Blake Lewis: Difference between revisions
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Lewis started [[beatboxing]] at seventeen. He picked up this talent purely by [[ear]], listening to [[Compact Disc|CDs]] of beatboxing, after he was inspired by Matthew Selby, a former member of the [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]]-based [[a cappella]] group M-Pact, of which fellow ''American Idol'' semi-finalist [[Rudy Cárdenas]] was a member.<ref name=blakeonaboutcom/><ref name=kickshawthebiography>{{cite web|title=KickShaw - the Biography of Five Mouth Musicians |url=http://www.seapeace.org/bandpgs/kickshaw/ |accessdate=2007-04-09 |publisher=SeaPeace.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Rudy says 'Farewell' |url=http://www.m-pactjazz.com/news.cfm |accessdate=2007-08-19 |publisher=M-Pact official website}}</ref> Aside from singing and beatboxing, Lewis plays the guitar, [[Keyboard instrument|keyboard]], [[Drum kit|drums]] and has written many songs such as "She Loves the Way", "Emotional Waterfalls", "Dumpty Humpty" and "Jealousy".<ref name=mtvblakereachesout>{{cite web|title=Blake Lewis Reaches Out to Gnarls, will.i.am After 'Idol' Finale: 'Call Me!' |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1560387/20070524/id_0.jhtml |accessdate=2007-05-25 |date=May 24, 2007 |publisher=MTV.com |author=Byrne, Katie; Cantiello, Jim}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bothell Swoons For Blake |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/07/05/12/100loc_a1blake001.cfm |date=May 12, 2007 |accessdate=2007-05-13 |publisher=HeraldNet |author=Switzer, Jeff; Holtz, Jackson |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070515141700/http://heraldnet.com/stories/07/05/12/100loc_a1blake001.cfm |archivedate = May 15, 2007}}</ref><ref name=blakergirlsinterview20070405>{{cite web|title=Exclusive Blaker Girls Interview With Blake |url=http://blakergirls.com/Interview040507.htm |accessdate=2007-06-22 |publisher=The Blaker Girls |date=April 5, 2007}}</ref> He describes himself as an [[Musical improvisation|improv musician]] and often uses devices such as [[Effects pedal|loop pedals]] and the [[Kaoss Pad]] to layer beatboxing, instruments, vocals and effects to create a song live on stage.<ref name=willtherealblake>{{cite web|title=Will the Real Blake Lewis Please Stand Up |url=http://www.disheveledmag.com/blakelewis.html |date=July 24, 2007 |accessdate=2007-08-15 |publisher=Disheveled Media |author=Rothman, Jason}}</ref> |
Lewis started [[beatboxing]] at seventeen. He picked up this talent purely by [[ear]], listening to [[Compact Disc|CDs]] of beatboxing, after he was inspired by Matthew Selby, a former member of the [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]]-based [[a cappella]] group M-Pact, of which fellow ''American Idol'' semi-finalist [[Rudy Cárdenas]] was a member.<ref name=blakeonaboutcom/><ref name=kickshawthebiography>{{cite web|title=KickShaw - the Biography of Five Mouth Musicians |url=http://www.seapeace.org/bandpgs/kickshaw/ |accessdate=2007-04-09 |publisher=SeaPeace.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Rudy says 'Farewell' |url=http://www.m-pactjazz.com/news.cfm |accessdate=2007-08-19 |publisher=M-Pact official website}}</ref> Aside from singing and beatboxing, Lewis plays the guitar, [[Keyboard instrument|keyboard]], [[Drum kit|drums]] and has written many songs such as "She Loves the Way", "Emotional Waterfalls", "Dumpty Humpty" and "Jealousy".