American Idol Past Contestants: What Are They Up To Now?

[twilightzone]

What a mess.  And what bad PR and bad timing for Idol.  His duet with Laci Booth, which is scheduled to air Mon, has already been taped.  Duuno if they can even edit him out.  Once again Ryan Seacrest has the unlucky job of probably having to make a statement on the show.

[pezgirl7]

Such a bizarre story. Laine was one of my favs, so I'm very disappointed in him. I'm guessing he thought his girlfriend was cheating on him, and wanted to get proof. What a stupid move.

[Koalagirl]

Here’s the updated TMZ story.  
https://www.tmz.com/2022/04/29/american-idol-winner-laine-hardy-arrest-warrant-investigation/

[Gemma Violet]

4 hours ago, twilightzone said:

What a mess.  And what bad PR and bad timing for Idol.  His duet with Laci Booth, which is scheduled to air Mon, has already been taped.  Duuno if they can even edit him out.  Once again Ryan Seacrest has the unlucky job of probably having to make a statement on the show.

I read this on Yahoo (Lyndsey Parker):

Quote

A source with knowledge of the situation tells Yahoo Entertainment that the one-hour special, which was taped more than a month ago, will air unedited and as planned.

 

[Koalagirl]

They aired the Laci Booth/Laine Hardy duet first so it got that out of the way. I don’t know if that was the original plan. During the duet it was captioned “pre-recorded” which they didn’t do with the others.

[Diana Berry]

Watching the reunion show.  Can i just say Jordin’s hair,makeup,outfit - perfection.  Very classy.

Edited May 3, 2022 by Diana Berry

[ljenkins782]

23 hours ago, Diana Berry said:

Watching the reunion show.  Can i just say Jordin’s hair,makeup,outfit - perfection.  Very classy.

Agreed, I thought she was styled beautifully and it really showed her evolution and maturity since her teenage audition.

[Gemma Violet]

Gabby Barrett is pregnant with her second child.

[Gemma Violet]

On 1/10/2022 at 4:57 PM, Gemma Violet said:

Clay is running for Congress again.  Last time was in 2014.  That explains why, as of a couple of weeks ago, he's stopped doing his weekly political podcast.  I guess he had to stop it before he announced he was running.

The election primary was today.  Unfortunately, Clay lost.

[KWalkerInc]

Tonight at the end of Entertainment Tonight's weekend edition, they rolled the credits while playing a music video by Pia Toscano.  I was rather surprised, as this might have been something I would have expected 10 or 11 years ago in the aftermath of the uproar over her finishing 9th.  I don't know if this means anything, as sometimes ET will play videos for very popular songs, and other times they are very random.

[Guest]

10 hours ago, KWalkerInc said:

Tonight at the end of Entertainment Tonight's weekend edition, they rolled the credits while playing a music video by Pia Toscano.  I was rather surprised, as this might have been something I would have expected 10 or 11 years ago in the aftermath of the uproar over her finishing 9th.  I don't know if this means anything, as sometimes ET will play videos for very popular songs, and other times they are very random.

For what it's worth, Pia also recently appeared at the National Memorial Day concert in DC, closing the show with God Bless America. Maybe she's having a renaissance.

[KWalkerInc]

Jennifer Hudson has achieved EGOT status after winning a Tony on Sunday.

She previously won a Daytime Emmy for producing an animated short, a Grammy for her debut album, and an Oscar for Dreamgirls.

On an unrelated note, I saw an ad tonight for a free concert by Willie Spence in my town.  It is sponsored by a lady previously known for real estate who hosts a local talk show.  I hope it will be well-attended. 

My cat forced me to type this message with one finger on one hand so as not to disturb him!

[LexieLily]

Scotty McCreery, Wife Expecting First Child.

All these Idols that were teenagers when they were on Idol are having kids...LOL

[Angeleyes]

Anoop Desai has a recurring role as a djinn on What We Do In The Shadows this season. 

[Angeleyes]

I’ve been hearing Jax’s song Victoria’s Secret on the radio and it’s having a bit of a viral moment. This article doesn’t mention it, but the current CEO of VS has even responded to it. 
https://variety.com/2022/music/news/jax-victorias-secret-song-tiktok-1235337273/amp/

[Angeleyes]

Maddie Poppe’s video for her new song One That Got Away. Her boyfriend Caleb who was also on her season makes an appearance. 

[peachmangosteen]

11 hours ago, Angeleyes said:

Anoop Desai has a recurring role as a djinn on What We Do In The Shadows this season. 

Thank you for this because I have been thinking he looks familiar but I kept forgetting to look him up lol.

[Gemma Violet]

Wheel of Fortune has announced that Clay will be one of two hosts of Wheel of Fortune Live, the touring version of Wheel of Fortune.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChkBRiCBsLs/

[KWalkerInc]

Just Sam was hospitalized with an unspecified condition this week.

