Commonly known as the “American Idol” season nine contestant and pastor at New Life Center, Jim Ranger’s life is much more than the footage shown on the popular television show.
Ranger, 27, is a husband and a father of three children: a 5-year-old girl, a 4-year-old and 1-year-old boy. He has been married for seven years, going on eight this June.
Ranger has always included music in his life. He started playing guitar at the age of 13. However, “it wasn’t until 18 that I began to take playing guitar seriously,” he added.
He describes himself as being blessed for being raised with musician parents. His father, James Ranger, 49, senior pastor at New Life Center, is a singer as well as a pianist. James Ranger has been a pastor at New Life Center for the past 26 years and prior to that, his father was a pastor at that same church. Ranger’s mother and brother are also musicians.
Ranger was raised in church, but did not see that becoming a pastor was his calling until about four and a half years ago. He realized that he was already doing most of the things that a pastor was supposed to do so he thought he should probably get the license in order to be able to marry people, since his friends would ask him to marry them, but he couldn’t do so. He attended the school of ministry that is based on a two-year program and obtained his license in 2008.
Having been raised in a church, and now being a pastor, has given him “a real perspective and a positive out look because as a pastor you see people coming out of a dark place and into the light,” he said. “You see a lot of things, and that helps me to see the bright side from any negative situation.”
One of the elements that Ranger is in charge of at the church is overseeing and helping with the direction of the church. He is mainly in charge of all of the musical processes. Music is something he has been doing for a long time and will continue doing.
His father said he is very proud of him. “Of course I hoped that he would become a pastor but I never told him that. I wanted him to choose his own path and for him to figure out what he wanted.”
James never pushed his son into a music career but he always supported him and “gave him the opportunity to develop his talent.”
Prior to the season nine audition, Ranger auditioned the year before in New Jersey. Ranger credits his friends for making it possible for him to audition in 2008, but he did not make it to the first round in that audition.
He decided to give it a second chance. This this time it was more convenient because the auditions were being held in Pasadena, and his brother wanted to audition as well. This time he felt more ready and said he “felt more confident in who I am.”
Regarding the audition, Ranger said it felt awesome to be spotlighted on the show, and for his story to be shared with the audience felt great.
Ranger recently held a free concert on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. and the crowd sang along to most of his songs. “It’s a great feeling because people seem to really connect well with what I play,” he said.
During the concert, Ranger sang many songs and one of them was the song that he auditioned with in the first round. He also sang the song that he performed with in the Hollywood week, “Sunday Morning,” by Maroon 5.
The concert consisted of him singing, playing guitar and playing with the band Soulajar in the second half. He also shared that many of the songs are dedicated to, and inspired by, his wife.
Ranger mentioned in the concert that the moment that he got the ticket to move on to Hollywood, he looked up and said to God, “If this is for me, open the doors, but if it’s not, shut them closed.” He said he understood that God would never give him more than he could handle.
Though Ranger would have loved to chase the dream of pursuing his music career professionally, he “never had a chance to push it,” he said. “I don’t have time to chase it the way this dream is usually chased, because I have a wife, three kids and I am pastor at a church that I am very active at. That’s why I am trying to go a different route and do it out of the church in Bakersfield.”
Due to the fact that he has been playing music, writing songs and singing for 11 years, he has been given the opportunity to meet many musicians who have helped him become known around town.
Nevertheless, “God is opening a lot more doors since ‘American Idol,'” Ranger said. “It is crazy and surreal, but awesome at the same time when people around town recognize me.”
So far Ranger has recorded one album titled “Remember.” The album contains 10 songs, of which he wrote nine of them. He plans on releasing three new albums this year: an acoustic album, another full studio album and one with the band that played with him at his first concert, Soulajar. The genre of his music is a mix of country, southern jazz, and blues he said.
According to Ranger, he has had offers from small labels that want to sign him, but he hasn’t felt that the right opportunity has come along.
“I am blessed to not want to jump on every offer presented, but rather I wait and will jump at an opportunity if it felt like the right one,” Ranger said.
Ranger’s goal is to get as many people as possible to listen to his music, but he doesn’t feel that he is lacking or that getting a record label will make his life more meaningful.
“It will just be something extra because I am content with getting the opportunity to sing and lead people with music. I love what I do.”