American Idol is well known for making lots of unknowns, well, known. Take Allison Iraheta, for example, who got her big break on Simon Cowell’s reality TV show.
Before Idol
Allison was born on April 27, 1992 in sunny California. The first time she ever saw an episode of American Idol was back in 2002. According to Allison, her whole family – mom, dad, sister and brother – got hooked on the show and watched it often from then on. But for Allison it was more than just watching TV – it opened her eyes to what she really wanted to do with her life: sing.
From the tender age of 5, Allison was destined to become a star. She was always singing – to anyone who would listen. Allison says she used to go to work with her mom, who was a cashier in a hospital cafeteria, and wander around singing to the medical staff and patients. Her fave singer to emulate at the time was Celine Dion.
Allison’s parents also had a lot to do with her love of music. Her dad loved to listen to classic rock, while her mom was a fan of the disco era and also loved playing Latin music at home. And then there were the R&B albums that Allison begged her older sister to buy for her – she loved artists like K-Ci & JoJo and TLC.
Growing up, Allison took voice lessons and sang with her high school chorus. When she was 15, she tried out for a Spanish reality series called Quinceanera. Ultimately, Allison won the top prize at the show, taking home $50,000. She was also promised a record deal, but that never happened.
During Idol
Finally, at 16, after watching American Idol for 7 years, Allison was at last eligible to audition. She drove with her family to San Francisco and sang for the four famous judges, winning a golden ticket to Hollywood after performing Heartbreaker by P!nk and At Last by Etta James and receiving rave reviews from Randy, who told her she “had something” and Paula, who said her sound was “very distinct.”
During her competition on American Idol, Allison impressed both the judges and the millions of viewers whose votes kept her going for weeks on the show. Besides being instantly recognizable by her bright, magenta-colored hair and rocker style, Allison’s most memorable performances included a take on the No Doubt hit Don’t Speak and Aerosmith’s No. 1 hit I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing, which she says is one of her all-time fave songs.
After Idol
After American Idol Allison stayed busy touring the US with the American Idols Live show. Now, she’s just released her first album, called Just Like You. The record’s first single, titled Friday I'll Be Over U is Scandinavian-designed punk-pop perfection, and another track called Robot Love turns Gary Glitter's Rock And Roll Part 2 riff into something fresh.
Order the Just Like You cd (Just make sure you ask your parents)
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