I hope things will get better for her.  The last thing I had read about her was that she went broke getting out of her record contract.

[Angeleyes]

Jacob Lusk (came in 5th in 2011) is in a band called Gabriel and they are opening for Harry Styles. We saw them in Austin and he sounded great. I think I didn’t watch his season so I wasn’t familiar with him. 

[Angeleyes]

This is Jacob Lusk’s band Gabriels new music video for Angels and Queens. It’s one of the songs they performed when opening for Harry Styles. 

Edited October 5, 2022 by Angeleyes

[Gemma Violet]

Here's a promo for Clay's WoF gig:

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0FW4HZAN6KBjmHZUc1BPoBtXd4A1cpfFGPYg1zJs3jMDC4kxNebYJosZ2eKoERSt7l&id=100065554416999

[incandescent]

S19 runner-up Willie Spence passed away.

[MBJ]

That's so terrible.

[MarylandGirl]

Oh, that's so sad about Willie....

[Angeleyes]

Nick Fradiani made his Broadway debut as a younger version of Neil Diamond in A Beautiful Noise. He posted about it on his Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClXGwEcA7Er/?igshid=MWI4MTIyMDE=

[KWalkerInc]

Ruben and Clay are going on tour next year.

[KWalkerInc]

Jax will be performing in Times Square on "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve With Ryan Seacrest."

[Vermicious Knid]

Grace Kinstler was featured on the Illinois float at the Rose Bowl parade, and dropped a new single. I listed to it, it's like a lot of Top 40 stuff. She sounds pretty good on it though. 

[KWalkerInc]

A few random things:

Jennifer Hudson's talk show was renewed for a second season.  She also received an NAACP Image Awards nomination for Outstanding Talk Host.  (I've never seen the show, as it's not on here.)

Justin Guarini appeared on Kelly Clarkson's talk show last week.  He is voicing the villain in a Disney animated kids show called Superkitties, so he was promoting that.

Jax got engaged after her performance on New Year's Eve.  She had mentioned when Ryan interviewed her after her songs that she thought her parents got engaged in Times Square.  Then after midnight, the other Times Square co-host interviewed Jax and she was showing off a new engagement ring.

Finally, Clay Aiken and Jordin Sparks are competing against each other for charity on an episode of FOX's Name That Tune.  They haven't announced the date yet, but the season's pretty short and it's not next week, so it should be starting at 8 PM on a Wednesday in one of the three following weeks.

Edited January 13, 2023 by KWalkerInc
Forgot to say what day NTT is on.

[Angeleyes]

Nick Fradiani is interviewed by Broadway World about his debut in A Beautiful Noise

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Interview-AMERICAN-IDOL-Winner-Nick-Fradiani-Talks-Making-His-Broadway-Debut-in-A-BEAUTIFUL-NOISE-20230123

[Gemma Violet]

Clay and Ruben were on Tamron Hall today.  They're making the rounds to promote their tour which starts this Spring.

 

[LexieLily]

This is a horrible update to this thread. 

Kyle Jacobs, Kellie Pickler's Husband, Dead of Apparent Suicide.

[Annber03]

Oh, how awful. Condolences to Kellie.

[ljenkins782]

On 2/6/2023 at 6:42 PM, Gemma Violet said:

Clay and Ruben were on Tamron Hall today.  They're making the rounds to promote their tour which starts this Spring.

 

Man, Ruben is ageless. They showed a pic from Idol and aside from being a bit thinner, he looks pretty much exactly the same...Clay, not so much, LOL. 

I can't believe it's been 20 years since the insanity of AI2.

Quote

S19 runner-up Willie Spence passed away.

I hadn't heard about this until I watched the first episode of the new season. How awful, only 23 years old. 

[Gemma Violet]

Fred Bronson interviews past Idols who will be mentoring during Hollywood week:

Seven Returning ‘Idol’ Stars Talk Mentoring Season 21’s Contestants

Justin Guarini, Clay Aiken, Jordin Sparks, David Archuleta, Phillip Phillips, Catie Turner and Noah Thompson tell Billboard about coming home to the show that made them famous.

https://www.billboard.com/lists/american-idol-mentors-season-21-interviews/

Edited March 28, 2023 by Gemma Violet

[Angeleyes]

Jax has a new single called Cinderella Snapped

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oRfEqCap1I8&pp=ygUWamF4IGNpbmRlcmVsbGEgc25hcHBlZA%3D%3D

[TheGreenKnight]

I wasn't a big fan of Jax, but I thought "Victoria's Secret" was sort of cute even if it ages fast. I'm happy she had success anyway, especially since I think she had some health problems at one time if I'm remembering correctly.

