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Kristopher Neil Allen (born June 21, 1985) is an American singer and songwriter from
Conway, Arkansas Conway is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Faulkner County, located in the state's most populous Metropolitan Statistical Area, Central Arkansas. Although considered a suburb of Little Rock, Conway is unusual in th ...
, and the winner of the eighth season of ''
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 ...
''. Prior to ''Idol'', he self-released a 2007 album, ''Brand New Shoes''. Allen's ''Idol'' coronation song, " No Boundaries" and his version of " Heartless" both charted within the Top 20 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Allen's post-''Idol'' self-titled album was released on November 17, 2009, by
Jive Records Jive Records was an American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary to the Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chicago. Jive was best known for its successes with hip hop, R&B, ...
. The album debuted at number 11 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200. The album's
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
, " Live Like We're Dying", was released on September 21, 2009, and peaked at number 18 in the U.S. with combined sales of over 1.7 million. Allen's second major-label album '' Thank You Camellia'' was released on May 22, 2012, and the lead single "
The Vision of Love "The Vision of Love" is Kris Allen's first single from his second studio album '' Thank You Camellia''. It was released as a CD single, digital download, and to Hot AC radio on March 26, 2012. Background On March 2, 2012, Allen announced he wa ...
" was released March 26, 2012. Allen released his fifth studio album, ''Letting You In,'' on March 18, 2016.


Early life

Allen was born in
Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
, Arkansas, to Kimberly (née Wood) and Neil Allen. He is the elder of two sons; his younger brother, Daniel, is a college cheerleading coach. Allen's interest in music began very early. He began playing the
viola ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...
in elementary school and went on to play the instrument in the
Mills University Studies High School Mills University Studies High School is a secondary school in Little Rock, Arkansas, serving students in grades 9 through 12 and is one of six high schools within the Pulaski County Special School District. The school opened on August 25, 1969, a ...
orchestra, eventually winning a spot in the Arkansas all-state orchestra. Additionally, he taught himself to play the guitar at age 13, and also plays the piano. His musical influences, as stated in his ''Idol'' confessionals, include the
Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...
,
Jamie Cullum Jamie Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz-pop singer, songwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He has recorded nine stu ...
,
Jason Mraz Jason Thomas Mraz (; born June 23, 1977) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his debut studio album, ''Waiting for My Rocket to Come'' (2002), which spawned the single " The Remedy (I Won't ...
, Pat Monahan,
John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 wit ...
and
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...
. Allen played publicly for several years before trying out for ''Idol'', even opening for earlier ''Idol'' contestant
Sean Michel Sean Michel is a musician from Bryant, Arkansas. He was initially known most widely for his appearance on American Idol Season 6. Prior to his appearance on the show, he toured with his band for several years. Personal life Michel was born ...
on multiple occasions. He has described his decision to audition for ''American Idol'' as a "last hurrah" before giving up his pursuit of a music career. After high school, Allen moved to
Conway, Arkansas Conway is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Faulkner County, located in the state's most populous Metropolitan Statistical Area, Central Arkansas. Although considered a suburb of Little Rock, Conway is unusual in th ...
, to attend the
University of Central Arkansas The University of Central Arkansas (Central Arkansas or UCA) is a public university in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1907 as the Arkansas State Normal School, the university is one of the oldest in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As the state's only ...
, where he was a business major and a member of
Chi Alpha Chi Alpha , (sometimes XA, χα, xa, or SfC - Students for Christ, officially known as Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship), is an international and interdenominational coeducational Christian fellowship, social club, student society, and service ...
campus ministries. During college, he participated in Christian missionary work around the world, including in Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, South Africa, Spain and Thailand. Allen also served as a worship leader for New Life Church in Conway and Little Rock, AR, as well as for the Chi Alpha campus ministry. He dropped out of college in the middle of his junior year to pursue music professionally, performing in local bars and working as a shoe salesman to make ends meet. Allen planned to go back to college to finish his degree and "get a real job", but instead was persuaded to audition for ''American Idol'' along with his brother Daniel and his friend Cale Mills. Kris stated that "If I had not made it through in American Idol, I would have gone back to college and gotten my business degree."


