One of the best singers that ever graced the America’s Got Talent stage was Daniel Joseph Baker. The fan-favorite was known for both his superb vocals and fierceness. (Photo by Trae Patton/NBC.)
By: Jacob Elyachar
America’s Got Talent will get down to business on Monday when 12 of the Top 48 will perform for America’s votes for the first time in the competition. One former America’s Got Talent contestant, Daniel Joseph Baker, knows what they are going through because he made it to the Semi-Finals during the previous season.
Part three of my conversation with the AGT alum as we talked about his favorite performances, his upcoming projects and his definition of fierceness.
Jacob Elyachar: Did you have any final words with the Judges after the taping?
Daniel Joseph Baker: No I did not. I never saw them again after my elimination.
JE: Really? Because it is so weird that the Judges did not say goodbye to you like other shows like Idol, the Voice and X Factor because they rushed up to the stage to say goodbye to the contestants.
DJB: The Judges just exited. I think America’s Got Talent is a different kind of show than those other shows and I am realizing it more having been on it and seeing what happens on other shows. After you are eliminated, you say your goodbyes and the next morning, you are cast off the show. I have never talked to the Judges since.
JE: Now that we talked about your entire AGT journey. What performances stood out to you and why?
DJB: My personal favorite performance was my last performance. It sticks out to me because of my outfit, the arrangement of that song and my creative vision. I loved the composition and I loved the piano. I’ve got mixed reviews on that performance because my die-hard fans wanted me to do another Lady Gaga song for sure and what I noticed from my detractors and people who thought I did not do much, they watched my videos and said that they did not take me seriously and they told me when they saw the performance, that they saw me in a new light and stated that I was amazing.
My second favorite performance would be when I performed “Speechless” in Las Vegas where I performed on the piano. On T.V. they (the production people) made it seem like two days but in reality, we were in Las Vegas for five days. It was a horrible experience because we were waiting to perform. I had this big emotional connection to this performance because I was on the Stand-By list. That performance happened on Mother’s Day 2011. I just seen my mom and we just went out to eat. I knew that I was performing that day and she said “Go and give it your best performance because that would be the best Mother’s Day present for me.”
My third would be “Bad Romance” because it was my introduction to the competition. When I watched it back, I thought it was the perfect introduction to me as a person and I am thankful to the show for the way that they edited me. It could have gone in a total different direction because of the wacky things I said. The least favorite would be “The Edge of Glory” because I liked my song and I liked my outfit but it was one of my hardest times on the show and dealing with the dancers and all that and it was very stressful.
JE: Let’s talk about AGT’s moving to New York. What are your thoughts about the show moving from Hollywood to New York?
DJB: I am wondering how all of it is going to work. I’ve made friends with a lot of the production people from the show and I am still in touch with them so I hope that people didn’t lose their jobs. But I also think it is going to be the same show and feeling. AGT wherever it is L.A. or in New York is the same show.
JE: What have you’ve been doing since the show?
DJB: I have been so lucky. I had performed at several different places all over the country and I have been lucky to have a steady gig of performances. I have been really learning the business side of the industry and getting my Web site together. I have been in the studio a few times and hopefully, I will have an EP out at the end of summer.
JE: Do you anyone you want to collaborate with in the future? Singers? Songwriters? Producers?
DJB: My dream collaborators would be Jessie J, Christina Aguilera and Nicole Scherzinger. I would love to have Jessie J write songs for me because I love her songwriting. All of the people that inspired me to be fierce my whole life and through my music, I would love to collaborate for sure.
JE: We cannot end this interview without bringing up fierceness. How do you define fierceness?
DJB: Fierceness is a synonym for confidence and if you replace that it’s just confidence. It’s about unabashfully being yourself no matter what situation you are no matter if you are on a T.V. show or whether you are in your living room, everyone has the right to be themselves.
To learn about what Daniel has been up to, visit his Web site: http://www.danieljosephbaker.com/welcome.cfm