<ref name=mtvblakereachesout>{{cite web|title=Blake Lewis Reaches Out to Gnarls, will.i.am After 'Idol' Finale: 'Call Me!' |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1560387/20070524/id_0.jhtml |accessdate=2007-05-25 |date=May 24, 2007 |publisher=MTV.com |author=Byrne, Katie; Cantiello, Jim}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bothell Swoons For Blake |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/07/05/12/100loc_a1blake001.cfm |date=May 12, 2007 |accessdate=2007-05-13 |publisher=HeraldNet |author=Switzer, Jeff; Holtz, Jackson |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070515141700/http://heraldnet.com/stories/07/05/12/100loc_a1blake001.cfm |archivedate = May 15, 2007}}</ref><ref name=blakergirlsinterview20070405>{{cite web|title=Exclusive Blaker Girls Interview With Blake |url=http://blakergirls.com/Interview040507.htm |accessdate=2007-06-22 |publisher=The Blaker Girls |date=April 5, 2007}}</ref> He describes himself as an [[Musical improvisation|improv musician]] and often uses devices such as [[Effects pedal|loop pedals]] and the [[Kaoss Pad]] to layer beatboxing, instruments, vocals and effects to create a song live on stage.<ref name=willtherealblake>{{cite web|title=Will the Real Blake Lewis Please Stand Up |url=http://www.disheveledmag.com/blakelewis.html |date=July 24, 2007 |accessdate=2007-08-15 |publisher=Disheveled Media |author=Rothman, Jason}}</ref> |
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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 (band)|311]] and "aggressive [[Inline skates|inline-skate]] videos during the 1990s", "doing [[drum and bass]] shows, and conscious [[Hip Hop music|hip hop]] shows, singer-songwriter stuff, and [[electronica]] and hip hop".<ref name=blakeonpeople>{{cite web|title=Blake Lewis: The Beat Boxer |url=http://www.people.com/people/package/americanidol2007/article/0,,20007868_20016489,00.html |date=March 30, 2007 |accessdate=2007-04-14 |publisher=People}}</ref><ref name=kickshawthebiography/><ref>{{cite web|title=KickShaw; A Cappella Group Featuring Blake Lewis |url=http://www.singers.com/contemp/kickshaw.html |accessdate=2007-07-09 |publisher=Singer.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=KickShaw - Put It In the Microphone |url=http://www.a-cappella.com/product/2609C_Kickshaw_featuring_Blake_Lewis/pop-mensgroups |year=2003 |accessdate=2007-07-09 |publisher=A-Cappella.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Save Your Seattle Snark, Simon |url=http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=idol17&date=20070217 |date=February 17, 2007 |accessdate=2007-04-09 |publisher=The Seattle Times |author=Davila, Florangela}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title='American Idol Live 2007' Special - Meet the Idols! |url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/streeter/entries/2007/07/american_idol_l_2.html |date=July 7, 2007 |accessdate=2007-07-09 |publisher=The Palm Beach Post |author=Streeter, Leslie}}</ref> He made connections with various musicians by performing regularly in many venues in [[Seattle]] such as Nectar Lounge in [[Fremont, Seattle, Washington|Fremont]], SeaMonster Lounge, Lo-Fi Performance Gallery, Jet Deck in [[Everett, Washington|Everett]] (now in [[Mill Creek, Washington|Mill Creek]]) and hosted shows like The Digital Lounge shows at ToST.<ref name=blakeonaboutcom/><ref name=willtherealblake/><ref>{{Cite news|title=Blake Lewis Is No 'Idol' Come Lately |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertainment/2003697258_blake08.html |date=May 8, 2007 |accessdate=2007-08-20 |publisher=The Seattle Times |author=Davila, Florangela}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=American Ideal: Why Seattle Should Love Blake Lewis |url=http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=247465 |date=June 20, 2007 |accessdate=2007-08-20 |publisher=The Stranger |author=Zwickel, Jonathan}}</ref> Before ''Idol'', he was working on a [[solo album]] with a number of tracks finished.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Blake & Jordin Speak - Exclusive Preview |url=http://blogs.usatoday.com/idolchatter/2007/05/blake_jordin_sp.html |date=May 17, 2007 |accessdate=2007-05-19 |publisher=USA Today |author=Barnes, Ken}}</ref> |