Career


Pre-''Idol'' and ''Brand New Shoes''

Allen realized during college that he wanted to play music professionally and began trying to write music. He played his first gig at a local venue in downtown Conway during his sophomore year, and he went on to drop out of college in the middle of his junior year to follow his dream of becoming a professional musician. He worked as a shoe salesman at a sporting goods store during the day to make ends meet and continued playing gigs in Little Rock and Fayetteville at night. 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). The album's title makes reference to Allen's days as a shoe salesman, and only 600 copies of the album were produced, most of which were given to family and friends.


''American Idol''

Allen auditioned for the eighth season of ''
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 ...
'' in
Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
, Kentucky, with his brother Daniel, who did not make it to Hollywood. In the early stages of the season, he was among the finalists (along with Allison Iraheta) that received the least amount of screen time. 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 Matthew Scott "Matt" Giraud (born May 11, 1985) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and the fifth place finalist of the eighth season of the reality television series ''American Idol''. He was the first recipient of the Judges' Save. ...
) was aired in its entirety. 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. 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 An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
, the
electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...
, 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 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 ...
commenting, "I am genuinely beginning to think you have a shot of doing well in this competition." In the finals, 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." On the first Top 7 night, Allen chose to sing the
Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...
-winning song "Falling Slowly" from the indie film ''
Once Once means a one-time occurrence. Once may refer to: Music * ''Once'' (Pearl Jam song), a 1991 song from the album ''Ten'' * ''Once'' (Roy Harper album), a 1990 album by Roy Harper * ''Once'' (The Tyde album), a 2001 debut album by The Tyd ...
''. While
Randy Jackson Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive and television presenter, perhaps best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing ba ...
described it as "pitchy from note one",
Kara DioGuardi Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi (; born December 9, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, and singer. She writes music primarily in the pop rock genre. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; sales o ...
declared it "one of your best moments ever." Due to time constraints,
Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreographe ...
and Cowell did not comment, but on the following night's results show, Cowell stated "Kris, you were brilliant." Allen subsequently received a signed record and other gifts from the original artists,
Glen Hansard Glen Hansard (born 21 April 1970) is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Since 1990, he has been the frontman of the Irish rock band The Frames, with whom he has released six studio albums, four of which have charted in the top te ...
and
Markéta Irglová Markéta Irglová () (born 28 February 1988) is a Czech-Icelandic singer-songwriter, musician and actress, who starred in the film ''Once'', which earned her a number of major awards, including the Academy Award for Best Original Song for " Fall ...
. 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 Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
's "Heartless", prompting Jackson to state that he preferred it to West's original and
The Fray The Fray is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King. Their debut album, '' How to Save a Life'' released in 2005, was certified double platinum by the RIAA and platinum in Australia ...
's cover version. Cowell agreed and said, "I had written you out of the competition but that has changed after that performance." This performance helped Kris move on to the finals and win. After being voted into the Top 3, Allen returned to Arkansas, filming the hometown material needed for the next two ''American Idol'' episodes. Allen's homecoming parade was greeted by a crowd estimated to be greater than 20,000. Allen performed at three concerts in
Little Rock ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...
and Conway, Arkansas, playing many of his popular songs during the competition, including "
Man in the Mirror "Man in the Mirror" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. It was written by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. It was released on February 6, 1988, as the fourth single from Jackso ...
", "
Ain't No Sunshine "Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album '' Just As I Am,'' produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar, Al Jackson Jr. on drums and Stephen Stills on guitar. String arran ...
", " Falling Slowly" and " She Works Hard for the Money" at the venues, as well as "
Come Together "Come Together" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is the opening track on their 1969 album ''Abbey Road'' and was also released as a single coupled with " Somethi ...
" at the studio of local Fox affiliate KLRT-TV. He accompanied himself on all of these songs with his guitar. During the final performance show, Allen performed a reprise of "
Ain't No Sunshine "Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album '' Just As I Am,'' produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar, Al Jackson Jr. on drums and Stephen Stills on guitar. String arran ...
",
Simon Fuller Simon Fuller (born 17 May 1960) is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, and film and television producer renowned for nurturing and inspiring world class entertainment talent. He is the creator of the ''Idols'' TV format, including the UK s ...
's choice of " What's Going On" and the coronation song, " No Boundaries". During the final results show, he performed a duet with
Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Award ...
, singing Urban's single "
Kiss a Girl "Kiss a Girl" is a song recorded by Australian country music singer Keith Urban. It was released in March 2009 as the second single from his 2009 album '' Defying Gravity''. The song reached number three on the US ''Billboard'' Hot Country Son ...
", as well as a series of medleys with his fellow Season 8 contestants. Before the results were announced, Allen performed "
We Are the Champions "We Are the Champions" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released from the band's sixth album ''News of the World'' (1977). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, it remains among rock's most recognisable anthems.
" with eventual runner-up
Adam Lambert Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. Since 2009, he has sold over 3 million albums and 5 million singles worldwide. Lambert is known for his dynamic vocal performances that fuse his theatrical tra ...
and
Brian May Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen. May was a co-founder of Queen with lead singer Freddie Mercury and ...
and Roger Taylor of
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
. On May 20, 2009, Kris Allen was declared the winner of the eighth season of ''American Idol'', becoming the first married contestant to claim the title, as well as the sixth winner from the show's inception from the
Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
. Allen also became the first winner to accept a trophy shaped like a microphone. Nearly 100 million votes were cast during the finale, setting a new world record for a televised singing competition. Unlike the previous season, the winning margin was undisclosed. Numerous sources, including the Associated Press, claimed that the margin "wasn't even close". Allen has admitted that the alleged disparity in votes was a "total surprise" to him. Certain commentators labeled the win as an "upset" since runner-up
Adam Lambert Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. Since 2009, he has sold over 3 million albums and 5 million singles worldwide. Lambert is known for his dynamic vocal performances that fuse his theatrical tra ...
had received a significant amount of media attention throughout the season and was widely perceived to be the show's front-runner. Allen's victory was seen as highly controversial as viewers and the media speculated about the details of the result. However, during the Top 3 results show, host
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 ' ...
had revealed that the margin between Allen and Lambert was fewer than a million votes. Fox and
AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile ...
have stated that they "stand by the outcome" and are "absolutely certain" that "Kris Allen is the American Idol".


