Toscano was born in 1988 and grew up in Howard Beach, New York. She is of Italian descent. She began performing in talent shows when she was four, and by the time she was two, had performed in a local church production of "Jesus Christ Superstar". Toscano was the official National Anthem singer at her middle school, P.S./M.S. 207, and performed at every event including graduation. She attended LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts in New York City and graduated in 2006. Fellow Idol contestant Karen Rodriguez also attended this school.
She performed the National Anthem and "God Bless America" for the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets’ minor league team, several times a year for three years. Additionally, Toscano was the winner of the New York Mets annual "Anthem Search" competition in 2008 and was selected to sing the national anthem at a July 2008 game. Toscano has also opened for the Barenaked Ladies.
Prior to Idol, Toscano worked as a make-up artist and as a wedding singer in a band called "Current Affair". She also performed with Josh Groban at Madison Square Garden on the chorus of You Raise Me Up. She cites her musical influences as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Etta James, and Luther Vandross.
No one saw this coming. American Idol sent home Pia Toscano on Thursday night, widely viewed as one of the best singers left in this year's competition, and it sent the judges fuming.
"I have no idea what just happened here," said judge Jennifer Lopez. "I'm shocked, I'm angry, I don't even know what to say."
Fellow judge Randy Jackson agreed with Lopez, and added, "I'm never really mad on this show, but this makes me mad."
Toscano, 22, is from Queens, New York City, and the fact she was sent home drew boos from the audience, Reuters reported. There are eight competitors remaining.
The elimination also led to widespread social media chatter, with many saying they were shocked, and some saying they won't watch Idol anymore altogether. Even Snooki weighed in with a tweet, "Pia should have won the whole thing! I'm not watchin Idol anymore. I'm with JLO on this one..."
Toscano has been eliminated from American Idol.
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