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 (band)|311]] and "aggressive [[Inline skates|inline-skate]] videos during the 1990s", "doing [[drum and bass]] shows, and conscious [[Hip Hop music|hip hop]] shows, singer-songwriter stuff, and [[electronica]] and hip hop".<ref name=blakeonpeople>{{cite web|title=Blake Lewis: The Beat Boxer |url=http://www.people.com/people/package/americanidol2007/article/0,,20007868_20016489,00.html |date=March 30, 2007 |accessdate=2007-04-14 |publisher=People}}</ref><ref name=kickshawthebiography/><ref>{{cite web|title=KickShaw; A Cappella Group Featuring Blake Lewis |url=http://www.singers.com/contemp/kickshaw.html |accessdate=2007-07-09 |publisher=Singer.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=KickShaw - Put It In the Microphone |url=http://www.a-cappella.com/product/2609C_Kickshaw_featuring_Blake_Lewis/pop-mensgroups |year=2003 |accessdate=2007-07-09 |publisher=A-Cappella.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Save Your Seattle Snark, Simon |url=http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=idol17&date=20070217 |date=February 17, 2007 |accessdate=2007-04-09 |publisher=The Seattle Times |author=Davila, Florangela}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title='American Idol Live 2007' Special - Meet the Idols! |url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/streeter/entries/2007/07/american_idol_l_2.html |date=July 7, 2007 |accessdate=2007-07-09 |publisher=The Palm Beach Post |author=Streeter, Leslie}}</ref> He made connections with various musicians by performing regularly in many venues in [[Seattle]] such as Nectar Lounge in [[Fremont, Seattle, Washington|Fremont]], SeaMonster Lounge, Lo-Fi Performance Gallery, Jet Deck in [[Everett, Washington|Everett]] (now in [[Mill Creek, Washington|Mill Creek]]) and hosted shows like The Digital Lounge shows at ToST.<ref name=blakeonaboutcom/><ref name=willtherealblake/><ref>{{Cite news|title=Blake Lewis Is No 'Idol' Come Lately |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertainment/2003697258_blake08.html |date=May 8, 2007 |accessdate=2007-08-20 |publisher=The Seattle Times |author=Davila, Florangela}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=American Ideal: Why Seattle Should Love Blake Lewis |url=http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=247465 |date=June 20, 2007 |accessdate=2007-08-20 |publisher=The Stranger |author=Zwickel, Jonathan}}</ref> Before ''Idol'', he was working on a [[solo album]] with a number of tracks finished.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Blake & Jordin Speak - Exclusive Preview |url=http://blogs.usatoday.com/idolchatter/2007/05/blake_jordin_sp.html |date=May 17, 2007 |accessdate=2007-05-19 |publisher=USA Today |author=Barnes, Ken}}</ref> |
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==''American Idol''== |
==''American Idol''== |
Revision as of 09:34, 13 April 2016
This article is an autobiography or has been extensively edited by the subject or by someone connected to the subject. (September 2012) |
Blake Lewis | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Blake Colin Lewis |
Also known as | BShorty[1] |
Born | Redmond, Washington | July 21, 1981
Origin | Bothell, Washington, United States |
Genres | |
Occupations | |
Instruments | |
Years active | 1998–present |
Labels | |
Website | www.BlakeLewisOfficial.com |
Blake Colin Lewis (born July 21, 1981) 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 and Arista Records.[2] On October 30, 2007, his first single "Break Anotha" was released. The album landed on number ten on the U.S. Billboard 200 as its highest peak position with 97,500 copies sold in its debut, and has sold over 350,000 copies. After the release of his second single "How Many Words", which peaked at number eight on the U.S. Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs, Lewis was dropped by Arista Records. Lewis eventually signed with Tommy Boy Records.
His second album, Heartbreak on Vinyl, was released on October 6, 2009. The first single "Sad Song" was released on July 21, 2009. The album charted at number 135 on the U.S. Billboard Billboard 200, number twenty on the Billboard Independent Albums, and number seven on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums with over 4,000 copies sold in the first week.
