Randomness!

First, from Parade:

#8: David Archuleta

One of the youngest participants on American Idol, David Archuleta was only 16 when he placed second on the seventh season. He comes in at number eight on our list with over 968,000 album sales and 3 million track sales.

Next, how awesome is this?

Read the article from Disney Dreaming HERE. More Bench video buzz from Pop City Life.

And from ChildFund:

What do an American Idol winner, a GRAMMY-nominated husband-and-wife country music duo, a music festival, a Christian rock band and a Beatles cover band have in common?

The answer is ChildFund’s LIVE! concert series, where artists highlight child sponsorship during their performances. During intermission in many venues, volunteers help us spread the word further by sharing their experiences of sponsoring a child and helping sign up more sponsors.

It started in December 2011, with American Idol sensation David Archuleta, on his My Kind of Christmas tour. We knew the three-week tour would be a magical experience ... but we didn’t expect the magic to continue in quite the way it has.

In January 2012, David’s next project took him to the Philippines, where ChildFund has served children since 1954. He couldn’t pass up the chance to meet some of them in person. It’s hard to say who was more moved by the encounter — the children or David. He has since sponsored a child from Honduras, his mother’s native country.

Read more...

From the TV5 International launch - how cool!

And after lots of speculation, Kari says the track list for BEGIN. hasn't been decided yet:

And lastly, from misterarchuleta on tumblr, are you ready to BEGIN.?

Vote for David on Kawanku's Celeb Awards!

And David Arculeta BEGIN trended worldwide!

Credit to ThinkaboutPandA

The Singer and the Song Project

From Paula:

In the course of a lifetime, people…or groups of people…come into your path and become a part of your heart. There are two such special groups of people in my life. Though they came into my life at different times and under different circumstances, I have often thought that if I could just introduce those two groups of people to each other, something wonderful would happen.

When David asked for two years to do something that was personal to him, it was amazing to see the fans rise to the occasion. We began to see it as a window of opportunity to pursue some personal dreams and projects of our own while still supporting David and each other. This is the perfect time to introduce these two groups of people that are so dear to me to each other…..my Archie family and Camp ASCCA.

I worked at Camp ASCCA (pronounced ask-ah) for two years and know firsthand the impact that camp has on the lives of the campers, their families, and the staff. It broke my heart to leave when we moved and I had to leave my job there. It is an amazing place with amazing people. Camp ASCCA serves campers year round…but especially in the summer camping season. Summer counselors are usually college age and many want to pursue physical therapy or recreation therapy…or want to do something meaningful with their summers. One of the summer sessions includes a teen week complete with a prom, prom pictures, corsages, and a prom king and queen. There are sessions for all ages 6 through adulthood (there are even campers in their 70s!). I have told the Camp ASCCA staff about you, the Archie family, your generosity and heart for people, and how we have been inspired by David’s sweet spirit. They are excited to be part of this project that will introduce them to Archies!

“The Singer and the Song Project” launches today. It starts on the 2nd and ends on the 22nd…lots of 2s…to represent the two years that David will be serving on mission. Because pictures and music say it better than I can explain it, please see the video prepared for the project. We have only a short time to spread the word…feel free to tweet, post the link on Facebook, and share the project with friends! Anyone can participate with a $5.00 donation, all proceeds go directly to Camp ASCCA, and you may donate as much as you’d like!

In appreciation of your support, one donor, chosen at random, will receive a thank-you gift. Your chance of receiving the thank-you gift increases with your donation…one opportunity for a $5 donation, two opportunities for a $10 donation, etc. There is a more detailed explanation of how to donate to this project in the video description. There is also an option for those who would like to defer the opportunity to receive the thank you gift. For international fans, Camp ASCCA uses PayPal, therefore you can participate, too…although the camp has never received international donations until now…so contact the project at thesingerandthesong@gmail.com if there are any issues with a donation. Currency converters are available on the internet.

Details and step-by-step instructions, if needed, can be found in the
YouTube video information below. The steps are easy to see once you are on
the website! All donations are tax-deductible.

If you would prefer to mail in your donation, you can mail it to:

Camp ASCCA
PO Box 21
Jackson’s Gap, AL 36861

All donations must be received by June 22 to be a part of this project.

Chords of Strength anniversary!

2 years ago David's book 'Chords of Strength' was released!

Let's take a look back at the printing of Chords of Strength!

New BTS vid for Bench's Back To School campaign!

Update: 

Katie Moore has been designing David's album cover!

Top 24 American Idols of all time; David's #11!

Oh No They Didn't:

#11 David Archuleta
Season 7, 2nd place
Album Sales: 1,108,000
Track Sales: 3,327,000
Radio Plays: 199,000
YouTube Plays: 54,195,821

One of the youngest participants on American Idol, David Archuleta was only 16 when he placed second on the seventh season. The baby-faced Archuleta has released three full-length albums since finishing second on "Idol" season seven, with his most recent release, "The Other Side of Down," debuting in 2010 at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart. Things have been quiet for the singer of "Crush" -- a No. 2 hit on the Hot 100 -- in recent months, and are only going to get quieter: In December, Archuleta announced he would take a two-year sabbatical from music in order to become a missionary for the Mormon church.

Want to order David's Bench shirts?

Thanks to AFS for the heads up!

Go HERE to order yours!

Ana sang some karaoke!