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Eddie Baeza performs in front of Belvidere High School peers
“He’s famous,” and “We know him,” members of the Belvidere High School student body muttered Friday, Jan. 6, during a special assembly that honored Eddy Baeza.
His classmates are correct. Baeza, a Belvidere junior, is now famous. The crooner displayed his voice all the way to the “La Banda” television rounds. Almost overnight, he gained a massive following on the Simon Cowell-created show.
His acoustic performance of Sam Smith’s “I’m Not the Only One,” in front his student body echoed the nearly flawless TV performances, despite being voted off the show on Nov. 13.
The special assembly was held to kick off the second semester and dovetail the positive energy created by Baeza’s accomplishments.
“With Eddies’s run on ‘La Banda,’ we wanted to highlight him in front of his peers,” Principal Billy Lewis said.
Lewis said the performance is a way for other students to pursue their passions the way Baeza has approached singing. The principal also has high hopes for his crooning pupil.
“I’m extremely proud of him,” Lewis said. “Not only is Eddie a great talent, he’s a great young man. I think he’s got a lot more to do.”
The school assembly was Baeza’s second area appearance since returning from the Miami-based singing competition. He appeared at Belvidere’s Apollo Theater Nov. 19, where he signed autographs, posed for pictures, and greeted more than 100 fans from all over the region, including Chicago.
Baeza announced via social media that he plans to start posting music videos on YouTube.
The teen got his start singing with his parents in Belvidere’s St. James Catholic Church choir. He then started taking music classes at school. He decided to audition for “La Banda” in 2015.
Baeza then found himself on a Chicago audition stage. There, he impressed judges with “The Music of My Soul” from the musical, “Memphis.” The bright lights of television followed, as Baeza moved on, until being eliminated in the second round.
“La Banda,” Spanish for “The Band,” was created by Simon Cowell and produced by Ricky Martin. It premiered Sept. 13, 2015.
Season II ran from Sept. 11 to Dec. 11, when judges picked winning contestants to form the band of three boys and two girls called Mix5.
Martin was a judge in the show’s first season. Puerto Rican hip-hop artist Wisin was a second-season judge.
