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Kris Allen

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Kris Allen

Kristopher Neil Allen (born June 21, 1985) is an American singer-songwriter from Conway, Arkansas and the winner of the eighth season of the reality television series American Idol.[1] Prior to Idol, he self-released a 2007 album entitled Brand New Shoes.[2][3]

Childhood and personal life

Kris Allen was born in Jacksonville, Arkansas to Kimberly (née Wood) and Neil Allen.[4][5] He is the elder of two sons; his younger brother, Daniel, is a college cheerleader and a cheerleading coach.[6] Allen is a Christian and was a worship leader at New Life Church in both Conway, Arkansas and Little Rock, Arkansas[7] and has done missionary work around the world, including in Burma, Mozambique, South Africa, Spain and Thailand.[7]

Allen's interest in music began early. He began playing the viola in elementary school and went on to play the instrument in the Mills University Studies High School orchestra, eventually winning a spot in the Arkansas all-state orchestra.[8] Additionally, he taught himself to play the guitar at age 13, and also plays the piano and the ukulele.[9]

After high school, Allen moved to Conway, Arkansas to attend the University of Central Arkansas, where he was a business major and a member of Chi Alpha.[7][10] He soon dropped out to pursue music professionally, performing in local bars and working as a shoe salesman to make ends meet.[11][12] After marrying his girlfriend of seven years, Katherine "Katy" O'Connell, on September 26, 2008,[4][13] Allen re-enrolled in classes and was planning on giving up his pursuit of a music career to finish his degree and get a "regular job."[10][12]

Career

Brand New Shoes

In 2007, Allen wrote and self-produced an album entitled Brand New Shoes with college friends and bandmates Michael Holmes (drums) and Chase Erwin (bass).[2] Songs from the album began being widely distributed during his time on Idol.

Track listing

  1. "Brand New Shoes" - 5:17
  2. "Beautiful Moon" - 3:19
  3. "I Was Played" - 3:45
  4. "Be My Lady" - 4:31
  5. "Running" - 4:09
  6. "Wipe It Away" - 5:05
  7. "Lovely" - 5:04
  8. "Wastin' Time" - 3:20
  9. "On Our Way" - 4:09
  10. "Real World" - 3:41
  11. "Land of Smiles" - 3:57

Musicians

  1. Kris Allen - Vocals / Guitar / Piano
  2. Michael Holmes - Drums
  3. Chase Erwin - Bass Guitar

American Idol

Main article: American Idol (season 8)

Allen auditioned for the eighth season of American Idol in Louisville, Kentucky with his brother Daniel, who did not make it to Hollywood.[14][15] In the early stages of the season, he was among the finalists (along with Allison Iraheta) that received the least screen time as only several seconds of his first audition, (and neither of his Hollywood Week solo performances), were shown, although his group performance with White Chocolate (including fellow finalist Matt Giraud) was aired in its entirety.[10][16][17][18][19] The judges also asked him to participate in an un-aired sing-off with another contestant before they allowed him to enter the semifinals round.[20]

Throughout the competition, Allen received many compliments for his folk-inspired interpretations of modern pop songs. He played several instruments during his performances, including the acoustic guitar, the electric guitar, the keyboard, and the piano. His performance of "To Make You Feel My Love" as part of the Top 11 earned praise from the judges, with Simon Cowell commenting, "I am genuinely beginning to think you have a shot of doing well in this competition."[21] On the Top 9 show, he performed his own arrangement of "Ain't No Sunshine" on a keyboard, with a few musicians on stage, which earned praise from the judges. Cowell lauded it as Allen's "best performance so far."[22]

On the first Top 7 night, Allen chose to sing the Oscar-winning song from the indie film Once. While Randy Jackson described it as "pitchy from note one",[23] Kara DioGuardi declared it "one of your best moments ever."[23] Due to time constraints, Paula Abdul and Cowell did not comment, but on the following night's results show, Cowell stated "Kris, you were brilliant."[24] On the second Top 7 show, Allen brought back the guitar for the fourth time and performed an original, acoustic version of "She Works Hard for the Money", complete with bongo drums and the band on stage. This earned praise from all four judges, with Abdul remarking "There aren’t many men who are willing to shop in the women’s department. You shopped and found a perfect fit." For his second Top 3 performance, Allen impressed the judges with an acoustic arrangement of Kanye West's "Heartless", prompting Jackson to state that he preferred it to West's original and The Fray's cover version. Cowell agreed and said, "I had written you out of the competition but that has changed after that performance."[25]

After being voted into the Top 3, Allen returned home to Arkansas and his hometown to film the material for the next two American Idol episodes. Allen's homecoming parade was greeted by a crowd estimated to be greater than 20,000.[26] Allen performed at three concerts in Little Rock and Conway, playing many of his popular songs during the competition, including "Man in the Mirror", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Falling Slowly" and "She Works Hard for the Money" at the venues, as well as "Come Together" at the studio of local Fox affiliate KLRT-TV. He accompanied all of these songs with his guitar.

