Blake Lewis
Encyclopedia
Blake Colin Lewis is an American
singer-songwriter
and beatboxer
who was the runner-up on the sixth season
of American Idol
. His major label debut album A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)
was released on December 4, 2007 through 19 Recordings/Arista Records
. On October 30, 2007, his first single "Break Anotha
" was released. The album landed on #10 on the U.S. Billboard
Billboard 200
as its highest peak position with 97,500 copies sold in its debut, and over 350,000 copies so far. After the release of his second single "How Many Words
", which peaked at #8 on the U.S. Billboard
Dance/Club Play Songs, Lewis was dropped by Arista Records. Lewis eventually signed with Tommy Boy Entertainment.
His second album, Heartbreak on Vinyl
, was released on October 6, 2009. The first single "Sad Song
" was released on July 21, 2009 and peaked at #10 on the U.S. Billboard
Dance Radio Airplay. The album charted at #135 on the U.S. Billboard
Billboard 200
, #20 on the Billboard
Independent Albums
, and #7 on the Billboard
Dance/Electronic Albums with over 4000 copies sold in the first week (1000 of those were digital downloads).
to Dallas and Dinah Lewis. Dinah is a former rocker who still sings and plays guitar
. He is an only child and is of Welsh
, Swiss
, German
and Irish
descent. He attended Kenmore Junior High and later Inglemoor High School
in Kenmore, Washington
. In high school, Lewis participated in many high school state competitions . He also took part in numerous musicals, as well as comedy
and rap
videos with his friends. In many of these videos, he portrayed his alter ego
, Jimmie Walker Blue, the character he introduced during the semi-final round of American Idol.
Lewis started beatboxing
at seventeen. He picked up this talent purely by ear
, listening to CDs
of beatboxing, after he was inspired by Matthew Selby, a former member of the Los Angeles
-based a cappella
group M-Pact, of which fellow American Idol semi-finalist Rudy Cárdenas was a member. Aside from singing and beatboxing, Lewis plays the guitar, keyboard
, drums
and has written many songs such as "She Loves the Way", "Emotional Waterfalls", "Dumpty Humpty" and "Jealousy". He describes himself as an improv musician
and often uses devices such as loop pedals and the Kaoss Pad
to layer beatboxing, instruments, vocals and effects to create a song live on stage.
Being a member of the a cappella group Kickshaw for four years after graduating from high school in 1999, Lewis worked with the group on a 10-track album titled Put It In the Microphone but he quit the group in 2002 to become a solo musician
going by the stage name
Bshorty, which was basically inspired by the nickname
s of the members of 311
and "aggressive inline-skate
videos during the 1990s", "doing drum and bass
shows, and conscious hip hop
shows, singer-songwriter stuff, and electronica
and hip hop". He made connections with various musicians by performing regularly in many venues in Seattle such as Nectar Lounge in Fremont
, SeaMonster Lounge, Lo-Fi Performance Gallery, Jet Deck in Everett
(now in Mill Creek
) and hosted shows like The Digital Lounge shows at ToST. Before Idol, he was working on a solo album
with a number of tracks finished.
" by Seal
and an off-screen rendition of "Sunday Morning
" by Maroon 5
. Introducing himself as the local beatboxing champion in the audition, Lewis beatboxed along with his teammates, including Chris Sligh
, Rudy Cárdenas and Tom Lowe
, to "How Deep Is Your Love
" by Bee Gees
in the Hollywood's Week. The memorable performance received a standing ovation
from the audience and Paula Abdul, who commented "that brought down the house". In an early episode of the United Kingdom edition of American Idol, Lewis recalled his first solo
performance in the Hollywood's Week was "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
" by The Temptations
. When later he sang it in front of the other finalists, Phil Stacey
felt that it was the best performance he has seen from Lewis.
Lewis ended up the last male contestant standing, despite Simon's first impression that the singer was a bit "over the top" adding "I don't know if you're as good as you think you are". But soon afterward, the judges began predicting Lewis' "front runner" status. In an exclusive interview with X17Online on March 4, 2007, Simon Cowell
foresaw Lewis' chance to take the crown. After Lewis' performance of "Lovesong" by The Cure
/311
on March 27, Paula Abdul
said that she would love to see him in the finale. Cowell further confirmed that Lewis was the front runner of male contestants on American Idol. Lewis, upon entering the top 2 on May 16, 2007, he thus became the first ever contestant from the Northwestern United States
(specifically, Washington) to compete in the finale.
Lewis' beatboxing and scat singing
skills had been featured occasionally throughout the competition, notably in the performances such as "Virtual Insanity
", "All Mixed Up", "Time of the Season
", "You Give Love a Bad Name
", "You Should Be Dancing
", "This Is Where I Came In
" and "This Love". He had also rearranged songs including "You Keep Me Hangin' On
" and "You Give Love a Bad Name". Although Lewis' first performance in the semi-final weeks, "Somewhere Only We Know
", was pure singing and inspired judges to make comments about his contemporary vibe, his signature performance on the show was probably "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi
. Lewis incorporated a substantial beatboxing component, making the song sound significantly different from its original version. Jon Bon Jovi
, the lead singer of the band who also coached the contestants that week, noted that Lewis' rendition was "rolling the dice". All three judges acknowledged the huge risk of Lewis' arrangement, but also praised him for his originality including beatboxing. Randy Jackson
believed that it was the most original performance ever on the show. Cowell even predicted that 50% of the audience "would absolutely hate it" but another half would love it. The groundbreaking performance was later ranked #6 in top 20 all-time greatest American Idol performances on AOL.com
.
Several original versions of songs Lewis performed re-entered Billboard
Hot Digital Songs
chart shortly after the show. Lewis' first performance on-stage, "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane, re-entered the chart at #26 (#19 on Hot Digital Tracks
chart); "Time of the Season", a The Zombies
' hit in 1968, reached #67; Ryan Adams
’s “When the Stars Go Blue
” hit #39 (#37 on Hot Digital Tracks chart); Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name" shot up to #29; "This Love" and "She Will Be Loved
" by Maroon 5
jumped to #41 and #45 respectively. Maroon 5’s album Songs About Jane
had re-entered the Top Pop Catalog Albums
chart at #5 on June 2, 2007 as well.
On May 11, 2007, Lewis visited his hometown, Seattle, Washington for the traditional Idol Top 3 hometown visits. He made numerous appearances at radio stations and then played a concert in Seattle at Westlake Center
, including a performance of "Baby Got Back
" with Sir Mix-a-Lot
. He also visited the top of the Space Needle
. Fans followed him to Bothell
for a parade and concert at the Sammamish River Park. Afterwards, he proceeded to Safeco Field
to sing the national anthem
, "The Star-Spangled Banner
", for the Seattle Mariners
's Game.
Lewis claimed 311 as his all-time favorite band after his performance of "All Mixed Up". Responding to a viewer question on March 13, 2007, he had also confessed his love of "underground hip hop
, electronic music
" such as Common Market
and Panda Conspiracy, with an addition of The Mob Law, which in Lewis' opinion, "should be signed to a major label".
