Dibesh Pokharel (born October 24, 1997),
known by his stage name Arthur Gunn, is an Nepalese-born American singer-songwriter of from
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...
who came to national attention in 2020 as the runner-up finalist on the
eighteenth season of the singing reality show ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' (''AI'').
He started singing in 2014, and is known for his "textured, sandpapery" vocals.
He released his eight-song debut album, ''Grahan'', in early 2018.
He released another album, ''KHOJ'', in 2019 with singles including "Ma," "Khoj" and "Karnali (The River)."
Early life and education
Dibesh Pokharel (Dibesh means light) was born October 24, 1997 in
Kathmandu
, pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
—the metropolis capital of around 2.5 million people in the country of
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
—to parents Datram and Maiya.
His family, including four sisters—including Rubi, Rupa, and Supriya—were not musical, although he was exposed to music at an early age and grew up with it in his life; they noted as a child he sang and played small guitars his mother gave him.
His family would play records and music and he wanted to do that as well.
From the age of two he would blend songs together while playing the guitar.
His first experiences with ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' was watching the U.S. version online while growing up, he also learned English in Nepal.
"I got my first guitar from my mom and then I started singing along to any song I could hear on the radio, TVs, you know. That's when the dream
o perform
O, or o, is the fifteenth Letter (alphabet), letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in ...
started."
His family emigrated to
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...
around 2008 when he was eleven but he remained and finished school.
Later he would sing in pubs and coffee houses, but mainly for gatherings of friends; he eventually recorded some songs.
He started taking his singing seriously in 2012/2013.
He immigrated to Wichita, Kansas around 2014 after graduating high school, and following his sisters who were in school in the U.S., and then was joined by his parents; there he was introduced to
bluegrass and
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
.
He bought a new guitar and befriended musicians and played the city's
coffeehouse
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...
s.
He traveled and
busked on street corners in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and a summer at the
Ocean City, Maryland boardwalk.
He cites as inspirations and influences:
John Martyn
Iain David McGeachy (11 September 1948 – 29 January 2009), known professionally as John Martyn, was a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a 40-year career, he released 23 studio albums, and received frequent critical acclaim. ...
,
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter known for his acoustic guitar-based songs. He did not find a wide audience during his lifetime, but his work gradually achieved wider notice and recognit ...
,
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
,
Bukka White
Booker T. Washington "Bukka" White (November 12, 1906 February 26, 1977) was an American Delta blues guitarist and singer.
Biography
White was born south of Houston, Mississippi. He was a first cousin of B.B. King's mother (White's mother and ...
,
Robert Johnson
Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...
,
Howlin' Wolf
Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910January 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer and guitarist. He is regarded as one of the most influential blues musicians of all time. Over a four-decade care ...
,
Sonny Boy Williamson,
Jimmy Page
James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
,
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...
,
Mississippi John Hurt
John Smith Hurt (March 8, 1893 – November 2, 1966), better known as Mississippi John Hurt, was an American country blues singer and guitarist.
Raised in Avalon, Mississippi, Hurt taught himself to play the guitar around the age of nine. He wo ...
,
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often ...
,
Ray LaMontagne
Raymond Charles Jack LaMontagne (; born June 18, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. LaMontagne has released eight studio albums: ''Trouble'', ''Till the Sun Turns Black'', '' Gossip in the Grain'', ''God Willin' & the Creek Don' ...
and
Ben Howard
Benjamin John Howard (born 24 April 1987) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and composer. His self-released debut EP ''Games in the Dark'' (2008) was followed by two more EPs, '' These Waters'' (2009) and '' Old Pine'' (2010). Signed t ...
.
His musician friends urged him to audition for ''AI'', and Gunn knew he wanted to be a professional singer-songwriter, and decided it was a good opportunity to learn more about the industry.
Career
Early career: ''Grahan''
Gunn first recorded songs in 2018 and around the same time started using his stage name.
