SEBASTIAN – Kristen O’Connor has spent her life in pursuit of a dream, to show the world what a knock-out artist, musician, and performer she is, and to relay messages of meaning through song.
“As cliché as this sounds, I love music so much,” O’Connor told VeroNews.com in an interview. “I like melodic songs, songs that I can connect with, songs that have meaning,” O’Connor added.
She has earned the nickname, “KO” or “Knock Out” among those who know her best, and now, among the thousands of supporters she has gained on various social media outlets.
Week after week, she has fought to remain in the American Idol competition, an effort that has been continually praised and rewarded by American Idol judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick Jr., arguably among the most respected musicians and artists in the industry today.
She has attracted and kept fans who regularly take to Facebook and Twitter to rave about her sweetheart personality, stand-out fashion sense, and most notably, her killer performances.
But the support does not stop in cyber space. This morning, at the corner of US 1 and County Road 512 in O’Connor’s hometown of Sebastian, a group of local fans took to the streets decked out in “Vote for Kristen O’Connor” t-shirts and “Honk 4 Kristen” signs.
In response, the busy intersection was heard loud and clear during the morning rush hours, as not more than a few seconds went by without the sounding of supporters’ car horns.
Jim, Olivia, and Jake Sunnycalb, Sebastian residents commonly known for campaigning for local politicians, have adopted O’Connor as their new local cause, and intend to see her through.
Jim Sunnycalb said residents can expect to find the group of supporters sitting in the audience of this evening’s City Council meeting in Sebastian, donning their T-shirts and spreading the word to “Vote for Kristen.” They will strategically place themselves in view of the City Council’s camera, so television viewers will also get their message.
Though they have never met O’Connor personally, she has won the Sunnycalb family over, enough to fuel their enthusiasm for raising local support.
“Listening to interviews, you can just tell, Kristen’s got class,” Jake Sunnycalb said.
But this is all what her friends, family, and local community have known about O’Connor for years.
Though she is proud to say music has always been her number one goal and passion, at just 24 years old, O’Connor also holds a nursing degree from the University of Central Florida, and was serving as a nurse in Orlando prior to her American Idol audition.
Now, with all the additional press and attention, O’Connor said her focus remains steady.
“This is really the time for me to focus on who I am and what kind of artist I want to be. This is the time to show America who I am as an artist and just be myself,” O’Connor said. “America, they want to see authenticity, they want to see you.”
O’Connor will perform tonight on the American Idol stage, showing her national audience what an all around “knock out” she is, and trying to pull more voting supporters into her ring.
No matter what performance she delivers, if the American public does not jump online or on their phones to place their votes, O’Connor’s future on American Idol could be in jeopardy.
The only question left is, will “Team KO” pull through with their votes, propelling O’Connor on through this round and the rounds to come.
Tune into to FOX, tonight at 8 p.m. to watch O’Conner belt it out from the American Idol stage, then follow through and vote accordingly. Fans can rack up votes through Facebook, by text, or by phone call; up to 50 per person, per voting method.