His third album, Portrait of a Chameleon, was released on May 20, 2014. This was his first independent record and includes his hit single "Your Touch". Portrait Of A Chameleon was available for pre order on PledgeMusic before its release and included special extras such as posters and insiders on his album.
Biography
Early years
Lewis was born in Redmond, Washington to Dallas and Dinah Lewis.[3][4] Dinah is a former rocker who still sings and plays guitar.[5] He is an only child and is of Welsh, Swiss, German and Irish descent.[6] He attended Kenmore Junior High and later Inglemoor High School in Kenmore, Washington.[7][8] 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.[3][9][10][11] 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.[6][12][13] 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".[14][15][16] 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.[17]
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 nicknames 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".[10][12][18][19][20][21] 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.[6][17][22][23] Before Idol, he was working on a solo album with a number of tracks finished.[24]
American Idol
Overview
Though he initially found American Idol unappealing, Lewis auditioned for it in Seattle with "Crazy" by Seal and an off-screen rendition of "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5.[25][26][27] 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.[28]
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.[29] 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.
I've tried to stay true to myself this whole entire time, and I think I've represented myself as creatively as I could with what I got on the show.
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 number six in top 20 all-time greatest American Idol performances on AOL.com.[30]
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 number 26 (number 19 on Hot Digital Tracks chart);[31] "Time of the Season", a The Zombies' hit in 1968, reached number 67;[32] Ryan Adams’s "When the Stars Go Blue" hit number 39 (number 37 on Hot Digital Tracks chart);[33] Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name" shot up to number 29;[34] "This Love" and "She Will Be Loved" by Maroon 5 jumped to number 41 and number 45 respectively.[35][36] Maroon 5’s album Songs About Jane had re-entered the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart at number five on June 2, 2007 as well.[37]
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".[38] 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".[39]
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.[40] 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.[41][42][43] 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.[16] 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.[44]
Jimmie Walker Blue, his alter ego was introduced in the middle of the Idol.[45]
Performances and results
- ^Note 1 Lewis was saved first from elimination.
- ^Note 2 Due to the Idol Gives Back performance, the Top 6 remained intact for another week.
Post-Idol
Lewis's songs from American Idol have been on sale at the iTunes Store 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.[46]
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.[47][48] In the episode of The View on June 14, 2007, he sang "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane.[44] 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.[49][50][51] 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.[52][53]
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.[44] Before several shows, Lewis improvised, got dressed up as a janitor character named Bob Bobberson and sometimes as a Pop-Tart.[54] 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.[54][55]
Lewis was named number five in the list of the ten sexiest Idol contestants ever on the website during the running of the sixth season of American Idol and was ranked number 21 in the list of music's 21 sexiest single men on June 11, 2007 on AOL.com.[56][57] 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".[58][59][60] He has also made a cut on the list of 50 hottest guys on Elle Girl.[61]
Career
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), 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,[62] 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.[63] Details about the tour can be found at Blake Lewis's Myspace page[54] or the website of his official street team, the Blake Lewis Army.[64]
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.[65][66][67] In fact, the singer has been recording his album in the studio "for all night long" since June 18.[67][68] "Break Anotha", the first single from A.D.D., was released to radio on October 30, 2007 and on iTunes Store on November 13.[69][70]
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.[71]
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."[62]
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."[62] 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 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!!!"[72]
It was reported that Lewis has collaborated with his friends on the band, Project Lionheart at a track called "My Eyes" and "Hell Yeah".[73] Aside from that, he also collaborated with Common Market's "Trouble Is", where he contributed backing vocals.[74] 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.".[75] Blake has also been in Darude's song "I Ran" which hit the charts and is on local radio stations constantly.
2009-2012: Heartbreak on Vinyl
On April 30, 2009, Lewis performed at the 2009 Congressional Clubs' First Lady's Luncheon to Honor Michelle Obama.[76] He performed three songs including a beatbox version of "America the Beautiful".
His second album, Heartbreak on Vinyl, was distributed under Tommy Boy Records[77] - 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.
