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{{short description|American singer-songwriter from Arkansas}}{{For|the musician's 2009 album|Kris Allen (album){{!}}Kris Allen (album)}}{{Use American English|date=September 2019}}{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}}

factoids

| birth_place = Jacksonville, Arkansas, U.S. | origin = Conway, Arkansas, U.S.

• Pop rock
• alternative rock
• acoustic rock
• blue-eyed soul

{edih}

• Singer
• songwriter

{edih}

• Vocals
• guitar

{edih}| years_active = 2007–presentJive Records>RCA Records>19 Recordings>DogBear}}Katy O'Connell|September 26, 2008}}krisallenofficial.com}}}}Kristopher Neil Allen (born June 21, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, and the winner of the eighth season of American Idol.NEWS,weblink Adam Lambert Falls in American Idol Upset as Kris Allen Takes Title, May 20, 2009, The New York Daily News, Jim, Farber, Prior to Idol, he self-released a 2007 album, Brand New Shoes.WEB,weblink Music is the Heart of our Soul, March 17, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120307195642weblink">weblink March 7, 2012, dead, WEB,weblink Clouds on the horizon for American Idol juggernaut?, Bworldonline.com, December 20, 2020, {{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}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. The album debuted at number 11 on the U.S. Billboard 200. The album's lead single, "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" 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, Arkansas, to Kimberly (née Wood) and Neil Allen.WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090512092637weblink">weblink dead, May 12, 2009, Idol Finalist has Local Ties, The Webster Progress Times, WEB, Hendricks, Christy,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090327193323weblink">weblink dead, March 27, 2009, Jacksonville Native a Week Closer to Win, March 23, 2009, The Arkansas Leader, He is the elder of two sons; his younger brother, Daniel, is a college cheerleading coach.WEB,weblink American Idol Top Three: Kris Allen Has Another Simon Cowell?, The National Ledger, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090514035750weblink">weblink May 14, 2009, Allen's interest in music began very early. He began playing the viola in elementary school and went on to play the instrument in the Mills University Studies High School orchestra, eventually winning a spot in the Arkansas all-state orchestra.WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160225151535weblink">weblink dead, February 25, 2016, Kris Allen's high school music teacher is proud of Kris, Jeremy, Baker, May 14, 2009, Fox, 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, Jamie Cullum, Jason Mraz, Pat Monahan, John Mayer and Michael Jackson. Allen played publicly for several years before trying out for Idol, even opening for earlier Idol contestant Sean Michel 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, to attend the University of Central Arkansas, where he was a business major and a member of Chi Alpha campus ministries.NEWS,weblink Kris Allen reflects on Idol upset win, USA Today, May 22, 2009, May 7, 2010, Brian, Mansfield, During college, he participated in Christian missionary work around the world, including in Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, South Africa, Spain and Thailand.WEB, Elliot, Peter,weblink Arkansas Pastors Shed Light on Idol Finalist Kris Allen, Everyday Christian, May 5, 2009, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090509083500weblink">weblink May 9, 2009, 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.WEB, Ingrassia, Lisa,weblink From Underdog to Idol, June 8, 2009, People, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110723173307weblink">weblink July 23, 2011, WEB,weblinkweblink" title="archive.today/20121208123318weblink">weblink dead, December 8, 2012, American Idol Winner Kris Allen ready for tour, album, May 28, 2009, The Baltimore Sun, 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."WEB,weblink Kris Allen Biography | The Official Kris Allen Site, Krisallenofficial.com, October 5, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120227074942weblink">weblink February 27, 2012, dead,

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.WEB, ABOUT,weblink KrisAllenOfficial, March 9, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120307224543weblink">weblink March 7, 2012, dead, 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).WEB, Kris Allen – Brand New Shoes Tracklist,weblink LetsSingIt, 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.WEB, Godinez, Bong, American Idol Kris Allen: "Live on television is the worst thing in the world.",weblink Philippine Entertainment Portal, March 9, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140421064354weblink">weblink April 21, 2014, dead,