Performances and results

* Due to the judges using their one save to save
Matt Giraud Matthew Scott "Matt" Giraud (born May 11, 1985) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and the fifth place finalist of the eighth season of the reality television series ''American Idol''. He was the first recipient of the Judges' Save. ...
, the Top 7 remained intact for another week.
* When Ryan Seacrest announced the results for this particular night, Allen was among the Bottom 3, but declared safe first. After winning ''Idol'', Allen made his ''Billboard'' Hot 100 debut with five songs charting within the top 100. His coronation single " No Boundaries" debuted at number 11, followed by "Heartless" at number 16, "Ain't No Sunshine" at number 37, "Apologize" at number 66, and "Falling Slowly" at number 94. "No Boundaries" also topped the
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
singles chart following the ''Idol'' season finale. On June 7, 2009, Allen performed the National Anthem at Game 2 of the
2009 NBA Finals The 2009 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2008–09 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers (who were also the defending ...
to a packed house including
Adam Levine Adam Noah Levine (; born March 18, 1979) is an American singer and songwriter. He serves as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the pop rock band Maroon 5. Levine began his musical career in 1994 with the band Kara's Flowers, of which ...
,
Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...
,
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to th ...
,
Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreographe ...
and Leonardo DiCaprio. Following the performance, which was described as "executed to perfection", the announcement was made that Allen had signed a record deal with
Jive Records Jive Records was an American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary to the Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chicago. Jive was best known for its successes with hip hop, R&B, ...
(along with fellow finalist Allison Iraheta). His major label debut was quickly scheduled for a Fall 2009 release.


''Kris Allen'' (2009–2011)

