"American Idol" alum Christian Guardino's Italian upbringing is baked into his art. The Patchogue, Long Island, native's father is from Sciacca, Sicily and the influence on Christian is undeniable. He discovered what turned into his lifelong passion for music during jam sessions at family gatherings.

Faith is another powerful motivation for Guardino. He has a strong connection to Saint Francis of Assisi saying, "I was born with a very rare retinal disorder called Leber's congenital amaurosis. You go completely blind by the time of 15 to 30. There was a man named Padre Pio ... and he is also blind. He spoke to millions and millions and millions of people in Italy. It tells me you can keep pushing, keep fighting."