2013-present: Portrait of a Chameleon
On February 25, 2013, it was announced that Lewis has signed with Republic Records. He was going to release his third studio album Portrait of a Chameleon in spring 2013 and the first single "Your Touch" premiered on February 26, 2013 on a commercial for Internet Explorer 10.[78] The song was released to iTunes on March 4, 2013.
On February 17, 2014, Blake Lewis officially announced that his new album would be released May 20, 2014 on his own record label, Audio Day Dream Records.[79]
Voice acting
Lewis made his voice acting debut in the English dub of the anime series, Durarara!!, in which he voiced Kasuka Heiwajima.[80][81] Lewis had also voiced a character named Thump on one episode of Generator Rex.[82]
Philanthropy
Lewis has been supporting cancer research at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle by donating 50% of the proceeds from the merchandise of The Blaker Girls.[83] 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.[9][84] 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.
Discography
Albums
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications and sales | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [85] |
US Indie [86] |
US Dance [87] | |||||||||||
A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream) |
|
10 | — | — |
| ||||||||
Heartbreak on Vinyl |
|
135 | 20 | 7 |
| ||||||||
Portrait of a Chameleon |
|
- | - | - |
| ||||||||
"—" denotes album that did not chart or was not released. |
Extended plays
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications and sales | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US Comp. [90] |
US Digital [91] | |||
Blake Lewis1 |
|
30 | 3 |
|
Notes:
- 1 Since Blake Lewis was available exclusively through the iTunes Store, it was not eligible to chart on the Billboard 200.[93]
Singles
Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [94] |
US Pop [95] |
US Dance [96] |
AUS [97] |
GER [98] |
IRE [99] |
UK [99] | |||||||
2007 | "You Give Love a Bad Name" | 18 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | Blake Lewis | ||||
2008 | "Break Anotha" | 110 | 85 | — | — | — | — | — | A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream) | ||||
"How Many Words" | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
2009 | "Sad Song" | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | Heartbreak on Vinyl | ||||
2010 | "Heartbreak on Vinyl" | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | |||||
"Till We See the Sun" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
2013 | "Your Touch" | — | — | 21 | 93 | 32 | 79 | 38 | Portrait of a Chameleon | ||||
2014 | "Retro Romance" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
"—" denotes single that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
As featured artist
Year | Title | Album |
---|---|---|
2012 | "Stay In The Moment" (Daniel Wanrooy featuring Blake Lewis)[100] |
Non-album single |
Notes:
- 1 While Jordin Sparks, the winner of the sixth season of American Idol, had "This Is My Now" 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.[93]
- ³ While not being announced as a single, "Time of the Season", the song Lewis performed in the British Invasion week on American Idol, has debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 99, the Pop 100 chart at number 74 and the Hot Digital Songs chart at number 70 in the issue of the charts on June 9, 2007.[93] Several tracks by Lewis have made appearances that week on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart and the Pop 100 chart as well, including "This Love" (number 2; number 80), "When the Stars Go Blue" (number 10; number 92) and "I Need to Know" (number nineteen on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart).
