Biography: Blake+Lewis
* Born: July 21, 1981, Bothell, WA Period: 2000s
Biography:
Best known as the beatboxing contestant on season six of American Idol, Blake Lewis hails from Bothell, WA. Lewis comes from a musical family -- his mother used to be in a rock band and continues to sing and play guitar -- and began singing himself at age five. He impressed Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell, and Paula Abdul at the Seattle auditions with his beatboxing and performance of Seal`s "Crazy," and further wowed them at Hollywood week, where he performed with fellow contestants Rudy Cardenas and Chris Sligh. Performances of songs like Keane`s "Somewhere Only We Know" and Jamiroquai`s "Virtual Insanity" reflected his hip musical tastes; some of Lewis` other favorite artists include Björk, Imogen Heap, 311, and Gnarls Barkley. His distinctive style won him early fan support, including a voting bloc calling themselves "the Blaker Girls," and Lewis ultimately emerged as the season`s runner-up. While completing the subsequent American Idol tour that summer, he spent most of his evenings focusing on his full-length studio debut, co-writing 12 of the album`s 13 tracks and collaborating with such producers as OneRepublic`s Ryan Tedder. Audio Day Dream dropped in December 2007, buoyed by the leadoff single "Break Anotha."