While being the last two contestants waiting for the results on May 2, Lewis and Chris Richardson
answered Ryan Seacrest
's question about their close relationship, saying that they are best friends. Interestingly, Lewis has "Chris Sligh
, Rudy Cárdenas", contestants from the sixth season of American Idol, listed as his own "American idols" on his profile on American Idol official website, while Sligh and Cárdenas also have Lewis on their lists. Furthermore, Lewis claimed in an interview with The Blaker Girls that besides Richardson, Cárdenas and Sligh, his best friends on the show were Brandon Rogers
, Jordin Sparks and Gina Glocksen
. In the episode of The View on June 14, 2007, Lewis said that there were "a lot of writers on the show", including Richardson, Sligh and himself.
Jimmie Walker Blue, his alter ego was introduced in the middle of the Idol.
and the American Idol official website
as Blake Lewis - EP (called a "bundle" on Idol official website) shortly after the finale of Idol, along with other songs that did not make the EP
's cut that are being sold as individual singles. Figures from SoundScan
which were posted on USA Today
indicated that Lewis' "You Give Love a Bad Name
" was "the biggest-selling download of the season", with 192,000 copies sold.
After the finale of Idol, Blake Lewis has made several appearances on television shows. He performed Maroon 5
's "She Will Be Loved
" on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet
(combined with a snippet
of U2
's "With or Without You
"), The Today Show, Live with Regis and Kelly
and The Early Show
. In the episode of The View on June 14, 2007, he sang "Somewhere Only We Know
" by Keane. Lewis had also appeared on Total Request Live
, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet with the winner of Idol, Jordin Sparks and Larry King Live
with contestants who made into the top ten of American Idol. On July 4, 2007, Lewis performed "God Bless America
" and "America the Beautiful
" on Macy's Fourth of July
Fireworks Spectacular with Sparks and Melinda Doolittle
.
Lewis took part in the "American Idols Live! Tour 2007
" from July 6 - September 23, 2007, along with other contestants in the top ten. He revealed on The View on June 14, 2007 that all the male contestants on the show would be playing musical instruments on the tour (for the first time ever), "doing like a folk band," and that he would bring along his loop pedals for his beatboxing. Before several shows, Lewis improvised
, got dressed up as a janitor
character named Bob Bobberson and sometimes as a Pop-Tart
. He performed "She Loves the Way" on the last show, becoming the first Idol who sang their pre-Idol original materials on the tour. He and Chris Richardson
have "started working on a little documentary
" on the tour and it will be published at their MySpace
profiles.
Lewis was named #5 in the list of the 10 sexiest Idol contestants ever on the website during the running of the sixth season of American Idol and was ranked #21 in the list of music's 21 sexiest single men on June 11, 2007 on AOL.com. Later in the issue of People magazine
on June 15, 2007, the brand-new runner-up of Idol appeared on its list of "Hottest Bachelors of 2007". He has also made a cut on the list of 50 hottest guys on Elle Girl
.
, on the American Idol result show.
On the release of his second single, Blake Lewis spent much of his time promoting the single "How Many Words" at various radio stations. While Blake Lewis parted with his label, Arista Records
, in June 2008, he will begin his national tour starting on the East Coast at the end of September with the help of 19 Recordings and will be playing songs from A.D.D. as well as new songs. Details about the tour can be found at Blake Lewis's Myspace page or the website of his official street team, the Blake Lewis Army.
Upon his record deal with Arista Records
/19 Recordings
which was announced officially on August 24, 2007, A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)
, Lewis' "electro
-funk
-soul
-pop
" first studio album
, was released on December 4, 2007. In fact, the singer has been recording his album in the studio "for all night long" since June 18. "Break Anotha
", the first single from A.D.D., was released to radio on October 30, 2007 and on iTunes Music Store on November 13.
Blake's second single, "How Many Words
" was released on March 10, 2008. A.D.D. has been made available at iTunes and includes his music video for his first single "Break Anotha". On June 25, 2008 Entertainment Weekly
officially announced that Lewis was dropped by his label, Arista, but will remain on Idol creator Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings roster.
Lewis has said he's already written four songs for his second album, which he's working on with his band's drummer, KJ "Quantize" Sawka. The pair will be co-producing the effort, which Lewis describes as "Massive Attack meets Zero 7 — drum-and-bass with a little pop influence."
Lewis said he may release the disc through his own label, which he's in the process of getting off the ground. "I'm super-passionate about this record," he said. "Who knows what's in store? Half the year's over, and it's only going to keep going." According to MTV News, the album is expected to have the electronica
genre like the first album, and "he is experimenting with his own music" by implementing blue-eyed soul
, pop music
, rock
, jazz
, emo
, indie and some metal
genre. It was also reported on KIIS-FM
that Lewis will collaborate with Chris Richardson
, KJ "Quantize" Sawka and Ryan "Alias" Tedder
.
As of August 2008, the artist has added one song to his sophomore LP, which may be out on the last quarter of 2008 or first quarter of 2009. Lewis told the interviewers that he is very excited to premiere his new songs, and he has learned some lessons from his "A.D.D." era. On an interview, he said, "Where to start… Orchestral Drive-By: KJ and I are about 5 songs deep now. Can’t wait for you all to hear this. I haven’t been this excited in a while. I haven’t been able to produce in a year and half, besides a couple songs on ‘A.D.D.’ and from what I have learned in the last year, it sure has paid off. STOKED!!!"
It was reported that Lewis has collaborated with his friends on the band, Project Lionheart at a track called "My Eyes" and "Hell Yeah". Aside from that, he also collaborated with Common Market's "Trouble Is", where he contributed backing vocals. Blake says who is currently producing his record with his drummer, KJ Sawka. Blake also recorded a track at 311 frontman Nick Hexum’s house for the next album. Blake finished a charity song called "Selfless" with Darude
for Dance4Life
. In September, Blake was featured on a song for BT's album, which he says is a “throwback to Flock of Seagulls.”. Blake has also been in Darude's song "I Ran" which hit the charts and is on local radio stations constantly.
His second album, Heartbreak on Vinyl
, was distributed under Tommy Boy Records - a dance/hip hop/electronic label whose catalog includes albums by Africa Bambaataa, Biz Markie and De La Soul. He signed a deal on Tommy Boy Entertainment to record an electronica album.
The first single from the album, "Sad Song
", was released on July 21, 2009. The album was released on October 6, 2009.
series, Durarara!!
, in which he will voice Kasuka Heiwajima.
at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center
in Seattle by donating 50% of the proceeds from the merchandise of The Blaker Girls. He chose to put his support behind this organization after a best friend of his as well as his friend's girlfriend were diagnosed with lymphoma
.
In 2010 Lewis competed on Don't Forget the Lyrics to raise money for the Seattle Children's Hospital, a charity that he has worked with for over ten years.
Notes:
Notes:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and beatboxer
Beatboxing
Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, and the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments...
who was the runner-up on the sixth season
American Idol (Season 6)
The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and January 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned to judge once again, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host...
of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. His major label debut album A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)
A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)
A.D.D. is the debut studio album by Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. It was released in the United States and Canada on December 4, 2007. The first single is "Break Anotha" and was released to radio on October 30...
was released on December 4, 2007 through 19 Recordings/Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
. On October 30, 2007, his first single "Break Anotha
Break Anotha
"Break Anotha" is the official debut single of Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. Being the leadoff single from A.D.D. , it was first leaked on October 29, 2007 via phone to fans who had signed up at . The single began to impact the radio on October 30 and was...
