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KRIS ALLEN
Many of you know Kris Allen as the Season 8 winner of American Idol, but did you know he was also a worship leader for years before making it on the show?
Music always played a huge part in Arkansas native Kris Allen's life. Born on June 21, 1985, Kris grew up singing and dancing alone in his bedroom to Michael Jackson and later learned the viola for the school orchestra in fourth grade. At age 13 he secretly began to teach himself guitar, and by the time Kris entered college, he knew he wanted to be a professional musician.
In addition to playing shows around Arkansas, Kris also became involved in worship and missions. Not only did his involvement in missionary work take him around the world to places like Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Spain, and Thailand, Kris also served as a worship leader for years at New Life Church in Maumelle, Arkansas.
After living with his parents during Season 7 of American Idol and becoming hooked on the show, Kris's brother convinced him to audition for Season 8 in Louisville, Kentucky that summer. It was then that Kris's life really changed. After making it through the audition phase of the show, Kris married Katy, his high school sweetheart, that September. Just several months later, he had made it farther than thousands upon thousands of Idol hopefuls and quickly became a breakout star of the show. With impressive vocals, a unique ability of arranging songs, and a kind, humble spirit, Kris was able to propel himself all the way to the finals and eventually take the Season 8 crown.
Since winning Idol Kris not only had five songs from the show on the Billboard chart at once, but has had several successful singles from his debut album. "Live Like We're Dying," the first single from the album and first to be certified platinum, has sold over 1.5 million copies to date. "The Truth," featuring Pat Monahan from Train soon followed, and his current single, "Alright With Me," can be heard now on the radio. Kris has appeared on countless television shows and shared the stage with many of the industry's biggest names on tour over the past year, including Lifehouse, Maroon 5, Keith Urban, and many more.
Most recently Kris had the opportunity to sing the National Anthem this past Sunday at the NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii. Check out a video of the performance by clicking this image:
Needless to say, we are so excited to have Kris Allen as a part of our ALIVE11 line-up. Do not miss his performance Saturday night (June 25) on the Main Stage. See you there!
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