On his self-titled debut album, Allen collaborated with Claude Kelly,
David Hodges David Hall Hodges (born December 5, 1978) is an American songwriter and record producer from Little Rock, Arkansas. He was a studio contributor to the rock band Evanescence from 2000–2002. He has since had success co-writing and co–produci ...
,
Jon Foreman Jonathan Mark Foreman (born October 22, 1976) is an American musician, the lead singer, guitarist, main songwriter and co-founder of the alternative rock band Switchfoot. He started Switchfoot in 1996 with drummer Chad Butler and his brother Tim ...
of
Switchfoot Switchfoot is an American rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Foreman (bass guitar, backing vocals), Chad Butler (drums, percussion), and Jerome Fontamillas (guitar, keyboards, ...
,
Salaam Remi Salaam Remi Gibbs (born May 14, 1972) is a Grammy winning American record producer known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, Robby, Fugees, Fergie, Estelle, Black Thought, and Miguel, and for his reggae-tinged (often referred to as ...
and Joe King of
The Fray The Fray is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King. Their debut album, '' How to Save a Life'' released in 2005, was certified double platinum by the RIAA and platinum in Australia ...
. He also worked with
Toby Gad Tobias "Toby" Gad (born 28 March 1968) is a Los Angeles-based German music producer/songwriter, best known for co-writing John Legend's biggest hit, " All of Me," the fifth-highest certified single in RIAA history, and for co-writing and produ ...
, Alex Band of The Calling, Dan Wilson of
Semisonic Semisonic is an American rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1995, consisting of Dan Wilson (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), John Munson (bass, keyboards, backing vocals, guitar), and Jacob Slichter (drums, percussion, keyboards, b ...
,
Chris Daughtry Christopher Adam Daughtry (; born December 26, 1979) is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Daughtry, which he formed after placing fourth on the fifth season of ''American I ...
and
Mat Kearney Mathew William Kearney (; born December 1, 1978) is an American musician born in Eugene, Oregon, and based in Nashville, Tennessee. So far, he has a total of five top 20 hits on the Adult Top 40 Chart. '' Just Kids'' was released on February 2 ...
for the album. Allen's debut single, " Live Like We're Dying" was released via Z100 in New York on September 21, 2009. On November 6, 2009, his music video for "Live Like We're Dying" premiered on
AOL AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...
's PopEater.com. "Live Like We're Dying" would go on to peak at number 18 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and achieve platinum status with over 1.7 million in combined sales. '' Kris Allen'' was released on November 17, 2009. Allen wrote or co-wrote 9 of 12 tracks on the album. In a break with ''Idol'' tradition, Allen chose not to include his coronation single "No Boundaries" on his debut album, choosing instead to record a new version of his cover of "Heartless" as a bonus track. After its first week of sales, the album debuted at 11 on the ''Billboard'' 200 after selling just over 80,000 copies. Allen's first-week album sales were the weakest that had yet been seen by an ''Idol'' champion's post-show debut, although observers attributed this partly to weak album sales throughout the industry at the time. As of December 2011, ''Kris Allen'' has sold approximately 329,000 copies. On February 19, 2010, Allen traveled to Haiti with the United Nations Foundation in order to raise awareness for the disaster relief efforts there as the UN and other groups continue to rebuild after the
earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...
. Allen made his return to the ''Idol'' stage during the February 25 ''American Idol'' results show to share footage of his experiences in Haiti and to perform " Let It Be". This performance was made available for download as a charity single on
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
after the show. The second single released from the album was "The Truth" featuring Pat Monahan, the lead singer of the Grammy award-winning rock band
Train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...
, who co-wrote the song. Allen performed the song live at the American Idol Season 9 finale on May 26, 2010. That same night, Allen joined the other ''Idol'' winners to sing "
Together We Are One "Together We Are One" is a song written by Guy Chambers, Delta Goodrem and Brian McFadden, produced by Guy Chambers and Richard Flack for the album ''Commonwealth Games: Melbourne 2006 Opening Ceremony'' (2006). Due to the positive response tha ...
" to honor
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 ...
. Allen hit the road for his first solo tour during June and July 2010 with
Green River Ordinance A Green River Ordinance is a common United States city ordinance prohibiting door-to-door solicitation. Under such an ordinance, it is illegal for any business to sell their items door-to-door without express prior permission from the household. ...