" was released. The album landed on #10 on the U.S. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
as its highest peak position with 97,500 copies sold in its debut, and over 350,000 copies so far. After the release of his second single "How Many Words
How Many Words
"How Many Words" is the official second single by singer/songwriter Blake Lewis, from his debut album A.D.D. . The song was expected to be followed by "Know My Name", and then "Without You". However, due to being dropped by Arista Records, "How Many Words" is the final single from his debut album...
", which peaked at #8 on the U.S. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Dance/Club Play Songs, Lewis was dropped by Arista Records. Lewis eventually signed with Tommy Boy Entertainment.
His second album, Heartbreak on Vinyl
Heartbreak on Vinyl
Heartbreak on Vinyl is the second studio album by singer-songwriter Blake Lewis released on October 6, 2009. A double LP pressed on red vinyl with only 500 copies will be released on August 13...
, was released on October 6, 2009. The first single "Sad Song
Sad Song (song)
"Sad Song" is the lead single by singer-songwriter Blake Lewis from his second studio album Heartbreak on Vinyl, released on October 6, 2009 and has reached the #11 spots on Billboard'sHot Dance Club Songs chart in 2009.-Music video:...
" was released on July 21, 2009 and peaked at #10 on the U.S. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Dance Radio Airplay. The album charted at #135 on the U.S. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, #20 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Independent Albums
Independent Albums
The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels...
, and #7 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Dance/Electronic Albums with over 4000 copies sold in the first week (1000 of those were digital downloads).
Early years
Lewis was born in Redmond, WashingtonRedmond, Washington
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000....
to Dallas and Dinah Lewis. Dinah is a former rocker who still sings and plays guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. He is an only child and is of Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
, Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
descent. He attended Kenmore Junior High and later Inglemoor High School
Inglemoor High School
Inglemoor High School is a public high school located in Kenmore, Washington. It is one of the largest high schools in the state of Washington and has an average of 23.4 students per teacher. Inglemoor's feeder schools are Kenmore and Northshore Junior Highs and Arrowhead, Kenmore, Lockwood,...
in Kenmore, Washington
Kenmore, Washington
Kenmore is a city in King County, Washington, United States, along the northernmost shores of Lake Washington...
. In high school, Lewis participated in many high school state competitions . He also took part in numerous musicals, as well as comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
and rap
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
videos with his friends. In many of these videos, he portrayed his alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
, Jimmie Walker Blue, the character he introduced during the semi-final round of American Idol.
Lewis started beatboxing
Beatboxing
Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, and the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments...
at seventeen. He picked up this talent purely by ear
Ear
The ear is the organ that detects sound. It not only receives sound, but also aids in balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system....
, listening to CDs
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
of beatboxing, after he was inspired by Matthew Selby, a former member of the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
-based a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group M-Pact, of which fellow American Idol semi-finalist Rudy Cárdenas was a member. Aside from singing and beatboxing, Lewis plays the guitar, keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and has written many songs such as "She Loves the Way", "Emotional Waterfalls", "Dumpty Humpty" and "Jealousy". He describes himself as an improv musician
Musical improvisation
Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians...
and often uses devices such as loop pedals and the Kaoss Pad
Kaoss Pad
The Kaoss Pad is a touchpad MIDI controller, sampler, and effects processor for audio and musical instruments, made by Korg.The Kaoss Pad's touchpad can be used to control its internal effects engine, which can be applied to a line-in signal or to samples recorded from the line-in...
to layer beatboxing, instruments, vocals and effects to create a song live on stage.
Being a member of the a cappella group Kickshaw for four years after graduating from high school in 1999, Lewis worked with the group on a 10-track album titled Put It In the Microphone but he quit the group in 2002 to become a solo musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
going by the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Bshorty, which was basically inspired by the nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s of the members of 311
311 (band)
311 is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson , bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton...
and "aggressive inline-skate
Inline skates
In-line skates are a type of roller skate used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates, which have two front and two rear wheels, inline skates have two, three, four, or five wheels arranged in a single line...
videos during the 1990s", "doing drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
shows, and conscious hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
shows, singer-songwriter stuff, and electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
and hip hop". He made connections with various musicians by performing regularly in many venues in Seattle such as Nectar Lounge in Fremont
Fremont, Seattle, Washington
Fremont is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. Originally a separate city, it was annexed to Seattle in 1891. Named after Fremont, Nebraska, the hometown of two of its founders, L. H. Griffith and E...
, SeaMonster Lounge, Lo-Fi Performance Gallery, Jet Deck in Everett
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
(now in Mill Creek
Mill Creek, Washington
Mill Creek is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located approximately 20 miles north-northeast of downtown Seattle and is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The 2010 census population as of 18,244...
) and hosted shows like The Digital Lounge shows at ToST. Before Idol, he was working on a solo album
Solo album
A solo album, in popular music, is an album headlined by a current or former member of a band. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but typically features the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the artist is...
with a number of tracks finished.
Overview
Though he initially found American Idol unappealing, Lewis auditioned for it in Seattle with "CrazyCrazy (Seal song)
"Crazy" is a song written by English soul artist Seal and producer Guy Sigsworth . The song was produced by Trevor Horn for Seal's debut album Seal . Seal's debut single, "Crazy" is one of his biggest hits, reaching the top five in the United Kingdom and the top ten in the United States...
" by Seal
Seal (musician)
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...
and an off-screen rendition of "Sunday Morning
Sunday Morning (Maroon 5 song)
"Sunday Morning" is the fourth single from Maroon 5's debut album, Songs About Jane. Released in 2004, the single peaked at #31 in the USA becoming Maroon 5's fourth Top 40 single; it also peaked at #27 in the UK and Australia....
" by Maroon 5
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
. Introducing himself as the local beatboxing champion in the audition, Lewis beatboxed along with his teammates, including Chris Sligh
Chris Sligh
Charles Christopher Sligh is an American singer; songwriter and producer who was a finalist on the sixth season of American Idol, finishing in tenth place.-Early years:...
, Rudy Cárdenas and Tom Lowe
Tom Lowe (performer)
Thomas Peter "Tom" Lowe is an English-born singer and actor.-Personal life:Tom Lowe was born in Stockport, England to his parents, Peter and Margaret Lowe...
, to "How Deep Is Your Love
How Deep Is Your Love
"How Deep Is Your Love" is a pop song recorded by the Bee Gees in 1977 and released as a single in September. Originally intended for Yvonne Elliman, it was ultimately used as part of the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever. It was a number three hit in the United Kingdom and Australia...
" by Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
in the Hollywood's Week. The memorable performance received a standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
from the audience and Paula Abdul, who commented "that brought down the house". In an early episode of the United Kingdom edition of American Idol, Lewis recalled his first solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
performance in the Hollywood's Week was "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" is a soul song, written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong as a single for Motown act The Undisputed Truth in 1971...
