Josh Gracin earned fame after finishing fourth in the second season of “American Idol.”
This week, he replaces fellow “Idol” star Carrie Underwood on the bill at Frontier Days and will open for Phil Vassar. We talked to Gracin in between tour dates about his Frontier Days appearance, his recent acting gig and how he’s adjusted to stardom:
Q: How familiar with Frontier Days were you before you got scheduled for it?
A: I hadn’t heard of Frontier Days before. I’m huge friends with (Academy of Country Music president) Bob Romeo, and he told me they have a lot of (bands playing) there. He called to see if I could do it. I had an opening. My band guys told me about it. They’ve been around the block, so they knew about it. It sounds like a great thing.
Q: You recently appeared on the daytime drama “The Bold and the Beautiful.” How did that come about?
A: They just called up and asked me if I had the time to do this. It was just this little three- minute part. I said I’d like to do it, and they wrote it in. We had a show the very next day and had a show the night before. So we flew in to Los Angeles and squeezed it in. I try to do those sorts of things if I can and if it’s not too outrageous.
Q: You had been a big actor in high school, but hadn’t done much since then.
A: That’s right. I did a lot of acting in high school and pretty much nothing since then. Some people like to think “American Idol” is acting, but it’s not acting. Not when I was on. Now, maybe. Now probably more than ever.
Q: Do you still watch “American Idol”?
A: I don’t. Being out on the road and being ready to get on stage or talk on the radio right when the show comes on I don’t have the time to watch it.
Q: It would seem that the success hit you all at once with a show like “American Idol.” Have things gotten more routine since the first few months after the show?
A: If anything, it’s gotten more hectic. That comes with it. The only thing normal about this is when I do my hour show for the fans that come see me. I’m still learning a lot of stuff about performing and singing. I’ve learned a lot, seeing other country singers perform. You pick things from them, selling the stage with your movements and stuff.
Gracin appears at 8 p.m. Thursday opening for Phil Vassar at Frontier Park in Cheyenne. Tickets are $18-$38; tickets.com or 307-778-7222
Staff writer Scott Lieber can be reached at 303-820-1694 or at slieber@denverpost.com.