Unreleased original works
- "Closer to Reason"[101]
- "Emotional Waterfalls"[102]
- "Give It to Me" (duet with Laura Blue)[103]
- "My MySpace" (featuring The Sampler)[54]
- "She Loves the Way" (produced by BT) -- he performed the song on American Idols LIVE! Tour 2007
- "Drivin' Me Crazy"[104]
Guest vocals
- 2003: Unexpected Arrival, "Julie" (featuring Blake Lewis); "Take Control" (featuring Blake Lewis) Both chorus's written by Blake
- 2007: Caleb Cunningham and K-Tone, "My Eyes" (featuring Blake Lewis)[105]
- 2007: KJ Sawka, "Brotherhood of the Drum" (featuring Blake Lewis); "Move On" (featuring Blake Lewis); "WTO" (featuring Blake Lewis) (from the album Cyclonic Steel)[106]
- 2008: Darude, "Selfless" (featuring Blake Lewis); "I Ran (So Far Away) (featuring Blake Lewis)
- 2009: DJ Dan, "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 Sparks, "Tattoo" (music video)
References
- ^ Chinen, Nate (2007-12-03). "New CDs". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
{{cite news}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ "Season Six Runner-Up Blake Lewis Signs Record Deal - Show and Alumni News". American Idol. 2007-08-24. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
- ^ a b "Blake Lewis' biography". The Blaker Girls. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
- ^ "Bothell: City Designates Day to Honor Its 'Idol'". The Seattle Times. April 6, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
- ^ "Blake Lewis' biography". TV Guide. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
- ^ a b c Watson, Billy. "Blake Lewis on American Idol". About.com. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
- ^ Davila, Florangela; Edwards, Haley (April 3, 2007). "Family and Friends Rally Behind Blake Lewis". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Hicks, Joshua Adam (March 21, 2007). "Blake Lewis Hits the Big Time on 'American Idol'". Kenmore-Reporter.com. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
- ^ a b Chansanchai, Athima (April 5, 2007). "Fans of Other Idol Sing His Praises; Blake Lewis Is More Than a One-Note Wonder". FoxReality.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
- ^ a b "Blake Lewis: The Beat Boxer". People. March 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-14.
- ^ ""Moist Cupcake!" (Cupcake official website)". Retrieved 2007-07-06.
- ^ a b "KickShaw - the Biography of Five Mouth Musicians". SeaPeace.org. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
- ^ "Rudy says 'Farewell'". M-Pact official website. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
- ^ a b Byrne, Katie; Cantiello, Jim (May 24, 2007). "Blake Lewis Reaches Out to Gnarls, will.i.am After 'Idol' Finale: 'Call Me!'". MTV.com. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Switzer, Jeff; Holtz, Jackson (May 12, 2007). "Bothell Swoons For Blake". HeraldNet. Archived from the original on May 15, 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-13.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "Exclusive Blaker Girls Interview With Blake". The Blaker Girls. April 5, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
- ^ a b Rothman, Jason (July 24, 2007). "Will the Real Blake Lewis Please Stand Up". Disheveled Media. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
- ^ "KickShaw; A Cappella Group Featuring Blake Lewis". Singer.com. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
- ^ "KickShaw - Put It In the Microphone". A-Cappella.com. 2003. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
- ^ Davila, Florangela (February 17, 2007). "Save Your Seattle Snark, Simon". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
- ^ Streeter, Leslie (July 7, 2007). "'American Idol Live 2007' Special - Meet the Idols!". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
- ^ Davila, Florangela (May 8, 2007). "Blake Lewis Is No 'Idol' Come Lately". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
- ^ Zwickel, Jonathan (June 20, 2007). "American Ideal: Why Seattle Should Love Blake Lewis". The Stranger. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
- ^ Barnes, Ken (May 17, 2007). "Blake & Jordin Speak - Exclusive Preview". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
- ^ "'Idol' Runner-up Knows Exactly What He Wants". The Associated Press via CNN. December 4, 2007. Archived from the original on December 7, 2007.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ ""Blake Lewis Fans Cheer on Hometown Hero" (video)". MTV.com. April 24, 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-20.
- ^ "Blake Lewis Biography". Blake Lewis official website. Archived from the original on December 1, 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ Bull, Roger (July 6, 2007). "Phil Stacey Comes Home - and Brings a Few Friends, Too". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
- ^ ""Simon's 'Idol' Predictions" (video)". X17Online. March 4, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
- ^ "The Top 20 'Idol' Performances Ever". AOL.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
- ^ Reynolds, Donna (March 2, 2007). "Strong Showing From Idols On the Charts". Foxes On Idol. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
- ^ Reynolds, Donna (March 30, 2007). "Elliott Yamin Riding High On the Charts". Foxes On Idol. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
- ^ Reynolds, Donna (April 27, 2007). "There's a New Idol In Town!". Foxes On Idol. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
- ^ Barnes, Ken (May 9, 2007). "Idols Sell Steadily; Bon Jovi Saturates Download Chart". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
- ^ Barnes, Ken (May 23, 2007). "Elliott's 'Idol' Showcase Boosts Sales Big-Time". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
- ^ MJ (May 30, 2007). "Idol Sales News - Week Ending 05/27/07". MJ's Blog. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
- ^ MJ (May 27, 2007). "Billboard Update 06/02/07". MJ's Blog. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
- ^ Moss, Corey (March 7, 2007). "'Idol' Gets Its First Taste of Hip-Hop - Thanks to a Rock Band". MTV.com. Retrieved 2007-04-20.