and
Justin Gaston Justin Michael Gaston (born August 12, 1988) is an American singer-songwriter, model, and actor who was also a contestant on '' Nashville Star'' on season 6. He finished 10th overall out of 12 contestants. He portrayed the role of Ben Rogers o ...
as opening acts. He then went on to join a few major tours over the rest of the summer, opening for
Barenaked Ladies Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian rock band formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario. The band developed a following in Canada, with their self-titled 1991 cassette becoming the first independent release to be certified gold in Canada. They reached ...
,
Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It currently consists of lead vocalist Adam Levine, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, drummer Matt ...
, and
Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Award ...
between July and September 2010. He then opened for Lifehouse during October and November 2010. Allen revealed that the third single off his album would be "Alright with Me" on October 6, 2010. On November 18, 2010, he posted an unofficial music video for the song on his official website to thank his fans for their support. "Before We Come Undone", a song that Allen had co-written for his debut album, was covered by season six ''South African Idol'' runner-up Lloyd Cele for his debut album ''One'' released April 24, 2011. Allen co-wrote a song, "Still Got Tonight", with Andrew Frampton and
Steve Kipner Stephen Alan Kipner (born 1950) is an American-born Australian songwriter and record producer, with hits spanning a 40-year period, including chart-topping songs such as Olivia Newton-John's "Physical", Natasha Bedingfield's "These Words", an ...
that appeared as the second single on ''Glees Matthew Morrison's self-titled debut album released May 10, 2011. "Still Got Tonight" was also featured in the season 2 finale of ''Glee'' sung by Matthew Morrison himself. On May 29, 2011, Kris sang "God Bless the USA" at the
National Memorial Day Concert ''The National Memorial Day Concert'' is a free annual concert performed on the west lawn of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., in commemoration of Memorial Day from 1989-2019 and in 2022. In 2020 and 2021, the concert was ...
in Washington, D.C., aired live by PBS. Allen co-wrote a song, "Blindfolded" with
Lindy Robbins Lindy Robbins is an American songwriter from Los Angeles, whose songs include Demi Lovato's "Skyscraper", Jason Derulo's "Want to Want Me", David Guetta's " Dangerous" featuring Sam Martin, MKTO's "Classic", Hot Chelle Rae's " Tonight, Tonigh ...
and
Toby Gad Tobias "Toby" Gad (born 28 March 1968) is a Los Angeles-based German music producer/songwriter, best known for co-writing John Legend's biggest hit, " All of Me," the fifth-highest certified single in RIAA history, and for co-writing and produ ...
that appeared on the season one ''South African Idol'' winner,
Heinz Winckler Heinz Carl Heinrich Winckler (born 22 March 1978) is a South African singer and the winner of the first series of South African '' Idols'' and is also an actor. Born the eldest of three children in Stellenbosch, South Africa, he went on to study ...
's album ''24/7/365''. released July 8, 2011. The song was released as Winckler's English debut single & performed at the finale of the 2011 edition of ''South African Idol''. The song was later recorded by Allen himself, who included it on his second album. Allen co-wrote a song, "Raise Your Hand", with Andrew Frampton and Kevin Hughes that appears on ''The Voice'' season one winner
Javier Colon Javier Colon (stylized as Colón; born April 29, 1978) is an American acoustic singer-songwriter. He has referred to his style of music as being "acoustic soul." He was a member of EmcQ and The Derek Trucks Band, and worked with many musicians ...
's debut album ''Come Through For You'' released November 21, 2011. Javier sang the song as part of the Walmart Soundcheck performance series. On December 3, 2011, Allen along with Grammy-winning singer/songwriter and producer,
David Hodges David Hall Hodges (born December 5, 1978) is an American songwriter and record producer from Little Rock, Arkansas. He was a studio contributor to the rock band Evanescence from 2000–2002. He has since had success co-writing and co–produci ...
and Andy Davis, founder of Music Empowers Foundation were celebrity judges for The Alchemy Songwriting Competition in Conway, AR. The proceeds of the contest to benefit Blackbird Academy, an arts and music school in Conway, Arkansas. The following day, Allen performed
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
's " Imagine" at Trevor Live, a star-studded benefit for
The Trevor Project The Trevor Project is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1998. Focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning ( LGBTQ) youth, they offer a toll-free telephone number ...
.