During the final performance show, Allen performed a reprise of "Ain't No Sunshine", the Producers' Choice of "What's Goin' On" and the coronation song, "No Boundaries". During the final results show, he performed a duet with Keith Urban, singing Urban's single "Kiss a Girl", as well as a series of medleys with his fellow Season 8 contestants. Before the results were announced, Allen performed "We Are the Champions" with eventual runner-up Adam Lambert and Brian May of Queen.

On May 20, 2009, Allen was declared the winner of the eighth season of American Idol, becoming the seventh winner from the Southern United States, as well as the first married contestant to claim the title.[27] Certain commentators labeled the win as an "upset" since runner-up Adam Lambert had received a significant amount of media attention throughout the season and was widely perceived to be the show's front-runner.[28][29] His victory was seen as highly controversial as viewers and the media speculated about the details of the result.[30][31][32][33][34] However, the internet prediction site DialIdol indicated a slight lead for Allen during the final night of voting, though the difference fell within the margin of error. Fox and AT&T has stated that they "stand by the outcome" and are "absolutely certain" that "Kris Allen is the American Idol".[35][36][37]

Performances/Results

week # Theme Song choice Original artist Order # Result
Audition Auditioner's Choice "A Song for You" Leon Russell N/A Advanced
Hollywood First Solo [not aired] - N/A Advanced
Hollywood Group Performance "I Want You Back" The Jackson 5 N/A Advanced
Hollywood Second Solo [not aired] - N/A Advanced
Top 36/
Semi-Final 2 		Billboard Hot 100 Hits to Date "Man in the Mirror" Michael Jackson 6 Advanced
Top 13 Michael Jackson "Remember the Time" Michael Jackson 6 Safe
Top 11 Grand Ole Opry "Make You Feel My Love" Bob Dylan 3 Safe
Top 10 Motown "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" Marvin Gaye 2 Safe
Top 9 Top Downloads "Ain't No Sunshine" Bill Withers 9 Safe
Top 8 Year They Were Born "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" Don Henley 2 Safe
Top 7 Songs from the Cinema "Falling Slowly" - Once Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova 6 Safe
Top 71 Disco "She Works Hard for the Money" Donna Summer 2 Safe
Top 5 Rat Pack Standards "The Way You Look Tonight" Frank Sinatra 1 Bottom 3
Top 4 Rock and Roll Duet
Solo 		"Renegade" with Danny Gokey
"Come Together" 		Styx
The Beatles 		3
4 		Safe2
Top 3 Judges' Choice3
Contestant's Choice 		"Apologize"
"Heartless" 		OneRepublic
Kanye West 		2
5 		Safe
Top 2 Contestant's Choice
Simon Fuller's Choice
Coronation Song 		"Ain't No Sunshine"
"What's Going On"
"No Boundaries" 		Bill Withers
Marvin Gaye
Kris Allen/Adam Lambert 		2
4
6 		Winner


Post-Idol

After Allen's victory, he has been on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Access Hollywood, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, Live with Regis and Kelly, The Early Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's Fox News show, Huckabee, on which Allen sang a cover of The Beatles' song "Yesterday" with Huckabee accompanying him on bass guitar. He was also a guest on Larry King Live (guest hosted by Ryan Seacrest) along with runner-up Adam Lambert, judge Paula Abdul, and the rest of the top ten finalists. His debut single, "No Boundaries", was released on May 20, 2009 on iTunes alongside Lambert's version. Allen's version of the song debuted at #27 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart for the week of May 29, 2009.

Allen's post-show tour also included a trip to Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort, where a parade was held in his honor. During his time at Disney, he visited The American Idol Experience, where he announced the winners of the day's competition. Shortly afterward, Allen returned to his hometown of Conway, Arkansas for the first time following the conclusion of the competition.

On June 5, 2009, Allen performed at the Walmart Annual Shareholders' Meeting 2009, and participated in a brief skit with host Ben Stiller. In addition to renditions of "No Boundaries" and "Heartless", Allen sang a duet with Motown legend Smokey Robinson on The Temptations classic "Get Ready". Allen is scheduled to perform the National Anthem at the 2009 NBA Finals.

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album details
2007 Brand New Shoes

Digital albums

This album charted from legal digital downloads.

