Katie Stevens
Encyclopedia
Katherine Mari "Katie" Stevens (born December 8, 1992) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 singer from Middlebury, Connecticut
Middlebury, Connecticut
Middlebury is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,451 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....

 who finished in eighth place on the ninth season
American Idol (season 9)
The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...

 of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...

.

Biography

Stevens grew up in Middlebury, Connecticut
Middlebury, Connecticut
Middlebury is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,451 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....

. Her parents are Mark Stevens and Clara Francisco. Her Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 grandmother, Rita Francisco, is battling Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...

. Stevens graduated from Pomperaug High School
Pomperaug High School
Pomperaug High School is a public high school in Southbury, Connecticut. It is part of Regional School District 15 which serves Southbury in addition to Middlebury.-History:...

 in Southbury, Connecticut in June 2010. She was named the 2009 Westbury Outstanding Teen at the Greater Watertown Scholarship Pageant. Stevens speaks Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...

.

Stevens was instrumental in the creation of the Evan Gagnon Memorial Scholarship Fund, which gives college scholarships to the seniors of Pomperaug High School. Evan Gagnon, who died in January 2009 at the age of two, was the son of Stevens' Spanish teacher. Stevens has also been a member of Pomperaug's High School Varsity Swim Team all four years.

Stevens first performed for an audience at five years old, when she sang the national anthem at a party for a politician in her hometown. When she was 7 years old, she sang From This Moment On by Shania Twain
Shania Twain
Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...

 at her aunt's wedding. Since she was young, Stevens has been active in her local theater community. She played the role of Dorothy in both BSS Children's Theater and Main Street Theater's Wizard of OZ. At Main Street Theater Stevens also played the role of Sharpay in High School Musical and "The Cat" in Honk. She played Nellie Forbush in Pomperaug High School's South Pacific
South Pacific (musical)
South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...

 alongside Gary Dwyer as Emile DeBeque. In addition, Stevens performed at Carnegie Hall at the age of 13.

She counts Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...

 and Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...

 among her favorite artists. Her musical influences include Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...

, and her own brother, Ryan Stevens. Among the instruments she can play are guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

, cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...

, and flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...

; however, she never had a chance to play them on American Idol prior to her elimination from the competition.

American Idol

On August 13, 2009, she auditioned for American Idol in Boston, Massachusetts
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

 and sang "At Last
At Last
"At Last" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Orchestra Wives, starring George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. It was performed in the film and on record by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday...

", where all four judges (including guest judge Victoria Beckham
Victoria Beckham
Victoria Caroline Beckham is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, fashion designer and businesswoman. In the late 1990s, Beckham rose to fame with the all-female pop group Spice Girls and was dubbed Posh Spice by the July 1996 issue of the British pop music magazine Top of the Pops...

) advanced her to Hollywood. At the Boston audition, judge Kara DioGuardi called her one of the most talented 16-year-olds she had ever seen. In Hollywood, DioGuardi made the prediction, "You could be the potential winner."

On March 24, 2010, Stevens landed in the bottom 3 during elimination night, along with Paige Miles
Paige Miles
Paige Sade Miles is an American singer from Naples, Florida, who was the eleventh place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol.- Early life :...

 and Tim Urban
Tim Urban
Timothy Joseph "Tim" Urban is an American singer-songwriter from Duncanville, Texas, who was the seventh place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol. Urban's debut album and EP titled Heart of Me is due for a November 8, 2010, iTunes release. Hard copies of the EP are on sale on his...

. She was proclaimed safe, giving her a spot on the American Idol summer tour.

Most of the critiques the judges have given her have been in regards to her pitch, age, and song choice. In her performance of "Chain of Fools
Chain of Fools
Chain of Fools is a 2000 heist comedy/romance film about a hapless barber named Kresk .-Plot:...

", DioGuardi told her she had found where she belonged: R&B-pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

, but she needed to work on being younger. She landed in the bottom three the following night but was declared safe, putting her into the Top 9. In her Top 9 performance of "Let It Be
Let It Be (song)
"Let It Be" is a song by The Beatles, released in March 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band...

