Brooke White was born on June 2, 1983, and was raised as the oldest of four kids in her LDS family in Mesa, Arizona. Music was always a big part of her upbringing. Her family had an old jukebox in their backyard that they would listen to as they played together. When her family received Brooke’s great-grandmother’s piano, she immediately took to it. Surprising her mother, Kaylene, Brooke played a song by ear that she had heard on TV. Her parents have been supportive of her love of music ever since.
Brooke loves drawing, interior decorating, styling hair, and anything involved in art. She got involved in singing when she was about 15, and landed the lead in her high school musical, “Meet Me in St. Louis”. She spoke of this experience as “kind of the beginning”. Someday, she hopes to be a mom and loved her job as a nanny in California.
She auditioned for American Idol in August of 2007 in Philadelphia, and achieved a spot in the top 24. Her supportive husband, David Ray, told Brooke that he wouldn’t cut his hair until she was cut from the competition. His curly hair grew for several months, as she made it to the top 5. She was among the first to use an instrument on the competition, a grand piano. “I’m very passionate about music”, Brooke says, when speaking of her performances on American Idol, “I just really throw myself into everything I do on that stage.”
Brooke released her single, “Hold Up My Heart” in February of 2009 to rave reviews. Also in February of 2009, Michael Johns, a fellow American Idol contestant, released his single “Life is Okay”, which features Brooke White. She also has an album called “Songs From the Attic”, which was released in 2005.
Brooke’s newest album, “High Hopes and Heartbreak” was released in July 2009. Her new single “Radio, Radio”, was released in June 2009 by June Baby Records, and sets the soothing, easy, upbeat tone for the album.