He was reading
Arthur Rimbaud
Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (, ; 20 October 1854 – 10 November 1891) was a French poet known for his transgressive and surreal themes and for his influence on modern literature and arts, prefiguring surrealism. Born in Charleville, he starte ...
's—an influential French poet from the 1800s—work, "His words were so modern and I thought his name Arthur would be a good stage name. A lot of people know me as Dibesh but Arthur is easier to use as a stage name."
The name was chosen somewhat randomly but it starts with ''art'', he said: "I am fascinated with art in every form and outcomes it can create."
He also explained, "''Hur'' is a
biblical
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
name, which means 'Hole', nothing religious, though. Meanwhile, 'Gunn' symbolizes battle".
When he started to seriously sing in 2013 he worked on shaping his voice, and then had mentors who taught him breathing techniques, and then enhancing his vocals.
''The Voice of Sikkim'' noted Gunn is one of the latest talented singers from the Nepal area including
Prashant Tamang
Prashant Tamang (born 4 January 1983) is an Indian singer and film actor based in Kathmandu. He was the winner of ''Indian Idol Season 3'' in 2007.[Indian Idol
''Indian Idol'' is the Indian Reality television, music competition television franchise based on the ''Pop Idol'' format.
Versions
: Currently airing – 1
: Upcoming for airing – 0
: Recently concluded – 3
: No longer airing – ...](_bla ...<br></span></div>, winner of ''<div class=)
'' (
season 3
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pola ...
); Prakriti Deuja, the first
Nepalese American
Nepalese Americans are Americans or Permanent Residents of Nepalese ancestry. Immigration from Nepal to the United States began in the 20th century, and many have been able to establish themselves as American nationals. The history of immigratio ...
to sing "
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...
" at a National Basketball Association game in 2014; Nisha Rasaily, and Passang Doma Lama.
His debut, ''Grahan'', is an eight-song
Nepali language
Nepali (; , ) is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Himalayas region of South Asia. It is the official, and most widely spoken, language of Nepal, where it also serves as a '' lingua franca''. Nepali has official status in the Indian st ...
album including the
love song
A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order. ...
"Nyano Ghar", released in early 2018.
''Grahan'' means "about day and night, the sun and the moon".
According to
''Heavy'', "his Nepali songs have infused the sounds of artists such as
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
,
Robert Johnson
Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...
, and
Bukka White
Booker T. Washington "Bukka" White (November 12, 1906 February 26, 1977) was an American Delta blues guitarist and singer.
Biography
White was born south of Houston, Mississippi. He was a first cousin of B.B. King's mother (White's mother and ...
".
He toured in Nepal to support the album, and recorded new songs in 2019, including "Ma", "Khoj", and "Karnali (The River)", which he released in December; all of which to be a part of a new album.
In February 2020, his YouTube channel had nearly 70,000 subscribers, that rose to 230,000.
''American Idol''
Gunn submitted an audition online for ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' (''AI'') in 2019, and was invited to the September 4 in-person
Wichita auditions for the
third season of the
rebooted edition—the eighteenth season overall of the show—at
Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center
Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center is a performing arts and convention center in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is located between Douglas Street and Waterman Street near the east bank of the Arkansas River in downtown Wichita. ...
.
It was one of twenty-two cities the producers visited over a four-month period "Bus Tour," and the first time ''AI'' had visited the city since the show began in 2002.
He auditioned with
Sticky Fingers' "Eddy's Song" (2011), the video has been seen over eight million times.
Gunn notes as his favorite ''AI'' alumni both 2019's winner
Laine Hardy
Laine Hardy (born September 12, 2000) is an American singer from Livingston, Louisiana, and the season 17 winner of ''American Idol.''
Early life
Hardy was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and raised in Livingston, Louisiana. His father Barry is a ...
, and runner-up
Alejandro Aranda
Alejandro Aranda (born August 11, 1994), known by his stage name Scarypoolparty, is an American singer, musician, and reality television personality from Pomona, California, and runner-up on the American Idol (season 17), seventeenth season of ...
.
