“There’s Only One You In the World”: An Interview with Jon Peter Lewis

One could talk to Jon Peter Lewis continuously for a year. He's that easy to talk to, and you wouldn't be bored. Yet, you would still not quite know him. Not because he’s elusive (quite the opposite), but because he is like a human artichoke – you think you found the center, and you only find more layers! Yes, he does speak fluent Spanish. Yes, he does call himself a mediocre breakdancer. Yes, considers himself a geek. Jon is not your typical Idol contestant, and he’s far too humble to tell you that.

JPL was the subject of a telephone conference call that I was fortunate enough to take part in. Jon is a man of few words. Again, not elusive, just concise. He candidly admits to being definitely surprised to be eliminated simply because he hadn’t been in the Bottom Three before. Yet, he made a point of not assuming anything while he was on American Idol.

“I used to check the internet to see what people were saying when I first got on the show. Then, I realized what kinds of things are being said about me and other contestants and I didn’t want to… do it again. It would be very easy to get caught up.” He was surprised and grateful to hear he was America’s choice in the Wildcard round. Like the contestants before him, he refuses to make any predictions about how things will end. However: “I do have someone I’m rooting for, but it wouldn’t be fair to the others to say.”

Jon agrees that the Idol contestants are close to each other (to him, “none more than the others”) , because they are all in the “American Idol bubble. We don’t see or hear or feel the impact the show is having.” How did he handle judges’ feedback? “You can’t worry about it. It doesn’t mean I agree with it… if it’s pertinent I’ll use it, otherwise, who cares?”

I told him that he is the textbook example of how a contestant should handle feedback. I also noted that Simon said he was ‘the darkhorse to win’ a month ago, and last week he was ‘terrible.’ “Poof! And gone!” he laughed, adding that you can’t put too much stock in any of the judges’ comments because ultimately, it’s not their decision. You have to have faith in what you’re doing and hope it’s appreciated.

JPL will not bad-mouth another contestant. I don’t think it’s in him to do that. But, he will staunchly defend them.

I asked him, considering how well he accepted positive and negative feedback, even from Simon, what he would say to another contestant who doesn’t seem to be able to do that as well, like, say, oh, Fantasia? “I wouldn’t say much more than I already have said. Which is almost nothing. If anybody thinks the things she says – she’s a funny girl, and the things she says aren‘t serious. If anybody thinks she has an attitude problem or she’s a problem with other people, they are just wrong. She’s incredibly talented, you should see her live!”

He also gives credit to the younger contestants like Jasmine and John Stevens, “they handle the pressure really well.”

Does he think Simon foreshadows the eliminated contestants? No. “I think he’s said something negative to everyone and obviously, some people are still on!”

Jon swears he didn’t set out to be the “risk-taking contestant” He saw it as being himself. So, what about the dancing? One reporter had trouble understanding that it was not a planned, choreographed thing like Jon says, “If that’s where the song takes me, you just go!” He does admit that he felt more comfortable when he was shimmying his way through the performances, “it keeps you from thinking so hard about everything. “ His favorite performance was the last one, ironically. The least favorite was “She Believes In Me” during country week.

He doesn’t see himself as a heartthrob, even if others did. He’s not dating anyone, though he is getting more female attention “than I ever have in my whole life.” The fact that JPL memorabilia is being sold on eBay, he finds “cool.”

He loved having Quentin Tarantino on the show, “the fact that he just came on and knew us, and knew what he was talking about was great. He was awesome.”

JPL says his immediate plans are to finish work on his album, since the pen sponsorships have not been forthcoming. He has an at-home recording studio, and he’s been eager to lay down some tracks for awhile now. After all, the biggest lesson he’s learned in his Idol campaign is that “the entertainment business is just business. If you want to be successful, you have to work!”

Sting7 has been a respected published writer for 16 years, as a music editor, entertainment critic, columnist, and interviewer. He also has a curious love for pro-wrestling! You can email Stinger at stingseven@yahoo.com.

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