American Idol

(File:Kris Allen flickr cbgrfx123 02.jpg|thumb|Kris Allen on the American Idol Tour, August 5, 2009)Allen auditioned for the eighth season of American Idol in Louisville, Kentucky, with his brother Daniel, who did not make it to Hollywood.WEB,weblink Top 13 Contestants – Season 8 – American Idol, March 8, 2009, May 15, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090515151225weblink">weblink dead, WEB,weblink Kris Allen Almost Missed His American Idol Audition, MTV, May 17, 2009, 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) was aired in its entirety.MAGAZINE, Slezak, Michael, May 20, 2009,weblink Kris Allen: His American Idol Journey HARMONIZING UNDER PRESSURE, Entertainment Weekly, May 20, 2009, January 16, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140116105427weblink">weblink dead, WEB,weblink American Idol Season 8 – Louisville Auditions – Recap, mj, santilli, January 22, 2009, Mjsbigblog.com, December 20, 2020, WEB,weblink Kris Allen: The Road From Underdog To Idol, May 21, 2009, TV Guide, weblink{{dead link|date=November 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} 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.WEB,weblink Judges' Mansion – Hollywood Week, May 31, 2009, 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, the electric guitar, 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 commenting, "I am genuinely beginning to think you have a shot of doing well in this competition."NEWS, Santilli, M. J., April 28, 2009,weblink Idols iTunes shocker: Kris second wave, New York Post, May 16, 2009, 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."NEWS, Belcher, Walt, April 1, 2009, Idol takes on iTunes, The Tampa Tribune, 2, On the first Top 7 night, Allen chose to sing the Oscar-winning song "Falling Slowly" from the indie film Once. While Randy Jackson described it as "pitchy from note one",WEB, Berman, Craig, April 14, 2009,weblink Simon slams Lil Rounds on Idol{{', s movie night |work=Today.com |access-date=May 16, 2009}} Kara DioGuardi declared it "one of your best moments ever." Due to time constraints, Paula Abdul and Cowell did not comment, but on the following night's results show, Cowell stated "Kris, you were brilliant."weblink{{dead link|date=January 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Allen subsequently received a signed record and other gifts from the original artists, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. 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's "Heartless", prompting Jackson to state that he preferred it to West's original and The Fray'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.WEB, Montgomery, James,weblink Kris Allen Covers Kanye, Simon Feuds With Kara On American Idol, May 12, 2009, MTV.com, 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.WEB, Kris Allen Rocks Arkansas in Frenzied Hometown Reunion,weblink People, Allen performed at three concerts in Little Rock and Conway, Arkansas, playing many of his popular songs during the competition, including "Man in the Mirror", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Falling Slowly" and "She Works Hard for the Money" at the venues, as well as "Come Together" 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", Simon Fuller'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, singing Urban's single "Kiss a Girl", as well as a series of medleys with his fellow Season 8 contestants. Before the results were announced, Allen performed "We Are the Champions" with eventual runner-up Adam Lambert and Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen.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.WEB, Jicha, Tom,weblink Kris Allen Wins American Idol, May 20, 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, May 22, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090526124949weblink">weblink May 26, 2009, dead, 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".WEB,weblink Sources say Idol final vote wasn't even close, May 21, 2009, Access Hollywood, July 9, 2009, Allen has admitted that the alleged disparity in votes was a "total surprise" to him.WEB,weblink Kris Allen Talks Idol Win: "I'm Just A Regular Guy", May 21, 2009, Access Hollywood, July 9, 2009, Certain commentators labeled the win as an "upset" since runner-up Adam Lambert had received a significant amount of media attention throughout the season and was widely perceived to be the show's front-runner.NEWS,weblink American Idol winner is crowned, BBC News, May 21, 2009, January 5, 2010, WEB,weblink Kris Allen: How can you not love the new American Idol?, Popwatch.ew.com, August 13, 2014, Allen's victory was seen as highly controversial as viewers and the media speculated about the details of the result.NEWS,weblink AT&T May Have Swayed Idol Results, The New York Times, Edward, Wyatt, May 26, 2009, July 9, 2009, NEWS,weblink Idol Strives to Sustain Its High Note, The New York Times, Edward, Wyatt, May 24, 2009, July 9, 2009, WEB,weblink Conway reacts to Kris' win, Fox16.com, May 21, 2009, July 9, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110711022202weblink">weblink July 11, 2011, dead, However, during the Top 3 results show, host Ryan Seacrest had revealed that the margin between Allen and Lambert was fewer than a million votes. Fox and AT&T have stated that they "stand by the outcome" and are "absolutely certain" that "Kris Allen is the American Idol".NEWS,weblink Idol Producers Stand by Outcome, The New York Times, Edwar, Wyatt, May 27, 2009, July 9, 2009, MAGAZINE,weblink American Idol voting controversy: AT&T and Fox deny impact on results, Entertainment Weekly, Mandi, Bierly, May 27, 2009, July 9, 2009, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090701070309weblink">weblink July 1, 2009, NEWS,weblink Fox: Allen won Idol fair and square, Alan, Duke, CNN, May 27, 2009, July 9, 2009,

Performances and results{|class"wikitable" style"text-align:center"