" by The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
. When later he sang it in front of the other finalists, Phil Stacey
Phil Stacey
Joel Philip "Phil" Stacey is an American singer who first gained national attention on season 6 of the television talent show American Idol. After being eliminated from the competition on May 2, 2007, he was signed to a recording contract with Lyric Street Records...
felt that it was the best performance he has seen from Lewis.
Lewis ended up the last male contestant standing, despite Simon's first impression that the singer was a bit "over the top" adding "I don't know if you're as good as you think you are". But soon afterward, the judges began predicting Lewis' "front runner" status. In an exclusive interview with X17Online on March 4, 2007, Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
foresaw Lewis' chance to take the crown. After Lewis' performance of "Lovesong" by The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
/311
311 (band)
311 is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson , bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton...
on March 27, Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
said that she would love to see him in the finale. Cowell further confirmed that Lewis was the front runner of male contestants on American Idol. Lewis, upon entering the top 2 on May 16, 2007, he thus became the first ever contestant from the Northwestern United States
Northwestern United States
The Northwestern United States comprise the northwestern states up to the western Great Plains regions of the United States, and consistently include the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, to which part of southeast Alaska is also sometimes included...
(specifically, Washington) to compete in the finale.
Lewis' beatboxing and scat singing
Scat singing
In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. Scat singing gives singers the ability to sing improvised melodies and rhythms, to create the equivalent of an instrumental solo using their voice.- Structure and syllable choice...
skills had been featured occasionally throughout the competition, notably in the performances such as "Virtual Insanity
Virtual Insanity
"Virtual Insanity" is the lead single from British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai's third studio album, Travelling Without Moving. The song reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also charted at #38 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart upon the single's release in America in 1997...
", "All Mixed Up", "Time of the Season
Time of the Season
"Time of the Season" is a song by The Zombies, featured on their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle. It was written by keyboard player Rod Argent and recorded at Abbey Road Studios in August 1967.-Song information:...
", "You Give Love a Bad Name
You Give Love a Bad Name (song)
"You Give Love a Bad Name" is a song written by Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child, and Richie Sambora about a woman who has jilted her lover. Although originally written for the band Loverboy, the song was recorded by Bon Jovi...
", "You Should Be Dancing
You Should Be Dancing
"You Should Be Dancing" is a single by the Bee Gees, from the album, Children of the World, in 1976. The single hit number one for one week on the American Billboard Hot 100, number one for seven weeks on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart, and in July the same year, reached number five on the UK...
", "This Is Where I Came In
This Is Where I Came In (song)
"This Is Where I Came In" is a song by the Bee Gees. It was the first and only single from their final album and was featured as the last song performed on the live Bee Gees 1997 PBS special One Night Only before the album release of This Is Where I Came In as an "experimental" song at that time...
" and "This Love". He had also rearranged songs including "You Keep Me Hangin' On
You Keep Me Hangin' On
Vanilla Fudge's 1967 psychedelic/hard rock remake of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" reached #6 on the Hot 100 chart two years after the release of the Supremes' recording. While the version released on 45 RPM single was under three minutes long, the album version was extended to six minutes and...
" and "You Give Love a Bad Name". Although Lewis' first performance in the semi-final weeks, "Somewhere Only We Know
Somewhere Only We Know
"Somewhere Only We Know" is a song performed and composed by English alternative rock band Keane, officially released as their third commercial single, and appearing as the opening track of their debut album, Hopes and Fears as the first single...
", was pure singing and inspired judges to make comments about his contemporary vibe, his signature performance on the show was probably "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
. Lewis incorporated a substantial beatboxing component, making the song sound significantly different from its original version. Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
, the lead singer of the band who also coached the contestants that week, noted that Lewis' rendition was "rolling the dice". All three judges acknowledged the huge risk of Lewis' arrangement, but also praised him for his originality including beatboxing. Randy Jackson
Randy Jackson
Randall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...
believed that it was the most original performance ever on the show. Cowell even predicted that 50% of the audience "would absolutely hate it" but another half would love it. The groundbreaking performance was later ranked #6 in top 20 all-time greatest American Idol performances on AOL.com
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
.
Several original versions of songs Lewis performed re-entered Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart shortly after the show. Lewis' first performance on-stage, "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane, re-entered the chart at #26 (#19 on Hot Digital Tracks
Hot Digital Tracks
The Hot Digital Tracks chart is a song popularity chart that ranks the best selling digital tracks in the United States according to Billboard magazine...
chart); "Time of the Season", a The Zombies
The Zombies
The Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1961 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent, on piano and keyboards, and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored a UK and US hit in 1964 with "She's Not There"...
' hit in 1968, reached #67; Ryan Adams
Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, Adams left the band and released his first solo album Heartbreaker in 2000...
’s “When the Stars Go Blue
When the Stars Go Blue
- Music video : The video for "When the Stars Go Blue" is pieced together from the "Live" session at VH1.- Charts :-Tim McGraw cover:In 2006, the song was released by Tim McGraw as the first single from his album Tim McGraw Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2, with added country-style and more...
” hit #39 (#37 on Hot Digital Tracks chart); Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name" shot up to #29; "This Love" and "She Will Be Loved
She Will Be Loved
"She Will Be Loved" is the third single from the Californian band Maroon 5's 2002 debut album, Songs About Jane. Released in 2004, the single peaked at #5 in the United States and has sold over 2,178,000 downloads since release; it also peaked at #4 in the United Kingdom. The song reached #1 in...
" by Maroon 5
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
jumped to #41 and #45 respectively. Maroon 5’s album Songs About Jane
Songs about Jane
Songs About Jane is the debut album of American pop rock band Maroon 5, released June 25, 2002 on J Records and Octone Records. The album became a sleeper hit with help of five singles that attained chart success, including the Billboard hit "Harder to Breathe" and international hits "This Love"...
had re-entered the Top Pop Catalog Albums
Top Pop Catalog Albums
Top Pop Catalog Albums is a fifty-position weekly albums chart produced by Billboard magazine which ranks the best selling catalog titles, regardless of genre. Billboard defines a catalog title as one that is more than eighteen months old and that has fallen below position 100 on the Billboard 200...
chart at #5 on June 2, 2007 as well.
On May 11, 2007, Lewis visited his hometown, Seattle, Washington for the traditional Idol Top 3 hometown visits. He made numerous appearances at radio stations and then played a concert in Seattle at Westlake Center
Westlake Center
Westlake Center is a four-story shopping center and twenty-five story office tower in Downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. The southern terminus of the Seattle Center Monorail, it is located across Pine Street from Westlake Park, between 4th and 5th Avenues. It is named for Westlake Avenue, which now...
, including a performance of "Baby Got Back
Baby Got Back
"Baby Got Back" is a 1992 Number One single by hip hop artist Sir Mix-a-Lot, from his album Mack Daddy. The song samples the 1986 electro single "Technicolor" by Channel One. The song's title originates from an urban slang term used to express a favorable opinion about a woman's buttocks...
" with Sir Mix-a-Lot
Sir Mix-a-Lot
Anthony Ray , better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an emcee and producer based in Seattle, Washington. The founder of the Nastymix record label, he debuted in 1988 with Swass...
