Three musical artists who won America’s hearts on singing competition shows were on the performing bill at the 135th Rose Parade on New Year’s Day.
“American Idol” alum David Archuleta and “The Voice” champion Cassadee Pope performed during the Rose Parade’s Opening Spectacular alongside Destiny’s Child icon Michelle Williams and Los Angeles singer/songwriter/producer Rush Davis.
Grammy-nominated Jordin Sparks was performing for the Grand Finale of the two-hour parade.
The theme for the Rose Parade is “Celebrating the World of Music: The Universal Language” and the Tournament of Roses is using its global audience to highlight these musical talents.
Here’s what Archuleta, Pope, and Sparks have been up to since their debut on national television.
David Archuleta
In 2008, Archuleta charmed the country at the age of 16 with his vocals – and looks – when he competed on Season 7 of “American Idol,” placing second after rocker David Cook. His rise to fame continued soon after the show when he released his single “Crush,” which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
Three months later, Archuleta’s self-titled album went gold, selling more than 750,000 copies in the U.S. and more than 900,000 copies worldwide, according to his website.
Despite his success, Archuleta stepped away from the spotlight in 2012 to embark on a two-year mission for the church in Chile, as he grew up in Utah as a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Following his mission Archuleta released several singles and collaborations, but he made his official comeback to music in 2017 with the EPs “Orion” and “Leo.” His most recent album was released in 2020, titled “Therapy Sessions.”
In June 2021, Archuleta shared that he is part of the LGBTQ+ community. He stepped back from the Mormon faith after coming out as queer, Archuleta told People Magazine.
His latest single, “Afraid to Love,” was released in…
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