! Week! Theme! Song choice! Original artist! Order #! Result| Audition| Auditioner's Choice| "A Song for You"| Leon Russell| N/A| Advanced| Hollywood Rounds, Part 1| First Solo| "For Once in My Life"| Stevie Wonder| N/A| Advanced| Hollywood Rounds, Part 2| Group Performance| "I Want You Back"| The Jackson 5| 1| Advanced| Hollywood Rounds, Part 3| Second SoloEverything (Michael Bublé song)>Everything"| Michael Bublé| N/A| Advanced| Top 36/Semi-Final 2Billboard Hot 100>Billboard Hot 100 Hits to Date| "Man in the Mirror"| Michael Jackson| 6| Advanced| Top 13| Michael Jackson| "Remember the Time"| Michael Jackson| 6| Safe| Top 11| Grand Ole Opry| "Make You Feel My Love"| Bob Dylan| 3| Safe| Top 10| Motown| "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)"| Marvin Gaye| 2| Safe| Top 9| Top Downloads| "Ain't No Sunshine"| Bill Withers| 9| Safe| Top 8| Year They Were Born| "All She Wants to Do Is Dance"| Don Henley| 2| Safe| Top 7| Songs from the Cinema| "Falling Slowly"| Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová| 6| Safe3|1}}| Disco| "She Works Hard for the Money"| Donna Summer| 2| Safe| Top 5Rat Pack>Rat Pack Standards| "The Way You Look Tonight"| Fred Astaire| 1| SafeTop 4Rock and Roll Renegade (Styx song)>Renegade"with Danny GokeyStyx (band)>Styx| 3Safe| Solo "Come Together" | The Beatles| 4Top 3| Judges' ChoiceApologize (OneRepublic song)>Apologize"| OneRepublic| 2Safe| Contestant's ChoiceHeartless (Kanye West song)>Heartless"| Kanye West| 5Top 2| Contestant's Choice| "Ain't No Sunshine"| Bill Withers| 2Winner| Simon Fuller's ChoiceWhat's Going On (song)>What's Going On"| Marvin Gaye| 4| Coronation SongNo Boundaries (song)>No Boundaries"| Kris Allen| 6

• {{note|1|1}} Due to the judges using their one save to save Matt Giraud, the Top 7 remained intact for another week.
• {{note|2|2}} When Ryan Seacrest announced the results for this particular night, Allen was among the Bottom 3, but declared safe first.

(File:Kris Allen flickr melissaellis27 01.jpg|right|thumb|Allen with Cale Mills in 2009)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.WEB, KRIS ALLEN DOMINATES THE BILLBOARD HOT 100,weblink KrisAllenOfficial, March 9, 2012,weblink" title="archive.today/20120903161648weblink">weblink September 3, 2012, dead, "No Boundaries" also topped the iTunes singles chart following the Idol season finale.WEB, About,weblink KrisAllenOfficial, March 9, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120307224543weblink">weblink March 7, 2012, dead, On June 7, 2009, Allen performed the National Anthem at Game 2 of the 2009 NBA Finals to a packed house including Adam Levine, Jack Nicholson, Rihanna, Paula Abdul and Leonardo DiCaprio. Following the performance, which was described as "executed to perfection",WEB,weblink Kris Allen, People, the announcement was made that Allen had signed a record deal with Jive Records (along with fellow finalist Allison Iraheta). His major label debut was quickly scheduled for a Fall 2009 release.WEB,weblink Kris Allen – 19 Recordings Has Signed the American Idol Season 8 Winner and Has Licensed to Jive Records, PR Newswire, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090612041325weblink">weblink June 12, 2009,

Kris Allen (2009–2011)

