This magic moment: Josh Krajcik's The X Factor finale
"His mom, Mrs. Pim, was our cheerleading coach," said Makenzie Shank, of Shreve. "She always talked about her son who could sing. She talked him up all the time."
The cheerleaders agreed that Mrs. Pim suffered from proud mom syndrome, but she insisted it was more than that. Her son had real talent.
"She always told us he was gonna be a star," remembered Shank, who loved Pim, but had her doubts.
"We were like, 'Yeah, right. We're from Triway, remember?'"
But when they finally saw what Pim was talking about, the girls, like the show's creator Simon Cowell, were blown away.
"I thought, wow, she wasn't lying to us all these years," Shank laughed. "She could predict the future. That was the lady right there."
Eric and Jen Steinman, of Illusions Screenprinting in Wooster, printed Krajcik's first T-shirts for a concert in Columbus in 2008. It was only appropriate that they were also contracted to crank out the bright yellow staff shirts and gray "I Love Josh" T-shirts that were launched into the ecstatic crowd by die-hard Krajcik supporters, Joe and Jodi Kennedy, of Expert T's, during the Official Josh Krajcik Viewing Party held in The Pit at Triway High School on Wednesday, Dec. 21. The Kennedy couple spearheaded the T-shirt project, working hard to plan, coordinate and design the shirts for the big finale event.
The X Factor crews were on-site sending a feed of the roaring crowd to the live show in Los Angeles, Calif., where Krajcik would perform his last two songs of the competition. Then viewers would decide which of the three finalists, Melanie Amaro, Josh Krajcik or Chris Rene, would take home a Sony recording contract in addition to a $5 million cash prize. It's a really big deal, and Eric Steinman believes Josh can win it.
"I think he has it," Steinman said. "The whole town's behind him."
Jen Steinman knew this day was coming after talking to Krajcik's mom at the Grande Ranch Restaurant in Wooster a few years ago during one of Krajcik's last shows in the area.
"Lisa said she was going to stop teaching, dive into her son's career, and push him up all the way," remembered Jen Steinman. "She retired from teaching and she's done just that. She really knew that her son had something special, and she wasn't going to quit until he made it."
The Steinmans have six children of their own. They know how important it is that kids from a small school have hope for the future.
"He's the kid next door," said Eric Steinman. "He didn't grow up in privilege or anything. He's just somebody who made it good."
Jen Steinman said Krajcik is a hero in the eyes of the kids in the community.
"It's very important that kids see that someone from their own hometown can do this. It really is attainable."
Krajcik's definitely a hero to Triway cheerleader Audrey Lee. Lee is also a singer, and, because of Krajcik, she has begun to believe in herself.
"I was always afraid to sing in front of people," said Lee. "Now, some of my confidence has come from knowing that this guy from Triway is on The X Factor and has become famous, so I guess I can do that, too."
Krajcik's music has reached even the youngest of listeners. Little Evie Anderson, just two months old and sporting a Krajcik T-shirt, was snuggled close to mom, Rebecca Anderson, a high school friend of Krajcik's.
"She loves the ballads," said Anderson. "I play them to her on the iPod."
When asked which is her favorite, Anderson said she loves them all, but she still has a special fondness for Krajcik's first The X Factor song, At Last.
Anderson was in luck. When it came time for Krajcik to perform his final number, the one that would push viewers to decide if he really deserved to win the competition, he loomed large on the stage like the rock star he is, lights filtering through his slightly-tamed mane, guitar confidently in hand, and delivered a beautiful encore performance of At Last which was, if possible, even sweeter than the first when he began this long journey to the finals. The Wooster crowd was on their feet, arms swaying in the air.
During the show, Krajcik's grandmother, Judy Oliver-Delaney, proclaimed her love for Josh to the world as the live show cut back to Wooster, the crowd behind her wild with excitement.
"Josh, you're making my heart just swell up with pride! You can't believe what's going on here! We love you, Josh! We love you!"
Oliver-Delaney was thrilled with Krajcik's final song choice, which was as much of a surprise to her as it was to everyone else.
"I'm glad he was finally able to play the guitar on the show because he plays it beautifully, and he hasn't really demonstrated that until now."
Will she see her grandson at her house for Christmas?
"That's the 64,000 question," laughed Oliver-Delaney. "I don't know. He doesn't know what he's doing until tomorrow night."
That's Thursday, Dec. 22 at 8 p.m., when this season of The X Factor will air live for one last time, and this wild ride will come to an end. But regardless of the outcome, for superstar Josh Krajcik and for those who love his soulful voice, his sweet smile, and his humble Midwestern personality, it's just the beginning.
Published: December 21, 2011