. He also visited the top of the Space Needle
Space Needle
The Space Needle is a tower in Seattle, Washington and is a major landmark of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and a symbol of Seattle. Located at the Seattle Center, it was built for the 1962 World's Fair, during which time nearly 20,000 people a day used the elevators, with over...
. Fans followed him to Bothell
Bothell, Washington
Bothell is a city located in King and Snohomish Counties in the state of Washington. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The population was 33,505 as of the 2010 census...
for a parade and concert at the Sammamish River Park. Afterwards, he proceeded to Safeco Field
Safeco Field
Safeco Field is a retractable roof baseball stadium located in Seattle, Washington. The stadium, owned and operated by the Washington-King County Stadium Authority, is the home stadium of the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball and has a seating capacity of 47,878 for baseball...
to sing the national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
, "The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
", for the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
's Game.
Lewis claimed 311 as his all-time favorite band after his performance of "All Mixed Up". Responding to a viewer question on March 13, 2007, he had also confessed his love of "underground hip hop
Underground hip hop
Underground hip hop is an umbrella term for hip hop music outside the general commercial canon. It is typically associated with independent artists, signed toindependent labels or no label at all....
, electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
" such as Common Market
Common Market (band)
Common Market is a hip hop duo based in Seattle, Washington with members RA Scion and DJ/Producer Sabzi. The two members were individually active hip hop artists in the Pacific Northwest since 2002, but collectively combined their talents in 2005 to form Common Market.Sabzi started his career as...
and Panda Conspiracy, with an addition of The Mob Law, which in Lewis' opinion, "should be signed to a major label".
While being the last two contestants waiting for the results on May 2, Lewis and Chris Richardson
Chris Richardson
Christopher Michael "Chris" Richardson is an American singer-songwriter who was the fifth-place finalist on the sixth season of American Idol.-Personal life:...
answered Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
's question about their close relationship, saying that they are best friends. Interestingly, Lewis has "Chris Sligh
Chris Sligh
Charles Christopher Sligh is an American singer; songwriter and producer who was a finalist on the sixth season of American Idol, finishing in tenth place.-Early years:...
, Rudy Cárdenas", contestants from the sixth season of American Idol, listed as his own "American idols" on his profile on American Idol official website, while Sligh and Cárdenas also have Lewis on their lists. Furthermore, Lewis claimed in an interview with The Blaker Girls that besides Richardson, Cárdenas and Sligh, his best friends on the show were Brandon Rogers
Brandon Rogers (singer)
Brandon Rogers is an American singer who has worked as a professional backup vocalist, and who was the 12th place finalist on the sixth season of American Idol.-Early years:...
, Jordin Sparks and Gina Glocksen
Gina Glocksen
Gina Glocksen was the ninth-place finisher on the sixth season of American Idol. She was eliminated on April 4, 2007. She previously appeared in season 5...
. In the episode of The View on June 14, 2007, Lewis said that there were "a lot of writers on the show", including Richardson, Sligh and himself.
Jimmie Walker Blue, his alter ego was introduced in the middle of the Idol.
Performances/Results
| Week | Theme | Song Choice | Artist | Order # | Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 24 (12 Men) | N/A | "Somewhere Only We Know Somewhere Only We Know "Somewhere Only We Know" is a song performed and composed by English alternative rock band Keane, officially released as their third commercial single, and appearing as the opening track of their debut album, Hopes and Fears as the first single... " |
Keane | 7 | Safe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 20 (10 Men) | N/A | "Virtual Insanity Virtual Insanity "Virtual Insanity" is the lead single from British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai's third studio album, Travelling Without Moving. The song reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also charted at #38 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart upon the single's release in America in 1997... " |
Jamiroquai Jamiroquai Jamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as... |
7 | Safe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 16 (8 Men) | N/A | "All Mixed Up" | 311 311 (band) 311 is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson , bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton... |
1 | Safe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 12 | Diana Ross Diana Ross Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway... |
"You Keep Me Hangin' On You Keep Me Hangin' On Vanilla Fudge's 1967 psychedelic/hard rock remake of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" reached #6 on the Hot 100 chart two years after the release of the Supremes' recording. While the version released on 45 RPM single was under three minutes long, the album version was extended to six minutes and... " |
The Supremes The Supremes The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco... |
9 | Safe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 11 | British Invasion British Invasion The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :... |
"Time of the Season Time of the Season "Time of the Season" is a song by The Zombies, featured on their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle. It was written by keyboard player Rod Argent and recorded at Abbey Road Studios in August 1967.-Song information:... " |
The Zombies The Zombies The Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1961 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent, on piano and keyboards, and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored a UK and US hit in 1964 with "She's Not There"... |
4 | Safe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 10 | No Doubt No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact... /Artists who inspire Gwen Stefani Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over... |
"Lovesong" | The Cure The Cure The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member... |
8 | Safe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 9 | American Classics Traditional pop music Traditional pop or classic pop or standards music denotes, in general, Western popular music that either wholly predates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s, or to any popular music which exists concurrently to rock and roll but originated in a time before the appearance of rock and roll,... |
"Mack the Knife Mack the Knife "Mack the Knife" or "The Ballad of Mack the Knife", originally "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer", is a song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for their music drama Die Dreigroschenoper, or, as it is known in English, The Threepenny Opera. It premiered in Berlin in 1928 at the... " |
Bobby Darin Bobby Darin Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country... |
1 | Safe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 8 | Latin Latin American music Latin American music, found within Central and South America, is a series of musical styles and genres that mixes influences from Spanish, African and indigenous sources, that has recently become very famous in the US.-Argentina:... |
"I Need to Know I Need to Know (Marc Anthony song) "I Need to Know" is a song by Marc Anthony, and was released as the lead single of his first English language album Marc Anthony, in August 1999.-Song information:... " |
Marc Anthony Marc Anthony Marc Anthony is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads... |
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| Top 7 | Country Country music Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music... |
"When the Stars Go Blue When the Stars Go Blue - Music video : The video for "When the Stars Go Blue" is pieced together from the "Live" session at VH1.- Charts :-Tim McGraw cover:In 2006, the song was released by Tim McGraw as the first single from his album Tim McGraw Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2, with added country-style and more... " |
Ryan Adams Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, Adams left the band and released his first solo album Heartbreaker in 2000... |
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| Top 6 (Week 1) | Inspirational | "Imagine Imagine (song) "Imagine" is a song written and performed by the English musician John Lennon. It is the opening track on his album Imagine, released in 1971... " |
John Lennon John Lennon John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music... |
3 | Safe Non-Elimination Week |
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| Top 6 (Week 2) | Bon Jovi Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald... |
"You Give Love a Bad Name You Give Love a Bad Name (song) "You Give Love a Bad Name" is a song written by Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child, and Richie Sambora about a woman who has jilted her lover. Although originally written for the band Loverboy, the song was recorded by Bon Jovi... " |
Bon Jovi | 4 | Safe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 4 | Barry Gibb Barry Gibb Barry Alan Crompton Gibb, CBE , is a singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in the Isle of Man to English parents. With his brothers Robin and Maurice, he formed The Bee Gees, one of the most successful pop groups of all time. The trio got their start in Australia, and found their major... |