(File:Krisallenturnhall20100604.png|thumb|upright|Allen in 2010)(File:Kris Allen flickr JessT-R 05a.jpg|thumb|upright|Allen in 2010)On his self-titled debut album, Allen collaborated with Claude Kelly, David Hodges, Jon Foreman of Switchfoot, Salaam Remi and Joe King of The Fray.MAGAZINE,weblink Adam Lambert, Kris Allen Team With Top Hitmakers For Debut Albums, Gary, Graff, David J. Prince, June 19, 2009, Billboard, He also worked with Toby Gad,WEB,weblink Toby Gad's featured news, Toby Gad website, July 14, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110717065104weblink">weblink July 17, 2011, dead, Alex Band of The Calling, Dan Wilson of Semisonic,WEB,weblink Idols not idle in Twin Cities, StarTribune.com, September 3, 2009, October 5, 2012, October 11, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121011233145weblink">weblink dead, Chris DaughtryWEB,weblink Kris Allen and Chris Daughtry Together in the Studio, August 2009, mjsbigblog, October 5, 2012, and Mat KearneyWEB,weblink Kris Allen Hits Nashville to Co-write with Mat Kearney, mjsbigblog, August 4, 2009, October 5, 2012, for the album. Allen's debut single, "Live Like We're Dying" was released via Z100 in New York on September 21, 2009.WEB,weblink Kris Allen's New Single – Live Like We're Dying | Kris Allen, mjsbigblog, September 15, 2009, October 5, 2012, WEB,weblink 'Idol' winner Kris Allen: single out in 2 weeks, album 'soft rock'; Megan Joy, Lil Rounds await news – Lehigh Valley Music Blog, Blogs.mcall.com, September 9, 2009, October 5, 2012, WEB, Perlman, Jake,weblink Kris Allen's rumored single, 'Live Like We're Dying,' leaks! (Idoloonies hold collective breath for 23 seconds!) | The Music Mix | EW.com, Music-mix.ew.com, September 17, 2009, May 24, 2014, WEB,weblink Kris Allen (@KrisAllen4Real) op Twitter, Twitter.com, April 4, 2012, On November 6, 2009, his music video for "Live Like We're Dying" premiered on AOL's PopEater.com.WEB,weblink Kris Allen 'Live Like We're Dying' Video Premiere, Gary, PopEater Staff, November 6, 2009, AOL_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.WEB, Fall For Gold and Platinum,weblink RIAA, WEB, AMERICAN IDOL SEASON 8 WINNER KRIS ALLEN TO RELEASE BRAND NEW SINGLE "THE VISION OF LOVE" AVAILABLE MARCH 26 AT ITUNES AND ALL DIGITAL PROVIDERS ON 19 RECORDINGS/RCA RECORDS,weblink RCA Records, Sony Music Entertainment, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131203003857weblink">weblink December 3, 2013, MAGAZINE, Kris Allen Album & Song Chart History, {{BillboardURLbyName, kris allen, all, |magazine=Billboard}}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.NEWS,weblink Brian, Mansfield, Album sales – Kris Allen fails to make top 10, USA Today, November 25, 2009, May 7, 2010, 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.WEB, Parker, Lyndsey,weblink A Tale Of Two Idols' Sales | Reality Rocks – Archive – Yahoo! Music, New.music.yahoo.com, November 30, 2009, October 5, 2012, As of December 2011, Kris Allen has sold approximately 329,000 copies.MAGAZINE, Smith, Grady, Kris Allen talks to EW about working on his second album: What does he need to prove this time around?,weblink Entertainment Weekly, 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. 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 after the show.WEB,weblink Kris Allen Answers Questions About his Trip to Haiti | American Idol, Kris Allen, mjsbigblog, February 22, 2010, October 5, 2012, The second single released from the album was "The Truth" featuring Pat Monahan, the lead singer of the Grammy award-winning rock band Train, who co-wrote the song.WEB,weblink Kris Allen Finds "The Truth" With Train's Pat Monahan {{!, Idolator|date=April 27, 2010|access-date=September 5, 2016}} Allen performed the song live at the American Idol Season 9 finale on May 26, 2010.WEB,weblink American Idol Season 9 Finale: In Defence of Kris Allen, May 27, 2010, Cultural Learnings, September 5, 2016, That same night, Allen joined the other Idol winners to sing "Together We Are One" to honor Simon Cowell.MAGAZINE, 'American Idol': On the scene for the finale,weblink Entertainment Weekly, MAGAZINE, Young, John, 'American Idol': On the scene for the finale,weblink Entertainment Weekly, Allen hit the road for his first solo tour during June and July 2010 with Green River Ordinance and Justin Gaston as opening acts. He then went on to join a few major tours over the rest of the summer, opening for Barenaked Ladies, Maroon 5, and Keith Urban 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.WEB,weblink Kris Allen – "Alright With Me" (For The Fans) [VIDEO] | The Official Kris Allen Site, Krisallenofficial.com, October 5, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120312093642weblink">weblink March 12, 2012, dead, "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.WEB,weblink Music | Lloyd Cele – Musician – SA Idols 2010, Lloydcele.net, October 5, 2012, Allen co-wrote a song, "Still Got Tonight", with Andrew Frampton and Steve Kipner that appeared as the second single on Glee's 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.NEWS,weblink The Hollywood Reporter, Shirley, Halperin, 'Glee' Season Finale to Feature Matthew Morrison Track (Exclusive), May 9, 2011, On May 29, 2011, Kris sang "God Bless the USA" at the National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D.C., aired live by PBS.Allen co-wrote a song, "Blindfolded" with Lindy Robbins and Toby Gad that appeared on the first season South African Idol winner, Heinz Winckler's album 24/7/365.WEB,weblink 24/7/365: Heinz Winckler: MP3 Downloads, Amazon, October 5, 2012, released July 8, 2011.WEB,weblinkweblink dead, December 17, 2012, HFA Songfile, Harryfox.com, February 26, 2010, October 5, 2012, The song was released as Winckler's English debut single & performed at the finale of the 2011 edition of South African Idol.WEB,weblink News for South Africa and the world, IOL, October 3, 2011, October 5, 2012, 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 first season winner Javier Colon's debut album Come Through For You released November 21, 2011.WEB,weblink HFA Songfile, Harryfox.com, February 26, 2010, October 5, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120602131225weblink">weblink June 2, 2012, dead, Javier sang the song as part of the Walmart Soundcheck performance series.WEB,weblink Walmart Soundcheck – Watch Javier Colon Interviews, Live Performances, Music Videos, Soundcheck.walmart.com, November 4, 2011, October 5, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121015111111weblink">weblink October 15, 2012, dead, On December 3, 2011, Allen along with Grammy-winning singer/songwriter and producer, David Hodges and Andy Davis, founder of Music Empowers Foundation were celebrity judges for The Alchemy Songwriting Competition in Conway, AR.WEB,weblinkweblink 2021-12-15, live, Kris Allen – judging Alchemy songwriting contest – on FOX16, YouTube, December 4, 2011, October 5, 2012, {{cbignore}} The proceeds of the contest to benefit Blackbird Academy, an arts and music school in Conway, Arkansas.PRESS RELEASE,weblink Kris Allen and Blackbird Academy of Arts Harmonize on Songwriting Contest to... – NEW YORK, Oct. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/, New York, Arkansas, Prnewswire.com, October 5, 2012, The following day, Allen performed John Lennon's "Imagine" at Trevor Live, a star-studded benefit for The Trevor Project.WEB,weblink Kris Allen Performs At Trevor Live | The Official Kris Allen Site, Krisallenofficial.com, December 24, 2011, October 5, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120314100630weblink">weblink March 14, 2012, dead,