''Thank You Camellia'' and ''Horizons'' (2011–14)

On October 7, 2011, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding
Jive Records Jive Records was an American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary to the Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chicago. Jive was best known for its successes with hip hop, R&B, ...
along with
Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertain ...
and
J Records J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG’s record labels in late 2008. It was distributed through the RCA Music Gro ...
. Following the shutdown, Allen (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) has released his recordings on the 19 Recordings and
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also ...
labels. Allen debuted several new songs at an acoustic concert at The Mint in Los Angeles on February 9, 2012. The new tracks he performed were called "Monster", "Out Alive", "Better with You", "
The Vision of Love "The Vision of Love" is Kris Allen's first single from his second studio album '' Thank You Camellia''. It was released as a CD single, digital download, and to Hot AC radio on March 26, 2012. Background On March 2, 2012, Allen announced he wa ...
" and "Teach Me How Love Goes". He also performed "Leave You Alone", "You Got a Way", and "Keep that Devil Out", which he had debuted at earlier concerts. "The Vision of Love" was officially announced as the lead single from Allen's second album on March 6, 2012. The song was co-written by Allen,
Nasri Nasri ( ar, نصري, lit=support, victory, ) is a masculine given name and surname, commonly found in the Arabic language. People with this name include: Given name * Nasri (musician), Canadian singer-songwriter and producer * Nasri (Saint Ign ...
, and
Adam Messinger Adam "Messy" Messinger is a Grammy Award-winning Canadian songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist currently based in Los Angeles, California. He is a producer for Canadian reggae band Magic!, but was initially a producer/songwriter ...
, and it is available for download on iTunes and an exclusive version consisting the remix from the Finnish duo Maison and Dragen on Walmart since March 26, 2012. The remix of the track leaked onto the internet on January 25, 2012. It was announced March 29, 2012, that Allen's second album titled, '' Thank You Camellia'', would be released on May 22, 2012. Allen auditioned for the lead role in the 2012
musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as brea ...
''
Rock of Ages Rock of Ages may refer to: Films * ''Rock of Ages'' (1918 film), a British silent film by Bertram Phillips * ''Rock of Ages'' (2012 film), a film adaptation of the jukebox musical (see below) Music * ''Rock of Ages'' (musical), a 2006 rock ...
'', but lost the role to
Diego Boneta Diego Andrés González Boneta (born November 29, 1990) is an American actor, producer and singer. He gained wider recognition after starring in ''Rock of Ages'' (2012) alongside Tom Cruise and the ''Netflix'' biographical series '' Luis Miguel: ...
. Although Allen was considered to be a better singer than anyone else who had tried out for the role up to that point, he had never auditioned for a film before and has said that he did not feel confident in his acting abilities. In an interview with ''
OK Magazine ''OK!'' is a British weekly magazine that primarily specialises in royal and celebrity news. Originally launched as a monthly magazine, its first issue was published in April 1997. In September 2004, ''OK''! launched in Australia as a monthly ...
'', Allen said he does not feel that he would have been a good fit for role and currently does not have any further plans to pursue acting. On September 4, 2012, Allen revealed that he parted ways with 19 Management when his contract expired in May 2012 and has signed with new management, Pearl Group Entertainment. In the same month he left RCA. On November 7, 2012, the cover of an EP entitled ''Waiting for Christmas'' was revealed via Twitter. The five song EP includes "Holly Jolly Christmas", "White Christmas", "O Holy Night", "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", "The Christmas Song". The EP was released on December 10, 2012. On December 20, 2012, during an online concert, Allen debuted a new song called "Where Are You Amy?" that he dedicated to those affected by the
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, United States, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people. Twenty of the victims were children between six and seven years old, and t ...
. From January 8 to May 3, 2013, Allen toured the United States on his second solo tour ''Out Alive.'' The tour consisted of 40 dates with bandmates, Cale Mills and Chris Torres, and newcomer Andrew St. Marie on the piano. The opening act for most of the dates was Jillette Johnson. The tour ended in a sold-out Rams Head in
Hanover, Maryland Hanover is an unincorporated community in the Baltimore/Annapolis area in northwestern Anne Arundel County and eastern Howard County in the U.S. state of Maryland, located south of Baltimore. The community is located approximately at the inter ...
. On January 8, 2014, Allen entered the recording studio with producer
Charlie Peacock Charles William Ashworth (born August 10, 1956), known professionally as Charlie Peacock, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, record producer, and author. His albums include ''Love Press Ex-Curio'', ''Arc of the Circle'' and ''No Man's L ...
to begin recording his third post-''Idol'' album at Peacock's studio in
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...
. "Prove It to You", featuring
Lenachka Helene Immel, better known by her professional name Lenachka, is a German-born American singer based in Los Angeles and Nashville. Life and career Early life Born in Germany to Russian parents, both with a musical background, Lenachka moved to ...
, was announced as the lead single on July 1, 2014, debuted at Yahoo Music on July 7, 2014 and released on iTunes on July 8, 2014. He performed multiple tracks from the album live acoustically on
Yahoo Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo! Inc. (2017–present), Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds ma ...
. On August 12, 2014, Allen released '' Horizons''. It debuted at #80 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and #10 on the Independent Album chart. Allen did a tour of the U.S. and Canada with the group Boyce Avenue in the fall of 2014. Meanwhile, one of his songs off ''Horizons'', "Lost" was used on the CW shows ''Arrow'' (in episode titled "The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak") and ''The Vampire Diaries'' (episode titled "Alone"). Allen has continued to tour in early 2015, including performing at U.S. military bases in Italy and Portugal.


