George Clayton Huff, Jr. (born November 4, 1980) is an American singer. He placed first among male contestants and overall fifth-place finalist on the
third season of the reality/talent-search television series ''
American Idol''.
Biography
Huff is originally from
New Orleans, Louisiana. Huff auditioned for the third season of ''
American Idol'' in
Houston, Texas; he was a member of the fourth group of semi-finalists. He was actually not among those originally chosen for the semi-final round, but was put through when contestant
Donnie Williams was disqualified for a drunk driving arrest.
American Idol
Huff was not voted through to the final round from his group of semi-finalists, but got another second chance when he was brought back for the wildcard round and put through as a finalist by contest judge
Simon Cowell. During this period, New Orleans
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
Affiliate
WVUE would hold specials including Huff's family cheering George on during the latest episodes.
On May 5, 2004, Huff was voted off in fifth place after two renditions of
Fred Astaire's "
Cheek to Cheek" and
Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
's "
What a Wonderful World" during
big band week.
American Idol performances
After Idol
His album, ''Miracles'', was released by
Word Records, on October 11, 2005. The first single off that album was "Brighter Day". It sold 18,000 copies.
In 2005, his Louisiana home was affected by
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
. He left
New Orleans and stayed at his brother's house in
Dallas. His recent performances have included an October 2006 concert at
West Virginia University and a December 2006 Christmas show in
Salinas, California
Salinas (; Spanish for "Salt Marsh or Salt Flats") is a city in California and the county seat of Monterey County. With a population of 163,542 in the 2020 Census, Salinas is the most populous city in Monterey County. Salinas is an urban area lo ...
.
[Mel, Claudia. "Idol active in Salinas." '']Monterey County Herald
''The Monterey County Herald'', sometimes referred to as the ''Monterey Herald'', is a daily newspaper published in Monterey, California that serves Monterey County.
In December, 2013, the Herald's parent company Media News Group merged to become ...
''. December 9, 2006. He also had a recent brief performance at New York's Dr. Susan S. Mckinney Secondary School for the Arts on November 10, 2008.
In 2007 Huff's song "Brighter Day" was briefly featured in Tyler Perry's movie "Why Did I Get Married?" starring
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
.
On April 7, 2009 George Huff released his self-titled sophomore effort, featuring the songs "I Belong To You(Yours)", "Victory", "Free", "Destiny" (featuring Coko of SWV and Tasha Collins from the first season of BET's Sunday Best) and the lead single "Don't Let Go".
On March 24, 2011, Huff performed as a back-up singer to longtime friend and fellow ''Idol'' alum
Jennifer Hudson during the third week of finals on the tenth season of American Idol, where she performed her current album's lead single, "Where You At." Huff has been singing background vocals for many of Hudson's live performances since then, and works as her vocal arranger for live performances.
Discography
Albums
Singles
*Go Tell It on the Mountain
*Brighter Day
*Miracles
*You Know Me
(Number 32 Hot Gospel Songs)
*Don't Let Go
Notes
External links
George Huff American Idol profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huff, George
Living people
1980 births
American Idol participants
Musicians from New Orleans
American performers of Christian music
Singers from Louisiana
21st-century African-American male singers