Well, it looks like Mario Vasquez is making his dreams come true without having to jump through the American Idol loop. Mario was one of my favorites and I was sorry to see him leave. Looks like we’ll be able to hear from him anyway — can’t wait.

He dropped out of the televised “American Idol” talent competition before it was halfway over, but that didn’t keep Mario Vazquez from claiming the show’s ultimate prize — a recording contract.

J Records announced on Thursday it had signed Vazquez to its roster of performers, making him the first “American Idol” contestant who was not a winner or a runner-up to land a coveted record deal at the Sony BMG label.

The Bronx-born singer, widely regarded as a front-runner in last season’s “American Idol” contest, stunned viewers and the Fox network when he abruptly withdrew from the show days after being selected as one of the 12 finalists.

At the time, Vazquez offered no explanation other than to cite “personal reasons” for his departure. There was speculation at the time that Vazquez had quit because he had a record deal in the works.

If that were true, his strategy appears to have paid off. source