"You Should Be Dancing You Should Be Dancing "You Should Be Dancing" is a single by the Bee Gees, from the album, Children of the World, in 1976. The single hit number one for one week on the American Billboard Hot 100, number one for seven weeks on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart, and in July the same year, reached number five on the UK... " "This Is Where I Came In This Is Where I Came In (song) "This Is Where I Came In" is a song by the Bee Gees. It was the first and only single from their final album and was featured as the last song performed on the live Bee Gees 1997 PBS special One Night Only before the album release of This Is Where I Came In as an "experimental" song at that time... " |
Bee Gees Bee Gees The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a... |
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| Top 3 | Judge's Choice (Paula Abdul Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits... ) Producers' Choice Contestant's Choice |
"Roxanne Roxanne (song) "Roxanne" is a hit song by the rock band The Police, first released in 1978 as a single and on their album Outlandos d'Amour. It was written from the point-of-view of a man who falls in love with a prostitute.- History :... " "This Love" "When I Get You Alone When I Get You Alone "When I Get You Alone" is the first single by American singer Robin Thicke, released in 2002. It was originally to be featured on his debut album Cherry Blue Skies, before being placed on a revamped version of the album and his first released studio album A Beautiful World.-Writing and... " |
The Police The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland... Maroon 5 Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album... Robin Thicke Robin Thicke Robin Charles Thicke is an Award-winning American R&B singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and actor. Thicke's albums, which he previously released under the moniker Thicke, are noted for their feature of a predominantly R&B sound. Robin Thicke has penned hits for popular artists such as... |
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| Finale | Previous Song New Song Coronation Song |
"You Give Love a Bad Name" "She Will Be Loved She Will Be Loved "She Will Be Loved" is the third single from the Californian band Maroon 5's 2002 debut album, Songs About Jane. Released in 2004, the single peaked at #5 in the United States and has sold over 2,178,000 downloads since release; it also peaked at #4 in the United Kingdom. The song reached #1 in... " "This Is My Now This Is My Now "This Is My Now" is a song written by Jeff Peabody and Scott Krippayne. It is Jordin Sparks's first single. The top two finalists of the season 6 finale of American Idol. sang it during the May 22 and May 23, 2007 finale shows. It was chosen over thousands of other entries in a songwriting contest... " |
Bon Jovi Maroon 5 Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks Jordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history... /Blake Lewis |
1 3 5 |
Runner-up |
Post-Idol
Lewis' songs from the American Idol have been on sale at the iTunes StoreITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
and the American Idol official website
Fox Interactive Media
News Corporation's Digital Media Group , also known as News Corp. Digital Media and formerly Fox Interactive Media, oversees the Internet business operations of media giant News Corporation, and was formed to oversee News Corporation's new media acquisitions, including IGN Entertainment, MySpace...
as Blake Lewis - EP (called a "bundle" on Idol official website) shortly after the finale of Idol, along with other songs that did not make the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
's cut that are being sold as individual singles. Figures from SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
which were posted on USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
indicated that Lewis' "You Give Love a Bad Name
You Give Love a Bad Name (song)
"You Give Love a Bad Name" is a song written by Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child, and Richie Sambora about a woman who has jilted her lover. Although originally written for the band Loverboy, the song was recorded by Bon Jovi...
" was "the biggest-selling download of the season", with 192,000 copies sold.
After the finale of Idol, Blake Lewis has made several appearances on television shows. He performed Maroon 5
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
's "She Will Be Loved
She Will Be Loved
"She Will Be Loved" is the third single from the Californian band Maroon 5's 2002 debut album, Songs About Jane. Released in 2004, the single peaked at #5 in the United States and has sold over 2,178,000 downloads since release; it also peaked at #4 in the United Kingdom. The song reached #1 in...
" on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet
The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet
The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet is an American syndicated morning talk show. Produced by Fox, the show first aired on January 22, 2007 to a number of markets originally through Fox and MyNetworkTV, most in the Fox Television Stations Group...
(combined with a snippet
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's "With or Without You
With or Without You
"With or Without You" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track from their 1987 album, The Joshua Tree, and was released as the album's first single on 21 March 1987...
"), The Today Show, Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
and The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
. In the episode of The View on June 14, 2007, he sang "Somewhere Only We Know
Somewhere Only We Know
"Somewhere Only We Know" is a song performed and composed by English alternative rock band Keane, officially released as their third commercial single, and appearing as the opening track of their debut album, Hopes and Fears as the first single...
" by Keane. Lewis had also appeared on Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet with the winner of Idol, Jordin Sparks and Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
with contestants who made into the top ten of American Idol. On July 4, 2007, Lewis performed "God Bless America
God Bless America
"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and revised by him in 1938. The later version has notably been recorded by Kate Smith, becoming her signature song ....
" and "America the Beautiful
America the Beautiful
"America the Beautiful" is an American patriotic song. The lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and the music composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward....
" on Macy's Fourth of July
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
Fireworks Spectacular with Sparks and Melinda Doolittle
Melinda Doolittle
Melinda Marie Doolittle is an American singer who finished as the third place finalist on the sixth season of American Idol...
.
Lewis took part in the "American Idols Live! Tour 2007
American Idols LIVE! Tour 2007
American Idols Live! Tour 2007 was a summer concert tour in the United States featuring the top 10 contestants of the sixth season of American Idol, which aired in 2007. It was sponsored by Kellogg's Pop-Tarts...
" from July 6 - September 23, 2007, along with other contestants in the top ten. He revealed on The View on June 14, 2007 that all the male contestants on the show would be playing musical instruments on the tour (for the first time ever), "doing like a folk band," and that he would bring along his loop pedals for his beatboxing. Before several shows, Lewis improvised
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
, got dressed up as a janitor
Janitor
A janitor or custodian is a professional who takes care of buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Janitors are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often some maintenance and security...
character named Bob Bobberson and sometimes as a Pop-Tart
Pop-Tarts
Pop-Tarts is a brand of rectangular, pre-baked toaster pastries made by the Kellogg Company. Pop-Tarts have a sugary filling sealed inside two layers of rectangular, thin pastry crust. Some varieties are frosted. Although sold pre-cooked, they are designed to be warmed inside a toaster or...
. He performed "She Loves the Way" on the last show, becoming the first Idol who sang their pre-Idol original materials on the tour. He and Chris Richardson
Chris Richardson
Christopher Michael "Chris" Richardson is an American singer-songwriter who was the fifth-place finalist on the sixth season of American Idol.-Personal life:...
have "started working on a little documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
" on the tour and it will be published at their MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
profiles.
Lewis was named #5 in the list of the 10 sexiest Idol contestants ever on the website during the running of the sixth season of American Idol and was ranked #21 in the list of music's 21 sexiest single men on June 11, 2007 on AOL.com. Later in the issue of People magazine
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
on June 15, 2007, the brand-new runner-up of Idol appeared on its list of "Hottest Bachelors of 2007". He has also made a cut on the list of 50 hottest guys on Elle Girl
Elle Girl
Elle Girl was the largest older-teen fashion and beauty magazine brand in the world with 12 editions and supplements worldwide. Launched in August 2001, it was the younger sibling to Elle magazine, and similarly focused on beauty, health, entertainment and looked at daring fashion—its slogan: "Dare...