Gunn was featured in a December 2019 sneak peek for the show, the clip showed a portion of his audition with the show's judges;
Luke Bryan
Thomas Luther "Luke" Bryan (born July 17, 1976) is an American country music, country singer, songwriter, and television personality. He began his music career writing songs for Travis Tritt and Billy Currington before signing with Capitol Reco ...
stated, "I think he might be the biggest star we've ever had on American Idol''.'"
Gunn is also one of several dozen contestants featured in a February 2020 ''AI'' commercial that premiered during the
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, and went into "heavy rotation", it pays tribute to a scene in ''
Almost Famous
''Almost Famous'' is a 2000 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe, and starring Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, and Patrick Fugit. It tells the story of a teenage journalist writing for ''Rolling Stone'' ...
'' (2000), with ''AI'' host
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American media personality and producer. He is the co-host of ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'', as well as the host of multiple media shows including ''American Idol'', ''American Top 40'', and '' ...
driving a bus full of contestants singing along to
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
's "
Tiny Dancer
"Tiny Dancer" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was originally released on John's 1971 album ''Madman Across the Water,'' and was later released as a single in 1972. It was ...
".
Seacrest tags the end of the scene by stating the contestants were almost famous.
Gunn knew he wanted to be a professional musician but had been uncertain about ''AI''; he has become "amazed" at the experience, "I've learned so many things about performing and being an artist and the music industry."
Hollywood Week was filmed December 2–5, 2019, at the
Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, California with 167 contestants. For the first round Gunn self-selected the singer-songwriter
music genre
A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions. It is to be distinguished from ''musical form'' and musical style, although in practice these terms are some ...
and had to be encouraged by the judges to keep singing a second verse of his choice, "
Hard to Handle" (1968) by
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...
.
For the
duet
A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a solo ...
round he partnered with
Amber Fiedler who was eliminated later on in the Hawaiian Showcase.
He reprised "
Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
"Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" is a song written by John Fogerty and released as a single in 1971 from the album ''Pendulum'' (1970) by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival. The song charted highest in Canada, reaching number 1 on the R ...
" (1971) by
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival, also referred to as Creedence and CCR, was an American rock band formed in El Cerrito, California. The band initially consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty; his brother, ...
for the Solo round but did his own arrangement.
Gunn passed onto the Top Forty and advanced to the Showcase round performing for a live audience—including his parents and sisters—in
Kapolei, Hawaii
Kapolei () is a planned community in Honolulu County, Hawaiʻi, United States, on the island of Oʻahu. It is colloquially known as the "second city" of Oʻahu, in relation to Honolulu. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau ...
at the
Aulani
Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, is a beachside resort hotel at the Ko Olina Resort in Kapolei, Hawaii on the island of Oahu. Affiliated with the Disney Vacation Club, Aulani was the third Disney "stand-alone" hotel that is located in an area witho ...
resort.
His sisters mentioned how proud they were, especially as Arthur has not had any formal training until the show.
The two-episode Showcase/Final Judgement round determines the Top Twenty and was filmed in January 2020. Gunn was shown on the second night performing "
Is This Love?" (1978) by
Bob Marley & the Wailers
Bob Marley and the Wailers (previously known as The Wailers, and prior to that The Wailing Rudeboys, The Wailing Wailers and The Teenagers) were a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae band. The founding members, in 1963, were Bob Marley (Robert ...
.
Judge
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recordi ...
said that advancing him to the Top Twenty was one of the easiest decisions they had to make.
Gunn is the third Top Twenty contestant from the Wichita area since the show started after Rickey Smith who finished in eighth place in 2003 on the
second season, and
Phil Stacey
Joel Philip Stacey (born January 21, 1978) is an American singer who first gained national attention on season 6
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On ...
, who came in sixth in 2007 on the
sixth season.
Taping was suspended after the Top Twenty were selected, and the contestants sent home, due to
COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The rest of the season the show filmed all the on-air talent from their homes. The producers equipped each contestant with similar sound and lighting equipment so they could film from home.
