Since the airing of its first season on Fox television in June 2002, American Idol has no doubt become one of the most successful shows in the history of American television. The show, an American singing competition series, was created by Simon Fuller, an English entrepreneur, artist manager and television producer, who is best known for being the creator of the Idol franchise, which was first seen in the UK under the name Pop Idol.
Currently in its fifteenth and final season, the show has, according to a 26 January 2016 LDS Living.com article, “broken records and churned out stars at an absurd pace.” Over the course of the years, several members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have competed on the reality show, including six Latter-day Saints who made it to the Hollywood round during this season. Unfortunately, all six members have now been eliminated from the competition.
With this being American Idol’s farewell season, it might be interesting to look back on past seasons at some of the show’s most memorable and accomplished Mormon contestants, and find out where their music careers have taken them.
David Archuleta
David James Archuleta, from Murray, Utah, is perhaps best remembered from his performances on American Idol Season 7. He was only 16-years-old when he graced the stage of American Idol. He ended the season as the second runner-up, with David Cook becoming the winner of the competition that year. However, David did not allow that defeat to deter him from becoming a pop music sensation with his music reaching millions of fans worldwide.
Shortly after being on the show, he released his hit single “Crush.” That single was followed by several more albums and singles including his debut album David Archuleta (2008), Christmas from the Heart (2009), The Other Side of Down (2010), and Forevermore which was released on 26 March 2012 in the Philippines on the Ivory Records label.
After all of his phenomenal success, David announced to his fans that he had made the decision to serve a full-time two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served his mission in the country of Chile from March 2012 – March 2014. Before leaving on his mission, wanting to make sure that his followers would have some of his music to listen to while he was away, he recorded two albums which were released while he was serving his mission – Begin (2012) and No Matter How Far (2013).
Since returning home from his mission, he has perhaps become most popular for his hit single “Glorious” for the Movie “Meet the Mormons.” He has also made several guest appearances in such venues as the BYU Spectacular and Roots Tech 2015, as well as, performed in concert in several locations across the country. In the radio interview below, David talks about his time on Idol, the days that followed, serving a mission, and what he looks forward to in the future.
Brooke White
Brooke Elizabeth White, from Mesa, Arizona, is an American indie pop/folk-pop singer-songwriter and actress. She was the fifth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol.
In 2005, she released her first studio album called Songs from the Attic. On 25 February 2009, her first single “Hold Up My Heart” was released and debuted at number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her second single “Radio Radio” was released on 23 June 2009. And her first post-idol album called High Hopes & Heartbreak was released on 21 July 2009 under her own label, June Baby Records. Her single “Radio Radio” opens listeners’ hearts to a joyful, simple sound that reminds them of one of her music idols, Carole King.
In 2012, four years after Brooke’s experience with American Idol, she had her first child, a daughter named London. She is now a full time mother and focusing her time and effort into her family, but still keeps her fingers in music.
In November 2014, she released an exclusive music video for the Mormon Channel called “Something Divine” which reminds us that we are all children of God who has given us talents and responsibilities. “Every star is different, and so is every child. Some are bright and happy, and some are meek and mild.” The song concludes with, “Stand with your face towards the sun and don’t give up until your work is done. . .. And in time, you’ll find something divine.” She also did an interview with the Mormon Channel to discuss the meaning behind the video.
Carmen Rasmusen Herbert
Carmen Rasmusen Herbert was the first Latter-day Saint to appear on American Idol. She finished sixth on the show’s second season in 2003. She became known, not only for her strong voice, but also because she maintained her standards and morals, and refused to wear any outfit that she felt was inappropriate. After American Idol, she appeared on national programs such as David Letterman, Tyra Banks, MSNBC, Today, Access Hollywood, and even NBC’s Fear Factor.
She plays piano and guitar. After releasing an EP, Carmen, in 2004, she signed a deal with Lofton Creek Records, and in 2007, she released her debut album called Nothin’ Like the Summer.
In the fall of 2007, her first book Staying in Tune was released. In the book she discusses how she’s been able to uphold her values while being involved with the entertainment industry. She also has a youth fireside CD titled Who’s Your Idol available from Deseret Book. In the talk that she gives, she teaches youth the value of remaining true to their faith and the blessings that such obedience can bring. In her second book You Are More, which is also available from Deseret Book, she talks about Hollywood’s standard of beauty and why we should rethink it.
Carmen married Bradley Herbert, the son of Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert, in December 2005 in the Bountiful Utah Temple. They have two sons, Boston (born in 2008) and Beckham (born in 2010). She currently writes an entertainment column for the Deseret News and was featured with Alex Boye in a video for Mormon Helping Hands.
Jon Peter Lewis
Singer, songwriter Jon Peter Lewis, often referred to by American Idol host, Ryan Seacrest, as JPL, was the eighth-place finisher on season three of the show in 2004. During his tenure on the show, he repeatedly received accolades for his performances from critics such as judge Simon Cowell, Rolling Stone magazine, and music legend, Elton John. He later formed the duo Midas Whale with a friend, Ryan Hayes, and appeared on the fourth season of NBC’s singing competition The Voice.
On 7 November 2006, his debut album Stories from Hollywood was released as a limited edition. With the release of the album, Jon became the first American Idol finalist to independently release an album of original songs. His second full-length album Break the Silence (2008) was released through Cockaroo Entertainment in conjunction with Adrenaline Music Group. Chris Garcia produced the album, and Jon wrote or co-wrote several tracks for the album. In 2009, Jon launched an internet show called American Nobody which the Los Angeles Times acclaimed as “the most brilliant and biting satire of Idoldom ever written.” In 2010, he produced and starred in a rock opera, Deep Love: A Ghostly Folk Opera, which became a multi-city theatrical event, and was chosen as one of ten shows produced for the New York Musical Theatre Festival’s “Next Link Project” in July 2015. Also in 2015, he released an EP titled Roughcuts.
Jon Peter Lewis has been a contributor to MTV, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone magazine, Los Angeles Times, and AOL Entertainment.
