CLC student wins national singing competition

GRAYSLAKE – Imagine being flown to Los Angeles and working every day from seven in the morning to 10 at night while trying to squeeze in a college class.

That’s exactly what 21-year-old Francisco “Danny” Rea experienced in November while studying at College of Lake County.

What’s more, Rea was declared one of five winners on “Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento.”

It was a dream come true for the Waukegan-based musician whose singing career began long before his appearance in the competition.

“I actually started singing ever since I could talk, especially the music of Los Tigres Del Norte,” Rea said. “I grew up listening to all the music my grandpa and dad listened to. When I was in middle school and high school, everyone was listening to rap and pop and I was doing my own thing with regional Mexican music.”

When he was 11, Rea began performing around the Waukegan community at restaurants, karaoke competitions, festivals and charity events put on by the city, which is known for its rich cultural history and support of the arts. His first break came a year or two later on a different televised singing competition.

“I was on a version of ‘The Voice,’ but for kids on Telemundo. I didn’t go far in that show but after that I really started performing,” Rea said. “More people wanted to book me for private events and festivals. Then I started my YouTube channel. From there, I’ve had a lot of opportunities with big artists.”

Over the next eight years, Rea continued to perform while working his way through middle school, high school and eventually into college at CLC. His goal was to make it big in music, but at the same time he was realistic about those prospects.

“It’s a tough business and there was a chance I wouldn’t make it,” Rea said. “I was going to get an associate degree in business administration to have something to fall back on while I was focusing on my music, but I liked that I could always transfer to a four-year university if it wasn’t going my way.”

When it came time to audition for “Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento” he wasn’t confident about his chances.

“This was actually the fourth time I had auditioned for the show and the previous three times they said no. I was 14, then 17, then 19 and then this year I wasn’t going to audition. I was like, what’s the point,” Rea said. “My dad was the one who kept insisting.”

He sent in one of his YouTube videos. It apparently was well-received. Soon after, he got a call to do a live virtual audition.

“They told me they’d call me within three weeks and they called me within three days. They asked if I could fly out to [Los Angeles],” Rea said.

At this time, Rea was taking a managerial communication class at College of Lake County.

“He kept up with most of the work until the last two weeks with the semifinals,” said Teresa Bruchsaler, course professor and adjunct faculty member in administrative management and technology. “He even gave a group presentation from his hotel room right before doing promos for the show. He was dedicated and working hard. My class and I are very excited for him.”

The 23rd season of the singing competition concluded Nov. 25 with the announcement of five winners – a first for the long-running show. As one of the winners, Rea shared the $100,000 grand prize. There also was a Sony Music Latin recording deal, and Rea became a founding member of Nuevo Elemento, the group formed from the five winners. The new group already has released their first single “No Andes Con Nadie.”

“I guess you could say we’re pioneers with this boy band concept in regional Mexican,” Rea said. “The first single is with mariachi, but we’re going to do different subgenres like Banda, Corridos, Norteño, Campirano and we’re going to sing everything. We’re all different in our voices, we all have different capacities, so someone can sing Corridos, someone can sing the ballads and so on.”

Rea expects the group’s next two songs to premiere in the next couple of months.

Though his future is focused on music, he won’t forget his past.

“I’m really grateful for CLC, especially with my professor who was able to work with me throughout this experience,” Rea said. “Whoever reads this and isn’t sure where to start off with their school coming out of high school, CLC is a great opportunity. Even if you’re interested in a four-year university, to start off at CLC is the best option.”