", all of the judges thought it was a huge improvement. Ellen
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television host and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was also a judge on American Idol for one year, having joined the show in its ninth season....

 stated that she wouldn't be in the bottom 3 after that performance. Simon
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...

 said that she had done what she was told by being Country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

, while Kara
Kara DioGuardi
Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; her songs have appeared on more than 159...

 and Randy
Randy Jackson
Randall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...

 disagreed, opining that she has more of an R&B sensibility. Nonetheless, her performance secured her a position in the Top 8. However, the Top 9 remained intact for another week due to the judges' save of Michael Lynche
Michael Lynche
Michael Alexander Lynche is an American singer from St. Petersburg, Florida who was the fourth place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol. He is the second finalist ever to receive the judges' save, which was introduced in season eight.-Early life:Lynche was born to Michele and Marque...

.

Stevens was eliminated from American Idol the following week on April 14, along with Andrew Garcia
Andrew Garcia
Andrew Adrian Garcia is an American singer from Moreno Valley, California who was the ninth place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol.-Personal life:...

. Her elimination came second on the double elimination night.

Performances

Week # Theme Song choice Original artist Order # Result
Audition Auditioner's Choice "At Last
At Last
"At Last" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Orchestra Wives, starring George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. It was performed in the film and on record by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday...

"
Glenn Miller and his Orchestra
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...

N/A Advanced
Hollywood First Solo Performance "For Once in My Life
For Once in My Life
"For Once in My Life" is a pop song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Jobete publishing company in 1967 . The composition was originally recorded by Jean DuShon, while other artists, such as Tony Bennett and The Temptations, recorded slow ballad versions of the song...

"
Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...

N/A Advanced
Hollywood Group Performance "No One
No One (Alicia Keys song)
"No One" is a song by American recording artist Alicia Keys from her third studio album, As I Am. Written and produced by Keys, Kerry Brothers, Jr., and George M. Harry, and released as the album's lead single in September 2007...

"
Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...

N/A Advanced
Hollywood Second Solo "Chasing Pavements
Chasing Pavements
"Chasing Pavements" is the second single from soul singer Adele. Adele performed the song on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on 7 December 2007....

"
Adele
Adele (singer)
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...

N/A Advanced
Top 24 (12 Women) Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 Hits
"Feeling Good
Feeling Good
"Feeling Good" is a song written by English singer-songwriters Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the 1965 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd starring Cy Grant, who sang the original version of the song...

"
Cy Grant
Cy Grant
Cy Grant was a Guyanese actor, singer, writer and poet, who in the 1950s became the first black person to appear regularly on British television...

12 Safe
Top 20 (10 Women) "Put Your Records On
Put Your Records On
"Put Your Records On" is a song by English soul singer–songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae from her debut album, Corinne Bailey Rae . Written by Rae, John Beck, and Steve Chrisanthou, it was released as the album's second single in February and early March 2006 throughout Europe and as the lead single in...

"
Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leeds, who released her debut album Corinne Bailey Rae in February 2006....

4 Safe
Top 16 (8 Women) "Breakaway
Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)
"Breakaway" is a 2004 song co-written by Avril Lavigne, Bridget Benenate and Matthew Gerrard and produced by John Shanks. It was recorded by pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson for the soundtrack to the film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement by Disney Records, where it quickly became a charting...

"
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...

1 Safe
Top 12 The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...

"Wild Horses" The Rolling Stones 6 Safe
Top 11 Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

#1 Hits
"Big Girls Don't Cry
Big Girls Don't Cry (Fergie song)
"Big Girls Don't Cry" is a song written by Fergie and Toby Gad for pop singer Fergie's debut solo album The Dutchess . The song was released as the album's fourth single in 2007 and topped the charts in several countries, most notably in Australia , and in...

"
Fergie 8 Bottom 3
Top 10 R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...

/Soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...

"Chain of Fools
Chain of Fools (song)
"Chain of Fools" is a song written by Don Covay. Aretha Franklin first released the song as a single in 1967 and subsequently it appeared on many of her albums. It reached number one on the U.S...

"
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...

7 Bottom 3
Top 9 Lennon/McCartney
Lennon/McCartney
The Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership is one of the best-known and most successful musical collaborations in history...

"Let It Be
Let It Be (song)
"Let It Be" is a song by The Beatles, released in March 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band...

"
The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

2 Safe
Top 9 Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....

"Baby, What You Want Me to Do" Jimmy Reed
Jimmy Reed
Mathis James "Jimmy" Reed was an American blues musician and songwriter, notable for bringing his distinctive style of blues to mainstream audiences. Reed was a major player in the field of electric blues, as opposed to the more acoustic-based sound of many of his contemporaries...