- ^ Corneau, Allison. "Blake Lewis Thinks Outside the Box With Us". US Magazine. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
- ^ "Chris Richardson: I Knew I Was Going Home". People. May 3, 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
- ^ "Blake Lewis' profile". American Idol official website. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
- ^ "Chris Sligh's profile". American Idol official website. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
- ^ "Rudy Cárdenas' profile". American Idol official website. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
- ^ a b c ""TV's Top 5! The View - Beat It, BABS" (video)". AOL.com. June 14, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
- ^ YouTube - Blake Lewis as Jimmie Walker Blue
- ^ Barnes, Ken (July 18, 2007). "Monitoring the 'Idol' Buzz: Who's Selling the Most Downloads?". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
- ^ ""Blake Lewis Performs!" (video)". The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet. May 31, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
- ^ "'Idol's' Blake Beatboxes His Way to Fame". The Early Show. May 31, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
- ^ ""The Winner of American Idol!" (video)". The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet. May 25, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
- ^ ""'American Idol' Finalists" (transcripts)". Larry King Live. May 25, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
- ^ ""Encore Presentation: 'American Idol' Finalists" (transcripts)". Larry King Live. May 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
- ^ Weinstein, Farrah (July 5, 2007). "Starry, Starry Night". New York Post. Retrieved 2007-07-05.
- ^ ""TV's Top 5! Macy's Fireworks Spectacular - 'Idol' Top 3 Perform" (video)". AOL.com. July 4, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
- ^ a b c d "Blake Lewis' profile". MySpace. Retrieved 2007-06-22. Cite error: The named reference "blakemyspaceprofile" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "Chris Richardson's profile". MySpace. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
- ^ "Music's Sexiest Single Men: Blake Lewis". AOL.com. June 11, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
- ^ "Top 10 Sexiest 'Idols'". AOL.com. Archived from the original on August 13, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
- ^ "Single & Sizzling Men of '07 - Blake Lewis". People. June 13, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
- ^ ""Hottest Bachelors 2007 - Blake Lewis" (video)". People. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
- ^ Marnie (June 13, 2007). "Blake Lewis one of People's Hottest Bachelors!". Official American Idol News Blog. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
- ^ "50 Hottest Guys: Blake Lewis". ELLEGirl. July 1, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- ^ a b c 'American Idol' Alum Blake Lewis Parts With Label - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News
- ^ "Beatboxing Blake Lewis Announces Tour Dates". American Idol. September 8, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ "Blake Lewis Tour". Idolbored. September 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ "Blake Lewis Sixth Season Runner-Up on 'American Idol,' Signs to 19 Recordings/Arista Records". PR Newswire. August 24, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
- ^ "J Records: List of Upcoming Releases". J Records official website. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
- ^ a b Zepeda, Dana Meltzer (June 27, 2007). "American Idol's Blake Lewis Dishes on New Album". TV Guide. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
- ^ ""Behind the Scenes: 'Idol Live' Tour Rehearsals" (video)". MyFox Los Angeles. June 25, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
- ^ Barnes, Ken (October 29, 2007). "Blake sets album date, readies first single". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
- ^ "AllAccess". Retrieved 2007-11-01.
- ^ Blake Lewis dropped from Arista
- ^ "Blake Lewis '5 Songs Deep' Into Second Album". popdirt.com. 2008-08-07. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
- ^ newduck. "Project Lionheart | The Art of Resistance". CD Baby. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
- ^ "Common Market "Trouble Is" Music Video". YouTube. 2008-09-25. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
- ^ https://web.archive.org/20080828180747/http://www.starshinemag.com/articles/blakelewis.html. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "At First Lady's Luncheon, Timeless Touches". The Washington Post.
