Date of Birth

25 December 1987, Dallas, Texas, USA

Birth Name

Jason René Castro

Nickname

Dreadhead

Height

5' 7" (1.7 m)

Trivia

• Performed as a drummer for the rock band Keeping Lions (formerly named Charlemagne).
• Attended Vernon Schrade Middle School.
• Majored in construction science at Texas A&M University.
• Graduated from Rowlett High School in 2005.
• Plays soccer.
• Plays guitar and drums. Also learned to play ukulele the week he performed Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's "Over the Rainbow" on American Idol.
• Two siblings, Michael and Jackeline (Jackie).
• Parents are René and Betsy Castro.
• Raised in Rowlett, Texas.
• Colombian-American.
• Twice in 2008, his performances on American Idol prompted huge digital sales spikes and album gains for original artists. His homage to Jeff Buckey's version of "Hallelujah" prompted the Buckley download to rocket to No.1 on the Hot Digital Songs, selling 178,000 copies. A few weeks later, Castro's take on Iz Kamakawiwo'Ole's version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" sent Iz's track to No. 11 on Hot Digital Songs.
• Appeared in Cheyenne Kimball's music video "Hanging On" (2006).
• Is the first person in his family to be born in America.
• His younger brother, Michael, auditioned in 2008 for the eighth season of American Idol.
• His girlfriend's name is Mandy Mayhall, a student of the University of Oklahoma.
• Hates doing interviews, claiming he has trouble with it.

Trademarks:

• Dreadlocks
  

Quotes

• My biggest fear is wasting my life.
• The fundamentals of my faith tells be that we're all the same... You know, I'm no better, but no worse, than anybody else... I think everybody should just keep that in mind.
• I think arrogant people disappoint me. Nobody has a right to think they are better than anyone else.
• Be something unique and undeniable.