From the look on his face no one was more surprised than Kris Allen when he bested judges' favorite Adam Lambert to become the new American Idol for Season 8. Before American Idol, the unassuming Allen had been ready to give up on a musical career to find steady work to support himself and his new wife. Kris had auditioned for the show because his brother, Daniel, had asked him to come along for moral support while he auditioned. Daniel didn't survive long as a contestant, but Kris was praised by the judges for his original takes on well-known songs as he advanced through the ranks.
Since becoming the Season 8 American Idol Kris has appeared on numerous talk shows, sung the national anthem at the NBA finals, performed with Smokey Robinson, signed with Jive Records and saw his self-titled album debut at #11 on Billboard. He has been featured in numerous commercials for Ford, had two singles in the Top 20 for Billboard, and has begun touring. This summer, he'll be opening for such acts as Maroon 5, Barenaked Ladies, OneRepubic, former American Idol alum Daughtry, and Keith Urban. Allen has also been the headlining act for concerts in Malaysia and Singapore, the only American Idol to ever do so in either country.
Kris also makes the time to share his good fortune, traveling to Haiti with the United Nations Foundation to raise awareness for earthquake disaster relief efforts. He shared footage of his trip on an American Idol results show, and his performance of "Let It Be" by the Beatles was a charity single on iTunes. He has traveled to Rwanda as part of a private relief effort to drop off 35,000 pairs of shoes for needy children.
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