In our candid interview, Rhodes chatted about his journey from America’s Got Talent to finding his niche with the Chippendales, where for the past two years, he has been an integral part of their traveling show. This year, Chippendales are touring the world as part of their “About Last Night” World Tour. “I love the Chippendales. It is only fun. We get to travel to some of the most amazing places in the world with some of the coolest guys, and it is an unbelievable work experience,” he said.
For Rhodes, America’s Got Talent was also a great experience, especially since his father was able to see him perform for the first time since he was a kid, and he earned a standing ovation during his moving audition, where he sang a piano-driven version of Avicii’s “Wake Me Up.” “My story came about half hour before filming that segment on the show,” he said. “That changed everything! It was a cool experience.”
Rhodes praised The Paramount on Long Island for being an exquisite venue. “I love it! It’s beautiful here. This is one of the nicest venues that we play on the whole U.S. tour. I come from a sound background, so from a sound perspective, the acoustics in this room are really nice,” he said.
The heartthrob revealed that his plans for the future are to do more music. “I want to be a singer,” he said. “Tell ‘The Biebs’ I’m coming for him,” he said, with a sweet laugh.
While reflecting over the past decade, Rhodes admitted that he has learned a lot of “lessons.” “Honestly, a whole lot of lessons. I try to learn from everything that I do. No matter what it is, good or bad, I always try to take something from it. The past 10 years has been a whole lot of messing things up and figuring the right ways to do it,” he elaborated.
Rhodes’ advice for aspiring male entertainers is as follows: “Stay true to what you want to do, and who you are. At some point, you start to have to compromise. If you stay true to what you want and know what you want, that’s the best recipe for being happy.”
Most impressive about Rhodes is that he has found encouragement and motivations from the rejections that life threw at him, since those have only fueled his fire. “It’s one of the best things that could happen to you. It is only fuel,” he said. “It is the best way to get to where you want to be!”
As he hosted the Chippendales show at The Paramount this past Saturday, Rhodes revealed to his audience that he had always wanted to be in a boy band. With Chippendales, he was afforded the privilege to be on a stage in front of people and in front of a microphone, and with the help of his fellow Chippendales dancers (and singers), he was able to morph into that boy band member that he always wanted to be: he serenaded the crowd to classic tunes by New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys, and showcased some dance moves along the way. The boy band segment of their show was well-received, earning them a standing ovation.
Speaking of music, he shared that he would love to record a dream duet with global music star Ariana Grande, and complimented her for her “gorgeous voice.” “Ariana Grande, if you are reading this, I would love to sing with you,” Rhodes said.
He defined the word success as contentment in life. “I want to be happy. I think you can’t take anything with you when you die. Be as happy as you can be. Then, you’ve successfully made a nice life,” he said.
Ever-gracious, Rhodes concluded by expressing his genuine love for his fans and followers. “Thank you. I really love my fans! I get messages from people all the time, even from my America’s Got Talent days. The fans have been there for me every step of the way. They are an unbelievable motivation,” he said.
To learn more about singer, dancer and Chippendales performer Justin Rhodes, follow him on Instagram.
For more information on the 2018 “About Last Night” Chippendales tour dates, check out their official website.
Read More: Digital Journal reviewed the Chippendales’ February 3rd show at The Paramount in Huntington, New York.
