Flashback to season 7 of American Idol when I was nine-years-old. David Archuleta was a shy 17-year-old with angelic vocals and a musical soul beyond his years. There are certain shows and movies I stray away from when it comes to what really happened behind the scenes like Full House and Boy Meets World. However, I was driven by curiosity to purchase David’s Devout (2026) book because of this image of him I couldn’t get out of my head for almost 18 years. That image of a cute, innocent, teenaged boy who didn’t have a lot of experience in the dating world, despite being a favorite among the ladies during his time on American Idol. I have no problem watching former contestants grow up and move past their personas they became known for on the show. Season 7 was different, however, because it’s my favorite season of American Idol, thanks to my favorite contestant, Danny Noriega, who now goes by Adore Delano.
Her appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race and gender exploration planted a seed in my head during my early high school years that I needed to let go of this image I mentally created for Adore Delano. However, due to my huge crush on her when she was Danny Noriega, I held back for years. Though I followed her on Instagram around this time and wanted to be respectful of this new persona she created for herself, I brushed it off and tricked myself into thinking she was the same fearless guy who gave Simon Cowell the sass he deserved. Now that I’m in my mid to late 20s, however, I’ve had a change of heart. I realized it’s time for me to face my past and put my nine-year-old mindset to bed once and for all.
When I finally decided to look up clips of Adore Delano on RuPaul’s Drag Race, I found that I enjoyed them. Her sense of humor hasn’t changed much since American Idol; there’s just more swearing and adult-oriented content involved. I even watched recent interviews she did after her complete transition as a woman and was in awe of her beauty. Adore Delano seems much more comfortable in her own skin and I’m happy she’s in a good place in her life currently. I can always look back and remember my favorite contestants as they once were, but it’s time for me to wake up and say hello to the present day. That’s why I decided to read David’s Devout book. I wanted to say goodbye to the David Archuleta I knew him as and say hello to the David Archuleta he is now!
Immediately upon reading the book, I was drawn to this line from the opening message because it perfectly ties into my struggles I’ve been dealing with for the past 18 years:
“…To those leaving behind a world that was once all they knew for the hope of a better life and a better version of themselves, whether due to religion or past experiences…”
Not going to lie, the first half of the book was like pulling teeth because of David’s complicated family dynamic, including his relationship with his father, Jeff. I was very careful not to make my conclusions about Jeff until the very end of the book, which was not easy because of all the emotional abuse he put his son through. He took the definition of “stage dad” a little bit too far; he was even banned from the American Idol set for sticking his nose into everyone’s business backstage. Not only that, but he put Archuleta’s mom, Lupe, through hell in their marriage. Archuleta’s family was very religious and raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Early on it was established that according to the Church, “Husbands and fathers were the protectors, providers, and led the family with the authority of God. Wives and mothers were the nurturers.”
That, unfortunately, was used to Jeff’s advantage with him refusing to let Lupe get a job and having her wrapped around his little finger. Whenever she tried to leave, he’d guilt trip her into returning home by making their kids beg for her return. Stories of David being forced to sing in public, told what to sing and how to sing, and having his first book, Chords of Strength: A Memoir of Soul, Song and the Power of Perseverance (2010), rewritten without his permission were not easy to take in. In the words of Bon Jovi (sort of), “Shot through the heart and you’re to blame, You give stage dad a bad name!” It wasn’t until the end of his mission serving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chile, which was around March 2014, that David realized the seriousness of his father’s actions towards him. After reading an extensive and angry letter from Jeff, he gave it to his mission leader, who then explained to David that Jeff was emotionally, verbally, and mentally abusing him.
As I dove further in the book, however, I learned that Jeff didn’t have it easy either. His mom left Jeff’s father and their children behind to pursue a career in theater and while serving his mission in Philadelphia, he found out his mother died due to an overdose of alcohol and Valium. The latter was prescribed to her to treat her bipolar disorder. To make matters worse, his mission president told Jeff not to return home for the funeral. Consequently, he put all his time and energy into David’s career so that he wouldn’t have to confront his painful past. After not speaking to him for years, shortly after coming out as a member of the LGBTQ community, in 2021, David spoke to Jeff and found that he was very supportive of him. That part of the book made me go, “Wow, time plays such an important role in a healing process.” At one of David’s concerts, Jeff even apologized to David for all the trouble he caused, which meant a lot to him. Lupe got remarried and found her happy ending, by the way!
