Blake Lewis |
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Best known as the beatboxing contestant on season six of American Idol, Blake Lewis hails from Bothell, WA. Lewis comes from a musical family -- his mother used to be in a rock band and continues to sing and play guitar -- and began singing himself at age five. He impressed Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell, and Paula Abdul at the Seattle auditions with his beatboxing and performance of Seal's "Crazy," and further wowed them at Hollywood week, where he performed with fellow contestants Rudy Cardenas and Chris Sligh. Performances of songs like Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know" and Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity" reflected his hip musical tastes; some of Lewis' other favorite artists include Björk, Imogen Heap, 311, and Gnarls Barkley. His distinctive style won him early fan support, including a voting bloc calling themselves "the Blaker Girls." He auditioned for "American Idol" at Seattle, Washington. All the judges said yes, but Simon reminded him not to be too cocky. On March 8, 2007, Blake Lewis made the Top 12 on "American Idol." He was eliminated from the competition on May 23, 2007. He garnered 2nd place or runner-up, losing only to winner, Jordin Sparks. |