'Idol' reject Josiah Leming rebounds in a big way

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Josiah Leming is finding there's life after "American Idol."Since his cast-off from "Idol" this season, he has gone from one extreme to another in only a few days. A year ago, he was living in his car. Now, he has drivers at his disposal to cart him around Hollywood for meetings with executives."This is absolutely insane," he says, beaming.Leming captured the attention of "Idol" viewers when cameras revealed the then-17-year-old was living out of his car during the Atlanta auditions.He dropped out of high school at 17 to drive around the Southeast and Midwest for gigs and to wait tables. His mother has terminal cancer. His father is out of work.Leming is the second-oldest of his parents' nine children.To add to his dramatic story, "Idol" often showed Leming's tearful confessionals to the camera. He pulled at many heartstrings.Leming proved to be more than just a good story to exploit. His vocal performance impressed the judges, and he advanced to Hollywood, where he competed with dozens of others for a spot in the final 24. In Hollywood, he didn't make the final 24.At the time, he was crushed."It's probably the most hurt I have been in my life. It's just the biggest feeling of disappointment," Leming says.Now, though, he's rebounded in a big way."Access Hollywood," "Extra" and MTV News sent news crews to his parents' home, where he is now living, the day after he was eliminated. Ellen DeGeneres was so touched by his story that she booked him as a guest on her show. When he arrived to do the show, Leming was greeted by a driver.He says he didn't understand that the driver was there for his use for the entire time he was visiting. Six months ago, his car was his home. Now he's got people driving his around.Leming estimates he has sold close to $40,000 worth of his music off the Internet since his "Idol" experience.For the struggling entertainer, he figures this is his moment to capitalize on the fleeting exposure "Idol" is bringing him."Everything is coming in at once. I don't want overexposure," he says. "I don't want to do everything in two days and then have nothing."Record labels have approached him. Two TV networks have expressed interest in using him for projects.It's certainly a change from a year ago, when Leming was driving around the Southeast, booking the occasional gig and waiting tables.All this sudden attention has made him a little anxious. "I need to play my cards right," he says. "I have no idea what I am doing."His story certainly struck a chord with viewers. Reality TV magazine wrote of him: "Every year there are at least one or two cuts made by the judges on the top-24 show with which 'American Idol' fans strongly disagree. This year brought perhaps the most controversial top-24 cut in the history of 'American Idol.' "Leming knows his fame has a shelf life. "I understand I have a small window of opportunity to deal with," he says.(Contact Terry Morrow of The Knoxville News Sentinel in Tennessee at www.knoxnews.com.)