San Diego native Aquile, who grew up in Wyoming before returning to SD, was 22 years old when he earned national attention in 2012 as a contestant on season three of the TV show The Voice, landing on Christina Aguilera’s team. His first TV appearance was performing “Your Song,” by Elton John.
“Hands down, I was drawn to your voice from the second I heard it,” said Aguilera. “I really ‘got’ you as a vocalist and I would love to have you on Team Xtina and to really take you to that place. I kinda want a private concert to be honest.”
His final appearance on the show was more rough. “It was a knock-out round. The girl I sang against did a Christina Aguilera song in front of [judge] Christina Aguilera. That sealed the deal for her. At the end of the day it’s a producer’s show. They make the rules. It’s like voting for our president.”
Things can get rough offscreen, too. “I watched a robbery from the rooftop of Prospect Grill in La Jolla [during a gig]. Looking down on the street I witnessed one lady chase down another lady and tackle her. The lady held down the robber while the criminal screamed bloody murder. I just kept singing.”
His solo shows are a mix of his originals often looped in with Drake/Tupac/Bieber mashups. “I create my own harmonies and make up a lot of my compositions on the fly.”