- ^ https://web.archive.org/20090404150321/http://mjsbigblog.com:80/category/blake-lewis. Archived from the original on April 4, 2009. Retrieved May 5, 2009.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Parker, Lyndsey. "EXCLUSIVE: Blake Lewis Signs to Republic Records, Teases New Tune". Yahoo. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
- ^ a b "Blake Lewis Crowdfunds Next Album, Portrait of a Chameleon". mjsbigblog. February 17, 2014.
- ^ "American Idol's Blake Lews Joins The Cast of Durarara!!". The Fandom Post. 2011-05-07.
- ^ "American Idol's Blake Lewis Dubs English Durarara - Interest". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
- ^ ""Check out my Generator Rex episode. I play THUMP " -Lewis' twitter". Blake Lewis. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
- ^ Watson, Billy (March 7, 2007). "Blake Lewis Merchandise Benefits Children's Hospital". About.com. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
- ^ Corneau, Allison. "Idol's Blake Turns Fan Craze Into Charitable Contributions". US Magazine. Archived from the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
- ^ "Blake Lewis - Chart history - Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
- ^ "Blake Lewis - Chart history - Independent Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
- ^ "Blake Lewis - Chart history - Dance/Electronic Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
- ^ Washington Post 05-23-2011
- ^ Mansfield, Brian (December 30, 2009). "Carrie Underwood plays on through Christmas in Idol album sales". USA Today.
- ^ "Blake Lewis - Chart history - Billboard Comprehensive Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
- ^ "Blake Lewis - Chart history - Digital Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
- ^ Idol Chatter 01-10-2008
- ^ a b c Bronson, Fred (May 31, 2007). "Rihanna, Shop Boyz Rocket to the Top of Hot 100: 'Now' 15, 'Name' 18". Billboard "Chart Beat". Archived from the original on 2007-06-12. Retrieved 2007-05-31.
- ^ "Blake Lewis - Chart history - Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
- ^ "Blake Lewis - Chart history - Pop 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
- ^ "Blake Lewis - Chart history - Dance/Club Play Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
- ^ See Issue 32273: http://www.ariacharts.com.au/news/33225/chartifacts
- ^ http://www.officialcharts.de/song.asp?artist=Blake+Lewis&title=Your+Touch&cat=s&country=de
- ^ a b http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/blake%20lewis/
- ^ [1] amazon.com
- ^ Blake Lewis Closer To Reason - FREE MP3 Stream - Listen on IMEEM Music
- ^ =unknown (June 2, 2008). ""Emotional Waterfalls" by Blake Lewis on YouTube (Acoustic)". YouTuber. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ Desroques, Remi (a.k.a. JointSmith) (June 9, 2007). ""Give It To Me" by Blake Lewis & Laura Blue". Wave Reader Productions. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- ^ Blake Lewis Drivin' Me Crazy (with friends from Seattle) - FREE MP3 Stream - Listen on IMEEM Music
- ^ "Caleb Cunningham/K-Tone's profile". MySpace. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
- ^ "Blake Lewis, as Bshorty, Featured on Three Tracks on KJ Sawka's New Dualdisc Cyclonic Steel!!". KJ Sawka official website. June 6, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-08.
External links
- Official website
- Blake Lewis on Sony BMG Musicbox Network
- Template:AI contestant
- Blake Lewis at IMDb
- Blake Lewis on AOL.com
- Blake Lewis on Last.fm
- 1981 births
- 21st-century American singers
- Living people
- American Idol participants
- American male singer-songwriters
- American beatboxers
- American singer-songwriters
- American tenors
- American male guitarists
- American pianists
- American male drummers
- American people of Welsh descent
- American people of German descent
- American people of Irish descent
- Musicians from Washington (state)
- People from Redmond, Washington
- People from Bothell, Washington
- 19 Recordings artists
- American soul singers