Who Is Didi Benami?

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - Getting elimated from "American Idol" Wednesday night, Didi Benami seemed ok and was excited about touring this summer with Idol.

According to USA Today's Idol Chatter, She said after the show, "You get kicked down, you've got to get back up and start over. It's not anything I haven't done before."

"American Idol" hopeful Didi Benami's dream of making it big in music isn't just for her, it's also for the memory of her close friend, Rebecca Joy Lear, who died in a car wreck.

"With a Rebecca forever on my mind, and the world at my fingertips attitude, Didi is a woman on a mission to get Rebecca Joy's music, as well as her own out into the world," states Benami's MySpace page. "The music is so beautiful and the lyrics are captivating. … If it's the last thing I do, I want to make sure that happens."

So far, so good.

The 23-year-old Los Angeles waitress is one of the final 24 candidates on the show's ninth season. Her soulful, pop-folk musical style and heartfelt demeanor are reminiscent of 2008 "Idol" contender Brooke White, The Houston Chronicle reports.

The former Knoxville, Tenn. resident has already scored points with cryptic judge Simon Cowell, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported.

"I like the idea of someone like you, a waitress, coming on a show like this, doing well. That's what it is all about," Cowell told Benami, calling her "cool," according to the newspaper.

Benami's inspiration in music began as a child but turned serious after the death of Lear, which motivated Benami to move to Los Angeles and pursue her musical career, according to her MySpace page. The two were roommates at Nashville's Belmont University. Lear died in a car wreck while driving home to Kansas for Christmas break after her first semester at Belmont in 2005, she says on MySpace.

"Rebecca was a singer/songwriter from Wichita, Kansas who began to help Didi capture and sharpen her ability to sing, and combine vocalizing expression with writing music," her MySpace page says. "Rebecca re-ignited Didi's drive to pursue her music career and follow through with what she loved most. It didn't take long for these two to realize they were soul-sisters. Together, they decided to stick it out at school and continue to pursue music."

"American Idol" Season Nine Contestant Profiles:

Didi Benami | Lacey Brown | Crystal Bowersox | Michelle Delamor | Lee DeWyze | Katelyn Epperly | Andrew Garcia | Tyler Grady | Todrick Hall | Casey James | Aaron Kelly | Alex Lambert | Michael Lynche | Siobhan Magnus | Paige Miles | Jose Munoz | John Park | Ashley Rodriguez | Lilly Scott | Jermaine Sellers | Katie Stevens | Tim Urban | Haeley Vaughn | Janell Wheeler