David’s troublesome relationship with his father wasn’t the only thing circulating his mind, unfortunately. When David was nine, a family member accused Jeff of molesting David’s sisters, Claudia and Jazzy. Because of Jeff’s strong personality and cultural differences between his family and Lupe’s family, he made a lot of enemies front to back. As a result, chaos ensued and as someone who’s always had a curiosity for why people act the way they do, I can’t understand why anyone would make such serious accusations like that to get back at someone. David’s family was not the same after that moment in Archuleta history; relationships crumbled and trust was broken. It’s still an ongoing healing process for David’s family especially for Claudia, but you know what trips me out? Years later, in 2024, Jeff and the accuser ran into each other at the grocery store and casually chatted with each other as if nothing bad had happened between them previously. Then, this one line from the book threw me for a loop: “When you get older, you gain so many problems that sometimes you just let go of the ones that are no longer worth holding on to. You find enough healing to keep going.” Lupe once told David that.
Devout isn’t about David’s coming out story; it’s about healing and recovery. For years, David did everything he was told to do by his father and the Church, but it was only until he trusted his own instincts that he finally gained control of his life. Looking back on David’s time on American Idol, the David Archuleta back then is so different from the David Archuleta we have now. The David Archuleta we have now is much more confident, unapologetic, and sexy. I like quiet and reserved guys too, but I wouldn’t trade the David Archuleta we have now for anyone in the world. Devout is another reminder that change can be a good thing. After coming to terms with his sexual identity, he tried to get the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to create resources for members of the LGBTQ community, but because of their refusal to change, David left the church and he hasn’t looked back since.
Because I made such a big deal about season 7 being my favorite American Idol season ever, I should mention that David does talk about his time on the show and the friends he made along the way. He discusses how he was immediately drawn to Adore Delano because of her kindred spirit and actually, she had a feeling David was queer, but she didn’t say anything because that wasn’t her business. The fact that she didn’t push David into coming out just proves what a great person she is and why I admire her so much! David also talks about becoming close with Brooke White, Ramiele Malubay, David Cook, and Alexandria Lushington. I distinctly remember the latter comforting him following her elimination from the show. He even became good friends with Jason Castro on the American Idol tour; they used to go running together. I also love the big brother energy David Cook gave off towards David Archuleta because it was so cute. In fact, David Cook suggested the two of them should go golfing together upon seeing David Archuleta’s “coming out” post on Instagram.
One of my favorite American Idol stories took place during Andrew Lloyd Webber Week. David Archuleta wanted to sing “Think of Me” from The Phantom of the Opera, but Jeff wanted him to sing “Music of the Night,” also from The Phantom of the Opera. David Cook also wanted to sing the latter song, so the two Davids had to pick a number out of a hat to see who was allowed to sing “Music of the Night.” Though David Archuleta initially picked the winning number, he pretended to pick both numbers so that they’d have to draw again. David Archuleta got to sing “Think of Me” with his own arrangement, even though Jeff’s friend Tim took credit for it, and David Cook got to sing “Music of the Night” with his own brilliant version. Ironically, I watched their performances two weeks ago when I binge-watched American Idol season 7. I absolutely loved David Archuleta’s version of “Think of Me” and thought “Music of the Night” suited David Cook perfectly.
I hope by reading this book, people will find the courage to take charge of their life and become a better version of themselves. As David Archuleta said towards the end of the book, “Even if we don’t heal 100 percent, our past doesn’t have to rule us. If we still feel the pain and shame from childhood wounds as we move into adulthood, we don’t have to let that be our story forever.” As an American Idol fan, this book gave me the closure I needed to say goodbye to my childhood beliefs and come to terms with the way things are now. Consequently, it got me thinking about how I want to present myself going forward and what I want to be remembered for when I leave this Earth. Wow, that was deep. As mentioned before, I can always refer back to my favorite David Archuleta and Danny Noriega clips whenever I want, but I’m done trapping them in my mental cage. It’s time for me to embrace David Archuleta and Danny Noriega, now Adore Delano, for who they are! I’ll give this book a rating of 5 out of 5 stars.
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Lana
Lana Teramae | Me, Myself and Time 
Excellent post, Lana! Having been in the LDS church myself, I’m full aware of their attitudes towards the LGBTQ community. One of their prophets said homosexuality is learned and that’s good enough for most members. David’s story sounds like a real triumph.
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Thanks so much for reading, Mike! I did not know you were in the LDS church; glad you could relate to this post. David’s book is amazing and yes, he’s living his best life now!
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