Happy birthday, David Archuleta!
As of Sunday, David Archuleta is a man. Legal to vote and to drink in Argentina, Estonia, Hong Kong, Moldova and Sweden -- but not in the U.S. Legal to appear on television shows without having to do hours of tutor-supervised studies. And now legally of age to marry in all 50 of the United States.
Needless to say, his 17th year was momentous for Archuleta, rocketing out of nowhere to become the instant leader of the greatest movement "American Idol" has every known; a million selling single; an album that should turn gold momentarily. Lately Archuleta has been making Christmas appearances just about everywhere on Earth.
So let us wish a very happy birthday to this shining light of Season 7, of whom in all my reporting in and around the Idoldome, in conversations with his comrades, the people who make the show and the fans who have had the chance to meet him, I have never heard anyone say that he has ever for one second been anything but the nicest lad on Earth. Not a single diva story in a year of "Idol." That is an accomplishment.
The final stanza of Rudyard Kipling's poem "If" is a bit of a hackneyed sentiment, but nonetheless seems to hit the nail on the head regarding the coming of age of young Archuleta. So we post it here with our best birthday wishes:
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings -- nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And -- which is more -- you'll be a Man, my son!
-- Richard Rushfield
Photo: Fox
Hey David, Happy Birthday to you! You've had a great year, and handled it so well. Good on you! Best wishes with everything you'll be doing from here on out.
Posted by: JAJ | December 28, 2008 at 06:23 AM
HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY DAVID ARCHULETA!!
Thank you for a wonderful article on "OUR AMERICAN IDOL"!! His true and devoted fans have always known how wonderful he is and the rest of the Nation as well as the World is slowly finding out. David Archuleta is a "GEM" that need NOT polishing.
2008 was a world wind year for David and his fans, now we wait for even a GREATER 2009. He is going to give us more chills than ever before!! OH MY DEAR LORD, I can't wait!!!
Posted by: China | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
On behalf of Archuleta lovers everywhere thank you. He is a wonderful young man. Thanks for this salute to "our" David.
Posted by: Melissa | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
Hapy Birthday David!
Never watched Idol before, but you made me interested. Yu have not just an amazing voice, but an amazing personality.
All the best for you!
Posted by: dia | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
that's nice, thanks. David deserves the best. Congratulations to him.
By the way, HIS ALBUM WENT GOLD LAST WEEK.
Posted by: Luana | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
that was very nice and i loved the poem.
Posted by: blue | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
yes david is the nicest kid i mean man haha wow thats going to be hard to say noww haha!!
i know that all of davids fans wish him the best 18th birthday!!!
WE LOVE U DAVID HAPPYYY 18TH BIRTHDAY!!!!!!
Posted by: sharol | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY DAVID ARCHULETA!..You are an amazing person..I wish all the best..GOD BLESS YOU..We Love You..^______^
Posted by: Jen | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
Nicest kid on earth, indeed. To know him is to love him. And one of the best singing voices around, too. Happy birthday, young man, all the way from Brazil! Although I've never really 'met' him, he had me at 'Heaven'! I love his debut album. Keep up the good work, Archie.
Posted by: Valbraz | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
thank you so much for this :D im sending all the best birthday wishes to David from the philippines. i wish him endless happiness and continued success coz he deserves nothing but the best for being such a great role model to the youth all over the world. May God always bless this beautiful soul!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID! and HAPPY and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR to you and your family!
Posted by: lettucegirl | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
aww! HAppy Birthday David!!!
ILU!!!
Posted by: Coolshaker | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID!!!!!
David is indeed the nicest, sweetest young man there is on the planet. David is amazingly talented and he also is one of the greatest human being on earth.
I wish him all the best there is because he really deserves it. Good people deserve the best and David Archuleta deserves all the best!!!
Happy 18th Birthday David!!!! We love you!!! God bless you!!
Posted by: sdb | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
aww i love david archuleta :)! he's awesome and should've won AI. happy birthday archie!<3
Posted by: Maggy Snyder | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY DAVID ARCHULETA!!
Thank you for a wonderful article on "OUR AMERICAN IDOL"!! His true and devoted fans have always known how wonderful he is and the rest of the Nation as well as the World is slowly finding out. David Archuleta is a "GEM" that need NOT polishing.
2008 was a world wind year for David and his fans, now we wait for even a GREATER 2009. He is going to give us more chills than ever before!! OH MY DEAR LORD, I can't wait!!!
Posted by: China | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
Beautiful poem:) HAPPY BIRTHDAY and Happy HOLIDAYS, David!!!! BEST WISHS!!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU TOO RUSHFIELD!!!:)
Posted by: SynnJynn | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
Thank you for that beautiful birthday tribute to David Archuleta. He deserves every bit of it and so much more. He's an amazing young man with a beautiful soul.
Posted by: MartiR | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
All of what you guys said on here are true. David Archuleta is the NICEST, and KINDEST person you will ever meet in your life. He definitely is a ray of sunshine. :)
HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAVID!!!!!!! We love you, angel!
Posted by: Jazzy | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
This past year was huge for David Archuleta and I believe his 18th year will surpass that!
Happy Birthday to one of the finest young entertainers out there and I wish you many, many more!
Posted by: C.L. | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
YAY thanks for the super nice article about David. Happy Birthday David - we love you!
Posted by: Rene | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
Nice article...
Happy Bday David Archuleta and my best wishes to you!!!!
Posted by: celeste | December 28, 2008 at 06:24 AM
Thank you Mr. Rushfield, for writing such a wonderful birthday tribute to such a fine and extremely talented young man, David Archuleta. I love it when reporters report truth. I believe that David will reach the stars with that magical voice of his and will continue to touch hearts in a way that few have done before him. Happy birthday, David, I wish you all the best!
Posted by: Patti | December 28, 2008 at 06:26 AM
That was a wonderful post! Happy birthday David A.!
Posted by: soundscene | December 28, 2008 at 06:26 AM
awwww HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID!!!
Posted by: Elizabeth | December 28, 2008 at 06:26 AM
Thank you for a beautiful article. Having met David Archuleta, I can say that everything you said here is, indeed, 100 percent true. He is a gift from God, this young man. He truly is one of, if not THE, kindest, sweetest, most talented, most humble, most sincerely considerate, generous, honest, loving person that I have ever seen and will ever know. And he will never change. This much is certain. His faith in God is going to protect him from being eaten away by fame, as we have seen so many other artists do. And his career is going to be one that follows him to the end. We all know it :) and I, along with millions of others, couldn't be prouder. God bless you David :)
Posted by: Carley | December 28, 2008 at 06:26 AM
Happy Birthday David.
We will love you today not much or less than we did when you were a 17 year old dork!
Posted by: lemon | December 28, 2008 at 06:26 AM