''Letting You In'' (2016–present)

In 2015, he began work on his next studio album. The lead single, "Waves", was released to digital retailers on February 19, 2016, alongside pre-orders of the album. His fifth studio album, '' Letting You In,'' was released on March 18, 2016. "Love Will Find You" was released to American hot adult contemporary radio on September 19, 2016, as the second single. In April, he released an EP called ''Acoustic Tapes'' which featured songs from throughout his previous albums. ''Somethin' About Christmas,'' was released on November 4, 2016. It was supported by the single "Mommy, Is There More Than Just One Santa Claus?" for which he asked fans for photo submissions for the music video. He also recorded a track with
Jim Brickman James Merrill Brickman (born November 20, 1961) is an American pop songwriter, pianist and radio host. Brickman has earned two Grammy nominations for his albums ''Peace'' (2003) for Best Instrumental, and ''Faith'' (2009) for Best New Age Album. ...
for his album ''Comfort & Joy'' called "A Little Bit of Christmas" and joined him for a holiday tour. In February 2017, he released an acoustic version of his single "Waves" for Valentine's Day. Also that month, he announced he had formed a new band called The Dames. They premiered a song called "The Death of Mr. Jones" in addition to doing a StageIt show. On April 7, 2017, he released a surprise ''Letting You In'' acoustic EP which featured a brand new song called "Venice". On May 20, 2017, The Dames released their first song digitally, "The Death of Mr. Jones". The song was the first of six songs to be released that year by the band. On May 6, 2018, Allen announced on Twitter that he would be joining the American Idol Live! Tour as a special guest. The tour kicked off in
Redding, California Redding is the economic and cultural capital of the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California and the county seat of Shasta County. Redding lies along the Sacramento River, north of Sacramento, and south of California's northern border ...
, on July 11. Allen also released a new single, "When All The Stars Have Died," on June 29, 2018. On September 20, 2019, Allen released ''10'', which consisted of reworked versions of songs from his previous albums. The album title referenced that it had been ten years since Allen won ''American Idol'' and began his music career.


