Slush and sleet aside, there’s some serious sentiment
surrounding a New York winter.
Over five years ago, Michael Lynche and his wife Christa stood near Bryant Park
– taken aback by the Manhattan snow
globe. With music in the air, skaters on the rink and a steady stream of
shoppers buzzing by—they both knew this is where they needed to be. Within the
year, they left their Florida
home for a New York beginning.
Thanks to a little show called American Idol, Michael
Lynche went from being a virtual nobody to a singing somebody. As the
charismatic crooner known as “Big Mike,” this Queens resident
became the fourth place finalist on Idol’s unforgettable ninth season.
And while we still recall Lynche’s soulful take on “Eleanor
Rigby,” his most memorable moment on the show was a telephone call signaling
fatherhood: Christa had gone into labor and given birth to his now 15-month-old
daughter Laila Rose.
Due to the circumstances of the show,
Lynche finally saw his little girl when she was nine days old. Today, she is walking, talking and, when
nobody is looking, throwing things in the toilet. “She just so vigilant and
watching everything you do. She makes you want to set a good example and be a
better person than you actually you are.”
Nowadays, Lynche and his family are
on the road quite a bit. After Idol, Lynche accelerated his career with
the season nine tour and several singing gigs in NYC. But despite the long hours, he tries to bring
the whole family along for the ride.
Christa and Laila Rose often sit
backstage in the green room while Lynche performs. “Every time I sing, Laila
Rose perks up and gets really happy and starts making a lot of noise,”
reminisces Lynche. “Music is such a big
part of my life that it has to be a big part of her life too.”
The musical bug bit Lynche at an
early age too. He received his first guitar at the age of three and began
performing at his church, where he took to tunes by mimicking the parish’s
guitar player. “He was a BB King type and a great blues performer,” says
Lynche.
Lynche found his voice after
participating in musical theater in his middle and high schools, both centered
on performing arts. Currently, his primary focus is on recording for his new
album, which is set to release later this year. He is also working on a
wholesome reality show that follows him and his family’s post-American Idol
life. Meanwhile, Lynche enjoys performing for charity events, especially ones
rooted in children’s causes, like the Boys and Girls Club of America. “Anything
that has to do with the kids I have a soft spot for.”
Perhaps you’ll run into Lynche when
he’s in town. The family lives along the water in Long Island City. “We debated whether we should move back to
St. Petersburg [Florida] to give
our daughter the same kind of life we had growing up,” explains Lynche. “But I think there is just so much more
opportunity here.”
The Lynches are part of a Long Island Moms and Dads group
and never tire of connecting with people on the playground. “That kind of community and culture is outstanding,” says
Lynche. “They (kids) basically become fearless and if you raise them the right
way in New York, they get introduced to anything and everything.”
