Italian heritage, faith and family fuel 'American Idol' alum Christian Guardino's passion for music

NEW YORK -- "American Idol" alum Christian Guardino's Italian upbringing is baked into his art. The Patchogue, Long Island, native's father is from Sciacca, Sicily and the influence on Christian is undeniable. He discovered what turned into his lifelong passion for music during jam sessions at family gatherings.

Faith is another powerful motivation for Guardino. He has a strong connection to Saint Francis of Assisi saying, "I was born with a very rare retinal disorder called Leber's congenital amaurosis. You go completely blind by the time of 15 to 30. There was a man named Padre Pio ... and he is also blind. He spoke to millions and millions and millions of people in Italy. It tells me you can keep pushing, keep fighting."

Christian's been fighting since he was a kid. He made his big stage debut in front of a tough crowd.

"I started performing at the Apollo Theater at amateur night in Harlem. Like if you're not good, they're gonna boo you out of there!" says Guardino.

A few years later, he was holding his own on "American Idol," alongside industry legends.