triad Idol – or something that has already
come up as a result of it. After the Triad Idol quarterfinals, Reyes was
approached by scouts from California, representing American Broadcasting Co.
"They’re suppose to be calling me back in about two weeks to let me know if
they want me to audition for a reality show called ABC Music Project," Reyes
said.
If Reyes is invited, his audition for ABC would take place the last week of
June. ABC Music Project is set to debut in late July.
With the recent success of McLeansville’s Chris Daughtry and High Point’s
Fantasia on American Idol, which has no relationship with Triad Idol, it is
not surprising that talent scouts visit the Triad to look for entertainers.
"There’s a lot of hidden talent here in North Carolina," Reyes said. "People
in the music industry in other places are learning this."
And Reyes is aware of his opportunity to be discovered by national talent
scouts.
"A wise person once told me that knowing what you want is half the battle,"
he said. "The trick is to stay tenacious and not let any minor setback
devour your vision. If I’m not famous by the end of this year, then I’m
going for American Idol."
Staff Writer Kevin Reid can be reached at 472-9500, ext. 230, or