On 2/21/2023 at 2:54 PM, ljenkins782 said:

I hadn't heard about this until I watched the first episode of the new season. How awful, only 23 years old. 

I had heard Spence passed away, but I didn't hear the news about Kellie Pickler's husband. Poor Pickler, that's so sad.

[KWalkerInc]

The other day when I was on a sports card site that has a weird variety of ads, there was one for a song by Ashthon Jones.  I thought that sounded familiar, that she had made the live shows in some season long ago.  It turned out that she was 13th in season 10 (?)  I think the song is called "Pop Out," and it apparently got a favorable review in Billboard.

[Gemma Violet]

David Archuleta was revealed to be the Macaw on The Masked Singer.  He came in second in the finale.

[Gemma Violet]

Quote

 

Former American Idol winner Samantha 'Just Sam' Diaz revealed they are back to singing on subways, three years after earning a $250,000 cash prize and recording contract from Hollywood Records.

Despite their victory on ABC's hit singing competition series, the 24-year-old singer, from Harlem, informed their more than 167,000 Instagram followers that they are currently struggling to make ends meet.

Last year, they unexpectedly left the label without releasing any albums under them.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12117897/Former-American-Idol-winner-Samantha-Just-Sam-Diaz-reveals-singing-NYC-subways.html

Edited May 24, 2023 by Gemma Violet

[KWalkerInc]

Iam Tongi performed the national anthem prior to the MLB Home Run Derby in Seattle on Monday.

https://www.mlb.com/video/iam-tongi-performs-national-anthem

[KWalkerInc]

I turned over to ABC as Judge Steve Harvey was ending on Wednesday and was surprised to see Ruben.  He was serenading a couple that was getting engaged with his songs "Together" and "Make Ya Feel Beautiful."

[LexieLily]

Kelly changed and adapted lyrics to her "Piece By Piece" in the wake of her divorce. Here is the new version -> Piece By Piece.

2015 version:
But piece by piece, he collected me up
off the ground where you abandoned things, yeah
Piece by piece, he filled the holes that you burned in me
at six years old and you know

2023 version:
But piece by piece, I collected me up
off the ground, where you abandoned things, yeah
Piece by piece, I filled the holes that you burned in me
At six years old and you know

2015 version:
He never walks away
He never asks for money
He takes care of me
'cause he loves me

2023 version:
I just walk away
when they ask for money 
I take care of me
'cause I love me.

2015 version, last lines:
Piece by piece, he restored my faith
that a man can be kind and a father could stay

2023 version:, last lines:
Piece by piece, I restored my faith
that a heart can still beat even when it breaks.

Edited August 9, 2023 by LexieLily

[Gemma Violet]

I looked back and I didn't see this news posted:  A couple of months ago Gabby Barrett announced that she is pregnant with her third child.  That's three kids in three years.

[KWalkerInc]

Iam Tongi will perform on a pair of Disney holiday specials on ABC.

[KWalkerInc]

Jax performed on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, on the Toys R Us float.  She wasn't singing any of her own songs or a holiday song, but instead "Are You Gonna Be My Guy?" which is a cover of Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?" that she did on Idol way back when.

Katharine McPhee and David Foster were also on, but I was kind of tired and literally fell asleep in between the hosts announcing them and Katharine starting to sing.  I'm sure that they'll repeat whatever it was on the Rockefeller Center tree lighting on Wednesday anyway.  Kelly Clarkson will be hosting.

[Vermicious Knid]

Did anyone know Iam dropped another single? I didn't until I heard it on SiriusXM's Radio Margaritaville this morning. 

 

[27bored]

Hollering ass J. Hud recently did a tribute to Mariah Carey on some award show I didn't know existed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apOYOIGFt-I

Check out who's singing back-up! S3's George Huff (sporting a Lenny Kravitz-esque mane of locs). Jennifer Hudson does an admirable job with "Vision of Love". I feel like Mariah doesn't enjoy hearing her songs sang by other people so she keeps this Amber Dempsey "Little Miss Springfield" look on her face, but the truth is, Jennifer kinda ran her pockets. She reached down and un-muted the secular gospel song that Vision of Love is and made a whole First Sunday out of it.

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by 27bored

[KWalkerInc]

Jennifer's performance was the only thing I had missed from that show because I forgot about the show until the friend I called said she had it on.  Last year (I think the first time the Grio Awards were televised, at least on a network) Fantasia opened the show and she and Jennifer were both on later in a tribute to Patti LaBelle. 

I remember George singing backup for Jennifer a long time ago when she was singing "Where You At?" on a late-night talk show.  His voice is definitely very distinctive.

Tonight on the 50 Years of Hip Hop special on CBS, they had to be cute by making MC Lyte say that coming up, Jennifer would be introducing Common.  Technically that was true, but she introduced an entire segment and a bunch of performers, not just him.