Saturday: 3pm
Darrin Hall, better known by his stage name, Austyn James, is a 25-year old singer, songwriter and recording artist. He was born and raised in Burnsville, MN and is the youngest of 9 children. Growing up, Austyn had dreams of playing Division 1 football like some of his brothers did, as well as his father who also played in the NFL. He has been pursuing music since the age of 18, when he found that his hopes of playing Division 1 football were no longer a reality and his love and passion for the sport transferred into his newly found love for music. He listens to and is inspired by a large variety of music such as R&B, Rap, Hip Hop, Alternative, Rock, and Country. Specific artists who inspire him include Justin Timberlake, Usher, Ne-Yo, and Bruno Mars. He also listens to older music such as the Temptations, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and The Jackson 5 which he feels is where his musical foundation comes from. He has auditioned for several singing competitions since and has succeeded to the semi-final round in both NBC’s The Voice Season 1 (Top 80 contestant nationally) and Fox’s The X Factor USA Season 3 (Top 218 contestant nationally). He also serves as the praise and worship leader at his church and plays the guitar. Along with his love for music, Austyn also knows the importance of education and has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Finance from the AACSB accredited University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, where he received a full-tuition, presidential scholarship to attend and he currently works for Target Corporation in Minneapolis, MN. When Austyn is not working or working on music, he loves to cook, play sports, workout, and spend time with family and friends.