Thank You Camellia and Horizons (2011–14)

On October 7, 2011, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding Jive Records along with Arista Records and J Records. 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 labels.WEB, Christman, Ed,weblink RCA's New Executive Team Named Under CEO Peter Edge Amid Layoffs (Update), Billboard.biz, August 23, 2011, October 5, 2012, WEB,weblink Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!, FMQB, October 5, 2012, November 8, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20111108044953weblink">weblink dead, 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" 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.WEB, Kris Allen Introduces New Songs at The Mint (VIDEO), February 10, 2012,weblink mjsbigblog, "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, and Adam Messinger, 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.WEB, AMERICAN IDOL SEASON 8 WINNER KRIS ALLEN TO RELEASE BRAND NEW SINGLE "THE VISION OF LOVE" AVAILABLE MARCH 26 AT ITUNES AND ALL DIGITAL PROVIDERS ON 19 RECORDINGS/RCA RECORDS,weblink RCA Records, March 6, 2012, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131203003857weblink">weblink December 3, 2013, The remix of the track leaked onto the internet on January 25, 2012.WEB,weblinkweblink 2021-12-15, live, Vision of Love (Maison & Dragen dMac Edit), YouTube, {{cbignore}}NEWS,weblink WhompingStereo.com, Jay, Faz, Kris Allen – Vision of Love (Maison & Dragen Edit), January 27, 2012, January 29, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120224232003weblink">weblink February 24, 2012, dead, It was announced March 29, 2012, that Allen's second album titled, Thank You Camellia, would be released on May 22, 2012.NEWS,weblink 'American Idol's' Kris Allen Announces Album Title, Release Date, Hollywood Reporter, March 29, 2012, April 4, 2012, Allen auditioned for the lead role in the 2012 musical film Rock of Ages, but lost the role to Diego Boneta. 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, 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.WEB,weblink Kris Allen Admits He Tried Out For the Lead Role in 'Rock Of Ages', OK!, May 27, 2012, September 29, 2013, 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.WEB,weblink 'American Idol's' Kris Allen Announces Change in Management; New Single, Angermiller, Michele Amabile, The Hollywood Reporter, September 5, 2012, September 5, 2016, In the same month he left RCA.WEB,weblink 'American Idol' Kris Allen and RCA Records Part Ways (Exclusive), Halperin, Shirley, The Hollywood Reporter, September 19, 2012, September 5, 2016, WEB,weblink Kris Allen Continues Curse Of 'American Idol' Male Winners, MTV, September 5, 2016, On November 7, 2012, the cover of an EP entitled Waiting for Christmas was revealed via Twitter.TWEET, KrisAllen, Kris Allen, 266236193870577664, November 7, 2012, This will be coming soon. Be on the lookout., 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.WEB,weblink Kris Allen Reveals "Waiting For Christmas" EP Cover Art (PHOTO), November 7, 2012, Mjsbigblog.com, May 24, 2014, 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.WEB,weblink Kris Allen Dedicates New Song to Newtown Tragedy Victims VIDEO, Mjsbigblog.com, December 21, 2012, May 24, 2014, From January 8 to May 3, 2013, Allen toured the United States on his second solo tour Out Alive.{{Citation needed|date=December 2013}} 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.{{Citation needed|date=December 2013}}On January 8, 2014, Allen entered the recording studio with producer Charlie Peacock to begin recording his third post-Idol album at Peacock's studio in Nashville. "Prove It to You", featuring Lenachka, was announced as the lead single on July 1, 2014,: WEB,weblinkweblink 2021-12-23, subscription, Kris Allen's Instagram, instagram.com, July 10, 2014, {{cbignore}} debuted at Yahoo Music on July 7, 2014WEB, Parker, Lyndsey, See It First! Kris Allen Premieres Lyric Video for 'Prove It to You',weblink Yahoo! Music, July 7, 2014, July 10, 2014, and released on iTunes on July 8, 2014. He performed multiple tracks from the album live acoustically on Yahoo.WEB, Parker, Lyndsey,weblink Kris Allen Extends His 'Horizons' to Yahoo: See Him Perform! | Reality Rocks – Yahoo Music, Music.yahoo.com, August 4, 2014, August 13, 2014, On August 12, 2014, Allen released Horizons.WEB,weblink Horizons Is Out, krisallenofficial.com, Kris Allen, Allen, Kris, August 27, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140903074940weblink">weblink September 3, 2014, dead, 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.WEB,weblinkweblink 2014-10-13, dead, NO LIMITS TOUR – 2014!!, boyceavenue, October 8, 2014, YouTube, 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.WEB,weblink Schedule – Armed Forces Entertainment, June 20, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150623011427weblink">weblink June 23, 2015, dead,

