Landau Murphy’s America

He is Harry Chapin’s Mr. Tanner come to life but with a happy ending. Not only did his friends praise the voice that poured out from his throat, America has praised it as well, putting Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. into the final four of NBC’s America’s Got Talent. As unlikely a rags-to-riches story as you’ll find, Landau’s journey from humble, dreadlocked car washer to rising Sinatra-esque superstar is the essence of America as we know it in our finest moments or fondest memories. In his rise, Landau reinforces a fading dream of achievement for America, yet one that can be restored, renewed and embraced by stories such as his.

His wears his humility like an unstructured jacket. It’s comfortable and fits him well. By all appearances Landau is a devoted family man and hard worker in possession of a sultry voice and mature stage demeanor. In the final vote pairing of Landau and Anna Graceman for the last slot in the AGT finals on 9/7, he was obviously distressed at the notion of stepping closer to his dream while figuratively stepping over a child. He clearly did not want to advance at her expense and it showed. Jubilation at being named to the final four was for his family and fans. Landau was humbled if not crushed by having the 11-year old from Alaska swept to one side for his benefit. He understands the heart of a hard worker and dreamer and felt the pain when a young friend’s dream came skidding to an end. In this moment, Landau taught a lesson in moderation and  humility for an increasingly greedy America to remember and embrace. Push your dream but be wary of where you step. In NBC’s dream show, more dreams are crushed than realized – something to think about amid the hysteria of Hollywood audiences.

The absolute kick in the head  is in putting Landau’s appearance next to his music. In a match game of faces and voices, Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. would be one of the last matches made in any of a thousand random surveys, and that’s the magic of his emergence into our midst. Like Susan Boyle, another unlikely yet inspirational person-from-the-street, Landau’s rise is a thunderous slap in the face to judging by appearances and street-look bigotry. The silky, crooning voice that burst from the somewhat shaggy, toothy and rather goofy performer grabbed preconceived notions by the shoulders and shook them senseless. In 90 short seconds, Landau’s first appearance on AGT shamed every viewer while delighting every ear. The enduring lesson for America of course is to remember not to judge a book by its cover. A lesson many of us need to remember, from store clerks to airline pilots.

Does it matter now if Landau Murphy wins AGT in 2011? Probably not. The books, the made-for-TV movies, the Vegas contracts are all being inked for his consideration. Landau once belonged solely to Logan, WV but now belongs to America. Relatives, friends and scoundrels will line up to get a piece of him. One can hope that he remains grounded with his family, his faith and never loses his humility that is so rare, yet so endearing. It is and will be his protective wall for the inevitable bottom feeders that will assault his senses and attempt to pick his pockets.

The lesson for Landau and the lesson for America – keep it real, stay humble, use your talents, never stop trying and never forget to stay centered. Enjoy the view Landau, but keep one foot in Logan wherever you go.

UPDATE: 9/14

Landau brought the house down last night with a professionally delivered, soulful rendition of My Way and in doing so, set the bar high for the other three acts. Team iLLUMINATE had a strong performance though in my opnion, not up to previous showings. PopLyfe struggled through a poorly executed duo of Queen songs, virtually cementing a fourth-place result. Silhouettes again provided a stirring and emotional performance but the act is more easily envisioned at Mall of the Americas than a headlining club. My votes went to Landau and I feel it will come down to Landau and Team iLLUMINATE as the final two.

As you know by now, Landau was the clear winner of AGT for 2011. His powerful rendition of My Way carried the day over lesser competition. I was a bit surprised that Team iLLUMINATE did not place second but they’ll get their contracts as well – splendid concept, well done. The question now is, when does Landau’s first CD come out? Will it eclipse those of Jacke Evancho or Susan Boyle?