Jon Peter Lewis (born November 7, 1979) is an American singer and songwriter, and was one of the finalists on the third season of the reality/talent-search television series ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

''. He was frequently referred to by the judges and

Ryan Seacrest Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American media personality and producer. He is the co-host of ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'', as well as the host of multiple media shows including ''American Idol'', ''American Top 40'', and '' ...

as JPL. Lewis later formed a duo titled Midas Whale with a friend Ryan Hayes and appeared on the fourth season of ''

The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...

''.

Biography

Lewis lived in various cities across the United States before leaving home at the age of 18. He graduated from Central High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1998. He starred in the lead role of

Thorin Oakenshield Thorin Oakenshield (Thorin II) is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 novel ''The Hobbit''. Thorin is the leader of List of The Hobbit characters#Thorin's company, the Company of Dwarf (Middle-earth), Dwarves who aim to reclaim the ...

in a local children theater's production of ''

The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the '' ...

'' in the summer of 1997. Lewis performed in other numerous theatrical productions and was a band member of various rock and roll bands throughout his high school and college years. Lewis is a member of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

and attended

Brigham Young University–Idaho Brigham Young University–Idaho (BYU–Idaho or BYU–I) is a private college in Rexburg, Idaho. Founded in 1888, the college is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Previously known as Ricks Colleg ...

for a time hoping to pursue a career in medicine.

''American Idol''

At the age of 23, Lewis cashed in his college loans to audition for the third season of ''American Idol'' in

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...

, Hawaii where he sang '" Crazy Love" by

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

. Praised by

Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of ''The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on t ...

for his "very, very good voice," Lewis went on to display an uninhibited stage personality that won the hearts of millions of Idol fans. Simon Cowell later hailed Jon as "the dark horse to win the competition," and ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' magazine pegged Jon as a "pick to win," while

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

praised Lewis's voice for his "excellent pitch and phrasing." Affectionately known as 'JPL' by his fans, Lewis was a member of the third group of semi-finalists and performed the Elton John song "

Tiny Dancer "Tiny Dancer" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was originally released on John's 1971 album ''Madman Across the Water,'' and was later released as a single in 1972. It was ...

". After performing "

A Little Less Conversation "A Little Less Conversation" is a 1968 song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley, written by Mac Davis and Billy Strange and published by Gladys Music, Inc., originally performed in the film ''Live a Little, Love a Little''. The song became ...

" in the wild card round, Lewis was put through as a finalist by audience vote, receiving 22% of all votes cast. On April 15, 2004, Lewis was voted off in eighth place after a flashy rendition of " Jailhouse Rock" during movie songs week. During the competition, he had displayed a three-octave vocal range and developed a strong fan following. As part of the Top 10, Lewis participated in the 50-city American Idols Live tour in the summer of 2004.

''American Idol'' performances

Post-''Idol''

Rather than accepting business offers to use his ''Idol'' fame to release a quick pop album, Lewis decided to work on his own musical style and create original music. From late 2004 to 2006, Lewis spent the majority of his time composing original music working closely with music producer Alex Gibson of

Henson Recording Studios The Jim Henson Company Lot, formerly A&M Studios, is a studio property located just south of the southeast corner of North La Brea Avenue and Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Originally established by film star Charlie Chaplin, the property serv ...

, among other notable entities in Hollywood. "Turn to Grey" was among the first songs that he wrote; he composed it while on tour with the ''Idol'' finalists. Jon recorded part of the song as a homage to

Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...

after she told him that she loved singing the song around her house. In 2005, he collaborated with Canadian songwriter/actor

James Collins James, Jim, Jimmy, or Jamie Collins may refer to: Sports Association football * Jimmy Collins (footballer, born 1872) (1872–1900), Scottish footballer * Jimmy Collins (footballer, born 1895), Scottish footballer * Jimmy Collins (footballer, born ...

to write and record "It's Christmas", which was released by

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...

in Canada as part of the ''Now Christmas 2'' album. The song went to number thirteen on the Canadian radio charts in two weeks. In addition, a second original holiday song "California Christmas" was recorded by Lewis and released in 2006 for the album ''Breaking for the Holidays'' by Breaking Records. The upbeat holiday song was called a "Christmas classic" by Chuck Taylor of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' magazine. In September 2006, Lewis released his second single containing the songs "If I Go Away" and "Man Like Me" through his independent label, Cockaroo Entertainment. His limited release debut album, ''Stories from Hollywood'', was released on his 27th birthday, November 7, 2006, making Jon the first Idol finalist to independently release an album of original songs. The album is a collection of energetic rock and roll and intimate acoustic tracks. Lewis' second full-length album, ''Break the Silence,'' debuted July 22, 2008. The album was released through Cockaroo Entertainment in conjunction with Adrenaline Music Group. Chris Garcia, who has worked with

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer Boats * Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...

and

Michelle Branch Michelle Jacquet DeSevren Branch (born July 2, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. During the early 2000s, she released two top-selling albums: ''The Spirit Room'' and '' Hotel Paper.'' She won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Co ...