.
2007-2008: A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)
On March 6, 2008, he performed "How Many Words", from his album A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)
A.D.D. is the debut studio album by Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. It was released in the United States and Canada on December 4, 2007. The first single is "Break Anotha" and was released to radio on October 30...
, on the American Idol result show.
On the release of his second single, Blake Lewis spent much of his time promoting the single "How Many Words" at various radio stations. While Blake Lewis parted with his label, Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
, in June 2008, he will begin his national tour starting on the East Coast at the end of September with the help of 19 Recordings and will be playing songs from A.D.D. as well as new songs. Details about the tour can be found at Blake Lewis's Myspace page or the website of his official street team, the Blake Lewis Army.
Upon his record deal with Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
/19 Recordings
19 Entertainment
19 Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, United States, is a creator and producer of entertainment properties based around the areas of Music and Television / Film, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom as well as versions of the Idol series in more than...
which was announced officially on August 24, 2007, A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)
A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)
A.D.D. is the debut studio album by Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. It was released in the United States and Canada on December 4, 2007. The first single is "Break Anotha" and was released to radio on October 30...
, Lewis' "electro
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
-funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
-soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
-pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
" first studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, was released on December 4, 2007. In fact, the singer has been recording his album in the studio "for all night long" since June 18. "Break Anotha
Break Anotha
"Break Anotha" is the official debut single of Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. Being the leadoff single from A.D.D. , it was first leaked on October 29, 2007 via phone to fans who had signed up at . The single began to impact the radio on October 30 and was...
", the first single from A.D.D., was released to radio on October 30, 2007 and on iTunes Music Store on November 13.
Blake's second single, "How Many Words
How Many Words
"How Many Words" is the official second single by singer/songwriter Blake Lewis, from his debut album A.D.D. . The song was expected to be followed by "Know My Name", and then "Without You". However, due to being dropped by Arista Records, "How Many Words" is the final single from his debut album...
" was released on March 10, 2008. A.D.D. has been made available at iTunes and includes his music video for his first single "Break Anotha". On June 25, 2008 Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
officially announced that Lewis was dropped by his label, Arista, but will remain on Idol creator Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings roster.
Lewis has said he's already written four songs for his second album, which he's working on with his band's drummer, KJ "Quantize" Sawka. The pair will be co-producing the effort, which Lewis describes as "Massive Attack meets Zero 7 — drum-and-bass with a little pop influence."
Lewis said he may release the disc through his own label, which he's in the process of getting off the ground. "I'm super-passionate about this record," he said. "Who knows what's in store? Half the year's over, and it's only going to keep going." According to MTV News, the album is expected to have the electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
genre like the first album, and "he is experimenting with his own music" by implementing blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul is a media term that was used to describe rhythm and blues and soul music performed by white artists, with a strong pop music influence. The term was first used in the mid-1960s to describe white artists who performed soul and R&B that was similar to the music of the Motown and...
, pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
, indie and some metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
genre. It was also reported on KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM is a Los Angeles, California, USA-based radio station with a partial Top 40 musical format. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications. KIIS is also simulcasted on KVVS in Rosamond, at 105.5 MHz...
that Lewis will collaborate with Chris Richardson
Chris Richardson
Christopher Michael "Chris" Richardson is an American singer-songwriter who was the fifth-place finalist on the sixth season of American Idol.-Personal life:...
, KJ "Quantize" Sawka and Ryan "Alias" Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
.
As of August 2008, the artist has added one song to his sophomore LP, which may be out on the last quarter of 2008 or first quarter of 2009. Lewis told the interviewers that he is very excited to premiere his new songs, and he has learned some lessons from his "A.D.D." era. On an interview, he said, "Where to start… Orchestral Drive-By: KJ and I are about 5 songs deep now. Can’t wait for you all to hear this. I haven’t been this excited in a while. I haven’t been able to produce in a year and half, besides a couple songs on ‘A.D.D.’ and from what I have learned in the last year, it sure has paid off. STOKED!!!"
It was reported that Lewis has collaborated with his friends on the band, Project Lionheart at a track called "My Eyes" and "Hell Yeah". Aside from that, he also collaborated with Common Market's "Trouble Is", where he contributed backing vocals. Blake says who is currently producing his record with his drummer, KJ Sawka. Blake also recorded a track at 311 frontman Nick Hexum’s house for the next album. Blake finished a charity song called "Selfless" with Darude
Darude
Ville Virtanen , better known by his stage name Darude is a trance producer and DJ from Eura, Hinnerjoki, Finland. Debuting in 1995, he released the hit single "Sandstorm" in late 1999 and subsequent album Before the Storm...
for Dance4Life
Dance4Life
dance4life is an innovative, international initiative designed to inspire, mobilise and unite young people to push back the spread of HIV/AIDS...
. In September, Blake was featured on a song for BT's album, which he says is a “throwback to Flock of Seagulls.”. Blake has also been in Darude's song "I Ran" which hit the charts and is on local radio stations constantly.
2009-Present: Heartbreak on Vinyl
On April 30, 2009, Lewis performed at the 2009 Congressional Clubs' First Lady's Luncheon to Honor Michelle Obama. He performed three songs including a beatbox version of "America the Beautiful".His second album, Heartbreak on Vinyl
Heartbreak on Vinyl
Heartbreak on Vinyl is the second studio album by singer-songwriter Blake Lewis released on October 6, 2009. A double LP pressed on red vinyl with only 500 copies will be released on August 13...
, was distributed under Tommy Boy Records - a dance/hip hop/electronic label whose catalog includes albums by Africa Bambaataa, Biz Markie and De La Soul. He signed a deal on Tommy Boy Entertainment to record an electronica album.
The first single from the album, "Sad Song
Sad Song (song)
"Sad Song" is the lead single by singer-songwriter Blake Lewis from his second studio album Heartbreak on Vinyl, released on October 6, 2009 and has reached the #11 spots on Billboard'sHot Dance Club Songs chart in 2009.-Music video:...
", was released on July 21, 2009. The album was released on October 6, 2009.
Acting
Lewis will make his voice acting debut in the English dub of the animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series, Durarara!!
Durarara!!
, often romanized as DRRR!! in Japan, is a Japanese light novel series written by Ryohgo Narita, with illustrations by Suzuhito Yasuda, that has also been adapted in to a Japanese anime series. As of February 2011, nine volumes have been published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko...
, in which he will voice Kasuka Heiwajima.
Philanthropy
Lewis has been supporting cancer researchCancer research
Cancer research is basic research into cancer in order to identify causes and develop strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatments and cure....
at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center
Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center (Seattle)
Seattle Children's, formerly Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, is a 250-bed children's hospital in the Laurelhurst neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Currently ranked as one of the top 10 children's hospitals in the country by U.S...
in Seattle by donating 50% of the proceeds from the merchandise of The Blaker Girls. He chose to put his support behind this organization after a best friend of his as well as his friend's girlfriend were diagnosed with lymphoma
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
.
In 2010 Lewis competed on Don't Forget the Lyrics to raise money for the Seattle Children's Hospital, a charity that he has worked with for over ten years.
Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... and sales |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Indie Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
US Digital |
US Dance |
||||||
| 2007 | A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream) A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream) A.D.D. is the debut studio album by Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. It was released in the United States and Canada on December 4, 2007. The first single is "Break Anotha" and was released to radio on October 30...
|
10 | — | 10 | — |
|
|||
| 2009 | Heartbreak on Vinyl Heartbreak on Vinyl Heartbreak on Vinyl is the second studio album by singer-songwriter Blake Lewis released on October 6, 2009. A double LP pressed on red vinyl with only 500 copies will be released on August 13...
|
135 | 20 | — | 7 |
|
|||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
EPs
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... and sales |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Comp. Billboard Comprehensive Albums Billboard Comprehensive Albums was established in 2003 and was a weekly albums chart produced by Billboard magazine that ranked the biggest selling albums in the United States regardless of the product's age or method of sales.... |
US Digital |
|||
| 2007 | Blake Lewis Blake Lewis (EP) Blake Lewis is an EP by Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. It was released digitally on May 22, 2007.-Background:... 1
|
30 | 3 |
|
Notes:
- 1 Since Blake Lewis was available exclusively through the iTunes StoreITunes StoreThe iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, it was not eligible to chart on the Billboard 200Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. Pop Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
U.S. Dance Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
|||
| 2007 | "You Give Love a Bad Name You Give Love a Bad Name (song) "You Give Love a Bad Name" is a song written by Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child, and Richie Sambora about a woman who has jilted her lover. Although originally written for the band Loverboy, the song was recorded by Bon Jovi... " |
18 | 15 | — | Blake Lewis (EP) |
| 2008 | "Break Anotha Break Anotha "Break Anotha" is the official debut single of Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. Being the leadoff single from A.D.D. , it was first leaked on October 29, 2007 via phone to fans who had signed up at . The single began to impact the radio on October 30 and was... " |
110 | 85 | — | A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream) |
| "How Many Words How Many Words "How Many Words" is the official second single by singer/songwriter Blake Lewis, from his debut album A.D.D. . The song was expected to be followed by "Know My Name", and then "Without You". However, due to being dropped by Arista Records, "How Many Words" is the final single from his debut album... " |
— | — | 8 | ||
| 2009 | "Sad Song Sad Song (song) "Sad Song" is the lead single by singer-songwriter Blake Lewis from his second studio album Heartbreak on Vinyl, released on October 6, 2009 and has reached the #11 spots on Billboard'sHot Dance Club Songs chart in 2009.-Music video:... " |
— | — | 11 | Heartbreak on Vinyl |
| 2010 | "Heartbreak on Vinyl Heartbreak on Vinyl (song) Heartbreak on Vinyl is the second single by Blake Lewis to be released from his second album of the same name. The track is to date Lewis's most successful single, as it has reached the number-one spots on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs and Hot Dance Airplay charts in 2010... " |
— | — | 1 | |
| "Till' We See the Sun" | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
Notes:
- 1 While Jordin Sparks, the winner of the sixth season of American Idol, had "This Is My NowThis Is My Now"This Is My Now" is a song written by Jeff Peabody and Scott Krippayne. It is Jordin Sparks's first single. The top two finalists of the season 6 finale of American Idol. sang it during the May 22 and May 23, 2007 finale shows. It was chosen over thousands of other entries in a songwriting contest...
" as her official single, Lewis did not announce his choice of single officially, despite the fact that "You Give Love a Bad Name" was the highest-charting track among his "bundle" of songs available for downloading. "You Give Love a Bad Name" entered a number of charts. - ² Unlike the debut songs of previous winners and runners-up of American Idol, all five songs that appeared on Blake Lewis (EP) were released digitally only, not physically.
- ³ While not being announced as a single, "Time of the SeasonTime of the Season"Time of the Season" is a song by The Zombies, featured on their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle. It was written by keyboard player Rod Argent and recorded at Abbey Road Studios in August 1967.-Song information:...
", the song Lewis performed in the British InvasionBritish InvasionThe British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
week on American Idol, has debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #99, the Pop 100 chart at #74 and the Hot Digital Songs chart at #70 in the issue of the charts on June 9, 2007. Several tracks by Lewis have made appearances that week on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 SinglesBubbling Under Hot 100 SinglesThe Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
chart and the Pop 100 chart as well, including "This Love" (#2; #80), "When the Stars Go BlueWhen the Stars Go Blue- Music video : The video for "When the Stars Go Blue" is pieced together from the "Live" session at VH1.- Charts :-Tim McGraw cover:In 2006, the song was released by Tim McGraw as the first single from his album Tim McGraw Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2, with added country-style and more...
" (#10; #92) and "I Need to KnowI Need to Know (Marc Anthony song)"I Need to Know" is a song by Marc Anthony, and was released as the lead single of his first English language album Marc Anthony, in August 1999.-Song information:...
" (#19 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart).
Unreleased original works
- "Closer to Reason"
- "Dumpty Humpty"
- "Emotional Waterfalls"
- "Four Letter Word"
- "Give It to Me" (duet with Laura Blue)
- "Jealousy"
- "My MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
" (featuring The Sampler) - "She Loves the Way" (produced by BTBT (musician)Brian Wayne Transeau is a classically trained and Grammy-nominated American music producer, composer, audio technician, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter better known by his stage name, BT. He is an artist in the electronic genre...
) -- he performed the song on American Idols LIVE! Tour 2007American Idols LIVE! Tour 2007American Idols Live! Tour 2007 was a summer concert tour in the United States featuring the top 10 contestants of the sixth season of American Idol, which aired in 2007. It was sponsored by Kellogg's Pop-Tarts... - "Transmission"
- "Love Takeover"
- "Drivin' Me Crazy"
Guest vocals
- 2003: Unexpected Arrival, "Julie" (featuring Blake Lewis); "Take Control" (featuring Blake Lewis) Both chorus's written by Blake
- 2007: Caleb Cunningham/K-Tone, "My Eyes" (featuring Blake Lewis)
- 2007: KJ Sawka, "Brotherhood of the Drum" (featuring Blake Lewis); "Move On" (featuring Blake Lewis); "WTO" (featuring Blake Lewis) (from the album Cyclonic Steel)
- 2008: DarudeDarudeVille Virtanen , better known by his stage name Darude is a trance producer and DJ from Eura, Hinnerjoki, Finland. Debuting in 1995, he released the hit single "Sandstorm" in late 1999 and subsequent album Before the Storm...
, "Selfless" (featuring Blake Lewis); "I Ran (So Far Away) (featuring Blake Lewis) - 2009: DJ DanDJ DanDJ Dan is an American electronic house music DJ and producer. Dan previously released works through the Moonshine label....
, "Operator" (featuring Blake Lewis)
Cameos
- 2006: The Sampler, "The Chuck Norris Rap, The Harry Potter Rap, Snakes On A Plane Rap" (Music Video)
- 2007: Jordin SparksJordin SparksJordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...
, "Tattoo" (music video)
External links
- Blake Lewis Official Website
- Blake Lewis on Sony BMG Musicbox Network
- Blake Lewis on AOL.com
- Blake Lewis on Last.fmLast.fmLast.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....