Year Album US[38]
2009 Season 8 Favorite Performances 50

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
US US
Pop 		US AC CAN UK
2009 "No Boundaries"A 11 26 26 13 92 TBD
  • A Current single.

Digital singles

These songs all charted from legal digital downloads.

Year Single Chart Positions Album
US US
Pop 		CAN
2009 "Heartless" 16 29 39 American Idol
live performances
"Ain't No Sunshine" 37 — 68
"Apologize" 66 — —
"Falling Slowly" 94 — —
"What's Going On" 107 — —
"To Make You Feel My Love" 113 — —
"—" denotes the single failed to chart or not released

References

  1. ^ "Adam Lambert Falls in 'American Idol' Upset as Kris Allen Takes Title". The New York Daily News. May 20, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ a b Music is the Heart of our Soul
  3. ^ Clouds on the horizon for American Idol juggernaut?
  4. ^ a b "Idol Finalist has Local Ties". The Webster Progress Times.
  5. ^ Hendricks, Christy (March 23, 2009). "Jacksonville Native a Week Closer to Win". The Arkansas Leader.
  6. ^ "American Idol Top Three: Kris Allen Has Another Simon Cowell?". The National Ledger.
  7. ^ a b c Elliot, Peter (May 5, 2009). "Arkansas Pastors Shed Light on 'Idol' Finalist Kris Allen". Everyday Christian.
  8. ^ Jeremy Baker (14 May 2009). "Kris Allen's high school music teacher is proud of Kris". Fox.
  9. ^ "Top 13 - Secret Talents". Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  10. ^ a b c "Kris Allen reflects on 'Idol' upset win". USA Today.
  11. ^ Ingrassia, Lisa (June 8, 2009). "From Underdog to Idol". People magazine (scans). {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ a b The Associate Press (May 28, 2009). "'American Idol' Winner Kris Allen ready for tour, album". The Baltimore Sun.
  13. ^ "Getting to Know 'Idols Kris Allen". Reality TV Magazine.
  14. ^ "Top 13 Contestants - Season 8 - American Idol". Retrieved 2009-03-08.
  15. ^ "Kris Allen Almost Missed His 'American Idol' Audition". Retrieved 2009-05-17.
  16. ^ Slezak, Michael (May 20, 2009). Kris Allen: His American Idol Journey HARMONIZING UNDER PRESSURE. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2009-05-20.
  17. ^ American Idol Season 8 - Louisville auditions - recap
  18. ^ "Kris Allen: The Road From Underdog To Idol". TV Guide. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |datee= ignored (help)
  19. ^ The Associated Press (May 21, 2009). "Kris Allen: From meek audition to 'Idol'". The Baltimore Sun.
  20. ^ "Judges' Mansion - Hollywood Week". Retrieved 2009-05-31.
  21. ^ Santilli, M. J. (April 28, 2009). "Idols iTunes shocker: Kris second wave", New York Post. Retrieved on 2009-05-16.
  22. ^ Belcher, Walt (April 1, 2009). "'Idol' takes on iTunes", The Tampa Tribune, p. 2.
  23. ^ a b Berman, Craig (April 14, 2009). "Simon slams Lil Rounds on ‘Idol's’ movie night", msnbc.com. Retrieved on 2009-05-16.
  24. ^ Lang, Derrik J. (April 16, 2009). "'Idol' judges save Matt Giraud from elimination", Associated Press. Reprinted in Forbes.com. Retrieved on 2009-05-16.
  25. ^ Montgomery, James (May 12, 2009). "Kris Allen Covers Kanye, Simon Feuds With Kara On 'American Idol'". MTV.com.
  26. ^ "American Idol Finalist Kris Allen Returns Home To Arkansas, Parade". Retrieved 2009-05-11.
  27. ^ Jicha, Tom (May 20, 2009). "Kris Allen Wins American Idol". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ American Idol winner is crowned
  29. ^ Kris Allen: How can you not love the new American Idol?
  30. ^ American Idol winner is crowned
  31. ^ Kris Allen: How can you not love the new American Idol?
  32. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/business/media/27idol.html?ref=media
  33. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/25/arts/television/25idol.html?_r=1&ref=television
  34. ^ http://www.fox16.com/news/local/story/Conway-reacts-to-Kris-win/sv8BNSsGY0G8GRZWSr0fRw.cspx
  35. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/business/media/28idol.html?ref=business
  36. ^ http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/05/american-idol-a.html
  37. ^ http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/05/27/ent.american.idol.voting/index.html
  38. ^ "Billboard Chart Positions - Albums". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
Preceded by American Idol winner
Kris Allen (2009) 		Succeeded by
Incumbent

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