Dibesh Pokharel aka Arthur Gunn shot his way into our lives through American Idol 2020 where he was a runner-up; however, there could be things you could have missed about this star in the making.
Dibesh Pokharel, a 22-years-old Nepali origin Kansas-based artist, who goes by the stage name Arthur Gunn, bagged the runner-up title in Season 18 of the American Idol with his unique voice which made him an absolute favourite of the judges and the audience. Luke Bryan, one of the most popular contemporary country singers and an American Idol judge on Dibesh’s audition, asked him to open with him in his concert! Arthur Gunn made a powerful impression in our hearts since the first day itself!
Here are some interesting things about this star in the making you might not want to miss out.
He found meaning to his stage name quite sometime after he came up with it. In an interview, he said it was a quick name that he had gathered from different dimensions and also because Arthur was a common name and easy to pronounce in the west. However, it was later that he found a deeper meaning to it. He explained how his fascination over arts and the biblical name ‘Hur’ (which translates to Hole) led him to adopt the first name. ‘Gunn’ for him represented battle, and the meanings led him to adopt the name, Arthur Gunn!
American Idol was a jump start to his career, but he has had an interesting journey. He immigrated to Wichita, Kansas, in 2014 when he was 16. A year before that he used to perform in the bars and pubs of Kathmandu. After moving to Wichita, he started playing at local coffeehouses and street corners. Later, he also started travelling within the States and busked around New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. In 2018, he then released an album called “Grahan” and toured Nepal to support his album. It was much later in 2019 that he participated in American Idol which completely changed his life.
One reason behind his unique voice is the influence of classic rock. In several interviews, he has mentioned about his major musical influences from personalities such as Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin/Jimmy Page, Joe Cocker, Robert Johnson, Mississippi John Hurt. Even during the American Idol’s Hollywood Week episode, judge Lionel Richie complimented Arthur by saying he reminds him of Bob Marley.
He is an avid nature lover. From the regal snowcapped mountain range to the transparent aquamarine ocean, you will find his Instagram feed full of beautiful landscapes. He shares these photos with deeply versed personal philosophies, and sometimes with famous inspirational quotes.
As unique as his voice is, so are his tattoos. He has numerous tattoos inked throughout his body, but the most interesting ones are the tattoo of Lord Buddha as well as the Lord of death and justice, Yamaraja, on his chest.
He is a multi-talented person. He is a singer and songwriter who is a master at playing the guitar, but he also plays the drums and the harmonica!
And finally, everyone loves him for his charming simplicity. It all started with that first Namaste during the American Idol audition.