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.WEB,weblink Kris Allen Releases New Single 'Waves,' Talks Recovery After Devastating Car Crash: I Thought I Might Never Play Guitar Again, People.com, December 20, 2020, His fifth studio album, Letting You In, was released on March 18, 2016.WEB, Letting You In by Kris Allen on Apple Music,weblink iTunes, March 18, 2016, January 17, 2017, "Love Will Find You" was released to American hot adult contemporary radio on September 19, 2016, as the second single.WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160910020846weblink">weblink dead, September 10, 2016, Hot/Modern/AC Future Releases – Hot Adult Contemporary Rock Songs and Release Dates – ..., September 10, 2016, In April, he released an EP called Acoustic Tapes which featured songs from throughout his previous albums.WEB,weblink Acoustic Tapes Available on Bandcamp!, Krisallenofficial.com, April 18, 2016, December 20, 2020, WEB,weblink Acoustic Tapes, by Kris Allen, Kris Allen, Somethin' About Christmas, was released on November 4, 2016.MAGAZINE, Amabile Angermiller, Michele, 'American Idol' Winner Kris Allen Celebrates Christmas Early With New Release,weblink Billboard, January 17, 2017, 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.WEB,weblinkweblink 2021-12-15, live, "Mommy, Is There More Than Just One Santa Claus?" – Kris Allen, Kris Allen, December 14, 2016, YouTube, {{cbignore}} He also recorded a track with Jim Brickman for his album Comfort & Joy called "A Little Bit of Christmas" and joined him for a holiday tour.WEB,weblink Jim Brickman Releases New Holiday Single f/ Kris Allen, October 21, 2016, In February 2017, he released an acoustic version of his single "Waves" for Valentine's Day.WEB,weblink Waves (acoustic), December 20, 2020, Soundcloud.com, TWEET, KrisAllen, Kris Allen, 831563101367574529, February 14, 2017, Happy 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.WEB,weblink Kris Allen, www.facebook.com, WEB,weblinkweblink 2021-12-23, subscription, Kris Allen on Instagram: "The Dames www.thedamesofficial.com @thedamesofficial #TheDames 📷 @mikaela_hamilton", Instagram, {{cbignore}} On April 7, 2017, he released a surprise Letting You In acoustic EP which featured a brand new song called "Venice".WEB,weblink "Letting You In: Acoustic Performances – EP" by Kris Allen on iTunes, iTunes, April 7, 2017, 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.WEB,weblinkweblink 2021-12-23, subscription, The Dames on Instagram: "So excited to announce that The Death of Mr. Jones is out now on iTunes for your listening pleasure. Link is in the bio. This song will be…", Instagram, {{cbignore}}WEB,weblink The Death of Mr. Jones – Single by The Dames on Apple Music, iTunes, May 20, 2017, 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, on July 11.TWEET, 993301891697135616, KrisAllen, Excited to be joining the @IdolLiveTour as a special guest this summer! Pre-sales start on Tuesday at 10am local…, May 7, 2018, Allen also released a new single, "When All The Stars Have Died," on June 29, 2018.weblink {{dead link|date=December 2020}} 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.WEB,weblink Kris Allen on Twitter: ""10" IS OUT NOW! Listen:weblink I have been on this journey for 10 years now and felt like I needed to take a second and look back. I hope you enjoy "10" and thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of my story....so far.…weblink", twitter.com, 25 January 2022,weblink 20 September 2019, dead, In 2021, Allen toured Europe with David Cook.WEB, santilli, mj, 2021-10-29, American Idol's Kris Allen Announces 2021 Fall Tour,weblink 2023-02-16, mjsbigblog, en-us, The tour dates were rescheduled twice due to COVID-19 pandemic. The tour consisted of nine shows across Northern Europe and the United Kingdom. Prior to the shows Allen released four new songs. One of the songs was dedicated to his eldest son and had an animated music video.WEB, santilli, mj, 2021-07-30, Kris Allen Drops Gorgeous Animated "Safe Harbor" Video for Eldest Son,weblink 2023-02-16, mjsbigblog, en-us, In 2022 he released a song called "It's You I Like", and on his Patreon-page he asked people to send him their childhood photo to make a personalized cover for the song.

