Special Paint

I grew up in Des Plaines and I have a lot of friends who still live in the northwest suburbs. When I heard that Lee DeWyze, currently one of the top 5 on American Idol hails from Mt. Prospect, I figured someone I know knows him.

My phone rang early one morning last week - 7:00 a.m. It was my friend and former co-worker Denise. Though we talk only once every six months and see each other maybe once a year, there is no need for identification.

"Laur, I got a great story for you."

"Hey, Den - what's up?"

Denise is a very fun, fun-loving, gregarious person and usually filled with good stories. She told me that she had been painting her house. Denise lives in Palatine and has been going to a paint store near her home for many years. It is still family-owned, still has coffee and cookies for its customers. Through the past couple of months, she bought a few gallons of paint. Each time, a nice young man waited on her. They got to talking and he asked her to come and see him sing.

Denise recounts the story:

"I'm thinkin - yeah, right, hard rock - so I say to him, okay, I'll do that." I didn't go.

"Then I bought a very expensive paint for my bathroom, it was called spa paint. I did not like the color and so decided I would go back to the store and see if I could donate it. I approached my young friend and asked about the possibility of a donation.

"He said, 'Oh, I can fix it for you - no problem. This will be a one-time, no charge thing.' He made up a little receipt and gave it to me. Something made me keep his note. By this time, we were pretty good buds and he was such a nice kid - very kind. He again mentioned his singing gig and said, 'Hey, you didn't come to see me.' I replied yeah, I know, I will try to make it. I had no intention of going to see him, thinking it was not my type of music.

"Shortly after this, I was walking through the living room, American Idol on the TV. I hadn't been paying much attention, just had it on for background noise. I looked over and whom do I see?"

Lee DeWyze - !

Denise has been doing her fair share to ensure he stays on the show - everyone is texting her after they text their vote. There is a blues bar in Mt Prospect who is selling 'vote for Lee' shirts and giving all of the money to charity. It is a great family event.

Denise says that though the judges say he is 'shy' she sees it differently: "Lee is a very, very nice caring kid - kind and humble."

After last night's show, Lee is still 'safe.' - as Denise says, we didn't get the Olympics, maybe we'll have the American Idol.