When asked who Gunn would like to duet with if he made it to the finale, his list included
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums). The duo began as an independent act, recording music in basements and self-producing their ...
,
Jack Johnson and
Damian Marley
Damian Robert Nesta "Jr. Gong" Marley (born 21 July 1978) is a Jamaican DJ, singer, lyricist and rapper. He is the recipient of four Grammy Awards.
Early life, education and family
Damian Marley is the youngest son of reggae musician Bob Marle ...
. In May 2020 Gunn became the first Nepali-born contestant in the Top Ten on the show; he performed a
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
version of
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, activist, and humanitarian whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singe ...
's "
Take Me Home, Country Roads
"Take Me Home, Country Roads", also known simply as "Country Roads", is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver about West Virginia. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two o ...
" for the show's theme of evoking songs of home.
Popculture's Kyle Phillippi noted Gunn's voice has been praised by the show's judges from the beginning as "the most unique", Gunn said, "I have been told that I have a husky tone to my voice that I open the
diaphragm
Diaphragm may refer to:
Anatomy
* Thoracic diaphragm, a thin sheet of muscle between the thorax and the abdomen
* Pelvic diaphragm or pelvic floor, a pelvic structure
* Urogenital diaphragm or triangular ligament, a pelvic structure
Other
* Diap ...
more than others."
He added, "I don't use a lot of my
head voice
Head voice is a term used within vocal music. The use of this term varies widely within vocal pedagogical circles and there is currently no one consistent opinion among vocal music professionals in regard to this term. Head voice can be used in re ...
or
nasal voice
A nasal voice is a type of speaking voice characterized by speech with a "nasal" quality. It can also occur naturally because of genetic variation.
Nasal speech can be divided into hypo-nasal and hyper-nasal.
Hyponasal speech
Hyponasal speech, ...
, and I am still learning my voice, but I don't have a particular way to define my voice."
For the live finale, the top five, including Gunn were announced live from the Top Seven, and they performed two rounds of songs while East coast viewers voted for their favorites during the show. The first round were celebration songs with Gunn singing
Gavin DeGraw
Gavin Shane DeGraw (born February 4, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. DeGraw rose to fame with his song "I Don't Want to Be" from his debut album '' Chariot'' (2003); the song became the main theme song for The WB drama series ''One Tree ...
's 2003 single "
I Don't Want to Be
"I Don't Want to Be" is a song by American singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw from his 2003 debut album, ''Chariot''. The song gained exposure after being featured as the opening theme to The CW teen drama series ''One Tree Hill'', and it was release ...
".
The second round was the contestant's intended debut single if they won with Gunn again singing Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" (1971).
Both Gunn and
Just Sam
Samantha Diaz (born November 23, 1998), known by their stage name Just Sam, is a singer-songwriter from Harlem, New York who rose to fame after winning the American Idol (season 18), eighteenth season of the singing reality show ''American Idol' ...
were announced as top two finalists, with Sam declared the winner.
Gunn is seen as a trailblazer by Nepali musicians who hope more people from their country will feel empowered to sign up for competitions.
Post-''Idol'', ''Self-Titled''
In June 2020, Gunn was one of the featured singers for a virtual arts event hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu.
In July 2020, he released a seven-song album produced by Angelo Rodriguez called ''Self-Titled''.
, his YouTube channel has 490,000 subscribers.
His most watched video, , is "Nyano Ghar" (House of warmth), released May 2018, has over six million views on YouTube.
His latest song is "Love is My Redemption".
Although his ''AI'' single has not been licensed for use, in July 2020 he released ''Self-Titled'', a seven-track album.
Discography
Albums
*2018: ''Grahan''
*2019: ''KHOJ''
*2020: ''Jalai Mai''
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gunn, Arthur
1997 births
Living people
Musicians from Wichita, Kansas
American male singer-songwriters
American Idol participants
American people of Nepalese descent
Musicians from Kathmandu
Nepali-language singers
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American singers
Singer-songwriters from Kansas