Philanthropy

Prior to appearing on ''American Idol'', Allen participated in missionary work in several countries around the world, including Burma, Thailand, Mozambique, Morocco, and South Africa with the
University of Central Arkansas The University of Central Arkansas (Central Arkansas or UCA) is a public university in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1907 as the Arkansas State Normal School, the university is one of the oldest in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As the state's only ...
'
Chi Alpha Chi Alpha , (sometimes XA, χα, xa, or SfC - Students for Christ, officially known as Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship), is an international and interdenominational coeducational Christian fellowship, social club, student society, and service ...
campus ministry. In Morocco, during his first mission trip, Allen contracted a rare form of
hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes ( jaundice), poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal ...
that left him sick for an entire year after returning home. Allen credits this near-death experience with giving him the ability to write songs as he was finally able to compose his first original song while recuperating from his illness. A couple of years later, while on a mission trip in Thailand, Allen became moved when he saw a worship leader struggling with poor music and sound equipment during a church service at a refugee camp. He chose to leave behind a brand new guitar for the church to use even though that was the only guitar he owned at the time. His experiences in Thailand inspired the song "Land of Smiles" from his pre-''Idol'' album ''Brand New Shoes''. Allen is a strong proponent of music education, and since winning ''Idol'', he has become heavily involved with several charitable organizations that promote music education, including the Music Empowers Foundation and Little Kids Rock. He has stated, "To me, music education is vital to every kid's development, and it can change their lives. I know that if I hadn't had access to music programs in school that I wouldn't be where I am today." For his support of music education in schools, Allen was honored by Little Kids Rock in October 2010. In November 2011, Allen announced that he would be growing a mustache for four weeks to give his fans an incentive to support
DonorsChoose DonorsChoose is a United States-based nonprofit organization that allows individuals to donate directly to public school classroom projects. The organization has been given Charity Navigator's highest rating every year since 2005. In January 20 ...
and Music Empowers in their efforts to promote music education in public schools. This campaign played a major role in the raising of $80,000 by Music Empowers for music education programs as more than 50% of the donations came from Allen's fans. Allen has also been a supporter of
TOMS Shoes Toms (stylized as TOMS) is a for-profit companybusinessoffashion.coBlake Mycoskie on 10 Years of TomsMAY 6, 2016 based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie, an entrepreneur from Arlington, Texas, the company designs ...
and participated in the company's first shoe drop in Rwanda in March 2010. Following his trip to Rwanda, Allen joined the Barefoot Walk at his alma mater the
University of Central Arkansas The University of Central Arkansas (Central Arkansas or UCA) is a public university in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1907 as the Arkansas State Normal School, the university is one of the oldest in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As the state's only ...
and performed barefoot to support TOMS shoes and Bridge2Rwanda, an organization that collaborated with TOMS for the Rwanda shoe drop. In February 2010, Allen traveled to Haiti with the United Nations Foundation to help with relief efforts following the
Haiti earthquake Some of the earthquakes in Haiti have been very destructive to the country. The widespread damage and high-number of casualties of events in 2010 and 2021 can be partially blamed on the fact that most of the population in Haiti resides in struct ...
. When he returned, he kicked off that year's Idol Gives Back campaign by discussing his trip to Haiti and performing
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
' " Let It Be" on the ''
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 ...
'' Season 9 Top 24 results show on February 25, 2010. Allen's rendition of "Let It Be" was made available for download on
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
with all proceeds going toward the UN Foundation's relief efforts in Haiti. Sales from this performance raised over $250,000 for the UN Foundation. Allen's humanitarian work has inspired his fans to organize charitable efforts in his honor. To celebrate Allen's 25th birthday, his fans donated over $25,000 to
Heifer International Heifer International (also known as Heifer Project International) is a global nonprofit working to eradicate poverty and hunger through sustainable, values-based holistic community development. Heifer International distributes animals, along wit ...
, enough to pay for 50 cows to feed families in need. Inspired by Allen's support of music education, his fans also organized a donation of over $28,000 to Music Empowers in December 2010. In honor of Allen's 26th birthday, his fans banded together once again to donate more than $26,000 to
Direct Relief Direct Relief (formerly known as Direct Relief International) is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides emergency medical assistance and disaster relief in the United States and internationally. The organization is headed by an inde ...
toward disaster relief. In November 2012, Allen visited
World Vision In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
's project in Kenya. The visit was part of the True Spirit of Christmas tour, where Allen also made a short video clip singing "Silent Night."


Personal life

Allen married his high school sweetheart Katy O'Connell on September 26, 2008. The two began dating in Allen's junior year of high school. Their son was born in 2013. Their second child, a daughter, was born in 2016. Their third child, another son, was born in 2019.


Backing band

Current members * Cale Mills – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (2009–present) * Chris Torres – bass guitar, percussion, backing vocals (2009–present) * Andrew St. Marie – keyboards, saxophone, percussion, backing vocals (2013–present) * Devon Curry – drums, backing vocals (2016–present) Former members * Andrew DeRoberts – lead guitar, backing vocals (2009–2012) * Ryland Steen – drums (2009–2012) * Bradley Ackerman – drums, backing vocals (2014–2015)


Discography

*''Brand New Shoes'' (2007) *'' Kris Allen'' (2009) *'' Thank You Camellia'' (2012) *'' Horizons'' (2014) *'' Letting You In'' (2016) *''Somethin' About Christmas'' (2016)


Other projects

The Dames Current members * Kris Allen * Cale Mills * Chris Torres * Jordan Wright Releases * "The Death of Mr. Jones" : Release Date: May 20, 2017 : Label: DogBear Records * "Alright Now" : Release Date: June 9, 2017 : Label: DogBear Records * "Don't Mess Around on Me" : Release Date: June 30, 2017 : Label: DogBear Records * "All That I Want Is You" : Release Date: July 28, 2017 : Label: DogBear Records


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * Kris Allenat Billboard.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Kris 1985 births Living people American male pop singers American pop rock singers American male singer-songwriters American multi-instrumentalists American pop pianists American pop guitarists American pop keyboardists American rock pianists American male pianists American rock guitarists American rock keyboardists American rock songwriters American pop violists American rock violists American acoustic guitarists American male guitarists American performers of Christian music American Idol winners Guitarists from Arkansas People from Conway, Arkansas People from Jacksonville, Arkansas Jive Records artists RCA Records artists 19 Recordings artists 21st-century American singers 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American keyboardists Singer-songwriters from Arkansas