‘American Idol’ to America First: How Lazaro Arbos went from pop sensation to gay MAGA influencer
American Idol. Now the gay influencer is singing a totally different song.Twenty one at the time, Arbos stunned the judges with his vocal skills, his compelling immigrant backstory having arrived from Cuba at the age of ten, and his journey with a speech disorder.The budding pop star showed great courage as he shared his “rollercoaster” journey with stuttering and how it affected his friendships in school.
Arbos found his stuttering subsided when he sang and learned to lean into it as an outlet of expression.Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.He ended his Idol audition with a strong rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” that received unanimous results from judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban and Randy Jackson.Arbos’ winning streak continued week-after- week as he performed renditions of hits like “Angels” by Robbie Williams, “The Edge of Glory” by Lady Gaga, “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone, and “Tonight I Want to Cry” by Keith Urban.His cover of “Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson helped him glide into the Top 10.Arbos made it all the way to the Top 6 before being sent home and helped pave the way for the show’s first all-female Top 5.While he didn’t address his sexuality during his time on the show, upon his exit, Arbos did disclose he had dreams of working with queer TV mogul Ryan Murphy on Glee and recording with gay pop icon Cher, who he had connected with over Twitter.Although those endeavors did not materialize, it seems his aspirations have since taken a big detour away from mainstream Hollywood.In the 12 years since his Idol journey came to an end, Arbos has matured into an out gay 33-year-old man living in Naples, Florida.
A post shared by(@americafirstrei)According to one of his social media accounts, he’s a makeup artist, real estate investor, and occasionally sings at local establishments.