Dido Dido ( ; , ), also known as Elissa ( , ), was the legendary founder and first queen of the Phoenician city-state of Carthage (located in modern Tunisia), in 814 BC. In most accounts, she was the queen of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre (t ...

and Jewel, produced the album under the guidance of executive producer Don Grierson, a former head of A&R for

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and

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

. Lewis wrote or co-wrote several tracks for the album, featuring musicians such as guitarist Nick Lashley, drummer

Kenny Aronoff Kenny Aronoff (born March 7, 1953) is an American session drummer. Early life Aronoff grew up in Stockbridge, Massachusetts He developed an interest in music at an early age and gravitated to the drums as "drumming was one hundred percent ene ...

and Blake Mills. The CD has received critical praise including a "Critic's Choice" review from ''Billboard'' magazine. It was called "one of the best pop/rock CD's of the year" by Monica Rizzo of ''

People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...

'' magazine and "a much stronger album" by Ken Barnes of ''

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''. The title track single hit the top 30 charts on Hot AC radio and in November 2008 was one of only fifty songs pre-programmed into all of the new iPhones on display at Apple Stores and AT&T stores across the country. Lewis went on to release a self-titled EP in February 2010. In 2009, Lewis launched an internet show titled ''American Nobody.'' The program takes an inside look at the music business as well as a tongue-in-cheek view of pop culture. The show received early critical praise. American Idol journalist and biographer Richard Rushfield described the show as, "a hilarious romp through Idol land built around the misadventures of a singer who, seven years after Idol, is still searching to find his place in the industry." ''American Nobody'' was added to ''

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s "Hot Web List" and the ''

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'' called it "the most brilliant and biting satire of Idoldom ever written." Jon Peter Lewis met Ryan Hayes in Rexburg, Idaho and became friends. In 2010, Lewis produced and starred in a rock opera, ''Deep Love: A Ghostly Folk Opera''. The production, co-written by Ryan Hayes and Garrett Sherwood, debuted in Idaho in October 2010 and garnered support, which positioned the show into a multi-city theatrical event. Deep Love was chosen as one of ten shows produced for the New York Musical Theatre Festival in July 2015. In 2015, Lewis released an EP titled ''Roughcuts.'' According to Lewis the recordings are in their "roughest and raw forms" and "they are like first drafts from my brain and may end up as Midas Whale songs." Lewis has been a contributor to

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

, ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'', ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, ''Los Angeles Times'', and AOL Entertainment.

Midas Whale

In 2013, Jon Peter Lewis teamed up Ryan Hayes to become Midas Whale (a pun on "might as well"). According to Lewis, he asked Ryan if he wanted to form a band and be on TV and Ryan replied "Might as well", which then became the name of the duo.

''The Voice''

In 2013, Jon Peter Lewis and Ryan Hayes auditioned for the fourth season of ''

'' as duo Midas Whale. In their audition, which broadcast on March 26, 2013, they performed the

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

song "

Folsom Prison Blues "Folsom Prison Blues" is a song by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. Written in 1953, it was first recorded in 1955 for his debut studio album '' Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar!'' (1957), appearing as the album's eleventh track. T ...

". All four judges pressed their "I Want You" button and turned their chairs. Lewis and Hayes chose to join Adam Levine's team. They were eliminated in the knockout rounds.

Post-''The Voice''

As Midas Whale, Jon Peter Lewis released their first full-length album titled ''Sugar House'' on February 11, 2014. The album was produced by Stuart Maxfield and funded by fans via

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...

where they raised over $30,000.

Discography

Albums

EPs

*2010: ''Jon Peter Lewis'' (EP) *2015: ''roughcuts'' (EP)

Singles

*2004: "Turn to Grey" download single. Blues-funk. *2005: "Stories from Hollywood" download single. Alternative rock. *2005: "It's Christmas" single. Peaked at number thirteen on Canada's Top 50 Pop Adult BDS chart *2006: "If I Go Away / Man Like Me" double-sided single. Alternative rock and pop. (Cockaroo Entertainment) *2010: "Crazy Love" *2014: "Howling at the Moon" (as Midas Whale) Appearances in *2004: " My Girl" in '' American Idol Season 3: Greatest Soul Classics''". *2004: "

Ain't No Mountain High Enough "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is a song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla label, a division of Motown. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and ...

" in Season 3's Finalists' ensemble collective. Trackj also on ''American Idol Season 3: Greatest Soul Classics'' *2005: "It's Christmas", a track on ''Now Christmas 2'' compilation album. It went up to No. 13 on Canadian radio charts. Album released in Canada. (

) *2006: "California Christmas", a track on ''Breaking for the Holidays''" compilation album. (Breaking Records)

References

External links

Website of Singer/Songwriter Jon Peter Lewis at jonpeterlewis.com.

JPL's MySpace

JPL's American Nobody show website

Records

Reviews of Album at Amazon

Jon Peter Lewis discography

Jon Peter Lewis on Rithum

Jon Peter Lewis's American Nobody podcast
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Jon Peter 1979 births 21st-century American singers Alternative rock singers American Idol participants American alternative rock musicians American blues singers American folk singers American funk singers American male pop singers American rock singers American performers of Christian music Living people Musicians from Lincoln, Nebraska The Voice (franchise) contestants 21st-century American male singers