The next American Idol?

Baldwin’s Travis Finlay makes it to Hollywood

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The first person to recognize 20-year-old Travis Finlay’s singing talent was a babysitter, when Travis was 14 months old. His mother, Wendy, didn’t think much of it at the time, since her son could barely speak, but now she’s his biggest fan.

Nineteen years after his babysitter said he had talent, three internationally known musicians did the same when Travis auditioned for Season 14 of “American Idol.” He received high praise from judges Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and Adam Lambert and then earned a trip to Hollywood, for the next round in Fox’s singing competition.

Travis traveled to Brooklyn in September to audition for the show, which is considered its first round. The episode that was devoted to New York auditions aired on Jan. 15.

This wasn’t the first time Travis auditioned for the show, though. Four years ago he tried out, but never made it far enough to sing in front of the celebrity judges. So he returned to Baldwin High School, where he was a choir member and vice president of Tri-M, the music honor society, and performed in the school’s production of “Fame” in his senior year.

He graduated in 2012 and was set to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston that fall, but shortly before he was to leave, his mother lost her job with a shipping company, and Travis no longer had the money to attend. He reapplied, seeking a scholarship, but it didn’t pan out.

Since then, Wendy has become a professor at DeVry University, and Travis has dedicated himself to music. In addition to recording songs on his own, he has also tried out for several TV shows, including “X Factor” and “The Voice.”

Travis was born in Florida, but he and his mother moved to Valley Stream when he was in fourth grade and to Baldwin when he was in seventh grade. He has watched “American Idol” for over than a decade, and decided to try out once more last September in Brooklyn.

After making it through the preliminary rounds, Travis finally earned his few minutes in front of the celebrity judges. “I was so nervous,” he said, “but you can’t focus on the nerves. I was too busy focusing on remembering my lyrics and making sure I was on key.”

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