Demitrus "Demie" Carter, a VCU alumnus and a receptionist in VCU's admissions office

Jan. 6, 2015

VCU's Demitrus "Demie" Carter set to appear in this week's "American Idol" season premiere

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By Brian McNeill

Demitrus Carter, a Virginia Commonwealth University alumnus and a receptionist in VCU's admissions office, will show off his singing chops when he appears on "American Idol" this week.

Carter, who graduated in 2013, was one of a handful of Richmond-area contestants who advanced past the American Idol bus tour auditions last July and advanced to the next round of competition – in front of judges Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban – in Kansas City, Missouri.

"It's been really inspiring just to inspire others," Carter said. "I have a lot of people in my support group who are like, 'Demie, you're going to make it really far. And no matter what, even if you don't make it really far, it's just amazing to see somebody that we know following their dream.'"

Carter is expected to be featured in "American Idol's" two-night season premiere, which will air Wednesday, Jan. 7, and Thursday, Jan. 8, at 8 p.m. on Fox.

At the bus tour auditions, Carter sang the Rascal Flatts version of "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and Bill Withers' "Lean on Me." In Kansas City, he sang "Oh! Darling" by The Beatles and "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz, as well as "Lean on Me."

"It was very nerve-wracking," he said. "It was 200-plus people that made it from the bus tours."

Carter's "American Idol" journey has rekindled his lifelong ambition of performing on Broadway – a dream he had shelved while finishing school, working two jobs and paying rent for himself, as well as his mother in Washington, D.C.

"I've been singing since I was age 10. Basically I used to mimic my mom singing all of the time," he said. "I got into VCU through singing. I got into my performing arts high school through singing. Singing just helped me with so much. I don't know why I gave up on it, but I did – just for a second. 'American Idol' was my reality check."

Carter, who also works as a server and host at T-Miller's Sports Bar & Grill, studied vocal performance in VCU's Department of Music in the School of the Arts for two years before becoming a broadcast journalism major in what is now the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture in the College of Humanities and Sciences.

"Being the first in my family to graduate high school and college, basically I felt like I should [change my major] to help my family out," he said. "I do love mass comm. I love broadcast journalism aspect of it. But what I really want to do is sing and perform."

When he auditioned for "American Idol," Carter's singing was a little rusty, but he impressed the judges nevertheless.


"The validation [from the judges] was amazing," he said. "I really didn't think I was going to be able to go out there and sing like I used to. But it felt so good. I was so blessed with the opportunity just to let them hear me and for them to give me validation that there is talent there." 

A current VCU student, Joi Hamm, also advanced to the Kansas City round of "American Idol". 

While Carter cannot yet reveal whether he advanced past Kansas City, he has appeared in "American Idol" commercials and said he is excited for the VCU and Richmond communities to cheer him on.

"'American Idol' was so amazing," he said. "Everyone kept calling me Beyoncé."

Carter can be found on his social media pages:

Facebook Demie Carter (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Demie-Carter/973477569332640)

YouTube: Demie Carter (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC54pibtj0Xq9IiukzgDgwpw)

Instagram: Demie_god  (http://instagram.com/demie_god)

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