8 Eliminated

  • Stevens was saved first from elimination.
  • Due to the judges using their one save to save Michael Lynche
    Michael Lynche
    Michael Alexander Lynche is an American singer from St. Petersburg, Florida who was the fourth place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol. He is the second finalist ever to receive the judges' save, which was introduced in season eight.-Early life:Lynche was born to Michele and Marque...

    , the Top 9 remained intact for another week.
  • Because of the judges' save on April 7, Stevens was eliminated along with Andrew Garcia on April 14.

Post-Idol

After her elimination, Stevens made several appearances on talk shows. On April 16, 2010, she appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...

where she performed "Over the Rainbow
Over the Rainbow
"Over the Rainbow" is a classic Academy Award-winning ballad song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It was written for the movie The Wizard of Oz, and was sung by Judy Garland in the movie...

". Stevens also appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman along with Andrew Garcia, where they sang "Superhuman
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...

" by Chris Brown and Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...

. She also, along with Andrew Garcia, appeared on the Wendy Williams Show where she performed "Big Girls Don't Cry
Big Girls Don't Cry (Fergie song)
"Big Girls Don't Cry" is a song written by Fergie and Toby Gad for pop singer Fergie's debut solo album The Dutchess . The song was released as the album's fourth single in 2007 and topped the charts in several countries, most notably in Australia , and in...

".

From July 1 to August 31, 2010 Stevens toured with the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2010
American Idols LIVE! Tour 2010
The American Idols LIVE! Tour 2010 was a summer concert tour in the United States and Canada that featured the Top 10 contestants of the ninth season of American Idol. The 44 date tour started in Auburn Hills, Michigan, on July 1, and ended in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 31.The tour was...

. On tour, she sang "Here We Go Again
Here We Go Again (song)
"Here We Go Again" is the title track and lead single from singer Demi Lovato's second studio album. The song was released to Radio Disney on June 17, 2009 and as a digital download on June 23, 2009. It has peaked at #61 on the Canadian Hot 100 and #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United...

" by Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato
"She’s got the range, the full emotional spectrum, incredible control… Vocally, she’s the best thing Disney’s had since Christina Aguilera."—Producer Toby Gad on Demi Lovato's vocals...

 and "Fighter
Fighter (song)
"Fighter" is a song recorded by American recording artist Christina Aguilera. The song was written by Aguilera and Scott Storch, and produced by Storch for Aguilera's fourth studio album, Stripped. The song was released on June 3, 2003 as the third single. The song peaked at number twenty on the...

" by Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...

.

After the tour, Stevens moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 where she began writing an album. She has yet to be signed with a recording label but has been writing songs with David Hodges
David Hodges
David Hodges is a songwriter, producer, composer, keyboardist and vocalist from Little Rock, Arkansas. He is best known for his work with the band Evanescence, which he left in 2002. He has also been part of the bands Trading Yesterday, The Age of Information, Avox, and David Hodges solo...

. As of early November, Stevens has written a total of 9 songs, including one named "Waste My Time". Stevens plans to release an album before the year (2011) is over.

Stevens was a guest performer on Ídolos Portugal
Ídolos Portugal
Ídolos is a reality television show based on the popular British show Pop Idol. The show is a contest to determine the best young singer in Portugal. The first two seasons were hosted by Sílvia Alberto and Pedro Granger...

 on December 12, 2010, where she sang "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...

.

Stevens, along with fellow Idols Michael Lynche
Michael Lynche
Michael Alexander Lynche is an American singer from St. Petersburg, Florida who was the fourth place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol. He is the second finalist ever to receive the judges' save, which was introduced in season eight.-Early life:Lynche was born to Michele and Marque...

, Paige Miles
Paige Miles
Paige Sade Miles is an American singer from Naples, Florida, who was the eleventh place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol.- Early life :...

, Didi Benami
Didi Benami
Vered "Didi" Benami is an American singer/songwriter from Knoxville, Tennessee, who was the tenth place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

 and Tim Urban
Tim Urban
Timothy Joseph "Tim" Urban is an American singer-songwriter from Duncanville, Texas, who was the seventh place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol. Urban's debut album and EP titled Heart of Me is due for a November 8, 2010, iTunes release. Hard copies of the EP are on sale on his...

 appeared and performed on Reality Rocks.

On April 30, 2011, Stevens and Tim Urban performed at the Donate Life program.

External links

  • Katie Stevens on Twitter
  • Katie Stevens at American Idol
    American Idol
    American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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