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' Chi Alpha campus ministry.WEB, Elliott, Peter, Arkansas pastors shed light on 'Idol' finalist Kris Allen,weblink Everyday Christian Media Corp., March 9, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120218201151weblink">weblink February 18, 2012, dead, In Morocco, during his first mission trip, Allen contracted a rare form of hepatitis 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.WEB, Caillouet, Linda, Kris Allen's faith is quiet but strong,weblinkweblink" title="archive.today/20120711065937weblink">weblink dead, July 11, 2012, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 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.WEB, Kris Allen,weblink Give the Gift of Music, March 9, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101108054917weblink">weblink November 8, 2010, dead, WEB, Kris Allen: Thai mission trip & guitar story,weblink Quoting Kradam, March 9, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090706222954weblink">weblink July 6, 2009, dead, His experiences in Thailand inspired the song "Land of Smiles" from his pre-Idol album Brand New Shoes.WEB, Kris Allen: "Land of Smiles" leaked,weblink emusicality.com, March 9, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100115022151weblink">weblink January 15, 2010, dead, 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."PRESS RELEASE, Music Empowers Foundation Launches Spring Fundraiser – Kris Allen, Steven Van Zandt, And Others Join Cause,weblink PR Newswire, For his support of music education in schools, Allen was honored by Little Kids Rock in October 2010.WEB, Mayer, Rana, OK! Interview: Kris Allen is Honored by Little Kids Rock,weblink OK! Magazine, October 22, 2010, Odyssey Magazine Publishing Group, WEB, Kris Allen Honored – Right To Rock Celebration– New York, NY – 10/21/10,weblink mjsbigblog, October 21, 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 and Music Empowers in their efforts to promote music education in public schools.WEB, KRIS ALLEN GROWS A "STACHE" FOR MUSIC EDUCATION,weblink KrisAllenOfficial.com, March 9, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120120133802weblink">weblink January 20, 2012, dead, WEB, Kris Allen's Mustache,weblink DonorsChoose, 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.PRESS RELEASE, Music Empowers Foundation & Kris Allen Partnership Benefits 47,000 Children of Needy Music Classrooms,weblink PR Newswire, Allen has also been a supporter of TOMS Shoes and participated in the company's first shoe drop in Rwanda in March 2010.weblink{{Dead link|date=November 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} Following his trip to Rwanda, Allen joined the Barefoot Walk at his alma mater the University of Central Arkansas and performed barefoot to support TOMS shoes and Bridge2Rwanda, an organization that collaborated with TOMS for the Rwanda shoe drop.WEB, Kris Allen to join in Barefoot Walk at UCA,weblink Arkansas Online, April 8, 2010, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, In February 2010, Allen traveled to Haiti with the United Nations Foundation to help with relief efforts following the Haiti earthquake.WEB, Parker, Lyndsey, American Idol Turned American Hero: Kris Allen Heads To Haiti,weblink Yahoo! Music, Yahoo!, When he returned, he kicked off that year's Idol Gives Back campaign by discussing his trip to Haiti and performing The Beatles' "Let It Be" on the American Idol Season 9 Top 24 results show on February 25, 2010.WEB, Kaufman, Gil, Kris Allen Sings 'Let It Be' On 'American Idol' For Haiti,weblink MTV, Allen's rendition of "Let It Be" was made available for download on iTunes 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.WEB, CHALLENGES REMAIN AFTER HAITI EARTHQUAKE, BUT THE UN IS STILL THERE,weblink UN Foundation, March 9, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120629084800weblink">weblink June 29, 2012, dead, 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, enough to pay for 50 cows to feed families in need.WEB, Alright with Moo: Kris Allen Fans Give a Cow (or 50),weblink Heifer Blog, Heifer International, March 9, 2012,weblink" title="archive.today/20120707033356weblink">weblink July 7, 2012, dead, Inspired by Allen's support of music education, his fans also organized a donation of over $28,000 to Music Empowers in December 2010.WEB, ALRIGHT WITH MUSIC,weblink KrisAllenOfficial, March 9, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110118012727weblink">weblink January 18, 2011, dead, In honor of Allen's 26th birthday, his fans banded together once again to donate more than $26,000 to Direct Relief toward disaster relief.WEB, Raise Your Voices: Project Stand Together,weblink Direct Relief International, In November 2012, Allen visited World Vision'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."WEB, Kris Allen meet Kenya,weblink World Vision, February 20, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130212114713weblink">weblink February 12, 2013, dead,

