Arthur Gunn is an aspiring Nepalese-American singer-songwriter as well as Youtuber from Wichita, Kansas. He gained recognition when he became the second-place finisher in the 18th season of American Idol.
While participating in the competition’s event in Hawaii, he expressed his desire to inspire young people worldwide to pursue their dreams. He wants to inspire the next generation to chase their dreams no matter wherever they are. This is one of the key reasons that I’ve decided to share the biography of Arthur Gunn, since he has become a motivational figure for youths all over the globe (especially for the youth of the developing countries like Nepal).
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Dibesh Pokharel |
| Date of Birth | Oct 24, 1997 |
| Age | 22 |
| Place of Birth | Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Nationality | Nepalese |
| Job | Singer-Songwriter |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Current Living | Wichita, Kansas |
| Relationship | Single |
| Height | 177 cm |
| Family Information | |
|---|---|
| Father | Dataram Pokharel |
| Mother | Maiya Pokharel |
| Sisters | Rubee Pokharel , Rupaa Pokharel, Supriya Pokharel and Komal Pokharel. |
| Brothers | None |
Childhood and Education
Dibesh Pokharel, also known as Arthur Gunn, was born in Kathmandu, Nepal. He finished SLC level education with Distinction marks (81%). He completed his highschool education from Ace College of Management, New-Baneshwor, Kathmandu. Dibesh Pokharel guardians emigrated to USA in 2008. However, Arthur Gunn remained in Nepal and joined his parents in 2014. His under-graduate education is from ‘Butler Community College’ in Kansas, USA.
His family wasn’t musical, in spite of the fact that he was presented to music at an early age and grew up with it in his life. As a little child , he sang and played little guitars. Since he was just two years old, he has been blending melodies while playing his guitar.
Musical Career
Dibesh Pokharel started playing guitar in his childhood. His mother gifted him his first guitar. Before his approach to America and American Idol, he used to sing in pubs and cafes in Nepal. Singing was just a source of fun and hobby for him in those days. He started to take music seriously a year before he came to Wichita. After he arrived in Wichita, he started to sing in Pubs and Restaurants in America as well.
His debut Album (First Album) is “Grahan” (Nepalese song album), released in the year 2018. It has 8 songs. Similarly, his second Album has 3 songs. All his songs are uploaded on his YouTube Channel, named Arthur Gunn, which has 290K subscribers (as of May, 2020). He started this Youtube channel in July 2017.
Story behind his stage name Arthur Gunn
Before he released his first album Grahan, he was looking for a stage name, which holds some weight on it. He chose the name “Arthur” because of the influence of the French poet Arthur Rimbaud. He believed the name “Arthur” holds some weight, which he was looking for. “Gunn” means gun, a weapon. Later, he gave a meaning to his stage name himself to have the purpose of it. Arthur is a combination of Art and Hur, where Art stands for creative acts, and the biblical meaning of Hur is liberty, whiteness, hole.
His American Idol Journey
Arthur submitted an audition online for American Idol (AI) in 2019 and was invited to attend the Wichita in-person auditions. In audition round, he sang “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” by Creedence Clearwater Revival and “Girl From the North Country” by Bob Dylan.
Judges’ comments after his audition:
“He is Di-besh (The Best)”.
Katy Perry
“You wanna open for me in Detroit, Michigan, in two weeks?”
Luke Arthur
“You have no idea what this journey is gonna be for you.”
Lionel Richie
List of his remaining performance in American Idol:
| “Round” | “Song choice” |
|---|---|
| Top 40 | “Is this Love?” by Bob Marley |
| Top 20 | “Lovin’ Machine” by Wynonie Harris |
| Top 11 | “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver |
| Top 7 | “Kiss the Girl” by Samuel E.. Wright |
| Top 5 | “I Don’t Want to Be” by Gavin De-Graw & “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” by CCR |
He finished his incredible American Idol journey as the first runner-up. Just Sam won the title of The American Idol Season 18. Arthur Gunn became the first Nepali-born contestant to finish American Idol in such a high note. He is already an idol for Nepalese people and won millions of hearts through his mesmerizing performance in the stage of American Idol.
Arthur’s views
What is Success?
During his interview for Wichita Life Podcast, he stated, “That’s a hard question. Living a good life, being a good person, as much as you are living a life, give some parts to other people. If you stick to being yourself, being good, and being good for other people, you are the Success.”
What would you like to do other than music?
He replied, “Social work.”
What is the one thing you would like to change about Wichita?
He answered, “Clean the rivers. Six years ago, when I arrived in Wichita, those are so clean, it’s terrible now.”