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.WEB,weblink 5 Things You Didn't Know About Idol Winner Kris Allen : People.com, Tvwatch.people.com, May 27, 2009, October 5, 2012, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090530080113weblink">weblink May 30, 2009, Their son was born in 2013.NEWS,weblink 'American Idol's' Kris Allen Welcomes a Son, July 30, 2013, July 30, 2013, Hollywood Reporter, Their second child, a daughter, was born in 2016.WEB,weblink Kris Allen Welcomes Daughter Rose Elizabeth, Celebritybabies.people.com, December 20, 2020, Their third child, another son, was born in 2019.WEB,weblink American Idol's Kris Allen Welcomes Son Marlo James Francis: 'My New Little Man', People.com, December 20, 2020,

Backing band

{{col-begin}}{{col-2}}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)

{{col-2}}Former members

• Andrew DeRoberts – lead guitar, backing vocals (2009–2012)
• Ryland Steen – drums (2009–2012)
• Bradley Ackerman – drums, backing vocals (2014–2015)

{{col-end}}

Discography

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

Other projects

{{col-begin}}{{col-2}}The Damesthedamesofficial.comCurrent members

• Kris Allen
• Cale Mills
• Chris Torres
• Jordan Wright

Releases

• "The Death of Mr. Jones"WEB,weblink The Death of Mr. Jones, Amazon,

• "Alright Now"WEB,weblink Alright Now, Amazon,

• "Don't Mess Around on Me"WEB,weblink Don't Mess Around on Me, Amazon,

• "All That I Want Is You"WEB,weblink All That I Want Is You, Amazon,

">

Awards and nominations{| class"wikitable"

! Year !! Presenter !! Award !! Result 2009 Teen Choice Awards| Choice Male Reality/Variety Star| {{nom}}American Idol season 8>American Idol Top 10)| {{nom}} 2010| People's Choice Awards| Break-Out Musical Artist| {{nom}} 2011Billboard Music Awards>Billboard Music AwardsLive Like We're Dying"HTTP://WWW.KRISALLENOFFICIAL.COM/US/NEWS/KRIS-BILLBOARD-AWARD PUBLISHER=KRISALLENOFFICIAL.COM ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20120312093731/HTTP://WWW.KRISALLENOFFICIAL.COM/US/NEWS/KRIS-BILLBOARD-AWARD URL-STATUS=DEAD, | {{nom}} 2011| BMI Pop Music AwardsLive Like We're Dying"HTTPS://WWW.BMI.COM/PRESS/ENTRY/551489WEBSITE=BMI.COM, December 20, 2020, | {{won}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category}}

• {{Official websiteweblink}}
• [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=kris allen|chart=all}} Kris Allen] at Billboard.com

{{Kris Allen}}{{American Idol}}{{American Idol 8}}{{Authority control}}